VILLAGER The
Issue 33 - December 2014
and Town
Life
LOCAL NEWS • LOCAL PEOPLE • LOCAL SERVICES • LOCAL CHARITIES • LOCAL PRODUCTS
Inside this issue
The Origin of Decorations
Woodland Wonderland
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Contents
VILLAGER The
Issue 33 - December 2014
and Town
Life
LOCAL NEWS • LOCAL PEOPLE • LOCAL SERVICES • LOCAL CHARITIES • LOCAL PRODUCTS
Inside this issue
The Origin
of Decorations
Woodland Wonderland
Win £100 in our Prize Crossword
Bringing Local Business to Local People in Alconbury, Grafham, Kimbolton, Riseley, The Stukeleys and all surrounding areas every month
r
u E Ey FRcop
Yo
Children’s Page.......................................................21 Puzzle Page............................................................24 What’s On...............................................................26 £100 Prize Crossword.............................................28 Book Review..........................................................30 Puzzle Solutions from November’s Issue.................31
Decorative Delights
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Decorative Delights..................................................4 Claiming Compensation & Out of Pocket Expenses...8 Winter Wonderland................................................10 Top Tips for a Quicker Divorce.................................13 Many Happy Returns - Beacon Wealth...................15 I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas........................18
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Winter Wonderland
7,000 copies delivered free of charge in the following areas: Abbots Ripton, Alconbury, Brington, Buckworth, Bythorn, Catworth, Covington, Dillington, Grafham, Great Staughton, Hail Weston, Keyston, Kimbolton, Kings Ripton, Leighton Bromswold, Little Staughton, Lower Dean, Molesworth, Old Weston, Perry, Pertenhall, Riseley, Shelton, Stonley, Stow Longa, Swineshead, The Stukeleys, Tillbrook, Upper Dean (We also have over 150 distribution points, including pubs, garages, most shops, post offices, Supermarket Chains in all of the above as well as in Huntingdon, Lt Staughton, Grafham Water Visitor Centre’s and Kimbolton)
Editor - Catherine Rose Editorial - Jonathan Vernon-Smith, Catherine Rose, Nooshin Hassan, Abby Smith, Pippa Greenwood, Tony Larkins and Bruce Edwards Advertising Sales - Nigel Frost - 01767 261122 nigel@villagermag.com Photography - Bernard Ormrod, Subbotina and Catherine Rose Design and Artwork - Design 9 Tel 07762 969460
Publishers Villager Publications Ltd 24 Market Square, Potton, Bedfordshire SG19 2NP Tel: 01767 261122 nigel@villagermag.com www.villagermag.com Disclaimer - All adverts and editorial are printed in good faith, however, Villager Publications Ltd can not take any responsibility for the content of the adverts, the services provided by the advertisers or any statements given in the editorial. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored without the express permission of the publisher.
Decorative Delights The origin of Christmas decorations
By Catherine Rose By the time you read this, many people will have already put up their Christmas decorations for the festive season. However, at one time, people would decorate their homes on Christmas Eve as it was considered unlucky to put them up any earlier. It is still thought to be bad luck to take Christmas decorations down before or after the 12th day of Christmas or Twelfth Night (5th January). But before Victorian times, decorations would be left up until Candlemas which is on 2nd February - 40 days after Jesus’ birth. Many of the origins of our Christmas decorations are pagan but were adopted by Christians. The Bible does not mention the actual date of Jesus birth and it was Pope Julius I in around 300AD who decreed that Christmas Day (or Christ’s birthday) should be on 25th December. The Midwinter Solstice on 21st December was already a celebration with feasting where homes were decorated with evergreens. The Vikings burned a Yule Log to ward off the devil on the night of the shortest day. Pope Julius therefore cleverly combined pagan feasting with Christian celebration. The word ‘yule’ is now connected with the festive season with the log represented as a cake. Holly, which had previously been used as a decoration, became symbolic of the thorns that
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pierced Jesus’ crown and the berries of the blood he shed. Misteltoe, which the Druids regarded as sacred because it did not grow in the ground, was also adopted by Christianity with the white berries said to represent the purity of the Virgin. It came to be traditional to hang it in the doorway as a sign of peace and goodwill which is why a welcoming embrace or kiss under the mistletoe originated. By Victorian times, kissing under the mistletoe had become so popular, it came to be known as a ‘kissing bough’. Each time a gentleman stole a kiss under it, a berry would be pulled off. When there were no berries left, there could be no more kisses! Christmas trees became popular in Victorian times and are sometimes attributed to an introduction by Prince Albert but in fact they had come over from Germany as early as the 1790s. The Victorians popularised them however and they were traditionally decorated with candles, sweets and handmade ornaments of paper, wax, wire and blown glass, including strings of beads. The tree would be topped with an angel, usually made of tin with a wax face, or star to symbolise the foretelling of the birth of Jesus. However, gingerbread baked with honey, and Christmas decorations made from the beeswax that was left over had been being sold in Christmas markets across Europe for 400 years.
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Huntingdon Farmers’ Market Festive Local Produce
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The first tinsel was made from real silver, stretched into very thin strips and paper chains became popular at this time. Woolworths is said to have been the first shop to sell Christmas tree ornaments in 1880 and the earliest electric Christmas tree lights were invented by Thomas Eddison around this time. By the 1930s, the first artificial trees become available. It is believed that an English baker, Tom Smith, invented the Christmas cracker by taking a sweet, love motto and a strip of paper impregnated with a compound that ‘cracked’ when opened and wrapping it up. In time the wrapper was lengthened small novelty gifts replaced the sweet. The first Christmas crackers went on sale in London in 1847 and the love motto developed into a witty saying or joke penned by a team of writers. Walter Smith, Tom’s son, started including paper hats. The Christmas card was also popularised during Victorian times and it was the first time that Father Christmas was shown wearing a red suit rather than a green one which was the traditional colour for Saint Nicholas or ‘Sinterklaas’ (hence our name ‘Santa Claus’), on whom Father Christmas is based. The first known card was made by Sir Henry Cole of the British Postal
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Service in 1843. St Nicholas is also at the heart of the custom of hanging a stocking on the hearth or bedpost on Christmas Eve in the hope that it will be filled with presents the next morning. This custom originated in Holland around 400 years ago when children would put out wooden shoes next to the hearth on 5th December, the night traditionally associated with St Nicholas. The clogs would be filled with straw for St Nicholas’s horse and food hence our custom today for leaving out a carrot and a mince pie for Santa and his reindeer. As the custom spread across Europe, stockings started to be used instead. Some children would put out their pillowcase hence the origin of Santa’s sack. Interestingly, the traditional mince pie was actually invented during medieval times. It contained 13 ingredients to represent Christ’s apostles that included spices, dried fruit and some minced mutton to represent the shepherds which is why the filling is still referred to as ‘mincemeat’. Burning a candle to represent the countdown to Christmas is an Christian tradition and the advent calendar, with little doors and biblical pictures, originated in Germany. Today, advent calendars are usually filled with chocolate.
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Three Counties Radio
Claiming Compensation & Out of Pocket Expenses By Jonathan Vernon-Smith
I HATE compensation! There, I said it! I hate it! In fact, I have made it my mission during the last 13 years that I’ve been presenting a consumer show on the radio, to put people off making such claims. If this shocks you then please read this article through to the end and you may understand my thinking. To me, compensation in its real sense is when people look for a financial payment even though they have not suffered financially. For example: you buy a sandwich from the supermarket, get home and find a plaster in it. Most of us would simply take the sandwich back and expect not only a heartfelt apology for the mistake, but also a replacement sandwich. There are however, an increasing number of people who would also want the supermarket to PAY them an amount of money for ‘emotional stress’. What a load of old greedy codswallop! Why am I so against compensation? Well, it’s really very easy, it ends up costing everyone else money. Every time someone receives a compensation pay-out, somebody else has to pay for it - normally other customers. It’s not free money! If a company has to pay £2 million pounds a year in compensation claims, then it will charge its other customers £2 million pounds to recoup the costs. Sadly, loads of people are after it now. I get lots of calls every week from people saying ‘can JVS help me get compensation out of such and such’? Thankfully my team know my feelings and these callers rarely get on air. You only have to observe the increase in the ‘no win no fee’ solicitors and those ghastly adverts that start with ‘Have YOU had an accident?’, to see what a thriving business claiming compensation is. Sadly, I think it will only get worse and before you know it, everyone will be suing everyone else for each simple mistake made in life. Incidentally, many of the ‘no win no fee’ solicitors charge an absolute fortune for the service they have provided you with in the event of a successful claim. You should always read the small print and understand exactly what you’re getting involved in before you sign a contract with them. A successful pay-out of £1000 doesn’t seem so good when the solicitor takes £800 and you find you’re liable for other charges. So what SHOULD you claim for? Out of pocket expenses are, in my opinion, totally justifiable. But what’s the difference between out of pocket expenses and compensation? It’s very simple - when a company makes a mistake which has a detrimental effect on you financially, I think it’s reasonable for them to pay for this. For example if you have to pay £20 for phone calls to a company to deal with a problem they have caused you, it is in my opinion totally reasonable to ask the company to reimburse you the cost. If I was having a new boiler installed and the plumber dropped a spanner on my tiled kitchen floor, then I would expect him to pay for the cost of replacing the tiles. To me this is obvious and utterly understandable. Most importantly a judge would probably feel the same if it went as far as court. Why is it important that we understand the difference between compensation and out of pocket expenses though? I’ll tell you why, because using the word ‘compensation’ very often antagonises companies. They have a keen radar waiting to sniff out greedy little consumers desperate to make a quick buck and are often quick to dismiss such claims even though there may be a justifiable complaint. My advice is to always ensure that you are only claiming for reimbursement of costs rather than looking to make a profit out of a problem and ALWAYS use the phrase ‘out of pocket expenses’ rather than the dreaded C word!
Jonathan Vernon-Smith not only offers you his consumer advice here but you can listen to The JVS Show tackling your consumer problems every weekday morning from 9am. 8
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CINNAMON
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Well Being
A Woodland Wonderland By Nooshin Hassan I had been looking forward to a tasty lunch followed by a lovely countryside walk. We’d had the tasty lunch: thick slices of seeded rustic bread and bowls of hearty warming soup, but the lovely walk was looking unlikely to happen. Outside the French doors, the rain was pouring down and the skies were an endless grey. I tried to see the silver lining in that continuous sheet of cloud. We needed the rain so it was probably a good thing. The rain eventually slowed to a drizzle but it still didn’t look inviting to head out. My friend had other ideas though (fuelled perhaps by her two young daughters running around the house and chasing after the dog). Rainy weather, she declared, was perfect for young kids who love muddy puddles. I couldn’t argue with that, so we donned our wellies and coats and grabbed as many umbrellas as we could find, driving a few minutes to Monks Wood. As we stepped into the wood I already felt refreshed. The lush leafiness all around breathed life into the atmosphere and re-awakened my senses. We began to follow the route through the woodland, with a very inquisitive dog leading the way and two excitable young girls not far behind him. Something had carved deep ridges into the muddy trail, which proved excellent for providing large deep puddles just begging to be jumped in. The damp foliage on the soil gave a slightly
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sweet, earthy fragrance that wafted in and out of our walk, and I embraced it, wanting to capture some of it and save it for another time to make me feel uplifted and refreshed again. Charmed by the peaceful, rich woodland, we lost our way a little and found ourselves ducking under fallen branches. Kids being kids, they each grabbed a broken branch and became instant explorers in this kingdom of overgrown undergrowth. I smiled to myself, recalling times when my sister and I had done exactly the same thing, and I gave thanks that in this day of ‘virtual’ life, children can still find their own adventure with just a stick and the wildlife that surrounds us. At the same time that we saw a clearing, signalling our re-discovery of the pathway, we also saw a pale stream of sunlight filtering through the trees. Gradually the sunlight became brighter, and as we reached the end of our walk the warm glow had found its way through all available spaces and portrayed the woodland in new shades of splendour. As we left Monks Wood we saw others just about to enter. It was lovely to see them enjoying this natural beauty on our doorstep, especially now the sun was out but I felt lucky to have appreciated the wood in both grey skies and glorious sunshine. Life is doubly enjoyable if we can seek out the pleasure in less than perfect weather, and then enjoy the same pleasure when the sun shines.
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Family Law
Top Tips For a
Quicker Divorce By family lawyer Abby Smith of Woolley & Co, Solicitors www.family-lawfirm.co.uk
There is no such thing as a quickie divorce in England and Wales. The whole idea, perpetuated by the media, is a myth. Whoever you are and however much money you have, the quickest a divorce can conclude is around 16 weeks. This is because each stage has time constraints attached. There are however things you can do to make the procedure move quickly and the best advice, as cold as it may seem, is to be the one to start the divorce as you can then control how quickly it moves along. Here are some other top tips: Keep the particulars (“reasons”) as gentle as possible. Unreasonable behaviour is the most common ground for divorce but it requires you to list examples of behaviour that you find to be unacceptable. Whilst you may be keen to put the knife in and point out everything your spouse has ever done to annoy you, you actually only need to fill out a very small paragraph. The judge isn’t looking for anything exciting, he just wants evidence that the marriage has irretrievably broken down. Keep the reasons general to avoid getting the other party’s back up which could make them more likely to contest the divorce, which you really don’t want Obtain an official copy of your marriage certificate, or dig out the original, early on. The court cannot start the process without this. Very often, this adds a delay at the start, as it can take up to 14 days to get a copy of a certificate from the church or Register Office. Warn your spouse before you start. Most defended divorce proceedings are as a result of not preparing the other side who may retaliate if they suddenly get a letter out of the blue. Agree as much about the process with your spouse as you can in advance, including the wording of the particulars – that way, they won’t object when they see the paperwork and are more likely to sign it promptly.
Use a solicitor to offer you guidance on the forms. The process can be wordy and misleading in parts. There has been a growing trend for people to do as much as possible themselves without legal advice but this can cause delays. You might think you are saving money by scrimping on solicitors, but the reality is it is likely to cost you more time and more money in the end. Some parts of this advice will be easier to follow than others and, whatever you do, you cannot second guess the actions of the other party. However, if you do take these tips on board it gives you the best chance of getting as close to that mythical “quickie divorce” as possible. For advice on divorce or any family law issues please contact Abby Smith for a FREE initial telephone consultation. Abby is an experienced divorce and family lawyer based in St Neots with clients throughout the area. She is a full member of Resolution and recognised as a Resolution Specialist in family law.
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Call Abby on 0845 680 0934 or email abby.smith@family-lawfirm.co.uk 13
EBAY COLLECTIONS
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Local & Reliable
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Many Happy Returns
Interest rates look set to be low for much longer than expected on both sides of the ocean. This is caused by inflation and pay rises remaining low. These factors are resulting in issues for people who have fixed term investments maturing with no sensible replacement available – so what to do? Individual shares are high risk unless you know what you are doing; just look at Tesco. You usually need a bit of luck and the right timing to successfully invest in the stock markets, but a balanced portfolio can usually help reduce any downside. I have mentioned before that our investment team have produced some of the best returns in the UK. So I will not dwell on this, except to say you need to constantly review holdings and decide whether poor returning cash funds should be considered for an investment into a low risk portfolio. Our other low risk investment has returned 5% over the last year.* An often over-looked option is to switch old cash ISA’s to equity ISAs because they do not count towards your annual allowance; premium bonds and other national savings products may also be
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Beacon Wealth Tony Larkins CFP APFS Managing Director IFA Chartered and Certified Financial Planner
appropriate. *Past performance is not an indicator for future performance This week a client asked us to review a proposal they had received from a large investment company, because the returns looked too good to be true. As I have said before if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. In this case the long term returns were very good, but they failed to mention the short term, surprise surprise – we now have a new client. Theodore Roosevelt said, “To make a success of old age you need to start young” and Lao-tzu said, “a journey starts with one step.” If you want to maximise returns whilst keeping a check on risk, ask your adviser to review your holdings and remember if they have discretionary status and an active management stance you should benefit from improved returns. To receive the return you want you have to take action. You should always seek qualified advice from an IFA, preferably a Certified (CFP) or Chartered Financial PlannerCM (APFS). If you have a financial question, e-mail: tlarkins@beaconwealth.co.uk
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Mano Bird seed & Established for over 50 years Family run business Arguably the best selection of wild bird products in 3 counties Committed to Quality Products and Service Easy to find – Brington is just 1 mile away from Junction 16 on A14 Large car parking space One UK’s best known bird food suppliers Manor Farm Granaries Brand Bird Food manufactured on site.
• Dog foods
• Chicken food pellets mash scratching mix mixed corn and large selection requisites
• Cat foods • Small pets Food
• Insect and wildlife habitats
• Pond food
• Insect study kits
• Pigeon Food and requisites
• Great selection of countryside greeting cards.
• Cage and Aviary Bird Food and requisites
• Country side calendars
• Wild bird Food Food and requisites • Animal bedding Straw hay Shavings small packs and large bales
• Selection of local honey and Very yummy jams & pickles very yummy I have tried most of them.
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nor Farm Country Store
Open
ay y through Saturd da on M pm 00 5. 9.00am to y 4.00pm on Sunda and 10.00am to
• Rolls of Wire for aviaries chickens etc • Great prices on a good selection of Coal, logs kindling. Best prices for miles. • Bird tables • Bird houses • Confectionary/sweets & soft Drinks • Potatoes various bag sizes and onions
Brington, Huntingdon, Cambs, PE28 5AF Tel : 01832 710235 Email:sales@manorfarmbirdseed.co.uk
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Garden
I’m dreaming of a Green Christmas
By Pippa Greenwood
I love giving presents, whether that gift is a thing of beauty or something totally practical. With gardening as one of the nation’s top pastimes, here are a few ideas for things which I am sure most green fingered friends would be delighted to receive. If you know a newish gardener then the basic tools are always well received, especially if you choose good quality, sturdy ones. So think fork, spade and rake – yes, they are difficult to wrap but worth the effort. For anyone gripped by the Grow Your Own bug you could give one of my ‘Grow Your Own with Pippa Greenwood ‘ gift cards – they choose the veg they want to grow and I send them out, at the right time for planting and accompanied by weekly advice and tips emails….it couldn’t be simpler! Find out more at www.pippagreenwood.com Weeding is always an issue so a hoe is useful or for smaller spaces (such as in between plants, in gravel, between paving, or to tackle weeds within planters) try the hand held red-handled weeders – I think they’re indispensable. A few packets of vegetable seeds are always appreciated and most garden centres already have a good variety in stock. If you want to spend a bit more, a heated propagator makes a fantastic gift. With tomatoes, peppers, aubergines and many of the fancier ornamentals needing to be sown soon, it’ll be a gift put to use straight away. Gardening gloves too are something we can always have more of. Some of the gauntlet style gloves are perfect if you have to tackle a pruning job on a thorny plant or one with really rough or sharp leaves. Alternatively, there are many lower-priced types available with gripping pads on the fingers or with leather toughened strips across the knuckles.
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Classic greens, ravishing reds or funky florals, gloves are definitely not boring. Birds in the garden not only help to keep pest numbers down, but they also add charm which everybody appreciates. A peanut feeder, nest box or perhaps even a bird table will attract them in and there are many designs available from modern to rustic. For the ‘other half’ who is less inclined to help with the tough jobs in the garden, admit defeat and give them a garden lounger or even a hammock. As container gardening continues to rise in popularity, another idea is to give a few gorgeous looking containers - either empty for the friend or relative to decide what to put in it themselves, or make them into a complete gift by planting them up with a selection of plants and under planting them with bulbs which you know will bring extra delight next year. Finally, houseplants such as poinsettias, cyclamen, indoor azaleas and jasmines are perfect for providing bright colour indoors at this time of year. But remember when you buy any indoor plant during cold weather, it is essential that you protect it thoroughly on the journey from the shop to your car and from your car into your house as even a tiny exposure to cold drafts and low temperatures can cause damage. Visit www.pippagreenwood.com for a great rate of Gardeningrelated Gifts including stylish ‘Grow Your Own with Pippa Greenwood’ gift cards, Pippa’s favourite weeding tool, signed books and lots of useful garden items for your friends & family…or for yourself!
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Easy to book, major all credit c ards ta all com ken, e with an attr tive gif a ct vouc her wh is valid ich for 12 m You ch oose th onths. e date you fly and the bir ds! Do m n
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Everyone at The Villager would like to wish all our readers and advertisers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
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ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
Easy Suduko
Hard Suduko
Fill in the grid so that each row, column and 3x3 box, contains the digits 1 through to 9 with no repetition. Use your logic to solve the puzzles. 24
FLOORED By Ian
Your local supplier of fitted floors in carpet, vinyl, laminate or Karndean Free visits to estimate or advise. Best prices and quality with a friendly service. Enquiries to 01480 475486 or (Mobile) 07876 238308
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n O s ’ t Wha 1 December The Cambridgeshire on the Western Front 7pm for 7.30pm The Comrades Club, Godmanchester The Cambridgeshire branch of the Western Front Association is pleased to present a talk by Steve Smith examining the role of the Cambridgeshire regiment on the Western Front. Non-members welcome. Web: www.westernfrontassociation.com 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 December Comrades Chess Club 7.30pm Comrades Club, Godmanchester Keep your mind active and play chess. Over 18s only as it’s a licensed premises. Every Monday except Bank Holidays. 3 December St. Mary’s Christmas Coffee Morning 10-11.30am Buckden Village Hall Entrance £2.50 including tea/coffee and mince pies. Christmas Stall, Cake Stall, Bring & Buy and Raffle. 3 December Little Paxton Gardening Club 8pm Little Paxton Village Hall Members £1, Guests £2 AGM followed by Christmas Social. Anyone is welcome to our AGM. If you are interested in joining please come along and meet the committee and other members. The Christmas social (members only) is great fun offering a raffle and quiz helped along with food and drink. 3 December Christmas Shopping Evening 7-9pm Beautiful Swagger, High Street St Neots (opposite Bon Marche) In aid of Carers Trust Cambridgeshire to support family carers in Cambridgeshire. 10% of the evening sales will be donated to the charity. Refreshments available.
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4, 11 & 18 December Great Staughton Youth Club 7-8.30pm Great Staughton Village Hall Newly formed Youth Club running every Thursday for 11-16 year olds from Great Staughton and Perry. Email: gsyc2014@gmail.com 6 December Christmas Fair 11am-2pm Brampton Village Primary School Lots to do including Santa’s Grotto, stalls, games, shopping, school choir, tombola, face painting and Luxury Hamper. Refreshments available. 6 December Christmas ‘Narnia’ Fair 12-3pm Riseley Lower School Themed stalls, games, hot food, refreshments and entertainment. 6 December Christmas Fayre 1-4pm Buckden Pre-School’s popular Christmas Fayre. 6 December Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire Hardy Plant Society 2pm Weatherley Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade Speakers will be Roger and Penny Gray, ‘Visits and Holidays undertaken by The Group. A pictorial presentation.’ May be plants for sale. Visitors welcome - small charge which includes refreshments.
Deadline for What’s On entries is the 12th of the previous month.
6 December Haslingfield Choir and Orchestra 7.30pm All Saints Church, Haslingfield Adults £10, Students £5, Children free Handel ‘My Heart is Inditing’, Schubert ‘Mass in C’, Vaughan-Williams ‘Fantasia on Christmas Carols’, Charpentier ‘Messe de Minuit pour Noel’. Conductor: Graham Walker and Leader: Frances Poole. Tel: 01223 872088 6 & 7 December Christmas Tree Festival Sat 11am-4pm, Sun 2-4pm St James Church, Little Paxton Free admission Come along and see stunning Christmas trees decorated by village groups and organisations. Refreshments available. 7, 14, 21 & 28 December Kingfisher Church 10.30am Little Paxton Primary School Every Sunday. All welcome! Services include children’s groups and a crèche. Refreshments served. Tel: 01480 700434 Web: www.kingfisherchurch.co.uk
7 December Huntingdonshire Music School 3.30pm Huntingdon Town Hall Assembly Rooms Free admission A Winter Spectacular Concert featuring the HUMS Big Band, Concert Band, Sax Ensemble, String Ensemble, Folk Group and Instrumentalist Soloists. Mulled wine and mince pies available. Tel: 07595 279349 for further information on the concert and music school Email: rebecca-norman@huntingdon.ac.uk 10 December Carol Concert 7pm Wesley Methodist Church, Cambridge The evening, for adults and children alike, will feature popular congregational carols, readings, and special performances by St Catharine’s Girls’ Choir, King Hedges Primary School, Wesley Choir and Footlights Quartet. There will be a retiring collection in aid of Action for Children at the end of the evening.
10 December Huntingdonshire Family History Society 7.20-9.30pm WI Headquarters, 6a Walden Rd, Huntingdon, PE29 3AZ Non-members £1 donation More Pictures From The Whitney Collection by Alexa Cox. Talk on a subject related to family history research and a bookstall. 10 December Christmas Miscellany 7.30pm Brampton Memorial Hall, Thrapston Road, Brampton £2.50, accompanied children free For their December meeting, The Huntingdonshire Local Group of the Wildlife Trust will present a miscellany of two short talks plus a light-hearted wildlife quiz. Amy Robinson, Wildlife Trust’s Ouse Valley Education and Community Officer, talks about ‘The Hidden Wonders of Godmanchester Reserve’. Chairman, Pat Doody, will summarise the results of this year’s Brampton Biodiversity project and we look forward to hearing how many species share our neighbourhood. Raffle, wine and mince pies. Tel: Tim on 01480 457795 12 December Belle (PG) 7.30pm Mandeville Hall, Kimbolton Tickets Adults £4, Over 60 £3, under 16 £2 Kimbolton Community Cinema presents Belle (PG). Amma Asante delivers some sharp lessons on slavery in this true story of Britain’s first black aristocrat. Tickets from Watson’s, Dixie’s Deli and Bytes Café or on the door. Tel: 01480 860297 Web: e-voice.org.uk/ themandevillehallkimbolton/ 12 December Gamlingay Photographic Society 8-10pm Gamlingay Village College, Station Road Gamlingay Lecture evening. Pradesh and the Pantanal – Brazil. Dave & Judy Hodgson DPAGB BPE2*/CPAGB BPE1*. Non-members welcome free of charge. Refreshments and optional raffle. Tel: Nick or Jackie 01767 651025 for more info about the evening/the Society Email: Jackie on nickbruce7@btinternet.com
13 December Craft and Gift Fair 9am-2pm United Reformed Church St. Neots Free admission Held in aid of The Coffee Pot Memory Café; a local charity in St. Neots for those with memory loss and their carers, run by volunteers and support from local Rotarians. Tel: Mary 07717 158549 for details and stall hire Email: maryjdcruz@gmail.com 13 December Huntingdonshire Philharmonic: A Christmas Feast 7.30pm Hinchingbrooke Performing Arts Centre, Huntingdon Tickets: £14 / £12 (Student Concession £7 / £6) Hunts Phil’s well-loved Family Christmas Concert with a mix of old and new carols, excerpts from Haydn’s Creation and Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet, and much, much more… Tickets available via telephone, email or on the door. Tel: 01832 274834 Email: tickets@huntsphil.org.uk Web: www.huntsphil.org.uk 14 December The Aragon Singers of Buckden 3pm Diddington Church Admission £5 on the door An afternoon of Christmas music followed by mulled wine and mince pies. All proceeds to the upkeep of St. Laurence’s Church, Diddington. 14 December Angels of Kaos Choir 5pm St James Church Little Paxton Tickets £6 Enjoy seasonal songs with some audience participation. The Choir supports various children’s charities. Tickets available in advance or on the door. Tickets: Alison Rogers Tel 01480 215607 or on the door
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16 December Kimbolton Flower Club 7.30pm Mandeville Hall, Kimbolton Visitors £6 Christmas Workshop and Social Evening. If you wish to make a festive arrangement please bring your own materials. Some accessories will be on sale. Please bring a sharing plate of finger food. Tea, coffee and soft drinks will be provided. All welcome. 19 December The Aragon Singers of Buckden 7pm St. Neots United Reformed Church Admission £5 on the door – to include tea, coffee & mince pies An evening of Christmas music. All proceeds to Christian Aid to support women in Kenya and their newborn babies. 20 December Carol Concert 6pm St Mary’s Church, Eaton Socon Joint concert with St Neots Choral Society and St Neots Sinfonia. 21 December Family Carol Service 10.30am Kingfisher Church, Little Paxton Primary School Refreshments served. Tel: 01480 700434 Web: www.kingfisherchurch.co.uk 25 December Christmas Day Service 10.30am Kingfisher Church, Little Paxton Primary School Tel: 01480 700434 Web: www.kingfisherchurch.co.uk
Deadline for What’s On entries is the 12th of the previous month.
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The Villager £100 Prize Crossword
Prize
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Across 7 A red fruit (6) 8 On every side (6) 9 Deceased (4) 10 Hold back (8) 11 Sprinkle (7) 13 Weeps (5) 15 Concerning (5) 17 Farewell (4-3) 20 Acquainted (8) 21 Require (4) 23 Disclose (6) 24 Thick, oily substance (6)
1 Finished (4) 2 Outlaw (6) 3 Expedition (7) 4 Severe (5)
Complete the crossword, fill in your details below, cut out this page and send to the address below before
15th December 2014 Prize Crossword, Villager Publications Ltd 24 Market Square, Potton, Beds SG19 2NP Name: Tel: Address:
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Down
5 Terror (6) 6 Completely (8) 12 Green vegetables (8) 14 Bravery (7) 16 Allied (6) 18 Beast of burden (6) 19 Feminine (5) 22 Simple (4)
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Books Pet Services
BOOK REVIEW
By Bruce Edwards
‘From Notting Hill with Four Weddings . . . Actually’ Ali McNamara Pub: Sphere p/b £ 7.99
There’s always a plethora of new books from established authors at this time of year, gearing up for the Christmas bonanza, for it is fast approaching peak sales time in bookshops. Presents, as you will know, are notoriously difficult to always get right, so giving a friend or relative a book (which of course you will read first before wrapping it up . . .?) seems like an easy option and doesn’t usually require too much thought. Ali McNamara has a niche readership but that is no disparagement. There’s a delightfully open sense of make-believe in this and yes, if you recognise the title wordage that’s fine for it sets the scene. Lovable young Scarlett - her name another blast from the past - gets caught up in a lace-frothy world of glitz and high glamour whilst trying to hang on to legitimate marriage plans of her own and a worthwhile charity job, commuting across the Atlantic. All sorts of girly problems head her way! If you feel you’ve been here before - and Christmas offerings appear from lots of established authors in appropriate snowy covers - you may be right, especially if you also read Carole Matthews (her latest is ‘The Christmas Party) but it makes for an easy, pleasant, unassuming and a give-away-able read. New York or Notting Hill for the wedding? Have a guess . . .
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Suggestion and queries to: writerselect@gmail. com. We’re always happy to consider specific titles for review, though without obligation. Can’t find a title? E-mail your details and we’ll try to help.”
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