OVL Magazine AprMay19

April / May 2019

Ouse Valley Living OUSE VALLEY’S NO.1 LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE EST 2005 • 16,000 COPIES HAND DELIVERED

Pr ic

el es

s

Gardens & Outdoors

THE ART OF SELLING PROPERTY We are a multi-disciplinary estate agency with offices in the historic market town of Bedford. Our business is built on firm foundations of knowledge, service and ethics and we guarantee the highest level of Client satisfaction.

BUY, SELL, LET, RENT HOW CAN WE HELP YOU? • Property sales • Property lettings • New homes sales • Bespoke property search • Land and development If you would like to request a free market appraisal please contact Barney.

T 01234 889987 E enquiries@artistryproperty.co.uk

www.artistryproperty.co.uk

Artistry Property Agents

|

36 St Peter’s Street

|

Bedford

|

MK40 2NN

10 Mill Street Bedford, MK40 3HD Tel. 01234 351458 @JohnMedhurstLtd johnmedhurstltd

April/May 19 Issue 126

50 Gardens & Outdoors 14 TOP 5 new garden products 20 GARDENS Rosemary’s tips 22 OUTDOORS relax in style 25 GARDEN DESIGN Texan 26 WIN! a Hill Farm roast 27 WIN! PYO at Merri Flowers

Lifestyle 30 FITNESS get back on it 35 FOOD lemon & poppy loaf 40 STYLE boiler suit trend 44 BEAUTY hair removal 55 PETS high blood pressure 58 MOTORS our man McCann 60 MUSIC Milky’s live scene 62 BOOKS Clare Mackintosh 63 FILM & TV After Life

And more…

43 SHOPPING Easter treats 48 TRAVEL luxury spa hotel 50 WILDLIFE the Bengal tiger 56 SCIENCE did you know?

66 ASTROLOGY in the stars 68 DIARY DATES what’s on 72 PUZZLES brain teasers

14

Meet the OVL writers...

Rosemary Heatley

Feature: Rosemary‘s Garden and Ex Libris Rosemary started her career in journalism, later becoming an English teacher at a college of further education and then a college manager.

Now retired, she leads a busy life in the Ouse valley. Her loves are gardening, reading – she writes our book review under her maiden name, Roz Masters - and spending time with her family.

Stelios Mores

Feature: S cience Dr. Stelios Mores, member of the Institutes of Physics and of Chemical Engineering, spent many years in London as a lecturer before moving to Bedford to establish a company manufacturing equipment for the chemical, pharmaceutical and energy industries.

Stelios is involved in local politics, school governance and the Biddenham Show. He rarely turns down a game of football or a karate session but finds family time the most rewarding of all.

Katie Gregory

Feature: U K Travel Katie is a Bedford-based copywriter and editor.

She worked as a travel editor for seven years before going freelance, and now writes for various websites and magazines. Her copywriting site is www.katiegregory.com and she also writes a family travel blog at www.therewegoblog.com.

ES OF PARADIS C I E SP

Great service!

Fresh food & quality ingredients from our experienced chef

Mon to Thu 5.30-11pm, Fri & Sat 5.30-11.30pm, Sun 12-10.45pm

Banquet Night Wednesdays

The Real Flavours of India

54 High Street, Harrold, Beds MK43 7DA

Tel 01234 721779

www.spicesofparadise.co.uk

Voted Nº 1 Salon in the UK

Hazel Kaye Hair, Beauty & Facial Aesthetics Order/Book Online

“We look forward to seeing you soon!” Hazel, Proprietor Stockists of premium hair, beauty & fragrance brands and gift vouchers

40 High Street, Oakley, Bedfordshire, MK43 7RG Tel:01234 826502,e:hazel@hazelkaye.com www.hazelkaye.com

April/May 19 April and May are beautiful months of the year. All around us the landscape is transforming as more and more colourful signs of spring appear. The pages of our Gardens and Outdoors edition celebrate these uplifting changes.

Our green-fingered readers can discover new garden products on the market as the team at Graham A.Pavey Garden Design are back with their favourites for 2019 on page 14.

Rosemary reveals four of her favourite shrubs for spring on page 20 while her top ten jobs will help you to prepare your outside space for the warmer months to come.

When the work is done you may want to relax and unwind outside so we bring you a selection of stylish garden furniture on page 22 to enhance your outdoor space.

Easter is a great time for entertaining and we are offering a chance win a local leg of lamb or rib of beef from Hill Farm Shop to impress your guests. Our other prize is a Pick Your Own Experience at Merri Flowers in Oakley so your house can be adorned with pretty flowers and foliage too. Good luck!

YIELDEN

RUSHDEN

SOULDROP FELMERSHAM ODELL

TURVEY

LITTLE STAUGHTON

RADWELL

BOLNHURST

BLETSOE

CARLTON STEVINGTON

CLIFTON REYNES

DROPS

RISELEY

COLMWORTH

THURLEIGH

PAVENHAM

OLNEY

DOOR TO DOOR

SHARNBROOK

HARROLD

LAVENDON

SWINESHEAD

MELCHBOURNE

MILTON ERNEST OAKLEY

BROMHAM BIDDENHAM

CLAPHAM

WILDEN

ROXTON

RAVENSDEN RENHOLD

BEDFORD

GREAT BARFORD WILLINGTON BLUNHAM

KEMPSTON STAGSDEN COPLE BOX END GREAT DENHAM WOOTTON CARDINGTON

Ouse Valley Living Ltd Barnholme Cottage, 7 High Street, Sharnbrook, MK44 1PG Telephone: 01234 783159 Email: info@ousevalleyliving.com

OVL design and production services provided by: Skinny Dog Design Ltd (01234 345145) www.skinnydogdesign.co.uk

To advertise in OVL contact Christa Hallam 07827 015170 christa@ousevalleyliving.com @OVLMagazine OVL Magazine ovlmagazine

View our recent editions online at www.ousevalleyliving.com OVL is printed by The Manson Group (01727 848440) on paper sourced from sustainable forests and the inks used are vegetable based.

All adverts are printed in good faith. However, Ouse Valley Living cannot take responsibility for the content of the adverts or the services provided by the advertisers. Reproduction, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited. ©Ouse Valley Living Ltd 2017

Is your Conservatory too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer?

Nu-Look’s conservatory roof conversions can give you back your perfect living space, regardless of the weather.

See website for this month’s offer

£99 Deposit Pay Nothing For 12 Months see website for details

•Warmer in the winter •Cooler in the summer •Reduce rain noise •Building Regulations Certificate •10yr Insurance Backed Guarantee For more information or for your free quotation simply call us or complete the form on our website

Ask about our finance options nulookroof.co.uk

After

Before

e: info@nulookroof.co.uk

t: 01234 964007

DO YOU DREAM OF A NEW KITCHEN? by simply replacing the doors and worktops Before

•

FROM SIMPLE DOOR REPLACEMENTS TO COMPLETE FITTED KITCHENS

•

FULLY INSTALLED BY LOCAL PROFESSIONALS IN JUST A FEW DAYS

•

•

CHOOSE FROM A LARGE SELECTION OF DOORS, WORKTOPS AND APPLIANCES 84 SHOWROOMS NATIONWIDE

9.7/10 See what our customers have to say

Est. 1999

kit c F Vi he rom sit n m t ou a he r s keo UK ho v ’s wr er #1 oo ex m pe no rts w .

20%

DISCOU This Mon

NT

th

*T&C’s Ap

ply

CALL US NOW FOR A FREE ESTIMATE:

01234 852151 VISIT OUR SHOWROOM: 73 High Street, Kempston, Bedford, MK42 7BT

www.dreamdoors.co.uk

Follow us on twitter @OVLMagazine Find us on Facebook OVL Magazine

7

o l l e H

OVL....

We love to hear from you! Have you tried one of our recipes, spotted interesting wildlife, grown any of our featured plants or been snapped reading OVL? Send your photos, comments and observations to:

info@ousevalleyliving.com Or write to us at: OVL Magazine Barnholme Cottage 7 High Street Sharnbrook MK44 1PG

KEEP OUR INBOX BUSY!

T

hank you so much for your help in publicising our charity events. Your advert for our snowdrop openings in Pavenham in February was one of the reasons that so many people came and we raised £6000 for the National Garden Scheme which supports medical charities. Fifty people, mostly from Pavenham, worked to make this such a success; a fantastic community effort.

Best wishes for another excellent issue Debby

OVL Magazine

T

hank you for advertising our Charity Burns Night in Odell which was another great success. This is the 12th year we have run this event and we are pleased to announce that we raised £1400 which is being shared between Carers in Bedfordshire and Odell Village Hall. We would also like to thank everyone who helped us this year as it really does make a difference. Thank you all for your support.

Doreen Wheeler & Leslie Knowles

Y

our article, The Importance of Hydration, in the February/ March edition of OVL was both interesting and informative but I was disappointed to see that both the photographs supporting the article showed people drinking from single-use plastic bottles. We not only have to look after our bodies @OVLMagazine

but we have to look after the planet for now and generations to come.

Ms E Lambert Thanks for getting in touch.

We’re very pleased to hear that you found the article interesting and also grateful for your comments regarding the photos. We should all be making every effort to use fewer single use plastics and agree that this should be reflected in OVL. We will therefore take this into consideration when selecting future images.

I

just want to drop you a quick thank you for the lovely coverage of our Charity Shop and Bistro!

It looks really nice and I’m sure it will help a lot.

Many thanks on behalf of everyone at Emmaus Village Carlton Anna Eddleston Emmaus UK

O

VL columnist Jules Minter reads hers with her group fitness class in Harrold-Odell Country Park!

ovlmagazine

HIS FUTURE’S BRIGHTER AT BEDFORD

OPEN MORNING SATURDAY 27TH APRIL 2019

TO FIND OUT MORE AND BOOK YOUR FAMILY’S PLACE, PLEASE CONTACT OUR ADMISSIONS TEAM ON 01234 362216 OR VISIT bedfordschool.org.uk

BOARDING & DAY FOR BOYS AGED 7-18 A-LEVEL & IB AT SIXTH FORM STUNNING 50-ACRE ESTATE AWARD-WINNING FACILITIES BEDFORD SCHOOL IS PART OF THE HARPUR TRUST

“I like Polam because it is like a second home where I can be who I really am” – Year 4 pupil

OUTSTANDING NURSERY

CREATIVE CURRICULUM

Call 01234 261864 to book a Private Tour or see www.polamschool.co.uk for Open Days Polam School is part of the Cognita Schools Group www.cognitaschools.com

INDOOR SWIMMING POOL

SPECIALIST MUSIC, LANGUAGES AND PE

Telephone: 01234 261864 admissions@polamschool.co.uk 43-45 Lansdowne Road, Bedford MK40 2BU

Auction Sales and Valuations

Valuation, collection & auction service of individual items through to complete property clearances.

For larger or multiple items, we are happy to arrange for a valuer to visit your home or premises at your convenience. For an approximate estimate, email us with descriptions and images of your treasures to info@peacockauction.co.uk

Bedford Auction Centre, Eastcotts Park, Wallis Way, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK42 0PE Tel: 01234 266 366 | info@peacockauction.co.uk | www.peacockauction.co.uk

10

Please remember to mention OVL when responding to adverts

Holiday Activity Courses Summer 2019

Monday 22 July- Friday 23 August Open to all children aged 4-14

With more than 40 courses to choose from, there’s something for everyone in our exciting range of Summer Activity Courses For your 2019 brochure please contact us on 01234 332667 or visit bedmod.co.uk

BedfordModernSchool

@bedfordmodern

bedfordmodern Bedford Modern is part of The Harpur Trust

Handcrafted British Leathergoods Visit our Factory Shop in Lavendon Open Every Weekday 9:30am to 4:30pm

Avengers: Endgame.

Infinity War saw the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy team up against Thanos and ended with a shock cliffhanger that saw half of the world’s population, including half of the Avengers, turned to dust.

Will the remaining crew be able to stop the Mad Titan and can they bring back their fellow superheroes? In cinemas on 26 April.

Live Music. Nothing beats the raw emotion evoked by seeing bands playing their music live. We’re spoiled for choice with the thriving music scene in Bedford.

The Brand New Heavies, Big Country, Republica, Blancmange, Wheatus and more all hit the stage in April and May.

The Tannery Warehouse, 29 Olney Road, Lavendon MK46 4EU 01234 712266 | www.tusting.co.uk | theteam@tusting.co.uk www.tusting.co.uk

Game of Thrones. Winter is coming and at last it’s almost here! After waiting what seems like a lifetime, GOT season 8 will finally air in the UK on Monday 14 April. Speculation is rife about what will happen, who will live and who will die. We’re expecting a battle to end all battles at Winterfell but when it’s over who will sit on the Iron Throne?

12

Please remember to mention OVL when responding to adverts

GARDENS & OUTDOORS

Top 5 new garden products

Rosemary’s favourite spring shrubs

Stylish furniture for outdoor living

A Texan garden in Bedford

Win a Hill Farm Easter joint

Win a Merri Flowers PYO experience

GARDENS

1. Agapanthus ‘Fireworks’

Following their annual visit to the Garden Press Event, the team at Graham A.Pavey Garden Design pick their favourite new products for 2019 Graham A.Pavey has designed gardens for 30 years. Amber Hine is a new designer in the business and Raeleen Agate has also recently joined the team.

For more information visit www.grahamapavey.co.uk or call 07950 923051

14

Please remember to mention OVL when responding to adverts

Each year we try to cover a new a plant on the market. This year we have selected one of my favourite genus of flowers – the agapanthus.

Agapanthus has become one of the highlights of the summer with their spectacular candelabra flowers. Usually blue or white, there have been some lovely developments in recent years which have produced blue and white flowers and even grey ones. There are also varieties with variegated leaves. Agapanthus ‘Fireworks’ is the most perfect of these new plants to date. The flowers are blue at the base opening white at the end, looking very much like a blue agapanthus in the snow.

A note on agapanthus: it is a bulbous plant so feeding after flowering is beneficial as this will go into the bulb for next year.

Congesting the bulbs in a container will produce more flowers. In open ground, if the soil is fertile they become a bit lazy and don’t bother to flower.

Graham Pavey

2. B urgon & Ball Container Root & Transplanting Knife We’ve all done it: bought a plant and put it in a small pot ‘temporarily’ before planting it out into a larger pot or ‘pride of place’ position in the garden. Then, returning to transplant it we find the plant is so embedded in the pot that releasing it without breaking the pot is almost impossible. Step in the unassuming and snappily named Container Root and Transplanting Knife from Burgon & Ball.

This tool may seem almost insignificant but it has a plethora of functions. Running the double edged blade around the inside edge of your pot will help release the plant; the serrated side will cut through roots that may need loosening or a trim. The knife can also be used to transplant younger plants into a pot or ground display and the depth measurement guide is a boon for planting bulbs. When you think it can’t do any more, you find a hook in the body of the knife which can be used to slice open compost bags.

This fab tool comes with two other friends - a Scoop that stops you from spilling your compost on the floor and a Container Weeder, much like a small hoe that allows you to do precision work in a container. All in all a great collection that is well presented with Burgon & Ball’s flare for style. www.burgonandball.com Amber Hine

3. Ergoline spade As someone who suffers from lower back pain, I am always looking for ways of taking the pressure off. This spade, with its adjustable handle, is just what I have been waiting for.

Most spades require an element of stooping which is what does the damage.

There are many lightweight versions on the market but it isn’t the weight that is the problem. Being able to lengthen the handle means the digging can be done whilst standing closer to upright and keeping the back as straight as possible.

The Ergoline spade has an ingenious locking nut built into the handle which locks the shaft in place once the optimum length has been found. There is a garden fork in the range which has the same feature.

The Ergoline spade is made by Gardena as part of their new ergonomically designed range of garden tools which includes forks, hoes, rakes and brooms.

Graham Pavey

Follow us on twitter @OVLMagazine Find us on Facebook OVL Magazine

15

• Garden Design and Planting • Landscaping and Garden Restoration • Garden Advice and Maintenance Susan Young Dip.Hort.(RHS)

Garden Designer and Horticulturalist info@susanyoungdesign.co.uk

Tel: 01234 826430 & 07787 158288

SEE LATEST WORK ON WEBSITE www.susanyoungdesign.co.uk

Heritage Arboriculture Ltd Creating a Healthy and Beautiful Environment…

Due to our superior standard of Work, Service, Knowledge, Recommendations and Safety we have been awarded Arboricultural Association Approved Contractor Status.

Be confident that you are receiving the best advice and management available for your trees.

Planting

!

Advice

!

Pruning

!

Removal

Call now for all your tree related advice and a free quotation. www.heritagearboriculture.co.uk

T: 01234 720801 E: nicki@heritagearboriculture.co.uk

16

Please remember to mention OVL when responding to adverts

GARDENS

4. Mud & Bloom

5. Seedball Matchbox

Getting children outside and involved in nature is a fantastic way to help them develop many skills, not to mention the health benefits. Anja ffrench, founder of Mud & Bloom, one of the UK’s leading educational subscription box companies, is keen to get families out of the house and into nature. When I spotted this little box of fun at the press event in London, I was immediately attracted to the lovely design and intrigued to find out more.

A new box is supplied monthly, so this is an all year round experience. I have a son of 2 and a daughter of 15 and knew immediately that Mud & Bloom’s box would be a great bonding experience for them both. I have the month of March’s box. Inside are instructions and equipment, including seeds, string, compost, lollypop sticks, paintbrush and acrylic paints, to help you make your own wind chimes and twig plant pot. Everything you need for a few hours of garden fun is there plus a fun quiz to play.

The box isn’t just for those who have a garden as it’s been cleverly designed so that anyone can have fun getting outside and collecting things to help them complete and enjoy the contents. www.mudandbloom.com Raeleen Agate

What I love most about this product is how conscious it is of its own environmental impact. Every detail has been covered from the packaging to its contents and even the company message. Seedball uses peat free compost, donates any misshapen seedballs to schools and even powers its offices with green electricity. These guys really are good eggs!

So what is it? Well, it’s a ball full of native wildflower seed with different varieties for birds, bees, butterflies etc. The balls are protected from predators with a clay shell and chilli to keep those pesky pests away whilst your flowers are establishing. You pop them in the ground or scatter them and off they go!

This year Seedball has launched a matchbox alternative to its classic metal tin. The lower price makes this a really affordable gift but what excites me most is the option for personalisation. Seedball can customise their packaging to suit your occasion; I’m thinking wedding favours or big anniversaries here.

What a beautiful gift for your guests that will allow your special day to live on and help out struggling wildlife.

It’s a simple idea, and one of the best I have seen in a while. www.seedball.co.uk Amber Hine

Follow us on twitter @OVLMagazine Find us on Facebook OVL Magazine

17

MERRI FLOWERS QUEENS CLOSE OAKLEY MK43 7TB

Pick Your Own Flowers DIY Wedding Flowers Gifts & Bouquets Event Flowers Workshops For more information info.merriflowers@gmail.com www.merriflowers.co.uk 07946 519737

Need help to recognise your land’s potential?

OVER 90% PLANNING SUCCESS RATE From pre-application enquiries to project managing the build, our Planning team can cater for all requirements and are on hand to advise and assist throughout the entire process.

Call us today for a free no obligation discussion on

01234 352201 to find out how we can help you and your business.

Land and Property Professionals

18

Please remember to mention OVL when responding to adverts

robinsonandhall.co.uk

ELITE HOME IMPROVEMENTS Guardian Home Extensions and Conservatories

Super quilt internal insulation system

Insulate your conservatory from only £1500 (subject to survey and based on 2m x 3m Edwardian)

Windows and doors A rated windows as standard Double and triple glazing options PVC, Aluminium or Timber

Six windows and one PVC door

From only £2850 + vat Contact us for a FREE no obligation quotation

Call 0800 644 66 22 | www.ehis.co.uk

GARDENS

Rosemary’s Garden Four of my favourite shrubs for spring - spiraea, forsythia, ceanothus and pieris 1 Spirea

A joy to behold in early spring, spiraea produces masses of wonderful arching sprays of tiny white flowers. One of the earliest to flower is the beautiful bridal wreath.

Prunifolia produces prolific double white flowers, the foliage changing to a stunning bright red in the autumn.

Snowmound is another striking variety with dense clusters of white hawthorn-like flowers. Plant it in a sunny border or partial shade. They are hardy, easy to grow and develop quickly. Prune spring-flowering spiraea after flowering.

There are many other varieties of spiraea. Summerflowering ones have red, orange or pink flowers, some with variegated leaves.

2 Forsythia Gleaming forsythia with its clusters of bright yellow flowers give splendour to a spring day. It is tough, versatile, deciduous and hardy. Grow it as a large and spreading shrub or train it as a climber. Luckily, forsythia will thrive in poor conditions and can be planted in sun or partial shade. However, if you mulch it annually, trim it after flowering and water it during dry spells it will reward you with more density and a greater profusion of flowers.

There are many varieties. They all flower in abundance on bare stems, producing fantastic displays. Lynwood has rich yellow flowers or try Spectabilis, with flowers up to 4cms.

Suspensa is a large shrub with paler flowers.

3 Ceanothus

20

Ceanothus gives a dazzling display of deep blue flowers. It is generally frost hardy, can be deciduous or evergreen, a shrub or a small tree. Once it is established avoid pruning.

Trim young plants to keep them bushy, pinching out the soft young shoots in spring but don’t cut into any wood older than one year as the stumps may not re-grow.

Ceanothus tends to grow quickly and die young with a lifespan of 10 to 15 years. A good choice is Puget Blue which is a stunning sight. Dark Star, Skylark and Concha are also a magnificent dark blue. Or try Victoria which is covered in mid-blue flowers.

Please remember to mention OVL when responding to adverts

4 Pieris

Pieris is an evergreen shrub which carries sprays of white or cream bell-shaped flowers. Flourishing in acid or neutral soil, it also grows well in a container of ericaceous compost. It likes a little shade to prevent scorching the new shoots and some shelter from late frosts. Japonica forrestii Forest Flame has glossy, red leaves which turn pink or creamy white then dark green. In late spring clusters of ivory, nodding bell-like flowers resembling lily of the valley appear. Pieris japonica has cascading white, pink or red flowers. Its leaves vary from bronze to brilliant pink or scarlet. The flower buds develop in late autumn, covering the plant until they bloom in early spring.

TOP TEN

Jobs for April & May

1

Start feeding your roses regularly from April when the pruning has been completed.

2

Keep deadheading winter-flowering pansies to encourage further flowers.

3

Cut back penstemons just above fresh, new shoots.

4

Prune honeysuckle, jasmine and early flowering clematis to repair winter damage and improve the shape.

5

From late April plant summer-flowering bulbs: brodiaea, eucomis, galtonia, sparaxis, tigridia and tritonia..

6

Remove daffodil and tulip flowers as they fade, taking off the head and seed pod.

7

Plant ground cover and edging plants such as aubrietia, violas, hardy geraniums, dwarf lavender, rosemary, sage or thyme.

8

In early May, plant begonias, canna, crocosmia, dahlias, gladiolus, lilies and nerine for summer flowering.

9

Plant perennials such as phlox, delphiniums, euphorbias, helianthus, sedum and foxgloves.

10

At the end of May plant out your summer bedding plants, fuchsias, geraniums, petunias, begonias and lobelia in tubs, troughs, borders and baskets.

Follow us on twitter @OVLMagazine Find us on Facebook OVL Magazine

21

OUTDOOR LIVING 2

1

3

Relax and entertain outside in style

4

7

6

5

8

9 10 1. Single Hanging Cacoon in Natural White, £225 2. Amara Amazonas - Paradiso Hammock Silver, £130 3. Cuckooland.com Lisboa Teak Table & Chair Set by 4 Seasons Outdoor, £2632 4. John Lewis Cabo Garden Occasional Chair in Black, £229 5. Cuckooland.com Lucca Rattan Garden Chair, £695 6. Vênoor Nara Woven Bench, £460 7. Cuckooland.com Kingston Rattan 3 Seater Sofa by 4 Seasons Outdoor, £1999 8. Cuckooland.com Valentine Double Rattan Sun Lounger, £1799 9. John Lewis Cabana Double Hanging Pod Garden Chair in Natural, £499 10. Nest.co.uk Moooi Container Table, £1723

S

tokes Landscapes has been trading for 13 years, run by Simon Stokes, a sole trader and sole employee of his business.

Covering Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and further afield on occasions, Simon specialises in hard and soft landscaping and groundworks as well as grounds and property maintenance.

Having started his career in the motor industry, Simon soon discovered the car trade wasn’t for him, craving something more outdoor, physical and creative instead: “I worked my way through my twenties as a labourer, contractor and in various other trades before finding a job for a garden buildings company, constructing log cabins. The hours were long and the pay wasn’t great but I loved the job so decided to start up on my own.”

Simon’s knowledge of trades grew over the years and the business evolved into what it is now: his own small, but thriving, landscaping company. Having started with a set of ladders and a bucket of tools, Simon now operates out of a premises complete with plant, machinery,

tools and transport to accomplish any type of landscaping or groundworks project.

As well as landscaping... in the winter months Simon supplies logs, coal and eco fuels.

Delivery is free and all types of home fuels are available, from trailer loads of seasoned logs to packets of firelighters.

Visit Stokes Landscapes or Stokes Fuels on Facebook for more information, or call Simon on 07900 193171, to book a free consultation.

Stokes Landscapes LANDSCAPE DESIGN AND BUILD GARDEN AND PROPERTY MAINTENANCE • Fencing • Paving • Decking • Driveways • Tree & Hedge Maintenance • Lawn Care • Planting NEW Fully insured for domestic SHEDS AND and commercial work LOG CABINS

Call Simon on

07900 193171 or

supplied and constructed

01933 316099

for a free no obligation quote.

s.stokes28@btinternet.com Follow us on twitter @OVLMagazine Find us on Facebook OVL Magazine

23

Make an entrance with a pair of Oakgate Joinery gates

Beautiful bespoke wooden gates produced to a high standard of design and finish • • • • • •

Hardwood Gates Softwood Gates Gate Automation Gate Posts Garage Doors Ironmongery

Hand made in our workshop by skilled craftsmen Call Call us us today today for for aa free freeno no obligation obligationquote quote0845 0845519 5194049 4049

info@oakgatejoinery.co.uk info@oakgatejoinery.co.uk www.oakgatejoinery.co.uk www.oakgate-joinery.co.uk 24

Please remember to mention OVL when responding to adverts

UK’s only Texan Garden is right here in Bedford Native Texan plants, palm trees, a prairie and a dried river bed.

Not typical features you would expect to find in the grounds of a local business centre, but that’s exactly what you’ll find at Bedford Heights on Brickhill Drive.

So why Texas? The link comes from electronics giant Texas Instruments which, in 1960, chose to locate its UK HQ here and built the building with a hurricane-proof roof to a blueprint of their Dallas HQ. The Texan Riverbed Garden is believed to be the only one of its kind in the UK. Designed and planted by Graham A.Pavey Landscape and Garden Design, a business based in the business centre, it is maintained by Graham and his team and Bedford Heights gardener Dave Boyd.

The garden provokes plenty of interest and here Graham, who is also a columnist for OVL magazine, explains how he set about creating this striking and unusual landscape:

Rock on “The central theme of the design is an arroyo, or dried river bed, meandering through a prairie. The ‘river’ area features cobblestones and rocks, laid as if they have been washed down from the mountains, in colours which reflect those native to Texas.

The larger boulder stones were created especially for the garden

by David Crook at Sherington Nurseries in Newport Pagnell.”

Down to earth “The design was easy but we needed to create the right environment for the plants. We wanted to grow native plants and particularly grasses, so we needed a very dry soil.

The Bedfordshire clay would be deadly to many of these plants so we had it removed to a depth of 30cm. An extensive network of drains was installed and a special recipe of soil made up by a company in Norfolk.”

Plant life “Many plants native to Texas are, in fact, hardy enough to grow here in the UK; however, very few are grown commercially.

We sourced agaves, yuccas, hesperaloe, opuntias and eryngiums, and Christine Dakin at Bridge Nursery in Warwickshire grew a lot of plants for us from seed, many of which are rarely seen on our shores. The cercis, sidalcea and panicums are the only natives which are extensively cultivated here.

“In some instances we weren’t able to get hold of exactly what we wanted and so we substituted a similar plant. To ensure some winter structure we added evergreen myrtle and chamaerops humilis, a small palm. Also, the very dry soil should ensure the grasses maintain their shape through the winter.”

Graham and his team are currently working with Bedford Heights organising tours of the Texan Riverbed Garden and the courtyard gardens. To find out more contact Graham on 01234 244500. For more information on Bedford Heights visit www.bedfordheights.co.uk

Win an Easter joint from Hill Farm Shop

D

on’t miss a chance to win a local leg of lamb or rib of beef for Easter.

Hill Farm Shop is committed to providing the very best homeproduced, traditionally reared and locally sourced meats.

Prime beef from their happy cattle goes into the shop and all their meat is farm assured with guaranteed traceability and no added hormones.

You can also save money by buying locally. Hill Farm Shop always aim to beat supermarket prices while offering better quality meat.

Home reared beef, local pork, lamb, game and free-range chickens are available together with free-range eggs and locally produced milk and honey.

Their deli counters offer fine British, continental and Northants cheeses, local dry cured bacon, pork pies, pâté, cured meats and olives.

Hu If you don’t have time to Com rry! p cook, Hill Farm Shop has close etition a range of homemade s Fri 12 A day meals including pies, pril curries and hot pots using their own beef.

Quality meat at the right price. Buy the best - buy local.

Hill Farm, Mill Road, Sharnbrook MK44 1NP Tel 01234 781405 Mobile 07834 257928 www.hillfarmshop.com mjhurley@btinternet.com Opening Times: Thursday & Friday Saturday Sunday

9am - 6pm 9am - 4pm 9am - 12 noon

Hill Farm Shop

To enter our competitions: Email info@ousevalleyliving.com quoting Hill Farm or Merri Flowers in the subject box and we will enter you into the prize draw. The winners will be drawn at random and notified by email.

OVL brings you FANTASTIC prizes every issue!

WIN A PYO EXPERIENCE FOR TWO

T

ucked away behind Queens Close in Oakley, Merri Flowers is a 10-acre farm specialising in growing Nordmann Fir Christmas Trees, plus flowers and foliage not widely available from high street florists and supermarkets.

Julian Merrill, founder of Merri Flowers, worked for his family’s building business for many years, but when his parents retired in 2017 he decided to use his redundancy money to set up his own business. He and his wife have always loved growing flowers, so turning a hobby into a business seemed like the ideal occupation to invest money in.

Merri Flowers grows fragrant sweet peas available from late spring to dahlia in the autumn, and countless varieties in between, and predominately sells flowers to local florists and event planners.

From May to September, Julian also offers pick your own experiences and co-hosts workshops on the farm to raise awareness of his own and other local businesses. A Pick Your Own Experience includes a guided tour of the farm to pick a bucket of flowers and foliage to take home. A bucket of flowers is about 40 stems. on etiti p m e Visitors are very welcome by appointment. For Co dat ing clos day more information, please contact Julian on i Fr ay 07946 519737 or visit www.merriflowers.co.uk 10 M LAST ISSUE’S COMPETITION

WINNERS

Congratulations to Lucy Whitfield who won a £50 voucher to spend at Cordelia Jade Lighting and Diane Boyde who won a free place on a BMS Holiday Activity Course The provider of the prize will only receive the winner’s details and entrants’ details will not be given to any third parties.

Hill Farm Shop Buy the Best - Buy Local Meet the team: Jeanette and Mick Hurley on their family farm

eat We b ets on rk a rm ten supe ty & of i l a o u o q et pric

Prim eb from eef happ our y cat tle

OPENING TIMES

Thursday & Friday 9am-6pm Saturday 9am-4pm Sunday 9am-12 noon

Home reared beef, local pork, lamb, free-range chicken and eggs, milk and honey All meat reared on farms with guaranteed traceability and no added hormones British, continental and local cheese, bacon, pork pies, pâtÊ, cured meats, olives No time to cook? We have homemade pies, curries and hotpots using our own beef

01234 781405 / 07834 257928 mjhurley@btinternet.com Visit us at www.hillfarmshop.com Follow us on Facebook Hill Farm Shop

Hill Farm, Mill Road, Sharnbrook MK44 1NP

Countrywear

www.lodgeway-countrywear.co.uk 01462 816122 OPEN: MON-FRI 9:30am-5pm SAT 9:30am-4pm

28

Please remember to mention OVL when responding to adverts

Chicksands, Shefford, Beds SG17 5QB

Young Farmers set for another fantastic Rally Day!

Bedfordshire Young Farmers are readying themselves for one of the highlights of the Young Farmers’ calendar – Rally Day. This year the Beds YFC Country Show and Rally is taking place at Walducks Farm, Stewkley near Leighton Buzzard on Saturday 18 May.

with the spectacular floats that are this year based on childhood TV favourites.

Tickets are £8 on the gate, with under 10s FREE and the show opens from 10am – 4pm. Everyone welcome! A truly fun filled day for all the family.

The day will be jam-packed with attractions including animals, tractors and machinery, children’s rides, craft stands, local food and drink producers, displays and of course Young Farmer competitions.

Visitors will enjoy a fantastic array of entertainment and have the opportunity to view all the Young Farmers’ entries in the handicrafts, flower and cookery barns. Visitors to the show will also have the opportunity to see prize-winning livestock including cattle, sheep and pigs, as well as horses and ponies. The day also hosts the hotly contested Young Farmers Tug of War finals and culminates

Walducks Farm, Stewkley, Nr Leighton Buzzard, Beds, LU7 0DL

Saturday 18th May 2019 Animals * Tractors and machinery * Craft stands * Local food and drink producers * Young Farmers competitions * Vintage tractors* Children’s rides and attractions * Young Farmer’s Tug of War finals * Displays * Heavy horses

Saturday 18th May 2019 Show open from 10am - 4pm

£8 entry per person on the gate

Under 10s FREE

Follow us on twitter @OVLMagazine Find us on Facebook OVL Magazine

29

Y

ou’ve been really good about exercising from January to November and then December hits. With various social commitments, drinks in the pub and rich Christmas food, you find that your exercise routine goes out of the window. You might not exercise for a whole month – trust me we’ve all been there.

On 2 January you go back to work with your New Year resolutions clearly thought through: join a fitness class, eat healthily and maybe avoid the alcohol for a month. Let’s face it January is miserable enough without the need to go to such extreme measures. Then February hits and it all starts to go wrong. The statistics show that only 25% of people have actually stayed committed to their resolutions and only 8% have accomplished them. That’s pretty depressing.

Christmas is not dissimilar to holidays throughout the year or a break from the usual fitness routine due to an injury.

So how do you get back on the fitness wagon?

First of all, don’t be too hard on yourself. Everyone deserves a break. Don’t feel that you need to return to exercise and work off those extra pounds by doing hour after hour of cardio. Get that negativity out of the way and see this as an opportunity to start afresh and try something new.

Try a new class. If you’ve been doing a particular class for years, then it can get boring. Group classes like the ones I run in Harrold-Odell

30

Country Park can offer something different. You can get plenty of fresh air, whilst meeting great people in a supportive and fun environment.

Start slowly and be realistic – you’re bound to be tired after a break. Start with half an hour a day with gentle exercise to avoid injury. This beats ploughing in with an hour a day of intensive exercise, which might have a negative impact – in other words you get depressed because you could do this a month ago and now you’re struggling.

Try to cut the alcohol out during the week and make this a treat at the weekend with a quality glass of wine. I adopted this approach some years ago and now I really enjoy it. After a few weeks of indulgence, it’s all too easy to carry on drinking.

Try to get your healthy diet back on track as soon as you can – make it fun.

Don’t forget it’s hard for all of us after some time out after Christmas or a holiday. I take a break like anyone else and then find I need to spend quite a bit of time getting back to where I was.

Remember that every minute you exercise and every mouthful of nutritious food you eat, is a step towards a healthier and more active lifestyle.

For more details about my group classes in Harrold-Odell Country Park go to www.fitbiznow.co.uk or contact me at jules@fitbiznow.co.uk or 01234 964047.

Please remember to mention OVL when responding to adverts

Jules Minter

so

br

ea

k?

e Why is fitn

ss

hard after a

GET FIT IN THE PARK 1st SESSION FREE - THEN PAY AS YOU GO

Meet outside Dragonfly Cafe EVERY SATURDAY @ 9:30am Harrold & Odell Country Park Phone: 01234 964047 Email: jules@fitbiznow.co.uk www.fitbiznow.co.uk/groupclasses

Thursday Group Great Barford Village Hall Fishers Close, Great Barford MK44 3JL Thursdays 7.30pm Call or text Jennie on 07754 210479

32

Please remember to mention OVL when responding to adverts

and A warm y friendl e welcom ou awaits y

Spring/Summer 2019 Fynch Hatton Our best selling men’s casual range Now available

Bedfordshire’s biggest independent clothing store - opposite Waitrose Claytons at Hatters, 532 Goldington Road, Bedford, MK41 0DX • T: 01234 352429

Mon to Sat 9am - 5.30pm & Sun 10.30am - 4.30pm www.claytonsonline.co.uk • Ample FREE parking

Browns of Stagsden...

A proper farm shop on a proper working family run farm

Stop at Stagsden for all your local produce

Home reared/local meat & poultry Fruit/vegetables. Homemade pies Wide range of artisan cheese Locally produced milk

COME AND RELAX IN OUR TEA ROOM Farmhouse breakfasts, light lunches & delicious homemade cakes

01234 822330

New Season Lamb available to order for Easter

OPENING TIMES:

Tues-Thurs 9-5pm Fri 9-6pm Sat 9-4pm

www.brownsofstagsden.co.uk Manor Farm, Stagsden MK43 8SH

34

Please remember to mention OVL when responding to adverts

FOOD

Lemon & Poppy Seed Loaf A light and zingy sponge Sponge 175g butter, softened 175g caster sugar 175g self-raising flour

3 large eggs 2 lemons, zest & juice 30g poppy seeds 1 tsp baking powder

Icing 2 tbsp lemon juice 150g icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 20cm loaf tin.

Place all of the sponge ingredients in a large bowl and mix together thoroughly with an electric whisk.

Transfer the batter to the prepared tin and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Remove from the oven, leave to cool a little in the tin before transferring to a wire rack.

To make the icing, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add enough lemon juice to give a coating consistency. Drizzle over the cake when cooled.

S

E M pm TI .30 m G –5 0p IN am 2.0 N 00 – PE I: 9. 0 am O R -F 8.3 ES AT: TU S

But chers SOUTHALL’S

HOME FARM GREAT BARFORD BEDFORDSHIRE MK44 3JF

TRADITIONAL BUTCHERS ON THE FARM Quality meat born and reared on the Farm - Farm to Fork WITH CUTS YOU CAN’T FIND IN THE SUPERMARKET We are 100% traceable - Local Deliveries & Weekly Specials

www.southallbutchers.co.uk

Tel: 01234 870333

KIDS’ ZONE, PONY RIDES, FACE PAINTING, DOG SHOW BBQ, BAR, REFRESHMENTS, BEER FESTIVAL, RAFFLE STALLS, FAIRGROUND RIDES AND GAMES FOR ALL THE FAMILY SPITFIRE FLYPAST, MUSIC FROM ‘THE BROOKETTES’ AND TIM COPPING AND MUCH MORE! If you would like a stall or for further information please contact Kathryn White kathrynwwhite@hotmail.co.uk or Tel: 01234 781968 Sharnbrook Playing Field Association—Charity no 300062

36

Please remember to mention OVL when responding to adverts

• Butchers & Delicatessen • Café serving home-cooked food • Fruit and veg stall • Store cupboard goodies • All profits support local rural communities

FAR M S HO P & C A FÉ

Good food, locally produced Tues - Sat: 8:30am – 5pm Sun: 10am – 4pm

Cople Road Cardington Bedford MK44 3SH 01234 831222 thebarncardington.com

5 mins from Bedford off the A421/A603

A Taste of Bedfordshire this Spring

R

C C

family gathering – it has to be Warden Abbey sparkling wine from Old Warden!

The best way of keeping in touch with all our promotions and new products is to follow us on social media: @thebarncardington @barncardington Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity (BRCC) is the leading community development agency working across Bedfordshire. As well as The Barn and Old Warden vineyard, we help support local communities through initiatives such as Good Neighbour Schemes, helping to protect the green environment and managing Community Rail Partnerships. If you would like to know more see our website bedsrcc.org.uk

B

If, like us, you believe supporting local food and drink producers is important, then come along to The Barn and try some of the great new products we have recently started selling, such as Russells cider from Potton, Kelchner beers from Ampthill, Ant’s chilli jam from Langford, which is fantastic with cheese, and Measures award-winning meat pies from Brampton – well Brampton is almost in Bedfordshire.

Our café serves a wide range of breakfast and lunch options and there is always a great selection of locally made cakes.

Roast lamb is the traditional family meal for Easter Sunday and our butcher has some lovely lamb from Marston Moretaine. Whole or half legs and boned-out shoulder for easy carving are very popular, but we also have lamb steaks marinated with a variety of flavours for the BBQ. And the ideal drink for a

Follow us on twitter @OVLMagazine Find us on Facebook OVL Magazine

37

Cordelia Jade

Lighting

Fitting service available Handmade table & pendant shades Repairs on table lamps & ceiling lights Appointments available for home visits for advice on your lighting needs The right light for the right room Stockists of Endon, Saxby, Interiors 1900 and Dar Lighting

01234 823033

Showroom at Milton Ernest Garden Centre

Stevington 12K Road Race

The Stevington 12K Annual Road Race will take place on Sunday 12 May at 11am.

Inspired by the London Marathon, village resident Charlie Homer wanted to create a local event that would benefit the local community. In 1982, a year after the inaugural London Marathon the Stevington 12K was born.

the playing fields at the Village Hall.

All proceeds from the event go to supporting the Village Hall, a local community hub and a vital part of the Stevington Community.

On-line registration is now open via the website www.stevington12k.uk Not a runner? We are always looking for volunteers on the day or sponsors for the event. Please email director@stevington12k.uk if you would like to support the event.

Now in its 37th year, the race continues to attract adults of all ages (17 years and over) and abilities, and runners from all over the country.

In 2018, the event saw nearly 250 runners lining up at the start before taking to the roads and enjoying the beautiful Bedfordshire countryside on a route that takes the field through Oakley and Pavenham before arriving back into Stevington and the final finish into

38

Please remember to mention OVL when responding to adverts

MADISON VIOLET LIVE IN SHARNBROOK

S

harnbrook Mill Theatre Trust is delighted to present Madison Violet in concert on Thursday 16 May. The award winning Canadian singers/ songwriters will be in the UK for their nationwide tour.

With a string of awards and nominations under their belt including the prestigious Juno nomination, as well as winning vocal group of the year at Canadian Music Awards, the duo will be performing fresh new tracks from their highly anticipated new album Everything’s Shifting, due for UK release later this year.

Over the past decade, Brenley MacEachern and Lisa MacIsaac have taken their genre-bending sound to new heights, moving effortlessly from folk to pop to electronic to Americana.

North Beds Osteopaths & Physios is a local, well-established practice that’s successfully been treating patients of all ages for more than 25 years.

• Osteopathy • Physiotherapy • Sports massage • Complementary therapies • Open Monday to Saturday • Wide range of problems treated • Male and female practitioners • Fully qualified, professionally registered

The multi-instrumentalists write all of their own music and lyrics, believing that the best way to connect to their audiences is to treat them like old friends sharing a secret and a smile. As vocalists they have an innate ability to break your heart, slyly knowing that their soaring harmonies will mend it, often all in the span of one song.

Madison Violet is supported by David Banks (The Whybirds). Tickets are £14 (£1 fee) from www. sharnbrookmilltheatre.co.uk/tickets or in person at Pick-a-Lily in Sharnbrook. The concert is a ‘Warm Up Appeal’ event to help fund major improvements to the theatre’s heating and ventilation systems.

Supporting your well-being...

Back, neck or joint aches and pains?

General stiffness or not moving freely?

Sports injury, work strain or muscular tension?

We offer a range of treatments to help you and your family maintain an active and healthy lifestyle

Call us today on 01234 823621 to find out how we can help you. www.northbedsosteos.co.uk •

/northbedsosteopaths

2a Grange Lane, Bromham, MK43 8NP • Towers Health & Racquets Club, Clapham Road, Bedford, MK41 6EL

Follow us on twitter @OVLMagazine Find us on Facebook OVL Magazine

39

STYLE

The Boiler Suit minimum effort, maximum style Originally designed as a protective overgarment for workers, the boiler suit has become this season’s style staple.

And it’s not the first time the utility item has migrated into the world of fashion. Inspired

by Bowie in the 70s, it became a glam/punk trend while its unisex style ensured popularity in the androgynous 80s.

Like jumpsuits, the appeal comes from its ease to wear. There’s no need to worry about what top to pair with your trousers with this all-in-one; just choose your accessories and you’re good to go!

And, unlike many other garments designed for women, the boiler suit is both comfortable and practical. Its loose fit, durable fabric and effortless style could even be seen as empowering… don one of these and you’ll feel ready for anything!

The boiler suit really is a versatile item. Wear it tucked into boots while it’s still chilly and swap into flip flops when the summer months arrive.

Pair it with trainers for casually cool daywear or undo a few buttons, add a pair of heels and you’re ready to party.

River Island

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J A. Debenhams Nine by Savannah Miller, £55 B. Dorothy Perkins Tan, £42 C. FatFace Long Sleeve Denim, £75 D. River Island Black, £75 E. Miss Selfridge Utility, £49 F. Marks & Spencer Collection, £55 G. Next Floral Blue, £28 H. River Island Khaki Utility I. Topshop Utility Stone, £59 J. Wallis Khaki, £60

Follow us on twitter @OVLMagazine Find us on Facebook OVL Magazine

41

Roz Lee

Naomi Jones

Beauty & Skincare

See immediate results from our highly effective rejuvenating facials Face-Lifting Microcurrent Treatment

Creates a lifting effect and reduces the overall appearance of ageing

Radio Frequency Skin Tightening

Generates new collagen and elastin to give a lifting effect with improved skin texture and tone

Skin Peels

Gentle but effective. Perfect for dull and congested skin

Book your free consultation Inspect the before and after photos!

Not sure which treatment is best for you?

I can advise on treatment plans personalised to your lifestyle and budget “So pleased to find a therapist who immediately put me at ease” “Naomi is a true professional and offers excellent advice” “I’ve now been coming every four weeks for 15 years!”

Phone or Text: 07591 042 720 Email: Naomi@NaomiJones.com Facebook.com/NaomiJonesBeauty

42

Please remember to mention OVL when responding to adverts

Sainsbury’s Home Easter Egg Hunt Signs, 4 pack, £5

decorations, gifts, fun and treats

White Stuff Bunnies Egg Box Decorations, £17.50

Cuckooland.com Mini Egg Easter Sweet Tree, £17.99 Cath Kidston Bunny Meadow Set of 2 Egg Cups, £10

Hotel Chocolat Soft-Boiled Easter Egg, £10 Paperchase Bunny/Chick Place Name Holders, £4

John Lewis Hop To it Easter Card Kit, £7

Hotel Chocolat Extra-Thick Egg – Patisserie, £27

White Stuff Easter Bunny Carrot Garland, £19.95

M&Co Peter Rabbit Babys First Booties, £12.99

National Trust Spring Lamb Soft Toy, £6

Paperchase Floral Rabbit Headband, £10

Follow us on twitter @OVLMagazine Find us on Facebook OVL Magazine

43

It’s that time of the year when we think about ditching the tights and boots in favour of pretty dresses and sassy shorts but ultimately that means showing some skin and, let’s be honest, most likely hairy skin that we’ve been hiding all winter.

Hair removal has to be the most inconvenient and time-consuming of all beauty rituals. We are relentless in our effort to achieve smooth, hairless skin all over our body. We use an array of different implements on various body parts, from tweezing our brows and bleaching our top lip to shaving our legs and waxing our bikini area. A recent study revealed that women in the UK spend an average of 72 days in their lifetime shaving their legs.

Every hair removal regime is personal to the individual depending on where you want to remove hair, how thick your hair is, or how fast it grows back. So let’s take a look at our options…

Waxing

light (IPL) to remove unwanted hair. This light source heats and destroys hair follicles in the skin, which disrupts hair growth. Common areas to treat are the face, legs, arms, underarms and bikini line.

Threading Threading is an ancient technique widely used in India and the Middle East. This method of hair removal, in which unwanted hairs are plucked out by using a twisted cotton thread, is kind to the skin as no product is used. The results last for around four weeks, as with tweezing. Threading is mainly used for facial areas such as eyebrows and the lip.

Hair removal cream This simple, cost-effective method is perfect for those just starting to remove body hair and great for home use. The product works by chemicals breaking down the hair so reading the label is essential. In the world of hair removal options depilatory creams are hands down the least painful and, unlike shaving, there’s no risk of actual bloodshed. These creams can be used to remove hair in large areas or in trickier, hard-to-reach places and are a great starting option for those wanting to remove hair for the first time. The results only last a few days.

Shaving

A semi-permanent method of hair removal. There are two main types of wax, hot or warm. In both cases the wax is applied to the skin and then removed quickly to leave hair-free skin for around six weeks. Waxing comes with a serious ouch reputation but the pain is brief and the long-lasting effects are just one of the reasons why this method has become a firm favourite. The benefits of waxing are comprehensive as, other than eyelash and head hair, this method can be used all over. Although home waxing is possible, for best results go to a professional waxer.

Laser

Having just embarked on this permanent method of hair removal myself, I can honestly say it is not painful and, after only two treatments, some of the hair has already disappeared! This cosmetic procedure uses a powerful laser or intense pulsed

44

There’s a reason why some methods become the most popular. Cheap, easy and quick to use, shaving is the busy girl’s fuss-free solution. Just mind the sharp blades! Shaving can be used almost anywhere on the body but can dry out the skin quickly so it’s wise to follow with moisturiser.

Shaving doesn’t last long and will depend on individual hair growth patterns. Typically you can expect results to last between one to three days.

Epilating Epilating, like waxing, is when you pull the hair out from the root to stunt the regrowth and achieve longer-lasting smoothness. An epilator looks a bit like an electric shaver but with wheels that spin and a tweezer mechanism that plucks out hair when pressed against the skin. Epilation works by gently plucking hair from the root with a series of tweezers which can grab the smallest of hairs.

Epilation lasts for around 4 weeks.

Please remember to mention OVL when responding to adverts

BEAUTY

Naomi Jones shares more Secrets from the Salon....

Naomi Jones

Hair removal what are your options?

Step into Spring with youthful skin!

BEAUTIFUL SKIN BEGINS WITH EXCEPTIONAL SKINCARE Vitamin A has been the cornerstone ingredient in the Environ skincare philosophy. This, combined with other essential anti-oxidants & peptides, helps combat ageing to give beautiful healthy skin.

Book an Environ facial and experience its anti-ageing benefits today!

20% discount off your first Environ facial at Hazel Kaye!

Call Now! Tel 01234 826502 Or book online w w w. h a z e l k a y e . c o m

40 High Street, Oakley, Bedfordshire, MK43 7RG

28 St Peter’s Street Bedford MK40 4AF

46

Now selling the Anti aging Skincare range from Illuminance

Please remember to mention OVL when responding to adverts

including chemical peels

Call us now

01234 261 881 www.stpetersclinic.com

The Friendly Family Business with over 35 years Experience in Made to Measure Soft Furnishings

• MADE TO MEASURE CURTAINS • BESPOKE BLINDS & SHUTTERS • CUSTOM UPHOLSTERY • CARPETS & WOOD FLOORING

• FABRICS & WALLPAPERS • INTERIOR DESIGN SERVICE • 1 TO 1 CUSTOMER SERVICE • PROFESSIONAL FITTING

104b Castle Road, Bedford MK40 3QR info@coolandclassic.com Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm

01234 327109

www.coolandclassic.com Saturday 9am - 4pm

Creating Homes not just Interiors Visit our Showroom to get Inspired!

TRAVEL UK

A luxury spa hotel that kids will love almost as much as grown-ups

R

Travel writer Katie Gregory reviews Rockliffe Hall in Darlington with its award-winning spa, three restaurants and huge Alice In Wonderland-themed play area just for children…

ockliffe Hall is a five-star spa hotel in Darlington, on the northern reaches of North Yorkshire or the southern edge of County Durham, depending on where you’re standing. We arrived mid-afternoon on a Friday to a soundtrack of ooos and aaahhs from the back of the car – the striking redbrick mansion is wrapped in 375 acres of pristine greenery, and certainly makes a grand first impression. Built in the 1800s and designed

by English architect Alfred Waterhouse, it’s now owned by Steve Gibson, owner and chairman of Middlesborough Football Club, which has its training facilities on the estate.

The original property has been given a glossy extension, and rooms are now split across the New Hall and Old Hall. We arrived at reception and were shown to our room in the New Hall – a Junior Double Suite, which had a double bed plus two single sofa beds made up for the children.

Inside, the décor was more modern and muted than the rest of the hotel – which is all opulent chandeliers and kaleidoscopic stained-glass – but there was plenty of space for all four of us. A separate toilet and bathroom were tucked away behind a screen and there was a flat-screen TV in the bath that was met with wide eyes and requests for The Simpsons.

We were booked in to the hotel’s spa at 3.30pm, so the kids trotted off with the hotel’s childminder, Marsha, and we made a dash in the other direction.

We’ve never used hotel childcare before, so I wasn’t sure how happy my two – who are four and six – would be about this arrangement. Thankfully, Rockliffe Hall isn’t your average hotel when it comes to children’s facilities. Hidden away in the grounds is an amazing Alice In Wonderland-themed children’s play area, Mischmasch, that’s an attraction in its own right.

Mischmasch features a giant adventure playground, a splash park that’s open in summer and an amazing collection of Wonderland-themed wooden cabins. Inside, each one has different activities –

there’s a craft ‘pod’, a cinema, one with a pool table and another with soft play bit and bobs. They’re free for guests to book, and kids can even order food and drink to be delivered to the door.

As our children played, we savoured a glass of white wine in the Spa Garden – an extension of the main, free spa. You can book a two-hour session in the Spa Garden for £30 each and it’s worth the extra spend. An indoor area of heated loungers opens out onto the hotel’s vast garden thanks to a set of huge bifold doors that were closed when we visited, but open to create an indoor-outdoor space in the summer months. We sat for a few minutes in the glass-fronted sauna, then braved the 20-second walk to the outdoor infinity-edge pool. It’s small and fairly shallow, but plenty big and hot enough to wallow in while making the most of the widescreen views and waterside butler service.

We emerged two hours later to collect the children, and headed off to the Brasserie for dinner, bypassing The Orangery – the hotel’s flagship 4AA Rosette restaurant – for something a little more low-key to suit the kids. We were glad we did. The friendly staff chatted to the children, who ordered from the kids’ menu, while we opted for a perfectly cooked steak and a bottle of red.

We ate in The Orangery the next morning at breakfast, which was another highlight of our stay.

After far too many American pancakes with bacon and maple syrup we tested out the swimming pool – a lovely big space with an adjoining shallow pool for young children – and went for one last wander around the hotel’s grounds.

The 18-hole golf course, tennis courts and Mischmasch play area barely make a dent on this supersized blanket of greenery, which stretches down to the River Tees and is as peaceful as it gets.

Rockliffe Hall is a rare gem that caters to children without sacrificing on grown-up luxury, and proof that you really can enjoy a relaxing spa retreat as part of a fun, family break.

This review first appeared on family travel blog, www.therewegoblog.com. Katie was hosted by Rockliffe Hall, a member of the Pride of Britain Hotels collection, which is limited to 50 hotels to guarantee quality and exclusivity. The hotel has 61 elegant guest bedrooms and an overnight stay costs from £220 per room including a full English breakfast and use of the indoor spa.

This price is based on a family of four sharing – children under 13 stay free on school holiday packages, and a supplement of £25 per child (ages 4-12) is payable at other times. There are lots of special events and offers for families running over Easter.

To book, call Pride of Britain Hotels on 0800 089 3929 or visit www.prideofbritainhotels.com.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Wildlife around the World -

The Bengal Tiger Greg Coyne, Wildlife Photographer

T

he tiger is an endangered species and the would eventually leave the kill and travel into the world population of tigers has dropped by 95% forest to avoid the jeeps, and could cross back over over the last 100 years. I love photographing the track further on. Sometimes these plans work but big cats and getting to photograph a tiger in the more often they fail miserably. But we felt lucky... wild has always been top of my bucket list. So back We drove around for 30 minutes and doubled back in November 2014 I made the decision to head off into the area and settled down to wait. There were to India for two weeks to the Bandhavgarh Tiger just two vehicles gambling on this roll of the dice.

Reserve where there is a reasonable chance of Everything was quiet in the forest, so silent you could seeing and photographing one of these stunning and hear a crack of a twig, or the rustling of the leaves regal creatures. However, that trip coincided with a in the tall trees, just our jeeps and about 50 yards troubled time in the forest as a couple of rogue tigers away a Sambar deer feeding on some low vegetation. had killed the dominant female, also her cubs, and Suddenly the deer looked up, seeming nervous, driven the dominant male off and into a neighbouring smelling the air, and ears twitching and swivelling territory. I did get a distant tiger sighting but it was not backwards and forwards. It then raised an alarm call, a what I had travelled all that way to see. I knew I would chilling sound, and Langur Monkeys also cried out in have to return... alarm. Something was moving through the forest, and I made that return journey in November 2017, it was close! Then out of the undergrowth stepped and this time I was much luckier. I had seven tiger the most beautiful tiger, named Xena. sightings during the two weeks I was there but one Being 50 yards away was one hell of a thrill, but it encounter stood out above all of the others. So here was to get even better, though scarier. Xena started is my recollection of that encounter and I hope in to walk towards the track we were parked on, reading this you get an idea of the thrill in sharing a heading not in front of our jeep, not behind our jeep, moment in time with a large dominant tigress. but straight towards our jeep, slowly and purposefully, We had been driving along the tracks that cut through closer and closer. I was firing off the shutter, looking the forests in Bandhavgarh looking for tiger tracks through the viewfinder, and all I could see was her on the dusty roads and listening out for alarm calls getting closer still, filling the frame more and more that would indicate a tiger was in the vicinity. They so eventually I could not get all of her in the frame allow up to 20 vehicles at a time into the reserve so she was that close. I stopped taking images and if you do come across a tiger then the chances are peeped over the top of my camera to see she had you will be sharing the encounter with many other walked within 6-8 feet of the jeep. I could hear her jeeps all jostling for the best position. A few jeeps deep breaths, see the immense size of her, the beauty will carry wildlife photographers like us who will be of her head and body, but the look of her eyes was quite courteous but many will be tourists trying to cold as death. She then turned to the side, stepped take selfie images with a tiger in the background. We on the dusty track and walked away behind our jeep, came across such an encounter, many jeeps, three crossing and disappearing off into the forest. What an deep on the small track, all trying to view a tigress experience! and her two cubs that were feeding on an old kill in As a photographer these are moments that stay deep undergrowth about 20 feet into the forest from with you forever, and what makes overseas travel the track. You should always think about the welfare worthwhile. If you would like to see more of of the animal above getting an image so we decided my images please check out my website at to leave the scene and take a gamble that theustigress Follow on twitter @OVLMagazine Find us on Facebook OVL Magazine 51 gregcoynephotography.co.uk

SkinnyDog OVL HP Ad_Layout 1 18/09/2014 13:17 Page 1

SkinnyDogDesignLtd

LOGOS

visit: iKan Centre 38 Mill Street Bedford MK40 3HD talk: 01234 345 145 type: info@skinnydogdesign.co.uk look: www.skinnydogdesign.co.uk

PRESS ADS

LEAFLETS & BROCHURES PRINT DIRECT MAIL CORPORATE STATIONERY PACKAGING EXHIBITION DISPLAY PANELS SIGNAGE NEWSLETTERS SALES & TECHNICAL MATERIAL

Hospice in top 20 best UK charities to work for

A Bedfordshire hospice has beaten off tough competition from around the UK to be named in the top 20 of the Sunday Times 100 Best Not-forProfit Organisations to Work for list.

Keech Hospice Care’s ranking has rocketed for 2019, shooting it up the list to 18th place in just its second year of entering. The charity first entered The Sunday Times 100 in 2017, when it achieved a ranking of 71.

anonymous surveys giving their opinions about their bosses, their working conditions and their employer’s values.

In recent months the hospice has also been recognised for its excellent standards by being awarded ‘Outstanding’ for caring by the Care Quality Commission. “Our patients and their families are always at the centre of all we do,” Liz said. “We are committed to ensuring adults and children who have a terminal or life-limiting illness get the excellent specialist care and support they need.”

Liz Searle, CEO at Keech Hospice Care, who attended a special ceremony in London where the result was revealed, said: “I am absolutely delighted that the staff at Keech Hospice Care should rate us so highly. We have been working hard on ensuring our staff feel valued and believe they can shape the organisation that we all feel so passionate about.”

The Sunday Times 100 list is based on feedback from staff. In all, across the country, nearly 260,000 staff working for UK employers completed

52

Please remember to mention OVL when responding to adverts

Keech trustee Karen Proctor and Liz Searle with Nick Rodrigues (Sunday Times)

The 306th Bomb Group Museum – Its Future

The 306th Bomb Group of the United States Army Air Force was stationed at Thurleigh Airfield from the autumn of 1942 until the autumn of 1945. At the time Ralph Franklin was a small boy living in Keysoe and, like most of his generation, collected any “war souvenirs” he could lay his hands on and, living close to Thurleigh, naturally took a great interest in the 306th.

opened to the public a museum, which has since become an excellent World War II Museum.

Recently, through ill health, Ralph became no longer able to carry any further responsibility for the museum and its future was placed in serious jeopardy. However, a number of Museum “friends” got together and have formed a volunteer management group with the objectives of firstly ensuring the continuing existence of the museum and secondly seeking arrangements whereby it can continue to be accessible to the visiting public.

The group hopes that this article will spread the word and, with the continuing support of Palmersport, the plan is to open the museum to the public on each Sunday throughout the summer of 2019, starting on Sunday 5 May. Opening times will be 10am-4pm.

Before undertaking a visit a check by telephone to 01234 771984 or e-mail to clivebobcarroll@yahoo.co.uk is advised.

With the cessation of hostilities, Ralph’s enthusiasm became a life-long interest and his collection of wartime artefacts continued to grow. Through the generosity of Palmersport, Ralph was given the use of an ex-wartime “explosives store” building on Thurleigh Airfield to accommodate his collection and here he created and subsequently

Make your child’s party EXTRA SPECIAL with a Mascot Character appearance by Peppa Pig, Olaf, Chase from Paw Patrol or a Minion.

Package 1

£65 (min 30 mins) • Meet & Greet with photo opportunities • Game

Package 2

£85 (min 45 mins)

• Meet & Greet with photo opportunities • Game • Birthday cake cutting (cake not supplied) • Hand out party bags

Mascot Characters are also available for guest appearances at your toddler group, pre-school or marketing event.

Call now to book your child’s favourite Mascot Character and make it a party to remember!

Book Now For 2019 To Avoid Disappointment Tel 01234 962929 / 07827 015170

Follow us on twitter @OVLMagazine Find us on Facebook OVL Magazine

53

TOP END VILLAGE STORES ANIMAL FEED & BEDDING www.topendfarm.co.uk

BARGAINS GALORE IN STORE!

Calor Gas always in stock

Wide and competitive range of horse and animal feed, supplements and stable essentials Paddock fertilisers, grass seed, post and rail, stock fencing, chicken wire, electric fencing and accessories Hay, straw, haylage, shavings, sundown, wood pellet bedding etc Stable and field mats, reclaimed sleepers, rat bait, horse carrots Layers pellets, poultry bedding, feeders, treats and poultry supplements always in stock Plus dog food and treats, wild bird feed, rabbit and small animal feed, small holder feed too Large free car park (horse lorries welcome) Fast and free delivery (T&Cs apply) Shop open 7 days a week

Top End Farm Little Staughton Bedfordshire MK44 2BY 01234 376426 topendfarm@btconnect.com

TINSLEYS RIDING SCHOOL British Horse Society Approved Established 1977

Friendly and professional experienced instructors Children from the age of five Adult tuition Lessons for the complete beginner to the more advanced rider

Neil & Susan Black BHSII Long Barns, The Baulk, Clapham MK41 6AA

Telephone 01234 268556 www.tinsleysridingschool.co.uk 54

Please remember to mention OVL when responding to adverts

PETS

Pets and high blood pressure Did you know that, just like people, our pets can develop high blood pressure - known as hypertension?

Hypertension often occurs secondary to conditions like kidney disease and hyperthyroidism but can also develop without any concurrent disease. Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by the contraction of the heart to push the blood through the blood vessels so oxygen and nutrients can reach the most distant tissues as well as push it back to the heart again.

likely. Patients with kidney disease and untreated hypertension deteriorate faster because the higher pressure in the kidney’s blood vessels prevent the kidneys from retaining the necessary proteins and electrolytes, instead expelling them in the urine along with water. Increased urine production and in turn increased thirst is a clinical sign we can pick up at home, but by this point a third of kidney function will already be lost.

Normal blood pressure should rest between 120140mmHg for cats and dogs. A blood pressure consistently higher than this will start to cause damage to their organs, nervous system and cardiovascular system.

So how can we detect hypertension early to prevent organ damage? On clinical signs and history, we as pet owners and vets often can’t. Annual checks of your pet’s blood pressure are therefore recommended, especially if your pet is over the age of 7 or has concurrent kidney disease or hyperthyroidism. These checks may cost extra but not much more. Veterinary nurses will do blood pressure checks which is often cheaper than seeing the vet.

Eyes High blood pressure to the back of the eyes can cause bleeding into the eyes. In some cases, the swollen blood vessels can inadvertently start to push the retina off the back of the eye and detach, resulting in blindness.

retinal detachment

retinal haemorrhage

Heart Over time, the heart will thicken as a result of having to contract against this higher pressure entering the chambers. This will cause the chambers to get smaller, further increasing blood pressure as there is less room for the blood. Consequently, the heart’s efficiency is reduced and can lead to heart failure.

Brain Hypertension may affect the animal’s cognitive function and in turn alter their behaviour and personality. Their balance and coordination can also be compromised and seizures are possible too.

Kidneys Kidneys and blood pressure are linked.

So if kidney disease is present, hypertension is also

Checking an animal’s blood pressure is similar to how people have theirs checked. A pressure cuff is placed around a leg, which is generally well tolerated. Several readings may be taken following the settling of your pet to ensure the ‘white coat effect’ isn’t a factor in a raised reading.

Treatment is a tablet form of amlodipine (alongside the treatment of concurrent disease which caused the blood vessels to expand). This reduces the blood pressure gradually over a few days.

If you think your pet may have hypertension or would like them to have an annual blood pressure check, please call your veterinary practice who will be happy to advise you and book an appointment.

Zoe Shelton-Smith Veterinarian

SCIENCE

Stelios Mores

A Story of the Making

O

ne of the most prevalent aspects of modern life is the influence which manufacturing has on how we live. It is a crucial factor which improves the quality of our lives and even how long each of us might live. Manufacturing is everywhere and in the last decade has become ever more accessible.

As humans our ability to ‘make things’ first began with our predecessors over 3.5 million years ago during the Lower Palaeolithic age. The first stone tools were used by Australopithecus Afarensis and over the next million years took on numerous forms, and were shaped for different purposes ranging from rounded grinding stones to sharpened ones for cutting. Tool making had arrived transforming the lives of our predecessors spectacularly; enabling them to hunt, feed and defend themselves more effectively and with greater success than any contemporary species. This skill of ‘making’ had now become engrained in the human way of life and so our manufacturing abilities became markers of our progress. Around 70,000 years ago the first garments had been made and worn. Stone and flint tools became more versatile and were in demand, with our early ancestors creating what is known as the Mousterian ‘Techno-complex Archaeological Industry’, massproducing stone items for numerous purposes.

this time that advances in smelting metals saw the advent of the Bronze Age, the first buildings were erected and the first wheels were manufactured from tree trunks. This led to an age of advances in construction and weaponry, with the manufacture of the first bronze swords giving rise to the first kingdoms and empires.

The Roman Empire was a product of the Iron Age. The importance of manufacturing skills and capabilities had become key to the success of nations, and it would be true to say that by now most branches of manufacturing had been established somewhere.

Weaving cloth was the first manufacturing discipline to benefit from mechanisation with the development of the pit-treadle loom around 700 AD in the Middle East. Advances in weaving occurred at various points in time. In 1733 John Kay invented the flying shuttle during the Industrial Revolution which led to the first purpose-built cloth factories in 1785. In 1803 the introduction of the programming card

by Joseph Marie Jacquard made weaving the first manufacturing method to be digitalised.

The steam driven Industrial Revolution of 1760 was the real game-changer with mass production at a Around 30,000 years ago as humans started scale never seen before. Prior to this, manufacturing to gather seeds from wild grasses, pottery was was often done in homes mostly using simple handestablished in what is now the Czech Republic. tools. Steam drove the textiles industry, inspired by The versatility of ceramics allowed people to make pioneers of steam such as James Watt and George a wide range of things for use in their ever more Stephenson, and it established the Engineering complex way of life. The myriads of ceramic artefacts Industry. With found at archaeological sites are a testament to how the invention widely they were manufactured. At around this time of steam weaving was developed as people began to grow locomotives and cotton on the banks of the Nile. By 10,000 years steamboats, ago people in the Middle East began planting seeds transportation and had mastered animal husbandry, creating the was first farms in the process. Glass was first made by revolutionised.

56 Please remember to mention OVL when responding to adverts the Egyptians around 3000 BC, and it was around The Napoleonic

The latter part of the 1900s saw the start of the Digital Revolution with the rapid deployment of analogue and digital electronics into the industrial environment. Originally driven by the need for better communications and radar during WW2, the advent of electronics established an entirely new manufacturing sector producing electronic components and subsequently integrated circuits for mass

nsteins Ei

’C

Using Moulds

The history of manufacturing is long and convoluted. People are inextricably connected to it as it is the major source of employment all over the world. With the gradual introduction of Artificial Intelligence into the workplace it seems that we are about to encounter another sea-change within the world of manufacturing. However, perhaps this change may be more familiar than we might think. The invention of the 3D-printer seems to be bringing the capability of manufacturing into the home, much like during the time of our prehistoric predecessors. 3D-printing is a slow manufacturing process, relying on iterative deposition of materials as a component is built from the base up gradually. However, in every revolution there is a leap forwards. On 31 January, researchers at the University of North Carolina announced that they have developed a new platform which manufactures components in 3D. This however does not build the part up gradually but in one single instant by applying a laser light matrix of varying frequencies to a liquid. So it seems we may be entering a new chapter in the Story of the Making, and the fabled ‘Replicator’ of Star Trek fame may be closer to becoming a reality.

e

The Technological Revolution came about with the introduction of electrical mechanisation in the late 1800s and early 1900s. This impacted the manufacturing of iron and steels immensely leading to improvements in factory designs. The demands on manufacturing had now become extremely broad, growing exponentially and touching almost every aspect of everyday life. The advances in manufacturing technology and materials science led to the use of the internal combustion engine (invented in 1794 by Thomas Mead) and the manufacture of cars at an affordable price, bringing about the creation of an entirely new manufacturing sector. The age of steam was over.

consumption. Towards the end of the 1900s the introduction of robots into factories added another level of automation to the fabrication process.

orner

Litt l

wars of the early 1800s brought about a need to preserve food. Following the development by the French of preserving foods by cooking them in sealed jars, the canning of food went into full swing by 1810, industrialising the production of food. The birth of the new engineering disciplines led to many great advances in manufacturing over the period.

Using moulds to make things has been around for over 6000 years. In this demonstration we will make paper-mâché bowls using a cereal bowl as a mould. You will need the following: 1. 5 sheets of newspaper 2. large mixing bowl 3. 1 cup of flour 4. 1 cup of water 5. tablespoon of salt 6. wooden spoon 7. cereal bowl 8. water-paints 9. scissors Using the scissors cut the newspaper into thin strips. Next place the flour and salt in the mixing bowl and slowly add enough water to make it into a thin paste. Place the strips of newspaper in the mixing bowl and allow them to soak. Now use the cereal bowl as a mould to make a paper bowl by laying the soaked newspaper inside it. Use all the newspaper strips and then allow them to dry overnight. When dry remove the paper bowl from inside the cereal bowl and paint with your water-paints. You can repeat thisFollow as many you like. ThisFind is how used make 57 us ontimes twitteras @OVLMagazine us onpeople Facebook OVLto Magazine things by hand in the past.

MOTORS McCann’s Motors The latest news for motorists from our man McCann

Richard McCann

Where is Your Car on This List?

Don’t shoot the messenger, OK, but some new research into driver claims from GoCompare Car Insurance, reveals that BMW drivers are the most likely to speed, run a red light or make an at-fault claim.

More than one in six BMW 4 series drivers have at least one conviction – more than double the average across all models, while one in five BMW 4 series drivers have also made an at-fault claim.

The research shows that, overall, those driving luxury car brands are the most likely to cause a collision or be convicted of an offence on the road.

Along with BMW drivers, Audi A5, Mercedes Benz C220, Mercedes Benz E220, Jaguar XF, Mercedes Benz CLA and Mercedes Benz GLC all feature in the top-ten car models whose drivers are most likely to be convicted of an offence on the road.

Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Make and model With conviction BMW 420D 17.1% AUDI A5 15.5% MERCEDES-BENZ C220 14.8% MERCEDES-BENZ E220 14.8% JAGUAR XF 14.3% MERCEDES-BENZ CLA 14.3% MERCEDES-BENZ GLC 14.0% AUDI Q7 13.8% LANDROVER RANGE 13.8% MERCEDES-BENZ CLS 13.5%

Rank 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163

Make and model FIAT PANDA HONDA JAZZ SKODA CITIGO FORD KA SUZUKI ALTO HYUNDAI GETZ KIA PICANTO NISSAN MICRA HYUNDAI I10 VAUXHALL AGILA

With convictions 4.9% 4.8% 4.7% 4.6% 4.6% 4.5% 4.4% 4.4% 4.3% 4.1%

While BMW drivers were most likely to have a motoring conviction or to have made an at-fault claim, Mercedes drivers also appeared heavily in both top ten lists, with E220, GLC and C220 models all ranking.

Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Make and model

With claim

BMW 420D 21.3% MERCEDES-BENZ E220 19.3% MERCEDES-BENZ GLC 19.3% AUDI A5 19.1% AUDI Q5 18.7% MERCEDES-BENZ C220 18.6% MERCEDES-BENZ GLA 18.3% JAGUAR XF 18.2% AUDI A1 18.2% SKODA SUPERB 18.1%

Rank 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163

Make and model VAUXHALL AGILA NISSAN MICRA CITROEN XSARA FORD KA PEUGEOT 307 FIAT PUNTO NISSAN ALMERA CITROEN C2 HYUNDAI GETZ PEUGEOT 206

With claims 10.3% 10.3% 10.1% 10.0% 9.9% 9.6% 9.2% 9.0% 9.0% 8.5%

Other drivers most likely to make an at-fault claim included nearly one in five Mercedes E220 and GLC owners, as well as Audi A5, Audi Q5, Jaguar XF and Audi A1 drivers.

At the other end of the scale, drivers least likely to have been convicted of an offence include Vauxhall Agila, Hyundai i10 and Nissan Micra drivers, while those least likely to make an at-fault claim include Peugeot 206, Hyundai Getz, and Citroen C2 drivers.

58

Please remember to mention OVL when responding to adverts

In the News GM’s much-publicised shift toward Electric Vehicles got me thinking about a very recent piece in the Times. It may be too political, although OVL has never shied away from that before.

The article warned that while environmentalists are celebrating the shift to EVs – and 300 million are forecast to be on the road by 2040 – the geographical implications are dire due to one word – COBALT. ‘The Saudi Arabia of cobalt’ set to control 70 per cent of the global supply is the Republic of Congo – ‘one of the world’s grisliest regimes’ according to The Times.

Congo uses children in its cobalt mines and tortures political opponents but until we develop cobalt-free batteries the level of demand is so high that (says The Times) Congo can do as it pleases. Apple and VW have tried to outlaw child labour when dealing with suppliers but allegedly China isn’t so fussy as it invests in the cobalt we all now need.

The Times says that ‘in our greed for oil we made moral compromises to buy from Russia, Iran and Venezuela’ and asks if we are to do the same in our new greed for cobalt.

Really?

Someone on the radio last week said that electric vehicles are still not sufficiently developed to replace diesels with EVs.... well I looked at Range Rover’s new hybrid today.

The range (they claim!) is 31 miles before the weedy 2-litre motor drags it back home for a 3-hour charge up.

All this for a mere £106,000 - how can I resist?

MUSIC

Milky’s Music s M atters... t Matters...

FOCUS ON UPCOMING BEDFORD GIGS Big Country Friday 26 April, doors 8pm @ Esquires, Bedford Tickets £23 in advance + booking fee

Following a packed out show at the Bedford Corn Exchange, Big Country returns to Bedford for a more intimate club show at Esquires performing the classic Steeltown album and all their greatest hits.

Big Country scored 17 top 30 UK singles achieving 5 gold and platinum status albums along the way.

The band has performed at many of the UK and Europe’s most famous festivals, including Isle Of Wight (twice), V Festival, T In The Park, Oxegen, Pink Pop and Cropredy creating a new generation of fans and renewing the passion for diehards with the introduction of new original songs such as ‘Another Country’ and ‘The Journey’ which encapsulate not only the sound but the heart and soul of Big Country past, present and future.

Since Stuart Adamson’s tragic passing, Big Country regrouped in 2017 with key members Bruce Watson and Mark Brzezicki and remain leading the charge, keeping the band’s classic sound alive on tour as well as Bruce touring with the recently reformed Skids. And rest assured that Bruce Watson and Mark Brzezicki have no plans on slowing down.

Tickets on general sale at www.seetickets.com & physical tickets at Esquires, Slide Record Shop & Mario’s Hair Design.

followed by extensive world-wide touring into 2018.

Chris hosts song-writing retreats and has done so for over 25 years, some in prisons, some in rehabs, but mostly in Somerset with the Buddy Holly Foundation. He is one of the country’s most respected songwriters and has co-written with a list of musicians and performers that reads like a veritable who’s who of the industry.

Chris will bring his extensive songbook and raft of anecdotes to make for a fine evening of music and stories to Bedford. Do not miss out!

Tickets on general sale at www.seetickets.com & physical tickets at Esquires, Slide Record Shop & Mario’s Hair Design.

The Brand New Heavies Friday 31 May, doors 7pm @ The Corn Exchange, Bedford Tickets £25.50 in advance + booking fee

Chris Difford (SQUEEZE) Thursday 30 May, doors 7.30pm @ Esquires, Bedford Tickets £22.50 in advance + booking fee

Chris Difford is a Grammy nominated and double Ivor Novello Award winning lyricist who has brought us characters and sketches from everyday life, and has successfully turned the mundane into the beautiful, the urbane into the exquisite for over 40 years.

With his collaborator, Squeeze co-founder Glenn Tilbrook, Chris has written some of the most enduring and best-loved songs of our time such as ‘Up The Junction’, ‘Cool For Cats’, ‘Labelled With Love’, ‘Tempted’ and many others. Squeeze returned with new album ‘The Knowledge’ in October 2017,

Over the years, The Brand New Heavies have been responsible for some of the UK’s biggest R&B/soul tracks, scoring 16 top 40 singles including ‘Dream On Dreamer’ and ‘You’ve Got A Friend’, as well as over two million album sales.

It was old school friends Jan, Andrew and Simon pursuing their near-obsessive love of soul music and ‘70s funk that inspired them to form The Brand

New Heavies. Early hits ‘Never Stop’ and ‘Dream Come True’ were original chunks of organic funk that earned the band a reputation as a formidable live act and their reinterpretations of popular standards, such as ‘Midnight At The Oasis’, Carole King’s ‘You’ve Got A Friend’ and the Stevie Wonder classic ‘I Don’t Know Why (I Love You)’ brought major global chart success.

Having made their mark originally with the immensely talented vocalist N’Dea Davenport, the core trio of Jan Kincaid, Simon Bartholomew and Andrew Levy were later fronted by Siedah Garrett and Carleen Anderson. The Brand New Heavies

have been ploughing their own furrow in the British music scene for over a quarter of a century and are respected the world over.

“It’s fantastic to be bringing such great talent to play in Bedford, which has a thriving music scene.

Brand New Heavies are incredible live, they have infectious energy and get everyone up for a guaranteed non-stop party. This is a band that delivers every time and I am so excited to have booked them for Bedford,” said Mark Harrison, Promoter, LPH Concerts.

Tickets from https://lphconcerts.co.uk/events/ brandnewheavies/

MILKY’S ALBUM REVIEWS JAWS – The Ceiling Third album from Birmingham dream-pop trio who have really upped the ante and created a dazzling set of tunes bedded into an expansive musical panorama. This is an impressively adroit record that does not stand still for a moment with dexterous craft at play as songs coil, twizzle and undulate all in the space of 3 minutes. Third track ‘Do You Remember’ unleashes a sense of urgency to guitars that at first chime and gradually build to a frenzied storm of exquisite chaos. On this evidence there is no ceiling for the band.

CRAIG FINN – I Need A New War This third outing of a trilogy from The Hold Steady’s frontman Finn sees him adopting a slouchy Springsteen-esque style to convey a series of character studies about regular people responding to the extraordinary times we live in.

The album has a mellow glow, slightly weathered, beat-up and yet retains a sense of optimism that things might just work out in the end. The 10 tracks deliver diversity with lead track ‘Blankets’ delivering sparkling radiant fretwork and a lolloping beat whereas ‘Indications’ has a woozy feel with Finn’s deadpan delivery supplemented with an angelic backing choir. A real treat for fans of Finn.

SUPPORT THE BEDFORD LIVE SCENE - UPCOMING BEDFORD GIGS FOR YOUR DIARY Thursday 4 April – Slow Readers Club @ Esquires Friday 5 April – Bad Manners @ Esquires Saturday 6 April – Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs @ Esquires Friday 19 April – The Christians @ Esquires Saturday 20 April – Republica @ Esquires Thursday 25 April – Blancmange @ Esquires Friday 26 April – Big Country @ Esquires Saturday 27 April – The Creepshow @ Esquires Sunday 5 May – Hawxx + Dream Nails @ Esquires Friday 10 May – The Smyths @ Esquires Friday 17 May – Average Sex + The Courts @ Esquires Saturday 18 May – Daddy Long Legs @ Esquires Thursday 30 May – Chris Difford (SQUEEZE) @ Esquires Friday 31 May – The Brand New Heavies @ Corn Exchange Friday 14 June – Dr & the Medics @ Esquires Friday 19 July – Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever @ Esquires

Tickets from: wegottickets.com / seetickets.com / Esquires Bar / Slide Records / Mario’s Hair Design Follow us on twitter @OVLMagazine Find us on Facebook OVL Magazine

61

BOOKS

Ex Libris

Ex-police officer Clare Mackintosh’s third novel, Let Me Lie, is another page turner. If you were gripped by her first novel, I Let you Go, and her second, I See You, reviewed in the February/ March 1917 edition of OVL, this is also one you will not be able to put down Anna Johnson, 26-year-old mother of Ella, aged eight weeks, is struggling on the first anniversary of her mother’s suicide. Caroline Johnson jumped off a cliff at Beachy Head, copying the way Anna’s father, Tom, died seven months before. Anna can’t accept that her parents would have caused her so much suffering.

On the anniversary Anna receives a card with the typed words, “Suicide? Think again.” Anna’s partner, father of Ellie and her former grief counsellor, Mark Hemmings, tries to calm Anna’s fears but she is so convinced that her mother was murdered that she takes the card to the police but not before her uncle, Billy, has torn it into four pieces. At the police station she is seen by lovely, sympathetic Murray Mackenzie, a retired detective now working as a desk clerk.

Murray begins an unofficial investigation but when Anna receives anonymous threats she begins to fear for Ella’s safety.

The characters of Anna and Murray are skilfully drawn and we empathise with Anna dealing with the loss of her parents and her desperation to protect her much loved baby and with Murray who is supporting his wife, Sarah, who has a mental illness.

There are many shocking twists and turns in this beautifully written, dark and complex thriller. The publication date for the author’s fourth novel, After the End, is 25 June.

Reviewed by Roz Masters

FILM & TV

Review After Life

*****

Streaming now on Netflix If you only binge one series this year, make it After Life. If you binge two, watch After Life twice. The Anthony Lowery latest from Brit icon Ricky Gervais, a portrait of one man’s grieving process, is a profound lesson in honesty, humility and perspective.

For those easily offended, the name Ricky Gervais and the colourful language that often accompanies might be enough to put you off. Here he delivers something so superbly observant, so sensitive and so funny you might just hate him even more.

Tony (Gervais), the features editor of a free local newspaper, has lost his wife to cancer and with that, his will to live. While he exists only for his dog, Tony’s destructive behaviour alienates anybody he comes into contact with. What he struggles to realise, though, is that the only people he’s hurting are the ones who still care about him.

Written and directed by Gervais, and arguably his finest work since The Office, After Life is six thirty-minute episodes on a

subject matter that has no right being this funny. However, its humour is tinged with sadness, its sadness tinged with humour.

The blend of comedy and drama strikes in a way that only Gervais’s brand can – that anguished soul masked by a sardonic, brutally honest facade.

In many ways, Tony recalls the sweet peculiarity of his most popular characters and, while speaking to our own darkness and anger, reminds us that there’s beauty there, too.

If you’re a fan of Gervais, you’ll find a lot of familiar faces here and no character is wasted, all gently serving the bigger picture. If you’re not a fan, After Life is the show, and the slice of life, that’ll change your mind.

“Happiness is amazing. So amazing, it doesn’t matter if it’s yours or not,” says Penelope Wilton’s scene-stealing Anne.

With some of the sweetest, most affecting dialogue on tele right now, this Netflix original is a universal story of loss and a celebration of life in the wake of death.

Be prepared to laugh a lot, if only to hide the tears. @OVLMagazine @byAnthonyLowery #AfterLife Follow us on twitter @OVLMagazine Find us on Facebook OVL Magazine

63

CHILDHOOD COMMUNICATION Independent Speech and Language Therapist Jacqui Wright answers your questions about childhood communication

Dear Jacqui Please can you explain how social thinking develops from the Social Learning Tree?

Consider social learning using the analogy of a Social Learning Tree, which develops a strong root system and trunk before it can grow healthy branches and leaves.

We typically start teaching a specific skill in the leaves rather than by exploring strategies to teach students to better think socially. More sophisticated social learning requires one to acquire a range of social thought processes (in the roots) that synchronise to form the core of the social mind. Using these thought processes we then determine which social skills to use based on what we know about the person(s), the situation and how we want them to respond to us. For example, children do not learn “eye contact.” They progressively learn to think with their eyes, to look at a situation and consider behaviour to gauge how to interact or respond.

Sharnbrook House High Street, Sharnbook Bedfordshire MK44 1PB

Sharnbrook House Care Home is set in the picturesque village of Sharnbrook in Bedfordshire and we specialise in high-quality residential care.

The team at Sharnbrook House are exceptional and wholly committed to providing the very best care.

They are loving, caring, compassionate and have all been selected because they genuinely care and treat our residents with the respect and dignity that they deserve.

Call or visit Sharnbrook House as many times as you wish so you know it is right for you and your loved one.

Call us on: 01234 781294 or e-mail: sharnbrook@greensleeves.org.uk

Greensleeves Homes Trust is a registered charity in England & Wales No 1060478

www.greensleeves.org.uk

At the root level, social thinking involves: 1. Joint attention - reading intentions and paying attention to others and the environment.

2. Emotional reciprocity 3. Central coherence - getting the gist of a message, determining relevance.

4. Theory of mind - interpreting that you know something different from another.

5. Executive functioning - to process and respond to many stimuli simultaneously.

6. Sensory integration - to integrate the signals coming into our sensory systems.

7. Cognition 8. Language (to be continued). Adapted from Social Thinking-Social Learning Tree, Michelle Garcia Winner, MA, CCC-SLP Jacqui Wright Childhood Communication Consultant www.childhoodcommunication.co.uk info@childhoodcommunication.co.uk 01234 782 365 / 07956 685581 Facebook: Childhood Communication Consultancy Twitter: @JacquiSLT If you have any questions for Jacqui please email info@ousevalleyliving.com and she will endeavour to answer your concerns in this column

Would you like to know what the stars have in store for you?

Text or email Howard for more information or book a personal reading through his website:

astroguidance.co.uk

Follow Howard’s ‘Astro-guidance’ on Facebook for forecasts and discussion email: howpark@aol.com

phone: 07866 727743

/ March

2019

Ouse Va lley Liv ing

Februa ry

Why advertise in OVL? CONTENT Our team of writers bring unique and focused content to every issue covering food, fashion, beauty, nature, science, sport, motoring, health, pets, gardening, books, films and more.

OUSE OVL Feb

VALLEY’S

Mar 201

9 125

NO.1

AW.ind

d 1

HOME&

LIFESTYLE

MAGA

ZINE EST

2005

2019 TINTERIORS REND S

• 16,00

0 COPIE

S HAND

DELIVER

ED

s

les

ce

Pri

17/01/20

19 11:3 9

DISTRIBUTION We hand deliver 16,000 copies door-to-door, ensuring our advertisers get a better response. Our investment in this distribution method makes us stand out from our competitors.

We distribute 16,000 copies door-to-door to: Biddenham, Bletsoe, Blunham, Bromham, Carlton, Felmersham, Great Denham, Great Barford, Harrold, Melchbourne, Milton Ernest, Oakley, Odell, Pavenham, Radwell, Ravensden, Sharnbrook, Souldrop, Stagsden, Stevington, Turvey, Wilden, Willington.

With pick up points throughout the Ouse Valley in: Bedford, Bolnhurst, Box End, Cardington, Clapham, Clifton Reynes, Colmworth, Cople, Kempston, Lavendon, Little Staughton, Olney, Renhold, Riseley, Roxton, Rushden, Swineshead, Thurleigh, Wootton and Yielden.

To view our recent editions go to www.ousevalleyliving.com

To advertise call Christa on

07827 015170

or email christa@ousevalleyliving.com

Love Magazines?

Love OVL OVL Magazine @OVLMagazine ovlmagazine

HOROSCOPES

IN THE STARS with Howard Parker, the Astro-guide I can help you gain a deep insight into what the most important issues will be for you personally during this period by examining your own astrological birth chart. Please go to: www.astroguidance.co.uk to book a session.

You can also call me on 07866 727743 or email me at howpark@aol.com for more information.

NEW! If you want to keep in touch with what is happening astrologically, drop in on my Astrocafe Facebook group where I post regular live videos. https://www.facebook.com/groups/310639759701042/

Aries

mar21-apr20 A big seven year shake up begins here for most of us as Uranus goes into Taurus but you may not mind this too much right now as you enjoy the new energy that the spring gives you. However, some of these unexpected developments may be outside your comfort zone so be a bit more careful now than you usually are. May will give you inklings that your priorities in life may be changing.

Taurus

apr21-may21 Taureans tend to like to plough their own furrow in their own way but there are some unexpected surprises on the way that may upset the known and trusted methods you use to rule your life. Watch carefully until you can see what is happening because the roller coaster has only just started. Impetuous Taurus lovers are likely to find that romance quickly turns to stone!

Gemini

may22-jun21

Having Mars in your sign now will help you get moving but are you actually doing the right thing? If you get it wrong some people may be very quick to jump on you so I would ease up on knee-jerk social media comments for a while until you are surer of your facts. Creativity may blossom in May but so might delusion – stay sober and meditate!

Cancer

jun22-jul23 The home - work balance doesn’t get any easier to manage in April and your efforts to kickstart certain career initiatives may well falter through circumstances far beyond your personal control. It’s a tough time and there is a long way to go before things become clear to you. Patience is a stronger virtue than usual this spring.

Leo

jul24-aug23

The usual exciting new initiatives of the spring may be cut short by unexpected upheavals in areas of your life you always felt were pretty solid and secure. The wiser Leos will see this as a valuable learning experience rather than respond with anger and frustration. It certainly won’t be appreciated at work so bite your lip at least until the end of May – and maybe longer!

Virgo

aug24-sep23 Money making initiatives may appeal to you as April starts but others may not respond as you hoped so you will need to be flexible, regroup and change direction. The worst response is to get obsessive and the lesson continues to be that you should try to let go of whatever you can’t control. May is an elusive month when the more you find out, the more confusing it all feels.

66

Please remember to mention OVL when responding to adverts

Libra

sep24-oct23 April always makes you a bit more decisive than usual so enjoy the new moon opportunities of the season. If you feel unusually inclined to plunge head first into a new relationship, good luck but of course the full moon at the end of the month will have you wondering if you did the right thing! May may feel turgid and uninspiring, particularly if you work for yourself, but things will lighten later on.

Scorpio

oct24-nov22 I do wonder how much your world will be rocked over the next seven years or so as Uranus starts its journey through your opposite sign of Taurus. All sorts of things you may have held sacred and permanent may be challenged so be a bit cautious in April about what changes you want to make this spring. In terms of relationships, stay safe and resist temptation!

Sagittarius

nov23-dec22 The new moon in Aries will give you its traditional energy lift helping your creative juices flow again after a dark and gloomy winter. Adjustments may be needed though and your love life may be subject to some, er, ‘interesting’ ups and downs as the month progresses. Grand promises offered may turn out to be illusions and not deliver what they seem.

Capricorn

dec23-jan20 Inexorable external forces, seismic shifts of the ground beneath your feet may leave you not wanting to leave the house in April, rather than seizing the energy of the new spring.

Comfort yourself with the knowledge that there are no quick fixes available any more and that events will unfold as they must. Just keep going: there are satisfactions in slow achievable progress.

Aquarius

jan21-feb19 Your home planet, Uranus, is set to start challenging a lot of your most cherished beliefs over the course of the next few years. Resist the temptation to hang onto these because its function is to broaden your horizons. A new perspective on some family matters can be dealt with this month and may turn out better than you expected. Home is a good place to be in May.

Pisces

feb20-mar20 The new moon may give you a quick adrenalin rush of activity but stronger forces are at work in the background so be careful to husband your resources, especially financial ones - you will need them later this year. If you have been decluttering recently, you may feel the benefit in your creative activities. Family and friends will probably create a certain amount of confusion.

Flavour of the Times

April begins with the usual quick burst of spring energy but this year it is as if you are revving the engine of your car trying to accelerate only to find that the hand brake is locked on tight - a sense of constraint and remorseless frustration. Not so much walking through sand but walking through slow setting concrete!

Maybe this is melodramatic but for some of us, I think it will feel just like that. The energy that can be seen in the Brexit crisis can also have an effect on us individually in our own lives! At least after the 19th and the full moon, we can feel we are making small positive steps forward again even if there are feelings of upset and sensitivity to be handled as Mars clashes with Neptune in May. Follow us on twitter @OVLMagazine Find us on Facebook OVL Magazine

67

diarydates Monday 1 April Alpine Garden Society (Beds) Wilstead Village Hall, 7.30pm Maren Talbot on Native Orchids of the British Isles. Plant and art displays. Visitors, £3.

Tuesday 2 April The Friends of the Higgins The Higgins, Castle Lane, 7.30pm Rushwork - talk by Felicity Irons. Friends £4, guests £9. www.thehigginsbedford.org.uk Bedford Floral Art Society, 7.30pm Addison Centre, Kempston Jo Poulter - All Shapes and Sizes. Visitors, £7.

Stevington Cinema Village Hall, 7pm Live broadcast of Verdi’s opera ‘La Forza del Destiny’. www.stevingtoncinemaclub.uk Thursday 4 April Knit & Knatter, Thursdays 9.30-11.30am Riseley Village Hall Coffee, knitting, crocheting, beading, needlework and knattering. Wendy 709083 ronandwendy@btinternet.com Stevington Cinema Village Hall, 7pm ‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again’. www. stevingtoncinemaclub.uk Friday 5 April Man Cave, Fridays 10am-1pm Sharnbrook Scout Hut Unemployed, retired or would like some company? Make new friends, chat and share experiences.

Bedfordshire Family History Society Mark Rutherford School, 7.15pm Celia Heritage on How Far did your Ancestors Travel Before the Advent of the Railways? £1. www.bfhs.org.uk Bedford Art Society Putnoe Heights Church, 7.15pm Peter Keegan on garden landscape in acrylics with a workshop on 6 April. Visitors, £5. Jean Paterson 01234 307210 or www. bedsartsociety.co.uk.

Fri 5 to Sat 27 April Easter Family Fun, 10.30-4.30pm Cowper & Newton Museum, Olney £1 per child. Easter egg maze, craft table, prize draw. Usual adult admission.

Saturday 6 April Cambs & Beds Hardy Plant Society Weatherley Centre, Biggleswade, 2pm Val Bourne on Spring Cottage Gardening with The Dearly Beloved.

Sat 6 & Sun 7 April Radio Control Weekend, 10-4pm Rushden Transport Museum Displays and demos of RC vehicles. £4, conc

68

£3, child £2. www.rhts.co.uk Tuesday 9 April Carers Together, 2.30pm Methodist Church, Sharnbrook Churches with Tibbs Dementia Foundation.

Meet other carers. Suggested donation cared-for £4, carer £1. Linda Hoar 07791214148 or lindahoar@hotmail.co.uk Wednesday 10 April Jock Lewes, Co-founder of the SAS Sharnbrook Mill Theatre, 12 noon By his nephew and biographer John Lewes.

2-course lunch, book signing, sales. £16 from T.Gibbs 01234 782377 or theo@ twhgibbs.plus.com ‘Warm Up’ Appeal event.

The Wildlife Trust - Bedford Priory Methodist Church Hall, 7.15pm Bedfordshire’s Flora by Graham Bellamy.

Contributions appreciated. www.wildlifebcn.org or 01234 266057.

Thursday 11 April A Springtime Garland of Song & Opera Bedford Girls’ School, 7.45pm Roderick Williams baritone, Kathryn Rudge mezzo soprano, William Vann piano. £18, students 18-24 £5, under 18 £2 the door or 01234 261811. www.bedfordmusicclub. co.uk Stevington Cinema Stevington Village Hall, 7pm Live broadcast of ‘All About Eve’ from the Noel Coward Theatre. www. stevingtoncinemaclub.uk Friday 12 April Colmworth & Neighbours History Society Village Hall, 7.30-9.30pm Nora Butler - The 1830 Swing Riots. www. colmworthhistory.org.uk Saturday 13 April Table Top Sale, 9am-noon Christ the King Parish Hall, Bedford Entry 50p. Refreshments, info 01234 965497.

Posh Togs & Accessories Sale St Edmund or St James Church, Blunham, 10.30-2.30pm Nearly new special occasion clothes and accessories with refreshments from our Community Café.

Sat 13 & Sun 14 April Cowslip & Fritillary Weekend, 2-4pm St. Peter’s Church, Newton Bromswold Plants for sale and afternoon teas.

Sunday 14 April RATS Easter Fayre Great Barford Village Hall, 1-3.30pm Gifts, tombola, homemade

Please remember to mention OVL when responding to adverts

refreshments, raffle. Details of animals looking for loving homes.

Tuesday 16 April Kimbolton Flower Club Mandeville Hall, 7pm Talk by Kate Toller of The Old Rectory Gardens at Sudborough with head gardener, Ben Houston. £7.50.

Biddenham Gardeners Assoc Village Hall, 7.30pm Strictly Daylilies by Paula Dyason. £5 includes raffle & refreshments. www. biddenhamgardenersassociation.org.uk Wednesday 17 April Stevington Cinema Village Hall, 7pm Live broadcast of ‘As You Like It’ from the RSC. www.stevingtoncinemaclub.uk Thursday 18 April Embroiderers’ Guild 7.45pm St Mark’s Church Hall Jo Beattie on Hand, Head and Heart - a reflection on my work. www.jobeattie. com. Sales table, refreshments, visitors £4.

Monday 21 April Open Church for Easter St Owen’s Church Bromham, 11.304.30pm Flowers, ploughman’s lunch, cake, tea and coffee, stalls and raffle.

Sun 21 & Mon 22 April Café–in-the-Tower, 2.30-5.30pm All Saints’ Church, Odell Cakes, cookies and a cuppa with panoramic views. Tower trips £2.50, £1 (10-16). Award winning churchyard.

Tuesday 23 April Carers Together, 2.30pm Methodist Church, Sharnbrook Churches with Tibbs Dementia Foundation.

Meet other carers. Suggested donation cared-for £4, carer £1. Linda Hoar 07791 214148 or lindahoar@hotmail.co.uk Friday 26 April Afternoon Vintage Tea, 2-4pm Christ the King Parish Hall, Bedford £4 - tea, cake and dancing. Info 01234 404563.

Blunham Community Cinema Village Hall, 7.30pm Finding your Feet (PG). £5, refreshments available. Tickets 01767 640572 or 641578.

Saturday 27 April Plant Sale, 10am-12 noon Keysoe Village Hall Plants, books, bric a brac, raffle, refreshments. Free admission. Funds The Village Show at Keysoe. For info 01234 378878.

diarydates Haydn’s Creation, 7.30pm Kempston East Methodist Church Kempston Musical Society with invited soloists. Tickets £8.50 includes refreshments. Info at 01234 781010 or prestissimo@btinternet.com Sunday 28 April Spring Garden Opening, 2-5 pm Townsend Farmhouse & West Oak, MK45 5AT Tulips, fritillaria, other spring bulbs, scented shrubs. £5, children free. Homemade cakes, plant sale.

Crystal Dyball - Up the Garden Path. Visitors, £7 The Friends of the Higgins The Higgins, Castle Lane, 7.30pm The Pyghtle Works, Baillie Scott & Sir Albert Richardson - by David Fowler. Friends £4, guests £9. www.thehigginsbedford.org.uk Friday 10 May David Fletcher (from BBC’s Flog It!) Sharnbrook Mill Theatre, 7.30pm Antique appreciation and David’s life as an auctioneer. £16 includes supper from 01234 771206. A Warm-Up Appeal Event.

Plant Sale, 11-3pm Bletsoe Village Hall £1, refreshments available. Small nurserymen and specialist growers. In aid of St. Mary’s Church restoration fund.

Saturday 11 May Table Top Sale, 9am-noon Christ the King Parish Hall, Bedford Entry 50p. Refreshments available. Info 01234 965497.

Tuesday 30 April Stevington Cinema Village Hall, 7pm Live broadcast of Gounod’s opera ‘Faust’. www.stevingtoncinemaclub.uk

Jumble Sale, 10am-12 noon Keysoe Village Hall Raising funds for The Village Show at Keysoe. Info 01234 378878.

Thursday 2 May Stevington Cinema Village Hall, 7pm ‘Manon Des Sources’ (with subtitles). www. stevingtoncinemaclub.uk Friday 3 May Bedfordshire Family History Society Mark Rutherford School, 7.15pm Bedlam and Mental Health by Colin Oakes.

Visitors £1. www.bfhs.org.uk Bedford Art Society Putnoe Heights Church, 7.15pm Robert Good, on Introducing Contemporary Art. Visitors, £5. Jean Paterson 01234 307210 or www.bedsartsociety.co.uk Saturday 4 May A Glass of Fizz & Inspiration with Flowers All Saints Church Turvey, 2pm Refreshments and raffle. Tickets, £5, and info from 01234 881566.

Monday 6 May Open Garden, 1-5pm The Manor House, Stevington NGS Charities raising money for medical charities. Blossoms, bulbs, cottage and formal garden.

Sharnbrook Bowls Club Open Afternoon Lodge Road, 2-5pm All welcome. Call Penny 781660 for further details about the club.

Tuesday 7 May Bedford Floral Art Society Addison Centre, Kempston, 7.30pm

Pavenham 10th Annual Plant Fair Village Hall, 10.30-2pm 9 nurseries selling plants, many unusual. Refreshments, playground. £1.20 adults. In aid of the Friends of St Peter’s Pavenham.

Sunday 12 May Open Gardens 2-5pm Westfield House, Oakley MK43 7SX Gardens of Special Historic Interest. £5 u/14’s free. Homemade refreshments. In aid of St. Mary’s Church organ fund.

Plant Sale, 10am-2pm Weatherley Centre, Biggleswade Cambs & Beds Hardy Plant Society. Free admission. Unusual hardy plants, veg, annuals & sundries. Refreshments.

Monday 13 May Alpine Garden Society (Beds) Wilstead Village Hall, 7.30pm Jim Almond on Fritiallarias and other Choice Bulbs. Plant and art displays. Visitors, £3.

Tuesday 14 May Carers Together, 2.30pm Methodist Church, Sharnbrook Churches with Tibbs Dementia Foundation.

Meet other Carers. Suggested donation cared-for £4, carer £1. Linda Hoar 07791 214148 or lindahoar@hotmail.co.uk Thursday 16 May Stevington Cinema Village Hall, 7pm Live broadcast of three contemporary ballets from the Royal Ballet. www. stevingtoncinemaclub.uk

Madison Violet in Concert Sharnbrook Mill Theatre, 7.45pm Canadian Folk/Country Duo supported by David Banks (The Whybirds). £14 (£1 fee). www.sharnbrookmilltheatre.co.uk/tickets or at Pick-a-Lily. A Warm Up Appeal Event.

Embroiderers’ Guild 7.45pm St Mark’s Church Hall, Bedford Enchanted Landscapes with Michaela Gyetavi. Sales table, refreshments, visitors £4.

Friday 17 May Colmworth & Neighbours History Society Village Hall, 7.30-9.30pm Stephen Smith on Colmworth 1820 to 1850. www.colmworthhistory.org.uk Great Barford Community Quiz Night Village Hall, 7pm Licensed bar, tables of 4, £8/person includes supper. Details Louise 01234 870443.

Tuesday 21 May Biddenham Gardeners Assoc Biddenham Village Hall, 7.30pm A Taste of Capel Manor by Anne Luger. £5 includes raffle & refreshments. www. biddenhamgardenersassociation.org.uk Kimbolton Flower Club Mandeville Hall, 7pm Demonstration by Alison Suffolk, You Never Know. Raffle of arrangements, sales table, plant stall, refreshments. Visitors £7.50, members £2.

Friday 24 May Afternoon Vintage Tea, 2-4pm Christ the King Parish Hall, Bedford Admission £4 - tea, cake and dancing. For info 01234 404563.

Tuesday 28 May Carers Together, 2.30pm Methodist Church, Sharnbrook Churches with Tibbs Dementia Foundation.

Meet other carers. Suggested donation cared-for £4, carer £1. Linda Hoar 07791 214148 or lindahoar@hotmail.co.uk Thursday 30 May Stevington Cinema Village Hall, 7pm Live broadcast of Arthur Millar’s All My Sons from The Old Vic. www.stevingtoncinemaclub. uk Friday 31 May Blunham Community Cinema Village Hall, 7.30pm Greatest Showman (PG). Refreshments available. Tickets £5 from 01767 640572 or 641578.

Charity and fundraising events for the June/July edition to be supplied by 10 May to info@ousevalleyliving.com Please email your entry with a maximum of 40 words and quote Diary Dates in the subject box.

CLASSIFIED • CLASSIFIED • CLASSIFIED • CLASSIFIED BOOKKEEPING & ADMIN SERVICES

SHAW THING

BOOKKEEPING & ADMIN SERVICES • Need a bookkeeper who will save you time and money?

• Do you have receipts/invoices that just need sorting?

• Are your admin jobs getting left behind or overlooked?

With SHAW THING there are NO recruitment fees, NO office space needed AND you can hire us on an ongoing or one-off basis.

Contact us to arrange a free consultation info@shaw-thing.uk 07522 948 559

K H Garden Services

• All garden maintenance undertaken • Grass cutting, hedge cutting etc • Regular maintenance and contract work • Reliable, professional, friendly service • Locally based company - Fully insured

Contact: 07708 594746

CLOCK & WATCH REPAIRS

Clock-wise Specialist Clock & Watch Restoration and Repairs

112a Castle Road Bedford MK40 3QY

01234 358486 clock-wise.co.uk GARDEN SERVICES

CJ Gardening & Girl Friday Window Cleaning Gardening Painting & Decorating 07888 730184 Www.Cjgardeningandgirlfriday.co.uk

Heritage Drives

Lawnmower and garden tractor repairs Mobile • We come to you • On-site • Free quotes New and used mower sales • Trade-ins 07396 369534 • 01327 437921 rycotegardenmachinery@outlook.com rycote.wixsite.com/garden HOME IMPROVEMENTS

• Drives • Patios • Tarmac • Gravel • Block paving • Fencing • Decking Fully insured Free quotation

01234 363243 or 07788 438135 70

Please remember to mention OVL when responding to adverts

CLASSIFIED • CLASSIFIED • CLASSIFIED • CLASSIFIED SPEECH THERAPISTS

French in Beds French daytime and evening classes at all levels in Bromham.

Private lessons also available.

Thea Hughes BA (Hons) MA www.frenchinbeds.com  01234 822965 or 07941 869424 theahughes@btinternet.com TUITION

m agazin e

DISTRIBUTOR WANTED To deliver magazines door-to-door in Biddenham For more info email info@ousevalleyliving.com

www.ousevalleyliving.com Summer Activity Schemes 2019 Vacancies for Paid Support Workers Gain valuable experience supporting children and young people with Autistic Spectrum Conditions across different settings and activities.

Our staff and volunteers are given the opportunity to develop and increase their skills and experience, supporting their future career pathways.

Self Drive Hire • Contract Rental • Financial Lease Large Fleet of Standard • Refrigerated • Specialised Vehicles

Autism Bedfordshire summer schemes are fast paced, fun filled action packed days where you will get to see first hand the difference we are able to make for families.

Locations: Scheme weeks: Training Day: What we offer:

Bedford & Luton 22nd July - 9th August 2019 Saturday 1st June (compulsory) DBS check Uniform Training References

“A fantastic experience” Please visit our website www.autismbedfordshire.net to download further information or call 01234 214871.

Hourly rates for paid staff: £8.27 - £8.77 per hour (including holiday pay).

All vacancies are subject to safer recruitment processes including an enhanced DBS check.

Tel: 01234 214871

email: recruitment@autismbeds.org

Registered Office: Autism Bedfordshire, 1 Hammond Road, Elm Farm Industrial Estate, Bedford, MK41 0UD. Autism Bedfordshire is a Company Limited by Guarantee.

Registered in England No: 4632497—Registered Charity No: 1100722.

rentxpressltd.co.uk 01234 339008

Follow us on twitter @OVLMagazine Find us on Facebook OVL Magazine

71

PUZZLE CORNER 9 2

4 7

1 2 8 5 3 7 4 9 6 3 6 4 8 9 2 1 7 5 7 9 5 1 4 6 2 3 8

Lulu’s Fight against Neuroblastoma

1 9

4

5 3 1 9 7 4 6 8 2

7

2

8

1

2 4 6 3 5 8 7 1 9

3

SOLUTION

9 8 7 6 2 1 3 5 4

6

3

8

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3 x 3 box contains the digits from 1 to 9, with no repetition!

8 7 9 4 6 3 5 2 1

2 4

1 9 7

7 5

6 1 3 2 8 5 9 4 7

8

Sudoku

2 3

4 5 2 7 1 9 8 6 3

5

Lulu De Vries is a happy, bright five-year-old with a cheeky sense of humour and a lovely personality.

‘Lulu’s Fight Against Neuroblastoma’ was set up in December 2018 by her father and family friends to raise funds for Lulu to access the groundbreaking Bivalent Vaccine trial in New York. With this treatment, the immune system is trained to detect cancer cells and kill them.

In January 2018 Lulu’s family was given the devastating news that no parent wants to hear, “Your daughter has cancer”. Stage 4 Neuroblastoma is a rare and aggressive children’s cancer which affects fewer than 100 children per year in the UK.

The local community in Great Denham has been amazing with many people holding events which have raised £25,000 but this is still a long way from the £162,000 needed.

Since her diagnosis Lulu has undergone 11 cycles of chemotherapy, an eight-hour operation, 17 cycles of high dose chemotherapy, radiotherapy and six months of immunotherapy. She has spent over 150 nights in hospital, her mother staying with her.

You can follow and share Lulu’s story on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lulusfight/

The NHS has been amazing with the care they have given Lulu. However, there is currently no further treatment available. Neuroblastoma patients have a 50:50 chance of relapse with just 10% of those relapsing surviving.

If you would like to donate please go to https:// www.justgiving.com/campaign/luludevries

V

S N E E R

U S A G E S

N

R

P

A G O N

N I

H

S E D A T

W

B E N

S E I

I

V E

H

C I

T

A

G N I

S T R U M

U

O

E

O P U S

Congratulations to Annette Hinchliffe who won a 45-minute golf lesson with PGA professional Sam Smith at The Bedford Golf Club.

Y

Thurleigh Road, Milton Ernest 0845 200 2960 www.twinwoodsadventure.com Answer to last issue’s Whose Ad is it?

Artistry Property Agents

B O O R

WIN!

Two day passes for Twinwoods Adventure Health Club

SOLUTION

J A R

Email your answer to info@ousevalleyliving.com quoting Whose Ad in the subject box. The winner will be drawn at random and notified

by Friday 17 May. Closing date Friday 10 May.

M O R E S

T

his image is part of an advert which can be found somewhere in this edition of OVL. Do you know whose ad it is?

E

Whose Ad is it?

O T A

31

I

30

Clues Down 1. Bridge (4) 2. Worthless material (5) 3. Articles (6) 4. Opinion (4) 6. Colonnade (7) 7. Theological college (8) 8. Escort (5) 12. Get pleasure from (5) 13. Soft, flat hat (5) 14. Food (8) 16. Listening organ (3) 18. White ant (7) 21. Scrimmage (5) 22. Deuces (anag.) (6) 25. Portion (5) 26. Dry river bed (4) 27. Muddle (4)

C

29

M

28

27

L

26

D

25

T E N S E

24

W

23

L

22

M

21

T U R K E Y

20

U

19

S

18

16

V E

17

15

I

14

13

C

12

C

11

A B U S

10

D E

9

I

8

Clues Across 1. Calming drug (8) 5. Musical composition (4) 9. Suffer anguish (7) 10. Play guitar (5) 11. Accepted practice (5) 13. Mild (6) 15. Scornful expression (5) 17. Jot (4) 19. Container (3) 20. Ill-bred person (4) 21. Social customs (5) 23. Domestic fowl (6) 24. Strained (5) 28. Apart (5) 29. Insulting (7) 30. Look for (4) 31. Eternal (8)

A S

7

I M E L E S S

6

D

5

T

4

E

3

T

2

L

1

S E E K

Crossword

A L & G ABBOTT F u n e r a l

D i r e c t o r s

Established 1832

Bereavement Listening Service Helping you find the ‘new normal’ Our new and entirely free bereavement listening service has been set up for our families because we care and understand how difficult this time can be.

Our very experienced and empathetic practitioner, Chere, will see you at Abbotts and help you find your ‘new normal’ after the trauma of a loss.

(This service is available to our families and is by appointment only)

Tel 01234 843 222 www.abbott-funerals.co.uk | bereavement@abbott-funerals.co.uk A L & G Abbott, 150 Bedford Road, Kempston, MK42 8BH

74

Please remember to mention OVL when responding to adverts

New Main Menu All day every day Try our new Daily Menu 2 courses £12 / 3 courses £15 Daily fish specials Pie Night Thursdays Ever changing varieties!

Sunday Lunch – 12 till 8pm Everything freshly cooked to order Opening Hours Mon to Thu: 11.30am - 11pm Fri & Sat: 11.30am - 11.30pm Sun: 12 noon - 10.30pm Fox & Hounds High Street, Riseley MK44 1DT 01234 709714 info@foxandhoundsriseley.co.uk

Now under new management

johnmedhurstltd

@JohnMedhurstLtd