NN Pulse magazine October edition

Editor

From the Kerry Lewis-Stevenson

We’re all looking forward to the regeneration of Northampton’s Market Square. As a bonus, the remains of several historic buildings including an unknown market hall have been found, possibly dating back to 1100. What else might they find?

From old to new, we have some exceptionally creative young people too. Ten year-old Mia Opoku Agyeman produced a winning ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ inspired design for Wicksteed Park’s newest attraction. We’re looking forward to seeing the impressive new climbing frame when it’s installed. You might have seen the name ‘Chichele’ (Chitch-er-lee) when you’ve visited the east of the county. Did you know it belongs to a prominent local resident from over 660 years ago? He became the Archbishop of Canterbury and the right-hand man to both Kings Henry V and Henry VI. Laura Malpas tells his story.

This month sees the arrival of Jeff the Recycled Robot and the Waste Wise Kids resources for teachers. Together they can be used to help our young environmentalists understand more about waste and recycling. A great idea.

With Halloween just around the corner check our list of places to pick your own pumpkins and enjoy some entertainment and activities too. Next month you can head along to St Giles’ Square for the Diwali Festival of Lights on Saturday 4th November and fireworks at The Racecourse on the 5th. It’s also time to start practicing your quickstep for the return of Strictly Northampton at the Royal & Derngate on 25th.

Looking further ahead, can you spare a little to help brighten up Christmas for patients in hospital this year? The Northamptonshire Health Charity has an Amazon Wishlist on its website for gifts or you can make a donation to help purchase a gift. Your help is much appreciated.

Wrap up warm and enjoy the autumn.

Kerry

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October 2023

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across Northamptonshire.

Historical finds on Market Square unravel the past

The remains of several historic buildings, possibly dating back to 1100, have been unearthed by archaeologists during surveys, as part of the regeneration of Northampton’s Market Square.

Experts have uncovered intriguing artifacts in Northampton’s Market Square, offering fresh insights into the town’s past.

Among these discoveries is a wooden object believed to be an old whipping post, once employed for punishing wrongdoers. Additional, evidence suggests the possible existence of a previously unknown market hall.

The digging has also unearthed a stone building dated perhaps to 1100 to 1150 and may predate the first use of area as a market in 1236.

“Other buildings, perhaps those seen on John Speed’s later map of 1610, have been found in the west of the site. There is also another wall at the north of the Market Square,” Mark continues.

“We have also identified the Great Conduit of Northampton at the south of the Market Square, thought to have been built by Edward IV and documented as being repaired in 1509 – it gives its name to Conduit Lane.”

The Great Conduit and Little Conduit were constructed to deliver water to Northampton Castle which was situated nearby.

A large medieval wooden post has also been revealed. “While its exact purpose remains speculative, some have suggested it may have served as the documented whipping post, providing insight into the justice system of the time,” said Mark.

Among the many medieval Market Square surfaces were fragments of medieval shoes, textiles, pottery dating from 1200 to 1350, animal bones and wood.

The structures are being fully recorded and catalogued before they will be covered over once more before Market Square is resurfaced. The smaller finds will remain in the Northamptonshire collection.

West Northamptonshire Council is working closely with construction partnership Stepnell Ltd on the government-funded project to breathe new life into the space, and into the wider town centre.

“We are intrigued to see if they manage to uncover anything else during the excavations, which are being carried out to bring a new and energised public space to Northampton town centre,” says Cllr Dan Lister, cabinet member for economic development, town centre regeneration and growth.

Most of the necessary surface water and drainage improvements have now been completed, alongside essential repairs to the Victorian brick sewer system.

Market traders have been relocated to Commercial Street car park while the work takes which will eventually provide modern market stalls, stepped seating, artworks and a water feature.

Consistently excellent.

For individuals and businesses, we remain...

Above: A piece of metal found under the Market Square and (left) a wooden structure believed to be a whipping post. Images ©MOLA.

From fairytale to playground: beanstalk climbs to the top at Wicksteed Park

A climbing frame inspired by ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ has been voted overall winner in a children’s competition to design new playground equipment at Wicksteed Park.

The design by Mia Opoku Agyeman, 10, from Northampton was judged to be the best by a panel of judges at the Northamptonshire visitor attraction and will now be manufactured by Wicksteed Leisure Ltd and installed in the Park’s playground.

Mia’s was among dozens of entries which were eventually whittled down to five final designs. The others shortlisted were Veritie Marks, Ava Mae Cox, and Cleo Berry and Amani Chirwa, who did a joint entry.

Mia received her prize from Kettering mayor Cllr Emily Fedorowycz at the event, which was also attended by Cllr Helen Howell, chairman of the Wicksteed Charitable Trust Oliver Wicksteed, former Trustee Linden Groves and managing director of Wicksteed Leisure Katherine Perkins.

“I got my design idea from the story of ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’,” said Mia as part of her presentation.

“I would love to play on a climbing frame that is made to look like a beanstalk with a sky-like top. I also would like to have an exciting slide attached to it from which the children can slide down swiftly after the hard work of climbing up.”

All the judges were impressed by the detail in Mia’s entry and her use of 3D modelling software to assist in creating her design.

“I think Mia’s design is really creative and I love the story behind it. It is reminiscent of the Helter Skelter slide at Wicksteed from the 1950s,” said Connor McIntyre, Wicksteed Park’s community and heritage coordinator.

“Wicksteed Leisure is going to be working with Mia on her design to make sure it meets all the necessary safety regulations.

“Their managing director is keen to have her involved every step of the way so it will still fit Mia’s vision. She will also have the opportunity to visit the factory as it is being built which I think is fantastic,” she added.

Kettering mayor Cllr Emily Fedorowycz with Mia and Wicky Bear. Left: Mia’s winning design

Home Counties Loft Ladders, Quality You Can Trust!

These days most homeowners suffer from a lack of storage space. So many precious items that need to be kept – but where to store it all? That’s where Home Counties Loft Ladders come in.

The company, based locally, offers homeowners the opportunity to maximise their storage space with a loft ladder, 50sqft of boarding and a lightall fully fitted in less than a day from just £444! But it’s not just the affordability of the package that makes Home Counties Loft Ladders stand out, as manager Jamie Oakley explains: ‘Our watchwords

are Quality, Integrity and Value. Quality in the materials that we use for all our installations and the fact that all our loft packages are fitted by time served tradesmen, so our customers are assured of the best job.

Integrity in that we will turn up at the time we say and make sure the house is spotless when we leave, and value in that we offer our services at a price people can afford.

Our business relies on referrals and we get a huge amount of our calls from people who have been

referred to us by our existing customers - that simply wouldn’t happen if we didn’t adhere to our overriding principles.

At the end of the day the old adage that happy customers lead to more happy customers is true and we work hard to make that happen for every installation we carry out!’

So, if you want to make use of your loft space, call Jamie free on 0808 301 9552 and he’ll be happy to pop round and give you a no obligation quote so you too can make use of your loft!

The new Northampton restaurant will serve up classic guest favourites, amongst them the chicken katsu, ramens and iconic sides selections on their 50% plant based menu. But, this newest wagamama will be opening with the release of their brand new autumn menu.

wagamama set to open brand new restaurant in Northampton

On Monday 16th October, wagamama are set to open a brand new,

Promoted by Danielle Stone on behalf of Mike Reader, both at 20 Abington Street, Northampton, NN1 2AJ.

Cloudy2Clear, A Local Family Service, Saving You Money.

Established for over 16 years, Cloudy2Clear windows have become the UK’s leading company for domestic glass replacement. Customers are no longer needing to replace their complete window frames, instead, now they can join over 320,000 happy customers and have their glass replaced and/or upgraded in an affordable and ethical manner. Remember, a failed glazing unit may no longer provide you with the protection you need or be energy efficient. Why not spend a few minutes checking your home to see if you have any failed double glazing? If you act now you can avoid any future costly problems.

When talking to Trevor & Wendy Skidmore the owners of Cloudy2Clear Northampton & Oxford it became clear that these values have been held for over 16 years. Since buying the local franchise in 2006 they have remained true to their core values of supporting the local community whilst introducing their 2 sons Lloyd & Ross & daughterin-law Lori into the family business along with Dan, Tom & Jo as demand for their service has grown.

The Cloudy2Clear service only requires the glass to be replaced and not the whole window once the

unit has failed. Trevor commented “Cloudy2Clear were able to assist our community through the last financial crisis in 2008 due to the savings that can be made in using our service. Unfortunately we might be going through something similar again soon and the public can rest assured that we will be there to help once again”.

For a free quotation please call 0800 61 21 118 or visit www.cloudy2clear.co.uk.

What does a lawyer and Instagram have in common?

In today’s digital age, social media platforms, traditionally used by influencers and entertainers, are now embraced by professionals, including lawyers. Challenging the stereotype of lawyers, Jenny Woodruff from Wilson Browne Solicitors shares her journey on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. She turned complex conveyancing issues, a topic that resonates with many, into engaging content. Despite the challenge of creating visual content on such a subject, she succeeded in making legal processes accessible and comprehensible. Her aim? Education, not influence.

If you haven’t already noticed, social media is everywhere. From Facebook, to Instagram, LinkedIn to TikTok etc., there really is something for everyone.

Lawyers are boring, right? They sit in oakpanelled rooms or ‘glass palaces’ shuffling files and being important. Maybe some are like that, but we believe that it’s important

that people see what we’re really like –normal people, just like you.

It’s arguable that the law is not the most exciting of topics, but pretty much everyone will move home at some point during their lifetime, and that is exciting. By using Instagram and TikTok,a few years ago, I have reached thousands of people by providing expert insights, updates and other relevant news and information.

When first starting out I struggled with ideas for content, particularly on a medium so heavily picture/video-based, so the question I asked myself was, “how can I make this interesting?” Working on video guides and giving an insight into the person behind the lawyer has proved a great way of helping people understand the conveyancing process, the terminology and jargon, and what people should look out for when moving house.

First and foremost I am a lawyer, and have no aspiration to be a social media

“influencer”: all I wanted to do is help people understand what’s involved and help educate people with an interest in knowing more, by providing bite-size snippets of information in an easily digestible format - I am still amazed at the number of views and interaction my posts receive.

I am lucky to have received so much positive feedback and engagement and am pleased that I have been able to help so many people move into their dream home.

If you would like to know more about the conveyancing process then follow me on Instagram: jenny_conveyancer; LinkedIn (Jenny Woodruff); search for me on TikTok or find me at wilsonbrowne.co.uk

Jenny Woodruff

DESIGNED

What does being ‘missiondriven’ mean for Northampton?

This summer my team and I have spoken to well over 1,000 people on the doorstep, on the phone and at community and business events to hear what they want from the next Labour government and to hear their views on how we improve our town.

I’ve heard the clear message from my neighbours – we need an end to short-term thinking and knee-jerk politics. We need long-term, strategic and considered policies and plans from politicians. And that is exactly what the Labour Party is aiming to do.

We call this being mission-driven. We’ve laid out five missions. Each one is a north star to guide us, to keep our focus and to stop the demands of the day-to-day crisis the Conservatives create in our country from taking us away from focusing on what really matters to local people.

MISSION ONE:

Secure the G7’s highest sustained growth.

Our objective? Ensuring your income rises faster than your expenses, revitalising our high street, supporting new and existing businesses. By promoting economic stability over erratic, short-term solutions and improving the hasty trade deals signed post-Brexit, we aim to shield our economy and help everyone prosper.

MISSION TWO:

Make Britain’s streets safe.

We will deliver a 50% reduction in severe violent crimes, deploying an additional 13,000 police officers and restoring public trust in the police and legal system. By focusing on early intervention strategies, we’ll address the root causes of crime in Northampton, ensuring safety day and night.

MISSION THREE:

Building an NHS fit for the 21st century.

The NHS needs drastic reforms to cater to everyone in Northampton equitably. Our mission targets providing more accessible GP

services, ample funding for social care, and parity between mental and physical health services, ensuring timely professional support.

MISSION FOUR:

Make Britain a clean energy superpower

Our Green Prosperity Plan charts the path to enhancing energy autonomy and nurturing clean energy capabilities, like the creation of GB Energy, a publicly-owned clean energy firm. This mission translates to over 16,000 jobs in the East Midlands upgrading homes, and electric vehicle battery initiatives that benefit Northampton directly.

MISSION FIVE:

Break down barriers to opportunity

We want to create opportunities for every child, by reforming the childcare and education systems, raising standards everywhere, and preparing young people for work and life. From free breakfast clubs to training more teachers, our plan encompasses all – inclusive of mental health provision in schools and enhanced support for students with SEND requirements.

I look forward to speaking to many more of you on the doorstep in the coming months.

Thank you for the warm and open reception you give me when we speak. It’s heartwarming to hear your personal stories and so very helpful to hear your views on how we make our town greener, fairer and more prosperous.

Together, we will build a better Britain.

Mike Reader for Northampton South

Over 1,000 people have shared their views with Mike Reader and the Labour Party this summer on how we improve Northampton

Legacy of Alfred Staden lives on at Northampton General Hospital

The widow of a man who gave £560,000 in donations to Northamptonshire Health Charity, for the urology department at Northampton General Hospital recently returned to the hospital to meet the team he supported.

Hope Staden, the widow of Alfred Staden, met members of the team at a community event held to showcase a new surgical robot used in urology cancer treatments.

Mr Staden, a successful inventor of machines used in the manufacture of shoes, made his donations between 2012 and 2019. £240,000 of his donations were in legacy after his death in 2016. Mrs Staden chatted with staff, had a go on a demonstration model of the surgical robot, and learned how her husband’s donations had been used over the years to support patients.

Hope said, “Fred had bladder cancer and he was very grateful to his consultant, Mr Roger Kunkler, for the treatments he received which he saw as saving, and significantly extending,

his life. He wanted to give something back… and always meant to leave something in his Will. In the end he decided to make most of his donations during his lifetime so that he could see the results.”

Mr Staden was treated twice for bladder cancer in the early 2000s. He died in 2016 aged 93. His donations have supported the creation of the Alfred Staden Urology Centre – providing four treatment rooms, improving a procedure room, a reception area and new equipment. More recently, Fred’s legacy funded a high-tech adjustable operating table and a specialised surgical air system used in the abdominal cavity when performing surgery – both for use alongside the new surgical robot.

Clinical Nurse Specialist Sally Mora said, “Thanks to Fred’s generosity, we’ve created a ‘onestop shop’ for many thousands of

urology patients…which has greatly improved their experience of our care.”

To find out more about leaving a gift in for your NHS hospitals in your will email greenheart@ nhcf.co.uk or visit the charity’s website: northamptonshirehealthcharity.co.uk/wills

Christmas Gifts for Patients

Hope Staden with urology team at NGH

Fred Staden with Sally Mora from NGH urology in 2014

it’s pumpkin time

Northamptonshire has some amazing places that offer PYO pumpkins. Not only do these local places have lots of fabulous pumpkins, but they also have entertainment to keep you and the little ones occupied.

Here’s where to go pumpkin picking in Northamptonshire this October…

Saxby’s Cider will be back for their brilliant annual pumpkin picking. Starting from Saturday 14th October you can join the pumpkin-picking fun on weekends and, during the half term, they will be open every day.

While you’re there you’ll be able to enjoy award-winning cider along with some delicious teas, coffees, soft drinks, and hot food. Don’t forget to check out the impressive pumpkin display – it’s the perfect backdrop for taking lots of photos! Best of all, tickets are a steal at just £2.50 per car but FREE entry for all occupants. Book here.

Kislingbury Sunnies and Spooks first opened last year and will be returning again this year. Their pumpkin patch will have over 20 varieties to choose from along with a spooky trail, playhouses, a mobile cafe, and more. Keep an eye on their social media for updates. Find out more here.

Overstone Grange Farm is another mustvisit spot for pumpkin enthusiasts. This familyrun gem is back and ready to welcome you for a pumpkin-picking extravaganza. And that’s not all – there are games and mazes on-site to keep the little ones entertained. With over 30 pumpkin varieties to choose from, you’ll be spoiled for choice. They’ll be open from 23rd September at weekends and every day in half term from 20th October – 29th October. Find out more here.

Mini Meadows Farm is serving up some spook-tacular fun from 14th – 31st October. You can pick your very own pumpkin and then let your creativity shine at the carving station. If that’s not enough, they will be holding their very own Halloween experience which includes spine-tingling games and amazing prizes.

After all that excitement, you can unwind with a visit to see some adorable animals, like cheeky goats and crafty llamas. Find out more and book here.

West Lodge Farm Park is the place to be for an amazing Halloween festival and pumpkin patch experience. They’ve got a wide range of activities including pumpkin picking, pumpkin carving, a spooky maze, animal petting, and even a spooky tractor ride – there’s something for everyone! Tickets are on sale now – find out more and book here.

Wappenham Farm is another great place to head to this October! Their pumpkin patch will be open from 7th – 29th October. Along with pumpkin picking they will have a Halloween shop, a kids play patch and a spooky trail. Plus you’ll be able to go and see all the cute animals after your halloween fun. Find out more and book here.

So, get ready to embrace the autumn spirit and make some unforgettable memories at these fantastic pumpkin-picking destinations. Don’t delay – book your tickets now and let the pumpkin adventures begin!

Autumn is almost here, which means one thing… pumpkin picking!

The astonishing life of Henry Chichele

If you’re familiar with the east of the county, you may have encountered the somewhat difficult to pronounce name ‘Chichele’ in business, street and school names, especially in the small town of Higham Ferrers. The name refers to one of Northamptonshire’s most illustrious sons who lived there 660 years ago, the youngest of three boys born to Thomas and Agnes Chichele. This local boy through his bright intelligence, hard work and political sense rose to become one of the highest and most powerful in the land, the Archbishop of Canterbury and King’s right-hand man.

Not much is known about Henry’s early life, but Henry’s father Thomas Chichele was a comparatively wealthy yeoman farmer and Mayor of the Borough several times. Thomas was acquainted with the town’s grammar school master, and no doubt both agreed that Henry was an exceptional student destined

Words and photos by Laura Malpas

The tomb of Henry Chichele

Henry Chichele

for more than the common trades. His older brothers were both successful businessmen, and one was twice Lord Mayor of London, but their little brother’s achievements would surpass them both.

Henry’s education gathered pace as his academic brilliance brought him to the attention of the Bishop of Winchester, who took young Henry with him to continue his studies at Winchester College, then to New College, Oxford to study Law. This training paused briefly for his ordination as a priest, as his abilities had been noted by King Henry IV who rewarded him with a parish in North Wales. After completing his studies, Henry went to London to the ecclesiastical law Court of Arches, where his reputation grew. He was rewarded with many lucrative appointments within the Church, making him a wealthy man.

Henry was then sent on both church and political diplomatic missions on behalf of the King. Again, he shone, and by 1410 he was appointed a member of the Royal Council. He assisted Henry Prince of Wales with his negotiations to marry a French princess, and although unsuccessful, made an important new Royal friend. On a further mission to the Vatican, he made friends with Pope Gregory XII, and was subsequently enthroned as the Bishop of St David’s and became head of the church in Wales.

In 1413, the King died, and the Prince of Wales became King Henry V, with Chichele by his side as friend and ally. The year after, the old Archbishop of Canterbury died, leaving a vacancy for Henry Chichele. Both the King and the Pope agreed that that he should become the new Primate of all England, the most senior figure in the Church.

Henry and the King worked closely to achieve their mutual ambitions. Henry accompanied the King on diplomatic missions, and when in 1415 the King decided to restart war with the French, Chichele was present at the battle of Agincourt, as noted by William Shakespeare in his play Henry V. Chichele headed the council that ruled the country in the absence of the king, and personally represented him on diplomatic peace missions, including the negotiations for the king’s future bride, Catherine de Valois. In 1421 he crowned

her Queen of England and a few months later he christened her son, the future Henry VI.

Sadly, King Henry V did not live long after the birth. The following year, both he and his Queen passed away leaving the orphaned infant Prince to become King under the care of a Minority Council. Chichele played an important role within the Council, acting as a balance between the inevitable factions vying for power.

During his remaining twenty years, Henry Chichele did what he could to promote his main passions of supporting both the established religion against the threat of reform, and education of men to supply both the State and the Church. The farmer’s son from Higham Ferrers had acquired a vast fortune which he invested in establishing trust funds for

students, colleges and places of learning and worship, leaving a magnificent legacy for the future.

He built and endowed three colleges, two of them at Oxford. The first eventually became St John’s College following the Reformation, and the second was All Souls College, Oxford.

Henry Chichele did not forget his home of Higham Ferrers, donating three establishments to benefit the town. In 1422 he established Chichele College to provide accommodation and instruction to clerics and choristers. Today under the joint care of English Heritage and the Higham Ferrers Tourism Business and Community Partnership, Chichele College is a wonderful community space. When I visited, the Produce Show was being prepared

The Bede House

Chichele College and gardens

inside the College, and the medieval gardens were filled with families playing, picnicking and others simply sitting and contemplating. All Souls College in Oxford have re-established their relationship with the town and provide an annual grant to facilitate programmes helping local school children to discover their heritage.

Next to the ancient Church of St Mary stands the Chantry Chapel. Small but exquisite, this building in the perpendicular style is decorated with buttresses and pinnacles, and inside, its spiritual atmosphere is enhanced with light from the enormous windows. This building was constructed in a style very reminiscent of Chichele’s All Souls Oxford.

Chichele’s final endowment was a more pragmatic contribution. Handsome and sturdily built of banded ironstone and limestone, the Bede House next to the Church provided a home to twelve men over the age of 50, to be cared for by a single Bedeswoman. The occupants followed strict rules and were required to work in the gardens and offer prayers daily. The Trustees still appoint the Bedesmen and Bedeswoman to this day, but no duties are required of them! Today it is used as an atmospheric function space.

Henry Chichele also left a fascinating personal memorial. His tomb in Canterbury Cathedral was completed by 1426, seventeen years before his death.

The tomb is styled as a ‘transitory’ or ‘cadaver’ tomb showing two versions of the deceased. The tabletop figure shows the Archbishop in full jewelled regalia and richly coloured vestments. At his head angels accompany him, and at his feet kneel two monks praying for his soul. Chichele is represented as a grandee of the Church and a high officer of State.

But below this image, underneath the table another story is told. There lies the naked skeletal cadaver laid upon a shroud revealing his decaying remains.

And beneath these representations of the great man lies the inscription:

‘I was a pauper born, then to Primate raised, Now I am cut down and served up for worms. Behold my grave.

Whoever you may be who will pass by, I ask for your remembrance, You who will be like me after you die; Horrible in all things, dust, worms, vile flesh.’

This structure was placed directly adjacent to the archbishop’s seat in the Cathedral, so he would have many years to sit and contemplate his own mortality before he finally occupied his tomb in 1443 aged 81.

Higham Ferrers is a delightful town to explore. Much of its historic success is due to the benevolence of its son Henry. To learn more, visit the website below where you can download an audio tour and discover more about the history of this ancient Northamptonshire town.

And do remember Henry Chichele as he asked. (And his name is pronounced Chitch-er-lee!)

https://sites.google.com/view/ higham-ferrers-tourism

The Northamptonshire Heritage Forum has something for everyone interested in learning more about our county’s history. If you would like more information, or are interested in joining the Forum and supporting its work, please visit www.northamptonshireheritageforum.co.uk

The Chantry Chapel

Inside Chichele College

Northamptonshire Litter Wombles visit Parliament

Northamptonshire Litter Wombles (NLW) came into being during the Covid lockdown period when people sought outdoor activities due to the closure of regular leisure venues. The flooding in the Washlands area in January 2021 resulted in a significant amount of litter being scattered across the area. This prompted Nicola Elliott, with the support of Bob Lee, founder of South Leicestershire Litter Wombles, to create a litter picking group in Northamptonshire. Their aim was to bring together individuals who share a disdain for litter and wish to actively contribute to its removal.

Since then, they have grown from strength to strength. With over 3,500 members and several affiliated groups, NLW has made significant contributions to our communities.

It has collected an impressive 62,000 plus large bags of litter, making a substantial impact on the cleanliness of the county. Not only has this initiative contributed to a cleaner environment, it has resulted in an estimated saving of £3 million for taxpayers.

NLW has been instrumental in addressing various litter-related problems, including fly-tipping and abandoned trolleys. Their efforts have led to the reporting and resolution of hundreds of incidents on top of the picking up and bagging of rubbish that they do themselves. The impact and dedication of NLW have not gone unnoticed; they have garnered significant attention from local media outlets such as BBC Look East and BBC Radio Northampton. Their commitment to making a difference has been recognized, earning them the Best Newcomer Award in 2022 from the Northamptonshire Community Foundation Charity. Additionally, NLW has been shortlisted for the prestigious BBC Make a Difference Award in 2023.

Inspired by their work and reputation, I invited representatives of NLW to come down to Parliament to meet with me and my fellow Northamptonshire MPs to brief us and strengthen support for their activities. We were also able to arrange for them to have a tour of the

Houses of Parliament and it was a delight to hear from young and… less young… just how much they had enjoyed that and learned more about the immense amount of history and evocative architecture the Palace has.

A highlight for many was the recently unveiled plaque to Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, set in the floor of the oldest part of the Palace, Westminster Hall.

Then to business: It was a very successful meeting and Sir Michael Ellis MP, Tom Pursglove MP and Philip Hollobone MP joined me in a detailed discussion of litter and fly tipping across the county with the NLW team, featuring a new one on me: ‘Driver Tizer’! (My admiration for the Wombles rose yet higher when I found out what it is and how much of it they have to pick up! Google it if you want to know more.) Philip has agreed to work with me in setting up a Northamptonshire Litter Summit in Parliament this Autumn where local MPs, representatives from both Councils and of course representatives from the Litter Wombles themselves will seek to meet with DEFRA Ministers to discuss in depth how we better combat the scourge of litter and fly-typing in Northamptonshire. In the meantime, Litter Wombles, we salute you!

> If you are my constituent and you would like to come down to London for a tour of the Houses of Parliament, I would be delighted to organise this for you. Please email me andrew.lewer.mp@parliament.uk

www.andrewlewer.com CONSTITUENCY

Husband and wife team Gordon Shone and Sally Romain

Andrew Lewer with other Northamptonshire MPs and Northamptonshire Wombles

Best practice when acting as an executor

Being an executor carries significant responsibility. As highlighted by Susan Owens of Borneo Martell Turner Coulston, even straightforward estates can be challenging. This article provides insights into estate administration, emphasising organisation, thoroughness and communication. It guides executors in their duties and stresses the importance of professional advice to navigate potential challenges and ensure meticulous estate management.

“Being an executor is an important role and a serious responsibility,” says Susan Owens, Senior Partner at Borneo Martell Turner Coulston. “Even a simple estate can be more difficult than many people realise and you should ensure that you understand the role and are willing to take on the responsibility before starting to act.”

Seeking advice at the outset from an experienced solicitor is the best way to understand exactly what being an executor entails and to help you reduce the chances of anything going wrong along the way.

NORTHAMPTON

29 Billing Road Northampton

NN1 5DQ 01604 622101

KETTERING

18 Brooklands Court Kettering Venture Park Kettering

NN15 6FD 01536 523434 bmtclaw.co.uk

How to ensure a smooth estate administration process

Good organisation helps things to run smoothly from the outset. It is important to make sure that you have the correct will and any other relevant legal documents. You should undertake a thorough search of all the person’s paperwork to ensure you are working from the most recent legal documents.

Once you have established that you have the correct will, you need to be clear as to its terms and the relevant laws for dealing with the will. Ignorance is not a defence to mistakes made by an executor if they could have sought advice. As such, you could be personally liable if the law is misinterpreted or misapplied.

Communication is key and you should talk openly to others involved in the estate from the outset. This may include coexecutors, beneficiaries, or other family members. Being open and honest can help to prevent, or at least minimise, disputes. However, if any dispute does arise it is

important that you remain impartial whilst still communicating clearly with all parties. A solicitor can help you to navigate the legal and practical difficulties of an estate dispute.

Keeping a list of all the assets and liabilities from the beginning of the estate administration (and adding to that list as and when you become aware of any additional financial details) will not only mean that you have a clear record of the assets that exist and their values, but it will also allow you to report to the beneficiaries with ease.

You should obtain a professional valuation for any personal items (such as jewellery) as soon as you can. For probate and inheritance tax, it is important that valuations are accurate for the date of death. Once valued, personal items should be insured and stored safely until they can be passed to the beneficiaries.

As well as small personal items of value, you should also make sure that any property or vehicles are insured and secure so that if any damage occurs you will not be personally liable for this. Property should also be checked regularly

by you to ensure that no damage or loss has occurred. It is likely to be a strict term of the insurance policy that the property is checked at regular intervals.

Finally, remember that you may need to be patient. Estate administration often takes longer than you might think, not least of all because you are reliant on other institutions whose timescales are out of your control. It is far more important that you do a thorough and accurate job than it is to have the matter dealt with quickly. Rushing can cause things to be overlooked and, if you have finalised and distributed an estate too soon, you could find yourself facing disappointed creditors or beneficiaries whose money must be paid somehow.

For further information, please contact Susan Owens in the wills and probate team on 01604 622101 or email susan.owens@bmtclaw.co.uk

Borneo Martell Turner Coulston has offices in both Northampton and Kettering.

Image is provided by Ingram Images Ltd

Susan Owens Senior Partner and Head of the Private Wills and Private Client team

Tarta de Santiago with blackberries

INGREDIENTS

Ingredients for a 6' tin

125g caster sugar

125g ground almonds

Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon

2 large eggs

1 punnet of blackberries

1 tsp of vanilla paste

Icing sugar and sliced toasted almonds to serve

METHOD

1. Preheat your oven at 170°C. In a bowl whisk the eggs, vanilla paste and the sugar until pale to ensure the sugar has completely dissolved.

2. Add the lemon zest, the ground almonds and fold until fully combined in a thick batter.

3. Place the batter in a lined tin with parchment paper and top with the blackberries, pushing a few down the batter.

4. Bake until the edges are golden, with a slight wobble in the middle. Sprinkle the sliced almonds and icing sugar, serve with Greek yogurt and enjoy.

Our recipes come from Pulse food writer, Sofia Gallo, an acclaimed local chef, food writer and teacher at Milton Keynes Cookery School. She has recently won the ICG Cooking Competition and was a contestant on BBC’s Masterchef.

Follow Sofia:

Instagram: @in_cucinacon_sofia FB: incucinaconsofia www.lamiacucina.co.uk

Halloween beauty to give you the creeps!

Lush has a horrifyingly good selection of fragrant products to put the heebie-jeebies into your beauty routine this Halloween. Here’s our pick of the creepies – with a little splash of Soap & Glory Christmas cheer to follow!

Only Come Out At Night Gift is a collection of ghostly bathtime goodies – the Ghostie and Bat Art bath bomb, an Alien bubble bar and a Sparkly Pumpkin shower slime. The items are housed in a drawstring bat-winged bagjust perfect for trick or treating or enhancing a halloween costume. Surely guaranteed to fly off the shelves!

Things will definitely go bump in the bath if you take hold of the Monster Party Gift, which brings together two bath bombs (Ghostie and Screaming Banshee) and two bubble bars (Alien and Bonehead). A scarily good collection.

RRP: £28

We’ve always had a penchant for patchouli oil, and Lord of Misrule Perfume manages the mischief with a herbal blend which also includes black pepper and vanilla. Aromatic awesomeness with every spray.

RRP: £25

Things will get all wibbly and wobbly if you reach for this passion fruitscented shower jelly. There’s nothing to be scared of here though - the Monster Octopus will give you a skinsoftening wash.

RRP: £10.50

If you think a certain breakfast cereal has plenty of pop, you need to check this out – the Screaming Banshee Bath Bomb has snaps and crackles aplenty!

The beautiful blue banshee has captured the despair of the Banshee’s tears with apple powder and fine sea salt, with bergamot and grapefruit oil injecting a fresh citrus blast.

RRP: £3.50

Get them: All these Lush products can be bought online at lush.com or at Lush stores at Centre MK in CMK or the Grosvenor Centre in Northampton.

Christmas is coming, and retailers are on the case with Beauty Advent Calendars popping up all over. But you can forget all about a white Christmas – Soap & Glory wants you to enjoy a scentsational festive season with its striking It’s A Pinker Wonderland advent calendar. It’s one of our favourites with good reason.

You’ll get 24 days of skincare and bodycare bliss to treat yourself, or if you are feeling generous, you could share the goodies with your pals.

Heel Genius Foot Cream, Hand Food, Scrub of Your Life, Lip Mask, Body Washes and much more will be hidden behind the doors. The only problem will be keeping your mitts off until advent!

RRP: £46 (Products are worth £87.78)

Get it: Online at Boots.com or in stores everywhere.

Eloise Supports Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is well established in our calendar as breast cancer awareness month and people up and down the country are mobilising themselves in a variety of charitable activities. Here at Eloise, we are delighted to be partnered with ‘The Pink Ribbon Foundation’, (Reg. Charity No. 1080839) whose values and missions align perfectly with our own, to help ladies who have been affected by breast cancer. Our recent fund raising efforts included a 5K sponsored walk around Furzton Lake on the hottest day of the year; needless to say by the time we finished it, we wished we had made it a sponsored swim!

If you are looking for an easy way to show your support for those affected by breast cancer this October, the Eloise website, www. eloise.co.uk is now selling these beautiful crystal Pink Ribbon Brooches, of which 100% of the profit is donated to ‘The Pink Ribbon Foundation’ to help further their important work. Each brooch costs £7 and is fully covered with three rows of dazzling crystals in clear (diamond), pale pink and dark pink.

And of course, if you , or someone you know has been affected by breast cancer, then please make an appointment to come and see us at our fitting suite near Furzton lake where we have a fabulous selection of bras, breast forms and swimwear suitable for use following breast surgery.

Our experienced bra fitters, Lisa and Hazel, will be delighted to help you and we have free parking on-site. Every appointment is on a purely one-to-one basis, although feel free to bring a friend along for support if you would like to. If you can’t make it to us for any reason then Lisa or Hazel are always available for advice or sales support on 01908 340 094 If they are busy fitting a customer then they will always call you back as soon as they are free.

at www.eloise.co.uk

Why not make your appointment today or visit www.eloise.co.uk to browse the latest collection of our mastectomy bras and swimwear.

The team at Eloise are all set to raise funds for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

The Pink Ribbon Brooch which can be purchased

Glitz, glamour and sparkle!

Strictly Northampton returns to Royal & Derngate for its twelfth year on 25th November. The annual event will be its biggest lineup to date and has already raised a staggering 12k for local charity Cynthia Spencer Hospice.

We caught up with professional dancer Andrzej Mialkowski, founder of Northampton Strictly and Step by Step dance school. Here’s what he had to say about this year’s event…

Hi Andrzej, Strictly Northampton is back for its twelfth year this year. Tell us more...

This year is going to be bigger and better than ever! We’ve got 36 couples which is the most we’ve ever had. People think I’m mad as managing 72 people is a lot – but I love it.

After missing a year due to the pandemic, I thought why not do something crazy. The event is always so successful, and I am always thrilled at the incredible response that we get.

What can we expect to see?

Obviously you can expect lots of glitz, glamour and sparkle, but along with this I’ve wanted this year to be our biggest yet. We will have more entertainment such as professional show dances, live music and lots of fun. Plus expect to see lots of money raised for Cynitha Spencer.

The contestants this year will be doing one ballroom and one Latin American dance. Then on top of this, there will be a freestyle through the decades dance where each group will be given their own decade. It’s going to be great!

How has Strictly Northampton changed since it first started back in 2010?

It has grown more than I could’ve ever imagined. We have more contestants, more audience members and even more importantly - we’ve been raising more money. We’re the biggest fundraiser for Cynthia Spencer, last year we raised 50k and I’m hoping this year to raise even more. I have a

Andrzej Mialkowski

personal connection with Cynthia Spencer which is why I chose the charity - I’ve seen first hand the incredible work that they do.

What inspired you to become a professional dancer?

I first started dancing in Poland when I was 10 years old. One day a friend asked me to join in with some dancing groups, so I said yes and it just went from there. Fast forward and I’m now a professional dancer, I get to run my own dance school, and I get to teach people to dance. I also get to judge prestigious competitions. I just love working with people and I’m so happy that I’m doing my dream job. I love it.

What’s your favourite dance and why?

I have to say that every dance is so different, so it completely depends what mood you’re in. From romantic and slow through to the jive that’s fast, each dance has its own story. I also love that you can showcase so many different countries through dance – like the samba and the salsa, it’s like you’re travelling the world.

To any aspiring dancers out there I’d say just have fun – try your best and keep going.

Tell us about your dance school , Step by Step

I first set it up back in 2005. I thought I’d start lessons and see what the interest was like. Suddenly lots of enquires were coming through and I realised there was a huge gap for dance lessons. So I opened a dance school and it just grew. I now have 5 dance schools that offer a variety of dance classes 7 days a week to both adults and children. People just love to dance, and I love to see the passion that comes through.

We also run lots of Strictly events across these areas and we have raised over 2 million for charities from this.

I’m also excited to share an exclusive offer for Pulse readers. Get your first dance lesson for FREE. Simply book online at stepbystepdance.uk

How can people keep up to date with the Strictly Northampton event?

We post lots of our updates on Facebook and we are also on Instagram, just search for Strictly Northampton

If you’d like to book tickets to the live show on 25th November please head to www.royalandderngate.co.uk/whats-on/strictly-northampton-4/ or scan the QR code >>

To any aspiring dancers out there I’d say just have fun – try your best and keep going.”

Green kids are smart kids

If we want to encourage change for the better, we need to educate our future generations – and primary school is the perfect place to encourage learning.

Northamptonshire’s Waste Wise Kids (WWK) is a sustainability and waste resource for teachers that can be accessed by schools throughout the UK and, importantly, it has been developed in partnership with waste management experts and primary school leaders.

The not-for-profit organisation – founded by Encore Environment - will teach children about the importance of recycling and sustainability.

‘Our environment’s future lies in little hands,’ says Waste Wise Kids, whose learning is aimed at youngsters aged four to 12 years old.

A conversation between Encore Environment’s Rachel Rowley and her daughter, Mimi, was the catalyst for starting up this venture. Mimi was just nine at the time and wanted to learn more about how to protect the environment.

“I arranged with Mimi’s primary school in Sywell to do a presentation about waste; what it is and how it can impact the environment, with fun activities. It was a great success.”

Rachel recognised the importance of imparting industry knowledge on the next generation and reached out to primary school teachers for their thoughts and support to help develop the programme.

Why is it important to start learning so young?

“The early years of a child’s education are so important in developing a sense of awareness of their environment,” Rachel says, “As well as experiencing nature, playing outdoors, finding bugs, climbing trees, and jumping in muddy puddles it is also a time when children, through their primary school education, begin to focus on creative thinking, problem solving and developing critical thinking skills.

“Waste Wise Kids helps them understand that everyday items that might normally be put in the rubbish bin can actually be reused - such as old toys, or clothes they’ve grown out of.

“They could be handed to a younger family member or donated to a charity shop. They are also made aware that items such as colourful plastic lids can be repurposed into a piece of art. “Importantly, it shows them what happens if waste isn’t disposed of properly and it can end up on our beaches and in the ocean, so they feel empowered that they can help stop that from happening.”

The trick is to enable little minds to understand the importance of caring, but without scaring them.

“The activities and language used has been really thought about to engage with younger age groups and our resource box gives teachers the tools they need to support their lesson plans. Teachers can use the box as an add on to a subject or the Waste Wise Kids’ team can go in and deliver a workshop.”

Rachel says that pupils are always incredibly receptive and enthusiastic – and it’s easy when the sessions are driven by fun!

They look at waste types and hierarchy, explore what happens to waste after disposal, and encourage little people to think about reducing, reusing, repurposing and recycling waste.

Jeff the Recycled Robot is a striking, cheery character fronting the campaign.

Creativity is key: “Armed with examples of upcycled items, including a skateboard repurposed into a double dog bowl holder, and pencils made from old newspaper, the main creative task is for them to craft a rubbish robot at home – just like Jeff,” Rachel explained.

“Across all age groups, the engagement has been infectious! The WWK team then go back into the school to judge the rubbish robot competition and give out environmentally themed prizes to the winners. This gets parents and guardians involved as well, creating something new out of something old, and has led to school eco groups being set up to do more repurposing and looking at ways schools can be more sustainable.”

Today’s children are those that bring the changes of tomorrow. Waste Wise Kids can set them on the right path, and it’s easy for teachers to integrate the sessions into their lessons.

“The big benefit is that WWK has ready-made resources, which reduces the time and effort to develop their own lesson plans around the subject of waste sustainability and is a great way to involve families,” Rachel added.

> For more details on bringing Waste Wise Kids to your local school, visit wastewisekids.org or call 01604 496987

The Waste Wise Kids resource helps teach children about the importance of recycling and sustainability

M&S bins off plastic responsibly

In the past few years, plastic has gone from being an easy commodity to something we frown upon.

Not so long ago, the thought of reaching for another plastic carrier bag at the till was no big deal, and then we learned more about the devastating environmental impacts and the time they take to decompose, and the tide began to turn.

Nowadays, you don’t get given a plastic bag at the store, you have to buy them, and even if the environmental consequences don’t worry you (which they should), the thought of shelling out pennies for bags every time you visit the shops might make you think twice and remember to take your own.

Marks & Spencer was the first retailer to introduce carrier bag charging back in 2008, and they have since introduced more sustainable choices for customers, including bags for life made using recycled plastic, including material collected in its stores.

More than 70% of M&S customers now choose to shop using their own bags, or don’t use one at all, but the brand says it has acted on the wishes of shoppers who want to avoid plastic altogether when they make a trip that does involve the need for a bag.

Having already moved its rice and grains packaging to paper bags and boxes, earlier this month it applied the same innovation to its carrier bags; every store across the UK will offer Forest Stewardship Council certified paper bags at checkout - replacing the ecoloop plastic ones.

A strong, robust carrier is now available in Food and a simpler one in Clothing & Home to reflect different shopping missions. When we were caught without our usual supply of reusables, we were a little apprehensive that the new Food bag would hold our weighty groceries; would it really take bottles of juice, kilos of potatoes and bags of carrots without tearing?

We voiced those concerns to our store assistant: “They can take more than 15kg in weight,” he patiently told us, pointing to the explanation on the base in a manner that suggested he’d been doing this regularly during the first couple of days of the rollout!

With no other option, we split with the cash and hoped for the best – and we weren’t let down.

“Our paper carrier bags have all the benefits of plastic bags but without the same environmental impact,” explained Victoria

McKenzie-Gould, M&S’ director of Corporate Affairs, “The Food bags are super strong.

“Both are water resistant, thanks to a natural resin applied in the manufacturing process, and have been independently tested to withstand over 100 reuses.

“And importantly they are also more convenient for customers to pop straight into their home recycling bins when worn out – unlike the plastic bags which generally need to be returned to specific soft plastic recycling units,” Victoria said.

“We now have a solution that is better environmentally and which helps customers looking to make small changes to reduce their environmental footprint. For the vast majority who already reuse their own bags, which remains the most sustainable option, not a lot will change. But on the odd occasion when we all need to reach for one more bag, we’re pleased to be offering a more sustainable option for customers,” she added.

Gift and grow!

Christmas is coming – not sure what to buy the person who says, ‘I’ve got everything I need?’

Rather than get them something plastic and not-so-fantastic that will probably find its way to landfill, why not consider taking a ‘leaf’ out of the books of other eco-friendly folks, by purchasing a tree?

It’s a little present that will help to tackle climate change and be ethically sound. Many charities offer the green gifts, including The Woodland Trust and The Future Forest Company.

When other presents are worn out, or broken, you can rest assured that your tree-mendous present is the one that will keep on growing!

DIGGING DEEP

Beat the deep freeze

with these top tips

There’s no doubt about it –there will soon be a chill in the air. It’s that time of the year again.

Along with the fading light giving way to darker evenings, the temperature is dropping.

Are you reaching for the cardies and jumpers and resisting the urge to pop the central heating on for five minutes in the morning, just to ‘take the chill off’?

Falling temperatures create their own problems in our outdoor spaces too, of course, and no-one wants Jack Frost to wreak havoc on our prized plants. Luckily, a little forward planning and proper preparation can keep things safe.

Don’t wait until frost is established or you’ll lose plants, and remember that a sudden, unexpected frost can cause havoc with even the hardiest garden greenery.

There are many materials that can be utilised to keep garden growers safe and snuggly; hessian, straw, polystyrene and fleece can all be valuable assets.

Not all plants and trees are to be treated the same, and a conversation with your knowledgeable garden centre staff member or a visit to a trusted online site will get you the right advice.

Cloches are as fabulous as they are simple; little plastic domes that support low growing plants and vegetables and help to reduce some of the worst of the frosts.

View them just the same as miniature greenhouses, but also be aware that if they are small and lightweight, they may need their own support in case of any particularly high winds.

As you’ve probably guessed, the word cloche is French and means ‘bell’ – as far back as the 1800s bell-shaped domes were being used to protect plants, and they were usually made of glass.

How does your garden grow?

After a very successful harvest of crops from the school garden which are sold to village neighbours, we will need to replenish the soil in the raised beds with compost, topsoil and a general fertiliser.

We have planted rows of lettuces, raised in August, and will sow rows of Winter Density and Valdor.

Tomatoes cropped well, in spite of irregular watering; the last half-ripened truss being ripened on the window ledge.

Some ‘Meteor’ pea seeds are to be planted in individual pots for spring planting.

Broad beans Aquadulce, Claudia and The Sutton are hardy and already growing well. They are cloche covered, for bird protection.

Bulb catalogues are arriving! If you lifted, dried and stored daffodils in late spring, now is the time to plant them in the border.

I have two acid-soil lovers, a camellia and an azalea, in large pots. They need to be rain-watered now, as their flower-buds will be developing soon.

As I lift the pelargoniums before a frost,I will take as many cuttings as possible.

Catching and collecting autumn’s leaves is so important. Well-produced leaf bould is such a valuable mulch and soil improver.

As plant growth is reduced, collect up the garden canes and store them to dry, and clean out bird boxes and hang for winter shelter.

We mentioned fleece earlier, and putting the crop covers over, or around, plants can support fragile examples from wind and hail, so is worth consideration and is an easy way for plants to avoid weather stress.

When it comes to tender plants there is choice though; you might choose to cut them back, lift them and store, or give protection by covering them with mulch.

Do you have plants in lots of containers? They really need to be in a space that affords shelter and if you keep them grouped together they will benefit from each other. There is safety in numbers where plants are concerned too.

Wrapping the pots in straw or with bubble polythene is a simple way to stop roots from succumbing to freezing temperatures.

If you have old garden structures in need of a little TLC, getting them sorted now will prevent damage in the coming months, too.

Whatever you decide to do to support your garden, do keep a check on things once those changes have been implemented; for example, waterlogging can result in rotting, and if soil becomes too wet, young trees can tumble in high winds.

The days may be shorter, but there is no less work!

Ralph Westmoreland, Denton & District Gardening Club member

> Denton & District Gardening Club is a small, friendly club which meets on a Monday evening every month. New members and visitors are always welcome.

For more information please contact Margaret at m.pateman@yahoo.co.uk or 01604 890875.

Some of the school crops

Protect the crown of Tree Ferns by gently placing straw into the crown of the fern, taking care not to damage any young shoots

A cloche will afford some protection for your small tender plants

Stylish ideas to transform your bathroom

Home owners looking for inspiration to transform their bathroom can count on the expertise and creativity of the team at Ripples in Towcester. Once clients have chosen a design they can turn to owners Dane Chapman and Scott Sage, who have extensive experience in running a bathroom and wetroom installation company.

Bathroom trends to look out for next season

From soft and subtle to bright and bold, Ripples designer Erin White shares the top bathroom trends set to take the interiors world by storm next season.

1 Spathroom

The at-home spathroom continues to gain popularity as the trend for spending more time at home doesn’t seem to be going anywhere fast. Offering a place of retreat and relaxation, the spathroom combines the spa aesthetic with luxury products which aid wellbeing.

Freestanding baths, luxuriant showers and even steam cabins are proving popular as bathrooms become a place of comfort and calm.

2 Feature walls

If you’re wanting to make a small change that has a big impact then a feature wall is always the way to go. 2023 is the year to experiment and be bold with the colours that you may have previously shied away from.

Pink is the colour of the moment whereas oranges and greens are also popular for bringing a burst of colour into your room. A feature wall can be created with a lick of paint, a bold tile, or even wallpaper. You can choose how much space you want to use, be it floor to ceiling, half-height or even

bringing your design up onto the ceiling. One advantage of a feature wall is that it offers a clever illusion of more space in smaller bathrooms by helping to blur the lines and edges of the room.

3

Drawing inspiration from the natural world is nothing new in bathroom design, but this season it is more prevalent than ever. Slatted wooden walls and panels are the biggest trend we’re seeing here, as wood, especially reclaimed, brings a tactile and textural element to a scheme. The use of recycled materials is becoming increasingly important, primarily for the environmental benefits but also as a way of adding character to a design.

> Ripples Towcester is open at 2 Roman Corner, Northampton Rd, Towcester NN12 6LD For more information, visit ripplesbathrooms.com or call 01327 368233

Au naturale

Ripples Towcester has the expertise and experience to create a beautiful, modern bathroom space for your home

What could you really save on future energy bills with double and triple glazing?

made everyone in the UK take stock of their monthly outgoings, with energy bills high on the list of things that are just too expensive and are continuing to rise each winter.

As more and more homeowners look at ways to cut costs, save on bills and make it as affordable as possible to simply live, there could be an unexpected solution: Double and triple glazing.

When were your windows and doors last replaced? If it’s been more than five years ago, you’re likely not getting the benefits that modern doubleglazed windows provide. There’s so much more that double glazing can do for you.

And that’s just if you’re replacing like for like, upgrading older double glazing to new.

For homeowners with outdated single-glazed windows, the heat loss will be severe - and the improvements gained from upgrading to double glazed windows will be even more significant.

Energy Saving Calculator

For this reason, T&K Home Improvements, double glazing specialists based in Wellingborough, have developed a bespoke Energy Saving Calculator. Found at www.tkhi.co.uk/energy-calculator

It collates data from leading sources including the BBC, House Beautiful and My First Property to create an easy to use calculator that estimates the potential savings on your energy bills.

“Almost every homeowner we speak to asks us about how we can improve their energy efficiency,” says Adrian Timbers, T&K Sales and Marketing Manager. “It’s the number one reason to replace older windows and doors so it became our top priority to help new and existing customers understand what can be potentially saved.

“Our calculator demonstrates just how effective double and triple glazing is and the real savings that it can be made of future years.”

The average detached UK home upgrading single-glazed timber windows to new double glazing uPVC windows could save an estimated £14,700 over 25 years and almost £30,000 over 50 years.

And that’s with energy costs as they are now.

Why Double and Triple Glazing Works So Well

Energy-efficient double and triple glazing acts as an excellent insulator to keep warm air inside the home and prevent cold air from the outside from getting through.

Compared to single glazing, double-glazed windows benefit from an extra space between two panes of glazing, which is filled with argon gas (or similar). This significantly reduces the transfer of heat in either direction.

As a result, double glazing means the heat you’re generating in your home will stay where you want it and won’t escape. So you’ll find yourself reaching for the thermostat less often. Triple glazing adds a further layer of warmth, improving energy efficiency even further.

T&K Home Improvements’ commitment to the highest-quality glazing is part of a wider focus on sustainability. This includes an investment in fuel-efficient vehicles and their aim to cut all plastics and packaging by a further 30% before 2024.

Sustainability Starts At Home

“We know that our customers are as committed to sustainability and ‘going green’ as we are,” says Adrian. “So we’re encouraging

everyone to be aware of their energy usage and how to reduce it.

“Whether it’s to save money on heating bills, reduce your carbon footprint or protect the planet, it’s clear that double and triple glazing in the home is an excellent, effective investment.”

T&K Home Improvements’ tailor-made Energy Saving Calculator shows real, data-driven statistics and predicted savings that, as Adrian explains, customers have been amazed by. “They can’t believe how much they are actually going to be able to save,” he says. “It will make a real difference to customers’ lives – no exaggeration. Times are hard right now. When we help customers to understand the true benefits of double-glazed windows and what it can save them, we see a weight lifted off their shoulders and a smile on their faces.”

Scan the QR code to use our online Energy Calculator, or head on down to their showroom in Wellingborough, call 01933 677 444 or visit www.tkhi.co.uk

The cost of living crisis has

You might be shocked how much you could potentially save on your energy bills with Double or Triple Glazing from T&K Home Improvements

Fluidity

The desire to create a more indulgent, relaxing feel within our homes continues to grow in popularity as we see a shift away from the formality of more traditional interiors. Fluid shapes are used to encourage a seamless flow from room to room, evoking the unmistakable sense of calm and comfort that we all crave, especially as the colder weather approaches.

The architect Frank Lloyd Wright was one of the first to apply the term fluidity to his designs in the 1990s. Fluidity has several definitions. It’s the skill of a substance to move easily and it is the ability of an object or being, to move with smooth elegance or grace. Lloyd Wright prioritised fluidity throughout his architectural career, after which a lot of designers chose to apply the same concept to their projects. One of the most familiar examples is the Roca Gallery in London, where architect Zaha Hadid fully embraced fluidity and free dynamism.

Curves in architecture have long been used to add a sense of movement or fluidity to a building.

They give it an organic feel with graceful lines incorporated in a variety of ways, from the overall shape to the intricate details of the design. The Sydney Opera House, designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, has its infamous curves, which not only look like shells flowing over the harbour, but also demonstrate a practical benefit, affording column-free interiors, which maximise the amount of space inside.

Rosie Kinsella Interior Designer 01604 751262 www.millsandkinsella.com

There may already be some curves in your property which you can utilise to enhance the flow through the house and encourage a feeling of calm and cosiness. A curved staircase or arched window can create a feeling of movement. Where these features co-exist with the straight lines of your corridor or internal doors, the result will be more visually interesting and stimulating. To draw more attention to the curves, highlight them using a contrast paint colour or install some targeted lighting. If your house does not have any structural curves then consider introducing curved lines on a wallpaper or fabric, or if only a small touch is desired, round off corners on a piece of cabinetry. There are many curvy light fittings, vases and decorative objects to choose from. Furniture legs can also be rounded. All these additions can contribute to a sense of movement and continuity, so long as they are carried through to the overall aesthetic in the other rooms. Your eye should move through the spaces in a pleasing way, with your mind following; it’s important to avoid any abrupt interruptions.

Designers are increasingly starting to talk about rhythm. Rhythm uses repetitive elements to lead your eye around a space; it’s the organisation of the contents of your home in a visually interesting way that helps to achieve this. In a fluid design, the curves are repeated like signposts on a walk, guiding us along the route. In some rooms, the changes will be subtle, with small curvy elements added or repeated to reinforce fluidity. But just as rhythms have key changes, you can mix it up a bit if you want to. In a room that needs to be more stimulating, swap out the recurring element with something that’s similar but different. This concept can be seen in our modern interpretation of symmetry. Most of the furniture will be placed with the utmost care but then one item is left slightly out of place.

In a room where you are likely to pause or stay a while - a hallway or a dining room for example - use a round table as a focal point and then let the rest of the design revolve around this central feature. Dining chairs around a round dining table enable the design to radiate out from its core but allow the eye to come back and rest on the central table. Designing using

www.caffelattehome.com

this method is called ‘radiation’. And a circular table works particularly well in a square room because the two aspects provide balance for one another.

Another way to maintain the fluidity and movement of a design through a space is to use gradation. Think of putting books on a shelf and organising them in height order. This is gradation. With your curved elements, you can start off small and then repeat your curved elements in different scales. As you increase the size or number of curved elements, your eye will be drawn towards them. Rather like a musical composition, remember that beautiful music isn’t only composed using one note. In a similar way your room should be multi-dimensional. In a bathroom where your cabinetry might be more angular, opt for an oval mirror above a curved basin or look for taps that are rounded in design. The Equilibrio range from Gessi immediately comes to mind, it’s so unique and beautiful in its design. Gessi advertises the range as ‘the perfect correlation of curves and counter-curves, the essence of harmony and strength of balanced stones’.

Successful interior design relies on balance. No matter what aesthetic you are trying to achieve, a good variety of textures, finishes, colours and shapes will stop your scheme looking flat; but if its fluidity that you seek, remember to repeat those curvy details wherever you can.

Discover new and inspiring landscape artists, exploring the world through fine art

Landscapes are an integral part of the British art scene with their ability to celebrate our everyday favourites or take us somewhere new. The uniqueness of each landscape is worth capturing and there are many great artists doing just that.

From our picturesque green countryside and the animals that inhabit it, to wild coastlines and vibrant cityscapes; a great landscape painting evokes the sound and smell of its subject as well as the sight. While some of our most popular contemporary landscape artists take their subject literally with stunning detail and texture, others like to put their own spin on things, experimenting with scale and colour. Which do you prefer?

Places to Lose Yourself

One artist we’re extremely excited about at the moment is Paul Evans, he provides us with the kind of landscapes you can truly lose yourself in. Whether we’re exploring remote beaches, settled deep in the forest with carpets of bluebells, or traipsing through vibrant flower-filled fields; Evans’ expansive views are truly immersive with stunning foregrounds, alive with colour and movement.

A renowned painter based in Lavenham, Suffolk, Paul has a talent for presenting nature in all her glory, capturing the ambience of the changing seasons. He has painted many glorious areas of the British countryside, including the Kent Weald, East Anglia and Cornwall.

Places of Dreams and Wonder

Dan Crisp presents a very different style, creating abstract worlds which play with light and shadows, places that feel familiar even in their fantasy. His tranquil artwork uses rare lines and colours to bring us a beautiful winter morning or a hazy high summer view across pastures.

Dan’s work is instantly recognisable due to his unique, hand-crafted style of digital printing. Each giclée print is built up with layers of metallic print and varnish, some pieces will then have metallic gold leaf added by hand as a finishing touch.

Maybe it’s awe-inspiring works you’re looking for, then you might have a look at Philip Gray’s stunning pieces. Originally from Cork, Ireland, Philip is renowned for his ‘extreme art’, taking legendary expeditions which lead him to

paint in unexpected and often dangerous locations - he has won a reputation as an artist adventurer.

Whether you want to explore the amazing colours of the ocean, hidden spots where the sky, sea and sand meet, or astonishing mountainscapes, these are landscapes which will transport you.

Places to Share

Alternatively, you may be looking for a landscape which is less solitary.

From his studio in Bedfordshire, Chris Ross Williamson brings us inviting landscapes and walks with his creation Garfield Eldritch and his faithful companion dog Barton Darcy. This friendly pair of characters have wandered through a diverse range of local landscapes including the Sussex coast and further afield. You might also find them admiring Banksy’s street art or visiting art galleries where they can admire ‘the greats’ such as Warhol. Chris’ work is like reading a story with a warm sense of humour or talking a walk with a good friend.

Landscape Art to Transform Your View

Exploring the pieces which reflect our landscapes, it’s surprising the variety you can find.

What kind of landscape are you drawn to?

Celine Lee Gallery Correspondent

Chris Ross Williamson Philip Gray Paul Evans

Dan Crisp

Scientists to share musical research in the ‘fampton

If you’ve got a hunger for a gig, SBD Promotions will fill your plate this month with plenty to tuck into, starting with Welsh mob Trampoline (Oct 5) at The Black Prince.

Fronted by Jack Jones, the self-styled ‘dolequeue Dylan Thomas’ this lot have been in play for nigh on a decade now, and during that time they have issued four elpees, the most recent of which, Rules of Love & War, was cut loose earlier this year.

When not seeing to the highs and lows that come with being in Trampoline, singer and guitarist Jack flits off and moonlights as the lead guitarist with Pete Doherty & The Puta Madres. Trampolene have eaten up the mileage to play their music, and have enjoyed stand-out support for artists including Liam Gallagher, The Libertines, Buzzcocks, Reverend & The Makers, Catfish & The Bottlemen and Carl Barat & The Jackals.

Dr John Cooper Clarke is on the record as a fan of Jack’s poems, and having also attracted attention from Caitlin Moran and Liam Gallagher, a BBC Radio 4 documentary happened in 2019, a portrait of Jack Jones & Trampoline called Another Swansea Poet

If we haven’t piqued your interest by now, you can keep on walking – this gig ain’t for you.

The rest of you need to get on the case pronto, or risk disappointment.

If a night in front of a hard rockin’ tribute grabs you, go get involved with Guns 2 Roses (October 6). You know what to expect, so we’ll not waste valuable column inches, but did you know that during their lifetime the band has been joined on stage by four different members of the real GnR? With a name like Scientists, you might expect them to be playing at The Lab, but not so – the Aussie mob will be heading to The Black Prince (October 9) to play the only midlands date on their Negativity european tour.

It’s a nice scoop for SBD to bring the influential post-punkers to play for you. Kim Salmon’s mob has had two primary incarnations; initially active in the late 1970s as the Perth-based punkers, and the Sydney/ London-based swamp rock mob of the 1980s.

A significant musical force, their name has been dropped by fans including Nirvana, The White Stripes, The Von Bondies and many others.

Mudhoney invited Scientists to play at their curated All Tomorrow’s Parties event back in 2006, and have since stage shared with them at the Shepherds Bush Empire, and in 2010, Sonic Youth asked Scientists to play alongside Iggy Pop and the Stooges at ATP New York.

As much in the tradition of rock and roll and punk rock as it was a rejection of those things, their formula was as universal as it was specific to their own experience, and they penned tracks about getting wasted, driving round in hotted-up cars, being trapped in crap jobs and paranoia.

“The Scientists proved to me that rock n roll could be played by gentlemen in fine silk shirts half unbuttoned and still be dirty, cool and real,” said Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore. Nice words from a master.

Our Man in the Bronze Age is heading over from the Keynes to play for you on Friday the 13th – unlucky for some, but not those of you who have a penchant for noise without limits.

Sixteen years of music making has produced two albums of quality that have been well worn in this house.

The guys went down a storm at this year’s DesertFest in London too. If you can judge success on sales of merchandise, you’ll understand what we mean when we tell you that they arrived with plenty and went home with none. Go online and check out new single The Waiting Islands.

‘Our Man in the Bronze Age are a skilful bunch, seamlessly drifting from apocalyptic guitar squalls to unbearably plaintive and sparse piano/vocal downtimes with breathtaking flair,’

Chuggaboom - October 26

Trampoline - bringing the bounce on October 5

Our Man in the Bronze Age head to Northampton on October 13

declared one Prog Mag scribe, ‘They’re the finest thing to come out of Milton Keynes since the A5.’

It’s a solid line-up with plenty on it – support comes from Gonzo Experimental Band, Killer Saucers From Hell and fellow MK crowd, Space Pistol

Grim Sickers (Oct 14) launched as a Grime MC with plenty of bite, but has since expanded his style to encompass his passion for emo-rap and all that surrounds it – check it yourself on his current delivery, Icons Only

When he’s not cooking up a musical storm, you’ll find him rustling up a more traditional cooking wow – his Instagram based foodie show is such a hit that it will soon be on a screen near you.

It’s a great man who can give you your musical fill, and sate your taste buds too. Hero.

Metalcore mob Chuggaboom (Oct 26) will be joined by Inretrospect for a double dose of noise, with both bands racking up some serious online support; the latter have

enjoyed in excess of 350,000 streams on Spotify, while Chuggaboom have passed 10 million streams.

It’s a busy month for SBD which draws to a close on October 28 with The Bug Club who are being tasked with taking care of Halloween business for the promo.

The Lamplighter prepares for a stormy time

The indie-garage rock trio – three groove peas in a far out pod, apparently – will be bringing the spooky to the stage, and you are actively encouraged to dig out the Halloween garb.

Support comes from new duo Getdown Services, who will make the trip from Bristol and Manchester for you. Make them welcome –get along nice and early.

> For all ticket bookings and more info, go to sbdpromotions.com

Shake it Off at the ‘Mender

Having smashed into the UK album charts with their new album Smile last month, Skindred are out on the road, and it’s of no surprise that their Roadmender date is all sold-out, so don’t bother yourselves by trying to score a ticket.

6

0’s inspired garage band with plenty of volume, The Hurricanes will be making a big noise when they return to Northampton for a bash at The Lamplighter

They’ll cut loose tracks from their last two albums, Let’s Go and Look Out It’s The

Hurricanes, and fans can expect a quick walk through some of the new songs set to feature on their upcoming third elpee.

Support at the bash on Friday, October 6 will come courtesy of Chris Watson from The Moons, and if you need any more incentive to make tracks there, the bash is free. On you go.

Other dates still selling at the haunt this month include the farewell show from Northampton’s Sarpa Salpa (Oct 13), The Taylor Swift Club Night Swiftogeddon (Oct 20), Maddox Jones (Oct 26) and Shame 69 (Oct 28).

> Head to theroadmender.com for more on any of those.

Scientists - October 9

Get spooked with The Bug Club - October 28

Grim Sickers - October 14

#WhatsOnPulse

Punk: Rage & Revolution

Until Sunday, March 3

An exhibition that explores the fashion, music and Northampton gig scene with punk at its core – see it in The Temporary Exhibition Gallery.

Oi Oi: northamptonmuseums.com

Singing for the Brain®

Monday, October 2, 2pm – 3.45pm

Sessions using singing to bring people with dementia together in a friendly and stimulating activity. Group meets at Heron’s Lodge Guide Centre, Loughton Lodge. Get involved: Contact Chelsea.gadd@alzheimers.org.uk or call 01908 232612 before attending.

Talk: Our Hedgehog Habitats

Monday, October 2

Hedgehog numbers are in sharp decline, and as more of their habitat disappears, urban parks and gardens in the new city become more important to them.

This Parks Trust session will teach you how to encourage hogs into your garden and understand more about the beautiful animals. Prickly business: theparkstrust.com

Dance and Movement Class for people living with dementia

Tuesday, October 3, 1.30pm-1.30pm

Free taster session for gentle movement classes for those living with dementia and their partner/carer. Led by professional dance artist Kate Taylor at Woolstone Community Centre.

More details: schools@motusdance.co.uk

The Picturedrome Comedy Club

Thursday, October 5, 7pm for 8pm start

Find the funnies with Garrett Millerick, Brennan Reece, Seeta Wrightston and Ben Van Der Velde.

Knock knock: thepicturedrome.com

Stantonbury Stand-Up Comedy Night

Friday, October 6, 8pm

Headlined by star of ITV’s hit The Chase, Paul Sinha, with Tom Ward and John Baulf also figuring in the line-up. Caroline Mabey is your host. This bloke came up to me: stantonburytheatre.co.uk

Stories in the Park

Saturday, October 7

A half term treat courtesy of The Parks Trust, with Stories in the Park at Linford Wood bringing a selection of autumnal tales from Red Phoenix. Perfect for family groups and all ages. Bring a chair or a blanket and be entertained.

Telling tales: theparkstrust.com

Denton & District Gardening Club

Monday, October 9, 7.30pm

Val Bourne will give the talk, Gardening with the Best Beloved, the story of how her garden developed from being a virtual wasteland to a flourishing organic garden full of wildlife.

Free to members and £3 for visitorsplus refreshments and raffle.

All are welcome. Denton Village Hall, Vicarage Lane, Denton NN7 1DT

Need some ‘blooming’ help? Enquiries to 01604 890875 or m.pateman@yahoo.co.uk

Rachel Fairburn: Showgirl

Sunday, October 8, 8.45pm

Settle down and let Rachel cast her acerbic eye over everything from your children to her pretentious new alcohol free life – which was accurate at the time of writing.

‘Very much the rock ‘n’ roll star of British comedy,’ reckons Rolling Stone Showing out: stables.org

Great West Groove

Tuesday, October 10

A traditional blues trio, with Bob also working as the main man behind the Ealing Blues Festival. High quality music with a few surprises thrown into the mix. Get it on: bletchleybluesclub.uk

Hancock’s Half Hour – The Lost Episodes

Friday, October 13, 7.30pm

Live on stage comedy from the Apollo Theatre Company.

The Marrow Contest: stantonburytheatre.co.uk

Mission - the Songs of Bond - October 15

An Evening of Burlesque

Friday, October 13, 7.30pm

Expect fun, feathers, fan dancing, fabulous costumes plus speciality artistes, cabaret and circus stars, comedians, World Guinness record holders and champagne showgirls!

Scintillating: theoldsavoy.co.uk

Quo Connection

Saturday, October 14, 7.30pm

Former members of John Coghlan’s Quo are back in play and ready to deliver the next chapter of Quo classics. Get your Quo-ta: theroadmender.com

Tricky Teddy’s Family Magic Show

Saturday, October 14, 2.30pm

Krisgar & Tricky Teddy are back in Milton Keynes following a sold-out show in 2022, with more mind-boggling ventriloquism, illusion, singing, music and audience interaction.

Who’s talking?: stantonburytheatre.co.uk

Mission – The Songs of Bond

Sunday, October 15, 7.30pm

Journey through the decades and enjoy iconic Bond theme songs. The production is set in the HQ of an intelligent unit and the cast are set on a tough mission to perform the 26 Bond themes...

You Know My Name: theoldsavoy.co.uk

Singing for the Brain®

Monday, October 16, 2pm – 3.45pm

Sessions using singing to bring people with dementia together in a friendly and stimulating activity. Group meets at Heron’s Lodge Guide Centre, Loughton Lodge. Get involved: Contact Chelsea.gadd@alzheimers.org.uk or call 01908 232612 before attending.

Cinelli Brothers

Tuesday, October 17

Arguably the most popular band to play at the Bletchley Blues Club, this will sell out. Great rhythms, hard guitar and vocals with some keys thrown in. Blues brilliance: bletchleybluesclub.uk

Jared James Nichols

Tuesday, October 17

Fresh off a European tour supporting The Winery Dogs, singer, songwriter and guitarist, Jared hits the road again – and he’s wrapping up a UK stint in Milton Keynes at The Craufurd Arms. Easy Come, Easy Go: thecraufurdarms.com

The Atomic Bitchwax

Thursday, October 19, 7.30pm

American stoner rock of a high order. The trio have all spent time in the ranks of Monster Magnet. Come and play! Scorpio: thecraufurdarms.com

Swiftogeddon –The Taylor Swift Club Night

Friday, October 20, 10pm-2am

Worship at the altar of Taylor Swift, with non-stop Swifty all night long – deep cuts, extended mixes, fan favourites and all the hits. Taylor-made: theroadmender.com

Visualise - Exhibition of Contemporary Stitched Art Textiles

Saturday & Sunday, October 21 & 22, 10.30am-4pm

The creative group of 13 artists will be showing artwork, accessories, Christmas gifts, creative packs and cards to inspire and buy, at Welford Village Hall. Entry is free. A stitch in time: visualise.online

An Evening with Clinton Baptiste

Sunday, October 22

The useless clairvoyant medium psychic from Peter Kay’s Phoenix Nights will visit The Craufurd Arms for stories, jokes and demos

Spooky Halloween Walks - October 27 at Campbell Park Woods in Milton Keynes

Rachel Fairburn is Showgirlsee her at The Stables on October 8

Antiques Centre Building 1, The Royal Ordnance Depot, Weedon Bec, NN7 4PS

Martin McNeil’s Bottleneck Blues

Tuesday, October 24

Martin is a traditional blues artist specialising in slide guitar, but he is bringing his full band to Bletchley to play for you. Get in it: bottleneck-blues.com

Cattle Creepy 10K

Thursday, October 26, 6.30pm

Take part in a 10km riverside run through the less well-known parkland of North Milton Keynes, beginning at 6.30pm close to the Wolverton House Pub. A celebratory run to mark Halloween. Keep on running: theparkstrust.com

Spooky Halloween Walks

Friday, October 27

A spooky guided walk through the Campbell Park woods where you’ll encounter witches, spiders and zombies on your quest to break a terrible curse placed on the park. Complete challenges and puzzles to defeat the Head Witch and escape the woods alive! Designed for primary school age children. Enter if you dare: theparkstrust.com

Showaddywaddy 50th Anniversary

Saturday, October 28, 7.30pm-10pm

Leicester’s colourful crew are back to celebrate their half century with a show full of their greatest hits –You’ve Got What It Takes!

Hey Rock & Roll: theoldsavoy.co.uk

The Horrordrome

Saturday, October 28, 8pm

Grab your ticket for a spooky and spine-tingling Halloween party – you are guaranteed an unforgettable event featuring a frightful atmosphere, ghastly decorations and thrilling and chilling music. Whiteroom will play live.

Creepy times: thepicturedrome.com

TALK OF THE TOWN

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

Snapshots in Time

Discover Northampton town centre’s rich and varied heritage through the ‘Snapshots in Time’ trail which is available on the Explore Northampton app. From large civic buildings, to familyrun businesses that are still trading today, this trail highlights how historic places have evolved over the years, with photos from bygone days. Download the free app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

Diwali Festival of Lights

Saturday 4th

Psychic Fair

Sunday, October 29, midday-4.30pm

Four mediums will be in situ at The Craufurd Arms, with tarot readings, craft stalls and street food available.

I see a great afternoon out: thecraufurdarms.com

Family Silent Disco

Sunday, October 29, 1pm, for 1.30pm start

Grab those headphones and tune in to your preferred channel; Adult hits and anthems, kids pop hits or the classic party channel. Recommended for children aged 12 and below and they must be accompanied by an adult. Sounds great: thepicturedrome.com

Community Litter Pick: Broughton Brook

Monday, October 30, 10am

Join The Parks Trust on a community litter pick at Broughton Brook with a ranger guiding you through the space and litter collection. All equipment will be provided. Meet at 10am at Broughton Fields School in Shackerstone Close.

Rubbish times: theparkstrust.com

Dracula

Tuesday, October 31 –Saturday, November 4

Carabosse Theatre Company presents a deliciously dark adaptation of Bram Stoker’s classic, with the promise that it will be ‘an immersive sensory experience you will not forget.’

Bloody great: stantonburytheatre.co.uk

An Evening with Laurel and Hardy

Tuesday, October 31

Neil Brand is acclaimed as the leading world expert on silent film and silent comedy, and this event will be a joy, with stills, clips, and Neil’s superlative piano accompaniment, before two of the boys’ best silent short films are aired.

The best of the best: stables.org

November, stalls and entertainment from 10am and parade at 6pm – St Giles’ Square, Northampton

This annual community festival organised by Indian Hindu Welfare Organisation is now in its 23rd year. Visitors can enjoy cultural activities such as henna painting and saree dressing, while browsing various community stalls and enjoying Indian food and drink. Live entertainment is set to take place on a stage throughout the day and at 6pm, a magical light parade will begin from Mercers Row and follow a route through the town. Harminder the elephant and Shanti the giant bird are among the large-scale puppets which form this twinkling parade of Hindu Deities, to be joined by local school children and community groups.

Fireworks Spectacular!

Sunday 5th November, entertainment from 4pm and fireworks at 6pm, The Racecourse, Northampton

Kindly sponsored by Maintenance Services Electrical Ltd and Midshires Electrical & Lighting Ltd

The Town Council’s free fireworks display is a popular event that attracts thousands of visitors every year. Join our hosts BBC Radio Northampton for a spectacular evening of entertainment for all the family, including a funfair, live music stage, plus food and drink stalls, along with fire and pyrotechnic performances. New for this year, ‘The Gunpowder Plot’ history of Northamptonshire will be played on big screens, culminating in an epic pyro-musical fireworks finale.

For more details on NTC’s events and projects visit: northamptontowncouncil.gov.uk/events

Or get in touch with the team: events@northamptontowncouncil.gov.uk

All events and projects listed are delivered, supported or sponsored by Northampton Town Council

Go Under The Moon of Love with Showaddywaddy - October 28

Theatre, set and match!

Pulse’s Sammy Jones walks you through some of October’s stage highlights in theatre-land...

Blackeyed Theatre’s 60th anniversary tour of Oh What A Lovely War (Royal, Oct 2 & 3) is a great place to start.

Wildly satirical, visually stunning and deeply moving, take your seats for a theatrical fusion of live music that remains a powerful reminder of the atrocities of a war that took the lives of 20 million people.

In today’s climate, it holds a mirror to the world and speaks to us all.

Former Brookie actress Jennifer Ellison will star in the new production of Take That’s smash hit musical, Greatest Days (Derngate, Oct 2-7), from the pen of Tim Firth and bursting with those pop classics from Barlow & Co. Might it be a night out that you’ll erm, Never Forget? You’re welcome.

Crimes on Centre Court (Royal, Oct 4&5) is an acey treat delivered by a cast of four who play countless characters with quick-fire changes and quicker wits.

Mirth, murder and mayhem will be served, with a side of tennis.

Those behind the work guarantee ‘You won’t see it game, set and matched elsewhere.’

Sounds like a bit of a raquet to us. But one worth getting along to.

John Godber’s Do I Love You? (Royal, Oct 9 & 10) follows Sally, Nat and Kyle as they develop a love for Northern Soul while working on a college project. But it’s turned into much more than that – the music gives them excitement, purpose and the tribe they’ve been looking for...

Shrek and Donkey will be joined by Strictly star Joanne Clifton as Princess Fiona for Shrek The Musical (Derngate, Oct 10-15). You’ll be green with envy if you miss out.

Rosie Jones rocks up with Triple Threat (Royal, Oct 13), which will see her ponder whether she is a national treasure, a little prick, or somewhere in between!

The Mistake was a smash at the 2022 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and now the urgent new play exploring the events around the catastrophic ‘mistake’ that launched our nuclear age, comes to the ‘fampton (Underground, Oct 13 & 14).

Diversity are back with their new dance spectacular, Supernova (Derngate, 16-18). If you’ll be taking a seat to see the inspiring collective, please plan ahead and take a tin of food or some pennies for donation – Diversity has teamed up with anti-poverty charity the Trussell Trust for this tour.

Tom Chambers, Susie Blake and Laura White take the lead in Murder in the Dark (Royal, Oct 16-18), a world-premiere from the pen of acclaimed writer Torben Betts.

‘New Year’s Eve. A car crash on a lonely road brings famous but troubled singer Danny Sierra and his extended family to an isolated holiday cottage in rural England. From the moment they arrive, a sequence of inexplicable events begin to occur… and then the lights go out.’

This thrilling new ghost story will thrust you into darkness and have you on the edge of your seats until the final chilling twist.

Steve Backshall (Derngate, Oct 21) is making a splash around the UK with his new show, Ocean, a love letter to the most exciting environment on our planet – and how to understand how we can save our seas. A special afternoon show with stunts, experiments, props, cutting edge science and big screen footage will engage all ages.

Alfie Brown presents Red Flags Galore! (Underground, Oct 21) during which he’ll share the signs that he probably can’t have a healthy relationship and why proceeding down the road with him would be emotionally dangerous. But what are these signs?

Alfie is the most hated man in an internet forum that he is not even the main subject of... We couldn’t not mention the return of Kinky Boots (Derngate, Oct 24-28) though, could we?

This time, Northampton Music Theatre Company are bringing the locally set story about a struggling shoe factory to the stage, with that stunning soundtrack by Cyndi Lauper. Forget the suited, but definitely do the booted, and go have some fun.

The Old Savoy has the perfect introduction to ballet for youngsters; a performance of Sleeping Beauty by Let’s All Dance (Oct 24) with feather-light footwork and that stunning score by Tchaikovsky. Perfect for all to enjoy, it has a running time of just 50 minutes – not that there will be any fidgeting and boredom when this takes to the stage.

The Megaslam Wrestling tour will get to grips with the venue (Oct 29) with a two-hour family spectacular.

Flick to our What’s On pages for even more Royal & Derngate and Old Savoy options in the coming weeks.

> Book tickets: Royal & Derngate: royalandderngate.co.uk

The Old Savoy: theoldsavoy.co.uk

From top left: Rosie Jones, Shrek The Musical, Crimes on Centre Court, Alfie Brown, and Kinky Boots are set to entertain audiences in Northampton

View from the Far Kerb

Pain

It was so close! We had lined up a move to a vacant refurbished property and our buyer was selling their flat to a first-time purchaser. As chains go, it was short and looked pretty good.

Packing became packed. The idea was to box items we could go without for a few weeks and shove all the constantly needed things into ‘last-minute’ boxes just ahead of the Big Day. Not even furniture escaped our attention. The contents of sideboards and TV stands were stuffed away as well removing and carefully wrapping stone or glass inlays which then vanished into various temporary cardboard homes.

Contracts were signed and all looked well. However, our buyer seemed unready. Weeks turned into months. The things we knew we could do without for a short duration were being missed. Boxes were opened and the odd item was fished out. The carefully stacked boxes became a little messy as they were restacked according to their status. If filled with stuff destined to only be opened in our new home, they went in corners. If we were likely to need and reopen them before Moving Day, they tended towards being left in front of those crammed into the corners. If already opened due to the mind-numbingly long delays experienced, they were strewn about the place, seemingly at random. The tardiness of the management company overseeing our buyer’s flat had a great affect upon our arrangement of packedaway-domesticity.

Being ‘only’ a few months overdue, we were glad to see that our buyer’s buyer had finally received answers to questions they had been asking regarding the leasehold. Now we were ready to finalise plans. There was still a slim chance that we could be moved before the end of August.

An update sent to our chosen removals company revealed that the earliest dates now available were during the first week of September. More boxes were going to be reopened…

Excitement grew as we anticipated a phone call or email asking us to green-light exchange of contracts after submitting dates on which we wished to set as Completion Day. When the call came. It wasn’t what we expected. Our buyer’s buyer had pulled out. The reason given was that they didn’t like the answers they got back regarding the leasehold for the flat.

QUICK CROSSWORD

Getting to that point had only taken an extra two months.

It is nice to see that there are people who are happy to charge vast amounts to answer simple questions, but take an extraordinarily long time to do so. Their efficiency must be what has made Britain great. No doubt they sleep well at night regardless of the pain they inflict on the unwary as they behave as if incompetent.

Back to the boxes. Having had the whole process fall through, it doesn’t matter if the property we were aiming to buy, vanishes. We can’t buy it if we can’t sell. Time wasted by pen-pushers isn’t free. It cost us money and hope. Bitter? A bit. Phil

is

to see that there are people who are happy to charge vast amounts to answer simple questions, but take an extraordinarily long time to do so.

Flavour of the Times - You may well have spent last month trying to get things in order for the autumn and winter, Virgo style, so it’s probably been a busy period and this continues for a little while longer. The autumn equinox on 30th September is where the days and nights are the same length and Libra marks the moment of change, when we go from the productive part of the year to the winding down towards winter. Humans tend to charge on relentlessly whatever the season, but you may find it helpful to try to live your life more in accordance with the monthly and yearly cycles. I find that things tend to go better like that when you moderate your expectations to the seasons.

LIBRA

September 24 – October 23

Mars’s residence in your sign can be seen in demands for justice and fairness in society at the moment. A lot is coming out from deep down in the form of allegations of past abuse and this is exposing another side of Libra –the urge to maintain a pleasant exterior face to the world even when things may feel as if they are falling apart.

SCORPIO

October 24 – November 22

Some of the harder and more challenging aspects to your sign may have eased now, but you may not be entirely sure where it leaves you. So much activity is trekking back into the past that forward motion seems almost impossible, so the best thing to do is clean up where you are standing and not move at all!

SAGITTARIUS

November 23 – December 22

People around you may not be saying what they mean or they may not even know themselves what to say. Your plain speaking nature finds this really frustrating but there’s not a lot you can do except wait for the energy to change, as it inevitably will. Try not to preach your truth where it may not be wanted.

CAPRICORN

December 23 – January 20

If you are experiencing seismic shocks of one kind or another, you may not really know what to make of them. They are symbolic of deep changes and structural shifts in the fabric of our world that hint at even deeper and hidden changes taking place. It may feel very harsh and that’s because it is. Lessons to be learnt may feel almost overwhelming.

AQUARIUS

January 21 – February 19

Just because you think you can see how things are while others appear to blundering around in the dark, doesn’t mean you should relentlessly bore people with the information. Many people are struggling and it’s not such a great look to appear to be gliding above the carnage. You may also be wrong but I bet you never consider that possibility do you, eh?

PISCES

February 20 – March 20

The dissolving continues. Structures you thought you could depend on may be falling apart. Others talk up a good story, but you probably remain unconvinced by much of what is being said. You probably doubt that anyone has a thorough grasp of events and you’d be right. It feels like the end of an era and it may well be. Luckily you are ok with that. Pisces can be very wise sometimes.

ARIES

March 21 – April 20

Your drive to push ahead may be driven by some unstated fears. I wonder if there are things you are afraid to let go of or stop doing but you distract yourself by being hyperactive? Do you know why that might be? On the other hand, you will be getting some help from Venus now so you might be feeling the love in some way!

TAURUS

April 21 – May 21

The moon close to Uranus in your sign gives you a nice boost on the first day or so of the month so use that to innovate and think differently about your circumstances. Love and such matters may be tricky though, so the main thing is to give yourself time to value yourself and your own way of doing things, particularly when it comes to looking after your health.

You are bound to be affected personally by some if not all of the massive changes that are taking place this year. An astrological reading of your chart can forewarn you about how these changes might affect you. To really understand what they mean for you on a personal level during 2023, I would recommend that you consider booking a comprehensive personal astrological consultation with me. This is completely specific to you and your life. This will illuminate many things that you may not have considered up to now and it will enable you to really take advantage of the positive energies and avoid the negative ones throughout the year.

GEMINI

May 22 – June 21

You may not be very impressed with what you are being told this month. Words can be cheap and what lies behind them may not be as genuine as you would like. The new moon in Libra may help though even if there is a lot of indecision going around with people being pulled in all sorts of different directions.

CANCER

June 22 – July 23

The new moon in Libra on 14th may feel challenging in what gets to be said. Feelings and emotions seem complex and contradictory so you will need to dig down to see what is going on underneath. Just be your usual caring and nurturing self and provide a safe space for someone to confess some personal fears to you.

LEO

July 24 – August 23

All sorts of adjustments need to be made now as the ground shifts beneath your feet. The times are indeed ‘out of joint’ and your natural enthusiasm for life may not be shared by those around you. Some people may respond quite badly to any insensitivity you show now. On the other hand, you can raise morale by your natural positivity.

VIRGO

August 24 – September 23

All neat, tidy and ready to go? Well, maybe, but these are difficult times to try to get things in order and there may well also be some emotional fall-out from things you have done, which seemed necessary at the time, but may still be upsetting when the consequences are fully understood. Go carefully now and feel into the way the season is changing.

Chart readings with me start at £67 and last for an hour on Zoom or Skype. Please go to www.astroguidance.co.uk for more details and to book a session. You can also text or WhatsApp me on 07866 727743 or email me at howpark@aol.com for more information.

If you are interested in discussing and learning more about astrology, why not pop into my Facebook group The Astrocafe | Facebook.

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