Local News - The Villager Magazine

Transcription

Local News - The Villager Magazine
VILLAGER
The
Issue 48 - March 2016
and Town
Life
LOCAL NEWS • LOCAL PEOPLE • LOCAL SERVICES • LOCAL CHARITIES • LOCAL PRODUCTS
Inside this issue
Walking Football
VerticalwithCover
Climbers
Win £25
in our Prize Crossword
Bringing Local Business to Local People in
Alconbury, Grafham, Kimbolton, Riseley, The Stukeleys
and all surrounding areas every month
ur
Yo EE
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Contents
Artisan Food Tour - Win Tickets
15
The New Forest........................................................4
North Bedfordshire Heritage Trail...........................10
Fun Quiz.................................................................10
The Children’s Society Needs Volunteers.................12
Artisan Food Tour Competition...............................15
Reliable Local Handymen.......................................16
Employment Matters.............................................19
Divorce Myths Dispelled.........................................21
Dividend Taxation 2016/2017................................22
Proposed Stamp Duty Land Tax..............................24
VILLAGER
The
Issue 48 - March 2016
and Town
Life
LOCAL NEWS • LOCAL PEOPLE • LOCAL SERVICES • LOCAL CHARITIES • LOCAL PRODUCTS
Inside this issue
Walking Football
VerticalwithCover
Climbers
Win £25
in our Prize Crossword
Bringing Local Business to Local People in
Alconbury, Grafham, Kimbolton, Riseley, The Stukeleys
and all surrounding areas every month
ur
Yo EE
FRcopy
Know Your Number................................................25
Vertical Cover with Climbers..................................26
Animal Know-How.................................................28
Mad March Hair......................................................31
Walking Football in Yaxley.....................................32
Nick Coffer’s Recipe................................................34
Puzzle Page............................................................36
What’s On...............................................................38
Prize Crossword......................................................42
Beer at Home.........................................................45
Book Review..........................................................47
Walking Football
32
11,000 copies delivered free of charge in the following areas:
Abbots Ripton, Alconbury, Brington, Buckworth, Bythorn, Catworth, Covington, Dillington, Grafham, Great Staughton, Hail Weston,
Keyston, Kimbolton, Kings Ripton, Leighton Bromswold, Little Staughton, Lower Dean, Molesworth, Old Weston, Perry, Pertenhall,
Ramsey, Riseley, Sawtry, Shelton, Stonley, Stow Longa, Swineshead, The Stukeleys, Tillbrook, Upper Dean and Warboys
(We also have over 150 distribution points, including pubs, garages, most shops, post offices, Supermarket Chains in all of the
above as well as in Huntingdon, Lt Staughton, Grafham Water Visitor Centre’s and Kimbolton)
Editorial - Melanie Hulse, Carol H Scott, Abby Smith,
Ian Melville, Tony Larkins, Pippa Greenwood, RSPCA,
Nick Coffer, Ted Bruning
and Bruce Edwards
Advertising Sales/Local Editorial
Scott - 01767 261122 [email protected]
Photography - Famveldman and
Darren Harbar Photography
Design and Artwork - Design 9 Tel 07762 969460
Publishers
Villager Publications Ltd
24 Market Square, Potton, Bedfordshire SG19 2NP
Tel: 01767 261122
[email protected]
www.villagermag.com
Disclaimer - All adverts and editorial are printed in good faith,
however, Villager Publications Ltd can not take any responsibility for the
content of the adverts, the services provided by the advertisers or any
statements given in the editorial. No part of this publication may be
reproduced or stored without the express permission of the publisher.
To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261122
3
History
By Melanie Hulse
The
New Forest
The New Forest has always been one of those
places that everybody else raves about. Having
managed to avoid the place on perverse principal
thus far, I finally conceded defeat and agreed to a
weekend’s camping trip last September. After all,
given the route, the forest lies within easy reach of
Bedfordshire, there are ponies (always exciting),
plenty of quiet, off-road cycling, a beautiful
coastline and cows that are allowed to amble at
will – what could be more appealing?
Having to pitch our tent in after dark only to
discover the fact that we had chosen to put it in the
middle of the pony’s favorite bathroom stop and
that the car was so lodged in the resulting midden
that we had no choice but to curl up in the cold
without going out for the delicious meal I’d been
promised, did nothing to endear me to the place.
We had chosen the last permissible weekend of
the year for camping in the forest and the site was
far from quiet - only the issue was not people but
deer! All our fellow happy campers were cosied
up well before the 11pm curfew but I don’t think
the animal residents had read the rules. It was
that time of year when testosterone levels go
through the roof and the male population of red
deer feel compelled to clash horns repeatedly
and with boyish enthusiasm and all night. They
obviously favoured the midden too, as our tent
was definitely the centre of the trouble, either that
or some canny youngster had set up his betting
shop within a spit of our zips and was marshalling
the next hot studs into line for the how-loudlycan-you-yell competition.
Sleep? Well, we didn’t want any of that anyway…
The next morning dawned sickeningly bright so
4
I dragged my aching bones to the nearest washhouse before setting off into the forest to seek
a heartening breakfast. How wonderful it was,
even in my bleary-eyed and definitively grumpy
state, to sail off on the broad, smooth footpaths
with not a thought of cars - even our own. In no
time my sleepless night was left far behind and
we were tucking into a traditional breakfast in a
Brockenhurst café, whilst planning a day in the
wilds.
Apart from cycling there are plenty of other
activities available in the New Forest. With
information available from the tourist information
centre or local information points it would be
possible to stay for weeks and still have a list
of pastimes left. Archery, canoeing, kayaking,
mountain bikes adventure trails, walking and of
course the inevitable horse riding to name but a
few.
Thankfully, our visit to the New Forest coincided
with one of those particularly lovely autumn
weekends when the sky is clearest blue and the
sun shines high and bright right up until the
spectacular, painted dusk. The whole forest lay
before us and armed with maps and full bellies we
set off towards Beaulieu in un-squashably high
spirits. The wonderful thing about the forest is
that it isn’t actually a forest – in the way I would
define a forest anyway. There are broad areas of
open scrub where graze rabbits, ponies and deer
and the sun warms one’s shoulders and there
is not another person in sight. There are small,
woodland clearings where squirrels chuckle and
woodpeckers laugh and the absence of man-made
noise is complete enough to be breathtaking.
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5
There are rows and rows of Scots pine sheltering
the brightest, thickest emerald moss and stands
of ancient, stag-headed oak that tower like the
kings of the forest and shelter the sweetest, purest
streams.
The history of the New Forest is an interesting one.
Despite it’s name the area was in fact designated
as forest land by William the Conqueror. Prior to
the Norman conquest the area had been called
Ytene and was an infertile heath-land with heavily
thicketed lowlands, large areas of bog.
The population was sparse as the land was
considered uncultivatable but the people that
did live there probably foraged for meat and
edible plants as well as eating the vegetable crops
that they were able to grow in pockets of more
fertile ground. Artifacts of pre-Norman times
have been found and are principally Bronze-age
and Romano-British. Bronze-age field enclosures
indicate some cultivation of the ground and the
keeping of livestock. The forest had about 200
barrows, or ancient burial mounds, 100 boiling
mounds where water was heated using a system
of fire and flints and the used flints were discarded
and heaped up leaving a mound. A large number
of pottery kilns have been excavated which date
from the 3rd and 4th centuries.
William, Duke of Normandy invaded England
on 28th September 1066. He defeated Harold
Gowinson, the king of England, at the Battle of
Hastings and was crowned on Christmas day of
the same year. In 1079 William ‘afforested’ the area
of the New Forest, which means that he brought
it under forest law in common with 21 other
large areas of the country. In this context ‘a forest’
denotes an area subject to special laws designed
to protect the hunting rights of the monarch and
those assigned to this task by him. It does not
mean a wooded area as we have come to assume
and in fact the New Forest was about half woods,
half heath even in William’s day. It was a place for
the keeping of deer and certain other animals
defined thus by Manwood in his Treatise of the
Laws of the Forest:
6
“A forest is a certain territory of woody grounds
and fruitful pastures, privileged for wild beasts and
fowls of the forest, chase, and warren, to rest and
abide there in the safe protection of the King for
his delight and pleasure.....”
This designation brought the few inhabitants
under strict laws that required them to preserve
and protect game of all species, especially animals
of the hunt – red deer, fallow deer, roe and wild
pig, which together were referred to as ‘the
venison’.
Thus, the forest was made a kingdom within a
kingdom which had laws that ran in parallel with
Common Law. There was distinct legal system with
its own courts and officers whose sole aim was to
protect the venison and vert (the green food the
venison fed on) for the king’s pleasure although it
is likely that he rarely hunted there but employed
professionals to do so in his stead.
Royal edicts could be and were issued by the
Crown with no appeal or redress. William justified
the severity of this system by producing a
document – the Charter of Cnut (now discredited)
which apparently declared that the exclusive rights
of the chase were vested in the king.
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle explains the situation
in this way:
“....set many deer free, and laid a law upon it, that
whoever slew hart or hind should be blinded.
As he forbade the killing of harts he forbade the
killing of boars, and he loved the stags as if he
were their father. He decreed also that hares must
go free. The rich complained, the poor lamented;
but he was so hard he set their hate at naught...”
In fact, no sovereigns before William including
Cnut had claimed royal prerogative for hunting
the woods of their subjects. Trespassers and
poachers of the kings own woods had been
punished by common law, not a Forest Law which
was a Norman institution brought over from
the continent. In the eyes of the English it was
unprecedented tyranny.
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7
Imagine the effects of Forest law upon the local
population, however sparse. They were no longer
allowed to enclose land in any way nor ‘interfere’
with the vert by grazing their own livestock. They
could not gather fuel for fires as the underwood
was considered the property of the king. Some
were even evicted from their homes while others
moved of their own accord in order to cultivate
land outside the afforested area. In an attempt
to compensate for the harsh restrictions that
afforestation imposed, the common inhabitants
were allowed to turn their livestock onto the
unwanted or waste-land of the forest if they made
claims for Common Rights at the forest court. This
too was restricted, during the winter months to
protect the whole place for the foraging needs of
the king’s deer and in the month when the fawns
were born resulting in the actual grazing rights
on the common land stretching to only about five
months of the year.
These harsh laws were only made more severe
during the reign of William Rufus or William II. He
made death and mutilation the punishments for
interfering with the king’s deer. Killing a deer was
punishable by death, those who shot a deer had
their hands cut off and blinding was the penalty for
mere disturbance of the herd.
After Rufus died after being shot (most probably
murderously) with an arrow in the Forest, Henry I
was made king. He promised to modify the severity
of the Forest Law but in reality maintained it,
although he did grant rights of warren to those
under Forest Law which enabled them to hunt fox,
badger, rabbit, cat, hare, wolf and squirrel.
The next few hundred years saw the borders of the
forest moved numerous times, the decline of the
forest and then the enclosure of large areas used
to grow timber which was of great value to the
Navy for ship building. During 1851 Queen Victoria
sanctioned the Deer Removal Act. Deer were by this
time considered a threat to plantations. The cost of
keeping the deer and compensating local private
estates for the damage they caused was high. The
act required the destruction of the deer (the fallow
deer alone were estimated at 4,000 head). This was
8
the first formal acknowledgement that the crown
were no longer interested in the deer. Victoria also
approved the “Commoners Charter” which enabled
commonable stock to be grazed all year round
on the common land and appointed a Court of
Verderers to protect the rights of the Commoners.
Many measures were taken to contain the animals
which roamed freely around the forest and regulate
the breeding of the New Forest ponies to ensure
they remained healthy and a recognized pure
breed. 1903 saw the first death of a commonable
animal in a road traffic accident and in 1963 the
most recent grid mapping and fencing of the
perambulation of the forest was begun. Some of
the busier roads were fenced too and car parks and
camping sites were organized.
In 1971 the Wild Creatures and Forest Laws Act
abolished prerogative rights of the crown to wild
creatures (except swans and royal fish) and so
prevented the Forest Keepers claiming rights to the
land by firing a single shot on each encroachment
once a year.
In 1997 an initiative called “Life” financed a four year
programme to restore the ancient woodlands and
in 2005 the forest was designated as a National Park
ensuring the protection of this beautiful place.
Our glorious weekend was full of adventures cycling
– dodging crazy cows in Beaulieu, a reckless ride
along the estuary bank to Buckler’s Hard for delicious
picnic lunch on the slopes overlooking the waters
and then the return to the camp site across purple
heathland dotted with groups of pretty ponies.
Our cycling legs more than worked-out we spent
Sunday on the beach at Milford, gazing over the
Solent at The Needles off the coast of the Isle of
Wight. The pebbles sloped gently down to the
softly rolling waves and the attractive streets of
nearby Lymington provided a much needed fish
and chip supper.
My only regret is that we didn’t have longer than
a weekend. Since our return I have regaled our
children with enthusiastic stories of our escapades
and now we are all longing for the return of summer
so that we can throw the tent in the car, load up the
bikes and take on the forest once more.
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9
Local News
North Bedfordshire
Heritage Trail
IVEL VALLEY WALKERS (IVW) have re-produced
and up graded the North Bedfordshire Heritage
Trial (NBHT). This follows in a long tradition where
the Ivel Valley Walkers have always been active in
supporting and promoting walking in Bedfordshire.
The North Bedfordshire Heritage Trail was originally
devised by the late Gordon Edwards around the
year 2000 and published in the form of an A3
double sided leaflet. The purpose was to design
a trail that attracted walkers from near and far to
discover the underrated area of North Bedfordshire
and its wonderful heritage. This new publication
updates his work and provides a brief history of local
interests along the eleven sections of the trail.
The North Bedfordshire Heritage Trail is
described in a clockwise direction, starting
from St Paul’s Square in Bedford and is a circular
route of approximately 70 miles divided into
11sections. For walkers’ convenience the
route is also signposted in both directions.
Following existing rights of way throughout, the Trail
includes no fewer than twenty three villages, two
country parks and a reasonable number of public
houses, so plenty of refreshment stops can be taken
on the way. Each of the 11 sections can be printed
separately from www.ivelvalleywalkers.co.uk and
each section includes a route description, Ordinance
Survey route map and a brief history of the heritage
to be found in each section.
Visit our website www.ivelvalleywalkers.co.uk,
and download the North Bedfordshire Heritage Trail
to explore and enjoy the county of Bedfordshire.
Thanks are due to all those Ivel Valley members
who helped with updating the North Bedfordshire
Heritage Trail and also the Bedford Borough Council
Rights of Way department.
Fun Quiz - Catchphrases
1. The first three words of which famous movie catchphrase literally
translate as “until the viewing”?
2. Which company was privatised in 1986, with adverts featuring
the catchphrase “if you see Sid, tell him” being used to encourage
individuals to buy shares?
3. In 2010 the BBC issued an apology to which TV presenter after Jon
Culshaw poked fun at his weight on The Impressions Show using
the catchphrase “I was fierce hungry, so I was”?
4. Which TV dating show features the catchphrase “No likey, no
lightey”?
5. Who coined the catchphrases “say what you see” and “it’s good, but
it’s not right” on the TV show Catchphrase?
6. What is the best known one-word catchphrase of the double act
whose real names are Janet Tough and Ian Tough?
7. In 2011, who attempted to trademark a number of his catchphrases,
including “duh, winning”, “tiger blood”, “rock star from Mars” and “I’m
not bi-polar, I’m bi-winning”?
8. How did the TV character Daffyd Thomas refer to himself in his best
known catchphrase?
9. Which cartoon character’s catchphrase was originally derived from
the Brylcreem advertising slogan “A little dab’ll do ya”?
10. Which famous character’s best known catchphrase was originally
written in a script as “annoyed grunt”?
1. Hasta la vista, baby (from the film Terminator 2: Judgment Day) 2. British Gas 3. Eamonn Holmes 4. Take Me Out 5. Roy Walker
6. Fandabidozi (Janet and Ian Tough are the Krankies) 7. Charlie Sheen 8. The only gay in the village (on the TV show Little Britain)
9. Fred Flintstone’s (“Yabba dabba do”) 10. Homer Simpson’s (the catchphrase is “d’oh”)
Before
10
After
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11
Local News
The Children’s Society
needs volunteers just like you...
In the late nineteenth century, Edward Rudolf, a
young Sunday school teacher and civil servant in
South London, found himself confronted by the
brutal effects of poverty on the lives of children.
When two young boys failed to turn up for his Sunday
school, he went to look for them and was shocked to
find them begging for food on the streets. Their father
had died, leaving their mother struggling to bring up
seven children under 11 years old. Theirs was not an
isolated experience and Rudolf was moved to act.
He approached an Archbishop, and expressed his
concern for children living on the margins of society,
and suggested that the Church of England should
be the driver of social action for such children. The
Archbishop agreed enthusiastically and, soon after,
the Church of England Central Home for Waifs and
Strays was established.
By 1919, with support from parishes and individuals
across the country, Edward Rudolf had established
the Children’s Society at the forefront of providing
services to vulnerable children.
Not much has changed. Not a week goes by where
12
there is not a story of child
neglect, poverty, injustice
or exploitation. That’s why
the Children’s Society
needs people like you to
volunteer, and help us deliver
meaningful change for
Children across England.
Fundraising volunteers are urgently required to
organise their own events, from cake baking to coffee
mornings.
Fundraising Groups are required: Why not band
together and raise money together, whilst having fun!
Volunteer Speakers: To talk about the work of
the Children’s Society in schools, businesses and
churches.
No experience is required, just drive and tenacity.
Full training will be provided.
If you want to help, please contact Russell Rolph
(Regional Fundraising Manager) on 07713 101897,or
at Russell.rolph@childrens society.org.uk.
You will be glad you did……
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13
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For more information ring Tim or Karl
on 01480 216677
[email protected]
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14
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COMPETITION
Explore Cambridge
through the eyes of a foodie
Win two tickets for our Artisan Food Tour
Imagine strolling through Cambridge in the bright
sunlight, passed colleges which look like they are
made out of sugar,, wandering through quaint
passages around the historic Market Place, getting
your culture kick at interesting museums and art
galleries or spreading out your picnic on one of the
many parks or commons? However, wouldn’t it be
nice to see Cambridge in a different light?
One of the oldest historic towns in England was
once labelled as the worst clone city in the UK.
Cambridge definitely has turned a page since then
as the local food scene is booming and new exciting
foodie enterprises are popping up all the time. The
Cambridge Food Tour is one of them, which kicked
off in September 2012. Gerla, the founder, decided,
that it was time to introduce Cambridge to this new
way of exploring a city.
Dutch born Gerla is a globetrotter and as a real
foodie, food is always high on on the agenda on her
travels. She is of the opinion, that through food and
people, you get under the skin of a country.
Making your way through Cambridge, sampling
tasty food such as the famous sticky Chelsea bun,
Sicilian pizza and pastry, local street food, pies,
British cheeses and of course Scotch egg washed
down with craft beer is just a small taster of one her
award winning food tours. The Cambridge Food Tour
runs scheduled tours 6 days per week. Keen to have
a personalised tour? Get a group of 10 together and
Gerla and her team will create a tour around your
favourite food and drinks. We can assure you, that it
will be a day you won’t soon forget!
The Villager and Town Life have 2 tickets to
giveaway for the Artisan Food Tour.
To enter, simply answer the following question
Which food can only be eaten by the
Queen and one Cambridge College?
and email your answer to
email: [email protected]
with the heading
‘Artisan Food Tour Competition Entry’.
Please include your name, address and tel no.
A winner will be picked at random.
Deadline for entries is 18th March 2016
Artisan food in Town & Gown
Experience delicious Artisan food, craft ales, local gin
and if in season, black truffle in Central and North
Cambridge and Mill Road and it’s back streets. A
perfect tour for the lover of food and wine. Our last
stop will not just be a tasting of this deliciousness,
but we have thrown in small challenge too. All these
areas are packed with local foodie haunts away from
the tourist crowds, that visitors don’t usually get to
discover.
To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261122
15
Local News
Reliable Local Handymen
Retired police
officers in
Cambridgeshire
are pioneers in
an ambitious
national network
of highly vetted
handymen
launched by ‘Blue Local Handymen’.
Helping to combat the ongoing problem of
cowboy builders and dodgy tradespeople, local
retired police officers with a passion for home
maintenance are taking up tools to provide
peace of mind to the residents and businesses
of Huntingdon, Alconbury, Kimbolton and
surrounding areas.
Typically police officers retire after 30 years service
and a huge number are still eager to continue
playing an active and productive role in their
communities. All handymen prove themselves
16
capable and experienced in home maintenance
works before joining the network and carry recent
CRB Checks.
Managing Director, Nick Orde-Powlett, hopes
that the company’s rigorous selection process
will bring security and peace of mind to people in
Cambridgeshire:
“Our vetting process is second to none. All of our
handymen are friendly retired police officers with
many years working in the community under their
belt – they understand peoples’ concerns and fears
better than anyone else and they genuinely care.“
Handyman Jim Lias states: “I have always had a
keen interest in home maintenance and now I
have the opportunity to spread the skills I have
developed for the benefit of the local community”
More information can be found on the website
www.trustinblue.com and bookings can be made
either by calling freephone 0800 255 0 255 or
emailing [email protected]
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17
EBAY COLLECTIONS
18
Local & Reliable
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Employment
Carol H Scott HR and Business Consulting Ltd
Employment Matters
The countdown to the National Living
Wage has started, are you ready?
The National Living Wage (NLW) applies to all
qualifying employees in every company, and all
organisations should be getting prepared now
because - just like the Auto Enrolment Pension
scheme - the changes on 1 April 2016 are not
just a ‘nice to have’ but a compulsory and legal
responsibility. It is a welcome change to workers,
but higher payroll costs are a challenge for SMEs.
What do employers need to know?
The National Living Wage of £7.20 per hour is
being introduced for employees aged over 25
years old on the 1st April 2016.
The National Minimum Wage increased to £6.70
per hour for employees aged over 21 years old on
the 1st October last year.
What do employers need to do?
1. Know the correct rate of pay for every one of
your employees.
2. Find out which employees will be aged 25 or
over on 1st April.
3. Update the company payroll in time for 1 April
2016.
4. Communicate the changes to your employees
as soon as possible.
5. Ensure your payroll is set up to increase
employees’ rate of pay when they reach the age
of 25.
The new National Living Wage is a key part of the
government’s plan to continue to move to a higher
wage, lower tax and lower welfare society, building
a more productive Britain and giving families the
security of well-paid work.
So how will SMEs cope with the additional
salary bill?
The Chartered Institute of Management
Accountants says many SMEs already pay their
staff at or above NLW levels, so are unlikely
to react adversely but anticipate that small
firms may decide to employ fewer people than
planned. SMEs may opt to pass on all or part of
the increased cost to customers or if demand for
products is very elastic, to decide that absorbing
the imposed increased costs is the least damaging
option.
All employers need to attract and retain talent
in an increasingly competitive market. Some
may decide to make capital investments to
increase production capacity rather than ongoing
recruitment. Some will be telling their customers
about the NLW increases so they understand why
prices will be going up in April 2016, others will be
reviewing their costs and negotiating reductions
wherever possible.
Involvement of your Employees is essential!
Whatever the plan is for dealing with the impact
it will certainly mean a review of ‘the way we do
things around here’ and this is where involvement
of the entire workforce is essential as who knows
better than those who deliver the business
service about any time wasting/resource wasting
practices or bureaucratic rules that get in the way?
Ask for suggestions, have brain storming sessions
or organise team meetings to generate ideas and
allow people to come up with creative solutions.
One team member will write down all ideas - no
matter how off the wall - and importantly there
must be no criticism or rejection including the old
standard ‘that won’t work’ or ‘we tried that before
and it didn’t work’. Ideas can be sorted through
afterwards to find the best ones and then analyse
how they could work. Being involved in the
decision making encourages the team to commit
to solutions because they have provided input and
played a role in developing them.
Use the NLW as a way to encourage your team
to feel positive and motivated at work and give
a valued contribution to improving the business
they work for.
To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261122
19
THE COMPUTER MAN
Local, Qualified & Experienced
Getting I.T. right the
first time, every time.
Make your PC or laptop fast again!
• SLOW COMPUTERS RESOLVED
• VIRUS & SPYWARE REMOVAL
• BROADBAND INSTALLATION
• UPGRADES & REPAIRS
• IPOD, IPHONE, IPAD & MAC
• MOST ISSUES RESOLVED ON SITE
• HIGHLY COMPETITIVE RATES
• NO EXPENSIVE SHOP TO RUN
• ALL MAKES, MODELS & AGES
Contact Stuart on:
Tel: 01480 354 937
Mob: 07734 652 239
E-mail: [email protected]
Whether your computer is not working
at all or just needs a boost, we can help.
Your local divorce & family law specialists
Caring, confidential legal advice
3 Divorce and separation
3 Getting a fair financial settlement
3 Seeing your children after you split
3 Legal arrangements before you marry or live together
FREE telephone appointment
Call locally based divorce & family lawyer Abby Smith on
01480 270499 or email [email protected]
6 FREE downloadable
guides available on
our website
Local meetings arranged at
a time and place to suit you
www.family-lawfirm.co.uk
Woolley & Co is a member of the Law Society and authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Head office: Warwick Enterprise Park, Wellesbourne, Warwick, CV35 9EF
20
W&Co_131.93LS_AbbySmith.inddPlease
1
04/12/2014
14:22
mention The Villager and Town Life when responding
to adverts
Family Law
Divorce Myths Dispelled
By family lawyer Abby Smith of Woolley & Co, Solicitors
www.family-lawfirm.co.uk
Divorce is now so commonplace in modern society
that many people believe it to be simple and
uncomplicated, but in reality matrimonial law is
not always easy to understand which has caused
many popular misconceptions and myths. Whilst
you might think these myths are harmless and
misunderstandings have no consequence, that isn’t
always the case.
10 common divorce misunderstandings and
myths
“We can get a quickie divorce” This phrase seems
to be used whenever a celebrity couple are getting
divorced. BUT - there is no such thing as a “quickie
divorce”, for celebrities or anyone else. In reality
proceedings for divorce usually take around 4 to 6
months once the petition has been issued at court.
The “common law spouse” King George II abolished
the doctrine of common law wives in 1753. Therefore,
however long you may live with your partner you
will not gain any status as their spouse, and have not
been able to do so for 260 years. The law relating
to cohabitants is complex and very different to the
law that relates to division of assets for spouses
upon divorce, so don’t think when you split from a
long term partner you’ll have the same rights as a
divorcing friend.
“It’s not adultery if we’re separated” Actually, it is.
If you are still married and have sexual intercourse
with a person of the opposite sex whether you are
separated from your spouse or not, it is adultery in
the eyes of the law although if you are no longer
living together you may not be able to rely on this
fact as a ground for a divorce.
“You have to obtain your spouse’s agreement to
proceed with a divorce” This is not true.
“We want to divorce based on irreconcilable
differences” It is common for people to want to
divorce on the basis of their irreconcilable differences.
It is possible to do this in other countries where
no-fault divorces are available, but not currently in
England and Wales.
“Fault affects the financial settlement” Apart from
in extreme cases, the reasons for the relationship
ending are usually irrelevant when deciding what
share of the family assets each spouse receives.
The court is not usually interested in punishing
the person allegedly at fault or having caused the
marriage to breakdown; instead it is concerned with
finding a fair solution that meets the family’s needs.
“I will lose the rights over my family home if I move
out” No, you will not be penalized if you chose to
move out of the family home. Lots of people assume
that they will give up any legal rights to the property
or equity in the property by moving out but that is
simply not the case.
“I can keep any money, property or business that’s in
my sole name” Sorry, not true. Even if you have been
careful with money during the marriage, building
up savings in your sole name, keeping all money
separate from your spouse, by virtue of marriage all
assets become joint assets, regardless of whose name
they are held and claims for a share of those savings
can be made by your spouse within divorce and
financial proceedings.
“Children always live with their mother after divorce”
That is not the automatic position. However, in most
marriages or relationships the mother tends to be
the children’s main carer and there is an assumption
that this arrangement will continue post-separation.
If both parents have had an equal role in looking
after the children on a day to day basis, then no
presumption would exist in favour of the mother.
“Lawyers want to get you into court” This is not
generally the case. Family lawyers, like all those
at Woolley & Co, who are members of Resolution,
sign up to a code of conduct that ensures a nonconfrontational approach is taken wherever possible.
Whilst there are cases where court may be the best,
or the only option, many cases can be resolved
through mediation, arbitration, negotiations or a
collaborative approach.
“You need a solicitor to get divorced” Not always.
You can represent yourself, and we are seeing more
people doing this. Whether it is wise for you to do so
is another matter. If you have any questions about
representation or the divorce procedure, do get in
touch.
Abby Smith of Woolley & Co is an experienced family
lawyer and will work hard to assist clients to find an
amicable solution wherever possible.
For advice on any family law issue contact
Abby Smith for a FREE initial telephone
consultation. Call 01480 270499 or email
[email protected]
To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261122
21
Finance
Dividend taxation
and other changes to
tax laws in 2016/17
A change to the dividend taxation laws is to be
implemented from April 2016. Pension and ISA
dividends will not be affected by the new regime
and will remain free of tax, but the new dividend
rules are likely to have an adverse effect on
directors and shareholders of small incorporated
companies.
The new proposals will reportedly bring in an extra
£2.54 billion in revenue for the 2016/17 tax year,¹
with smaller amounts continuing to bolster the
public purse in future years. The changes are an
effort by the government to equalise tax laws for
those who run unincorporated businesses.
Here’s a summary of the changes to be introduced
• A maximum annual Dividend Allowance of
£5,000 is to come into force (after taking the
personal allowance into account)
• The existing 10% notional Dividend Tax Credit
will be scrapped
• Dividends over the £5,000 annual limit will be
taxed at the following rates:
- 7.5% on dividend income in the basic rate
band
- 32.5% (for the higher rate band)
- 38.1% (in the additional rate band)
People with a low dividend income will see a
reduction in their tax bill, but the new measures are
likely to hit family-run small businesses the hardest.
So why has the Treasury decided to overhaul the
current system?
The government is attempting to discourage taxmotivated incorporation, which means setting up
a business as a limited company simply to enjoy a
lower rate of tax on income.
In the past, directors/shareholders of a limited
company have been able to take a small salary
from their business, which attracted enough tax to
maintain their entitlement to the state pension. The
government’s objection, however, is that company
profits are then used to extract a further dividend
taxed at the much lower rate of 10%.
Strong objections from the business community
With the inherent difficulties facing small
businesses, fears have been expressed that the
government is making it much harder for people
22
in business to survive financially. This includes both
individual contractors who have incorporated their
businesses, and family-run companies.
In fact, an online petition has been started,
objecting to these new rules. Company directors/
shareholders say that the rewards of low dividend
taxation compensated for the long hours and risks
they took when starting their business, and that
their overall contribution to the economy needs to
be more widely acknowledged by the government.
Are there any other changes to UK taxation in the
forthcoming financial year?
Other announcements made in last year’s Budget
include:
• Pension tax relief changes
Restrictions on pension tax relief for those with
an income of £150,000 or more will come into
force from April 2016. A fixed rate of 33% will
apply for all in the new tax year, regardless of the
rate band.
• Savings interest
Said to be an acknowledgement of recent
poor returns for savers, George Osborne also
announced in last year’s budget that savings
interest of up to £1,000 will no longer be taxed.
• Digital tax accounts
The ‘account’ will be similar to online banking
in that details on how much is owed will be
available to view at any time, and taxpayers
will be able to make payments throughout the
financial year rather than meeting a specific
deadline.
These are all significant changes to taxation laws in
the UK, and are set to bring in considerable sums for
the Treasury, but the new dividend tax rules seem
to be attracting the most concern and criticism.
¹http://www.itcontracting.com/new-dividend-taxapril-2016/
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To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261122
23
Jeffrey Mills
Proposed Stamp
Duty Land Tax
The new proposed Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is
scheduled to take place from April 2016, subject
to the Government completing their consideration
of responses to the consultation, which will be
confirmed in the Budget this March.
The proposal will apply to most purchases of
additional residential properties where the buyers
own two or more residential properties (not
replacing their principal private residence) making
them liable to higher rates.
A higher rate of duty may also apply if the buyer is
a company and if the buyer also owns a property
outside of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Generally speaking, first time buyers acquiring their
first and only property, or existing home owners
moving from their principal private dwelling to
another, will not be affected by the changes.
Where a second home is purchased with the
intention of replacing the existing home, but
without simultaneously completing the sale of
the existing main residence, the higher rate will
be charged, although a refund may be claimed;
provided the existing main residence is sold within
eighteen months.
24
Ian Melville
Licensed Conveyancer,
Head of Conveyancing
Department
The following chart gives an indication of the effect
of the changes in real terms:
Band
Current
SDLT Rate
Proposed
SDLT Rate
£0- £125,000
0%
3%
£125,001-£250,000
2%
5%
£250,001-£925,000
5%
8%
£925,001-£1,500,000
10%
13%
£1,500,001 +
12%
15%
As you will see from the above, the proposed
changes will have significant financial implications
for all those affected. The proposed changes are
complex to say the least.
If you are considering purchasing a second property
and believe you may be affected by these provisions,
I urge you to obtain specialist advice from the
outset, and certainly prior to exchange of contracts.
Should you require legal assistance from a firm
with family values and a fresh approach, contact
Jeffrey Mills Solicitors. If you have a question, e-mail:
[email protected]
Please mention The Villager and Town Life when responding to adverts
Know your
Number
(and to your number be true)
So what does the headline mean? Quite simply,
decide how much you need to live on both now
and in the future, and remember inflation.
Once you know this number you can work out
where it will come from and when, be it State or
Private Pensions or Investment income.
If you have more income than you need (and
believe me many clients do), you need to decide
either how you will change your lifestyle or how
you will dispose of/gift it. If there is a shortfall you
will need to re-examine your need to see if it is
accurate, and then work out how you will reach the
shortfall.
This could, for example be by saving more into
Pensions or ISA’s and having them managed
better, or it could be via an inheritance. As a guide,
average inflation has been 4% and over a 10 year
period a value increases by about 50%. So if you
need £3,000 now it will be £4,500 in 10 years’ time.
With changes to Personal Tax on Savings and
Dividends from April 6th we are likely to see
a change to saving habits, plus if the pension
changes proposed occur in the budget, you may
Beacon Wealth
Tony Larkins
CFP APFS CMgr FCMI
Managing Director / IFA
Chartered and Certified
Financial Planner
find many people who did not react before 16th
March get caught out and are financially worse off.
Having been re-elected to work with the Personal
Finance Society as the Chartered Champion for
postcode stations PE, CB and MK I urge you to seek
advice from a Chartered Financial Planner, who are
typically more technically qualified and no more
costly than a non Chartered Financial Planner.
I also encourage your Adviser to become Chartered.
I have been Chartered for about eight years and my
knowledge is greater because of this.
There are over 5000 Chartered Advisers in the
United Kingdom, but I accept our area is not
blessed with many. If you need help you can give
me a call.
Finally take Pension action before the budget on
16th March and other financial matters before the
new tax year, beginning 6th April.
You should always seek qualified advice from
an IFA, preferably a Certified (CFP) Or Chartered
Financial PlannerCM (APFS). If you have a financial
question, e-mail: [email protected]
To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261122
25
Garden
By Pippa Greenwood
www.pippagreenwood.com
Vertical Cover with Climbers
If the boundaries of your garden are uninteresting
or drab, then it is time to think about some vertical
gardening. Upright surfaces are itching to be clothed
in glorious climbers or wall shrubs, and if you have
several vertical sites then so much the better.
A visit to your local garden centre will reveal a
plentiful supply of suitable plants. Start by looking at
the surface you have, the size, the direction it faces
and the amount of sun or shade the plants growing
on the wall or fence are likely to receive. Soil type is
important as the plant you choose must be suited to
the site.
Some climbers are quite quick growing and will
look good later this year, and improve as the years
pass. Many provide strong colour and others will be
a useful backdrop for the garden as a whole. Most
buildings can have climbers grown against them,
so if you have an unsightly shed, garage or even a
fairly uninteresting looking back to your house, then
consider erecting some sort of support system on
which to grow your climbers.
Break up the monotony of a long stretch of wall
with a range of different plants, and make a tall,
narrow building seem broader by only allowing
them to reach the height of the first floor. A climbing
hydrangea, Hydrangea petiolaris, or self-clinging
plants such as ivies are ideal, but make sure the
mortar on your wall is in good shape before planting.
Climbers are best planted in open ground as they
tend to have sizeable root systems. If grown in
containers you must re-pot regularly and ultimately
plan to use a big container such as a half barrel. Use
a loam-based potting compost and add extra grit
for drainage, and place a deep layer of crocks at the
base of the container. Add controlled release fertilizer
granules to the compost, to ensure that plants get
adequately fed for the first few months. A triangular
or V-shaped trellis panel at the back will give initial
26
support for the plant to climb up before moving on to
your wall or fence. Tie the top section of the trellis into
the wall or fence, so that it does not rock about.
For ground planting, dig a large hole at least 18
inches (45 cm) from the wall or fence and incorporate
plenty of compost or well rotted manure. Soak the
plant’s root ball and place in the hole, ideally at a 45
degree angle so that it leans towards the wall, then
spread out the roots and plant. If your climber came
already attached to bamboo canes, untie the stems
from any central stake and train the best looking
shoots towards your new support system, using the
bamboo canes to help it on its way. Keep climbers
well watered, particularly if they are on or near a
sunny wall.
Any good garden centre will have a range of plants,
but here are some suggestions:
Vigorous climbers for a quick effect:
Actinidia chinensis, Akebia quinata, Clematis
montana, Clematis montana ‘Rubens’, Vitis coignetiae
Climbers for clay soils:
Campsis, Celastrus scandens, Clematis, Ivies, Golden
hop, Climbing hydrangea, Honeysuckles (most),
Vitis coignetiae
Climbers for an alkaline or chalky soil:
Actinidia kolomikta, Akebia quinata, Clematis, Ivies
Climbing hydrangea, Jasminum officinale,
Honeysuckles, Trachelospermum jasminoides,
Wisteria
Visit Pippa’s website www.pippagreenwood.com for
‘Grow Your Own with Pippa Greenwood’ - fantastic
UK grown vegetable plants of your choice plus
weekly advice and tips emails from Pippa, Nemaslug,
biological controls, pop-up crop covers, signed
books and lots more besides.
Please mention The Villager and Town Life when responding to adverts
To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261122
27
Pets
Animal Know-How
Why a baby isn’t always a blessing…..
The RSPCA Bedfordshire North Branch is a small
local charity entirely responsible for raising its own
funds and supporting itself, and the animals it
cares for. Sadly, each year we experience a crisis in
the number of unwanted kittens requiring our help
– over 30 each week during the summer months
in 2015! These are unwanted kittens produced by
family pets, or from homes with a number of cats,
as well as kittens being born to stray cats.
All these kittens are undoubtedly cute and cuddly
(although some are very poorly when they come
to us). But they also all need to be found caring
homes.
Neutering (males), or spaying (females), means that
the animal can no longer reproduce. It can help
prevent many illnesses, some unwanted behaviors
and it reduces the huge number of unwanted pets
already in Bedfordshire. The RSPCA advises that all
responsible pet owners should seriously consider
this – not just for cats and dogs – but also for other
small animals such as rabbits and ferrets too.
• Neutering prevents the risk of testicular cancer in
male animals and uterus infections and cancers
in females.
• In male cats and dogs, neutering can reduce
behaviors such as urine marking and roaming.
• Neutering prevents female animals coming
into season, when they may attract unwanted
male attention, become pregnant or have false
pregnancies.
• Unneutered female animals can be messy when
they come into season – during this time, females
can bleed for up to three weeks.
28
• Animals don’t respect family relationships –
siblings will mate. This increases the risk of
offspring being born with birth defects and
deformities.
• If an unneutered pet becomes pregnant and
there is a problem during or after the birth, vet
fees can be very expensive. Offspring might need
veterinary attention too. Babies are blessings when each one is born into a
loving forever home. But Bedfordshire already has
enough to share already!
So, for the health of your pet, sound financial
reasons, and to help the wider problem in this
County – the RSPCA says that neutering really is the
best solution. Act now, before it’s too late.
ANIMAL KNOW-HOW is one of a series of articles brought
to you by the RSPCA Bedfordshire North branch
www.rspca-bedfordshirenorth.org.uk
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III
SHIRES
PEST CONTROL
Call Matthew
07836 754014 / 01480 811330
Control of Wasps, Ants, Bees, Fleas,
Bedbugs, Moths, Carpet Beetles,
Cockroaches, Rats, Mice, Squirrels and Birds
Suppliers of UV Fly Killers
CRB Checked and Fully Insured
Prompt and Discreet Professional Service
Residential - Commercial - Industrial - Agricultural
E: [email protected]
W: 3shirespestcontrol.co.uk
Plant Hire
3 ton and 13 ton operated excavator hire
Can be fitted with hydraulic grab
Low loader hire available for transport
of excavators increasing accessibility
and reducing costs
Groundworks, Landscaping, Demolition
Waterscapes, Ditching, Drainage
Sand Blasting
Fencing, Timber Decking, Tree Surgery
Fully insured and qualified.
Friendly - Reliable - Professional
Contact David on 01487 493012
for a free no obligation quote
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.sparkcontracting.co.uk
To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261122
29
DISCOVER YOUR
PATHWAY TO A
GREAT CAREER.
HRC OPEN EVENT
WEDNESDAY 16TH MARCH
5.30PM TO 8PM
 www.huntingdon.ac.uk/openevents
 01480 379106
 /HuntingdonshireRegionalCollege
 @HuntsCollege
30
Please mention The Villager and Town Life when responding to adverts
Mad March Hair
Technology
The high-tech gadgets for every kind of hair
Whether you’re trying a bold
new look or just trying to tame
tangles, gadgets can help - and
some of them promise to do
everything from straightening
to styling. Take the Oprahrecommended InStyler Wet 2
Dry, for example: it looks like
a typical curler but its rotating
barrel means it can straighten,
curl and add volume and shine
while it dries your hair. At £79.99
it’s quite pricey for a styler
and some users found it a bit
awkward to use, but if you get
the hang of it it promises to style
and dry five times faster than
other devices.
If you’re a fan of hair
straighteners you’ll know that
some models are smoother and
less snaggy than others. The
£44.95 Glamoriser reckons it has
the answer: its ceramic floating
plates are designed to glide over
your hair, and something called
Black Diamond Oil in the plates
apparently helps keep every
strand nice and shiny. We’re not
entirely sold on those claims, but
as a straightener the Glamoriser
works really well and is a great
buy.
Fancy spending a bit more?
The £165 T3 SinglePass X uses
a microchip to constantly
measure and adjust the
temperature of the plates so
that you can smooth and style
without frazzling your hair. It’s
particularly good for very long
or coarse hair and it styles very
quickly, although the price tag is
likely to put plenty of people off.
Another Oprah recommendation
is the Bed Head Deep Waver,
which is currently the number
1 best-selling hair waver on
Amazon US. Over here it’s called
the Toni & Guy Deep Waver, and
the £25 styler offers 25 heat
options for the perfect wave.
Sometimes hair needs to be
removed rather than restyled,
and technology has a place
there too: IPL (Intense Pulsed
Light) hair removals promise to
remove unwanted hair without
the discomfort or outright pain
of traditional hair removal. It
isn’t very effective on light hair
colours but it does a good job
on dark hair, and while £225 for
a Philips Lumea Precision Plus
sounds pricey, it’s a lot cheaper
than getting a course of IPL
treatment at a beauty salon. Just
one word of warning: don’t use
it if you’ve been tanning. Like
any kind of light therapy, IPL can
have side-effects on skin that’s
been exposed to the sun or to
To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261122
self-tanning products.
So far we’ve concentrated on
products for women, but there
are gadgets for the boys too.
The rise of the hipster hasn’t
escaped the notice of grooming
device manufacturers, and
dull old clippers have been
eclipsed by all kinds of male
grooming products. There’s even
a hairdryer designed specifically
for blokes: the BaByliss Pro Italia
Brava (£120), which has been
developed in association with
Ferrari so it goes round your
head faster. Joking aside it does
differ from normal unisex dryers
as it can be set to run much
hotter than traditional dryers.
Men will also find all kinds of
gadgets for manscaping their
body hair. One of the best is
Braun’s Cruzer 6 Body (£33),
a showerproof trimmer with
attachments ranging from
0.6mm to 8mm for every
conceivable location and a
Gilette blade for when you want
to shave everything off. If you’d
rather just take care of your
beard and bonce, the Cruzer
Beard&Head is currently £25
online and comes with two sets
of blade guards: 1-11mm and
10-20mm.
31
Local News
Walking Football
in
Yaxley
Rekindle Your Love Of The Beautiful Game
Walking Football is growing in popularity across
England and ICA Sports FC & Yaxley Parish Council is
proud to be introducing Walking Football sessions
in Yaxley.
Two FREE taster sessions will run on Friday 11th
March & Friday 18th March from 7pm to 8pm and
anybody with an interest in playing would be very
welcome to come and join us. Regular weekly
sessions will then commence in April.
CD
Existing sessions in other areas are attracting players,
both men and women, that are not at the peak of
physical fitness of all ages right up to people in their
mid-80s, so age is no excuse.
If you would be interested in coming along to see
what Walking Football is all about then come along
to the Astro Pitch at Middletons Road Recreation
Ground or you can get in touch on 07964 496259,
[email protected] or have a look at our website
http://goo.gl/JT4ZUP
Garage Door Problems?
Garage Doors
All leading Makes of Doors
Supplied, Fitted & Repaired
Manual & Automatic
Over 20 Years Experience
Phone Chris Day On:
07899 903973
32
01480 459 721
High Street, Brampton
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To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261122
33
Three Counties Radio
By Nick Coffer
Succulent Apricot and Cumin Pork Shoulder
There are few traditions I love more than a meltingly soft, slow-cooked roast. Whether it’s a shoulder of lamb,
slathered with olive oil and its skin pierced with garlic and rosemary or a shoulder of pork, simply seasoned and
covered with foil, and left to fall off the bone for 3 hours in the oven.
Pork shoulder lends itself particularly well to slow roasting, its natural fattiness ensuring that the meat stays
moist. It also means that pork shoulder is almost foolproof to cook and impossible to mess up. Plus pork remains good value from butchers and supermarkets alike - and there are always leftovers to take into the rest of
the week too.
My Weekend Kitchen programme on BBC Three Counties Radio features recipes every week which pull together
all these key elements - very tasty food, easily cooked and suitable for tight budgets. This lovely take on a pork
roast was created by one of our regular guests, Theo Michaels, who you may well have seen on Masterchef in
2014. He stuffs his pork shoulder with a fruity sweet filling which makes the roast extremely moreish.
Serves 4 - 6
Ingredients:
1 kilo pork shoulder, de-boned
1 large onion, thinly sliced
Several cloves of garlic,
still in their skin
Stuffing:
2 ripe apricots, chopped
5 dried apricots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Large pinch of rosemary leaves,
chopped
4 sage leaves
Salt and pepper
Glaze:
A squeeze of lemon
A pinch of ground cumin
Olive oil
4 tbsp apricot jam
A squeeze of honey
Cornflour, for the sauce
Method:
Pop the sliced onion and garlic cloves into a roasting tin.
Unroll your deboned pork shoulder. Mix up the stuffing ingredients and
layer the mixture on to the pork. Roll the pork back up together and tie it
up with some string.
Lay the pork, cut side down, in a roasting tin and add 125ml of water.
Cover it tightly and roast at 170C/ 150C fan/ just below gas mark 4.
Roast it for around 2 1/2 hours. It will be ready when the meat is meltingly soft.
Take it out of the oven and leave it rest on a board for 20 minutes. While
it’s resting, sieve the juices from the pan, pop them on the hob, bring
them to a simmer then add a little cornflour. Keep stirring well and leave
the sauce cook and thicken.
Mix together the glaze ingredients, pour them over the rested pork then
pop it back in a hot oven (230C/ 200C fan/ Gas Mark 8) for 10 minutes to
crisp up and go golden.
Serve with roast potatoes, your favourite vegetables, the cloves of garlic
from the pan and the lovely gravy.
Hear Nick Coffer’s Weekend Kitchen every Sunday morning on BBC
Three Counties radio at 11am. You can also join Nick every weekday
afternoon at midday for brilliant local guests with great stories to tell
and all the music you want for your early afternoon.
34
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Nick Bussey
Interior & Exterior
Painter & Decorator
All aspects of decoration
undertaken.
Over 20 years of experience.
Fully Insured.
References available on request.
Call for a FREE NO
OBLIGATION QUOTATION
07780 642238
Email: [email protected]
To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261122
35
Codeword
1
2
3
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5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
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ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
Easy Suduko
Hard Suduko
Fill in the grid so that each row, column and 3x3 box, contains the digits 1
through to 9 with no repetition. Use your logic to solve the puzzles.
36
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Before
After
For all your window, door and guardian
roof requirements call Tim or Karl
01480 216677
Tim
Karl
[email protected]
www.eastanglian-group.com
To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261122
37
n
O
s
’
t
Wha
In March
Deadline for What’s On
entries is the 12th of the
previous month.
2, 9, 16 & 23 March
Little Fishes
10-11.20am Grafham Village Hall
Stay and Play Tots Session (babies welcome too)
- just turn up. Sessions include free play and craft
activities, bible story and sing along.
Tel: Jean Clark 01480 890033
Email: [email protected]
2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 March
Hardwick New Mums & Tums Group
11am-12.30pm Portacabin behind St Mary’s
Church, Main Street, Hardwick
A group for parents-to-be and parents/carers of
babies up to the age of being mobile. We meet
every Wednesday. Come and have a chat with other
parents and share experiences. Baby play mats, seats
and toys provided. Changing facilities. Drinks and
biscuits - donations welcome.
Tel: Stella 01954 210049 or 07903229296
or [email protected]
2 March
Film and Photography on the Western Front
7pm for 7.30pm
The Comrades Club, Godmanchester
The Cambridgeshire branch of the Western Front
Association is pleased to present a slideshow by
Professor Stephen Badsey of the official cameramen
and some of their famous images. Non WFA
members most welcome. A small donation is
encouraged. www.westernfrontassociation.com
2 March
Gamlingay & District Gardening Club
7.30pm Kier Suite, The Eco Hub, Stocks Lane,
Gamlingay Visitors £2.50
Speaker will be Graham Spencer on ‘New Plants the future for your garden’. Visitors welcome.
2 March
Huntingdon Royal Naval Association
8pm Falcon Tavern, Market Hill, Huntingdon
The Huntingdon & District branch of the Royal Naval
Association meets on the first Wednesday of the
month. Email: [email protected]
3 March
Forest School Level 2
Assistant Leadership Training Course
Forest School Level 3 Leadership Training Course
Ferry Meadows Country Park
The NOCN Certificate of Leading Forest School Level
3 qualification is the professional standard needed
to lead and create your own Forest School Project.
The Level 2 qualification is for people who wish
to assist a Level 3 Leader at Forest School. This
qualification does not qualify you to lead a Forest
School project. Booking essential.
Tel: Sarah Klaes 07807 620976
Email: [email protected]
4 March
Suspected of Witchcraft - Free event
2-3.30pm Huntingdon Library
A talk by local historian Annie James with Some Sad
and Sorry Tales. Booking required.
Tel: 0345 045 5225
4 March
Bumpkins Quiz Night
7.30pm Little Paxton Village Hall
Tickets £6 each including supper
Maximum 6 people per team. Licensed Bar.
Closing date for tickets is 2 March.
Tel: Lee Duncan 079313 15648
Email: [email protected]
5 March
Art & Craft Fair 9.30am-4pm
Free Church, St Ives Free admission
Quality handmade art and craft stalls and tombola.
5 March
Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire
Hardy Plant Society 2pm Weatherley Centre,
Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade
Speaker will be Fergus Garrett on ‘Succession
Planting in the Mixed Border’. Fergus is head
gardener/custodian of Great Dixter. Plants for sale.
Visitors welcome - small charge.
2 March
Little Paxton Gardening Club 8pm
Little Paxton Village Hall Members £1, Guests £2
Diana Boston will be talking to us about the 4 acre
garden at The Manor Hemingford Grey. The garden
that inspired the Green Knowe in the children’s
books written by her mother-in-law Lucy Boston.
5 March
St Neots Sinfonia Concert 7.30pm
St Mary’s Church, Eaton Socon Tickets £8
Featuring a number of works including Haydn’s
Symphony no. 104 and guest soloist Gregory May, a
Year 9 student at Bedford Modern School, who will
be performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto in A, K488
with the Sinfonia. Tickets available in advance or on
the door. Tel: Tickets Eileen Raggatt 01480 213884
3 March
EngAGE in the Afternoon 1.30-3pm
Huntingdon Library Free event
Join John Shippey, Director of this year’s production
The Tempest, for a talk on Shakespeare at the
George. Booking required. Please speak to library
staff or telephone for a ticket. Tel: 0345 045 5225
6, 13, 20 & 27 March
Kingfisher Church 10.30am
Little Paxton Primary School
Every Sunday - all welcome! Services include
children’s groups and crèche. Refreshments served.
Tel: 01480 476811
Web: www.kingfisherchurch.co.uk
38
7, 14 & 21 March
Comrades Chess Club
7.30pm Comrades Club, Godmanchester
Keep your mind active and play chess. Over 18s only
as it’s a licensed premises.
Every Monday except Bank Holidays.
7, 14, 21 & 28 March
Scottish Country Dancing 8-10pm
Queen Elizabeth School, Godmanchester
Mondays from September to May.
Tel: Mrs Pat Crowe 01480 453774
Email: [email protected]
9 March
The Huntingdonshire Local Group
of the Wildlife Trust
7.30pm Brampton Memorial Hall, Thrapston
Road, Brampton
£2.50, Accompanied children free
Illustrated talk entitled ‘Are New Developments
Ever Good for Wildlife?’ by Martin Baker who
is The Wildlife Trust’s Conservation Manager
for Cambridgeshire. Martin will explain that
Cambridgeshire is one of the fastest growing
counties in England, with plans for many new towns
and extensions to our existing towns.
Tel: Tim 07941 261346 for further information
12 March
Tidying Little Paxton 2-4pm
Queen Elizabeth II Playing Field, Little Paxton
Tidying Little Paxton ready for the Queen’s 90th
Birthday. The Parish Council is organising a village
litter pick starting and finishing at Queen Elizabeth
II Playing Field. Volunteers will be supplied with a
high vis jackets, litter pickers, gloves and black bags
and allocated areas to litter pick. If you would like to
help, please come along.
13 March
Huntingdonshire Philharmonic Concert
7.30pm Hinchingbrooke Performing Arts Centre,
Huntingdon
Tickets £14/12, Student Concession £7/6
Hunts Phil orchestra and choir perform Handel’s
oratorio “Messiah”, with Mozart’s charming classical
re-orchestration, in this delightful Sunday evening
Spring concert. With soloists: Nicola Ihnatowicz,
soprano, Harriet Webb, mezzo-soprano, Nick Allen,
tenor, and Dominic Sedgwick, bass. Conductor:
Adrian Brown. Tickets available by telephone, email
or on the door. Tel: 01480 861591
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.huntsphil.org.uk
15 March
Kimbolton Flower Club
7.30pm Mandeville Hall, Kimbolton
Visitors £6 including light refreshments
Flower arranging demonstration by Julie Woods
entitled ‘Bud to Bloom and Beyond’. All welcome.
Please
Villager
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Please mention
Themention
VillagerThe
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totoadverts
n
O
s
’
t
Wha
In March
This is a small selection of
the What’s On for the full
listing please go to our
website
www.villagermag.com
16 March
Carers Coffee Club
2.30-4pm The White Horse, High Street, Tilbrook
Are you caring for a loved one with a memory loss?
Then come along and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee
whilst chatting with others in a similar situation.
Our informal group meets on every third Wednesday
of the month. No need to book, just turn up.
Tel: Neil Silby 07889 319888 for further details
Email: [email protected]
16 March
Huntingdonshire Family History Society
7.30pm Women’s Institute Centre,
Waldon Road, Huntingdon
Huntingdonshire Family History Society talk by
Bridget Flanagan on ‘Some Eighteenth Century
St Ives Merchants’. Bookstall or helpdesk. Nonmembers most welcome. £1 donation at the door
is appreciated.
18 March
Race Night with Supper
7pm Eaton Socon Ex Service Club
Tickets £7.50 inc. chicken or fish & chips
or veggie option
Friends of St Neots Library event. Cash bar with
reasonable prices. Own and name a racehorse (£2)
or simply place a bet. All profits to Friends of St
Neots Library. Tickets in advance only from St Neots
Library or Eaton Socon Ex Service Club.
18 March
Suffragette (12A)
7 for 7.30pm The Mandeville Hall, Kimbolton
Kimbolton Community Cinema presents Suffragette.
A drama tracking the story of the early feminist
movement. Tickets from Watson’s, Yellow Bird, Bytes
Café or on the door if available.
Tel: 01480 860297
Web: http://e-voice.org.uk/
themandevillehallkimbolton/community-cinema/
19 March
Wherefore ART thou?
11am-2pm Huntingdon Library
Free event
National Shakespeare Week Create your own
masterpiece! Artist David Brown will help you draw
or paint your own portrait of Shakespeare. Drop-in
event for all ages.
Tel: 0345 045 5225 for more information
19 March
Early Easter Children’s Workshop
3-4.30pm
St. James Church, Little Paxton
Lots of stories, songs, cooking and fun things to
make with an Easter theme. Preschool children to
be accompanied by an adult.
Tel: Canon Rev Annette Reed 01480 211048 to
book a place
19 March
Come and Sing Carmina Burana
with St. Faith’s Singers
Rehearsal 5-6.30pm, Concert 7pm
Ashburton Hall, St. Faith’s School,
Trumpington Road, Cambridge
Singers £10, Audience £5
Conductor Mark Gotham. Limited scores available
(£10 deposit). Drinks will be served afterwards.
20 March
Biggleswade Antiques Fair 9.30am-4pm
The Weatherley Centre, Eagle Farm Road,
Biggleswade Entrance £1.50
This antiques fair offers a diverse range of antiques
and collectables so whether you are a professional
dealer, an avid collector or just looking for
something special, this monthly fair is the place to
visit. Café serving breakfast, lunch and afternoon
tea. Tel: 01480 382432 or 07906 647346
Web: www.madisonevents.co.uk
20 March
Sport Relief - Little Paxton Mile
10.30am & 10.45am QEII Playing Field
FIT FOR FUN - that’s the motto for this years’ Sport
Relief event. There’s still time to register to take part
in the Little Paxton Mile. Little Paxton Parish Council
invite you to take part in the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief
Mile. Take in the beauty of the Nature Reserve and
soak up the community atmosphere. Three routes to
pick from - 1, 3 and 6 miles
Web: http://www.sportrelief.com
20 March
NSPCC Spring Concert 3.30pm
Church of St Helena & St Mary,
Church Lane, Bourn
Adults £15, Concessions £10, Under 16s free –
includes glass of fizz and canapés
All proceeds to the NSPCC and Bourn Church.
Tickets on sale at Bourn Village Shop and on line
Web: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/springconcert-tickets-20708610010
concerts and services are broadcast on BBC Radio 3.
A service recorded for television, ‘Easter from King’s’,
is broadcast by BBC2 over the Easter period.
Members of the public are welcome to attend all
services at King’s College; no tickets are required
for any listed here. Doors open approximately 15
minutes before a service starts. Please be aware
that large numbers of people come to the Good
Friday and Easter Day services; you should expect to
join a substantial queue which often forms in the
main court of King’s College well before a service is
due to start.
Tel: Box Office: 01223 769340
Web: www.kings.cam.ac.uk/events/easter-at-kings/
22 March
Hemingford Grey Flower Club
10am
The Hemingford Grey Reading Rooms
£3 including refreshments
Demonstration by ‘Flowers by Penny’. All welcome.
22 March
Easter Concert
7pm St James Church, Little Paxton
Little Paxton School proudly present their Easter
Concert. Refreshments, Raffle and Retiring
Collection.
24 March
St Neots & District Gardening Club 8pm
St. Mary’s Church Hall, Brook Street, St. Neots
Members £2, Non-Members £2.50 including
refreshments and a raffle ticket
‘Lawn Care’ by David White. Competition is ‘A vase
of Spring Flowers’
21 March
Gamlingay St Mary’s Church Ladies Guild
7.30pm Gamlingay Church Hall
Visitors £4
Speaker is Jane Pavey on Westminster Gowns.
All ladies welcome.
Tel: 07749 676426 for more details
27 & 28 March
St Ives Antiques Fair
10am-4pm each day
Burgess Hall (One Leisure Centre),
Westwood Road, St Ives
Adults £2, Concessions £1.50)
An excellent fair with around 50 dealers offering
affordable quality antiques including ceramics,
glass, maps, small furniture, silver, china, jewellery,
paperweights and other interesting pieces at prices
to suit all pockets. Dealers welcome from 9 am
upon production of business card. On-site catering,
wheelchair access and free parking available.
Tel: Day Out Events 01480 896866
Email: [email protected]
21-27 March
Easter at Kings, Kings College, Cambridge
Ticket costs vary
A festival of services and concerts for Holy Week and
Easter from performers including Sophie Bevan,
Iestyn Davies, Eamonn Dougan, James Gilchrist,
Roderick Williams, Academy of Ancient Music, BBC
Concert Orchestra, BBC Singers, Britten Sinfonia,
Hanover Band and King’s College Choir. Some of the
28 March
Craft & Gift Fair
10am-4pm
Roxton Garden Centre, Bedford Rd (off A1
roundabout) Free admission
A wide selection of hand crafted crafts and gifts not
found on the High Street.
Tel: Stallholder enquiries 01536 675000
Email: [email protected]
To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261122
39
FLOORED
By Ian
Light Haulage & Removals
House & Office Removals
Collections/Deliveries
Your local supplier of fitted floors in carpet,
vinyl, laminate or Karndean
Free visits to estimate or advise.
Best prices and quality with a friendly service.
Enquiries to 01480 475486
or (Mobile) 07876 238308
Free Quotes
Luton Tail-lift Van
Covering all of the UK
Fully Insured Service
No Extra Charge for Evenings/Weekends
Call Trevor
Tel: 07782 359050
Email: [email protected]
RICHARD KENYON
MASTER THATCHER
Of Bluntisham, Cambridge
T: 01487 843377 M: 07873 549872
E: [email protected]
Richard Kenyon 1/2 page advert.indd
1
08/05/2015
16:12
40
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mention The Villager and Town Life when responding
to adverts
Crossword
Solution
for
The Villager
February
Edition
Last Month’s Crossword Winner - Mrs A Brown from St Neots
Last Month’s Selector Winner - Steven Webb from Northill
Last Month’s Derek Jarrett Signed Book Winner - Mr Phil Holiday from Pirton
February’s Codeword
and Suduko Solutions
Easy
Hard
Advertising in The Villager is easy.
To find out more call Nigel on
01767 261122 or email [email protected]
To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261122
41
The Villager Prize Crossword
Prize
£25

Across
1 Tidy (4)
3 Uneducated (8)
9 Not man-made (7)
10 Tummy button (5)
11 Premature (5)
12 Pacific and Atlantic (6)
14 Stitching (6)
16 Not present (6)
19 Vegetable (6)
21 Big cat (5)
24 Heartbeat (5)
25 Frightened (7)
26 Less than twenty (8)
27 Second-hand (4)
Complete the crossword, fill in your details below,
cut out this page and send to the address below before
18th March 2016
Prize Crossword, Villager Publications Ltd
24 Market Square, Potton, Beds SG19 2NP
Down
1 Rubbish (8)
2 Performer (5)
4 Faster than canter (6)
5 28grams approx. (5)
6 Move forwards (7)
7 Cash register (4)
8 Used for drawing (6)
13 Surprised (8)
15 Made from fleece (7)
17 Double-cross (6)
18 Hot beverage (6)
20 Representative (5)
22 Presents (5)
23 Unlocked (4)
Name:
Tel:
Address:
42
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Wood Burning Stoves
Multi Fuel Stoves
Chimney Lining
Twin Wall Flue Systems
Installation and Supply
Fireplace Renovations
Stove Accessories
Trade sales welcome
SHOWROOM NOW OPEN
Monday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday – 10am – 5pm
Other Days/Out of hours by prior arrangement
Unit 2 Home Farm Court, The Street, Diddington, St Neots, PE19 5XT
[email protected] | 01480 812281 | 07786 854946
www.cromwellstoves.co.uk
To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261122
43
G.B.BUILDERS
NO JOB TOO SMALL
FOR ALL MAINTENANCE, RENOVATIONS
AND DIY WORK
All general building repairs and odd jobs
Specialist in Painting and Decorating
& Groundwork and Grass cutting
• Brickwork & Plastering Tiling Driveways
• Paths & Patios Slabbing
• Concreting Blockpaving
• Fencing, Carpentry
• Roofing Guttering
• Drainage Plumbing
Plumbing & Heating
Specialists
Boiler
● Servicing
● Repair
● Replacement
● General Plumbing
● Heating
● Bathrooms
Call today 07877742420 or 01480 437511
Email: [email protected]
We accept debit and credit cards
CRAFT AND
GIFT FAIR
BANK HOLIDAY
MONDAY
28th MARCH
ROXTON GARDEN
CENTRE
FREE ENTRY
CRAFTERS TEL: 01536 675000
EMAIL: [email protected]
44
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Beer at Home
March is spring. It may not always feel
like it, but the hares are boxing in the
fields and daffodils and magnolias and
crocuses and whatnot are blooming their
heads off and the hedges are heavy with
pussy willow, so it’s definitely spring. And
to celebrate it, here are two classic pale
ales for you.
Timothy Taylor Landlord at 4.1% alcohol
is from a long-established family-owned brewery in
Keighley, West Yorkshire. Founded in 1858, Taylor’s
rubbed along for more than a century, like dozens of
similar neighbourhood breweries up and down the
country, on the back of a tiny tied estate and what
free trade it could get within spitting distance of its
own front door.
In the 1950s, local breweries like Taylor’s started
selling up as their owners were made offers they
couldn’t refuse by bigger competitors. Taylor’s,
though, opted for independence, and distanced
itself from its accountant-led rivals by refusing
to cut corners and building a reputation for
Food & Drink
By Ted Bruning
quality. Landlord, launched in 1952 as a best bitter
following the end of wartime malt rationing, quickly
established a name for itself and in more recent
decades has won CAMRA’s Champion Beer of Britain
competition four times. It’s a complex yet beautifully
balanced ale, with aromas of both toffee and fruit,
a light and spritzy body, a hoppy and quenching
palate, a long, dry, hoppy finish. Open a bottle on
the first really nice day of spring!
Ridley’s of Chelmsford was superficially similar to
Taylor’s but with a larger and more scattered pub
estate. It, too, tried to survive; but in 2005, weighed
down with debt, the family sold up. Greene King,
which bought the firm, closed the brewery but kept
on brewing what had become its flagship beer:
Old Bob strong pale at 5.1% alcohol, an example
of what used to be called a Burton ale. It’s darker
than landlord – almost bronze – and much sweeter,
with biscuit malt on the nose, a rich, warm, slightly
caramel, but clean palate, and a lingering hop
bitterness developing in the finish. Similar in some
respects to Landlord – but for a colder day!
To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261122
45
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business off to a flying start
VILLAGER
The
VILLAGER
The
V
The
ILL AGEToR
wn Life
and
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2015
ITIES • LOCA
LOCAL CHAR
Issue 39 - June
SERVICES •
LE • LOCAL
S • LOCAL PEOP
LOCAL NEW
Issue 37 - April 2015
LOCAL NEWS • LOCAL PEOPLE
Inside this
• LOCAL SERVICES • LOCAL
The
Elba
Tuscany’s Best Kept Secret
a good estate agent
Win £25
Win tickets
and Town
in our Prize Crossword
to see some
Music
Maestros!
Inside this issue
to Ghost The Musical
F You
coRE r
py E
Alconbury,
every month
and all surrounding areas
mber 2014
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and all surrounding areas every month
Bringing Local Busines , Riseley, The Stukeleys
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VILLAGER
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Huntingdon
How to find
UCTS
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The History ofLOCAL NEWS • LOCAL PEOPLE • LOCAL SERVICES • LOCAL CHARITIES • LOCAL PRODUCT
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Inside this issue
to Pen
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LOCAL NEWS • LOCAL PEOPLE • LOCAL SERVICES • LOCAL CHARITIES • LOCAL PRODUCTS
and Town Life
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Our award winning magazines offer a unique local
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46
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Books
Book
Review
By Bruce Edwards
Antique Furniture Restoration
How to Make a Home
Edward Hollis
Pub: Macmillan p/b £7.99
ISBN: 978-1-4472-9333-0
A perfect example of
the interconnection
betwixt different
levels of creativity
can be found within
this pocket sized
‘textbook’, one of
a series from ‘The
School of Life’
(which you may
explore within
a website of the
same name). At
first one would
assume this tidy
volume would be very down-to-earth, a guide
to practicalities, something to take with you
on a shopping trip to a d-i-y store. Not so; it’s
far more an insight into the basic concepts of
‘why a home’, ‘what is a home’, a physcological
examination of why we live in a ‘container’ of
some sort, be it a mansion or a tent in the Jungle
of Calais. One phrase picked from the density of
text: home is “an unstable, temporary meeting
place of all sorts of things ... (and the Jungle
a perfect example) ...a suggestion made that
one shouldn’t seek the perfect but rather the
imperfect to allow for constant movement and
thus access the creativity we should all enjoy,
whatever its format. Try it - it’s rather fun.
Suggestion and queries to:
[email protected]. We’re always happy to
consider specific titles for review, though without
obligation.
Can’t find a title? E-mail your details and we’ll try
to help.”
Cleaning Services
Stainstop Cleaning Services
Your Local Carpet, Upholstery,
Curtain & Rug Cleaning Specialist
FOR A HOME VISIT Call :
07753 939 901
e. [email protected] www.stainstop.cleaning
Pet Services
Removals, Delivery & Storage
For All Your Storage,
Delivery and Removal
Requirements
Based in Alconbury Weston
Freephone - 0800 689 0894
Use your
local
removal
company
Tony Webb - 07850 293540
Lee Eastlake - 07906 072096
www.move-plus-safe.co.uk
To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261122
47
Getting the balance right
for a faster sale
Price your home too high and it will take longer to sell.
Too low and you’ll lose money. We won’t flatter you with
an over-inflated valuation or sell you short.
not all estate agents are the same...
Contact us today on 01480 860600,
or visit www.simpsonandpartners.co.uk