Issuu

The voice for local business

Issue 153 - January 2018

and Frodsham at your fingertips! Serving The Areas Of: Alvanley // Dunham Hill // Elton // Frodsham Hapsford // Helsby // Kingsley // Manley // Mouldsworth // Norley // Overton

My Fitness Works

Lady Heyes, Frodsham, Cheshire, WA6 6SU

My Fitness Works

BOO NGS NOW BE NG EN FOR MEMBERSH PS

07708 605 369 nfo@MyFitnessCoach.org.uk www.MyFitnessCoach.org.uk Personal Training, Classes, ParkFitness & Running Club Monthly Membership or P YG ndoor & Outdoor Your local magazine - 7100 copies FREE every month | tel: 01928 727 165

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To advertise call: 01928 727 165 or email: helsbytohand@btinternet.com

Hello and welcome to the January edition...

his month in ict res

Happy e ear hope that yo ha e all had a lo ely Christmas. Many of s are no loo ing to ards p tting o r e ears resol tions into practise and stic ing to them hat s often easier said than done, as local psychologist, Maria e plains on page For many people an ary signi es the month of ne eginnings, ne resol tions n theory, it s the perfect time to t rn a ne page. n practice, things can t rn o t to e a it different .

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here is also a ne Slimming World gro p starting in Frodsham on the 6th an ary, details are on page . ody is loo ing for ard to meeting yo and sharing the o rney. oin no and yo ll soon e on yo r ay to collecting all the lo ely re ard stic ers HELP THE HEDGEHOG article is on pages , Hedgehogs are in serio s decline and co ld e e tinct in r an areas y 0 . hese gorgeo s little animals need o r help to protect the species so please oin in and do hat yo can to to sa sa ee them. them. Best Wishes

Sarah x @helsbytohand els y to and

Helsby to Hand

t can e hard trying to ic old ha its t it s m ch easier to stic to a goal if yo ha e s pport. A common ne years resol tion is to get t and shed n anted po nds, no is the ideal time to oin a gym or in est in personal training sessions or classes, oth are great ays to meet ne people and an ideal ay to remain moti ated.

PLE SE NOTE COPY D TE FOR DVERT S NG N THE FEB ED T ON

S 18TH JAN (COMMUNITY EVENTS 15TH) TO ADVERTISE PLEASE RING SARAH ON 01928 727165 or email: helsbytohand@btinternet.com f you don t have a copy to hand check out the website: www.helsbytohand.co.uk

errowmoar, anley oad, lvanley, Frodsham, heshire W el 01 1 mail hels ytohand tinternet.com

el s y to and is produced y an independent organisation which is not connected to any other organisations, pu lications or groups. ll material is copyright and no part o this pu lication may e reproduced or transmitted, in any orm or y any means, electronic, photographic or otherwise, or stored in any retrieval system o any nature, without written permission o the copyright holder. lease note that we do not endorse any product or services o any advertisers. ll advertisements and their content are accepted in good aith. esponsi ility or copyright and the accuracy o the in ormation provided lies with the advertiser.

Please mention Helsby to Hand when responding to adverts

DANCE YOURSELF FIT this NEW YEAR with CHESHIRE FLOW!

Make a FITNESS RESOLUTION you will ENJOY, as you “DANCE YOURSELF FIT HAVING FUN!” CHESHIRE FLOW is back for a NEW SEASON with BRAND NEW DANCE FITNESS ROUTINES! Ideal for ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS or those looking to return to our classes for a FRESH START! We are launching two new fantastic community classes for 2018!

NEW "DANCEFIT" FLOW Launching Monday 8th January 8-‐9pm at Frodsham Parish Hall

"DANCEFIT" FLOW is the DANCE FITNESS CLASS to songs of the MOVIES & MUSICALS which you can't help but move to! -‐ Fun & easy to follow dance-‐fitness moves taught by a trained dance teacher -‐ Adapted for all ages and fitness levels -‐ Excellent whole body cardio workout & toning -‐ Full of feel good smiles & laughter -‐ whilst you “DANCE YOUSELF FIT HAVING FUN!”

NEW "LATIN FLOW" BEGINNERS Launching Thursday 4th January 8-‐9pm at Frodsham Parish Hall

"LATIN FLOW" BEGINNERS is Frodsham’s ‘STRICTLY’ solo DANCE FITNESS CLASS! Ideal for beginners wanting to ease themselves into fitness, whilst learning to dance along the way! -‐ Learn to dance the CHA CHA, SALSA, JIVE & more, through easy to follow dance fitness routines! -‐ No Partner needed -‐ Adapted to all ages & fitness levels -‐ Superb whole-‐body workout & toning -‐ Full of feel good smiles & laughter -‐ whilst you “DANCE YOUSELF FIT HAVING FUN!” Only £5 per session or SPECIAL PAY MONTHLY OFFER £30 for UNLJMITED CLASSES! For more details please contact Amy on 07711249732 or cheshireflow@gmail.com Facebook: Cheshire Flow / WEDDING DANCE / PRIVATE COUPLE LESSONS also available!

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The Power of Talking e all go through periods during which we feel alone, not understood and that is perfectly ﬁne. Other times, we may need to want to change things in our lives and we don’t know where to start. Asking for help from friends or family can be hard… this is when a Professional can be your sounding board, with a compassionate, non-judgemental and safe attitude, oﬀering you an opportunity to discover new perspectives and new possibilities.

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How often do you have the need to TALK to somebody and what stops you is what they might think? • For many people January signifies the month of new beginnings, new resolutions… In theory, it’s the perfect time to turn a new page. In practice, things can turn out to be a bit different. • Thoughts about how we WANT things to be and how things REALLY are can actually lead to feelings of depression. So many resolutions fail, usually by February when we start to backslide. • Changing old behaviours to new behaviours that will stick requires changing our thinking. Talking therapies can help you work out how to deal with negative thoughts and feelings and make positive changes. How does it work? During a typical session, I help you to look at how you can react differently to your thoughts and feelings. I may challenge your way of thinking and work out with you how you can change the way you behave, which will ultimately help you feel better and achieve your goals.

If someone broke their arm, you wouldn’t think twice about asking them how they were, but when it comes to talking about how they FEEL most of us struggle to broach the subject...

…and for this reason, millions suﬀer in silence…

Please don’t let that be you. Simply, pick up the phone and have a friendly chat with me (Maria) in utmost conﬁdence to ﬁnd out how your 2018 could be a better one.

Co-Author of

Under Pressure

Dr Maria Katsarou, Cpsychol Chartered Psychologist Therapy Sessions at ‘Sweetbriar’ in Helsby Telephone: 01928 788 283 Mobile: 07484 789 941 E-mail: maria@leadershipsy.com Follow my Blog:to https://drmariakatsarou.blog Please mention Helsby Hand when responding to adverts

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Mathematics Add Algebra Area Arithmetic Binary Circle Count Cubic Decimals Diameter Divide Formula Geometry Median Minus Numbers Plus Radius Statistics

Subtract Sums Tables Tangent Total Triangle

ra Algeb Geo met ry

Find the words associated with mathematics in the grid and the remaining letters will spell out a related phrase

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Best A-level results in Cheshire

Enjoy the challenge... Register now for the Entrance Assessments and Entrance Examination at The Queen’s School in January. Our nurturing ethos underpins an adventurous approach to learning where pupils feel confident to just ‘have a go’, embracing every opportunity and growing in confidence as a consequence.

MONDAY 15 JANUARY LOWER SCHOOL Entrance Assessments (Infant and Junior entry) SENIOR SCHOOL Entrance Examination (Senior entry)

T 01244 312078 E admissions@thequeensschool.co.uk www.thequeensschool.co.uk Please mention Helsby to Hand when responding to adverts

Frodsham Plastering Services No job too small!

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ired be inspwith Slimming World NEW GROUP

Starting 6th January

Saturday FRODSHAM LEISURE CENTRE Princeway, Frodsham 8.30am and 10.30am Tel: Jody 07734 037 835

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Property Maintenance Home & Business Garage Clearances General repairs Doors re-hung Sheds re-felted with uality felt Fences repaired Gutters cleaned & washed Power washing Painting exterior or interior A

CONTACT JOHN R CA B MA 0780 3927679 01928 715782

Your local chartered accountants Free no obligation consultation, For all your accountancy needs AGP provide a full range of services for all business types and sizes. Our services include: • Accounts • Bookkeeping • Registered auditor

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call: 01928 707 370 visit: www.agp-accountants.co.uk email: enquiries@agp-accountants.co.uk Sycamore House, Sutton Quays Business Park Sutton Weaver, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 3EH Offices also at Warrington and Chester

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Short Story Precious By Jackie Brewster Dan leaned against a lamp post covered in posters, watching the house at number fteen. The curtains were drawn and the place seemed deserted. If Alan was the creature of habit that Dan thought he was, any moment now he’d be returning home with his tray of chips and a battered sausage. Alan had dropped Dan’s sisterin-law, Pam, off on New Year’s Day, with the promise to come and collect her the day after. He hadn’t been seen since. “Do you think they’ve had a row?” Dan had asked his wife Amy. “Pam’s being tight-lipped,” Amy said. “She just ops on the settee all day eating your chocolate liqueurs and snif ng.” Dan would never describe Alan as much of a catch, but he felt compelled to reunite these two lovebirds - if nothing else, just to get his sofa back. On cue, a shadowy gure crept through the shadows and slipped through the doorway into number fteen. Dan crossed the road and hammered on the door. There was no answer. The letter box was wedged open with a copy of the same poster about a missing sphynx cat that had been stapled to the lamp post. He pushed it to one side and shouted, “Alan, it’s Dan, I know you’re in there.” There was silence. “I’m not interested in what’s gone on between you and Pam,” he called. “I just want to

know you’re okay.” The hall light came on. The door creaked open and Alan stood in the hallway holding his battered sausage. “Is Pam alright?” he asked, taking a bite. “She’s worried about you,” Dan said. “We all are.” Alan’s face crumpled. “I’ve done something unforgiveable,” he said. Dan’s heart sank. Was he going to be stuck with his sister-in-law inde nitely? “Tell me what it is,” he asked calmly. “I’m sure we can x it.” “Pammy mustn’t know,” Alan said desperately. “I can’t promise you that.” Dan followed Alan into the lounge. “Just tell me what’s happened.” “I need more time.” Alan perched on the arm of the sofa and regarded his chips mournfully. “Time for what?” Dan said. “For the cat’s fur to grow back,” Alan said miserably. “I beg your pardon?” Dan said. “I went out for a few ales with Dufty after I dropped Pam off.” Alan ate another chip. “And the next morning I discovered I’d shaved Precious.” “Do you mean Pam’s cat?” Dan asked in surprise. “Yes, Precious the cat,” Alan nodded. “I’d shaved all her fur off. No idea why. I don’t even remember doing it.” His shoulders heaved. “I’ve made her a little jumper.”

Dan felt a powerful urge to laugh. “Alan, Precious is at our house with Pam,” he said gently. “You brought her in her basket, remember?” Through the cat ap climbed a erce looking bald cat wearing a ragged tube sock. Dan looked at the cat, and the cat scowled back. “If that’s not Precious,” Alan said nervously, “what is it?” “It’s a sphynx cat.” Dan crouched down and examined the cat’s collar. “Her owners have been looking for her.” “I’ve shaved a stranger’s cat!” Alan wailed. Dan was about to explain that sphynx cats were supposed to be hairless when he stopped himself. “I can x this for you. No one need ever know,” he said instead. “But rst, phone Pam and beg her to come home.” “I owe you Dan.” Alan licked ketchup off his ngers. Staring warily at the cat he picked up his phone. Yes you do, thought Dan, and said, “A box of chocolate liqueurs would be a good place to start.” 11

MainStreetDental 69A Main Street, Frodsham, Cheshire, WA6 7DF Telephone: 01928 733974 Email: mainstreetdental@hotmail.co.uk

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Dealing with Cat Flu – It’s Not Just a Winter Bug Cat u is potentially one of the most serious illnesses your cat can suffer and in some cases is life-threatening. Kittens in particular are at high risk, so it’s important to vaccinate as soon as possible, usually at nine weeks and then on an annual basis. It’s not only a ‘winter bug’ as human u tends to be – it can be transferred between cats at any time of the year. This is why, if your cat stays in a boarding cattery, you should make sure it’s one that

only accepts cats from owners with proof of vaccination.

PETS

What symptoms should you watch out for Common symptoms of cat u include: Sneezing Coughing Runny nose Dribbling High temperature General lethargy Loss of appetite Sore or partially-closed eyes helping your cat through this serious illness The vet may prescribe antibiotics if your cat has a secondary bacterial infection, which is a common occurrence with cat u. Apart from that, however, wiping the cat’s eyes and nose with a warm clean

cloth soaked in salt water can help.

Regularly washing their bedding, and making sure water bowls are cleaned several times a day with hot water, also helps to prevent reinfection once your cat begins to improve. Cats with u often lose their appetite, so having plenty of nice food to tempt them to eat is a good idea and also helps to build up their immune system after they’ve recovered. https://www.bluecross.org. uk/pet-advice/cat-flu https://www.petplan.co.uk/ petplan-together/senior-cat/ can-cats-get-colds.asp By Ann Haldon

To advertise call: 01928 727 165 or email: helsbytohand@btinternet.com

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Chorizo & Prawn Paella Serves 4

Ready in 50 minutes

This one-pan supper can be on the dinner table in less than one hour. Serve with a crisp green salad and some crusty bread for a delicious and filling midweek meal.

Ingredients:

1tbsp olive oil 250g chorizo sausage, diced 1 large onion, peeled and chopped 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 4 celery stalks, chopped 225g paella rice Few strands of saffron 850ml hot chicken or vegetable stock 200g raw king prawns (thawed if frozen), peeled with tails left on Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp paprika

Heat the oil in a large deep frying pan and fry the chorizo sausage for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the onion, garlic and celery to the pan and fry gently for 8-10 minutes, stirring, until softened. Stir in the rice and saffron strands and cook for 1 minute, then pour in the stock. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes, until the rice is almost tender and nearly all the liquid has been absorbed, stirring frequently. Add the chorizo and prawns to the pan and cook for a further 5-6 minutes, until the prawns are cooked through and pink. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve in warmed bowls sprinkled with the paprika.

TIP Add some diced red or yellow pepper and a handful of chopped fresh parsley extrahelsbytohand@btinternet.com colour and avour. To advertise call: 01928 727 165 orfor email:

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from B Unique and The Beauty Retreat Wishing all our clients a heartfelt Christmas ﬁlled with love, joy and laughter May all your Christmas wishes come true!

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Review Of The Year 1. Along with a portrait of Jane Austen, the new Bank of England ten pound note features a foil image of which cathedral? 2. Beginning with the letters "I" and "M", what were the names of the two category five hurricanes of the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season? 3. 14 years after being voted first in a 2003 book called Crap Towns: The 50 Worst Places To Live In The UK, which city was the UK City of Culture for 2017? 4. An international football match in October saw three players with what first name playing for England despite no one of that name playing for them anytime from 1955 to 2014? 5. First used in the 14th century and used by Kim Jong-un in September to describe Donald Trump, what six-letter word is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as "an old person, especially one who has become weak or senile"? 6. Of the three acts to headline the Pyramid Stage at the 2017 Glastonbury Festival, name the only one not to have won a Brit award. 7. Which city hosted the 2017 Invictus Games? 8. Name the two parties who won more seats in the 2017 general election than they did in 2015, but with fewer votes overall. 9. In April, which boxer became WBA World Heavyweight Champion after beating Ukraine's Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium? 10. Who said in July that she was "moved and honoured" after councillors unanimously agreed to make her Manchester's first honorary citizen?

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Gardener’s Resolve… by Pippa Greenwood

Happy New Year! Now that container in the kitchen for out there throughout the worst 2018 is here, what are you vegetable peelings, apple of the weather, pretty well all going to resolve to do (or not cores and so forth. mpty it furniture will take a serious do!) in the year ahead? I could regularly and there won’t be battering – from rain, cold, write a book about what I need problems with smells. The ice and, in some cases, even to do in the garden, but like amount of extra compost fungi! Shop around for furniture those non-garden resolutions, you’ll generate will be well covers that won’t break the I’ve long since realised that it worthwhile. Many local councils bank or, better still, store the is best to stick to things you’ve offer a really good deal on furniture in a shed or garage if got at least some chance of basic plastic composters. you have one. Stored properly, achieving! So I’ll probably it will last much longer and se that space not say I’ll re-turf the lawn or you’ll save yourself a fortune. If you have a cold frame, create the much wished for porch, conservatory or groW Yo r oWn wildlife-friendly pond…I’ve greenhouse, put it to use! Far This needn’t mean total selfbeen planning both of these for too many of these potentially suf ciency for twelve months years with no sign of progress! of the year, but aim to grow great gardening structures are more of your own fresh fruit, re-cYcle pots left abandoned for much of the vegetables and herbs. It might I’m sure that there is virtually year, perhaps just being graced mean buying yourself a couple no need to buy another plastic with a handful of tomatoes for of tomato plants for the rst plant pot...and I’m sure that the summer months. Any sort time, or creating a small herb land ll sites would breathe of protected growing area has planter, or it could be larger a sigh of relief if we could all the ability to increase what scale and more complex stick to this resolution: save you can grow and when you plans if you’re already big on all the pots you get when you can grow it. So raise your own grow-your-own...but increase buy new plants, and any plugsummer owers in it, force what you do! Don’t forget that if style trays that house bedding some bulbs in it in the winter you’d like UK-grown vegetable plants. Rinse them out and let or make off-season sowings of plants accompanied by my them dry off, and next time you salad crops…make it work, but weekly advice and tips emails, need a pot there will already whatever you do, don’t use it you will nd a great choice of be one there, free of charge as the family rubbish dump! some of my favourite varieties as well as saving you a trip to m lch more at www.pippagreenwood.com/ the local garden centre. Pots Make use of any organic grow-your-own. stored away from sunlight will matter that is bulky – mulch last much longer as they will be compost more with it. Whether it is well-rotted protected from the harmful rays It is easy to put things that manure, garden compost, leaf of the sun which make many should be composted in the mould, or the used compost types of plastic disintegrate. waste bin, but once you get in from a seasonal bedding display or growing bag, make it the swing of it composting will cover it p into mulch! Applied a couple of soon become second nature. Make a resolution to dry off inches or more deep over the Make it easier to compost and cover up garden furniture soil surface, a mulch like this by putting a helsbytohand@btinternet.com once the Left call:kitchen advertise 01928waste 727 165 or email: 20summer isToover.

will improve the soil’s ability to conserve moisture (saving you both watering time and water) and may also help to keep weeds at bay. A win-win situation. pa se beFore Yo b Y When you’re looking through the seed, plant and bulb catalogues, browsing online or wandering around a garden centre, pause before you buy. I know I’m not alone in having eyes that are much bigger than my plot! It is very easy to order more seeds than you’ll ever be able to sow and plants that you’ll never be able to squeeze into your garden. seasonal saver Make sure you recycle your Christmas tree. Real trees can be recycled at locations up and down the country – many garden centres and councils offer the service. The trees will be shredded and added to other green materials to make

a great soil conditioner and planting mix. I asked some of my well-known gardening friends on BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time for their New Years’ Resolutions: ric Robson, our Chairman on the show: ‘I’ve joked about it lots in the past but I’m de nitely – and I mean de nitely – going to found the Ground lder Appreciation Society. Great ground cover plant, wonderful as an alternative to spinach and the variegated version should have an Award of Garden Merit. ’ Bunny Guinness, garden designer and Chelsea gold medallist: ‘To reap all I sow. My pigs have had rather too good a diet this year - copious quince, grapes, apples and even peaches! It is quite dif cult to nd time to eat or store it all, but at least they were extremely appreciative

reciprocates!’ Anne Swithinbank, panellist: ‘My resolution is to tackle some serious decluttering. In the gardening department, this means sorting a horrid muddle of eece, netting, twine, hand tools, gloves, propagator lids and ower pots lling my sheds. I’m sure I can throw half of it away, then give everything its special place. It’s silly to waste precious time looking for these things, when it would be better spent sowing, weeding and planting.’ Visit Pippa’s website www. pippagreenwood.com and you’ll find some great gardening things: ‘Grow Your Own with Pippa Greenwood’ (where you receive your chosen garden-ready vegetable plants in the spring accompanied by weekly advice and tips from Pippa) plus gardening tools, raised bed kits, Grower Frames, signed books and more!

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the solution to your resolution! the

Meet Ron aged 91, who is recovering well from major surgery. He puts his being fit enough to be accepted for surgery down to Nordic walking twice a week at wellbeing sessions for the past two years. He has also made new friends. This is important for him as he finds he has outlived many of his older ones. Nordic Walking is suitable for all levels of fitness.

If you are interested in finding out more about Nordic Walking and don’t want to let your fitness levels slide in the run up to Christmas, then come and try one of the free Advent taster sessions to get you ready for your New Year Fitness regime.

LEARN TO NORDIC WALK courses start in Delamere Forest Sunday Jan 21st at 9am and Wednesday Jan 17th Noon Advent 45 minute Taster Sessions Runcorn Hill Thursday 25th Jan, Moore Nature Reserve Thursday 18th Jan

•

Wednesdays 10.45am Castle Park, Frodsham

REFRESHER TECHNIQUE COURSE: If you have completed a tuition Saturdays 9.30am Delamere Forest course and let thingsNoon slide, thenDelamere this couldForest just what you need. Sundays Delamere Forest, Sat 21st Jan Easy 10.30am

• •

Booking essential Easy courses, Fast Track Induction For more information about beginner courses, regular walks, wellbeing sessions and taster sessions For more information about beginner courses, Fast Track fbInduction kerleysnordicwoodlandwalking courses, regular walks and wellbeing sessions. fb kerleysnordicwoodlandwalking at www.kerleysnordicwalking.co.uk

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vist and Book online at www.kerleysnordicwalking.co.uk www.kerleysnordicwalking.co.uk Book ovist r calland Kerley ononline 07803at037 332 or call Kerley on 07803 037 332 email kerley nw@ gmail.com

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FRODSHAM CHIROPODY / PODIATRY CLINIC 103a Main Street, Frodsham, WA6 7AB

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Finance

By Ann Haldon

Choosing the Best Mobile Phone Plans in 2018

Choosing the right mobile phone plan can be quite daunting, especially if you don’t understand how they work. Perhaps you’ve always bought a contract with a phone included, but you might find that choosing a SIM-only contract is better thanks to its flexibility. With so many different plans available these days, here’s an idea of what to look out for. mobile phone plans explained There are essentially three types of mobile phone deal: pay monthly contract Pay monthly contracts are the most cost-effective if your phone bills are high or you want a top-of-therange handset. Contracts generally last for 12 or 24 months and you pay a fixed minimum monthly amount by direct debit. This is for your inclusive calls, texts and data allowance. Pay monthly contracts incorporate a free or subsidised handset.

and cost-savings if you make a significant number of calls. You can choose between a rolling one-month deal and a fixed 12-month contract. Opting for a fixed-term contract will be cheaper than renewing each month, however, because you’re tied in to a specific timescale, but it doesn’t offer as much flexibility. pay-as-you-go (paYg) If you don’t use your mobile phone very much, pay-as-yougo helps to avoid spending money when you don’t really need to. You simply top up your phone using a credit card or top-up card when you run out of minutes, texts or data, and you don’t need to be credit-checked as you do when you take out a contract. When you’re considering these deals, you’ll also need to think about your phone usage – do you use it mainly for calls and texts, do you browse the internet, and how often do you want to change your handset? data rollover If you don’t use your full data allowance each month, you can buy a plan that lets you rollover what is left and use it the following month. You obtain better value for money from your monthly payments and can plan ahead if you think you’ll need to use more data in a particular month.

Sky Mobile all offer plans with data rollover. It isn’t a new concept, but until recently providers have only allowed you to rollover your data from the previous month. Now, however, Sky Mobile has come up with a very useful online ‘piggybank’ facility that lets you store your unused data at no additional cost for up to three years. You’ll need to have a minimum of 1GB saved in the piggybank before it can be accessed, and Sky let you roll back data in 1GB volumes. Additionally, if you have more than one member on a Sky Mobile account, the unused data from all account members can be rolled over into the piggybank, and used as needed by each individual. Flexible sim-onlY deals giffgaff Giffgaff’s ‘goodybags’ offer flexibility and choice if you’re looking for a SIM-only deal. A goodybag is basically your allowance of minutes, texts and data, and it lasts for one month. This means you can change your goodybag if it doesn’t offer quite enough minutes, for example, or you need more data that month.

Current SIM-only deals (October 2017) at Giffgaff sim-only deal include: When you already own a So which networks offer this £5 per month: 100MB data; phone and don’t want to facility? At the time of writing, 150 minutes; 500 texts change it, or are happy to buy iD Mobile, O2, Virgin Media, £12 per month: 4GB data; your own new handset, a SIMFreedompop andhelsbytohand@btinternet.com 750 minutes; unlimited texts only deal flexibility advertise call:Vodafone, 01928 727 165 or email: 26 can offerTo

£18 per month: 9GB data; 2,000 minutes; unlimited texts three’s ‘go binge’ The Three network offers a useful ‘Go Binge’ facility with some of their mobile phone deals. This allows you to stream music and films from Netflix, Deezer, SoundCloud and TVPlayer without using up your monthly allowance, as long as you have some of your data allowance left. (If adverts are shown on these apps, they may use up your allowance.) Current SIM-only 12-month contracts with ‘Go Binge’ include the following (prices mentioned include a monthly discount of £5 for paying by direct debit): £14 per month: 12GB data; unlimited minutes and texts £18 per month: 30GB data;

unlimited minutes and texts £26 per month: 100GB data; unlimited minutes and texts pay-as-you-go (paYg) If you’re not a heavy mobile phone user, or are worried about being credit-checked, a pay-as-you-go deal may be the best choice. You can opt for ‘traditional’ PAYG or a bundle of data, minutes and texts. As an example, PAYG deals from Asda Mobile currently include: 8p per minute for calls to any UK mobile or UK landline 4p per text 5p per MB of data Pay-as-you-go bundles from Tesco Mobile⁴ include: £5 for 150 minutes £5 for 5,000 texts £10 for 2 GB data As you can see, there’s a

wealth of choice when looking for mobile phone deals – it just takes a little time to compare them and decide on the best option. www.uswitch.com/mobiles/ guides/what-is-data-rolloverand-which-networks-offer-it/ www.sky.com/shop/mobile/ features#feature-roll www.sky.com/help/articles/ your-sky-piggybank www.giffgaff.com/sim-onlyplans www.three.co.uk/go-binge/ details www.three.co.uk/Store/SIM/ Plans_for_phones#?contract=A ll&data=&minutes=&type=alltyp e&costRange mobile.asda.com/rates-andservices ⁴www.tescomobile.com/helpand-support/1082-pay-as-yougo/1092-bundles/pay-as-yougo-data-bundles

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For more information or to arrange a free, no obligation market appraisal please contact: T: 01928 263083 M:07900 322 966 E: info@ballardsproperties.co.uk W: ballardsproperties.co.uk If you have already instructed another agent, check any contract that you have signed to ensure that you are not liable for more than one fee by instructing Ballards as your agent. Fees are not subject to VAT. Terms and Conditions apply.

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Growing Up In A Digital World by Kate Duggan kateduggan.co.uk like it or loathe it, we’re leaving in a digital age, and many children have learnt to swipe, scroll and select long before they’ve mastered riding a bike. screen time If you’re worried that your child is spending too much time staring at a tablet or smartphone, you might need to agree a daily time allowance. Most devices come with parental controls that you can activate. Alternatively, you can download software such as Qustodio (www.qustodio.com) to restrict usage and block inappropriate content. Some exibility on time limits might be needed, when your child has homework for instance, or you’re desperate for a lie-in. Apps such as Habyts (www. habyts.com) allow you to offer extra screen time as a reward for chores and good behaviour. Teenagers need to learn how to manage their own time, and how to protect themselves online. So you may want to loosen the reins as your child gets older, and discuss what they should do if they stumble across anything that makes them feel uncomfortable.

way for your child to connect with their peers, and they may feel ostracised if they end up missing out on conversations. If you do decide to let your teen have their own social media account, set some boundaries. For example, you may decide that they can only have an account if you’re their ‘friend’, with the understanding that you won’t post photos of them or publicly embarrass them online. You’ll also need to talk to your child about why they should never share their address or personal details on social media, and what to do if they’re being bullied or harassed. Be aware that teens often set up separate social media accounts to chat to their friends, and will block you from nding them. And instant messaging apps are even harder to monitor. No safeguards you put in place will bypass the need to talk to your child about online safety.

and other activities. The Alphablocks School Words Quiz, for example, helps preschoolers and reception-aged children learn to recognise simple words. You can organise games by their educational focus, such as maths, communicating and emotions. Comics in the Classroom (www. comicsintheclassroom.co.uk) are a range of digital comics that teach children about history. They support the Key Stage 3 and GCS syllabus and are interactive – children have to identify correct answers to unlock more pages. Sand:box by SmellyMoo (search the Google Play store) is an android phone app that teaches older children about physics and chemistry. The user can ‘play’ with different materials and see how they react with each other. If you do let your child download any apps, check that they can’t make in app purchases without your approval, or you could be in for a nasty surprise. For more advice about keeping children safe online, visit internetmatters.org. It offers a wealth of free guides and advice on everything from mental health issues to protecting children from adult content.

online learning There are some really fun, educational sites and apps that might help to tear your child away from YouTube, including: Scratch (www.scratch.mit. edu) helps you child learn social media and instant basic coding. Users can create simple games, animations and messaging stories. One in ve 13-18 year olds Cbeebies (www.bbc.co.uk/ say they’ve been the victim cbeebies) has a huge number of cyber bullying . However, www.internetmatters.org/issues/ games, social media canmention also be a Helsby of cyberbullying/learn-about-it/ 33 Please toonline Hand whenpuzzles responding to adverts

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And Another Thing... Tom Receives a Proposition (Part 1) by Tom Hughes groomsdaybook

The Old Paraf n Lamp: a dusty, gloomy boozer tucked away behind a derelict industrial estate. A scruffy hole frequented by crumpled, lonely old souls, desperately in need of a makeover. (I meant the pub, not the customers. Then again…) But how Nigel and I loved it. My old chum and I had frequented this hostelry for years and it was, I suppose, always going to be the perfect venue for the bombshell Nigel was about to drop. “Tom, I’ve got something to tell you. You know me and Val have been seeing each other for a while?” “Her ex-husband isn’t going to punch you again, is he Nige?” “The thing is neither of us getting any younger. And…well I’ve decided to pop the question.”

Have a serious think about it. Is she really the girl for you?” “Too late, Tom. I proposed last week. And she accepted.” Immediately I slammed into reverse gear. “Well congratulations! I was wondering when you’d make an honest woman of her. This really is the most marvellous news!” I said through gritted teeth. Immediate thoughts of pool games postponed, quiz nights dipped out of - all sorts of catastrophic, life changing events. But if the shock of this momentous news wasn’t enough, the beati c smile that now played on Nigel’s lips heralded an even more horrendous revelation.

there was no escape. All I could do was grimace and wait for the words to tumble from his mouth. “Tom, mate. Will you be my best man?” Well, what could I say? The poor man had been struck over the head by Cupid’s bow and was now lost to everything we both held so dear. And now I too was being sucked into the madness - totally and utterly against my will. “Nige, it would be an absolute honour.” Managing to dodge an unwelcome man hug by extending my hand, we shook on it. And then it began. “Val wants to get married in a castle.” A pause as l slowly placed my pint pot down onto the table that had served us well for so many years. The ghtback had started, and I was leading the charge.

“And of course I’m going to need a best man.” The watery look in his eyes indicated a request was Marriage? My heart sank. “Listen here Sir Lancelot, - one which “Listen, chum. advertise call:imminent 01928 727 165from or email: helsbytohand@btinternet.com 38Nige, oldTo

if you don’t watch it, by the end of this process, you’ll be friendless, potless and…” But it was pointless. Talking over me, he embarked upon a garrulous soliloquy espousing the wondrous bene ts of getting hitched. Like no one had ever done it before. It was only when he moved onto table decorations that I put a stop to it. “Nigel! Have you heard yourself? Table decorations? What in the name of thunder are you babbling on about?” Nigel threw his nose in the direction of the dartboard. “Val said you’d be like this.” Fearing I had overstepped

the mark, I placed a conciliatory hand on his shoulder. “Look, mate, if you want to talk to me about table decorations, you go ahead.” Nigel’s shoulders sagged as, slowly, the pretence began to fade. Through pained eyes he said, “Val says I’ve got to nd little bottles to put jelly beans into.” Sti ing a smirk, in the least patronising manner possible I said, “Nige old chum, if we need to nd you some jelly beans, then jelly beans we shall nd.” But I knew my Old Pal, I could tell there was something else. My usual

tactic was to sit quietly and wait. I wasn’t wrong. After a pause Nigel said. “Tom, I’m going to have to give up our Monday nights.” Incensed, I said, “Why?” “Zumba classes.” My head fell into my hands. Now it was Nigel’s turn to comfort me. “Don’t worry Tom, it won’t be for ever. And of course, it’s your job to organise the stag.” Suddenly, things didn’t seem so terrible. “OK Nige, you go the bar and I’ll peel off the back of this beer mat. Now, pass me a pen - this is going to take some organising!”

To be continued…

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Enjoy Enjoy the the start start of of 2018 2018 at at the the

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Into the New Year Books about awakenings and new beginnings to see you into 2018. the power – naomi alderman Not a new release this one, but well worth a read if you missed it back in 2016. Teenage girls across the world discover they have the power to hurt, and even kill, with just their bare hands. And they have the ability to awaken that same power in other women. Now that men are the weak ones, how will the gender balance shift? An engaging read that twists modern day happenings and examines the dark side of power. Gripping, thought-provoking and a real conversation starter, The Power is ideal for book clubs.

how to be champion: my autobiography – sarah millican Sarah Millican’s autobiography is like a glorious ramble through her life. The book is split into chapters with headers such as ‘Things I’ve Been Bullied For’, ‘Why I’m Not A Criminal’ and ‘My Love Of Stationery’. It’s part autobiography and part selfhelp guide. Nothing is off limits, so it’s probably not the book for you if you’re not keen on swear words or reading about bodily functions. However, if you want a book that’ll make you feel good about yourself and is snort-your-tea-out-of-your-nosefunny, buy it now.

the art of hiding – amanda prowse Nina seems to have the perfect life, but it soon starts to unravel when her husband is killed in a car crash. Left with two children to care for, a mountain of debt, and the growing realisation that her husband wasn’t all he seemed, Nina has to fight to rebuild a life for herself and her family. An enjoyable easy read – perfect for long winter’s nights.

mrs osmond – John banville Banville picks up the story of Isabel Osmond (née Archer) from where we left her in the classic The Portrait of a Lady. While this novel will likely me. You. a diary – dawn history of Wolves – emily appeal most to fans of Henry French Fridlund James’s work, Banville retells This book combines writing 14 year old Linda lives in an enough of the original story your own diary with taking ex-commune out in the woods. for Mrs Osmond to work as a peek into Dawn French’s. Lonely, socially-inexperienced a stand-alone piece. Upon She shares her thoughts each and left to her own devices by month, along with various her parents, Linda craves friends learning of her husband’s and a sense of belonging. When betrayal, Isabel has journeyed insights into her life, and invites to London, leaving him behind a new family moves nearby, she you to do the same. The idea in Italy. Away from her husband befriends the young mother and is that, by the end of the year, and reunited with her friends, regularly babysits the four year you’ll have a ‘fatter, scruffier old child. But she soon discovers Isabel starts to rediscover her book that is written by me but desire for independence. Lively that all is not right. The choices totally personalised by you.’ Linda has to make to keep characters, elegant prose and With various writing prompts, engaging dialogue combine this book makes keeping a diary her new found family could have tragic consequences. to make this a very enjoyable altogether easier. The perfect read. start 44 to the new year. To advertise call: Compelling 01928 727reading. 165 or email: helsbytohand@btinternet.com

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Enjoy Enjoy the the start start of of 2018 2018 at at the the

Netherton Hall Village Pub & Dining

GREAT GREAT FOOD, FOOD, GREAT GREAT DRINK DRINK AND AND A A WARM WARM WELCOME WELCOME AWAITS AWAITS YOU YOU

Take shelter from the cold weather and enjoy your favourite tipple, a great bite to eat and the warmest of welcomes at the Netherton Hall. Bring your friends, family or work colleagues – we’d be delighted to welcome you all. z TWO real fires – our fires are lit every z TWO real fires day and we reckon we’re possibly the warmest pub in Cheshire! z Fantastic menu – featuring a wide range of z Fantastic menu mouth-watering dishes and daily specials.

PLUS PLUS z 2 Fabulous offers for you to benefit from z 2 Fabulous offers during January – see below!

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Dan and the team look forward to welcoming you at the Netherton Hall. To see all our pubs locally visit www.broadoakpubcompany.co.uk

CO Y C O M PA N Y M PA N

Chester Road, Frodsham, Cheshire WA6 6UL | Tel: 01928 732 342 | www.nethertonhallpub.co.uk Chester Road, Frodsham, Cheshire WA6 6UL | Tel: 01928 732 342 | www.nethertonhallpub.co.uk

Netherton Netherton Hall Hall

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Chester Road, Frodsham, Chester Frodsham, Cheshire WA6 Road, 6UL.Tel: 01928 732 342 Cheshire WA6 6UL.Tel: 01928 732 342

20% off off

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On presentation of this voucher On presentation of this voucher Offer valid 2nd January to 3rd February 2018. Offer valid 2nd January to 3rd Cannot Februarybe 2018. Excludes Bank Holiday weekends. used in Excludes Bank Holiday weekends. Cannot Please mention conjunction with any other offer.be used in conjunction with any other offer.

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Beauty Baby It’s Cold Outside by Kate Duggan www.kateduggan.co.uk our pick of nourishing beauty goodies to see you through the winter months. Central heating, cold weather and seasonal celebrations can leave your skin looking a bit ‘meh’. murad’s hydra-glow aqua peel can help to put some life back into it. First off – the Retexturizing Swab (basically a large cotton bud infused with lactic and glycolic acids) to exfoliate your skin. Follow with the moisture infusion mask, which contains Hyaluronic Acid to lock in moisture and plump skin. Don’t let the words ‘peel’ and acid’ put you off, this is a gentle, pain-free solution to softer, healthier looking skin. I was really impressed with the results. The only downside is the sachets aren’t available individually – they come in a box of four at £40 from www.murad.co.uk.

of a grab and go kind of girl, try rpr’s smooth my ends treatment. It’s a leave-in conditioner and works to smooth hair, add shine and repair split ends. The treatment is also ideal for detangling if you have really curly hair (or a child who hates having their hair brushed). It’s £13.95 from www.lookfantastic.com.

It’s not always easy to nd a cleanser that can tackle mascara and other makeup, without stripping your skin of its natural oils. Cleansers that are too harsh can leave your skin feeling tight, uncomfortable and unbalanced. phb ethical beauty’s cleansers are gentle, effective and packed with extra ingredients to really nourish your skin. the hydrating cleanser, £14.95, is particularly helpful if you suffer from dry patches. Ingredients include coconut oil, shea butter, apricot extract and both rosehip and rose petal oil. Numerous clinical tests have shown these oils to make a signi cant difference to skin texture, scarring and Battling with frizzy hair and wrinkles. As an added bonus, split ends? Deep-conditioning they make the cleanser smell treatments are ideal if you really luxurious. See www. have the morecall: 01928 727 165 or email: helsbytohand@btinternet.com phbethicalbeauty.co.uk. To advertise 48 time. If you’re

neal’s Yard are moving away from the anti-ageing approach taken by most beauty companies, and instead focusing on ‘ageing well’. Their Frankincense intense lift serum (£75) and new Frankincense intense lift cream (£65) are full of natural, skin-loving ingredients to help you to ‘look and feel the best version of you, no matter your age.’ I’ve been using them for a month now and my skin feels much softer, smoother and altogether more loved. Admittedly the serum and cream are not cheap, but they are very rich, so a little goes a long way. I expect them to last for a good six months. Available from www. nealsyardremedies.com.

If you’re looking for a new foundation that gives you great coverage, without making you look too ‘made-up’, try nude by nature’s Flawless liquid Foundation. It’s available in 20 different shades, is easy to apply and you’ll barely know you’re wearing it. It’s also packed with antioxidants and other skin-loving ingredients. I’m a sucker for pretty packaging, and this foundation is hard to beat in that respect. You’ll want to display it rather than hide it away in a makeup bag. It costs £25 from www. debenhams.com or buy direct from www.nudebynature.com.

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f you’re thinking about brightening up your home with new windows or extending and increasing the value of your property by adding a conservatory, our new guide ‘The Seven Costly and Potentially Disastrous Mistakes People Make When Buying Conservatories and Windows’ will help you ensure you get exactly what you pay for.

Is this what’s on your mind? After installing 92,500 double glazed units and 3,814 conservatories David says he knows what’s on your mind when you’re considering buying windows and conservatories. 1. You don’t want to be pressured into buying – so we don’t employ those high pressure salespeople that double glazing companies have become infamous for. Instead, our designers will work with you, at your own pace and help you to maximise your budget and have complete peace of mind. 2. You worry about the safety of your money – so we don’t ask for big up front payments. As a long established, financially stable company, we’re not desperate to get our hands on your money.

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Home & Interiors Light Up Your Winter

By Katherine Sorrell

In the darkness of deepest winter, pay attention to your lighting. Could a quick update make it bright where necessary, cosy where wanted and as fashionforward as anyone could desire?

brighten p Yo r lightning Using just one central pendant to illuminate a room creates a at light with dark corners, making the space seem dull and small. If you are renovating, now’s the time to add wall lights, install some additional ceiling lights, or include some track lighting in cornices or bookcases. To improve a boring lighting scheme quickly and easily, add extra lights at different heights – a table lamp in the corner, a oor lamp in another, maybe a clip light attached to a shelf. The aim is to create layers of light that come from different directions, and that you can adjust to suit your mood or the way you’re using the room. Think about bulbs – save money by changing to L Ds, which last for years and are very cheap to run. How ‘warm’ or ‘cool’ they are is marked in kelvins - look for around 2,700K for a pleasant indoor light. Dimmer switches give exibility to your lighting, but they’re not always compatible with L Ds, so check with your electrician. ‘Smart’ lighting is the way to go – use a remote control or an app on your phone to dim your lights, switch them on and off or even change their colours.

This smoky glass and brass table lamp would make a great update for a modern or retro-style living room. Boho smoke grey and brass table lamp, £180, Alexander & Pearl.

Changing a pendant light can create a fabulous focal point in a room. The eight baubles on this contemporary chandelier cascade pretty, ambient light. Bubble chandelier, £79.99, Dowsing and Reynolds. When S ren Rose Studio travelled to the USA searching for beautiful old lamps, they rearranged the parts into mix-and-match new pieces with a bold modern aesthetic, inspired by New York City glamour in the late 1930s. Reade table lamp in solid brass, £189.95, Black By Design. This wonderfully sleek pendant light features a built-in, dimmable L D panel so you can adjust the light level to suit your mood. Shown here in Petrol, it is also available in Pearl, Forest, Anthracite, Ruby and Saffron. Asteria pendant, £179, Black By Design. Great for a party – or even every day – plug in a colourful, neon lamp and illuminate your space with style. Lumosnap neon lights, £22-£50, Gingersnap.

To advertise call: 01928 727 165 or email: helsbytohand@btinternet.com

Smart lighting systems are easy to use and surprisingly affordable. Tradfri dimming kit, from £15, PS 2017 Table Lamp, £25; both Ikea. Illuminate a corner of your living room – and provide a snuggly spot for curling up with a good book – by swapping a tired old oor lamp for a good-looking, on-trend new one. Slam Dunk oor lamp in antique brass, £175, Loaf. Adding wall lights is not something that can be done every day, but as part of a renovation it is really worth the effort, spreading light around the room and providing options for different levels of light in different areas. This eye-catching brass wall lamp has a fashionable industrial vibe. Industrial Wall Lamp Socket in Brass, £120, Out There Interiors. A new paper shade will freshen up your scheme no end, and this one is screen-printed on vintage presses and handmade using the ancient art of paper crafting, each pleat hand-folded to create a bold sculptural design. Wild Wood paper lampshade, £35, Wild & Wolf.

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Space Saving Cloud Storage Many modern Macs and PCs come with solid state drives, which are uick but e pensive, so computer firms tend to use ones with fairly small capacities. So a PC with a 1TB 1, gigabyte hard disk might be a similar price to one with a solid state drive of 128GB or 256GB. If you’re short of space, options include cheap USBconnected e ternal drives, or online storage. ree services such as Apple’s iCloud or Microsoft’s OneDrive give you 5GB of free storage and even large storage capacities aren’t too pricey:Apple’s iCloud offers 2TB of online storage for £6.99 per month - and like other cloud services, that storage can be shared among all your devices, so you can use it to share things between home and office or between your PC, phone and tablet.

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Technology

NEW YEAR REVOLUTIONS

The gadgets that’ll help you keep your promises in 2018 It’s that time of year again. The gyms will soon be full of New Year’s resolutions, running like mad on treadmills. People will be signing up for all kinds of self-improvement, but within a few months many of them will have changed their minds. So how can you make sure you stick to the promises you made yourself about 2018? Technology is here to help. There’s been an explosion in tness technology over the last few years. The most attractive tness gadget is Apple’s Watch Series 3 (£329), which you can keep on while you swim as well as when you run, and thanks to apps it can help motivate you in all kinds of ways: it can deliver workouts or track your everyday tness, and it can even turn ordinary activity into a game with its steps, distance and calorie tracking. Third party apps can deliver punishing 7, 4 or even 1-minute workouts if you’re short of time, and there’s a whole host of apps for tracking your food intake and other health factors too. Some of the best tness gadgets are designed for speci c activities, such as TomTom’s Runner 3 (£220). As you’ve probably guessed from the name it’s for runners, with built-in GPS, heart rate tracking and music playback to make your efforts more bearable. It’s suitable for weight training and swimming too, and the battery lasts for about 3 weeks between charges.

Apps can be great for tness and healthy eating too. One of the world’s favourite such apps is MyFitnessPal’s Calorie Counter and Diet Tracker. Available for Apple and Google devices, it’s free, with a £7.99 pro-subscription offer. The big plus here is its database of more than 6 million foods and a barcode scanner: scan your ingredients or the menu and it’ll automatically calculate and record the calories. If you promised to eat more healthily and/or to waste less food in 2018, we’d love to introduce you to our very favourite gadget: the Instant Pot. There’s a whole community of Instant Pot fans online 3 including popular food blogs such as The Kitchn, and that’s because it’s brilliant: it’s an electric pres-sure cooker that sautes, boils, steams, slow cooks, pressure cooks…if the idea of cooking a whole chicken or pulled pork in half an hour appeals you’ll love it, and it’s great for minimising waste: chuck the leftovers in with some vegetables and water and you’ve got effortless stock or soup. It’s a fantastic time saver too: again and again we’ve gone from can’t-be-bothered-to-cook to eating a healthy and nutritious meal in less time than it takes to order a takeaway. It pays to shop around, though: Amazon in particular frequently offers huge discounts on the Instant Pot, as you can see from sites such as uk.camelcamelcamel.com: you don’t want to be the person who buys it for £155 when it’s usually on sale for less than £95.

If your resolutions were more about mental wellbeing, there are plenty of phone apps to help you. The free Mindfulness App (available for Apple and Android) can help you meditate to escape everyday stress, while Headspace (iPhone and Android, free with in-app subscriptions) has attracted millions of users with its newcomer-focused approach, rewards system 1. TomTom Runner 3 GPS smartwatch and a clever buddy feature that enables you to 2. Apple Watch Series 3 3. Instant Pot cooker. share58 progress and with your friends. To motivation advertise call: 01928 727 165 or email: helsbytohand@btinternet.com

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Don’t Drive into Trouble Abroad very January, sure as night follows day, magazines come stuffed with pull-outs for summer holiday destinations. It’s also that time when lesser known TV channels air programmes like “Drunk Brits Abroad” or “Costa Del Hell”. You know the kind of thing: footage of inebriated young Brits thinking that they can get away with whatever they want to on holiday, as they are abroad. Usually the shows nish with a postscript of how wrong they are, with nights in cells, court appearances and nes. If you plan to drive on your holiday, perhaps taking the car to France, or hiring one in some other sunny location, be aware that, increasingly, local prosecutors are upping the ante when it comes to

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prosecuting foreign drivers who incur traf c offences. In the last few years applications to the Home Of ce from foreign prosecutors to pursue traf c offences made by UK registered drivers have risen 12 fold. For example, in 2014 less than 150 applications were made, yet 2016 saw that number top 1,600. The likely rise is down to recent U laws requiring nations to share a driver’s details; it works both ways of course. The UK will pass details of law-breaking foreign drivers back to their home country too. This stance is unlikely to change with Brexit either, since Switzerland has also signed up to the agreement. So, gone are the days of “What happens on the N1, stays in France” as the Gendarme L’Auto (not sure if such a thing exists, but it sounds more exotic than French Traf c Police) could now pursue your misdemeanours even after your return.

By Iain Betson

To advertise call: 01928 727 165 or email: helsbytohand@btinternet.com

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We’ve got all your flooring needs covered, every step of the way. pecialists in isal, Coir, eagrass, aminate looring, T etc.

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re the challenges of life, Challenging the life of your carpet We at Rodgers Flooring & Carpets’ understand that a thou h a ne ar et is ni e, there s sti ent o i e e t in our e istin ar et. With the ri ht ind o ro essiona e ertise, e an ta e are o man as e ts o those e er da ha en es our oorin is su e ted to, su h as Chi dren, ets and arties e e tin a ar et om an is eas , the rea di emma is se e tin the right ar et om an . ‘Rodgers Flooring & Carpets’ is a ami run usiness that ou an trust e er ste o the a , in est a itt e in our ar et and it i ro ide ou ith a reat return o a Rodgers Flooring & Carpets’ no or our R 5 tar Cleaning, no o i ation estimate on

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Health

By Alison Runham www.alison.runham.co.uk

Sleep: Vital for Good Mental and Physical Health problems if you’re overweight.

We’ve known, vaguely, for a long time that losing sleep can make us struggle to concentrate and keep smiling. ven Shakespeare knew the value of sleep, describing it as the ‘balm of hurt minds’ and the ‘chief nourisher in life’s feast’. But research is increasingly proving that a lack of good quality sleep can seriously damage our physical and mental health. More than 20 large-scale studies have proved conclusively that the shorter your sleep, the shorter your life - and it’s not hard to see why… hoW a lac oF sleep aFFects phYsical health

increased diabetes risk People who usually sleep less than ve hours a night, particularly those lacking deep or ‘slow-wave’ sleep, are at increased risk of developing diabetes. Their body processes glucose differently, reacting as though suffering from insulin resistance (a condition in which your body doesn’t react properly to insulin). Tiredness causes you to secrete more stress hormones (e.g. cortisol), making it harder for insulin to function correctly and leaving excess glucose in your bloodstream. increased cancer risk Professor Matthew Walker, author of Why We Sleep, says that after just one night of only four or ve hours’ sleep, your natural cancer-attacking cells drop by 70 . US researchers have discovered that when people work nights, they produce 80 less of a chemical which is a by-product of DNA tissue repair, indicating that their bodies aren’t carrying out the crucial cell restoration which should happen naturally overnight.

signi cantly raises your risk of Alzheimer’s disease. During deep sleep, amyloid deposits (a toxin that accumulates in the brains of Alzheimer’s sufferers and kills surrounding cells) are ‘cleaned’ from the brain. Without suf cient sleep, these plaques build up, especially in deep-sleep-generating regions – meaning you sleep even less and are even less able to destroy the plaques. It’s a vicious circle. increased risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke Persistent sleep deprivation is associated with increased heart rate and blood pressure and higher levels of in ammation, which can all put extra strain on your heart. Over-45s who sleep less than six hours a night are 200 more likely to have a heart attack or stroke. Weakened immunity Sleep deprivation damages production and distribution of immune factors.

reduced fertility and libido Research has revealed that men and women who don’t get enough quality sleep Weight gain and obesity have lower libido and less Research shows that of an interest in sex. This insuf cient sleep is a factor in may partly be linked to sleep weight gain and obesity. This apnoea, which disturbs sleep, is probably because sleep as men who suffer from sleep deprivation reduces levels of apnoea also tend to have lower leptin (the hunger-inhibiting testosterone levels, which can ‘you’re full’ hormone) and lower libido. Regular sleep increases levels of ghrelin (the increased risk of al heimer’s disruption can also reduce hunger-stimulating hormone). disease the secretion of reproductive It’s a vicious circle, too, as insuf cient sleep helsbytohand@btinternet.com hormones. Continued on p64 you’re 62 more prone To to advertise sleep call:Long-term 01928 727 165 or email:

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hoW a lac oF sleep aFFects mental health

improved in people given therapy to improve their sleep.

increased risk of depression and an iety Many studies have linked anxiety and depression to poor quality and insuf cient sleep. Daniel Freeman, co-author of major research on the link between mental health and sleep published in Lancet Psychiatry, says that having insomnia doubles your chances of developing depression and that treating insomnia is shown to reduce depression.

reduced memory, concentration and reaction times While we can usually cope with the odd late or broken night, the effect on our mental health and abilities becomes far more pronounced after several nights or frequent occurrences of poor sleep.

increased risk of paranoia, hallucinations and psychotic episodes The same study also showed that when people sleep better, they’re far less likely to suffer from paranoia, hallucinations or psychotic episodes. General mental health is much

Your ability to concentrate and make decisions will decline and your reaction times will slow signi cantly. This can be dangerous, affecting not only your health and safety, but that of others you work with, care for – or drive past. Studies show that sleep de ciency harms your driving ability as much as, or more than, being drunk. Less than ve hours’ sleep? You’re 4.3

times more likely to be involved in a crash. Four hours’ sleep? 11.5 times more likely. It’s estimated that driver fatigue is responsible for around 100,000 car accidents and 1,500 deaths each year. a change oF attit de “No aspect of our biology is left unscathed by sleep deprivation,” says Professor Walker, who fears sleep loss is costing the NHS and our economy dearly. “Things have to change: in the workplace and our communities, our homes and families.” He believes that sleep “needs to be prioritised, even incentivised” and that we have “stigmatised sleep with the label of laziness” because we want to seem busy; “It’s a badge of honour.” That’s an attitude we need to change.

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History Welcoming in the Old New Year

as we bring in with toasts, reworks and a rousing rendition of auld lang syne, it’s perhaps worth remembering that new Year has been a bit of a moveable feast. It is not written in stone that New Year be celebrated on 1st January. With the now wellknown and colourful carnival that takes place in London, most of us are familiar with the Chinese New Year that takes place a few weeks after our own. But did you know that some people in urope also mark the start of New Year a little later than we do? The 2018 Chinese New Year will take place on 16th February, which is the 23rd day of the twelfth month in the Chinese lunar calendar. A national holiday in China, celebrations feature processions with drums, Chinese dragons, recrackers to ward off evil spirits, and decorations in signature red for good luck, including banners and Chinese lanterns.

The Chinese New Year is also known as the Spring Festival, and celebrations which mark the end of winter and the start of a new crop year have been common since the pagan era, when New Year was traditionally observed on 22nd March at the time of the vernal equinox. Today, in common with the rest of urope and most of the world, we all use the Gregorian calendar originally set up by Pope Gregory III in 1582. urope universally adopted this calendar in the 18th century, although Russia was behind, changing over to it in 1918 after the Bolshevik Revolution. Previously, the older Julian calendar, introduced by Julius Caesar in 46BC, had been observed. According to this calendar, New Year’s Day falls in the middle of January, after the end of the Advent fast.

By Catherine Rose Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Montenegro, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Macedonia, and Serbia (as well as in Greece), comprising Orthodox Christians across countries that together once formed the USSR, where celebrating the Old New Year had previously been banned by the Communist regime. 14th January also coincides with St Basil’s Day, and the festival is marked with feasting, bon res and reworks. In Macedonia, people gather outside their houses to share food and drink and to sing traditional songs. It is customary to eat unleavened (pita) bread with a coin inside (or dumplings with a hidden charm in Russia). Much like our Christmas pudding tradition, whoever nds the coin will have good luck for the New Year. And in Serbia, the Church puts on rework displays. The customary feast includes a range of pork dishes in the hope of securing a good farming year, the traditional St Basil celebratory dinner being a whole roasted pig.

Another St Basil’s day morning tradition has been to eat ceremonial porridge that has been cooked overnight by the oldest woman in the house. The porridge would be prepared and put into the oven in the early hours of New Year’s ve (13th), and the condition of the porridge the These countries include following morning would signify Continued p72 To advertise call: 01928 727 165 or email: helsbytohand@btinternet.com The Russian Orthodox Church continues to abide by the Julian calendar and although it is not recognised as a national holiday, the ‘Old New Year’ is still celebrated by Orthodox Christians in central and eastern urope on 13th and 14th January.

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whether the year was to be a good one or not. Thick crusted porridge was auspicious, but thin pale porridge or a cracked pot spelled disaster for the household. Observing New Year in the middle of January is not uncommon and other countries across the world have their equivalents. Berber tribes in North Africa (Morocco and Libya) mark New Year according to the Berber calendar, which roughly coincides with the Julian one. India also celebrates at this time, following the perceived change in the sun’s path from south to north, in a festival known as Makar Sankranti. And parts of Switzerland see in New Year under the umbrella of St Sylvester’s Day. It can be said that no one knows how to welcome in

New Year like the Scots but although Scottish Hogmanay on the eve of 31st December is perhaps the most famous revelry of the New Year, the old Gaelic custom was to welcome New Year on 12th January. In Wales, this is still known as Hen Galan, and there are traditional Welsh songs associated with it that are sung today. The Gaelic year was broken up into quarters: earrach (spring), samhradh (summer), foghar (autumn) and geamhradh (winter), each marked by its own feast day. A few parts of Scotland continue to celebrate the Old New Year, known as Oidhche Chullaig or Oidhche Challainn where children would traditionally visit each home in their village reciting a Gaelic New Year blessing while carrying a caisein-uchd

– a torch made from the breast bone of a sheep dipped in tallow. Used to light the householder’s re, it was then handed around to each member of the family who had to circle it above their head three times for luck. Unfortunately for some, if the ame died, it meant that the person would not live to see the New Year out! In Burghead in the Moray Firth, residents continue to celebrate Old New Year with the ‘burning of the clavie’ – a torch made of barrel staves, which is lit on the evening of 11th January. January can often be a cold and dispiriting month following on from our Christmas and New Year festivities, so perhaps celebrating the ‘Old New Year’ in the middle of it isn’t such a bad idea after all.

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Quirky Britain Cat Cafés “An Americano and two tabby cats, please … “ by Kate McLelland As you sip your skinny latte in Lady Dinah’s Cat mporium, you never know who might appear on your lap. It could be uffy ‘Petra’, soulful ‘Tink’ or any of the other celebrity rescue cats (with hundreds of Twitter followers) who live in the quirky ast London café. In this strange combination of restaurant and luxury cats’ home, the feline inhabitants can exercise on a giant ‘hamster wheel’, scamper along walkways or snooze on various raised platforms around the venue as customers eat and drink.

cat lovers would greet her new enterprise. Within the rst two weeks of opening in 2014 Lauren had received a staggering 20,000 bookings, and the café turned out to be anything but the tranquil enclave she had originally imagined. It has since become more of a tourist attraction than a place where local of ce workers can pet a friendly feline, and she has now been forced to limit visits to 90 minutes to accommodate all of her customers.

Newcastle, Oldham, Oxford, Aberdeen or dinburgh, and it’s almost inevitable that we’ll see more of these cat-themed eateries opening up in future. cr el or ind Nottingham’s Kitty Café which has recently opened a second branch in Leeds - offers a home to abandoned cats, rescue cats and cats with medical issues that need some TLC. It also acts as a rehoming centre, so customers who bond with their furry table companion can join the café’s adoption programme with a view to taking their favourite feline home.

Although the world’s rst cat café opened in Taiwan an a-meWs-ing trend in 1998, Lauren Pears was Lady Dinah’s - the rst ever ahead of the curve when she cat café to open in Britain Cat cafés are big business, started making plans to open - was the brainchild of but not everyone feels the Lady Dinah’s in London. “After Australian Lauren Pears, love. There has been a lot of who set out to create a I did some research, I saw criticism from animal charities, relaxing retreat where young there were a few popping including Cats Protection and professionals living in rented up in urope and spotted the RSPCA. accommodation (where that a trend was on its way,” Cats Protection refuses to pets are not allowed) could she recently told the website accept donations from cat interact with the resident thisismoney.co.uk. But since cafés due to concerns about moggies. Although Lauren’s 2014 a number of copycat “the welfare implications of original vision was to create ventures (no pun intended) having a number of cats in a peaceful urban retreat have sprung up in towns and a limited space with groups where customers could relax cities across the country. of people unknown to them with a book, chat with friends You can now call in to a cat coming and going throughout or even hold meetings, she café in London, Brighton, the day.” The charity goes on hadn’t bargained for the Bristol, Cardiff, Derby, Leeds, to explain that “(Cats) have To advertise 01928 727 165 or email: helsbytohand@btinternet.com enthusiasm with which British call: Manchester, Nottingham, 76

evolved as solitary animals and generally do not choose to live in social groups.” The RSPCA has equally strong views about placing cats in what it considers to be an unsuitable environment. In its Science Group review of 2016 the charity writes: “Our aim is to dissuade new cafés from opening and to advise those already in operation of the appropriate and necessary steps that should be taken to minimise potential feline stress. We have also raised our concerns for the welfare of cats living in cat cafés through media opportunities.” However most café owners claim they are doing their best to keep their star turns happy and healthy. At Lady Dinah’s Cat mporium guests are asked to follow a set of rules

when interacting with the cats. This includes not picking them up or stroking them when they are asleep and avoiding ash photography. Owner Lauren Pears comments: “Our concern for the cats’ wellbeing governs pretty much every decision we make.” She admits that on occasions she has been forced to retire cats from café life if they have exhibited signs of unhappiness or stress, and she has now reluctantly decided to ban younger children because she lacks the staff numbers to supervise them. The Kitty Café has devised a set of rules for customers and publishes separate guidance for adults and children. The adult rules include no carrying hot drinks, vaping, playing music or using laser

pens. Adults are reminded to respect that the café is “the cats’ home” and warned not to pick up cats, corner them or touch their “eyes, mouths, whiskers or tummies.” Children are requested not to shout, scream and “push or pull” the cats. They are asked to stoke them “nicely and gently”, while adults are reminded to make sure their children follow the rules. If the public’s enthusiastic response is anything to go by, cat cafés are likely to remain a feature of our high streets for many years to come. However, given the dif cult balance between keeping cats and customers happy, it seems unlikely that the controversy surrounding these felinefocused establishments will end anytime soon.

Contact us: Paul D Clarke FPC, Unit 18 Barrowmore Enterprise Estate, Barnhouse Lane, Great Barrow, Chester, CH3 7JS Email: pauldclarkefpc@talktalk.net

Openwork Limited offers insurance and investment advice on products from a limited number of product providers and advice on mortgages representative of the whole market.

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Cake and Bake Baked Pears with Cinnamon Oat Topping You can use any pear variety for this winter warming fruity pudding. Serve with custard or crĂ¨me fraĂŽche and a drizzle of warmed honey, if liked.

Ingredients: 4 medium-sized rm pears 150ml apple or orange juice 50g unsalted butter 75g rolled oats 50g Demerara sugar 25g walnut pieces, chopped 1tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra to sprinkle

Serves 4 Ready in 1 hour

Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/gas mark 4. Halve the pears lengthways and scoop out the cores with a teaspoon. Place the pear halves in a shallow ovenproof dish, cut-side up.

2. Pour the apple or orange juice into the dish and dot the pears with half the butter. Cover loosely with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the rest of the butter in a small pan then remove from the heat, add the oats, sugar, walnuts and cinnamon and stir to combine.

3. Remove the foil and spoon the oat mixture TIP over the top of the pears. Bake the pears, This recipe will work just uncovered, for a further 20-25 minutes until as well with crisp eating or tender with a crisp topping. Serve warm, cooking apples instead of the sprinkled with a little more cinnamon, if pears. liked. To advertise call: 01928 727 165 or email: helsbytohand@btinternet.com 80

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McLaren 720S by James Baggot

I’ve just exited a roundabout – one I’ve left many times before in a variety of cars – and I’m heading down a familiar straight; I know it leads to a 90 degree right and yet more well-sighted, beautifullysurfaced road, but this time it’s different. I’m sat behind an exquisitelycrafted steering wheel, in a plum pudding purple leather cabin, and things are happening faster than they’ve ever happened before. Behind me, a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 is converting 710bhp into forward thrust that has to be experienced to be believed. Just a look at the numbers gives an indication of what the new darling of Woking has in its arsenal: 60mph in 2.8 seconds, 124mph in 7.8 seconds and 186mph in 21.4 seconds. That’s a lot of numbers that need perspective. Take the 124mph time as just one example: that’s just a few tenths slower than a Volkswagen Golf GTD manages to hit 60mph. In the same time, the 720S is doing double that speed. Double.

some reference, what they can’t explain is the feeling that translates to when you’re sat behind the wheel. The g-force such explosive acceleration exerts on your body under foot-to-the- oor power is like a roller coaster, like free falling from a plane as the world becomes a blur in your peripheral vision. Braking is sharp, shockingly sudden and painfully precise. The McLaren takes countryside sweepers, motorway miles and quick changes in direction and road surface in its stride. It’s incredibly capable and a huge step on from the 650S it replaces. Steering is pinpoint direct, well weighted and trembling with pins and needle-like feedback.

from you, and vice versa. It’s a classy touch. Unfortunately it’s not all good news. The electronics, while much better and easier to use than the cars they have featured in before, are still buggy. Our test car warned us of impending suspension failure, when it was ne, and of power steering catastrophe, again when there was nothing wrong. You wouldn’t forgive that on a car costing a tenth of a price, let alone one knocking on a quarter of a million pounds. The second disappointment is the noise. It’s all sucking, blowing and wind roar - there’s no start up, high speed thrum, or deep bellowing exhaust note. Just a rush of air intake and utterly ballistic forward motion. OK, it’s no Tesla, all silent propulsion, but then at the same time it’s no rival for Ferrari’s now equally-muted, but still much better, 488 soundtrack.

The seven-speed automatic gearbox ri es through gears like a sharp shooter - OK, maybe at load speeds it can be a bit grabby as shunt through the transmission is felt in the cabin, but at speed, in maximum attack, it’s rapid, Thankfully, the out-of-thisslick and enjoyable. The rocker world looks make up for some mechanism to the paddles is of those foibles. The dramatic a joy too. Pull one and you doors stop petrol station can feel the other move away While those gures give you punters in their tracks as you ontinu p To advertise call: 01928 727 165 or email: helsbytohand@btinternet.com 84

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arch them skyward. It can feel like you’ve live-paused passers-by in a TV show, their mouths slowly drifting towards the oor as they wake back up. Rarely does a car send pedestrians into a dreamlike state quite like this McLaren. Huge air scoops, slits and slants in the bodywork add to the visual drama, while also playing an important part in directing the huge gulps of air the revised power plant needs to keep it cool. Sadly McLaren still has a lot of work to do in wiggling its way into the public consciousness - as much as those we encountered fell instantly in love with it, few knew what brand it belonged to, let alone which model it was.

But back to what the McLaren does best. I’ve got dials turned to slippery sport mode, and Wales to cross. The rain is just starting to cover the road with a glistening dew-like coating and the 720S is twitching in the bends, squirming as it hunts for traction. It’s palmdampening, but exciting, and about to create a journey that’ll be indelibly marked on my memory. This McLaren may not be quite perfect, but my word is it getting incredibly close.

the noWledge model: McLaren 720S price: £218,020 engine: 4.0-litre, twin turbo V8 power: 710bhp, 770Nm -

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HELP THE HEDGEHOG Hedgehogs are in serio s decline and co ld e e tinct in r an areas y 0 . hey need o r help to protect the species so please do hat yo can to sa e them. han yo . A GUIDE TO HELPING HEDGEHOGS: (information co rtesy of

he British Hedgehog Preser ation Society and other so rces)

1. A oid sing pesticides and sl g pellets in yo r garden. ot only can they harm hedgehogs t they also damage their food chain. se organic alternati es. Bro en p egg shells can e p t aro nd the ase of plants to disco rage sl gs and snails. . Ma e s re hedgehogs ha e easy access to yo r garden c t a inch hole in the ottom of a fence panel or in yo r ac gate, or dig a small hole nderneath yo r fence so they can get thro gh to yo r neigh o rs garden. Hedgehogs ill tra el se eral miles in a night to forage so tal to yo r neigh o rs and agree here yo can dig or c t a hole and pass on this information to them. f possi le allo a corner of yo r garden to go ild as this ill pro ide protection and enco rage nat ral so rces of food. 3. nco rage hedgehogs into yo r garden t R ta e one from the ild as it co ld e a n rsing mother and yo r actions co ld e condemning the a ies to death. o try to ta e a hedgehog as a pet, they are ild animals and ill not adapt to capti ity.

. f yo ant to p t food o t R feed read and mil as this can ill a hedgehog. Feed only cat dog food in elly, gra y as this is too salty and choose the po ltry or meat based flavours NOT fish. You can also feed ns eetened m esli moistened ith ater or yo can y specialist dry hedgehog food mi hich can e left o t all inter and this co ld e the difference et een a hedgehog ma ing it thro gh to spring or not. 6. Pro ide a shallo dish of fresh ater, especially if yo are feeding a dry food mi t ma e s re it is not too deep. f yo ha e a pond ma e s re it is co ered or has a gently sloping side or some ind of step so that any hedgehog that falls in can get o t again. hey are good s immers t can easily dro n if they ha e no means of escape. A piece of netting sec red to the side of the pond co ld e a lifesa er. 7. Ma e or y a hedgehog ho se. his can either e sed for hi ernation, or for a mother hog to gi e irth or yo co ld se it as a feeding station as many of them are designed ith t nnels to help ma e them fo and cat proof.

. f yo o n a dog please e caref l as they ha e een no n to mista e a hedgehog for a all and can ca se serio s damage. Cats ho e er tend to ignore hedgehogs. Hedgehog fleas are breed specific and cannot transfer to . Be e tra caref l to chec yo r garden efore yo or 88 yo r pets. To advertise call: 01928 727 165using a strimmer as they can cause horrific or email: helsbytohand@btinternet.com

in ries that almost al ays res lt in death eca se maggots ill ery ic ly infect the o nd. Also e caref l ith garden netting, ma e s re it starts 30cm off the gro nd so hedgehogs can get nderneath, the same ith foot all type goal nets. Co er open grates or drains so that hedgehogs can t fall in. 9. Check bonfires before lighting them and if possi le relocate them st efore lighting to chec that yo do not ha e a hedgehog (or a family pet) sleeping in it. 10. ispose of litter responsi ly. Cr sh the end of cans efore yo p t them in the in recycling o and c t plastic eer can m ltipac yo es to rea the circles as hedgehogs can get their heads trapped and ill star e to death. 11. f yo see a sic or in red hedgehog a andoned a ies one that appears to e

dr n is e cessi ely scratching or o t in the daylight please call the BHPS or Wildlife Aid as soon as possi le as time is of the essence. f yo see any small hedgehogs in cto er to Fe r ary please contact yo r local resc e and send them a photograph so they can decide if it is large eno gh to hi ernate or if it needs to e ta en into foster care. 1 . r st yo r instincts, if something doesn t feel right then it pro a ly isn t. f yo are in any do t please call the BHPS or Wildlife Aid as yo might st sa e a life BHPS British Hedgehog Preservation Society 01584 890801 9am-5pm Monday-Friday Wildlife Aid Foundation, Randalls Road, Leatherhead, KT22 0AL 0906 180 0132 50p per minute

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Pop the kettle on....

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Community Events deadline is 15th Jan for the Feb edition

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FAMOUS HOT POT SUPPER EVENING :,7+ 63(&,$/ *8(676

Port Sunlight Sea Dogs

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Helsby and District Caledonian Society invite you to join them at their Burns Night Supper on Monday nd an ary 01 at Hels y Comm nity Centre 7.00pm for 7.30pm

n oy hearing the haggis piped in and a traditional 3 co rse meal ith tea or coffee after ards ( ring yo r o n alcoholic drin s) Follo ed y Scottish Co ntry ancing 17. 0 per person Contact 01 013 7 10

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Friday 9th February 7pm for 7.30pm prompt

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NEW SEASON PROGRAMME 2018 20 Jan - JUNGLE BOOK (2016 animation) 10 Feb - THEIR FINEST 10 Mar - HIDDEN FIGURES

Films are shown at the Community Centre, Fluin Lane, Frodsham. 7.30pm For further details, please contact the membership secretary: Mr Alan Newsham 01928 722554

To advertise call: 01928 727 165 or email: helsbytohand@btinternet.com

Marshes Community Benefit Fund reveals the successful projects from the second round of Community Projects A di erse range of comm nity pro ects ha e een a arded ,000 in the second ro nd of a ards this year.

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The Marshes Community Benefit Fund (MCBF) Panel reveals the pro ects hich ha e een a arded the second a ard of the ann al 1 0,000 comm nity payments made y Frodsham Windfarm imited. he application process attracted a lot of interest ith si teen applications totalling st o er 00,000 competing for the second tranche of f nding a aila le ( 60,000). he independent panel of local residents agreed to a ard st o er ,000 to nine pro ects hich in the ie s of the panel ere in accordance with the requirements of the Community Benefit Fund constitution. he s ccessf l applicants are: • Overton Memorial Hall for an upgrade to the toilet block and lighting £977 • Frodsham Literature Festival towards publication of the festival booklet £2,600 • Helsby Rugby Union Football Club for connection to mains electricity £1,800 • 4th Frodsham Scouts for a new minibus £10,000 • Frodsham Youth Association for building improvements £9,717 • Alvanley PCC for wall repairs £500 • 3rd Frodsham Sea Scouts for camping equipment £1,882 • Frodsham Community Centre for a dance and wellbeing room £11,000 • Kingsley and Newton Village Institute for upgrade of the car park £7,500 ianne Wal er (Panel Chairman) e plained that panel mem ers are loo ing for ard to seeing the successful projects being developed, to benefit the residents in the areas s rro nding the Marshes Wind Farm. he panel mem ers ill e monitoring the pro ects. he remainder of the money a aila le in this ro nd carried for ard to the ne t ro nd.

t not allocated to pro ects ill e

Projects that were not awarded funding in this round have also been notified. Eligible schemes that ere ns ccessf l in this ro nd can reapply for f t re ro nds. Diane commented that the first round projects are beginning to take shape and reports on their progress will be posted onto the Marshes Community Benefit Fund website and face oo page. For details of the F nd and information on the application process yo can isit the e site www.marshescbf.uk applications for the ne t ro nd of f nds ill close at the end of Fe r ary 01 .

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ALVANLEY CRICKET CLUB

Horn’s Mill Finishing line…

Contact Andy Bennion: 07812 207571

Come along to Horn’s Mill Primary School to see the exciting finish to the

Al anley Cric et Cl enco rages players to oin of any standard. r teams range from Boys and irls teams at nder s thro gh to ad lt. r yo ngest gro p is from reception children.

Essar Four Villages Half Marathon 21st January 2018 From 10.45am Enjoy some refreshments while you

r pitch and gro nd are among the est in the co nty ith e cellent practice facilities, 13 CB e el coaches and there is e en an ngland player amongst the ran s.

wait for the runners to arrive!! Hot Drinks Cakes &Sweets Bacon Butties

You can also hire the pavilion for your special e ent.

Sausages & Hotdogs

F rther information can e fo nd at

Hot warming STEW!!

www.alvanleycricketclub.org.uk

or loo for s on Face oo and

itter

Singathon 2018 Saturday 3rd March 2018 WAN T E D Choirs and Musicians to perform Volunteers to help organise and run the event If you are interested in being involved please contact Jean on singathon@frodshamcc.co.uk or 07932 754982

ommu ity ve ts i dly spo sored y YOUR

MOVE Andrew Hayes

Make your move with Frodsham’s local property experts Call 01928 739777 for a FREE valuation

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ESS R Four Villages Half Marathon Sunday 21st anuary 2018 @ 10.30am

Entries are now open for the popular local ESS R Four Villages Half Marathon, organised by Helsby Running Club. F LL RO D CLOS RE ON

Excellent friendly race in fantastic countryside. Very well organised.

F NT ST C RO TE

WELL S PPORTED FR ENDLY LOC L R CE PREST G O S COLLECTORS MED L & GOODY B G TO LL F N SHERS Only 23

loverunning3, Runner s World

or 25 Non

Enter online at www.helsbyrunningclub.org.uk FourVillagesHalfMarathon

RunHelsby

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The French Ardennes French Ardennes, Meuse valley, Monthermé Montherme D.Truillard

In north-eastern France, the Regional Nature Park of the Ardennes rises towards the Belgian border, festooned in hills and vales, fast- owing rivers, dramatic rocks, lush hedgerows and deep forests home to wild boar and deer. Haunted by ancient legends, laced with trails and glorious views, it is largely undiscovered and a haven for nature lovers, covering 117,000 hectares. Trekking, cycling, horse riding, kayaking or sailing on the rivers, there are myriad ways to explore and maybe spot the beavers at work, a black stork or a peregrine falcon, a black woodpecker or a hazel grouse sitting on a branch. Wild orchids and carnivorous sundews peep here and there and golden broom and purple heather splash colour on the higher slopes. The scenery is forever changing but most endearing is the green nger of land pointing north and the valleys of the Meuse and its tributary the Semoy.

con uence with the Meuse, a 20km long cycle path follows every bend of the river, punctuated by rocky outcrops and viewpoints such as the ‘Cross of Hell’, a name which leaves plenty to the imagination. By clear weather, you might just see the Croix Scaille, at 503 metres the highest point in the French Ardennes. The Meuse meanders on and on, revealing its most stunning panoramas when you follow the trails along the crest. For many visitors, the true icon of the valley is Monthermé, nestling crescent-shaped at the tip of a peninsula, stretching out like a green dragon’s tongue as the river almost closes a perfect loop. The water glistens as blue as the sky and densely wooded hills roll as far as you can see in all shades of green. A path climbs through the forest to a series of precipitous rocks where you can look down on Monthermé and one of the most spectacular river loops in France.

By Solange Hando magic horse, taking refuge in the Ardennes where they were turned into rocks. In this fantastic landscape legends abound, from the Devil’s Castle to the Spinner’s Bench or the rocks of the Ladies of the Meuse, petri ed for being unfaithful during the crusades. In the spring, Monthermé comes into its own with a popular festival dedicated to the legends of the Ardennes and the ‘little people’ who hide among the rocks.

Festival over, it is time to ramble along the trails, 47 of them from easy strolls to more demanding climbs, criss-crossing the park all the way to Givet at the northern tip, taking in the starshaped citadel of Rocroi, the lakes, the laurel forest and the slate route around Fumay. The people of the valley are proud of their heritage and that includes the industry which remains a valuable source of income. Just like the wartime memories, it is part of the Ardennes but in this little corner of France, off the beaten track, you’ll discover Tumbling down from the sleepy villages of yellow or In the distance the silhouettes Belgium uplands, the Semoy blue-tinged stone, forti ed of the ‘Four Sons of Aymon’ meanders through verdant churches, castles, abbeys or rise on a rocky ridge above the countryside on its way to isolated farms with a beautiful village of Bogny. According to the Nature Park across the backdrop of verdant hills and legend, the knights escaped border. There, from the village valleys. Charles on a helsbytohand@btinternet.com call:from 01928 727 the 165Great or email: of Hautes-Rivi res To to advertise the 96

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Index of advertisers Accountants / Taxation a le ate o Aerial Engineer/Sky TV e al yste s atha e als Alarms & Security o lete e ty e es e ty yste s Architecture / Design hesh e lann n ol t ons ott h te t e Beauty / Holistics Tanning e en ty ea ty n ln Builder / Merchants /Joiner / Plastering onst t on Cheshire Building & Roofing Services 73 odsha laste n e es eena e o ne y elsall ld n e es en ea h ld n o ne y ad a o ne y o the n y all s laste n Butcher / Farm Shop o este s Car Repairs /MOT/ Tyres/ Valeting a ley ody e a s e ll ent e a Cleaning a e he en leane olly o lean n l ns h ney ee eo y e Dentist a n t eet ental Education he eens hool Electrician / Lighting odsha le t al e es td ne y oodho se l b n le t al Estate / Letting Agent alla ds ales ett n ent o o e nd e Hayes Financial / Mortgage Advisor a en shell ealth ana e ent a l la e Helsby to Hand

Pest Control a et ne est ol t ons Pet Care / For Sale a ly a s o oa d n oo n Plumbing & Heating hesh e Heat n l bn e es as a nd o Heat n l bn as td l bn e es H nt n l b n Heat n ne y he as to e oodho se l b n le t al Removal Service / Storage en and an hesh e o nty e o als to a e Restaurants / Pub / Wedding Venue est este n o est H lls he ethe ton Hall he h te on Roo ng All-Mighty Roofing 63 Altitude Roofing 68 JNF Roofing 79 P Turner Roofing 82 Solutions 36 Total Roofline Soltions Sewing Alterations, lessons, haberdashery l abeth nold Solicitors o l nsons Sport & Leisure o odsha e s e ent e hesh e lo Helsby o n ty o ts l b ath yn th hool o an e y tness o s od al n l n o ld n ann Tiling ln Taxis odsha and st t a s ne s a el Windows/Conservatories/Canopies a e ndo s elsall ndo s

www.helsbytohand.co.uk

Advertisi

Flooring n sley a ets od e s a et loo n he ttle a et ho Funeral Directors ne a en e ones Furniture / Kitchen / Bathroom / Beds es n t hen ath oo s ta ns o odsha ns ed ath oo s et oo s n sley a ets eds att n sh t hen ed oo o oo s anda l nds n e es n t hen ath oo Garage Doors enn ne a a e oo s Gardening / Allotments odsha a dens Ha el ood ands a es H lls de a den and ee he t e a den es n Gift Shop / Interior Designs andles l s elt es ns Hairdressing / Barber n e Headl nes ttle ay Ha d esse Health / Care / Therapy a a atsa o he a y odsha h o ody od at y l n H ll est a e Ho e Household Store Ho e ea ty Jewellers es Ha s Odd Jobs / Property repairs hesh e Handy an a es bb n oston a ntenan e o ne y dd obs ohn a l tstead he an otal Ho e ol t ons Painter & Decorator e Ho ns oy a b te en sho

@helsbytohand

deadli e is t a uaryfor t e Fe ruary editio ommu ity ve ts t a uary

To advertise call: 01928 727 165 or email: helsbytohand@btinternet.com

DISTRICT

TAXIS

CHEAPEST IN THE LOCAL AREA City Centres 1-8 Passengers Frodsham - Liverpool

27.50

Frodsham - Chester

18.00

Helsby - Chester

15.00

Elton - Chester

15.00

ll prices are set before 11pm Prices are based on 1 pick up and one drop off. Prices may vary with extra drop off or pick up points (365 days per year)

irport Prices 1-8 Passengers From Frodsham to Manchester irport 1-8 passengers 28.00 On the return ourney, Terminal 1 & 2 there is a car park charge of 4.00

From Frodsham to Liverpool irport 1-8 passengers 18.00 Plus a car park charge of 3.00

For prices from surrounding villages please ring.

Silver Service for Executive Travel please enquire All above prices are on a one-way basis, return prices should be doubled and conďŹ rmed at time of booking

01928 733 733 01928 735 353 www.districttaxisfrodsham.co.uk Download our FREE pp today

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YOUR local, family-run business. Providing Electrical, Plumbing, Heating and Bathroom services.

Call us on 01928 711444 www.kde-ltd.co.uk enquiries@kde-ltd.co.uk

100

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