NN Pulse magazine March 23

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re you feeling lively this month? It’s not too soon to start training for Northampton’s rebranded halfmarathon in September. Now known as The Great Northampton Run, you can already enter and start raising funds for charity. The route will take in much of our heritage, including the football, rugby and cricket grounds. Our local singing solicitor, Kevin Rogers and broadcaster John Griff are fundraising again this year too, along with local musicians and choirs. The latest project is a recording of the Snow Patrol classic ‘Chasing Cars’. You can make donations on the Just Giving page to help the Lewis Foundation continue providing gifts and care packages to cancer patients across the Midlands.

You’ll soon be able to pay mid-week visits to Lamport Hall and Gardens again through to October. Did you know you’ll receive a 12-month pass when you buy full price tickets for the house or gardens? A busy season of events includes an Easter Antiques and Collectors Fair and the popular Art, Craft and Design Fair on 30 April and 1 May. There will be something for everyone and refreshments too.

You might have heard of the Anglo-Saxon gold and garnet Desborough Necklace, found over 150 years ago. Less than a year ago there was another find of similar treasure at Harpole. If you like historical mysteries you’ll enjoy Laura Malpas’s tale of their discovery and who they might belong to.

Enjoy the month or March!

Kerry

Editor Read previous editions online: www.pulsemagazine.co.uk 01604 935300 nnpulse@pulsegroupmedia.co.uk 17 Stilebrook Road, Olney, Bucks MK46 5EA Connect with us on socials: /pulsemagazines @pulsemagazines nnpulsemagazine FINISHED READING? PASS PULSE MAGAZINE TO A FRIEND OR PLACE IT IN THE RECYCLING.

It’s great to hear that our own piano man, Billy Lockett, has signed a new record deal and has America on his mind. He’s the son of local fine artist, John Luce Lockett. His 12-track debut album ‘Abington Grove’ is named after the family home where it was recorded. We’re sure the single ‘Last Thing On Your Mind’ is going to be a big success.36 38 6 NEWS 9 LEGAL 16 BILLY LOCKETT 20 ANDREW LEWER 22 CHARITY 28 LOCAL HISTORY 32 FASHION 34 BEAUTY 36 FOOD & DRINK 38 ANIMALS IN NEED 40 HOME & GARDEN 46 INTERIORS 48 MUSIC 52 WHAT’S ON 56 THEATRE 57 PUZZLES 58 YOUR STARS 17

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Take your place on the start line as a new half-marathon prepares for the off in Northampton.

Runners in The Great Northampton Run will take in much of the town’s heritage, with the route taking them alongside notable landmarks, including the three main sporting grounds; Sixfields Stadium, home of Northampton Town FC, Northampton Saints HQ at Franklin’s Gardens and The County Ground, base of Northamptonshire cricket.

Entries are now open for runners to compete in a closed-road, 13.1 mile brandnew half marathon route starting from Northampton’s town square. The race takes place on September 17.

Teams of three can compete in a relay, with runners completing either 4.1 miles, 4.4 miles or 4.6 miles. A shorter route, covering three miles, will start 15 minutes after the half-marathon runners have set off.

The Great Northampton Run is a complete rebrand of the event previously known as The Northampton Half Marathon which has been run with great success by Go Beyond Challenge since 2013.

Owner Simon Hollis is keen to get local people and businesses involved. “The big thing for us is to celebrate what Northampton has got,” he says.

Join the big race that celebrates

Northampton’s heritage

Northampton’s annual half-marathon has undergone a rebrand. The charity fundraiser is now The Great Northampton Run and is now open for entries.

Early bird entries are available, with the first 100 places on sale at a reduced cost of £30. The next 100 places are priced at £32.50 then entry rises to £35 for the half marathon (£33 affiliated), £54 for the team relay and £15 for the 3 mile event. All runners will receive a bespoke event medal and t-shirt.

The Northampton Half Marathon has

been popular with charity runners, having raised more than £45,000 for charity back in 2019. Runners can ‘Race for Free’ in this year’s Great Northampton Run by raising £100 (£160 for a team) for one of the 28 charity partners in return for a complimentary race entry.

>> Find out more and enter at: www.thegreatnorthamptonrun.co.uk

Visit

Scan

The Great Northampton Run will take in much of the town’s heritage, with the route taking them alongside notable landmarks, including the three main sporting grounds

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When talking to Trevor & Wendy Skidmore the owners of Cloudy2Clear Northampton & Oxford it became clear that these values have been held for over 16 years. Since buying the local franchise in 2006 they have remained true to their core values of supporting the local community whilst introducing their 2 sons Lloyd & Ross & daughterin-law Lori into the family business along with Dan, Tom & Jo as demand for their service has grown.

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PROTECTING YOUR ASSETS IN 2023

Your assets can be essential to your future wellbeing and happiness. Knowing how best to protect them is important. There are a number of ways this can be done, including setting up trusts, gift-giving and making pre- and post- nuptial agreements. Our growing Central England Private Client team can advise on a range of methods for protecting your assets, which are outlined below.

Setting up a discretionary trust

A discretionary trust can be a valuable tool, with terms tailored to suit your circumstances, ensuring your estate is protected for the benefit of your loved ones. These can help protect your assets in a number of ways, including potentially reducing your estate for inheritance tax (IHT) purposes.

Putting assets into a discretionary trust during your lifetime removes those assets from your estate – ensuring they are not included in the assessment for IHT on your death – without passing immediate control to the beneficiaries -who may not yet be ready to handle the assets. However, separate IHT charges may apply to the trust itself and specialist advice is needed to understand the full picture. A discretionary trust is also flexible, allowing your trustees to determine how best to divide the capital and income, depending on the circumstances at the relevant time.

Gift-giving

Another way of protecting your assets against IHT is making gifts during lifetime. Gifts to registered UK charities are completely exempt regardless of the value, as are gifts between spouses or civil partners.

You can give up to £3,000 in any tax year free of IHT together with any number of small gifts (up to £250) providing the recipients of the small gifts and the £3,000 are different. On the occasion of marriage, you can gift up to £5,000 to a child, £2,500 to a grandchild or great grandchild and £1,000 to any other person, all free of IHT. It is also possible to give

away an unlimited amount of surplus income each year, providing this is done correctly. Other lifetime gifts may also be exempt from IHT, if they are made more than seven years before death.

Pre- and post-nuptial agreements

A pre- or post-nuptial agreement can set out how your assets will be dealt with in the event of separation or divorce. Whilst these are not legally binding in England and Wales, a court will take such agreements into account when overseeing a case and is likely to uphold the terms if both parties were properly advised before the agreement was signed.

Whilst nobody wants to think about the end of a relationship, making sure you have a clear agreement drawn up at the outset is a prudent way of protecting your assets and reducing the stress of any subsequent relationship breakdown.

For those with businesses, partnership, shareholder or operating agreements should include appropriate provisions to protect the interests of co-owners if one owner gets divorced or dies. This can include requiring an unmarried shareholder to enter into a pre-nuptial agreement, or requiring the future spouse to sign a waiver of any future interest in the business.

Disputed wills, trusts and estates

If you find yourself in a dispute over a will, trust or estate, our team of experts is here to help. Whatever the nature of the dispute, we will ensure we fully understand the background and pay attention to the important details – negotiating appropriate settlements as quickly as possible and taking steps to help you preserve relationships and assets where possible.

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M: 07384 119 523 | E: bkingsmith@hcrlaw.com

We offer you advice and information about all the ‘Moments that Matter’, from beginning a relationship and buying your first home, to planning for your later years. Take a look at our website today: www.hcrlaw.com

The film tells a moving story of three cancer patients, alone in hospital. Their faces light up as free gift bags, delivered out of the blue, arrive at their bedside courtesy of charity volunteers looking to bring a smile to their day.

“The video represents everything we stand for and the work we do, by showing how we provide support and comfort to adults going through cancer treatment,” says Lorraine Lewis, founder and chief executive of the Lewis Foundation charity which delivers gifts and care packs to cancer patients in 17 hospitals across the Midlands.

She is speaking a month after the launch of the charity’s annual fundraising single, performed and produced by local musicians and choirs and led by broadcaster John Griff and ‘singing solicitor’ Kevin Rogers.

This year’s release is a version of the Snow Patrol song Chasing Cars, first released in 2006. It is the third such fundraiser for the charity and has already raised more than £2,500, helping almost 700 cancer patients, since it went live on streaming platforms and YouTube on World Cancer Day last month.

Performing the song are Northampton School for Girls’ (NSG) award-winning choir Madrigalis, Kettering General Hospital (KGH) choir, musicians Beccy Hurrell, Ian Taylor and Wayne Jenkins and volunteers including Bethany Rogers, daughter of lead singer Kevin.

The charity single chasing a fundraising dream

Musicians and singers from business, schools and the Northamptonshire community have joined forces to produce an emotional rendition of a classic love song.

“There were many tears of joy during the live launch and people are sharing their own personal stories now too which is boosting awareness of our campaign. We’re urging others to continue to donate as we continue our efforts to spread awareness.”

Chasing Cars by the #singingsolicitor is licensed by Universal Music Publishing Ltd and is available on Amazon, Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, YouTubeMusic and other main streaming platforms.

“We had a vision to make it an even bigger and stronger team effort than before and we absolutely pulled it off,” says Kevin, chair of Northamptonshire law firm Wilson Browne Solicitors. “Myself, John, the fantastic NSG and KGH choirs, and local musicians, Beccy, Ian and Wayne have all been blown away by the initial response and to see the momentum continuing to grow is just amazing.

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“So much work, time and love has been put into the single by Kevin, John and the local community, and we can’t thank them enough,” says Lorraine. “It is more powerful and thought-provoking than we ever imagined.”

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Some of the many volunteers who helped make the charity single

a career in

be the right move for

The idea of picking up our keys from an Estate Agent and having bricks and mortar to call our own is something that is a common goal for many of us.

There are, however, a group of people behind the scenes working hard on a daily basis to ensure that those dreams come true in a way that makes the process as seamless and stress-free as possible.

What else is in store?

Above and beyond the feeling you get when delivering the great news on completion day to your clients, there are many perks to a career in Residential Conveyancing.

From palatial listed buildings to modern day apartments with amazing views – as a conveyancer, you could be helping clients to move into all kinds of properties. It is rare that two properties are ever the same, and you can easily find yourself becoming intrigued by the history of a property, too!

Conveyancers are problem solvers by nature; working to run a transaction in the most efficient way for clients, ensuring that their needs are met and that dream homes don’t turn into worst nightmares.

The sense of achievement when a matter completes is second to none. As conveyancing is one of the fastest paced areas of law, this is a common occurrence week in, week out for conveyancers.

If you like the sound of this, then a career in Residential Conveyancing might just be the right ‘move’ for you.

You may ask, do I need any legal qualifications? The majority of conveyancers are either (or are on their way to becoming) solicitors, licensed conveyancers or chartered legal executives and knowledge of the relevant law is required. If you would like to know more about a career in conveyancing and the opportunities available to you at Wilson Browne Solicitors visit our website www.wilsonbrowne.co.uk/careers-vacancies

‘Abington Grove is a symbol of me’

Since we last caught up with him, Northampton’s piano man Billy Lockett has inked a new record deal and has America in his sights. Wth a debut album fresh to the shelves, he spoke with Pulse’s Sammy Jones.

So far, Billy’s songs have clocked up well in excess of 110 million streams. That’s a monstrous number of listens. Billy might well be the most successful secret in music, I suggest.

“Yeah, and I kind of want to keep it that way to be honest,” he says with no hesitation, “My goal is to be the biggest small artist forever, basically,” he reasons, “My music and my fans and the whole thing, it’s modest, and that’s how I like it – it’s just me and a piano on stage, it’s kind of like there is no ego and it’s just us having a good time together, there is no divide,” he explains.

“I want it to be like a little independent business for as long as I can...while secretly building the numbers up!

“There’s nothing bigger than that. I don’t think there needs to be any more complication over it...”

The last time we spoke, Billy told us, ‘I don’t care about showbiz things,’ and that is clearly still so – he says he just wants to have fun and enjoy the ride. If, or rather when, things do blow up and Billy has a big hit on his hands?

“I’m absolutely terrified of that happening if I’m honest, because I really like my life,” he laughs, “At the same time, a hit is always nice isn’t it?

“You can’t force the radio to play it, you can’t force Spotify to playlist you, but you can try and make something really good and something that’s believed in. Dean Lewis (singer-songwriter) said to me last week, ‘good art will always find a way.’ Really it is just down to trying to better yourself – make that the fun bit, make that the whole point. It is kinda like you are at the gym and just trying to be your personal best.

“If you focus on just bettering yourself, all the other stuff will come without you even noticing it, and I think that’s the right way to do it.

“If you just sit and wait for it, or if you are just trying to do it to get there, your art will suffer and you’ll end up making terrible music.”

There is no doubt about it – things are getting bigger, but Billy is clear about retaining that sense of intimacy – and having tried working with a band (‘It didn’t feel right’) he is now happily back working on his own.

“We all agree, me and my whole team, this is just right. My fans don’t really want big sounds, they want to have a little sing along and I want it to always feel like it’s in my living room.”

In the past, Billy was part of the Warner Records family, but that ended a long time ago. He is now bedded in with the American label Photo Finish, and there is harmony between artist and label.

“They are an indie label firstly, so that’s instantly better,” Billy says, “It’s not that Warners were terrible, they were, but it’s more the fact that it was the people and the team; it wasn’t the right team and I didn’t know who I was either, so I was trying things out with a label who weren’t really helping.

“It takes time to work out what the hell you are. I’ve come to Photo Finish as kind of a finished product really – I know what it is, I know what it sounds like, and the album was already done.”

“We shipped it out to loads of labels in the UK and people weren’t really biting, and then we went over to America and it was a totally different story and we had quite a lot of labels bidding over it...”

Photo Finish lucked out because of its ‘small team and family vibe.’

“They have only got seven or eight artists and it’s about the long game for them,” Billy explained.

And the label is quids in too – aside from Billy’s brilliant ability as a music man, he won’t cost them a pretty penny either: “I’m relatively cheap as an artist – it’s just me and a piano,” he laughs, “There’s not a lot of outgoings!”

When Billy went stateside for a meeting with his new team in New York, he wowed industry ears with a showcase. There is an expectation that he’ll be spending more time on the other side of the pond in 2023.

“I am assuming that I am going to be touring there a lot, that’s what everyone keeps telling me. When it comes to touring, you sit in your pants for four months and then you get a call to say you are going to be away for four months... but the label have just got me a visa and I’ve got a big booking agent now so it would be crazy if I wasn’t there for the next four or five months.”

The fella has already been labelled ‘the English Lewis Capaldi’, a man he had the pleasure of touring with a while ago. Are you happy with that reference?

“I don’t mind. I’ll take the sound, yeah. I loved touring with him and he gave me a big chance last year, and got me a lot of new fans. He is brilliant, and genuinely the most talented person I have ever known.

“I remember watching him at soundcheck on the first night of the tour, and just thinking ‘this guy is going to be the biggest thing in the world,’ I just knew it.

“You don’t hear voices like that, ever. It literally blew my mind, and I am quite hard to please because I do this all the time, but he was something else, and all the success that he’s got, he fully deserves. He is the best, he is the king of our genre.”

Aside from being an undisputed talent as a songwriter himself, Billy’s success lies in an open rapport with his fans – he connects with them on his social media channels in a real and direct way – it’s every bit as honest as his music is.

Those fans are invested, and accompany him on his journey, through the good times and the bad. And what a journey it has proven to be so far.

Right now, all ears are on the debut album, Abington Grove, named after the street where it was recorded, and which Billy called home until recently.

“It’s my dad’s old house, so I wrote and recorded the whole album in it, and pretty much spent my whole life there. It’s been my family home since I was born, so it’s an important house.”

Important not only because it has offered Billy a space to hone his craft, but also because it was a place where his late father, acclaimed fine artist John Luce Lockett, worked from, and where he hosted exhibitions.

“He was really good, one of the best,” Billy says of his father and his creativity.

I want it to be like a little independent business for as long as I can...”

Pics: Gavin Wallace

This creatively rich family unit both utilised the space for their own needs; while one painted on canvas, the other ‘painted’ in sound.

Billy lost his father in 2014, but he clearly left his mark on his son, and gave him great advice, which clearly Billy has heeded.

“He taught me that you don’t have to do the normal job/life thing, that there is a way of making art your job...”

Abington Grove is a 12-track disc of all new music, including the recent single, the emotive Last Thing On Your Mind. Billy says the album has been a decade in the making, and will deliver some surprises too.

“It’s a totally new sound, it’s a pop album, really,” he shares, “There are a lot of pop songs on it. I’ve done ballads for so long and I think my next album could be ballads, but for this one I wanted to show myself that I can do more, basically.”

The tracks might be new to your ears, but some have been living among Billy’s private repertoire for a long time.

“I write a song every day, I am constantly writing. You write and write and write and then you look back at them all and go, ‘that one keeps standing out’. This album is basically all the songs that have always stood out and have never made it to an EP.

“Subconsciously, I think I’ve been saving for my first album, holding back the ones that really, really were good. Now I’m at the point where this is literally 12 of the best songs that I could ever possibly do in my opinion. If it doesn’t work, I’ve got nothing left,” he laughs. When you’ve lived with material for such a long time, can it be difficult to cut it loose and set those songs free?

“I really struggled with that at the beginning,” he admits, “When we first started releasing singles it was really horrible actually. It felt like I was giving away something that I had relied on for a long time. Now I am used to it and everything is fine.”

Everything here is personal, and real, right down to the artwork which cleverly crams his history into the cover. It’s a smart collaboration

between photographer Gavin Wallace and designer and artist Cameron West.

“It’s got my mum and dad’s wedding picture in, Barney, my cat, my dog, bits and pieces from my cellar, just my whole life. It sums up the whole record really, because the record is my life for the last 10 years. It’s a symbol of me.”

Billy’s year looks set to be one spent hopping from one stage and hotel room to another, but home is where the heart is – and that is staying put in Northampton.

He loves the town and the town loves him. Tickets to see him at the Picturedrome in December sold-out on the day of release, and he was invited to switch the town’s Christmas lights on, too.

“There is something happening in Northampton that is really exciting, I feel like there is a real buzz here that we are creating,” he realises.

“It’s really organic and I feel like the town is behind me. It feels nice. You see it in Manchester and you see it in Newcastle, and you’ve got all these big cities where artists are really championed...it’s nice that people feel proud to live here again. I really feel like the town is getting a better rep.”

The ‘fampton tourist board should snap him up. What an asset.

“There is a real scene and a real buzz in this town at the moment and it’s just nice that I am a part of it. Northampton is a great place – I really like being here.”

At the start of this interview, Billy said ‘you can’t force radio’ into playing certain tunes. That much is true. But while puttting this piece together, he’s been playlisted on Radio 2, and on every regional BBC station in the UK. And Love Island even pick up a track. Tha man might be modest, but the reaction to his music is anything but.

When it comes to touring, you sit in your pants for four months and then you get a call to say you are going to be away for four months...”

What an MP does and how we win… sometimes

As an elected Member of Parliament, my three overall purposes are to legislate, to scrutinise Government and to represent the people in Northampton South to make sure their voices are heard. This involves many different duties, from voting on legislation and debating issues of national importance, to meeting with constituents and local organisatons to ensure their issues are addressed if affected, for example, by changes in Government policy and legislation.

We may also put ourselves forward to serve on a Select Committee; these take on scrutiny of the relevant Government Department, senior appointments and Inquiries. In my case, unusually, I am on two Select Committees: Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and also Education. We must constantly keep up-to-date with current affairs so we can voice opinions based on research and evidence, explaining why we reach certain decisions. Additionally, we MPs may be called upon at any time to lobby and give speeches supporting a particular cause or initiative. One specific example of this I have been working on - and am very proud of - is as part of a coalition of charities and organisations. It is the campaign to get Government to fund a Motor Neurone Disease Research Institute. It involved quite a bit time lobbying Government ministers, debating in Parliament and using national media to make our case. In Parliament the ‘All Party Parliamentary Group for MND’, which I chair, was an important driver in applying political pressure. Conservatives, Labour MPs, Lib Dems and Scottish Nationalist MPs all worked together to make this happen.

It is rare that such a campaign is so successful in such a short amount of time, but when you gather the proper evidence, develop the right arguments and communicate it effectively and have a strong determination not to give up, you have a reasonable chance of making progress in the end.

In our case, we managed to successfully secure £50 million for the research institute. However, we then had a frustrating time chasing Ministers and particularly some Governmental “arms length” bodies to actually get agreement for ensuring the money went out of the door. This was fully agreed upon in December. It is an important win, not just for the money, but more critically, it will improve the entire MND research infrastructure to find a cure. MND researchers have a real opportunity within a decade to make major breakthrough in treatment towards a cure. It is a calculated and bold ‘moonshot’ to make MND at least just a chronic disease in the next decade rather than the terrible killer it is now.

> If you are my constituent and you would like to come down to London for a tour of the Houses of Parliament, I would be delighted to organise this for you. Please email me: andrew.lewer.mp@parliament.uk

With the MND Association Public Affairs Team

With former MNDA CEO Sally Light

Northampton Town Council... here for you

At Northampton Town Council (NTC) we celebrate and support our residents, make Northampton bloom, promote a packed calendar of events, and proudly empower our people and communities.

As the largest town council in the country, from Boothville and Parklands in the north and Rushmills and Riverside in the south, to Rectory Farm in the east, St James and Kings Heath in the west, and Northampton town centre at its heart - we pride ourselves on making things happen.

We are proud custodians of an 800-yearold Mayoralty, honouring our distinctive Civic history and are committed to showcasing our local talent as well as our multi-cultural town’s culture, creativity and diverse heritage with a focus on making Northampton cleaner, greener and healthier.

We organise a variety of fun, free, family focused events and projects and award more

than £225,000 a year in grants to local organisations and groups with ideas and a determination to make a difference. We do all this while at the same time carefully managing our budget to ensure transparency and value for money for each and every one of our 130,000+ residents.

NTC officially formed on 1st April 2021. The town council is the first tier of local government that is closest to the community. Consisting of 25 elected councillors and a growing team of staff, we work to deliver and evolve the range of services we provide across four committees. We work closely with West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) and Northampton Business Improvement District (BID), collaborating with many partners, businesses and organisations within the town. We couldn’t do all that we do without you.

This is your council, so get involved. Sign up for our newsletters, support our events, visit our website, join our committee meetings, meet our councillors, ask your questions and have your say.

Northampton Town Council –we are here for you.

Fundraisers help Daisy Suite Appeal to grow

A£150,000 appeal to enhance the facilities that support families who experience the devastating loss of a baby has received a welcome boost from fundraisers.

Fundraisers from Gallery Public House in Northampton’s Southfields raised £3,600 for Northamptonshire Health Charity’s Daisy Suite Appeal, an additional £1,000 donation was made by Northampton Town Council Community Fund from the Town Mayor Councillor Dennis Meredith and Councillor Jackie Fuchshuber. The money will help to fund a dedicated space at Northampton General Hospital that offers privacy, away from the maternity area’s day unit and the wards. This new space will support the work of the Bereavement Midwives by providing an improved area to give the practical and emotional support following the loss of a baby.

Pub manager Karen Downes organised a 24-hour bike spinning fundraiser in memory of her granddaughter L’taya Amelia who was born sleeping.

Karen said: “The money was raised for a cuddle cot and furniture for the unit as we all know there is nothing more precious than time and we hope our fundraiser helps other and honour the memory of L’taya Amelia. We are grateful for Northampton Town Council providing a £1,000 donation to help with the Daisy Suite appeal.”

Karen’s son Carid and daughter-in-law Marie believe the space will make a real difference.

Marie said: “When L’taya was born these facilities weren’t available. I wish I had the opportunity to have had the use of a cuddle cot as we would have been able to spend more precious time with my daughter, which had had a significant impact on my life. By doing a fundraiser to help others have an opportunity to be able to spend time with their babies I know that I have done something to help others in her memory.”

There are other ways to support The Daisy Suite Appeal which is just one project coordinated by Northamptonshire Health Charity. Alison McCulloch is Head of Fundraising at the independent charity which funds equipment and projects for local NHS hospitals and community services above and beyond what the NHS provides funding.

She said: “Each year the hospital cares for over 100 families who suffer the heartbreak of losing their baby. Northamptonshire Health Charity are proud to be supporting Northampton General Hospital with this fundraising appeal for the Daisy Suite, to enhance the current facilities to support for families who experience the devastating loss of a baby. We ask that you please get involved by taking on a fundraising challenge or by making a donation to help really make a difference.”

> Could you take on a challenge or hold an event to raise money for the appeal? There are spaces left for our abseil and skydive challenge! Contact charity team on 01604 626927 or greenheart@nhcf.co.uk

Or if you would like to make a donation for the Daisy Suite Appeal visit our website at www.northamptonshirehealthcharity.co.uk/ appeals/daisy-suite-appeal-ngh/

The Town Mayor Councillor Dennis Meredith and Councillor Jackie Fuchshuber present their cheque

Make the Hawthorns Your Home

Bespoke retirement living in the heart of the shires

The Hawthorns Northampton offers stylish and spacious studio, 1-bed and 2-bed apartments, all with kitchenettes, en-suite shower room and a flat-screen TV - a safe and secure community with round-the-clock management and call system.

The welcoming retirement community adjoins open fields yet is close to amenities such as shops, restaurants, a multiplex cinema, and excellent transport links. On-site facilities include a library, clubhouse, short mat indoor bowling, cinema room, hair salon and therapy room. Enjoy outdoor events and activities in sunny, landscaped gardens in warmer months without the burden of upkeep and maintenance. Green-fingered residents can enjoy tending plants and growing produce used by in-house professional chefs, and the gardens can equally be enjoyed by those who want to relax and take in the sights and fragrances. A comprehensive well-being and activities programme includes a

full calendar of events, exercise classes and day trips.

The all-inclusive Hawthorns rental model offers clarity, easy planning, and flexibility. There are no charges for property repairs, gardening costs, utility bills, council tax, internet charges, weekly housekeeping and bedlinen laundry, or expenses on days out in the private minibus.

Having opened a service some 25 years ago, the Hawthorns maintains a unique and market-

MA8l(R Of YOUR OWN GIN

leading approach to retirement living. Unlike purchasing a property, there are no hidden costs such as ground rent, service charges, maintenance, or costly ‘exit’ fees, offering clarity, easy planning, and flexibility.

WHY WAIT?

There comes a time in your life when shifts in lifestyle and circumstance enforce a change of direction. I spent one-month sampling the lifestyle at the

Hawthorns with little expectation that this would be my choice for the future, but I was completely converted by the end of that time. The management and staff cannot do enough to make this a great experience – the entertainment and activities, menus, housekeeping, and maintenance all contribute to our unique retirement living. There is always a member of staff to advise or assist with absolutely anything. The surroundings, inside and out, are exceptional. Perhaps the greatest benefits are having my independence and freedom to live my life the way that I wish but having support and friendship at hand. So many pressures and cares have been lifted.

- Barbara Brown, The Hawthorns Northampton resident.

>> Call 01604 553596 today to arrange a guided tour with a member of our friendly team, or visit us online at: hawthornsretirement.co.uk

Dr. Diana Rose Head of Family Law

Changes ahead in capital gains tax rules for divorcing couples

At present, no capital gains tax (CGT) is charged on a transfer of assets between a married couple or civil partners who live together. If, however you are separated or divorced from your spouse or civil partner, this tax relief does not necessarily apply.

The Office of Tax Simplification reviewed the rules relating to separating couples in July 2022 and proposed a number of recommendations which the Government have agreed to implement from April 2023.

Diana Rose a Partner in the family team with Borneo Martell Turner Coulston in Kettering explains, ‘The new rules mean that separating couples will be afforded more time to transfer assets between themselves without the risk of being charged CGT. This is a welcome change and will take one financial pressure off.’

It is important to note that these rules are not yet law, and may change prior to April 2023.

The current tax rules

Under the current tax rules, transfer of assets between former spouses or civil partners are made on a ‘no gain or no loss’ basis provided these transfers occur in the tax year in which they have separated. This means any gains or losses from the transfer are deferred until the asset is disposed of by the receiving spouse. The receiving spouse will be treated as having acquired the asset at the original cost paid when the transferring spouse purchased the asset.

If the transfer occurs after the tax year in which the spouses separated then it is treated as a normal disposal and will be subject to Capital Gains Tax in the normal way.

The new rules due to come into effect from April 2023

Subject to confirmation, the new rules which relate to transfers which occur after 6 April 2023 will allow for a longer period of the ‘no gain, no loss’ rule for up to three years after the year spouses cease to live together. The ‘no gain, no loss’ rule will also now apply to assets that are transferred between spouses as part of a formal divorce agreement.

In addition, two further reliefs will be permitted in relation to the former matrimonial home.

• If you retain an interest in the home, you will be given an option to claim Private Residence Relief (PRR) when it is sold.

• If you have transferred your interest in the home to your former spouse, but remain entitled to receive a percentage of the proceeds when that home is sold, you will be able to apply the same tax treatment to those proceeds that applied when you transferred your interest to your former spouse.

How we can help...

If you are contemplating divorce, or just want some preliminary advice on the steps involved and what tax implications there may be, please contact Diana Rose in the family law team on 01536 523434 or email diana.rose@bmtclaw.co.uk Depending on your circumstances, we may recommend an opinion from a tax adviser.

Borneo Martell Turner Coulston have divorce law specialists in both Northampton and Kettering offices.

Weave your way through 10,000 years of history on a visit to Chester House at Irchester near Wellingborough.

Nine history storyboards take visitors from the Mesolithic age into the Bronze and then Iron ages, through Roman times and into the medieval era, charting the estate’s fascinating history.

Chester House Estate is a nationally significant heritage site and one of only a few places in the country which can demonstrate more than ten millennia of human activity.

“These new interpretation boards are one of the ways we are bringing the past back to life,” says Cllr Helen Howell, deputy leader of North Northamptonshire Council - which oversees the estate - and its executive member for sport, leisure, culture and tourism.

Adds council leader Cllr Jason Smithers: “They will help visitors to the site to further understand the history of the estate and appreciate Northamptonshire’s heritage.”

The estate reopened in 2021 after a £17 million Nationally Lottery Heritage Funded restoration project. As well as being the site of a Roman walled town, there is evidence that Chester House was home to a series of traditional farm buildings in the 17th century.

The storyboards begin in the Mesolithic era (circa 10,000-4,000BC) then chart the estate’s evolution through Neolithic times

Step back in time and relive estate’s remarkable history

Journey from prehistory to the present day at Northamptonshire’s outstanding national heritage site.

In 1616, the estate land was bought by the Ekins family who lived on the estate for nearly 200 years. Under their ownership, most of the current site began to appear with the construction of the farmhouse and other farm buildings. Throughout the 18th century, work was undertaken to gentrify the landscape through projects such as the walled garden, the lime tree avenue leading to the farmhouse and a Chinese pagoda.

The landscape was transformed in the 1760s when the River Nene was made navigable, allowing boats to pass as far as Wellingborough for the first time.

(c.4,000-2,200 BC), the Bronze and Iron Sages (c2,200BC-43AD) before charting life in the Roman and medieval eras.

The storyboards also reflect on the impact of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. During the 1870s and 1920s, two phases of ironstone quarrying took place on site when quarry pits were dug by hand or by steam digger - they are still visible today.

> To find out more or to plan a visit click to www.chesterhouseestate.org

Cllr Helen Howell and Jack Pishhorn with one of the history boards that now line the estate’s main walkway

Lamport Hall and Gardens ready for 2023 season

Lamport Hall and Gardens is all set to open every Wednesday and Thursday from the 5th of April to the end of October from 10am to 4pm. The café will be also be open 10am-3pm offering light refreshments and delicious homemade cakes. All full price tickets to the house and/or gardens will be automatically issued with a 12 month annual pass.

A busy season of events opens with the Antiques and Collectors Fair over the Easter weekend. The event will be open on Easter Sunday and Monday, 10am-4pm with adult entry costing £5. Children are free and well-behaved dogs are welcome on leads. There will be a huge variety of antiques and collectables for your perusal ranging from pocket money toys to something for even the most discerning of collectors.

April also sees the return of the Art, Craft and Design Fair. Get along to the Hall on the 30th of April and 1st of May, 10am-4pm to enjoy a wonderful display of handmade and artisan gifts and crafts. Adults are £5 entry, with under 16s free and dogs on leads welcome. Indulge in some shopping supporting the best local makers and artists, some of whom will be demonstrating their craft. Refreshments will be available and demonstrations in our Museum of Rural Life will be running on both days.

The Hall is also looking to add to their team of volunteers. If you have a passion for history, meeting new people or gardening, contact Sarah on engagement@lamporthall.co.uk to discuss how you might be able to give some of your time to this wonderful Grade I listed country house.

Check the website for more details on Hall and Gardens opening and exciting calendar of events in 2023: www.lamporthall.co.uk

Gold, garnets and guesswork

Understanding the Harpole treasure and the Desborough Necklace

It has been exciting reading the news and learning that yet another fabulous archaeological discovery has been made in our ancient county. We have known about the stunning Desborough Necklace, an Anglo-Saxon gold and garnet treasure discovered nearly a hundred and fifty years ago, but now we are learning more about another very similar discovery made less than a year ago in Harpole, less than twenty miles from Desborough.

Both necklaces are constructed with finely worked gold and garnet pendants and feature a central cross. And interestingly, they are both associated with the burial of a woman, clearly of high status and apparently Christian. Why might these women have been buried with such rich grave goods, and what do they tell us about Anglo Saxon life in the 7th Century AD?

Written by Laura Malpas

English history following the departure of Rome in 410 AD and before the Norman Conquest in 1066 has previously been regarded as the ‘Dark Ages’, mainly because of the scarcity of written sources, but documents such as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, and the histories written by monks such as the Venerable Bede do give clues.

Equality for women in Anglo Saxon society seems to have been closer than might have been expected. Women had rights protected in law, could own property and were considered ‘oath worthy’ with social responsibility for their own actions. Gender was less of

issue than social status or religion. High status women are recorded as having real political influence and often an active role in public life.

The adoption of Christianity by Anglo Saxon society seems to have led to greater respect and freedom especially for devout women. Female saints were venerated, and many religious orders had a convent of nuns governed by an Abbess, such as Hild of Whitby, contemporary with these burials.

Desborough and Harpole are within the historic kingdom of Mercia, stretching from Wales to East Anglia, and at the time both necklaces were created Mercia was ruled by warlord pagan Kings Cearl, then Penda, but Christianity was gaining the upper hand. Following the death of Penda, Mercia officially became a Christian kingdom in 655AD when

The reconstructed necklace on the left with an artist’s impression of the Harpole necklace when new on the right

Pic credit: MOLA Pic credit: MOLA

Individual components of the Harpole necklace

Penda’s son Peada inherited. Peada had converted to Christianity in order to marry a princess of Northumbria, a cousin of Hild.

Sadly for Peada, his princess soon betrayed him as the Anglo Saxon Chronicles and the Venerable Bede both tell us that Peada was “very wickedly killed” through his wife’s treachery “during the very time of celebrating Easter” less than a year after their marriage. So high-status Anglo-Saxon women certainly did have agency!

What do we know about the two women who were buried with these beautiful necklaces? Their physical remains tell us little, so we need to look at the context. At this transitional time, grave goods were considered pagan and could not be interred in a Christian churchyard. Neither woman was, and their burials display pagan elements, but both seem Christian by their choice of adornment, so perhaps they were not a ‘professional’ Christian such as an abbess but a wealthy high status lay woman.

In 2022 a small team from MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) was engaged to check out the site of a new housing development at Harpole before the builders moved in. They identified plenty of low-key Roman and Iron Age remains, nothing unusual, but the day before they were due to conclude their investigation, what they had thought was another rubbish pit turned into something else entirely. They saw gold,

and tooth enamel, and realised that they were looking at a very high-status grave. It was an isolated burial, not in a graveyard, dug deeply into the ground thereby preserved from plough damage.

The Harpole treasure adorned an almost completely decomposed body. Her gender was confirmed by comparison with other positively identified female burials, both in the way she was buried, and what accompanied her final journey. The lady was laid to rest on a bed, organic remains suggest bedclothes. Her luxurious grave goods included a shallow copper bowl, and two imported incised ceramic pots containing residue still awaiting analysis.

But her most startling object was her large gold, gemstone and glass necklace. The pendants include nine ovals of gemstones and glass set in gold, and eight rare Roman coins of Theodosius I (r 379 – 395). The central decoration has a cross design in gold and garnets, appearing to be a re-purposed hinged clasp, similar to items found at Sutton Hoo, and in the Staffordshire Hoard. In between each of the pendants is a gold bicone bead. This has been tentatively dated to 630 – 670 AD

Lying on top of her chest was a large silver cross decorated with small silver faces with blue glass eyes and a large central garnet. This cross is still being excavated under laboratory conditions, but x-rays show an exciting image. We will just have to be patient until further secrets are revealed!

Top: MOLA artist Hugh Gatt’s impression of the burial Below: excavation of the necklace by MOLA

X-ray of a soil block from the grave revealing an elaborate silver cross within

Pic credit: MOLA Pic credit: MOLA

Pic credit: MOLA

So it seems we have a very highstatus Christian woman, buried with care and respect. Perhaps she was an early Christian leader, a princess or a queen. More work will be done to understand who she might have been and why she was buried here, on her own.

The Desborough necklace was discovered in1876, before the development of modern archaeological methods. The Saxon name of Desborough was ‘Disburg’ which may have meant ‘a sacred and fortified place’. Sixty-two burials were found by the workmen inside the remains of an ancient enclosure by the Parsonage Garden, along Paddock Lane east of St Giles’ Church. Sixty bodies were buried in trenches without coffins, in a typically Christian orientation with their heads to the west. The other two were separate in a small outstanding area. One was the lady with the necklace, and the accompanying female burial contained two amber glass drinking tumblers, a large bronze saucepan, and a two bowled white metal spoon, a pair of scales and a metal buckle.

Sir Henry Dryden ‘The Antiquary’ of Canons Ashby, noted that workmen digging for ironstone had discovered the gold necklace with a female skeleton. They had immediately divided it up

between them, pocketing the gold and garnet pendants. The men had to be given a reward before they surrendered the pieces. Sir Henry noted that they may not have recovered all the elements and it might be incomplete. At only eight inches it is too short to go around a neck completely, but of course that may not have been how it was intended to be worn.

The Desborough Necklace bears strong similarities with the Harpole treasure. It has thirty seven individual elements, both gold and garnet cabochon pendants, bicone shaped gold beads, barrel shaped beans and again a central gold cross with a small garnet coloured glass cabochon mounted centrally. It gleams! If the necklace is indeed complete, it may have been pinned onto clothing below the neckline, or along the collarbone. It would have looked very fine.

Sadly, archaeological methodology in 1876 was not what it is now, and much information has been lost. We can only speculate about what else there might have been there to discover.

The Desborough Necklace has pride of place in the British Museum, looking quite the finest of all the Anglo-Saxon necklaces on display.

If you want to get closer to this wonderful jewel, I can recommend a visit to the fabulous Desborough Heritage Centre. Here you can see an exquisite reproduction of the necklace created with real garnets and silver gilt. Entirely handmade, this jewel gives an excellent idea of what the original would have looked like when it was new.

The Centre has lots more to see, covering several millennia of Desborough’s past. This includes a wonderful reproduction of the world famous, two thousand years old, bronze Desborough mirror, and other collections with items as varied as strap-on Victorian roller skates, and even a racing penny farthing bicycle. It is simply everything Desborough, and entirely staffed by friendly volunteers. It is well worth the visit.

For more information, please visit www.desboroughheritagecentre.co.uk www.mola.org.uk

The Northamptonshire Heritage Forum has something for everyone interested in learning more about our county’s history. If you would like more information, or are interested in joining the Forum and supporting its work, please visit www.northamptonshireheritageforum.co.uk

Individual components of the Desborough necklace

Amber glass cup found in the female burial accompanying the lady with the Desborough necklace

The Desborough Necklace

‘’ is season, the contemporary wardrobe combines technological innovation and sustainable design to create e ortless layers that re ect our enduring dedication to the planet.’’

Alessandro Sartori, Artistic director for Zegna, Come and discover the stunning new fabrics from across the globe available at Saint Crispin Bespoke menswear, put an appointment in the diary today to make sure you are ready for the important events this spring.

By Cindy LGH @CindyLGH

Fuschia’s bubble has finally burst! Fashion is moving on to (slightly) paler things - like candyfloss-coloured cardis, bubble gum denim, and accessories that look like sweets.

Yes, Spring-Summer’s It pinks have arrived on rails, inspired by the sugary ensembles seen at Victoria Beckham, Acne and Nensi Dojaka, where all from pastel dresses to punchy pink two-pieces were wrapped around model bodies.

To wear the look, pick and mix your pinks with spearmint greens, neutral creams, or chocolate-y browns – else go for a complete saturation of saccharine by wearing pink top-

to-toe. For a double-helping of ‘on-trend,’ choose a baby pink blazer-trouser combo; softshade suitwear’s a key look for Spring, thanks to the runways at Stella McCartney, Rejina Pyo and Molly Goddard. Just see Oliver Bonas and Matalan for some brilliant highstreet options.

But do make sure to scan your wardrobe at home first, or scoop up the pretty pink accessories hiding in your local charity shop. A statement bag or pair of earrings that hardly anyone else has can be the cherry on top of any outfit. And, if the item’s pre-loved or one of your past, forgotten purchases? Sweet! You’ve saved yourself some pennies, and the planet from even more fashion waste.

Oliver Bonas £55

^ Oliver Bonas £95

H&M > £119.99

< Oliver Bonas £95

All items Primark

^ New Look £24.99

Oliver Bonas £85 >

Island £33

F&F @ Tesco £25

New Look £19.99

We’re all about you

Family and friends may do their best but sometimes people simply need someone who has the time to talk and listen. Northampton Companion is offering the solution.

The recently launched Companionship Business offers a bespoke service to meet the needs of people looking for something more than paying someone to clean their home or cook meals.

This fresh approach is being driven by company founder Daniel Whitworth who, after having first-hand experience of providing care, realised there is a demand for this different style of service.

He said: “This is so much more than paying someone to do the jobs that need doing around a home.

“We understand why trust is so important and we can offer a dedicated individual who will listen to your needs and provide services that make a difference. Our aim is to be considered as part of your life, someone who cares about you and not just for you.”

For some this could mean weekly catch ups over a cup of tea while others may relish a chance to make a long overdue shopping expedition.

“This is about understanding what each person wants to help them feel more confident living at home.”

Relish the next chapter of your child’s education journey

Your schooldays are meant to be the happiest of your life, so the saying goes. But the prospect of a move to a new school can be daunting for some. Quinton House School & Nursery at Upton near Northampton is experienced at helping new arrivals to settle in, make friends and enjoy learning.

Spring is almost here. Daytime is getting longer and many children and their parents are looking forward to their next stage of school.

Whether that’s a first step into reception or a move to secondary or senior school, the switch can take some adjusting by pupils and parents alike. But trust in your chosen school, ask the questions that will put your mind at ease and see it as the exciting moment that it is.

Get to know your new school as much as you can before your move. It’ll help enormously on those first few days of term as you settle into familiar surroundings.

At Quinton we host events throughout the school year where we invite future students and their families to join our Quinton community. These range from summer fayres and performing arts to our popular annual fireworks display... each is an

opportunity to experience your new school in a relaxed and enjoyable way.

Join us on one of our transition days, where future pupils are invited to a ‘taster day’ carousel of activities, giving you the opportunity to get to know your new teachers (as they get to know you too). Our years 5 and 6 students find the experience invaluable - it bridges that uncertainty of venturing up to ‘the big school’ and gives an insight into more practical elements of lesson timings and where your classrooms are.

If you like, you can join your current year group for a day ahead of the new school year in September. Children often feel the benefits of having made friendship groups ahead of the move into Year 7.

At Quinton, we can advise on the more practical elements of your arrival, such as uniform, stationery buying and school

The provider has a wide range of services which will give a loved one support or peace of mind for someone who lives alone. Enlighten is another service where Daniel and his growing network can give one-to-one sessions to people of all ages who want to discover themselves mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually so that they can be happier and get more from life.

“We are social beings and need interaction and love it’s important for our well-being,” said Daniel.

The family-run provider is currently signing up people who want to take on roles as it starts to extend its services across Northamptonshire and the wider area.

Daniel said: “Just an observation but instead of waiting for care to be provided when it’s too late why not fix the root cause of illness and provide love and positive experiences so that people stay well for longer.”

> To find out more contact Northampton Companion on 01604 312998 or visit the website at www.northamptoncompanion.care

transport. We have a preloved area of past uniforms to help manage the expense… as well as growth spurts.

Please, trust your instincts. You have chosen the school you believe to be the best place for your child to thrive. The next chapter of their educational journey, with new friends to meet and passions to discover, is such an exciting time.

>> Find out more at: www.quintonhouseschool.co.uk

Company founder Daniel - it’s more than just doing the jobs around the home for our clientele

There are lots of ways to make mum feel special on Mother’s Day, so think outside the (chocolate) box. A ‘beauty-ful’ gift will be a winning one, and we’ve chosen our favourites to make your job even easier...

Soothing, refreshing hydration is just a sweep away with Liz Earle’s Instant Boost Skin Tonic, which perfectly preps skin and leaves it with radiance and a softness to love.

It makes great use of aloe vera, calendula and chamomile, and vitamin E and the gentle fragrance is a collaboration between rose-scented geranium, lavender and sweet orange.

Tasty stuff for the skin you are in. Alcohol-free and cruelty free. Lovely.

RRP: £17.50

Get it: Boots branches at centre:mk and The Grosvenor Centre in Northampton

Why go on the Hunt For Hydration when OleHenriksen has the perfect pairing?

Their mini-moisturising duo brings together Strength Trainer Peptide

Boost Moisturiser (to hydrate and strengthen skin) and Banana Bright+ Eye Créme (to brighten under eyes and reduce those pesky crow’s feet). Petite pots, but big on action. This is a partnership that means business.

RRP: £22

Get it: Boots branches at centre:mk and The Grosvenor Centre in Northampton

If you can’t take mum to the spa, bring the spa to her! Sanctuary Spa has the perfect starter kit to give the same relaxing experience, but without the need to leave the house.

This affordable set includes a Melting Pearls Body Butter, Coffee Scrub and Shower Oil. This compact gift to indulge the senses is also cruelty free, vegan and suitable for all skin types.

RRP: £10

Get it: Boots branches at centre:mk and The Grosvenor Centre in Northampton

Banishing tight, dry, uncomfortable skin is made easy with Jojoba

Activating Cleansing Oil

The luxurious addition to the daily beauty routine easily melts away makeup and dirt, leaving skin clean, nourished, supple and soft.

Sunflower seed oil and mandarin helps turn dry skin into delightful. Can be used on dry skin as a one step remover, or activate with water for a milky emulsion that rinses away with no residue.

RRP: £26.95

Get it: thejojobacompany.co.uk and Lloyds Pharmacy branches

A little bit of lippy goes a long way towards making us feel fab, and RMS Beauty’s Wild

With Desire satin finish selection is solid and sound – it won’t bleed or feather, but it will give pucker power!

Perfect for everyday use, but there’s nothing ‘everyday’ ordinary about this classic colouring.

RRP: £32 Get it: spacenk.com

One day everything is fine, and the next? Frown lines and crow’s feet arrive to depress us all. Luckily, Origins is engaged in fighting the effects of eye-ageing with its new Plantscription Wrinkle Correction Eye Cream Origins takes the best in powerful plant science and combines that with Encapsulated Retinol (otherwise known as Vitamin A) to minimise the appearance of those nasty lines, and in turn increase that youthful look. We like this.

RRP: £45 Get it: origins.co.uk

‘Eye-spy’ a new treat to support that fragile under eye skin; Farmacy’s Wake Up Honey Eye Cream which promises to brighten, de-puff and combat dark circles.

There’s lots going on here; 3% vitamin C, 1% encapsulated caffeine, up-cycled tangerine peel, proprietary honey blend, up-cycled cranberry peptide and hyaluronic acid all play their part to help keep the skin taut and terrific.

Free from mineral oil, parabens and fragrances, but full of great stuff. Honey, I shrunk the puff!

RRP: £41

Get it: SpaceNK.com

Film Reviews

FILM OF THE MONTH - Star Rating: 4.5/5

How much you consider Tár to be the tragic downfall of artistic genius depends on how much you value that genius regardless of the personality behind it. In this film’s case, the downfall is very much deserved but no more pleasant for it. The film’s power is in how compellingly messy the fall is, reflecting society’s own uncomfortable tolerance of “flawed” genius.

Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett) is one of the greatest composers and conductors to ever grace an orchestra. Conducting the Berlin Philharmonic to global fame, she’s quietly but utterly ruthless to those around her, openly humiliating students who disagree with her and dispensing with people who no longer best serve her purposes. At its worst, this extends to assistants and young musical hopefuls with whom it’s alleged she’s used to have inappropriate relationships.

M3GAN

Star Rating: 3.5/5

Virtual friends become too real for comfort in this sci-fi shocker that’s more satire of succumbing to endless screen time than straightforward horror. M3GAN (Model Three Generative Android) is a doll-like robot with “Uncanny Valley” facial movements and an even creepier attachment to Cady, the orphaned girl she was made to befriend. As much as M3GAN becomes self-aware during the film, the film itself is fully aware of how ridiculous it gets as M3GAN turns murderous to “protect” her best friend. It’s full of morbid gags about the numbing effects of tech on human interactions, especially those aimed at children. The scary part is that M3GAN’s world is only one step removed from our reality. ✪

by Jordan Adcock

TÁR CODA

Star Rating: 3/5

Hopefully this year’s Best Picture Oscar winner is better and more memorable than CODA (Child of Deaf Adults), which won last year. Only on Apple TV+, this story of a hearing high schooler juggling her hopes of becoming a singer with supporting her deaf family’s fishing business has the unique angle of featuring how a deaf family navigates a mostly hearing world. Otherwise, its story beats, character dynamics and ultimate destination remain deeply predictable. It’s never unpleasant and it’s a well-acted, aspirational drama while failing to stand out against more distinctive coming of age films like Lady Bird ✪

Tár’s very gradual start and very dubious protagonist deserve your patience as the film solidly establishes Lydia’s character, how and why she asserts herself so firmly, or more precisely how and why she’s allowed to. Lauded from all sides and without anyone to question her genius, she wields her power and hides her misdeeds (while also being haunted by them in several genuinely spooky scenes) until she becomes more liability than asset and the symphony quickly falls apart.

Cate Blanchett was director Todd Field’s only choice to play Lydia and watching the great actress’s commanding presence carry such self-assurance and yet vulnerability, it’s very easy to see why. Tár is cathartic and disturbing in equal measure, hard to love like its protagonist but even harder to ignore the notes it masterfully plays.

AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER

Star Rating: 2.5/5

The Way of Water is both very long and still undercooked, especially since James Cameron’s sequel arrives thirteen years after his first Avatar film. Even compared to the original’s less than stellar storytelling, this one somehow seems even simpler and missing some of its predecessor’s epic quality. The evil humans are back, so Jake and Neytiri take their family to safety with the Na’vi tribes living by Pandora’s seas. This provides lots of opportunities to show off incredibly convincing underwater alien worlds and face off against the humans hunting fantasy whales. With this much eye candy and some relatable family dynamics, it’s not a slog, but as you listen to more rote dialogue you’ll wonder what could have been achieved with these wondrous filmmaking tools. ✪

EMANCIPATION

Star Rating: 2.5/5

Will Smith’s Oscars slap continues to overshadow the star’s career and Emancipation, though well-made and mostly worthy, isn’t impressive enough to change that. Streaming on Apple TV+, Smith plays a Southern slave fleeing his oppressors in the American Civil War after Lincoln declares the slaves freed. He’s certainly decent in a grim and gritty pursuit drama that’s presented almost completely drained of colour and with plenty of diverting, gruelling fights to survive the Confederate South. It which briefly turns war film near the end. However, he’s unremarkable and arguably conspicuous compared to the cast around him when a less well-known actor might have been more fitting. ✪

You can follow Jordan on Twitter (@JordanReview) and read his blog at www.reviewsreflections.wordpress.com

Cate Blanchett in the movie “Tár.”(Focus Features)

Creamy panna cotta

INGREDIENTS

Makes 2 - prep. 15 minrest time 3 hrs min

2 gelatine leaves

300ml double cream

50ml milk

50ml Drambuie (optional)

40g icing sugar

3 tbsp dried camomile flowers - optional

40g good quality white chocolatebroken into small pieces - plus extra for the choccolate decorations

For the cocoa nibs - optional topping

2 tbsp cocoa nibs

1 pinch of sea salt flakes

60g water

60g honey

METHOD

1. Place your gelatine leaves to bloom in cold water.

2. In a medium saucepan, place the cream, milk, sugar, Drambuie and camomile flowers and bring to a gentle boil. Once the mixture has boiled, place it on one side and let the camomile infuse for 15 min.

3. After the mixture has cooled slightly, squeeze the gelatine leaves and add to the warm creamy mixture. Add your chocolate and let this sit for 5 minutes.

4. After 5 min, stir your chocolate until completely melted, and sieve the cream into glasses. Place these in the fridge to set for a min of 3 hours, or overnight if prepared in advance.

For the honey cocoa nibs:

1. Place the water, cocoa nibs and salt in a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer.

2. Add the honey and combine until fully incorporated in the syrup.

3. Set aside and cool, before using.

Serve your panna cotta in the glass or upside down on a plate and top with the cocoa syrup and white chocolate curls.

Our recipes come from NN Pulse food writer, Sofia Gallo, an acclaimed local chef, food writer and teacher at Milton Keynes Cookery School. She has recently won the ICG Cooking Competition and was a contestant on BBC’s Masterchef.

Follow Sofia:

Instagram: @in_cucinacon_sofia FB: incucinaconsofia www.lamiacucina.co.uk

Creatures of comfort

Saying that animals are good for our health is hardly news. Dogs are called 'man's best friend' with good reason. They don't judge and give unconditional love.

And they give us purpose; whether you are struggling with anxiety, have lost motivation or are gripped by dark moods, a doggie still needs to stretch his legs. And he relies on you. Whether giving us the impetus to get up from the sofa to take them to do their business, or the gentle wet nose nudge they give us when they can see we are suffering, animals – and not just dogs – are often sweet saviours.

Pulse spoke with some of the volunteers at Animals in Need about how the love of – and from – animals gets them through, and they spoke a little about their mental health journeys.

Annie Marriott first got involved with Animals in Need 24 years ago when her parents adopted a dog from the centre. Annie liked the place and decided to help with dog walking. That was followed by time spent mucking out, then home checking and fundraising. She quickly became an integral part of the team. She didn't stop there though – Annie loved it so much, she married Roy Marriott who founded the charity!

“I totally believe that my reason for being on this planet is to help animals,” she says simply, “I believe in AIN's ethics and values. The state that we receive some animals in is just unbearable, but at least when we have them we can turn that suffering around. Seeing broken little souls gradually recovering and then watching them trot off through the gates with new families warms my heart.”

Truth be told, AIN isn't her job. It's her passion and her life. But having so many lives dependent upon you, and a team of staff and volunteers that she cares for just as much, can mean there is little left in the tank for herself.

“I have had a few serious breakdowns since I have been in this job,” she admits, “Once I almost got sectioned and I have had some particularly dark and difficult periods to deal with. People say it's good to talk, but it's at those low points when I can't speak to anyone and it's a real struggle to leave the house. I feel as though I could literally sleep myself to death. It's a feeling of hopelessness,” Annie said.

Bravely, she says there have been times in the past where she has been so low she has contemplated taking her own life. Right now, though, Annie is doing fine.

“It is wonderful that so many of our volunteers say working here helps improve their mental health, and I love hearing that,” she said, “We have a great team and I am so thankful for that. Everyone looks out for each other's mental health – we check in on each other and support each other when the going gets tough.”

Annie Marriott

Angie Taylor

Having given up her spare time to volunteer for the Little Irchester rescue centre for seven years, Emma Townsend became a member of staff seven years ago.

She might be found cooking up a stonking good vegan breakfast in the on-site cafe, out in the community rescuing an injured swan, or trying to teach an abused cat that not all humans are nasty.

Essentially, Emma is another one who goes where the need is – and she's not averse to hitting the streets to fundraise either.

“I'm sure everyone will say how rewarding it is when an animal leaves us to go into a new forever home,” Emma said, “Especially when they have arrived here with a bad background, or having struggled at the start of their life.”

With care and attention, animals can recover. But what of those who have to pick up the pieces?

“Some of the work we do is very hard on our mental health,” Emma admits, “We see some very difficult situations and some desperately sad cases. It can really make me not want to be around people.

“I work hard to try and see a positive in things, and I love to be around sheep, so when I need to, I take myself off to our farm to sit with them for some quiet time. It works wonders.”

“It's the one day of my week that I can feel proud of,” says Sally Bertram Gregory, who might be found working with the rodents, or the rabbits, in the kennels, with farm animals, or assisting in wildlife. No two days are the same at AIN. But everyone has their own favourite area and Sally's is with the pooches.

“Kennels are my favourite, and seeing animals who were once scared coming out of their shells is magical. The change you see in them, and then knowing that they are going to a new home is the best.”

Working at AIN is its own reward: “I have struggled with my own mental health and I am glad I have a place to go where I can get stuck in, and learn.”

And when faced with particularly difficult rescues?

“I talk about it, think about all of the good work that gets done here and I remember that there are amazing people working for the animals.”

Sally Smith (right) has volunteered at AIN for 15 years, and is hands-on wherever needed; she deals with rehoming of cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and rodents, deals with admin, looks after the reception, gets out and about fundraising, and takes care of home checks before animals are rehomed.

“I wanted to do something that would make a difference, and I have always loved animals,” she said, “The most rewarding thing is seeing animals – especially those that have had a difficult start in life – going to fantastic new homes where they will be loved.”

Mary is one of the charity's more recent recruits – Covid forced her to retire from her career, but she didn't want to stop working. AIN was only too keen to utilise her skills, and she has become a valued member of the team.

“I wasn't mentally or physically ready to stop working and I wanted to do something worthwhile,” she told Pulse, “I love knowing that my efforts will make a difference. Seeing the way the animals are cared for and the love they are given when they most need it is wonderful.

“Volunteering at AIN means I can do as little or as much as I want to, and knowing that my efforts make a difference gives me job satisfaction.

“Besides, have you seen daytime TV?! AIN gives me a purpose, and I just love what I do to help. It is both an honour and a privilege.

“I see so much love given to the daily care of all the animals here, and it restores my faith in the human race. The work also helps to keep me fit and active, gives a sense of purpose and challenges me.”

Having started out as a dog walker for the rescue centre, Angie Taylor also supports collections and helps swell the coffers by running raffles and tombolaswith so many mouths to feed, and some colossal energy bills to pay, every penny really does count for the charity.

“Animals, and dogs in particular, are my life and my passion – especially rescues.

“I find it so rewarding to help where I can and make a small difference. Dogs are my saviours and I probably wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for mine,” Angie realises, “They saved me when I had a breakdown years ago. They rescued me, for sure...”

But some days are harder than others: “It can be very emotionally draining and at times traumatic. It's heartbreaking to lose an animal that you are fighting to save, or seeing a badly treated animal cowering because it has lost all trust in humans.

“The feeling of responsibility is always there, but I take a few hours out each week to sit by the beach, go for a walk with family, or sit and cuddle my own animals. It gives me a chance to clear my head and put everything into perspective ready for the start of a new week.”

> Find out more about the wonderful work carried out by Animals in Need – and how you can help - by visiting animals-in-need.org

Emma Townsend

Sally Smith

Sally Bertram Gregory

Mary

yescolours.com

iamfy.co

This deep, rich shade of violet is a colour that exudes elegance, luxury, and warmth. Inspired by the deliciously sweet fruit of the same name, it’s the perfect way weave an added element of sophistication to your style.

Whether you’re looking to update your wardrobe or give your home a little refresh, adding a pop of “fig” is sure to make a statement, and we’ve collected some of our favourite pieces to get you inspired!

Burgundy glass rose liv bauble £5 heavenlyhomesandgardens.co.uk

Floyd chairmulled wine £849 theloungeco.com

Ceramic 16” temple jar, Chinese monochrome £825 besselink.com

Plum crochet braided rug £24.99 homescapesonline.com

YesColours Loving Pink emulsion paint £21

Jellycat bashful sparkly cassis bunny

2 Sizes $22.99 YellowOctopus.com.au

Birmingham brick vase £36

Turkish cotton towel, burgundy from 99p homescapesonline.com

Tubby Tub Bath £1975 albionbathco.com

Lotus Grill BBQ in red with free fire lighter gel & charcoal £149 cuckooland.com

What should you consider when buying new energy efficient windows and doors?

Anyone who is considering replacing doors or windows in their homes may feel overwhelmed by the process and the various, options, advice and claims made by different companies.

So, what should you look out for when researching? How do you know that the claims which are being made are true, and what are the key things to look out for? Knowing the answers to questions can make a real difference in making the right decision for such a large investment. As the best product, fitted in the right way can save consumers hundreds every year in energy bills – but getting it wrong can be very costly.

Here are some of the key things to check:

Does the company have independent accreditations and can they prove it?

It is always best to check the company’s independent accreditations. For example, the British Fenestration Rating Council (BFRC) are the leading consumer accreditation for energy efficiency testing, so make sure they are part of the scheme.

The Police-Approved Secured by Design is critical for security. Made in Great Britain for UK-based approved manufacturing, and Which? for complete peace of mind, as they validate company’s finances every year. It’s also worth checking that the company is fully verified on each site by checking online.

Has the company won any national awards?

Look out for national awards like the G-Awards, which rewards excellence in the glass and glazing industry. These are independent awards where companies go through rigorous testing for manufacturing and installation. Being a winner or finalist demonstrates that a company is at the top of their game and worth investing in.

Do they manufacture their own products as well as install them?

It is incredibly beneficial for the consumer if the company both manufactures and installs their products. This ensures that there is only one company responsible for the whole process. So should anything go wrong the responsibility lies with one party, and the blame cannot be passed - which unfortunately happens all too often in the glazing industry.

Does the company employ its own installers?

If the answer is ‘no’ and the company relies

on sub-contractors, who will likely be paid per frame, then look for alternatives. A company which employs its own team of installers will work on getting it right first time, rather cutting corners but trying to install as quickly as possible.

Make sure you view the products before making a decision

For most companies, a design consultant may visit your home. It’s vitally important you view the products before purchasing such a large investment. Having a detailed demonstration of the product before you buy will allow you to understand what you are purchasing and all the features and benefits. It’s even better if the company has a showroom, as it’s a great way of seeing more variety, comparing different styles, options and colours so you make the right decision to suit your property.

Always check how long the company has been trading.

There are companies who have a habit of closing and opening again, and again, so it makes sense to use one with a trusted reputation built up over decades of uninterrupted trading. Check online to see how long a company has been trading for and ask for testimonials from previous clients.

What guarantees and what finance options do they offer?

A well-established company will offer an unconditional 10-year guarantee, so check that everything is covered within it. Also check

to see if they offer a range of finance options including interest free, or low deposits up to ten years. The most secure companies will be regulated by the FCA (financial conduct authority) and will able to offer the maximum Home Improvement loan value of £50,000 – so it’s good to check, as this alone also demonstrates their financial stability.

Where do you start?

Buying windows can be a bit of a mine field, that’s why you should always do your research and ask an expert. Award-winning T&K Home Improvements have had 44 years in the industry manufacturing and installing Windows, Doors and Living Spaces for over 60,000 satisfied customers. Their products are manufactured on site and their team of experts are available to give free advice.

Alternatively, you can book a show site or factory tour. To find out more visit www.tkhi.co.uk or call 0800 622 716

DIGGING DEEP

Think ahead for summer colour

How does your garden grow?

Planted bulbs are pushing up through the soil, ready to flower; snowdrop clumps may be dug up, divided and replanted elsewhere.

I am hoeing and mulching areas of the border to control annual weeds and dividing larger clumps of perennials to replant the fresh outer growth.

After what seems like an eternity, spring is just a few sleeps away, and the garden is already teasing us with glimpses of what is to come.

The warmer days and lighter evenings mean that there is more time to get gardening jobs in hand – which is just as well as there is plenty to do!

Have you tidied the garden from the winterwoes? Have you cut back those winter shrubs? And you’ll need to get busy with the bulbs – now is the time to sort summer-flowering examples.

If you want to go all dramatic, lilies and gladioli are obvious tall examples.

Fragrance counts too, and aside from the aforementioned, freesias are truly scentsational and come in a variety of colours. If planting now, start them off in a greenhouse.

Top Tip

Five a day is fine, eight a day is great! Eating a variety of fruit and vegetables is key to good health, and they never taste better than when they are home-grown, do they?

As far as fruits are concerned, now is the time to plant up strawberries and if you are partial to rhubarb, cover up your crowns using old containers - it encourages long stalks.

As for veggies? Cabbage, cauliflower, carrot, lettuce, parsley, brussels sprout, broad beans and beetroot can all be sown outdoors under cloches, and cucumber and aubergine will be fine in a heated greenhouse. Don’t have one? A sunny windowsill will work. Get busy now and tasty times will follow.

Begonias and crocosmia will also play a part in turning a garden into a triumph.

Choosing the flowers that you want to bloom in your outside space is all part of the fun, but don’t put it off for too much longer. Think about what you are planting where, and get busy with the task now, for a summer spectacular.

Roses are a garden staple for many, and they are the quintessential English flower, but don’t leave them to their own devices for much longer. Prune them now to improve their health and lifespan.

That doesn’t mean getting busy with the secateurs in a scene reminiscent of Edward Scissorhands – there is much more to it than that, and there are various rules for the various roses – what is good for a rambling rose won’t work for a miniature, for example. Referring to the relevant labels (if you still have them) will prevent error.

If you are hoping to welcome wildflowers into your garden, our pollinators will love you for it, and you can now sow native wildflower seeds in trays ready to move outdoors later.

Now is also the time to get reacquainted with Maurice the Mower! The general advice is to mow every week or two for the six month period from March – it will keep your lawn trim and tidy and help to get rid of weeds.

A word of warning for anyone taking on the lawn challenge for the first time in 2023 though; mowing wet or frosty grass will create problems. If you need to wait a while, do.

There is just time to finish pruning apple trees and fruit bushes. The brightly coloured year-old stems of dogwoods and willows need pruning back to one or two buds from which the new shoots will grow. Give bush roses a final prune as well, to give the stems an urn-shaped appearance.

Apply a general granular fertiliser around roses and clematis to promote strong early growth.

Some of us will be putting early variety seed potatoes in egg trays in a light, frost-free place to start sprouting or ‘chitting’, ready for planting in a 10-15cm deep trench when the weather is warmer.

We are going to sow the first row of carrots in the school’s vegetable bed when the soil temperature reaches 7 °C. To prepare the greenhouse for the many annual and perennial seedlings I will be sowing, a spring clean is necessary. I use sheets of polystyrene against the back wall, both to reflect light and for insulation. After a cold winter, spring is here!

Ralph Westmoreland, Denton & District Gardening Club member

> Denton & District Gardening Club is a small, friendly club which meets on a Monday evening every month. New members and visitors are always welcome. For more information please contact Margaret at m.pateman@yahoo.co.uk or 01604 890875

Freesias will bring colour and gorgeous scents to your garden, while crocosmia (below) can add dashes of vibrant colour

Modern Heritage

It could seem to be a juxtaposition to have the words “modern” and “heritage” used to describe one type of style. But the reality is that most modern designs we see today are influenced at least in part by heritage designs. The term “heritage” can be defined as denoting a traditional style or product regarded as emblematic of fine craftsmanship; or styles and crafts that have a timeless appeal, a respect for the past which sits comfortably alongside our modern-day living. A successful use of modern heritage in interior design is one that effortlessly combines traditional features and aesthetics with modern art, patterns, textures and appliances.

Living in a modern world does not mean we need to abandon the traditional methods of design, leave behind the crafts of the past or constantly forge forwards to create a new modern aesthetic. We see this also in fashion, where modern collections are often inspired by those that went before. Consider the classic Chanel suit, Louboutin black stiletto, or the Madeleine Vionnet bias-cut dress –each rarely changed since their conception, sometimes updated to roll with the times, but always a stalwart, high fashion design piece.

For British interior design, Morris & Co is one of these reliable and consistent brands that transcends time periods. While many of the designs they still print today are relatively unchanged since their conception in the late 19th Century, seasonally updated collections continue to offer new colourways and contemporary iterations of these traditional designs. Most of the designs are still printed in the traditional way, with the use of wooden blocks rather than the more modern process of using rollers to churn out mass-produced fabrics and wallpapers quickly and efficiently. It is this continued appreciation of the traditional craft of wood block, hand finished printing (while always being aware of the flux in design styles) that gives this brand true modern heritage status. You can find Morris & Co wallpapers and fabrics sitting as comfortably in a stately home as in a modern penthouse apartment. The conviction is in the overall design style; knowing how to blend colour palettes, textures and furniture to create a harmonious, overall vision.

Another obvious modern heritage piece regularly found in kitchens and utility rooms is the Belfast sink. A favourite piece amongst many households since the 1700s, this design classic was originally designed (unsurprisingly) in Belfast, but quickly became popular due to its robust nature and deep bowl, allowing for the washing of large items often found in the homes of the landed gentry. These sinks are said to have evolved from a Butler’s sink, used by house staff to wash clothes and big pots, with the Belfast sink introducing the overflow weir to avoid spillages. Many kitchen brands now offer some variation of the Belfast sink with different sizes, finishes and composition available, but the key look remains the same - a large protruding basin and a deep bowl, forming the centre point of kitchen work tops and islands.

Rosie Kinsella Interior Designer 01604 751262

There is no real time limit on the term “heritage”. Mid-century furniture, Victorian floor tiles, art deco shapes, Edwardian light fittings, 1970s patterns - all of these could be considered heritage. Curating a successful modern heritage style means working with, not against, your traditional choices. Blend antique pieces with a contemporary colour palette, reupholster a classic sofa such as a wingback chair or chesterfield sofa in a bold new pattern or colour to create a modern take on a classic design. Use a panelled wall to show off your favourite modern art pieces; install herringbone or parquet flooring as the base of an otherwise contemporary room; select velvet, wool or plaid fabrics to add some classic texture. Farrow & Ball, Sanderson, Morris & Co, Cole and Son, Lewis and Wood, Ercol and Parker Knoll are some great brands to start looking into for that modern heritage style.

Johnny Bbriggs, unsplash

When designing with heritage in mind, you needn’t replicate a room from a specific time period like for like. Rather than making a room identical to a historic museum set, blending heritage styles with contemporary aesthetics or ways of living will help give a beautifully curated and relaxed modern heritage style. A great place to start is by being sympathetic to the age of the house you are living in. Make the most of original features such as coving, ceiling roses or panelling, or reintroduce original-looking floor tiles where they may have been lost. If your home was built more recently and lacks such features, you can still introduce modern heritage into your home. Try to keep to one aesthetic and let it flow throughout the rooms. Think of the colour palette that appeals from a certain era, perhaps consider adding wall panelling, or replacing or covering the existing flooring. Finishing touches like light fittings, artwork and ornaments can also help exaggerate or soften how much you want the look to be modern or heritage.

There is no rule on how much of a room should be from a traditional or a contemporary influence. The best way to play with this style is to do your research, find brands that give you what you want, make the most of the existing pieces you already own or hunt through vintage and antique shops to find new pieces that really stand out. Modern heritage is a style that’s accessible to everyone, no matter what the age of your house or how big or small your budget!

4 interior trends for 2023

Always looking to provide you with exciting new ideas, we’ve had a look through some of the interior design trends for 2023 to bring you our favourites, those ideas which will bring you fashion forward while ensuring you keep your own sense of style.

Creating space for something special - the centrepiece

Traditional room layouts have often meant there is no room for surprise - the sofa in front of the fireplace, the dining table central to the room. One way to present our individuality is through statement pieces.

Here at the Rose Gallery, we’ve had increasing interest in Street Art and Urban Art in the last few years, these are pieces which really do make a statement and demand attention. Among these artworks you’ll find visually surprising pieces including art with neon elements, mixed media and unusually shaped works.

Leaving the straight and narrow, embracing the curve

A continuing trend in both furniture and architecture has been curves - with furniture we’re seeing curved back sofas, barrel chairs and round cushions, in architecture arched openings and doorways.

For those looking to bring curves into their home, a circular artwork creates a wonderful change in perspective. Embracing this trend, we have a number of round pieces created by some of our favourite artists including Doug Hyde and Hayley Goodhead.

Inspired by nature - elements of design

Natural elements have inspired us for… well, forever really. And this focus on the natural world has inspired us to bring the outside in,

filling our spaces with plants, natural materials and textures.

As an interior design trend which has captured our hearts, this natural inspiration isn’t going anywhere with designers expecting us to keep searching out natural materials such as wood and stone, rattan and wicker. The presence of plant life and colours of nature are also important to creating the spaces we want to spend more time in.

Art can not only bring the outdoors into our homes through landscapes and seascapes, but transport us to our favourite places.

Finding warmth and calm with neutrals

If the previous trends have been about making statements and capturing the extraordinary, this final trend is about creating warmth and calm with sophisticated neutrals. We’re not looking to create bland spaces, instead using sable, mushroom, warm blues, greens and peaches, to create an atmosphere of peace.

2023 trends, creating spaces for you

Choosing artwork for your home or space might be influenced by any number of things. If you’re looking to stay ahead of the trends for next year, there are certainly a number of things you can consider.

Whether you’d normally look at bright, statement pieces, round works, those inspired by the natural world or neutral colours, these are all things you can explore to discover what moves you.

Celine Lee Gallery Correspondent www.therosegallery.co.uk

Laura Cleffmann, unsplash

Craig Alan

John Waterhouse

Paul Evans

Doug Hyde

From Russia, with love

There’s lots on at The Black Prince again this month, starting with Lincoln’s Vigilantes (March 1), who are a bit partial to US sounds, but stuff it with classic British tone.

It’s a delivery that’s working well for them too; with glowing praise from Radio 1, BBC Introducing, and plenty of airtime on Amazing Radio and Radio X.

If you are a fan of The Killers, Arcade Fire and Springsteen, you’d be well-advised to get a ticket.

Northants indie-rockers The Keepers – ‘a band inspired by the glam pop stomp of Bowie and Suede blended with the guitar pop melody sensibilities of T.Rex, Pulp and Supergrass’ - will be up in the support.

PH2 (Purple Hearts 2), a ‘60s influenced New Wave mob, in the tradition of aces like The Jam and The Who, visit on March 18, with support from The Hurricanes, followed on March 22 by Russian psych-rockers Gnoomes

The band’s fourth album, Ax Ox will be released on March 3, and they say it’s probably their most experimental record to date. It took three them three years and a whirl of emotions to reach completion.

The album has been described as ‘perhaps their most explicitly Russian album to date,’ and it is the first they have chosen to sing in their

native tongue, but Gnoomes’ new album also chronicles the fractious relationship the band has with its home country.

“Many artists have already spoken out, and they’re not supporting this senseless war, but they quickly get shut up by the government. The list of artists who are not allowed to play in Russia any more is growing every day. It’s very painful to watch this process unfolding in front of our eyes,” they said.

Except that Sasha and his wife Masha can only watch from afar now – they were forced to leave their country in pursuit of safety when mobilisation was announced.

Speaking about that in an emotive post on their FB page in September, Sasha and Masha said: “It has also become obvious, that if you don’t want to be a part of this massive destruction, you have two options and one of them is to leave your motherland, leave everything that you have so far behind.

“Although now away, we’re still worrying about our closest ones. Our intuition tells us that the worst days are coming, but one thing we know for sure, we can’t go back and pretend that everything is fine.

Russian band Gnoomes (above) and Vigilantes (left) are both performing at The Black Prince in March

“We didn’t have too much time to think about what we should take with us as we still don’t know what’s gonna happen next in our lives, but we took our musical instruments. It’s quite enough to keep on performing and making music on the fly.”

Dreampop radiance and electronic experimentation oozes, and the music is Gnoomes at its most vivid.

Support is to be announced and tickets are £7 in advance.

If you look up the word prolific, you might just find the band The Wave Pictures as an example. In 2022 they released their 19th album, When The Purple Emperor Spreads His Wings.

The title means ‘spring’ – the day when butterflies burst into life.

That record is a double album too, with reason: “There is always a strong sense of time and place in The Wave Pictures’ songs. It soon became natural to group the songs that I was writing by season,” said songwriter, guitarist and singer David Tattersall, “The album has four sides: one for each season. The songs ‘take place’ lyrically within that season. The album begins in summer and ends in spring, to represent the cycle of life.”

The Wave Pictures come to The Black Prince on Friday, March 31 with support by The Modern Lovers.

> Click to sbdpromotions.com for tickets.

> As you would expect, Slowthai’s recently announced hometown show at The Black Prince sold-out as soon as it was announced. That’s going to be an insane night, right there.

> Wasted Youth will also be live at The Black Prince this March. Arguably the greatest ‘lost’ band of the post-punk years, they became a lure for punks seeking something more sexy and sophisticated as the ‘80s dawned.

The London-based noisy’s pre-dated positive punk and goth and are still remembered as a quietly influential, taut live proposition.

Make their acquaintance when they arrive at the venue on March 24, with support from ‘fampton faves Venus Fly Trap, led by Alex Novak at the mic.

Tickets are £20 on the door and the Pretty Vacant DJs will hold you for the after show, with the bar pouring the pints through to 1am.

How fab is ffsytho?!

We made it over to Milton Keynes’ Craufurd Arms to see the magnificent Meryl Streek on the stage a few weeks back, which meant a welcome chance to check in with ffsytho?! who was up in support.

The Pulse Music familiar took a subdued crowd and worked them until she had them all bouncing to her grime-rap raucousness. They are easy words to write, but it’s no easy feat to pull off.

What a set. What an artist. Devastatingly good.

Anarchy at The Lamplighter

For the past decade, the Blitz nights at Overstone Road watering-hole

The Lamplighter have sated ears in search of noise, with the best in punk, new wave, post punk, synth and alt.

Alex Novak is the disc spinner and he’ll be in situ again on Saturday, March 18 for a special anniversary bash.

> Visit the lamplighter on FB for the latest.

Slowthai (left) has already sold all the tickets for his home-coming gig but you can still get to see The Wave Pictures (below) and Venus Fly Trap (inset below)

ffsytho?! pic: Anna Buscaglia

Pic: George Muncey

The return of Madchester royalty

Over at the Roadmender, Inspiral Carpets play on Thursday, March 23. The Carpets – an integral part of that Madchester movement – are being brought to town by The Pad Presents. Their current shows are the first for the band since 2015. A year later their drummer Craig Gill passed away and the band went on indefinite hiatus.

“We know this will be an emotional journey for a lot of people, not least Craig’s family,” the band said in a statement, “We hope you’ll join us as we celebrate some of the music we created, and which has brought so much joy to people over the last 34 years.”

It’ll be good to hear tunes like This Is How It Feels and Saturn 5 live again.

Two days later, the lady who made her name as the voice of The Runaways back in the ‘70s will be on the stage.

‘Eddz’ up on the new single

Eddz will release his new single on March 9. The track is a familiar live tune, but Low has now been recorded at Foundry Street Studio with Adam Gammage and Greg Coulson sharing production duties. The rising artist has recently been putting in the stage time, sharing stages with artists including Opus Kink and Scott Lavene. “The new single moves direction for Eddz and highlights a more developed sound. Expect a darker and more cinematic sound from the next release...” he teased.

> Eddz will be in session and enjoying interview time with John Kennedy on Radio X, on Saturday, March 4. Nice work.

A little while before the pandemic, Cherie Currie released the passion project, Blvds of Splendor which was a collaboration with Guns N’ Roses drummer Matt Serum.

“Cherie’s voice tells it all, she is the real deal,” Matt said, adding how thrilled he was to be a part of the process.

That release was swelled by a terrific amount of A-listers keen to cosy up to Cherie on disc; Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan, Slash and Duff McKagan from Guns N’ Roses, Juliette Lewis and Brody Dalle all played their part because Cherie played her part in influencing them.

Take your ticket for the chance to sing-along to ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb with the original and best on Saturday, March 25.

> To book for either show visit theroadmender.com

Charged up times for Towcester

We love it when young artists pool their talents and start making a scene instead of sitting back and expecting it all to come to them, and Headcharge is a great example of things being done the right way. Headcharge is a collective of bands from Northampton and Milton Keynes who have come together to work on a new live music opportunity for Towcester, which launches at The Mill Brewery on March 4.

Alfie Glass and Lewis Beahan are bringing this debut event to you, which will feature fuzzy garage rockers Mothman, the Man, ‘famptonbased gritty punk-grungers Something To Write Home About, and MK psychedelics Lurch

Fellow new city players Serma will top the bill in The Malt Room.

A food van will cater for hunger pangs, home brewed beers will feature, and snapper Joe Westley will be selling his prints.

Tickets are a fiver on the door, and ages 16+ are welcome – you will be ID checked.

“There are a lot of young people in Towcester, but we don’t have a reason to come out,” Alfie told Pulse, “We want to give the people a reason to come out and we’re looking forward to exciting times as we deliver Towcester’s first ever real music venue with bands who have big dreams!

“We want to make this the social hotspot for the town – let’s work together and make this a place of our own,” Alfie encouraged.

This isn’t just about holding a gig, but creating and contributing to the creative community.

> If you can help and want to get involved, drop an email to headchargeclub@gmail.com

‘Your ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb’ - Cherie Currie

Mothman, The Man (above) and Serma (left) form part of the line-up for Headcharge in Towcester

Lurch (above) and Something to Write Home About are also performing at The Mill Brewery

Eddz - ‘a more cinematic sound’ is coming

#WhatsOnPulse

Towcester Book Week

Thursday, March 2 – Sunday, March 12

A series of workshops and talks by authors to celebrate and promote reading, writing and local libraries. Authors include Louise Jenson talking about her million selling thrillers. Once upon a time: towcesterbookweek.co.uk

Metal to the Masses

Thursday, March 2

Check out rising talents nice and early as the heaviest rock competition returns to Wolverton venue The Craufurd Arms – who will get one stage closer to winning a spot at Bloodstock Festival 2023?

Hands in the air: thecraufurdarms.com

Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer

Thursday, March 2, 7.30pm

A two-hour talk that will focus on investigating the darkest criminal minds. Cases featured include Harold Shipman, Jeffrey Dahmer and Fred and Rose West. It will look at why women fall in love with serial killers, and the seven phases of serial killing.

Murderous intentions: theoldsavoy.co.uk

A Social History of Cutlery with Mark Lewis

Thursday, March 2

Join the Milton Keynes National Trust event at the Oak Tree Centre, Wallinger Drive, Shenley Brook End. Members of the MKNTA pay £3, non-members pay £4. Questions? Send to Sue Dee: deefam5248@outlook.com

Stereo MC’s

Saturday, March 4

A chance to get yourself connected with one of the most memorable bands from the 90s, who are still bringing good times, when they play live at The Craufurd Arms in Wolverton. Step on: thecraufurdarms.com

MK Handmade & Vintage Fair

Saturday, March 4 (9am-6pm) & Sunday, March 5 (10.30am-5pm)

Purchase from independent traders, small businesses, makers and artisans, with everything from clothing and accessories to furniture, homewares, collectables and treats. Unique: mkhandmadeandvintage.co.uk

NMPAT spring Festival of Music: Orchestra Spectacular

Sunday, March 5, 6pm Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust invites you to the Derngate Theatre to enjoy music from three generations of orchestras; County Junior, Country Training and County Youth. In tune: royalandderngate.co.uk

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Until Sunday, March 5

If you’ve not yet caught a performance but still want to, you’ve only got a few days left to book to see the Roald Dahl classic on its first ever UK tour. Take your seat at MK Theatre. Golden ticket: atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes

Enjoy the music of The Four Seasons in Jersey Boys - March 21 - April 1

Author Louise Jensen will be at Towcester Book Week this March

NMPAT Big Sing: School of Rock

Monday, March 6 – Thursday, March 9

Each performance will feature more than 500 youngsters, including featured soloists in lead roles. It’s A Long Way To The Top: royalandderngate.co.uk

The Steve Summers Band

Tuesday, March 7

Bletchley Blues Club welcomes the first-class blues-rock outfit who have released two critically acclaimed albums. Sunshine of your love: bletchleybluesclub.uk

The Levellers

Tuesday, March 7, 7.30pm

A brand new acoustic tour for the English folk-rockers who are celebrating their 35th anniversary in 2023. Hope Street: royalandderngate.co.uk

Sir Scallywag & The Golden Underpants

Wednesday, March 8, 11am and 1pm

When King Colin’s golden underpants go missing, it’s Sir Scallywag to the rescue! Brave and bold, courageous and true, he’s the perfect knight for the job… even if he is only six years old!

Performed by Ensemble 360 and Polly Ives, it is suitable for ages three to seven and serves as a great introduction to live music. Never too young: stables.org

Northamptonshire Federation of WIsspring coffee morning

Friday, March 10, 10am - midday Energy efficiency is the theme of this meeting - a chance to discover more about how to save on this expensive commodity, at WI House, 71 Park View, Moulton NN3 7UZ.

All welcome, £3 (includes coffee and cake). Turn up the dial: admin@ncfwi.org.uk or call 01604 646055

Rapunzel & The Tower of Doom

Sunday, March 12, 2pm

Join the Theatre of Widdershins as they deliver an enchanting show about the girl with the longest hair of all who is trapped in a tower. The performance at The Stables is suitable for ages four and up. Plenty of volume: stables.org

Exhibition on Screen: Mary Cassatt:

Painting the Modern Woman

Sunday, March 12, 2pm Mary made a career painting the lives of the women around her and became one of America’s most well-known artists. The world’s most eminent Cassatt curators will help tell this riveting tale of great social and cultural change. Making a splash: mkgallery.org

Denton Gardening Club

Monday, March 13, 7.30pm

A talk with speaker Andrew Mikolaski asking, ‘Do your roots need doing?’ at Denton Village Hall, Vicarage Lane, Denton, Northampton, NN7 1DT. Free for members, visitors pay £3, a raffle will be held and home-made refreshments will be available. A friendly club and everyone is welcome. Potted up: Call 01604 890875 or email m.pateman@yahoo.co.uk for details.

Sounds of the 60s Live with Tony Blackburn

Tuesday, March 14, 7.30pm

Every week, more than a million people tune in to BBC Radio 2 to hear Tony wax lyrical about the biggest stars of the 60s. Now catch the live event in the new city, at Milton Keynes Theatre. On my radio: atgtickets.com/ miltonkeynes

Que Sera Sera

Thursday, March 16, 2.30pm

A show paying homage to one of Hollywood’s most legendary stars, Doris Day. Ticket-holders will be treated to a factual timeline through her career in music and film.

Pillow Talk: theoldsavoy.co.uk

Comedy at the The Venue

Friday, March 17, 8pm

Join MC Harry Stachini, Darren Harriot and Jack Gledlow, the latest names promising laughs with the Comedy Cow. Funny moo: thecomedycow.co.uk

Hop along to Howe Park Wood in Milton Keynes to celebrate Frog Day - March 19

Danesborough Chorus presents Antonin Dvorak’s Stabat Mater

Saturday, March 18, 7.30pm

Join the Danesborough Chorus and Alina Orchestra at St Mary’s Parish Church, Woburn for their spring chorus.

Classic: danesborough.org.uk

The Bootleg Beatles

Saturday, March 18, 7.30pm

From the Cavern to the Apple rooftop, this show by the world’s premier Beatles tribute will be a Magical Mystery trip and a half!

Come Together: royalandderngate.co.uk

Frog Day

Sunday, March 19

The Parks Trust will be at Howe Park Wood to celebrate Frog Day, which is your chance to learn all about the beautiful little hoppers. This free, family-friendly event will allow you to explore their habitats and have a go at some frog-themed crafts while learning more about how you can help the amphibians at home.

Jump to it: theparkstrust.com

Graham Gouldman’s Heart Full of Songs

Tuesday, March 21, 8pm

Join Graham and his band (all 10cc live players) for a broad spread from his songwriting catalogue – and with his ace abilities, this could be a long night!

Will include chart hits for 10cc, the Hollies, Herman’s Hermits, Jeff Beck and Wax, which saw him team up with Andrew Gold. I’m Not in Love: stables.org

Jersey Boys

Tuesday, March 21- Saturday, April 1

The smash hit musical is working its way back to Northampton Derngate to tell the inside story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. Oh, What A Night: royalandderngate.co.uk

Tuesday, March 21

Jon has previously played at the Bletchley Blues Club as a solo artist and as a duo with a double bass player. Now he’s back with a trio – so a more electric sound is on the cards. Boogie on: bletchleybluesclub.uk

Wired For Sound: Celebrating Cliff Richard Thursday, March 23, 7.30pm Cliff fans will love this live tribute concert celebrating six decades of the pop prince and his big hits. Move It: theoldsavoy.co.uk

Feast of Fiddles

Friday, March 24

A fiddling frenzy courtesy of a bunch of old folk-rockers (their words) from bands including Steeleye Span, Battlefield Band and Joe Brown’s band – see them live at The Stables in Wavendon. On the fiddle: stables.org

Spring Flower Show

Saturday, March 25, 2.30pm-4.30pm

Denton Garden Club holds its annual show in Denton Village Hall, with a plant stall, raffle and refreshments. It is an open show for spring bulbs and plants and anyone is welcome to exhibit.

For a schedule or more information call 01604 890875 or email m.pateman@yahoo.co.uk

Stamp Fair

Saturday, March 25, 10am-4pm

First class event for all stamp collectors to get stuck into. Pop along to the Methodist Church Hall, Queensway, Bletchley, Milton Keynes to meet with a variety of stamp dealers. Opportunity to obtain advice if you have a collection you are looking to sell. Stamp donations are always welcome for their Charity Stamp Auctions. Lick it: miltonkeynesphilatelicsociety.co.uk or call 01908 521220

5 Ways Cafe at St Andrew’s Church

Tuesday, March 28, 11am-3pm

Join The Parks Trust, St Andrew’s Church and the Friends of Great Linford Manor Park at the dementia friendly community cafe. All are welcome to pop along for a cuppa and a chat, and – if you would like to – there is the option of joining an accessible guided walk around the park and the village. Get involved: theparkstrust.com

ROH Live: Turandot

Sunday, March 26, 2pm

Enjoy an on screen performance of Puccini’s final opera which is a glorious pageant of rich colour, dance and drama, and includes Nessun dorma. Book in: mkgallery.org

Weezer Tribute Night

Friday, March 31

George Gadd and the Aftermath will be playing the Blue album in full, Weird Elements will deliver Pinkerton, and Beans McQueens will play all the other Weezer hits you want to hear. Hash Pipe: thecraufurdarms.com

Jon Walsh Trio

Feast of Fiddles return to The Stables on March 24

love this Craggy celebration! You will, you will, you will

Whether you are partial to dance, gritty theatre, musicals, the beautiful game or classic comedy Father Ted, you’ll be well catered for in the weeks ahead at Northampton’s theatres. Sammy Jones races through the best of a busy month...

We mentioned it last month, but Strictly Ballroom The Musical continues through to March 4, so there’s still time to take a seat and let Kevin Clifton and Maisie Smith wow you in the stage version of the Baz Luhrmann classic, which is directed and co-choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood. Can it be anything other than fab-u-lous, darling?!

The Royal & Derngate Young Company present (Circle Dreams Around) The Terrible, Terrible Past at the Royal (March 3-4).

‘Someone has a recurring dream. It’s a bit weird. There are fish, chickens, cows, who all look and sound like people – people who look kind of familiar. And there’s a butcher, killing people. The dream feels like a circle – going round and round and back to the start again. And there doesn’t seem to be any way out.’

They are right. It is a bit weird.

Rob Auton, a man The Guardian has decided is the ‘Brian Cox of Comedy’ visits the Underworld (March 3) with The Crowd Show, a comedy/theatre/spoken word evening about crowds, people and connection.

Back at The Royal, Henry V (March 7-18) will deal with civil unrest, trouble with Europe and the death of our monarch. The Bard’s brilliance will take you back to the late 15th century, but it could almost be the here and now, eh?

A young, newly crowned king is eager to assert his control of the United Kingdom, but when a humiliating message arrives from overseas, a bruised ego leads Henry to double down on a military invasion, at a devastating cost. Settle down for a performance and share in Henry V’s bombastic pursuit of power, and what it means to be English.

Other big shows this month include Firedance, with Strictly aces Karen Hauer, Gorka Marquez and their cast delivering fresh flavours and super-charged choreography. It’s time to ignite the passion and turn up the temperature. Just perfect for these still chilly evenings (March 13).

Harmonious hit Jersey Boys is back in the town (March 21 – April 1). The show has been seen by more than 27 million people worldwide and bagged 65 major awards. Imagine the size of the mantelpiece needed to accommodate that lot!

Enjoy the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons with one classic hit after another, including Sherry, Oh What A Night, Walk Like A Man and Working My Way Back To You Give the kids a treat by going to see Twirlywoos at the Royal (March 22 - 25).

Inventive puppetry will bring to life Great BigHoo, Toodloo, Chickedy, Chick and their pals for an hour of colourful fun and laughter. Twirlywoos comes from the same producers responsible for The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show. Quality assured excellence for all ages. Northampton Gilbert & Sullivan Group are back on the Royal stage (March 27 – April 1) with their 69th Anniversary production, Ruddygore

G&S’s satirical take on Victorian melodrama has a plot with the lot; ghosts, witches, curses, disguises, a wicked villain who tries to make off with the fair maiden, and love. Makes Corrie seem rather tame, doesn’t it?

Over at The Old Savoy, the adult panto Mother Goose (March 3) promises to be egg-cellent, and more than a little bit rude. In fact, organisers say it will be a filthy night out!

Now you could stay home with a nice cup of tea, but it won’t be anywhere near as much fun as heading out for A Celebration of Father Ted with Joe Rooney (March 17).

Joe will set a Craggy Island quiz, there will be priests aplenty, and appearances from a nursery-rhyme singing Ziggy Stardust, Nirvana and Johnny Cash...

It’s a brilliant chance to reminisce about one of the greatest of all the sitcoms – and Joe has a fairly unique insight into the comedy classic; he features in the episode The Old Grey Whistle Theft, as the rebellious Father Damo.

Joe will be airing that episode on the silly and sensational night. Fancy it? Ah, go on, go on!

When French ace Kylian Mbappé scored that hat trick in the World Cup Final recently, he became the first fella to achieve that feat since Sir Geoff Hurst, who did the business back in ‘66.

Wonder how Geoff feels about that? Why not ask him when he visits The Old Savoy on March 30, for ‘An Evening With’ event.

For more R&D and Old Savoy shows this month, turn over to our What’s On pages. It’s busy, busy, busy.

> Book your seats: The Old Savoy: theoldsavoy.co.uk Royal, Derngate & The Underground: royalandderngate.co.uk

A celebration of Father Ted at The Old Savoy with Joe Rooney and (below) colourful and rude in equal measure - Mother Goose

(Circle Dreams Around) The Terrible, Terrible Past plays at The Royal

Trouble with Europe in Henry V

View from the Far Kerb

One Way

After many years of supporting Windows PCs, I decided to switch to a Mac. It wasn’t a sudden decision as I had encountered the Applesphere thirteen years ago when an iMac appeared in my household. However, unable to abandon PCs entirely, I ran Windows ‘on the side.’

One day the iMac died and couldn’t be revived no matter how blue I turned the air. Even offering it my First Born wasn’t enough. Delving inside a PC was fine but the iMac was a mystery to me, needing special tools, so I left it to an expert in things all things Apple. It turned out the system board had expired.

Then I discovered the difference between the baby iMac and the bigger 27” version: an additional £500 for a replacement board. While swapping out a PC motherboard was child’s play for me; one costing over £600 made my eyes bleed.

Moving on, I bought a MacBook. No, I really am that stupid. I don’t believe lightning will strike the same place three times. The difference this time is that I no longer work in IT supporting PCs with the result I am now happy to become a follower of fruit.

As a writer, I wanted to maintain my routine. I ended up using the same writing tools as before in the belief that they would have the same functions across the two platforms. Oh, I was so wrong. The result was that I sought to switch to an entirely different package and it was then I discovered a problem.

I have old emails going all the way back to 1999. Until 2022 they were easily accessible. Then I imported them into the Mac and in the New Year added those of 2022. However, when circumstances had me looking to move elsewhere, I discovered that I had been locked-in and there was no way to export the emails. I was now faced with paying Big Money to do what was free and easy with the PC version. Being tight, I had to become inventive.

My bodge was to use a temporary web-based email account and copy everything to the internet then download it to a PC. No money left my hands. Very happy but also, very, very tired.

I obviously didn’t learn. A few years later I bought another, and it went the same way as the first. Some might say I was very unlucky. Or very stupid. Whichever, they amounted to the same thing. However, the second iMac was pre-owned and because the cost of repair was about what I bought it for, I binned it.

My years working in IT taught me to always have a back out plan. Failure to do so usually meant being left high and dry without a clue how to get out of trouble. It was a useful approach to life in general.

It’s a pity I didn’t think things through this time. Obviously I’ve been out of the IT game too long…

My years working in IT taught me to always have a back out plan. Failure to do so usually meant being left high and dry without a clue how to get out of trouble. It was a useful approach to life in general.

Your stars

Flavour of the Times - The image for Pisces is of two fishes, one going upstream and the other down – sometimes at the same time! It is the last sign of the zodiac and Pisces people seem sometimes to be either very wise because they’ve learnt from everything that has happened to them, or just maddeningly confusing because they’ve absorbed so much data that they can’t cope with it all. The main thing to remember is that it is a water sign and water goes where it will. March is about watery emotional stuff until around 20th when Mercury and the Sun have both charged into Aries and the energy quickens suddenly. Big changes are afoot, but we can’t quite see how they will unfold yet. Whatever happens between 23rd March until mid-June will give us an inkling of what is to follow.

PISCES

February 20 – March 20

It’s a month of two distinct characters before and after 22nd. Before then, enjoy the feeling of swimming in the soup of the watery depths. After then, like a bolt from the blue, Aries will fire everyone up into sudden action so be ready. Try to maintain some steadiness within you as a lot of actions may be either seriously misguided, or just impetuous nonsense.

ARIES

March 21 – April 20

This month you get a glimmer of what’s to come this year, but only after the new moon in Aries on 22nd. The moon is joined by four other planets, all in Aries, so it’s a potentially massive acceleration forward into the spring and you are the one to get ahead and lead it. Make use of the watery Pisces energy before then by clearing your life of all that has become unnecessary.

TAURUS

April 21 – May 21

While Pisces is the watery flavour of early March, you will feel that nothing much is happening. However, the acceleration that will lurch you forward after 22nd could feel quite abrupt and take you by surprise. Don’t worry about this highoctane moment: your role is to make sense of this rush of energy next month and put it to work in a practical way. All in good time, in fact.

GEMINI

May 22 – June 21

You will like the surge of energy that the end of the month brings with the new moon in Aries but you might struggle to know where to put your efforts. The best advice thing is to try to wear blinkers and exclude too many extraneous diversions. It is preferable to make one significant step forward out of your winter self and into the energy of spring than to scatter your energies.

CANCER

June 22 – July 23

Early March will be quite emotional with all sorts of conflicting feelings coming to the surface. Long standing family issues will feel hard to resolve but try to resist the idea that it is always down to you to solve them. The desire to take action might become overwhelming after 22nd but that could only make matters worse. The dust will start to settle in about five weeks.

LEO

July 24 – August 23

You will need to make adjustments to your life in the first part of March. The self-reflective, rather introspective energy of this time is not really much to your liking but the kick of new spring power in the last 10 days of the month will feel like things have got going again. Find an Aries person to work with and you could be amazed how much progress you make in a short time.

VIRGO

August 24 – September 23

Dissolving watery, boundary-less emotional flooding – not what a Virgo likes at all. You revel in organising, categorising and creating order so the chaos around you may feel highly unsettling. After 22nd though, the new moon occurs in Aries and there are five planets in the sign. Suddenly it’s all action so the question is: how flexible are you able to be during these sudden changes?

LIBRA

September 24 – October 23

I get the impression you will find it hard to come to the big decisions you thought you might resolve this month. The seesawing of the scales that form the symbol of your sign means that you will be unable to come to any kind of equilibrium until the new moon in Aries grabs. Funnily enough, having the decision-making taken away from you may even seem like a relief.

You are bound to be affected personally by some if not all of the massive changes that are taking place this year. An astrological reading of your chart can forewarn you about how these changes might affect you. To really understand what they mean for you on a personal level during 2023, I would recommend that you consider booking a comprehensive personal astrological consultation with me. This is completely specific to you and your life. This will illuminate many things that you may not have considered up to now and it will enable you to really take advantage of the positive energies and avoid the negative ones throughout the year.

SCORPIO

October 24 – November 22

There may be some relief to be had from the intense pressure you have felt yourself to be under this month. Some of this may well have been self-imposed but don’t beat yourself up too much. After the 22nd, things may feel palpably different as major changes in the cosmos cause you to shift your course in ways that may turn out ultimately to be fundamental.

SAGITTARIUS

November 23 – December 22

Challenges to your personal life may be holding you back in many ways this month. Emotional issues may force their way to the surface against your will, but you are being invited to acknowledge their existence, maybe for the first time. Don’t turn your back as there are important lessons to be learned here that will help you in the future.

CAPRICORN

December 23 – January 20

Pluto leaves your sign on 23rd and goes into Aquarius until June. This is not yet a big deal for the planet as a whole, but it will be this time next year. Try to think about what has happened while Pluto has been in your sign since 2008. Be ready to move on to meet the new and unexpected changes that will start occurring. Life moves irrevocably on.

AQUARIUS

January 21 – February 19

You may have been dreading this as much as anticipating it but Pluto, the planet of transformation, moves into your sign on 23rd March. It stays there until June, then pops back in Capricorn for 6 months before finally going into Aquarius to stay for about the next 20 years. This is potentially momentous so tread carefully until you find your feet.

Chart readings with me start at £67 and last for an hour on Zoom or Skype. Please go to www.astroguidance.co.uk for more details and to book a session. You can also text or WhatsApp me on 07866 727743 or email me at howpark@ aol.com for more information.

If you are interested in discussing and learning more about astrology, why not pop into my Facebook group The Astrocafe | Facebook.

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