Konect Calders September 2021

SEPTEMBER 2021

WHAT'S ON: TECHNOLOGY:

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’m delighted this month to be able to publish a selection of articles from different local community organisations who are getting on with the business of normality – and who would love you to be involved!

Love to Ride West Lothian is encouraging everyone to get involved in the Cycle September Challenge, see page 8. Local researchers at Heriot-Watt have been working with focus groups in West Lothian to see how the future of libraries should be shaped.

There are events coming up in September and October at East Calder library - check the Heriot-Watt page on p9 to find out when the dates are confirmed.

Laura turns her attention to the beginning of autumn in her parenting column. Warming treats are sometimes required to motivate kids and adults alike to get out and about as the weather cools down! She mentions some lovely places to grab a treat, and of cpirse we’re spoiled for choice of local cafes.

All our usual columns are here from our wonderful local contributors and experts. I hope you enjoy them in this issue, as ever, please let me know what you think.

All enquiries, E: editor@konect.scot M: 07854 492638 @KonectMagazines

THIS ISSUE What’s On: Cycle September..................................8 Local Lab: Borrow a researcher - Lothian Lugs...................................................................................9 Hair: The break-down...............................................12 Garden Project: Late summer glut.......................14 Living Well: Day in the life of a caregiver...........15 Technology: Is the internet really damaging the planet?...............................................24 Local Environment: Whitethroat............................28 Wine Tasting.................................................................30 Puzzles............................................................................31 Property Matters: Autumn’s all Go!......................32 Business: Kickstart.....................................................34 Parenting: You are in for a treat.............................36 Film Review: Cruella..................................................37

COVER IMAGE: Whitethroat - See our Local Environment column on P28.

Konect is delivered monthly to 5,500 homes throughout Kirknewton, East Calder, Mid Calder and Pumpherston. It is also available online: konect.scot/subscribe CALDERS | 3

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Craigcrook Joinery sMALL WORKS AND REPAIRS

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We’ve all been hearing about the benefits of exercise for our mental and physical wellbeing… but it’s not always easy to get started.

At Love to Ride West Lothian, our ‘Cycle September’ campaign is aimed at getting more people cycling, and we would love it if you would join us!

We run lots of fun challenges year-round. Our website is packed with local information on cycle routes, events, community groups, and so on. You can record your cycles, set goals and win achievement badges. Inspiring stories and photographs from local cyclists encourage you to get out and about - give them a virtual highfive of encouragement as you read their stories!

WHAT IS CYCLE SEPTEMBER?

Cycle September is a work-place challenge designed to get groups of colleagues cycling (together or separately) to compete against other local individuals and work places. It’s fun, friendly and there are great prizes to be won. There are, of course, points to be gained for each ride and for distance covered, but there are also big points awarded for getting other people to join you and giving them the confidence to give cycling a try. You only have to cycle for 10 minutes to get points…and to realise why so many people love cycling.

This is a great way to bring people back together (physically or virtually) and work towards a common goal. You can even invite other workplaces to compete against you for a bit of friendly competition, for example teachers in one school can challenge the teachers of another school. Great fun!

HOW DO YOU JOIN?

Register on the lovetoride.net/ westlothian website. It’s easy to sign-up, completely free and the

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health benefits can last a life-time. You can start at any time in September. Record any rides and you’re in with a chance of winning.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO GET STARTED

Please get in contact at lyndsey@lovetoride.net if you would like help to get started. We can put you in touch with clubs, show you where to find maps and even help you access bikes. We are lucky to have the West Lothian Bike Library on our doorstep here.

There are also some fantastic local cafes to head towards as a reward for your efforts. Some we love are Abby J Cakes in Mid Calder, The Park Bistro in Linlithgow and, for a longer cycle, Hickety Pickety Tea Room near Forth. There is also a fantastic new business in Livingston called Ptarmigan Coffee who do ‘Pop-up’ events selling their artisan bakery goods and roasted coffee – and for when you don’t feel like cycling to reach them, then they deliver their products to you by bike (in Livingston area).

Come join the challenge, have fun with colleagues, enjoy the health benefits and win some prizes. This years prizes include lots of biking merchandise, a £50 voucher for the Park Bistro, £50 voucher for Ptarmigan Coffee, and a decadent cheesecake from Abby J Cakes. Lots more prizes on the website.

Register at LOVETORIDE.NET/WESTLOTHIAN This article is contributed by Lyndsey at Love to Ride West Lothian. Love to Ride West Lothian is funded by West Lothian Council

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LOCAL LAB

Borrow a Researcher, Lothian Lugs When you think of a library, what do you think of? Is it a silent building full of books, presided over by a stern woman with her hair in a bun and a sensible cardigan?

Well, that’s not the vision of libraries in the 21st century, and West Lothian Council are working with researchers at Heriot-Watt University to bring exciting new activities into the libraries across the region. They have partnered up to bring cutting edge research to local communities, and work with communities to help shape future research.

The project is part of the “Lothian Lugs” Engaging Libraries Programme which began in 2020, and Heriot-Watt University have been working closely with local communities to listen and reflect on the needs of the public. Focus groups with West Lothian communities led to some inspiring conversations about research and universities – What is research? What do universities do? How can we find out more?

Given the year of Covid-19, many interesting themes and topics emerged and the discussions with these groups have allowed the team to shape an exciting programme of @KonectMagazines

events across September into October, specifically tailored to public interests.

These themes will explore subjects such as brain health, body representation, social interaction, robotics, artificial intelligence and many more!

Heriot-Watt University researchers will visit various library locations to share their work through talks and interactive activities.

There will also be lots of events online as part of Explorathon, a Scotland wide celebration of research, so you can tune it at home and find out about research taking place in universities across Scotland.

Visit Heriot Watt University’s website to find out more: www.hw.ac.uk/uk/research/engage/engaginglibraries.htm This article was contributed

by Heriot-Watt Engage. “Lothian Lugs” is a collaborative project between Heriot-Watt University and West Lothian Council, funded

by Wellcome, the Carnegie Trust and the Wolfson Foundation. Explorathon is funded by the European Commission, under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Programme, Grant Agreement No. 101036101.

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LIFE COACHING

Hair breakage will affect all of us at one point and can be caused by many factors such as stress, dehydration, overwashing, overheat styling, and excessive brushing and combing.

Your diet is crucial when it comes to strong healthy hair. They don’t say ‘you are what you eat’ for nothing. Proper nutrition will encourage hair growth, healthy scalp, and good elasticity in the same way as it will for your skin. Make sure you get a good dose of vitamins in the food you eat and zinc, iron, and protein.

This goes hand in hand with helping to ease stress- a nourished body makes for a healthy mind. Don’t forget to hydrate - drinking water is so underrated when it comes to keeping scalp and skin healthy.

Another common cause of breakage is heat damage. I think it's really important to address this because with so many cordless heat tools becoming available on the market the temptation to use heat on your hair more than once a day is at its highest. Invest in a good quality tool, ceramic plates only please, and make sure the temperature is no hotter than 200 degrees. Shield your hair using a heat protector spray/lotion/gel. I don’t care what it is but make it good quality and use it religiously!

This will help to retain moisture within the hair and prevent it from drying out. Ideally wash your hair 2-4 times a week with a good quality product, washing too often will also strip back the moisture levels and we really want to keep the hair and scalp nice and supple and full of moisture.

Your hair is the accessory you never take off, so love it and treat it well and if you tie it up please be gentle!

The Hair column is contributed by Sophie Laidlaw. Sophie is Director @wonderland Livingston. www.wonderlandlivingston.com 12 | CALDERS

Change Your Life By CHANGING YOUR MIND

According to Albert Einstein, “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.”

The endless process of going over challenges and difficult emotions in the same old way has little chance of moving anything forward. Most of us know this but we still find ourselves caught in a vicious circle of worrying and overthinking, applying the same perspective or frame around any situation we are thinking about.

Frames can be positive or negative, within our control or outwith our control. They can be helpful and supportive or they can undermine us at every turn.

Often these beliefs about ourselves are based on other people’s thoughts about us. It could be parents or siblings or even teachers whose influence is still buried deep in our thinking ready to come to the fore when we are stretched beyond our comfort zone.

We use frames to handle feedback and criticism and we often connect unrelated events and circumstances to ‘fit’ the subconscious ‘frame’ we carry.

Every ‘frame’ is linked to an underlying belief we have about ourselves. This is helpful if it allows us to unlock new possibilities but can be really unhelpful if the beliefs and assumptions we carry around with us limit us and prevent progress.

Recognising the limiting beliefs that we hold that prevent us going forward is the first step to overturning the obstacles we put in our own way and allows us to begin the process of moving forward towards those goals.

The Life Coaching column is contributed by Francine Orr, NLP coach, hypnotherapist & reiki practitioner. Francine is based within Linlithgow Chiropractic on Wednesday afternoons and is also available online. See www.orrganise.co.uk

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Late Summer Glut?

taste. Process at full speed until smooth, pour into a bowl and chill thoroughly. Finely chop some of the ingredients for a garnish. Serve cold and enjoy! Fingers crossed for that Indian Summer…

Hopefully we will be enjoying an Indian Summer when you read this and you may have a glut of tomatoes to use? Chilled Spanish Gazpacho could be the ideal soup now, our version doesn’t involve adding bread as we prefer it without.

Skin 700g of ripe red tomatoes (cut a cross in the skin and cover with boiling water for two minutes and then they are easy to peel – the soup isn’t sieved so you do need to get rid of the skins) and roughly chop. Peel and chop 12cm (5”0 of cucumber. Chop 3 spring onions or one small onion. Crush one or two cloves of garlic. Deseed and chop one green pepper.

Put everything into a food processor adding 1 heaped tbsp chopped basil (or thyme or marjoram), 4 tbsp olive oil, 1.5 tbsp red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and black pepper to

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Gazpacho

The gardening project is contributed by Dougal Philip, New Hopetoun Gardens.

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LIVING WELL

A day in the life of a

C aregiver

Over the past year, the important work that carers do has been in the spotlight, keeping older and vulnerable people safe in their own homes throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Working in care is a truly important role, and one that more and more people are turning to; But what does the role actually involve?

Carers throughout the sector, whether working in a residential facility or within people’s homes, provide companionship and company. This has been so important throughout the pandemic, as many older and vulnerable people have been isolating and unable to see family and friends for many months at a time.

Providing companionship can mean anything from sitting down for a chat with a cup of tea, completing a jigsaw or an activity, or even going for a day trip to somewhere new.

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Companionship is at the base of care, and building strong relationships with your clients is important to keeping them feeling happy and comfortable.

Carers of course carry out other roles including personal care, helping clients dress and shower, as well as sometimes providing medical assistance. You may also help a client around their home, carrying out cleaning or shopping tasks, providing all-round support to older and vulnerable people.

A local client comments: “Getting a welcoming smile and knowing someone is caring for you brightens up your day”.

Working in care presents real progression opportunities, offering a real career path. Carers can progress to supervisor and management positions, helping older and vulnerable people across the wider community.

You can also contact your local Home Instead office for advice and support on 01506 539541 or by visiting homeinstead.co.uk/livingston

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MONEY MATTERS

The non-financial benefits of financial advice Financial advice is more important than ever. Not only have changes in pensions and financial regulation placed more responsibility for planning retirement income into the hands of individuals, but the coronavirus pandemic has also reminded us all of how unforeseen events can rock the foundations of what we had thought was a stable financial footing.

The financial benefits of taking advice is well known. Research undertaken by the International Longevity Centre UK (ILC) in 2019 showed that those who take advice are on average £47,706 better off in retirement than those who don’t.*

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Building on this study, the ILC has undertaken new research that shows financial advice could be an important factor in promoting mental health and wellbeing. Its report “Peace of mind: Understanding the non-financial value of financial advice” finds that nonfinancial benefits may be at least as important as the more easily visible financial ones in achieving this.

Participants who had taken financial advice reported that they felt less worried about their future, enjoying the peace of mind that comes from knowing that proper preparation has been made for their later years – and that included those who were already in retirement. *1ILC, What it’s worth – Revisiting the value of financial advice, November 2019, based on receiving professional financial advice between 2001 and 2006 resulted in a boost to wealth (in pensions and financial assets) of £47,706 in 2014/16.

The Money Matters column is contributed by Lucy Logan. Lucy lives in West Lothian and is an Associate Partner Practice of St. James’s Place Wealth Management.

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Is the Internet Really Damaging the Planet?

Climate change is a hot topic and we’re all increasingly aware of the little things that make a big difference, be that swapping our gas guzzlers for electric cars, taking a reusable cup for our morning coffee or being vigilant with separating the recycling.

But when was the last time you stopped to think about the impact your daily consumption of the internet was having on the environment? It can’t be that bad, can it?

In 2020 global internet use doubled with over 4.4 billion people turning to it for work, entertainment and to stay in touch with family and friends. All that online activity requires A LOT of energy, so much so that it’s estimated by 2030 digital technologies will account for a staggering 20% of global greenhouse emissions. We need to remember that the internet isn’t actually ‘in the clouds’, it’s hosted in massive data centres across the world using energy sapping servers (often ran with nonrenewable, greenhouse gas emitting energy sources) to store every video, picture, email and WhatsApp that anybody has ever sent and saved. Add into this the carbon footprint of manufacturing then shipping tech hardware and the home consumption of energy to power users, and the hidden impact of the internet is colossal.

It’s not all bad though. Streaming a one-hour video still has a smaller carbon footprint than eating a beefburger or driving a petrol car less than half a mile, and the big players in the digital world are taking drastic steps to reduce their impact on climate change. Apple, Google and Facebook already use 100% renewable energy to power their operations and Microsoft has gone even further committing to be carbon negative by 2030 and to have offset all their historical carbon emissions by 2050.

Companies such as Volkswagen Canada are launching more environmentally friendly websites too; using less colours, media and imagery drastically reduces carbon footprint left by online visitors. Check out www.vw.ca/ carbonneutralnet/en/gen Canada to see how the future of web design looks.

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As individuals there are lots of small steps we can take to reduce our digital carbon footprint.

For example, streaming videos and audio accounts for 63% of internet traffic; next time you’re watching Netflix on your phone try standard definition instead of 1080p, there’ll be minimal difference in quality yet in doing so you’re reducing emissions by up to 90%.

Similarly on web calls ask yourself if you really need video. Audio only reduces carbon footprint by up to 96%. There are over 300 billion emails sent globally every day filling up servers and draining power, by deleting emails you don’t need any more, sending direct instead of replying to all and unsubscribing from newsletters you’re not interested in you’re saving huge amounts of digital storage. It’s not only data centres sapping energy. A quarter of residential power consumption is used by devices in idle mode; try setting your laptop to shut down rather than sit in standby and turn your phone off for periods of the day to conserve battery.

Is the internet damaging the planet? Yes, but it doesn’t have to. If we act responsibly and consciously, we can all make a significant difference … small actions today in a digital world, have a huge impact on the physical world of tomorrow.

This column is contributed by Eve Wardman, co-founder and director of Wardman UK Ltd, the Lothian’s premier IT and Microsoft Cloud Solutions provider.

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LOCAL ENVIRONMENT

Is it just me, or has 2021 flown by so far? It feels like only yesterday I was looking forward to the return of our migrant species, and within the next few weeks many of them will be heading back to their winter habitats.

The positive side of this is it does mean that after this transition period, we can welcome our winter visitors back.

This includes the common whitethroat.

These can be found hopping about the trees and bushes making their raspy call as they hunt for insects and gather berries or fruit. I was delighted to see this bird around the ponds in Wester Inch, Bathgate, earlier this year. He was singing his very loud song from the tops the trees.

Migratory birds always fascinate me.

This little bird travels c11,000km twice a year from the Sahara, what an incredible distance! It was thought birds used stars as a way of migrating, and whilst this is true it’s mostly related to the North Star directing the birds in the right direction i.e., South. Many species migrate at night as it’s safer given 28 | CALDERS

there’s not as many predators around.

With birds using stars to migrate at night, increasing light pollution can disorient them causing them to be drawn to brighter lights, put them off course, and cause fatal collisions with buildings. Research is still ongoing into this, but we can all do our bit to help the birds by turning off excess lights both indoors, and outdoors when they’re not needed.

This column is contributed by Clare Harte and Kate Stevenson, who grew up in Edinburgh and now live in West Lothian.

Together they run Scottish Sisters Photography and travel around the country to watch and photograph amazing wildlife and scenic landscapes. Follow them on Facebook @ScottishSistersPhotography @KonectMagazines

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WINE TASTING

Showstopper COMBINATION I love a challenge, especially when it involves food and wine! I was tasked with selecting the perfect wine to serve at a dinner party.

The main course was slow cooked lamb, so Rioja seemed an obvious choice: wood spice, red cherry and tobacco notes, a grip of tannin and a long finish. However, this leg of lamb was stuffed with Pecorino cheese, mint and artichokes. Wrapped in bay leaves and thyme, slow cooked to perfection and served with barley braised in ale. This showstopper dish required a showstopping wine!

When selecting a wine, I consider the weight of the food and find a similarly weighted wine; the wine shouldn’t dominate the food or vice versa.

The wine’s tannin, acidity and alcohol should play a supporting role to the food and the wine act as a canvas for the ingredients of the dish.

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There were so many flavours in this dish to consider! Should I select a juicy fruit bomb of a wine? No, this would have been heavy handed, the juicy berry fruit drowning out the herbs.

Perhaps a rose? No, a rose would get lost with the rich tannin and texture of the lamb.

I needed something to complement the lamb, Pecorino, herbs and barley. I selected an old European vintage wine, Grato Grati, Vecchia Annata 1991 from Tuscany, Italy. It is made with Sangiovese grapes and has a sophisticated earthy tannin, mellow fruit developing to dried herbs, dried fruits and old oak. It’s delicious and has just the right weight, acidity, tannin and finish to complement the lamb dish. I was delighted to find a 30 year old wine and the guests loved it!

The monthly wine tasting column is contributed

by Joanne Frette. Joanne lives in Juniper Green with her 3 children. She is a Sommelier Wine & Spirit Specialist who runs Swirl Sip Socialise, an online wine tasting business which connects friends and family across the UK.

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CROSSWORD

SUDOKU ^^^ Sudoku solution on page 38

PUZZLES

ACROSS: 1. Entrance (6), 4. Be owned by (6), 9. Hold (7), 10.Previous(5),11.Brush(5),12.Conversing(7),13.Promises(11), 18. Sediment (7), 20. Undressed (5), 22. Avoid (5), 23. In the open air (7), 24. Guard (6), 25. Grown-ups (6).

^^^ Solution in the October edition of Konect

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DOWN: 1. Blame (6), 2. Type of light boat (5), 3. Soap (7) 5. Banish (5) 6. Belief (7) 7. Car repair centre (6), 8. Directive (11), 14. Make clear (7), 15. Caught fire (7), 16. Snakes (6), 17. Worships (6), 19. Curse (5), 21. Small hill (5)

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PROPERTY MATTERS

As we reach the end of the summer months, the expectation is the property market will become active once again as homeowners consider a house move through the autumn.

The period between schools going back after the summer holidays and the mid-term October holidays is typically the second busiest time of the year in terms of sales volume in the property market.

The continued upward trend in property prices over the first half of the year, created a shortage of properties for sale over the summer leaving buyers frustrated and homeowners who are looking to sell nervous about listing when there’s nothing new on the market for them to buy yet.

The imbalance of supply and demand still means that there are more buyers in the market than properties available for sale.

Sellers who enter the market ahead of this expected rush are likely to be the winners, not only with the backlog of frustrated buyers they will only be competing with low stock levels, plus those properties that haven’t sold over the summer.

Property which is new to market is highly

prized and any agent will tell you that, in current market conditions, most (but not all) properties are likely to sell within the first few weeks of marketing. This is the period when buyers are most excited, and motivated, often leading to a closing date as buyers compete for your property.

So, if you are contemplating selling in the next 6 months, we suggest you take advantage of the situation and position your property for an early sale at a time when demand is likely to continue outstripping supply.

Experienced agents know how to navigate and maximise current market conditions, can offer advice on your onward move and create a bespoke Marketing Plan that really works for you over the coming weeks.

You never know, you might just be putting your Christmas tree up in a different house this year!

The monthly Property Matters column is contributed by Craig Turpie. Craig is a director at Turpie & Co Estate Agents and Letting Agents with extensive knowledge of the West Lothian Property Market and over 20 years experience in bespoke sales and marketing.

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BUSINESS

young people at the start of their career journey to gain valuable work experience and transferable skills that will improve their job prospects.”

Can you change a young person’s life and offer them a six-month work placement, fully paid for by the Government’s Kickstart scheme?

Any business can apply to Kickstart no matter how big or small. This includes sole traders and charities. Employers across a range of sectors, from hospitality and retail to administration, warehousing and manufacturing have already signed up and are starting to see the benefits.

The UK-wide Kickstart Scheme is a A family run business in Bathgate, The £2 billion fund to create hundreds of Fairway Hotel and Restaurant, who are thousands of high quality six-month job currently supporting the Kickstart scheme, placements for young people as part of the said, “We have recently joined the Kickstart Government’s Plan for Jobs. The funding program and really recommend it to other available will cover the relevant National businesses. We are proud to be giving Minimum Wage for 25-hours per week, back to the community”. plus the associated employer National Insurance contributions With customers and employer minimum “ WE HAVE RECENTLY JOINED being at the heart of automatic enrolment THE KICKSTART PROGRAM AND their business, the contributions.

Fairway Hotel and REALLY RECOMMEND IT TO Employers will also Restaurant pride OTHER BUSINESSES. WE ARE be given a £1,500 themselves in offering grant per placement to PROUD TO BE GIVING BACK TO Kickstart participants’ THE COMMUNITY ” support set-up costs excellent customer and employability service training.

FAIRWAY HOTEL AND support.

They are delighted RESTAURANT, BATHGATE to be supporting Through Kickstart, young people in the local community and companies and organisations throughout recognise the benefits to their business in the UK will be able to access a large pool developing young talent. of young people with potential, ready to embrace an opportunity and move into the If you think you could create a bespoke, workplace. Initially the scheme will prioritise entry level role fully funded by the Kickstart young people who are claiming universal scheme go to www.gov.uk/Kickstart, or credit and are aged between 16 and 24. contact our team via kickstart.east@dwp.

Their Jobcentre Plus Work Coach will gov.uk who will be happy to assist you with support them to find suitable opportunities the application process. and enrol in the scheme.

Apply today to Kickstart a young person’s Linda Gibb from Kickstart, said: “It’s great career. to see an increasing number of employers in Scotland and West Lothian signing up to Kickstart. Across our West Lothian job This article was contributed by Kickstart centres we’re working closely with more Bathgate, Jobcentre Plus, Government than 1,000 young people who are looking Buildings. 31 - 33 Whitburn Road, for work. It’s so important to support our Bathgate, EH48 IHG 34 | CALDERS

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PARENTING

Milkshakes!

You are in for a treat. . .

Cupcakes!

As summer starts to feel like a distant memory September is when my thoughts usually turn to autumn. Walks in your wellies, hunting for conkers, picking pumpkins…and of course taking home all sorts of “treasures” in your pocket whenever you’re out with the kids.

But if I’ve learned one thing over the years it’s that once autumn arrives any walk we go on needs a treat at the end of it either to motivate the kids or warm up the grown-ups.

After all, what could be more important than a little something to eat…I think Winnie the Pooh said that (perks of being a parent I can quote all sorts of influential and important characters).

Anyway, we’ve discovered a few great wee spots perfect for this purpose while we’ve been out and about during the summer.

The Murieston Trail in South Livingston is ideal for crunching through autumn leaves and at nearby Bankton Mains Park the new Greedy Gecko Snack Bar is now a great spot for a wee treat afterwards. From 36 | CALDERS

a bacon roll in the morning to totally indulgent waffles and pancakes or magic milkshakes there’s plenty to tempt everyone in the family. There are even a few pocket money items to pick up. And now that the Junior Parkrun has started up again at Bankton Mains Park on Sunday mornings this is also the perfect place for keeping parents fed and watered while they cheer their kids on from the sidelines…or for rewarding their mini athletes after the run.

If you were exploring around the Livingston Village area I’d recommend you pop in to Castaway Coffee for some hearty soup or a tempting cupcake. They even sometimes have pupcakes or woofins for your furry friends and there’s fresh organic fruit and veg up for grabs too when you’re

busy grabbing your food to go. It’s the perfect pit stop for weary walkers looking for a pick-me-up.

And whilst I love to shop local and support these lovely wee small businesses when talking about treats I couldn’t not mention the new Stack & Still pancake place at The Centre in Livingston. My girls were desperate to go and we were not disappointed when we made it!

Like Ratatouille said if you are what you eat, I only wanna eat the good stuff!

The parenting column is contributed by Laura Archibald.

Laura lives in West Lothian with her family and their campervan Hank. She is mummy, wife, blogger and fulltime personal assistant to her two girlie girls. @KonectMagazines

FILM REVIEW

Disney’s live-action output in recent years has not exactly been my cup of tea. So heading into Cruella I was verysceptical.

Surprisingly it wasn’t a traditional remake like Aladdin or Mulan but more of a film that takes characters and ideas we know from their original animated films and tells a new story with it, in the vein of Maleficent. Cruella genuinely shocked me. I was not expecting to like it as much as I did. A big reason why I like the film comes down to the performances. I thought the entire cast comprising of famous faces like Emma Stone, Emma Thompson and Mark Strong were all great. Cruella also has a great sense of humour to it; there are moments I was simply just laughing out loud, and I’m not scared to admit to that.

With a film based around fashion the most important aspect must be the costumes. It’s essential that all the clothes look fantastic, and they absolutely do. Jenny Beavan, who is the costume designer, did a fantastic job with this film and without the great costumes I feel the film wouldn’t have as much of an impact as it did. While there are some scenes that I can only describe as being cringe, the line “It’s pronounced De Vil” did give me flashbacks of Solo. I still really enjoyed this film, and I can’t wait to pick the film up on Blu-ray when that is released. Cruella is just that good.

The Film Review is contributed by Robert Ewing. Robert is passionate about film as an art form, and shining a light on films that may not be on people’s radar. Robert is from Kirknewton. @KonectMagazines

CALDERS | 37

SOLUTIONS

SPORTS, HOBBIES, LEARNING, SUPPORT GROUPS & MORE...

SLIMMING WORLD - East Calder Bowling Club, 255 Main Street, East Calder.

Adults with disabilities. Virtual Power of Attorney Clinic & Benefits Advice and Counselling.

CHORAL HIGHLIGHTS LADIES' CHOIR - Missing singing? We're back, following Covid restrictions that apply, but still having fun! Why not come along and join us? We meet in Mid Calder at 7.30pm on a Wednesday. Our music consists of a wide range of material from musicals, traditional, pop favourites and lots more. To find out more or to join us please contact John Rankine on 01506 880029. We'd love to see you!

GENERATION ARTS - Creative activities for people aged 50 and over, either living at home or in care with complex needs. Online and offline activities in West Lothian such as a dance dvd, art demos, reminiscence, recipes, music and song playlists, dance and song classes. Creative activity and learning can unlock memories and skills that have been lost and creates a spark of joy for all.

Contact generationarts.coordinator@ gmail.com or phone 07521 358 239 for further information.

Tues 5.30 & 7.00pm; Wed 9.30 & 11.00am. New and returning members always welcome. Contact Sue: 07803 520781

CHOOSE YOU YOGA STUDIO & WELLNESS HUB - Dedicated yoga studio in Carmondean, Livingston.

Build strength, flexibility and resilience, and support mental health, joint pain/illness/injury recovery.

Vinyasa Flow: Tues 6.00pm-7.00pm & Tues 7.20pm-8.20pm; Seasonal Yoga: Wed 5.30pm-6.30pm; Tai-chi: Thurs 9.30am-10.45am; Yoga: Thurs 7.30pm-8.45pm; Yoga: Fri 9.45am11.00am. Carmondean, Livingston.

E: info@chooseyouyoga.co.uk T: 07810 824 195 W: www.chooseyouyoga.co.uk or on Facebook

DOWN TO EARTH YOGA AND MASSAGE - Yoga for everyone regardless of age, sex or your flexibility level. Private sessions available or spread the cost and practice with a friend/s. No experience necessary and beginners are welcomed.

Massage in a warm welcoming safe environment. Choose from a clothed floor based Thai Yoga Massage or an oil massage on a table with hints of Swedish and Thai fusion.

Contact Kirsty to book on 07936 925040. Quote ‘Konect’ for £10 off first treatment or session.

CARERS OF WEST LOTHIAN Support and social activities for Carers, Young Carers and Disabled Adults.

Services currently via Zoom/phone: weekly Coffee Morning; monthly Mental Health Support Group, Evening Support Group & Bereaved Carer Support Group as well as groups for Young Carers and Young Adult Carers. Regular Social Groups for

38 | CALDERS

SOLUTION TO AUGUST CROSSWORD

For information: Tel.: 01506 448000 Email: office@carers-westlothian.com Website: www.carers-westlothian.com

MACMILLAN CANCER INFORMATION & SUPPORT - A free, confidential service providing a ‘listening ear’, emotional and practical support, help to access benefits/financial advice and other local services. Expert and easy-tounderstand information on a range of cancer-related topics. For anyone affected by cancer – yourself, a relative, friend or carer of someone with cancer.

Face to face appointments at Bathgate Partnership Centre every Wednesday.

Phone and email support also available. Please call 01506 283053 or email MacmillanWestLothian@ westlothian.gov.uk WEST LOTHIAN 50 PLUS NETWORK - Social activities for the over fifties. Run largely by volunteers we offer a wide range of interest groups to help you stay fit and healthy in both mind and body, whilst socialising with others. Something for everyone, but, more importantly, the chance to meet up and join in with old friends or make new friends along the way. Annual joining fee £10. Follow our Facebook page, visit www.westlothian50plusnetwork.co.uk or call 01506 635510.

ACROSS: 7. Remove, 8. Loughs, 9. Sofa, 10. Envelops, 11. Ignored, 13. Steel, 15. Clues, 17. Provide, 20. Tolerant, 21. Pale, 23. Weight, 24. Roused.

DOWN: 1. Zero, 2. Potato, 3. Referee, 4. Slave, 5. Mullet, 6. Shepherd, 12. Galloped, 14. Writers, 16. Energy, 18. Vapour, 19. Cacti, 22. Lies.

SOLUTION TO SUDOKU ON PAGE 31

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To include your Club or Class, please email details, up to 75 words, to editor@konect.scot

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