Inside Bramhall Issue 68

inside april - may 2018

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Issue 68

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Screens of one kind or another are hard to avoid these days. There’s an app to do just about everything, and many of us spend hours glued to mobiles, tablets and other devices. It seems that this digital addiction, as well as taking up far too much of our precious time, could be ruining our concentration and ability to sustain long periods of reading.

So… forget spa weekends and yoga retreats – the next big thing in relaxation could be the reading retreat! On one level it sounds ridiculous – why would you pay to go away and do something that you can, literally, do just about anywhere and anytime you choose? On another level, how wonderful – three days away in a cosy house, all meals provided, where you don’t have to do anything except get lost in a book. According to someone I heard being interviewed, it’s having permission to prioritise reading over everything else, that is simply delightful.

If you’re out of the reading habit, do yourself a favour. Switch off the screens, check out our book reviews and rediscover the simple pleasure that reading a good book can bring.

What’s INSIDE this month 4 simply books book club choice 7 Avro - a proud heritage 8 Local Buzz 11 Scouting in Bramhall 12 inside people 15 Elizabeth Gaskell’s House 19 barry’s gardening tips 21 National garden scheme 26 Diary of a Geeky Knitter 29 the pott shrigley abduction 32 In Touch 36 The Walk 41 Helping Hedgehogs 42 Puzzles 47 Travel by Design 49 Just 4 Kids 50 Children’s Activities 53 pea and mint soup 54 the problem with plastic 59 INSIDE Guide 66 Puzzle Solutions 69 Useful Numbers 70 Classified Index

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Editor: Claire Hawker

Tel: 01625 879611

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Inside Magazines, 352a Park Lane, Poynton, Cheshire SK12 1RL. email: info@insidemagazines.co.uk www.insidemagazines.co.uk Duck Race, Bramhall Park

by Garth Aspinall.

Copy deadline for the next issue: wednesday 9 may

Inside Bramhall is produced by Inside Magazines Ltd. We cannot be held responsible for views expressed by contributors or any advert content, including errors or omissions, or endorse companies, products or services that appear in this magazine. We endeavour to ensure that all local information given in this magazine is accurate, but we cannot always guarantee this. © Copyright Inside Magazines Ltd 2018. Material from this magazine may not be reproduced without prior written permission from Inside Magazines Ltd.

Design and artwork by Spring Creative | www.spring-creative.co.uk | 01925 714203

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simply books

book club choice

My first choice this month is COSTA Novel of the Year Reservoir 13 by Jon McGregor. It’s midwinter in a village somewhere in the Peak District. A teenage girl on holiday with her parents has gone missing. The villagers are called up to join the search, fanning out across the moors as the police set up roadblocks and news reporters descend on the villagers’ previously quiet home.

Meanwhile, ‘ordinary’ life must go on – cows milked, fences repaired, sermons written, a pantomime rehearsed. The search goes on, but so does everyday life. The seasons unfold – there are births and deaths, secrets kept and revealed, small kindnesses and unexpected betrayals – and still the mystery of the girl’s disappearance hangs over the village. Meanwhile, in parallel, the natural world follows its own seasonal cycle of birth, death and renewal. This is an extraordinary novel – beautifully written and with a cumulative power which held me in its grip.

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid is set in an unnamed city (possibly Damascus or another hotspot in the Middle East) where bombs and assassinations shatter the peace of everyday life. Somewhere in this city, two young people meet and in time fall in love. As the violence that surrounds them escalates and escape seems ever more necessary, they hear rumours of mysterious black doors appearing across the city which provide a portal to a new life – perhaps in Greece, in London, in California…

This is a very timely book which stretches the boundaries of ‘reality’ just enough to make a point about the experience of immigrants and refugees fleeing to ‘the West’. What does it mean to leave your only home behind? How do we create a sense of belonging? A spare and carefully crafted novel Exit West sometimes has the feel of a fable but it remains sufficiently grounded in reality to convey some important messages about the way we understand and react to ‘the refugee crisis’ – a story with as much hope for the future as despair about the present.

And for children Fantastically Great Women Who Made History by Kate Pankhurst (published to coincide with the centenary of the first time women gained the vote in this country) is a fabulously illustrated celebration of some of the extraordinary women from around the world who have made their mark on history.

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Simply Books 228 Moss Lane, Bramhall, Cheshire SK7 1BD 0161 439 1436 Open Tuesday to Saturday 9am to 5.30pm Andrew Cant www.simplybooks.info

A Proud Heritage BAe Systems factory, based at Woodford, has always been proud of its heritage. As early as 1992 we had a Heritage Centre, in an area of the factory called New Assembly, located on the other side of the site runway from our present building.

When aircraft production ceased at Woodford in 2010, the site’s future entered a period of uncertainty and there was concern that we might lose the Centre. Fortunately, BAe were keen to maintain some record of the aircraft site, which had been producing aeroplanes since it was opened in 1924.

Vulcan XM603

The decision had been taken to turn the site into a housing estate. When the builders moved in to demolish the aircraft hangars and other buildings, our centre was at the top of the hit list so we began looking around for new premises, finally opting for the site fire station, a large building located on green belt land within the site. After extensive renovation of the building, including a new roof, we were able to remove all our aircraft artifacts, from various places where they had been stored before the builders demolished the previous centre, and we began to set up our new museum. We finally completed the move, and opened our doors to the general public, in November 2015.

More than a hundred years of aviation history has been brought to life in our main exhibition hall. The display takes the form of a timeline, beginning in 1877 when Alliot Verdon Roe, the company founder, was born, and ending when the Nimrod Mk 4 aircraft were scrapped in 2010. Below the timeline are numerous story boards and, for aviation boffins, more in-depth information is available on lectern mounted notes. Above the timeline, colourful

murals are spaced around the exhibition walls and several large aircraft models are hanging from the ceiling.

Around the exhibition floor are display cabinets containing more models and historical items, and we also have three nose sections of aircraft built at Woodford; the Lancaster bomber, the Canberra and the Anson. Close to the main hall is located the nose section of Vulcan XM602, and within its fully equipped cockpit, visitors receive a comprehensive talk about the aircraft from one of our Vulcan experts. This is a firm favourite for visitors and they reach for their cameras as soon as they enter it. Next to XM602 is our well-stocked shop.

We also have a flight simulator assembly where visitors can try to take-off, fly and land a large number of aeroplanes, from the early bi-planes to the latest Nimrod.

Films are being shown in a separate room, and in addition we have separate ongoing activities for children.

Outside stands our complete Vulcan, XM603, in all its glory. Various car clubs have parked their cars in a line alongside it for photographic opportunities. Also, outside are the nose sections of a VC10 and a Nimrod. Our cafe is on the second floor offering snacks and light lunches and affording panoramic views of 603 and the hills beyond.

We are open on Tuesday and Thursday for groups of ten or more people who have booked in advance. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday we are open to groups, and to the general public, who do not need to pre-book. Ample car and coach parking is available.

For more information about the museum and about events we are holding this year, please visit avroheritagemuseum.co.uk, call 01625 877534, or why not just pay us a visit?

by Keith Wright - Photos by Mike Batty

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local buzz

april - may 2018

NOVEL WAY TO HELP LOCAL HOSPICES Retired local surgeon Peter Sykes, who has lived in Bramhall for the last 35 years, lifts the lid on hospital practice with the publication of his fourth novel Invisible Scars, an entertaining story set in a ‘fictitious’ hospital in the North West of England. As before all author royalties are being shared between East Cheshire Hospice, Macclesfield (where Peter served as a trustee and Vice President) and St Ann’s Hospice.

Peter comes from a medical family; his father was a consultant at Stepping Hill hospital, his mother a nurse at Manchester Royal Infirmary. He trained to be a surgeon both in Tameside and Manchester, then worked for 25 years in Trafford and Altrincham.

Now retired, he enjoys the three G’s; Gardening, Grandchildren and Golf – he plays (enthusiastically though badly) at Davenport Golf Club in Poynton.

Having reflected on some of the more memorable aspects of a life spent practising surgery, he has put pen to paper to record them. He also gives talks to local groups. He insists that the stories are fictional but acknowledges that they are based to a large degree on his own experience working locally.

Invisible Scars is available from local bookshops or from Amazon as a paperback or Kindle eBook.

Peter also writes a blog of light hearted stories freely available to all at www.medicaltales.org Well worth a look if you ever need cheering up!

Duck Race and Family Fun Day Bramhall And Woodford Rotary Club is, once again, holding the Duck Race and Family Fun Day and this year it will be held at Bramhall Park on Sunday 20 May. Last year hundreds of families turned up on the day, many of whom used our Duck Bus Park & Ride service. This year there will be TWO free buses running throughout the day, between Bramhall Village (Pizza Express) and the Park plus Hazel Grove High School and Stockport Rugby Club. Track them with the app on our website (www.bwrotary.org) and then look out for the yellow Duck Bus. Starting at 11am, there will be a variety of duck races to watch and there will be speciality races with local celebrities and businesses getting involved by decorating large rubber ducks, who will go beak to beak in the river. There will also be a special challenge race this year. As well as Duck Racing, with some fabulous prizes for the winners, there will be many sideshows a bouncy castle, games, singers, dancing groups and craft stalls.

The money raised will be shared between Pure Insight, which delivers projects providing practical and emotional support to young people age 16-28 who have left, or are about to leave statutory care, and other charities supported by the Rotary Club.

This year’s event is set to be bigger and better than ever. Entry is still free so please enter a duck in a race for just a pound!

More details can be found at www.bwrotary.org

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Scouting in Bramhall 4th Bramhall Scout Group is an important organisation within the Bramhall community, providing fun, adventure and life skills experience to over 80 youngsters across different age groups.

“It is such brilliant experience for the kids. At Scouts, children learn something different every week and even better, these are mostly skills, which they cannot learn at school” explained Koralia Kubowicz, Chairman of the Group.

4th Bramhall was established on St Michael’s Avenue in Bramhall in 1961 by Alf Moisten, along with sponsors St Michael’s Parish Church, based just over the road.

Our Group Scout Leader (GSL) is Jon Wood, who started there himself in Cubs, over 30 years ago.

This lively group provides support to children aged from six years (Beavers) all the way up to 18 years (Explorers). All the leaders who provide activities for the kids each week are unpaid volunteers. They dedicate private time and effort to each session, organising fun experiences, from making pancakes to building camp fires and creating structures from recyclable items.

“If it wasn’t for the volunteers, Scouts could not exist, so all the effort they make for the children in Bramhall is highly appreciated by the local community” says Koralia. “We are very lucky to have such amazing people working with us; people with different backgrounds and work experience, who can then pass their skills on to our children. A great example is Max, our Scout Leader, who is a high-profile technologist - he teaches the group various aspects of IT skills, including designing their own computer games and programmes.

How cool is that? Scouting is not just about camping these days” laughed Koralia. “We are moving with the times!”

Koralia is the newly appointed Group Chairman. She moved to the area only a year ago and volunteered for the role when her six-year-old son, Vincent, joined Beavers. With her background and experience, she is raising the 4th Bramhall profile through marketing and forming relationships with local schools and businesses.

“I find it a very rewarding experience. It is my way of saying thank you to the local community for making us feel so welcome when we moved up here from London.”

She later explained that the Group is constantly looking for more volunteers. “Our waiting list is very long and lots of children are waiting to be admitted, but we are not able to, until we have an adequate number of leaders. You don’t have to have any specific qualifications to become a leader. Just the good will to turn up for the sessions and enjoy the company of children. We provide the training and all the support needed.”

If you wish to volunteer, and for more information please visit www.4thbramhall.org.uk

“We try to encourage young people to learn through what they do, undertake new challenges, behave responsibly and contribute to society in a positive way” said Jon Wood, GSL.

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inside people alan haughton the sole man

Alan Haughton was born in Blackburn in 1956 under the star sign cancer. After attending Beeches primary and Norris Road secondary schools in Sale, Alan left at 16 and worked for his uncle as a general builder. After a brief spell as a fruit and vegetable manager in Tesco, he began working for Timpson’s as a shoe repairer.

This was to become his lifetime profession.

Alan was a cobbler for Timpson’s in Altrincham for 15 years and then in London, in the 1980s, for six years.

Returning north, he was based in Yorkshire for a time before moving back to the north west to work, repairing shoes in the Mr Minute Group.

In 1987, he decided to branch out on his own and set up a cobbler and key cutting business in a kiosk in Hazel Grove. It proved to be popular and successful and he moved in 2002 into a shop on the A6, where he remained for a further 15 years until his recent retirement.

Alan has three children, Andrew, Charlotte and Emily from previous marriages and in July will marry Jayne.

Alan is known to everyone as “The Sole Man”, not just because he was a cobbler, but because he has always loved Motown and Northern Soul music.

His disc jockey career began in 1972 in the Blue Rooms in Sale, where he was a part time, unpaid DJ for some six years. He then moved to the Manchester club scene playing venues like the Embassy Rooms, Tramps and Placemate. He also performed at weddings, 21st birthdays and anniversary events.

Alan took a break from his DJ work as the efforts of carrying large amplifiers and heavy equipment, as well as the long and late hours on top of his day job, were proving difficult.

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A few years later, while attending a soul concert at the Guild Hall in Stockport, he was struck by the urge to perform again, and he has remained a DJ ever since.

He was a resident DJ at that venue for six years and then began to freelance. Alan now operates across the Stockport area, particularly in High Lane and Hazel Grove and has built up a regular following of Motown and Northern Soul fans.

He also performs to raise funds for charity; recent concerts have raised £1100 for Cancer Research, £950 for the Alzheimer’s Society and his target is to make £1200 at his next event for Breast Cancer research.

Alan enjoys any and every kind of food, except fish and is very fond of cake, especially cream cakes.

He dislikes ill-mannered people and loves music - soul music of course. He regrets that, although he was a successful self-employed businessman, he didn’t have a better education when he was young.

Holidays are a great pleasure, especially holidays in the sun and he has visited Florida, Crete, Cyprus, Italy, Portugal and Tenerife - anywhere for the sun!

Alan never relaxes and prefers always to be doing things. He will occasionally sit down to watch television but prefers to be active.

Having now retired from his business, he is developing his DJ role and is working as a volunteer in a charity shop and at a food bank.

Last Word from Alan I don’t really have any regrets. I’ve enjoyed my life as it was. I take things as they come. I like people. I’m a social being.

by Ed Blundell

WE’VE GOT A HOUSE …it certainly is a beauty… I must try and make the house give as much pleasure to others as I can wrote Elizabeth Gaskell, in a letter to her friend Eliza Fox in 1850.

Visitors to Manchester never cease to be excited by the rich social, political and industrial history of this famous city. Unfortunately, many of us who live on its doorstep, are prone to forget, or to be unaware of, its many historical treasures.

Elizabeth Gaskell’s House, at 84 Plymouth Grove, Longsight, is just one such treasure. Thanks to a major £2.5m project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and others, this restored House is now fully open to the public.

I’ve visited the house a few times during the last couple of years, in part because I’m an admirer of Elizabeth Gaskell the author, but also because a little time spent in its quiet and elegant space takes you back to a bygone age, shedding much light on Manchester life as it was in her day.

The house is not large but for this very reason it has a special, intimate appeal – perhaps the same welcoming feel that would have been encountered in 1860 by its many visitors including fellow writers Charlotte Brontë, Beatrix Potter and Charles Dickens.

For over 150 years, the house, built between 1835 and 1841, has been associated with one famous resident, the novelist, Elizabeth Gaskell, who lived there from 1850 to 1865 with her husband William, and her four daughters.

She was one of the most important and best-loved Victorian writers. Her novels and letters reveal a warmhearted woman who was a shrewd judge of character, inquisitive, witty and profoundly concerned with social justice. During the time Elizabeth lived here she wrote nearly all her famous novels, including Cranford, Ruth, North and South and Wives and Daughters. It was here that she wrote the biography of her friend Charlotte Brontë, plus many lively letters.

by Garth Aspinall

This place will not tax your energy levels. You won’t be bombarded with numerous facts that you will never remember. Instead, you will encounter incredibly enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteers who can enlighten you as you wander round. You can discover a great deal about Elizabeth and William’s work and about the lives of their daughters and servants. Explore the historic period rooms – the Drawing Room, the Morning Room, the Dining Room and the Study. Browse the books in William Gaskell’s study and sit where Elizabeth sat to write, overlooking her beloved garden. Only a few of the displayed furnishings belonged to the Gaskells, but the furniture has been well chosen to provide an authentic period setting. The chintz for the curtains and loose covers have been printed from an 1850s design, and the carpets have been specially woven, using Victorian patterns preserved by a mill in Halifax. The fireplaces, sourced locally, date from around 1840 when the House was built, and the light fittings have all been converted from gas to electricity. Further research identified the original paint colours and the styles of the wallpapers.

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Outside, the garden has been planted to show the sort of garden that the Gaskells enjoyed, the choice of plants having been informed by references in Elizabeth’s letters and novels, as well as by Victorian garden history. The layout is based on a detailed map of Manchester in 1850 which shows the paths and planting areas. The garden is intended to give as much enjoyment today as it did in Elizabeth’s time.

Elizabeth’s novels, besides telling a good story, often reflect the social and political tensions of the day. But if you visit the house, you will discover that her husband, William, is an equally fascinating figure who contributed much to the society in which they lived.

The Gaskells lived at a time of great change and were active in Manchester’s social, cultural and religious life.

In 1750, Manchester was a town of less than 20,000 people, but by 1850, when the Gaskells moved to Plymouth Grove, it had become Britain’s third largest city, with a population of some 250,000. Workers attracted by the jobs in mills and factories suffered the effects of rapid industrialisation: long hours, low wages, poor housing and sanitation, and the fear of unemployment and destitution. The conditions endured by many of those living less than a mile from Plymouth Grove were well known to William and Elizabeth, both of whom were active in practical initiatives to provide poor relief and education.

However, alongside the mills and the slums, the Gaskells’ Manchester was also a city of libraries, concert halls, theatres, shops and exhibitions and William took a leading role in shaping many of the educational and cultural institutions that still flourish today: Cross St Chapel, where William was Assistant Minister for many years; The Portico Library in Mosley Street, where William was Committee Chairman; The Free Trade Hall which

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opened in 1856 on St Peter’s Fields, the site of the Peterloo Massacre of 1819; The Manchester Literary and Philosophy Society (known as the Lit and Phil) which was founded in 1781 for the advancement of education and the appreciation of literature, science, the arts and public affairs, and The Manchester Mechanics Institute, which was established in 1824 by a group of mill owners and manufacturers, to provide part-time education in science and technology for the working men of Manchester.

There is plenty to do in the house. Located in what was originally the kitchen and servant’s hall is a very pleasant café where you can enjoy tea, coffee and delicious cakes all served in style on vintage china. Children can enjoy activity baskets or dressing up in the Servants’ Hall. Visit the website for information about children’s activities in the school holidays and about the varied ongoing programme of special events for adults. There are also regularly occurring fixtures that include the Victorian Book Group, Plymouth Grove Writing Group, The Gaskell Sewing Bee and their highly-rated second-hand book sale.

If you would like to discover more about Manchester’s history, Elizabeth Gaskell’s House could be a great place to start. The Portico Library, John Rylands Library, The Victoria Baths and The Pankhurst Centre (both 10 minutes’ walk from the house) are just a few of the many places you could plan to visit in Manchester during 2018.

Elizabeth Gaskell’s House, 84 Plymouth Grove, M13 9LW. Open on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays – 11am to 4.30pm Tickets cost £5 (adults), £4 (under 16 – but free when accompanied by an adult).

Tel. 0161 273 2215 www.elizabethgaskellhouse.co.uk

barry’s gardening tips april - may 2018

It’s amazing to think that less than two weeks ago much of the country was in the grip of sub-zero temperatures and snow. All due to a blast from the east.

Most of the plants in my garden escaped unscathed, except for a clump of Euphorbia amygdaloides and the flowers on a few hellebores that were browned. These were quickly removed and there is now no sign of the big freeze. In fact, today it was surprisingly mild, so mild in fact that within 10 minutes of beginning work in the garden I was down to just one fleece instead of the usual three.

That cold spell has put me behind and jobs that I’ve usually completed by the end of February have yet to be done. The big cut’n’clear of my herbaceous borders and beds started today and over the eight hours I spent out there I managed to complete well over half. Being a little OCD I do like to pick up every scrap of stem, twig and leaf that I cut down (although much of it disintegrates when touched) and then dig the soil over lightly with a trowel between the emerging plants, to make it look as neat as possible.

Along the back of the longest border I have several large shrubs, including Cotinus ‘Palace Purple’ and C. ‘Golden Spirit’, Sambucus ‘Black Lace’ and S. ‘Sutherland’s Gold’.

I’ve planted them so that the purple and gold colours alternate. Each year these reach 8 - 10 feet or more and provide an excellent backdrop to the perennials in front.

But now is the time of year to prune them hard. I take each of the main stems down by half, knowing that they will soon produce buds and send out new branches. If you have one of these shrubs don’t be afraid to prune it hard, particularly if it’s been there for years and has

out-grown its allotted space. Rather than watch as surrounding plants diminish in its shadow, cut it back each year. Once established they can be cut almost to the ground and they will recover. One benefit of pruning the Cotinus like this is the production of much bigger leaves. If left unpruned the leaves remain small. If you are thinking of planting a Cotinus, go for ‘Grace’ rather than the older cultivar ‘Palace Purple’. It has larger and far nicer leaves. I’m tempted to dig mine out and replace them but there’s always something more important to do and once the surrounding perennials start to grow, it’s too late.

I’ve also finished pruning the roses. I usually part-prune in late autumn, which reduces the chance of wind damage over winter, but leaving the stem longer than the final cut so that any frost damage can be pruned away later. New buds are showing now so it’s easy to spot dead sections and tidy the plant. The climbers have also been cut back and new vertical stems carefully bent down and trained along horizontal wires.

While I was doing this, I noticed the mild weather had brought out another worker besides me. The first honey bee of the year was busy inside a Crocus ‘Snowbunting’.

My garage, or more accurately my motorcycle shed, is often chosen by queen bumblebees as a place to spend the winter (maybe they’re attracted to the whiff of Castrol R) and now the rise in temperature means they are waking up. So far seven sleepy bees have crawled out of whatever nook or cranny they tucked themselves into last year and, not yet having the energy for take-off, started to head across the garage floor in a bid for freedom. To avoid running them over I carefully transport each one to a vacant bird box nearby and provide them with a bottletop of honey to give them a kick-start. The mild weather has also provided an incentive to wheel the bike out of the garage, but unfortunately it takes a lot more than a drop of honey to kickstart my 1979 Yamaha!

by Barry Davy email: barry.davy@ntlworld.com

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National Garden Scheme

Get out and find a garden to visit!

For most people, with the days becoming longer and the weather warmer (well, we live in hope!), April marks the start of their garden visiting season. Spring bulbs, magnolias, camellias and vibrant fresh green foliage are the big attractions in April, giving way in May to rhododendrons and azaleas, whilst June brings visitors the early summer flowering shrubs and perennials and all the luscious scents.

As you would expect, the National Garden Scheme has lots to offer visitors, who want to get out to gardens, whilst giving to the charities that benefit. The ones mentioned below are just a selection of those opening.

but now having undergone a very significant transformation, will be open whilst Lane End Cottage Gardens on the outskirts of Lymm (WA13 0TA) will also open, both on the Saturday and Sunday.

For those who fancy a trip west towards the lovely Cheshire town of Malpas, a stunning new garden joins the NGS for its first opening. Stretton Old Hall (SY14 7JA) is a modern, beautifully executed, large garden, with something for everyone, formality, wild flower meadows etc. Opening on 20 May and a further date in July.

All Fours Farm, sitting beside Curbishley’s Roses (Aston by Budworth, CW96NF) opens on Easter Sunday, 1 April, and several other dates through the summer, and is always popular.

Farther afield, in the pretty Cheshire village of Burton in Wirral, Briarfield, (CH64 5SJ) the garden of outstanding plantswomen, Liz Carter, will again be opening, as it has for nearly 30 years. If you love magnolias and unusual woodland plants (which will be on sale) this is for you.

On 12 May, two new gardens will open for the first time. 64 Carr Wood, Hale Barns (WA15 0EP), originally laid out professionally in the 1950s,

Stretton Old Hall

Until a few years ago, an Alderley Edge garden, called simply 34 Congleton Road, opened very successfully for the NGS. But then the owners moved away, and new owners transformed parts of the garden, whilst retaining the best features of the old – one of which, incidentally was the most stunning tree shaped wisteria you are likely to see anywhere! The garden has now reverted to its original name of Cheriton (SK9 7AB). The gates will be open on the weekend of 26 and 27 May.

64 Carr Wood

by John Hinde www.ngs.org.uk

Also opening on Sunday 27 May is Rowley House (CW6 9EH) at Kermincham, close to Jodrell Bank. This garden of a retired professional horticulturalist, has long offered lots of natural interest to visitors, via extensive Continued over

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wild flower meadows, unusual trees and a variety of natural ponds and meres. In the last few years its attractions have been enhanced with a beautifully designed courtyard garden close to the house, built using existing cobbles and other materials.

Rowley House

For anyone who likes to forward plan, June, is always the busiest month by far for garden openings. In particular, on the Garden Festival weekend of 2 and 3 June, there are around a dozen gardens opening for the NGS in Cheshire alone! 10, Statham Avenue (WA13 9NH) at Lymm is always worth a visit, abundantly planted and beautifully structured as it rises up to the Bridgwater Canal at the end of the garden. Make sure you catch the woodstore and potting shed, carefully crafted by the owner!

This is just a selection of gardens that are open. For full details of these and all our gardens, pick up a booklet, visit www.ngs.org.uk or download the App. Remember that many gardens also offer private visits to groups from clubs.

Finally, the NGS is always interested to hear from people who might wish to open for us and raise money for our mainly nursing charities. In the first instance, contact john.hinde@maylands.com or 0151 353 0032, or any member of our volunteer team listed in the booklet or on the website.

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Diary of a geeky knitter Brrr, is it spring yet?! Here at home in Hazel Grove it can’t decide if it wants to snow, wants to freeze, or wants to blow us all away! I’m writing this on a chilly Monday evening in February, and though my toes are cold and I’m wishing for the chance to (finally) build a snowman soon, I am delighted because I walked to and from work in the daylight, and successfully managed to not spend all my daylight hours in the office! After all, it’s the little things that help to carry us out of the post -Christmas ‘winter funk.’

© Practical Publishing

My good mood is also undoubtedly helped by the giant slab of chocolate cake I am currently tucking into.

Apologies to all you readers who are braver than me and have given up chocolate for Lent!

Acting the part Since I last spoke to you, it’s all been go in my working life, and it’s not just the walking home in the daylight novelty! I’ve gone and landed myself a new role – you are now reading the words of the Acting Editor of Crochet Now magazine! In fact, I will have put 2 or 3 issues to bed by now, and had one full issue on sale in the supermarkets for a full cycle. It’s exciting stuff if I do say so myself. Who’d have thought that within two years of leaving the capable and welcoming company of Claire and Garth here at INSIDE Magazines, that I would go on to edit my very own magazine?!

It’s undoubtedly the wonderful teachers I had, and I am very grateful for the knowledge and experience they gave me. The jump to editing a magazine myself is a big one, and the pressures of looming deadlines is quite keen, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world and I’ve already learned so much. It just goes to show that if you pursue your hobby with care, patience, and a willingness to learn and adapt, you can set yourself on the path to making your leisurely pursuits into a paying career.

Hats off You might recall last time I told you all about the socks that I had published in Knit Now magazine? Well, it seems I can’t get enough of designing and writing patterns now, so I’ve gone ahead and written a crochet hat pattern too! This is my crochet magazine debut (both as editor, and designer!) and this hat, which I named ‘Bohemian Bonbon’, featured in issue 25 of Crochet Now. It’s a design that should be both suitable for beginners, and for those of you who know how to crochet, but are looking for a quick project to make in no time.

But enough about me! Don’t forget you can get in touch with me at jennythegeekyknitter@gmail.com if you have questions about knitting, crochet, or if you have a subject that you think I should write about here in the magazine. Until next time, enjoy the snow/wind/ sun – whatever the weather is today! jennythegeekyknitter@gmail.com www.thegeekyknitter.co.uk www.etsy.com/uk/shop/geeksgamesandknits

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THE POTT SHRIGLEY ABDUCTION Why was Ellen Turner, 15, of Shrigley Hall, abducted in 1826? Was she taken in a carriage to Gretna Green for love or money?

In the first week of March 1826 Edward Wakefield hired a barouche and a ‘servant’, who travelled to a boarding school in rural Toxteth, Liverpool. The servant handed over a forged letter to the school. Ellen Turner was called down to read that her ailing mother was suddenly taken ill. Communications were difficult in those days and the school believed the scam. Ellen entered the barouche willingly and was taken on a roundabout journey to Pott Shrigley, as she thought, by coach and coaching inn. En route they met a ‘Captain Wilson’ alias Wakefield, who spun a story about driving on to Carlisle and meeting her father who was secretly bankrupt and wanted to secure Ellen’s great inheritance by her marriage. Ellen must have believed Wakefield’s story. Instead they drove on to Gretna Green and married on Wednesday 8 March. Then Wakefield wrote to Ellen’s father and gave an address in Paris. He also put an announcement in The Times newspaper in the Marriages column.

Jenny visits Pott Shrigley nearly 200 years after the abduction

guessed immediately that Wakefield was after Ellen’s inheritance, for Turner and his family owned calico and fulling mills in Blackburn. Immediately he decided that despite the scandal he’d rescue Ellen and not play into Wakefield’s hands by hushing things up.

Eventually they discovered that Wakefield was a widower who had abducted a different young heiress ten years previously. He now had two young children to support plus his ambition to become an MP. He also had connections in Macclesfield from whom he’d heard about Ellen.

Ellen’s uncle traced her to Calais and rescued her.

Wakefield admitted that the marriage had not been consummated, was arrested, tried and imprisoned in Newgate Gaol. The legalities to free Ellen from Wakefield took over a year, while the Press gloated over the details.

It wasn’t until 11 March that Ellen’s father, William Turner of Shrigley Hall, read that his only child Ellen, under the age of legal consent, had married Edward Gibbon Wakefield the previous Wednesday! The shock to William Turner and his wife must have been immense. However could someone they’d never met have heard about Ellen? William Turner

by Jenny Cooke

Edward Wakefield, a spendthrift, came from the wider family of Elizabeth Fry, the Quaker prison reformer.

Whilst in prison he wrote a pamphlet proposing the colonisation of Australasia and later emigrated to New Zealand. In 1852 he was elected to their General Assembly. Our own Eileen Shore of Poynton Local History Society has seen his portrait in Christchurch Museum.

Ellen Turner was reinstated into Society and later she married Thomas Legh of Lyme Park, had three children in three years and died, aged nearly 20 in childbirth.

Continued over

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Her father became MP for Blackburn and his fortune passed to the Legh family. Ellen’s only surviving child, Ellen Jane Legh, married Mr Lowther, vicar of Disley.

They owned Shrigley Hall and after Ellen Jane died in 1906 the Hall was sold.

The story of Ellen Turner’s abduction reads like a melodrama and yet in reality was a frightening ordeal, ‘a tale of anguish, deceit and violation,’ says the local historian Neil Mullineux of Marple. Ellen’s brief life was restored and then lost again, tragically early. Ellen must have known all the hopes and dreams of any young girl and she deserves to be remembered today.

Acknowledgements: 1. Grateful thanks to Eileen Shore, Poynton Local History Society, and to Neil Mullineux, an entertaining and informative speaker on this subject.

2. Abduction – the Story of Ellen Turner by Kate M Atkinson, Blenkins Press 2002. This is a fully illustrated book and a fascinating read.

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in touch your local community noticeboard april - may 2018

ISABELLA ORTIZ APPEAL FOR DONATIONS Assunta and Victor, the Bramhall-based parents of 4-year-old Isabella Moriz, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour last year, are seeking help to raise money to send her to Mexico for potentially lifesaving treatment.

There is currently no cure for this type of cancer, called DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma) and they have exhausted all the treatment options available under the NHS. Isabella has been treated at Alder Hey hospital in Liverpool, where clinical trials for her tumour are taking place but her chances of survival are minimal. As the tumour begins to grow, in time, Isabella will not be able to walk, swallow, move her arms, eat, talk and eventually breathe. The expected survival period is between 9 and 12 months from diagnosis so, if they do not act now, Isabella could have only months left to live.

Desperate for their daughter to have the best chance of life possible, Isabella’s parents started to search for available treatment around the world; the estimated cost for treatment in Mexico is £350,000. It’s an overwhelming amount of money to raise, but they are determined to give Isabella the best chance of survival in the hope that a breakthrough is made to defeat DIPG. Even if it gives her one extra day, it would have been worth it for them.

Is there anything you can do to help little Isabella? Her parents are running fundraising campaigns at Kids Allowed (Isabella’s nursery), Siemens (where Victor works) and Capita (where Assunta works.) They have set up a crowdfunding website at chuffed.org/project/fighting-cancer-with-princess-isabella and more information is available at www.facebook.com/DIPGPrincessIsabella/

With your support, you could be giving Isabella the chance to continue being the happy, cheeky, cheerful and intelligent daughter she has always been. Please consider a donation to potentially save Isabella’s life.

STOCKPORT LADIES SPEAKERS We are members of the Association of Speakers’ Clubs and our aim is to encourage and help women who dread the idea of having to speak but need to conquer their fear, whether it be for job presentations or social occasions.

We meet fortnightly on a Wednesday - our group has a diverse membership, including students, young professionals, mums and business owners. There is no pressure to speak until you are ready to do so.

For more information go to www.stockportladiesspeakers.co.uk or email sixdennett@aol.com

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in touch - your local community noticeboard

KILIMANJARO CHALLENGE Two determined charity fundraisers from Greenbank Preparatory School are to climb Kilimanjaro to continue their long-term mission to support a Kenyan special school.

Derek Lowe, 60, from Davenport and Kate Mercer, 52, from Whaley Bridge will form the backbone of the Greenbank Preparatory School party taking on the highest mountain in Africa.

Derek, the husband of Janet Lowe, Greenbank’s headmistress, is a regular on the mountain sides in the Lake District and Snowdonia but says he has never attempted this type of challenge, while Greenbank’s Head of Music, Kate, is an accomplished long-distance walker who has already completed a succession of challenges.

Kate Mercer, Sumaya Riaz, Wendy Baardman Charlie Bryning and Derek Lowe

They will be supporting leg amputee Wendy Baardman, the Treasurer of the Port Reitz Special School Foundation, on the once in a lifetime venture aiming to raise 20,000 euros to buy a new mini bus for the children many of whom have been orphaned and have severe physical and mental needs.

Greenbank Preparatory School, based in Cheadle Hulme, began raising funds for Port Reitz in 2011 after their former pupil Harrison Wood, then aged just nine-years-old but now a young man of 16 and a pupil in the Cheadle Hulme School Sixth Form, had visited the Kenyan special school with his parents.

Since then as Wendy confirmed “the charity has raised over 500,000 euros from donors all over Europe, but the majority due to the efforts of Harrison, who is a remarkable young man and continues to raise sponsorship from businesses in Cheadle Hulme and beyond.”

If you want to sponsor the team or help with the Port Reitz Foundation, please contact Greenbank on 0161 485 3724.

PLANT HUNTERS’ FAIRS On Sunday 22 April, Bramall Hall will be hosting a great plant fair bringing you some of the country’s most highly respected specialist nurseries, including RHS medallists each with a brilliant range of plants. The Plant Fair is a fund-raising event for special projects at the hall and has proved hugely popular, rapidly gaining a reputation as the best specialist plant fair in the area, offering a dazzling array of plants all for just £2 entry to the fair. The nurseries will be more than happy to give you the benefit of their experience in how to plant and care for the plants you buy so you can get the best from them.

There is free entry to the 70-acre parkland. The plant fair runs from 11am to 4pm.

On Sunday 13 May, Plant Hunters’ Fairs return to Adlington Hall for what has become one of the best loved garden events in the area, with a winning line up of the best nurseries around, a most charming and beautiful Continued over

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in touch - your local community noticeboard garden and a truly relaxing and inviting atmosphere. With so much to see, why not take one of the free guided tours of the gardens with the Head Gardener Anthony O’Grady or simply relax, take in the beautiful gardens and enjoy traditional teas and cakes.

The nurseries will of course come loaded with a really great mix of plants and specialities to delight plant lovers of every level of experience and will be more than happy to give you the benefit of their experience in planting and caring for the plants you buy so you can get the best from them. This event runs from 10am to 4pm. Free parking and half-price entry to the gardens and plant fair of just £3.

For more information about both events please see www.planthuntersfairs.co.uk

CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM CAMPAIGN A local chimney sweep is supporting calls for mandatory carbon monoxide alarms in rented properties with gas appliances. David Sudworth, of Mr Soot Chimney Sweep, a member of The Guild of Master Chimney Sweeps, welcomed the Housing Minister’s pledge to look at extending the need for alarms.

David explains: “The law is inconsistent as carbon monoxide alarms are mandatory for homes with open fires, stoves and woodburners but not for gas. This is a nonsense because any appliance is capable of producing carbon monoxide. Even those which have been properly installed can, over time, develop faults which cause the deadly gas to spill out and enter your home.

“I firmly believe that all homes where there are combustion appliances fitted should, by law, have carbon monoxide alarms. Take time to read up about the dangers and spot the warning signs.

You could be suffering CO poison now without even realising it. And most importantly of all, please get a Carbon Monoxide Alarm – it could save your life.”

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David Sudworth of Mr Soot Chimney Sweep

Ladybower and Win Hill Walk description: A circular walk starting close to the reservoir dam and taking an early steep ascent of Win Hill up through the wooded eastern approach to its summit. From there it progresses northwest across the ridge as far as Hope Cross, at which point it drops down through the wood to meet the track close to the river Ashop. It then follows the track alongside the western branch of the Ladybower back to the dam.

There are spectacular views throughout.

Distance: Approximately 8.5 miles; a walk which has few turning points and offers good underfoot conditions for most of the way.

Maps: OS Explorer OL1 Dark Peak.

Start: Heatherdene car park which has pay and display with toilets (SK202860) there are also a few marked parking bays on the road (A6013) close to the entrance to the car park.

Refreshments: Yorkshire Bridge Inn on the A6013 close to the reservoir dam.

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Leave the car park at the south end, passing the rather impressive toilets (any decent book on great buildings of the world will include the Taj Mahal and the toilets at Heatherdene) and proceed through the gates onto a path running above and parallel to the road. At a point level with the dam, the path drops to the right down some steps onto the road where there is a monument marking the opening of the reservoir.

Ladybower is the lowest (and latest) of three reservoirs, the two higher ones being the Derwent and Howden respectively, and was built by the Derwent Valley Water Board to supplement the capacity of the other two to meet the needs of the East Midlands. Construction was completed in 1943 but it was not opened until 1945 since it took the intervening two years to fill. In the process of flooding the lower part of the valley, the villages of Derwent and Ashopton were removed/ submerged which in turn necessitated the exhumation of bodies from Derwent church graveyard for re-burial at nearby Bamford.

Cross the road from the monument and take the path along the top of the dam. There are good views to both right, across the surface of the reservoir towards the road bridges, and left, down the embankment to see the water outflows into the river Derwent. It is also worth noting the characteristic bellmouth overflows (often called plugholes) at each end of the dam. These are about 80 ft in diameter at the surface.

At the far end of the dam, turn right onto the track and proceed for about 250 yards where there is a finger post signed New Barn, and a narrow path leading up into the wood (SK197856) Take this path which rises steadily up to a gate accessing another path from right to left. Once through the gate, turn left and follow the path, slightly climbing across the face of the hill, via another gate/stile, eventually reaching a point where a path veers up to the right. Ignore this turn and proceed a few yards onwards

and slightly downhill to the next junction, with a narrow path from the left and to the right up some stony steps (SK194851) Turn right up the steps and follow a steep rocky climb up to a gate and junction with another path at right angles. Once through the gate, turn right for one or two yards and then left to continue the climb up the hill. (Before climbing further, note that this is a convenient point for a coffee stop as there are several stones/walls to sit on and it offers a welcome break in the climb.)

The path soon leaves the cover of the trees and breaks out into the open, veering slightly left then straight up eventually through a gap in a wall, revealing the final stony ascent of Winhill Pike, sometimes referred to as ‘the pimple’. There is a rocky outcrop at the summit and if you didn’t take a coffee stop earlier then this is an ideal place for one since the views are excellent in all directions.

Both branches of the reservoir are visible to the north and there is a good view across Hope Valley and Mam Tor to the south and west. In early August, there is the additional bonus of a purple carpet of flowering heather on the hillside around you. If you look ahead across the ridge you will see that the track will eventually veer steadily to the right to meet, and run alongside, the wood on the north side of the ridge.

The Walk

other side of the Noe valley and, further on beyond Lose Hill, the Edale Valley comes into view. It is recommended that a lunch stop is taken somewhere along the ridge since there are excellent views over much of the Peak District.

Continue along the track, by Wooler Knoll (SK172863) which eventually passes between the wood boundary fence on the right and a wall on the left, until you reach Hope Cross (SK162874) – a seven foot high stone pillar with a square capstone bearing the names of the four local places Edale, Glossop, Hope and ‘Shefield’ (note just one ‘f’?). The Cross, bearing a date of 1737, is sited at the crossing of old packhorse routes through the Peak District. Several years ago, the capstone was removed by vandals, but it was later found near Bradwell in Hope Valley and restored on the pillar.

Proceed through the gate to the right of the Cross and climb over the stile in the fence taking the path down into the wood. The path soon enters a dark stretch due to the density of the evergreen trees which present a tunnel effect, at the end of which daylight returns showing two paths to the right. Take the left one of these two and proceed downhill again keeping left at the next fork.

The path is steep and rocky in parts, so care is needed on the descent. The path then winds right, then left, and eventually meets an established cart track at the bottom (SK164878) At this point you are close to the river Ashop which flows into the western branch of the Ladybower. Turn right onto the track and follow this all the way as it undulates along the side of the reservoir eventually returning you to the dam. Proceed back across the dam, over the road, up the steps and back along the path to the car park.

Presented on behalf of Marple District Rambling Club; with over 350 members, the Club organises up to 5 graded walks every Thursday and three every Sunday.

Take care descending the short stony path off the Pike to pick up the path at a slightly lower level and to the left as you look across the ridge (SK187851) Follow this track (ignoring any branches off to left or right) eventually through a gate/stile combination and onwards towards the edge of the wood to the right. At this point, on your left, you will see Win Hill’s counterpart, Lose Hill, on the

For further information contact the Chairman, Sue Gilmore on 07775 630398, or the Membership Secretary, Claude Prime, on 0161 483596 or visit www.marple-uk/community/rambling to see the Walks Programme

By Claude Prime – Marple District Rambling Club

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Read All About It! As you can read in the Copper Lounge Times, this restaurant began when three friends, one from Mumbai, one from Goa and one from Delhi decided to combine their specialist knowledge of food from their own place of birth to develop a menu based around the flavours, methods and the spices used in their cooking.

The third starter was Silver Belly Fry, homemade spicy citrus fish goujons, and was probably my favourite of the three; it blended well with its accompanying sauce.

Then came our main courses, Andhra Lamb for me and Mulvani Prawn for my partner. Again, we ended up sharing both, and we each claimed that ours was the tastiest. The Pulao rice and the garlic naan went down well too, all nicely washed down with a dash of Cobra and some red wine.

This was my second visit to The Copper Lounge and as soon as we walked in I was wondering why there had been such a long gap between the two meals here. The location itself may have something to do with this. It’s not exactly in the thick of the action, it’s more central small parade than heart of the city.

But once you’ve eaten here you’ll realise that the food quality, choice, service and surroundings would not be out of place in the middle of Manchester.

The menu is extensive, and our final selections took quite some time to make. We wanted to try the mix of styles of food on offer and we were keen to sample vegetarian, as well as meat dishes. We read on the menu that India has the biggest number of vegetarians, so we decided that the chefs probably know their onions.

Cone-shaped poppadoms with home-made accompaniments were followed by a collection of three starters for us to share. My choice was the Chilli Chicken, which was suitably spicy and tasty enough for my fellow guest to try and grab a little more than I’d had in mind.

Their choice of Beetroot Tikki, a peppery vegan pan-fried beetroot patice, was equally delicious, but I managed to restrict myself to our agreed ration.

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The dishes I’ve described may sound like the type of food you eat at your local Indian, but please don’t be fooled, this is Indian food with a twist, and of the highest quality and authenticity. The surroundings are lovely too, and the staff knowledgeable and attentive. This was a very busy evening, with people queuing for a table in the lounge bar as we left at the end.

Oh, and there are quirky elements as well. Fresh water is delivered to your table from ornate copper jugs and you drink this from small copper goblets to enhance the experience. And the quirky ‘Copper Times’ menu showcases the street food menu perfectly – select one or two as a starter or choose several to make up your own street feast.

The three friends have been working together for three years now and the restaurant is clearly building up a fine reputation. Its Thali offering on a Sunday is particularly popular and we plan to try this out very soon.

If you like Indian food, then you’ll love this place. And you’re allowed to go with high expectations, this is food to savour, these food combinations are gorgeous.

I’ve made a pact with my partner that we won’t leave it as long as we did this time before we revisit The Copper Lounge. Come to think of it, this coming Sunday definitely has possibilities!

By Barrie Hawker

Helping Hedgehogs The hedgehog native to Britain is the European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) usually found in hedgerows, farmland, woodland and urban environments. Usually around 250mm long with a long snout, an adult hedgehog can have up to 7000 spines that are hollow modified hairs; a single spine can support the total weight of the animal. If a hedgehog feels threatened, the spines become erect and if danger remains, the hedgehog will roll up into a ball.

During the year hedgehogs are active for approximately eight months between April and November, and they hibernate during the colder winter months. With global warming, this pattern of hibernation is changing a little, so it’s a good idea to leave food and water if you see any activity during the winter. If the temperature falls below 1°C, hedgehogs can get frostbite or even freeze solid it is thought that these periods of arousal may help to prevent them from freezing to death.

Hedgehogs will eat virtually anything in the wild but insects, particularly earthworms and beetles, make up most of their diet. They also eat slugs and snails, so are known as the ‘gardener’s friend.’ These nocturnal mammals can consume up to 20% of their body weight in a single night, covering anything up to a couple of miles, a long way for little legs!

The European hedgehog is now endangered in the United Kingdom and an increase in the publicity of their plight has led to an increase in complementary feeding by the general public. It’s great that people want to help, but feeding inappropriate foodstuffs can lead to serious problems. Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD), obesity with associated cardiovascular disorders, and fatty liver disease are nutritional disorders that have been reported in hedgehogs fed improper diets. It is therefore important

not to feed them with high phosphorous foods such as mealworms, sunflower hearts and peanuts that can all contribute to crippling MBD with bone deformities and easily fractured bones. Added sugar and dried fruit should also be avoided too as these could lead to obesity, cardiovascular issues, and dental issues just as in humans! Foods with a high fat content can lead to fatty liver disease, which can quickly become fatal to the hedgehog. The safest way is to feed them a reputable commercial hedgehog food, such as Brambles Crunchy Hedgehog food and Brambles Meaty Hedgehog Food.

To help hedgehogs in the garden, encourage a safe passage to and from your garden and your neighbours by creating a small hole of around 13cm at the base of fences and borders. Leave a quiet area of your garden uncultivated so hedgehogs can have a safe haven and avoid using chemicals such as slug pellets and pesticides. Always check the borders of your garden before using a strimmer to ensure no hedgehogs are resting there and if you have a pond in your garden, make sure there is a way out for any hedgehogs that inadvertently fall in. A few partially submerged rocks around the edges of the pond will help.

If you find a sick, injured or orphaned hedgehog visit helpwildlife.co.uk or the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) for advice.

For further information see our Brambles Pet and Wildlife website bramblespaw.co.uk and Facebook page www.facebook.com/ BramblesPAW/

By Gail Tracey, Director of Brambles Pet and Wildlife. Email: gail@bramblespaw.co.uk

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quick crossword Across 7 Put up for election (8) 8 Strong impulse, desire (4) 9 Small amount of food, a mouthful (6) 10 Snow-block house (5) 11 Diary keeper ____ Frank (4) 12 Accepted, allowed (8) 14 Possible (8) 18 Cloak (4) 20 Nibble, sample (5) 22 Small tower (6) 23 Pudding similar to semolina (4) 24 Gushing streams of water (8)

down 1 Chrysalis (6) 2 Beatniks, bohemians (8) 3 Pungent bulb used in cooking (6) 4 Hand in your notice (6) 5 Haul, tug (4) 6 Disregard, neglect (6) 13 Happened (8) 15 Non-speaking actors in crowd scenes (6) 16 Gasp, inhale (6) 17 Whole, complete (6) 19 Lots, abundance (6) 21 Excessively studious person (4)

sudoku How to play Sudoku Fill in the grid so that each row, column and 3x3 box, contains the numbers 1 through to 9 with no repetition.

You don’t need to be a genius. These puzzles use logic alone.

Watch out! Sudoku is highly addictive.

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Solutions on page 66

TIME TO EMBRACE THE HUMBLE HOUSEPLANT Everything goes in cycles it would seem. I’m old enough to remember the 1970s, and the rather tired looking rubber plant in our hallway, a little unloved and ignored. Since then, houseplants seemed to fall out of fashion although many people have always appreciated that bringing a little bit of the tropics into their home can enrich their lives in many ways.

Over-watering is the most common way for us to harm plants in the UK; sometimes we kill them with kindness!

People will often water plants that, in their natural environment grow in poor, sandy, well-drained soil, two or three times a week or even daily. This is, in general, far too much and once every 10 to 14 days for most plants is more than sufficient.

I have spent dozens of years caring for about a thousand of these stunning plants every month in commercial premises, from swish city centre offices to smart restaurants and the glitziest of car showrooms, and I would like to share my care tips with you.

There are around 20 to 30 varieties of tropical plants sold in the UK and the majority of these are produced in the global capital of horticulture, Holland.

The first thing to consider is location, the simplest way I can emphasise the importance of this is to remind people of their holidays in the Canaries or other similar locations with constant warm weather and hours of sunshine all year round. If your plants are to thrive then natural or good artificial light is essential.

In future articles I would like to share specific recommendations for the care of Orchids, Bromellia, Dracaena, Palms, table top mixed displays, succulents and various other larger specimen plants. Free advice in the meantime is available on my fb page Houseplant doctor.

Rick Simpson tropicalplants4gifts.com

Luxury honeymoon destinations Wedding season is upon us. Amongst choosing the flowers and finalising the table plan, comes (in my opinion), the best bit - deciding where to go on your honeymoon! At Not Just Travel we can take care of all the logistics so that you can just enjoy your romantic escape. From luxury resorts to multi-stop cultural adventures, there are hundreds to choose from: Italy - If ever there was a country associated with romance, it’s Italy. From the vibrant buzz of Rome to the traditional olive groves of Tuscany and down to the stunning Amalfi Coast, there’s no shortage of beautiful places to visit. Last year, the country was voted Top Luxury Travel Destination for 2017 by Travel Leader’s Group and it’s not hard to see why. Also, the best bit is, it’s only a 3-hour flight from the UK. Dominican Republic - With its crystal blue waters, paradise beaches and fantastic choice of luxury resorts, the West Indies is the perfect choice for your honeymoon. The Dominican Republic offers the best of both worlds, a great mixture of adventure activities but also beautiful resorts, that are designed for chilling out.

Low season is April to June and August to December so fits in well with the peak UK wedding season.

Sri Lanka - The word that immediately springs to mind when thinking about Sri Lanka is, ‘magical’, closely followed by ‘diverse.’ The best memories you will take home are the wealth of its culture and how genuinely lovely the people are. There’s so much to see and do on the island that hiring a private driver is recommended. Whilst the beaches are amazing, it would be a shame not to venture inland to ‘Little England’ and the tea plantations, visit the fascinating ruins and temples and of course, book yourself on a safari and see the elephants!

Wherever you want to go, it’s a great idea to put the planning in the hands of a professional. After all, it will be the most special holiday of your life!

Lucy Allen - Personal Travel Consultant 07512 784700 www.notjusttravel.com/waiting-world

B

A HOLIDAY CHOICE AS SIMPLE As...

A

A is for… America

C

The USA has long been a top destination for UK holidaymakers, offering fabulous holiday experiences from cities to beaches, golf and sailing to shopping and theme parks and from remote National Parks to full on vibrant Las Vegas.

But how to narrow it down? As we all know, it’s a big country and it’s a big mistake to try and do too much. New England, and in particular the Bay State of Massachusetts, on the eastern seaboard of the USA, could be just the place for a summer holiday. With soft sand beaches, rugged rocky coastlines and quaint fishing villages sitting alongside rolling green hills, grape laden vineyards, and the energetic city of Boston.

Plantation, a recreation of a 1627 Pilgrim village, just a little further on. Sports are a major part of Boston’s culture, with famous teams like the Boston Red Sox (baseball); Boston Celtics (basketball); Boston Bruins (ice hockey) and the New England Patriots (American football) all calling it home.

B is for… Boston

C is for… Cape Cod

Boston, the State capital with so much to be proud of.

It is a walking city, filled with green areas and parks, its most iconic being Boston Common in the heart of downtown. It is a welcoming city, with a friendly attitude towards all who visit this modern metropolis.

Rich in history and culture and home to some of the best restaurants, hotels, nightlife and attractions in New England, it’s no surprise that Boston is one of the most loved cities in the USA.

What is it about Cape Cod that keeps visitors coming back? That’s not a tricky question once you’ve visited for yourself. Cape Cod is captivating. The big draw, of course, are the beaches, some of the best in the world.

Choose from the northern waters of Cape Cod Bay or the majestic Atlantic where surfing, fishing, swimming and boating are just a few of the summer pastimes.

Visit the Cape Cod National Seashore for dramatic sand dunes, towering cliffs and almost infinite stretches of beaches. This Eastern Seaboard state has been named by the WWF as one of the world’s top 10 whalewatching spots, with a variety of species found within 25 miles of its coast. Whale-watching cruises operate

Downtown, you’ll find historic sites around almost every corner, many linked by The Freedom Trail.

Plymouth Rock, landing point of the first settlers all those years ago, is less than an hour away with Plimoth

Continued over

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from April to October and are, unsurprisingly, the top attraction on the Cape.

Another reason for Cape Cod’s popularity may be attributed to the unique character of each town.

Quilted together to make this special peninsula, each town has something different to offer and the ability to appeal to people of many interests. To get a feel for Cape Cod’s geography, drive along Route 6A to the tip of Provincetown and see for yourself the distinct differences in the Upper, Mid, Lower and Outer Cape.

When visiting the Cape, whether for a day or a month, it is important to get beyond the main roads and do a little digging. Discover the nooks and crannies that you can call your own, whether it’s a pond, beach, bike trail, gallery or restaurant, there are plenty to choose from.

Where can you tour a battleship in the morning, walk in the steps of the early pilgrims in the afternoon and catch the excitement of a ball game in the evening?

Find yourself watching whales breach in the gentle waters one moment and admiring spectacular pieces of priceless art the next? If this combination of attractions beckons you to visit, why not spend your holiday in Massachusetts – it’s all here!

So now you have the ABC, you just need the TBD - phone 01625 584195 or visit Travel by Design in Alderley Edge, and we will book your summer holiday to Massachusetts.

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by Kristina Hulme travelbydesigngroup.com

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Answers: hose, flames, helmet, siren, fire engine, water. Extra letter answer: ladder

just 4 kids

Children’s Activities Things to do with pre-school kids

Monday

thursday

Story Time 11-11.30am Bramhall Library. Telephone 0161 217 6009

Little Lambs Baby & Toddler Group 10-11.30am Term time only, Bramhall Baptist Church, Woodford Road.

Toys, refreshments and song time. Suggested donation of £1.50 per family. Just turn up or for more information email bramhallbaptistchurch@gmail.com

Tuesday Active Angels 10-11.30am - Term time only Free play and songs including puppets and musical instruments and parachute fun also. Healthy snacks and refreshments for children and hot and cold beverages for adults. St Michael & All Angels Parish Church, Bramhall. Contact Karina: 07969633654 or Karina_lemmon@live.co.uk Tiny Thinkers 1.30pm - Term time only Tiny Thinkers provides stimulating and fun activities to help your child learn the basic skills required for starting school. St Michael’s church, Bramhall, SK7 2PG. 2½ -4years, adaptable activities. £6.50 per class (trial session free). Contact Karina Lemmon: Karina_lemmon@live.co.uk Tel: 07969633654 Find us on Facebook - facebook.com/Tinythink/ Story Time 2-2.30pm Cheadle Hulme Library. Telephone 0161 217 6009.

WFA Little Strikers Pre-School Football 10-11am 18 months – 4 years Term time only. Brookdale Theatre, Bridge Lane, SK7 3AB. £6 per session, no pre-booking required. Contact Erik on 07792 791382.

Wednesday BMC Baby Chat 10.30-11.45am Term-time only. Bramhall Methodist Church, Bramhall Lane South.

Come and join us every Wednesday morning for a chat, tea/coffee and biscuits and the opportunity to meet other mums, grandparents and carers with young babies in the Bramhall area. There’s a small charge of £1 per adult. For further details please call 0161 439 1204.

Tiny Thinkers 10.00am - Term time only Term time only. Tiny Thinkers provides stimulating and fun activities to help your child learn the basic skills required for starting school.

Let Loose, Hazel Grove, SK7 5DP. 2½-4years, adaptable activities. £6.50 per class (trial session free). Contact Karina Lemmon: Karina_lemmon@live.co.uk Tel: 07969633654. Find us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Tinythink/

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Tiny Thinkers 1.30pm - Term time only Let Loose, Hazel Grove, SK7 5DP. 2½ -4years, adaptable activities. £6.50 per class (trial session free). Contact Karina Lemmon: Karina_lemmon@live.co.uk Tel: 07969633654

friday Baby Massage & Yoga – morning Bramhall Library Children’s Centre. Combined class run by The Baby Massage Company & Honeychild Baby Yoga. Email babylovesmassage@live.co.uk or call Kate on 07866 468245 for class times and to book (necessary).

Toddler Group 10-11.30am Cheadle Hulme United Reformed Church, Swann Lane. £1 per child including refreshments. Contact Alison Stevens 01625 877180.

Little Fishes Toddler Group for under 5’s - 10-11.30am Term-time only, Bramhall Methodist Church, Bramhall Lane South.

For more information contact the church office on 0161 439 1204 or email office@bramhallmethodists.org.uk NCT (National Childbirth Trust) 10-11.30am St Michael & All Angels Parish Church, Bramhall. Contact Tracy Howe on 0161 477 3252

saturday Who Let the Dads Out? 10-11.30am Every 3rd Saturday of the month, Bramhall Methodist Church.

A play session for dads, grandads and male carers and their pre-school aged children. Messy play, games, a room full of toys, followed by bacon butties, tea and coffee for dads, and drinks and biscuits for the children. For further details and dates please contact Richard@bramhallmethodists.org.uk

Sunday Messy Church. Second Sunday of every month 4-6pm Bramhall Methodist Church, Bramhall Lane South.

See Inside Guide or call 0161 439 1204.

Compiled by Clare Blackie > email: c.blackie@insidemagazines.co.uk

Pea

p u o S t n i M &

Ingredients ■■ 1 cupful of chopped spring onions ■■ 1 medium potato, peeled and chopped ■■ 1 crushed clove of garlic ■■ 850ml vegetable stock ■■ 250g fresh peas ■■ 4tbsp fresh mint, chopped ■■ Large pinch of sugar ■■ 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice ■■ 150ml soured cream

1. Place the spring onions into a large pan together with the potatoes, garlic and stock. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and allow to simmer for 15 minutes or until the potato is soft.

2. Set aside a few tbsp. of peas for the garnish.

Add the remaining peas into the pan and simmer for 5 minutes only.

3. Blanch the remaining peas in boiled water for 2-3 minutes. Drain them and then put to one side in a bowl of cold water.

4. Into the main pan add the mint, sugar, lemon and allow to cool slightly.

5. Pour into a blender and mix to the desired consistency.

6. Stir in half the cream and season with salt and pepper to taste.

7. Garnish with the remaining cream and drained peas to serve.

53

THE PROBLEM WITH PLASTIC We all enjoyed watching Blue Planet 2 last year. As well as amazing photography of marine animals in their natural habitat, the programme drew attention to the state of our oceans and the plight of many fish and animals, caused in large part due to our excessive use of plastic.

There are so many serious problems in the world now that we can end up feeling overwhelmed and unable to help. Not so with the plastic waste problem - this is something that every one of us can start to address.

Plastic is overused in many ways, but we can all think about how to reduce our use of this undoubtedly flexible, but potentially wasteful and toxic, commodity.

Single-use plastic in particular is largely unnecessary, and its overuse must be addressed if our children and grandchildren are to see the diverse wildlife we see in the oceans today.

Here are a few simple ways you can start to make a difference.

■■ Get a refillable bottle for each member of your family instead of getting multipacks of so-called disposable plastic bottles. At present 38.5 million single-use bottles are used every day.

■■ Buy fruit juice in cardboard cartons not in plastic bottles.

■■ Get refillable hot drinks’ containers. Some coffee shops are encouraging use of these and often charge less. Of the 2.5 billion coffee cups used every day only 1% are recycled.

■■ Avoid plastic straws - they are only used for ten minutes but are then in the environment for hundreds of years. If you need to use a straw get one that isn’t made of plastic. They do exist, and many local businesses are changing to use them.

■■ Find out if a milkman delivers to your area and get milk in reusable glass bottles.

54

■■ If you provide packed lunches for your family, buy containers that can be used many times.

■■ If you have to eat regularly on the go, keep cutlery in your bag or car to avoid having to use the plastic cutlery provided.

■■ Supermarkets are proving slow to reduce plastic packaging. If they do sell loose broccoli, carrots, onions etc don’t use the bags they provide. I take unwrapped vegetables to the till and haven’t had any complaints so far. Even better, local greengrocers don’t use as much packaging and you can buy loose fruit and vegetables from them.

It’s not just about food shopping and eating on the go - take a look round your home too. How can you cut down on plastic here?

■■ Change bottles of shower gel and liquid soap for bars of soap – preferably not wrapped in plastic!

■■ Buy razors that you can use again, not packets of disposable plastic ones.

■■ Buy containers to store food in. They may be made of plastic but will last for years and mean you can stop using cling film.

■■ Use soap powder that comes packaged in cardboard, not liquid soap in a plastic bottle.

These are just a few suggestions to get us all thinking. Many people will have excellent ideas of their own to share. If you try just some of these ideas, you will be helping to solve a really serious problem. If everyone does a little, a huge amount will be achieved. This is one crisis we can all do something about.

By Stella M. Thomas

From one local business to another - find out how you can get INSIDE our pages INSIDE E POYNTON ISSUE 71

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2017

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inside guide

april - may 2018

selected events in your area

Wednesday 4 April

Thursday 12 April

Coffee and Conversation at Simply Books Join Andrew for half-an-hour of lively conversation about books in the news. Hear what’s happening in the shop and pick up suggestions for a few good reads! Price: £2.50 (towards your coffee and homemade cake) (Coffee and Conversation usually takes place on the FIRST Wednesday of each month at so we’ll be meeting again on 2 May) Simply Books, Bramhall 11am

LINK Women’s Fellowship. A change to our advertised programme - we have invited Bill Woods of Blackbrook Herb Gardens in Wilmslow to talk to us about Herbs. I have heard Bill myself and what Bill doesn’t know about herbs is not worth knowing. All ladies are welcome to join us for an enjoyable and friendly afternoon rounding off the talk with a cup of tea and biscuit and time to meet new friends. All for only £2 Bramhall Methodist Church (Bramhall Village Centre) 2.30 pm

Thursday 5 April Baby Book Club at Simply Books Perfect for 0-3 year olds, our Baby Book Club is a 20 minute session of stories and rhymes.

Meet new people, have a browse in the shop and enjoy a drink in the cafe and a slice of delicious homemade cake! £5 per family (up to 2 children) which includes a complimentary drink and £2 towards a children’s book.

Next session: Thursday 3 May Simply Books, Bramhall 2pm

Friday 6 April Café y Conversacion at Simply Books.

A conversation group for anyone interested in improving their Spanish! Join us for informal Spanish conversation over coffee and cake with local Spanish teacher Liz Wilson. £5 (includes refreshments) (Cafe y Conversacion meets at 11am on the first Friday of each month) Simply Books, Bramhall 11am

thursday 5 April Would you like to meet new friends? Are you over 50 and single? Thursday Group is a friendship group for men and women, with several activities run by the members every week. These include walking, dancing, badminton, theatre and restaurant visits. For more info, see www.thursdaygroup.co.uk, or ring Mike on 07860 396286, or just come along to new members night on the first Thursday in each month where you will be met by group members.

The Bulls Head Pub, 30 Wilmslow Road, Handforth SK9 3EW 8.30pm

Tuesday 10 April East Cheshire Association of the National Trust Lecture – ‘Building the Big Ditch’ – Judith Atkinson Brookdale Club, Bridge Lane, Bramhall, Stockport, SK7 3AB 2pm

Thursday 12 April Family History Society Bramhall Group The Enigmatic Engineer with Geoff Johnson. ‘Curly’, the subject of tonight’s talk, went through three surnames, which was just one aspect of the strange life of this fascinating and highly regarded model engineer. Admission £2 with refreshments, visitors always welcome. More information 0161 439 5021 or email bramhall@fhsc.org.uk Main Hall, United Reformed Church, Bramhall SK7 2PE 7.30pm

Fri 13 to Sun 15 April Bramhall Art Society 51st Annual Exhibition There is an open invitation to come along to view the work of the Society, with original paintings both framed and unframed available for purchase. Entrance is free and there is adjacent free parking. Tea, coffee, biscuits and cakes will be served each day from 10am to 4pm, with all proceeds being donated to St Ann’s Hospice.

For updates go to www.Facebook.com/bramhallartsociety Bramhall Village Club, Lumb Lane, Bramhall, SK7 1LR 10am to 6pm (5pm Sunday)

Wednesday 18 April Lunchtime Concert Piano recital by Leif Kanar-Lidstrom from The Royal Northern College of Music. Admission by programme £5. Light lunches available from 12 noon Alderley Edge Methodist Church 1pm

Wednesday 18 April Stockport Walking and Outdoors Group An illustrated talk by David Bell entitled ‘A crazy look into the history and the wonderful world of our wee!’ All are welcome, admission £1 www.stockportwalkingoutdoors.org.uk Hazel Grove Civic Hall 8pm Continued over

59

Wednesday 18 April

Saturday 21 April

Craft and Chatter A fortnightly get together for crafters of all kinds, card making, quilting, collage, embroidery, sewing and any other interests you might have. Bring your own project and enjoy good crafting company with a cuppa and cake, and the opportunity to learn from each other. Contact Chrissie 0161 439 8262 for further details. £2 donation requested. Also meets on 2 May, 16 May, 30 May. Dean Row Chapel Hall, Adlington Road, SK9 2BX 2pm

By Special Request!

Capriccio vocal ensemble perform popular choral music with songs chosen by the audience.

Conductor: David Walsh Accompanist: Tim Walker. Tickets: £10, under 18s free, from val_vernon@yahoo.co.uk, 07882 368167, or on the door. All proceeds to Parkinson’s UK ALEX Project.

St Oswald’s Church, Bollington 7.30pm

Friday 20 April Absolute 80’s Rubik’s cube at the ready, leg warmers on, shoulder pads and back combed hair because the party is on! Join NK’s elite vocalists and musicians plus some very special guests for the ultimate 80’s tribute night! You’ll be sure to be on the floor all night bobbing to these all-time classics with tracks from artists such as Prince, Jacko, Communards, Ah-Ha, Aerosmith and plenty more! Fancy dress encouraged and late bar open throughout the evening. VIP Tables Available. Ticket prices £12 (£10% discount for INSIDE readers) 24hr Box Office 0333 666 3366 The Forum Theatre, Romiley, Stockport SK6 4EA 8pm

Friday 20 April Stockport Historical Society George Faulkner Armitage: Architect and Designer Talk by Mrs Gillian Fitzpatrick. Visitors very welcome Admission £2.50 Further information from Tony Nightingale 0161 440 0570 Stockport Sunday School, Nangreave Road, SK2 6DQ (Next to Aquinas College) 7.45pm

Friday 20 to Saturday 21 April Poynton Gilbert & Sullivan Society’s annual spring concert.

Sing into Spring will be a mixture of music consisting of mostly American and British folk songs, together with a medley of songs from the popular musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. In addition, there will be an Abba sing-a-long. Advance tickets £8 for adults and £5 for ages 16 and under from tickets@poyntongands.co.uk or 01625 876394. Tickets purchased on the door are £10 and £5 respectively.

Poynton Legion, George’s Road West, Poynton 7.30pm

Friday 20 to Sunday 22 April A Festival of Flowers - A Time For Joy Refreshments available. Flowers arranged by Bramall Hall Flower Club NAFAS members Contact 01625 420829 or 01260 222907. Gawsworth Methodist Church, Dark Lane, Gawsworth SK11 9QZ Friday 2pm to 8pm, Saturday 10am to 6pm, Sunday 2pm to 5pm

Saturday 21 April The Doric Quartet - Founded in 1998 the Doric are now regarded as one of the leading British string quartets among many ensembles of exceptionally high quality. Their playing has been judged inventive, engaging, moving, and beautiful. Haydn Quartet op 35 no 5; Ades The Four Quarters; Beethoven Quartet op 130 www.bollingtonartscentre.co.uk Bollington Arts Centre 8pm

Saturday 21 April Cheshire Sinfonia – Beautiful music in Bramhall Dvorak: Serenade for Strings, Woolfenden: Oboe Concerto (Soloist: Simon Beesley), Sibelius: Symphony No. 2. Tickets: £12 (Full), £10 (concessions), £3 (students) Reserved tickets available in advance from 07967 852986 or at the door.

St Michael’s Parish Church, Robins Lane, Bramhall 7.30pm

Sunday 22 April Plant Hunters’ Fair Fund Raising Event for special projects at the Hall: £2 entry to Plant Fair Bramall Hall, Bramhall Park, off Hall Road, Bramhall, Stockport SK7 3NX 11am to 4pm

Monday 23 to Saturday 28 April Brookdale Amateur Theatre presents My Fair Lady Box Office 0161 3022302 Brookdale Theatre, Bridge Lane, Bramhall Curtain up 7.45pm. Saturday Matinee 2.15pm

Tuesday 24 April Caffe e Conversazione at Simply Books.

Join us for informal Italian conversation over coffee and cake with local Italian teacher Giulia Shepherd. £5 (includes refreshments) (Caffe e Conversazione usually takes place on the last Tuesday of each month) Simply Books, Bramhall 11am Continued over

61

Wednesday 25 April

Friday 27 April

Stockport Walking and Outdoors Group An illustrated talk about Polar Explorers by Hazel Griffiths.

All are welcome, admission £1. For details of all our events including Wednesday evening meetings, day walks and weekends please go to www.stockportwalkingoutdoors.org.uk Hazel Grove Civic Hall 8pm

Simply Cinema presents…Goodbye Christopher Robin (15) The touching story of the relationship between beloved children’s author A. A. Milne and his son, Christopher Robin, whose toys inspired the magical world of Winnie the Pooh.

Tickets £7 To book: call 0161 439 1436 email events@simplybooks.info or book online at www.simplybooks.info Centrepoint, Bramhall Methodist Church. Doors open 6.30pm, screening at 7pm

Wednesday 25 to Friday 27 April NK Theatre Arts’ Performance Class presents William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. What if your first true love was someone you’d been told you must hate?

Set in a world very like our own, this Romeo and Juliet is about a generation of young people born into violence and ripped apart by the bitter divisions of their parents.

Ticket prices £10/£8 24hr Box Office 0333 666 3366 www.theforumtheatre.co.uk The Forum Theatre, Romiley, Stockport SK6 4EA 7.30pm

Thursday 26 April

Would you like to meet new friends? Are you over 50 and single? Thursday Group is a friendship group for men and women, with several activities run by the members every week. These include walking, dancing, badminton, theatre and restaurant visits.

For more info, see www.thursdaygroup.co.uk, or ring Mike on 07860 396286, or just come along to new members night on the first Thursday in each month where you will be met by group members.

The Bulls Head Pub, 30 Wilmslow Road, Handforth SK9 3EW 8.30pm

Simply Books presents best-selling author Salley Vickers Salley’s first book Miss Garnet’s Angel became an international word-of-mouth best seller and she followed this with a string of acclaimed novels. Salley will be introducing her new book, The Librarian – a charmingly subversive story set in a library in 1950s England. Tickets £5 (includes refreshments) Free event for Simply Books Book Club members. To book call 0161 439 1436 or book online at www.simplybooks.info Simply Books, Bramhall 7pm

Saturday 5 May

Thursday 26 April

Saturday 5 May

The Robins Singers Coffee Morning and Bring and Buy Sale.

Everyone is welcome.

United Reformed Church, Bramhall. 10am to 12noon

LINK Women’s Fellowship. We look forward to Sylvia Hicks’ visit when she will, I am sure, bring ‘Beatrix Potter’ to life. If you are female and you’ve not visited us before why not make this your ‘first time’ - we’d love to meet you. We round off the meeting with a cup of tea and a biscuit all for only £2 Bramhall Methodist Church (Bramhall Village Centre) 2.30 pm

Poynton Male Voice Choir Spring Concert. A wide selection of male voice choir items as well as various solo spots, including local guest soprano Kate Shaw. Tickets £9 include refreshments and can be reserved by calling John on 0161 439 6419, or bought at the door.

Poynton Methodist Church 7.30pm

Thursday 26 April

East Cheshire Association of the National Trust. Lecture: French Connections with Gordon Bartley Brookdale Club, Bridge Lane, Bramhall, Stockport, SK7 3AB 2pm

Wilmslow Guild Natural History Society AGM, then Beekeeping by Brian Corfield. Visitors very welcome (£4). More information from David Warner 01625 874387 Wilmslow Guild, 1 Bourne St, Wilmslow SK9 5HD 7.30pm

stand out from the crowd

with our paid INSIDE Guide listings.

62

thursday 3 may

Call 01625 879611 or email info@insidemagazines.co.uk for further details.

Tuesday 8 May

Thursday 10 May LINK Women’s Fellowship. We look forward to a speaker from Christian Aid to tell us how their charity operates and where and how they work to improve life. All ladies are extremely welcome whether you are a member of our church or not - or any church for that matter. I’m sure you will find us quite a friendly lot - there’s time for a chat with a cup of tea and biccy.

Bramhall Methodist Church (Bramhall Village Centre) 2.30pm Continued over

64

Thursday 10 May

Friday 18 May

Family History Society Bramhall Group Cheshire Inn Signs with Tony Bostock. Inn signs are one of our oldest cultural traditions and whenever a pub is renamed something like The Slug & Lettuce we lose a piece of our history. Admission £2 with refreshments, visitors always welcome. More information 0161 439 5021 or email bramhall@fhsc.org.uk Main Hall, United Reformed Church, Bramhall SK7 2PE 7.30pm

Stockport Historical Society Annual General Meeting then Talks: Airships on Anglesey by Mrs Vivian Bath and The Stockport Riots by Mrs Ruth Faulkner.

Further information from Tony Nightingale 0161 440 0570 Stockport Sunday School, Nangreave Road, SK2 6DQ (Next to Aquinas College) 7.45pm

Friday 11 May A Piano Recital in aid of The Wellspring.

Patrick Hemmerle an Internationally known French Concert Pianist will perform the following programme: Bach, Prelude and Fugue in E major from the Well-Tempered Clavier, book 11 Mendelssohn: Prelude and Fugue in E minor Franck: Prelude Choral et Fugue Chopin: 24 preludes opus 28. Tickets £12, students £8, available from Peter 0161 427 4700 The Hallam Hall, Stockport Grammar School Buxton Rd Stockport SK2 7AF 7.30pm

Friday 11 May Murder at the Forum - Are you ready to play detective?

Join us for a night of Murder Mystery Fun at The Forum Theatre.

Watch the action, quiz the characters and solve the murder!

Cabaret seating, the perfect night out for a group of friends, work colleagues or family. All seats just £10. 24hr Box Office 0333 666 3366 www.theforumtheatre.co.uk The Forum Theatre, Romiley, Stockport SK6 4EA 7.30pm

Sunday 13 May Plant Hunters’ Fair Half price entry to the Gardens & Plant Fair £3 Adlington Hall, Mill Lane, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK10 4LF 10am to 4pm

Thursday 17 May Bramhall Christian Viewpoint A Supper Evening and talk: Knowing my true identity with Emma Owen. Emma is the founder and manager of Respect Me, who do amazing work in schools, youth groups and prisons. An evening not to be missed. Menfolk are very welcome to join us.

To book a place (£12 including Supper) please ring Sheila Salden 0161 440 9794 Deanwater Hotel, Woodford at 7.30pm

Friday 18 to Saturday 19 May Join the NK Theatre Arts Studio 2 Dancers for a fantastic presentation of Song and Dance - also including the NK Musical Theatre Classes come and join this talented bunch of young people as they take us on a brilliant musical journey for the whole family!

Featuring songs from previous Studio 2 Showcase Performances to celebrate our 30th Anniversary Ticket prices £8/£5 24hr Box Office 0333 666 3366 www.theforumtheatre.co.uk The Forum Theatre, Romiley, Stockport SK6 4EA 7.30pm

Sunday 20 May Stockport Symphony Orchestra Spring matinee including Elgar Introduction and Allegro, Brahms Serenade no 2, and Mozart Symphony no 40. There will be tea and cakes with this special afternoon concert.

For more information please see www.stockportsymphony.co.uk Stockport Town Hall 3pm

Thursday 24 May LINK Women’s Fellowship We’re really looking forward to a visit from Woodford WI Choir who will entertain us for the afternoon. We’ll have our usual biscuits and cup of tea so we are looking forward to a really pleasant afternoon. All ladies are extremely welcome so why not come and join us! The charge for the meeting is only £2 Bramhall Methodist Church (Bramhall Village Centre) 2.30pm

Saturday 26 May Cheshire Chorale and Cheshire Sinfonia - Beautiful music in Bramhall.

Vaughan Williams: A London Symphony Elgar: The Spirit of England Op. 80 Tickets: £12 (Full), £10 (concessions), £3 (students) Reserved tickets available in advance from 01969 667033 or at the door.

St Michael’s Parish Church, Robins Lane, Bramhall 7.30pm

Compiled by Claire Hawker > email: claire@insidemagazines.co.uk

65

puzzle solutions

don’t forget!

Copy deadline for the next issue is

Wednesday 9 May Call 01625 879611 or email info@insidemagazines.co.uk to secure your space.

66

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useful numbers Churches Baptist Church Christ Church, Woodford Bramhall Christian Fellowship Evangelical Church Methodist Church Roman Catholic Church of St Vincent de Paul St Michael & All Angels United Reformed Church

Police (non-emergency) 0161 317 2702 0161 439 2286 0161 440 9132 0161 439 3103 0161 439 1204 0161 440 0889 0161 439 3989 0161 439 4807

0161 426 5850 0161 426 9700 07548 098 258 0161 439 3322

Helplines Alcoholics Anonymous Al-Anon CALL Listening Line Childline Citizens Advice Bureau Crimestoppers Directory Enquiries National Dementia Helpline RSPCA Samaritans The Wellspring, Stockport

0800 917 7650 02074 030888 0800 132 2737 0800 1111 03444 111 444 0800 555111 118 500 0300 222 1122 0300 1234999 116 123 0161 477 6344

Hospitals Stepping Hill Hospital NHS Non-Emergency

0161 856 9973 0161 856 9770 101

Post Offices Bramhall Sorting Office Maple Road Post Office Parkside Post Office Hazel Grove Post Office

0843 903 3213 0161 439 4100 0161 439 4006 0161 483 2332

Schools

Doctors Bramhall Health Centre Bramhall Park Medical Centre Bramhall Park Cancellation Line The Village Surgery

Bramhall & Woodford Police Cheadle Heath Police Station (non-emergency)

0161 483 1010 111

Bramhall High School Ladybrook Primary School Moss Hey Primary School Nevill Road Infants Nevill Road Juniors Infants Juniors Pownall Green Primary School Queensgate Primary School

0161 439 8045 0161 439 8444 0161 439 5114 0161 439 4817 0161 439 4598 0161 439 4817 0161 439 4598 0161 439 1105 0161 439 3330

Travel Traveline Bus & Train Information National Rail Enquiries Manchester Airport

0871 200 2233 0345 748 4950 0800 0420213

Utilities Electricity – Power Loss Gas – Emergency Water Mains Environment Agency Floodline

0800 195 4141 0800 111 999 0845 746 2200 0845 988 1188

Leisure Centre Bramhall

0161 439 8128

Libraries Bramhall Library Stockport Central Library

0161 217 6009 0161 474 4530

Local Government Stockport MBC Mary Robinson MP

0161 480 4949 0161 672 6855

69

classified index ADULT EDUCATION Practical Philosophy

ELECTRICIANS Maddocks SCZ Electrical Services

10

ESTATE AGENTS

ART Bramhall Art Society

Mosley Jarman

BARBERS Famous Henrys

9 4

JS Services Whitehall Builders

28 57

BUILDING SOCIETIES Vernon Building Society

CARE HOMES & SERVICES Alice Chilton In-Home Care Hillbrook Grange

46 60 63

64 10

DECORATORS Bauhaus Gary O Reilly Philip Unsworth

22 56 30 24

Greenbank Preparatory School

35

SECURITY

18 56

GOLF CLUBS

20

Thermal Homes Pro Glass 4 Splashbacks

SPORTS & FITNESS Richmond Rovers SSE Wildcats

58

The Stair Shop

27

LTS Treework 43 Swift Tree & Arboricultural Services 22

TRAVEL 47

TROPICAL PLANTS 66

Tropical Plants 4 You

44

WINDOW & CONSERVATORY REPAIRS 43

KITCHENS

70

Mounteney Solicitors 55 Slater & Gordon Inside Front Cover

Travel by Design

INSULATION 46

55

TREE SERVICES 6

HEARING SERVICES

ICAN Handyman Services

39 25

STAIRCASE RENOVATIONS 35

HAIR & BEAUTY

51

ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES Taylor Electrical

Copper Lounge Individual Restaurants

SOLICITORS / LEGAL SERVICES

HOME IMPROVEMENT & PROPERTY MAINTENANCE

40 40

RESTAURANTS

Creative Gardens & Driveways

Back Cover

13

EDUCATION & TUITION

BPF Plumbing & Heating Metro Plumb

City Lock & Safe Ltd

AVRO Golf Club

30

PLUMBING & HEATING

GARDEN DESIGN & LANDSCAPING

Greenthumb Robinsons Garden Maintenance

13

PLASTERERS

45

GARAGE DOORS

Cheshire Hearing Centres

DRAINAGE Pure Clean Drainage Solutions

17

FURNITURE REMOVALS

Francesco Group

DELICATESSENS The Cheshire Smokehouse

Elm Interiors

44

PATIOS

PJ McEvoy 5

57

OVEN CLEANING

Pure Clean Drainage Solutions 48

GARDEN MAINTENANCE & LAWN CARE

CLUBS & ENTERTAINMENT Bramhall Village Club

Adlington Memorial Park

Carrington Doors 69

CHIROPODY Suzanne Gaskell

Home Fires & Fuels

55

LOFT LADDERS

Eco Dazzle 52

FIRES & FUEL

Robinsons Relocation

CHIMNEY SERVICES Mr Soot

FINANCIAL SERVICES

63

LOCKSMITH SERVICES

More Than Loft Ladders 14

FURNITURE

CARPET & UPHOLSTERY CLEANING Safeclean

EVENTS & VENUES

FUNERAL SERVICES 23

Matt Finish City Lock & Safe Ltd

Stratagem Wealth

BUILDING SERVICES

48 66

Inside Back Cover

Adlington Hall & Gardens

BOOK SHOPS Simply Books

KITCHEN RESPRAYING

64

31

Cloudy2Clear The Window Repair Centre

67 68