Iver December 18 by In and Around Publishing

Dear Readers Welcome to the December issue of In and Around Iver And the final magazine of 2018. I’d like to say that I’m super organised this year, but that would be a total mistruth. As I’m writing this, it’s actually Black Friday, so I’m frantically hunting out online bargains whilst finalising the magazines for print. I may not be organised, but I can definitely multi task. Sammy is keen to put the decorations up already, but I’m keeping my stance that anytime in November is far too early. Added to that, I have absolutely no idea where to put our tree this year. SummerHope is possibly one of the fastest babies I’ve seen on all fours, and her continued attraction to all things forbidden makes me pretty certain that the tree is going to get it! I’m seriously considering suspending it from the ceiling this year, as that’s about the only place this tiny terror can’t manage to get to. Well, tree or no tree, I think this will be one of our best Christmases for a long time. There’s nothing like excited children on Christmas morning to bring back the magic that seems to lack in a house full of adults. So to all of our readers and advertisers, thank you for your continued support, we hope you have a wonderful Christmas and we’ll see you again in the New Year. Angela & Sammy

You can advertise in this magazine from as little as £22.00 per month “Ask us about our affordable advertising rates or visit our website for more information” Tel: 0800 038 5001 Mob: 07759 536494 In and Around Magazines cover: Iver: Thorney, Richings Park, Village, Iver Heath Denham: New Denham, Village, Denham Green, Tatling End, Bakers Wood, South Harefield

Publisher: Angela Fisher Phone: 0800 038 5001 / 07759 536494 Email: info@inandaroundpublishing.co.uk Information and Details of Rates at

www.inandaroundpublishing.co.uk 4

Inside this month’s Bumper Xmas issue Travel: Tokyo 6 Beauty: Gifted Inspiration 10 Short Story: Christmas Carol 12 Richings Players 14 Origins of Odd Christmas Traditions 16 RSPCA Re-homing Appeal 18 Pets Corner 20 Puzzle Page 22 The Village Dental Practice 24 Christmas Postal Dates 24 Quirky Britain 26 Heal that Hangover 28 Feeding a Crowd at Christmas 30 The Wildlife Zone 32 The Perfect Cheeseboard 34 Pets: Foods to avoid feeing your dog at xmas 34 It’s a kind of (turkey) magic 36 Recipe: Potted Smoked Salmon 38 PC Snippet 40 The Ivers Parish Council Updates 42 Richings Park Christmas 44 Richings Park Residents Association 46 Interiors: Create a comfortable guest bedroom 50 Nutrition Matters 52 Don’t let Christmas costs ruin New Year 54 Life Begins 56 Children’s Puzzle Page 58 Top Toys for Christmas 60 Parenting: A calmer Christmas 62 Christmas with Autism 64 Iver Village Junior School Updates 66 The Christmas Tech Survival Guide 68 Motoring: The Wackiest Special Editions 70 The Top 100 of Motoring 72 Karen Munro Careers 74 Gardening: Get fit and Garden 76 Gardening: Plants for Christmas 78 Puzzle Solutions 81 Healthier Festive Food Swaps 82 Home Products: Great beds for guests 84 Mark My Words 86 Clubs, Groups & Classes 88, 90 & 92 Wordsearch 94

JAN COPY DEADLINE 13TH DEC We are grateful for the support of local businesses whose adverts appear in this publication and whilst every care is taken to ensure accuracy, the publishers cannot accept responsibility for any errors, omissions, claims made by advertisers or endorse companies, products or services. This publication, its contents and advert designs are © of In and Around Publishing. Any copying or reproduction in part or fully, is strictly forbidden without our prior consent.

Purr-fect family entertainment is just around the corner!! The Box Office for “Puss in Boots” – this year’s pantomime offering from Iver’s award-winning amateur theatre company The Richings Players is about to open, so don’t delay, get your tickets to avoid disappointment. Our veteran director and Vice President Adrian Uzzell has returned to the director’s chair with a classic pantomime based on a story by the creator of “Cinderella” and “Sleeping Beauty”. You may be familiar with the character from "Shrek" or his own animated feature film, but the panto "Puss in Boots" is a traditional mixture of comedy, romance, good versus evil plus music and dance with stunning sets and costumes. Expect a principal boy and girl, Dame, King and Queen, lovable comics and hissable villains; and of course, Puss, who helps our hero regain his inheritance, vanquish the demon and marry well...you know who! Added to which our production will have a distinctly Spanish flavour – ‘olé’! Adrian is joined by Marg Abbott as Musical Director and Ley Dobson as Choreographer; the team behind our 2012 pantomime “Dick Whittington” which was awarded Best Pantomime in the Noda London Awards that same year! 14

Adrian says; “We have a fantastic and large cast of highly talented principals, but on this occasion I want to particularly congratulate our youngsters for their abilities, enthusiasm and commitment – they are stars. The future of Richings Players is in good hands!” Performing in Iver Village Hall from Wednesday 30th January to Saturday 2nd February 2019, with Wednesday, Thursday and Friday performances at 7.45pm. The Saturday performance times are 1.30pm and 6pm. The Box Office opens on Saturday 8th December with tickets priced at £12 and £8 Concessions – children, students and OAPs). Tickets can be purchased from calling the Box Office on 01753 654550 or online at ww.richingsplayers.co.uk

Marley

THE RSPCA Hillingdon, Slough, Windsor, Kingston and District Branch Registered Charity No: 263515

Fuego

Looking for loving homes Fuego

the work we do to help animals and their owners most in need, withOne year old Fuego is a lovely white ferret, who is out the dedication and support of our looking for an experienced and loving home. This wonderful team of volunteers. poor lad has been through rather a rough time having been found as a stray with a bite wound to his With Christmas looming fast, we would particularly side. Thankfully, with treatment and lots of TLC he welcome new volunteers to help out in our charity has now made a full recovery. Like most ferrets, shops at this busy time of year but there are lots of who are sociable and intelligent animals, Fuego possible volunteer roles such as Branch Trustee, enjoys human company and is a fun-loving playful Fundraiser, Charity shop volunteer, Home visitor, little boy with an inquisitive nature. He needs a Event helper, Dog walker / cat socialiser. home where he will be provided with all the companionship, care and essential mental and physical For more information or to request a volunteer apstimulation these delightful creatures require to stay plication form, please email happy and healthy. If you can offer the perfect volunteers@rspcahillingdonclinic.org.uk ferret home to our little bundle of mischief, we or call 01895 833417. would love to hear from you.

Merry Christmas & Thank You

Marley Sadly Marley’s owners could no longer take care of him, so this lovely 3 year old black and white pointer is looking for a new home and family to call his own. He is a fun-loving young man with lots of energy and bounce, so will need plenty of daily exercise and a good-sized secure garden with high fences where he can enjoy running around and playing with his toys. Marley would also benefit from attending training classes and taking part in other activities which would help to channel his energy. The ideal home would be with older children only and no other pets. He is currently a bit too thin and will need help to build up his weight gradually. If you can offer Marley a fun and active lifestyle and a loving home for life, we’d love to hear from you.

Follow Us For all our latest news, information on animals available for adoption and updates on those who have found loving homes through our Branch, please join our Facebook followers at www.facebook.com/RSPCAHillingdon.

If you can offer a loving home to any of our animals, please call us on 01895 833417 or visit www.rspcahillingdonclinic.org.uk to apply Volunteering can be a very rewarding online. way of making a positive contribution to animal welfare in your local Thank you as always for your support. community. We couldn’t carry out

Volunteer to make a difference

We’d like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to all our local supporters who have helped us through another difficult year. We really couldn’t do it without you! Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year on behalf of RSPCA Hillingdon, Slough, Windsor, Kingston & District Branch and all the animals we have been able to help thanks to your support.

Everyone can now register with an NHS Dentist, Village Dental Practice on 16 High Street, Harefield UB9 6BU. The practice was chosen by NHS England in 2016 to deliver NHS dentistry to the community. It has recently been fully refurbished, with the dentists using the latest equipment for all the family's dental needs. They are now accepting NEW NHS Patients.

They are taking on children under 5 to improve their oral health and offer prevention advice to families. ALL children under 18 can benefit from FREE NHS Dental Care.

Some patients are also eligible for free NHS treatment. In addition, the dentists undertake private cosmetic dental treatment so patients may wish to mix some private treatment with their NHS treatment. The practice also has disabled access and free parking.

Many of us are anxious patients, but at The Village Dental Practice the experienced team of friendly and professional staff will put your mind at ease! The practice is also working alongside the local schools to promote the importance of good oral healthcare to children. With very short waiting times, and a friendly and experienced team, look no further than The Village Dental Practice to transform the way you approach going to the dentist.

As Hillingdon has a high rate of tooth decay amongst children under 5, the Village Dental Practice in Harefield has been selected as one of NHS Englandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Starting Well Child Friendly practices.

For more information about the services provided by the Village Dental Practice call now on 01895 822 262 or visit their website www.dentistryforyou.co.uk

LIGHT UP THE IVERS DECEMBER 1ST CLOCK TOWER SQUARE, IVER 4PM – 6PM Dear Residents, This year following the success of last year the Christmas Lights event is being held once again at The Clock Tower Square, Iver High Street with stalls running around the clock tower and underneath the walkway outside of the shops. Father Christmas will be in attendance, alongside the show stealers from last year’s event the adorable miniature Shetland ponies with their fairy light lit tails, we have live music from the wonderful Steelasophical Steel Band, the Iver Village Junior and Infant Schools Children’s Choir and the ladies of the Iver Singers will all add to the festivities.

This year to add to the occasion you will find an inflatable Disco Dome and a Selfie Booth where residents will be able to use various seasonal props to take selfies with friends and family with unlimited free photo strips, the booth can accommodate up to 12 people! So come on down! The Children’s Choir are scheduled to perform at 4.30pm, and the ‘Switch On’ will be at 5.30pm where the Community Christmas Tree and the lights across all three village centres will be simultaneously lit. We look forward to welcoming you all at the Clock Tower December 1st Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year to all!

Love The Place You Live! We are delighted to say that once again the ever generous and community spirited retailers are very Upcoming Meeting Dates supportive of this event and will be taking part lighting their shop windows, opening their doors and Mon 7/1/19 19.30 St Leonards Hall offering complimentary food and refreshments to Full Council residents.

Tues 8/1/19 18.00 Parish Council Offices Planning Committee Wed 23/1/19 19.30 Parish Council Offices Amenities Committee Tues 5/2/19 18.00 Parish Council Offices Planning Committee Parish Council Offices Once again the 15ft Community Christmas Tree in Wed 6/2/19 19.30 the village centre has been sponsored by the ever Policy & Finance generous Step Property Group, Cappagh & Quat- Wed 13 /2/19 19.30 Parish Council Offices tro. Highways & Infrastructure There will be a raffle for a Pamper Hamper filled with beauty products with a value of £150, and a beauty based lucky dip with all proceeds going to the charity of our choice all kindly sponsored by local business W7.

RICHINGS PARK CHRISTMAS ~ A year to celebrate! It has been another great year for the Residents of Richings Park Village. The community goes from strength to strength with locals returning to good old fashioned values of looking out for their neighbours, making the area a safer and lovelier place to live and most importantly having fun together! This Christmas we invite the Residents of Richings Park to celebrate an extraordinarily good 2018 There have been so many highlights in 2018, but the greatest has to be Richings Park building its own Playground. With no public land it fell up on the residents to fund raise along with seeking grants to build the playground. This was no easy task and was a real team effort with Graham Young Chair of the Residents Association pulling the biggest result out of the bag with a whopping £39,960 from HS2’s Community Environment Fund. Children and Families are always going to be the heartbeat of any community, but without a local school it has always been difficult to build connections with other families. Now we are seeing our Village flourish with this as the corner stone at the local Sports Club.

cheerful! Firstly, Maureen Worrall & Tina Heath have again done a fantastic job organising the Christmas lights. We will see the community join together through a calendar of events covering all ages, helping to celebrate another great year for our Village. Dates and times for the diary are : RICHINGS PINTS Friday 7th December 7.30pm onwards at RPSC. Christmas Jumper competition with prize supplied by the Sports Club. RICHINGS CHRISTMAS Saturday 8th December. 12:00 at RPSC. Fun for all the family, and all ages, with party games, disco, music & carols, food for the children, and mince pies for the adults. Please email rpvag@hotmail.com if you plan to attend. Residents of Richings Park & Thorney only, and is for everyone young and old to enjoy the best of the festive season as our community comes together. More details can be found at richingspark.com for what you will need to bring.

CAROLS BY CANDLE LIGHT Sunday 23rd December. 16:00 & 18:00 St Leonard’s Church. An event not to be missed! Traditional Carols in a beautiful venue. We ask local families Residents across Richings Park certainly know with children to attend at 18:00. how to have fun! The Villages first summer fete was a huge success entertaining over 900 people F o r more details please visit eiwith entertainment, stalls, rides and fun. This was ther richingspark.com or the Facebook page Richquickly followed up by the annual Gala Dinner – ings Park Village Action Group. Outside of these 2018s theme was ‘Back to the 80s’. The residents events there will be plenty of get together time at took the theme to heart with some fantastic outfits the local pubs and clubs across Richings Park embracing all the best parts of culture from back in the 1980’s. We hope you can join us to celebrate the festive season and another great year for Richings Park. Now as we approach The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, the village has many reasons to be Merry Christmas Richings Park Village!

Tel: 01753 654010 Sally Munn

Heathrow We received confirmation in November that Heathrow will be deploying contractors, known as rangers, who will be shuttling around the various neighbouring communities to Heathrow carrying out litter-picking and general beautification works. In our instance we have tabled the residents garden at the corner of Wellesley Avenue and Bathurst Walk and the general area around the shopping parade as worthy of their attention.

has completed. The results of meetings will be posted on the Association website.

Station Car Park We received confirmation from Bucks CC that they have now received funds from the car park sponsor that will allow them to carry out a parking requirements survey to determine what the rules and regulations are going to be. This looks like kicking off in January.

Richings Park Village Action Group

Unitary Authority

Have planned a couple of festive events for this month. On Friday December 7th a preChristmas get-together at the Sports Club will take place from 7:30pm. Festive nibbles will be provided, and a prize will be awarded for the best Christmas jumper worn! On Saturday December 8th a Christmas Party will be held at the Sports Club commencing at 12:30pm. The Iver Singers will be giving a rendition of Carols at 2:30pm. If you want to bring children, then please email RPVAG@hotmail.com to help with the organisation of gifts. Entry is free for members of the Residents Association and £5 per person for nonmembers. See posters on the Association website.

The Minister announced that the proposal submitted by Bucks CC for a single unitary authority based on a County Council was the one he was going to recommend to Parliament. This means that South Bucks and Chilterns District councils will be wound up and their responsibilities transferred to the County Council. To give some form of local say, Bucks CC are proposing to establish local centres of some sort. We have no idea of what this means as yet. One effect of this is that the local elections for Parish and District planned for May 2019 are being postponed for a year.

Dominic Grieve Following on from the public Q&A session that was held in October we now have a date for the next one, Friday January 25th. Watch out for posters and website updates for venue and time.

Thorney Park A forum of residents and councillors has been formed to interact with Bucks County Council and their chosen contractor to liaise over the issues that will arise from BCC’s plan to import waste soil into the park and then restore it once the project 46

Subscriptions As well as accepting cash or cheques as before, our website also allows for on-line subscription payments. So, if you’ve not yet paid your subscription for this year and mislaid your donation envelope then take advantage of this facility.

Residents Garden A reminder that if you would like to support the upkeep of the Residents Garden and the planter tubs by the shops you can buy a lottery ticket from the South Bucks and Chilterns Lottery. This means that if you buy a lottery ticket from their website and nominate us as your chosen cause then we receive 50p per ticket which we are putting towards the cost of upkeep for the garden. Tickets can only be purchased on-line at www.chilternsouthbuckslottery.co.uk

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MECHANIC/TYRE FITTER REQUIRED URGENTLY PLEASE CONTACT MARTYN

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