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Issue 30 May 2021
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Our home delivery now includes Stotfold & Fairfield Park
OPENING UP ONCE AGAIN!
THE EASING OF LOCKDOWN SEES ‘THE GREAT REOPENING’ ALSO INSIDE
THE TRAVEL BLOGGER DELIVERY BOYS’ REVIEW MARGARET’S WALKS
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Competition Winner
april
a big well done to:
Carolyn Taylor Who was the closest to spotting the hidden drone pilot in last month’s photo & won £25. See below for last month’s location
NOTE FROM THE EDITOrS Spring is most definitely here! The sun has been shining, gardens are blooming, and the ‘roadmap out of lockdown’ offers great optimism for a return to normality. Hopefully, the May edition of LivingLife Magazine can add to this positive outlook. This month’s cover photo was Inside we have an article from captured by Kate McBurney Festus Akinbusoye, who is the (John’s wife) during an evening Conservative candidate for stroll across thePolice farmers the upcoming & fields Crime Commissioner (PCC) election, near Henlow Village. Compewhich takes place on 6th May 2021. tition Winner
| 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
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.
In the past, we also included articles from Jas Parmar (the Liberal Democrats candidate). The other candidates in the election include David Michael (Labour), Patrick Hamill (Independent), and Antonio Vitiello (English Democrats). Spring is in the air, and if you are a fan of daffodils then we | John McBurney | certainly have a treat in store for you as we take a tour of Richard Marriott’s garden in Clifton, which can simply be described as a visual delight of daffodils, containing an abundance of beautiful and interesting varieties. Richard has also penned an article all about daffodils. We remain excited that LivingLife Magazine now reaches out to 16,000 homes and dwellings across Bedfordshire, and having received many positive comments and feedback from our new readers in Stotfold and Fairfield, this really does inspire us to continue with the work that we do on the magazine.
Kind Regards, Andrew & John
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 24 26 28 30
beautiful gardens return the travel blogger diddy directory pcc candidate - upcoming election businesses open up around beds yellow fever the scouts are back! fairfield community hall delivery boys’ review scene by you margaret’s walks may Crossword
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garden
Beautiful Gardens of Bedfordshire Richard Marriott, Church Street, Clifton
Check out all the photos on our blo g
www.livinglifemag
azine.co.uk/blog
Discovering beautiful gardens in the local area.
W
elcome to our latest instalment of beautiful gardens. We are so glad to be back! Spring is in the air and gardens across Bedfordshire are simply blooming! In April we were kindly invited to visit Richard Marriott’s delightful garden in Clifton. Richard, who penned this month’s ‘Yellow Fever’ article, has a love for daffodils, and has the skills and dedication to grow some amazing specimens, which he enters into shows and competitions. Richard states, “I really like Daffodils for the variety of shape colour and form. There are so many colour variants and I just love producing a flower that is smooth and distinct in form and poise.” Next month, we talk to Richard in more depth about his beautiful garden and the shows that he enters. If you would like to feature your garden in LivingLife Magazine then please do get in touch.
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r e gg o l B l e v The Tra I
n my job, I get to work on all kinds of wonderful trips to some amazing far flung destinations. Before having children, I managed to travel to many of them too! But the place that really has my heart is much closer to home. And that is the Balearic Islands. They are the only place that we have ever returned to for repeat holidays.
The Balearics Starting with Menorca... whenever someone comes to me for a holiday with a baby or preschooler it’s my go-to. Low rise buildings either side of tidy pavements and palm trees make it feel so affluent... beaches and coves aplenty... My highlight would be the shallow bay of Cala Galdana which is turquoise blue and crystal clear... like a perfect holiday postcard. Three times I’ve visited this island, and it’s grown on me every time. When I have grandkids, I’ll be bringing the babies here, perhaps in a big villa, or even a hotel with a little mini disco.
Cala Galda
na
Ibiza is a truly magical island... I first visited in 2004 and then came
for 4 consecutive years. Its true that the clubs are like nowhere else in this world. I returned with my family in 2018 and enjoyed a slower pace, enjoying the early morning walks, various beaches and loved it just as much as when I was there to party. It’s just so pretty, especially Es Cana where we visited the hippy market and then swam and played in the sea until the moon was up.
Ibiza Es
Vedra
But our serial holiday that we have on repeat is to Mallorca... We
have stayed in many resorts in Mallorca from Santa Ponsa to Soller but our fave combo has to be, Palma and Pollensa. We stay with friends who live in Palma, and we love it so much. The tiny beaches dotted along the coast, great choice of restaurants and the yacht life. After a few days we then head north to Puerto Pollensa. We just feel like it’s our place. Everything you want is within a small area. The safe shallow beach along the pine walk.... the stroll along to the Ila D’or for Mallorca Sangria. The town square where our kids play football with local children. Bread and Alioli and a beer while they spend their pocket money in the night market. The sea is the clearest, calmest sea I’ve ever seen. All sand, no stones. The restaurants are reasonable... so much choice for eating out. Sporty types might love to paddle board or cycle around the mountains. Best coffee spot is Capri, early morning. So serene... return in the evening for the seafood pasta and thank me later.
The one island I haven’t been to is Formentera. But it’s high on my list! I’d like to go on a yoga retreat there and get completely sun drenched. We love The Balearics. 2.5 hour flight from UK. Extremely low Covid cases at time of writing... let’s hope they are green for us this summer as we are dying to get back there, and they are going to need all of our support!
@jens_travel_inspo
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community
Shefford Craft and Produce Show
I
t is with great regret that the Committee has made the decision to postpone the Craft and Produce Show until September 2022 due to these very uncertain times. A Show takes months of planning and needs time and opportunities to advertise it and distribute the Schedules.
Unfortunately we do not have sufficient time this year and are reluctant to invest in a Show that possibly will not have the usual support. We need to know that competitors and visitors will feel confident and comfortable to attend in a crowded environment. Therefore, if you have been preparing for this year – keep practising, crafting and growing and we will be back to greater things next year to celebrate 40 years +2. We are sorry to disappoint our regular competitors but we need to be sure that everyone is safe during the pandemic and subsequent months. The Committee of Shefford Craft and Produce Show
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Crime & Policing
CANDIDATE FOR POLICE & CRIME COMMISSIONER ELECTION O
Contribution thanks to
Festus Akinbusoye www.fest4bedspcc.co.uk enquiries@fest4bedspcc.co.uk
n Thursday 6 May 2021, you will be able to vote for your next Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) in a Bedfordshire-wide election.
I am writing to ask for your vote at this crucial election. I am the only candidate who lives in rural Bedfordshire and has frontline policing experience here in our county, has worked within the Criminal Justice System as mentor to young offenders, and has nearly 20 years business experience as a company director - leading a team of over fifty employees across the UK. The next PCC will have the huge responsibility of overseeing Bedfordshire Police’s budget which has grown to a record £129.5m for the 2021-22 financial year. They will also hold the Chief Constable accountable for delivering on the people’s policing priorities to cut crime, prevent harm and support victims. Furthermore, the next Commissioner will need to build on the success of the out-going Conservative PCC, who has taken our police area from being rated as inadequate to now being rated as ‘Good’ overall by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate. We have achieved this, thanks to the hard work of our police officers and staff. However, I believe we can go one better than this - we can be outstanding. This is why my key priorities are to invest in community-based policing for both our urban and rural areas, crackdown on drug dealing and anti-social behaviour; and ensure that law-abiding citizens and victims are at the centre of our policing priorities. I will make sure the benefit of this extra government investment is felt by ALL our residents. As a parent of teenagers who attend schools in the Central Bedfordshire area, I want our county to be the safest for our young people. To do this, we need a PCC who truly understands the challenges our young people face and has the plans to tackle these head on. My vision for our area is clear. I want us to have an outstanding police force that delivers outstanding public service to all our residents in both our rural communities and urban centres. It will be an honour to serve as your next elected Police and Crime Commissioner. I have the vision, passion and plan for a safer Bedfordshire.
I hope I can count on your support on Thursday 6 May. 12
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community
OPENING UP (ONCE AGAIN!) Across Bedfordshire the easing of lockdown sees ‘the great reopening’
The Orchard Rest Fairfield Park to L Club during lockd
The team at The Potting Shed Cafe @ Thornes Garden Nursery look forward to welcoming you back for delicious lunches, cakes, snacks and drinks!
Once again we are back at Campton School of Dance! Nothing can stop us now. So excited to see you all and get dancing again!
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taurant & Bar relocated from Letchworth Sports & Tennis down. We welcome you all!
It has been a fantastic week at the Railway Steamer Shefford, thankyou to everyone for your support in and out of lockdowns!
PHOTO ARTICLE
We are glad to finally be able to welcome you all back into the showroom, and look forward to seeing you all. Please do pop in and say ‘Hi’ to the ladies running everything. From the team at TJ plumbing Shefford & TNM Property Services.
Good to have the door at The Loft Shefford open again, welcoming back our customers!
The team at Finesse Tiles welcome you back to our fabulous showroom. Holding interior design close to our hearts, we present an extensive collection of Italian and Spanish porcelain tile ranges that will bring your home project to life. Find us at The Old Dairy, Church Farm, Astwick. Please support your local businesses -Don’t forget to mention LivingLife
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Horticulture
Yellow Fever
by Richard Marriott
I
mmortalised by William Wordsworth in his poem ‘I wondered lonely as a cloud’ Daffodils have long been considered one of the heralds of spring. There are over 27000 varieties of daffodils, providing a multitude of colour combinations and forms, and hybridizers develop hundreds of new varieties every year. From pollination of existing blooms it takes 5 years for a new variety to offer a worthwhile flower with sufficient bulb size to become an established variety. Over the last 40 years hybridizers have bred flowers with ever increasing distinct colours and ultra-smooth petals layered as two distinct triangles over each other. The normal daffodil has six petals. Careful selection and planting of daffodils in autumn can give a four-month period of wonderful spring flowers February- May. The bulbs are relatively cheap and available from supermarkets, garden centres, and specialist suppliers online. Within the UK there is a strong demand for cut daffodil flowers picked in bud for flowering at home. Cornwall and Lincolnshire have long been prolific growing areas although this year due to a shortage of pickers many flowers will never leave the HEAMOOR growing fields. Although daffodils grow anywhere in the world in hot or cold climates, they have a much stronger following in the UK, New Zealand, Australia, and the USA. All of these countries have societies dedicated to the growing of daffodils and hold annual shows for growers to exhibit their blooms and compete against each other. Established in Birmingham in 1898 The Daffodil Society is the specialist society of Great Britain for all who are interested in the Genus Narcissus by way of exhibitions, breeding, or just lovers of this wonderful flower. www.daffodilsociety.com Since a low key start some 10 years ago, we now grow over 500 pots of daffodils in Clifton in a selection of greenhouses and polytunnels primarily grown for show but not least for enjoyment and relaxation. We have achieved success at national and local shows winning numerous trophies and best bloom awards. Our dream is to grow flowers to maximum size,form and poise and compete at the top level.
SUGAR ROSE
BANKER
This year due to covid restrictions there are no shows to attend and rather than waste our flowers we have offered a few photographs for you to enjoy. Daffodils are one of the most popular garden plants and it is thought appear in 80% of gardens. They are a cheap splash of colour at the end of winter and can be a joy to behold. 16
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community
Contribution thanks to
Sarah Colley
the scouts are back!
1st Arlesey Scout Group 1arleseyscouts@gmail.com www.arleseyscouts.org.uk
Monday 12th April the 1st Arlesey Ffacerom Scouts have been able to return to face-toscouting. Over the last year scouting has been limited, which has meant a lot of time has been spent online, trying to keep our young people engaged, connected, and focused on better times. The leaders and their teams have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make virtual scouting as interesting and as organised as possible and our young members have been able to complete badges, learn new skills and partake in some brilliant challenges. We are incredibly grateful for the support the Arlesey community has given to our group, the generosity shown during our numerous fundraisers has been overwhelming, thankyou. These funds allow us to maintain our hut and update our equipment so we can continue to support the younger generations of Arlesey. If you would like to join 1st Arlesey Scout Group our sections are as follows:
Beavers for age 6 - 8 year olds Monday 5:30pm – 6.45pm Tuesday 5:30pm – 6:45pm Cubs for age 8 - 10½ year olds Monday 7.00pm – 8.30pm Wednesday 6.30pm – 8.00pm Scouts for age 10½ - 14 year olds Tuesday 7.15pm – 9pm Explorers for ages 14 - 18 year olds Thursday 7.00pm – 9.00pm Please contact
1arleseyscouts@gmail.com
for more information or to sign up. Visit our website or find us on
Facebook @arleseyscoutgroup
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community
Contribution thanks to
Nick Andrews
BASED IN THE HEART OF FAIRFIELD
trustees@fairfieldcommunityhall.co.uk
www.fairfieldcommunityhall.co.uk
O
riginally called Victoria Hall, Fairfield Community Hall started out in 2012, initially as a badminton hall with two courts and the provision of changing room and shower facilities. Since then, the hall has come a long way and now offers a whole host of fun activities, clubs and classes for varying ages. For a long time now there have been a number of toddler and baby groups providing music, singing and learning for the little ones while offering a place for parents to socialise and meet other new parents. New to this age group is Phonics with Robot Reg and the once-a-month arrival of Little City, is always a sell out! For the older children, the ever popular Fairfield Scout group meets here twice a week or for those keener on dance there are several groups varying in all styles from ballet, to baton twirling, to street dance. If sports are more your thing the badminton courts are still here with regular group meeting. Joining this sports provision now is short mat bowling and table tennis, little kickers football and little Rugger’s rugby clubs, fitness groups including Pilates and exercise classes and also karate classes. Imagination arts provide a more relaxed pace fitness class for our older generation. Moving onto the arts, we have several new exciting provisions to offer, Artikids sessions for the younger ones and soon to be launched art group run by Val Lawson for the adults. Val is a renowned local artist and some of her work can be seen on display at the hall. For languages, Little Linguistics will be doing French clubs, initially for children but with the view to extending to adults also and the possibility of adding Spanish to mix as well. For something a little different, sound bath meditation using the ancient origins of sound healing. The hall is a great space, it can be divided into two smaller halls by folding walls or can be opened up into one larger space. There is a recently refurbished kitchen funded by Fairfield friends and a lottery grant, with all the facilities one might expect, and this is available to hire along with halls for parties and celebrations. 20
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On Sunday mornings we welcome the local community church here at the hall and all are invited to join. This along with a regular ‘Café in the park’ and the huge variety of clubs and classes help to bring our community together to meet socially, try new things and make new friends and generally feel part of the wonderful Fairfield community.
All information for all the activities can be found on the community hall website www.fairfieldcommunityhall.co.uk and our Facebook page.
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47 Hospital Road, Arlesey, Bedfordshire, SG15 6RH Telephone: 01462 835550
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food & drink
DELIVERY BOYS’ REVIEW by John McBurney & Andrew Martin
We check out the local restaurants & eateries bacon, two fried eggs, hash brown, beans, mushrooms, and farmhouse toast. All perfectly cooked, piping hot and superbly presented. The Classic Eggs Benedict was something special. It included two poached eggs, thick slices of baked ham (really nice ham), wild rocket, on top of brioche, all exquisitely finished with the most amazingly tasty hollandaise sauce. Our compliments to the chef. The restaurant’s full ‘re-opening’ (eating inside) Our Delivery Boys were kindly invited for is planned for 17th May. Afternoon teas will breakfast at The Orchard at Letchworth Sports be available, but please do reserve a table as & Tennis Club, formerly The Orchard at Fair- bookings are already being snapped-up. field Park, but now at a brand-new location. Before we left, we managed a sneak preview We arrived at the restaurant on a glorious of inside the restaurant, we had heard that sunny day and found it easy to park our vehi- the team have been working tirelessly with cles in the ample sized tennis club car park. refurbishments, we have to say, they have done The restaurant is located around the back of a grand job, it certainly the main building, adjacent to the outdoor looks inviting. We can’t wait for May 17th! tennis courts. As per Covid 19 ‘roadmap out of lockdown’, The Orchard had a ‘soft’ reopening on 12th April, which meant outside eating only, however, on such a beautiful day, the spacious and stylish courtyard was the perfect place to be. Onto the food… We perused the breakfast menu online, which covers all the bases, firstly, there’s the sweet option - the Pancake Stack, and then a wide range of savoury choices including various takes on Eggs Benedict, and of course The Orchard Fry Up, plus a vegetarian version too. Andrew ordered the Fry Up and John the Classic Eggs Benedict. Tea and coffee soon arrived and we chatted and relaxed as we watched the tennis players on court. Onto the eating… Breakfast was delicious! Andrew’s ‘Fry Up’ certainly hit the spot, and included Cumberland sausage, smoked back 24
This Month’s Review The Orchard at
Letchworth Sports & Tennis Club Muddy Lane | Letchworth | Herts | SG6 3TB
01462 835525
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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
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1
Nici Miah
2
Chris Mills
3
Nick Brown
4
Linda Parcell
5
Steve Coxon
Double Rainbow Ponies by the River Hiz View from the farm Yellowhammer
Magnolia in bloom
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HEALTH & FITNESS
Margaret’s walks Keeping fit during lockdown
Margaret’s Walks was compiled by a local walking group made up of a few friends, including Margaret.
Margaret & Bill
Now 87, Margaret has been exploring the local Bedfordshire countryside for many years. The walks take you across countryside, by rivers and streams, woods and hills, plus interesting buildings, villages and streets.
Walk Number 27. Henlow / Langford River Walk (about 3 miles) Park near Henlow Church. Follow the signed footpath past the Church, and past the school on the right. Turn left onto the first, wide, gravelled footpath (to Langford) before the Health Farm. Go over a bridge and follow the path as it turns left before Poppy Hill Cottages. There will be trees on the left and fields on the right. Keep walking ahead, eventually onto tarmac Common Road, to Cambridge Road and then turn left. Walk in the direction of Henlow (B659), past The Boot / 110 High Street and Langford Garden Centre. After about 25 yards take the footpath going off on the left, signed Millennium Fields. Walk along the left-hand side of a large field, turn right at the corner and at the waymarker, turn left. Keep on the path to the end of this field and follow the directions of the waymarker through the gap in the hedge. Follow the path across a boarded ditch into a seated, recreational area. Walk through the avenue of young trees to a white information board. With a hedge and fence on the right, walk towards the houses, and through the next wooden gate. Turn left, go through the lychgate, through the gap in the hedge ahead and then diagonally right, to the gate out of the churchyard and back to the start. Check LivingLife backissues on our website for all previous walks 28
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Win
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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 15/5/2021. Only 1 entry per person. Judge’s decision is final.
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puzzles
The May edition
CROSSWORD Answers on P19
New Tax Year, new ISA and Pension allowances - don’t miss out! Why not book a no-obligation review? Pensions Investments Tax Planning Equity Release
Nicholas Turner e: nturner@kdw.co.uk Chartered Financial t: 01462 632 260 m: 07393 340 029 Planner w: www.kdw.co.uk v:
Past Performance is not necessarily a guide to future performance. The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and you may not get back the amount originally invested. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. KDW is a trading style of KD Wright Financial Services Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registration No: 509886.
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