Thirsk & Easingwold Spring 2011

spring

2011

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welcome

to the Spring issue of Thirsk & Easingwold infocus

Also in this issue...

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FINANCE Tax Tips for Selling Your Home...

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New To The Area New local businesses showcased...

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LOCAL NEWS Easingwold Players Centurion...

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Features

LOCAL NEWS Spring Events...

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Blue Cross Update Riding High At Twycross Zoo It’s Competition Time!

FINANCE Use (don’t lose) your allowances...

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Spring Awakenings Take Care...

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LOCAL NEWS What’s On? Rural Arts...

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USEFUL NUMBERS

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Choose Synergy...

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AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Small local businesses showcased...

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LOCAL NEWS Thirsk Clock Update...

Best wishes,

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Christine Campbell Editor

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I hope that you enjoy this edition of Thirsk & Easingwold infocus.

Please contact us if you would like to advertise your business in this publication.

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Tax Tips for Selling your Home • Part 1

Many of us have sold our home without worrying about paying tax on the sale. This is because we’re entitled to Principal Private Residence Relief* which cancels out the Capital Gains Tax* due.

Unfortunately it’s not always that straightforward and you might owe tax under certain circumstances if you don’t minimise tax dues with good advice. Here’s a list of situations that could cause you problems • You haven’t lived in the House before selling it The house (or part of it) should be your main home (Principal Private Residence) for some time during ownership. Technically, this could be for only one day but your intention should be to live there permanently. One chap owned a property for 5 months and claimed he moved in and out again because his wife didn’t like it. He was made to pay because there was no clear intention of him wanting to move there permanently – no evidence of him notifying banks, council and other parties and the use of electricity in the house was also too low. So if you’re going to use your property as a home – make sure everyone knows and there’s clear evidence of it – just in case circumstances change!

• Renovation and Sale of properties is your Business So, if you’re running a business doing up properties and then selling them, your profits would be taxed as trade profits rather than under Capital Gains rules. You might also have to pay income tax and national insurance. If this is the case, make certain you keep receipts for all expenses incurred. These should include acquiring, renovating, and selling the property. You can claim this against profit from the sale.

• Your garden exceeds 1.24 acres Although the garden accompanying a residence is normally covered by the Principal Private Residence Relief if it To advertise with us, please contact Christine on 01609 777401

Peter Tarren For business planning and tax advice call Peter on: 0845 330 0451 or email him at: p.tarren@euraaudituk.com or drop in at: 87 South Parade, Northallerton

exceeds 0.5 hectares (1.24 acres) then you may have to pay Capital Gains Tax. If you sell the garden before the property and it qualifies for Tax Relief then there will be no tax due. But if you sell the house first you could be faced with a tax bill when you sell the garden.

Tip: If the garden is in excess of 0.5 hectares then ensure it’s not treated as separate to the property. Sometimes part of the garden may be fenced off separately even though the fenced-off part is part of the garden too. If this is the case consider taking the fence down and taking photos prior to the sale to prove that the land is part of the property and can be enjoyed from the property. For gardens, the use (business/personal) of the garden is considered at the time of sale and not during the whole period of ownership.

Tax Tips for Selling your Home Continued Next Month… *Private Residence Relief - is the name given to the tax relief designed to ensure that most people don’t face a Capital Gains Tax bill when they sell their home. *Capital Gains Tax (CGT) - When an asset (like property, or shares) is sold at a profit, the profit may be liable to a tax called Capital Gains Tax. In calculating the tax you need to consider capital gains allowances, adjustments for inflation and different computations depending on the age of the asset (Or just get yourself a smart advisor!)

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Local news

The Blue Cross in Thirsk: as seen on TV! TV viewers may have seen the local Blue Cross animal adoption centre on the box recently.

It was an early start for staff when BBC Breakfast came to town to interview area manager Denise Young and dog behaviour assistant Lyn Raine about the Dangerous Dogs Act. The centre was also the location for a series of pet care videos on ITV’s Daybreak. Celebrity vet Emma Milne spoke to Lyn and Jenny Day at the centre on various aspects of pet care and animal adoption. You can watch the films again on Daybreak’s website: www.itv.com/daybreak

Could you love us?

If you are considering taking on a pet please come to see us. We always have lots of cats and dogs who really deserve a second chance and there are many benefits to taking on a pet from The Blue Cross. Firstly, all of our animals are carefully assessed and we match each individual pet to potential new owners. All pets go to their new homes after being checked over by the vet, all are vaccinated, neutered and microchipped and we are also on-hand for the rest of the pet’s lifetime if you need any advice on their behaviour.

Paws for tea

The Blue Cross relies on public donations to continue caring for animals in need. For a fun way to help out, why not join the scores of people who have already signed up to host a Blue Cross Tea Party? All you need to do is invite your friends round any time during National Pet Month (between 2 April and 2 May 2011). Wherever you are and whatever your age, get the kettle on, bake some cakes and serve up a fantastic Tea Party.

All the money raised will go towards animals at the Thirsk centre and the other sick and homeless pets we care for each year. Just £25 could pay for a kitten’s first vaccinations and worming treatments.

Register on our website or call 08444 993 663 to find out more. And don’t forget to send us your Tea Party photos!

If would like to find out about the pets looking for homes at The Blue Cross in Thirsk, contact the centre on 01845 577759, visit the website: www.bluecross.org.uk/ Thirsk or join us on Facebook and Twitter!

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New to Nor Thirsk & Easingwold

New and exciting businesses come to the

areas this Spring

New Businesses we’re introducing: • Hunters Estate Agents • Mynd Body & Soul • Hillsprint - Under New Ownership!

• Luke Haslam Estates

You can also email: Christine@jkanorth.com or visit our website at: www.jkanorth.com

Linda Barker Provides tips to Thirsk home vendors Property and design expert Linda Barker has joined Yorkshire estate agents Hunters, with advice available to Thirsk home vendors on how to present their homes for sale.

Hunters have expanded into the Thirsk area with personal agent Ross Quin who is covering the town and many surrounding villages. Ross knows the area well, brings a personal service and more than ten years property experience, both in estate agency and property investment.

Linda Barker, Yorkshire-born TV presenter and star of Changing Rooms, has written an exclusive guide for Hunters customers to download: “Inspire Your Buyers Guide”, now available from www.huntersnet.co.uk.

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The guide is packed with no nonsense advice for home owners, giving them tips on preparing and improving their home before it comes onto the market, and containing low cost designer tips on home decor and design.

Said Ross: “Linda is an acknowledged expert in this field and her advice will prove invaluable to people in the Thirsk area.

It might make all the difference between achieving a sale or not achieving one. We at Hunters are seeing a real uplift in the property market here. The real driver for the market now is availability of credit and what will really determine whether many properties sell is whether there are enough buyers with the ability to take on a mortgage.”

Commenting on the new link-up, Linda said: “There are two important things any home owner needs to sell a property: the right price and the correct presentation. A good estate agent will look after the first but it’s down to you to make sure the

second point gets looked after.”

In the Hunters guide, Linda goes back to basics and shows home owners how presenting a home correctly for sale need not be costly, focusing on helping them to eliminate unnecessary spend and give their property the widest possible appeal.

Some of Linda’s top tips for vendors are: • Tackle any exterior maintenance issues as a priority – there’s nothing worse than a bad first impression • Focus on ‘creating space’ in your home by eliminating clutter • Keep pets out of sight during viewings, and remove their bedding from living areas She then goes on to give design tips to help vendors pick the right colours, patterns and furniture for their homes, even down to the right colour to paint your front door. ..................................................................................................

Ross is now taking new instructions and can be reached on 01845 440555.

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rthallerton

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New and exciting businesses come to the

Thirsk & Easingwold areas this Spring

The Artist’s Palette in Thirsk, a “must-visit” shop for the creative person Owner Wendy Gibson-Brown is a qualified art teacher and professional artist.

New Businesses we’re introducing: • The Artist’s Palette • Green Thumb

• The Jaipur Spice • The Oak Tree Inn Helperby

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PATIENTS BENEFIT FROM NEW SERVICE A NEW service which helps determine the extent or stage of breast cancer is being provided at the Friarage Hospital.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy is a surgical diagnostic procedure used to identify the spread of cancer into the lymph nodes by biopsy of the ‘gatekeeper’ sentinel lymph node.

Patient, Jan Sanders from Danby Wiske, who recently had the procedure at the Friarage, said: “It was quick and efficient with no lasting

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discomfort and not having to travel to James Patient, Jan Sanders, with Mark Richardson (left) head of nuclear medicine and Robert Bryan, consultant general surgeon at the Friarage.

Cook removed any potential anxiety on the day of the operation. All the staff involved were more than willing to answer any questions and explain the process.”

She has worked in the arts for almost 30 years, enjoying various commissions ranging from sculpting for the Maritime Trust and painting celebrity portraits, to writing features for several national craft magazines.

Wendy is dedicated to providing helpful, friendly service together with a superb range of materials for artists, hobbyists and modelmakers.

“As an artist myself, owning an art shop is rather like being Charlie in the chocolate factory! I still enthuse over fine colours, beautiful brushes and papers.

I do also appreciate that it can be very confusing for people to select what they need, so I am able to offer practical advice. I can honestly say that I’ve used every type of art material that I stock and done virtually all of the crafts…though I haven’t made an Airfix kit…yet!”

The Artist’s Palette 1 Millgate, Thirsk, YO7 1AA Tel: (01845) 574457 Open Monday – Saturday: 9am – 5pm

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Bringing spice to Ainderby Quernhow!

Since opening in November, the Jaipur Spice Indian Restaurant in Ainderby Quernhow has enjoyed huge success from both new and returning customers.

Previously a village pub, the Jaipur Spice offers diners a wide selection of truly unique Indian dishes in a comfortable and atmospheric setting.

Owner Abdu Malik tells us more, “I wanted to offer customers the opportunity to enjoy both traditional and contemporary authentic Indian food in a rural location. Our chef worked in London for 7 years since arriving in the UK from Bangladesh, where he worked in a 5-star restaurant. The range of signature and fusion dishes on offer includes both ostrich and pheasant which we don’t think you’ll find anywhere else locally!”

Mr Malik also owns the Moti-Raj restaurant in Ripon and The Spice Lounge (inside the Bruce Arms) in Masham, so he is well versed in catering for the demands of local customers.

Come and sit by the fire and enjoy a unique dining experience!

Jaipur Spice, Main Street, Ainderby Quernhow.

Tel: 01845 567796.

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Spread your business message to your customers!

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Bunny Grey

Local news

EASINGWOLD PLAYERS SALUTE THEIR CENTURION!

Bunny Grey – A 100 Years Young!

Easingwold Players celebrated a special landmark in February when Bunny Grey reached her 100th birthday! Bunny joined the Players when they formed in 1988 and is the group’s senior member – though not by much as you will learn below. Among her many contributions, Bunny indulged the Players with her passion in life – beautifully made and elegantly served tea during rehearsals.

The Players marked Bunny’s birthday with a top secret present that suited her Players’ career to a tee – or even a tea!

Bunny’s active and varied life has included a year in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and from 1954 she dedicated much of her life to the British Red Cross and the Cheshire Home Foundation, raising money to give families with invalids a holiday. She worked particularly closely with MS sufferers.

Fellow founder member Joan Arnold is still treading the boards despite her - relatively youthful! - 88 years.

Joan’s credits include “Stepping Out” in which she played a tap dancer when merely a sprog of 75, “Oh What A Lovely War”, “Allo

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Allo” and “Oliver!”.

Joan’s next performance will be in the Players’ production of C P Taylor’s superb play, “Good” which follows the fortunes of university lecturer John Halder as he deals with the challenges of life in 1930’s fascist Germany. Joan has several scenes and will also sing in the chorus for the many 1930’s songs which are featured.

Players Chairman Simon Stephens said, “We chose ‘Good’ to involve the full range of our membership and with Joan and Chris Gamble (who is 15) in the cast we’ve certainly done that! I’m delighted that Joan

HMS Watchful at Great Yarmouth. Simon remarked, “Despite dodging doodlebug missiles in London between trains, and air raids in Leeds and Chatham, Joan reckons that her biggest wartime worry was choosing between the hordes of American airmen plying her with nylons and Camels at the dances in Great Yarmouth – she and Bunny are real characters!”

One of the Players’ 5 ex-RN veterans is John Lister who will be directing “Good” and remarkably Joan was responsible for drafting his father to the Top Secret code breaking centre at Bletchley Park!

(Left) Joan today and at HMS Royal Arthur (1942) - the good looking one second from the right!

will be performing because as a member of the WRNS she did her bit to fight fascism.”

From 1942-45 Joan served in HMS Royal Arthur at Skegness, CinC Medway and

Chris Gambles plays a member of the Hitler Youth and was seen most recently as John Darling in “Peter Pan”. He also has credits for Gobbledegook and York Stagecoach Theatres. Simon Stephens said, “The youngsters in our strong cast have debated the decisions they would have faced had they lived in 1930’s Germany and we look forward to posing the same questions to our audience.”

Chris as John Darling with sister Wendy in “Peter Pan”

“Good” will be performed in the Galtres Entertainment Centre at 7.30 from 13 to 16 April and tickets (Adults £8 Under 16 £5) are already on sale at the Galtres Centre - further information at www.easingwold-players.com Until then, Happy Birthday Bunny and Break A Leg Joan and Chris!

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Spring Events 25th - 31st March

• FILM - The Kings Speech (Ritz Cinema: Thirsk) The story of King George VI of Britain, his impromptu ascension to the throne and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch become worthy of it.

Ritz Cinema, Westgate, Thirsk, North Yorkshire.

Box Office 01845 524 751. www.ritzcinema.co.uk ...............................................................................................................

3rd April

• Mother’s Day Lunch with pianist Let Mum relax for the day and enjoy a sumptuous Sunday lunch with the whole family. Accompanied by Mel Nicholls on the piano. Tickets: Prices will vary according to menu taken.

Time: 12.30 - 2.30pm. The Feversham Arms Hotel & Verbena Spa, Helmsley. Tel: 01439 770766 ...............................................................................................................

3rd April

• Mother’s Day Spa Day & Spa by Candlelight Treat Mum to some well-deserved pamper time and book her favourite treatment. Spa by Candlelight 5-9pm, to include a treatment, full use of the heat experience and a light supper.

Tickets: Treatment and full use of the heat experience from £75 per person. Spa by Candlelight: £65 per person.

The Feversham Arms Hotel & Verbena Spa, Helmsley. Tel: 01439 770766 ...............................................................................................................

3rd April

• Newburgh Priory Spring Plant Fair and Art & Photography Exhibition Buy quality plants directly from the growers with friendly advice, wonderful choice. Also 40 acres of gardens, grounds and ruins to wander through and an Exhibition “Echoes of Newburgh” art and photography. Entry: £3.00. 11am - 4pm, Newburgh Priory, Coxwold YO61 4AS. www.newburghpriory.co.uk | Tel: 01347 868372 ...............................................................................................................

13th - 16th April

• Easingwold Players - “Good” “Good” will be performed in the Galtres Entertainment Centre at 7.30 from 13 to 16 April and tickets (Adults £8 Under 16 £5) are already on sale at the Galtres Centre. The play – which the author described as a musical comedy within a tragedy - follows the fortunes of university lecturer John Halder as he comes to grips with the challenges of life in 1930s Germany as the rise of the Nazis present him with some difficult decisions. Further information about the Easingwold Players and “Good” can be found at www.easingwold-players.co.uk ...............................................................................................................

Easter Egg Hunting Trail 16th April - 1st May Swinton Park Hotel • Themed Easter Day

Call: 01765 680900 for more details or visit: www.swintonpark.com

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20th April

• FILM - Made In Dagenham (Galtres Cinema: Easingwold) If you liked Calendar Girls and The Full Monty you’ll like this film.

It’s about female empowerment when, in 1968, women factory workers went on strike at the Ford Motor plant in Dagenham.

Film starts at 7.30pm. Ticket prices: Adult £4.50 Children £3.00.

Available from The Galtres Centre Box Office or on the door. Tel: 01347 822472 ...............................................................................................................

22nd - 25th April • Easter Fun Days - Newby Hall

On the woodland trail costumed characters will be helping families discover clues and find their way through the woodland in search of the Newby Treasure…but who are the characters and what tricks will they be up to? The fun starts at 11am on Easter Sunday and Monday and normal admission applies.

Tel: 0845 4504068 | www.newbyhallandgardens.com ...............................................................................................................

24th April

• Easter Sunday Lunch Take a break from the chocolate and treat the whole family to a very special Sunday Lunch this Easter. Tickets: Prices will vary according to menu taken. Time: 12.30 - 2.30pm.

The Feversham Arms Hotel & Verbena Spa, Helmsley.

Tel: 01439 770766 | www.fevershamarmshotel.com ...............................................................................................................

30th April

• EXHIBITION - “All Our Yesterdays” This exhibition will feature Royal Weddings, Domestic Memorabilia (historical items with their modern counterparts such as irons, radios, sewing machines, hot water bottles etc.) and Bibles as it is the 400th anniversary of the ‘King James Bible’.

Stm Ary’s Church, Thirsk | www.stmaryschurchthirsk.org.uk ...............................................................................................................

4th May

• Harrogate Aesthetics Sharon Bennett RGN, NIP is currently on the European working committee at the British Standards Institute for Aesthetic Surgery Services. She will give inside knowledge and answer questions about popular anti-ageing treatments, including botox, treating wrinkles, and the wonder creams that claim to turn back the effects of time. Tickets: £35 person to include 3 course lunch and coffee. Time: 12 - 12.30pm.

The Feversham Arms Hotel & Verbena Spa, Helmsley. Tel: 01439 770766 ...............................................................................................................

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.

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Dr Susie Boardman from Yorkshire,

riding high at Twycross Zoo Top vet Dr Susie Boardman, who grew up in Yorkshire and is now the only female director of a Top Five British zoo, Twycross in Leicestershire, began learning her trade as a teenager at the Thirsk veterinary practice of best-selling author James Heriot (real name James White.)

Susie, 48, whose father Edward Jackson’s family had farmed in the Vale of York for decades, worked at the practice from the age of 12 and was even taught to stitch up animals’ wounds by James White’s son Jim and the real life “Siegfried”, Donald Sinclair. Susie’s mother Kate Jackson even appears in some of James Heriot’s books as “Mrs Westby and her four unruly children”.

Since then, Susie has more than fulfilled the promise of her early years, and after leaving Thirsk Comprehensive School where she excelled in science, she gained distinctions as a student at Glasgow Veterinary School. She went on to work at London Zoo and founded a conservation charity before taking over as CEO at Twycross 6 years ago.

One major task she now faces is promoting Twycross Zoo, the World Primate Centre, which has changed radically since it opened in 1963 to huge crowds, desperate to see the animals, particularly the hand-reared chimps whose famous tea parties featured in the PG Tips commercials.

latest arrivals, a pair of stunning snow leopards, Irma and Suou in their huge rocky enclosure.

They’ve got real ‘Wow!’ factor and even come up to the window to paw at our visitors. They’re a critically-endangered species with under 7000 left in the wild, so we aim to raise awareness of their plight, and now they’ve settled in, they’re showing a lot of interest in each other, so we’re hoping to hear the patter of tiny paws.

This is a 24-hour-a-day job; I live, eat, breathe and sleep the zoo and it’s hugely rewarding.

We have Britain’s only group of bonobos, endangered apes from the Congo and I’ve just been along Uda Walawe our Sri Lankan themed walkway which gives visitors a bird’s eye view of the elephant paddock and our ‘superstar’ 18-month-old baby elephant, Ganesh-Vijay, the youngest mem-

rative, paintings to ceramics, sculpture to photography, but the common thread will be their capacity to engage visitors with the natural world in an emotional, visceral way.

The Gallery forms part of the Zoo’s new art strategy which aims to engage visitors with the natural world through a more creative medium. Art will be incorporated across the Zoo park and in complementary education and research projects, to make Twycross Zoo the most exciting new art venue in the region. Some of the works and exhibitions may focus directly on the themes underlying all the Zoo’s work: passion for conservation, for sustainability and of course for the animals themselves, their habitats and their welfare.

Other artworks will have a more general, abstract link with nature, but all will be thought-provoking and distinguished examples of their particular genres.

Twycross has grown from a comparatively small collection to become one of Britain’s major zoos with 500,000 visitors each year. Working towards advancements in animal welfare, conservation and education, it is an organisation dedicated to make a significant difference to the region and cares for some of the world’s rarest animals.

2010 saw two major new additions to the Zoo, Himalaya, the free-to-enter visitor centre and the Uda Walawe elephant walkway. “Himalaya is a fantastic experience” enthused Susie. “You can eat Nepalese curry or another of our delicious freshly-prepared meals, and watch two of our

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ber of our herd of Indian and Burmese elephants. Apart from providing the unforgettable experience of seeing such amazing animals at close quarters, one of my major aims is to make sure that Twycross Zoo is a great value day out.”

This summer, Twycross will launch a ground-breaking new contemporary art gallery to showcase a variety of works and genres, which reflect the Zoo’s own values and its aspirations for the future. The Gallery is designed to provoke curiosity and engage emotions through the introduction of contemporary art and will feature an exciting selection of high-quality pieces in a range of styles, from abstract to figu-

Exhibitions will feature some of Britain’s top contemporary artists, designers, jewellers, printmakers and photographers and provide a platform for numerous rising stars of the art world. The Twycross Gallery is a major feature of the transformation which the Zoo is currently undergoing and central to its innovative strategy for the future: its pursuit of excellence in all aspects of its work and its awareness of the multi-faceted natural world and the inter-dependence of every element.

But if you’re looking for a reason to visit between now and the summer when Twycross Gallery is due to open, then the baby orang-utan, the two baby bonobos plus Ganesh-Vijay and the snow leopards should work a treat.

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It’s Competition Time!

Darlington Civic Theatre has two pairs of tickets to give away for the opening night of Corrie! on Monday 2 May.

Corrie! can be seen from Monday 2 – Saturday 7 May, tickets are from £17 - £25 available from the Box Office on 01325 486 555 or online at www.darlingtonarts.co.uk

Celebrating 50 Golden years of Britain’s longest-running and most loved soap, the World Premiere of this brand new comedy play is not to be missed. Relive those magic moments from ‘the Street’ – see the tram run over Alan, Tracy kill Charlie, Todd kiss Nick and Gail marry Brian, Martin, Richard and Joe!

For your chance to win one of two pairs of tickets to the opening night just answer the following question and send to Marketing Dept., Darlington Arts Centre, Vane Terrace, Darlington, DL3 7AX. Closing date is Friday 15 April.

Corrie! it’s right up your street.

Q. How many years has Coronation Street been on television?

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Don’t forget...

Mother’s Day! 3rd April 2011

‘‘

You too, my mother, read my rhymes, For love of unforgotten times, And you may chance to hear once more, The little feet along the floor.

‘‘

Robert Louis Stevenson

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Use (don’t lose) your allowances The tax year ends on the 5th of April.

Why does that matter?

From a tax perspective there are allowances available each tax year which are there to be used.

Individual Savings Account (ISA) Currently each individual over the age of 18 has an annual ISA allowance which means that they can shelter the proceeds of their savings or investments from further income and capital gains tax. I say further because dividends from equity (share) investment come with an element of tax paid which cannot be reclaimed. The current allowance is £10,200 and this will increase to £10,680 in the 2011/12 tax year.

Once the tax year end has passed, the allowance is lost if it is unused. Therefore, you have as an individual up to 5th April to use this year’s allowance.

There are two types of ISA, a Cash ISA which is a deposit account and a Stocks and Shares ISA which is generally for longer term investment and will be invested in assets such as bonds, equities and property. I can help with advice on a suitable investment strategy for a Stocks and Shares ISA.

Pension Contributions As an individual you have the opportunity to invest in a pension and get tax relief at your marginal rate up to certain limits in each tax year. Currently the limit is up to your annual salary unless you have been earning more than £130,000 per annum in any of the last 3 tax years. If you have been earning more than £130,000 it’s too complicated to cover in this article but I would be happy to clarify your limit.

The annual limit is being reduced to £50,000 from the 6th April 2011.

and not pay any tax. Therefore, if you are sitting on capital gains it can be a good tactic to realise some of these gains to make use of the annual allowance and avoid CGT in the future. In the case of a couple it is possible to transfer assets to the other spouse and to utilise the combined allowance of £20,200.

Hopefully you can see some reasons why you might take action and use some of these allowances before the 5th of April.

There is a quirk of the tax system that means that if you are earning between £100,000 and £112,950 you lose your personal allowance (currently £6,475) at the rate of £1 for every £2 above £100,000 until you have completely lost it at £112,950. The result of this is that for earnings between these amounts the effective rate of tax relief is 60%.

Capital Gains Tax The annual Capital Gains Tax (CGT) allowance is £10,100. This means that you are able to make an investment gain of up to £10,100

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Spring Awakenings Take care!

Did you know ?

March

• Issues: Dehydration, starvation, injuries Early Spring warmth begins to bring some hedgehogs out of hibernation. Those that successfully hibernated will be thin and extremely hungry and thirsty! A shallow dish of chickenbased cat/dog food, along with a shallow dish of water, put out each night will help them enormously.

Although a quiet time compared with summer, the first calls about sick or injured hedgehogs will be coming in. Gardeners beginning to tidy up the winter mess are using mowers, shears, strimmers and forks and the calls about injured hedgehogs are not far behind.

This marks the start of a nationwide Spring/Summer campaign asking all gardeners to PLEASE take care and check all areas where hedgehogs are likely to be sleeping BEFORE starting to use hazardous equipment. Mating can occur in this month but it’s rare, they’re usually far too busy trying to find food.

April

• Issues: Dehydration, starvation, injuries Matings occur in this month, especially in late-April. The female is circled by the male, until she accepts him. All snuffling and grunting you hear is her telling him what she thinks of him! He plays no other part in raising a family.

Birth sites include flower-beds, underneath hedges, underneath sheds, in unused rabbit burrows, in compost heaps

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• Hedgehogs are found in the wild in Europe, Asia, Af New Zealand, bu rica, and t not in Australia or North America • Hedgehogs ha ve probably been on Earth for arou million years! nd 15 • Hedgehog spine s are actually ho llow hairs. Altho spines are a bit pri ugh the ckly they don’t co ntain any kind of and they are the and even in bags of rubbish that have been left unatpoison, hedgehog’s only defense against A hedgehog can tended. predators. have up to 7,000 spines • ALWAYS check in rubbish sacks before you dispose • Baby hedgehog s will shed his sp ines before gettin spines, rather lik of them. g his adult e humans lose the ir baby teeth • ALWAYS check compost heaps before you plunge a • Hedgehogs wh o is very stresse d or sick can als fork in. spines. o lose his • ALWAYS move a bonfire before you light it.

• Hedgehogs are well-known for rol The pregnant female makes a nest of dry leaves, grass, ling into a ball as mechanism, us a defence ing their spine s to protect th moss or anything else suitable and unsuitable.

Unfortunately thi emselves. s mechanism do es not help the trying to cross ro m when ads.

Calls about injured and sick hedgehogs are now in• Hedgehogs ca n communicate creasing. in a variety of ways, including different grunts, snuffles, and loud squeals .

• Hedgehogs are nocturnal.

• Dog Attacks • Hedgehogs we Dog attacks are now becoming commonplace and re eaten in Ancie nt Eg cooking method being to cover the ypt, with a common of course it’s never the owner’s fault. Injured hedgehedgehog in cla then bake it. Plea y and se don’t try this hogs usually have deep tooth marks, broken legs, at home!

• Th e ge sta tion period for ribs, skull fractures and eyes missing. hedgehogs is 35 depending on the to 58 days, species, and thi s results in three baby hedgehogs. to six If you know your dog is likely to chase small animals • Wild hedgehog in your garden please put a muzzle on it before lets, for example in the UK, generally nate from Novemb hiberting it out to play. Muzzles are not cruel - your dog er to March, altho ugh this can depe the temperature nd on and weather. Pe is highly unlikely to need to defend itself in your t, domesticated he do not usually hib dgehogs ernate. garden. Your dog learned that LEAD meant walk• So me sp ecies of hedgeh ies and gets excited, he can also learn that muzog can live up the most hedgehogs age of 10, but live for around thr zle means play time. ee to six years.

• Hedgehogs are mentioned in Sh akespeare’s The Tempest and Mi The Hedgehog Helpline can be contacted dsummer Night’s Dream. by telephone in cases where urgent advice is required.

Helpline: 029 2062 3985

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To advertise with us, please contact Christine on 01609 777401

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27

What’s on this Spring?

With the launch of their new Spring programme, Rural Arts have a great range of events and workshops for you to get involved in at their venue, The Courthouse in Thirsk.

• Free internet classes continue to run every

Monday, 10am -12 noon (booking is advised) and we will also be running courses in Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop and Introduction to Mac in March and April.

Goodwin (April 9th), Garlic Theatre’s ‘Old Mother Hubbard and her cupboard’ (7th May) for our younger audiences, Canadian singer David Myles (May 21st).

• Business Link are running free workshops and

• If you are looking to improve your fitness, why

not try our weekly Zumba classes on Monday and Thursday evenings, 6pm -7pm? (Please note, due to high demand these classes are now run by Rural Arts at Thirsk Town Hall).

business advice clinics throughout March and Thirsk Museum Society are presenting monthly talks in March (‘Subscribers to the Opera’) and April (‘That’s Entertainment’).

• From March onwards, there will be French conversation classes, a screenwriting course and various artist led workshops including life drawing, felt making, music technology, quilt making and willow weaving.

• Why not call in and have a browse or enjoy some

lunch in the café…our menu includes homemade soup, quiche with salad and a mouthwatering selection of cakes. Opening times (café / exhibition) are 10.00am-4.30pm, Monday to Saturday. ..............................................................................

• For further information or to book tickets, please contact Janice McVay, Courthouse Manager on 01845 526536, e: Janice@ruralarts. org or visit our website, www.ruralarts.org.

Alternatively call in to the Courthouse and pick up one of our Spring programmes.

• The Courthouse is available to hire for meetings,

training, wedding receptions, christenings etc.

You may not be aware that we also have a variety of fully equipped spaces with full disabled access available to hire for business use, workshops and private events.

Art Exhibition • On 28th and 29th May, we will be hosting an

Arts Market featuring artists from around the region selling a selection of ceramics, textiles and jewellery (10.00am-4.30pm).

Kids Art Club • Our Saturday morning kids art club gives children a chance to work creatively in a range of different art forms. There are two sessions, ages 8-10 years (10am-11am) and 11-18 years (11.30am-12.30pm); classes cost £5 and take place during term time only.

• We are delighted to be able to offer a writing workshop with Tom Needham (whose TV credits include Cold Blood, Silent Witness, Dalziel and Pascoe and The Bill) on April 9th as well as textile and jewellery classes linked to our Open Studios exhibition in May and June.

• From the beginning of March until April 16th

our Spring exhibition will feature mosaics, willow garden sculptures, ceramic ornaments and metal sculpture. From 18th April until 14th May we will host work from the Feltmaker’s Guild followed

by North Yorkshire Open Studio’s exhibition for 2011, “Flowerings” featuring work by Dionne Swift, Judith Brown and Ruth Moore.

..............................................................................

classes...talks... workshops... exhibitions... cafe...

• Performances include ‘Frankenstein Live’, a

gripping production starring talented Dominic

Garlic Theatre

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Thirsk & Easingwold infocus

Café Please mention Thirsk & Easingwold infocus when contacting any of our advertisers

Continuing success reported for Thirsk Clock The Trustees of Thirsk Clock have been told of continuing success for the organisation over the past year.

In a monitoring report for the Trustees, who have overall responsibility for the youth charity, the Manager, Abigail Homer, highlights some recent statistics pointing to some significant achievements.

• The number of young people using the Clock has increased year by year from 200 in its first year (2004/5) to 550 in 2009/10.

In the last nine months alone Thirsk Clock has, since its relocation from the Market Place, been pleased to welcome 95 new members.

• In that same period 85 members have been given advice and guidance on training courses or on opportunities in Further and Higher Education.

• One of many achievements of the staff of Thirsk Clock is in helping young people into work. Since April of last year 111 members have been supported with careers guidance and searching for work and 48 of these were helped directly into employment. Many of the remainder will have secured work themselves, often after Clock staff gave advice on interview skills and writing CV’s.

Useful numbers Thirsk Library & Information Centre Finkle Street, Tel: 0845 0349510 Internet access available.

Mon: 10.00-5.30, Tue: 2-5.30, Wed: Closed, Thu: 10.00-5.30 Fri: 10-7, Sat: 09.30-1.30.

• A positive picture emerges of fewer young people being involved in antisocial and criminal behaviour than in previous years. The number with drugs problems, whilst relatively low, stays at around 30 year-onyear, but it is encouraging to notice that problems with alcohol have reduced over the past few years.

• Family breakdown and issues at home continue to be a factor in the lives of many young people who seek the support of staff at Thirsk Clock and many young people need support in finding accommodation away from the parental home.

• The staff of Thirsk Clock also use their professional skills and experience to give advice to young people on budgeting and on applying for the state benefits to which they are entitled, often accompanying the young person making the claim to help them find their way through the system.

• Not all of the work of Thirsk Clock is dealing with individual problems. Nearly 300 members in the past year have enjoyed using the café and using the computers and pool tables whilst they are there. Over 60 were also involved in a programme

of outdoor activities last summer as well as in a football tournament locally.

• Thirsk Clock continues to be a vital source of support for many young people in Thirsk and the surrounding area and although the move to St James’ Green has meant that somewhat fewer young people drop in casually at lunchtimes and in the evenings the number seeking help and finding support for a whole range of problems continues to increase.

• For further information contact: Abigail Homer (Manager), Thirsk Clock.

Tel: 01845 524494.

Thirsk Swimming Pool and Leisure Centre Tel: 01845 522447. Swimming, solarium, sauna & exercise/fitness centre daily.

The Ritz Cinema Tel: 01845 524751. Programme details from Thirsk’s volunteer run cinema.

Thirsk Museum 14/16 Kirkgate, Tel: 01845 527707 Open Easter-October: Monday to Wednesday, Friday and Saturday: 10am to 4pm.

Closed: Thursday and Sunday

The Thirsk Tourist Information Centre 49 Market Place, Tel: 01845 522755 Fax 01845 526230 Easter - November 10-5pm, 7 days a week

To advertise with us, please contact Christine on 01609 777401

Thirsk Town Council 49a Market Place Tel: 01845 526445 Holy Rood House Counselling Service Tel: 01845 522580 Thirsk Community Care Association 14a Market Place. Tel: 01845 523115 Local volunteers supporting the local community

Thirsk & Easingwold infocus

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Choose Synergy!

Conservatories, Windows and Doors are a major industry these days, and for most of us they represent a large investment too. With so many companies competing for business, and so much technical jargon flying around, it can be hard to decide which products, and what offer, suits your needs best. Do you go for a large national firm or a local one? Do you take the cheapest quote offered? Are there any hidden extras you need to look out for? And what sort of people will you be dealing with?

Synergy Windows is a long Established Darlington firm. Stephen Gaylor, the managing director, took over the old company of Weathertight Windows in 2006, and rebranded the Company into Synergy Windows, and it continues to operate very much as a family business, with a small core of loyal staff, some of whom have been with the company for many years. Andy Leighton, who fabricates windows and doors in the firm’s Darlington workshops, has worked for the company since the company was formed, and has recently been joined on the shop floor by his son.

“We’re a good team,” says Steve. “We work together well, and there’s a lot of experience and expertise to draw on.”

Synergy Conservatories doors and windows are all manufactured in-house to high specifications, and materials and components are British-made wherever possible. There’s a choice of white, Coloured and wood-grain finishes, and the company is one of only three in the North-East allowed to use the Synseal door and conservatory products, which provide a true brilliant-white moulding with a lifetime colour guar-

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antee. “It’s an excellent product, extremely resistant to weathering and fading,” explains Steve. “What’s more, it’s produced as a fully colour-matched suite including doors, window panels and conservatory roofs, which is one of the reasons we use it.” Not all whites are the same, he says, and it’s easy to end up with an irritating colour mismatch when installers use one type of moulding for the doors and windows, and then a complete roof, from another manufacturer. The Synseal system ensures that everything matches exactly.

To look their best, it’s vital that replacement windows and doors are in keeping with the property where they are fitted. In addition to modern casement windows, Synergy offers a full range of sliding sash windows, and can provide suitable replacements for most ages and styles of house. They also offer leaded, bevelled and coloured glazing options, and there’s a service for the replacement of period coloured glazing, using a specialist expert contractor to produce handcrafted replacements matched as closely as possible to the original colours. There’s also an extensive range of composite wood-grain doors, which have become very popular in recent years for their security, attractive appearance and wide selection of colours.

There’s a full project management service from design to completion, including any planning implications.

When it comes to conservatories and garden rooms, plumbing, flooring, electrics, and heating & cooling systems can all be installed, and as Steve explains, the latter is becoming increasingly popular. “We’re seeing more and more customers opt for a climate control system, which provides heating in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. It means you avoid the

fiddly pipe work of traditional radiators, and the Comfyair products we use – which are made in Yorkshire - are very effective and have an excellent reputation.”

So what makes Synergy special? “We’re a family firm first and foremost,” says Stephen. “We don’t employ high-pressure salesmen, and we don’t pay out huge commissions or enormous advertising costs, so we can compete well on price as well as quality. And buying from an established local company means we’re on your doorstep if you need us - you get to talk to the same people every time, and it’s easy to get after-sales support if you need it.” The company is a registered FENSA installer, and its insurance Backed guarantees are backed by the IPWFI (The Incorporation of Plastic Window Fabricators & Installers Ltd) offering further peace of mind for its customers.

More and more people at the moment seem to be improving and extending their existing homes rather than moving house. Whether you’re looking to replace worn-out doors and windows, boost your home’s security and energy efficiency, or add an attractive extra room, this friendly, professional Darlington company will be glad to offer you advice and a competitive quotation.

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Are you advertising in this magazine?

You should be!

Northallerton

14,400 homes & businesses

When’s the next issue?

............................................................

Northallerton - Summer ‘11 Distribution: w/c 6 June ‘11 Copy: 12 May ‘11 ............................................................

Thirsk & Easingwold - Summer ‘11 Distribution: w/c 13 June ‘11 Copy: 18 May ‘11 ............................................................

Ripon & Masham - Summer ‘11 Distribution: w/c 18 July ‘11 Copy: 23 June ‘11

Christine

01609 777401 07742 595747 christine@jkanorth.com

34

Dwight

01609 779097 dwight@jkanorth.com www.jkanorth.com

Thirsk & Easingwold infocus

Kate

01845 523250 07703 809655 kate@jkanorth.com

Ripon & Masham

Thirsk & Easingwold

homes & businesses

homes & businesses

14,500

15,400

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