LivingLife - March 2022 - Issue 40

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Issue 40 March 2022

£25 ALSO INSIDE

SPOT THE DRONE PILOT SCENE BY YOU SAFARI STUMPERS

home grown - home produced Discovering local, home grown suppliers

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Competition Winner

february

a big well done to:

mary peterson 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 Greetings! Welcome to the March edition of LivingLife Magazine.

Once again, we have another instalment of our fabulous Wanderbus feature, this time John takes a trip to the international city of Cambridge. A beautiful, historic city, with This month’s cover was a huge array of photo interesting captured byand Kate architecture.

McBurney buildings (John’s wife) during evening A great place foranshopping stroll thethe farmers with across some of finestfields inde-

| Andrew Martin |

pendent boutiques around, a near Henlow Village. Compeseven-day-a-week market and all thetition high street brands you Winner might expect. The beauty of the Wanderbus is that it takes away all the stress and hassle of trying to park your car or needing to use the Park ’n’ Ride. You are dropped off in the centre of Cambridge and then picked up and dropped off home later in the day. It is so easy!

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

Inside, we also have an | John McBurney | update from the Clifton Walking Group plus we have the latest advice from Sustainable Shefford, a group set up to share hints, tips and ideas around all aspects of sustainability.

If your garden is suddenly springing to life and beginning to look a little bit fabulous, then please do get in touch as we would love to feature it in our ‘Beautiful Gardens of Bedfordshire’ feature. We can arrange a visit, take some fantastic photos, and showcase your garden in the magazine!

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.

This month’s cover photo was captured in March last year when we were out delivering the magazine in Stotfold. We spotted a delightful magnolia tree in full bloom that looked absolutely stunning.

Kind Regards, Andrew & John

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

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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journey to cambridge with wanderbus home grown - home produced diddy directory the joy of piano crossword pets corner diana’s charity jumble sale CLIFTON WALKING GROUP sustainable shefford shefford scouts - volunteers needed! scene by you wordsearch spot the drone pilot KIDS PUZZLES - SAFARI STUMPERS

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TAKE A RIDE ON THE.......

We continue our journey…

John catches the Wanderbus to Cambridge!

Check out all the photos on our blog

THE ROUTE On the 4th Wednesday of the month the W6 & W6A services go to Cambridge – a world renowned university city, located on the River Cam in eastern England, full of historic buildings and of course the famous university. It is definitely the Wanderbus journey you want to go on, you get 4 hrs to spend in Cambridge with the return bus heading back at 2.15pm. Plenty of time to explore, take in the sites and do some shopping.

THE JOURNEY The W6 picks up passengers at Gravenhurst, Campton, Shefford, Clifton and Henlow, and the W6A collecting at Meppershall, Shillington, Stondon and Stotfold. I popped on the bus at Stotfold at just after 9.15am in the competent hands of our driver, Clive.

THE DESTINATION The destination drop-off point is in the town centre, just outside the big John Lewis on Downing Street.

Once off the bus I headed to Market Square via Trumpington Street, allowing me to take in the views of Corpus Christi College, St. Catherine’s College and onto King’s College. So much history to see, you really could just spend your time exploring the historic buildings.

I soon reached Cambridge’s outdoor market, which is fabulous. Traders have been running stalls since the middle ages. You can buy fresh food and ingredients from a wide range of cuisines, as well as art, plants, clothes, jewellery, books, music and much more. Some traders offer services such as bike and watch repair.

By lunch time nearly all of the food stalls had long queues, clearly the market square is very popular with students and tourists alike. I decided to get my lunch from ‘King of Wraps’ opting for a delicious falafel wrap, which contained hummus, mixed salad, tahini and chilli sauce. Highly recommended.

After lunch, I walked down to the quayside (punting station) and then along the boardwalk path next to the river. I then headed across Jesus Green (beautiful tree lined path) and onto Midsummer Common (historic riverside grassland). I was then able to visit the Grafton Centre, which is one of the main covered shopping centres, located on the eastern edge of the town centre. I then headed across Christ’s Pieces and visited the Grand Arcade and the Lion Yard shopping centres. For shopping, you are simply spoilt for choice.

On our return journey home, I chatted with our driver Clive, who is also one of the Wanderbus committee members, and he commented, ”We are very grateful to Living Life Magazine for the publicity articles on Wanderbus journeys. We need as many passengers as possible to ensure we can continue to operate our services so please come and try our friendly services”.

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food & produce

HOME GROWN – HOME PRODUCED! D

o you sell home-grown or home-produced produce from your driveway or doorstep? This could include anything from eggs, fruit, veg, honey, jams, pickles, flowers, plants, cuttings etc.

If so, we would love to hear from you. In future editions of the magazine we hope to include a listing of locations selling home grown produce. We will group the listing into towns / villages so readers can easily see where to get, say, ‘eggs in Shefford’ or ‘honey in Arlesey’, etc.

If you would like to be included, then all we need from you is the following information: • First Name • Address • Short Description (of what you sell, max 30 words) • Photo image (optional) - Perhaps a photo image of your produce or stall.

Please email details to admin@livinglifemagazine.co.uk.

We look forward to hearing from you!

STOTFOLD

Phil & Becky Allen 20 Angelica Avenue, Stotfold, SG5 4HH We sell half a dozen eggs for £1. Phil has always wanted ducks & chickens, so he really does look after them very well. Their diet is varied but healthy which I think is reflected in our eggs that we sell. People who buy them always compliment on how lovely the eggs taste and how yellow the yolks are.

UPPER CALDECOTE

Jordan Liversedge 153 Biggleswade Road, Upper Caldecote, SG18 9BD We sell eggs in Upper Caldecote near G&M Growers. We currently get about 80 eggs per week but getting more chickens next month so this will go up. Colour and sizes will vary but each box will be roughly equal, x6 is £1, x12 is £2 (text to 07494 480666 jordan.liversedge16@hotmail.co.uk)

STOTFOLD

Paul Dennison 182 Hitchin Road, Stotfold, SG5 4JE We are currently selling eggs, but we will also be selling surplus plants, apples, pears, plums and lots of different veg depending on season.

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The

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Diddy Directory

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

£38 £68 Single

Double

A professional, friendly, local gardening service making your garden somewhere for you to enjoy Claudia McCullough 07907 303130 mulberrygardening.co.uk

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

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music

Contribution thanks to

Susanne Watson

The Joy of Piano

Susanne Watson Piano

01462 239852

susannewatson7@gmail.com

Susanne Watson, one of Edinburgh’s most experienced piano teachers, moved to Lower Stondon at the end of 2021. She teaches both children and adults, believing that it is never too late to learn. She teaches absolute beginners of all ages as well as those that played piano as children, now wanting to take up making music again as adults.

“The most important thing is that people feel they are making progress and playing real music as soon as possible”, she says.

Susanne’s approach is very person-centred, believing that learning should be an enjoyable experience. For younger students, many studies have shown that leaning a musical instrument can also improve concentration and achievement in other subjects.

Lessons take place in a dedicated music room on a lovely grand piano and usually last around 30 minutes, or 45 minutes for more advanced players. For students that want to take exams, Susanne teaches both Associated Board and Trinity College of Music syllabuses.

Her own qualifications include a Performance and Theory Diploma from the London College of Music as well as a Teaching Certificate from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.

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Quick Crossword Across 7 Deprive of food (6) 8 Purpose (6) 9 Ajar (4) 10 Grows bigger (8) 11 Consequences (7) 13 Group of singers (5) 15 Normal (5) 17 Small country home (7) 20 Marvellous (8) 21 Painful (4) 23 Discussion (6) 24 Rhymes (6) Down 1 Cease (4) 2 Citrus fruit (6) 3 Under (7) 4 Young females (5) 5 Stiffening agent (6) 6 Going into (8) 12 Buttoned up (8) 14 Surgical instrument (7) 16 Overseas (6) 18 Tried (6) 19 Frequently (5) 22 In short supply (4)

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Answers P21

Uncover The Natural.Beautiful.You

For all things Beauty

01462 851135 8 NORTHBRIDGE STREET SHEFFORD BEDFORDSHIRE SG17 5DH

Email - info.beyondbeauty@btconnect.com Website - www.beyondbeautycompany.com Facebook - Beyond Beauty Company Instagram - beyond_beauty_company

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PECOTRSNER

brought to you by:

Something to get your Teeth into by Dr Steph Gowing MRCVS

F

ebruary was dental health awareness month for our pets, so I thought this month I would write on the importance of regular dental care at home and at the vet.

What does poor dental hygiene look like?

When teeth aren’t brushed every day, plaque builds up. This is a smelly invisible film of bacteria, feeding on leftover food in the mouth. If this is not removed, it quickly accumulates to tartar, which is browny-yellow or grey, most often on the big canines or the larger chewing teeth at the back of the mouth. Tartar has a very rough surface which helps even more bacteria stick to it over time and harden in more and more layers, which we call calculus. Tartar and particularly calculus are pretty much impossible to remove without professional scaling.

At the point of tartar or early calculus, bacteria start to invade the gums and attachments that hold the teeth in place, making everything red and sore, called gingivitis. If this advances, the gums and bone are progressively eaten away, the teeth are loosened and large pockets form under the gum that fill with more bacteria. These pockets make the tissue break down even faster and can lead to abscesses buildups of pus and bacteria around the root of a tooth.

Unfortunately, our beloved pets do themselves no favours. They will usually continue to eat and rarely show pain - this is why it is often believed tooth disease isn’t painful or doesn’t need regular treatment. It is often difficult and slow to train pets to allow toothbrushing, encourage them to take up chews with toothpaste in or drink water with solution in to help discourage plaque formation. This means, we often don’t treat our pets’ mouths until they have been sore for some time, and need multiple teeth taken out.

What can you do to help?

Discuss with your vet about ways you can help your pet at home or products you can try. You can also book in for free checks with vet nurses to discuss how to train your pet to allow toothbrushing in a way that makes it positive and so it’s not a fight between you. Home care is the most important step to your pet keeping all their teeth into their senior years. The other vital thing is to be proactive about getting your pet’s teeth regularly cleaned, at least every few years. It is much better for their long term health, and the overall cost of treatment, to book in for cleaning before the need for extractions, and you can be comforted in the knowledge you are one of the wonderful minority that keep their pet’s mouths comfortable and healthy for their whole lifetime.

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community

dIANA’S CHARITY JUMBLE SALE D

iana Powell who lives on Norton Road in Stotfold is organising a charity jumble sale to benefit Cancer Research UK. The event will take place at St. Mary’s Church Hall in Stotfold on Saturday 9th April at 2pm.

Diana has been organising charity fundraising events since 2014 and in total has raised over £19,000 for various charities including Cancer Research UK, Garden House Hospice, Lister Hospital and St. Mary’s Church, Stotfold, to name a few.

Diana said, “I have always been a busy person in my career in teaching, so now I do the fundraising for fun and to keep active. I take great pleasure from collecting up the money, counting it up and handing it over to worthy causes.”

“In order to have a successful jumble sale we need two things, firstly, donations of jumble. We need good quality jumble which can include anything from toys, clothing, bric-a-brac, crockery, household items, small pieces of furniture, books, and electrical items. Secondly, we need visitors on the day, so please do come along and support us.”

Do you have any jumble to donate?

If so, then please drop it off at the church hall on the day before (between 3-6pm) or on the morning of the event. Alternatively you can give Diana a call on 01462 835585.

After the event has finished local waste clearance company ‘Dennison’s Ltd.’ will be taking away all of the left-over jumble free of charge.

It is good to see local businesses supporting charity events in this way.

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ased our:

Tax year end is around the corner. Is your Tax Planning up to date?

Shefford-based Nicholas Turner can help you make sure you have efficiently used all your allowances for 2021/2022.

Nicholas Turner Chartered Financial Planner

e: nturner@kdw.co.uk t: 01462 632260 m:07393 340 029 w: www.kdw.co.uk v: Pensions Investments Tax Planning Equity Release Life Insurance 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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community

Contribution thanks to

Karen Hicks

clifton walking group

Please contact for info:

Suzanne I’ons -07933709006 ionssuzanne@gmail.com

At this time of year, when out with the Clifton Walking Group I start examining the hedgerows really carefully for new growth and blossom. March offers an opportunity to identify the best foraging spots for later in the year.

Blackthorn, one of the earliest shrubs to blossom, gets its white five petal flowers even before its leaves. It really stands out in the spring hedgerow, the frothy white blossom a reminder of pleasures to come. It is the Blackthorn that provides us with sloes in the autumn. Dark purple sloe berries serve to make sloe gin, sloe port, sloe wine, sloe jam and jelly. There are so many ways to preserve this wonderful fruit but watch out for the thorns!

Cherry Plum blossoms early too, often at the beginning of March. Its fruit makes a fabulous jam and works a treat in crumble.

Hawthorn blossoms in May and June but, unlike Blackthorn, the Hawthorn sprouts its leaves before it’s pink and white blossoms. You can eat the fresh leaves in a green salad and the haws (berries) make a good jelly when combined with crab apples.

Country walking in early spring provides lots of opportunities to seek out ‘sweet spots’ for foraging later in the year. If you’d like to get started with foraging, try www.eatweeds.co.uk.

Happy hunting!

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ENVIRONMENT

Sustainable Shefford Focus on: Food packaging

Contribution thanks to Michelle Turner & Claire Searle

Sustainable Shefford Facebook @SustainableShefford

Did you know that not all food packaging products which can be recycled are equal?

Glass used for food products can be recycled infinitely – so milk bottles and jam jars can be crushed and made into new products forever.

Aluminium can also be recycled infinitely so the same goes for those drink cans. And foil trays and wrapping. And tomato puree tubes.

Metal cans and tins such as soup cans, biscuit tins and metal lids are often aluminium but can be steel – also infinitely recyclable.

Paper can be recycled 5 to 7 times and after that used for lower grade items such as egg boxes.

Plastic can only be recycled for food use once or twice and after that needs to be downcycled – made into other products which are then probably not recyclable. These often end in landfill where they will take hundreds of years to break down, if ever.

So how can we all help to avoid food packaging waste going to landfill?

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Make sure everything that you put into recycling is washed and clean, so it won’t contaminate the load.

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Avoid buying single use plastics such as bottles of water – use a refillable bottle and save money too!

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Buy products with minimum packaging – e.g. wrapped blocks of butter instead of plastic containers, loose fruit and vegetables (take reusable bags available from some supermarkets or use paper bags).

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Check where you can recycle plastic items that can’t go into home recycling collections, e.g. plastic carrier bags, bread bags, toilet roll wrappers and many more. Larger branches of supermarkets will often take these. Enter your postcode on the recyclenow.com website to find out what you can recycle at your local supermarket – you may well be surprised as to what they will take!

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Buy local from small suppliers who will often use much less packaging.

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Even better than making good choices on recyclable packaging is to have none. Take your own reusable containers – some supermarkets are happy for you to do this. Or use a refill or zero waste shop. Locally we’re lucky to have a great refill store – Bamboo Turtle in Biggleswade and Letchworth. In refill stores you can take your own containers and refill rice, lentils, pasta, porridge oats and similar as well as washing-up liquid, shampoo etc.

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Join Sustainable Shefford! We meet monthly and our Facebook page has lots of links to more ideas for reusing, recycling, and living more sustainably. Together we can take small steps to make a difference to our world. You will be very welcome (and you don’t have to live in Shefford!).

Useful links: www.plasticfree.org.uk/community/shefford

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community

Contribution thanks to

COULD YOU HELP THE 1ST SHEFFORD SCOUTS?

Richard Lowe Treasurer - Shefford Scouts

sheffordscouts.org.uk

t 1st Shefford Scouts, we believe that all young people deserve the opportunity to have A adventure, fun and learn #skillsforlife. We do this by working with our young people to provide an engaging and diverse programme of activities.

Through the pandemic, recognizing the importance of our young people’s mental health, Scouting in Shefford continued. We worked hard to find creative ways to bring young people together safely via zoom and more recently face to face.

None of our volunteers are paid for the time they give – whether they are committee members, section leaders or other group supporters. They all do it for the benefit of Shefford’s young people and the wider community.

Could you help the 1st Shefford Scouts?

There are many ways that you might be able to – and you might not even have to leave your house. There’s a lot goes on behind the scenes to make Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers possible – and even a small contribution can make a big difference.

If you enjoy outdoor activities or you’re great at organizing activities for young people, then maybe you could help our leaders to run meetings and activities. We always need parents and volunteers to make scouting possible - even if it’s just occasionally. Sometimes it’s as simple as getting Beavers across a busy road when they’re out for a hike.

Could you help the group to apply for grants? We have no paid staff – but we still have costs. Costs of running the group include repairing, maintaining, and improving our HQ; paying for on-line web services, insurance, and heating – and enabling young people to take part, even when in financial hardship. Effective fundraising helps us to keep great scouting affordable for all. If you think you could help us to apply for grants – please get in touch. Maybe you work in business development or have previous experience in grant applications in other walks of life. Your skills could make a huge difference for us.

Are you good with marketing, communications, and social media? Maybe you could help us to write articles like this, to improve our website or to keep parents up to date on the latest news from 1st Shefford Scouts. Getting the message out to attract young people, volunteers and donations is vital work. If you have web development skills, experience in marketing or are just great at motivating people – please get in touch!

If you would like to see how you could help us, please get in touch at: info@sheffordscouts.org.uk

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SPRING SALE!

Up to 50% off shutters, blinds & curtains Call 01462 816429 or email sales@impactshuttersandblinds.co.uk for a free consultation

Book an appointment online at www.impactshuttersandblinds.co.uk

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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

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2 5 A big thanks to this month’s submissions

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Anna Revell

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Chris Mills

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Dalia Vaitkeviciute

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Linda Parcell

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Leslie Old

A cold January Morning Hitchin Chruch

Defrost

Leveret exploring Best catch of the day

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Fish Anchovy Barracuda Bass Bream Carp Catfish Cod Cuttle Dace Dolphin

Eel Flounder Fugu Guppy Hag Hake Herring Pike Piranha Pollack

Salmon Sardine Shark Skate Sole Tench Trout Turbot

Find the names of different fish in the grid and the remaining letters will spell out a related phrase

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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 15/03/2022. Only 1 entry per person. Judge’s decision is final.

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Word Searc E F F h A

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