Affinity Magazine December 2011

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DECEMBER 2011

ISSUE 7

December 2011

Festive Decorating the countdown is on

Cracking Christmas

MILLMAN

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AFFINITY MAGAZINE

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Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:27 Page 2

Crackers

Christmas

ast year saw Jamie Oliver’s 30-Minute Meals sell like hotcakes – and the chef is set to top the bestsellers chart this Christmas, too.

Experts say his latest cookbook, Jamie’s Great Britain, is the hot favourite to lead the sales list!

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For Jamie, the heart and soul of real British cooking is food that puts a smile on your face. And that's what he wants to share in this book: the essence of British food, done properly.

Over the years, British food culture has embraced flavours and influences from all

the people who came and made Great Britain their home. The food reflects an open-minded culture as well as the country's beauty.

There are over 100 of Jamie's favourite recipes: some are indisputable classics, some are his versions of the classics, some should be classics but just haven't been made famous yet and others he's made up from the great bounty of British produce.

Wherever you're from, if you love food this book will offer you a little taste of happiness.

A must for anyone’s Christmas stocking!

WIN! WIN! WIN! Affinity are lucky enough to have two copies of this book to give away please email ‘Great Britain’ to info@affinitymag.co.uk by the 12th December 2011 for a chance of winning.

These books will thrill anyone this Christmas time he Faithless is the 18th book to issue forth from her bloodstained typewriter, and introduces us to the Tailor family, a clan dysfunctional in the extreme, that makes the Borgias “look like the Mickey Mouse Club.”

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To the outside world, Cynthia Tailor is a woman to envy; she has a devoted husband, a lovely home and two gorgeous children. But Cynthia is deeply unhappy with her lot; she has always craved the best things in life, and is determined to see that she gets them. She will let nothing stand in her way, even if it means devastation and tragedy for those nearest to her. And the casualties are many: her husband Jimmy, her sister Celeste, and her parents, Mary and Jack, who pick up the pieces. But the victims who suffer the most are Cynthia's children.

For James Junior and Gabby, the pain she causes will stay with them for ever...

The great strength of The Faithless is its unglamorous portrayal of the underworld. She is, as her dust jacket will remind you, “the person who dares to tell it like it really is,” and The Faithless is testament to that.

May I Have Your Attention Please? s far back as he can remember James Corden has only ever wanted to be in one place: in front of you, doing something to make you cry, shout, scream or giggle uncontrollably; whether it’s entertaining the congregation at his baby sister’s christening at the age of four, clowning around in class, or snogging Sue Barker in front of thousands of people at Sports Relief.

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May I Have Your Attention Please? Is the story of how it all happened. From his time as one of the founding players of his school’s first ever rugby team to nationwide fame as the loveably loud Smithy in the award-winning Gavin and Stacey, this is a tenderly – and very funnily – told story of what it’s like to try, try and try again and get there in the end.

Make sure this is on your Christmas list!

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Cover image Model - Natalie Portman Location - Hanworth Interiors, Bedford Dress - TK Max ÂŁ19.99 Hair - 5th avenue hair & beauty spa

Don’t waste time

Welcome

The December issue of Affinity can mean only one thing: Christmas is just around the corner. To celebrate the holiday season, this issue is packed with ideas for decorating your home, buying gifts, festive food and drink, what to wear to Christmas parties and plenty of entertainment ideas to help you make the most of your days off. So take time out with a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie and enjoy this festive issue.

Some of us would love to find a Ferrari or Lamborghini under the Christmas tree – not only can you drool over both of these cars in this month’s motoring pages you also have the chance to win an ultimate driving experience courtesy of buyagift.com driving both of them! So be sure to enter our competition and make someone’s Christmas wishes come true.

We all dream about cooking the perfect Christmas dinner, but sometimes forget about what we are going to eat before this special day, why not follow this month’s recipe for a perfect Christmas eve dish of seafood lasagne, it’s sure to be a hit with everyone.

All that’s left is to wish all our readers and advertisers a very merry Christmas See you in the New Year

Jane x Follow us on Facebook and visit our website www.affinitymag.co.uk

Affinity is an aspirational, luxury lifestyle magazine for Beds and Bucks. It features the best in homes & interiors, music & events, food & travel, beauty & fashion as well as interviews with celebrities and local personalities.

Undeniably chic, and of a quality unrivalled in the area, Affinity is the perfect medium to target the affluent people in your area.

With copies distributed free in Bedford and the surrounding Beds, Bucks and Cambs villages, the average readership per issue being approximately 50,000, you can’t fail to get your business noticed.

Our digital online eMagazine has links direct to advertisers websites thus creating even more potential customers.

It is vital that your reputation doesn’t disappear during the present economic climate. It's during these times that 'smart' advertising becomes imperative.

Advertising plays an important role during these times and should not be put on the backburner as a way to keep costs down.

Advertising your business does not necessarily mean spending a fortune and long term committment will always far outway a one-off advertisement placed here and there. A well planned consistent prescence will almost always pay off in the long run.

So don’t be left behind – for all your advertising needs please contact: Jane Fry jane@affinitymag.co.uk info@affinitymag.co.uk 01234 215523 07809 499669

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Handcrafts

The coming of age andcrafts, particularly the decorative handcrafts, have been with us for tens of thousands of years.

The fossilised remains of embroidered clothes were discovered at Cro-Magnon archaeological sites. It’s a fact that virtually every culture has a long history of working with thread and fabric to produce art which has no other purpose than to please the eye.

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Thread-based handcrafts, such as embroidery, quilting, beading, stumpwork, lacemaking, knitting, tapestry and goldwork have a long tradition in Britain, but for some years in the later twentieth century they appeared to be dying out. Skills which had been passed, usually from mother to daughter, were not being taken up by the younger generations, the baby-boomers and Generation X. Perhaps they were seen as irrelevant. Maybe they were seen as, somehow, too feminine in a world where women were increasingly moving out of the house into the world of business and bread-winning. Whatever the reason, we believe there was a generation lost to threadcraft, when threadcraft was something purchased, not hand made.

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Happily, however, we are beginning to see a number of changes in this state of affairs.

First, the baby-boomers are retiring and taking up hobbies, with many choosing threadcrafts. Women (and some men) are learning the basic skills of their chosen area and then moving right on to become experts, producing new and interesting examples of work. They are not necessarily doing everything in the traditional way. In the process, they are pushing the boundaries of the raw materials they use, and the producers of those materials are responding by inventing new products, which is great to see.

Secondly, we are beginning to see younger people taking up basic skills such as sewing, knitting and crocheting.

They’re then taking up less workaday crafts such as embroidery, patchwork, lacemaking and all of the others. Hopefully this will continue and there won’t be another lost generation of handcrafters!

For more information contact: Tudor Rose Patchwork 01234 824983 www.tudorrosepatchwork.co.uk

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CONTENTS 8 12 20 24 27 30 46 50 60 62

Castle Ashby AM 2 PM Step Into Xmas Dressed To Kill Man of the Month Gifts 4 Her Festive Feast Magical Modello Best of the Web Ultimate Drive For All Your Advertising Needs Contact: jane@affinitymag.co.uk 01234 215523 07809 499669

All adverts are printed in good faith.

Affinity cannot take responsibility for the content of adverts.

Advertisements are accepted on the understanding that description of goods and services are accurate.

Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.

Printed in the UK by Regal Litho 01908 270400 www.regallitho.co.uk

Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:28 Page 6

a look at

Castle Ashby The original castle was pulled down and the Ashby Estates were acquired by Sir William Compton, ancestor of the present owner, in 1512.

Work on the present building began in 1574 by Henry, 1st Lord Compton, whose arms can be found in the doorway at the foot of the west turret. Building continued until 1600, when Queen Elizabeth stayed in the house.

teeped in history right on our doorstep just 20 minutes out of Bedford heading towards Northampton is Castle Ashby, set in the heart of a 10,000 acre estate is a courtyard of unusual, unique shops as well as the magnificent Castle Ashby House and Gardens.

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King James I was a frequent guest. During the 17th century, various additions were made to Castle Ashby, notably by Inigo Jones. The parapet of stone lettering around the top of the house is dated 1624. In the Civil War the family fought on the side of the King. In 1643 Spencer, the 2nd Earl, was killed at the battle of Hopton Heath.

After his death, the east front of the house was set on fire and severely damaged. The marks of the flames can still clearly be seen on the lintels of the windows.

The history of Castle Ashby begins in the 11th century, when Judith, niece of William the Conqueror, married Walther, Earl of Northampton and Huntingdon, and the King granted her several manors in the neighbourhood.

The manor was then leased by Hugh of Ashby and his descendants until about 1300, when Langton, Bishop of Coventry, purchased Ashby and won permission from the King to 'embattle' the mansion.

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over the main Northampton/Bedford Road and into the Deer park beyond. Nowadays this Avenue is planted with a mixture of Oak, Walnut and Lime Trees.

In 1688 Henry Compton, Bishop of London and uncle of the 4th Earl, found himself in conflict with the Roman Catholic King James II. He retreated to Castle Ashby and lived for two years in a secret part of the Castle, now known as the Bishop's Rooms.

The sunken lawn at the front of the house is described in history books as a bowling green. It is now used as a croquet lawn in the shape of a Maltese cross.

Later, when King James was deposed, the Castle gave refuge to Princess Anne before she was escorted to Oxford to meet her father, the new King William III. In October 1695, the King himself came to stay at Castle Ashby and personally suggested the planting of four avenues of trees opposite each face of the house.

Castle Ashby House has recently been passed to Earl Compton, the son of the 7th Marquess, to continue the family tradition of managing the Estate. The Gardens are continuously undergoing change and restoration and are open daily for all to enjoy.

When Capability Brown came to Castle Ashby in 1761, he removed the avenues to the North and West and broke up the avenue to the East with clumps of trees. The remaining ‘Grande Avenue’ to the South stretches for three and a half miles

So why not make a day of it go and visit these magnificent gardens, admire the exquisite house and then wander round the courtyard browsing the array of unusual shops before stopping for some light refreshments – an absolute delight.

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Heart Breakfast with

Stuart &

Natalie

Hi Affinity readers! e’ve been busy in and around Bedford over the past weeks, celebrating Halloween with a Monster Mash party at Body Flight in Milton Ernest and fireworks at the Bedford Blues Rugby. And the fun doesn’t stop there, with all sorts of celebs dropping into Heart Breakfast such as Danni Minogue who we’ve been chatting to on our breakfast blog and also David Walliams. David told us about his new children’s book, his fourth, called Gangsta Granny, and of course we were keen to hear how he is after his Thames swim.

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seen some aerial shots of me dong it and it just looks like I’m swimming in brown. Stu joked it would be great training for his next challenge, when he does the London Sewers as he’s swam everywhere else….!

Funnily enough, he told us he wasn’t in any rush to get into a wet suit any time soon. “You can do too much swimming in your life, I found that out the hard way”, he told us. “I tried to swim without the wetsuit and all I could think of was ‘It’s cold, it’s cold!’”. Natalie felt the need to ask David if David Walliams he could still taste the Thames. “Well the smell gets We were keen to commend worse the nearer the London David on his portrayal of Penny you get. When you start out in Carter, the snooty air Gloucestershire, it’s the source stewardess he plays in Come Fly coming from an underground with Me, which is out on DVD spring, so you can probably this month. David said “We had drink it. But it gets worse and a lot of fun dong that show and worse and by the time you get a lot of people can relate to air past the Teddington Lock, it’s travel.” David went on to black and even though there explain, “Matt doesn’t really like doesn’t seem to be any fish playing women, but he’s very living in it, it stinks of fish! I’ve convincing as he doesn’t have 10

eyebrows and he’s not got a beard line also, not trying to be mean, but if you’re a bit plump, you can be a bit more convincing. I enjoy doing it, but I don’t look quite as nice as a woman”. When asked if there was one woman he’d love to play David said, “Barbara Windsor – but I am a bit tall, although I have been approached to play Angelina Jolie in a biopic of her life!” So if there’s a Christmas Special with David Walliams in the Queen Vic, remember where you heard it first!

Don’t miss the upcoming festivities on Heart Breakfast, we’ll be bringing back our Twelve Days of Christmas and counting down to the big day with our ‘Sleeps ‘til Santa’.

From all of us at Heart, we’d like to wish the readers of Affinity a very Happy Christmas and every good wish for 2012.

See you next month!

Stuart & Natalie Stuart and Natalie present Heart Breakfast every Monday–Friday at 6am-10am across Herts, Beds, Bucks, Northants and Milton Keynes on 96-104 FM, digital, and online at heart.co.uk

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Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:29 Page 10

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wrapping your nails Add a bit of Christmas cheer to those around you by wrapping your nails in a festive design. The all new craze that has hit the UK, allows anyone to be able get nails that stand out. I’m not just talking pretty tips, or colours. I’m talking full on design. After the likes of Gaga and Jessie J featuring their claws on their ever crazy music videos, we (and by we, I mean you and me) can now get that same look by covering them in adhesive wraps… and applying them ourselves!

For a huge range of designs, check out Nail Rock (www.nailrock.com), but for something that is a little more suited for the season of “Ho, Ho, Ho”, try Rebel Nails’ Limited Edition Christmas Collection (www.rebelnails.co.uk).

Both websites show you how to apply your nail wrap, so watch carefully and away you go! Who said wrapping was boring?!

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Devour yourself in body shimmer before a night out to perk up your dulling winter skin.

I’m talking a silky sheen that catches the light when applied to the likes of your shoulders, collar bones and legs… if you’re brave enough to have them out at this time of year! There’s nothing sexier than seeing healthy looking skin that glows.

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When choosing your body shimmer cream or oil, go for something that nourishes your skin and leaves it feeling silky to touch as opposed to a cream that can leave your skin sticky and tacky. You want to feel like a goddess on these festive nights out and this is definitely one way to treat your skin (and anyone that comes into contact with it, nudge nudge wink wink)!

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Sabina For bookings and enquiries: sabinav@hotmail.co.uk www.sabinaventriglia.co.uk 13

Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:29 Page 12

Gold Frankincense Myrrh

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hilst each was extremely valuable in their own right, they were also used for their healing properties. And are still being used today, in natural health for a wide variety of conditions.

For me the aromas of Frankincense and Myrrh are particularly evocative of Christmas, and I love their earthy aromatic fragrance.

The Three Wise Men gave both as gifts, along with gold to baby Jesus and as a result, they have had a long association with the spiritual side of the festivities, used as incense for rituals of worship, meditation and purification.

use it with other herbs such as Echinacea, lavender and sage.

Myrrh is also great for lowering blood fats and cholesterol in coronary heart disease.

Frankincense - as a result of its anti-inflammatory qualities is used for arthritis, I often add this to warm herbal oil for massaging arthritic joints. In ancient Egypt it was used to embalm bodies.

Both can also be used successfully, along with other herbs to treat menstrual problems, including painful or absent periods.

Gold - which as a metal seems unusual as a potential medicine. However, in Ayurveda and Unani system of medicine precious metals, including gold and silver are used. Recent research is looking at gold for heart disease and Angina in preparations which have undergone lengthy and complex purification processes to prevent any potential toxicity affecting the body’s vital organs.

Alternatively an infusion is made by boiling the metals in purified water and drinking.

It has a wonderful tonifying and rejuvenating effect on skin in the fight against wrinkles. I would also add it to a mix to heal and reduce scar tissue.

As an expectorant for phlegm it can be used as a steam inhalation to soothe inflamed mucous membranes in the respiratory system and is therefore helpful in treating coughs, laryngitis and Bronchitis.

Gold can also be taken homoeopathically (Aurum Met or Aurum Mur) for angina - The Romans believed gold ‘gave vigour and strength to the heart’; depression; headaches and some menstrual disorders.

Myrrh – Commiphora mol mol - Originally used in China for arthritis and skin infections – it’s particularly effective against staphylococcus bacteria. Again, like Frankincense, it’s anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial.

It’s also a very strong anti-fungal, helpful in curing Candida and thrush.

If you think any of these wonderful ancient remedies could potentially help you please consult a qualified health practitioner.

Myrrh is great for any wound or ulcer which is slow to heal and it’s also known as the skin preserver, it has a much stronger anti-septic action than Frankincense and is a great mouth wash for gum infections and inflammations. I

These are just some uses of these two wonderful, versatile herbs and a precious metal. And as I light my candles at Christmas, I will wonder if, perhaps, the Magi not only gave them as a valuable gift to Jesus but also for the benefit of this very special baby’s health.

Carolyn Wood-Herbalist and Naturopath 07944886502 14

Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:29 Page 13

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Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:29 Page 14

strong skinny is the new

ometimes I wonder what to write for Affinity so I read magazine articles and scroll through a variety of websites for some kind of inspiration and today I certainly got that! I saw a phrase that just sums up how I feel about body shape and body image. This phrase made me smile because it is what I’ve been telling my clients (especially the female ones) for nearly 5 years now.

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Strong is the new skinny How true is that? On a daily basis we have images of super skinny models and A-list celebrities talking about their new diet and their size zero physique and how it is all down to yoga - as if!

You’ve been starving yourself for a year and that’s how you got to be a size zero!

Strong now is the new skinny as slowly ladies realise that to have beautiful toned arms like Jennifer Aniston you actually have to lift weights, and to have a wash board tummy you have to hit the gym more than once a week. Weight training has never been more popular amongst female clients but, it’s still way behind where it should be.

The benefits of weight training have been researched and well documented, yet as women we are still dubious to do it.

So why do weight training?

Improved shape By lifting weights you can expect to notice a change in your shape. Your arms should get toned, your legs should start to take shape and your tummy should feel firmer. I know women always worry that they will get big or end up with huge muscley arms and shoulders that resemble 16

Arnold Schwarzenegger in his early days but this really is not the case. Some people are naturally born with more muscle definition than others (look at Venus Williams for example) but the majority of us would need to lift ludicrously heavy weights 5 times a week and supplement our diets with a cocktail of drugs to even get close to that.

Increased fat loss Often people come to me and say "I want to lose weight!” but when I dig a little deeper they don’t really care about their actual weight, they just want to look slimmer. Immediately I put them on a weight training program. As they begin to gain more muscle from the weight training their metabolism will increase so they will burn more calories when the body is at rest. The increase in their metabolism will help them to lose inches from all over their body. Their weight may not necessarily alter too much but everyone will notice how much slimmer they look.

Muscle strength Muscle strength is of vital importance throughout our lives. We depend upon our muscles for all our day to day activities but it’s only when we’ve over done it in the garden or played sport for the first time in a while we actually realise how much we use our muscles. As we age the amount of muscle we have reduces, which is why we see elderly people stooped over and struggling with the most simplest of chores. So we need to get ahead of that curve and strengthen our muscles now.

There are numerous more benefits of weight training including the decreased risk of osteoporosis (brittle bone disease), increased joint strength and improved posture to name but a few.

Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:29 Page 15

How to get started

Starting can be a weight training pect but it daunting pros ere are some needn’t be. Th ces out ur fantastic reso a number of ve ha there, you it comes to choices when . weight training

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Find ner. A huge a personal trai rsonal trainer’s majority of a pe d on weight cuse education is fo will be getting u yo so ng ni trai ost current the best and m ways ensure information. Al , fully qualified your trainer is t first aid holds a curren insurance. You d an certificate can visit egister.org to www.exerciser with these find a trainer . requirements

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This fantastic collection of unique and ethical gifts will delight anyone this coming festive season

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26

Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:32 Page 25

man of the month

Barry Fry Age: 66 Occupation: Director of football at Peterborough Utd Football Club Resides: Bedford Describe yourself in three words?

66, Fat and Happy – there’s not many of us left!

game - I live every moment of the match mentally and physically so at the end of the day I just want a glass of red wine, good food and to chill in front of the TV.

You can’t leave the house without?

My phone – what did we do before the days of mobiles?

Where do you see yourself in ten years time?

Where I am now, involved in football doing what I love doing – I will never retire – I might get sacked - I have enough times!!

What do you love most about your job?

The constant challenge, I am always under pressure to get players in or players out – everyday the Manager or Chairman change their mind!

What are the most important things in your life?

I could say football, football, football but as I have got older I realise how important family are – I don’t regret anything in my life but I do know I could have been a better husband, dad and granddad I have missed a lot and I try not to dwell on it too much as it makes me sad – really sad.

Football has given me a great life, not many people get paid for doing something they love – I have been very lucky, but it is very time consuming, I have sacrificed a lot of family life – I look back and I can’t get that time back!

What makes you stand out in a crowd?

I’m loud!

Best holiday destination and why?

Jersey, believe it or not it was over 30 years ago when I had not long split up with my ex wife and I went on holiday with Kirstine (my wife) and two of my children Jane and Mark – I don’t know why maybe it was because I needed the holiday after all the stress!

If you could be anyone dead or alive who would it be?

Barry Fry

Your favourite food?

Believe it or not liver – but I have to say there has not been one thing that has ever been put in front of me that I have not eaten and enjoyed!

Your top 3 movies?

I don’t have any particular ones I love murders and films about bank jobs – I would love to be the mastermind behind a big heist, not for the money but for the challenge of pitting my wits against the best and beating them – I would give the money back! I am also a big softie and cry at anything - Kirstine is always taking the mick and saying ’if people could see you now, crying like a baby!’

Finally, what three people dead or alive would you invite to a dinner party, and why?

Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Kirstine. Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin because of their mafia involvement, it really fascinates me the whole mafia thing, I would love to be a fly on the wall and see what goes on, it so intrigues me – they are both also fantastic singers/entertainers in different ways and I have been lucky enough to see both of them live, Frank Sinatra at The Royal Albert Hall and Dean Martin live at The Palladium and I P****d myself he was so funny he was acting as a drunk, what I didn’t know until afterwards he wasn’t acting he WAS drunk!!

And Kirstine because she knows everything there is to know about these two men, she knows facts that I don’t think they know themselves so when I have finished picking their brains on the mafia and arranging a bank heist (where I give the money back!), Kirstine can take over the conversation!

Your most extravagant purchase and why?

An absolutely massive statue of ‘The Rat Pack’ (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr), I brought it in Las Vegas and had to have it shipped back because it was far too big to be brought back on the aeroplane, I brought it because my son Frank told me Kirstine (my wife) would love it!!!!

Saturday night you can be found where?

At home watching Match of the Day and The Football League Show – Saturday is a working day for me, I watch the youth team play before going on to watch the main

27

Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:33 Page 26

On the

Couch are you dealing with

Christmas Stress?

However, for you it may be that it’s a sad time of year, you may have lost a loved one, have no one to share Christmas with or are having relationship problems. So it’s thinking about how you can cope with this, and putting plans into place that will help you get through this period.

ell it’s that time of year again, with about 4 weeks left until Christmas, you may be starting to wonder how on earth you’re meant to get everything organised in time for December 25th. You can feel your stress levels rising just thinking about Christmas. It often seems like an assault course, writing a constant stream of Christmas cards, buying presents for everyone as well as doing those mammoth food shops. Then there’s that last bit of decorating or any jobs left around the house that we have put off but now need finishing and the deadline is fast approaching. With having to juggle finances, it seems like it’s going to be an even tougher year than last.

W

At this time of year, it’s important not to put pressure on yourself. There are enough people who can do that for you! When things are starting to feel really hectic, you must take some time out for yourself. You can’t please all of the people all of the time, but you can please yourself.

The best way to ensure you don’t get stressed is to be organised, plan all the things that you need to do and write a list, which you can then tick as you progress

According to the Stress Management Society finding perfect presents within budget for all the family isn’t easy. In fact it raises our heart rate, shuts down our digestive system and leaves us physically and mentally exhausted.

Learn to say ‘No’ You know how it goes, work asks you to stay late, a friend asks you for a favour and then your family asks you to help them out and before you know it, you feel obligated to help everyone. It can be difficult to say no, but it’s something that you must do on occasion to allow yourself to avoid any extra stresses. When saying no, you can soften the blow by stating what you can do to help them out and then what you can’t.

We all expect Christmas to be a happy time, a time to spend with our family and friends. Every year everyone says the same old thing “I can’t believe it’s nearly Christmas again”. I think that for most of us it’s the thought of all the things we need to do.

28

Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:33 Page 27

Presents If you have a large circle of extended family or friends to buy gifts for, it can be very costly. You might be able to reduce the stress and cost of Christmas for everyone if you suggest a change in the way your family and friends give presents.

For example, you could suggest that your group: Buy presents only for the children.

Have a Kris Kringle, where everyone draws a name out of a hat and buys a present only for that person.

Set a limit on the cost of presents for each person R ‘n’ R Take a bit of time out for yourself. Even if it is just 15 or 20 minutes it will help. Use this time to lose yourself in something completely unconnected to Christmas – read a book, watch part of a favourite DVD, listen to some music, for example. Physical activity can help – try going for a walk or a bike ride. Or pamper yourself with a long bath, a night out at the cinema or treat yourself to a massage.

Try some simple relaxation techniques. The simplest of all is breathing. Concentrate for a few

seconds on taking slow, steady, deep breaths, emptying your lungs as much as possible in between each breath. Simple stretches can also help. You can borrow CDs and books of relaxation techniques from local libraries.

Focus Put things in perspective. Is it really worth fighting over the last packet of sprouts? It’s easy to get carried away in the moment and feel that if things don’t go your way, your life will change for the worse. Thinking this way only increases your levels of stress and makes the situation seem worse than it actually is.

You start to get more agitated and when you have these thoughts, your body and mind start to react as if you were stressed. When you start to feel this way, breathe slowly, deeply and think of something that will make you smile. Why get worked up over things that you can’t control.

At stressful times, such as Christmas it’s important to look after yourself as well as others. Use these tips whenever you can to ensure that you have an enjoyable festive season rather than a stressful one.

29

Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:33 Page 28

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Toy Drive he Embankment in Bedford were again the hosts of this years Keech Hospice Charity Toy Drive.

T

Bedfordshire’s finest got glammed up and attended this great evening where guests enjoyed cocktails and canapés whilst listening to the fantastic voice of soprano Tanya Lydia Kingham, a raffle and auction was held during the evening with some amazing prizes such as a signed football boot from Lionel Messi, a holiday to Turkey, and a BMW Z4 for the weekend with overnight accommodation to name but a few, the evening was a huge success and raised approximately £15,000.

Keech children’s hospice service supports families across Beds, Herts and Milton Keynes with a child or young person diagnosed with a life limiting condition.

Their aim is to help families make the most of the precious time they have left with their child. While many of the children will have only a short life, they all still have plenty of living to do.

The aim of the Toy drive is to collect enough toys for each child to have 2 presents each to make their Christmas a little more special.

It’s not too late to get involved, you can help by dropping off a present ranging from £5 - £10 that is suitable for a child from 1 up to 18 years old at one of the toy bins that are at the following places, all of who are sponsors of this years Toy Drive, you have until 1st December to donate your toy, they will then all be distributed to this very worthy cause.

5th Avenue Hair & Beauty Spa Giles Cardwell The Embankment Bullerwell Charles Wells Elms BMW Bedford College Maysons Michael Bailey Times & Citizen

Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:34 Page 31

Hello everyone, he 2011 Bedfordshire Business Women Awards took place on the 17th November at the Bedford rugby club and were a great success. Over two hundred business people and guests attended to watch (or win) the awards and build business contacts. The winners and highly commended were roundly applauded for their hard work and achievement in business.

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Hospice. I was there wearing both my 5th Avenue and BBW hats! The auction and various fundraising events amassed a fantastic £15,000, £3,000 more than last year, despite these difficult economic times. A huge thank you to all those who contributed to this amount or donated toys and prizes.

The winners were: Bedfordshire Business Woman of the Year 2011 Deb Markham – The Product Marketing Company Self Employed or Ltd Company Camille Stevens – Bedford 5 * Fitness Camps Working within a Community Organisation Paula Priestly – St Johns Hospice Woman Employee of the Year Gina Bubbins – Bedford College Young Achiever Vicky Alder – KSK Accountants

November has been a manic month; attending a charity ball with proceeds to various Hospices, the Toy Drive, a Christmas shopping night at 5th Avenue salon raising money for St John’s and promoting a breast feeding campaign for Bedfordshire. And December looks even more exciting…!

On Thursday 15th December BBW will hold its Christmas Network lunch at The Horse & Jockey, Ravensden (book on our website www.bedsbusinesswomen.org). Our guest will be Heather Dallas, an inspiring public speaker who has travelled the world; her clients include Coca Cola, BP, Deloitte and Cancer Research. She will be helping you to maximise business potential, building inner confidence and how to achieve powerful personal impact. All Bedfordshire business ladies are very welcome, members and non-members alike.

A fun Santa Dash will be raising money for St John’s Hospice on 11th December at St Neots Rugby Club, for information call 01767 641044 Keech Hospice is aiming to raise lots of money through a Santa run on the 4th December, at 11am at the Embankment, Bedford. For details please go to the Keech website www.keech.org.uk, it’s all in a good ‘claus’.

A big thank you to the judges; Sam Pirani, Commercial Director at the Beds Times and Citizen, Ian Cording, Chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses and Ian Pryce, Principle at Bedford College. All three commented on the high standard of entry and the difficulty in choosing the winners, well done to all who were nominated. The winners received award, certificate, cash prize and winners logo to display proudly wherever relevant. The Bedfordshire Business Woman of the Year also won a Champney’s Spa Day.

Happy Christmas from everyone at Bedfordshire Business Women.

We look forward to networking with you soon!

Kerry Cash President BBW If you were lucky enough to be at the Embankment on the 4th November you would have witnessed the most successful Toy Drive yet for the children at Keech

www.beds-businesswomen.org For enquiries - kerry@5thavenuespa.co.uk

33

Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:34 Page 32

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Fry’s

footie corner

Happy Christmas!

I think it’s fair to say that everybody in this country looks forward to having a week or two off during Christmas and New Year.

However, while everybody is off enjoying themselves with their families, unfortunately there is no rest for footballers and those that work at football clubs.

We are in the entertainment business and over the festive period, we find ourselves training every day with matches coming up thick and fast. We play on Boxing Day and then a couple of days later and then we have to travel to Middlesbrough on New Years Eve before a game a few days into 2012.

As footballers, you will spend a lot of time travelling to those games and you don’t get to spend too much time with your family. I think most businesses shut down over the festive period and that is probably why football clubs tend to get the best attendances at this time of year – people are looking for something to do!

The Christmas and New Year period is a great time for football clubs. In the first week of January, the FA Cup reaches the third round stage and the big boys enter the competition. It is a special day in the calendar that’s for sure!

The sacrifices are worth it for players at this time of year though, because the rewards, particularly at the top of the game are so substantial.

Enjoy the festive period!

Barry Fry

Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:35 Page 36

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ave you considered turning the wasted space in your loft into extra living space with a loft conversion? If the answer is yes, then G. Butler Loft Conversions may have the answer.

A well planned loft conversion can add valuable space to your home, such as an extra bedroom or playroom, an office, a studio or even a guest room, whatever the space you need it’s much cheaper to add a loft conversion than to move.

Gary Butler is a well established, well reputed loft conversion expert. Wherever there’s a quality loft conversion going up you can expect to see the G. Butler vans outside.

So if you’re thinking about that extra room in the loft give Gary a call he will be only too happy to discuss your requirements and can provide you with excellent testimonials and references.

01234 327205 www.loftconversionsbedfordshire.co.uk !""#$%&'()*)$+",-.).$

BEAT CONTRACTING LTD

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Plumbing, heating, gas, solar hot water, gas boiler servicing and repair

01234 721565 / 07969423265 www.iwantaplumber.co.uk

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b r Keba Donne n Shish Chicke s Burger red For za ns Cate o i ade Piz t c m n e m Fu o H Tel: 01234 824121 Molivers lane, Bromham, Bedford,MK43 8JT

Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:35 Page 37

homes and

interiors

Jingle Sparkle Letters with Bell ÂŁ7 www.theletteroom.com

Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:35 Page 38

F and F Home White Porcelain Dinner Set, 12 Pcs £20. Finest Champagne Flute, 4 For £14. Finest Cutlery Set, 18 Pcs £45. Finest Silver Glittered Tree Crackers Tesco

Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:35 Page 39

Glitter Silver Bauble £2.75 Next

t as Prin Christm h.net Merry tc 4 £3 Framed

owflake ering Sn £9.99 Shimm 4 x s Ring Napkin il.co.uk ta e td s thela

Gisella Graham £4.25 Hanwoth Interiors Bedford

tar £1.75 Purple S Hanging .com dobbies Three Kings £29.99 tch.net Crochet Angel with Lights £10 Debenhams Frosted Mini Cone Wreath £19.99 tch.net

Hanging Star Decoration £10 John Lewis

Noel Blocks £12 John Lewis Wi re gif Wra tw rap pped pe P da urp nd le go He rge art ou £5 s.c .49 om

Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:36 Page 40

Pottery from £15.75, Glass from £23.80, Candles from £16.50 www.susiewatsondesigns.co.uk

Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:36 Page 41

Christmas Decor Blocks £18 giftwrappedandgorgeous.com

Santa Snow Globe £29 Hanworth Interiors Bedford

Candy Cane £6 Debenhams

Large Santa £17.95 Hanworth Interiors Bedford

Glass Heart Decoration £3.50 John Lewis Handmade Red & Gold Bauble £7.99 Hanworth Interiors Christmas Candle Wreath £10 pollyfields.co.uk

0 £5.5 anta rs S am terio rah n lla G orth I d e s i w dfor G n a H Be

Gingerbread Stocking Decoration £4.25 Hanworth Interiors Bedford

laque £13 Ceramic P com dceramics. el fi p harlottehu

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Gold Bauble £1.50 John Lewis

Gisella G raham Teddy Hanwor £5.95 th Inter iors

Standing Reindeer £6 John Lewis

Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:36 Page 42

a Home from home at

Hanworth Interiors Rose & Andrew

t’s been a year of double celebration for Rose Jarvis and Andy Sell proprietors of Hanworth Interiors not only have they extended their shop into the space once occupied by Beavis they also came highly commended in The Rising Stars Bedford BID District Improvement Awards.

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Hanworth Interiors offers you an extraordinary shopping experience in the heart of Bedford.

door still stocks all the smaller accessories

Whatever the reason for visiting this individual shop you will find yourself in a heaven sent treasure trove, offering the most unusual, bespoke, beautiful products ranging from small accessories to large individual handmade to order pieces of furniture.

You must visit Hanworth Interiors where the product selection is vast, the Christmas decorations and accessories are what we all dream about and Rose and Andy are so friendly you will forget you are in a shop and think you are visiting someone’s home.

This shop surrounds you with style and originality, offering customers a multitude of different shopping opportunities – all under one roof!

Be warned – the experience is so unique customers have been known to spend hours in the two shops going from one to the other and back again – there is so much to see, you will keep coming back!

Hanworth Interiors opened up in The Arcade in Bedford two years ago, where the shop concentrated on selling small unique accessories.

Rose and Andy then took the decision about a year and a half ago to take on the large premises next door (which was previously home to Beavis) this has now been open about six weeks.

In this shop the focus is on handmade pieces of furniture, shaker furniture and a wide range of unique and individual pieces, which are completely Hanworth Interiors 14–17 The Arcade different and exclusive to Hanworth, there is also lighting, mirrors and larger accessories, whilst next Bedford MK40 1NS 01234 211687

Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:37 Page 43

&

Plumbing, Heating and Electrical Services

ABSO ABSOLUTE A BSOL O UTE C CONSTRUCTION ONSTRUCTION DEVELOPMENTS D EVELOPMENTS LTD. LTD. RRESIDENTIAL ESIIDENTIAL AAND ND COMMERCIAL: COMMERCIAL:

Your local family run business All plumbing, heating & electrical work undertaken

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Tel: 01234266220 Tel: 07754 820756

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Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:37 Page 44

The Celebration of Chocolate £125 Harrods

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be merry Eat, drink and

John Lewis Seasons greetings £50

Celebrate a feast-packed yuletide with this wonderful selection of hampers

The Gourmet Collection £500 Harrods

The Daylesford Larder £275 Harrods

Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:37 Page 45

The Ultimate Hamper £5000 Harrods

£35

y Green Fingers Basket £59.99 www.GettingPersonal.co.uk

n Gift ight I N e i v dy Mo 6.99 Come amper £2 /shop/ k H .u o o.c .ayed www The Christmas Tree gift box £16 www.dobbies.com

The Tuck Box £85 Harrods

Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:37 Page 46

learnig for

life

children ‘play’ is a great medium for learning but when children get older the structure of schools and the curriculum means there is an increased emphasis on formal learning and less opportunities for learning through other ‘fun’ activities.

ecently I have been enjoying spending time with my grandson, aged 18 months, and I have become more and more fascinated by his thirst for learning and knowledge. Like all small toddlers and children everything is interesting for him and he is open to every new experience, a walk in the park, an animal he has not seen before, a new book or toy, a funny noise or even a new taste are all seen as new adventures. What a shame it is, that so often that natural appetite for learning seems to get squashed out of children. As parents it is natural to want our children to do well and reach their potential but sometimes we can place too much emphasis on formal learning and forget that any experience, even some negative ones, can represent opportunities to learn.

R

Schools are bound by lots of regulations and many teachers find they are restricted by some of the demands of the curriculum; even childminders are now subject to Ofsted inspections. As parents, grandparents or other carers, however there are no such restrictions and there is a multiplicity of learning experiences that we can offer to children.

In many ways it is a mindset. We need to get rid of the distinction between learning and life. Put simply there is no better way of learning than through the everyday experiences of life. Putting

There seems to be a general acknowledgement among parents and educators that for young 48

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the shopping away, for example, with small children gives you the opportunity to talk about names of foods, or uses of other items, tissues, washing powder etc. but for older children the conversations could be about menus, food storage or even budgeting.

the exact same tactic next time they are in a similar situation. Buying sweets at the end of a long shopping trip for example only to find it becomes ‘expected’ – well that is what they have learned.

Many schools offer programmes of social learning or emotional literacy but it is parents in many ways that can lead on this. Talking about what is happening is important in every family, from what you are having for dinner to who is doing the shopping or why the car isn’t working. It is also important to keep an open dialogue about ‘how’ people are, what they are feeling, e.g. worried about an interview or exam, excited about a visit or upset about a fall out with friends. No child should live in an atmosphere of constant conflict or aggression but it is very normal for families to have fall outs and talking about these with children will provide them with a model for dealing with their own relationships in life. Sadly it is a part of life for people to experience illness, or other trauma and while children always need to feel safe and secure they are usually very sensitive and will pick up signals that grown ups are worried or upset so talking about what is happening, in a way that is appropriate to their age, is something that is supportive in the present but also a good foundation for the future.

All children love to have quality time with adults.

As a teacher who has worked for years with children I also know it is possible to provide learning and even Maths and English through almost any activity from a bike ride to cooking or a walk in the country to a shopping trip. The problem is often that as adults we become fixated on formal learning, ensuring children get their homework done for example. Some parents become sceptical if their child comes home from school and tells them they have been ‘having fun’.

But learning can be fun and at its best it is.

It is also important to realise that while some of the more expensive activities, eg visits to the Zoo or historical sites can provide excellent learning opportunities so too can a walk in the woods, naming trees and seeds etc, or gardening, cooking and playing games, which don’t have to put a hole in your pocket.

Although it remains true that all these activities provide opportunities to count or measure, to write about or give new words to spell, and while we would probably all acknowledge that Mathematics and English are important they are not the only forms of learning.

As parents we need to seize every chance to help our children learn. It is worth all of us remembering that wonderful thirst for learning that tiny children show and trying to stay in touch ourselves with how great learning can be. In our particular society there is a growing recognition that learning is very much for life, not just for childhood, but as adults we can certainly learn from children about cherishing a thirst for learning and an attitude that acknowledges that almost every experience is one we can learn from.

What many of us acknowledge and what has recently been highlighted by governments is that children’s social skills, or lack of them, can sometimes be a barrier to learning. Children need to learn about the world they are in and how to exist and thrive in our society. All children will learn better when they are safe, well nourished and rested and when they have a sense of attachment and belonging. But in addition children need to learn how to function with other children and adults, how to understand social situations and how to recognise and express their emotions.

Children are literally learning all the time, even when we would rather they weren’t. Most parents will tell you that it is all too easy when frazzled to give in to whining only to find that children try

For more information on programmes to help with reading : 07921193479 info@attunededucation.com www.attunededucation.com 49

Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:38 Page 48

Welcome to.......

Magical Modello

Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:38 Page 49

he wait is finally over and Modello the exciting new Mediterranean influenced bar and dining experience opened its door on 14th November, for its official launch party

T

Modello Bar & Kitchen is on the site that used to be New York New York and is offering people a welcoming, relaxing atmosphere throughout the day and night, and that is exactly what greeted us when we arrived, the staff were friendly and made us feel welcome they all had smiles on their faces and nothing was too much trouble, they were attentive and we were never without a drink!

Modello is inspired by the relaxed, laid back nature of the Mediterranean way of life, combining quality food and drink at great prices and offering fantastic customer service, if our evening is anything to go by Modello looks set to become a firm favourite, with it’s contempary look, delicious food and laid back atmosphere, it’s the place to be.

wood fired stone-baked oven imparting a rustic feel to dishes, you can sip your drink whilst watching your food being prepared, whether it’s one of the pasta dishes, stone baked pizzas or sharing platters there is something to suit everyone’s taste.

The after work crowd and those looking to catch up with friends and family can enjoy a cocktail or two at the bar, or have a bite to eat from the range of dishes on offer, such as sharing platters which include mini pizzas, nachos, chicken skewers, a whole baked camembert, chips, salad and dips, we enjoyed one of these platters, the diversity of flavours that it offered made our taste buds work overtime.

We washed it down with a couple of cocktails, but still had a little room left for the stone baked pizza which was absolutely perfect.

There’s a huge range of drinks to choose from, cocktails, wines, beers and spirits – you can even pop in for a coffee and croissant as they are open from 9am daily.

Oak flooring has been laid throughout the venue which can cater for up to 110 covers. A warm, rich raspberry is the feature colour of the interior, complete with bold graphics and stylish prints. Modello hosts a number of comfortable yet stylish leather booths, perfect for parties, celebrations, get togethers or just chilling with a drink or food.

The key focus of Modello’s is its open kitchen complete with a

But the transformation doesn’t end there at the back of Modello

is an absolutely fantastic outdoor space which has been transformed with decking, wooden planters, umbrellas and outdoor heating, it is like a living room outside and is the perfect oasis, even in these winter months, once you’re sat under the heaters you are hard pressed to know you’re in the middle of Bedford on a cold November night.

Managing Modellos is Ronnie Singh who brings with him a wealth of experience. Ronnie, who has been managing the Modello Bar & Kitchen in Watford says; “I’m delighted to be able to bring Modello Bar & Kitchen to Bedford where I’m confident it will be a successful addition to Bedford’s business community. I am particularly looking forward to welcoming customers to enjoy food and drink in a relaxing, comfortable environment where customer service is at the heart of everything that we do.”

And I think Ronnie has said it all, the food was delicious, the atmosphere relaxing, warm and friendly, the cocktails divine and as for the outside space………

I’m moving in!!

Modello 18 – 20 St Peters Street Bedford Mk40 2NN 01234 343455 www.modellobedford.co.uk

Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:39 Page 50

Seafood Lasagna Ciao everyone!

It’s that time of year again when people from around the world are preparing for the Christmas season.

Hanging tinsel, glittering lights, and placing gifts under the Christmas tree. It’s a very special time of the year when family and friends gather together to share, exchange gifts, play games and enjoy a delecious Christmas feast.

At our house, Christmas Eve has always meant a delicous seafood dinner complete with all of the trimmings.

This Feast is known as the Seven Fishes and dates back to the medieval Catholic tradition of refraining from eating meat on Fridays and specified Holy days.

Many Italian families still carry out the traditon of serving 7 types of seafood on Christmas eve. I do like to add though that it is more of a southern Italian tradition.

The wonderful meal is rounded out with side dishes, home baked breads of various types, and baked desserts. Homemade wines are also served by some chefs and hosts.

If you want to join in this tradition but don’t have the patience to make seven dishes why not make this Seafood Lasagne instead - it uses as many varieties of seafood as you wish, all in one pot. Now that's a happy holiday!

‘’The Don’s Delicious Dining’ is exclusive to Affinity, each month ‘The Don’ will be sharing delicious recipes for you to WOW your family and friends with!!

If you would like the services of ‘The Don’ for private dining in your own home, please contact him at

davethedon1@googlemail.com 52

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Ingredients 30g butter 1 onion, finely chopped 40g plain flour 600ml milk 400g/14oz assorted fish and seafood of your choice (salmon, cod, prawns, scallops, mussels, etc.)

Juice of 1/2 lemon Salt and freshly ground black pepper 400g fresh spinach 3 sheets of fresh egg lasagne (not dried) 40g Grated Parmesan

Recipe Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onion. Cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat until the butter is soft and translucent.

Stir in the flour and cook for a further minute. Gradually stir in the milk a small amount at a time, over a medium heat. Make sure you stir continually as you add the milk until the mixture has begun to thicken and becomes a smooth white sauce.

Remove the sauce from the heat and add the fish and lemon juice. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Wash the spinach and cook by covering with boiling water. Leave for a few minutes before draining well.

Grease a 20 x 28 cm ovenproof baking dish. Coat the bottom of the dish with about one third of the fish sauce. Next, add a layer of the drained spinach, followed by a layer of lasagne strips, making sure the lasagne strips do not overlap. Repeat the layering two more times, finishing with a layer of the fish sauce.

Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and bake for about 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the lasagne is bubbling. Serve immediately with a large mixed salad.

BUON APETITO! 53

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christmas

Cheer It's hard to believe that Christmas is once again upon us and here at the shop we are busy stocking up on those essential Christmas drinks.

Annie’s

Fig & Mincemeat Frangipane Tart Why not try this twist on a plain mincemeat tart; your taste buds will be glad you have!

Ingredients 6oz ground almonds 6oz butter 6oz caster sugar 4 eggs 1 dessertspoon plain flour Jus Roll sweet pastry Generous half jar of mincemeat 4 figs

Method Pre-heat oven to 180C or gas mark 4 Line a 9” tart tin with the Jus Roll sweet pastry (it is Christmas, so we are allowed to cheat to save time!) Bake blind for 10 mins.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; add eggs one at a time.

Gently fold in the flour and ground almonds.

Spread a thin layer of mincemeat over the base of the pastry and spoon the frangipane mixture on top.

Half four figs and press lightly into the frangipane mixture.

Cook approx 35 – 40 mins until firm and golden

Enjoy and Merry Christmas Annie

Usually at this time of year many of us tend to push the boat out and indulge in a few of the more traditional offerings, be it Port, Champagne or just those extra special wines to compliment the Christmas dinner table.

A truly decadent way to start the day is with a glass of something bubbly whilst the children are busy tearing apart the wrapping paper. We sometimes open a bottle of Champagne but on most occasions some Bucks Fizz seems a healthier option! A good bottle of Cava from Spain mixed with freshly squeezed orange juice will do the job; keep the Champagne to enjoy on its own at the end of a long and often stressful day, it will do wonders to perk you up.

Most Christmas lunches usually involve turkey and a plethora of trimmings so a wine that will stand up to all those flavours is definitely needed. If having white than you cannot go too far wrong with a refreshing and clean Sauvignon Blanc. Pouilly Fumé from the Loire is a safe bet but equally something crispier from the New World will be just as welcome. When it comes to red then traditionally Pinot Noir, either from Burgundy or some cracking examples from New Zealand, will stand up to all those flavours without being too over powering.

A good Claret is also always welcome, just look to find a well respected Château that has a good bit of age, as this will have helped to have softened out the tannins that can often mask the food on offer - ask your merchant for any advice.

Champagne Deutz N.V. £37.95 Mas Macia Cava Brut £10.95 Pouilly Fumé L'Ammonite, Domaine de Maltaverne 2010 £13.95 Moko Black Pinot Noir 2009 New Zealand £11.49 Gevrey-Chambertin, Pierre Bourée 2003 £26.95 Château Lestage-Simon, Haut -Médoc 2005 £17.95 The Blue Glass 43 St.Cuthbert's Street, Bedford, MK40 3JG Tel: 01234 347732

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Chri

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My First Christmas All in One £14 Mamas & Papas mas efore Christ The Night B is w Le hn £7.99 Jo

Christmas Tree Biscuit Decorations Have some fun this Christmas and make some edible decorations for the tree. Not only do they look good, they taste good too!

Ingredients 350g plain flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 100g unsalted butter 185g Demerara sugar 3 tablespoons golden syrup

Santas Little Helper £10 Debenhams

To Decorate Red ribbon - Icing sugar - Green food colouring Sprinkles - Jelly tots

Reindeer Sleep Suit £19.50 John Lewis

Method Pre-heat oven to 200°C or Gas mark 6.

Grease two baking trays.

Sieve flour and baking powder into a bowl.

Rub butter into dry ingredients, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Now add the sugar and syrup and mix to a dough.

Wrap dough in cling film refrigerate 30 mins Take the dough from the fridge and roll it out, making it about half a centimetre thick.

Now you can start cutting out the Christmas tree shapes, which need to be placed on the greased baking trays.

Place the trays into the oven and bake them for 12 mins.

Make sure you ask an adult to help you.

When you take them out of the oven take a skewer and make a little hole at the top of each biscuit.

Leave them for two mins then place on a cooling rack.

Once they are cool you can start decorating them using the icing sugar (make icing according to the packet, add the green food colouring to this) once you have put the icing over the biscuits decorate with sprinkles, sweets and anything else you can think of.

When the icing is dry, thread some red ribbon through the hole at the top.

, Chimp om £44 f 2) fr u t u o 8.50 , T yjamas (set from £ p ) t in e u t s g x f e rt o , Pen 10 N top (pa om £17 Santa sack £ , Pyjama s (set of 2) fr 5 £ g in a pyjam m £14, Stock fro

Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:39 Page 54

he t on g tin t e G

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Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:39 Page 55

T

hey say that once you try it you will love it, perhaps that’s why skiing is becoming more and more popular with not only singles and couples but families as well, all learning to ski. It just proves that this sport is something that can be enjoyed by all, it is also becoming just as popular inside as it is out.

There are only a few ski resorts in the British Isles (in Scotland), and these could never hope to cater adequately for this country’s 2 million skiers.

Scottish ski centers include Monarch Moor, Cairngorms (Aviator), Glencoe, Glenshaw and Lech. However, for most British skiers, skiing in Scotland is of little interest and isn’t a viable alternative to a skiing holiday in the Alps or North America. In comparison with the Alps, Scotland suffers from a lack of atmosphere, and skiing conditions early in the season are unpredictable, with storms and strong winds often causing lifts to be closed and badly affecting the state of the snow.

The British, however, have made up for their lack of snow (and mountains) with dry-slope skiing. There are 76 such centers in the UK (more than in any other country), catering for over 300,000 skiers a year. You can find a list of them on www.natives.co.uk/whatsnew/ dryski.htm.

As well as being an excellent

training ground for the ‘real thing’, dry-slope skiing has become a popular sport in its own right. Most centers have a ski racing team and dry-slope competitions are held regularly throughout the year. Learning to ski on a dry-slope can save you time and money when you arrive in a winter resort, and also help experienced skiers find their ski-legs before arriving. A dry-slope consists of around 2,000m2 of ski-matting, usually with separate areas for beginners and advanced skiers.

The maximum descent of ‘pistes’ is around 500m, although most are 200m to 300m. Poma or button ski tows (or even a chair lift) are usually provided and floodlights light up evening skiing in winter.

You should use your own ski boots (they can also be hired) and wear old clothes, as the matting can damage expensive ski suits. Gloves are usually compulsory. Don’t use good skis, as they don’t take kindly to the artificial surface and make sure that the bindings of hired skis are adjusted to your weight and ability. Equipment hire is usually included in the hourly rate, which varies considerably.

Many centres offer weekly and season tickets, which are usually good value for money.

It’s best to ski at quiet times, as centres can get extremely crowded at weekends, particularly towards Christmas when everyone is keen to get in a bit of practice before heading

off to the Alps. Tuition is provided at all levels for adults and children, although off-piste skiing is frowned upon! A threehour course costs from around £45 to £65, depending on the centre.

Indoor practice Skiing can also be practiced indoors on a type of artificial snow, which genuinely feels like the real thing. There are three such centres offering this at the moment, the nearest to us being the Snozone in Milton Keyne Buckinghamshire.

In contrast to dry slopes, these places get really cold – the temperature is never more than -3 C and with the wind-chill factor when skiing it can feel like -15 C, so wrap up well.

If you're going skiing for the first time, it is probably a good idea to give skiing or snowboarding a go in the UK before you head out to the mountains.

If you can master basics like stopping and turning before your first holiday on snow, you can make more use of the mountain when you're there.

Another bonus is that skiing or boarding on snow will seem easier and friendlier when you come to it.

Skiing is something that can be enjoyed by the whole family and is great fun, so if you haven’t tried it yet what are you waiting for!

Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:39 Page 56

Beauty and

Beyond O

well as being available from Hazel Kaye itself.

ver 20 years ago trained Beauty Therapist, Hazel Strickley opened her salon doors, it was in just one room above a local shop in Oakley, since then the success she has achieved is endless and she now enjoys a reputation second to none.

We were lucky enough to catch up with Hazel in between her very busy schedule When you look back twenty years, did you ever imagine you would be as successful as you are?

No as you’ve said I started in one room twenty years ago and it has just gone from there, the beauty side grew and then the hair salon was added and we just kept on growing. I love the fact that it is like a big family here, people have grown up together we have people working for us now that used to come in to have their hair cut when they were a child, we strive to keep the team we’ve got and to keep them means they have to enjoy what they do, so we offer the best products, training, treatments and customer care we can, we want to make the experience at Hazel Kaye an absolute pleasure whether you are a member of staff or a customer.

With clients still with her from all those years ago, the salon boasts 26 staff and a huge array of treatments and services. They have previously won The Top Sante Magazine award for the Best Salon in the U.K, and there is little in the way of beauty and wellbeing that Hazel Kay doesn’t offer, everything from creative hairstyling to customised skincare, holistic therapies to effective cosmetic treatments such as wrinkle correction, and a men’s barbers.

As well as the salon, Hazel herself is now involved in her husband’s perfume business with brands such as Jane Packer, Sugababes, Superdry and National Trust being stocked in premium department stores such as Harrods, Harvey Nicholls, and Debenhams to name but a few as

What is your favourite treatment to have yourself?

An Environ Facial, we were one of only 6 salons in the country to offer this treatment when it first

58

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came out many years ago, it is an anti ageing treatment that leaves your skin glowing How do you relax?

I like to walk and swim, both slowly What is your signature scent?

Jane Packer Red Roses, I absolutely adore this and wear it all the time; it’s very florally and lasts all day.

Do you try out all new treatments yourself?

I don’t try them myself, but I make sure that they are always tried and tested by the staff before we offer them to customers, we are always adding new treatments and people can rest assured they have all been tried, lash perfect and Balmain hair extensions are a couple of our newer treatments that are proving very popular.

Do you have a wardrobe weakness?

Shoes, I would die for shoes, I have not long come back from Dubai and the shoes, handbags and clothes they have over there are unbelievable.

Do you have any beauty must-haves?

Nail polish, my hands are always on show even now I have clear nail polish on, lipstick I don’t go out without my lipstick on and my whole skincare routine products, no matter how tired I am or how much I have had to drink on a night out I will always take my make up off!

Do you have any plans in 2012?

My plans are that the salon keeps going from strength to strength, we are a Wella premier hair salon and have specialist training six times a year so the staff can keep up to date with what’s on offer and they can in turn offer it to our clients so they continue to receive the excellent service they come to us for.

Carry on developing brands for customers. There are some big names on the cards for next year, which is really exciting.

To continue what I am doing, I love what I do so much, I love the whole beauty environment it has never felt like work, I am enjoying training for the icon brands.

You can book any appointments or buy one of the wonderful perfumes or gift sets that Hazel has been talking about by visiting: Hazel Kaye 40 High Street Oakley Bedfordshire MK43 7RG Tel: 01234 826502 www.hazel-kaye.com

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Of the Web Best

elcome to Best of the Web - Affinity Magazines Monthly update on the best (and worst) the internet has to offer.

Reluctant to pay over £200 per member of staff for the Microsoft business software essential? Why not try their latest offering and access the Office suite directly over the internet from wherever you are in the world. Free storage and web based versions of Outlook, Word, Excel and Powerpoint start from as little as £5.00 per user per month.

W

This Month – Welcome to the Cloud : Running your IT services on a budget Over the past few months we have focused on what the individual can get from the internet and established that this is pretty much anything from free music and films to a budding new relationship. This month it's time to see what's available to help keep the business community running without costing a small fortune.

Google Apps : www.google.com/apps Throwing banana skins in the path of Microsoft are Google. Providing their much loved suite of office tools for FREE! Email, calendar, spreadsheets, word processing and presentation tools served up as standard and online storage and sharing make this a much loved service. If you are looking for guaranteed availability and service then you can pay for the Pro version and not break the bank.

It doesn't matter whether you’re just starting out, running an established SME or even playing golf whilst your huge company is running itself, I am pretty sure that at some point you have exhaled in disbelieve at what it can cost to get hold of the IT essentials to run your business and that's without even considering the cost of someone to run it for you. If this sounds familiar then it's time to look into Cloud Computing and all that it has to offer.

Dropbox : www.dropbox.com We've seen this one before but why spend big money on a server when you could simply store and share all of your business documents online at no cost and zero effort. Perfect for small organisations and budding entrepreneurs'!

Mailchimp : www.mailchimp.com Do you have customer mailing lists for marketing and promotion? Are you paying a small fortune to have these sent and reported on?

Mailchimp allows you to send up to 10,000 emails per month for free and has the most advanced email campaign reporting tools of any marketing company I have ever used. Import your lists from Excel and design your own email templates and then let the good folks at Mailchimp worry about the rest.

What is the Cloud?

In short the Cloud is a marketing term for internet based services such as storage, software and email that are accessed via the internet. Rather than paying a large cost for the hardware, software and user licences you pay either a monthly fee based on usage or some of it's even free!

Here is a selection of some of the better known Cloud services out there: Microsoft Office 365 : www.microsoft.com/office365

Leigh Millard, Banilla Web Applications www.banilla.co.uk

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Simply Tree Services We are fully insured and all work undertaken is carried out with respect for you and your property.

Pruning Crown Lifting Crown Reduction Tree Removal Crown Thinning Sectional Dismantling Stump Grinding Hedge Work Garden Clearance

Please call for a Free quote 100% Recycle

Tel: 01234 330796 Mobile: 07866 554673 Email : info@simplytreeservices.co.uk www.simplytreeservices.co.uk

Bedford Wheels for Vehicle Servicing & Tyres, Technology you can Lean on!

Vehicle Servicing - Cars and Commercial Vehicles ∙ Specialists in high performance car tyres ∙ Established 15 years BW

∙ Genuine Vehicle Service Parts Used ∙ Courtesy Cars Available ∙ Car Collection & Delivery ∙ MOT Repairs Carried Out

Bedford Wheels for friendly professional advice with competitive prices.

The price we quote is the price you pay!

Use our Drive-In While-U-Wait Motorcycle tyre fitting service!

We are the main stockist for all leading manufacturers of Motorcycle Tyres.

Bedford Wheels carries out full and interim servicing by professional, well trained technicians.

Mon-Fri 8-5.30 Sat 8-1

56 College street Kempston Bedford MK42 8LU Telephone: 01234 216662 Facsimile: 01234 400047 Email: info@bedford-wheels.co.uk www.bedford-wheels.co.uk

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60 3 i r a r r Fe It’s almost every man’s dream to drive a Ferrari or a Lamborghini, but to be able to drive both………… s car enthusiasts will be able to testify, when having to choose between the Italian horsepower of the Ferrari and its Italian rival the Lamborghini, there is little to separate them. Both manufacturers produce cars which not only look stunning to the eye, but handle superbly and sound beautiful as the engine builds up its revs. But which is the best for that hair raising, heart racing and unforgettable moment as you take the supercar around the track?

A

Lamborghini: The Lamborghini Gallardo - one of the most produced Lamborghinis - is often the car of choice for driving experience gifts, as it offers a top speed of 325km/h and can reach 200km/h within 12 seconds, thanks to its V10 engine that provides enough horsepower to ensure the hairs on the back of your neck are standing on end as you take the first corner of the track.

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Ferrari: Probably one of the most distinct supercars available within the UK market, the Ferrari can be seen as the dream car to own. With its sleek bodywork and a top speed of 299km/h, the prancing horse offers a smooth, comfortable and adrenaline fuelled ride for any car lover.

So now you can pit two of the greatest supercars ever built against one another with this incredible Ferrari and Lamborghini driving experience.

Experience both the finesse and elegance of a classic Ferrari and the raw power and ingenious design of a Lamborghini in an afternoon of blistering speed, hairpin corners and adrenaline pumping racing action. Compare these two giants of Italian performance supercar engineering, and decide for yourself which one is the superior machine.

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do r a l l a G hini g r o b m La WIN! WIN! WIN! You can make someone very happy this Christmas and buy them this amazing experience from buyagift.com so they can decide for themselves which is the ultimate car!!

These two supercars are undoubtedly in a class of their own and at the special offer price of £144 instead of £249, you can take to the track in both cars simultaneously and experience the ultimate thrill. With their impeccable design and mighty engines which one will you choose?

Affinity has the chance for one lucky reader to win this ultimate Ferrari v Lamborghini driving experience just answer this question – “What animal features in the Ferrari and Lamborghini Logos?” Please send your answers to info@affinitymag.co.uk by 12th December to be in with a chance of winning – Good Luck To buy your own driving experience visit www.buyagift.com

Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:40 Page 62

take a bite of the

Big Apple or the first time visitor arriving from JFK in a Yellow Cab you are bound to get a sense of déjà vu because the skyline is so familiar, you can’t take your eyes off the Chrysler Building, Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State Building.

When I first visited we had the awe inspiring sight of the World Trade Centre Twin Towers too.

F

recognisable from ‘Home Alone’ and countless other Movies. Walking along 5th Avenue you can be spoilt for choice, whether shopping for designer clothes or just ‘windows’ the displays are fabulous and the store names so familiar Tiffany & Co, Saks & Bloomingdales, Macys on Broadway & 34th covering over 1 million sq ft of retail space! In reality prices are not as keen as they were as the exchange rate is not what it was but it is still possible to bag a bargain , particularly as you carry on south after Macy’s, the shops get cheaper and the contents tackier. I was amazed that my teenage daughter wanted to carry my shopping but soon discovered that there is something very ’Sex & the City’ about walking along 5th Avenue with countless bags – even if they are from cheap souvenir shops!

What most visitors think is New York is in-fact Manhattan, with its famous skyline it’s the beating heart of the City and just a small part of what makes New York, New York. An Island just 13 ½ miles long by 2 ¼ miles wide, it’s where you will find Broadway, the Skyscrapers, Central Park and 5th Avenue, home to World Famous Departments Stores. With a good pair of Walking Shoes you can conquer the City on foot in a long weekend. There are four other Boroughs, The Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island each Visiting New York at any time of year is exciting having its own personality and worthy of a visit if but at Christmas it becomes magical. Make time time permits. Guided Tours will take you to the to stop at The Rockefeller Centre on 50th & 5th to famous Fairground on Coney Island or to a Gospel admire the giant Christmas Tree with over 5 Meeting in The Bronx, however most Tourists miles of lights and join the Ice Skaters at on a weekend break to New York rarely Rockefeller Plaza to really get in the New find the time to leave the tiny Island York truly is a Christmas Spirit. The beautiful of Manhattan. decorations inside Saks on 5th Avenue remarkable City turn the sales floor into a fantasy of red and it is As with any City break, location is bows and Christmas Trees and the Toy unquestionably the Department at Macy’s is alive! key. Whilst it’s a vibrant area during the day you really don’t most exciting City want to be down near Battery Park in the World for New York can be very cold in Winter, and Wall Street at night because it’s wrap up warm and take a Horse & shopping deserted when the offices close, Carriage ride around Central Park to see the likewise if you intend to shop till you drop skaters and joggers. Remember all is not lost if then you need to be South of Central Park and you haven’t got the right clothes you can always North of The Empire State Building. The area buy some there! where Broadway crosses at Times Square and where the City really does ‘never sleep’.

Tourist attractions like the Empire State Building can be quite expensive but the view from the top If you start your Shopping Trip at Central Park is breathtaking and very worthwhile. If you are and 5th Avenue you’ll find F.A.O Schwarz , The trying to save some $’s there are so many free World’s largest Toy Store and instantly attractions too. Keep in mind that some Museums 64

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have free evening admission once a week and others such as The Metropolitan and the Museum of Natural History have ‘suggested’ admission prices so you can decide what you pay.

the 9/11 attacks it soon became a distribution & meeting point for the emergency services and is now a place to see photos and listen to personal stories from that infamous Day.

If you cross the Brooklyn Bridge by Foot and look back you get the most marvellous view of the skyline. Walk around Battery Park in Lower Manhattan, there are some great street entertainers and fascinating artefacts from Ground Zero including the huge battered Globe which was inside one of the Towers. You can visit Ground Zero to see the progress of the new tower and now visit Tribute WTC Visitor Centre located in the former Liberty Deli at 120 Liberty Street.

Turned into a Soup Kitchen in the aftermath of

From Lower Manhattan you can take the free Staten Island Ferry said by some to be the best free ferry ride in the World for its great views of the Statue of Liberty. And don’t forget to visit the gorgeous Grand Central Station too; I could spend a day there!

Please call Sue Alexander at Eagle Travel on 01234 348882 or visit Eagle Travel at 11 Goldington Road, Bedford MK40 3JY sue@eagletravel.co.uk www.eagletravel.co.uk.

How many places can you find?

There are at least 25 ‘places’ hidden within this picture, some are really straight forward and others are not as obvious.

The pile of Sprouts for example is obviously Brussels, but what about the square clock – Times Square?

How many more places can you find?

If you want to see the picture more clearly you can look on our website www.eagletravel.co.uk

Send your answers by 28th December by email to office@eagletravel.co.uk Or post to: Eagle Travel 11 Goldington Road Bedford Beds MK40 3JY Don’t forget to include your address and telephone number so that we can notify you!

The winner with the most answers will receive a bottle of Champagne in time for New Years Eve.

Affinity MagazineDecembermaster2011_Layout 1 copy 18/11/2011 07:41 Page 64

Discover your.....

Destiny Sue has over 30 years experience in the psychic field, is an authority on crystals and psychic energy, and is a world renowned Tarot reader and teacher. Each month readers are welcome to send their questions in for Sue to answer at info@affinitymag.co.uk Sue also offers private readings on a one to one basis, workshops, courses and much more, please visit her website www.sanctuarybedford.co.uk or Tel: 01234 327090 for further details

The power of numbers Nearly everyone has a lucky number, or a number which repeats throughout their life. But are you aware of what each number means. Numbers are used in spells and in Tarot where they are part of the language of the cards. As part of a psychics’ life it is unthinkable to not understand the meaning of numbers, as they are often used symbolically in readings.

Meanings 1 - Top, best 2 - Sharing, doorways 3 - Creation, growth 4 - Home, stability 5 - Loss, letting go 6 - Fulfilment, success 7 - Changes, uncertainty 8 - Infinity, continuous 9 - More than enough, ample 10 - Excess, too much

A spell which brings forward a feeling of well being and wealth for Yule Cinnamon wealth spell 3 sticks of cinnamon or three teaspoons of cinnamon ground spice Some dried lavender flowers Salt A handful of Copper coins Three small yellow or gold candles Light the candles look into the flames and see yourself where you would like to be.

Put the dried lavender and cinnamon sticks in a small bowl like pot-pourri.

Drop in the copper coins, and stir the mixture; whilst saying:

“As this sweet scent pervades the air, I call success from everywhere From North, from South, from East and West, To bring my fortune to its best” Sprinkle on the salt, and say: “With this salt I ask protection And every sense of good direction, To give me comfort every day, And send me smiling on my way.”

Let the candles burn down, and make sure that you stir the mixture every morning, with hopes and dreams in mind.

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Crystals which promote peace of mind Aventurine This is a good all around 'luck' stone, in any colour; although the green colour seems to be the most powerful. It is sometimes (wrongly) called Indian Jade Aventurine is a general ‘Comfort’ stone, which promotes good health, general well being and a zest for life.

Carried, or left under a pillow while sleeping, this gentle stone is said to encourage users with their life’s dreams, allowing them to pull the energies together to make substantial changes for their futures. Although mainly thought of as a green stone, there are also peach red and blue variations, which all connect vibrationally with the body’s energy to bring quite swift and constant relief, in mind and body.

Aventurine gives the wearer inner equilibrium and it stimulates dreaming. It is said to have a positive effect on the psyche, strengthening an individual’s sense of self, being the ideal stone for those who are looking for a positive view of life. Used commonly in healing and balancing the emotions it helps us to communicate creatively. It stimulates the intellect and instills confidence, bringing out the abilities of leadership and decisive power.

It is thought to remove stubbornness, and dull down over excitability, showing deep understanding of the cause and effect of actions, and allowing better and deeper forethought.

Agates All Agates are stones which are made under huge Earth pressure, with the Earth’s changing movements causing the crystals within the stone to band up into lines of different width and colour. As such they are generally used to remove pressure from peoples’ lives, and to free them from mental ‘cages’ and allow change.

An Agate slice placed in a window is thought to remove stress and pressure from a room, and allow and promote freedom of thought.

Lit from behind by either natural light or candles they are said to remove negative strictures and keep wanderers on straight life paths. Agate slices are often cut from large geodes, and can include quartz, and other natural crystal elements, they are often sold dyed with different shades, to suit room decoration, but can sometimes be found in their raw state, which is believed to manifest energy more strongly.

Win Win Win Choose between a voucher for a course or workshop (taking place in January) Palmistry or Crystal Ball (1 Day) or Tarot or Psychic Awareness course (2 hours weekly six weeks), to be in with a chance of winning please tell me “What number means BEST?”, send your answers to info@affinitymag.co.uk by 16th December.

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your guide to .........

What’s On December 2011

Sat 26th November – 23rd December Santa Land at Mead Open Farm Santa will be taking up residence in his grotto and giving out special ‘Golden Tickets’, exchangeable for a gift in his well-stocked Toy Shop.

For further information and prices, call 01525 852954 or visit www.meadopenfarm.co.uk

Sun 4th – Sat 24th December Grebe canal cruises Santa Specials A ¾ hour themed cruise, during the cruise adults will be served with a glass of mulled wine and a warm mince pie and children will be given juice and a lollipop.

As the cruise continues along the Grand Union canal Santa will arrive bringing a personalised present for each child. There is also the opportunity for you to take your child's photo with Santa.

Reservations are compulsory.

Tel: 01296 661920 - We will require the name and age of each child.

Friday 2nd December Researching Family History – 7.30pm The Nightmare of Census Returns Come along to our next meeting to find out more about this interesting subject.

The talk is being organised by the Bedfordshire Family History Society at the Drama Hall at Mark Rutherford School. www.bfhs.org.uk for more info.

Mon 5th December Tea with Santa, Frosts, Willington & Woburn Sands 4pm – 5.30pm Full traditional English Afternoon tea for each family or group of friends, served at your own festive table, complete with entertainment and a chance to meet Father Christmas, with presents for the whole family. £8.99 per person www.frostsgroup.com

Sun 4th December Santa Run for Keech Hospice Care – The Embankment, Bedford This is your chance to kick start the countdown to Christmas by dressing up as Santa (suit provided) and joining hundreds of others for a fun run in aid of Keech children's hospice.

The course is 5km and suitable for all abilities, whether you want to run, walk or even push a buggy along the route! www.keech.org.uk

Weds 7th December An Evening with Faberge at The Sharnbrook Hotel – 7.30pm £25 per person includes Wine & Buffet 01234 783142 www.thesharnbrookhotel.com Fri 9th December – Sun 15th Jan Aladdin – Milton Keynes Theatre The theatre makes your 3 wishes come true as they announce that guest stars Strictly Come Dancing's Russell Grant, Anita Dobson and Camilla Dallerup will be making special appearances as the magical Genie of the lamp. With the three celebrities joining pop and musical theatre star Gareth Gates, Britain's Got Talent finalist Paul Burling and West End leading lady Nicola Brazil the treasure filled adventure, Aladdin promises to be pure panto genie-us! www.atgtickets.com/milton keynes/0844 871 7652

Sun 4th December Dickens of A Christmas - Olney Join the residents, retailers and market traders in the historic market town of Olney as they help you bring the fun back into Christmas Shopping. With many of those involved, dressing in Victorian costume, this will be a day to be remembered for young and old alike.

With a wide range of stalls carrying hand crafted goods, you will almost certainly see many unique items at prices much lower than the High Street offerings.

Sun 4th December Meet Santa’s Reindeer, Frosts, Willington 10am – 4pm Not only will Santa be at Frosts this Christmas, but Rudolph and his pals will be present too. Children will be able to pose for family photos with Rudolph and his pals.

Sat 10th December The Friends of St. Leonard's Stagsden present a preChristmas concert to be given by Cantamus - 7.30pm at St. Leonard's Church Stagsden.

Admission £8.00 concessions £6.00 including light

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refreshments.

Tel: 01234 824065 Sat 10th – Sun 11th December Christmas Craft, Food & Gift Fair in the Safari Park, Woburn 10am – 6pm Visit Woburn Safari Park and the Christmas Craft, Food and Gift Fair. The perfect place to take the whole family for an enjoyable day out.

Visit the ever popular Fine Food Hall with all its delights, perfect for stocking up that Christmas Hamper, Gift or just treating yourself.

You also have the chance to see all the animals at the Safari Park. Always a must for children. Link these both together and you will certainly have a great day out to remember. 10am until 6pm Adults £8.00 OAP's £7.00 Children £5.00 Sat 10th December Formula One Team Red Bull Racing Day 12pm – 3pm Central Milton Keynes Milton Keynes will host this huge celebratory event, following another Championship winning season for city-based Formula One stars Red Bull Racing, both Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber will be at this event and driving their F1 cars.

The event will include a demonstration of Red Bull Racing’s Formula One car, which will be in action along the full length of Midsummer Boulevard between thecentre:mk shopping centre and MK Rail Station.

The show car will be driven at race speed for several circuits of Midsummer Boulevard between 2.00pm and 3.00pm.

Sun 11th December Santa Dash in aid of St John’s Hospice St Neots Rugby Club - 9am sign in, 10.30am start The dash is an event for all of the family where they are encouraged to either run, jog or walk the 5km or 2.5km routes. Adults will be given Santa costumes on the day and children, reindeer antlers, there is a medal for all those who finish. It is an event where we encourage people to get sponsored and support the Hospice this Christmas. Registration is online and it's £12 per adult and £5 per child.www.sueryder.org/events

Thurs 15th December Bedford RSPB Local Group meeting.

A.R.A. Social Club, Manton Lane, Bedford – 7.30pm Fri 16th December The Ska Masters @ The Pad, Lurke Street, Bedford playing live 2Tone and Ska plus DJ Bumski playing ska, rocksteady and northern soul. Doors 8pm. Tickets are £5 more info on 01234 832539 or via www.theskamasters.com email theskamaster@hotmail.co.uk Tues 20th December – Sat 7th January The Amazing Adventures of Pinocchio – Stables Theatre This Christmas at The Stables, award-winning theatre company Strangeface brings an extraordinary mix of masks, puppetry, live music and song to this tale of wild mischief and temptation.

This performance is suitable for age 5+ and includes the company’s ever-popular “backstage tour”, a chance to take a close-up look at the puppets, set and instruments and meet the performers after the show. Performance times and ticket prices vary (tickets start from £15.50 each) Call Box office: 01908 280800 or book online: www.stables.org Fri 23rd December Northern Lights Fireworks Display Gulliver’s Land, Milton Keynes Come and see a magical Christmas firework display all set to spectacular music - enjoy all the beauty of fireworks to start your Christmas celebrations with a bang. www.gullivesfun.co.uk Wed 28th December – Mon 2nd January Jack and the Beanstalk Bedford Corn Exchange Traditional, fun-filled pantomime for all the family this Christmas. An exciting tale of Magic Beans, Beanstalks, Giants ... and Daisy the Cow! When Jack sells Daisy for a handful of beans all seems lost for his poor old mother, Dame Trott, and it looks like they are going to be thrown out of their cottage, but then a strange thing happens...

Tickets: £14 (adult), £10 (concessions) & £39 (family) Central Box Office: (01234) 269519

If you have an event you would like us to mention please email jane@affinitymag.co.uk

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w o b s s o r C l bal

atic M O Laze

Snow

“Do you have any epic snowball battles lined up? If you do you might like to feast your eyes on this Laze-O-Matic Snowball Crossbow which has been designed to help relive your arm ache after an epic snowball battle.”

You’ll look forward to the next snow storm when you’re armed with the Crossbow Snowball Launcher. Load a snowball into the front of the Launcher, pull back the lever, aim and fire at the target (provided) or your next victim.

The Laze-O-Matic Snowball Crossbow is equipped with a catapult mechanism that is capable of hurling snowballs up to 60 ft and even comes complete with its own snowball press to make sure you create the perfectly sized snowball for battle.

SUDOKU The object is to fill the grid so that the numbers 1 to 6 appear once in each row, column and 2 x 3 box, with no repetitions.

The answer to this puzzle will be in next months issue.

2

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3

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4

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It creators explain: “Simply place snow in the snowball press to make 3 perfect snowballs, place the balls in the launcher and BLAST away!” and it comes complete with a vinyl target for practice, just incase you are a little short of friends or family!

The Laze-O-Matic Snowball Crossbow weighs 2.5 lbs and is now available to purchase from £29.99 Now all we need is the snow!

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IF YOU SUFFER FROM ANY OF THE FOLLOWING, GIVE US A CALL & LET US HELP YOU. Chiropractic ttreatment can benefit the ffollowing:

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If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, call our clinic TODAY TODA AY for our consultation and health check.

CALL US NOW 01234 353937 0 2TW Bedford Chiropractic Clinic ic 20b De Parys A Avenue, venue, venu v Bedford MK42 admin@bchiropracticclinic.co.uk admin@bchiropracticclinic.co.uk www.bedfordchiropractor.co.uk www.bedfordchiropractor.co.uk

0844 571 2811

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Affinity MagazineNovemberMaster4page_Layout 1 copy 20/10/2011 16:08 Page 1

NOVEMBER 2011

ISSUE 6

November 2011

Perfectly Pampered It’s a wrap

MILLMAN

Jewellers of Distinction 2 Church Arcade Bedford TEL 01234 354026

AFFINITY MAGAZINE

Gareth Gates Ge-nius

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