Stockport & trafford issue 52

JULY - SEPTEMBER 2017

STOCKPORT & TRAFFORD EDITION 52

Tom Jones THE FAMOUS VOICE FROM THE VALLEYS!

James Martin's FRENCH ADVENTURE AS SEEN ON ITV

Jennie Bond VISITS SOUTH AFRICA

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Take the kids away this

GREAT VALUE 5 DAY HALF BOARD BREAKS

£199 from

per person

When it comes to inviting, relaxing breaks by the sea, we have the ideal holiday for you.

Whether you’re after family-friendly holidays, a romantic getaway or a group break with like-minded people, our eight hotels cover the nation’s finest locations. From the popular beaches of Cornwall to the cosy Isle of Wight, there’s something for everyone.

Our coach inclusive option allows guests across the UK to travel in comfort, while our self-drive holidays offer the freedom of having your own car.

Every break includes: • • • •

Return coach travel (self-drive option available) Comfy en suite accommodation Breakfast & 3-course evening meal Live nightly entertainment

KIDS STAY FREE OFFER

Hotel Prince

Barrowfield Hotel

et Hotel

Llandudno

Russell Hotel

Regent

All children aged five and under stay for FREE when sharing a room with two paying adults. For children aged 6 – 15, the first child stays free while the second and third child only pay 50% of the adult price. If there is only 1 adult travelling, children aged five and under are charged 25% of the adult price and all children aged 6 – 15 years old are charged 50%.

Isle of Wight

Torquay

Bournemouth

Eastbourne

Daish’s Hotel

Devonshire Hotel

Bournemouth Sands

The Claremont Hotel

Newquay

Eastbourne

Bournemouth

Torquay

f Wight

We are proud to announce that six of our group – The Barrowfield, Devonshire, Daish’s, Bournemouth Sands Claremont & Prince Regent Hotels – have been awarded the coveted TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2017.

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Weymouth

Newquay

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Certificate of Excellence Awards

Seven fabulous locations, eight great hotels.

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£50 per person

6 weeks in advance

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calendar holidays in one that year If you take three your fourth holiday year, you will get price*. for half the brochure

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Request your new June 2017- June 2018 brochure now!

Our Hotels

Holidays

THE DEVONSHIRE HOTEL

THE BARROWFIELD HOTEL

DAISH’S HOTEL

Torquay

Newquay

Isle of Wight

Llandudno

The Devonshire Hotel is the ideal choice for a relaxing stay on the English Riviera, with its iconic palm-lined promenades and seafront gardens.

The Barrowfield is a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence winner for the last three years in a row and is located just a 10 minute stroll from the centre of Newquay and just 200 yards from Tolcarne Beach.

Daish’s Hotel was our first hotel and still remains the flagship today thanks to an extensive refurbishment programme that was completed in 2015.

We are handily located close to the town centre, which is a 10 minute stroll along the seafront. With the beach on the doorstep, this is the perfect spot for a traditional seaside break. Guests return time after time because of our high standards, seafront location, proximity to Llandudno town centre and great facilities. And for 2017 it’s exclusively for adults, so you can be sure of a relaxing break when you choose the Somerset Hotel.

Set atop a hill overlooking Torbay, it’s just a 10 minute walk to the nearest Blue Flag beach, harbour waterfront and bustling town centre. For those who don’t fancy the walk up the hill, local buses stop outside the hotel regularly.

THE CLAREMONT HOTEL

The hotel boasts plenty of facilities including a heated indoor pool, hot tub and sauna, snooker and games room and a recently refurbished coffee shop and bar.

Situated in Shanklin, the building was originally an 18th century coaching inn and still to this day retains a number of period features.

The hotel boasts all the facilities you’d expect and a number of superior and garden view rooms.

THE SANDS HOTEL

HOTEL PRINCE REGENT

Eastbourne

Bournemouth

The Claremont Hotel offers a traditional seaside break with the customary service and value for which we are renowned. It’s high standards have been recognised

by Tripadvisor, who awarded it a Certificate of Excellence in 2017.

The hotel is set within leisurely walking distance of the stunning beach - voted the finest beach in the UK, and Top 10 in Europe. The Bournemouth Sands Hotel has now been awarded a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence in 2015 and 2016 & 2017.

Recently refurbished the Claremont Hotel offers a new bar and lounge with a brilliant line-up of live entertainment every evening. We also have a coffee shop, perfect for planning your day with a morning coffee or enjoying afternoon tea and views across the promenade.

Llandudno

For 2017 we have extended the restaurant and added a new roof terrace, accessible from the bar, a perfect sun trap!

Newquay

Weymouth

THE SOMERSET HOTEL

THE RUSSELL HOTEL

Weymouth

The Prince Regent was purposebuilt in classic Georgian style, but inside you’ll see we’ve moved with the times and offer comfortable accommodation with free Wi-Fi access in all bedrooms and public areas

The Russell Hotel is perfect if you’re planning on reliving classic holiday memories or creating new ones.

With easy access to the surrounding countryside, town centre just a short walk away, and a selection of attractions for all tastes.

With nightly performances in our beautiful Georgian ballroom - fully restored at a cost of nearly £100,000 - you’ll always be entertained. Families are well catered for, with guest accommodation that can sleep up to five people.

Inside there is a relaxing bar and lounge area with entertainment from top local performers every evening. Alternatively, you could just as easily wander across to enjoy the entertainment in the Hotel Prince Regent’s wonderfully restored ballroom - the choice is yours.

Weymouth

Weymouth

Call 01202 638840 or visit daishs.com quote 50PlusMC facebook.com/daishs

Somerset Hotel

Barrowfield Hotel

Hotel Prince Regent

Russell Hotel

@daishs_holidays

Twittering on With Angela Kelly Celebrities?

Get them out of here!

goes with it – even if they were only in Emmerdale for three episodes.

Reality TV show “stars” – that’s just ordinary people who are basically show-offs – are now celebrities and have joined the acclaimed bunch we are supposed to look up to and copy.

The sad thing, of course, is that many younger people in particular do look up to these people, they do emulate them, wear what they wear, act as they act.

Don’t you find the word “celebrity” extremely over-used these days?

When I was younger, I’m sure that celebrity really meant something. It was someone with Sir or Lady in front of their name, a war hero like Douglas Bader or General Montgomery or an American film star who was so far away from our reality as to be living on another planet.

I really think we need to re-think our values on what we classify as a “celebrity” because we have definitely devalued the coinage. Personally, I don’t want to either look like or have the lifestyle of Kim Kardashian or even have the online followers of the so-called “social influencers” who also now qualify as celebrities.

People who appeared on TV were “entertainers”. Quite a different category. They were famous for being funny or being fine actors or for being an important presenter.

Sports people were famous for what they did and we admired them for it. If they got a honour as a result, that just added to their fame and our admiration. I don’t remember hearing the word “celebrity” much at all.

And if we simply reject that standard, the genuine celebrities – the really worthwhile people who have earned their fame in some amazing way – will start to surface and make that category great again.

Fast-forward to 2017 and you can’t move for so-called celebrities. Every actor or actress in a TV soap qualifies for the name and the natural respect that

Ask the expert not the internet We Brits apparently live in fear of the doctor’s waiting room or the dentist’s chair.

Nothing too surprising about that, I suppose, except that new research shows that we are definitely a fearful nation when it comes to our health and wellbeing.

For example, almost a quarter of Brits questioned feared the doctor’s waiting room and 34% confessed to a fear of the dentist’s chair. Perhaps the most unlikely statistic is that 17% admitted that visiting the optician’s made them nervous.

inside TRAVEL...

jennie bond visits south africa PAGES 6-7

TOM JONES

NEW TOUR PAGES 10-11

BRINGING THE OUTSIDE IN...

TIME TO APPRECIATE THE GREAT OUTDOORS PAGES 13-14

JAMES MARTIN'S FRENCH ADVENTURE PAGES 20-22

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TWITTER The top fear-prompter was discovery of a previously unknown health problem; 69% felt frightened about that. Maybe that, along with 22% having had a previous bad experience, explains the statistic that 79% hesitate to seek medical advice.

The daft thing is that we know that seeing an expert makes sense. We know that we should go to the doctor, dentist or optician if there’s a niggling health worry yet we prolong the agony by ignoring it.

I’m always shocked, for example, by the number of women who miss their mammogram appointment when it’s just a simple procedure and it can pick up rogue cells so early. I know it’s not something you’d ever do for fun but it’s quick, uncomfortable rather than painful, and it can be a life-saver.

It would be interesting to see how we compare in this area with other countries. Are the French as frightened of the dentist? Do Germans hate eye-tests? How many Italians refuse to see a doctor when they have symptoms?

It’s probably just human nature to believe that if we don’t know the worst then it won’t happen. The crazy part of this is that, quite often, there’s nothing wrong and we’ve just been worrying needlessly.

Me? I always look up my ailments on the internet first and think about the doctor later. Well, you can’t be too careful with suspected dengue fever, can you?

Tattoos may need covering up Not too long ago, a primary school teacher was dismissed for having a large number of tattoos.

These hadn’t been particularly visible at interview but when she started teaching in the classroom, she wore sleeveless clothes and a skirt that revealed them all over her body. Interestingly, this divided the nation.

Now, I’m not necessarily anti-tattoos. Many of my friends have discreet ones that actually look really nice - although I’m not thinking of having one any time soon.

It’s also partly generational. Today, no-one under 30 thinks twice about getting a tattoo and if they want a full sleeve then they will. However, I’m not sure if they are always appropriate in a job situation.

They don’t work well for the legal profession, for example, for doctors or surgeons. That may be rather unfair but I suppose it’s not what we expect to see. Covered flesh is the order of the day generally in these formal situations.

I can’t think of many Government ministers sporting tattoos, either, although they may have huge roses tattooed all over their buttocks for all we know.

There’s probably a BBC rule about presenters showing tattoos as well. I’m sure Sir Trevor McDonald hasn’t got a secret dragon all over his back and the odd heart or butterfly on his shoulder.

Although tattoos are very much a personal choice and today we respect that, we still don’t expect to see them at work and that seems right to me.

Of course, if you’re a pop star or one of those indeterminate “celebrities”, tattoos are usually compulsorily on view.

Hands off old TV favourites I don’t mind re-makes of films but I’ve started to get very shirty about the re-creating of some of my favourite TV shows.

There is no way that modern producers should touch Dad’s Army or Porridge and yet they insist on fiddling with the format, bringing in a new cast and generally updating them.

No-one can ever play Captain Mainwaring like Arthur Lowe, in spite of actor Toby Jones having a good stab at it in the new film. Nor can anyone ever play Fletch in Porridge like Ronnie Barker. They set the tone, create the right humour – they are the programme.

• Regular/thickened/ingrowing nails treated • Callus/hard skin/painful corns removed • Verruca treatments • Pressure relief for sore/fragile areas of the feet • Muscle, joint, heel pain etc. assessed/treated • Podiatrist recommended nail varnish/skin creams available Bsc Honors Podiatrist (Chiropodist) with many happy repeat clients. Regulated by the Health & Care Professions Council (no.CH34240).

For a professional, value for money service in your own home please call;

Emily on 07770 272 908

(web http://footcaresos.vpweb.co.uk)

£25 per visit.

Price includes treatment. (Therapeutic additions e.g. orthotics, padding, strapping plus certain verucca/ingrown nail treatments charged as extra)

The old American saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” definitely applies here. Hands off – just keep the re-runs going!

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Jennie Bond visits South Africa with African Sky Former BBC Royal Correspondent, Jennie Bond visits South Africa with African Sky. Standing on Olifants Bay, a remote beach on the south west tip of the African continent, we were thrilled to see two ostriches strut by, just a few yards away. I’d spent most of the day telling my husband, Jim, how these huge birds run wild on the Cape, but was beginning to doubt my own word.

And it was one of so many fabulous sights during our stay on the Cape.

The first was actually our hotel. It’s called The Last Word -- there are three of them in the Western Cape-- and

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they really are the definition of a luxury boutique hotel.

We started on Long Beach (the name says it all) and our suite was magnificent. There was a real wow factor as we walked in and saw the huge glass doors folded back so that you look straight out onto the blue ocean and feel you are practically on the sandy beach.

On the other side of the bay, the dramatic Chapman’s Peak and its surrounding mountains look soft in the sea haze created from the cold Atlantic waters meeting the hot African sun.

Every evening, as we watched the sun go down, glass in hand, we were treated to a royal fly-past by parades of squawking Sacred Ibis.

Jim had never been to this part of the world before, and the last time I was

TRAVEL here was with the Queen in 1995 when I was reporting for the BBC.

champagne on ice awaiting us, along with two tiny teacups of exquisite creme brûlée.

But the years had blurred my memory of the sheer beauty and vastness of South Africa. We marvelled at the landscapes as we drove around the Cape in our hired 4x4. The mountain passes, across Chapman’s Peak for example, are breathtaking. And the constant possibility of a baboon crossing your path.....as they did from time to time... was an added thrill.

The final part of our trip was a real adventure. A three hour road trip took us to Sanbona Wildlife Reserve in the Little Karoo region.

After three blissful days at Long Beach, we headed to the wine country in the Franschhoek Valley. And suddenly it was Autumn in April. Not that the sun was any less searing, but the beautiful burnished colours of the vineyards and trees gave away the true season. And the mountains all around us made us feel we were in a Wild West movie.

We were spoiled for choice when it came to wine tasting; vineyards tempt you every few hundred yards as you approach Franschhoek.

When we arrived at The Last Word at Franschhoek, it felt like home. The same soft decor welcomed us into a spacious suite. And it proved to be equally indulgent. When we arrived back after a delicious dinner at Le Quartier Francais, our suite was romantically illuminated by candles, there was

This is a semi-desert reserve, the size of Singapore, where the big five roam free, but are not always easy to spot. We loved the thrill of the chase, bouncing over the rough terrain in our ranger’s big, open-sided truck. The game drives can take more than three hours and there are always wonderful surprises: a giraffe wandering along a track; a pale chanting goshawk perched on a post or the huge paw print of a white lion in the sand.

On our second evening drive we had a bonanza: rhinos and elephants foraging in a thicket, giraffes taking a sunset stroll and --best of all -- a female cheetah enjoying her Springbok kill. Guarded by our ranger, Chris, rifle in hand, we were able to approach the cheetah on foot and get so close we could almost smell her.

We had just one last treat in store: a brief visit to the third The Last Word, this one in Constantia. It was, once again, the last word in luxury, carefully perfected by our softly spoken host, Tess, who exuded the same tranquillity as our surroundings.

Jennie travelled with African Sky who have been conducting private South African tours since 1998. They also specialize in safaris in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Zambia. For more details, www.africansky.com or call 0800 532 4615.

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www.ellensmith.co.uk

Why not join one of our Quality Door to Door Coach Tours?

We pick- up at your door in most of the Greater Manchester area. We visit every part of the UK from the Shetland Islands to Cornwall. Our drivers are very experienced mature individuals with a wealth of knowledge about our wonderful country. We do city breaks, historic adventures, scenic tours, train rides, boat rides, canal trips, not forgetting our numerous coastal resorts.

On your first day of travel we pick you up at your front door at a pre-arranged time in a minibus or taxi. You are then transferred to a central meeting point, either Birch Services or Poplar Services dependant upon where you live, where the coach is waiting for you.

Within 15 to 30 minutes you’re on your way aboard our luxury coach travelling directly to your holiday destination, making suitable stops en-route. The hotels that we use are of a 3 or 4 star standard or occasionally a good quality family run 2 star hotel. Upon your return to either Birch Services or Poplar your taxi or minibus is waiting to whisk you home.

Included in every tour... l

Good Standard Hotel l Half Board l All Excursions l Door to Door Service

Ellen Smith Price Promise 1. Everything is included in the final price – no hidden charges 2. Every customer will pay the same price - no last minute reductions!

3. No currency charges - even post Brexit!

4. Any additional charges from the hotel will be passed on without surcharge 5. If you find a similar holiday cheaper we'll refund the difference to the whole coach

rs 2 017

Eastbourne - Haddon Hall Hotel

Eastbourne is a town with grace that has something for everyone - a landscaped pedestrianised town centre, bordered by a large range of shops, a clean well managed beach and seafront renowned for its attractive three tier flower decked level promenade.

2nd Sept - 8 Days - £489

Isle of Wight - Ocean Hotel

This diamond-shaped island has a magic all of its own – and is allegedly one of the UK’s sunniest and warmest places! Boasting award-winning beaches, unspoilt and spectacular scenery and a rich historical heritage the Isle of Wight has something for everyone to enjoy.

11th Sept - 6 Days - £409

The English Riviera - Torquay The Derwent Hotel

A holiday in Blackpool will leave you feeling refreshed, relaxed and recharged - even if you're on the go 25 hours a day! Perhaps it's the resort's infectious zest for life. Or maybe it's just that, uniquely, whatever your routine Blackpool can offer a perfect break from it.

An award-winning resort where elegant Victorian villas, a bustling harbour and palm-fringed beaches give the Riviera its well-earned name. Well renowned for being at the heart of the English Riviera, Torquay is a sophisticated and stylish resort with real continental flair.

18th Sept - 5 Days - £309

Exploring Somerset & Wiltshire The Wessex Hotel

Looe Cornwall - The Portbyhan Hotel

Enjoy an out of season break to the delightful counties of Somerset and Wiltshire. On these tours we visit the beautiful city of Bath, the small cathedral city of Wells as well as the historic market town of Devizes and the timeless village of Lacock.

Situated on the south coast in Cornwall, Looe is a favourite holiday destination with a fine beach, shops, cafes, a working harbour and has a lovely riverside location. We stay at The Portbyhan Hotel which has recently undergone a £1.2 million refurbishment.

2nd Oct - 5 Days - £229

9th Oct - 5 Days - £299

INTERESTED?

Call our reservations office on 01706 648126 and request a copy of our 2017 brochure. You’ll be surprised at the variations of tours we operate. Visit our website at www.ellensmith.co.uk

www.ellens mith.co.uk Membership No: 10228

Blackpool Illuminations Doric Hotel

18th Sept - 5 Days - £269

DO OR TO DO OR

CALL FOR FREE 2017 BROCHURE

Coach Tou

A SELECTION OF OUR 2017 COACH TOURS

Cornish Delights - Rosemundy House Hotel

Our tour is based in St. Agnes a picturesque village on the north coast of Cornwall, nestled in the lee of an impressive landmark which dominates the skyline of the beautiful and dramatic Atlantic coast. Steeped in mining history, the village still retains a traditional friendly Cornish atmosphere.

13th Sept - 6 Days - £449

Bournemouth Durley Dean Hotel With seven miles of golden sands and sparkling sea, the vibrant cosmopolitan town of Bournemouth has it all - a vast variety of shops and restaurants, buzzing nightlife, endless countryside offering peace and relaxation and beautiful award winning gardens.

25th Sept - 5 Days - £299

Discovering Shropshire - The Buckatree Hall Hotel Along the upper reaches of the River Severn and the borders between England & Wales, the countryside of Shropshire shelters some of the most beautiful landscapes and unspoilt towns that you can imagine.

9th Oct - 5 Days - £329

Find us on facebook & twitter (search for ellensmithtours)

Tom Jones

The Famous Voice From The Valleys IT’S not unusual for singer Tom Jones to attract almost as much female attention in 2017 as he did when he first burst onto the British music scene in 1964.

The famous Voice from the Valleys, even at 76 and a grandfather, is still seen as the same Sex Bomb he ever was before, during and after his hit record of that name.

He may have built his reputation on belting out iconic hits of the past five or six decades with his powerful, raspy baritone but he long ago left behind the clinging leather trousers, shirt split to the waist to reveal his hairy chest and gleaming medallion.

Today, give or take the odd glint in the eye, he could be any well-preserved former bank manager or city gent – until he either speaks with that Welsh lilt in the background or, better, lets rip with a moving ballad that still has the power to shake the emotions.

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His singing career has been an important part of the British history of pop and he is still making the headlines, both as an entertainer and these days as a coach in BBC TV’s popular talent show The Voice. Even away from music, he can’t help the media taking note of everything he does, because the public still has a warm appetite for Tom Jones.

It’s a safe bet none of what came later could have been guessed by Thomas Jones Woodward as he grew up in the small mining town of Pontypridd in South Wales.

Like many Welshmen, he began singing at an early age in church and in the school choir. He left school at 16 and was married and having a son a year later. He brought in money for his family from an assortment of jobs including singing in pubs at night.

In 1963, he was singing with his own group in working men’s clubs when Gordon Mills, a performer who had branched out into songwriting and management, saw him perform. He became his manager, re-named him Tom Jones and got him a record contract.

His first record Chills and Fever failed to make an impression, but his second, It’s Not Unusual written by Gordon Mills, was a sensation – on both sides of the Atlantic.

The sexy singer with the swivelling hips and handsome looks could really sing – anything from pop and rock to R & B, show tunes, soul and gospel music. He followed up his first hit with a string of others and began a hugely successful career, selling more than 100 million records with 36 Top 40 hits in the UK and 19 in the United States.

CELEBRITY INTERVIEW Songs like What’s New Pussycat, Delilah, Green, Green Grass of Home, She’s a Lady and Kiss were what the public wanted to hear. Fans not only bought his records but flocked to his shows and mobbed him on a regular basis.

He won a Grammy as Best New Artist in 1965 but didn’t win a Brit Award until he took the title of Best Male Artist in 2000, then after a music career of more than 30 years.

He was always appreciated by his fans, however, and added many thousands more when, in 1967, he performed in Las Vegas for the first time. This began a relationship with America’s entertainment capital – and with the States itself which he later made his home - that has spanned the decades and brought him into contact with some of the most legendary names in showbiz.

continue singing to getting him through this dark time.

This Summer, he’s on the road again pleasing new audiences, this time on a Forest Tour of open-air venues which include Cartmel Racecourse in Cumbria, Delamere Forest in Cheshire and Cannock Chase Forest in Staffordshire.

His voice is as strong as ever and his shows are bound to not only impress with new songs but cover some of his best-known hits.

There’s no doubt his many established fans, plus the new ones who have come to appreciate Jones the Voice more recently, will turn up to enjoy the feelgood music and shared love of entertaining that Tom Jones always offers.

But then, that’s not unusual, either.

It was here Tom first met his own idol, Elvis Presley, and they became good friends right up until Elvis’s death in 1977.

Tom also had an internationally successful TV variety show entitled This is Tom Jones which reportedly earned him millions during the three years it ran. At the same time, he toured regularly – a major attraction with his hit records dominating the charts.

Over the years, he has changed his musical style as markedly as he has changed his sartorial trademark, in the last decade or so venturing again into gospel music. He has also recorded with various famous names including his good friend Robbie Williams.

Tom was awarded the OBE in 1999 and in 2006 was knighted by the Queen for his services to music. After receiving the knighthood, he stated: “It is fantastic. It was lovely to see the Queen again. I love seeing the Queen and I have always been a royalist.

“She has got a great smile and her whole face lights up when she smiles. I told her I have been in showbusiness 41 years successfully and she said to me that I had given a lot of people a lot of pleasure.”

“I come from a coal-mining, working-class background. My father was a coalminer. Today is just tremendous.”

While his reputation and undoubted talent have endured, his public profile was given a boost in 2012 when he became a coach on The Voice with will.i.am, Jessie J and Danny O’Donoghue. He mentored the first winner and impressed everyone with his down-to-earth humour and self-deprecating approach. He returned to later series, apart from one season, and established himself there as a knowledgeable and much-loved real celebrity.

When his wife Linda died last year after a short battle against cancer, Tom attributed his determination to

* For more details about the tour go to www.tomjones.com/tour-dates/ WWW.50PLUSMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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Rossendale Interiors Full Page.qxp_Layout 1 17/03/2017 13:33 Page 1

Rossendale Interiors Full Page.qxp_La

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Financially solid Market Hall, Church Street, Blackburn. BB1 5AF Tel: 01254 6692 Blackburn - Blackburn • Project-managed installation.

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Oswaldtwistle - Oswaldtwistle Mills, Colliers Street, Oswaldtwistle. BB5 3DE Tel: 01254 304068

Ulverston Kitchen House, Brogden/Market Street, Ulverston.

LA12 7AH Tel: 01229 581828 Bacup - 352 Bacup -- 352-358 Newchurch Road, Stacksteads, Bacup. OL13 0LD Tel: 01706 252122 Blackburn - Blackburn MarketMills, Hall,Colliers ChurchStreet, Street,Oswaldtwistle.

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HOME & GARDEN Water it deeply and less often, use natural lawn fertilizer and cut your grass correctly to the recommended cutting height, re-using grass clippings in “grass-cycling” that returns needed nutrients to the soil.

And if you don’t want to maintain a lawn and want a pristine one all the time, consider investing in an ARTIFICIAL LAWN. This technology has come on in tremendously and they can be made to fit any sized garden and look remarkably natural - they’re also pet-proof and child-proof!

PATHS can create the illusion of space and small areas of greater interest. A winding path creates a more fluid design than a straight one; use materials that complement those used on the house for a toning, overall look that’s always smart.

Bringing The Outside Inside THIS is definitely the time of year that we throw off all our Winter worries and time spent indoors and start to appreciate the Great Outdoors that starts at our own back-door.

We Brits do love our gardens – be they undulating acres of greenery or a small back garden with room for a few pots and a sunbed. And as soon as the temperatures start to rise even a little, we throw open our doors and windows and get plenty of good fresh air into our lungs.

just what you want from it – budget willing.

Let’s start with that LAWN if you’ve got one, or want one. Improve the one you’ve already got by aerating it, punching holes throughout to help give your grass a proper medium to grown in.

Most people love sitting out in their garden so take a look at your PATIO and see if it provides a sun-trap. If it doesn’t, think about creating another elsewhere in your garden. Make your own decked area but don’t forget to treat it with stain and preserve products to protect it from sunlight, water damage and mould.

Use POTS and PLANTERS to make this area in particular somewhere really pleasant to spend time. Aim for a colour theme and use several shades of this one colour for a pleasing effect. Add large shrubs to pots to screen off areas, here and throughout your garden.

Now that more and more of us are investing in our homes to spend sparetime there relaxing, we are also investing more time and money in our gardens.

Everyone has their own definition of the Perfect Garden – be it minimalist with gravel paths, large pots and the occasional seated area to lush lawns with borders with flowers and shrubs bursting into life.

Certainly, this is the time to make the most of the garden you have to achieve

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HOME & GARDEN If you’re looking to “bring the outside in”, A CONSERVATORY may be your dream choice for giving you more space and offering a vista of light. It’s always a good idea to look around at other homes first and perhaps go on recommendation when to find just the right supplier and installer.

One of the fundamental requirements and first requests made by people contemplating a conservatory or glazed garden room is that they wish to us it THROUGH THE YEAR, not solely a glazed room for grey Summer days.

Those familiar with well designed glazed sun rooms, may suggest they are not really suitable for that purpose.

However, the many thousands of people who have such buildings and find them to be by far their most popular and well used room, thoroughly wish to disagree!

Many enjoyable evenings are spent well into the early hours, comfortably enjoying the unique opportunity of dining and being entertained in a conservatory. The temperature outside was well below freezing and often snow on the ground. Heating was of course required - but not much more than will be required within your home if the conservatory is designed and constructed to a suitably high specification.

If you’re pushed for space, and have considered moving to a larger home, think again. For a fraction of the cost of moving, you could install a conservatory. You’ve acquired a new room, full of light. A fabulous place to have your morning coffee and enjoy views into the garden. You can also reflect on the cheering thought that you’ve added around 15% to the value of your house.

FRENCH WINDOWS are a popular choice these days to modernise any room and add light and space to your home.

Many people are ditching old back-doors in favour of this modern addition to living that allows you easy access to the garden. There are all kinds of styles in durable materials that require minimum maintenance so it’s worth going to more than one company to compare styles, work and prices.

Or, installing BIFOLD DOORS can also be really worthwhile, especially if you’ve got a small kitchen you want to open up or if you love being close to your garden. They immediately bring so much light into your kitchen or dining area, they can be bespoke to suit your needs and create brilliant entertaining areas. And allowing everyone – especially children and pets – to wander in and out easily really makes for an easygoing lifestyle while genuinely appreciating your garden more, too.

PERGOLAS, GAZEBOS and ARBOURS come in all shapes and sizes to suit your individual garden and offer an often unusual attraction. They also give places to sit and enjoy the outdoors and the fruits of your labour!

GARDEN STUDIOS are particularly popular now as an extra room, an office or a playroom or gym. Prices are more

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competitive these days and there are more styles than ever.

Work out what fits into your garden space and available budget – they can be very basic or quite luxurious but they all offer a lovely feeling of being nearer to Nature.

Installing a garden studio gives you that extra room, without the big cost of an extension.

There is nothing more relaxing than the sound of water, is there? So it’s definitely worthwhile considering a WATER FEATURE, POND or FOUNTAIN. Even quite a modest budget means you can install a pond yourself with a pump and suitable plants, with fish, for a reasonable amount.

Of course, if you’re thinking bigger, there’s nothing quite like your own SWIMMING POOL in the garden to enhance your lifestyle – and make the neighbours green with envy.

Site it in the open air with its own cover for poorer weather or during the Winter, or give it its handsome, purposebuilt home. It’s guaranteed to be a hit with the younger members of the family and offers readymade exercise and good health for all ages. Go to the British Swimming Pool Federation’s website on www.bspf.org.uk for useful help.

You might prefer a HOT TUB – still very popular as a way of relaxing outdoors with many people - and the beauty of a tub is that you can use it all year round. Visit the British and Irish Spa Hot Tub Association (BISHTA) at www.bishta.co.uk to get advice and ideas and to download a homeowners’ handbook.

Don’t forget to add a BARBECUE area to your garden if you want to spend quality time out there. If you prefer a mobile barbecue there are plenty to choose from, even brazier-type barbecues that heat the area, too.

In fact, as this is the British Summer that we’re talking about, treating yourself to some effective PATIO HEATERS could turn out to be the very best buy of all!

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With a wide range of styles and finishes we can help you to: • Transform the look and feel of your home • Enhance your home’s resale value (not to mention its kerb appeal) • Lower your heating bills and save you money • Reinforce the security of your home and give you peace of mind • Increase your soundproofing, and • Reduce condensation inside.

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O

rigina® is the fancy-sounding name TREND Transformations applies to its kitchen worktop and bathroom surfaces. It’s beautiful, tough, durable and much thinner than other materials like granite, marble, engineered stone or solid synthetics, but equals or exceeds them in technical performance terms. To prove it, TREND Transformations offers an unrivalled lifetime material warranty. So, with the millionth Origina® already installed worldwide, what makes this distinctive material a winner in the kitchen and bathroom?

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pots of around 5cm (2in) in diameter if you don’t have much room. The ideal container gives each plant at least 10cm (4in) of space on all sides, to allow for roots and over-ground growth. Put a layer of stones into the bottom before adding the soil, or make sure there are a couple of little holes in the bottom to allow for draining. Seeds and cuttings can be planted in containers outside unless otherwise stated.

Planting seeds: Unless the specific guidelines tell you otherwise, all you need to do is sprinkle a row of seeds over the top of the container, covering with a light dusting of soil and giving them a good water. As they start to shoot, separate any that are too close together, leaving a gap of at least 2.5cm (1in) between each plantlet.

Plant l Grow l Eat There’s a real joy in growing your own herbs and flowers, in using the fat of your land to add flavour to your cooking. Having spent an entire childhood avoiding anything to do with my parent’s garden, I’ve discovered the pride involved in snipping off a sprig and popping it straight into your pot.

And the best thing? It’s really pretty easy. This guide intends to show you how simple it is.

garden centres will work just fine. Fill your boxes almost to the top, plant your seeds or cuttings and give them a really good drenching with water.

Once a week, in summer months, it’s worth giving them a capful or two of plant feed, available from the same places as the soil.

Containers: The larger your containers, the better, though herbs can survive for shorter times in tiny

Then, after a couple of weeks, discard those that look a bit weedy and meek to leave room for the ones that are flourishing, this time with at least 5cm (2in) of space between each. cuttings: Flowers like lavender and honeysuckle grow best from cuttings rather than seeds. Snip a healthy, nonflowering shoot from an existing plant – you want it to be around 5–10cm (2–4in) long. Keep only one or two pairs of leaves at the tip, dip the bottom in root power and poke the cutting into your container, leaving space around it.

Water well and watch it grow. Once it’s about 15cm (6in) high, you should pinch off the top two leaves to encourage it to grow outwards – repeat this every 10 days or so.

Plants: The fastest way to success, of course, is to buy plants from the garden centre and replant them. Squeeze them out of the pots they come in and gingerly break up the clump of earth that clings to their roots, taking care not to damage the roots. Place them into your container and pat some soil in around them. Water them well and you’ve got a ready-made garden that you can cook from straight away.

a few notes before you get out your trowel Soil: For herb and window boxes, the multi-use potting soil you buy in massive bags at DIY warehouses and

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“How lovely is the silence of growing things.”

GARDEN

Chive

tarragon

BASIL

tastes: Strongly like onion.

tastes: Fragrant, like aniseed.

tastes: Peppery and sweet.

when to plant: Early spring to midsummer.

when to plant: Spring to late summer.

when to plant: Late spring, starting off inside.

when to pick: After a couple of months it will have grown enough for you to be able to slice off most of the chive, leaving just 2cm (3/4 in) to grow back. Chopping off the edible flower head will encourage more to grow.

when to pick: Late spring until late autumn. Snip off the stalks and pinch the leaves.

when to pick: Until late September, removing the leaves from growing stalks.

how to plant: Start growing the chives inside, sprinkling the seeds in a row and then barely covering with soil. Water them well and move them outside once they’re 5–6cm (2–2 ½ in) tall – you can carefully dig them up and transplant them to another container if you like, spacing them about 15cm (6in) apart. Although they might disappear in the winter, they are still alive – you can leave them outside and they will grow back again in the spring. plant it with: Chives tend to grow pretty tall, so plant them with squat, equally reedy herbs like dill and thyme. works particularly well with: Beetroot, chicken, haddock, goat’s cheese, parsnip, potatoes, sour cream. substitute it with: Basil, oregano, winter savory.

how to plant: Tarragon is one of the easiest herbs to look after – it is hardy and doesn’t need much care. It likes a bit of shade, so choose a spot that gets some light but also some respite from the sun. Plant the seeds in shallow dips in the soil, cover with a light dusting of earth and water frequently, making sure the seeds doesn’t dry out. Thin the plants out so that there is 10cm (4in) between each one. Either let it die off in the winter, or bring it indoors where it will live happily on a sunny windowsill. plant it with: Chervil, coriander and chive. works particularly well with: Chicken, lemon, green peppers, mushrooms, potatoes. substitute it with: Oregano, lemon balm, chervil. can be eaten: Raw, roasted or in sauces.

how to plant: Plant the seeds sparingly in small pots and cover with a very fine layer of soil; water well. Leave on a sunny windowsill.

After about 5 weeks, move them outside, thinning the plants out until they are about 20cm (8in) apart.

Basil needs sunshine and small amounts of water often, and will perk up quickly if it dries out a little.

Pinch out the top leaves to stop it from growing too tall. plant it with: Mint, rosemary and thyme for a very fragrant box. works particularly well with: Chicken, pasta, Parmesan, salmon, peaches, tomatoes. substitute it with: Mint, lemon balm, oregano. can be eaten: Raw or steamed, although it can turn bitter if it is cooked for too long.

can be eaten: Raw, steamed or cooked in sauces.

Herbs & Flowers: Plant, Grow, Eat by Pip McCormac (Quadrille, £7.99) Illustrations Louise O’Reilly

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FOOD & DRINK

JAMES MARTIN’S FRENCH ADVENTURE

Whole John Dory with clams & courgettes

Also known as Saint Peter’s fish, after the patron saint of fishermen, John Dory is a beautiful fish.

This was the first dish I cooked on the show, and no sooner had I finished and walked away to wash my hands than some eager French people huddled around the pan and started to dive in. A vote of confidence, if ever I saw one!

INGREDIENTS SERVES 2 2 courgettes, thickly sliced 2 heritage tomatoes, thickly sliced 2 shallots, thinly sliced 1 x 1kg John Dory, gutted and fins removed 50ml olive oil 375ml dry white wine 15 basil leaves 300g clams, washed handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.

Arrange the courgettes and tomatoes over the base of a roasting tin. Slot the shallot slices in between the courgettes and tomatoes.

Season with salt and pepper.

Season the John Dory with salt and pepper, place on top of the vegetables and drizzle with half the olive oil. Pour the white wine over and scatter with the basil leaves. Cover tightly with foil and cook in the oven for 20 minutes. Carefully lift the foil and add the clams, then cover again and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes or until the clams open up (discard any that remain closed).

Remove from the oven, scatter over the parsley leaves and add a final drizzle of olive oil.

Braised Chicken with Red Wine Vinegar and Tarragon We ate so many lovely braised dishes in France that it was diªcult to choose just a few to go in the book, but this one made the cut: tarragon is such a classic French herb and the red wine vinegar really lifts the sauce.

INGREDIENTS SERVES 4 1–2 tablespoons olive oil 1 x 1.25–1.5kg chicken, jointed into 8 portions knob of butter 1 teaspoon tomato purée 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 50ml red wine vinegar 110ml white wine 500ml chicken stock 2 tomatoes, skinned 1 heaped teaspoon Dijon mustard 250ml whipping cream 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper For the mash 500g potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 125ml double cream 125g unsalted butter, softened

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°C/gas mark 4.

Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof frying pan or flameproof casserole over medium to high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and fry to a good golden crisp all over.

Remove the chicken from the pan, then tip out the fat, wipe the pan clean, and add the butter. Stir in the tomato purée and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the vinegar and reduce until it has all but disappeared.

Add the wine and reduce by a third. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer, then return the chicken to the pan, cover with a lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Meanwhile, quarter the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds.

Cut the tomato flesh into small dice and set aside.

To make the mash, cook the potatoes in a saucepan of lightly salted water for 15 minutes until tender. Drain and pass through a potato ricer back into the saucepan and stir over low heat to dry out.

Gently warm the cream in a small saucepan until just boiling, then remove from the heat. Gradually beat a little butter and then a little of the cream into the mash. Keep adding and beating until the potato is soft and creamy, then season with salt and pepper to taste Remove the pan from the oven, lift out the chicken pieces and keep warm while you finish the sauce. Strain the sauce through a sieve into a clean saucepan and bring back to the boil. Whisk in the mustard and cream, then simmer to reduce and thicken slightly.

Check the seasoning, then add the diced tomato and tarragon.

Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve with the mash.

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Croque monsieur INGREDIENTS SERVES 4 8 thick slices white bread 100g Cheddar cheese, grated 4 thick slices ham 100g butter sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

The ultimate cheese and ham toastie... Simple. I love it.

For the béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat.

Stir in the flour using a wooden spoon, then cook gently for 1 minute, still stirring. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Return the pan to the heat and continue to cook, stirring constantly with the wooden spoon, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper, then remove from the heat and leave until cold.

To make the sandwiches, spread a layer of the béchamel sauce over one side of four slices of the bread, then top each one with cheese, ham and another slice of bread.

Melt the butter in a large, non-stick frying pan until foaming, fry the sandwiches, two at a time, for 2–3 minutes on each side. Serve with a sprinkle of sea salt.

Crêpes Suzette I’ll never forget cooking this dish on location: it was 34 degrees in the shade, and we were under a beautiful tree by a swimming pool overlooking Saint-Tropez. The other thing I should mention is that the person I was cooking it for was my great friend and three-star Michelin chef, Michel Roux Snr… We were at his house. No pressure, then.

INGREDIENTS SERVES 2 For the crêpes 250g plain flour 2 eggs 2 teaspoons melted butter, plus extra for cooking 600ml milk

For the sauce 50g butter 3 oranges, 1 zested and all juiced 1 lemon, zested and juiced 3 tablespoons caster sugar 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier 2 tablespoons Cognac

To make the crêpes, whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl to form a smooth batter. Set aside for at least an hour in a cool place. Place a small frying pan over medium heat and add a little butter, then a ladleful of batter and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Cook for 1–2 minutes until just set, then flip and cook for a further minute until the underneath is lightly browned.

Remove the cooked crêpe from the pan and repeat until all of the batter is used – you should end up with four crêpes. Place layers of baking parchment between the cooked crêpes to stop them sticking together.

For the sauce, place all the ingredients in a large frying pan and bring to the boil, gently shaking the pan to ignite the alcohol. When the flame dies down, fold the crêpes into quarters and nestle them into the pan of sauce. Let them warm through for a few minutes, then dish out.

JAMES MARTIN’S FRENCH ADVENTURE (Quadrille, £20.00) Photography: Peter Cassidy.

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For the béchamel sauce 25g butter 25g plain flour 300ml milk

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Out & About A guide to the amazing events around Stockport & Trafford for 2017 the Wizard so he can make their dreams come true.

This classic family show includes a hilariously funny script, dazzling costumes and sets, plus a wealth of brilliant songs and showstopping choreography.

Friday 28 July – Sunday 6 August

Manchester Jazz Festival Few music genres are as capable of evoking feelings at both ends of the emotional spectrum as jazz. The jovial blare of a brass band can inspire even the most grounded fellow to begin throwing shapes in the middle of the street, whilst a slow doublebass rhythm can reduce hardnosed tough-nuts to tears. Jazz is a special form of music and the Manchester Jazz Festival attempts to celebrate it in the best possible way. Musicians start puffing their cheeks and plucking guitars at various venues across the city on the 28 of July with the festival winding down on 6 August.

Box Office: 0843 208 1848 http://www.manchesterjazz.com Monday 7th to Saturday 12th August

THE WIZARD OF OZ Go on a magical adventure over the rainbow with Regal Entertainments this summer with their enchanting panto production, The Wizard of Oz. Starring Cheryl Fergison (EastEnders’ Heather Trott) as the Wicked Witch of the West, this magical show is sure to put a smile on the faces of even the meanest of munchkins. Click your heels together and join Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion, Dorothy and her adorable little dog Toto, as they follow the Yellow Brick Road to the Merry Old Land of Oz to meet

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The Plaza, Mersey Square Stockport, SK1 1SP Box Office: 0161 477 7779 Group Bookings: 0843 208 1495 http://stockportplaza.co.uk/ whats-on/the-wizard-of-oz/ Saturday 12 August – Sunday 13 August

Caribbean Carnival A weekend-long party overflowing with Red Stripe, rum, steel drums, jerk chicken, and more colour than Joseph’s dreamcoat, Manchester’s Caribbean Carnival is a loud, proud, joyous occasion – and it’s absolutely free. Dancing into town from midday on Saturday 12 August at Alexandra Park, this superb celebration of Caribbean culture remains in full swing right up until the following evening, with the sounds of live music and the aroma of tropical food drifting through the air from start to finish.

Sunday 17th September at 7.30pm

VESBIM MEDIA PRESENTS PINK FLOYD’S ”THE WALL” LIVE Vesbim Media presents Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” Live, plus 90 minutes of Floyd Classics.

The Plaza, Mersey Square Stockport, SK1 1SP Box Office: 0161 477 7779 Group Bookings: 0843 208 1495 http://stockportplaza.co.uk/ whats-on/vesbim-media-presentspink-floyds-the-wall-live/ Wednesday, September 20 & Saturday, September 23

URMSTON CHORAL PERFORM BROADWAY HITS

If you're a fan of Broadway musicals, and particularly "Les Miserables", you're in for a real treat when Urmston Choral Society perform extracts from the show and also several other West End spectaculars during their September Serenade concerts this year.

Along with highlights from Paint Your Wagon, Kiss Me Kate, High Society and An American In Paris, the concerts will feature a selection of other favourites which will include solo pieces by some of the Choir's own singers.

The Choir will be under the leadership of Musical Director, Julie Parker, and accompanist Gareth Curtis.

Said Julie: "These light-hearted concerts will bring back many happy memories from some of the big-name shows over the past 60 years. We have a very wide musical repertoire and it is such a delight to perform this annual extravaganza which has proved to be very popular with our audiences over the years."

The first performance will be at St. Matthew's Church, Chapel Lane, Stretford on Wednesday, September 20, starting at 7.30pm, and repeated at St. John's Church, Irlam Road, Flixton, on Saturday, September 23, starting at 2.30pm. Tickets for these events cost £8 (adults), £6 (concessions) and £2 (students/children) and can be purchased from Maxine Summers, Tel: 0161 748 0903.

Further information about the events is available from the Choir's website: www.urmstonchoral.org.uk Saturday 23rd September at 7.30pm

BONEY M IN DISCO FEVER 2017 Disco Fever is back by demand for a 3rd year with a FANTASTIC new DISCOTASTIC Line up featuring: Maize Williams and BONEY Mwho from 1976 had Multi platinum selling albums and 9 top 10 singles including: Rivers Of Babylon – Brown Girl In The Ring – Ma Baker – Rasputin – Sunny – Daddy Cool – Mary’s Boy Child – Hooray Hooray, It’s A Holi- Holiday – Gotta Go Home – Painter Man – Belfast

OUT AND ABOUT Plus: HEATWAVE Boogie Nights – Always and Forever – Lettin’ it Loose And welcoming back Stockport’s favorite for a 3rd successive year GWEN DICKEY OF ROSE ROYCE Car Wash – Wishing on a Star – Is It Love Your After – Love Don’t Live Here Anymore An all round fantastic night, glued together by the amazing Leroy Lurve for a night of Non Stop DISCO The Plaza, Mersey Square Stockport, SK1 1SP Box Office: 0161 477 7779 Group Bookings: 0843 208 1495 http:// stockportplaza.co.uk/whats-on/disco-fever-2017/ September 24 @ 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

The Great British Food Festival Open from 10am with over 80 artisan stalls as well as tasty hot food vendors, chefs demons and live music.

Admission includes entry to the gardens at Arley with upgrades to visit the Hall.

A great foodie day out for the whole family.

Adults £8, Seniors (65+) £7, Children (5-16) £5, Under 5’s free, Famil (2+2) £25.

Arley Hall & Gardens Northwich, Cheshire CW9 6NA 01565 777 353 www.arleyhallandgardens.com From Wednesday 27 September 2017 to Sunday 1 October 2017

ciders are poured ready for washing your food down. http://foodanddrinkfestival.com 30th September to 1st October Open hours - 9.30am – 5pm each day

THE FAMILY PET SHOW The only indoor Pet Show where you can actually bring your pet!

Passionate about pets and their families – a date for all pet lovers!

Around half of us own family pets, but we think we’re the only indoor show that welcomes the whole family – pets included! With zones for all types of pets and four arenas where you can WATCH, LEARN, PLAY and even HAVE A GO. The show you can bring your pet to! (Yes really!)

The Family Pet Show attractions include the only heat of Scruffts in the North West – you and your crossbreed could end up in the final at Crufts next year, fun dog shows, dog agility displays, Crocodile Joe’s Wild World and Safari Phil and his critter zoo. If you are feline lover then CAT WORLD is for you.

Tickets: Adult Advanced £10.80 Child Advanced £6.50 OAP Advanced £6.50

Chinese State Circus Unlike any circus you’ve seen before. The internationally acclaimed Chinese State Circus returns to the UK with a spectacular new production in 2017.

Thirty world-class Chinese acrobats, aerial artistes, and jugglers interact with the super-human physical skills and dexterity of the masters of martial arts - the legendary Shaolin Warriors. There's nonstop action from start to awesome finale as thrill follows thrill, and the seemingly impossible becomes a reality.

This latest production returns to the pure and honest perfection in acrobatics upon which their reputation is based, creating a show with no gimmicks, no fakes, no retakes, and quite simply the 'incomparable' Chinese State Circus.

Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire, WA16 6QN 01625 374400 www.chinesestatecircus.com Thursday 28 September – Monday 9 October

Manchester Food & Drink Festival Two decades in development, the Manchester Food & Drink Festival just keeps on growing. Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay and Bill Wyman have all popped by in previous years, with a spectacular range of food and events set to take place all over Manchester for 2017. The programme for the upcoming year is still in development but history suggests the festival hub will be in Albert Square, serving up every type of grub imaginable from slices of homemade bread to full banquets, as an array of craft ales, wines, and seasonal

WEDNESDAY 2ND & THURSDAY 3RD AUGUST EQUESTRIAN DAY: TUESDAY 1ST AUGUST FREE PARKING!

BUY TICKETS

ONLINE AT BAKEWELLSHOW.ORG TELEPHONE: 01629 812736

KIDS ’ ZON E MEET ANIMALS

NEW! S HOPPIN G VILLA GE

MPETITION NEW! BEER CO

ARTISAN FOODS & CRAFTS FOOD & FARMING & FLOWER SHOW MARQUEES

VINTAG E VEHIC LE PAR ADE DOG & COM PANION DO G SHOW

And much, much more!

Bakewell Show is run by Bakewell Agricultural & Horticultural Society Ltd, a charitable not-for-profit organisation.

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| 25

OUT AND ABOUT Event City, Phoenix Way, Stretford, Manchester M41 7TB Phone: 0161 870 9800 For tickets and more information go to: https://www. thefamilypetshow.co.uk/ For any questions email: hello@ thefamilypetshow.co.uk Sunday 1st October 2017

NEIL DIAMOND Emeli Sandé will perform at Manchester Arena Manchester Arena will open Neil Diamond’s 50th anniversary UK tour on Sunday 1 October. Throughout an illustrious and wide-ranging musical career, Neil Diamond has sold over 130 million albums worldwide and has charted 37 top 40 singles and 16 top 10 albums.

Manchester Arena, Victoria Station, Hunts Bank, Manchester, M3 1AR Tickets:http://www. manchestertheatres.com Friday 6th October 2017

WHITNEY - QUEEN OF THE NIGHT A stunning celebration of the music and life of one of the greatest singers of our time.

This award winning production features a stellar line-up with rising West End star Rebecca Freckleton delivering a powerhouse and breathtaking performance as Whitney.

Manchester Opera House, Quay Street Manchester. M3 3HP Tickets:http://www. manchestertheatres.com 7th October 2017 to 7th January 2018

DINOSAURS IN THE WILD PREPARE FOR THE GREATEST JOURNEY YOU WILL EVER TAKE! FROM OCTOBER 2017 YOU WILL BE ABLE TO CLIMB ABOARD OUR TIME MACHINE AND TRAVEL BACK TO SEE AND FEEL WHAT IT WAS REALLY LIKE TO BE THERE, IN THE LATE CRETACEOUS, 67 MILLION YEARS AGO. Your adventure will take you to TimeBase 67 – an extraordinary research station built in the past – to meet time-travelling scientists who now study real, living dinosaurs instead of fossils. Tour

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their laboratories, watch them at work and see incredible sights like young dinosaurs in cages, a dinosaur autopsy and chicks emerging from eggs. Discover the very latest research and gain fascinating new insights into these amazing creatures.

This unique, immersive live adventure combines theatre, theme park fun and the very latest scientific research, and will be the first time an event of this kind has been hosted in the UK Departures start from 9:30am Tuesday to Sunday.

The experience lasts an average of 70 minutes. We advise that you allow a minimum of 90 minutes from arrival to departure.

Manchester Folk Festival is a major new festival celebrating the best of English folk and acoustic roots music. It is an urban festival. A gathering of all kinds of folk.

The festival takes place in one area of the city over one weekend.

HOME will be at the heart of the festival. We’re hosting indoor gigs and an outdoor stage, creating a festival hub where you can enjoy the atmosphere whilst catching up with friends. Gorilla, The Ritz and The Anthony Burgess Centre also host gigs and you can get involved too, with workshops and sing-arounds nearby. It will have the spirit of a festival in a field, right in the core of the city.

Event City, Phoenix Way, Stretford, Manchester M41 7TB TICKETS: 0844 854 1355

Events are individually priced.

Buy for 4 Manchester Folk Festival shows in 1 transaction and get 20% discount on ticket price.

Saturday 7th October 2017

Box Office Tel: 0161 200 1500

SOME GUYS HAVE ALL THE LUCK - THE ROD STEWART STORY

Sunday 22nd October 2017

Some Guys Have All The Luck is a brand new theatrical production celebrating the career of one of rocks greatest icons, Rod Stewart – from street busker through to international superstar!

EMELI SANDE Emeli Sandé will perform at Manchester Arena next year to celebrate the release of her critically acclaimed new album Long Live The Angels.

Palace Theatre, Oxford Street, Manchester. M1 6FT Tickets: http://www. manchestertheatres.com

Manchester Arena, Victoria Station, Hunts Bank, Manchester, M3 1AR Tickets:http://www. manchestertheatres.com

Tuesday 17 October 2017

Friday 27th October 2017

Autumn Deer Walk

THE MAGIC OF MOTOWN

Triggered by shortening daylight hours and cooler weather, the rut marks the time of year when male deer compete to mate with the females resulting in much posturing, bellowing and wallowing. Join the Rangers for guided walks of the autumn parkland and witness the drama of the rut. Minimum age: 8 years old.

This event must be pre-booked.

Timings: 4.00pm - 6.00pm Cost: £10 per person Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire, WA16 6QN Tel: 01625 374428 Thu 19 - Sat 21 October

Manchester Folk Festival 2017 Part of: Our new Autumn Winter Season

Music fans are invited to the biggest party of the year as the unstoppable Magic of Motown show steams into town! Seen by over a 1 million people all over the world and recently performed for the Royal Variety Performance 2016.

Manchester Opera House, Quay Street, Manchester. M3 3HP Tickets:http://www. manchestertheatres.com Sunday 19th November 2017

SHAWN KLUSH ELVIS WORLD TOUR Don't miss Shawn Klush on the UK leg of his 2017 World Tour... It simply doesn't get any closer than this! Featuring original Elvis band members, orchestra and world leading Elvis tribute support.

Manchester Opera House, Quay Street Manchester. M3 3HP Tickets:http://www. manchestertheatres.com Tuesday 21st to Saturday 25th November 2017

CILLA - THE MUSICAL The new spectacular and heartwarming musical adaptation of the critically acclaimed hit ITV television series by Bafta Award winner, Jeff Pope. It tells the

extraordinary story of the teenage girl from Liverpool whose teenage dreams of stardom lead to her becoming one of Britain’s bestloved entertainers of all time.

London’s Dominion Theatre, Bill Kenwright’s production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita is set to thrill audiences once again across the UK.

Palace Theatre, Oxford Street, Manchester. M1 6FT Tickets:http://www. manchestertheatres.com

Palace Theatre, Oxford Street, Manchester. M1 6FT Tickets:http://www. manchestertheatres.com

Friday 24th & Saturday 25th November 2017

Thursday 7th December 2017

JOHN BISHOP Comedy superstar John Bishop is back at Manchester Arena next year for his long awaited return to stand-up comedy with his brand new live show Winging It. Manchester Arena, Victoria Station, Hunts Bank, Manchester, M3 1AR Tickets:http://www. manchestertheatres.com Wednesday 6th to Saturday 9th December 2017

MICHAEL BALL & ALFIE BOE Following the stunning success of their platinum selling album Together and 29 sold-out shows across the country, Michael Ball and Alfie Boe have announced a headline show at Manchester Arena.

Manchester Arena, Victoria Station, Hunts Bank, Manchester, M3 1AR Tickets:http://www. manchestertheatres.com

EVITA Following its smash hit run at

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| 27

Plan for your future… …To enjoy today!

When you have spent all your life taking care of your loved ones the last thing you want to worry about is leaving them in financial difficulties.

Our resident Wills expert, Christine Thornley from Gorvins Solicitors, recently spoke to us to explain how their bespoke over 50’s packages are designed to meet the demands and needs of people aged 50 + who want to protect themselves and their loved ones during their lifetime and when they die.

There are many ways you can plan for the future for you and your family and we often get asked ‘What are my options to help my family?’ ‘How can I ensure my loved ones are protected?’ and ‘Is it simple to do?’

The answer is yes and by using a professional solicitor you can rest assured you have planned properly for your and their futures.

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So what are your options? ۥ Making a Will: the staple to any effective future planning. Every person with assets and/or family should have a valid Will yet a staggering 2/3 people have still not made one.

A Will is a powerful, legal document enabling you to let those who you

Protecting Investment & love and care about benefit from your Declaration of Trust estate. It also allows you to build trustsparents into it to children, Some andsafeguard grandparents are very grandchildren others and can keen to help theirand children make their way belife, used minimise inheritance in not to least to get them out of the tax charges. family home before they celebrate their 40th birthday! However, not everyone is in

• Power of Attorney: is arguably a position where they are able to just give the most important document you will away thousands of pounds. For some, they ever make. The lifeblood of planning are happy to provide a financial contribution for your future. A power of attorney so long as this is treated as an investment, will not only give you peace of mind which they can get back if they need the that, should anything happen to you, cash in the or perhaps once their you will befuture, looked after and your offspring arebe better off with financially no affairs will dealt but itand also longer need assistance.

When it comes to removes some of the stress from your property, wayisofalready doing this is adding family atone what a difficult time.name to the title register for the house your that is being purchased by the offspring.

Think of a Power of Attorney as the most important document Parents have to beinsurance aware, however, if they you can have; most people don’t already own a property, then adding your realise that if you lose the ability to name to the title register of another home make financial or welfare decisions will mean that you incur the additional 3% for yourself, due to a disease such as of Stamp Duty Land Tax charge, potentially dementia or Alzheimers, your partner

adding thousands of pounds to your

having it paid back in the future.

conveyancing or family do bill. not automatically have

job to make the process easy and straightforward.

You should however bear in mind that, if Yes, it may of take a is bitput ofinplanning a declaration trust place, thenow!

Yes, you think youascan put off monies willmay not be treated a gift to ityour until a later date!

And Yes, you may children, and therefore will not be a ‘PET’ think it will be upsetting to discuss for inheritance tax planning purposes. This such issues with your family, but what is because you have not given the monies can be done in a matter of hours now, away – they are effectively just on loan – and can save you time, effort and stress they still belong to you, so the value of your later down the line. estate will not be reduced for inheritance tax With 2017 upon us, now is the time purposes. to plan for your future so that you can enjoy and make the most of today with your family, friends and loved ones.

the right to make decisions on your behalf.aIfDeclaration you fail toofplan you Making Trustahead is a way to will have nointerest say atinall who helps protect your theinproperty, without with your finances welfare. incurring additional taxand charges, and it can FRIENDS, haveFAMILY a two-foldMEMBERS, benefit: SPOUSES, PARTNERS AND CIVIL PARTNERS ARE ALL returned to the donor when the property EXAMPLES OF INDIVIDUALS is sold.

WHO CAN BE CHOSEN.

1. The sum of money provided will be

2. is safeguarded from making • Money Inheritance Tax Planning: the its

way to way the other partner if it was Tax sensible to plan.

Inheritance originally used to help the planning can seem likea acouple long,onto drawn and but theiritrelationship outmarket process, really doesn’t subsequently down. have to be. By breaks speaking to a solicitor about the exemptions and reliefs that are available, easilyand save A Declaration of you Trustcan is flexible a you and your family time and money. great way to protect your money which Of course there are other to also has additional benefits asways mentioned plan for the future including trusts above. Helping your children onto the for children and other vulnerable property ladder doesn’t have to be a one relatives, funeral plans and way street out of your bank account. It’s succession planning and it is our more than possible to see this money as

Gorvins & Estate Planning discuss Power call of ToTospeak toaTasoula Attorney or any aspect 0161 930 5117 or e-mailof lifetime planning contact actonit@gorvins.com Christine Thornley on

0161 930 e-mail We will give you5117; the precise legal

willsteam@gorvins.com advice you need to be able to protect or money visit our your and website order your estate as www.gorvins.com efficiently and effectively as possible.

an investment, and have the possibility of

The Experts in Wills, Trusts & Probate Give you and your family total peace of mind

Making a Will

Lasting Power of Attorney

Court of Protection

Trusts

Deputyships

Inheritance Tax

Estate Administration

Elderly Care

Probate

Planning for your future and ensuring your family are protected in the way you want is simple and hassle free with our specialist team of qualified solicitors.

Chat with us to discuss your needs; whether it’s here at our offices or in the comfort of your own home, we can help you with:

•P

L ANNING F

FUTURE

•

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• OR

•Y

ACT O N

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Act On It Today and contact us on 0161 930 5117 or e-mail actonit@gorvins.com www.gorvins.com/act-on-it

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Are you seeking Pension Advice Contemplating life in retirement may be a near or distant prospect. Either way, the need to plan for retirement is a reality for everybody, whatever their age, background or occupation.

Pension Wise is government's free and impartial guidance service designed to help you understand the choices you can make with your pension savings.

Pension Wise advisors meet with people to discuss their options for retirement and what they can do to make the most of their defined contribution (These are sometimes known as ‘money purchase’ pensions.

They can be personal pensions arranged by you or workplace pensions arranged by your employer) pension.

Donna Reid has worked for the service for nearly two years. Here are Donna’s four top tips on how to be Pension Wise:

1. Get to know your pension

Most people start to think about their pension when they get a letter from their pension provider six months before they’re due to retire. However Pension Wise is for here for anyone aged 50 and over, wanting to discover and understand the choices they could make five or ten years down the line.

My role is to help you understand what pensions are, what your options are, if there could be any taxes and charges as well as the importance of scams and knowing what to look out for. Pension Wise is a very useful first step in the retirement journey.

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Donna Reid Pension Wise Advisor

2. Friendly, impartial guidance: worth its weight in gold

I’ve always been in a customer-facing role as I enjoy meeting people, I want to learn about you and what you want to do with your savings so that I can do as much as possible to help you get there. If we can, Pension Wise guiders will do everything possible to explain an issue for somebody. But if it’s something much more complex we will help with a bit of guidance on what questions you may want to ask an approved financial adviser – don’t worry, we’ll point you to the Financial Conduct Authority who can help find you a trusted person to speak to.

It’s important to know that we will never tell you what to do or even recommend a particular product, but an appointment with me is free – that’s terrific value instantly! Our impartial service is staffed by experts who want to help you. But I also want to educate and help you understand that there could be taxes and charges to pay,

and that there are scammers out there trying to get hold of honest people’s savings.

3. Don’t be intimidated by the jargon

People are living longer and longer these days, so we want to help you as much as we can to make the best decisions for you – if you retire at 65 you’re likely to be living to your 90’s so making the right choice with your pension pot is absolutely key.

It’s really important to have something like Pension Wise around as lots of people are put off seeking financial advice, they can feel intimidated and embarrassed by how much they don’t know about pensions and that they feel they should.

4. Understand your options The first thing everyone asks me, inevitably, is “What can I do with my money?”

Despite being one of the most asked questions it’s also the one that provides the most varied response. No two situations are the same - some of you may even be able to take your pension earlier than others. But what does remain the same is that you will all have six options, these are:

· Leave your pension pot untouched - You don’t have to start taking money from your pension pot when you reach your ‘selected retirement age’. You can leave your money invested in your pot until you need it.

· Buy a guaranteed income for life (annuity) - You use your pot to buy an insurance policy that guarantees you an income for the rest of your life, no matter how long you live.

· Take an income from your pension pot that’s adjustable - Your pot is invested to give you a regular income.

You decide how much to take out and when, and how long you want it to last.

· Take your cash in chunks as and when you need it - You can take smaller sums of money from your pot until you run out. Your 25% tax-free amount isn’t paid in one lump sum, you get it over time.

· Cash the whole pot in - You can cash in your entire pot, the first 25% is tax free, the rest is taxable.

· A mixture of all the options above

You can book a free appointment with Pension Wise by calling 0800 138 3944 or visiting www.pensionwise.gov.uk

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HEALTH but mostly we have to rely on our visual and artistic judgement.

At the same time we have to use our technical expertise in order to make the denture stable and functional. Denture construction is more art than science.

Choice of Dentures

There are three main quality standards in denture materials: Denture Base Acrylics: standard quality, high impact much stronger non brittle and the latest thermoplastic.

Denture Teeth: 2-layer acrylic very basic and cheap, 3-layer acrylic re-enforced much harder, 4-layer composite extra hard and natural looking.

However, good materials on their own will not make good dentures. A skilful and experienced clinician and technician are required. The best results are achieved when the whole job is done by the same person.

How Long Should Dentures Last?

Quality dentures mean a quality lifestyle The Importance of Dentures The eyes, nose and teeth are the focal points of every face; they give the first impressions of your personality.

Natural teeth grow in proportion and in harmony with your facial features and your dentures should be made accordingly.

Your teeth, or your dentures, have many important functions: to support your facial muscles, to help formulate your speech, and most importantly to chew your food and start the digestive process.

It is very important to chew food properly, as poorly chewed food will

32 | WWW.50PLUSMAGAZINE.CO.UK

take longer to digest, especially for the elderly who could risk problems in the digestive system.

Difficulties in Constructing a Good Set of Dentures Constructing a functional and aesthetically pleasing set of dentures is the most difficult task in dentistry.

We are not only replacing lost teeth, but also lost tissue matter and bone. In other words, we have to re-create your facial features as they were before the loss of your natural teeth.

In most cases we do not know what your teeth looked like, what size they were or what position they were in originally. We have a few indications

The question we should ask is, how long will my dentures be functional for?

Dentures can last twenty or more years, but will lose their function (chewing ability, proper fit etc.) probably after two years. This will depend on many factors: 1. Quality of dentures.

2. Age of Patient.

3.

General health of patient.

4. Any drastic change in weight.

Dentures Need Regular Servicing Dentures are in constant use almost 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They are also in a pretty hostile environment in the mouth, being attacked by strong acid, bacteria, hot, cold and spicy food.

Denture material absorbs liquids and food odour.

Daily cleaning is essential as well as professional ultrasonic cleaning in a dental laboratory at least once a

year. Due to constant bone resorbtion dentures will become loose sooner or later.

Every dentist can make dentures, but not all of them will specialise in denture making.

Loose dentures will increase damage to the gums and bone structure, and increase the risk of breakage. Have them re-lined as soon as possible to get a good fit. It only takes a day or two.

Denturists will take the greatest care to make your dentures look natural and fit properly. They can give you and your dentures the time and attention you deserve.

Have your dentures inspected by a dentist or denturist at least every two years, or more frequently if necessary.

Summary

Your Dentures need Attention 1. When they become loose.

2. When teeth or denture base discolours.

3.

When tooth surfaces become flat.

4. When denture base does not

fit around natural teeth (in partial dentures).

3. Have a new set made every 5 years

if possible.

4.

Keep a spare set for emergencies.

5. Remember, dentures do not

have to hurt and do not need to be uncomfortable.

6.

1. Clean your dentures daily with a

denture brush and denture cream.

With a new set of dentures, you should receive a written guarantee, a detailed prescription of the materials used in your dentures, cleaning and servicing instructions, and a cleaning kit.

7. Dentures so life-like you'd think

they were real.

2. Have your dentures inspected

every two years, and re- lined or

ultra-sonically cleaned.

the

5. When you develop deep lines around your mouth.

A service that will make you smile!

Offering Denture Perfection

6. When your chin sticks out, and the

corners of your lips are constantly

wet, developing sores.

7. When you stop smiling and feel embarrassed.

Loose Dentures Can be re-lined by adding a thin layer of the new acrylic to fit the surface of the dentures, making them fit better (takes one or two days).

Dentures with worn down teeth Teeth can be replaced with a new set.

Major improvements in Facial Features Padding dentures to reduce lines and fill up sunken cheeks will require a new set of dentures. It is advisable to have a new set of dentures made every 5 to 10 years.

Should I have a spare set of Dentures made?

Yes, it is very important to have a spare set of dentures for emergencies in case of breakage.

• • • • •

Emergency Denture Repairs Free Consultations Friendly Personal Service Open Late Ample Parking

GDC (REG) T.W. ELLWOOD Dip CDT RCS (ENG)

www.thedenturepeople.com • www.hillsidedentures.co.uk enquiries@hillsidedentures.co.uk Hillside Denture Centre, The Archways private medical & health clinic 86 Stockport Road, Romiley, Stockport SK6 3AA TEL: 0161 406 0400 The Didsbury Denture Centre, the dental health centre 1B School Lane, Didsbury M20 6RD TEL: 0161 445 5459

Where do I go to have a good set of Dentures made?

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| 33

Independent dependent at Ben ngliving at Charles Davies nes CourtCourt

A key element of Housing & Care 21’s service offering is the Court Manager. The Court Managers liaise with residents to ensure the smooth running of their court. They also support residents by organising any necessary repair work, liaising with external contractors and signposting to other services.

s of Charles Jones Court come from ent walks of life and have formed bonds dships in the heart of the court, the al lounge.

Housing & Care 21’s Director of Retirement Housing, James McCarthy said “The Court Manager is available to provide support to the residents and manage the everyday maintenance of the court, this allows our residents to spend more time doing things that they enjoy.”

cently undergone a significant refurbishment, e is the focal point for a range of social and the recent investment has been warmly d by residents. Mary said it has made a big to their life at the court, while Teresa said .”

At Housing & Care 21 we are committed to delivering affordable housing which Housing & Care 21’s high-quality, Director of Retirement Housing, allows said older“The people to maintain theirisindependence.

James McCarthy Court Manager available ents meet up there a couple of times a week, We believe in putting our customers first.

This is to provide support to the residents and manage the esdays and Fridays, to have a cup of tea, achieved by treating our residents as individuals Ben Davies Court compromises 39 one bedroom everyday maintenance of the court, this allows our ats and a catch up. “It’s nice when we are all and considering their requirements and needs when flats and 12 two bedroom apartments residents to spend more time doing things that said Teresa. providing our services, so that we can best support that give you excellent views of the Cheshire they enjoy.” their wellbeing and lifestyle. countryside from the quiet village of Romiley.

Charles Jones Court in Batley offers a mix of one Benefits and services: All flats have had new bathroom and kitchens bedroom and studio apartments for people aged 55 fitted recently. On-site facilities include guest years and older.

It has a range ofincommunal facilities • Live independently a modern home suite, laundry, communal lounge and large well including the• residents’ loungewith andothers attractive gardens.

Enjoy socialising maintained gardens. Local amenities include shops, we are committed to delivering restaurants, doctors and dentists, all within a 5 At Housing & • Care Court21 Manager high-quality, affordable housing which allows older minute walk. Romiley also offers a small Theatre, • On site parking people to maintain their independence. with various productions and a swimming pool and • Communal facilities including a communal fitness centre. lounge, laundry and gardens.

We believe in putting our customers’ first. This is achieved by treating our residents as individuals There is a regular bus service to nearby Stockport from a bus stop just outside the court, and a trainand considering their requirements and needs when station with a frequent service to Manchester andproviding our services, so that we can best support To and findlifestyle. out more about the court and Sheffield offering connections to Liverpool and their wellbeing the Peak District. The scheme provides sheltered accommodation for people over the age of 55. Benefits

arrange a viewing please contact the Court Manager on 0370 192 4705 and services:

nother happy resident at Charles Jones Court, BEN DAVIES COURT • Live independently in a modern home e it here.

I love my flat, I’ve made friends, Life at Ben Davies Court Guywood Lane Estate s there is plenty to do or something • Enjoy socialising withSTOCKPORT, others Romiley, SK6 4QP ” The communal lounge at the court holds a range• Court Manager

housingandcare21.co.uk

of social activities and events, including coffee • Private car park Annemornings said “I’mand enjoying it, there’s to social outings.

All plenty are welcome to join and everyone is friendly. The flats are bigger • Communal facilities including a communal in. lounge and gardens we are used to, and moving here is one of hings I’ve done.”

ment of Housing & Care 21’s service offering 34 | WWW.50PLUSMAGAZINE.CO.UK urt Manager. The Court Managers liaise

To find out more about the court and arrange a viewing please contact

Housing & Care 21 have age-exclusive Retirement Housing available Studio and one bedroom apartments available for over 55s in Salford, Oldham, Sale.

Our Retirement Housing is designed to offer independent living and the

& Care 21’s Director of Retirement Housing, comfort of being in a community setting. The private and secure McCarthy said “The Court Manager is available have been de support toapartments the residents and manage the designed to maximise space and comfort. y maintenance of the court, this allows our s to spend more time doing things that Key features and benefits: oy.”

Jones Court in Batleyfully offers a mixkitchens of one • Modern fitted m and studio apartments for people aged 55 • On-site private parking nd older. It has a range of communal facilities • Close to local amenities g the residents’ lounge and attractive gardens. ing & Care we are benefit committed to delivering • 21 Housing accepted ality, affordable housing which allows older • Pet friendly policy o maintain their independence.

• Court Manager service eve in putting our customers’ first. This is as a lounge, • Communal facilities such d by treating our residents as individuals landscape gardens and a laundry room.

sidering their requirements and needs when g our services, so that we can best support llbeing and lifestyle.

ts and services:

& Care 21 is a leading national provider of dependently inHousing a modern home retirement housing and care services for older people. socialising with others Manager e car park munal facilities including a communal For more information on Housing & Care 21 retirement housing e and gardens

call 0370 192 4707 or visit our website at nd out more about the court and housingandcare21.co.uk

nge a viewing please contact

If you’re over 60, call now for your free bowel cancer screening kit:

HEALTH

How to best support those suffering with Dementia and their families 1. When dealing with Dementia, it’s often easy to focus on the illness and lose sight of the individual. Whenever you see the person with Dementia treat them with respect and dignity to help them feel confident and valued, however advanced their Dementia may be.

2. Equally, it is important to communicate in a clear and reassuring way to help the Dementia sufferer feel at ease. Even if the person doesn’t understand what you’re saying they may pick up on non-verbal communication, so ensure your tone is warm and that your body language is open and friendly to avoid unintentionally coming across as stressed or irritated.

3. Let the sufferer and their family know you are there for them by making sure you stay in touch. Arrange regular meet-ups or just pop round for a cup of tea and a chat – even a quick text or phone call to let the family know you’re thinking of them can make a huge difference.

4. Find out as much as you can about Dementia and how it is affecting the particular person involved. That way when you talk to family and friends about it, you are in the best position to be understanding and offer the right kind of support.

5. Be a good listener – those supporting the person suffering with Dementia often need someone to talk through things with, so ask thoughtful questions and listen carefully, and give them time to explore their feelings freely without judgment.

6. Offer to help out with little things. Families living with Dementia will undeniably feel the stresses of everyday life to an even greater extent and have less time, so give practical support by helping with their weekly shop, or offering to do the school run.

7. Organise a treat or outing to include the person with Dementia. Think of an appropriate activity for everyone to do together, such as a walk in the park or a trip to the seaside, and give everybody a fun day out.

8. Offer practical tips for how to make life easier for the Dementia sufferer. Small suggestions like placing useful telephone numbers by the phone or labelling cupboards and drawers can make a huge difference to daily life.

9. Give the carer or family member a break – suggest a treat such as a spa weekend or theatre trip, or even just take them out for dinner or coffee as a welcome break from their everyday routine.

10. Appreciate that supporting a relative with Dementia will be hard for the whole family, and will mean changes and disruptions to everyday life. Children in particular may be more affected emotionally, so offer them a chance to express their feelings and talk things through, and don’t be surprised by small changes in behaviour such as them becoming frustrated or anxious.

By Dr Lynda Shaw www.drlyndashaw.com Cognitive Neuroscientist and Business Improvement Strategist.

Absolute Care & Support specialise in Home Care support services for Adults with Physical Disabilities, Learning Difficulties, Sensory Impairment and Mental Health Conditions and those in need of short or long-term assistance with activities of daily life.

We knew we would need help on an ongoing basis. Absolute Care & Support helped us work a care plan around our needs.

COULD YOU JOIN OUR TEAM OF DEDICATED CARERS?

Absolute Care & Support specialise in Home Care support services for Adults with Physical Disabilities, Learning Difficulties, Sensory Impairment and Mental Health Conditions and those in need of short or long-term assistance with activities of daily life.

Call Karen or Janyce for more information on 0161 430 4676

Office 6, Holly House, Hyde Road, Woodley SK6 1NB

www.absolutecareandsupport.com WWW.50PLUSMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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Your Low Cost Funeral Specialists

"The passing of a loved one is a challenging and difficult time.

We believe these challenges should remain emotional, not financial"

ÂŁ1999

Includes: Hearse, Coffin, All fees, All Disbursements, Any crematoria

No Hidden Extras

Prepayment Plans

are available starting from less than ÂŁ1 per day or

interest free for ÂŁ98

per month over 24 month

It's a call we hope you never have to make, but in the sad event of a loved ones passing we are here to help you at any time.

Fernlea

Independent living at Fernlea A place you will be proud to call home Lo cated at the hear t of Benefits of ou r sui tes : Ha zel G rove in Stock por t, • Al l-i n c l u s i ve co sts, Fernl ea , ou r award winning i n c l u d i n g c l e an in g, ca re home , offe rs first class l a u n d r y, a n d caterin g i ndepen dent living facilities.

• Ca r e p a c ka g e s

Our s uites are d esigned for a va i l a b l e tho s e with a h ighe r leve l of • Co m fo r ta b l e , fu lly i ndepen den ce, en cou raging f u r n i s h e d s u i tes res i dent s to live in the ir ow n, we ll maintained , fully • D i r e c t a n d e a sy access to a l l eve nt s an d th e furni s hed sur roun dings, m a i n fa c i l i t y whi l e b e ing a p ar t of a s uppo rtive community and • I n d e p e n d e nt access to l a r g e s u i te s s itu ated hav i ng the assurance that around a large o ur ca re team are the re if co u r t y a r d a ny a s s istan ce is n e ed e d.

“I have found another family at Fernlea” (comment from family member, 2016)

For more information call

0161 456 8322

Fernlea 20 Torkington Road Hazel Grove Stockport SK7 4RQ v i s i t u s at w w w. l i v i n gat fe r n l e a . co . u k w w w.fa c e b o o k . co m /o l e a ca re g ro u p

We believe that moving into care should be a change of life, not life changing

Bowerfield House CARE HOME

Bowerfield Court CARE HOME

SERVICES AVAILABLE:

SERVICES AVAILABLE:

• Dementia Nursing Care • Day Care • Respite Care

• Nursing and Complex Health Care Needs • Palliative Care • Brain Injury • Adult Disability • Day Care • In House Physiotherapist Assistant

1 Broadwood Close, Disley, Stockport, Cheshire SK12 2NJ

3 Broadwood Close, Disley, Stockport, Cheshire SK12 2NJ

Tel: 01663 721465 Manager.Bowerfield@mmcg.co.uk www.mmcgcarehomes.co.uk

Tel: 01663 721464 Manager.Bowerfield@mmcg.co.uk www.mmcgcarehomes.co.uk

“To be the best quality, most highly regarded care provider in the United Kingdom.”