LivingLife - Issue 21 (Shefford)

Your FREE copy

DELIVERED TO 10600+ HOMES/BUSINESSES ACROSS BEDFORDSHIRE

Issue 21 August 2020

Inside Win

£25

The Garden edition

Top tips for Coping with Summer Droughts

Also inside

Diddy Directory Room 101 Kid’s Got Talent

(£45)

NOTE FROM THE EDITOrS Hello and welcome to the August edition of Living Life magazine.

Under normal circumstances many of us would be heading off in aeroplanes to a holiday destination abroad, however, times are somewhat different at the moment and most of us have had to change our holiday plans. Holidays are important, a time to rest and relax, so whatever you plan to do for your holiday this summer, we hope you enjoy it.

In July we visited Evie & Bob Hart from Lower Stondon to view their beautiful garden. With camera in hand we captured an amazing collection of photos.

A selection of these photos can be seen in our brand-new monthly feature, ‘Beautiful Gardens of Bedfordshire’, the full set of photos can be viewed on our website in our blog. If you have an interesting or beautiful garden then cover photo was please get in touch as we would love to visit,This takemonth’s some photographs and captured by Kate McBurney feature your garden in the magazine.

(John’s wife) during an evening stroll across the farmersschool fields We have also been on a tour of Pix Brook Academy, a brand-new being built in Stotfold. Pictures from our tour can be viewed in an article Henlow Village.

Compewritten by project builders Willmott Dixon near and once again the full set of photos can be viewed on our website. We would like to thank the tition Winner headteacher Steve Adams for inviting us and look forward to visiting again in September when the school opens its doors at the start of the new academic year.

| Andrew Martin |

JULY

Get in touch with us: We would love your feedback on what you enjoyed about this edition, and of course, any areas where we could improve.

01462 414265

admin@livinglifemagazine.co.uk

There’s lots more to see in the magazine, so please do have a good flick through and support our local advertisers where you can.

This month’s cover photo was | John McBurney | captured by Kate McBurney (John’s wife) during an evening stroll across the farmers’ fields near Henlow Village. We hope you enjoy this edition as much as we enjoyed putting it together.

Until next time.

Kind Regards, Andrew & John

DISCLAIMER

The opinions expressed in LivingLife magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the editors, publisher or their agents. Whilst every reasonable care is taken to ensure the accuracy of information included within this publication, the publishers take no responsibility for any errors or omissions in LivingLife Magazine. The content is not to be reproduced in any form without permission of the publisher.

Please pass to a friend, recycle or compost after reading.

Competition Winner

JULY

a big well done to:

ian bennett

Who was the closest to spotting the hidden drone pilot in last month’s photo & won £25

Don’t forget to mention LivingLife when contacting advertisers

3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

6 8 10 11 12 14 16 18 20 23 24 26

Beautiful bedfordshire gardens artisans in the yard shefford community festival news diddy directory kid’s got talent coping with summer droughts room 101 we visit pix brook academy scene by you spot the drone pilot..... win £25 SHEFFORD GARAGE SALE WARDEN ABBEY OPEN DAY

12

4

Check out our blog & much more online at www.livinglifemagazine.co.uk

Don’t forget to mention LivingLife when contacting advertisers

5

garden

Beautiful Gardens of Bedfordshire

Evie & Bob Hart, Three Star Park, Lower Stondon

Check out all the photos on our blo g

www.livinglifemag

azine.co.uk/blog

Welcome to our brand-new feature where we showcase beautiful gardens found in the local area.

For our first instalment, we were kindly invited to visit the amazing garden of Evie & Bob Hart who live on Three Star Park in Lower Stondon. “We have lived here for six years and we began work on our garden almost immediately as it was just lawn and fence all around. Pretty much all our time and effort goes into our garden, but it is a labour of love for us. We have purchased a lot of our plants, flowers and ornaments from our local nurseries in the area which include Savins, Growing Strong, Langford Garden Centre and many others. We now grow a lot from seed since we installed our greenhouse. Our favourite aspect of the garden is the way it is laid out, you cannot see it all at once, it takes you on a journey through many different themes for example our woodland, stream, courtyard and eclectic front garden.�

Evie & Bob

6

Check out our blog & much more online at www.livinglifemagazine.co.uk

Don’t forget to mention LivingLife when contacting advertisers

7

local art

welcome back to artisans in the yard.....

Contribution thanks to

Marje Fitt

and collective Artisans

Artisans in the Yard FB@Artisansintheyard

Our lovely gallery has bounced back with flair and imagination from the lockdown, thanks to a valiant team effort. We think you’ll love our new image, plus the sparkling new walls, combined with lots of new objets d’art you’ll just want to make your own!

Jim Francis’s hand cast sculptures are happily still in residence, as are soft furnishings from Hannah Jacobs and products from our two local wood turners - Henry Seebohm and Brian Pettifer. We have a brand new range of ceramics by Jenny Jones of Polarstar Pottery, plus fabulous new artworks by each of our artists, and of course we have Erika’s unique jewellery and furniture from Adrian.

To celebrate our reopening, every customer purchasing from the gallery or website during July, August or September will be entered in our prize draw to win Yvette Jordan’s beautiful rainbow heart painting.

So do drop by and give us the once-over!

8

Check out our blog & much more online at www.livinglifemagazine.co.uk

Don’t forget to mention LivingLife when contacting advertisers

9

community

Shefford Community Festival 2020

18th – 27th September - Provisional Program

Contribution thanks to

Ian Deavin

Shefford Community Festival ian@sheffordcommunityfestival.co.uk

N

ow that most restrictions are easing, it is looking hopeful that we will be able to run our Community Festival in some form or other this year. Of course, this has been a tricky year and it has not been possible to plan anything with any real degree of certainty. However, we have managed to put together a provisional program where possible, so that if it proves possible to hold the Festival in some way, then we are at least prepared.

With all the infection and fatality statistics going down the government have brought the guideline for social distancing down to “one metre plus” with pubs, hotels etc. allowed to open.

Along with this, now that halls and other facilities will be able to open, everybody is becoming aware of the term ‘Covid secure’, so there seems good reason to hope that most of the events foreseen for our festival will be able to go ahead with suitable safety precautions.

Events are therefore listed on the basis that we hope these activities will happen but please be aware that they may not as things could change back at any time.

We will update the Festival website at www.sheffordcommunityfestival.co.uk and continue to notify through the local press and social media (see Facebook for ‘Shefford Local’ and ‘Shefford Community Festival’).

There are a number of people considering if they can run events and there are some events that ran very successfully last year for which we do not yet have information on for 2020 – we hope to hear more soon and will update and release the program accordingly.

This year we have extended the Festival forward to Friday 18th so as to include a couple of important local event organisers – we wish them both luck and hope they will be able to raise the curtain on a successful Festival.

Naturally, if you would like anything included in the program then please contact me on email address above.

10

Check out our blog & much more online at www.livinglifemagazine.co.uk

The

Diddy Directory

the guide to local trades & businesses cost effective, contract free advertising

Book your advert today - visit www.livinglifemagazine.co.uk/diddy

ÂŁ20 ÂŁ30 1 Area

2 Areas

11

Welcome to our monthly feature:

’Kid’s Got Talent’ The place where we showcase the amazing talents of local children.

We hope this will help motivate and inspire other children to discover new sports and hobbies.

Name: lewis cripps

age: 8 from: arlesey Q. Do you have a special talent? Can you explain what it is?

Football! I love tackling other players and sometimes go in goal.

Q. How and when did you get involved in Football?

I first played football at Little Kickers in Hitchin when I was very young, I then went to Stotfold Academy before moving to my current club Arlesey Town Youth aged 6.

Q. What position do you play?

We learn and play in all positions, my favourite is midfield or defence.

Q. Do you play for a club and how often do you practice or train?

I play for Arlesey Town Youth and we train once or twice a week depending on what time of year.

Q. Do you play in a league or in competitions? Have you ever won any trophies?

We play in the Royston Crow league on Saturday mornings, we also play in tournaments at the end of the season, football at our age is not competitive so we can concentrate on learning the game.

Q. What is your greatest achievement in football?

Playing as a team with my friends! But I was also awarded Supporters’ Player of the Year last season.

Q. Who is your favourite football player and which team do you support?

I am a Tottenham Hotspur supporter and love going to watch the games at White Hart Lane My favourite player of all time is Ronaldinho, I love watching clips of him on you tube.

Q. When you are older do you dream of playing professional football or even for England?

I would love to play for Spurs and England when I am older, but I would also like to play basketball and be an explorer like Steve Backshall.

Q. Is your sport dangerous? Have you ever been injured?

I have never been injured from actually playing but I did get a really bad nosebleed from a bouncy castle accident at a football tournament and got covered in blood, I have also played with my arm in a cast after breaking my elbow.

Does your child have an amazing talent?

if so, please get in touch at admin@livinglifemagazine.co.uk 12

Check out our blog & much more online at www.livinglifemagazine.co.uk

Don’t forget to mention LivingLife when contacting advertisers

13

GARDEN

Contribution thanks to

top tips for Coping with Summer Droughts A

Geoff Bysouth Garden Services

07411 051772 www.geoffbgardens.co.uk

ugust is often the hottest, driest month of the year and keeping our plants looking their best can be challenging. Watering is key to plant health, but conserving water is also a priority for us all. The efficient use of water has never been more important so here are some tips to help keep your plants healthy without wasting water.

New plants

Young plants, whether sown from seed or newly planted, are particularly vulnerable to drought and should be checked daily and watered as often as needed. Incorporating organic matter in your soil by adding compost when planting or mulching in the spring will help with water retention.

If you are planting new plants, make sure that the roots have had a good soak beforehand. Standing them in a bucket of water will enable them to soak up all the water they can and give them a better chance of getting off to a good start. They will need regular watering until they are established, particularly during dry weather.

Containers

Plants grown in containers are at high risk of drying out if they are not kept watered, even in cooler weather. Exact requirements will vary according to type of plant, size of container and growing medium but be prepared to water every day in high summer. If you are going away, even for a few days, get someone to water them for you or install an automatic irrigation system.

Lawns

Your lawn may look brown and unsightly during a prolonged dry spell, but grass is remarkably resilient and can survive without water for a long period. The amount of water required to keep a lawn looking its best is considerable and, with pressure to conserve our natural resources, is difficult to justify. You can minimise drought stress by raising your mower blades and letting the grass grow a little longer if a dry spell is forecast.

A good lawn maintenance programme, including aerating, scarifying, feeding and weed treatments, carried out at the appropriate times will keep your lawn healthier and enable it to better withstand periods of drought.

While it’s possible to lay new turf in the summer, it will be difficult to get established during a period of drought without using large quantities of water. Putting it off until early autumn is a better option.

Collecting rainwater

The water that comes out of your kitchen tap has been treated to make it fit for you to drink. There is a cost to this which most of us pay for via our water meters. Plants will thrive on rainwater, so it seems sensible to use it wherever possible and save ourselves some money at the same time. For most people the easiest way to achieve this is by installing one or more water butts.

14

Check out our blog & much more online at www.livinglifemagazine.co.uk

Any building or structure in or adjacent to your garden can be used to harvest rainwater. Many greenhouses have built-in guttering to which downpipes can be attached or, if you have a shed or other garden building, you can install your own. Kits are also available to divert rainwater from house downpipes into a water butt.

Economical watering

Water can easily be wasted in the garden, so how and when you water is very important. Watering during the day when the weather is hot and sunny will result in much of the water evaporating but if you water first thing in the morning or late in the evening, more of the water will be able to reach the plants’ roots.

Hoses and sprinklers enable a large quantity of water to be applied in a short time but much of this can be wasted if not targeted in the right areas. Water landing on foliage will often evaporate before it gets to the ground and is of little benefit to the plant. Directing water to the root area is more beneficial but, if you use a hose to do this, the rate at which the water is applied is often greater than that at which it can be absorbed and a lot will run off and away from the plant.

Using a watering can may take a bit longer but you will use much less water. It also gives you a chance to inspect every plant, see how it is developing and spot problems you might otherwise have missed until they became much worse.

Trees and shrubs with well-established root systems will normally get all the water they need from the ground, but it can take up to 5 years before they get to this point. Keep an eye out for any signs of drought stress and be prepared to water when necessary.

Don’t forget to mention LivingLife when contacting advertisers

15

ROOM

101

My name is TOMIK and I am a songsmith and singer currently residing in Fairfield Hall.

My songs are currently available through Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play and all other online music streaming services. www.tomikmusicuk.com Here’s what I would put into Room 101…

Marzipan

My first selection for Room 101 has to be marzipan! I’m sure lots of people love marzipan and find it an absolute delicacy, but I absolutely cannot understand why anyone would want marzipan anywhere near their taste buds!

Perfectly good, indeed, wonderfully tasting cakes can still be produced without the requirement for marzipan and therefore I see why nobody should object to condemning marzipan to Room 101

Mike Gatting

My second choice is probably someone that a lot of the younger readers won’t even know but the time has come to condemn the former England cricket captain Mike Gatting to Room 101! Whilst ‘Gatt’ had long retired before my cricket obsession began, our paths did cross in the early 2000’s at Hertfordshire County Cricket Trials. Gatting was one of the coaches there that day and rudely interrupted the start of our game to quiz me about where I should be looking to play the ball at the start of the innings. None of my answers satisfied the lunch-destroyer and so he proceeded to try and embarrass me in front of the other team. Mike Gatting has to go into Room 101.

Robbie Williams

The third thing I feel compelled to send to Room 101 is ‘Robbie Williams’ treatment of Gary Barlow following Take That and until his career nose-dived after Take That reformed’. Don’t get me wrong, Robbie Williams did some great work following the Take That split, and his first three solo albums were pretty good. However, his attitude towards Gary Barlow still irks me to this day.

Robbie dragged his name through the mud until, surprise surprise, his success started to dip and guess who came crawling back to Take That! Yep, Robbie wanted to ride their coattails once again! Gary, you should never have taken him back!

Now it’s your turn!

Do you want to banish your top peeve or worst nightmare to the depths of Room 101?

Submit your top 3 at: www.livinglifemagazine.co.uk/room101 16

Check out our blog & much more online at www.livinglifemagazine.co.uk

Don’t forget to mention LivingLife when contacting advertisers

17

education

welcome to Pix Brook Academy

Contribution thanks to

Scott Brand

Senior Building Manager www.willmottdixon.co.uk

P

ix Brook Academy is currently being built in Stotfold by local construction company Willmott Dixon on behalf of Central Bedfordshire Council for Bedfordshire Schools Trust - BEST. Once completed in September, the school will be an extended secondary school for pupils aged 9 to 16.

Pix Brook Academy is already making history as the fastest super school Willmott Dixon has ever built, going from a farmer’s field to a fully functional school for 1,260 children in just 54 weeks.

Not only is it an incredibly fast build, but during the middle of construction Covid-19 struck, with the world going into lockdown and casting many new restrictions for everyone.

With the restrictions that everyone has faced, Pix Brook Academy’s new pupils could have missed the chance to attend their ‘step up’ day. However, Willmott Dixon’s team, along with the Academy, created a special socially distanced open day on site during the weekend of the 4th and 5th July for pupils to attend with their parents to get a taster for what life in their new school will look and feel like.

The open weekend allowed 150 children to see what their new school will look like and how their classroom have been set-up. They were able to walk through the main hall, see where lessons will take place for Years 5 and 6, as well as walking through the sports hall, changing area and activity studio, where sports will take place and which the community will be able to hire in the evenings.

The special tour was such a success that Willmott Dixon opened the site up again to pupils moving up to Year 6 on 19th July!

18

Check out our blog & much more online at www.livinglifemagazine.co.uk

Don’t forget to mention LivingLife when contacting advertisers

19

SCENE BY YOU Your chance to share your favourite photos

Submit your photo for the next edition www.livinglifemagazine.co.uk/myphotos

1 4

2 5 A big thanks to this month’s submissions

3 20

1

Chris Mills

2

Louise Moore

3

Linda Parcell

4

Richard Addington

5

Steve Coxon

Bumble Bee coming into land Rainbows over Shefford The Purple Emperor Summer on the way - Letchworth Common Is it a Kestrel?

Check out our blog & much more online at www.livinglifemagazine.co.uk

Don’t forget to mention LivingLife when contacting advertisers

21

Equestrian

Groundcare

Pet & Wildlife

Smallholding

Sandy Lane, Chicksands, Shefford, Bedfordshire, SG17 5QB.

01462 810190 | www. chandlersfe.co.uk

22

Check out our blog & much more online at www.livinglifemagazine.co.uk

Spot the Drone Pilot

Win

£25

It’s competition time! The drone pilot who captured this image has been magically removed from the photo, can you deduce exactly where he is positioned? Place a cross (‘X’) where you think the drone pilot is standing (just like ‘Spot the Ball’ puzzle), then take a photograph of this page with your phone or device and submit your entry here: www.livinglifemagazine.co.uk/drone Close date 15/8/2020. Only 1 entry per person. Judge’s decision is final.

Don’t forget to mention LivingLife when contacting advertisers

23

community

Shefford Garage Sale Trail Don’t dump it. Sell it!

T

Contribution thanks to

Lesley Whiteman Shefford Local

he Annual Shefford Garage Sale Trail is happening on Sunday 20th September from 11am to 3pm. Free trail sheets will be available from 9th September, this will show you where all of our stalls are located, and each one will have a Country Properties board to make it even easier for you to spot! On the day, simply follow the trail and see what bargains you can find!

But, before then we’re looking for lots of Shefford residents to register to have a stall!

The cost is £5, and all registration fees will be donated to Shefford Christmas Lights – what you make on your stall is yours to keep!

To request a registration form, email lesley@lesleywhitemansocialmedia.co.uk and we’ll email one to you, or call/text us on 07799 642 863. If printing is a problem, give us your address and we’ll pop one through your letterbox. Please complete your form and pop it into an envelope along with your £5 registration fee and then drop it through Country Properties’ letterbox by 1st September. Please register ASAP as it makes it much easier to plan our event rather than everyone leaving it to the last minute.

This event is being run as part of the Shefford Community Festival which runs from Sept 19th to 27th 2020. Nearer the time you will find the full events programme at:

www.sheffordcommunityfestival.co.uk

24

Check out our blog & much more online at www.livinglifemagazine.co.uk

Don’t forget to mention LivingLife when contacting advertisers

25

Day and Wine Sale WARDEN ABBEY Open with Local Food and Crafts The Community Vineyard www.wardenvineyard.org.uk

OPEN DAY & WINE SALE .................................

W

e are making changes this year to comply with Covid 19 guidance.

Please check our website nearer the time for the latest situation and entry details.

Advance booking may be required.

Sun 13 September 11am - 4pm

with local food and craft market • History Display • Refreshments

We are making changes this year to comply with Covid 19 guidance. Please check our website nearer the time for the latest situation, entry details and ticket price. Advance booking may be required.

The Vineyard is situated between Old Warden and Cardington.

“A Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity project”

26

Sunday 13th September 11- 4pm

Celebrating 10 years as a Community Vineyard

Come and find out the story of the medieval vineyard and abbey, and how we care for the vines all year round at this community run project. In addition to offering tea and cakes we hope to have all our regular stall holders with us, including BBQ and ice creams.

To find out more please visit

www.wardenvineyard.org.uk

Check out our blog & much more online at www.livinglifemagazine.co.uk

Don’t forget to mention LivingLife when contacting advertisers

27