Discovering Wisbech issue 010, February 2019 by Discovering Magazines

Issue 10 / February 2019

and the surrounding villages

Inside this issue Enjoy the 'Good Life' at Tallington Lakes pages 4-5

The Curtain and Blind Studio pages 18-19

Ride on Thomas at Nene Valley Railway page 47

Yo u r f a v o u r i t e c o m m u n i t y l i f e s t y l e m a g a z i n e â&#x20AC;&#x201C; P R I C E L E S S

L♥VE YOUR HOME TREAT YOURSELF TO A NEW KITCHEN OR BEDROOM!

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FREE PARKING IN

WHITTLESEY!

Introduction

Welcome to Your February Issue. Hello everyone and welcome to our February magazine! We all know what February means… Valentine’s Day! Our little gift to you is this fantastic magazine; we’ve packed it full of love and we hope you feel that this month. But don’t worry, this magazine hasn’t been taken over by Valentine’s Day; we have so much more for you. From holidays on page 8 to a quiz on page 42! Some lovely Community News and events in and around Wisbech, there will be something for everyone. And remember, Valentine’s Day isn’t just for partners, it’s for family and friends, and showing people how much they mean to you. ‘Spread love wherever you go, let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.’ Happy Valentine’s Day all, and enjoy your magazine.

Claire x

Inside

Wisbech Highlights

4 - 5.............Good Life Lodges 6......................Active Fenland 8......................Holiday with us! 14....................March Podiatry

16 - 17.........Community News 18 - 19.........The Curtain and Blind Studio 24...................Almary Green 26...................Ambitions Personal 30...................Fraser Dawbarns 32 - 34......Community News

Welcome to your favourite little magazine and Happy...February! I bet you thought I was going to say Happy Valentine’s Day. Well, that too! But I say more about that on page 40! Make sure not to miss that. Here at Discovering Magazines, we like to spoil you. And this month, we’ve done just that! With some incredible art, history and garden news, more new clubs, an update from Steve Barclay and six pages of Community and Charity News it’s going to be an exciting read! I’m not even mentioning half of it. What an incredible place Wisbech is, so read all about it here. Have a lovely month and be sure to come back to us again next month! Enjoy.

Holly - Jean x

35...................Art Matters with Aldo Ierubino 36 ..................History 38 - 39......Whiting and Partners 40...................Valentines with Holly Jean 42...................February’s Quiz! 44 - 45......What’s On 46...................The Light Cinema 48...................Clubs Guide 50...................Diamond Byte

Publisher - Claire Saberton 01778 421427 | 07837 499061 | sales@discoveringmagazines.co.uk Account Manager - Catherine Healy 07879 478448 | Catherine@discoveringmagazines.co.uk Account Manager - Paula Peake 07903 776211 | marketing.discoveringmagazines@gmail.com Op. Director - Andy Armstrong | 01733 200609 | 07780 922214 Accounts - Cheryl Jakes 01733 686255 | accounts@discoveringmagazines.co.uk Group Editor - John Schwarz | editor.bourne@discoveringmagazines.co.uk Editor - Holly-Jean | holly@discoveringmagazines.co.uk Design - Emma Gunner | Sarah Gumbley | Rob Harradine

54...................Steve Barclay’s monthly updates

With thanks to:

Fraser Dawbarns, March Podiatry, Almary Green, Diamond Byte Solutions, Steve Barclay, Holiday with us group

Discovering Wisbech is published by a local team and is not associated with any other business. Care is taken to ensure that the content and information is correct, however we cannot take any responsibility for loss, damage or omission caused by any errors. Permission must be granted to reproduce, copy or scan anything from this publication. For a copy of our contributors’ guidelines please email info@discoveringmagazines.co.uk

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D I S C O V E R I N G

Wisbech

Choose to Begin Your New Lifestyle at

Tallington Lakes

Looking for a new lifestyle? Want to escape from the stresses and pressures of everyday life? Then we have the ideal location for you. A place you can call home, where you can spend time relaxing with your family and friends, where the worries and routine of everyday life can be left far behind. A luxury lodge has all the comfort and style of your home, but is set in a stunning location, surrounded by the English countryside at its best. Whether you are looking for a home you can use 365 days of the year or just a retreat where you can spend quality time with your family and friends, we have a variety of luxury lodges to suit all budgets, ranging from as little as £65,000.

“

Sitting on my fabulous decking enjoying the beautiful view! Really wish I had thought of this sooner. Just want to say we are over the moon with our luxurious new lodge . Thank you so much for making things so easy! Mr & Mrs K Abbott

“

Our beautiful park is set just a few miles from the pretty town of Stamford. Tallington Lakes offers a mixture of lakeside tranquillity and an array of sports all year round. In the summertime, we have an open-air swimming pool. On the lakes you can windsurf, jet-ski, water-ski, kayak, or how about trying ‘stand-up paddle boarding’ (SUP). During the winter months, we have a dry ski slope, tobogganing and a climbing wall. On site there is a bar and restaurant which is open every day, offering meals and a variety of entertainment all-year-round. Making new friends at Tallington is easy because there is always so much going on. Get involved in fitness classes, bingo, trips and weekend discos and parties.

New for 2019 is our sister-site. If you are looking for a home that’s quiet, set in pretty Cambridgeshire surroundings, then maybe Thorney Lakes near Peterborough is for you. Lodges are available from early 2019. Please visit our website for further details www.goodlifelodge.co.uk To begin your new lifestyle today, call our friendly sales team on 01778 381144. They will be more than happy to give you more information about our luxury lodges for sale, and can arrange priority viewings and tours of our stunning show homes. We look forward to meeting you soon.

Claire Alsop, Sales Director. 4

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Wisbech

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Invest in the good life...

...a great return on investment. LOOKING FOR A NEW LIFESTYLE? Want to escapes from the stress and pressure of everyday life? Then we have the ideal location for you. A place you can call home, where spending time relaxing with your family and friends, where the worries and routine of everyday life can be left far behind. A luxury lodge has all the comfort and style of your home but is set in a stunning location, surrounded by the English countryside at its best.

Fun Day at Tallington Lakes Sunday 7th April Open 7 Days a week

ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:

Dog Show, Fun Run, Competitions, Climbing Wall Taster Sessions, Refreshments, Craft Stalls, Games, Music and much more!

Contact our friendly team now to discuss our lodges, our locations and your new lifestyle...

01778 381144 www.goodlifelodge.com Tallington Lakes Leisure Park, Barholm Road, Tallington, PE9 4RJ

Sports

Try Badminton for a Fun-Filled and Healthy 2019 - By Lauren Bremner, Active Fenland

Not everyone finds fun and enjoyment in just running or going to a gym. For many, racquet sports like badminton can be great fun and an ideal way to get more active. It’s also a perfect activity for friends, couples and families, and can be suitable for all ages. Badminton gets you running around the court, burning calories; it can also improve your reflexes and flexibility, as well as muscle strength and endurance. As we age, our mobility decreases but, by finding something to keep us active, it can help to keep us mobile for longer. Improving the amount of physical activity you do can help with a variety of things including weight loss, improving fitness levels and improvement, or prevention of, some health conditions. We are also likely to see benefits, such as a reduction in stress levels and an improvement in our mood. Badminton has many social benefits too; you can’t play on your own so it’s a great way of spending more time with your family and friends, or meeting new people at sessions. So if you’re looking to play with other people, Active Fenland offer sessions that are friendly, fun and inclusive. These sessions are open to everyone, fourteen years and over, no matter what your skill level may be. In fact, complete beginners are encouraged. The ladies badminton group play every Wednesday at the

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Hudson Centre in Wisbech, from 7pm to 8pm. Only £2 a session, equipment is provided, and there is no need to book. There is also a coaching session held on the same evening, between 6pm and 7pm for anyone wanting to improve their skills. The ladies group also have a lovely social element, so it’s a great way to get out and meet some new people. A social mixed session is held every Monday at the Hudson Centre in Wisbech, between 7pm and 8pm. Again, only £2 per session, equipment is provided, and there is no need to book.

Wisbech

Both of the above sessions are organised by a coach, so if you’re feeling unsure, she will be there to help. A daytime adults’ session is run at the Hudson Centre in Wisbech on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday, between 10am and 12noon, costing £4.45 for adults and £3.90 for concessions. This session does not have a coach, but there are always people in the session who will be willing to give guidance. If you would like more information, please contact Active Fenland – lbremner@ fenland.gov.uk .

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Discover who you are...

Whole School Open Morning Saturday 23 March 10:00-12:30 From Kindergarten to 6th Form This is the perfect opportunity to look round our School and discover more about all the other opportunities available at WGS; from Sport, Performing Arts, Creative Arts, Academic and Music; offering an all-round education that inspires. We are also proud to be part of The Good Schools Guide and pride ourselves on offering a positive environment for children to truly discover who they areâ&#x20AC;Ś

With dedicated bus routes across Norfolk, Cambs and Lincs, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re closer than you think!

Admissions Team 01945 586 750 Email admissions@wisbechgrammar.com website wisbechgrammar.com admissions@wisbechgrammar.com CONTACT US: 01945 586750Visit our

Travel

Reasons to book your next holiday early

By Ellie Cuthbert

Marketing & Admin Assistant

As the festive season is a distant memory and the winter weather is well and truly upon us, now is the time to visualise yourself unwinding on a sandy beach, discovering exotic cultures or exploring spectacular landmarks. There are several reasons why the start of the new year is the perfect time to book your next getaway. Here are just a few: With a very high demand for booking a family break in the school holidays, booking early is the best way to grab your getaway before prices rise. You’ll also get the best chance of enjoying free child places and low deposits, with the best pick of the hotels and destinations on offer. There are thousands of free child places available on selected summer 2019 departures. But with a limited number available, these free places won’t last long! Booking early means more choice. Be first-in-line and have your trip tailored to your needs, getting first dibs on your destination, room type, flight times and departure airports. If you’re planning a family break, then it may be trickier to get exactly what everyone wants from a holiday if you don’t leave time to tick off everyone’s requirements. The more time you have to find the perfect accommodation and plan your itinerary, the more likely you are to please the whole family. What’s more, tickets for excursion trips are limited, so the sooner you nab your spot, the better. Booking early in the new year doesn’t have to break the bank. Many tour operators offer lower priced deposits at the start of the year, meaning you only have to worry

about paying a small deposit up-front, allowing you to settle the balance at a later date. January/February is also the time to grab the best deals with fantastic savings for your next getaway. Why not kick your year off with something to look forward to? Being independent, we can package together anything you desire worldwide, dealing with a wide range of suppliers. Let us do the hard work for you; we search thousands of low-cost flights, hotels and transfers to ensure you receive the best holiday at the best price. Whether it’s a family getaway, solo city break or a couple’s retreat you’re after this year, we’ve got you covered. Get in touch with the team today.

The Holiday With Us Group Phone: 0800 167 0232 Email: enquiries@holidaywithus.co.uk www.holidaywithus.co.uk 8

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Wisbech

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DANCE YOUR WAY TO A FITTER YOU

Class Timetable

Dance through the Decades: Dance class for over-55s

Stretch

MONDAY

9.30am10.15am

10.45am-11.30am

TUESDAY

Dance Fit 6.00pm6.45pm

Dance Fit

7.00pm8.00pm

Â? Â? Â? Â?

CLOSED

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

Beginner Dance Fit

6.00pm-6.45pm

Vibe Stretch

8.00pm-8.30pm

Barre

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;90s Throwback Dance Workout

Stretch

Dance through the Decades: Dance class for over-55s

6.15pm-7.00pm

FRIDAY

Dance Fit

7.00pm-8.00pm

9.30am10.15am

7.15pm-8.00pm

10.45am-11.30am

Dance Fit

SATURDAY

Barre

9.30am-10.15am

SUNDAY

antenatal classes

10.30am-11.15am

CLOSED

Â? Â Â? Â Â

Â Â? Â? Â?

18 Sandall Road, Wisbech. PE13 2RS Tel: 07889 244964 â&#x2014;? Email: dancefitwithconan@gmail.com

www.dancefitwithconan.com

HEAR THIS! HEAR ANYTHING, ANYWHERE. HOME VISITS AVAILABLE WAX REMOVAL SERVICE

INVISIBLE HEARING AIDS HEARING AID TRIAL*

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Would you like professional hearing care that is d ifferent, more experienced and more caring than others? Finding your perfect hearing aid is easier than ever because our independence guarantees you access to the biggest choice and best value for money. Try the latest, smallest hearing aids available, programmed to suit your lifestyle. Ask us for a FREE, no-obligation demonstration.

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D I S C O V E R I N G

Wisbech

Beauty by Evolution WE OFFER A WIDE RANGE OF BEAUTY TREATMENTS INCLUDING: • Massage & Facials • Waxing & Threading • Lash & Brow Bar • Lash Lifting & Tinting • Gel Polish, OPI and NexGen Nails • Ear & Nose Piercing • Spray & Manual Tanning • Permanent Make-up: Eyebrows - Nano Hairstroke, Colourwash Pixel, Ombré Brows Eyeliner - Classic & Latino, Lips - Lipliner, Lip Blush and Full Colour LASTS FOR YEARS WITH A TOP-UP INCLUDED Our friendly and experienced therapists are all experts in the beauty industry and strive to provide the very best client experience on each and every visit. OUR SPECIALIST COSMETIC CLINIC OFFERS: • Semi-Permanent Make-up • Microdermabrasion • Meso Therapy • Anti-Ageing & Acne Treatments Our Permanent Make-up expert has over ten years' experience in the industry, and specialises in colour correction and removal. We offer free consultations by appointment.

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CROMWELL HOUSE, WISBECH ROAD, MARCH, CAMBS PE15 8EB 01354 278300 | OPEN TUESDAY TO SATURDAY & LATE NIGHT THURSDAY Call us or pop in to secure your appointment Online bookings also available 24/7 via our website www.evolutionbeautique.co.uk or Facebook page: @EvolutionBeautySalonMarch

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BEFORE

AFTER

SCALP MICROPIGMENTATION THE INSTANT, DISCREET, COST EFFECTIVE SOLUTION TO HAIR LOSS AND THINNING HAIR Instant hair loss solutions without the need for hair pieces, toupees, surgery or using expensive and time consuming products every day! Also known as SMP, Scalp Micropigmentation uses specialist needles to implant coloured ink into the scalp, face or body to replicate and replace lost hair follicles. We can correct a receding hairline, disguise crown/pattern baldness, camouflage scars, create a full head of follicles or simply target certain spots. Our specialist has over 10 years experience in the Micropigmentation field and has treated hundreds of happy clients. We offer a free consultation at our March or Ely Salon where we can answer any questions you have and devise your treatment plan. The treatment is non invasive, affordable, discreet and will include a second treatment 2 weeks later. You will leave us feeling confident and looking years younger after your treatment – the secret can be yours!

MY COSMETIC CLINIC AT EVOLUTION

CROMWELL HOUSE, WISBECH ROAD, MARCH, CAMBS PE15 8EB

Call us on 01354 278300 or 01353 661277 www.mycosmeticclinic.co.uk

Beauty by Evolution SEMI-PERMANENT MAKE-UP AND SCALP MICRO SPECIALISTS Our expert is an advanced colour correction and removal specialist and has over 10 years’ experience in creating perfection both in Semi-Permanent Make-up and Scalp Micro Tattooing, creating instant results. Free consultation by appointment. Ample free parking right outside. CROMWELL HOUSE, WISBECH ROAD, MARCH, CAMBS PE15 8EB 01354 278300 | OPEN TUESDAY TO SATURDAY & LATE NIGHT TUESDAY & THURSDAY Call us or pop in to secure your appointment

www.mycosmeticclinic.co.uk

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D I S C O V E R I N G

Wisbech

e l r o f im l s be with

Slimming World MONDAY Wisbech

THURSDAY Wisbech

Rosmini Centre, 69 Queens Road 9:00am & 11.00am, 3:30pm, 5:30pm & 7:30pm Tel: Tina 07798 894 639

Wisbech Rugby Club, Chapel Road 9.30am & 11.30am Tel: Sally 07919 410 258

Emneth

Outwell Village Hall, Wisbech Road 9:30am & 5.30pm Tel: Jo 07527 646 062

Emneth Central Hall 9:30am Tel: Carrie 07876 636 833

TUESDAY Elm

Outwell

Leverington

Elm C of E Primary School 5:30pm & 7:30pm Tel: Carrie 07876 636 833

Sports & Social Club, Church Road 5:30pm & 7:30pm Tel: Rachel 07768 526 360

WEDNESDAY Wisbech

SATURDAY Wisbech

Wisbech Rugby Club, Chapel Road 5:30pm & 7:30pm Tel: Sally 07919 410 258

slimmingworld.co.uk 0344 897 8000

Queen Mary Centre, Queens Road 8:30am & 10.30am Tel: Sally 07919 410 258

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on our Fragrances of the Month!

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Call us on 01733 889878 Email: sales@littlehouseoffragrance.co.uk @littlehouseoffragrance #Happyscents Unit 3, 15 Market Street, Whittlesey, PE7 1BA

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All courses are run in the Peterborough and Fenland area

www.clariantraining.com All our courses are fully inclusive of any assessments, books, certificate, and training materials or any other costs. The price you see is the only price you pay. All our courses are nationally recognised and certificated by awarding bodies. All courses are assessable. IOSH MANAGING SAFELY 4 DAY COURSE COST: ÂŁ475.00. DATES: 8th-11th April 2019 This is the new version 5 of the popular 4-day IOSH accredited course which is designed for managers, supervisors, union reps and team leaders who are responsible for the safety of their colleagues. You will receive a new V5 IOSH managers certificate on completion. IOSH MANAGING SAFELY 1 DAY REFRESHER COURSE. COST: ÂŁ180.00. DATE: 18th APRIL 2019 If you hold or have completed an IOSH 4 day Managing Safely course within 5 years of your certificate date, then save costs, update your CPD and competence by completing our 1 day IOSH refresher training course. This updates and re-qualifies your skills and knowledge with the latest legislation and H&S updates. You will receive a new V5 IOSH managers certificate on completion. ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION 1 DAY COURSE. COST: ÂŁ180.00 DATE: 30TH APRIL 2019 This 1-day IOSH approved course focuses on the procedures and techniques to help identify the immediate cause, underlying cause, and root cause of an accident, incident or near miss in the workplace. This course will also prepare you to create clear and concise formal reports and make logical cost effective proposals to prevent accidents happening again, thus cutting out costs to your business financially, morally, and ensure you comply with legal compliance as set by the HSE. EMERGENCY FIRST AID 1 DAY COURSE (HSE Approved) COST: ÂŁ75.00 DATE:11th MARCH 2019 This new level 3 practical first aid course is designed to enable the delegated person to practice the key skills needed to respond promptly, safely and effectively in the event of a medical emergency. valid for three years from the awarding date.

FIRST AID AT WORK (HSE Approved) 3 DAY COURSE. COST ÂŁ150.00. DATE: 5/6/7th MARCH 2019. This course provides the employees with the skills and knowledge required to meet the required standards of workplace health and safety based on your workplace risk assessment. All the essential aspects of first aid are covered in detail, and after the successful completion of the assessments of competence, attendees will be awarded the first aid at work certificate, valid for three years from the awarding date. MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID 1 DAY COURSE. COST ÂŁ90.00. DATE: 17th APRIL 2019 Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a recognised training course, designed to teach you how to spot the signs and symptoms of mental health conditions and provide help on a first aid basis. The courseÂ is delivered by a quality assured instructor. MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID 2 DAY COURSE. COST ÂŁ170.00. DATE: 24/25th APRIL 2019 Identify the early stages of a mental health problem, and be trained to support someone whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dealing with a mental health issue. Help stop someone from self-harming or hurting others. Support stop mental ill health from worsening, and assist someone have a quicker recovery. Guide someone towards proper professional help. Break the stigma of a mental health problem. The courseÂ is delivered by a quality assured instructor. FIRE SAFETY / WARDENS 1 DAY COURSE. COST ÂŁ95.00. DATE: 28TH MARCH 2019 This level 2 qualification provides employees with the knowledge to let them carry out designated duties relating to fire safety and emergency procedures in the workplace, for example as fire wardens or fire marshals. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the responsible person to appoint and provide adequate training for one or more â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;competent personsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to assist with fire safety and safe evacuation in the workplace.

Tel/Fax: 01733 204343 Mob: 07703 174288 Clarian House, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire

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D I S C O V E R I N G

Wisbech

Health

The Benefits of Therapeutic Massage We are pleased to have a wonderful team of massage therapists, Deborah, Phil, and Tracy, who can offer a professional treatment to everyone. Massage can be defined as the systematic and manual manipulation of the body’s soft tissue for therapeutic purposes, promoting health and well-being. Regular treatment is the perfect way to balance the demands of a busy life. The benefits of massage include improved circulation to the massaged area and stimulated muscles. This can help to improve flexibility and mobility; it can dramatically reduce stress and ease tension. Massage can help to reduce headaches/ migraines, cramps and spasms, and massage is also said to improve the immune system. Aromatherapy massage uses organic essential oils; it can have both physiological and psychological effects. The combination of massage and the medicinal and therapeutic qualities of the essential oils that are inhaled and absorbed through the skin can soothe, revitalise, uplift the spirit, encourage positive thinking, and boost the immune system, enabling the body to heal itself. Swedish massage blends various techniques, to address the specific needs of the client. The manipulation of the body’s soft tissue (the skin, muscles, tendons, ligaments and facia) using the hands, is a gentle, flowing massage technique that uses varying degrees of pressure and stretching movements. It is commonly used for relaxation and improving well-being. Like Aromatherapy massage, it's great for stress relief. Sports massage therapy is used to help alleviate the stress and tension which builds up in the body’s soft tissues during physical activity. Where minor injuries and lesions occur, due to overexertion

and/or overuse, massage can break them down quickly and effectively. It can help prevent niggling injuries that get in the way of performance and achievement, whether you are an athlete or a once-a-week jogger. This treatment is not just for the sportsperson: anyone can benefit from sports massage, including people in physically demanding jobs, and those not quite so obvious causes, such as occupational, emotional, and postural stress, which may produce many similar characteristics to sports injuries. Pregnancy massage is available after the first trimester; it can help to reduce anxiety, back and leg pain, improve sleep, and decrease the levels of the stress hormones. Regular massage sessions throughout pregnancy are a great way to relieve these problematic physical symptoms of pregnancy. It works to support your vitality and overall health. Call us now on 01354 651200 for more information, and like our Facebook page for full details and special offers.

MarchPodiatry PodiatryPractice PracticeLtd Ltd March Podiatry March Practice Ltd 47-49 High Street, March PE15 9JJ 47-49 HighPE15 Street, 47-49 High Street, March 9JJMarch PE15 9JJ

 Follow us on Facebook

01354 651200 Tel 01354 Tel 651200 www.marchpodiatry.co.uk www.marchpodiatry.co.uk

Opening hours: Mon 9am-7pm, Tues 9am-7pm, Weds 9am-7pm, Thurs 9am-8pm, Fri 9am-5pm and Sat 9am-1pm

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March Wisbech

FE br BR u Ua Ar Ry Y 2019 fe

Wishing You All A Very Happy New Ear! • Free hearing tests • State of the art rechargeable hearing aids which are compatible with all mobile phones • Eﬀective painless wax removal • Noise protection You can visit us at one of our local clinics: St Ives Practice 13 The Broadway St Ives PE27 5BX Tel: (01480) 300955

“When someone in the family has a hearing loss, the entire family has a hearing problem.”

Wisbech Practice 31 High Street Wisbech PE13 1DE Tel: (01945) 466386

For information on any of the services we provide, or to discuss your speciﬁc requirements, please get in touch.

Email: info@clearerhearing.co.uk Regular clinics at March Podiatry – call for further details

IOSH Managing Safely Nova Vita Health and Safety Training and Consultancy

CHATTERIS

South Fens Business Centre

January 29th - 30th 2019 February 5th - 6th 2019 £475.00* *Price does not include VAT

4-day IOSH Managing Safely Training Course in Chatteris. This is an ideal start for the new year for anyone looking to take their first move into H&S or learn how to manage Health and Safety within their team.

To book your place just send an email to

INFO@NOVAVITA.CO.UK or call 07563 911963 NOVAVITA.CO.UK

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D I S C O V E R I N G

Wisbech

Matters

We bring you items of interest for your home and community. If there is something you’d like us to cover or you have something to say please get in touch with Holly:

holly@discoveringmagazines.co.uk

‘Family Saturdays’ at Wisbech Museum Wisbech and Fenland Museum held a fantastic day of recycling art on the first Saturday of the new year, launching a series of ‘Family Saturdays’. Model-maker Fred White – who with the help of local schoolchildren created the life-size giant temnodontosaurus which hangs in the museum’s main gallery – guided children and parents through the art of making something marvellous out of stuff we throw away. It was the first of a series of special ‘Family Saturday’ events held throughout January and early

February, when the museum has been closed to visitors on weekdays up until Tuesday February 12th. Others included art workshops and taster sessions for Big Sky Arts and story-telling led by Wisbech Reads. After a roller-coaster year in which museum staff had to face up to the loss of its mainstay grant, they are getting the amazing exhibits out of their original Victorian cases and giving them a long overdue deep clean. Curator, Robert Bell, said: “People

showed us how much they cared about the museum in 2018 and we are busy planning a great programme for 2019 – but we want to do our collection proud and show everything off at its very best. “We didn’t want to shut down altogether while we’re cleaning, so we came up with ‘Family Saturdays’ through January into February when we’ll be open from 10am to 4pm, our usual opening hours. To find out what’s on, just drop in on a Saturday, or look at our website www. wisbechmuseum.org.uk .”

Council Proposes a Clinical Waste Solution A proposal to retain free collection points for boxes of ‘sharps’ at selected pharmacies and GP surgeries across Fenland has been agreed by councillors. With co-operation from Community Pharmacies, Fenland District Council is planning to offer the collection points from April 1st, when the existing pharmacy collection service provided by NHS England comes to an end. The proposal was agreed at a full council meeting in December, following months of work to determine the future of clinical waste collection and disposal in Fenland – although it still has to be agreed by individual local pharmacies and GPs. The move comes after NHS England announced last year that it would no longer be arranging for the collection of returned domestic ‘sharps’ boxes from local pharmacies, as it has done for decades. It 16

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said it was handing responsibility back to local authorities, which have a statutory duty to collect household clinical waste under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Figures showed the estimated cost to the Council of providing a free door-to-door clinical waste collection service, similar to general waste and recycling collections, would cost more than £60,000 a year for adult prescriptions alone. To cover the cost, the Council was set to introduce an £8 fee to collect clinical waste from individuals’ homes, as is permitted under controlled waste legislation, from autumn last year when NHS England was originally due to begin withdrawing its collections. However, the charge was postponed when a request to the NHS to delay the changes from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Waste Partnership (RECAP), which Fenland is part

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of, enabled other solutions to be explored. Now the Council is proposing to introduce the existing free ‘sharps’ box collection points in up to twenty local pharmacies at a cost of £18,000 a year, and in selected dispensing GP Practices, at a cost of £2,000 a year. The Council will also provide a pay-as-you-go doorstep collection of clinical waste for £8 per collection, although residents who, through medical needs, require very regular collections and cases of extreme hardship, will not have to pay for the doorstep service. Councillor Peter Murphy, the Council’s Portfolio Holder for the Environment, said: “This solution will help to minimise the impact for customers of the NHS changes and ensure consistent service is provided across Fenland. It will also give customers a choice and reduce the potential cost to the taxpayer.” fe br u a r y 2 0 1 9

Grants Available to Improve Disused Land and Buildings Community groups wanting to give disused land and buildings a new lease of life in the New Year are being invited to apply for a conservation grant from Fenland District Council. Grants of up to £500 are available from Fenland District Council’s Renaissance ‘Changing Views’ grant scheme, which aims to improve the appearance of empty buildings or vacant sites across the district. ‘Changing Views’ grants are available to voluntary groups for projects which improve the visual appearance of empty buildings or vacant sites and involve the community in some way, such as the painting of hoardings and artwork on empty shop fronts. The Council also offers 50%

match-funding for projects costing between £500 and £5,000, where volunteers or landowners part-fund the work. Previously funded projects have included planters to improve the frontage of Guyhirn Village Hall, whilst Chatteris In Bloom purchased banners to enhance hoardings in the town. Wisbech In Bloom added planting and artwork at 11-12 High Street, Wisbech, and planting was also carried out at the town’s Chapel Road car park in a joint project between Wisbech In Bloom and Wisbech Street Pride. Councillor David Oliver, the Council’s Portfolio Holder with responsibility for Renaissance, said: “The expenditure of relatively small amounts of funding can have an enormous effect on the appearance of boarded-up and vacant sites in Fenland. Improvements not only enhance the street scene and character of the local environment, but they also assist in the conservation of town centres and help promote regeneration.”

For more information, contact the Council’s Street Pride Co-ordinator via e-mail at streetpride@fenland.gov.uk or by phoning 01354 654321. You can also download a grant application form on the Council’s website at https://www.fenland.gov.uk/ article/7976/Renaissance--Changing-Views.

Students Join Fenland’s Litter Heroes Students from Wisbech’s College of West Anglia are putting pride in their community after becoming Fenland’s latest volunteer recruits. A group of Uniformed Services students have begun carrying out regular litter picks around Wisbech, with equipment provided through Fenland District Council’s Street Pride initiative. The students have already collected more than 2,000 cans, tins and plastic and glass bottles through their own efforts, and last week they joined a litter pick with Wisbech Street Pride. A College spokesman said, “The group is made up of a tutor and about eighteen students who go out for an hour on a Tuesday and Wednesday morning to tidy f e brua ry 2019

up the local area. The purpose is to educate the students about the problems of littering, and engage them in doing something worthwhile for the community.” Councillor Peter Murphy, Fenland District Council’s Portfolio Holder

for the Environment, said he was delighted to see younger members of the community get involved with the district’s Street Pride efforts. “Tackling litter in our environment is essential to a better, cleaner and greener place for us all to enjoy. It’s inspiring to see students get on board and making a difference and I hope it encourages others to get involved too,” he said. “If your community or school would like to organise a litter pick, we are happy to support your efforts and will provide equipment.” Anyone interested in holding a litter pick can contact the Council on streetpride@fenland. gov.uk to arrange to borrow equipment.

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Let The Curtain and Blind Studio Provide You with Something Really Special

Known locally for their bespoke and unique service, The Curtain and Blind Studio is owned by father and daughter duo, Tony Paterson and Olivia Clark. From their studio, (located opposite Asda in Wisbech, found in the upstairs to Simply Interiors) Olivia’s team of highly skilled curtain and blind makers work to deliver you a product that will both enhance, and have a huge impact on, the room that they are designed for. With a wealth of experience in the industry, Olivia and Tony decided in August 2014 to open up their own bespoke Curtain and Blind company. The business has grown significantly year-on-year since then, with clients both in the UK and on the continent. Offering a diverse range of fabrics for all budgets, The Curtain and Blind Studio will firstly arrange for a meeting at the studio to narrow down

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Wisbech

your fabric options. The next stage is for them to come to you in your home and offer guidance and advice on the best option for your room. Then, you choose a fabric to meet with your requirements from the selection that you have previously narrowed down. You will then receive a no-obligation quote for the work and then, should you wish to proceed, the company will create a completely unique and bespoke product, just for you. Usually, this process takes around three to four weeks. Tailored entirely for you, Olivia, Tony and the team offer Pinch Pleat to Eyelet curtains, Roman to Venetian blinds. Whatever you need, see if the Curtain and Blind Studio can help to inspire your room. Don’t overlook this vital part of designing your room. Olivia states, “Choosing paint to match your chosen fabric is a lot easier than choosing fabric to match your paint scheme.”

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With over 20 years experience of making bespoke made window dressings tailored to you. From Pinch Pleat to Eyelet curtains, Roman to Venetian blinds.

“Gorgeous curtains…we will be back in the future.” “…a fabulous service and amazingly well made curtains…”

Call us on 01945 660900 or 07733 386929

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JT Landscapes can deal with all your garden requirements, from tree-work Roller Garage Doors – Industrial Shutters – to Awnings fencing and patios. Grills – Glass Verandas Retractable/Fixed The Upwell-based business was started by We also supply sectional garage doors Thomas Crosby seven years who with his and composite frontago, doors brother John carries out the work throughout the March and Wisbech area as well as throughout Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire. Thomas, who has been in the landscaping High Security | High Quality | Wide Range of Colours business for the past 15 years, said: “We have Fully Insulated | Quiet, Smooth Operation been very busy lately because of the good Remote Controlled | Emergency Override weather and have transformed a lot of back gardens and have carried out a lot of fencing work. I’m up every morning at six and I really enjoy what I do. Some people look forward to their holidays, but I look forward to going to work and take pride in carrying out a professional job for our customers.” JT Landscapes: Tel: 01945 897177 or 07852 349118. Email: jtlandscapes4@ gmail.com www.jtlandscapesuk.co.uk

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Your Finances

First Steps on the Investment Ladder by Tony Sharpe, Chartered Financial Planner

It can be scary to start putting your money into stocks and shares. Tony Sharpe looks at the benefits of taking independent financial advice. It’s been a long while since interest rates on cash savings were higher than the rate of inflation. As a result, we are finding that more and more people are looking to the stock market to deliver a better return on the money they want to put aside for their future needs. Investing is a serious business: there’s a long list of factors to take into account and it is always a good idea to get independent advice before committing your money to any particular route. It’s important to make sure that any adviser you consult is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as that will ensure firstly that the adviser has reached minimum standards of qualification and secondly that, if things go wrong, you have recourse to the Financial Ombudsman and the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (in most cases). The fact is that investing in stocks, shares and investment funds does involve risk. When we use our

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risk warnings at the bottom of articles, it’s not just to tick a box. It’s absolutely imperative that anyone who takes on investments understands that although there is the potential for above-inflation gains, there is no guarantee of a positive return and that there is a danger that you could lose some or all of the money you have invested. There’s a myriad of different types of investments we could recommend and as Independent Financial Advisers, we’ll consider options from the whole of the market. The value of an investment and the income from it could go down as well as up. The return at the end of the investment period is not guaranteed and you may get back less than you originally invested. The tax treatment of investments depends on individual circumstances and is subject to change. Almary Green and Smith & Pinching are Chartered Financial Planners. If you would like a no-cost exploratory review to discuss your financial planning arrangements with an adviser from either Almary Green or Smith & Pinching call us today on 01603 789966 or email enquiries@smith-pinching.co.uk.

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For all your Blinds, Awnings & Curtains

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We stock a substantial range of curtain accessories • Curtain Poles in both wood and metal, 28mm to 50mm

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• Curtain hooks, brass and metal • Curtain weights and leaded net weights • Tapes, buckram, Velcro tapes, weights • Curtain Lining (good quality) @ £2.99 per metre

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Legal

Is There Any Such Thing As A Common Law Husband Or Wife? BY DANIEL SIMS, SOLICITOR AT FRASER DAWBARNS

or the family dynamic in terms of one being the breadwinner, and the other raising the children.

It is commonly believed that parties who live together for any significant length of time gain similar legal rights to a married couple, but is this true? Currently, the legal status between married couples and unmarried cohabiting couples is very different, and unmarried couples should seriously consider entering into a ‘prenup’ type agreement to protect themselves. Spouses can make financial claims against the other in the event of divorce – the three main areas being capital assets, income and pensions. The courts have a range of powers in order to deal with these claims, and the starting point in any division will be an equal split. The situation for unmarried couples, however, is very different. Despite there being more than three million cohabiting couples in the UK, the law has not yet ‘caught up’ with this societal shift. At this point in time, cohabitees have no automatic financial claims upon their partners in the event of the relationship breaking down – there is no such thing as a ‘common law’ spouse in the eyes of the law. If an unmarried couple separate, there can be no claim for maintenance or pension sharing, irrespective of how long they had been together,

The only possible claim that could arise between unmarried couples would be in relation to property rights. If the property is jointly owned, both parties will either own the whole of the property or own a distinct share. If, however, the property is owned in only one of the partner’s names, the other would need to establish a ‘trust’ right, by showing that they had either directly contributed to the purchase of the property or to home improvements, and that there had always been express agreement about sharing the property. Should the partners take the dispute to court, the judge would look at all of the evidence, to try and determine what their intentions had been. Such cases can be complicated and expensive. This is where a Cohabitation Agreement can be useful. The agreement is like a ‘prenup’ for unmarried couples, recording their wishes, and providing a framework to sort out issues such as the payment of bills and the mortgage, and responsibility for debits, in the event of the relationship breaking down. The agreement could also include clauses to preserve or ‘ring-fence’ solely-owned assets. At the current time, it is not possible to guarantee that the agreement will be completely legally binding and upheld in its entirety by a court, but they are becoming more common, and can be bolstered if the partners have received independent legal advice and exchanged details of their bank statements, pay etc. Whilst proposing a Cohabitation Agreement may seem unromantic, unmarried couples should try to protect themselves, in the absence of any protection in the law.

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16/10/2018 20:46

Council Chairman’s Boost for Macmillan Cancer Support Christmas came early at Fenland Hall in March, back in early December, when more than £1,600 was donated to Macmillan Cancer Support. Fenland District Council Chairman, Cllr. Mrs Kay Mayor, presented a cheque for £1,653.82 to Macmillan’s March, Chatteris and District Committee on Tuesday, December 11th, following a series of fundraisers for the cause – her chosen charity for her year in office. Fundraising events held since September include Cllr. Mayor’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning event at Fenland Hall, quiz nights at the Council’s George Campbell Leisure Centre in March and Hudson Leisure Centre in Wisbech,

and a coffee morning at the Manor Leisure Centre in Whittlesey. Cllr. Mayor said: “Macmillan Cancer Support has been my chosen charity for my last two years in office. It’s such a fantastic cause, making a huge difference to the lives of cancer patients and their families every single day. Local fundraising efforts go a long way to ensuring its support can continue, so I’m delighted we have been able to raise this much. I’d like to thank everyone involved in last year’s fundraising efforts, including residents who attended the coffee mornings and quiz nights, council staff and fellow councillors, and the amazing staff at the leisure centres.”

Gillian Kime, secretary of Macmillan’s March, Chatteris and District Committee, said: “Whilst we are only a small committee, we remain as active today as we were when we formed fifty years ago. All the funds we raise and the donations we receive are used to provide care for the local cancer patients and their families.”

Wisbech Badminton Babes – Why Not Join in the Fun and Games? December saw some entertaining games with the Wisbech Badminton Babes. The Ladies played “tableteninton”, “short-tenninton” and badminton with balloons. Twenty ladies attended the Christmas fun night in celebration of another year of badminton play. The ladies went all out in fancy dress, introducing us to various Christmas characters and even an alien! Sue Titmarsh, one of the participants, said, “It was fantastic fun; we’re like a big family, supporting each other in badminton and having a great time. There was a lot of hysterical laughter on the courts. It’s great to round off our year with some light-hearted games, dressing-up and finishing it off with some fizz and food.” After the games, the ladies

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enjoyed a grand spread of finger food and a tipple to mark the onset of the festive season. Prizes were awarded for the three top teams and everyone was in good spirits, especially when the more adventurous and mischievous romped around in the ball pit, much to the amusement and hilarity of their badminton colleagues! Coach, Nishi Varma, said, “I’m very proud to be part of a group where ladies enjoy themselves,

Wisbech

do something different and support each other in the game and also socially. Lots of friendships and networks have been made over the last year. We have players from as young as 14 years to our veteran players at 71 years! This is a fully-inclusive group, open to any women from 14 years plus. If anyone would like to join our merry band, you’ll be warmly welcomed” The Wisbech Badminton Babes (WBB), meet at the Hudson Leisure Centre every Wednesday evening from 7-8pm for pay and play. Just turn up. The cost is only £2. No experience is necessary and equipment is provided. Some ladies also attend special coaching sessions, also every Wednesday at the Hudson from 6-7pm, again for only £2, payable on the court.

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Work Underway on New Wisbech Skate Park Scooter users, skateboarders and BMXers in Wisbech can soon enjoy a new home, as work on the town’s much-anticipated new skate park gets underway. It is hoped the £75,000 facility in Bath Road, Waterlees, will be completed this month. In January, Town and District Councillors met on site with the contractor and Fenland District Council’s open spaces team to see the good progress being made, and officially received a £30,000 grant towards the project from Clarion Futures, the charitable foundation of Clarion Housing Group. District Councillors Virginia and Michael Bucknor, who represent the Waterlees Village ward, have been championing support for an improved skate park for several years. The old skate park in Bath Road had reached the end of its useful life and was removed last year due to safety concerns. Since then, Fenland District Council, Wisbech Town Council, Cambridgeshire County Council and Clarion Futures have been working with residents and the ward’s Oasis Community Centre to help develop and fund the new skate park.

other key funding for the project has come from Section 106 contributions and Fenland District Council support. Councillor Peter Murphy, Fenland District Council’s portfolio holder for environment, said: “There has been a considerable amount of community support for this project and it’s been great to see a number of organisations and individuals working together to push it along. I also think it’s wonderful that the young people who will use the park have been involved in the final design.” Matt Parsonage, Head of Communities at Clarion Futures, said: “We are delighted to be supporting a project that has been led by the community and will give so much back to local people. Clarion Futures exists to provide new opportunities for our residents and we’re certain

the new skate park will benefit residents for many years to come.” Councillor Laura Cobb, one of the councillors who represents the Waterlees ward on Wisbech Town Council, said: “One of the reasons I stood to become a member of the Town Council was to try to achieve improvements to youth facilities on the Waterlees ward and to get the children what they want, need and deserve. I am over the moon a start has been made on this project and look forward to seeing it completed, along with further work on the ward in particular and the town in general.” Fenland District Council’s open spaces team will provide expertise to help build the new facility, alongside the engineering team, and will maintain the skate park once it is finished.

A community group was set up and a consultation launched to ask residents what features they’d like to see in the new facility and feedback received helped to shape its design. In addition to the grant from Clarion Futures,

Christmas Novelty Hunt Winner The Winner of our Christmas Novelty Hunt back in the December issue was Evie Webb aged 7, from Sutton Road, Leverington, Wisbech. Well done Evie!

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New Laurel and Hardy Club Opening Soon in Wisbech! The club will be a branch of the official Laurel and Hardy Appreciation Society, “Sons of the Desert”, and will be open to everyone. For more information, please phone 07460845845. Or, as the great men would have said, “Well, here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into!”

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Volunteers Jump on Board Fenland’s Travel Champions Initiative More volunteers have joined Fenland’s Travel Champions following a successful training session funded by CrossCountry. Fenland District Council received funding from the train operator’s Community Engagement Fund, on behalf of the Hereward Community Rail Partnership and Fenland Transport and Access Group (TAG), to deliver a free Travel Champion training session in March last month. The session was designed to teach volunteers about the transport options available locally and give them the knowledge and skills to share this with others, encouraging them to consider their travel choices and make better use of public transport. It followed training sessions which have already been delivered in Wisbech, as part of the council’s Wisbech Travel Choices project. Councillor David Oliver, the Council’s Portfolio Holder for Transport, said: “The Travel Champions training is all about inspiring people to make more

active and sustainable journeys every day, whether by walking and cycling or travelling by train or bus. We have already appointed a number of Travel Champions within local organisations, who are helping their staff and customers to use greener, healthier alternatives to cars, and we’d like to appoint more in local communities too.” Faye Lambert, Stakeholder Liaison Manager for CrossCountry, said: “Travel Champions is an outstanding idea; congratulations to the Hereward CRP for working closely with the community to provide a sustainable peoplefocused resource to encourage and support use of public transport. We are delighted to support this project and would like to thank the local people who have volunteered with such enthusiasm and commitment to be Travel Champions.” Volunteers who attended the training session said it was “enjoyable, engaging, educational and informative”,

helping to raise awareness of the means and methods of transport available and how to access it. Terry Jordan, clerk to Wisbech Town Council and member of Fenland TAG, said he attended the session to improve his knowledge and skills when giving advice about public transport. “These sessions are really important to reduce car use and encourage use of public transport,” he said. Retired resident Alan Walker said: “I rely on public transport to get around and would like to see it used more by everyone; showing people what options are available to them locally.” Anyone interested in becoming a Travel Champion can contact Fenland District Council on 01354 622318 or e-mail neighbourhoodstrategy@fenland. gov.uk to be added to the next training session waiting list. Training is free and open to anyone. Everyone who completes a training session will receive a Travel Champions bag, badge and handbook.

Mindfulness and Meditation Workshops to Bring Happiness to the Fens In a recent government Office of National Statistics survey, Fenland in Cambridgeshire saw the lowest happiness score. How are people in the Fens faring? What makes us the unhappiest population? And how can we help to improve the well-being of people in this area? Rachel from ‘Happy in the Moment’, a community and online group offering mindfulness and meditation workshops, and Hayley from New Horizon Therapy Centre, a counselling and hypnotherapy centre based in Wisbech, are ready to make a difference in the community. Working in collaboration with each other, they are providing mindfulness and meditation workshops for the people of Wisbech and the surrounding areas. Held at the Wisbech Library, each session runs for two hours, covering a different mindfulness topic each fortnight, guiding 34

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participants through meditation and working in time for group sharing and socialising. Rachel says: “Our mission is to inspire and empower people to live their best life and improve their sense of wellbeing through the tools and practice of mindfulness. We believe that, by increasing our self-awareness and delving deeper into our own minds, we are able to challenge and change unhelpful habits and behaviours, improve emotional resilience and learn strategies to help us cope with all of our problems. The NHS recognises that mindfulness meditation is beneficial for patients suffering from mental health difficulties. Mindfulness is shown to reduce depression, stress and anxiety and is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care

Wisbech

Excellence (NICE). Each session is affordable at only £10 for the two-hour workshops. There is no commitment required. However, the more sessions that they attend, the more they will notice positive changes in their lives” The first workshop was well attended by eighteen people. Councillor Peter Human and Mrs Janet Tanfield, Mayor and Mayoress of Wisbech, attended the first workshop of the new group to offer their support to this valuable new project. Clare Gunns, one of the workshop’s participants, commented, “It was inspiring. It made total sense how making small but powerful changes to my life and my thoughts could bring about positive changes.” For more information, visit www. happyinthemoment.com or call Rachel on 07780628422. fe br u a r y 2 0 1 9

Art

Matters

We bring you items of interest of Art in our community. If there is something you’d like us to cover or you have something to say please get in touch with Holly:

holly@discoveringmagazines.co.uk

“Darwinian Man, though well-behav’d, at best is only a monkey shav’d!” Gilbert and Sullivan, Iolanthe, 1882 by Aldo Ierubino. If you have ever visited Coleton Fishacre House, (a National Trust property) near Dartmouth, built in 1923-6 for Rupert D’Oyly Carte by the architect Oswald Milne, you will have an idea of the artistic flair and cultural interests of the family. The carefully landscaped Arts and Craft style architecture of the building, complemented by an Art Deco interior, represented the quintessential holiday or weekend ‘country house’ for the wealthy of the period. The D’Oyly Carte name, under the patriarch Richard (1844-1901), was synonymous with the Comedy Opera Company, and the Savoy Theatre which became the home of the Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas. The fourteen operas they wrote between 1871 and 1896, of which Trial by Jury, HMS Pinafore, the Pirates of Penzance, the Mikado and Iolanthe are amongst the best known, established their collaboration as librettist and composer, and made a fortune for the D’Oyly Carte family. Music purists suggest that this kind of light opera or operetta combining operatic singing with acting and comedy, cannot be compared with the tradition of European opera which in the 19th century was largely dominated by Italian composers such as Giuseppe Verdi, Rossini, Donizetti, Mascagni and Leoncavallo. However, they are wrong insofar as they miss the fact that

opera in all its forms was very popular with 19th-century audiences both in Britain and the continent. Today, opera has become largely the preserve of the elite and wealthy, to the point that English National Opera felt it necessary to offer free tickets to under 18s for its spring 2019 season, in an attempt to promote future audiences. The commercialisation of music in Victorian Britain, in terms of the availability of sheet music, manufacture of musical instruments especially pianos, as well as performances to cater for every taste and social group, meant that a clear distinction had arisen between art music and popular music. This, combined with the growth of urban populations, largely made up of the middle and working class, provided a fertile ground for the development of an entertainment industry catering for the needs of the non-elite. This was the space that Richard D’Oyly Carte and his Comedy Opera Company, came to inhabit, which through the work of Gilbert and Sullivan shaped the character of popular music in the latter part of the 19th century, leaving us with this rich cultural heritage. If you would like to experience some of the charm from this period of popular musical culture, the Wisbech Music Society is hosting Tim Hurst-Brown and Peter Hewitt in their presentation of “The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan”, at the Grammar School Wisbech on Friday February 8th at 07:30 pm. For further information, please contact the secretary, William Morris, 01945 463230.

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Wisbech

History

Joseph Medworth: Making a Mark in the Landscape by Aldo Ierubino, Wisbech Society.

In order to leave their mark on the landscape, builders of the Neolithic period erected Stonehenge; the Romans built amphitheatres and circuses; the Papacy built St Peter’s Basilica and the Great Piazza before it; Georgian Bath had its Royal Circus and the Royal Crescent; and Wisbech has its Crescent and The Castle. What do they all have in common? All call upon the form of the circle, oval or ring to create structures that mark out a place of special significance. When Joseph Medworth (1752–1827) bought the site of the castle in Wisbech in 1792, he was buying a place of great historical significance going back to the Norman Conquest, upon which many significant structures had stood, culminating with the building of Cromwell’s Secretary of State, John Thurloe’s mansion in 1656. Medworth decided to add to that tradition and history by doing two things that were truly outstanding, if not shocking. The first was to demolish Thurloe’s magnificent mansion in 1816, which had dominated the site defined by the outer walled perimeter of the original castles that had stood on the site. The second was to plan an entirely new ‘urban centre’ for Wisbech which could rival the architectural splendour and social significance of the existing Georgian Brinks.

To that end, notwithstanding the fact that he was not an architect, or much of a trained builder, (he was a bricklayer by trade), Medworth set about creating a ‘town plan’ that was as ambitious as it was eclectic and ultimately visionary: to create a crescent around an oval centre with his own villa at its head and a large square before it, opening onto the vista of the church of St Peter and St Paul. To mark the entrance to that square he placed Castle Lodge on one side and probably intended to have a ‘mirror’ building on the other side, (the present site of the Wisbech Museum) if the land had not already been in the ownership of a certain Mr Hardwicke. His approach to ‘planning’ was both grand and visionary; however, his approach to building was somewhat more pragmatic. He recycled the building materials derived from demolishing Thurloe’s mansion, using them to build his own villa (The Castle), and Castle Lodge. This is clearly evident in the re-use of the stonework such as the window architraves and quoining in both buildings, the re-use of the main door and balcony (Castle Lodge) and the garden balcony for his villa, (now replaced with a modern structure). For the houses that were to form the Crescent his approach was more prosaic in that he used standard building materials relying upon the relative uniformity of the facades to create the sweep and order of the structure but varying the depth of these buildings according to the available land in order to create a range of dwellings to suit the needs of the day. Seen from above, his realised plan is a dramatic structure which was entirely modern and at the same time called upon ancient forms. This was the equivalent of making a mark on the landscape through geometry and symbols of fertility akin to those giant chalk figures carved into the English countryside. However, of greater symbolic meaning here is very obvious ‘turning of his back’ on the town authorities across the river on the North Brink by ostentatiously orienting his entire plan to face the Church of St Peter and St Paul.

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Valentine's Day 2.0 - by Holly-Jean

If you're an avid reader of the Discovering magazines, you might remember my incredibly smooshy, yet slightly cynical, article from February 2018, about Valentine's Day. Well, this article will be very much the same as last year's. Soppy/cynical 2.0, if you will. Valentine’s Day, or as I like to call it, the marmite holiday. You either love it or hate it. You go all out, or not at all. You either buy a billion roses or jokingly gag as you see the soppy cards in Sainsburys. If you're one of these people who love Valentine's Day, keep reading. I'm going to get real deep, really quickly. If you don't love it? Skip down to the bottom, where I try to be funny. 'To love a person is to see all of their magic. And to remind them of it when they have forgotten.' As you're reading this quote, who are you thinking about? Your signiﬁcant other? Parent or family member? Best friend? Dog? Or are you thinking about yourself? That's okay too, you know. If you're thinking of yourself, actually, that's brilliant. There's another famous quote about loving yourself ﬁrst. And, I think this is so important. I know that when my self-esteem is low, it affects the way I act with my partner. It makes me needy! I can't stress this enough, you need to love yourself before you can fully love someone else. And then, once that's mastered, you can fully love someone else. You can fall in love with every bit of magic inside them. You can love them at their best and at their worst, even when they're the biggest idiot in the whole world and you want to throttle them. I'm not a love expert, by any means. But I think if there's one thing I'm really good at, is showing how much someone means to me. This is key for 40 D I SRYC2019 O V F E BRUA

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me. People need to know they're loved and that they're important to you! Show them in every single way you can. Here's a little funny anecdote. My boyfriend is absolutely brilliant, and last year I wrote about him accidentally, inadvertently calling me podgy, (he really didn't, I'm still overreacting a year on), but still. Well, here's a cracker that topped that. Everyone tells me I don't suit wearing white jeans. But I really want to be able to wear white jeans. So, I asked my boyfriend, "Do you think I'll look fat in white jeans?"... expecting a "you could NEVER look fat." No, no. I received a pretty blunt, "Well, I've never seen you in white jeans." It was a year ago, I am still mad. I sought my revenge on Valentine's Day last year. I thought I'd bought him the best presents... I thought we were doing funny presents that year. I was wrong. When I opened mine from him, I cried? A star. He bought me a star. And while the tears of joy and love rolled down my face, he went to open his presents from his loving girlfriend. I made a mistake. As he opened them, I could tell that he knew that this was for the whole white jeans malarkey. I wrote, 'I love you, idiot' in his card. So, he should have seen it coming. For that Valentine’s, he received a tape measure (an electric one, pretty cool actually), and a T-shirt with my face on it. I’ll do better this year. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone, love without limits.

D I S C O V E R I N G uMarch fe br a r y 2 0 1 915

Fre e ig n De s

Esti Fre e m at es

VALENTINEʼS DAY TREAT

For all you Romantics! UK NUMBER ONE ʻLOVEʼ SONGS Fill in the gaps, either with the title or the performer:

Cliff Richard and The S – – – – – – : I Love You (1960)

12) W – – – – – – H – – – – – – : I Will Always Love You (1992)

Frank Ifield: L – – – – – – – Blues (1962)

The S – – – – – – – : Baby Love (1964)

13) M – – – L – – – : I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) (1993)

L – – – A – – – – – : Everlasting Love (1968) 14) Jennifer L – – – – : Love Don't Cost A Thing (2001) 5) D – – – – O – – – – – : Puppy Love (1972) 15) B – – – – E – – – P – – -– : Where Is The 6) Rubettes: S – – – – B – – – L – – – (1974) Love? (2003) 7) S – – – – – – – – – : Can't Give You 16) Cheryl C – – – : Fight For This Love (2009) Anything (But My Love) (1975) 17) Scouting for G – – – – : This Ain't a Love 8) Dr Hook: When You're In Love With A Song (2010) B – – – – – – – – W – – – – (1979) 18) Gabrielle A – – – – : The Power of Love (2012) 9) R – – – – and R – – – – – : Save Your 19) Cheryl Cole feat. T – – – – T – – – – – : Love (1982) Crazy Stupid Love (2014) 10) F – – – – – – – – : I Want To Know 20) E – – – – G – – – – – – – : Love Me Like You What Love Is (1985) Do (2015) 11) Housemartins: C – – – – – – Of Love (1986) 4)

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ANSWERS 1) Shadows, 2) Lovesick, 3) Supremes, 4) Love Affair, 5) Donny Osmond, 6) Sugar Baby Love, 7) Stylistics, 8) Beautiful Woman, 9) Renee and Renato, 10) Foreigner, 11) Caravan, 12) Whitney Houston, 13) Meat Loaf, 14) Lopez, 15) Black Eyed Peas, 16) Cole, 17) Girls, 18) Aplin, 19) Tinie Tempah, 20) Ellie Goulding.

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D I S C O V E R I N G

Wisbech

What's On

Sponsored by Wisbech Town Council

Events - February 2019 services and the local agencies that we work with. We would be delighted if you could support this event. Please RSVP to Rachel Milsome rachel.milsome@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

23 February - 7 April - Peckover House Tours from Monday - Thursday at 11.45 am, 1.15 pm and 2.45 pm. For more information, and to book, please visit www.nationaltrust. org.uk/peckover. rd

22nd - Improvised Book Club at Wisbech Library from 7.30 pm. Doors open at 7.15pm. Tickets: £7 standard, £4/£5 concessions. Running time: 1 hour, plus an interval. Suitable for: Adults and Young People (16+ yrs). Clean, non-offensive comedy. Join award-winning, improvised comedy troupe Do Not Adjust Your Stage as they create comic scenes and sketches on the spot, inspired by books from the library and audience anecdotes. Comedy straight off the shelf! “Impressive, spontaneous, creative and hilarious” (Everything Theatre). Licensed bar.

23rd - King & I at the Ex-Services Club from 9 pm.

Entertainment nights are open to everyone. If you would like to use the club on a regular basis we would like you to become

a member. Single membership £25.00, Double membership £30.00. For more information, please call 01945 584672.

27th - Fenland Family History Society meeting, in Wisbech

Library, from 7 pm - 9 pm. With guest speaker Sam Godley who will be talking about one-name studies. Everyone is welcome to attend. We ask for a £2 donation from visitors. Our computer research sessions are free to anyone interested in researching their family history and need help with their research, no matter where your family originated.

February 16th & 17th Thomas Branch Line Tickets online at www.nvr.org.uk Nene Valley Railway, Wansford Station, Old Great North Road, Stibbington, PE8 6LR • Telephone: 01780 784444

Regular Events & Clubs Monday Three Counties Running Club meet at Wisbech Police Station, 7 pm 8 pm. Sessions are free for anyone. If you wish for more information, or to join this club, please visit www.threecountiesrc.org or search Three Counties Running Club, on Facebook. Wisbech and District Camera Club, who are coming up to their 70th anniversary in January 2020, meet at Elgood’s Fenland Stadium, 380 Lynn Road, PE14 7AL, on a Monday night throughout September to May. For more information or to join, please contact Secretary David Hodgson on 01945 465126. Wisbech IPMS Scale Model Club meets twice monthly at the Community Room of Wisbech Tesco, on the 2nd and 4th Monday between 7 pm and 10 pm. All scales, genre and experience welcome. For more information, please visit www.wipms.co.uk. Mixed Badminton for Social Games at fun prices. Only £2 at the Hudson Centre, Wisbech, every Monday from 7 pm - 8 pm. All abilities are welcome. Coaching and equipment provided if necessary. Boogie Tots runs every Monday at the Queen Mary Centre, Wisbech, from 10 am - 11 am. For more information, please contact Gary Tustin on garytustin25@gmail.com. TUESDAy Three Counties Running Club meet at Wisbech Park, from 9.30 am. Sessions are free for anyone. If you wish for more information, or to join this club, please visit www.threecountiesrc.org or search Three Counties Running Club, on Facebook. The Fenland Family History Society meets at Wisbech Library from 10 am - 12 noon on the first Tuesday of the month. These are drop-in sessions where we try to help visitors with their family research. Walking Football every Tuesday at the Hudson Centre, Wisbech. £2 a session. Forever fit session’s short mat bowls, new age curling and table tennis every Tuesday from 11:30 am -1 pm, £2 a session. Yoga at the Oasis Centre, Wisbech, every Tuesday from 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm. Free entry! WEDNESDAY Three Counties Running Club meet at Leverington Sports and

f e brua ry 2019

Social Club from 7 pm - 8 pm. Sessions are free for anyone. If you wish for more information, or to join this club, please visit www. threecountiesrc.org or search Three Counties Running Club, on Facebook. Walking group, every Wednesday from 11 am at the Oasis Centre, Wisbech. Free entry. The Wisbech Badminton Babes (WBB), meet at the Hudson Leisure Centre every Wednesday evening from 7-8pm for pay and play. Just turn up. Cost is only £2. No experience is necessary as equipment is provided. Some ladies also attend special coaching sessions, also every Wednesday at the Hudson from 6-7pm. Cost is £2, payable on the court. Men’s Club which meets at Mendi’s Restaurant 22-23 Old Market, PE13 1NB on the second Wednesday of every month. For more information, place contact Tracey Saberton 01945 588380. THURSDAY Walking Netball every Thursday from 9:30 am - 10:30 am at the Hudson Centre, Wisbech, £2 a session. FRIDAY: Three Counties Running Club meet at Long Sutton Church at 7 pm. Sessions are free for anyone. If you wish for more information, or to join this club, please visit www.threecountiesrc.org or search Three Counties Running Club, on Facebook. Table Tennis, every Friday from 1 pm - 3 pm at Wisbech Table Tennis Club, £1 a session. SATURDAY Wisbech and Fenland Museum’s special family Saturdays! From 10 am - 4 pm. There will be different events on, so for more information, please look at the website www.wisbechmuseum.org.uk or drop in! This will only be until the 12th February so be quick! SUNDAY Fenland Foragers meet every 2nd Sunday of the month, in the car park for the Nature Reserve, Ring’s End PE15 0BE, to help preserve the nature reserve. This group includes free forest schooling and bush craft for children. For more information, please call Hayley on 07962337988.

D I S C O V E R I N G

Wisbech

Entertainment

This Month at the Movies with The Light Cinema Wisbech

Green Book

Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Boy Erased

ROH – Don Quixote

Check out what February has to offer... Green Book, released on January 30th, was inspired by true friendship and sure to be an Oscar contender. We follow the journey of Dr Don Shirley, a world class African pianist about to embark on a concert tour in 1962. In need of a driver and protection, Shirley recruits Tony, a working class Italian-American bouncer from the Bronx, and the unlikely duo strike up an unexpected bond whilst confronting racism and danger in an era of segregation. Community matters to us, so come along to our ‘dementia-friendly’ screening on February 11th of the iconic 1955 romantic thriller To Catch A Thief starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Dementia-friendly screenings are made that much more special by providing you with free refreshments supplied to us by Iceland Foods and live interval entertainment with Sally Rose and Paul Hayward of Back Two. Tickets are £5, and all carers go in for free with no need for a CEA card. Join us on February 1st for biographical comedy drama Can You Ever Forgive Me? Based on Lee Israel’s 2008 memoir of the same name. Melissa McCarthy stars as Lee, the best-selling celebrity biographer who made her living in the 1970s and 1980s proﬁling the likes of Katharine Hepburn and Estee Lauder. When Lee found herself unable to get published because she had fallen out of step with the marketplace, she turned her art form to deception, abetted by her loyal friend Jack (Richard E. Grant). On February 8th we see the release of Boy Erased, a powerful drama starring Russell Crowe as a Baptist minister and Nicole Kidman as his 60 46

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evangelical wife who send their son to Christian conversion therapy after he comes out as gay. With moving performances and a thoughtful script that tells the heart-wrenching story of a young gay man tackling his faith and identity, this movie ultimately stresses the importance of acceptance. Book your tickets now for February 19th as we have a stunning screening of Don Quixote, a story of love and friendship triumph in Carlos Acosta’s vibrant production of this dazzling ballet from the Royal Opera House. Fancy a mid-week movie treat? Check out our offer! Sign up to our online membership (for free!) and get tickets for just £5 Monday to Friday before noon and all day every Tuesday and Wednesday, any ﬁlm. Plus, get the latest news and offers straight to your inbox. Head over to our website and start saving.

For more information and to book tickets visit www.lightcinemas.co.uk Cromwell Road, Wisbech PE14 0RG Please note that ﬁlms are subject to change and not guaranteed to show in all cinemas.

FE br BR u Ua Ar Ry Y 2019 fe

SEE AND RIDE BEHIND THOMAS AT THE NENE VALLEY RAILWAY Join him as he returns to Steam at Wansford 16th & 17th, 23rd & 24th February Thomas’ Half term weekends Travel behind Thomas on his Branch Line to Yarwell and back • See Thomas running around the yard with some naughty trucks at Wansford • Travel to Peterborough and back on the main train • Thomas will depart Wansford at 10:00, 11:45, 14:00 • Buy a Rover ticket and travel all day Adults £16 Senior £13 Child £8 Dogs £1 Family £40 (2A and 3C)

COME AND JOIN THOMAS ON HIS BIG ADVENTURE,

AS HE TAKES THE MAIN LINE TO PETERBOROUGH WITH HIS SPECIAL TRAIN

SUNDAY 19TH MAY Thomas fun for all the family on this very special trip

All classes £16.50, under 1’s FREE

• Ride behind Thomas on his special train as he takes the main line to Peterborough • Goody Bags for all children over 1 • Help Thomas take water at Peterborough • Meet the Driver and Fireman

Tickets online at www.nvr.org.uk Nene Valley Railway, Wansford Station, Old Great North Road, Stibbington, PE8 6LR • Telephone: 01780 784444

Charity No. 263617

Entertainment Churches

St. Peter and St. Paul Parish Church Church Terrace, Wisbech PE13 1HP 01945 582508 The King’s Church Queen Mary Centre, Wisbech PE13 2PE, 01945 467413 Our Lady & Saint Charles Borromeo Church 69 Queens Rd, Wisbech PE13 2QR 01945 583466 Wisbech Baptist Church Hill St, Wisbech PE13 1BD, 01945 461291 Parish Church of All Saints Walsoken The Rectory, Church Rd, Wisbech PE13 3RA, 01945 583740 Trinity Methodist Church 17 Church Terrace, Wisbech PE13 1BL St Augustine’s Church St Augustine’s Road, Wisbech, PE13 3AH 07874 245683 Wisbech and Long Sutton URC Church Castle Mews, Wisbech PE13 1EH 01945 461782 Wisbech Christian Spiritualist Church Castle Mews, Wisbech PE13 1EH 01945 461782 RCCG, (Redeemed Christian Church of God), Throne of Grace 6, Union Place Castle Square, Wisbech, PE13 1EH, 07479 022106 St. Leonard’s Church 35 Gorefield Road, Leverington, Wisbech PE13 5AS, 01945 581486 Erratum Church Mews, Falcon Rd, Wisbech PE13 1AU The Parish Church of All Saints Elm Main Road, Elm, Wisbech PE14 0AF Methodist Church 7 Cannon Close, Wisbech St Mary, Wisbech PE13 4RB St John the Baptist’s Church Parson Drove, Main Road, Wisbech PE13 4LF St. Paul’s Church High Road, Gorefield, Wisbech PE13 4NY The Salvation Army John Thompson Road, Wisbech PE13 2NF, 01945 461416 Friends Meeting House 23 N Brink, Wisbech PE13 1JR Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses 55 Tinkers Drove, Wisbech PE13 3PQ

Schools

Wisbech Grammar School 47 N Brink, Wisbech PE13 1JX 01945 583631 Orchards Church of England Academy Cherry Rd, Wisbech PE13 3NP 01945 583799 Thomas Clarkson Academy Corporation Road, Wisbech PE13 2SE 01945 585237 Elm Road Primary School 55 Elm Rd, Wisbech PE13 2TB 01945 584591 Ramnoth Junior School Ramnoth Rd, Wisbech PE13 2JB 01945 583690

Club Guide Clarkson Infant and Nursery School Trafford Road, Wisbech PE13 2ES 01945 584867 St Peter’s Church of England Junior School Trafford Road, Wisbech PE13 2ES 01945 583570 Meadowgate Academy Meadowgate Lane, Wisbech PE13 2JH, 01945 461836 Leverington Primary Academy 104 Church Road, Leverington, Wisbech PE13 5DE, 01945 584915 Nene Infants and Nursery School Norwich Road, Wisbech PE13 2AP 01945 583907 Marshland High School 75 School Rd, West Walton, Wisbech PE14 7HA, 01945 584146 Cambian Wisbech School 32 Somers Road, Wisbech PE13 1JF 0800 138 1184 West Walton Primary School 95 School Rd, West Walton, Wisbech PE14 7HA, 01945 583620 Wisbech St Mary Church of England Academy Church Road, Wisbech St Mary, Wisbech PE13 4RJ, 01945 410312 Peckover Primary School Leverington Road, Wisbech PE13 1PJ 01945 584741 Gorefield Primary School 69 High Road, Gorefield, Wisbech PE13 4NB, 01945 870321 TBAP Unity Academy - Fenland 2 Algores Way, Wisbech PE13 2TQ 01945 583235 Marshland St James VC Primary School and Nursery School Rd, Wisbech PE14 8EY 01945 430378 Magdalene House North Brink, Wisbech PE13 1JX 01945 586780

Sports

Wisbech Town FC 380 Lynn Road, Wisbech PE14 7AL 01945 581511 Wisbech Rugby Club Chapel Road, Wisbech PE13 1RG 01945 481500 24/7 Fitness Gym Cromwell Road, Wisbech PE14 0RG 01945 584869 Leverington Sports and Social Club Church Road, Leverington, PE13 3RA PE13 5DE, 01945 465082 Wisbech Lawn Tennis Club Harecroft Rd, Wisbech PE13 1RL 07747 637648 Fenland Gymnastics Academy 21 Algores Way, Wisbech PE13 2TQ 07895 982059 Wisbech Town Cricket Club Harecroft Rd, Wisbech PE13 1RL Lakers 5 Anglia Way, Wisbech PE13 2TY 01945 466900 Shapers Gym 18 North St, Wisbech PE13 1NP 01945 589100 The Mark Farnham Schools of Tae Kwon-Do Queens Community Centre, Queens Rd, Wisbech PE13 2PE, 07771 644460 Avaddon Academy 27 Boleness Rd, Wisbech PE13 2RB 07798 872447

Pro Martial Arts School Harecroft Rd, Wisbech PE13 1RL 07932 962397 Stars Kickboxing Wisbech Town Football Club, 405 Lynn Road, Wisbech PE14 7AL, 07912 790988 The Poppy Rooms 1, Alexandra House, 33 Alexandra Road, Wisbech PE13 1HQ 01945 586971 Fenland Running Club Chapel Rd, Wisbech PE13 1RG Chestnut Farm Equestrian Centre 109 St Paul’s Rd S, Walton Highway, Wisbech PE14 7DD, 01945 581688 Wisbech Karate School Hudson Leisure Centre, Harecroft Road, Wisbech PE13 1RL 07843 414433 Ironworks Gym 3, Europa Way, Wisbech PE13 2TZ 01945 585800 Yoga Classes Meet at the Trinity Methodist Church on Monday’s 7-8.15pm and Elm Primary School on Wednesday’s 7-8.15pm. Tutor Name Peter, Mobile: 07905 601585, email:pabamullins206@ ntlworld.com The Alexandra Road Bowls Club meets at the Wisbech Conservative Club, PE13 1HQ. For more information on this club, please contact Chairman Perry Hall on 01945 588875 CMB Bowls Club on Railway Road; for more information, please contact Paul Bennett on 01945 480857

Youth

Alove Youth Centre John Thompson Rd, Wisbech PE13 2NF, 01945 461416 Queen Mary Centre Queens Rd, Wisbech PE13 2PE 01945 581444 8 - 16 Fenland Archaeology Wisbech & Fenland museum, Museum Square, Wisbech PE13 1ES 07542 312 692.

Clubs

Boogie Tots Queen Street Mary Centre, 10am – 11am Mondays. Tel 07807 951771 Wisbech Sea Cadets 19 Sandyland, Wisbech PE13 1NX 01945 870003 Wisbech & District Ex-Services Club Alexandra Road, Wisbech PE13 1HQ 01945 584672 Wisbech Working Men’s Conservative Club 29 Hill St, Wisbech PE13 1BD 01945 583746 Walton Highway Village Club New Club Site, Walton Highway, Wisbech PE14 7DF, 01945 582479 Thursday Tea Dance Club Meets every Thursday in Walsoken village hall 2pm to 4pm contact Mrs Angela Weldon on 07761730178. NHS Retirement Fellowship Meets 1.30pm-4pm the last Wednesday of the month in the Rosmini Centre, Queen’s Road, Wisbech, Kirkgate Church Walsoken. Contact Mrs Jenny Sirett 01945 860589

Monday Senior Citizens Club Meets every other Monday in St Raphael Club, Love Lane,Wisbech, 2-4pm. Contact Mrs Janet Stevens 01945 588231 or Pat Alen 01945 582559 The Kit (Keep in Touch) Club Meets third Wednesday of month in Robert Hall Centre, St Augustines Road, Wisbech, 10am-noon. Contact Miss Penny Duce 01945 881383. Good Companions Meets every other Thursday in Wisbech St Mary Village Hall, 2-4.30pm. Contact Mr B Hayden 01945 410708 or Anthony Norris 01945 410452 Age Concern Lunch Club Meets every two weeks on a Tuesday in the Bridge Inn, Wisbech St Mary, 12-2pm. Contact Mrs M Palmer 01945 410511. Clarkson Singers Octavia Hill’s Birthplace Museum Trust, Tuesday Evenings from 7 pm - 9.30 pm. www.choirsites.co.uk/Clarkson Wisbech and District Historical Vehicle Club 1st Monday of every month at 7.30 pm at Elgood’s Stadium. www. brmmbrmm.com/wisbech Wisbech Stroke Club 2nd & last Friday every month 1.15pm at Wisbech library. 07501 980603 or brian.sandall@virgin.net Wisbech & District Talking Newspaper Looking for volunteers and “listeners” to output three one hour memory sticks each month. Secretary Kim Maclachlan on 07908 258778 or Chair Ann Shippey on 01945 583916. St Augustine’s Day Centre St Augustine’s Parish Centre, St Augustine’s Road, Wisbech, PE13 3AH 01945 585595. Wisbech Mixed Bridge Club Meet every Thursday 6.45pm at WWMCC, 29 Hill Street, Wisbech. No partner necessary. Call 01945 464608 for more details.

Museums

Wisbech and Fenland Museum Museum Square, Wisbech PE13 1ES, 01945 583817 Fenland and West Norfolk Aviation Museum Old Lynn Road, West Walton, Wisbech PE14 7DA, 01945 461771 The Castle Museum Square, 1-2 The Crescent, Wisbech PE13 1ES, 07831 616127 Octavia Hill’s Birthplace House 7 South Brink, Wisbech PE13 1JB 01945 476358

Doctors’ Surgeries

Clarkson Surgery 9 De Havilland Road, Wisbech PE13 3AN 01945 583133 Trinity Surgery 29 St Augustines Road, Wisbech PE13 3UZ, 01945 476999 Parson Drove Surgery Main Rd, Parson Drove, Wisbech PE13 4JA, 01945 700223 North Brink Practice 7 North Brink, Wisbech, Cambs PE13 1JU, 01945 660460

Throne Of Grace Pentecostal Church located in the heart of Wisbech Town Centre

Our service

Sunday Celebration Service from 12:00pm Wednesday Bible study from 6:00pm

FOREST SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

with ‘Fenland Foragers’ 11am-12.30pm every Friday from 1st March-5th April and 3rd May-7th June 2019

PLEASE BRING A DRINK AND SNACK WITH YOU.

At Rings End Nature Reserve, we’ve got exciting activities for all the family. You’ll get a chance to explore natural habitats and discover the art of wild play. £70 for a 6 week session per child with a discount for siblings. Suitable for children of all ages, but they must be accompanied by an adult. To book your place, contact Hayley Dolbear on 07962 337988 or email hdolbear@aol.com

RINGS END NATURE RESERVE, MARCH PE15 OBE

For all your self-drive hire requirements CARS • VANS • LUTONS MINI BUSES (7 to 17 seats with seatbelts)

7.5 TONNE WITH TAIL LIFT United Reformed Church Building, 6 Union Place, Castle Square, Wisbech PE13 1EH T: 07479 022106 E: info@rccgthroneofgracewisbech.org or throneofgraceuk@gmail.com Website: rccgthroneofgracewisbech.org f e brua ry 2019

Daily, Weekly & Monthly Rates Contract Hire • Continental Hire RAC Cover • Collection & Delivery Competitive prices include:

Unlimited Mileage, VAT & Insurance Waiver

T: (01945) 582458 or 465059 info@easternrentavan.com www.easternrentavan.com

LYNN ROAD, WISBECH, CAMBS PE14 7AL D I S C O V E R I N G

Wisbech

The Technology Site

Microsoft Windows 7 ‘End of Life’ - Beware of the Dangers - Act Now! - Advice from Diamond Byte Solutions In one year from now, (January 2020), Microsoft will discontinue all support and updates, including security updates for Windows 7. This is called ‘End of life’, which basically means that an application or operating system is no longer supported by the company that makes it.

security fixes will be issued by Microsoft for Windows 7. A firewall and anti-virus are not sufficient protection, as hackers can still exploit vulnerabilities within these operating systems, thus enabling them to gain access to your files and personal data.

As we have mentioned before, running ‘End of life’, old or infrequently updated software on your computer is dangerous, and whilst many software developers continue to release updates to fix security issues, this is not always the case. So, what are the dangers of ‘Endof-life’ software? • Software incompatibility: New applications are optimised for the most recent operating systems, meaning that when using EOL operating systems, you can’t upgrade to the latest, more improved applications. Any legacy applications you insist on hanging onto have already reached their EOL or they will soon.

• Compliance issues: Regulated industries like healthcare and e-commerce deal with lots of sensitive customer data. Entrusting personal and or critical information to a decadeold OS or an unsecured application, could, in addition to security lapses, result in big fines, company shutdowns, or possible prison time. • High operating costs: The costs of maintaining and fixing bugs on any post-EOL software can be high. The expense of paying Microsoft to patch an EOL operating system can be more expensive than simply replacing it. Let alone the high cost of a critical app failing.

• Poor performance and reliability: If you’re still running legacy apps or old versions of Windows, then you must be using archaic computers and servers, once again adding to your risk since any out-of-warranty devices are likely to break down. If you are running a business, downtime alone could be more expensive than an overdue upgrade. Our advice to anyone still using Windows 7 is to upgrade to Windows 10 as soon as possible. It supports apps that can be used across multiple devices, including PCs, tablets, and smartphones; it also supports both touchscreen and keyboard/ mouse input methods; it is faster than Windows 7, and provides so many other useful benefits. Yes, there are differences between the two interfaces but, as a Windows user, you should catch on quickly enough.

• Security vulnerabilities: As mentioned above, no more

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fe br u a r y 2 0 1 9

Introducing affordable websites for local businesses

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Wisbech

fe br u a r y 2 0 1 9

DIRECTorY Business FEATURE OF THE MONTH...

Mr Clever Clean Peterborough for Trust, Respect and Customer Satisfaction Mr Clever Clean Peterborough is owned and run by Connor Drummond and Leah Page. Connor took over the Peterborough and surrounding areas when he bought one of the franchises from his mum and dad, Mark Cave and Bridgett Drummond in June last year, (when they decided to franchise the business to move on to a narrow boat!) The firm provide external cleaning, which includes driveways, patios, guttering, roofs, render cleaning and chimney sweeping. With their combined skills, they continue to establish the company’s reputation, ensuring that the overriding principle of high levels of customer satisfaction is achieved and maintained. Repeat customers highlight their working relationship is based on trust

and respect, often allowing them to complete the clean without the customer needing to take time out of their busy lives. Mr Clever Clean Peterborough use a cloud-based, customer management system that ensures that they can respond to enquiries promptly and efficiently - from the initial enquiry right the way through to the completion of your clean. The success of the firm has led them to take on more commercial work, working closely with the council and schools. In Connor’s words, “We pride ourselves on our returning customers and ensure that our new customers want to use us again in the future. We would like to thank everyone for using us and getting us to where we are today”.

Tel: 01778 329010 Web: www.mrcleverclean.com

Soft Washing Roof Cleaning Driveway Cleaning Patio Cleaning Gutter Cleaning Chimney Sweeping

Tel: 01945577010

www.mrcleverclean.com

BUILDING AND ROOFING

GARDEN SERVICES

Garden maintenance

NEED A QUALITY ROOFING SERVICE?

A&L TREE & GARDEN SERVICES

ALL TYPES OF GARDEN MAINTENANCE UNDERTAKEN

● Emergency Service for Storm Damage Repairs ● Flat Roofs - New or Repaired ● Repointing/Rebedding of Ridge Tiles ● Retiling or Slating PLEASE ● New Gutter Fascias PHONE FOR A ● Chimney Stacks Repointed PROMPT FREE ● Roof Colour Coating Available ESTIMATE ● All Work Guaranteed

A&L ROOFING & UPVC FITTERS

Tel: 01945 781276 / 07876 713942 Office: Little Acre, Seadyke Road, Murrow, Cambs, PE13 4SD

DOG GROOMING

DOMESTIC & COMMERCIAL

● All kinds of TREES and HEDGES topped, pruned, shaped & felled ● Roots destroyed and rubbish removed ● Fully Insured Phone for a Free Estimate

01945 781276 07876 713942

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

Posh Paws

Mobile Dog Grooming • We come to you • Fully Insured Please call Alison for an appointment:

07657 617585

installers of

WINDOWS | DOORS | CONSERVATORIES

T: 01354 655200 dan@aogwindows.co.uk www.aogwindows.co.uk

174 Station Road, March, Cambs PE15 8NG

f e bruary 2019 | www.disc o v e ri n g m a g a zi n e s . c o . u k

PINE TREE CARE & LANDSCAPES LTD

Tree Felling, Pruning, Shaping & Crowning Hedges Pruned & Shaped Overgrown Gardens Cleared Waste Removed Fencing/Patios/Turfing/Power Washing All work fully guaranteed No deposits required • OAP discounts

CALL STEVE TODAY 01945 898314/07780 929409 pinetreecare1@gmail.com

TREE SURGERY

ALL ASPECTS OF TREE SURGERY FOR WISBECH, MARCH, CHATTERIS AND SURROUNDING AREAS: • Felling, shaping and pruning • 24hr emergency service • Stump grinding and removal • All waste removed • Fully insured CALL TODAY FOR A FREE QUOTATION

T: 01945 450082 M: 07711 897089

www.bowlestreeandgardenservices.co.uk

Folleys Drove, Guyhirn, Wisbech

Winter Business Directory

News

GRANTS OF UP TO £5000 AVAILABLE TO IMPROVE DISUSED LAND AND BUILDINGS – By Steve Barclay MP

Constantine House before (May 6th 2014)

ack when I was first elected, I repeatedly questioned the lack of action to resolve the derelict buildings in North East Cambridgeshire, only to be told by councils that landlords refused to act. I found this unacceptable and researched in the House of Commons library for a way to resolve this. I uncovered some old legislation called a ‘Section 215 notice’ which, once served, forces the landlord to repair the building. A section 215 notice involves the council securing a court order that then means if the owner does not repair the building they can be hit by a daily fine. This financially compels property owners to bring their buildings up to scratch rather than just land banking them. After years in which derelict buildings were left untouched locally, I wrote a nine-page memo to both local councils setting out how section 215 powers could be a game changer in forcing owners to repair buildings blighting our community. Previously there was an impasse as the cost of repairs was more than the building would be worth once completed, making it unattractive for the council to use compulsory purchase powers and allowing the owner just to sit on their hands (do nothing). The use of a section 215 notice on Constantine House in Wisbech first got the owner to repair the roof which previously had trees coming out of it, but it did not cover the windows which remained empty for pigeons to fly in and out of the building. I urged the council again to go back to court to keep up pressure for

Constantine House after (January 14th 2019)

action which ensured that the owner re-started their repair work and restored the landmark Constantine House building. The issue is about more than one property and I continue to apply pressure to councils to enforce similar action to other derelict buildings across the constituency. I am delighted that Fenland District Council is now offering a conservation grant of up to £500 to community groups wanting to give disused land and buildings a new lease of life. These grants are available to voluntary groups for projects which improve the visual appearance of empty buildings or vacant sites and involve the community in some way, such as painting of hoardings and artwork on empty shop fronts. The council also offers 50 percent match funding for projects costing between £500 and £5000, where volunteers or landowners part fund the work. Previously funded projects have included planters to improve the frontage of Guyhirn Village Hall, and Chatteris In Bloom purchased banners to enhance hoardings in the town. Wisbech In Bloom added planting and artwork at 11-12 High Street, Wisbech, and planting was also carried out at the town’s Chapel Road car park in a joint project between Wisbech In Bloom and Wisbech Street Pride. For more information contact the Council’s Street Pride Coordinator via email at: streetpride@fenland.gov.uk or by phoning 01354 654321. You can also download a grant application form on the Council’s website: www.fenland.gov.uk

To ﬁnd out more about my work in Parliament or local campaigns, visit my website or follow me on social media: www.stevebarclay.net 20 54

 @stevebarclaymp

D I S C O V E R I N G

March Wisbech

 /stevebarclaymp

 @stevebarclaymp FE br BR u Ua Ar Ry Y 2019 fe

CARAVANS BOUGHT FOR CASH

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March Residential 01354 652502

For five generations we have been helping clients buy, sell, let and manage property and land in this area. Whether it be your home, farm, factory or development site, talk to the Agents with local knowledge and professional expertise, who are an established part of your community.

Looking forward to the next 200!

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Wisbech 01945 583123

Right up your street for over 200 years