Discovering Wisbech issue 066, October 2023

Avenues TherapyHealing for all

and the surrounding villages

Diamond ByteSolving your computer problems

The Light CinemaFilms for October

Your favourite community lifestyle magazine – PRICELESS

Welcome to your October issue...

A timely reminder that “Stoptober” is now upon us, a movement that has already driven well over one million ‘quit smoking attempts’ to date and is the biggest mass quit attempt in the country. It is based on research that shows that if you can stop smoking for twenty-eight days, you are five times more likely to stay smoke-free for good.

Why not give it a go this year? For some very useful information, try visiting www.healthypeterborough. org.uk

With the money you’ve saved then treat yourselves to a Christmas to remember – less than a hundred days from now! But before then, don’t forget to stock up for when those “Trick or Treaters” pay you a visit on Hallowe’en.

Finally, remember to change your clocks (“Spring forward, Fall back”), as we lose the hour on Sunday October 29th.

It’s the time of year when some men (me included) face an annual quandary; whether to stick or twist, or rather when to ’stay up’ or ‘go down’.

Yes, when do we consign our shorts to the wardrobe for another year and get into trousers?

September’s Indian summer weather has made the decision even more difficult. I for one can’t stand feeling too hot and so try and keep my legs on show for as long as possible. Let me hasten to add, I am not so pro-shorts that I march around in them in the snow like some Fenland Bear Grylls wannabe, but, if possible, my legs will continue to be visible to the public for the foreseeable.

I am sure this dilemma may also affect some women but from a very unscientific straw poll I’ve carried out I think it is predominantly a male issue.

Oh, and while I’m on... no my legs do not get that cold in shorts in autumn, and also for those concerned for my welfare, neither does my shaved head in winter... so stop asking!

Account Manager

Paula Kirtland: 07903 776211 marketing.discoveringmagazines@gmail.com

Publisher and Sales Claire Saberton

Sales Sally Anne Davis: 07737026594

Ops Director Andy Armstrong

Editor Andy Hurst: editor.march@discoveringmagazines.co.uk

Accounts Sarah Brooks: 07564 966452 accounts@discoveringmagazines.co.uk

Design Andy Beavis | Sarah Gumbley | Graham Copestake | Dan Handley

Deadline details: Copy deadline for the November issue is Monday 16th October 2023.

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 at the time of going to press; 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.

Lyncroft Care Home

Our family, caring for yours

Lyncroft Care Home provides the kind of care we’d want all of our loved ones to receive. Our newly refurbished home is beautifully furnished, whilst retaining a warm family atmosphere that makes Lyncroft feel extra special. If you’re concerned about how your relative is coping and would like them to have more support, Lyncroft provides family-led care in a luxurious and homely environment.

• Fisherman’s Arms Pub

• Bistro Café

• Hair and pamper salon

• Tailored meaningful activities

• Daily Fine Dining

• Luxury en-suite bedrooms

For more information about life at Lyncroft Care Home contact Customer Relations Advisor Mel Cushen on 07563 022 290 or email mel.cushen@countrycourtcare.com

01945 475 229

81 Clarkson Avenue, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, PE13 2EA

www.countrycourtcare.com

Advice Worth Hearing!

October is Audiology Awareness Month

You probably have regular check-ups at the dentist and the opticians, but when did you last have your hearing tested?

Hearing loss usually occurs gradually and can be an inconvenience. It can cause embarrassment, depression, isolation, and has been linked to mental health issues. The ability to hear sound is one of the most important senses yet, unlike vision and teeth, it is often taken for granted.

Typical indicators include asking people to repeat themselves, struggling to hear in noisy environments, confusing words or misunderstanding what’s being said in conversation, or having to turn the television up. If you can identify with any of these, then it is important to book a hearing assessment with someone like Sound Advice Hearing, to determine whether you have a hearing loss or not.

Sound Advice Hearing are a local independent family business providing impartial advice and who

have been helping people to hear for over eighty-five years. They provide FREE hearing tests in their centre and provide FREE hearing aid trials. Home visits can be arranged, if required.

The most important thing is not to ignore your hearing. In most cases, hearing deteriorates gradually, and it often affects people around you more than yourself. Wearing a hearing aid can make a real difference to your quality of life and to those around you.

It’s never too early to look after your hearing. Help yourself and those around you. So why not book a free assessment with Sound Advice Hearing now? It really can make a world of difference!

2 DOUGLAS ROAD, MARKET DEEPING, PE6 8PA, where free parking is available.

For more information, call us on 01778 301220 or visit www.soundadvicehearing.co.uk.

Funeral Directors James and Laura are proud to be serving the

MICROWAVE THERAPY FOR SKIN

MICROWAVE THERAPY FOR SKIN

MICROWAVE THERAPY FOR SKIN

MICROWAVE THERAPY FOR SKIN

Microwave energy is widely used in a number of medical fields to elevate tissue temperatures and create precise, localised cell destruction.

Microwave energy is widely used in a number of medical fields to elevate tissue temperatures and create precise, localised cell destruction.

Microwave energy is widely used in a number of medical fields to elevate tissue temperatures and create precise, localised cell destruction.

Microwave energy is widely used in a number of medical fields to elevate tissue temperatures and create precise, localised cell destruction.

Infected tissue can exist several millimetres below the surface and can often be difficult to treat using traditional methods, resulting in either untreated tissue or significant damage.

Infected tissue can exist several millimetres below the surface and can often be difficult to treat using traditional methods, resulting in either untreated tissue or significant damage.

Infected tissue can exist several millimetres below the surface and can often be difficult to treat using traditional methods, resulting in either untreated tissue or significant damage.

Infected tissue can exist several millimetres below the surface and can often be difficult to treat using traditional methods, resulting in either untreated tissue or significant damage.

Swift delivers a precise, highly controlled energy dose. As microwaves travel into the tissue, water molecules begin colliding and creating localised heat energy – quickly destroying all infected tissue within a predetermined depth.

Swift delivers a precise, highly controlled energy dose. As microwaves travel into the tissue, water molecules begin colliding and creating localised heat energy – quickly destroying all infected tissue within a predetermined depth.

Swift delivers a precise, highly controlled energy dose. As microwaves travel into the tissue, water molecules begin colliding and creating localised heat energy – quickly destroying all infected tissue within a predetermined depth.

Swift delivers a precise, highly controlled energy dose. As microwaves travel into the tissue, water molecules begin colliding and creating localised heat energy – quickly destroying all infected tissue within a predetermined depth.

In just seconds the treatment is complete, leaving the body to absorb and replace the treated tissue.

In just seconds the treatment is complete, leaving the body to absorb and replace the treated tissue.

In just seconds the treatment is complete, leaving the body to absorb and replace the treated tissue.

In just seconds the treatment is complete, leaving the body to absorb and replace the treated tissue.

For more information visit www.treatwithswift.com

For more information visit www.treatwithswift.com

For more information visit www.treatwithswift.com

For more information visit www.treatwithswift.com

MRK25, Issue 2

MRK25, Issue 2

www.marchpodiatry.co.ukwww.marchpodiatry.co.uk

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

Sessions from £40 with block bookingavailablediscounts

Welcome to The Avenues Therapy Centre. I am a therapy centre in Wisbech, Cambs, offering affordable, personalised counselling, hypnotherapy and life coaching sessions in the comfort of my private practice.

Please feel free to browse my website to find out more about the counselling, hypnotherapy and life coaching that I offer, and if they are right for you. You are welcome to get in touch if you have any questions or fancy a chat about how I may be able to help you.

PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC COUNSELLING

I work from a pluralistic approach which means that I use various different counselling techniques.

Domestic Abuse

Sexual Abuse (Adult or childhood)

Trauma

Victims of Crime

Loss and Bereavement Relationships

Caring and Illness

Anxiety and Depression

LIST OF HYPNOTHERAPY SERVICES

Hypnotherapy can be incredibly helpful for numerous issues and conditions.

Anxiety Stress

Hypnobirthing

Fears & Phobias

Pain Management

Interview Nerves

Test Nerves

Simple Relaxation

Self Esteem

LIST OF LIFE COACHING SERVICES

Life Coaching is great for the following issues:

Work/Life Balance

Career Goals

Finding a Sense of Happiness

Relationships & Communications

Finding Your Purpose

jenna@theavenuestherapycentre.co.uk

Health & Fitness

Getting Motivated

Procrastination & Productivity

Increasing Your Confidence and more!…

Habit Stopping 07521

In memory of Penny Stocks + +

On Friday, September 8th, 2023 friends packed St Peter’s church Wisbech for a service to celebrate the life of Penny Stocks. Penny’s early years were spent working as a tourist officer at Fenland District Council, which seemed to instil in her the drive and motivation to make Wisbech a better place for all of us. She was instrumental in cofounding the Wisbech 'in Bloom' group more than thirty years ago, the first in Bloom group in Fenland. The group, which plants flowers all over Wisbech, also creates and plants flower beds in various places to improve the town.

As secretary to Wisbech in Bloom, Penny steered the town to win fourteen RHS gold medals including three prestigious Britain in Bloom awards. This resulted in

Wisbech being chosen as the subject of a BBC 2 documentary on 'in Bloom' groups throughout the country in which Penny played a starring role. Alan Wheeldon, of Wisbech in Bloom, said: “We cannot underestimate Penny’s contribution to Wisbech. She was responsible for creating, designing and planting many

Specialists offer the following repair services

of the flower beds in Wisbech, including the Wintergarden on Park Avenue, the Welcome garden on Chapel Road, the Blind garden, the White garden, the Bee garden, the Island beds in the Park, both sets of Sleeper beds either side of Freedom Bridge and the lovely Clarkson Memorial bed."

As a member of Wisbech in Bloom, Penny was awarded the Freedom of the Town in 2018 and in that same year she met the now, King Charles III.

Penny also headed up the original project to create the Merchants Trail in Wisbech and was a long-standing supporter of Wisbech Street Pride.

Mr Wheeldon added: “She has left a great legacy and will be deeply missed by so many of us. Penny Stocks. Rest in Peace.”

Loose dentures may damage gums or the underlying bone structure and are also more prone to breakage. Re-lining your denture will re-stablish a good fit.

Your dentures should be inspected annually along with a checkup on your oral health, or more frequently if necessary. Icenidental@gmail.com

With shorter days now, there are still jobs to do and crops to harvest.

All those fallen leaves can be turned into leaf mould which can add to soil structure and increase the ability of the soil to retain water, (which is useful as our climate changes) and is excellent used in containers. It provides a good habitat for soil life such as beneficial bacteria and earthworms. The best leaves are from beech, oak, and hornbeam as they break down easily; others need shredding but avoid evergreen foliage.

An easy way to make leaf mould using a black plastic sack:

• Rake leaves or use a leaf vacuum, which chops the leaves.

• When full, sprinkle with water, shake and tie, punch a few holes in the side of a black plastic bag, and leave to one side.

• The following autumn they can be used as a mulch or in two years can be used as a soil conditioner.

October is perfect for dividing large, oversized crowns of rhubarb. If established plants are left indefinitely, they do eventually produce less each year. Cut up and divide the crowns into good sized pieces, making sure each has signs of dormant buds and, as it is not a fussy plant, it can be planted almost anywhere, so long as the ground does not get waterlogged. It is also the perfect time for moving or planting new fruit bushes and trees. Bare-rooted trees will benefit from the warmth still left in the soil, which will help root development before the soil becomes too cold.

Crops that can be sown this month are:

• Japanese over-wintering onion sets.

• Last chance to transplant spring cabbages – be sure to net them to prevent pigeons eating the young leaves.

• Plant garlic.

• Broad beans – early varieties should overwinter. Other jobs for this month include:

• Continue to earth up celery and leeks.

• Harvest Florence fennel before the frosts.

• Successfully keep root vegetables, except potatoes, in the ground by covering the roots with a layer of straw to protect them from frost.

• Protect cauliflowers by bending a leaf over the curd.

• Finish pruning blackberries and raspberries.

• Keep removing yellow leaves from brassicas – leaving them on the ground risks spreading grey mould.

• If you have not already done so, earth up, or stake (or both) Brussels sprouts and sprouting broccoli plants.

• Pick the unripe tomatoes and put a few in a bag with a ripe banana –this gives off ethylene gas which speeds ripening.

• Cure pumpkins and squashes – cut and leave them to dry out in the sun. It hardens the skins, and they will keep for longer.

• Cut back asparagus and artichoke foliage and compost.

• Remove runner bean canes: if left in the ground they will easily rot.

• Harvest the last of the potatoes and store in a cool, dry, dark place.

Happy Gardening!

FENLAND FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY

By Bridget Hunter

Have you ever wondered where your surname came from? It wasn’t till after the thirteenth century that we adopted surnames often with ‘son’ being added to the father’s name, which is self-explanatory in cases such as Williams and Williamson.

Some are trade names like Butcher or Archer. Smith is a very popular surname as there were many with a trade name of smith like Goldsmith etc. Of course, the blacksmith was a very important trade as they supplied things that were needed to cook and farm etc and the blacksmith was the only place you could purchase them.

Other surnames were from the place where they lived, like rivers or woods etc. In England ‘son’ was added to the father's name. Scotland added Mac also meaning son of father as in MacDonald etc. Ireland it was Mc added to the father’s name. It was not only the father’s name that was used. Allison was from the mother’s name. I have even seen the surname Widowson. Do you know where your surname came from?

COMPUTER RESEARCH SESSIONS These continue to be very popular. We help visitors with researching their family history, no matter where their family came from. Our first monthly research session is in Wisbech Library on the FIRST TUESDAY of each month from 10am-12noon, using all the wonderful research resources available in the library. Our second session is on the SECOND MONDAY of each month. from 11am-2.30pm in the restaurant at Baytree Garden

Centre in Hilgay near Downham Market. We offer help with family research to visitors to the garden centre.

ADDITIONAL OFFER We will be at the Elm Church event of ‘Autumn Foods and Crafts’ on Saturday, October 14th, so why not drop in and see us? If you would like us to attend your events, we can create a display linked to the theme of your event as an added attraction, please give us a call. If Wi-Fi is available, we can also offer family research to visitors.

Our MONTHLY MEETINGS At our next meeting on October 26th our speaker will be Richard Holt on Apprenticeship Records. Our November meeting on Thursday, November 23rd will be a celebration of family history and research, final details are still being arranged. As our last meeting of the year, we like to enjoy participation from all members. Our meetings are held in Wisbech Library from 7pm-9pm. on the FOURTH Thursday of the month Everyone welcome. Members’ free, visitors a £2 donation.

OUR SPEAKERS are available to attend groups and clubs to give talks in the local area. They will be attending the Pinchbeck U3A meeting in Surfleet. TALKS include: ‘The Fun of Family History’, about a long journey by land, air, and sea to find her roots; ‘My Naughty Great Aunt Eliza’, unravelling a story of lies and deceit; ’The Ups & Downs of Being a Magistrate’, a real-life experience; and ‘The Sad Tale of The Blacksmiths Family’, the story of a great, great grandfather.

For further information on any of the above please phone me on (01945) 587723.

LOCAL CLUBS AND GROUPS

Wisbech u3a is an organisation which aims to meet the social, recreational and creative needs of those no longer in full-time employment. We meet on the 2nd Thursday of the month in St Peter’s Church Hall, Wisbech at 2-30pm. We have lots to offer you so please come along and find out for yourself. www.u3asites.org.uk/wisbech

Fenland Archaeological Society (FenArch) Monthly talks and meetings at The Secret Garden, Mile Tree Lane, PE13 4TR Facebookw https://m.facebook.com/FenArch/ Website https://www.fenarch.org.uk

Friends of Wisbech & Fenland Museum hold monthly talks at Wisbech Public Library. For further details, please see Facebook Friends of Wisbech and Fenland Museum, www.wisbechmuseum.org.uk or email: friendsofwisbechmuseum@outlook.com

Wisbech Yoga Club Meets at Trinity Methodist Church on Mondays 7pm-8.15pm and Wednesdays at Elm Primary School or Emneth Central Hall 7pm-8.15pm. For availability contact Peter on 07905 601585 or email: pabamullins206@ntlworld.com

Wisbech and District Flower Club

Meets every third Monday of the month at St Peter's Hall Wisbech from 7.30pm

Please call Yvonne on 01954 581360 for more information

Self-Assessment Changes

Scott Bishop

Currently for 2022/23 Self-Assessment tax returns, when Sole Traders and Partners are taxed on their profits, we use Tax Basis Period rules to decide which tax year the profits are assessed in.

This means your business accounts are made up to the year-end date, and each year the profits are taxed in full in the tax year in which the accounts year-end falls.

From the 2024/25 tax year, HMRC are introducing Basis Period Reform which means you will now be taxed on your profits for the period 6 April to 5 April. This means you may have to apportion your profits if you don’t have a year-end of 31

March or 5 April (HMRC to treat 31 March yearends as 5 April).

2023/24 will be the transitional year, where we move from the old rules to the new ones. This means for the start of the tax year, you will be taxed like normal. However, we will then need to include profits to 5 April 2024. Despite the use of any overlap profits (from commencement of trading), this could result in larger taxable profits in 2023/24. The increase in tax can be spread over five years.

Please see an example below based on a 30 June year end:

It may be beneficial for some businesses to change their accounting year end to either 31 March or 5 April. If the year-end date isn’t changed, the profits will need to be apportioned each year to identify the amounts relating to the tax year.

Depending on your year-end it may not be possible to use the actual figures for the second period being taxed (particularly December, January & February year-ends), meaning that estimated figures will need to be submitted

initially with an amendment being filed once actual figures are known. This is not ideal as it will create more work and potentially more costs for the individual. There will also be uncertainty over your tax liability at the outset.

If you would like to discuss any of the issues above, please contact us to arrange a FREE initial consultation.

Information that features in this article is correct at the time of writing.

Interesting and Curious Facts of Yesteryear

Written by Chris Donald, author of ‘Wisbech’s Secret Princess’ and ‘Interesting and Curious Facts of Yesteryear’

e Oldest House In Wisbech

Why is it important to preserve old buildings? The simple answer is that once a building is gone there is no way to bring it back. There are some fine institutions such as the National Trust and English Heritage that do a marvellous job looking after old buildings but occasionally one person takes over a building single handed. This is the story of one such person. And the story of one building, a house, and not any old house, but reputedly the oldest house in the whole of Wisbech.

We have lost so many buildings and reminders of the past in Wisbech it would be sad to lose yet another and yet we very nearly did. And the house in question is Ely House, a grade II listed building on the Lynn Road.

It is thought that it was built some four hundred years ago, a time when many houses in Wisbech were made of wood. The Lynn road at that time did not exist and instead there was a river called the Wallenhee flowing out to the Wash. It made sense to have a house built there. As roads were practically non-existent it was much easier to transport things by river.

Since the 1600s the house has had extensions added and different interiors put in so it shows the different styles of the people that lived in it. The house was originally a two up, two down. The rooms were small and would have been easy to heat. Two hundred years later they built an L-shaped extension on the back and the building, once quite modest, now ended up as a six-bedroom house with servants’ quarters and bell pushes in the front rooms to call them. And at one time Ely House owned all the land up to Lerowe Road and it wasn’t till the 1930s that houses were built on that land.

Sadly, the house had been left empty for a time and very soon it became a haven for squatters

and drug addicts. As well as considerable damage to the property, there had been a number of fires but thankfully only one outbuilding had been completely gutted. And, thankfully, the council did do something about it and got a court order banning people entering the property. So, for some time the house was all barricaded up.

Then, in 2017 the house was put up for sale. Who would want to buy this house in such a state, bags of rubbish, beer cans and drug paraphernalia all over and worse still, chunks of wall knocked out and fittings torn away? Thankfully there was somebody brave enough to buy it and more importantly, bring back to its original state. And so, on June 6th, 2020, Sidney Imafidon, who is now Deputy Mayor of Wisbech, bought Ely House realising he had a task on his hands but he was to find out that it was even more daunting than he could have ever imagined.

He has put in central heating as there was so much damp and he is trying to sort out the leaks between the original property and the L-shaped extension. This is just the start of a long list of "to do" jobs. We all like to look forward to things, such as a holiday, or a birthday or Christmas, but we are also interested in history. It’s just that we all find different types of history interesting. Some people are fascinated by old churches, some by historic buildings and some by battles and wars. But there again, we all tend to remember things that have happened, a few years back or twenty or forty years ago. Remembering our wedding or when our first child started school. Things that have happened are our history.

Keeping alive a four-hundred-year-old building in Wisbech is surely a very important and worthwhile achievement and taking it on single handed... I wish him luck.

www.wisbechtennisclub.org.uk

07549 263767

Sound Advice From Clearer Hearing

ALL AGES AND LEVELS WELCOME

Call, text or email for information about a range of membership options for individuals and family groups.

PAY-TO-PLAY ALSO AVAILABLE

There’s no need for people to suffer in silence if they feel they have hearing problems. That’s the message from Clearer Hearing Ltd which says people should treat their hearing just as they do their eye-sight.

Jackie Mantle, manager of the company’s Wisbech and St Ives branches, said: “Most people have their eyes tested every year and they should

TO ADVERTISE

The company can help people deal with a host of hearing issues, including tinnitus and noise protection, but Jackie says the most common procedure they carry out is ear wax removal.

CALL PAULA ON 01778 421427 OR 07903 776211

“Wax removal is definitely the most common problem we deal with. People tend to think that if their hearing worsens they may need a hearing aid, which due to technology today are small and unobtrusive, but invariably it’s because

PRICES START FROM £49+VAT

•

Fabric • Wool • Patterns Courses available

“People shouldn’t be afraid to come in and have their ears checked; they shouldn’t sit at home in silence. We are here to give advice and have many regular customers at our Wisbech clinic, many of whom have been with us for years with some coming from as far afield as north Norfolk.”

Saturday Sewcials

Bring your own project, sit and stitch, chat and have free tea/co ee with like-minded stitchers!

OCTOBER DATES: SAT 7th & 21st Please book in advance!

Fancy Being A Happy Hooker?

Established in 2002 and with a presence in Wisbech since 2008, Clearer Hearing is a family owned independent hearing healthcare company with team of qualified and registered hearing aid audiologists.

Join us on the following Tuesdays during October: 10th & 24th

The company’s comprehensive website –www.clearerhearing.co.uk – boasts a quick and easy hearing checker which provides a snapshot of your hearing ability to give an easy assessment and the opportunity of a priority booking should you require a full consultation.

Open Tuesday-Friday 9am-2pm Saturday 9am-4pm

1 High Causeway, Whittlesey PE7 1AE Tel: 01733 202865 or 07726 370106 ohsewcaroline@hotmail.com

Contact Clearer Heating Ltd at 31 High Street, Wisbech PE13 1DE. Tel: (01945) 466386; Email: info@clearerhearing.co.uk Opening hours: Monday-Thursday 9am-4pm.

www.ohsewcaroline.co.uk

“When

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

The business officially opened in May 2019. Tom Westbrook, the man behind the company, had more than twenty-five years’ experience in the trade before embarking on this new challenge.

Tom explains: “I’ve always dreamed of running my own business and still to this day feel overwhelmed by the support received from local customers.”

Tom loves running his own business and especially enjoys meeting people and helping with any job big or small. From repairing draughty letter boxes, changing locks, hinges, and glass to replacing a house full of windows or fitting a stylish new door he is always happy to provide a free no obligation quote.

Tom has always been a big believer in repairing wherever possible. Often to the surprise of many customers, Tom can complete lots of different aspects of repair work, saving them the expense of buying new.

Tom and his wife Suzanne are very grateful to the customers that have supported their growing business over the last two-and-a-half years. They are looking to the future and excited about what the future holds for the developing business.

If you would like further information about how Westbrook Window Repairs can help please call them on 01354 653445 and follow them on Facebook.

Service List

• All general plumbing repairs undertakenbig or small.

• All domestic heating repairs undertaken.

• All domestic boiler fault finding undertakenboth gas and oil.

• Landlord Gas Safety certificates

• House purchase inspections of plumbing and heating

• Boiler replacements.

• Central heating power flushing.

INTRODUCING LIBREOFFICE

This month we are looking at LibreOffice, a fullfeatured, free-of-charge office suite. LibreOffice is so similar to Microsoft Office that many users who need a simple word processor or spreadsheet program, have made the switch from MS Office and never looked back.

Not only is LibreOffice completely costless, it is also compatible with the Microsoft package for both opening and exporting files. It has a simple and user-friendly interface and is available for installation on the three major PC platforms: Windows, Linux, and Mac. It is constantly updated, thus ensuring security, stability, and new features. You can save and open many different formats, including Microsoft file types, such as DOCX, XLSX, PPTX and many more.

There are three main applications -- Writer (word

processor), Calc (spreadsheet maker) and Impress (presentation creator), all of which look much like updated versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint, respectively. LibreOffice also includes Draw (a graphics editor, like MS Paint), Base (a database management system, like MS Access) and Math (a formula editor that allows you to insert mathematical and scientific formulas).

Admittedly, there are some downsides to LibreOffice. Specially formatted text from MS Office may convert differently inside Writer, there are missing spreadsheet functions inside Calc (including Power Pivots), no ability to display graphics within headers and footers, and fewer chart options. The Impress Presentation software does not always import PowerPoint successfully, especially when converting certain fonts. But in LibreOffice’s defence, the

same can be said about moving complex files between some versions of Office.

Provided you are not a heavy user or someone who works a lot with organisations that use Microsoft products, LibreOffice is a great product. If your work requires highly specialised functions (such as custom fonts) or if you frequently download/exchange complex and customised documents with others, or if you want to create Word documents or presentations that look slick, professional, and modern, we recommend you pay for other office suites, such as MS Office. But as LibreOffice is free, why not try it out to see if it works for you. Go to https://www.libreoffice. org/ to download it for free. Their website also provides on-line help and support, provided by users of the community, all of whom volunteer their expertise and time.

FOR THIS AND ALL OUR OTHER ARTICLES, GO TO WWW.DIAMONDBYTE.CO.UK

PHILIP AT DIAMOND BYTE

WHAT’S ON IN OCTOBER

This October, it’s not all scary as we have some great family content on its way, PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie comes to the big screen on the 7th and there will be some new trolls on the block from the 20th in Trolls Band Together

Wanting something heart-warming this autumn?

Michael Caine stars in The Great Escaper on October 6th, and The Miracle Club staring Dame Maggie Smith is from the 13th.

We know what the horror fans want. Along with lots of new and much anticipated horrors like The Exorcist: Believer which will drop on October 13th, and Five Nights At Freddy’s on October 25th, we will also see the return of some real classics as part of our Frights at The Light campaign. This includes Christine (40th Anniversary) and The Exorcist (50th Anniversary).

Rounding out our Scorsese Season we have Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro uniting onscreen in Martin Scorsese’s Killers Of The Flower Moon on the 20th.

We haven’t stopped there! National Theatre returns this month with A Little Life on October 3rd and 11th.

Our ACCESSIBLE screenings are something we want to make sure everyone knows about!

Our autism-friendly screenings happen every Sunday morning; these screenings are designed to help people with sensory sensitivity enjoy the cinema. We have subtitled showings on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and we also have Fidelios for both hearing impaired and visually impaired users.

This month’s dementiafriendly screening will be Pillow Talk starring Doris Day. Our dementiafriendly screenings have no adverts or trailers, and the lighting remains slightly raised throughout the film. Although these screenings are particularly designed for people living with dementia, they are open to the general public too. Thank you to Iceland Foods who kindly provide the light refreshments served during these screenings. Please be aware that pastoral care is not provided at these screenings and that a friend, family member or carer must also be in attendance.

More information can be found on our website www.wisbech.thelight.co.uk

The Light Cinema, Cromwell Road, Wisbech PE14 0RG

The Great Escaper The Miracle Club PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie Trolls Band Together

BOOST FOR EDUCATION AS INCINERATOR FIGHT CONTINUES

By Steve Barclay MP

Ivery much hope the end is in sight in our battle against plans to build an enormous incinerator in Wisbech. The Planning Inspectorate has spent six months reviewing the proposals to decide whether to give the go-ahead to bring in hundreds of thousands of tonnes of non-recyclable municipal and commercial and industrial waste to the town. That ‘examination’ is now complete and the panel’s findings, conclusions and recommendations will be submitted to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero by November 21st.

The incinerator plans are deeply flawed and I have campaigned against the scheme from the beginning. It’s simply not suitable for an incinerator of this size in such a location with the accompanying impact on health, traffic and the environment. I hope we will get the right outcome from the Planning Inspector and if not from the Secretary of State.

We have secured significant government investment in both education and health in recent months. It’s great to see a new special free school in March has received the go ahead from my colleagues in the Department of Education, which will be a major boost for our constituency.

The 210-place, multiple needs school for children aged two to nineteen with Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs will open in September 2026. Children with additional needs in the constituency can face long journeys to and from the nearest school so this is excellent news for parents and children.

This new free school, and the new £15 million school investment in Barton Road, Wisbech, as well as the new hospitals being built at King’s Lynn and Huntingdon, and the new diagnostics facilities at the North Cambridgeshire hospital site, all show how the Government is investing in both education and health facilities in our area.

The second March Armed Forces Fair last month was a fantastic event packed with visitors, things to do and see, and even a flypast. I very much hope this will now be a permanent date in the town calendar after two successful years. It was a joy to attend and if you haven’t yet had the opportunity, I urge you to put it in the calendar for next year!

Finally, as the weather turns colder and autumn starts to bite, I’d encourage all those people eligible for flu and COVID jabs, which includes all over-65s, to get their vaccination booked in.

Answers

1 Fred Perry; 2 Rowing; 3 Paris; 4 Diving; 5 Serena Williams (23 to 20); 6 Taekwondo; 7 Gary Lineker; 8 Basketball; 9 Augusta, Georgia, USA; 10 22;

11 “It’s life”; 12 Princess Charlotte of Cambridge; 13 Nicholas Lyndhurst; 14 July 1st 2007; 15 Rain Man; 16 David Cameron; 17 Kylie Cosmetics; 18 Peterborough; 19 Mercury (Pluto is no longer an official planet); 20 Flamboyance.

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