Cotswold Link (West Oxfordshire) July August 2015

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Wychwood Forest Fair

Join us on Sunday 6th September to enjoy one of West Oxfordshire’s leading country fairs near Chipping Norton

Memory Clubs

Local Dementia Group create Carterton radio play

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Garden View

How to water your garden in Summer without feeling guilty

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06 Spacecraft to reach Pluto in July 17 Large Cottage letting secrets garden view: new businesses: 08 New Local Businesses (3 pages) 18 Watering your garden this Summer events local news 12 Stow Cotswold Festival 20 The history of Wimbledon recipe: out & about 12 Seasonal events across our area 20 Make to make Pimm’s jelly health local news: 14 Radio play created 21 Why Floss? cotswold link education 15 Are the School Holiday stressful? 22 Advertising Details cotswold link local news: 16 A look at Wychwood Forest Fair 22 Index advertorial

astronomy

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Welcome to the July - August issue ‘Fault!’ ‘Ace!’, 2 things you will hear a lot for 2 weeks at the end of June with Wimbledon starting! You can enjoy the tennis with our delicious Pimm’s jelly recipe (p20), as well as our feature on how it all started for this great tennis competition. Don’t forget, if you have any local news or a story of interest then please submit them to editorial@jkanorth.com.

01609 777401 01609 779097 We regularly published events submitted to our website too.

I hope you enjoy this issue and I’ll see you again in September. cotswoldlink.co.uk Best wishes, Christine Campbell | Editor Cotswold Link Magazine is published in good faith and the editors cannot be held responsible in any way for inaccuracies in reports or advertising in reports or advertising that appear in this publication and the views of the contributors may not be the those of the editors. Adverts and advertisers Your Cotswold Link carry no implied recommendation from the magazine or the publishers. All rights reserved. All information is appearing in Cotswold Link Magazine correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of going to press. Cotswold Link Magazine cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions.

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The

Cotswold Sky

NASA’s New Horizons Spacecraft to reach Pluto on 14th July

The New Horizons spacecraft was launched on January 19th 2006 and after a journey of nine and a half years will finally reach Pluto on July 14th where it will spend a reconnaissance study of what was once our most distant planet (now reclassified as a dwarf planet).

Pluto is nearly 3 billion miles (5billion Kilometres) from Earth and New Horizons has been travelling at just under 750,000 miles a day on its approach.

The main concern is encountering hazards and the team has until July 4th to divert the spacecraft to one of 3 alternate routes if any dangers are found.

Pluto

Pluto was discovered by the American Clyde Tombaugh in 1930 and is situated on the edge of what is known as the Kuiper Belt. The Kuiper Belt starts approximately from the orbit of Neptune which is 30 Astronomical Units from the Sun and continues for a further 20 Astronomical Units, please note that our solar system still continues for a distance of between 5,000 and 100,000 Astronomical Units (figures taken from NASA). Because of its elliptical orbit Pluto’s distance from the Sun can vary from 30 to 50 Astronomical Units. It is planned for New Horizons to head further into the Kuiper Belt once the Pluto mission is completed.

Pluto has 5 moons named Charon, Nix, Hydra, Styx and Kerberos the latter 4 of these moons have been discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope.

At the time of writing this article, new discoveries are presently being made on the surprising behaviour of Pluto’s Moons.

Sky Diary

July 7th - The Earth is at perihelion that is; it is at its furthest distance from the Sun. Planets: Mercury: Not visible during July/August Venus: In conjunction with Jupiter on 1st July (22.30hours look NW). They then drift apart from each other.

Mars: Not good for observation.

Jupiter: In conjunction with Venus on 1st July (22.30 hours look NW). Slowly

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(Above) Artistic Impression of New Horizons Approaching Pluto and Charon its largest Moon (Courtesy of NASA)

The Mission

The mission will help us gain a better understanding of other worlds towards the edge of our Solar System.

New Horizons will fly over Pluto at an altitude of 7,800 miles (12,500 km).

If it were to fly over the Earth at this altitude then it could take individual photographs of buildings.

The objectives include: • Mapping the geology of Pluto, Charon and the smaller moons, • Measuring where possible their temperatures.

• Examine the atmosphere of Pluto and search for a possible atmosphere around Charon.

To do this the spacecraft has a collection of scientific instruments including cameras, spectrometers, plasma detectors and dust detectors New Horizons is designed to collect and store as much data as it can and will be sending this information to Earth over a 16 month period long after it has left the lonely dwarf planet.

For further information: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/newhorizons/videos/index.html disappears and is in solar conjunction (on opposite side of Sun to Earth) in late August.

Saturn: Visible during both July and August. During August there is a window of a few hours prior to it setting before midnight (look South / South West).

Meteors July 26th – delta Aquarids July 29th – alpha Capricornids August 12th – Perseids John Harris

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W E N businesses

s e c i v r e s & in & around our area

“New To The Area” is a new business feature specifically designed to help new businesses and those that are offering new businesses and services to promote themselves cost effectively.

Businesses are invited to submit their adverts to this feature at the regular price (Advert sizes available: 1/8 and

¼) and they will receive the equivalent space in complimentary editorial*. This editorial provides excellent business exposure to 18,000 homes and businesses and allows further explanation of the new business or services available. * Editorial must be supplied completed.

To feature within this section of the magazine please contact us on: 01609 777401 / 01609 779097 | christine@jkanorth.com

New Premises for local business First Avenue Supplies recently opened a new shop / warehouse in Moreton-in-Marsh.

Company MD Ian Temple lives in Moreton - In Marsh and he was keen to develop the work and outdoor clothing, embroidered clothing business in this area (Their other branch being in Milton Keynes) and after a fast growing period, First Avenue moved to a larger shop / warehouse facility at Fosseway Business Park (Cox’s Yard) in Moreton - in Marsh on 1st June.

They have stocks of their polo shirts, fleeces, jackets, gloves, work trousers / coveralls, walking boots, safety footwear, examples of their embroidered personalised clothing (They have 2 specialised embroidery machines) plus a range of cleaning products and Sealey hand tools.

A friendly, helpful attitude, keenly priced products and excellent service is the proud motto of First Avenue Supplies.

Unit 19, Fosseway Business Park Stratford Road, Moreton in Marsh GL56 9NQ Tel: 01608 652290 www.firstavenuesupplies.co.uk

New Business with a passion for fine china Heather Blackman has always had a passion for fine china, so when her daughter Donna announced that she was getting married and wanted a ‘posh tea in a tent’ for the reception it did not take her long to decide ‘I could do that’.

cakes, which of course needed cake forks. So the hunt was on again for vintage cutlery this time.

Heather’s husband Rod played his part too. He sent to China for drill-bits and handles to make 3-tier cake stands. It took a year but they managed to collect enough for the wedding.

Can you imagine- over 100 trio sets, 15 cake stands teapots, sugar basins and milk jugs by the dozen? Where do you store all that? One thing you can say about Heather - she is meticulously tidy. Everything is washed, wrapped and packed in plastic boxes. She can lay her hand on anything that is needed.

Cake Stands? Send to China

So then she was ‘on a mission’ to gather together enough ‘trios’ - cups, saucers and tea plates to serve 100 guests.

Then Donna started talking about serving scones and cream as part of the tea, which of course meant knives were needed. She did not stop there because the next idea was for Victoria sandwich

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No Washing Up!

Although they hired tablecloths for the wedding Heather is now collecting her own vintage tablecloths to complete the scene. She has decided to start her own business hiring out her vast collection of china, cutlery and cloths for parties, weddings, any special occasion that you can think of. Anyone hiring from her has the choice of collecting the items needed or Heather will come

along and lay-up the tables ready for the event. Part of the deal is that you can send everything back dirty and Heather will wash up and re-pack ready for the next party.

What a bonus – no washing up!

So if you want to hire vintage crockery for a special party then this might be just the thing for you.

Contact Heather on: 01993 830381 or 07837 324034 or email: allthingsvintagechinahire.gmail.com

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JACQUELYNE MORISON HYPNOTHERAPY TRAINING The HYPNOTHERAPY PRACTITIONER COURSE with Jacquelyne Morison Hypnotherapy Training is designed for those who wish to become sincere and dedicated professional practitioners of analytical hypnotherapy as a psychotherapeutic and stress-trauma management discipline.

The HYPNOTHERAPY PRACTITIONER COURSE focuses principally on Analytical Hypnotherapy or Hypnoanalysis – a therapeutic approach which Jacquelyne Morison has pioneered and promoted for 20 years. The analytic approach centres on dealing with the underlying originating cause of the client’s distress by providing a deeply investigative therapeutic environment.

Analytical Hypnotherapy practice means not just treating the client’s symptoms superficially or providing a method of coping with life’s problems but actually handling cases of intense psychological malaise by resolving dilemmas naturally and effortlessly at the root of the problem. The client can thus deal with distressing conditions, such as really deep-seated fears, crippling anxieties, stubborn habit disorders, low confidence, stressfultraumatic manifestations, relationship difficulties, grief-bereavement issues and the devastating effects of childhood abuse, neglect and abandonment.

Analytical Hypnotherapy can, of course, still equally be applied to relatively simple problems for which clinical hypnotherapy is popularly renown, such as weight management, smoking cessation and pain management, without inferring that hypnotherapy is a quick-fix methodology and, thereby, giving the profession a disreputable name.

Jacquelyne is a wonderful teacher whose approachable, accommodating demeanour makes studying to be a hypnotherapist a life-changing experience. I wholeheartedly recommend this course for anyone seeking a stimulating and holistic approach to hypnotherapy training.

Kazia Tyszka-Baxter, Kazia Tyszka-Baxter Hypnotherapy, Kent

Local business opens new foot clinic Local Foot Health Practitioner Ramona Gogolos is delighted to announce that her successful business is now expanding and she is opening a new foot health clinic in Burford.

We spoke to Ramona about her exciting plans for the business: “The business has done really well for the past few years but clients have often remarked to me that they would love to call in to a clinic to see me and have their treatments in a peaceful but professional environment.”

15% OFF

Ramona will be holding a Verucae Clinic for Bookings Made on Opening Day: 3rd July adults and children every Tuesday from 4-6pm and she is excited to meet her new customers at the clinic’s opening day on Friday 3rd July. People are invited to call in and meet her for a glass of champagne and those making bookings on the 3rd July will get a 15% discount.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Unit 2, Castles Yard, Pyatts Lane, Burford, OX18 4SJ 07884 328091 / ramona.gogolos@yahoo.co.uk

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Out & About Stow Cotswold Festival

9th July

www.cotswoldfestival.com

WOMEN proud to wave off and welcome home their husbands from global battle zones will joyously sing out to launch a biennial celebration. The Military Wives Choir, Brize Norton, is a curtain raiser for the Stow Cotswold Festival on 4th July – American Independence Day. The singers perform at 7.30pm the day before in St Edward’s Church under the banner Music at Stow.

The rousing concert aptly marks the community day’s theme of the United States’ freedom. Resolving conflict has brought Stow-on-the-Wold together with the US town of Appomattox, near Virginia, in a unique Friendship Link. Stow saw the last major skirmish of the English Civil War in 1646 at which the Parliamentarians routed the Royalists at The Battle of Stow. Appomattox witnessed The Battle of Appomattox Court House,

23rd July

Community

one of the American Civil War’s final clashes in 1865.

On Festival day, market stalls, crafts and a host of games kick off at 10am.

USA vehicles will be on display with rides on offer, along with family attractions including children’s fancy dress, a carousel, face painters, giant snakes and ladders, a roaming Magic Man and a story teller. Children and adults can come up with some ‘barking’ ideas for the best-dressed dog contest and test their skills in town centre treasure hunts and a community competition in the church.

Live music features on the stage in the afternoon. Stow Square then hosts a Square Dance until 10.30pm.

Tickets for the Military Wives Choir are £12, now available from the Borzoi Bookshop, Stow and www.musicatstow.com

n Twelfth Night outdoor theatre, Performances at 1pm and 7pm A unique opportunity to see the all-male company, The Lord Chamberlain’s Men perform Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’ in the wonderful setting of Batsford Arboretum. Gates open an hour before each performance so bring your own picnic and a rug/low-backed chair, settle down and enjoy magical theatre in a magical venue!

Matinee tickets cost £8.50, evening tickets cost £17 for adults, £12 for concessions and £10 for children, on sale at Batsford Arboretum or by calling 01386 701441. www.batsarb.co.uk. ........................................................

17th - 19th July

n The Royal International Air Tattoo RAF Fairford Few events can rival the intensity, drama and spectacle on offer at the world’s greatest airshow. The Air Tattoo, one of the UK’s premier outdoor events, returns this summer with an extravaganza of entertainment for all the family.

Alongside the thrilling flying action, visitors will be treated to non-stop entertainment on the ground.

Visit www.airtattoo.com or call our FREEPHONE ticket hotline 0800 107 1940 ........................................................

n Moth Night July is the busiest time of the year for our moths with a huge variety of brightly coloured species on the wing – the perfect time to learn about these fascinating nocturnal insects. Join Warwickshire moth expert Bob Cox with the rest of the BBC N Deavour moth group as we discover more about our native moths. After an introductory presentation there’ll be demonstrations of trapping techniques live in the arboretum followed by inspections and recordings of the moths we’ve found. The event will go on until well past midnight but please feel free to leave whenever you wish. 8.30pm onwards Tickets cost £5 for adults and £3 for children, on sale at Batsford Arboretum or by calling 01386 701441. www.batsarb.co.uk. ........................................................

25th July

n Compton Abdale Village Fete Traditional Village Fete set in attractive gardens. Stalls include: Produce, Plants, White Elephant, Tombola, Books, Girls’ Goodies. Activities area including Plate Smashing, Bulls Eye, Fun Dog Show. Teas & Ice Creams. Gloucester Excelsior Silver Band.

Lower Farm, Compton Abdale. (Just off A40 near Northleach) 1.30pm - 4.15pm.

Admission £2.50. Children & Parking Free ........................................................

18th July

n Strawberry Tea Held to raise funds for Breast Cancer Care. 11th year running and the event consists of luxury strawberry cakes and tea served by a waitress. There is a large raffle and also home made cakes for sale aswell.

2-4pm at the Village Hall Brize Norton Road Minster Lovell. ........................................................

25th July:

n Swanfest 2 ~ Folk, Ale & Cider Festival Starring Barbara Dickson - Live!

B.B.Q Lunches served from 1.00pm Festival Starts at 2.00pm. Tickets £22.50 available from The Swan At Ascott-underWychwood or the Wychwood Folk Club www.swanatascott.com ........................................................

Saturday 5th September 2015 Get your tickets today!

Over 300 trade stands selling everything from farm equipment and gardening gear to designer clothes and toys, as well as a wide selection of food and drink in our Country Larder Food Hall.

All of this is complemented by a full day of family entertainment.

Batsford Road, Moreton-In-Marsh, GL56 0AB Tel: 0870 877 7409 www.moretonshow.co.uk 12

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Having an event?

Email us your event details to: events@jkanorth.com and we’ll publish it for you. Magazine distribution dates are on p22.

31st July

n Learn Tai Chi in a morning, 10am - 1pm A one-day introductory course for beginners in the wonderful setting of Batsford Arboretum. The course costs just £24.95 per person, visit www.lctkd.com/batsford for more details and to book, or call 07517 437300. ........................................................

15th August

n Pollinator Walk 11am. Visit Honeydale Farm’s fields of flowers and grasses that encourage bees and other pollinators. We will walk the fields and hear a bit about the conservation work on the farm and the role of pollinators. Following the walk we will have a lunch-time buffet or BBQ. Bring a camping chair! Children and dogs welcome.

Honeydale Farm, Station Road, Shiptonunder-Wychwood, OX7 6BJ, £10 per adult; £5 if you are a Wychwood Project member. Under 14’s free. T: 01865 815423 To book online please visit: www.wychwoodproject.org/cms/ content/events ........................................................

31st August

n Bourton Football in the River Take your places on the banks of the river Windrush in Bourton-on-the-Water for Football in the River kicks off once again on August bank holiday Monday.

A fete will be held from 11am, with the football match kicking-off at 4pm. ........................................................

Lodge Park 25th July

Take part in games on the lawn, with small prizes for the winners, and enjoy a picnic while you’re here. Explore the 1630’s grandstand, built solely for entertaining and gambling, and take a walk through the stunning Bridgeman Landscape, to visit the oak tree that has stood here since 1492.

15th & 16th August

Members of The Household re-enactors will be appearing at the National Trust property Lodge Park on August 15 and 16 from 11am-4pm. Visitors will see a little of the way in which infants and children were cared for, a range of period games and pastimes for adults and children, including some very rare mathematical artefacts, and an opportunity to see some of the types of food which were available in the 1600’s.

Lodge Park, Aldsworth, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL54 3PP Phone: 01451 844130 ........................................................

5th September

n Moreton Show The Moreton Show has all the charm of a traditional country show and offers something for everyone. Competitions are held for horses, cattle (including the National Show of Poll Hereford Cattle), sheep (including the National Show of Cotswold Sheep), goats, poultry, dogs, crafts, flowers and even scarecrows.

There are also over 300 trade stands selling everything from farm equipment and gardening gear to designer clothes and toys, as well as a wide selection of food and drink in our Country Larder Food Hall. All of this is complemented by a full day of family entertainment.

Batsford Road, Moreton-In-Marsh GL56 0AB: 0870 877 7409 www.moretonshow.co.uk ........................................................

26th September

n Sing with Bob Chilcott Spend a day singing the choral music of the world-famous composer and conductor, Bob Chilcott, led by the composer himself in Shipton-underWychwood church. All singers welcome, of any level of ability or experience.

For details, please tel: 01993 831242 or visit www.wychwoodbenefice.org.uk/ come-and-sing ........................................................

Please note: the editors cannot be held responsible for any changes to events listed. Please contact event organisers directly. All events correct at time of going to press.

All the charm of a traditional country show with something for everyone

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Dementia group create ‘Chaos in Carterton’ radio play Unlocking memories through the arts is having a positive impact on people with dementia attending the ‘Lights Up’ arts and memory club in Carterton.

A recent arts activity led to the creation and performance of an improvised radio drama that is being broadcast

by Oxford and Preston hospital radio stations and Banbury Community Live Radio.

Community artist Sharon Woodward came up with the idea of producing a radio drama after having done this successfully with the Chipping Norton ‘Lights Up’ group. She said, “Creating a radio play really stimulates the imagination and is great fun. It was very rewarding to do it again with the Carterton group, as it sparked off so many interesting memories and anecdotes.

Encouraging people with dementia to remember past events is very important as it helps keep memories active.”

One of the group members, Pat Ward from Carterton, said: “Taking part in Chaos in Carterton was so interesting; getting everyone’s ideas and pulling it all together brought back lots of

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memories. She added: “I enjoy coming to the Club, it’s very friendly, everyone is good company and it always makes me laugh.”

West Oxfordshire has one of the largest proportions of people aged 55 and over of all the Oxfordshire districts, and old age is a high risk factor for dementia. Volunteers help run the Club and sessions are led by professionals and artists with experience of working with older people. Anyone wishing to volunteer should contact Val McKay at Memory Clubs UK on 01451 810637 or Val’s mobile: 07717 374484.

Carterton Lights Up club meets on the second and fourth Thursday of the month at Blenheim Court, Sycamore Drive. Chipping Norton Lights Up meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at Highlands, 73 Burford Road. Both meet from 10.30am12.30pm.

People can turn up on the day, there is no charge and no need to book in advance. Help with transport may be is available. For more information, call Memory Clubs UK on 01454 810637.

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Do You Find The School Holidays Stressful?

School holidays are not necessarily stress free. Parents can plan with the best intensions producing a meticulous time table for their children over the holiday period. Then the unexpected happens and the time tabled activity is cancelled leaving the children anxious so tensions build up.

Parents need to be reminded that their children do not need to have all their school holiday time tabled for them to a minute detail.

One solution to the above scenario is to sit everyone down and discuss the situation in order to find alternative solutions. This could even mean allowing the children more free time, which may be no bad thing, because our children do need time for some quiet self-reflection.

However should the tensions begin to escalate then there are some wellknown techniques that can help the mind relax: • Slow deep breaths can help lower the blood pressure and heart rate. Ideally one should lie down or sit in a comfy chair and breathe slowly in and out with a regular rhythm.

• Close your eyes for a few seconds; it is an easy way to regain calm and focus.

• Give your hands a massage; this can be especially helpful for people who spend a lot of time typing on a keyboard.

• Squeeze a stress ball. First squeezing in one hand then the other helps relieve the tension.

• Have a good stretch to relieve the tension in your muscles. Should you have more time available hold the stretch for a few seconds then relax. This method can be extended by applying the stretch in turn to various muscle groups such as the face, neck, shoulders, arms, legs, wrists and hands.

• If possible walk away from the environment that is causing the stress and fill 5 minutes of time on your own. Even better if you can, find a sunny spot to give you time to gather your thoughts.

• Go for a quick walk. A simple exercise which is a great stress reliever.

• Listen to your favourite music, but ensure that this does not interfere with any other person’s privacy.

• Have some flowers around the house and smell the scent. Colourful flowers have a calming effect on many people.

• Stroke and cuddle a pet, if you are fortunate enough to have one they can help you relax and forget your problems.

• Read a book or a magazine for 10 minutes.

• Spend a few minutes in the garden.

The above methods are quick and relatively easy ways of relaxing, but by far the best method is to take regular exercise. The National Health Service refer to it on their web site as the “miracle cure”; it can reduce your risk of major illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer by 50% and what is more it is free.

When we exercise, our bodies release hormones which make us calmer and use up other hormones that the body makes when it is stressed.

By exercising regularly you will be amazed how much more relaxed we feel after a short workout such as a good walk. It also boosts the self-esteem, which makes a person feel happier.

Wishing all readers happy, relaxing and stress free holidays these forthcoming weeks.

For further information: http://greatist.com/happiness/40-ways-relax-5-minutes-or-less http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/pages/ways-relievestress.aspx John Harris

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All the Fun of a

Rural Fair 6th September 2015 Lodge Farm, Ditchley Estate, Chipping Norton, OX7 4EU (Off the B4437 between Charlbury and Woodstock)

From morris dancers to ferret racing and bee keeping to basket making – join us for a day of celebrating all things rural at the 16th annual Wychwood Forest Fair The Wychwood Forest Fair, one of West Oxfordshire’s leading Green Country Shows, takes place this year at Lodge Farm, Ditchley Estate (off the B4437) on Sunday 6th September 2015. Set in a beautiful countryside location, at the heart of the ancient Wychwood Forest area, the Fair is a great family day out offering a wide range of entertainment, rural craft demonstrations, music, food and much, much more.

Our large Arts and Crafts marquee, offers many opportunities to browse and buy interesting items and see local businesses showcasing their products and services.

The ever popular Rural Craft Area, will be filled with demonstrators from dry stone walling to hedge laying, from beekeeping to basket making and even a chainsaw carver.

Entertainers include Morris Dancers, Aunt Sally, Ferret Racing, Coconut Shy, Hatwells Fun Fair, and other Children’s Games.

Local Food Producers will be much in evidence and Refreshments from Witney Rotary Club, John Kench’s Barbecue, plus vegetarian food with an eastern twist, and local Ice Cream, all of which can be eaten whilst listening to the Witney Town Band. The Wychwood Tea Tent, and Bar supplied by Wychwood Brewery will be much in evidence.

The Wychwood Project, who organise and run the Fair, is a registered charity that aims to inspire people to conserve and restore our unique local landscapes and habitats. In addition to the Project’s own display some 30 community and conservation groups will be promoting ways of “doing your bit” for the environment and for your community.

All proceeds from this event go towards our on-going work of “Restoring Landscapes, Inspiring People” in the Wychwood area.

For further details visit the Wychwood Project website at www.wychwoodproject.org.

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Holiday Letting Large Cottages What’s The Secret?

Cotswold Link interviews Character Cottages, to understand the local market for large holiday cottages

Owners of large houses are often under the impression that the demand for holiday letting is low. Can you shed some light on the market?

The great news is that big properties in the Cotswolds, especially those with traditional character, do very well as holiday lets! To understand why, a good place to start is by looking at the history behind the area…

The Cotswolds has a long history of working with wool, silk and other raw materials. As a result, many of the cottages in the area were built for the farm labourers and factory workers, and are quite small, typically with one or two bedrooms. Larger properties are less common and, consequently, this creates a restricted supply of big houses for the holiday letting market.

Many people are surprised to learn that the underlying demand for large holiday lets in the Cotswolds is very high. The central location of the Cotswolds makes it the perfect location

for large groups of people, who want to get together to celebrate an event, such as a 60th birthday party, family gathering or a university reunion. Hotels often don’t appeal to large groups, as they sometimes lack the desired communal feel and can often be too expensive.

A further attribute of the demand for big Cotswold houses is that, being event driven, it is less impacted by seasonality. For example, if Grandma’s 70th birthday happens to be in January, then that’s when the group will want to book their break, regardless of the fact that this is traditionally a quieter month for holiday letting. This means large properties can command strong prices throughout the year.

demand, our experience has been that large holiday homes perform exceptionally well in the Cotswolds. For example, we have successfully generated more than £90,000 per annum of gross income, from over 55 bookings, for a beautiful, detached, six bedroomed house in the North Cotswolds.

At Character Cottages we are very experienced at maximising the returns on large properties.

We can offer owners a wide range of support and advice, including furnishing, pricing, occupancy, security deposits and overall property management. To find out what your large house can do for you, just get in touch with us!

When you combine the limited supply of properties with the strong and constant

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www.character-cottages.co.uk owners@character-cottages.co.uk Tel: 0208 935 5375

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GARDEN VIEW

Water without the guilt Who remembers their dad hosing the garden on warm summer evenings? We always seemed to have a lush lawn when I was a child, apart from the summer of 1976 when hosepipes were banned and we all used stand-pipes for weeks.

July gardening tips

But nowadays hosepipes are the horticultural equivalent of a bad taste joke: out of style and somewhat frowned upon. But gardens need water to survive so what can we do?

Well the truth is, we have more than enough water in the UK to sustain an average garden, but it tends to fall in the winter when all the plants are dormant.

A water butt is a simple, economical solution for most urban gardens.

Butts will catch the rainwater from your gutter and store it until it’s required. They typically hold between 100 and 300 litres depending on size. You can now buy huge rainwater tanks which hold up 1000 litres and are great if you have the space. There are also underground storage tanks which hold over 2500 litres!

With special attachments, stored rainwater can be fed into hoses and sprinklers, so you can use them guilt-free. However, if you want to make the most of your saved water then irrigation systems are the best choice. They typically reduce the amount of water you use by 70-90%, which is a huge saving. Here are a few tips for getting the best from an irrigation system. Ground preparation is really important. Dig in lots of home-produced compost, well rotted

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horse manure, or spent mushroom compost. This organic matter will help the soil retain any moisture it receives.

Make sure the irrigation lines run under the tips of the branches rather than at the base of the plant. This will water the roots more efficiently.

Make sure you mulch. Mulch can be a membrane, gravel, bark chips or cocoa shells. The aim is to keep moisture in the soil. I favour organic mulches because they gradually rot down and can be dug in to improve the soil texture further.

A few simple measures will ensure that your garden stays green this summer without costing the earth!

Plants for Dry Spaces • Alliums - the huge ones look great • Cistus - Rock Rose • Euphorbia - my favourite, very architectural • Helianthemum - Sun Rose • Lavender - plant near patios for the fragrance • Santolina • Sedum - almost indestructible!

• Senecio - the sunshine plant • Thyme

By Rachel Leverton

Water thoroughly once or twice a week rather than little and often - this encourages plants to put down roots in search of water rather than coming up to the surface. Remember, though, that containers and hanging baskets need watering every day and sometimes even twice a day if it is hot and windy.

For recently planted large shrubs or trees, leave a hose trickling around the base for an hour.

The same goes for established plants in very dry periods - pay particular attention to camellias, rhododendrons, azaleas and hydrangeas which will abort next season’s flowers if they get too dry. Mulch around the roots when moist to help avoid this.

Recently planted hedges are best watered with a trickle hose (a length of old hose punctured with little holes) left running for an hour or so.

Ensure trees or shrubs planted in the last couple of years on lawns or in areas of rough grass have a circle of clear earth around them - this must be kept clear or grass will prevent essential moisture getting through. Mulching with bark or compost will help.

The key to successful planting, whether it be a shrub, tree, perennial or bedding plant is to water in well. Soak the rootball in a bucket until no air bubbles come to the surface, dig the planting hole, fill with water and allow to drain away. Place the plant in the hole, fill with soil, firm gently and water well with a watering can - this will give the

plant a huge advantage over one planted with a dry rootball in a dry hole and watered only on the surface.

Hoe beds and borders to get rid of annual weeds, like bitter cress and chickweed. If it’s dry, attack perennial weeds like ground elder and the like with systemic weed killer painted onto the leaves and trail tips of bindweed into jam jars full of the same.

Remember systemic weed killers are indiscriminate and will kill anything they contact. If you don’t have time to do this, at least cut the culprits down to prevent them from setting seed.

Keep your pond topped up with fresh water - a build up of algae in warm weather can be toxic, if not fatal, for animals.

Pests Pests love warm weather, so be on your guard! Caterpillar and aphid infestations can be dealt with by hand if caught early enough, but should the situation career out of control you will have to resort to insecticides or grin and bear it! Greenfly and blackfly especially love the heat and don’t forget aphids and other sap-sucking insects can transmit viruses so don’t give in to the sympathy vote. Try to attract beneficial insects by growing a wide variety of plants - ladybirds and their larvae are consummate aphid predators, as are lacewings and even wasps.

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Recipe Pimm’s Jelly

Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 50 minutes Yield: Makes 4 - 6 jellies Ingredients: 4 oz/115g golden super fine/caster sugar ½ cup/100ml water Juice of half a lemon ½ oz/12g gelatine leaves ¾ cup/175ml Pimm’s No. 1 2 cups/500ml diet fizzy lemonade 8 oz/250g fresh strawberries, roughly chopped Few torn fresh mint leaves

Enjoy Pimm’s Jelly this Summer Pimm’s is Britain’s number one summer drink but also takes on a great role as a refreshing Pimm’s Jelly.

add the Pimm’s and the lemonade.

Place the bowl over a bowl of iced water and leave to cool until the jelly is just starting to set – about 30 minutes. If you stir the jelly from time to time this will speed up the process.

A Pimm’s jelly recipe is so simple that you will be making Pimm’s jelly all summer long. Don’t feel restricted to just using strawberries in the Pimm’s jelly recipe. You can ring the changes with other summer fruits, raspberries work very well.

Preparation: Place the sugar into a small saucepan, add the water and lemon juice, stir.

Gently dissolve the sugar over a low heat. Once dissolved simmer for a few minutes then remove from the heat.

Break the gelatine leaves into small pieces and cover with cold water.

Leave to soak for 5 minutes then add to the sugar solution and stir until thoroughly dissolved.

Pour the sugar syrup into a bowl,

As soon as the jelly begins to set add the strawberries and stir, add the mint leaves and stir again.

Pour the jelly into large wine glasses, or glass bowls and place in the refrigerator, preferably overnight.

Serve with extra strawberries and mint and cream or vanilla ice cream.

is? n n e T r o f Anyone It’s Wimbledon fortnight

All England Croquet and Lawn A broken pony-roller belonging to the to the birth of the most prestigious Tennis Club was the catalyst which led on. bled tennis tournament in the world: Wim bers decided to hold a lawn tenWhen the roller broke in 1877 the mem ir. There were 22 male competitors nis competition to raise funds for repa The champion was 27-year-old fee. nce who each paid a one guinea entra yes, it did rain on the day of the Spencer Gore who won 12 guineas and finals! was such a success that it In spite of the weather the competition have been only ten Wimbledonbecame an annual event. In fact there four years during the First World War free years since that first competition: le. At the start the only event was the gent and six during the Second World War were les doub n’s leme gent the singles and men’s singles. Then, in 1884 the ladies’ the mixed doubles in 1913. and les doub s’ ladie the by wed follo added, to play until 1968 when the tournament Only top-ranked amateurs were allowed als could finally enter. became ‘open’, meaning that profession , as they are known, for the first 30 The British dominated The Championships Laurie and Reggie Doherty were national years: Ernest and William Renshaw, and to last. Until recently the last British man heroes. But our winning streak didn’t re befo just titles . He won a hat trick of win at Wimbledon was Fred Perry in 1936 ly final ay Murr Andy 2013 of ous summer the Second World War. Then, in the glori n. natio the of t hear the brought the title home to Britain and won ldn’t his fiancé Kim Sears in the spring. Wou He’s on a high this year having married ? again on bled Wim won and tale year it be wonderful if he made this a real fairy

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Wimbledon: Fascinating Facts

The first black person to win Wimbledon was a woman, the American Althea Gibson, in 1957 and 1958. The first, and only, black male to win was Arthur Ashe, who beat Jimmy Con nors in 1975.

The last British woman to win Wimbledon was Virginia Wade in the silver Jubilee year, 197 7. It is the only tennis com petition where players are required to wear all or predominantly white clothing. In 2002 Anna Kou rnikova had to change her black shorts for white ones on cou rt!

Every year about 27,000 kilo s of strawberries, 7,000 litre s of cream, 60,000 pints of Pim ms and 14,000 bottles of Champagne are consumed by spectators during Wimbledon.

By Louise Addison

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Why Floss?

You might clean your teeth religiously twice a day and feel that you are doing all you can to keep your gnashers looking and feeling clean and fresh, but if you fail to include flossing as part of your daily dental routine, you are only doing just over half the job.

Every tooth has five surfaces, and brushing only gets to three of them (the top/bottom, back and front). If you don’t floss, it leaves the two side surfaces unclean and potentially subject to disease.

Food and sticky bacteria, commonly known as plaque, lodge in the space between teeth. If left, plaque generates acid which can cause cavities, irritate gums and eventually lead to gum disease. Gum disease isn’t pretty. It eats away at gums and teeth and in advanced forms even attacks the bones that support the teeth and the lower third of the face.

Floss is the only thing that can get into the space between teeth to remove these harmful bacteria. If done before brushing, flossing can expose a larger area for the fluoride in the toothpaste to act upon.

The best way to care for your teeth is to combine plaque removal through flossing and brushing with chemical cleaning via toothpaste and mouth wash.

By Debbie Singh-Bhatti

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Index Accountants Tetbury Accountancy Services: p4 Attractions & Events Lodge Park: p13 Summer Party & Village Shindig: p7 Swanfest 2: p7 Builders & Contractors Cherwell Roofing: p19 CN Glass: p5 Cotswold Stoves & Chimneys: p2 JA Shirley Building Services: p19 PJC Services: p5 The 50 Plus: p2 Children’s Services Cotswold Tutor: p15 Cotswold Youth Choir: p12 Chimney Services Cotswold Stoves & Chimneys: p3 Mr Sweep Chimney Services: p4 Cleaning Services The Laundry: p1 MRK Services: p19 Dentist Cirencester Dental Practice: p21

Education Cotswold Tutor: p15 Elderly Services Guideposts Trust: p11 Newlands Of Stow: p11 Nurse Plus: p14 The Langston Care Home: p14 Electrical Services Cotswold Aerials: p2 Mayday Aerials: p6 PJC Services: p5 Vivid AV: p4 Finance & Legal Tetbury Accountancy Services: p4 Lionheart Later Life Plannig: p14 Flooring Cotswold Flooring Centre: p10 Food & Drink The Swan at Ascott: p7 The Grapevine Hotel: p1 Furniture Cottonwood Interiors: p3 MRK Services: p19 Gardening & Outdoors Cotswold Tool & Plant Hire: p19 MRK Services: p19

Healthcare & Wellbeing Cirencester Dental Practice: p21 Footworx Clinic: p21 Ramona Gogolos Foot Health Professional: p9 Heating Cotswold Oil & Gas Services: p3 Cotswold Stoves & Chimneys: p3 Gas & Oil Heating Services: p23 I.D Godden & Co Plumbing: p2 Woodburner Showroom: p23 Hire All Things Vintage China hire: p8 Cotswold Tool & Plant Hire: p19 Fosseway Tool Hire: p19 Holidays Character Cottages: p17 Holidays Please: p24 Home & Interiors Country Bathrooms: p3 Cotswold Flooring Centre: p10 Cotswold Stoves & Chimneys: p2 Cottonwood Interiors: p3 Heaven & Stubbs: p1 Sewing Tuition: p15 Woodburner Showroom: p23

Kitchen & Bathroom Design Country Bathrooms: p3 Cottonwood Interiors: p3 Heaven & Stubbs: p1 Laundry The Laundry: p1 Locksmith The Locksmith: p4 Painters & Decorators PMO Decorators: p5 Pets & Animals Dial A Dog Wash: p6 Plumbing I.D Godden & Co Plumbing: p2 PJC Services: p5 Property Maintenance Cherwell Roofing: p19 CN Glass: p5 Cotswold Oil & Gas Services: p3 Cotswold Stoves & Chimneys: p2 Gas & Oil Heating Services: p23 I.D Godden & Co Plumbing: p2 JA Shirley Building Services: p19 Milena Windows: p23 Mr Sweep Chimney Services: p4

PJC Services: p5 The 50 Plus: p2 The Locksmith: p4 Recruitment Guideposts Trust: p14 Nurse Plus: p14 Removals Get Rid Removals p6 Sewing Sewing Tuition: p15 Sound & Vision Cotswold Aerials: p2 Mayday Aerials: p6 Vivid AV: p4 Tuition Cotswold Tutor: p15 Jacquelyne Morison Hypnotheraphy Training: p9 My Computer Tutor: p15 Sewing Tuition: p15 Windows CN Glass: p5 Milena Windows: p23 Workwear First Avenue Supplies: p23

The Index is a free service offered to our customers. No responsibility can be held for errors or omissions. Multiple entries included on a space available basis

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