Eye Magazines - Sept 2021 LE Edition

Priceless!

eye

The area’s favourite monthly magazine.

September 2021 reaching 18,000 local households

Daniel Craig

once upon a time in earley

Creating Beautiful Garden Spaces P.6 This Month’s Cover Sponsor

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Daniel

Craig

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Find out more about the man behind one of film’s iconic characters FOLLOW US TODAY & STAY UPDATED LOCALLY

/villageeyemagazines Hello September!

What’s inside 4. Community News Who do you know in our Community News round-up?

We’ve been finding out all the news to make sure we keep you up-to-date!

6-7. Planting the Seeds of Success Curtis Lawns and Gardens are going from strength to strength and it’s easy to see why. If you are looking for a full garden makeover, read on!

14. Eye on Celebrity Bond, James Bond…and so much more! Read all about Daniel Craig and the man behind the characters he plays.

17. How do you Find your Way? Google vs Waze…which is your go-to and what are the pros and cons?

18-20 Pink Pages Find your local trusted trades within our Pink Pages. If you’re an electrician, a roofer, a windows installer or providing any other trade to our local community, get listed! Give our friendly team a call on 0118 933 33 11.

22. Eye on Style September is a great time for refreshing the look of your home. Take a look at Holly’s top styling tips this month.

24. It’s Puzzle Time!

Get out your brain and your biro and see if you can solve this month’s puzzles. Answers can be found on page 33.

26. Mouth-watering Mexican Delights!

If you’re looking for an easyto-make dinner for the family which is just bursting with flavour and a real crowd pleaser, look no further!

33. At the Flicks Our regular Movies and TV columnist, Rob Barnes, brings us his thoughts on three new releases this month: Old, Jungle Cruise and Suicide Squad. If you’re planning a trip to the cinema, read this first!

34. The Runners Dilemma This month, Steve Shreeve gives us some tips on avoiding common running injuries by introducing some strength training. Read on for his recommendations!

Eye Magazines is brought to you by Pinktomato Ltd, a local, independent creative design and marketing company. All content within the publication is copyright of Village Eye. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for views or opinions expressed by contributors or for the accuracy of claims made by the advertisers.

All dates, times, URLs and telephone numbers are understood to be correct at the time of submission to print. Registered Address: Butlers Lands Farm, Mortimer, RG7 2AG

keep it local!

eye

Welcome to the September issue of Eye magazine! You’ll find a real mix of themes within the pages as we try to squeeze out the last drops of the summer, but at the same time, bringing you some ‘Back to School’ advice and news.

There’s lots to enjoy!

Those of you who are lucky enough to have gardens have probably been making the most of them this summer, but if you’ve been thinking how you could make changes to enjoy your garden year-round, our cover sponsor, Curtis Lawns and Gardens are the people to speak to! Turn to page 6 to find out more about the man behind this fabulous company and what his team can offer you - and your garden!

It’s a fantastic month for competitions. We have no less than three competitions for you to enter this month. Our first competition gives you the chance to win a ‘cupcake bouquet’ from The Mortimer Cake Co. We defy you to read page 9 without licking your lips! The cakes look delicious and - from personal experience - taste great too!

Our second fabulous competition gives you the opportunity to win a romantic autumn break for two people at the delightful Wokefield Estate. If you turn to page 31 you can read all about it and find

Gold Member

out how to enter The building and the grounds make Wokefield Estate a beautiful place to spend your leisure time, so do check it out.

Our final competition will be right up your street if you have a child who loves to dance. All Stars Theatre Academy is offering a full term of dance classes absolutely free to one lucky winner. From ballet to tap and everything in between, your child is going to absolutely love being part of this wonderful dance academy. Turn to page 31 for all the details.

As we always say, you’ve got to be in it to win it, so enter today!

We have loved getting to know some of the local businesses and community groups over the last few months as we build this local magazine. If you run a group and would like some support, or you run a local business and would like to reach local homes, do give our friendly team a call.

As always, we’d like to extend a big thank you to our readers, our advertisers and our contributors.

Please mention Eye Magazines when contacting our advertisers.

See you in October!

Hellen & the Team

Editor: Hellen Shaw Sub Editor: Jackie Stuart Advertising: Lindsey Barker Social/Design: Holly Chrisp PINKTOMATO Beauty: Amelia Baird Motoring: Adam Tudor-Lane

Film Buff: Gardening: Finance: Travel: Wellbeing: Fitness:

To contribute, advertise or let us know your news - please call the team 0118 933 3311 or email hello@eyemagazines.co.uk

Rob Barnes Jordan Curtis Mark Penston Michelle Goulding Karen Hartshorn Steve Shreeve

3

PLANET-FRIENDLY

PARTIES

Local lady, Lianne Yule of Swallowfield has started a new initiative to help save the planet an Eco Party Kit available to hire.

Lianne is passionate about reducing waste and this really simple concept and has already been a popular solution for lots of local families.

FREE HELP

TO GET BACK TO WORK

I

f you were one of the many people who were made redundant during the pandemic and you are struggling to find a new job, there are some fantastic free workshops on offer in Lower Earley to support you in finding work. These practical sessions cover key work skills and are led by qualified tutors, and many are supported by volunteer industry experts.

On Wednesday 22nd September there is a free Confidence Building Workshop running from 9.30am - 12.30pm which will give you practical techniques to identify your strengths and boost your selfconfidence in preparation for work post lockdown.

On Monday 27th September there is a free workshop covering Personality Profiling for your job search in which you can discover how personality profiling is used to recruit. It will help you to consider alternative careers and you can take an online personality test yourself. Again, it will run from 9.30am - 12.30pm.

Future workshops will include Interview Preparation, CV writing, Using Linked In, Starting your own Business and Interview Skills (with a practice interview with an industry expert), Group Interview Skills and Interview Presentation Skills and they are all run from The Earley Crescent Resource Centre which is easily accessible by bus.

Instead of people using disposable items for a birthday party, Lianne offers a kit of re-useable tableware. The kit includes all the tableware you need for a party, like cups and plates, as well as tablecloths, bunting, pass the parcel bags and other eco friendly items.

She also runs a free foil balloon library where she loans out foil balloons for free with a party kit. People are not really aware that you can re-use foil balloons.

It has been really popular. Lianne launched her kits in December last year and in the first 6 months she has hired out over 2000 items, saving all of those items from landfill.

There is a charge for the party kits, but costs are kept to a minimum simply because Lianne loves recycling and offering the community a service.

For more information visit: https://www.facebook.com/ ecopartykitswallowfield

To book for any of these free courses, please call 0118 921 0555 or email earleycrescent@ btconnect.com

Festival fun Sunshine Family Festival is a brand new outdoor event for the whole family and it looks set to be a day out to remember! It is a festival-themed event perfect for kids and is taking place at Palmer Park on 26th September. So if you love music, rides, good food and family time together, this is the summer event for you.

There will be a wide range of activities: fun fairs, play areas and fantastic food and drink on offer. On top of that, the music is going to be out of this world with the very best live DJs and tribute acts including Little Mix, Spice Girls, Justin Bieber and Dua Lipa to provide fun and entertainment for the whole family.

Don’t miss it!

Tickets range from £10-20 and although they will be available on the door if there is capacity left, it is better to buy them online to be sure of tickets…Just Google “Sunshine Festival Palmer Park Reading” 4

To contribute, advertise or let us know your news please call 0118 933 3311 or email hello@eyemagazines.co.uk Follow us to keep updated, locally

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eye

PLEDGE

Community News

TO CHECK

C

heck your prostate health with the Reading Lions Club at its Free Prostate PSA test event on 18th September.

All local men aged between 50 and 75 years of age are invited to the Rutherford Cancer Centre, Thames Valley to learn more about prostate cancer and take a free PSA blood test.

Local resident, Andrea Hall has been involved with this campaign since it began back in 2013 and, for her, it’s as personal as it could be. Her dad was refused a PSA test by his GP. He was over 70 and told that his urinary problems were to be expected.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, and more than 47,500 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year – that’s 129 men every day. 1 in 8 men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime.

Andrea invited him to take a PSA test at her event. His was the first life they saved. There have been many since.

The cancer was aggressive and he died in 2018 but the family enjoyed another 5 years with him.

The aim of this event is to make the local community aware of the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer and to offer free PSA blood screening tests, as early detection and treatment can vastly increase

the chances of survival. In 2019 free PSA tests were given to 1,600 men in the region.

The event will run all day on 18th September (8am-6pm), and there are half hour time slots available to choose from. Please book your appointment online at

www.therutherford.com/readinglions-free-prostate-psa-testevent-2021

WELCOME TO THE UK! If you live in the local area and are new to the UK (or know someone who is) you may be interested in a free six week Introduction to English course for adults running from 5th October.

The course helps the attendees to improve their English and teaches them how to introduce themselves when meeting new people, how to access healthcare or find schools for their children and how to get out and about in their local neighbourhood.

WHO WILL YOU NOMINATE?

There is a registration morning on Tuesday 28th September from 9.30 - 11.30am at The Earley Crescent Resource Centre. You will be asked for a £5 deposit to secure your place which will be refunded on completion of the course.

Who do you know in your local community who goes ‘over and above’ to help their local community?

Any group of three or more people doing volunteering work can be nominated for the prestigious Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS). To be eligible to be nominated the group should do work that provides a service that meets a need of people living in the local community, is supported, recognised and respected by the local community and the people who benefit from it. All nominations can be completed online via the QAVS website: https://qavs.dcms.gov.uk/ And while you’re at it, drop our team at Eye Magazines a note about the group too. We love to hear about our local community volunteers and will try to support their work as much as possible in the magazine.

Nominations for the 2022 Awards need to be submitted by midnight on Wednesday 15 September so get nominating!

DON’T MISS OUT! FOLLOW US NOW

5

Creating Beautiful Garden Spaces

We are now spending more time than ever in our gardens in all seasons. An outside room, a sanctuary - whatever you add to your garden this autumn may prove to be money well spent in more ways than one.

Jordan Curtis is no stranger to the pages of Eye Magazine having been a regular columnist in recent years giving his top tips on garden maintenance. Over the last few years, his landscaping company, Curtis Lawns and Gardens, has gone from strength to strength and it’s not hard to see why.

Jordan first discovered landscaping when he was a young teenager. He renovated and remodelled his mum’s garden and created something rather impressive, which really ‘planted the seed’ to want to do more!

Around the same time, when

most teenagers are glued to their XBox, Jordan was displaying some real entrepreneurial and community spirit. He led a team from The Willink to win the Young Enterprise Company Programme, won numerous school prizes for sport and charity, coached a local football team and was nominated for a Pride of Reading Award.

Jordan has now become a family man having recently welcomed his first-born, Jacob, to the team. (inset pic) Curtis Lawns and Gardens now has five crews of hard landscaping installers, one garden maintenance crew and a project management team.

Jordan says, “The secret to our success is our skilled and hard working staff working in unity.”

This team of 16 has made them one of the biggest garden design and landscaping firms in Berkshire and it’s no secret that they love what they do.

The customers clearly love what they do, too, with a raft of 5 star reviews and glowing testimonials on their Facebook page including this one last month, “For anyone thinking about having their garden done, I would

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absolutely recommend the team at Curtis Lawns & Gardens. I felt that Jordan really got what we wanted to do, and more importantly wanted to do the work for us. We’ve now got a lovely garden space and have used the garden more in the last 3 weeks than we have in the whole of the previous year…so happy with it.”

regularly and enjoy them across the year, in all seasons, by good quality build and design.

Curtis Lawns and Gardens will take every step with you - from planning, ground preparation, installation of patios, fences or walkways, planting trees and shrubs and ongoing maintenance - or they will just jump in where you need them to.

Hard work, dedication and creativity are at the heart of all of their projects, so why not get in touch to learn more about how they can transform your outdoor space into something spectacular.

As we enjoy balmy September evenings in our gardens, you might start to think about improvements you could make, or wonder how your garden could bring you more enjoyment for more of the year.

And their gardens are fast becoming legendary. Working to suit every budget, their main goal is to encourage clients to use their outdoor spaces

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www.curtislawnsandgardens.co.uk Phone: 0777 8132559 Email: enquiriescurtis@gmail.com

SELF LOVE CLUB Step One What’s more relaxing than a hot steamy bath or shower?

To start our self care evening off right, shower up and use those lush bath bombs that you still haven’t used from Christmas!

Step Three Ditch the baggy tee for tonight and get yourself into you comfiest jammies ready for your chill evening.

Step Two Give your skin some lovin’ and pampering.

Treat yourself to a soothing face mask, use that special serum you’ve been saving for an extra glow.

You won’t regret and it’ll make you feel amazing.

Step Five Time to crack out the nail varnish and give yourself a fun new colour, or muted colour, depending on your preferences.

Maybe even get artsy and paint some funky patterns on your nails!

Step Four Candles and incense sticks are everything and make your house smell lovely, Put your favourite candle on and allow the scent to fill your home with positive vibes.

Step Six Finally... It’s time to get on the couch or even into bed with a good movie or book. If you’re wanting to push the boat out further you could even go down to the shop and get yourself some of your favourite snacks.

Enjoy!

Bug’s Beauty 8

eyemagazines.co.uk

hello@eyemagazines.co.uk

eye Win!

Win a Cupcake Bouquet

or celebration cake!

W

hat do you get if you take two local ladies who have an obvious talent for baking, sprinkle on some entrepreneurial spirit and then mix it up a little..? The answer: Delicious wowfactor show-stopping incredible cakes!

Since starting up their Mortimer-based kitchen during lockdown, Gayle Wilson and Caroline Brandwood have been crafting truly scrumptioustasting, bespoke homemade cakes for all occasions, all beautifully decorated by hand. From stunning cupcake bouquets to tiered occasion masterpieces and novelty children’s cakes, if it can be made into a cake, chances are, they can do it!

of flavoured sponges, each encasing sublimely irresistible fillings! Yum. All their cakes are made from fresh, responsibly sourced high quality ingredients and are made to order.

If you have a special occasion coming up, contact them today on 07887 608958.

After a short consultation to discuss the kind of thing you are looking for, the ladies will then design your cake to your specification. All you need to do is choose from a delicious range

Search Mortimer Cake Company

Enter Now to win!

Courtesy of Mortimer Cake Co, we have secured a made-to-order Cupcake Bouquet or Celebration Cake (to the value of £100) to give away to one lucky reader this month.

Enter our competition now and this prize could be yours!

To enter, either open your camera and hover over the QR code here or visit eyemagazines.co.uk and answer the following question: Q: Mortimer Cake Company is run by Gayle & ? a: Catherine b: Carla c: Caroline

Closing date for entries is midnight Thursday 30th September.

Full prize terms and conditions available at www.eyemagazines.co.uk

To contribute, advertise or let us know your news please call 0118 933 3311 or email hello@eyemagazines.co.uk Follow us to keep updated, locally

9

25 Years of Laurel Park FOR TWENTY FIVE YEARS, LAUREL PARK HAS BEEN INSPIRING CONFIDENCE, ENCOURAGING TEAMWORK, PLAY AND PROVIDING A FOUNDATION FOR LIFELONG

By Michael Schultz HEALTH FOR 100S OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. Club President

How it began In 1996 Charlie Strong and Ray George started Laurel Park FC. Their ethos was that every child, no matter the talent should have an opportunity to play and that ethos remains today. From humble beginnings, just a few teams and mix of colours, evolved to become one of the largest clubs in the area, playing in distinctive Yellow/ Green strip. They created their ‘Fun Day’, where the whole club comes together on one day, for its mixed football and presentation day. The club outgrew sports halls and several venues, but football finally did come home, with our first fun day at Laurel Park in 2016, a fantastic day and fitting that Ray and some of the original players, now approaching their 30’s, could be there.

We are thankful to our amazing sponsors who help to make it happen!

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We’ve been there for 100s of young people over the years The club is at 2nd generation level.

The original players now have their own children playing for the team.

Since 1996 a few thousand children have played football. The club has a special feel, like a big family.

Rather than individual teams out on

their own, Managers and Coaches are encouraged to join the various arranged events. Many people, even without playing children, see the club as giving something to the local community. Ben Crampin is a good example, a Laurel Park player who returned after university to manage a team and is now on the Executive Committee.

2016 Fun Day

Our Teams With more than 400 children involved for this season, Laurel Park will run 31 teams from Under 7s to Under 18s, often with more than one team at each age-group, with a younger academy team also learning the basics of the beautiful game.

Boys’ teams are known by winds: Hurricanes, Tornadoes or Whirlwinds, with Girls team names being: Starz, Diamondz or Emeraldz. In 2007 when our daughter Laura asked me to start a team for her, I had no idea that the girl’s section would expand so fast. I am proud that 15 teams this season are specifically for girls. Some of our teams win league or cup trophies, but we are just as delighted that others gain ‘Fair Play’ accolades for: Sportsmanship, Manner and Respect shown, which reflects the spirit of our football club.

We can’t do it without you - Get Involved!

Ian Jobson, Andy Dykes and the rest of Executive Committee are doing a fantastic job to drive our club forward, as they are all Managers, Coaches and supporters. If, after reading this, you feel you would like to get involved, there are always roles to fill, share around or you could even sponsor a team. We are all volunteers and we always appreciate sharing the load.

If you’d like to find out more about ways you can get involved either as a local business, a volunteer, a player or in any other capacity, please get in touch via our website.

Under 18 Tornadoes

U7 Starz www.laurelparkfc.com

3

WILL MY INHERITANCE STILL BE MINE IF WE GET DIVORCED?

F

or unmarried couples, the answer is usually straightforward. In most cases it will belong to the person who received it and they will not be under any legal obligation to share it.

For married couples and civil partners, the answer is more complicated. Firstly, there is an obligation to disclose the extent of the inheritance so it can be taken into account by the Court. Secondly, the Court will need to assess to what extent, if any, the inheritance should be shared.

Section 25 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 sets out the factors that are taken into account on divorce, including the income, earning capacity and age of each party. The Court will focus particular attention on the financial needs of each party and whether the other resources are sufficient to meet those needs. If there are insufficient resources, the Court is likely to include some or all of the inheritance for division.

If you are unmarried and want to ring-fence an inheritance, you should consider a cohabitation agreement. This can confirm how you want to treat the inheritance in the event of a separation, including any expected future inheritance. This is particularly important if you intend to buy or adapt a property together or have children.

If you are planning to get married, you should consider a pre-nuptial agreement, as this can protect your inheritance from any future claims on divorce. If you are already married, you should consider a post-nuptial agreement for the same reasons.

If you do separate in years to come, an agreement can make the separation

or divorce process easier and the outcome more certain, without costly negotiations about finances. The very act of discussing and trying to come to an agreement will help to reveal what you have in common and where you are apart. It can also provide reassurance to parents who may be nervous about passing on family wealth without any protective measures in place.

For more information on this subject, please contact Stuart Duncan of Rowberry Morris Solicitors on 0118 982 3774 or stuart. duncan@rowberrymorris. co.uk. Stuart advises on all aspects of family law and specialises in the issues arising from relationship breakdown. He has a particular expertise in complex financial matters, nuptial agreements and cases involving unmarried couples.

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Plan for the

Expected,

Prepare for

the Unexpected

S

adly, both my parents passed away during the COVID pandemic. Their demise came about due to old age rather than COVID and I’m grateful that Dad (92) was conscious of his own mortality and had organised his affairs well.

This is in some contrast to one of our long-term 60 year old clients who sadly and unexpectedly recently passed away while hill walking. It was tragic and unforeseen. There are so many pieces that his family are now having to pick up.

As Benjamin Franklin said, ‘The only two certainties in life are death and taxes’. We should plan for both and as the timing of our demise is rarely predictable it makes sense to always have a plan.

Planning for when you are not here can be a big task. But it is important to have a plan. From my recent experiences here are a few thoughts: Will – Have one and make sure that your family know where it is. If it is in anyway ‘unusual’ ask your solicitor about a ‘Letter of Intent’ to go alongside

your Will which can help your beneficiaries understand the thinking behind it.

Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) – If you are still alive but incapable of making a decision for yourself a LPA will give those you trust the power to make decisions for you and to administer your affairs. Everyone should have one, not just your aged parents. Again, ask your solicitor about this.

Savings and Investments – Will those who you leave behind know what you have and where it is? A well-ordered filing cabinet or list can be of enormous benefit. Your financial planner may well have much of this information so leave their details too.

Log-on details and passwords – A bit of a tricky area as there are risks in storing passwords anywhere (including in your head). However, due to the vast array of usernames and passwords that most of us have many people do write them down somewhere. Does a trusted partner know where? If they are stored on your computer make sure someone knows how to get into it.

Tell us once - The government has a ‘Tell us once’ service that lets you report a death to most government organisations in one place. This can be very helpful but can also lead to the deceased’s bank accounts being frozen, so beware.

Pension benefits – Most pension schemes allow you to detail who you would like to benefit from the pension on your death. This ‘Expression of Wish’ is a simple document to complete but can allow benefits to be distributed quickly and in a tax efficient manner.

Ask your scheme administrator for more detail.

As ever, each situation is different so always talk to a suitably qualified professional before taking action. As financial planners we can help with much of this and take away some of the pain at a very stressful time for the family.

Mark Penston is a director and Chartered Financial Planner at Bluesky Chartered Financial Planners

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Celebrity

Daniel

Craig

THE NAME’S BOND… BUT NOT FOR MUCH LONGER. AS HE BIDS FAREWELL TO EVERY ACTOR’S DREAM ROLE, WE LOOK AT THE LEGACY DANIEL CRAIG’S JAMES BOND HAS LEFT BEHIND. To equate his Bond experiment to the process of the average gym goer, Daniel Craig is showered, moisturised, halfway towards being dressed and grateful for the occasional glimpse in the changing room mirror… one which flashes back reflections that his 007 persona might casually approve of with a muttered, “good job”.

Speculation that the actor was saying his farewell to James Bond has been circling for some years, but now, unequivocally, he is done.

And as the furore builds towards the deafening crescendo that is the somewhat bland and clumsily named No Time To Die, the 53-yearold emerges with a few things – a life-defining imprint on the CV, a multimillion-pound war chest, and the knowledge that he has influenced a generation of cinema goers in refining the definition of the modern-day hero… a warrior, a sleuth, but more and more now someone inspired by health, fitness, vitality and self-improvement.

“I’ve always thought the image of a good actor is someone who leaves the big gestures and sweeping statements for when the cameras are rolling,” he begins. “That should really be the beginning and the end of what we expect of our actors.

“I don’t want to be the type who puts himself on a pedestal away from that. What right do I have to comment at length on politics or society or the environment? And why should anyone take any notice of me anyway? I’m an actor!”

Back on screen, it has been interesting to see how far removed the modern version of Bond is compared to his immediate predecessors Brosnan and Dalton. And while Connery and Moore never strayed into dadbod mode, they represented an era where Bond smoked, drank and copulated his way through problems.

At the heart of what defines Bond is, according to Daniel Craig, a good yarn, purely and simply. “Just stick to the old adage that a good story goes a long way… and blow stuff up every few minutes,” he laughs heartily. “That’s how it’s done.”

Yet what makes the man himself is something rather more complex. It begins with 007’s fear and loathing, yet ends in physical prowess that is so reflective of our wider changed attitudes towards health and fitness.

“Health, wellbeing… call it what you want – it’s not something influenced by age or access or even the amount of spare time you have in your schedule, because an hour a day should be more than enough.

Mostly it’s about state of mind. You either want this thing or you don’t.

“I equate it in much the same as I do when auditioning for a role,” he says, before pausing and adding with a sultry smirk, “back in the days when I had to”, and laughing.

“If you want it too little – a great body, a great film role, a beautiful

girl – you won’t get it. The same thing will happen if you want something too much - you’ll go too far the other way, burn out, overdo it, get injured.

The secret is ensuring you do enough without going overboard, and that takes a little while to work out.”

Daniel Craig, the UK’s highest paid actor, has impressed at every turn.

It’s a long way from his breakthrough television performance in the critically-acclaimed BBC series Our Friends in the North. Compelling performances as Ted Hughes in Sylvia, a stalking victim in Enduring Love and work with future Bond director, Sam Mendes, as Paul Newman’s embittered son in Road to Perdition, increased his stock further.

The husband of actress Rachel Weisz has certainly perfected the art of keeping it all in check.

“Bond has always been a combination of so many things,” he says.

“He has managed to combine brute warfare with effervescent charm. It’s fair to say I have thoroughly enjoyed it… I only wish I could be more like him in real life!”

15

We Cycle Wokingham A7 Advert copy.pdf 1 02/10/2020 14:21:44

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To contribute, advertise or let us know your news please call 0118 933 3311 or email hello@eyemagazines.co.uk Follow us to keep updated, locally

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√ 2 bathrooms

√ Fitted Wardrobes

√ Gas heating & double glazing

√ Separate Kitchen and Bathroom

√ Allocated parking space

√ Communal Gardens

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£310,000

√ Residents Parking

Lower Earley

PROPERTY FOR RENT URGENTLY REQUIRED

£££’s pcm

3 Church Road, Earley, Reading, Berkshire RG6 1EY | Registered in England 6970031 926 6655 | F 0118 935 1535 | E martyn@martynrussell.co.uk | W www.martynrussell.co.uk √T 0118 4 Bedrooms √ Fully referenced Tenants

√ Downstairs bedroom & en-suite √ Long lawned garden √ Double glazing √ Good decorative order

1 - 5 Bedroom Homes are currently in greater demand than usual - if you are planning to rent your property, please call Mr Martyn Russell on 07769 743856

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£159,950

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Reading Town Centre

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√ Top floor Apartment Build

√ Remodelled property

Shinfield Rise

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£230,000

√ 983 year lease remaining

Spencers Wood

Largely untouched since the 1980s, the property is in need of refurbishment and modernisation. The new owner will undoubtedly wish to upgrade throughout, although the property is perfectly liveable as it stands. It is priced to reflect the level of improvements required, ‘White Cottage’ represents an excellent opportunity to own a unique and spacious family home with scope to add value.

√ First floor one bed apartment

√ All viewings accompanied √ Dedicated Lettings Team √ Call for a free valuation

£850pcm √ 1 Bedroom

√ Spacious modern kitchen

√ Large living room/second bedroom

√ Gas central heating

√ Kitchen

√ Attractive Living room

√ Shower room

√ Parking Permit available

√ Communal gardens

√ Communal garden

Winnersh

√ Walking distance to Train Station

0118 926 6655 3 Church Road, Earley, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 1EY

www.martynrussell.co.uk

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& telephone: 07836 751 072

email: davidling007@sky.com | 31 Longworth Avenue, Tilehurst, RG31 5JU

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PROTECTING YOUR LEGACY

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An independent, co-educational boarding and day school for pupils aged 11-18 in West Berkshire

A community where you can flourish

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in September

home styling

Hello SEPTEMBER September already? The months are just flying by and we’re asking what styles, trends and crafts you can try for this month. September is a nice time to wind down from summer and start preparing for those autumnal vibes.

What is Wainscoting?

Wainscoting is a great way to add a little something extra to a plain Jane wall whilst also guarding against bumps and scratches. This technique is also an affordable way to add a vintage feel to your home.

The great thing about wainscoting is you can be in control of the compositions and have an artistic play around with aesthetically pleasing lines to add depth to your wall.

Home

with Holly

22

Wainscoting can be dated back to the 1300’s, and was originally used by the Dutch to protect their walls from day to day hazards such as moving furniture and footwear.

As time progressed, this technique went from being a functional necessity to an artistic choice. Solid wood is the traditional material for this; however, other materials have been used just as successfully.

Materials that can be used include plywood, plastic and mediumdensity fibreboard.

This method can be a good DIY project if you are familiar with using a chop saw, but fortunately precut wainscoting can be ordered and delivered to your doorstep just as easily if you don’t want the hassle of chopping.

Vintage card hunting We all love a bit of a collage art project, right? Old vintage cards, stamps, letters and even photographs can all be used to make beautiful artistic creations. To avoid upsetting grandma by using her sentimental mementos in the loft, get yourself down to the charity shops for a vintage hunt. You can often find good quality frames in the charity shops too, which is perfect for using as a basis of your collage creation.

Test tube propagation Do you have lots of little pots and jars floating around your house with plant cuttings? Or are you interested in growing your own plants from cuttings? Investing in your own test tube propagation station is a great way to have your little babies all growing in one place… and is also a fabulous accessory in your home. Test tube are cheap and easy to order online and you can either make your own test tube holder or purchase one.

Happy Growing!

Box Shelves Standard wood shelves are useful, but if you’re looking to change it up with something different, wooden boxes can be styled in many ways to give you a unique shelf. Crates such as the ones pictured can be found very easily online and can be a cheaper way to store your special items. The beauty of this technique is that you can change up the order, stack them however fits best in your home, or even paint/decorate your crates. With a little added greenery, these crates can create a beautiful feature in the home. eyemagazines.co.uk

hello@eyemagazines.co.uk 23

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Word Ladder

Make your way from PICK to KALE by changing one letter on each step to make a new word!

PICK

KALE Word Ladder ANSWERS: (PICK, PACK, PACE, PALE, KALE)

Puzzle Page

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Answers and solutions can be found on our film review page



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f all the apps in circulation to assist us with navigating the highways, Google Maps and Waze are perhaps most popular because they both consistently deliver accurate directions and are straightforward to use. Interestingly, since 2013, these rival apps are both owned by Google. Personal preference often dictates whether you choose Google Maps or Waze but it does bring up the question: Which one is actually better?

Waze: As the world’s largest communitybased GPS navigation app, Waze functions like a crowd sourced social network, one that provides direction in tandem with community feedback.

Users can inform other users and update routes live to inform others of accidents, alternative routes, road closures, police officer sightings and other such impediments. Users can also use Waze to arrange carpools.

Drivers can use the basic Waze app to offer lifts, while riders are directed to the Waze Carpool app to find people to carpool with.

WAZE Vs GOOGLE MAPS Google: Google’s offering is more of a standard navigation app, albeit one that provides navigation for those walking, biking, or using public transport in addition to driving. The maps also show the location of various businesses and points of interest, making it useful for getting an overview of a region or part of town, seeing what else is near your destination, and other traditional static map functions.

So, which app is better?

The answer isn’t that cut and dried.

If it’s just about driving, Waze’s clean maps, live traffic reports, and parking notifications give it an advantage.

But for all-round features, Google Maps takes the crown. Last year, it incorporated incident reporting and voice-control functionality via Google Assistant, and will soon add a host of augmented-reality features. The ‘For You’ tab also provides information about local restaurants and events,

as well as nearby charging stations helpful if you happen to own an electric vehicle. The ability to pull up biking and walking directions — as well as those for using public transport — also gives it a notable edge over Waze, even if they can clutter the display at times.

So for me it’s Google Maps everyday, but one thing I do love about Waze is the Speed camera identification and location setting on the app. GOOGLE MAPS….for now!

TECH

• Live traffic reporting provided by users • A plethora of voice navigation options, including celebrity voices and even the ability to record commands in your own voice!

• Monitors your current speed and lets you know when you are going too fast!

• Remembers commonly used routes, frequent destinations, and commute times • One-button access to a map of car parks near your destination • Aggressive rerouting saves time • Motorcycle mode • Traffic jam time countdown • Police notifications • Spotify integration • Advertisement supported

• Offers directions for driving, biking, walking, and using public transport • Voice navigation choices for driving, biking, and walking • Google Street View integration • Turn-by-turn directions still offered in offline mode • Google Assistant integration • Built-in Google search provides information on businesses • Lane designation lets drivers know which lane they should be in before turns • Add another stop on your way to the final destination • Drivers can find their parked cars easily since the app saves parking locations • Navigation backlit change based on day/nighttime • Real-time location sharing • Spotify integration • Offline functionality

25

MEXICAN-STYLE MEXICAN-STYLE LOADED SWEET LOADED SWEET POTATOES POTATOES Flavoursome, nutritious and oh so simple, these filling sweet potatoes bring all the joy of your favourite nacho platter, with none of the guilt.

METHOD Step One Preheat the oven to 200 degrees (180 in a fan-assisted oven), prick your potatoes with a knife and rub with oil before placing directly onto the oven shelf to bake for 50 minutes.

Step Two Heat a large frying pan to a medium heat with a drizzle of vegetable oil. Add the garlic and smoked paprika and fry till fragrant (one minute) before adding half of the red onion. Once the onion has softened add the black beans and cook for around ten minutes on a low heat until the beans start breaking up.

Step Three Meanwhile, remove the avocado flesh from the skin and gently mash before adding the remainder of the red onion, the chopped chilli and the juice from the lime.

Step Four Slice open your sweet potatoes and spoon in your black bean mixture before topping with your guacamole, sour cream and grated cheese. Garnish with coriander and serve while hot.

Recipes

INGREDIENTS (serves four) 4 large sweet potatoes 1 red onion (diced) 2 cloves of garlic (minced) 1 red chilli (deseeded and chopped) 1 tbsp smoked paprika 1 tin of black beans (rinsed) 2 avocados 1 lime Grated cheese Sour cream Coriander to garnish

26

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How to get your child ‘money-minded’ as they head off to university.

Six tips for helping your young ones adapt to looking after their own finances at university.

Enforce budgeting and planning ahead Work with your child to create a month-by-month budget, preferably on a shared document, that will cover the whole of the academic year. Add all expected income and expenses, remembering to include a significant contingency amount for unexpected events. This will give them an insight into the realities of costs over a period of time that extends well beyond ‘the next pay day’.

Consider necessity over excess A great trick for teaching financial smartness is to ask your son or daughter to decide whether each thing they spend money on is a necessity (such as rent, bills, food, study materials) or an excess (which might include clothes, technology, a surfboard!). That’s not to say they cannot treat themselves to special items from time to time, but knowing the difference and adopting a sensible ratio is a positive step towards money mastery.

Promote paid-for work There is no better connector to the true value of money than when you have to earn it. These days that can be much easier with online employment not necessitating late night or antisocial work that may impact on studies or put youngsters into potentially hazardous situations.

Retaining that need to work reinforces a grip on the true value of money, as well as creating a reward mechanism by which your youngster will feel they can treat themselves.

Be realistic If your university-bound son or daughter has a history of reckless spending and has been coming to you for years ‘cap in hand’, exercise caution with their finances, perhaps by staggering any agreed payments and taking shared responsibility over a bank account.

If, on the other hand, your dependent has a propensity to save rather than spend, you know you can leave them to their own financial devices that much sooner.

Practise what your preach Our children’s spending habits are a direct mirror of our own, so exercise temperance in your own spending, no matter how tempting it might be to throw off the shackles with one less mouth to feed at home!

Be open and honest Financial responsibility only works with honesty and openness, and that can be achieved when the pathway is there for loved ones to turn to you for support.

The much discussed ‘bank of mum and dad’ may be a modern-day cliché, but it’s been visited by the vast majority of us over the years… sometimes frequently!

27

Education

BACK TO SCHOOL

NERVES?

28

Move over summer, a new school year is coming!

T

hat first day back at school in September can be a huge relief for parents, and sometimes children too.

But this year will be a little different after 18 months of constant disruptions to school from the pandemic resulting in increased anxiety for many parents and children around attending school. This, coupled with the change in gear as the early alarms and the challenging schedules jolt you back to reality, can be a challenge.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are a few pointers to help the family ease in to a new school year as the long easy days of summer become a distant memory.

Start Talking About School

Discuss fun memories you have of their teacher and little stories you have of them and their friends. This will ignite nice memories, help your child to get enthusiastic about going back and ease their back to school anxiety.

Ease the Family into a Term Time Schedule.

The first day of school is no time for a drastic adjustment of sleep schedules. Instead, ease the kids back into a term time routine gradually. During the last two weeks of the holidays, start to re-introduce a term time bedtime.

Begin waking late sleepers earlier and earlier. Be warned though, you won’t win any popularity contests for this.

Little Kitten & Friends app helps children aged between 4 and 7 prepare for their school start.

The application provides 8 educational games that are rich with a variety of features.

Devices: iPhone, iPad and Android Cost: Free with in-app purchases

myHomework is a digital student planner to track homework, assignments, tests, and more. This app and website uses a visually appealing calendar display to add classes and homework.

Devices: iPhone, iPad and Android Cost: Free with in-app purchases

Create Calendar Central

Nothing calms term time chaos like Calendar Central: a centralised place for all family calendars and schedules.

Parents’ evenings, scout meetings, music lessons, football training...You need a family event calendar to track all these things in one place. It doesn’t really matter how you do it. A paper calendar, a pre-printed white board or a smart phone app. It could be pinned to a notice board or, if you’re tech savvy, a calendar could be synched to everyone’s phones. So, when the school calls to ask for field trip volunteers, you’ll know at a glance whether you’re free to join the group on the bus that day.

Plan Before You Shop

August is the second biggest sales month for clothing retailers and back to school clothing sales began as early as July! An informed shopper is a savvy shopper, so prepare before you shop. Take an afternoon and assess each child’s clothing needs. Chuck out all of the worn-out clothing and pass on all of the outgrown stuff.

Create a list for each child, but don’t forget to check for possible hand-me-downs from older siblings as you make your list. You should be able to head-off any in-store meltdowns if you discuss the needs list and the family budget with your children before you hit the shops. Do shop early! Stock runs out, particularly the most popular sizes so leave plenty of time and you won’t get caught out.

Calendar? Check. Uniform? Check. You’ve got this. And after you’ve waved off the children at the

school gates on that first day back, you know you won’t be the only parent doing a secret fist pump as you turn away. Back to routine...and breathe!

IXL app is an immersive learning experience that provides comprehensive, curriculumaligned maths and English content for ages 4-18. With IXL, your children will learn at their own pace, IXL’s adaptive questions automatically adjust to just the right level of difficulty.

Devices: iPhone, iPad and Android Cost: Free with in-app purchases

Epic! - Unlimited Books for Kids is a subscription-based ebook service for kids age 2–12. Kids and parents can choose from more than 25,000 books, and they can read them online or offline, on the Web, or on mobile devices.

Devices: iPhone, iPad and Android Cost: Free with in-app purchases 29

Are you thinking of buying or selling?

More properties required in:

Earley, Lower Earley, Spencers Wood, Shinfield, Swallowfield Three Mile Cross & surrounding areas.

LD SO

LD SO

LD SO

g I have been listing and selling local properties for over 40 years. g I live and work self-employed locally in this area. g I am the only person you deal with throughout the sales process. g I pride myself in offering a highly professional & personal service. g All my properties are advertised on Rightmove, Zoopla & OnTheMarket. g All my properties have professional photography, floorplans & virtual tours. g I operate on a ‘No sale - No fee’ basis.

I provide a fresh approach to selling, please call me for an informal chat.

Scan the QR code for more information

Gary Bishop Property Marketing Specialist Berkshire & Hampshire Phone: 0118 933 3032 Mobile: 0779 857 5625 Email: gary@castorbay.property LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/garybishop Website: castorbay.property/garybishop 100% recommended

Win A Romantic Autumn Break for two people!

at De Vere Wokefield Estate!

We are giving away an overnight stay with breakfast in the Mansion House with dinner in Restaurant 1560 for 2 people!

To enter, either ooint your camera at the QR code or visit www.eyemagazines.co.uk click on the competition tab and answer the following question: What is the name of Wokefield Estate’s restaurant?

Set in 250 acres of Berkshire parkland, Wokefield Estate is a truly stunning mansion house hotel originally built in the 1560s. Of course, there have been many renovations over the years, including a £20 million restoration just recently, but you can still feel and see the history all around.

Complete with a 6,996-yard, par 72 championship course, bars and various dining options, Wokefield Estate provides the perfect place to escape to for a mini break without the travel time !

Closing date for entries is midnight Thursday 30th September.

Full prize terms and conditions available at www.eyemagazines.co.uk

Win!

WIN A TERM OF DANCE CLASSES FOR YOUR CHILD! To celebrate the opening of their new Spencer’s Wood Class on Thursday’s at 4 this September, All Stars are offering one lucky reader the chance to win a term of dance classes for their child. To be in with a chance of winning, head over to eyemagazines.co.uk or scan the QR code here and answer the following question:

Magical dance classes for energetic 2yr olds & over Classes run 6 days a week across the following areas:

Lower Earley Mortimer Burghfield Silchester

All Stars run classes for how many days a week? a:4 b:5 c: 6

Bookings now open for new classes in Sept for:

Closing date for entries is midnight Thursday 30th September. Full prize terms and conditions available at www.eyemagazines.co.uk

Free Trial Class!

A place where dreams come true and imagination is everything!

Spencers Wood Shinfield For times and days for each location, please visit our website, facebook or insta.

To book your free trial class, visit:

www.allstardance.co.uk/registration To contribute, advertise or let us know your news please call 0118 933 3311 or email info@villageeye.co.uk

facebook.com/eyemagazines

/AllStarsTheatreAcademy /allstars_theatreacademy

@villageeyemag

y le r a E n a n o p u Once Although evidence of prehistoric man has been found in locations around Earley - hand axes in the gardens in Silverdale Road!

- here we have some old photos of Earley, but in living memory for many.

Who remembers Early Power Station? Now this land is home to Thames Valley Park but Earley Power Station was operational here from the early 1940s until the 1970s.

Do you recognise this art deco building in the photo?

This was the Green Monkey Cafe that stood at Shepherds House Hill, Earley at the junction with Pitts Lane. It was demolished in the 1960s with the site now occupied by Kwik Fit tyre centre!

If you can remember life before the M4, this picture of the motorway’s construction may bring back memories.

A total of 63 miles had been completed by 1967, with the Reading section being opened by Henley

32

MP Michael Heseltine on 28 December 1971.

The next two photos jump to 1995 and shows the Early street parties which marked the 50th anniversary of VE Day and featured in the Reading Evening Post.

Whiteknights Park has been the home of the University of Reading since 1947, though there is no trace of the original 13th Century manor house. You may recognise the arch which was recently removed, but the park is now all that remains of the manor and deer park of Earley Whiteknights.

If you have any old photos or know someone who does, we would love to see some of Shinfield, Swallowfield and surrounding areas!

All photos sourced from the Facebook page - Memories and issues about the Earley area and beyond.

At the

Flicks

with ROB BARNES

Old M. Night Shyamalan’s latest thriller sees a group of holidaying families at an exclusive resort stranded on a beach for the day that is somehow causing them to rapidly age.

times borders on comedy, it’s the tones of psychological horror that keep you hooked until the final denouement.

Like all of Shyamalan’s genre bending movies it’s an intriguing and curious watch, and the sheer audacity to take the audience on such a left field journey make this an oddity well worth investigating.

With a character ensemble trying desperately to solve the mystery as those around them are in peril it’s more than reminiscent of an Agatha Christie plot. But what begins as mystery that veers into melodrama, that at

Jungle Cruise What happens if you take a classic Disneyland theme park ride, mix in some of Humphrey Bogart’s The African Queen with Spielberg’s Indiana Jones, and then throw in two of Hollywood’s brightest shining stars in Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt...Jungle Cruise!

Feisty botanist Dr. Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt) heads to the Amazon to track down the mythical Tears of the Moon whose petals cure illness and curses, with the help of roguish

Puzzle Page Answers

riverboat skipper Frank (Dwayne Johnson).

Although the chemistry doesn’t quite fizz off the screen, Blunt and Johnson are clearly having a blast, and the comedy moments from Lily’s sidekick brother MacGregor (Jack Whitehall) and the evil German aristocrat Prince Joachim (Jesse Plemons) are priceless. With all the essential ingredients of a nostalgic throwback action adventure there’s little not to like about this supernatural swashbuckling romp.

The Squad SUDOKUWEB SukoSuicide #007 Solution

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PuzzlePage PageAnswers Answers Puzzle

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James Bond D B E V U Q U C U S

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D T A S W Y T T M S L Y J K O I L F R D C B N E L V L U XQ Y U UC DUM S S D L T U A F S MWB Y P T F T E O I J U L R D A N L R O A H C B D Z B U I D N G O

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Suko #007 Solution Suko #007 Solution

The Runners‘

Dilemma...

A

s fitness fads come and go, research continues to show that running is one of the best things someone can do for their health. Recent studies have even shown that running helps to reduce the risk of age-related memory decline and causes our brain to produce new cells!

However, many runners are running through pain, so I’d like to discuss how runners can make their bodies more resilient for their activity.

Before I proceed though, a plea: If you’re running through pain, please stop and get that pain checked out by a relevant professional and make sure you’re not risking long term issues.

The strength-endurance connection: It can be easy to think that because running uses your legs so much, you don’t need to do any extra strength work for them. After the age of 30, we start losing muscle, and most of this comes from fast twitch muscle fibres-the ones not used by running.

As you lose these fast twitch fibres, you’ll become slower, and your joints will have less support. Running is an endurance exercise, which means it uses mostly slow twitch muscle fibres.

Strength training though, builds all of your muscle fibres, which means your joints will be better supported reducing your risk of pain.

Putting your backside into it: When the muscles in your backside (your glutes) are weak, other areas try to pick up the slack-mainly your lower back or hamstrings, which can result in these muscles becoming over-worked or strained. When we sit, we reduce the blood-flow to the glutes, which makes them weaker.

Performing specific exercises for your glutes helps to keep the blood flowing into them, keep them strong, and reduce strain in other areas. This can also help with knee alignment and IT band issues.

Balancing squats and lunges: If the muscles around your joints are imbalanced, it can lead to pain, particularly knee pain. Many runners who are already strength training are performing squats and lunges. These are what we call “knee dominant exercises”. This means that your quads, on the front of your thigh are working harder than your hamstrings.

If the quads get continually worked more than the hamstrings, this imbalance can cause issues with the knees and/or hamstrings. The solution is to perform “hip dominant exercises” that work the hamstrings more than the quads as well as your squats and lunges.

Stay strong, so you can stay healthy.

Steve PILATES STUDIO PILATES FOR GOLFERS BACKCARE PROFESSIONAL THERAPY REFORMER PILATES

Tel: 07788 151917 www.berkshirepilates.co.uk Group Classes

Private one to one Sessions

Virtual Zoom Sessions

Pre booking is essential

SWEDISH & SPORTS MASSAGE THERAPY GP EXERCISE REFERRAL & NUTRITION

www.berkshirepilates.co.uk Berkshire Pilates Studio is based in Shinfield, RG2 9DN

To contribute, advertise or let us know your news please call 0118 933 3311 or email hello@eyemagazines.co.uk Follow us to keep updated, locally

We have Tenants who have outgrown their current rental homes and they are asking us to help them upgrade.

If you are a Landlord planning to rent a property with 1 – 5 bedrooms we can potentially help both you and those we refer to above.

3 Church Road, Earley, Reading, Berkshire RG6 1EY | Registered in England 6970031 T 0118 926 6655 | F 0118 935 1535 | E martyn@martynrussell.co.uk | W www.martynrussell.co.uk

LANDLORDS: Quote Ref: Eyemag to receive a discount

0118 926 6655 3 Church Road, Earley, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 1EY

www.martynrussell.co.uk

outstanding when it comes to buying, selling or letting your home...

think pink!

SOLD

other agent

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contact our Wokingham office: phone: 0118 989 9770 email: wokingham@davidcliff.com visit: davidcliff.com Offices also at Mortimer, Binfield and Park Lane, London