The Park

Welcome to our Spring edition of your local magazines.

We are in the midst of half term and every day is a busy day. As a family one of our most valued memberships has been the National Trust, in just a couple of outings you have paid for your subscription and with so many places to go the membership has something for all ages throughout the seasons. This holiday we decided on a day out to Biddulph Grange in Stoke On Trent. The day did not disappoint. The Gardens were stunning and the children all enjoyed the Fairy Trail, a little something extra to keep them busy. A visit takes you on a global garden journey, from Italy to the pyramids a chinese garden and a serene himalayan glen, revealing some wonderful stone features, plant life and trees. We take a picnic but you can always have a nice cuppa and a scone in the tearooms.

Inside this month we have details of the events at Wildside over the easter holiday and local groups all calling for your gardening skills and opportunities to get you out of the house and into the fresh air.

Enjoy this little burst of Spring and please tell our advertisers where you found them, it is them after all, that keep this useful little magazine coming through your door. Lucy

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR THE COPPICE

The Coppice is a small woodland area on Coppice Road, Finchfield WV3 8BN (opposite Nos 54/56). it is a lovely spot where wildflowers, birds and foxes can be spotted. The Friends of the Coppice meet on the first Saturday of each month from March until October at 10.30am until noon. This year we are planting over 200 hedging plants and clearing small areas of brambles and nettles. Tools are provided. Volunteers are always needed so if you can spare a couple of hours just once a month, we would love to see you. If you are interested you can message Facebook, Friends of Finchfield Coppice.

UPDATE ON THE WEC AND SMESTOW VALLEY NATURE RESERVE

We heard last week that the ex Wolverhampton Environment Centre (WEC) is no longer under threat of housing. Wolverhampton Council has confirmed in writing that no part of the site is on any list of areas earmarked for development. So we won our battle to keep the Smestow Valley Local Nature Reserve for nature not houses.

Please visit the Smestow Valley and enjoy the beauty of this wildlife haven. Congratulations to all the people who have campaigned tirelessly to keep this space for the enjoyment of the people.

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The Magicians’ Guild

by Trudy Canavan

Each year the magicians of Imardin gather to purge the city streets of vagrants, urchins and miscreants.

Masters of the disciplines of magic, they know that no-one can oppose them. But their protective shield is not as penetrate as they believe. As the mobs are herded from the city, a young street girl, furious at the authorities’ treatment of her family and friends, hurls a stone at their shield, putting all her rage behind it. To the amazement of all who bear witness, the stone passes unhindered through the barrier and renders a magician unconscious. It is an inconceivable act, and the Guild’s worst fear has been realised – an untrained magician is on the loose on the streets. She must be found and quickly, before her uncontrolled powers unleash forces that will destroy both her and the city that is her home.

This book is the first in the Black Magician Trilogy, in which the reader witnesses the adventures of the young girl, Sonea, and her methods of survival in the secret, male dominant world of magicians. This

easy to read story leads the reader through many social and spiritual dangers, growing up, estrangement from family, and an amazing awakening to then practice of magic against all odds.

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole trilogy, which was a surprise as I seldom read fantasy fiction.

Review by book club member Carole A

BY DEBRA

Friends of Bantock and BUGs News

Pictured are members of the team of volunteers provided by the charity Brumbats who carried out the installation of bat boxes on our behalf last October. We were very impressed with their expertise, dedication and knowledge. They will be monitoring activity within the boxes over the next 10 years and by installing equipment in the House loft and cellar, will give us a more complete picture of how these amazing small creatures manage their lives in our park, which is a haven for so much wildlife, as well as a pleasant place for human recreation.

We are looking into a means of recording birds, both resident and visiting, and posting the information in the conservatory. We’re sure that many visitors to the park regularly observe these and we would welcome anything of interest that they could pass on to us. Please use the telephone number for our BUGs below if you or anyone you know is willing to help us get this project started.

Money raised by The Friends funded this project and many others within the House and Park. To become members (annual subscriptions £10 individual, £15 for a household) Email: bantockfriends@virginmedia.comOr Tel: 01902 341930 or 342715

For anyone with an interest in helping to look after the park there are volunteering opportunities with our BUGs (Bantock User Group). It is a friendly group who meet once a month on Saturday mornings to do litter collection and once a month on Thursday mornings to carry out gardening (more often when weeding and watering of flower beds are needed).

For more information of dates etc please call Val: 01902 342715 or Roger: 01902 341930

s vs PENSION - FOUND THE RIGHT BALANCE

Why should I invest in a pension??

Tax Relief on eligible Contributions

Tax Efficient Investment Growth

25% Tax Free Cash at Retirement*

Inheritance Tax Exempt

Tax Efficient options for beneficiaries

Saving for a Pension may seem hard, but retiring without a pension is a lot harder!

Pension’s –

Investing for Children

If you’re thinking about saving for your long-term plans, especially retirement, you may be wondering whether you should go for an ISA or a pension. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, and so it may work out a combination of the two suits you best.

The key difference between ISAs and Pensions is how tax works on money going in and money coming out and how and when you can take that money out. The good news is that you won’t pay Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax on any growth you earn from either whilst your money is invested.

Pensions

Unlike ISAs, subject to eligibility, when your money goes into a pension it benefits from tax relief. This is the cash boost from the government that increases the value of every pound you pay into a pension. If you’re a basic rate taxpayer, an £80 contribution becomes £100 through tax relief. With pensions, you can’t normally withdraw money before you reach 55 although this is rising to 57 from 2028. When you are ready to access your money purchase pension the first 25% can often be taken as a tax-free lump sum with the rest taxed at your marginal rate.

You can contribute up to £3,600 per year, although tax relief means your contribution is £2,880 net. Parent/guardian must apply but other adults can contribute once it is set up.

ISA’s

ISAs on the other hand don’t get tax relief upfront like pensions do, but they have other advantages. You can put up to £20,000 in to an ISA each tax year – and there’s no age limit on when you’re allowed to access the money. Any income you do take is also free of income tax and capital gains tax. ISAs tend to be the more flexible option, if you did need access to money to cover any unexpected expenses.

How can you use your ISA allowance?

There are four main types of ISA to choose from:

• Cash ISAs – a cash only savings account with a bank or building society.

• Stocks and Shares ISAs – a tax-efficient way of investing your money into a wide range of company shares, government or corporate bonds, property or other assets.

• Innovative Finance ISAs – a higher risk options which involves peer-to-peer lending

• Lifetime ISAs – a new form of ISA introduced in 2017 to help individuals get on to the property ladder or save for retirement. The Government applies a bonus of 25% to any money saved up to a maximum of £4k per year.

• ISA’s Investing for Children

The child must be under 18 years old but remember you will control when the child reaches aged 18! You can contribute a maximum £9,000 per tax year, parents/ guardians must apply but ANYONE can contribute. The gains are free of Income and Capital Gains Tax. Child Trust Funds can now be transferred into Junior Cash ISA’s. When considering what’s the right option for you, the important thing is to get advice from a professional who will help you determine the best option based on your own individual circumstances.

It’s almost the end of the tax year2022/2023, have you utilised all your available allowances?

If you DON’T USE IT, YOU WILL LOSE IT!

Andrea Cloughley ALIBF Chartered Associate

Tel: 01902 283381

Mobile: 07739 437749

Web: www.palatinefp.co.uk

Taxation rules can change at any time and are dependent on individual circumstances.

The value of an investment with St. James's Place will be directly linked to the performance of the funds you select, and the value can therefore go down as well as up. You may get back less than you invested.

Palatine Financial Planning Ltd is an Appointed Representative of and represents only St. James's Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority).

The ‘St. James's Place Partnership’ and the titles ‘Partner’ and ‘Partner Practice’ are marketing terms used to describe St. James's Place representatives.

Evergreen Wills Ltd are a small local company with 15years of serving happy clients and families in the Wolverhampton and surrounding areas. We offer a personal service and listen to our customers needs on an individual basis. We visit you in your own home or can consult via video call with an

consultation being free of charge with no obligations.

At their Spring Concert, the Wombourne & District Choral Society will perform Mozart’s Requiem, one of the most famous choral works in the classical repertoire, together with the Vesperae solennes de Confessore.

The mournful 'Lacrimosa' is a highlight, but how much of it did Mozart actually write? The work was never delivered by Mozart, who died before he had finished composing it, only finishing the first few bars of the Lacrimosa. The opening movement, Requiem aeternam, was the only section to be completed. It was brushed into some sort of shape by Mozart’s only composition pupil, Sussmayr, but to the complete lack of satisfaction of scholars down the centuries. As a result, the world and his wife have tried to complete it after him. Regardless, the Requiem still sounds wonderful to most ears.

To add further intrigue, when the unfinished manuscript was displayed in Brussels in the 1950s, a section was torn from the last page and never retrieved. As Mozart worked on the Requiem on his deathbed, it’s highly likely that someone stole the last notes ever written by Mozart.

The concert will be held on Saturday 25th March 2023 at the Church of St John’s in the Square, Wolverhampton commencing at 7.30pm. The conductor will be the choir's Musical Director, Edward Caine, with accompaniment by a professional orchestra and soloists.

Tickets will be available at £15 each with children under 16 free. Tickets can be bought from choir members, calling 01902 744447, online at the choir’s website www.wombournechoralsociety.org.uk, or by buying at the door on the night.

Wombourne & District Choral Society is a wellestablished, mixed choir of some 50 singers, drawn from the local area and have a varied repertoire, mainly full classical works, often performed with soloists and an orchestra.

New members are always welcome.

Local Choir to perform Mozart’s Requiem at their Spring Concert

Our club is for those with an interest in Nature and in the open air. From September to March we have monthly talks from Naturalists and Wild-Life photographers who’ve travelled the world, but also cover our local area. The talks take place at Wolverhampton Cricket Club, Danescourt Road, Tettenhall. We also have guided walks through the year discovering the natural beauty of our region with members on hand to help with the names of wild flowers, insects and birds. Additionally we have privileged entry to Nature Reserves and hides.

Just ask for our programme which can be emailed or posted to you. Just phone Pauline Keates (01902 850536) or Gordon Essex (01902 42145) or email: paulinejkeates@hotmail.co.uk