Inside Bramhall Issue 52

Issue 52 August - September 2015

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Issue 52 - August/September 2015

b r a m h a l l

How lucky we are to live in a country where community values are allowed to flourish in relative peace and harmony, where we are free to publish and report on so much local good.

There is something quite special about the word ‘community’ and its varied connotations – identity, togetherness, joy, support, kindness, solidarity, heritage, purpose – and so many others that give meaning to our lives.

From our perspective, it’s a privilege to witness so much community energy and pride – the success of the recent Bramhall Festival, courtesy of Bramhall Together Trust; Beside the Seaside in Bramhall Village Square; Scarecrows on Holiday; Bramhall Library Summer Reading Challenge; the simple togetherness of a choir.

Just lately, we have been working hard to build up our community presence online – using social networking to share information about what’s happening in your area. Keep up to date by liking us at www.facebook.com/insidemags, follow us on twitter @insidemagazines and read our magazines online at www.issuu.com/insidemagazines.

Co-Editors Garth Aspinall Claire Hawker

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 2015.

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

Cover photo: Bramhall Library by Garth Aspinall.

Contents Bramhall Library

4

Simply Books Book Club Choice

7

Local Buzz

8

NGS Gardens for Autumn

10

New Season for NCO

12

In Touch

15

Inside People

21

Sudoku 26 The Walk

28

River Cruising

32

Crossword 35 Children’s Activities

36

Just 4 Kids

39

Cheshire Community Choirs 43 Martin Lewis Column

44

Finding a Project

47

Inside Guide

49

Puzzle Solutions

52

Useful Numbers

53

Classified Index

54

Contact us

Inside Magazines, 352a Park Lane, Poynton, Cheshire SK12 1RL.

Tel: 01625 879611

email: info@insidemagazines.co.uk www.insidemagazines.co.uk Copy deadline for the next issue:

Monday 14 September

Bramhall Library Libraries these days offer so much more than just books to borrow and Bramhall Library is no exception. Thirteen free-to-use PC’s, free Wi-Fi, activities for babies and toddlers, and a homework support group give just a flavour of what is available for you in your local library. To encourage younger readers to visit regularly, Bramhall library (along with all other Stockport libraries) is holding its annual Summer Reading Challenge. This year they are teaming up with The Guinness Book of World Records to present ‘Record Breakers’.

Not only is Bramhall Library offering this exciting challenge for children, it also offers free Baby Time, Rhymetime and Bookstart, which is held in the mornings and where babies and toddlers can come to this safe and friendly environment with their parents and enjoy themselves as well as learn new songs and start to learn to read.

At the library new and old DVD’s are free to reserve, (but hire charges do apply) and books are also free to reserve and borrow for up to three weeks. In order to keep up to date with the fast moving world of technology there are thirteen PC’s which are available to use. If you are struggling to use the computers in any way, help is available from the librarians, so do not hesitate to ask.

‘Record Breakers’ is a free Summer Reading Challenge for all children aged between five and twelve years and will begin on Saturday 18 July.

In order to take part in this event you can sign up at your local library by just giving in your name and address – no ID needed! Each child joining will receive a foldout poster with six places for stickers, which you will collect on the way. For this challenge children will need to try and read six books of their choice (this could be books from home, eBooks, or library books) and once they have read two, and then four they should go back into their local library and talk with the librarian about the book, once they have done this they will be given stickers and other prizes.

And finally, when they have finished their sixth book they will receive a certificate and gold medal and the challenge is completed!

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by Charlotte James

So you can see there is much more to Bramhall library than a quiet room full of books! You will find bus and train timetables, free newspapers to read every single day, as well as a wide range of books for all ages, from fiction and eBooks, to talking books and children’s books. If you are struggling to find something, the friendly staff are always on hand to help. They can also get books from other libraries outside Stockport, for a small fee although you may be eligible for concessions, this process is quick and easy for you to do!

So why not come and join this fabulous library for free?

For more information about ‘Record Breakers please visit www.recordbreakers.org.uk and for more information about libraries near you please visit www.stockport.gov.uk/libraries

Simply Books Book Club Choice My first choice this month is The Forgiven by Lawrence Osborne. David and Jo Henniger arrive late one night in Tangier and set off to drive to a party in a converted castle way out in the desert. They’ve had a few drinks, struggle to find their way along the dark desert roads and are in the middle of an argument when two young men spring out from the roadside. David swerves and collides with one of the boys with fatal consequences. Meanwhile at the house the party is in full flow. Under the watchful eye of their Moroccan staff the extravagant hosts attend to their guests’ every whim. The stage is set for a weekend in which David and Jo must come to terms with their fateful act and its shattering consequences.

Written with the pace of a stylish thriller I found this a compelling read (I really couldn’t put it down!). There are also some big moral issues here too – not least atonement, guilt and what it means to give (and receive) forgiveness.

And all played out against the backdrop of an obscenely excessive party (think Great Gatsby).

This is also a very timely ‘fable’ about the clash between East and West – between two cultures which singularly fail to understand (let alone appreciate) each other. The book jacket draws a comparison with the books of Graham Greene – I thought that might be ambitious but actually I think its spot on. And is there redemption by the end of the book? Well you’ll have to find that out for yourself!

Instead of another novel I thought I’d mention a couple of non-fiction titles by authors who’ve visited the shop in recent weeks. Coastlines

by Guardian journalist Patrick Barkham is an affectionate portrait of our coastline – published on the 50th anniversary of Enterprise Neptune,

the National Trust’s campaign to protect and preserve our coastal heritage. Told through a series of walks beside the sea this is the story of what it means to live in a country that is ‘more edge than middle’. There are some useful notes too at the end of each chapter to guide you should you wish to follow in Patrick’s footsteps.

Secondly – and more quirkily – The Disappearing Dictionary by linguistics expert David Crystal is a delightful collection of dialect words that either provide an insight into an older way of life, or simply have an irresistible appeal: ‘jubbity’ (noun, Yorkshire) – a difficulty, or misfortune as in “he’s had some jubbities in his lifetime” or ‘squinch’(noun, Devon) – a narrow crack on a wall or a space between floorboards as in “I lost a sixpence through a squinch in the floor”. This is lovely book to dip into and would make a nice gift too (as would Coastlines).

And for children...we are delighted to be hosting an event with top children’s author Dame Jacqueline Wilson at Stockport Plaza at the end of July. Following her visit we’ll have personally signed copies of Jacqueline’s new book KATY (inspired by the children’s classic What Katy Did) in the shop. Perfect for 8-12 year olds.

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

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Local Buzz OH! I DO LIKE TO BE BESIDE THE SEASIDE… Well you don’t need to go any further than Bramhall Village Square on Saturday 22 August.

Get set for a day of traditional seaside fun in partnership with Imagine FM. Grab your flipflops & suncream and go to the Village Square in Bramhall, which will be jam-packed with beach themed entertainment including Punch & Judy, deckchairs, a fun fair, face painters, candy floss and ice-cream. There will be live entertainment from the fabulous Jazz Master, Alexander Stewart, local shops will be joining in the fun and of course there will be alfresco dining from our food outlets.

The fun starts at 10am and we hope to see you and your family there for this free event!

For more updates follow the Bramhall Village Square on Twitter and Facebook.

SCARECROWS ON HOLIDAY Following the enormous success of the Duck Race Day in Bramhall Park in May which raised over £15,000 for its charities, the Bramhall & Woodford Rotary Club is holding a scarecrow festival from 29 August to 12 September, with the theme SCARECROWS ON HOLIDAY. There are three categories for entrants and judging will take place on Saturday 12 September at three venues around the village. You can get a creation kit for just £20 by contacting Maggie at angularelbows@gmail.com or through our website . Or you can make your own scarecrow and enter the competition for just £10. All profits will go to local charities.

You have free rein to dress your scarecrow ready to commence his chosen holiday activity. Props are allowed. Shops and businesses are being encouraged to display their scarecrows outside their premises for two weeks from 29 August for shoppers to enjoy and to attract people to our lovely village centre. Who will be first to spot Billy Bow the Roving Rotary Scarecrow? Out and about every day! www.bwrotary.org

Early Autumn Colour The National Gardens Scheme is unique in having such a lengthy programme of garden openings, from late February to early October.

As we get towards the end of the season, some gardens may be past their peak but many more are still a riot of colour, thanks to skilful planning and plant selection by the garden owners. If you’d like some ideas about how to extend the flowering season in your garden, be sure to visit as many NGS gardens as you can and see how the experts do it. The ones listed below have been selected as being just a short drive away – and they all offer home-made teas as an extra incentive!

Sunday 2 August (11-4.30pm) 218 Marple Road, Stockport NEW TO NGS! This south-facing garden of approximately an acre has herbaceous plants, a vegetable plot, plant growing area, topiary, ponds and water features. It has been developed from paddock to garden over 20 years by the current owners. Admission: £4, children free. Homemade teas.

Saturday 1 August and Sunday 2 August (1-4.30pm) 21 Scafell Close, High Lane, Stockport A landscaped suburban garden in a third of an acre. Colour themed annuals border the lawn featuring the Kinder Ram statue in a heather garden, passing into vegetables, soft fruits and fruit trees. Returning perennial pathway leads to the fishpond and terraced garden with a modern water feature and patio planting. Admission: £3, children free. Cream teas. Visitors also welcome by arrangement.

Somerford, 19 Leycester Road, Knutsford

Sunday 2 August (1-6pm) Somerford, 19 Leycester Road, Knutsford Majestic trees surround this 1½ acre garden which has been completely re-designed and planted. Hard landscaping and sculptures complement lush herbaceous and perennial borders. Croquet and pond lawns are separated by a magnificent oak pergola. Cube-headed hornbeams lead into the snail-trail walk and an informal lawn and fernery. The Stable courtyard has box parterres. Admission: £4, children free.

Home-made teas. Visitors also welcome by arrangement June to August in groups of 10+.

Saturday 5 September and Sunday 6 September (1-5pm) 39 Osborne Street, Bredbury, Stockport

218 Marple Road, Stockport

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by Graham Beech www.ngs.org.uk

For early autumn colours, this dahliaholic’s garden is unbeatable! It contains over 350 dahlias in excess of 150 varieties. Shapely lawns are surrounded by deep flower beds that are

crammed with dahlias of all shapes, sizes and colours, and are complemented by climbers, soft perennials and bedding plants. Admission: £3.50, children free. Home-made teas. Visitors also welcome by arrangement in September.

CHARITIES SUPPORTED BY THE NGS Visitors to these lovely gardens will also have the benefit of knowing that their entrance fee is supporting wonderful causes; since its foundation in 1927, the NGS has donated over £45 million to nursing and caring charities, including Marie Curie and Carers Trust.

GARDENS OPEN BY ARRANGEMENT Do you organise visits for a group or society?

Have you thought about visiting an NGS garden on a date and time to suit your members? Many of our gardens are open for private visits in addition to public openings. And some gardens are only open by arrangement – so you can get to see those not normally visited at all. Details are in NGS booklets and online at ngs.org.uk.

BARRY’S GARDENING TIPS At this time of year my shady front garden has lost the vibrant colours of previous months but it is by no means dull. Green comes in many shades and this area of my garden has most of them. Through late summer and into early autumn it relies largely on contrasting shapes and textures; frothy ferns always look good against clipped box (which will later form points of interest into winter). The shiny Hart’s Tongue fern and leaves of Asarum europaeum catch what sun gets through and variegated plants such as Brunnera and Astrantia ‘Sunningdale’ add splashes of light. Although the hydrangea heads are beginning to fade they still make a valuable contribution.

Hostas are still looking respectable. One of my (many) garden theories is that hosta leaves stay looking fresher for longer if their flowers are removed. Their insipid lilacs and mauves clash horribly with the fiery reds, oranges and yellows of the Hemerocallis with which they are paired in

my garden. So it’s “off with their heads!” as soon as the buds begin to show.

Now is the moment when Dahlias grab our attention. They are firmly back in fashion, although I know for some of you they never went out. I must admit that my liking for these flamboyant plants is a fairly recent development, which began when a friend donated half a dozen, including ‘Television’, with its huge, spiky heads of yellow/orange (another reason to behead the hostas). Mine spend their lives in large pots.

I can’t be doing with the digging-up/drying/ sulphur powder/storage regime. The pots are stacked on top of each other against a wall and protected with slates to keep the rain off. That’s it. If they don’t come through the winter I’m sure my friend will donate some more (thanks, Brian).

Elsewhere, the herbaceous borders stand tall and are bursting with colour. Brilliant red Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ may have been and gone but its cousin ‘Late Lucifer’ (from the Great Dixter nursery) is just getting into its stride, as is ‘Emily McKenzie’.

The leaves of Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Firetail’ make a great contrast to vertical crocosmia, with its magenta flowers that go on for weeks.

Aster x frikartii ‘Monch’ provides long-lasting, clear lavender-blue daisies but is dwarfed by Aster ‘Harrington’s Pink’, which reaches 5 feet in my garden. That in turn is overshadowed by dusky pink Eupatorium and bright yellow Rudbeckia ‘Herbstsonne’, which often pass 6 feet. Many of the heleniums are still going strong and the taller varieties, such as ‘Chelsey’ (from the Arley nursery) make a brilliant team-mate for the rudbeckia. Lower down the height scale the various sedums give shades of pink , while making a neat edge to the border, especially if you gave them the ‘Chelsea chop’, which reduces their tendency to flop outwards. The grasses, particularly the Miscanthus varieties and Calamagrostis, provide punctuation amongst what would otherwise be a Smartie box riot of late summer colour. Sit back and enjoy it.

If you’re looking for inspiration or need help with planning and planting your garden, you can contact Barry by email at barry.davy@ntlworld.com

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New Season for NCO Following its most successful Macclesfield season ever in 2014/15 the Northern Chamber Orchestra is back at the Heritage Centre for a new series featuring the crème de la crème of international soloists - violinist, Jennifer Pike; pianist, Martin Roscoe; guitarist, Craig Ogden, and cellist Raphael Wallfisch. Stockport-born violinist, Jennifer Pike, ‘gets the party started’ by performing the legendary Mendelssohn Violin Concerto at the opening concert on Saturday 26 September. She performed this great work, aged 12, to win the BBC Young Musician competition back in 2002 and Jennifer is now recognised as one of today’s most dazzling violinists, acclaimed for both her technique and her interpretative flair.

Cello Concerto no 1 and, as an additional treat, Dvorják’s romantic Silent Woods for cello and orchestra. This concert also features one of the all-time most popular pieces of music, Handel’s quintessentially English Water Music. Classic FM recording artist, Craig Ogden, is the soloist for the season finale on 14 May, performing one of the first works ever recorded by the NCO Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Guitar Concerto no 1 in D in a concert full of sparkling pieces, including Bach’s third Brandenburg Concerto and two stunning pieces by operatic masters, Verdi’s Prelude from Aida and Puccini’s I Crisantemi.

NCO’s Macclesfield concert season is sponsored

by Manchester Metropolitan University’s Faculty of Education, one of the UK’s leading, internationally recognised centres for teacher training and professional development. The Northern Chamber Orchestra is the ‘Orchestra in Residence’ at MMU. This sponsorship has helped the orchestra to continue to develop exciting and engaging concert programmes for its Cheshire audiences and to work with soloists of genuinely international repute.

Tickets for all NCO’s concerts at Macclesfield Heritage Centre are available from the NCO Box Office 0161 247 2220; from Macclesfield Visitor Information Centre 01625 378123 or Silk Museum Shop at the Heritage Centre. Price £16 Auditorium, £13 Balcony, £7 students, 18s & under FREE. Buying Part or Full Season Tickets saves you money: book upfront for all 8 concerts and get one FREE; book for 4 or more concerts upfront and get £1 off each concert. Visit NCO’s new website at www.ncorch.co.uk

Win Tickets worth £96 Other big names featuring in the Macclesfield series are Martin Roscoe, Raphael Wallfisch and Craig Ogden. Martin Roscoe, one of the most regularly featured pianists on BBC Radio 3, will be performing Beethoven’s majestic ‘Emperor’ Piano Concerto no 5 on Saturday 16 January.

The February concert will see cellist, Raphael Wallfisch, play Shostakovich’s spellbinding

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We are giving away a pair of Part Season Tickets for NCO’s new season. The winner may select 4 out of the 8 Macclesfield concerts and the seats would be unreserved Balcony seats. To enter our prize draw simply email your contact details to competition@insidemagazines.co.uk by 1 September.

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■■ Inside Bollington, Prestbury & Tytherington ■■ Inside Bramhall ■■ Inside Hazel Grove & High Lane ■■ Inside Marple ■■ Inside Poynton ■■ Inside Wilmslow & Alderley Edge

In Touch Your Community Noticeboard Vintage Success for the Bramhall Village Festival Bramhall Together Trust did it again - the Step Back in Time festival was everything it promised to be. We were very privileged to have a May Pole on the middle of the roundabout! It’s not every day that you see this spectacle and our children did us proud as always, putting their best foot forward as they stopped the traffic watched by the Mayor...’

The Festival was launched on Friday with a fabulous Tea Party, organised by Wendy Green from www.ilovebramhall.com for Bramhall’s senior citizens. It was a glorious afternoon in the grounds of St. Michael’s Church where more than 240 guests enjoyed a lovely afternoon tea whilst being entertained and pampered by local businesses, schools, groups and volunteers.

Saturday began with a Bramhall Festival 5k, organised by Bramhall Runners and sponsored

by Hydraulic and Gas Services, adults and children took part and there were some fantastic 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes up for grabs. The parade was sponsored by BMW Williams, who brought their brand new i8 & i3 cars.

There were some fabulous participants in the parade including Bramhall & Woodford Rotary

float carrying Elsa, Fiona Watson School of Dance, 1st Bramhall Cubs, Ladybrook School, Stockport Lacrosse Club, Sophie Dee School of Dance, Moss Hey School and Tumble Tots. The parade cup, sponsored by The Himor Group (the Village Square landlords), was won by 1st Bramhall Cubs, who also picked up £200.

Bramhall Village, which looked beautiful covered in bunting, was perfectly organised with a great selection of vintage stalls, including Napa’s pop up bar, a Bramhall Together Trust’s Pimms bar and lots of food stalls. For the children there was a lovely little fairground, donkey rides, balloon modelling and a great selection of traditional games organised by Fords Lane Church. The weekend came to a close on Sunday in the grounds of Hillbrook Grange with Songs of Praise, strawberries and cream.

Roger Prydderch, Chair of the Bramhall Together Trust said: “the true highlight of the weekend was seeing the community pulling together to make a success of the festival, from the local businesses that kindly sponsored the festival, to the stall holders who provided delicious treats and unique vintage products and of course all the great people of Bramhall who came to support the festival despite the rain earlier in the day!”

The Bramhall Together Trust is a small group of volunteers from Bramhall businesses, community groups and local residents who commit a great deal of time and effort into organising events such as this, along with other local showpieces such as Bramhall’s Got Talent and Light Up Bramhall. If you wish to be involved please contact the Bramhall Together Trust through their Facebook Page.

Continued over...

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in touch LOCAL MUSICIAN RELEASES CHARITY SINGLE Pianist David Schofield from Manchester has released a charity single of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” after returning home from Tunisia after the terrorist attacks.

David returned from Sousse, where he had been on holiday with his girlfriend Nicole, on Saturday 27 June. They were sunbathing by the pool at the Royal Kenz Hotel which is situated just 200 metres from the beach where the massacre took place.

David said “We were sunbathing by one of the pools when we noticed a lot of guests moving.

Members of staff were asking everyone to get inside. I asked one of them what was going on and she said there are police with guns; we carried on towards the hotel and at that point, we heard a grenade go off.”

When David returned home to Manchester he wanted to help in some way and, as he is a concert pianist, he decided to release an arrangement of the well-known “Somewhere over the Rainbow.” All profits from this will go to the Red Cross, who were not only there in Tunisia after it happened, but also offer support for everyone involved.

NEW START NEW HEART Greenbank Preparatory School proved they had a heart when they raised over £8000 for the Wythenshawe Hospital Heart Transplant Fund to support one of their nearest and dearest.

Dad Mark Aizelwood, the husband of Teaching Assistant Lyndsey, received a life changing new heart last July. Since then his life has returned to normal: “It’s fantastic. It’s like having my life back and I am just delighted and thankful the Greenbank community has recognised what we as a family have been through and decided to support this wonderful charity.”

Lynda Ellis, New Start Charity Administrator, said: “The Wythenshawe Hospital Transplant Fund, commonly known as New Heart-New Start, was set up 25 years ago to provide financial assistance to the heart and lung transplantation programme and future clinical developments in heart and lung surgery at Wythenshawe Hospital.

We could not do any of this without organisations such as Greenbank who have clearly come together to support one of their own.”

Mark, 40, from High Lane, said: “It was really the last throw of the dice for me. The drugs just stopped working and I would probably have been dead by Christmas and certainly by now without the operation. There are many others using the New Start programme just like me. So it really is charity close to home and our hearts.”

David said “The Red Cross is an amazing organisation and I know people will definitely benefit from their help and support after such a terrible event. Over the Rainbow is an absolutely beautiful piece of music that is full of hope.

Personally, I find the piece very emotional so hope it will offer some comfort or release to those affected by the attacks. I urge everyone to donate by purchasing the track on iTunes or any of the other digital outlets. All the profits from this will go directly to the Red Cross.

The single is available on iTunes and all other digital outlets. You can visit www.davidschofield.net to get direct links.

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Pictured from left to right are Greenbank Chair of Trustees John Kennedy, Lyndsey Aizelwood, George Aizelwood, Mark Aizelwood, Jane Lowe and Lynda Ellis.

in touch COMMUNITY DEFIBRILLATOR Woodford and Bramhall British Legion and the regulars at our Legion of Laughs Stand Up Comedy nights have been raising money for a community defibrillator which has been accepted by North West Ambulance Service and is ready for use.

The defibrillator is mounted in a locked box at the entrance to Budgens Supermarket at 442 Chester Road, Woodford, Stockport, Cheshire SK7 1QS. To access the defibrillator you need to ring 999 and ask for the ambulance service and they will supply you with the access code to open the box.

We are hoping to organise some training sessions but in the meantime there is an instruction video on YouTube at youtu.be/L4J1YCR9pAc There is also a great interactive video about using CPR and using a defibrillator at www.life-saver.org.uk Thanks to Budgens for allowing us to mount the defibrillator on their wall and use their electrical supply and to David Woolley who volunteered to install the electrical connection at Budgens.

KNIT AND NATTER Bring your own project, problem or help us make garments for premature babies, hats for seamen and items to sell for the charity Newlife which helps disabled children. We will also teach you to crochet. We charge just £1 for endless cups of coffee! We meet on the first and third Tuesday of the month from 9.30am to 12 noon and every second Monday from 7pm until 9pm. For more information call Jean James Tel: 0161 439 8241.

Bramhall United Reformed Church, Robins Lane, Bramhall.

OPEN REHEARSALS The ladies of Cheshire A Cappella are opening up their regular Wednesday rehearsal on the evenings of 5 August and 12 August.

They are looking for new members so this is an opportunity to go along, listen, observe and even join in if you wish to see what they are all about.

Rehearsals are at Morley Green Social Club from 7.30pm every Wednesday.

Feel free to just turn up or call Hilary Pinnock in advance on 07975 927423 to find out more.

NEW EXERCISE CLASS FOR THE LESS MOBILE Dean Row Chapel has an exciting new exercise class which is held every Monday morning at 11.30am. The class is specially designed for older people with limited mobility and is based on sitting exercise, although many of the exercises can be done standing if you are able. The group leader, Andrew Noutch, is a fully qualified personal trainer with a special interest in helping people who are less able to join in with other forms of exercise. After the exercise participants are treated to a cup of tea or coffee and a biscuit and time to chat with each other. The sessions cost £5 and are held in the Chapel Hall which has a good car park and full disabled access. For more information, please contact Peter Shaw on 01625 584881 or 07831 503107.

Classes start on Monday 14 September, weekly until 26 October and are held at Dean Row Chapel Hall, Chapel Road off Adlington Road, SK9 2BX.

CHEADLE HULME FITNESS Low-cost, fun and friendly fitness for all ages and abilities. From 7 September classes will be held Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1.30pm to 2.30pm (£3.50 per session - first class free) at Cheadle Hulme Methodist Church, Ramillies Avenue, Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire, SK8 6AL. SST registered crèche available - free of charge no need to pre-book.

Contact Penny Sparrow on 0161 440 8059 for further details. www.cheadlehulmefitness.org.uk Continued over...

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in touch INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME FOR ARTS SOCIETY Artistic feuds, Chinese textiles, Bulgarian monasteries, jewellery, sculpture and architecture feature in the lecture programme of our new season, starting in September.

North East Cheshire Decorative and Fine Arts Society (Necdfas), which meets at the Brookdale Club, Bramhall, also has outings scheduled from October to May 2016. They include private guided tours of the British Library, London, and Liverpool’s Tate Gallery, plus visits to museums and historic houses.

Next February a study day at St Michael’s Church Hall, Bramhall, will explore Islamic Art. The monthly lecture programme begins on the morning of Wednesday, 9 September, with an illustrated talk on ‘Durer: the Italian and Northern Renaissance’, by art historian Leslie Primo.

Necdfas lecturers are accredited by the parent organisation, the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Associations. Necdfas also helps disadvantaged children through its Young Arts scheme and volunteers help to conserve books, textiles and other artefacts.

For more information see www.necdfas.org.uk or email info@necdfas.org.uk

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Inside People Fran Marshall As soon as you meet Fran Marshall, Matron, Surgery, Trauma and Orthopaedics, you are struck by her quiet confidence, competence and efficiency. Born in Tasmania where her family had emigrated, the death of her mother meant her father returned to England when she was two, with seven children under twelve.

Fran attended Harrytown School, then run by nuns and at nineteen joined a residential nursing school in a Basingstoke hospital. Fran loved the social friendships and freedom of her life there and after training became a nurse in the Orthopaedic ward of the hospital, working with trauma cases of car and motorcycle accidents. Wards were very different in the 1980’s when patients could smoke in bed and drink bottles of beer!

After a period of specialist training in Orthopaedics in Bristol, Fran moved to Winchester and at only 25 became a ward manager. In 1985, when IT was being introduced, she was recruited as a trainer for the new system which was very innovative for the time.

Her contributions were so valued that she was recruited by the American IT company, becoming an implementation consultant commuting daily to Richmond, London and travelling extensively in the UK, Belgium, Germany and America.

In the early 1990’s Fran joined the sales support team of another medical IT company, implementing clinical systems and selling to the NHS. Throughout this time she maintained close links to nursing, doing occasional shifts as a supply nurse.

After several years Fran moved to a rival company, a software provider as a project coordinator on internal IT systems. It was very

different from life on the wards. When the company she worked for merged with another, she acted as a management consultant, helping design the structure, job plans and roles in the new organisation. Although highly paid and successful in her career, she began to question the value of what she was doing, growing increasingly dissatisfied with the organisation.

When Fran fell and broke her wrist, she made a life changing decision. She left her job, sold her house, moved back North and in 2004 took a standard nursing job at Stepping Hill hospital, moving from a high salary and business benefits to a basic nurse’s pay. ‘I wanted to do something worthwhile’ she says.

Fran was glad she had continued occasional nursing and quickly returned to the disciplines and duties of the ward. After 18 months she was promoted to Junior Sister in the Hip Fracture Unit working with elderly patients. When a new 16 bed Orthopaedic ward opened, Fran became manager with a team of new staff, one week before opening. With her extensive experience of IT and industry, Fran was asked to assist in the preparations for the Inspection by the Care Quality Commission.

Fran began to work half time on her ward and half time as acting Head of Nursing. The role became permanent and she is now Matron, Surgery, Trauma and Orthopaedics, acting as a link between wards and management, monitoring quality and ensuring safe staffing levels.

Fran feels nursing is about teams and standards.

“I love nursing. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing a patient who came in unwell or injured, leave smiling, knowing you and your colleagues helped them recover.”

Last word from Fran Recent media coverage has shown some nurses in a bad light. The majority do the job because they are caring and compassionate people. We ignore the bad press and get on with looking after our patients.

by Ed Blundell

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Adlington Hall & Gardens Adlington Hall and Gardens is in no doubt one of the most spectacular stately homes in the UK. Owned by the local Legh family for over 700 years, the most popular areas are The Great Hall and The Hunting Lodge. The Courtyard is bathed in sunlight on a fine day and the Rose Garden areas are a beautiful place to enjoy a quiet moment.

Our catering partners Barretts Event Caterers are able to create menus based upon your exact requirements, or you can select from their more popular choices, they can cater for all options.

If you’re looking to hold any special event, we can be flexible and make the space work for you. Contact us on 01625 827595 or enquiries@adlingtonhall.com for further information.

What do you know about Sun Creams?

We all know the importance of using sun protection, but there is huge confusion around labelling on sun creams, with a significant percentage of the public unaware how much protection their sun creams offer.

Organic sun lotion by brands such as Green People are a favourite here at Amaranth. Their award winning formulations contain a synergistic blend of antioxidants, skin vitamins and antiinflammatory actives to help support the skin’s immune system, prevent premature ageing and protect against irritation. These lotions are suited to sensitive skin and prickly heat sufferers as they are free from parabens and potential irritants like pore blocking silicones. For many people, simply switching to a non-waterproof, chemical-free sunscreen could significantly reduce the irritating effects of prickly heat.

How high is enough?

The SPF of a sun lotion only indicates the level of protection against UVB radiation (B for burning).

It does not tell you anything about the protection it offers against dangerous UVA light (A for ageing). Products offering very high SPF levels often give you excellent protection against UVB radiation but it is unlikely that they will offer the same levels of protection against UVA radiation.

This means that whilst the skin will not go red and burn, the UVA radiation can still be getting through. This causes long term damage to the living cells in the deeper underlying layers of the skin and accounts for approximately 90% of the signs of premature ageing.

An SPF30 sun lotion, when applied properly protects you against 97% of UVB rays; an SPF50 protects you against 98% of UVB, a marginal 1% difference.

Amaranth Offers Call in to Amaranth to collect a free sample of Green People suncream or shop online and we will pop one in with your order* Summer FitFlops still available in store: £5 towards your new pair (August only)

by Joanne Hill www.amaranth-wellbeing.com

25

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.

Solution on page 52.

The Walk

Bosley Cloud and the Bridestones Distance: 7.8 miles.

OS Map: 268 Wilmslow, Macclesfield and Congleton The ascent of The Cloud is gradual with the reward of all-round views from the top so try to pick a nice clear day. Bridestones is a Neolithic burial ground (full details found on Google).

The walk start is at Rushton Spencer which is south of Macclesfield on the A523. Turn right on to Station Lane, opposite the Land Rover garage, then left immediately after the Knot Inn on to an unmade road to a car park.(935625) Start the walk by going back to the road with the pub on the right, cross the road to a gate continuing along a wide path (old railway) for just over half a mile to the end, then going left over 2 stiles. Turn right and go to the far diagonal corner of the field where there is a stile; (the walk eventually follows the Staffordshire Way as far as the Cloud summit).

After the stile, climb the steps to a road and go left and round a right hand bend and then, after

28

by Bill Johnston Marple District Rambling Club

a left hand curve, cross over a stile on the left. Go up diagonally right to reach a path which you join, going right, to reach a road. Turn left and in about 200 yards turn very sharply right to begin the ascent. (907835) After the hairpin bend, take the steps on the right to reach the trig point at the summit. It is important that you look left (south) to see a path with a wall on its left as this is the descent after your picnic/coffee break. This leads to a woodland pathway on descent.

When descending, always take the left-hand option and at the bottom cross a stile on the left and turn right to a ladder stile where you cross from Staffordshire into Cheshire. (right angle turn to right at 905628)

After the ladder stile, continue in the same direction (left of the field) on a path which was disputed and was only re-opened recently. On reaching a red clay farm road go diagonally right to a metal gate, and then to another gate down to the left of the field. When the path reaches a culde-sac, Bridestones is on the left. You can enter the area by following the wall round.

The return journey begins by going down a short track to a main road, turning left at the road. (This is a quiet road but with some fast moving traffic.)

Take Long Edge Lane which is the first road on the right at 910619.

In half a mile take the stile at a finger post on the left 100 yards before Long Edge farm. In 50 yards go right over the stile and follow the path over a footbridge (on Staffs CC repair list) and straight up to a farm road.

Turn left and keep left through the farm yard and through two gates turning left when the path goes to a stile. Turn right to reach another farm road to the right of a house.

Turn left for ¼ mile and then right through a metal pedestrian gate beside a cattle grid. The path goes behind the building ahead and left to a large rusty gate. Follow the path to a stile and over a footbridge going straight ahead to a stile on the left. After crossing, it is better not to follow the path straight ahead but to keep to the right of it to a stile to reach a road. (919618)

Turn right and go downhill then uphill to a set of steps on the left before some houses. Cross three stiles then go right through an open gate with a stile beside it. The path follows the edge of the field on the left which leads to an awkward stile.

However 100 yards to its right is an open gate. Go through the gateway and go ahead to the right of the tree in the middle of the field to reach a stile in the hedgerow. Go slightly right to another open gate then slightly left to a stile in the far hedgerow.

Cross straight over the road and go down the paved road and through the church yard to a gate in the bottom left-hand corner. Turning right the path ahead is clearly seen going through two gates and over the railway bridge. At the far end of the bridge, cross over a stile on the right to reach the old railway line where you turn right to reach the car park.

The Knot Inn is a good place to quench your thirst and /or have a nice meal!

The walk was contributed by Marple District Rambling Club which has over 350 members and organises at least four graded walks on Thursdays and three walks on Sundays. To find our programme, go on to our website: www.marple-uk.com/rambling To join the Club, either ring Barry Wilson, 0161 948 0566 or Deirdre Nolan, 0161 427 7794.

29

Changing face of retirement There is a new phrase in town “working retirees” it represents the growing number of individuals, of retirement age, who are still working which is very different to previous generations who retired and gave up work completely. There are many reasons for this shift, we’re living longer, and we are fitter and more physically active in our 50’s and 60’s than our parents. There are also financial reasons, not everyone has made sufficient provision for retirement and may need to supplement their state pension.

Whilst there are many older individuals out there ready and willing to work they are coming up against barriers from employers. A recent survey by the Age and Employment Network (TAEN) found that more than two-thirds of older job seekers believed their difficulties stemmed from being “too old” and nearly half believed they were

viewed as “too experienced” and rejected for a variety of reasons, including because “they are too big for this job” or “you would be bored by this.”

It’s a real shame that so many older people have had negative experiences in their search for employment. Employers need to change their attitude towards an older workforce, we have an ageing population and it is short sighted to turn our backs on a flexible and highly skilled workforce, who have so much to offer.

My personal experience of employing older people is quite the opposite, we welcome older workers with over half our workforce aged 50 and over.

Older people are great role models and mentors, have a good work ethic and their life experiences are extremely valuable in the working world.

As retirement changes we should embrace all that it brings, a fantastic opportunity.

Contact Karen Perry, Founder alice chilton Limited. www.alicechilton.com

River Cruising with Riviera Travel Travel by Design has been working with Riviera Travel who have an exceptional range of tours and holidays around the world. Feedback from clients has been particularly good on their river cruises, with clients having a wonderful time and being happy to recommend a river cruise with Riviera to friends and family.

Riviera are incredibly passionate about their holidays, river cruises and service, and their entire staff both in the UK and overseas is dedicated to ensuring that they meet, indeed exceed, the expectations of their discerning and loyal customers. They have also been awarded Which? Magazines coveted ‘Recommended Provider’ for the fourth year in a row.

So why take a River Cruise?

Stunning scenery, waterfront life, enchanting riverside ports, elegant towns and grand cities – there’s so much to enjoy on a four and five star river cruise. Everything comes effortlessly to you as you glide serenely by with no risk of seasickness or rough water. Whatever part of Europe or the wider world you want to discover and explore on your river cruise, our superb ships -

32

by Kristina Hulme www.travelbydesigngroup.com

amongst the very finest in the world - are waiting to take you there.

Fine dining will be a highlight of your river cruise experience, with the highest five star levels of superb cuisine prepared by dedicated, professional chefs. All in all, our river cruises are quite simply a wonderfully relaxing and comfortable way to explore the beautiful waterways of Europe and beyond.

So where will your river holiday take you in 2015?

There are so many Riviera Travel river cruises to choose from that you’ll be truly spoilt for choice – whether you want an eight day break or a longer holiday.

Where will our river cruises take you?

The delights of Vienna, Bratislava, Salzburg, Esztergom and Budapest are all yours on our incomparable Danube river cruise. Our choice of river cruises along the Rhine and Moselle showcases picturesque German wine towns, iconic cities like Cologne, astonishing Heidelberg and half-timbered Strasbourg, the outstanding natural beauty of the Black Forest and jawdropping Swiss Alpine scenery.

Travel If you love France, our river cruise through the spectacular Rhone Valley takes in the world renowned Burgundy vineyards, the sun-kissed hills of Provence and the enchanting wildness of the Ardèche gorges. Or choose the Seine - from romantic Paris through timeless impressionist countryside to medieval Rouen, historic Bayeux and the D-Day Normandy beaches. Germany’s Elbe river cruise takes you to historic Berlin, baroque Dresden and stunning Prague. Then in Portugal there’s the photogenic, dramatic Douro, with Oporto and Salamanca just waiting to be discovered. Our two river cruises to Amsterdam and the Dutch bulbfields combine a step back into mediaeval history with worldclass art and breathtaking floral displays.

For a completely different experience, a river cruise along the mighty Mekong River will take you through the gorges, lakes and fertile floodplains of Southeast Asia – to Saigon, Phnom Penh and the magnificent temples of Angkor.

You can see, visit and learn as much as you want on a Riviera Travel river cruise. Or you can just soak in the sunshine and the atmosphere, and watch the world glide by; it’s always your choice.

Prices for an eight-day five-star cruise start at £999pp or fourteen days from £1399pp with selected departures up to November 2015 and April – November 2016.

If you would like to book a river cruise, why not call into Travel by Design in Alderley Edge, or call us on 01625 584195.

Quick Crossword

Across

Down

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

13.

15.

16.

18.

19.

21.

22.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

12.

14.

17.

20.

Leave the scene (2 words) Augur Tip Off Socialist (hyphenated) Died out Tempo Lees A martial art Spokesman A fossil fuel False Snuggle up

Catalepsy Test bed Sloping style of writing Larceny Royal Heiress (2 words) Eye shields Photocopying Flags Drain Old (scots)

Solution on page 52.

35

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

Monday

Friday

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

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).

Baby Massage & Yoga – afternoon 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).

Tuesday Baby Sensory 9.30am, 11am, 12.30pm and 2pm St John’s Church Hall. A learning and development program for parents and babies.

To book, call Becky on 07503547083 or email eastcheshire@babysensory.co.uk Active Angels 10-11.30am St Michael & All Angels Parish Church, Bramhall. Carer and baby/toddler group. Contact Melissa Davis for details on 07764744637 Story Time 2-2.30pm Cheadle Hulme Library. Telephone 0161 217 6009.

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.

Thursday WFA Little Strikers Pre School Football 9.30-10.30am Term time only. Brookdale Theatre, Bridge lane. £5 per session, no pre-booking required just drop in, pay and play.

Contact Erik on 07792 791382.

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Compiled by Jenny Riley e: jenny@insidemagazines.co.uk

Toddler Group 10-11.30am Cheadle Hulme United Reformed Church, Swann Lane. £1 per child including refreshments. Contact Louise Everett on 07535 450041 or outreach@churc.org.uk Little Fishes Toddler Group for under 5’s 10-11.30am Term-time only, Bramhall Methodist Church, Bramhall Lane South. For more information contact Angela Fixter on 01614391204 or email angelafixter@hotmail.co.uk NCT (National Childbirth Trust) 10-11.30am St Michael & All Angels Parish Church, Bramhall.

Contact Tracy Howe on 0161 477 3252 Baby Sensory 11am, 12.30pm and 2pm The Woodford Scout and Guide Headquarters, Moor Lane, Woodford. To book, call Becky on 07503547083 or email eastcheshire@babysensory.co.uk Toddler Group 3-4.30pm Term time only. Bramhall United Reformed Church, Robins Lane. Toys & activities for all ages. £1 per family including refreshments, drop in at any time. Contact Louise on 07535450041 or outreach@churc.org.uk

saturday Who Let the Dads Out? 10-11.30am Every 3rd Saturday of the month, Bramhall Methodist Church. A play session for dads, granddads 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 Jo@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.

39

Answers: goggles, floats, armbands, whistle, instructor, costume Extra letter answer: diving

S D I K 4 JUST

Training culture pays dividends for artisan bakery Bramhall Bakery apprentice Sally Higginbottom, who is based at the Poynton bakery, has been awarded a prestigious national award from the Worshipful Company of Bakers to travel on a scholarship to a French baking school for a week of intensive training on Sourdough breads.

Local Bramhall resident Sally, a former pupil at Bramhall High School, has been working at the bakery for just over a year. She follows in the footsteps of the bakery’s previous apprentice Amber Smith, who was awarded the James Allen prize for the bakery apprentice of the year in 2013 and spent a week at a training centre in Scotland.

Training is an important part of the business at Bramhall Bakery which, despite its small size, currently employs and trains two apprentices.

“We are delighted that Sally’s hard work has paid off and we are looking forward to the new skills she will be able to bring back to the bakery” said Director Scott Peters.

Follow us @BramhallBakery or on our blog www.bramhallbakery.co.uk.

6 Bramhall Lane South, Bramhall SK7 1AF 0161 439 7776 45 Queensway, Poynton SK12 1JG 01625 878818

40 by Joanne Peters

jo@bramhallbakery.co.uk

Help us to deliver INSIDE magazines It’s a great way to get a little exercise and earn some extra cash We are looking for friendly, responsible people to deliver in all areas: Altogether, about forty people currently help us to deliver our magazines. Many are retired or semi-retired and they really enjoy the experience. Our magazines are enthusiastically received in most homes, so there is always the chance of a smile or friendly word, en route.

Give Jenny a call, or send an email, and we’ll be pleased to give you more details.

Call Jenny on 01625 879611 Email: jenny@insidemagazines.co.uk

It’s good exercise. It’s also very therapeutic, we’re told!

Delivery rounds of varying sizes available.

Good rates of pay.

Cheshire Community Choirs Choir singing has never been more popular than it is today. It’s a great way to unleash your hidden talents and inner feelings and display them to the world through music. Singing as part of a small community gives people a sense of belonging and transports them into a different world where the pressures of everyday life can be forgotten for a while.

Bramhall Festival turned out to be a lovely day and the weather was great even though we had been promised 100% rain by the weather forecasters.

Finally we made two appearances at Heald Green festival in a very hot village hall! We received a wonderful reception from everyone who attended. There is something lovely about all the choirs coming together to sing as one group – a true community.

July saw our first annual choir party at Woodford Community Centre for the members of all six choirs. We raised £180 for St. Anne’s Hospice with our raffle and had an amazing night with entertainment from members of the choirs some dancing and some performing solos and duets – and a performance by Hustle, a national top five barbershop quartet who were fabulous.

By sharing the gift of singing, not only can it change the lives of the people in a choir, meeting new friends who share a love for music, but it also has the amazing power to change the lives of those who enjoy listening to the beautiful sounds of the human voice.

Cheshire Community Choirs has had a very busy summer term. We have had a wonderful time singing at various events around the area over the last couple of months. Our first was at Handforth Festival in April - the rain poured but it didn’t detract from the fun. We then sang at Bramhall Duck Race and our community choir duck was in the lead for half of the race but then decided to hide in the reeds! She came 12th! Oh well, next year.

We are now coming to the end of our summer term and taking a well-earned break. The new term will start w/c 14 September when we will start learning new material and hope to meet new members. Anyone interested in taking part in these fabulous choirs please call Kate on 07794 050591. Dates for all the choirs in September can be found on our website www.cheshirecommunitychoirs.com Our membership at Cheshire Community Choirs is growing fast as the singing bug bites in the local area. Come and have some fun with people who all share a love and passion for singing.

We have choirs in Bramhall, Heald Green, Wilmslow, Alderley Edge and Knutsford.

Members can attend as many of these as they wish each week as they all learn the same material. Come along and have a go!

43

Childcare This is an important warning for anyone who pays for childcare. There are major changes due to take place to the system this year – and you need to decide rather soon how they affect you. If you leave it too late, you could miss out on thousands of pounds.

The most important start point is to check if you’re entitled to what’s technically called the ‘Childcare Element of Working Tax Credit’ – this is NOT the same as Child Tax Credit. You can usually claim it for children up to age 15, provided you pay for approved (Ofsted or equivalent) childcare.

Sadly the eligibility criteria are very complex. So I’ve tried to distil it in a simple rule of thumb: ‘if you’re a single parent working 16+ hours a week, or a couple BOTH working 16+ hours a week, and your total household income is under £46,000, you should definitely check out if you’re entitled.’

Please read this carefully – I’m not saying you are entitled, just that it is worth checking, as this is big money. The average pay out is around £60/week.

That’s over £3,000/year.

If you’re not entitled to tax credits, decide now which other scheme works for you. This is where everything is changing. If you’re eligible for tax credits, you’re likely to be better off getting that.

If not, there are other schemes to look at. This autumn, the new ‘tax-free childcare’ scheme launches and the current childcare vouchers scheme that lets many pay for childcare from their pre-tax income will close for new applicants.

So if you’re eligible for vouchers, but won’t be for the new scheme, get in quick.

New tax-free childcare scheme: If you’re a single parent who works, or a couple who BOTH work, and you each earn under £150,000, for every 80p you put in a new childcare account, the government will add 20p on top which can be used to pay for Ofsted approved (or equivalent) childcare for under-12s. The maximum the Government will contribute is £2,000 per child per year. Most childminders, after-school clubs are Ofsted approved, as are many nannies.

44

by Martin Lewis twitter: @MoneySavingExpert

Martin Lewis Column Current childcare voucher scheme. Here you usually trade in your pre-tax salary for vouchers.

For example, a basic-rate taxpayer can swap £1,000 of salary, which after tax and National Insurance is only £700ish in your pay packet, for £1,000 in childcare vouchers. So you’re up £300 per £1,000. The maximum you can get is £55/ week per year per parent, which would be a gain of £930 for a basic-rate taxpayer. Any parent can do this, even if their partner doesn’t work, provided your employer offers it (many do, but many don’t). If you’re not signed up to this by the time the new scheme starts, you can’t do it after.

So if it’s right for you – sort it soon.

Tax-free childcare vs childcare vouchers. If you’re a couple where only one works, the vouchers win hands down, as you won’t be eligible for the new scheme. Plus, if your childcare costs are low, it’s likely vouchers win due to the tax and National Insurance savings. For the self-employed, those whose firms don’t offer the vouchers, or those with more than one child and high childcare costs, the new scheme wins. This is just the tip of the iceberg – full analysis of which wins at mse.me/ childcare.

The Government has announced plans to give working parents with three and four-year-olds 30 hours of free childcare per week. If made law, pilot schemes will start in Sep 2016, though there’s scepticism about whether it’s deliverable. Yet already for at least 38 weeks a year (each week of the school year), if you’ve a three or four-yearold, you’re entitled to 15 hours a week of free childcare. Families with a low income may also get free early education for two-year-olds. Contact your local council to check if your child qualifies (a good place to start is gov.uk/find-free-earlyeducation).

If you’ve got older children and work, check whether there are any summer schools in your area that they can go to. Some schools, community centres and youth groups have their own schemes. Most are Ofsted (or equivalent) registered, so if you pay for them, you qualify for childcare tax credit or you can use childcare vouchers to pay for them.

Finding a Project Depending upon your outlook, the last week of the summer holidays can conjure up sadness or relief. If you, like me, have spent the six weeks multi-tasking as you try to be a good enough mum and business woman, then the end of the holidays signals a clearer demarcation in roles and the return of dreaded mornings with their rushed routines. For some this is a time of burgeoning costs as the price of childcare, activity clubs, fun (and expensive) days out, new schools and uniforms take their toll.

And so, picture the scene, it’s the last day of the holidays – with one child back at school and the other on a non- pupil day - don’t get me started.

You’re wondering what to do to keep your child happily occupied so that you can end the holidays on a positive note without costing the earth. Well the answer for me and my nine year old son was finding the perfect project. With a passion for all things engineering and discovering how things work and a desire to create a go-kart, the decision was easy. My task was to facilitate a child-led project, a bit like a dedicated gardener, tending a tender young plant in the hope that given the right environment, it will yield flowers and fruit.

With this in mind I set about providing optimal conditions for go-kart building – an extra pair of hands, muscle and brains, only if needed, plus possible construction parts to be used.

This was his project and his design so crucial to my role was only supporting when needed, without taking over the process. It was important, therefore, to get the right balance between me being available and ‘on call’ for encouragement and support, but not being ‘on top’. With a shed bursting with rubbish and crying out to be sorted, this was the perfect way of being present without being in the way. It also created our very own mini scrapheap challenge, providing a wonderful source of go-kart parts, from reinforcing bars to brackets and wheels!

While some things can seem hard work for children, like brushing teeth and tidying-up, others like computer games and TV come easy.

With children typically spending too much time indoors, projects like these guarantee fresh air and focus, and this was definitely the case with my son’s go-karting construction. Up and out bright and early before 8am and working through a quick sandwich lunch until tea, he knuckled down with determination to create a base – made from a pallet he’d cut down, wheelbarrow wheels and reinforcing bars, seat and prop – to avoid crushing in the event of the kart flipping.

Steering took the form of a series of ropes and pulleys as he drew upon his knowledge of sailing and ideas gleaned from the scrapheap challenge!

Problem solving, mastery, focus and a growing confidence were plain to see as he hammered, sawed, prised wheelbarrow wheels off, applied WD40, attached ropes and his go-kart design took shape. Although blessed with the weather I can’t help feeling that my son would still have been as determined and focused on turning his vision into a reality in the rain, cold or snow.

As for me and the shed, which looks amazing (fingers crossed it stays that way), I’m ashamed to say that this was a fair weather relationship.

With different weather clearing through piles of rubbish, dust and spiders would have definitely lost their appeal, reminding us of course that just like children, us adults like a self-chosen project to get our teeth into. With the go-kart ready for its debut launch, my thoughts turn to the next holiday and project and what part of the house or garden I can clear out?

For fun sensory play activities, Sue’s latest research, resources and training go to www.playtoz.co.uk. sue@playtoz.co.uk 01206 796722

by Sue Gascoyne

47

Inside Guide Friday 31 July Simply Cinema presents...The Second Most Exotic Marigold Hotel (PG). To book please call in at Simply Books, Bramhall, phone 0161 439 1436 or book online at www.simplybooks.info Centrepoint, Bramhall Methodist Church. Screening at 7pm (doors open for refreshments at 6.30pm

Saturday 1 August Stockport Cats Protection Annual Family Fun Day. This is our biggest event of the year, with a variety of attractions including a dog show, birds of prey, children’s rides and games. Stalls and refreshments available throughout the day.

Torkington Park, Hazel Grove 11am-4pm

Wednesday 5 August The Flower Club of Wilmslow & District. Lorraine Simcox (Leek) ‘Rickety Gate’ New members and visitors are always welcome Royal British Legion Hall, Wilmslow 1.30pm

Weds 5 & Weds 12 August Open Rehearsal at Cheshire A Cappella. An opportunity to go along, listen, observe and even join in to see if you would like to become part of this exciting ladies chorus.

Feel free to just turn up or call Hilary Pinnock in advance on 07975 927423 to find out more.

Morley Green Social Club 7.30pm

Wed 12 – Fri 14 August ‘Summer Funtime’ - Children’s Holiday Club for 5-11 year olds. Based around the film ‘Despicable Me’ the mornings will be filled with craft, songs, dance routines, games, film clips, drama, Bible teaching and of course lots of fun! A hot lunch will be served each day. The cost is £15 per child for the three mornings, or £5 per morning. For further details please contact the Church Office on 0161 439 1204 or email office@bramhallmethodists.org.uk.

Bramhall Methodist Church, 10am-12.30pm

Wednesday 12 August Craft and Chatter. A monthly get together for crafters of all kinds, card making, quilting, collage, embroidery, sewing and any other interests you might have. Contact Chrissie 0161 439 8262 for further details. £2 donation requested Dean Row Chapel Hall, Adlington Road, SK9 2BX. 2pm to 4pm

A guide to selected events in East Cheshire during August & September Thursday 13 August The Bramhall Group of Family History Society AGM and ‘What did you do in the 2nd World War, Daddy?’ WW2 experiences & memorabilia.

Admission £2 including refreshments. More info call 0161 439 5021 or email bramhall@fhsc.org.uk www.fhsc.org.uk Main Hall, United Reformed Church, Bramhall SK7 2PE

Thursday 13 August ‘The Rescue Chair’ at Simply Books...storytelling and creative activities for children. Two sessions: 3-5years 10.00-10.45am; 6-8/9Years 11.30AM-12.15pm.

To book please call in at Simply Books, Bramhall, phone 0161 439 1436 or email events@simplybooks.info

Saturday 15 August Moth Madness. The Bollin Valley Partnership is lucky enough to enlist the help of expert ‘moth man’, Geoff Lightfoot. This is a great opportunity, using light traps and wine ropes, to investigate the beautiful moths in the Wilmslow area.

Booking in advance is essential (10yrs & over) at mothmadness2015.eventbrite.co.uk by 10 August.

Information: 01625 374790 Newgate Nature Reserve, Newgate, Wilmslow 8.30pm to 10.30pm

Saturday 22 August

By The Seaside – beach themed entertainment, including Punch & Judy, deckchairs, fun fair, face painting, candy floss and ice cream. Live entertainment from Jazz Master Alexander Stewart and local shops will be joining in the fun.

Bramhall Village Square, fun starts from 10am

Wednesday 26 August Craft and Chatter. Bring your own project and enjoy good crafting company with a cuppa and the opportunity to learn from each other. Contact Chrissie 0161 439 8262 for further details. £2 donation requested Dean Row Chapel Hall, Adlington Road, SK9 2BX 2pm to 4pm Continued over...

Compiled by Claire Hawker e: claire@insidemagazines.co.uk

49

inside guide Friday 28 August

Sunday 6 September

Simply Cinema presents... Woman in Gold (PG). To book please call in at Simply Books, Bramhall, phone 0161 439 1436 or book online at www.simplybooks.info

Hazel Grove Allotment Association Open Day. Home Baking, refreshments, jams and chutneys, children’s activities, plant stall, fruit and veg, gifts, bees, “Ask the Expert”, garden supplies, tombola. Entry 50p including free tombola ticket, children free. Wheelchair and mobility scooter access.

Centrepoint, Bramhall Methodist Church. Screening at 7pm (doors open for refreshments at 6.30pm

Saturday 29 August Poynton Show. A great day out for all the family.

Poynton Pool, Poynton Park from 8am

Tuesday 8 September

Tuesday 1 September

East Cheshire NT Lecture – ‘Behind the doors of Sizergh’, speaker Matthew Brown.

Bramhall and Cheadle Hulme Flower Club

St Michael’s Church Hall, St Michaels Avenue, Bramhall 2pm

Demonstrator, Karen Schofield from Preston “Garden Party” Parish Hall, Church Road, Cheadle Hulme 7.30pm

Wednesday 2 September Poynton Philatelic Society. We commence our new 2015/2016 season with a display of Romanian stamps and Postal History by Gordon Hardy. Contact Ron Phelps 01625 877643. The Education Block, Poynton Community Centre, 107 Park Lane 7.30pm

Wednesday 2 September The Flower Club of Wilmslow & District. Sue Spencer (Rotherham) ‘Rhapsody of Flowers’ New members and visitors are always welcome

Wednesday 9 September Craft and Chatter. Bring your own project and enjoy good crafting company with a cuppa and the opportunity to learn from each other. Contact Chrissie 0161 439 8262 for further details. £2 donation requested.

Dean Row Chapel Hall, Adlington Road, SK9 2BX 2pm to 4pm

Wednesday 9 September Stockport Ladies Speakers Club resumes after the summer break. We meet fortnightly, visitors and new members always welcome.

Royal British Legion Hall, Wilmslow 1.30pm

7.30 for a 7.45 start at The Deanwater, Wilmslow Road, Woodford 7.30 for a 7.45pm start.

Friday 4 September

Thursday 10 September

The Wellspring Stockport Ltd will be holding a Ladies Fashion Show & Charity Shopping Event – high street fashion at 50% or more off! Clothing available to try on and buy, cash and cards accepted. Tickets £6 including tea, coffee, cake and biscuits.

The Bramhall Group of Family History Society - ‘The Watts Family of Burnage, Didsbury, Abney Hall and Founders of Kendall Milne - Diana Leitch. Admission £2 including refreshments. More info call 0161 439 5021 or email bramhall@fhsc.org.uk www.fhsc.org.uk

For tickets and more information please contact Pauline Cooke on 0161 427 2763, 07944 549154 or pauline@cooke1937.wanadoo.co.uk

Main Hall, United Reformed Church, Bramhall SK7 2PE

Woodley Civic Hall, Hyde Road, Woodley 7pm

Thursday 10 September

Sat 5 to Sat 12 September

LINK Women’s Fellowship are now holding their meetings on the second Thursday in the month and we begin our new season with a talk by one of our church members, Mrs Anne Clayton. Anne will be telling us about her experiences after escorting thousands of shoe boxes filled with Christmas goodies to Belarus and Romania for the ‘Operation Christmas Child’ scheme.

All ladies welcome. £2 including a cuppa and biscuit.

Chads Theatre presents “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde. Wilde’s classic comedy of elegant manners opens the season in an intriguing new approach, presenting the well-known characters in a 1920’s setting.

Tickets can be booked on 0161 428 8712.

Chads Theatre @ChadsTheatre For any other information visit Chads website www.chads.co.uk

50

Entrances at School Street and Chester Road. From 1pm to 4pm

Bramhall Methodist Church (Bramhall Village Centre) 7.40 for 7.45pm

inside guide

Sunday 13 September

Wednesday 23 September

Messy Church - Another afternoon of fun, creative craft activities, games, songs and Bible stories. ALL family and friends are welcome to join us in this craft-filled, thought-provoking and enjoyable event. There is no charge but if you can please do bring a little food to join in with our ‘bring and share tea’.

Craft and Chatter. Bring your own project and enjoy good crafting company with a cuppa and the opportunity to learn from each other. Contact Chrissie Tel: 0161 439 8262 for further details. £2 donation requested.

Bramhall Methodist Church, 4-6pm

Dean Row Chapel Hall, Adlington Road, SK9 2BX 2pm to 4pm

Sunday 13 September

Thursday 24 September

Navigation for Beginners. Come and learn basic navigation skills with Cheshire East Council Countryside Ranger Ed Pilkington on an easy going day. All maps and compasses provided; bring your own compass if you wish to practise with it. Suitable for anyone over 16.

Booking and payment in advance is essential.

Cost £11.50.

East Cheshire NT Lecture - ‘Pharmacy and the Pharaohs’, speaker Jackie Campbell

navigationforbeginners2015.eventbrite.co.uk Information: 01625 383700

Northern Chamber Orchestra with Jennifer Pike, violin

Nelson Pit Visitor Centre, Lyme Road, Higher Poynton, Cheshire, SK12 1TH (SJ945833) 9am to 4pm

Wednesday 16 September Poynton Philatelic Society.

Our second meeting of the season is a members night with members displaying their Recent Acquisitions followed by an Auction, where members can bring along their unwanted items to sell. Contact Ron Phelps 01625 877643.The Education Block, Poynton Community Centre, 107 Park Lane 7.30pm

Wednesday 16 September Lunchtime Concert with Students from Chetham’s School of Music Manchester. Admission by programme £5, light lunches available from 12 noon. For further information telephone 01625 586713 Alderley Edge Methodist Church, lunch from 12 noon, performance 1pm

Thursday 17 September Bramhall Christian Viewpoint. Supper Evening and talk entitled ‘Treasure in Dark Places’ by Nadine Parkinson who works for Tearfund. She is a great communicator so be prepared to be inspired and challenged. To reserve a place (£10 including supper) call Sheila Salden Tel: 0161 440 9794 Deanwater Hotel, Wilmslow Rd 7.45pm

Saturday 19 September Marple Food & Drink Festival Street Market.

Now being run by Marple Business Forum showcasing Marple’s finest food and drink businesses.

St Michael’s Church Hall, St Michaels Avenue, Bramhall 7.30pm

Saturday 26 September Dazzling Diversions, including Mozart. Mendelssohn, Beethoven and David Ellis. Tickets: £16/ £13; £7 students; 18s & under free from NCO Box Office 0161 247 2220; Macclesfield VIC, Town Hall 01625 378123; Silk Museum Shop Heritage Centre & on the door www.ncorch.co.uk Heritage Centre, Roe Street, Macclesfield, 7.30pm - 9.40pm

Crossword Solution

Sudoku Solution

52

Useful Numbers

Libraries Bramhall Library

Churches Baptist Church

0161 440 9091

Christ Church, Woodford

0161 439 2286

Bramhall Christian Fellowship

0161 440 9132

Evangelical Church

0161 439 3103

Methodist Church

0161 440 8007

Roman Catholic Church of

Stockport Central Reference Library

Local Government Stockport MBC

Police (non-emergency) Bramhall Police Post

0161 439 2189

Cheadle Heath Police Station

0161 856 9770

0161 440 0889

St Michael & All Angels

0161 439 6532

(non-emergency)

United Reformed Church

0161 439 4807

Post Offices

Bramhall Health Centre

0161 426 5850

Bramhall Park Medical Centre

0161 426 9700

Bramhall Park Cancellation Line

07548 098 258

The Village Surgery

0161 439 3322

Helplines Alcoholics Anonymous

0845 7697555

CALL Listening Line

0845 123 2329

Childline Citizens Advice Bureau Crimestoppers Directory Enquiries National Dementia Helpline

0800 1111 08444 111444 0800 555111 118 500 0845 300 0336

RSPCA

0300 1234999

Samaritans

0845 7909090

The Wellspring, Stockport

0161 477 6344

Hospitals Stepping Hill Hospital NHS Direct

0161 483 1010 0845 4647

Leisure Centre Bramhall

0161 439 8128

0161 480 4949

Mark Hunter MP Constituency Office 0161 486 1359

St Vincent de Paul

Doctors

0161 217 6009 0845 644 4307

101

Bramhall Sorting Office

0161 255 3371

Maple Road Post Office

0161 439 4100

Parkside Post Office

0161 439 4006

Hazel Grove Post Office

0161 483 2332

Schools Bramhall High School

0161 439 8045

Ladybrook Primary School

0161 439 8444

Moss Hey Primary School

0161 439 5114

Nevill Road Primary School Infants

0161 439 4817

Juniors

0161 439 4598

Pownall Green Primary School Queensgate Primary School

0161 439 1105 0161 439 3330

Travel Bus Information

0161 228 7811

Train Information

0845 748 4950

Manchester Airport

0161 489 3000

Utilities Electricity – Power Loss Gas – Emergency

0800 195 4141 0800 111 999

Water Mains

0845 746 2200

Environment Agency Floodline

0845 988 1188

53

Classified Index ACCOUNTANTS

HOW Accountancy and Taxation

40

Focus on Speaking Workers Educational Association

AUDIO VISUAL F Maddocks

BAKERIES

Bramhall Bakery

18 33

Swift Organisation

52

ICAN Handyman Services Jet Clean Drives Poynton NRS Home Maintenance

40

BUILDING SERVICES S.P. Lee & Co Whitehall Builders

52 38

CAR REPAIRS

Scratches & Scrapes

34

CARE SERVICES

Alice Chilton In-Home Care

31

CARPET & UPHOLSTERY CLEANING Safeclean

CATERING

Pizza Principles

45 41

CHIROPODY

Suzanne Gaskell

30

CLUBS & ENTERTAINMENT Adlington Hall & Gardens Bramhall Village Club Poynton Show

22 9 46

COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY Amaranth

25

CRAFT SHOPS

Crookilley Crafts

9

DECORATORS

Gary O Reilly Philip Unsworth Stuart Ennis

23 51 18

DRIVEWAY CLEANING

Will’s Driveway Cleaning

45

DRAINAGE

Pure Clean Drainage Solutions

6

ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES Taylor Electrical

20

ELECTRICIANS F Maddocks

HOME IMPROVEMENT & PROPERTY MAINTENANCE

KITCHENS

Byles Handcrafted Kitchens Matt Finish Simplicity Granite

LAWN CARE

Pure Clean Drainage Solutions

LOCKSMITH SERVICES City Lock & Safe Ltd

LOFT LADDERS

More Than Loft Ladders

OVEN CLEANING Ecodazzle

PIANO TUITION

Garth Aspinall Piano Tuition

PLASTERERS PJ McEvoy

PLUMBING & HEATING

BPF Plumbing & Heating

PUBS & RESTAURANTS The Farmers Arms

SCHOOLS

Greenbank Prepatory School

SOLICITORS

Hale Solicitors Mounteney Solicitors Slater & Gordon

TREE SERVICES

Swift Tree & Arboricultural Services

WINDOW & CONSERVATORY REPAIRS The Window Repair Centre Window Geeks

40 40 13

38 41 45 26 6 14 19 6 34 22 38 53 23 42 27 37 24 33 5 34 48 23

38

ESTATE AGENTS

Mosley Jarman Snapes

Inside Back Inside Front

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Maestro Financial Services

FURNITURE

Total Wood Finishing

GARAGE DOORS

Carrington Doors

Don’t forget!

24

Copy deadline for the next issue:

41

Monday 14 September

20

GARDEN DESIGN & LANDSCAPING

54

Greenside Gardens Robinson Garden Maintenance

GARDEN ROOMS

ADULT EDUCATION

Creative Gardens & Driveways

GARDEN MAINTENANCE

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