LivingLife - May 2022 - Issue 42

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DIDDY DIRECTORY SCENE BY YOU PUZZLES FROM NEW YORK

kid’s got talent

Our popular showcase of young local talent is back

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Welcome

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FROM THE EDITOrS

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Welcome to May’s edition of the LivingLife Magazine!

May is named after the Greek goddess Maia who looked after | John McBurney | | Andrew Martin | plants. The month is known for love and success. Spring is most definitely in the air, and we can officially wave goodbye to the winter blues and warmly welcome the arrival of summer!

This month we focus on charity events. Diana Powell organised a very successful jumble sale in Stotfold, raising over £1000 for Cancer Research UK, also, Bridgette Whittaker, from Shefford, is planning a charity skydive in May to raise essential funds for British-Ukrainian Aid. Are you planning a fund-raising event? If so, get in touch as we would love to hear from you.

Would you like to try your hand at Kawandi Quilting? Inside, Kay Goddard pens an informative article all about this age-old, traditional method of ‘mindfulness stitching’. Kay also organises classes and workshops if you fancy giving this a go.

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home grown - some more new listings! golden ticket competition diddy directory local fundraising wanderbus 2022 excursion programme kid’s got talent clifton walking group the art of kawandi biggleswade sandy lions

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.

We are very excited this month as we see the return of our fabulous ‘Kids Got Talent’ feature, this month we discover Olivia Jakins, who is a very talented female kart racer.

It is fantastic news to see the return of the Shefford Craft & Produce Show this year after a two-year absence due to Covid restrictions.

The 40th annual show will take place on Saturday 10th September in the Shefford Methodist Hall, look inside to find out all the details.

At the point of going to print, April’s ‘Golden Ticket’ was still unclaimed! If the prize ticket is not claimed by 25th April, then the £25 will rollover to the following month. Make sure you have a good look through this month’s magazine to see if you can spot the winning ticket. Happy hunting!

till next month

John & Andrew Next Copy Deadline 10th May for our June 2022 Issue Phone us 01462 414265 Email us admin@livinglifemagazine.co.uk visit us online www.livinglifemagazine.co.uk Like us on Facebook @Livinglifemagazine Follow us on Instagram @Livinglifemagazine

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

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food & produce

HOME GROWN – HOME PRODUCED! Our listing gets bigger!

Do you sell home produce?

Email us to be in cluded admin@livinglife magazine.co.uk

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.

We have added some new entries to our home-grown / home-produced listing…

ARLESEY - Gary & Jayne Bellamy 15 Glebe Avenue, Arlesey SG15 6UP. We have eggs! £1 per half a dozen and occasionally honey, our bees are kept locally, £5 for a 12oz jar. (07961 147539) LOWER STONDON - Louise Johnson 2 Hawthorn Way, Lower Stondon, SG16 6LA. ‘Bloomin Marvellous’ – I sell home grown plants and flowers for hanging baskets, borders or just to brighten up your garden. Currently have giant sunflowers for just £1.50 each!!

HENLOW - Alan Frost 4 Chiltern Place Henlow SG16 6BG. I’ve been keeping bees in Henlow for 15 years after picking up the hobby from my father-in-law, the bees forage a two- or three-mile radius so if you live close by the honey could have come from the flowers in your garden. Yield can be erratic, but I try to have some available all year round.

(07976 390891) STOTFOLD - Nicola Hutchison The Nurtured Garden, Hitchin Road, Stotfold I sell cut flowers and plants grown in my garden in tune with nature without the use of chemicals. Please follow my facebook page for updates @ nurturedgarden.

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.

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.

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) 6

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Can you find the Golden Ticket?

Keep a keen eye out in this magazine for this month’s Golden Ticket.

Current priz e

£25

Roll over

If you find it simply give us a call and quote the code on the ticket to claim the prize.

Prize fund Sponsored by...

It looks lik this, and w e ill be attached inside a mag

Monthly cash prize of £25! If this it is not claimed, then the prize fund will roll over to the following month!

The ticket will be loose in the magazine and have a unique 5 letter code. To claim, simply call us on 01462 414265. Winners agree to being published in LivingLife Magazine. Call must be received before the expiry date on the ticket. The editor’s decision is final.

Actor

Bloom Bogart Clooney Connery Cruise Dench Depp Eastwood Firth Gable Garland Hepburn Hurt Knightley Mirren Monroe Neeson

Newman Radcliff Redford Smith Taylor Wayne Weaver Willis

Find these names of famous actors in the grid and the remaining letters will spell out a related phrase 8

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The

Diddy Directory WARDEN ABBEY The community vineyard

Did you know Bedfordshire’s medieval vineyard is now an exciting community project?

This beautiful field near Old Warden was first planted by monks at Warden Abbey. Centuries later, the “Lyttel Vineyard” was re-planted and now produces award-winning wines.

Today, it’s an army of volunteers who tend the vines all year round as well as run tours and events, school visits, social & therapeutic horticulture, wildlife and heritage projects.

OPEN FOR TOURS MAY TO SEPTEMBER

See website for tour dates, events, vouchers, gifts and stockists 07981 113714 info@wardenvineyard.org.uk

wardenvineyard.org.uk

Local . Ethical . Award-winning

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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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fundraising

HELP BRIDGETTE RAISE MONEY FOR UKRAINE! 83-year-old lady will be jumping out of a plane as part of a charity skydive Anraising money for Ukraine.

Bridgette Whittaker, from Ivel Road in Shefford, will be attempting the tandem skydive at 12.30pm on 2nd May at the Sibson Airfield in Peterborough.

With the awful scenes unfolding in Ukraine, Bridgette is asking for your help and support. Can you make a difference? She is raising money in aid of British-Ukrainian Aid and every donation will help. To support Bridgette, simply visit https://gofund.me/1040194c where you can donate.

British-Ukrainian Aid supports people in any part of the world who are the victims of war or natural disaster, trouble, or catastrophe in particular by the supply of medical aid to such persons and organisations caring for them.

Bridgette said, “I am really looking forward to the skydive, I’ve done it before, so I know what’s coming, but it will be my last one! Thank you in advance for your contribution to this great cause, it means so much to me.”

CHARITY JUMBLE SALE IS HUGE SUCCESS A fundraising jumble sale at St. Mary’s Church Hall in Stotfold on 9th April was a huge success, raising over £1,000. The event was organised by Diana Powell who lives on Norton Road in Stotfold.

Chris Webster, one of the many volunteers who helped out on the day, said: “It was an amazing jumble sale. Lots of people said they had never been to a jumble sale like it before. The church hall and veranda were filled to capacity. The number of people that donated items was unbelievable, coming from surrounding places, not just Stotfold. Customers on the day came from places as far away as Ampthill. We had an excellent team of helpers who all worked very hard. A big thank-you to everyone who supported the event in any way, and a special thanks to Dennisons House and Garden Clearance, LivingLife Magazine, Satchells Estate Agents and Stotfold News Magazine. Including the items that were sold before the event, approximately £1,000 was raised for Cancer Research UK.” Paul Dennison and his brother did a fantastic job taking away and disposing of the leftover jumble, Paul added, “I have lived in the village for 10 years and the local community is very important to me, if I can help out in anyway then I am more than happy to, especially as so much money was raised for a good cause!”

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Quick Crossword Across 1 Sketch (7) 5 Naval map (5) 8 Expel (5) 9 Woman’s holdall (7) 10 Promotional literature (13) 11 Informal (6) 12 Thick-set (6) 15 Used to cool food (13) 18 Conclusions (7) 19 Perfect (5) 20 Sea rising and falling (5) 21 Medicinal syrup (7) Down 1 Musical drama (5) 2 Robbers (7) 3 Worldwide (13) 4 Pertaining to cultural group (6) 5 Deep thinking (13) 6 Saunter (5) 7 Firmly (7) 11 Right (7) 13 Nearest (7) 14 Receptacle (6) 16 Dimmed (5) 17 Bottom of the feet (5)

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Answers P21

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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: Olivia jakins

age: 15 from: shefford Olivia, a local kart racer from Shefford competes at the highest level and has been karting for 4 years. She achieved 8th in the British Kart Championships in 2021, however a win in a final has escaped her....until now!

In March of this year, Liv competed in the 2022 Spring Cup at Shenington Kart Circuit in Banbury against all the top drivers in her class. After being right at the sharp end all weekend she finally passed the two top seeds in the country to take her first win! Liv is now the Junior TKM 2022 Spring Cup Champion!

Moving forward, and with her new team, Tim Wilson Motorsport, she will be looking to improve on 8th in Britain this year, again competing in the British Championships over 6 rounds throughout the Summer and hoping to win the big one....British Kart Champion 2022!

She also competes in club championships and other one-off annual meetings throughout the year, travelling around the country.

In an extremely male dominated sport, it can be difficult for girls to be recognised and break through. Liv is currently the only female driver in her class and one of very few throughout karting. If that wasn’t impressive enough, she also suffers with Tourette’s Syndrome. Liv has found focus and some relief in karting, and it helps that she clearly has a natural talent for it too!

Motorsport is expensive. If you would like to use this opportunity to promote your business, please contact us on social media. All British Championship kart races are live on YouTube and the final round of 2021 has received 10,000 views Please help to support Olivia by following her on social media pages, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook (@livjakinsracing).

Here you can follow her journey & results Does your child have an amazing talent? as they happen. if so, please get in touch at admin@livinglifemagazine.co.uk

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ased our:

It’s a New Tax Year - make sure it’s off to a good start Shefford-based Nicholas Turner can help you maximise your pension contributions and ISA allowances, as well as advise on ways to reduce Inheritance Tax liability for 2022/2023.

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

Elizabeth Smith

clifton walking group

Please contact for info:

Suzanne I’ons -07933709006 ionssuzanne@gmail.com

T

he Clifton Walkers take full advantage of the many walks around and beyond our pretty village. Various members meet on an almost daily basis, the groups varying from day to day.

There is great camaraderie among us all as we walk and talk, chalking up the miles. Some have been out even in the most challenging weather. Our longer walks, once a month, around 6 miles or so, take us to fresh pastures, sometimes a short distance from our village. We recently came across a bevy of swans and some geese sitting in a farmer’s field, possibly nibbling the crop. It’s unusual to see them away from natural water.

The walk along the river where we regularly go, has been cleared of undergrowth, making it more open and the view of the river improved. Spring is probably the loveliest time of year for walking in the countryside. The trees beginning to leaf and bloom, acres of golden rape adding glorious colour to the landscape, new lambs gambolling in the fields, birds singing and nesting and everything fresh and green. Add to that good companionship as you walk, breathing fresh air and taking in the scents of the natural surroundings. It makes one feel good to be alive. Walking is probably one of the easiest ways to stay fit and active. It costs nothing and the benefit derived from it is enormous.

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community

SHEFFORD CRAFT & PRODUCE SHOW T

he 40th annual Craft and Produce Show will be held on Saturday 10th September in Shefford Methodist Hall. The Schedules are now ready and the committee hope that everyone will find a class that will inspire them.

The Show has a celebratory theme as it is the 40th Show so there are several that feature red – a jar of red jam, a photograph of something red, a truss of red tomatoes and a ‘Ruby Anniversary’ flower arrangement.

There are classes for children, youth groups, gardeners, crafters and cooks. The Show Special is 5 poppies in any medium except paper and these will later be displayed around the town for the Remembrance Service.

The schedules will be available in May in the Library, The Paper Shop, the Post Office and also at the STMA Gala on 5th June and at the Town Council Fun Day on 16th July. Look out for banner, where you can also pick up one of our Fun Quizzes.

Please give us your support. The Show opens at 2pm when delicious refreshments will also be served

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Art

Contribution thanks to

Kay Goddard

THE ART OF KAWANDI

Kalico-K Textiles & Art Tuition

www.kalico-k.com

ver the past few years I have been asked more and O more to teach traditional stitching techniques and with the rise in mental health issues, have looked to the ‘slow-stitch’ sewing methods. The art of ‘mindfulness stitching’ to relax and enjoy the process, rather than worrying about the perfection of the end result, is something that has become a real stress reliever for so many.

My name is Kay and stitching has always been a passion. I started sewing at the age of 6 and I went on to qualify as a textiles artist and tailor. Nowadays, as a patchwork and textiles art tutor, anything that allows me to re-use fabrics and textiles in anyway has my vote, so when I started learning about Kawandi quilts, it lit a fire.

Kawandi means ‘quilt’ in the language of the Siddi people, an African tribe, re-located to the west coast of India in around 628 AD. They brought their traditions with them, whilst embracing and integrating into Indian culture, one being their art of patchworking . Their quilts originated from a need to reuse worn out saris and clothing to create bedding.

Kawandi nowadays is a lovely method of ‘quilting as you go’. These quilts are based on a piece of fabric and quilted from the outside edges with scraps, building the textures and strength as the piece takes shape. Modern Kawandi use wadding to create the depth, but layers of old saris would have originally been used.

Each Kawandi is finished at the corners with a traditional ‘phula’ flower. These quilts tell stories of families, of fabrics worn and loved, of history. The stitches are simple and continuous as they spiral into the centre.

I now run workshops in Shefford to create these beautiful pieces – perfect for small projects like a coffee table cover, but the technique is the same however big or small. The perfect memory quilt.

The ideal ‘me-time’ take-anywhere project. Stitch away the stress and create something beautiful from scraps.

You can find details of all the courses, classes and workshops I run at www.kalico-k.com/workshops and you can follow the classes in Shefford at www.facebook.com/learningtostitch “Stitching Together in Shefford”.

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community

Contribution thanks to

John Bennewith

BIGGLESWADE SANDY LIONS CLUB (CIO) Lions are from all walks of life

PR Officer

Biggleswade Sandy Lions Club CIO

t seems as though life might be returning to something Iplan like normal at last and not before time. We can now ahead with more confidence than at anytime during the past two years.

Our motto is “We Serve”. We serve our community in many ways, some of which result in donations of cash, other needs are satisfied by putting the right people in touch with one another, some need us to identify a problem, work out a solution and put it into practice, and so I could go on. I have previously mentioned Message in a Bottle and its offspring Message in a Wallet both of which are examples of problems being identified and solutions being found. Being a National and International organisation, we don’t have to keep reinventing the answer as we share the results around the organisation.

More locally, we purchased a horse jointly with Bedford Lions Club which is “parked” at the Bedford Disabled Horse Riding Association at Willington. Being Lions, we have to “debate” from time to time about who bought which end. One of these days we may come to a conclusion.

This year we sponsored three local schools in a project called ROAR which asks Primary School pupils to suggest ideas which they think will improve the world in which we live. The children work together in small groups to identify a project, research it, write it up building a model where appropriate and then present it to their peers who decide which project should go forward for area judgement and so on up to national level where there is a company prepared to develop a number of these proposals into a commercial proposition.

We hope to sponsor five schools this year.

2024 is the year of the next Scout Jamboree in Southern Korea. Those selected have to raise considerable sums of money some of which comes from sponsorship. There are two scouts within the Biggleswade Sandy Lions Club area who have been selected and we are proud to be one of their sponsors. They don’t just get the money. They have to demonstrate that they are putting in a lot of effort themselves and they will be expected to make a presentation to the Club when they return.

All these projects cost money and this is where our Fund Raising committee come into their own.

They are tasked with making sure we have adequate funds to finance all these projects. They are the people who organise the Santa collections, Easter Egg Raffles, side shows at fetes etc. Without them we would be lost. They have placed 20 eggs at various locations around the area. Full details can be found on our website www.bslions.org.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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Alan Holloway

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Lesley Whiteman

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Nichola Knight

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Linda Parcell

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Nisha Clarke

Whats on TV

A View of the River

Egret at sunset Arlesey Brimstone Butterfly Inside Out

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RD CROSSWO

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TREE &

GARDEN SERVICES

Tree Surgery Felling Crown Reductions Pruning Stump Grinding Hedge Maintenance Garden Clearance

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