NN Pulse magazine November 22

Kerry Lewis-Stevenson

look forward to even

in the last few weeks.

the results of the Northamptonshire

and Drink Awards – and what a worthy group of winners they are. It’s great to celebrate our high-quality local produce and drink and the excellence of our eateries and producers. Well done to everyone!

We have recently been celebrating our local heritage sites too and Laura Malpas was pleased to see some of her favourites and the volunteers who support them recognised by the Northamptonshire Heritage Forum. It was very well-deserved appreciation for all the sites we enjoy so much.

Christmas is fast approaching and from 5 November you can collect entry forms from Northampton’s participating stores to win your Golden Tickets again this year. Just post your form in one of the special post boxes in the town centre and you could receive one of four £500 vouchers to give your celebrations a boost this year.

While you’re waiting to find out if you’re one of the lucky Golden Ticket winners you can use the Explore Northampton augmented reality app where children of all ages can look out for Mischievous Elves around the town centre. In fact, some of these cheeky creatures have found their way on to the pages of Pulse magazine too. Can you find them? If you can, you might win family theatre tickets in Northampton - all the details are on page 9.

The countdown has also started for the annual Christmas Gifts for Patients appeal from the Northamptonshire Health Charity. Can you help to make sure every patient in a local NHS hospital receives a present on Christmas day? The appeal not only helps people who don’t have anyone to visit or bring them gifts, it also brightens the day for all the inpatients. Many thanks in advance for anything you can do to help.

CONTENTS

NN Pulse is distributed door to door to 22,000 homes and businesses in: Ashton, Astcote, Blisworth, Brafield-on-the-Green, Bugbrooke, Chapel Brampton, Church Brampton, Collingtree Park, Collingtree Village, Dalscote, Denton, Eastcote, East Hunsbury, Gayton, Grange Park, Great Brington, Great Houghton, Greens Norton, Hackleton, Hardingstone, Horton, Kislingbury, Little Brington, Little Houghton, Lower Harlestone, Milton Malsor, Moulton, Nether Heyford, Pattishall, Piddington, Preston Deanery, Quinton, Roade, Shutlanger, St Georges Fields, Stoke Bruerne, Upper Harlestone, West Hunsbury, Wootton, Wootton Fields, Yardley Hastings and pick up points across Northamptonshire.

These days most homeowners suffer from a lack of storage space. So many precious items that need to be kept – but where to store it all? That’s where Home Counties Loft Ladders come in.

The company, based locally, offers homeowners the opportunity to maximise their storage space with a loft ladder, 50sqft of boarding and a lightall fully fitted in less than a day from just £444! But it’s not just the affordability of the package that makes Home Counties Loft Ladders stand out, as manager Jamie Oakley explains: ‘Our watchwords

are Quality, Integrity and Value. Quality in the materials that we use for all our installations and the fact that all our loft packages are fitted by time served tradesmen, so our customers are assured of the best job.

Integrity in that we will turn up at the time we say and make sure the house is spotless when we leave, and value in that we offer our services at a price people can afford.

Our business relies on referrals and we get a huge amount of our calls from people who have been

Trust!

referred to us by our existing customers - that simply wouldn’t happen if we didn’t adhere to our overriding principles.

At the end of the day the old adage that happy customers lead to more happy customers is true and we work hard to make that happen for every installation we carry out!’

So, if you want to make use of your loft space, call Jamie free on 0808 301 9552 and he’ll be happy to pop round and give you a no obligation quote so you too can make use of your loft!

‘We are humbled and excited for the future’

They proved themselves the best of the best out of hundreds of nominations and applications across 15 categories.

The awards, now in their 14th year, celebrate all that is great about local produce and drink, recognising excellence within the county’s dining venues and producers.

The results were announced at a dazzling awards dinner at Northampton’s Royal & Derngate. The menu included a wealth of Northamptonshire ingredients, including Green Kitchen Preserves Tomato and Chilli Chutney, Whittlebury Bakery white sourdough crisp, Hamm Tun Fine Foods and the Northampton Cheese Company’s cheese, The Food Library’s Spiced Rhubarb Chutney and Mee Farmers’ Blueberry and Lavender Jam.

The main course was a Roast Rib of Booker’s Black Gate Signature Beef.

The winners received their trophies from guest presenter and journalist Helen Fospero, best known for her presenting role on shows such as GMTV, Daybreak and Lorraine, who for the second year was Master of Ceremonies.

Restaurant Ember, Wellingborough, one of four Gold Award winners of the Booker Dining Venue of the Year was praised by judges for its fun and

creative BBQ Tapas menu. Owner and head chef James Peck said: “It means so much to have been recognised for this award having only been open for three months. We are very humbled and excited for the future.”

To compound the restaurant’s success, Restaurant Ember chef Hannah Dunne took one of the two Gold Awards in the Booker Young Chef of the Year.

The awards are supported and sponsored by major food and drinks businesses based in the county including headline sponsor Weetabix.

Stuart Branch, its chief people and digital officer, said: “We are immensely proud to support the awards process with year-long backing to ensure that those who are declared Gold, Silver and Bronze winners in each category receive the recognition they deserve as well as mentoring and guidance.”

A surprise Outstanding Contribution to Food and Drink in Northamptonshire award went to Colin Richardson for his work in taking on iconic venues and changing them to be both award winning and popular with the public.

A winner’s view as headline sponsor Weetabix stresses its commitment to the Northamptonshire Food & Drink Awards.

The results were announced at a dazzling awards dinner at Northampton’s Royal & Derngate

Cloudy2Clear, A Local Service With A Smile.

Established for over 16 years, Cloudy2Clear windows have become the UK’s leading company for domestic glass replacement. Customers are no longer needing to replace their complete window frames, instead, now they can join over 320,000 happy customers and have their glass replaced and/ or upgraded in an affordable and ethical manner. Remember, a failed glazing unit may no longer provide you with the protection you need or be energy efficient. Why not spend a few minutes checking your home to see if you have any failed

Established for over 16 years, Cloudy2Clear windows have become the UK’s leading company for domestic glass replacement. Customers are no longer needing to risk their windows by using the dreaded double glazing cowboy down the road, instead, now they can join over 320,000 happy customers and have their glass replaced in an affordable and ethical manner. Remember, a failed glazing unit may no longer provide you with the protection you need or be energy efficient. Why not spend a few minutes checking your home to see if you

All C2C employees operate a strict social distancing policy.

have any failed double glazing? If you act now you can avoid any future costly problems.

double glazing? If you act now you can avoid any future costly problems.

When talking to Trevor & Wendy Skidmore the owners of Cloudy2Clear Northampton & Oxford it became clear that these values have been held for over 15 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 & daughter-in-law Lori into the family business along with Dan, Mark & Jo as demand for their service has grown.

When talking to Trevor & Wendy Skidmore the owners of Cloudy2Clear Northampton & Oxford it became clear that these values have been held for over 15 years. Since buying the local franchise in 2006 they have remained true to their core values of supporting the local community whilst introducing their two sons Lloyd & Ross & daughter-in-law Lori into the family business along with Dan, Tom, Lewis & Jo as demand for their service has grown.

The Cloudy2Clear service only requires the glass to be replaced and not the whole window once the unit has failed. Trevor commented “Cloudy2Clear were able to assist our community through the last financial crisis in 2008 due to the savings that can be made in using our service. Unfortunately we might be going through something similar again soon and the public can rest assured that we will be there to help once again”.

The Cloudy2Clear service only requires the glass to be replaced and not the whole window once the unit has failed. Trevor commented: “Cloudy2Clear were able to assist our community through the last financial crisis in 2008 due to the savings that can be made in using our service.

Unfortunately we might be going through something similar again soon and the public can rest assured that we will be there to help once again”.

For a free quotation please call 0800 61 21 118 or visit www.cloudy2clear.com

For a free quotation please call 0800 61 21 118 or visit www.cloudy2clear.com

Have Your Windows Steamed Up?

“I really liked the fact that they were a local community run business”

Awards celebrate the best of the county’s law profession

Law firm Wilson Browne Solicitors brings home another major prize from the Northamptonshire Law Society Awards.

olleagues at Northamptonshire law firm Wilson Browne Solicitors are still celebrating after bringing back a string of awards from the annual Northamptonshire Law Society

The Large Law firm of the Year award led the pack but Wilson Browne also returned with the Support Staff award in which business development and marketing winner and the Outstanding Academic

Dissertation) award won by Nele Klinkosch of the firm’s private client (wills and trusts)

Wilson Browne were out in force at the awards, held in person for the first time since before the pandemic. The firm also had two finalists in other categories: Partner and head of commercial litigation Hayley Mauro for Solicitor of The Year and solicitor Jessica Leech, who works in the

family law department, as Young Lawyer of The Year.

Wilson Browne chair Kevin Rogers said: “I am so proud to say that Wilson Browne Solicitors have once again been awarded Large Law Firm of the Year for 2022. I cannot tell you the pride that the board and partners all feel at this remarkable achievement, this consistent excellence.”

After collecting his Support Staff award, Mr Jenkins said: “It is fantastic to see Northamptonshire Law Society recognising the hard work and dedication that support staff make to their respective law firms. Whether you are a secretary, front of house, IT or other staff, it’s great to see that those who aren’t necessarily centre stage can be recognised.

“Putting the personal award to one side, I am delighted that the firm has been recognised yet again by winning Large Law Firm Of The Year and feel proud to have played a part in that achievement.”

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Business and community organisation visits

As we entered autumn, there was growing concern around the exorbitant rises in energy costs. Although there was some good support for consumers announced previously, there was clearly more to be done and also address business consumers who were more exposed to the steep price rises. Heat Treatments (Northampton) Ltd, in Duston for example were faced with a 519% increase in their electricity bill and a 1544% rise in their gas bill. I visited them last month and a number of other town centre businesses to gauge how well the most recent Government Support Package was received.

I also hosted a series of visits in Northampton with the new Minister for Culture, Heritage, Civic Society and Youth, Lord Kamall showcasing some of the best that Northampton has to offer. We visited Saints Coffee on St Giles Street and spoke to owner Ben Francoise about his work amongst marginalised communities.

We met Pindy Kaur and Amarjit Atwal at the new Sikh Gurdwara and Community Centre finding out more about their fantastic work. Rachel McGrath CEO of Northamptonshire Community Foundation gave us a very insightful briefing on the invaluable work that she does for the county and finally we went up to Delapre Abbey for a roundtable discussion on various issues around heritage, civic society and tourism offers.

> 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

Andrew Lewer MP for Northampton South

CONTACT DETAILS: Tel: 01604 978080 Email: andrew.lewer.mp@parliament.uk www.andrewlewer.com

CONSTITUENCY OFFICE : 42 Billing Road, Northampton NN1 5DE

Andrew with Heat Treatments Northampton Ltd Directors Nicola Mitchell and Shaun Rowlands

Andrew and Lord Kamall with Saints

Coffee House Owner Ben Francoise

Showing the strength of local community organisations

Butterwicks manager Annalise Brown with Andrew

First time buyers... Are you looking for some help to get onto the property ladder?

The Government have initiated many schemes over the years to help first time buyers with that first crucial step onto the property ladder.

One of the most popular schemes is the current Help To Buy: Equity Loan, which, in various formats, has been helping homebuyers since 2013. This allows first time buyers to proceed with as little as a 5% deposit on a new build property (regional price caps will apply). The government will then lend between 5% and 20% of the purchase price. This means that buyers could potentially only have to fund 80% of the property price, 75% of which can be through a mortgage.

A key selling point for using this scheme is that the loan remains interest free for the first 5 years. At this point most buyers will then re-mortgage in order to pay this loan off, the amount of which will be based on the property value at the time.

This scheme will however, be coming to an end in March 2023, so FTB’s will need to get in quick and start securing their properties by October 2022.

If you do miss out on the deadline, don’t despair, there are other options:

Lifetime ISAs

The “LISA” is a savings account which can be opened between the age of 18 and under 40 in order to start saving for your first home. The Scheme allows you to save up to £4,000 a year and the Government will pay you a 25% bonus on your savings.

This ISA can only be withdrawn in certain circumstances, without incurring a financial penalty. One of these is for your first home… the property must be under £450,000 and be after 12 months of opening the account.

More information can be found on https://www.gov.uk/lifetime-isa.

Stamp duty relief

The Government have also recently amended the stamp duty relief available for FTB’s. If you are buying for a value of up to £425,000 there will be no stamp duty payable. This has recently increased from £300,000.

They have also raised the limit for the value of the property in order to be able to claim FTB relief to £625,000 from £500,000. This means you can now buy a property for up to £625,000 and still be

able to claim relief on the first £425,000. After this value, no relief can be claimed.

Shared ownership

This allows you to buy a share of a property, whilst a housing association retain ownership of the remaining share. You will pay rent on the portion of the share that you do not own.

You can often purchase further shares of the property, but be careful as not all shared ownership properties will let you staircase to a full 100% ownership. Be sure to also check that you can afford both the rental and mortgage payments each month.

Gifts

Another way to step on to the ladder is with the assistance of family or friends. You can use a gifted deposit to help obtain better mortgage rates. Please note that your conveyancer will need to do additional checks on any donors and this will be reported to potential lenders.

Copies delivered every month door to door across Northamptonshire

Huzzah for Northamptonshire’s Heritage!

Laura Malpas reports on the Northamptonshire Heritage Forum’s 2022 Awards

Every month I love to visit one of our local historic locations and to share their stories with you on these pages. Many of these places are run by a small staff team supported by volunteers, and even more of them are entirely volunteer run. People who work in heritage do so for love, and the enthusiasm they have for their organisations is both catching and inspiring! So it’s good that occasionally their hard work is recognised both by the public and those interested in healthy and happy communities.

Over a hundred of these heritage sites are members of the Northamptonshire Heritage Forum, itself a volunteer organisation. The Forum supports these places by providing access to training, joint marketing, and funding advice. Members include museums, historic houses, galleries, outdoor sites such as battlefields, churches, and local history societies and groups, and individuals who are interested in heritage, including authors and speakers.

Earlier this month the Northamptonshire Heritage Forum celebrated the very best heritage projects completed over the last year with many of the county’s leaders present to congratulate the teams and award plaques to the best of the best. The event was held in the impressive facilities of Northampton Museum and Art Gallery. Anticipation ran high as the ceremony was opened by compere John Griff DL of BBC Radio Northampton.

The Hon. Mrs Amanda Lowther DL, representing the Lord Lieutenant, spoke warmly of the enormous asset that the history societies, museums, historic houses, churches, and heritage sites represent to the county, and how the passion and enthusiasm of heritage teams help to generate strong communities and a real family spirit.

Awards were presented by local leaders, including Cllr Jonathan Nunn, Leader of West Northants Council and Cllr Helen Howell, Deputy Leader of North Northants Council. Elizabeth Moran of Museum Development East

Midlands, and Mr and Mrs Dennis Meredith, Mayor and Mayoress of Northampton. Rachel Mallows DL and Richard Barnwell also presented awards. John Griff DL announced and presented the ‘People’s Choice Award’ reflecting the most popular heritage organisation as featured on his BBC Radio Northampton show.

Forum Chair Martin Lawrence MBE noted that the evening was uplifting and inspiring for us all and encouraged everyone to support heritage by visiting and joining in the fun!

The winners, judges, John Griff and Martin Lawrence - NHF chair, line up at the Northamptonshire Heritage Forum Awards 2022

AWARD WINNERS 2022

1. Best Event Award won by Sywell Aviation Museum Grand Opening and 21st Birthday Party

Their first ‘Grand Opening’ in 3 years (thanks to COVID) held to launch the Museum’s 2022 season and celebrate their 21st birthday since first opening!

The team delivered a spectacular event pulling in a record number of visitors and participants. Delivered on a tiny budget, it provided a great day out free to the public.

2. Best Exhibition Award won by Northampton Museum and Art Gallery

We are Northampton

We are Northampton was a collaborative exhibition with the people of Northampton, who contributed their memories of the town. It celebrated the town’s rich heritage and gave visitors an opportunity to explore Northampton’s character through a sense of identity and place, highlighting NMAG’s collections and research of the town. There was something for everyone in the eclectic mix of objects, interactives, paintings, photographs, and stories.

3. Best project under £500 won by Wellingborough Museum Arnie the Dragon

All the Arndale shopping centres in the UK once had a wooden ‘sculpture’ and the Wellingborough Swansgate one was a dragon named Arnie. This was installed in 1975 and was a feature in the mall until 2003 and was played on by youngsters whilst grandparents watched. The project restored this much-loved dragon which had been in the Swansgate Centre and presented it for all to enjoy.

4. Best Volunteer Project won by Northamptonshire Battlefields Society

Battlefield Volunteer Training Events

The aim was to promote the idea of volunteering with the Society and provide suitable training focused around the 1460 battlefield. The Society ran two training events with suitably knowledgeable trainers supported by professionally produced training materials. This series of workshops dramatically increased volunteer numbers and involvement

5. Best Special Project completed over 5 years won by The Chester House Estate Restoring the Chester House Estate

The Chester House Estate is a £15.5m heritage restoration project. The project, funded by North Northamptonshire Council and The National Lottery Heritage Fund, consisted of a large 17th century (Grade II* Listed), farm including a farmhouse and surrounding barns. The restoration of the estate, and creation of new retail, accommodation and catering facilities, a new museum and Archaeological Resource Centre have delivered a wonderful new heritage asset to Northamptonshire. The project has been wildly successful thanks to the energy and passion of the volunteers and staff team.

6. Best Community Project Award won by Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust Delapré Wellbeing

Delapré Wellbeing is a new wellbeing hub being developed for our Northamptonshire community. The Delapré team wanted to empower people across the town to take control over their health and wellbeing through cultural experiences, events, classes and more. This innovative and imaginative project delivered by the team is created by, led by, and designed by the community.

7. Hindsight Award for best published work won by Northampton Record Society

The Best Burglar in the County: Joan Wake and the Northamptonshire Record Society

An edited collection of the letters and diary entries of Joan Wake (1884-1974), who founded the Northamptonshire Record Society in 1920. This astonishing book reveals just how farsighted Joan Wake was, and how much today’s historians have to thank her for securing the written records of our past.

8. The People’s Choice Award won by The Chester House Estate

This vote was for the organisation that the public would most like to visit. The Chester House team won the award taking over 20% of the vote from a shortlist of 10 voted for by the public. This Award was supported by BBC Radio Northampton and John Griff DL.

9. Judges Choice Special CommendationRoade Local History Society

This year, the Judges were particularly impressed with the energy and passion of Roade Local History Society.

The team engaged in a variety of projects and entered three awards each of which were ‘runner up’ to the eventual winner. The judges particularly admired the depth of original research and the imaginative ways the information was used and presented to the public. Their energy and creativity in interpretation was inspiring. Well done to all the team. The Judges look forward to seeing more next year.

10. Heritage Organisation of the Year won by Nenescape landscape partnership scheme

Over the last five year his remarkable organisation has, under the auspices of the River Nene Regional Park, brought together and supported a vast number of local enterprises who operate in the Nene Valley. Their three-fold aim of listening to the past, exploring the now, and securing the future has allowed them to upskill, encourage and fund many of our membership who in turn have delivered truly excellent projects which have engaged and delighted the public, and made the Nene Valley area more accessible and resilient in the longer term.

The project was initially granted £2.6m over five years by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and received an additional £2m of donations and the support of the University of Northampton. The current iteration of the Nenescape project is due to end at the end of October and the Judges and Northamptonshire Heritage Forum wished to congratulate the small but inspiring Nenescape team for successfully fulfilling their vision.

You can learn more about the Forum by visiting: northamptonshireheritageforum.co.uk

A riverside boardwalk built by Nene Park Trust, winner of the Heritage Organisation of the Year

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“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.

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Hawthorns Northampton adjoins open fields yet is close to amenities

‘I didn’t grow up until I was 40!”

Shaun Ryder has gone from being a heroin addict with a 20 year habit to a household name with a new CV that has seen him pop up on reality shows; He’s been in the jungle, has washed his face with urine in a bid to beat the ageing process, and most recently delivered a plate of ‘steak and veg anarchy’ as part of Celeb Cooking School.

And watching him and his bandmate Bez on Celebrity Gogglebox is why we tune in. It might seem a strange turn of events, but then again, maybe not; he’s funny, open, engaging, and what he might say, ‘up for it.’ Shaun is what you call ‘the real deal.’

Ahead of his visit to Milton Keynes, he spoke with Pulse’s Sammy Jones.

Pics: Paul Husband

As frontman with Manchester aces The Happy Mondays, he is a king of the so-called Madchester scene that he inhabits.

During the late 80s and early 90s they released some of the most recognisable musical moments from that scene; Step On, Hallelujah and Kinky Afro sound as fresh today as they did when they initially connected with ears.

Back then, controversy and bad press followed them around, but they knew what they were doing. As Shaun told me a few years back, ‘It’s not as if they crippled us. We understood the power of the press.’

Researching his current plans for our chat it seems that he’s bonkers busy with tv stuff, live shows, recordings and tours.

“I’ve got quite a lot on, but I find it a lot easier now, it doesn’t seem as hectic... maybe it’s because I’ve got a different sort of lifestyle and I’m not off my nut and partying any more,” he says.

“I’m 60 now and if I was still doing that stuff, the men in the white coats would be coming to take me away and lock me up. I enjoyed myself then, but I am enjoying myself just as much now as ever, really...and I still can’t remember it!” he laughs.

“I used to wonder why my memory was so bad, and then I got diagnosed with ADHD, so that explains a lot...”

Shaun’s health issues are well documented, and he takes it all in his stride, but actually

that’s an unfortunate term, given some painful sounding episodes with his hip.

Having switched from a life of excess to a more stable time, Shaun used to enjoy long walks with his wife and their canine pal.

A great way to decompress and chill out. But that’s off the cards just now.

“My hip recently came out and I had to shove it back in,” he shares, which makes us go cold, “My false hip is a bit dodgy and then my other one is bone on bone and I’ve got to have another hip operation, so I can’t do the walking that I used to do and that really p****s me off.

“I’m not really supposed to go down low, and sometimes I’ll forget, and this time when I sat on something really low it came out with a big ‘boom’ and I thought, ‘I’m gonna have to shove this back in now.’ It was a bit painful. Now the wife has to go with the dog on her own.

“It’s like when I got the full body alopecia,” he says, continuing his run through of conditions,

“My testosterone needed stopping for a while, because – and I get this wrong all the time – my red blood cells were doing something, so they had to stop my testosterone while they sorted that out and my body went into shock.

Then every hair on my body fell out, so I’ve got no eyelashes, no eyebrows and I look like Uncle Fester...”

Surely talking like that is a coping mechanism?

“What else can I do?” he answers, “I can’t go and have a hair transplant. You’ve just got to get on with it, ain’t ya? I know some people, especially actors and musicians, that if it happened to them they wouldn’t come out of the house, but you’ve just got to get on with it.

“Of course I’m p****d off because I ain’t got any eyelashes or any eyebrows, but because I’ve always had short skinheads anyway, apart from when it’s been long, my hair didn’t really bother me at all. I miss my beard,” he admits.

“The good news is I’ve started getting hair back on my head, very sporadic, but it’s coming back. I’ve got a couple of little hairs where my eyebrows should be, and a couple of hairs growing up my nostrils, and because I’m on my full whack of testosterone again now, maybe in a couple of years time I might be ready for a new rebirth...

“It’s like when I lost all my teeth through various crappy drugs; crystal meth and crack cocaine, and all my teeth fell out, didn’t they?” he laughs, “I’ve now got a brand new set of teeth all screwed into my bone in my mouth and I look great!”

In 2010 Shaun entered the jungle, one of the campmates in I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here. He lost out on the crown to Stacey Solomon. But he’s just been back, filming a special version of the show in South Africa, set to air in 2023. Or so the rumours say.

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” he says with a decidedly cryptic drawl.

“I didn’t want to go in 12 years ago, I really begrudgingly went in then – it was management’s idea to do it, but by the time we were all ready to come out, I didn’t want to. I wanted to stay in there like some mad Japanese soldier who was still in the jungle after the war ended!”

And creepy-crawlies don’t bug our Shaun: “The insects really don’t bother me – and when the snake bit me it was just like glass going in you, it was a similar feeling.

Shaun with Bez and The Happy Mondays

“My major worry about going in was meeting new people; was I going to be in there with a bunch of luvvies.

“I’ve always found it difficult coming up with meaningless chit chat. I’m not really good at that, but everyone was great – even Gillian McKeith, just great.”

Less than a week before we speak, Shaun was back on the stage at Manchester’s Factory 251, a venue located in the old home of the defunct Factory Records.

It was his first solo show in more than a decade, and an equally special night for fans and for the man they had come to see.

“It was great. It was really good,” he shares, and we can almost see him grinning at the other end of the phone, “We did the solo album, Visits From Future Technology, and then I brought Kermit in and we did some Black Grape tunes. I really, really enjoyed it.

“The older I’ve got the easier I’ve become in understanding myself and it’s got easier going on stage. I don’t need a s**t load of drugs to get me on there any more and so I actually enjoy it more than ever - apart from when we first started doing it and it was fantastic...” he recollects, “But then you do it for a few years and you go album, tour, album, tour, album, tour and totally f**k yourself up.

‘I enjoy it more now. I do a bit of telly and get on with the real job of making music. I’ve still got a career, so I’m very lucky.

“I didn’t grow up until I was 40! I was still living the same sort of life that I did when I started the band at 18. At 40, I just got fed up with it and sacked everything and I’ve been clean since, which is 20 years.”

After cleaning himself up and moving on, is it a bit frustrating to still be seen as the druggie pop star of the past?

“Not really...” he ponders, “I mean a bit, it’s just...,” he thinks on, “One of the main reasons for doing the TV stuff is that by the time me and Bez have finished the shows, the kids have downloaded your album and come and watch you at festivals or the gigs.

“It’s funny because I get loads of them offering me cocaine and wanting to come out partying with me, and I start scratching my bald head thinking, ‘Why do they wanna go out partying with a 60 year old bloke?”

But despite all the giggles and good stuff he gets up to on reality shows, as he just said, it’s all about the music, and there is plenty of new material on the horizon.

“I’m off to Spain to record the new Black Grape album, we might even do another Mondays album – I’ve always said, ‘Never say no.’

“I’ve gotta do this Black Grape album and I want to get another solo album done, so by 2024 we may be looking at a Mondays record,” he reveals.

Tragically, Shaun lost his brother, Happy Mondays bassist Paul earlier this year.

But a new record would cause more than a little stir with fans, for sure.

“I hope so.”

Shortly after our chat, Shaun will be debating the proposed reclassification of cannabis as a Class A drug in this country on Piers Morgan Uncensored, calling the proposals ‘ridiculous and draconian’.

Fans will be able to ask him more about that, about his new music, or anything else that takes their fancy, when Shaun visits MK11 in Milton Keynes for ‘An Evening with’ session.

He’s been doing these events for some time now, and the type of question is dependent on the town, seemingly.

“I’ll go to some places and all they’ll want to know about is drugs, and then I’ll go to some other place and if it’s full of Guardian readers they’ll want to talk about all sorts of different, interesting things...”

Shaun doesn’t go out to answer set questions, that’s for sure. Nothing is off limits.

“That’d bore me – I’d end up doing about 10 shows and then packing it in,” he admits, “These shows are uncensored, I just let the interviewer go wherever they want and then we throw it over to the audience so it doesn’t get boring.

“Sometimes it can get out of order, especially if you are in some mad places!

“A lot of my fans may be older, but they are still mentally 21, some of them,” he quips.

> An Evening with Shaun Ryder is at MK11 in Kiln Farm on Sunday, November 20. To book tickets visit skiddle.com

I’ll go to some places and all they’ll want to know about is drugs, and then I’ll go to some other place and if it’s full of Guardian readers they’ll want to talk about all sorts of different, interesting things...”

Shaun with fellow Black Grape member, Kermit

Absolute beginners to Improvers... Just Like You!

Explore four different media: Drawing, painting with Watercolour, Acrylics and Oil Pastels. Discover how to paint faces, figures, friends, family and stunning landscapes. Learn artists’ secrets needed to create beautiful pieces of original art. Step By Step Easy Lessons

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• Time to get Arty and enjoy a fun social life again!

• Make The Seasons your favourite day of the week 3 hour sessions, morning or afternoon, for 3½ months

Make New Friends Learn New Skills

Even if you have never picked up a brush before, we will guide you through to make it easy and fun! On completing the course you will have 12 pieces of original art.

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To maintain a high standard of tuition, our classes are kept small, please call now for more details and a friendly chat.

Donate a gift for a patient in hospital this Christmas

The countdown to Christmas has begun as Northamptonshire Health Charity launch their annual Christmas Gifts for Patients appeal. With your help, the charity can ensure that EVERY patient in local NHS hospitals receives a present on Christmas day.

The appeal began many years ago to support those patients, mostly elderly, who have nobody which means no visitors and no gifts. The overwhelming support from the local community and businesses means the charity usually receives enough donations to give gifts to all inpatients on the day. Typical items that are perfect for patients include toiletries, slippers and socks, dominoes, puzzle and colouring books, sweets and chocolates.

For infection control they must be new, in their original packaging, and not gift wrapped.

There is an Amazon Wish List so if you would prefer to donate something from the list or make a donation online for the charity team to purchase gifts for you, the links are on their website at northamptonshirehealthcharity. co.uk/appeals/christmas-gifts-appeal/ You can drop your donations into the charity office at Springfield near the Main and A&E entrances to Northampton General Hospital, as well as at the Volunteers Desk at the South Entrance. At Kettering General, you can leave them with the reception at the Main Entrance or call the charity office on 01536 491569.

Trish Ribano, service manager at Welland Centre for Adult Mental Health in Kettering said, “We are so grateful for your support at Christmas. It makes our day when all the gifts arrive for us to give out as this can a very lonely and difficult time for patients.”

If you have any queries, you can contact the charity by emailing greenheart@nhcf.co.uk or calling the Northampton office on 01604 626927.

Let’s make sure no one in hospital is forgotten at Christmas.

From the Super Sausage to a Saharan adventure!

When we last spoke with Lavinya Scholl and Oliver Gamblin they were geared up and ready to hit the road for the charity trip of a lifetime, circumnavigating the globe with their motorcycle, a Suzuki V-Strom 1050XT named Bumblebee. Six months on, Sammy Jones checked in to see how things are going for Northampton’s intrepid duo...

Ollie and Lavi began their journey back in April, leaving from the village of Horton. First stop?

A breakfast at the Super Sausage café down the road in Potterspury (every traveller works best on a full belly, after all), and then a ride to the Ace Café in London for the official start of their journey.

Since then, their motorbike has been tucking away more than they have – eating up 11,000 kilometres, which has taken them through countries and scenery every bit as dramatic as varied.

The rural roads of England were swapped for a frenetic trip through the streets of France’s capital before French countryside became their ever changing backdrop, taking in medieval villages and grand châteaus along the way.

Lavi and Ollie at the start of their adventure

“We were lucky enough to be invited to stay in an 800-year-old castle owned by a wonderful Belgian man who believed in a society without money and wanted to share his belongings, and his home, with weary passers like us who were more than happy to be accommodated for an evening around the fire,” recalled Ollie.

The duo pushed on, through the Pyrenees Mountains into Spain, where they enjoyed more adventures.

“We explored and wild camped our way through the most stunning wildernesses the country had to offer, from an abandoned village in the mountains where we came face to face with a wild fox who visited our tent one evening in the hopes of a free meal, to the barren badlands of the Tabernas Desert where we were just minutes away from being caught by the police,” Lavi said, “Sometimes it’s beneficial to wake up early!”

Morocco became their ‘home’ for 40 days, and Ollie and Lavi crossed the Atlas Mountains and journeyed to the edge of the Sahara at the Algerian border.

“We camped with wild monkeys in the cedar forests of Ifrane National Park where both our tent and Bumblebee were welcomed in the only way that monkeys know how, by being pooped on!

“We visited the ancient cities of Marrakesh and Fez, where we accidentally booked a traditional homestay in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage old town and didn’t realise that it was a pedestrian only zone - it’s one of the most densely packed in the world, with 80,000 people living within its thousand year old walls,” said Ollie.

“This meant carting all of our luggage 30 minutes through the busy labyrinth of narrow streets and markets past donkeys, hawkers and market stalls wearing our full motorcycle gear in 30 degree heat!”

Having travelled to the edge of the Sahara, our charity trekkers decided they wanted to camp out among the dunes for an evening, despite the protests of a local hotel owner.

“He had spent the afternoon trying to convince us of all the reasons why we wouldn’t want to camp out amidst the dunes and should instead take a room, warning us of scorpions, snakes and spiders, and the danger faced in the desert.”

Not about to waste a night under the stars with such a stunning landscape for company, Ollie and Lavi pressed on regardless – the sand would be a perfect place to spend the evening. Or so they thought.

“We were quietly enjoying our dinner, looking out over the undulating pinky/ orange landscape with our tent set up and Bumblebee all covered up safely, when

we noticed a dark cloud moving in over the horizon,” recalls Lavi, “It turned out to be a cloud of sand and in only a few minutes we were in the midst of a Saharan sandstorm! We quickly returned to the Kasbah with our tails between our legs and took a room for the night!”

In the southern half of Morocco, they had to deal with the relentless heat of the North African summer – at one point enduring daytime temperatures of more than 40 degrees and nighttime lows of mid 30s.

Bonjour from the Arc de Triomphe

Monkey business in Morocco

Here in Northampton, we know more about that sort of temperature today than we did 12 months ago, but if struggling home with the groceries or feeling the irritation after not being able to sleep in that heat was enough to upset you, spare a thought for these two – wearing biking gear, travelling through the desert sans a supply of chilled water and air con can’t have been too much fun.

Progress was slower in the extreme heat, but they kept moving, and for 1200 kilometres they traversed the single lane highway of Route National 1 that snaked its way between the ocean and the desert.

And then Bumblebee fell poorly – their trusty motorbike quite literally hit the dust, leaving our travellers wondering what to do next.

“We were just about to start unclipping our panniers when we spotted the group of figures moving towards us, emerging from the dusty backdrop. It was the Moroccan military, come to save the day!”

The duo talk often about the kindness and generosity they experienced from the Moroccan people, and thanks to that meeting, they lost little time and continued with their plan – heading to Mauritania’s second largest city, Nouadhibou.

A thicker and hazier atmosphere welcomed them, a combination of sand and exhaust fumes from the sea of old Mercedes cars residing there.

“It felt like a new experience despite all that we had seen so far. The environment had reached a whole new level of barren, a windier, sandier, harsher place devoid of all peace and comfort,” Ollie said, “Dunes rose up frequently on both sides of the road, often covering entire lanes! Luckily we were always given a sliver of tarmac to squeeze through on, as long as there wasn’t a truck coming the other way!”

As the journey progressed, they bore witness to many victims, left to perish: “Abandoned cars we passed along the way told the tale of those old Mercedes that were pushed just that little bit too far.”

The journey so far has taken the pair to some desolate spots, and some incredibly bustling stops – not least Nouakchott, which sprawls from the centre of the remote desert coast.

“A sea of single story cinder block houses radiated out from its centre in an unstoppable expansion that has turned what was once in the 1970’s a small fishing village into the sprawling 1.2 million resident behemoth that it has become today. From the isolation of the desert to the roar of the capital, Mauritania was certainly a country of extremes,” said Lavi.

The couple are documenting their journey –a Guinness Book of Records attempt for the ‘youngest pair to circumnavigate the globe by motorcycle (riding pillion)’ on their own YouTube channel which allows you to check in on their travels and enjoy their experience from the comfort of your sofa. It is well worth subscribing to.

Do that, and you’ll also share in their genuine delight when they find a tasty snack, which doesn’t happen all the time.

“Being vegetarian we’re often left without much choice of food in remote places where all roadside restaurants would serve only meat dishes. Sometimes it’s just bread and Laughing Cow cheese for days on end...”

If the food issue is a bit of a bore, the journey so far has provided in plenty of other ways.

“Being able to explore the country of Mauritania in the middle of the Sahara was a high point, it’s a country rarely visited by foreigners and certainly one that most people wouldn’t choose for their holiday. But in riding around the world we are forced to explore places like these in intimate detail and often they become the unexpected favourite parts of the journey.”

And, after sand, sand and more sand, Senegal offered something quite different for their eyes to feast on: “Our first green landscape at the Senegal river full of wildlife and water after a month of riding in the dusty windy desert was a real highlight as it signified with such exuberance and extravagance the end of our Saharan crossing and the start of West Africa,” Lavi said.

Just 300km further and Ollie and Lavi reached the end of their three month, 11,000km journey in Dakar.

Having successfully navigated their way through Europe and into the heart of West Africa, Bumblebee was loaded into a container ready for a trip across the Atlantic Ocean for Rio de Janeiro, where the next leg of this incredible 50,000km two year round-the-world adventure will begin...

> Ollie and Lavi are using their journey to raise funds for the Born Free Organisation. If you would like to make a donation, please visit justgiving.com/laviandollie

Keep up to speed as their journey continues by following their YouTube channel: Lavi and Ollie or catch them on Instagram & Tik Tok: @lavi.and.ollie

The colourful ‘Puits de Sel’ salt lakes of Palmarin on the coast of Senegal

Reconciliation; can we change our minds about getting a divorce?

You are likely to have spent some weeks, months or perhaps even years contemplating getting a divorce before you decided to apply, and even then, you may still wonder if it is not too late to save your marriage.

“Issuing or receiving a divorce petition can be the spark that awakens feelings or renewed efforts and could lead to a reconciliation,” says Diana Rose, a Solicitor with Borneo Martell Turner Coulston

“It is not uncommon following a divorce petition for a couple to talk more openly to each other, perhaps supported via counselling or mediation. This can be the start of working together to address the cause of unhappiness and could lead to a route forward together again.”

While the decision to divorce is a big step, there is time to change your mind and there are alternatives – such as a trial reconciliation or a formal separation. Diana outlines the options at each phase in the divorce process, and the things to consider.

When is the latest opportunity to stop a divorce? Your marriage will be treated as being formally dissolved when the court issues your final divorce order (previously known as your decree absolute). At any point up to the making of your final order it can be possible to reverse your decision.

What are my options during the divorce process

Before the petition has been formally served, you can stop your petition and seek for it to be withdrawn. Under the no-fault based divorce, if your petition was a joint petition then you must both provide your written consent to the court for the withdrawal.

If your petition has been served but no final order made, then an application can be made to the court to dismiss the petition.

Considering a trial reconciliation

You may have been unhappy in your relationship for some time and wonder if your spouse is now just on their ‘best

behaviour’ or if your reconciliation will last. If you want to test the waters, a trial reconciliation may be a good route to consider before you make any final decision over the dismissal or withdrawal of your divorce petition.

If you have been living separately, you may need some legal assistance in agreeing the financial terms of any trial reconciliation period. We can assist you reaching agreement over who is responsible for various outlays, and ensure you are receiving the correct level of maintenance during any trial reconciliation.

What about a formal separation?

A formal separation is usually only appropriate where you have decided to live apart. It involves drawing up a formal agreement to deal with how to separate your finances and assets. It can also deal with a number of other practical issues such as where each of you and any children will live, and any maintenance payments either of you will pay.

After signing a formal separation, some clients have reported that the mundane pressures of life and running a household together reduce. This allows time to refocus on what first attracted you to each other.

If you wish to continue to live together then a postnuptial agreement may be a good alternative option. This can deal with many of the same issues as a formal separation, without agreeing to separate at that time. It can mean you both give reconciliation a chance without the anxiety of what a divorce would mean financially. We can assist you in agreeing the terms and drafting any formal separation deed or post-nuptial agreement.

For

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

DINE IN WITH US

All-inclusive living at the Hawthorns retirement communities means you can relax and enjoy restaurant-quality meals in sociable dining rooms with no need to venture out for shopping or do the washing up.

Chefs use a thoughtful approach to develop nutritional and delicious menus, offering choices at every meal to suit all tastes and dietary requirements.

Christmas is coming - here’s our look at some of the best Advent Calendar and gifts sets available locally and online. Beauty-ful buys for all.

Noted. Aromas will have an air of familiarity around their fragrances –and it’s entirely intentional.

For those who want to deliver this Christmas, but need a cost effective solution, the designer dupe company offers a wide selection of fragrances inspired by designer perfumes.

Siena is Noted’s alternative to Daisy, with all of the bouquet you expect in the original spray – a floral-woody fragrance with a mellow sweetness. Strawberry, violet and musk are among the fruity and floral notes.

RRP: £19.99 (50ml)

Get it: notedaromas.co.uk

Christmas comes early with the arrival of the Origins Advent Calendar, which brings together 24 iconic essentials for face and body – including its #1 anti-ageing Plantscription Multi-Powered Youth Serum, radiance-boosting GinZing Serum, Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash and Ginger Souffle Whipped Body Cream. Perfectly sized to take on your hols too!

RRP: £99 (worth £164)

Get it: origins.co.uk

Winter weather plays havoc with our skin, but Aveda has just the thing; a Cherry Almond Softening Body Care Trio

The set will smooth things over with its hand & body wash, body lotion and hand relief moisturizing crème. Know someone who is feeling a bit ‘rough’? This is the perfect thing to pop in their seasonal stocking.

RRP: £35 (worth £50)

Get it: aveda.co.uk or Harrods Beauty in centre:mk

Holland& Barrett has 25 days of conscious natural beauty products together with home accessories including a candle and essential oils in its Advent Calendar

Favourites from H&Bs own brands Pip & Pod and VitaSkin sit alongside big names including Dr Organic, Q&A, Evolve and many more, and everything in the calendar is vegan.

RRP: £55 (worth nearly £200)

Get it: At branches in centre:mk and Grosvenor Centre, Northampton

Bumble and Bumble’s new All About Repair set will work from the cortex to the cuticle. It’s a powerhouse collection of a gift with everything necessary to build new bonds, and soften and shine.

Suitable for all hair types, it comes with a shampoo, conditioner, treatment and styling cream.

Helping to banish hairy-scary in favour of lovely locks.

RRP: £54

Get it: bumbleandbumble.co.uk

Sisley’s signature scent Eau du Soir has received a swish new limited edition packaging for Christmas, and this time the brand called upon French-American artist Sydney Albertini to decorate its beautiful bottle.

Sydney has drawn inspiration from her series of charcoal drawings of abstract figures and faces, with the theme ‘reveal more by hiding.’

It’s a simply beautiful collaboration –a fine melding of art and fragrance.

RRP: £205

Get it: sisley-paris.com or Harrods Beauty in centre:mk

Sisley’s Black Rose Duo Coffret Set unites the Skin Infusion Cream, Eye Contour Fluid and Beautifying Emulsion, to help restore the elasticity of more youthful skin, while intensively moisturising.

Giving the gift of salon sorted skin is easy with sensational Sisley, and don’t forget the lips! Sisley’s Nutritive Lip Balm offers a sensory protective film, and light notes of almond will scent the lips.

‘Weather’ rain or shine, Sisley will keep you looking fine.

RRP: £239 (coffret set) £59 (Nutritive lip balm)

Get it: sisley-paris.com or Harrods Beauty in centre:mk

By Cindy LGH @CindyLGH

Get the Woolies

Brrr! Brisk, isn’t it! In fact, it’s been time we cover up and reach for our favourite Winter coats and jumpers.

But, per the catwalks for AW22 (spied along with full body snoods at Max Mara and knitted tutus at Paco Rabbane), a second skin should be flaunted now too, in the form of leather - a huge trend for this season.

There were leathery, sculptural dresses at Alexander McQueen, navy trench coats at Miu Miu, thigh high boots and leather dungarees at Isobel Marant, and asymmetrical leather corsets at Fendi Apparently, whatever you can find in the fabric, works.

To wear it, try a head-to-toe leather look a la the models at

standout accessories like the rubbery bucket hats worn at Versace. Your warmest (yet super-coolest) outfit will be inspired by the buttery-leather-andcolourful-knit combos seen at Chloe, or the quirky looks at Nanushka, where leather blazers were tucked inside maxi wrap skirts.

Just before you decide to replace them with something new, do consider: cleaning up your old leathers (those bags, gloves, aviators and biker jackets always look better with age) and getting the woolies you already own out from the back of your wardrobe. You’ll surely feel all warm and fuzzy inside, having saved yourself some money and having done your bit to help save the planet from yet more

Ho Ho Ho Christmas scented candle £14.50 zestylemons.co.uk

Antique buchanan merino throw £89

Raspberry vodka £10 (250ml bottle), £20 (500ml) thefruityfarmer.co.uk

Personalised dog parent mug £15 bit.ly/dogmugpulse

Pet one piece red matching pyjama set £19 mychristmaspyjamas.co.uk

Gisela Graham robin and berries glass tealight

Set of two leopard print cocktail glasses £29.99 housetohaven.co.uk

Personalised poppy meadow mini oundle bag £47 sophieallport.com

Dead Sea minerals clay mask £12.95 shaloahskincare.co.uk

Concrete wine cooler £19.99 housetohaven.co.uk

Lapis Baroque earrings £109 loftanddaughter.com

Personalised hot water bottle £25 sundaysdaughter.com

Silver mini Madrid studs £22 oneandeight.co.uk

Kent honey gift set £10.50 urbee.co.uk

Kids’ Christmas jumper made from recycled bottles £25 nhmshop.co.uk

Socks that save bees - bamboo socks £9.50 goodthingsgifts.co.uk

Men’s grey canvas and leather wash bag £19.99 housetohaven.co.uk

Roasted butternut squash galette

METHOD

1. To make your pastry add butter to flour and salt and mix to a sand consistency. Add your icy water a tbsp at the time until combined in a smooth dough. Flatten in a small round and leave to rest in the fridge for about an hour.

For the filling

2. To assemble your galette: take your pastry 10 minutes before rolling, out of the fridge. Pre-heat the oven to 1800 C / Gas Mark

4. Mash your roasted butternut and add the all-spice. Roll your pastry out in a circle and start by spreading your mashed roasted butternut squash not reaching the edges, top with goats cheese and sundried tomatoes and fold the edges of the pastry inwards. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden.

Spicy

Margarita

Follow Lewis on Instagram: @sundaycocktailclub

DIGGING DEEP Plants making history

The colourful wreath that adorned Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin as it journeyed to Westminster Abbey was an expectedly beautiful arrangement, and as poignant as it was perfect.

‘At The King’s request, the wreath contains foliage of Rosemary, English Oak and Myrtle (cut from a plant grown from Myrtle in The Queen’s wedding bouquet) and flowers, in shades of gold, pink and deep burgundy, with touches of white, cut from the gardens of Royal Residences,’ explained a tweet from the official account of the Royal family.

Common myrtle is a medium-sized evergreen shrub native to the Mediterranean which produces delicate, small white flowers.

Myrtle’s history with the royal family dates back to Queen Victoria’s time, but contrary to common belief, Victoria’s wedding bouquet was given over to snowdrops, not myrtle.

Myrtle debuted at the wedding of her eldest child, Princess Victoria, and has been present at every royal wedding since.

As mentioned, the myrtle which featured on HRH’s wreath was reported to have grown from the same plant that provided a sprig for her wedding bouquet in 1947.

It is believed that Sir Walter Raleigh returned from Spain with the plant in the 1600s, but it could well have been rooted here even earlier.

By the 17th century it was certainly a favourite of the aristocracy and a popular addition to perfectly landscaped gardens, or inhabiting an orangery.

If you want to introduce myrtle to your garden, you will be pleased to learn that it’s an easy grower, needing little support. It prefers moist, but well-drained soil. A sheltered place is best, and like many of us, it is a fan of sunny climes.

Great for courtyard and cottage garden alike, it thrives just as well in borders and beds and in containers.

The majestic English oak is one of Britain’s most iconic, largest and most easily identifiable of all our trees, and our national tree represents strength and endurance.

It is entwined in history too, and has its own royal story; King Charles escaped the Roundheads by hiding in an oak tree before escaping to exile.

The tree was often the setting for marriages, with couples choosing to tie the knot under ancient oaks during the 1700s.

Oaks are home to 100s of species of insects, which in turn feed birds with invaluable food sources.

Its gorgeous green fruits (acorns) ripen before freeing themselves from their ‘hats’ (capule). Some will become the next generation of mighty oaks, but the vast majority will serve as dinner to all manner of mammals that will feast on them – squirrels, badgers and deer all use them as an important food source.

Much like the Queen faultlessly served her country, this magnificent tree serves the countryside.

Top Tip ...

Rosemary was also used in the royal wreath, doubtless for its important symbolism with remembrance.

The familiar needle-like leaves of this popular herb can be taken all year round, but enjoy the new summer growth for the tastiest flavour. Use fresh, or freeze for later.

The wonderfully fragrant shrub is an ace at surviving in dry conditions, and stands up well in cool conditions. If you plan on growing your own, you need to plant between March and May and enjoy it in cuisine for years to come – if looked after, a plant will serve you for more than a decade.

How does your garden grow?

“Autumn – Nature carries more gold in its pocket than in all the other seasons.”

It is not a chore to rake up fallen leaves –these will be the basis of nutritious leaf mould which is also an excellent soil improver and contains beneficial fungi.

I check tree stakes and ties, and replace the spiral guards if necessary. I have removed the sticky grease bands from around the trunks of fruit trees. Windfalls are winter food for migrating birds. I have cleaned out nest boxes and washed and sterilised the bird feeders as their winter importance increases.

My greenhouse is a lean-to, so it is well protected. I set my heater’s thermostat to 4°C – the RHS recommends 7°C. It is important to ventilate on mild days.

Now is the time to raise large terracotta pots on to 3 ‘feet’ to allow drainage. I have lost a few this year, cracked because of frost damage.

Plant wallflowers, pansies, violas, bellis (daisies) and forget-me-nots. It is a good time to plant hellebores where you can enjoy their winter and spring colour. They are also very popular with bees and other insects in the new year. The last mow of the year can be done, with the blades on a high setting, and repairs made. If you have a bonfire, please check underneath for the presence of hedgehogs and provide places for them to hibernate elsewhere. A hedgehog house makes a good Christmas present!

Ralph Westmoreland, member Denton & District Gardening Club

> 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.

Pic: Flickr, UK Government

Pic:PhilScarboro

Have a Sustainable Christmas

Sustainable swaps will play a huge part this Christmas as we have all witnessed a significant shift towards becoming more conscious consumers. We’ll see a focus on

materials and reusable alternatives in order to reduce our waste and be more mindful of the environment this festive season. We’ve collected a variety of sustainable swaps and gorgeous eco-friendly gifts to help you and your loved ones embrace a more sustainable approach to the festivities.

COLOURFENCE - no painting or repairs for 25 years!

Don’t

To see our wide choice of sizes, mix and match colours and designs contact us today!

Despite many coats of preservative, the structure of the wooden fence in our front garden rotted, and a recent storm sent it off down the road, thankfully missing the neighbour’s car. However, every cloud has a

Maintenance free and great value too!

As autumn takes hold, we hear from customers who choose ColourFence because their old fences have blown down or rotted through, causing anxiety about pets escaping or even unwanted intruders. This, paired with the fact that there is no need for ongoing maintenance allows them to break the expensive, monotonous cycle of painting, repairs and replacement. ColourFence is guaranteed not to warp, crack, shrink, rot or peel for 25 years†. Making it one of the world’s best maintenance-free fences. And, unlike other fences, ColourFence can withstand gusts of wind up to 130mph. There’s a choice of colours to harmonise and enhance your garden’s design. You’ll find our prices surprisingly competitive too. Why wait until an urgent replacement is needed? To see the full product range, call us today and find out why it makes sense to choose ColourFence.

Guaranteed† not to warp, crack, shrink, rot or peel

Withstands wind gusts of up to 130mph No painting or repairs for 25 years†

Create your look with a choice of colours, designs and sizes No risk professional installation

silver lining, and we couldn’t be more pleased with our new ColourFence. It looks great, and we are looking forward to years of summers with no fence paint or algae treatments.

& Mrs P. Glamorgan

down several times a year –

apply.

BlueCream

Brown

Award-winning team reflect on their success

This year T&K Home Improvements are proud to announce that they have been shortlisted in the finals for the G-Awards throughout three categories: the new Rising Star Award; Training and Development Initiative of the Year; and the Showcase, Fabricator of the Year category.

The G Awards have made a strong impression on the industry as the place to recognise and honour achievements in the glass and glazing sector. The purpose of the event is to honour the most innovative businesses with exceptional performance and ideas in the UK fenestration sector.

T&K decided to enter the G-Awards 2022 after winning Fabricator of the Year last year on the strength of operational efficiencies of up to 15 per cent. This helped them to meet their commitment to freeze costs for six months starting in February this year.

Ryan Johnson, managing director, said: “We are delighted to have made the Fabricator of the Year shortlist for the second time in two years and will clearly be keeping our fingers – and everything else – crossed, that we can repeat last year’s performance and come away with the award for a second time.

“It is a fiercely contested category with some great fabrication businesses shortlisted in it, so all we can do is do our best and see how it goes on the night. Either way, we’re pleased to have made the cut and delighted that the hard work of the team and our commitment to our customers has been recognised.

“Being noticed for all our hard work and forward-thinking movements we are consistently working towards is a wonderful achievement, especially against other highly qualifying competitions. If we can repeat last year’s performance and win Fabricator of the Year for the second consecutive year it will highlight that we take pride in what we do and are focused on improving industry standards.”

The Fabricator of the Year submission has highlighted the company’s smart complaints development. This new digital process streamlines customer complaints, returns

and re-ordering actions. In addition to this, the quality road-mapping programme includes weekly reviews for T&K Home

Improvements in the retail sector. Not to mention, sourcing energy through their own solar panels. T&K Home Improvements are committed to driving their sustainability agenda, which is why they have upgraded their fleet to new lower-emission engines.

Dawid Hajduk has been shortlisted in the Rising Star category. Now Operations Support Leader, he joined T&K Home Improvements straight from school as an operations apprentice. Three years on, and three promotions, later, he was nominated after picking up significant additional responsibility and performing a vital role in the planning and scheduling team during COVID-19 disruption. This included single handily managing Kolorplas’s bespoke paint spraying service, including processing orders, stock control and line management responsibilities – when he was still only 18 years old!

“We are a big and complex business. If you step back and you look at what we make every day, the majority of products that we make are bespoke, no two frames the same – it is incredible.” said Ryan.

“Planning that, scheduling production so that products get made but also are manufactured as efficiently as possible and on time, with

multiple competing demands, it is almost a miracle every day.

“It is the product of a great team in the factory but also testimony to our planning, the systems we have and those that we’re developing – and Dawid plays a massive part in all of that,” he concluded.

T&K Home Improvements are excited about the announcement of the winner of this prestigious award and, regardless of the outcome, will continue to serve excellence and strive towards bettering the business being highlighted by the advanced movements they are taking.

Trusted award-winning installers

If you want reliable and trusted installers, then contact T&K Home Improvements today. They are award-winning and highly accredited and only supply and install A-Rated energy efficient products.

To find out more visit www.tkhi.co.uk or call 0800 622 716

Dawid Hajduk has been shortlisted in the Rising Star category

Elizabethan Era

The Britain of 1952 was black and white. Current affairs were reported in black and white newspapers, our food was simple and uncomplicated (affected by rationing until 1954), clothing was unfussy with little flair or embellishment and parents had rules that were rarely challenged by their children. The nation was still struggling to recover from the repercussions of a World War which saw the obliteration of our greatest cities and the displacement of many of our people.

But with Queen Elizabeth ascending the throne and Churchill back in Downing Street, the period was hailed as the ‘new Elizabethan age’. Britain emerged from the ashes both literally and metaphorically. Where once, the skyline had been dominated by cathedrals, churches, castles and palaces (at the time of King George’s death, St. Paul’s Cathedral was the tallest building in Britain), soon high-rise concrete office blocks and buildings such as the Post Office Tower (1960) were being constructed. The Brutalist Britain of the 1960’s was a time of both architectural icons and eyesores! Mass housing estates sprung up as well as new cities like Milton Keynes. Impressive structures followed including the Gateshead and Millenium bridges, the London Eye, the Channel Tunnel, the Welsh and Scottish assemblies, the Gherkin and the Shard.

Interior design was no different, seeing dramatic shifts in design preferences during every decade from the 1950s right up to 2020. The Queen’s coronation was viewed by more than 20 million

people, with the public gathering around newly bought televisions to see the spectacle. It was the coronation that put tv’s on the map and by 1956, many more people had them and were adapting their homes to suit. Furniture arrangements became less focussed on the fireplace, so sofas were instead positioned to capture the best view of the tv. Low backed, streamlined settees were popular and although televisions mostly came inside a cabinet, other furniture was designed as an extra add on to be sold in sets.

The late 1950s saw interiors reflecting space travel and flight, with stars and boomerangs appearing on everything from clocks to upholstery. Innovative materials such as plastic were further developed, initially as a material for moulding laboratory equipment but later to make home furnishings and furniture. The 1960s took plastic to a whole new dimension. Interiors became bolder, brighter, more dynamic, colourful and graphic. But by 1970 the environmental movement had been born and the first Earth Day was held. People had a desire to feel at one with nature, so filled their homes with earthy tones and a plethora of indoor plants. There was a resurgence in the use of wood, with designs losing their vivacity, becoming simpler and minimalistic.

By 1990, living rooms had become larger, all-purpose spaces, and the idea of open-plan living was taking hold. The term ‘family room’

was used to describe the one area in the house which could accommodate all the family’s activities, a concept that survives to this day.

More recently, however, changes in interiors have been reactionary rather than the result of a gradual shift in taste. The pandemic forced us to re-focus our minds. Up until the start of 2020, no one was questioning the merits of open plan living, until we were being forced to carry out our jobs in our all-purpose spaces. The 2020s have so far seen us desperately trying to regain our private places in which to think, work or take a call.

Queen Elizabeth II presided over 70 years of rapid technological expansion and sociopolitical change. Architecture and interior design move with the times, reflecting the shift in tastes, expectations and demands of the modern world. As the ‘new Elizabethan age’ becomes confined to the history books and we finish the era trying to recover from Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and de-escalate a war following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, it’s only natural to wonder what the dawn of the next era will bring. Whilst it can be tricky and not necessarily helpful to try and predict the future, I am convinced that the next five to ten years could be very exciting for interior design.

www.istockphoto.com

Robert Keane, unsplash

Smart homes are still in their infancy with technological advances being made all the time. Italian Design Company Tipic are currently developing induction hobs, weighing scales and phone chargers all built into the stone work surface of a kitchen! 3D printing will continue to play a considerable part in interior design. 3D printing can be used to design intricate furniture that modern machines are too clumsy to create. As this technology is further developed and the costs reduced, more designers will have access to it and we will see both creativity and productivity increase. Augmented reality will continue to combine virtual reality with the real world, enabling clients to overlay a virtual idea on top of an existing one.

And finally, sustainable design. As we all become increasingly aware and conscious of our environmental footprint, the future for eco-friendly design looks particularly bright. Undoubtedly, upcycling and buying locally will remain important, but striving to be energy efficient to reduce our reliance on natural resources and cut down our bills may be the pressing need of this new Carolean age.

Nicky Litchfield artist profile: Captivated by your delightful new friends?

Nicky Litchfield is a talented British artist based in the Ribble Valley, Lancashire. She has been inspired by the animal characters she meets since spending weekends and summers at her grandparent's farm in her youth. The way Nicky presents her rural subjects, you can feel her real affection for them, recognising the character of each animal before you.

Having won the Animal Category or the Society for All Artists, Artist of the Year in 2008, the popularity of her work keeps growing. Creating her works mostly with oil and pastels, you might also see pencil or charcoal sketches which seem to show how Nicky brings these animals to life.

And, whether you see Nicky out in the countryside or at her gallery in Clitheroe, she’s likely to be enjoying the company of her companion Max, the dog.

We’re so fortunate at the Rose Gallery to be able to share with you a number of opportunities to enjoy Nicky’s work.

Adorning our walls - and ready for yours - are a wonderful range of limited edition pieces likely to steal your heart: inquisitive lambs, cheeky foxes and playful pups. And if you visit the Rose Gallery right now, you also have the chance to enjoy some of Nicky’s original pieces, stunning works which will charm, even enchant, you.

Enjoy these friendly faces as you take some time out in the Love Lunch cafe at Bell and introduce yourself to us. We’d love the chance to meet you and share some of Nicky Litchfield’s beautiful work.

Natalie Trembecki Gallery Correspondent www.therosegallery.co.uk

Curtsey to the Queen of Psych Prog

Earlier this year she laid bare her second solo album, Two Piece Puzzle and Rosalie Cunningham was set to visit The Black Prince to cut loose tracks from the disc.

‘Her voice is always extraordinary,’ said one scribe, but actually that’s not strictly true – in advance of her Northampton date, she lost her voice and the gig was cancelled. Damn.

Sore throat now kicked to the curb, she will visit the town this month to rectify that cancellation by taking the stage for SBD Promotions.

Rosalie will delve into her past catalogue too, with choice cuts lifted from her time fronting psych-rock mob Purson, and she will include tracks from her self-titled debut solo release.

‘If Kate Bush had a baby with The Beatles it would have been Rosalie Cunningham,’ declared Classic Rock magazine. Which is an on-point description.

The queen of psychedelic prog and her band will be live on Friday, November 11.

London-based Khartoum will be in support. The trio will be opening up their catalogue of sounds which takes influences from contemporaries including Wolf Alice and Sunflower Bean, and enduring aces, Bobby Gillespie’s Primal Scream.

Also on the bill is singer-songwriter Paul M. Cox who is a familiar name with people in these parts, having also fronted the bands Earthmovers, Heartbreaker, Osiris and Motherlode in the past.

The band announced his departure in a FB post, saying: ‘We think it’s time we clear the air a bit. Bryan will not be playing bass any more in Tragic. It’s been a very stressful couple of months and we’ve dreaded making this post... but we think it’s been long enough for us to move on from this.’

The band has already issued the first track from the EP; Backfoot has been available to download for the past couple of months and serves as a nice intro to the rest of the package, so go check that now, and then go grab a gig ticket.

Support on the night will come from JW Paris and Ratrace

Last up for SBD in November, a night in the company of Andy Crofts, a fella who is well known for his work with Paul Weller and The Moons; he is the bassist with the former and fronts the latter. But his own musicality is in the spotlight just now, with a new single Westway doing great things.

Shows this summer past saw him play dates alongside Venus Fly Trap and as part of the Twinfest billing.

A week later (Nov 18) brings The Bluetones Acoustic to the fore. Frontman Mark Morriss and guitarist Adam Devlin will deliver 90 minutes worth of ‘tones classics – numbers like Slight Return, Marblehead Johnson and Bluetonic are a given.

Can you believe The Bluetones celebrate their three-decade anniversary in 2023?

Makes you feel old, doesn’t it?!

Northampton fellas Tragic have a new selftitled EP to share with you, and to back the release the band will be hitting the live circuit for four shows as part of the Marshall Live Agency roster.

The little whirl of live action ends at The Black Prince on November 19 when they play for the home crowd.

Things will be a little different though – with the notable absence of bassist Bryan.

“Music is my truest expression. I have had a lifelong love affair with songwriting and melody. Hearing my inner thoughts slowly come to life is a dream,” Andy said, “My songs are an extension of my personality and my spontaneous thoughts. Apart from music being my release, it has also taken me around the world to the most amazing places.”

His acoustic dates have enjoyed great ticket sales, and he’s wrapping up the nine date tour here in his former hometown, at the Playhouse Theatre on November 27. Support comes from Jess Orestano

He is playing the haunt the evening prior too, but that’s a long time sold-out.

Andy is also an accomplished photographer and artist – a visit to andycrofts.com is well worth a look. Christmas is coming, so if you need suggestions,we’re rather smitten with Consciousness, Cemetery Sadness and Window Shopping

> Tickets and more at sbdpromotions.com

A flavour of the new stuff and noisy stuff coming to town this month, with Pulse’s Sammy Jones...

Andy Crofts

The Bluetones Acoustic

Local band Tragic play The Black Prince on November 19

Rosalie Cunningham

Paul’s acoustic assembly

Northampton’s own Paul M. Cox releases his new album on November 11 – and the very same day, he’ll be supporting Rosalie Cunningham at The Black Prince (see the facing page).

Sunset Over Stillwater has been a labour of love, and the acoustic delivery has taken longer than expected: “The album was originally started in late 2018, so has been four years in the making... Covid didn’t help,” Paul told Pulse Music.

This all-original elpee brings in elements of folk, jazz, blues and Americana, and obviously its creator is happy with the results.

“I am really pleased with the 10 songs that make up the album,” he told us, “I’m also

happy to have great guest musicians who helped in adding some fabulous and distinctive sounds to the recordings.

“The album will appeal to anyone who enjoys listening to acoustic based music and likes delving into the meaning behind the lyrics.”

Paul has been colouring up the local scene in a largely solo capacity for the best part of 20 years and more live dates are sure to follow.

To keep up to speed with Paul, keep an eye on paulmcox.com

> Sunset Over Stillwater will be issued through White Elephant Records, and naturally copies will be available at that aforementioned gig – leave the house with a few quid extra in your back pocket to secure your copy.

Show Your Love for Kula Shaker’s return

Before we leave this month, a couple of dates for your diary:

> Following on from the release of their double-album, 1st Congregational Church of Eternal Love (And Free Hugs), Kula Shaker will visit The Roadmender on February 1.

> Reverend & The Makers will play The Roadmender on February 3, with support from The Ramona Flowers.

On February 6, Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls will play the venue, and believe us when we say that tickets for his show won’t wait around at the box office for long. A great musician, and a thoroughly decent fella too; during the pandemic he raised more than £200k for struggling grassroot music venues with his weekly live streams.

Lottery Winners and Wilswood Buoys will join the bill and tickets are £32.50 (plus booking fee).

> Tickets at theroadmender.com

Book early for Kula Shaker on February 1 and Reverend & The Makers on February 3 at The Roadmender, Northampton

Let’s hear it

Marvellous musicals, cracking comedy and veterinary chat all features in this month’s theatre programme. And The Deco has a chance to engage in some of Angela Lansbury’s most famous work...

Northampton Musical Theatre Company will show off its collective talent again this November (1-5) when they do justice to Calendar Girls – The Musical

The death of a much-loved husband prompts a group of extraordinary women in a small Yorkshire Women’s Institute to raise money for charity by stripping for a ‘nude’ calendar.

Tim Firth is responsible for the story, and some fella called Gary Barlow did good with music and lyrics.

Let us hope the sunflowers are big and blooming for the Derngate run!

Animal lovers in need of love, hope and healing need to book for An Evening with Noel Fitzpatrick (Nov 6) when the ‘supervet’ will give you an insight into his bionic world and the animals who have inspired him.

If you go walkies to the venue, this show will give you plenty of food for thought.

One of the best bands to come out of the 80s were Level 42 and the band, still led by bassist Mark King, will be in town (Nov 8) as part of its Lessons In Live tour.

A couple of months back we caught Jools Holland live in Milton Keynes and his boogiewoogie brilliance wowed the sell-out crowd. Soon it’ll be the ‘fampton’s turn to enjoy a session with the ivory tickler and his band of many talents. Fine Young Cannibals frontman Roland Gift will join Ruby Turner and Louise Marshall at the show (Nov 9).

Giggle bringer Paul Chowdry presents Family Friendly Comedian (Nov 10), and a day later (Nov 11, Underground) Jen Brister goes live with The Optimist. Has the pandemic changed her for the better or is she the same old pessimistic naysayer she’s always been?

The 11th anniversary edition of Strictly Northampton dances its way to the Derngate stage (Nov 12) with local contestants paired with students from the Step by Step Dance School

for the Girls

They’ve had eight weeks to straighten their frame, loosen their footwork and sizzle in hold at this Ballroom and Latin extravaganza, in support of Cynthia Spencer Hospice charity.

Jamali Maddix is back on the road and brings King Crud to the Royal (Nov 12) to tackle more home truths and universal issues, and NMPAT delivers Youth In Concert (Nov 13) with performances by County Youth Concert Band, County Youth Choir, County Youth Brass Band, County Youth Big Band and County Youth Orchestra. The same day the Royal presents Flo & Joan with Sweet Release. With piano and percussion, these seriously funny siblings will bring smiles around topics including over-thinking, alien lovers and fringes.

Harry Hill (Nov 18, Derngate) is ready to introduce fans to his new baby elephant, Sarah, and Ian, The Information Worm alongside familiar feline Stouffer the Cat.

Music comes from Woman to Woman (Nov 19) with Beverley Craven, Judie Tzuke, Julia Fordham and Rumer, and Aled Jones and Russell Watson (Nov 20) get all festive before Dreamgirls enjoys a shorter run than previously advertised, due to logistical problems.

Its five-day stay begins at Derngate on November 22. Buckle up for a rollercoaster ride through fame, fortune, and the ruthless realities of show business - it’s one of the best productions we’ve viewed in 2022.

Last up, The Night Before Christmas, which starts its five-week stay the month before Christmas – on November 25.

Take a seat at the Royal and watch as the

enduring festive poem (a favourite for more than two centuries) comes to life – Father Christmas and his reindeer will fly through the starlit sky in a magical production for under 7s and their families. Performances continue until New Year’s Eve.

At The Deco, November’s attractions include The Songs of James Bond (Nov 2), The Lindisfarne Story (Nov 21) and SolveAlong-A-Murder-She-Wrote with Sing a Song of Murder - an interactive screening of the classic Murder, She Wrote episode which sees Jessica Fletcher visiting London where she gets caught up in another murder mystery. Of course she does!

Games, prizes, audience participation and plenty of laughter is a given.

Dom Joly will be at The Core in Corby (Nov 4) with his first tour in more than a decade. In ‘Holiday Snaps – Travel and Comedy in the Danger Zone,’ Dom will talk about his exploits as a serial globe-trotting seeker of dangerous travel spots.

From North Korea through the Congo and Syria to Chernobyl, he’s visited some of the most unusual places on the planet.

We went to the Lake District, but whatever takes your fancy.

> Book your show seats: Royal and Derngate: royalandderngate.co.uk

The Deco: theoldsavoy.co.uk

The Core: thecorecorby.com

Dom Joly appears at The Core on Nov 4

Northampton Musical Theatre kick the month off with Calendar Girls - The Musical at The Derngate and The Dreamgirls arrive on November 22

Pic: Matt Crockett

#WhatsOnPulse

Ben Waters Band and The Eskimo Brothers

Tuesday, November 1

Enjoy a celebration of early country, blues and rock n’ roll by two of the world’s greatest exponents of the genre, at The Stables in Wavendon.

Honky tonk: stables.org

Stories in Ink

Tuesday, November 1 –Wednesday, November 30

Art exhibition by local creative Jens Brasier at The Three Hares Gallery, Cowper and Newton Museum, Olney, 11am-4.30pm Tues-Sat, free entry.

Making a splash: jensbrasier.com

Glyndebourne on tour

Tuesday, November 1Saturday, November 5

Milton Keynes Theatre once again plays host to the Glyndebourne name who will deliver operas The Marriage of Figaro, La bohéme and Mozart’s Requiem in the coming days.

Trill-ing: atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes

Tony Wright Thursday, November 3

Remember Terrorvision and their tales of Tequila? Frontman Tony Wright is returning to The Craufurd Arms with his solo show... but maybe with the odd doo-wop!

Perseverance: thecraufurdarms.com

Picturedrome Comedy Thursday, November 3, 7pm

Featuring headliner Simon Brodkin with Jon Long, Esther Manito and Ross Smith all doing their bit to turn frowns upside down. Knock knock: thepicturedrome.com

Loudest Indie Dance Anthems Friday, November 4, 8pm

Enjoy a mix of indie bangers and classic dance anthems all curated by Happy Mondays’ own Bez at The Picturedrome. Step On: thepicturedrome.com

Bonfire & Fireworks Saturday, November 5

Blackpit Brewery invites you to enjoy its sculptures and show-stopping fireworks, Blackpit Farm, Silverstone Road, Stowe. Advance bookings recommended.

Illuminating: blackpitbrewery.co.uk

Great Houghton Bonfire Night Saturday, November 5

At Great Houghton Playing Field, Leys Lane, NN4 OAN.

The bonfire will be lit at approximately 6.15pm, with the firework display following an hour later. A bar and BBQ will be open. Adults £4, children £3. All funds to the upkeep of the village hall and playing field.

Boughton Bonfire & Firework Display Saturday, November 5, 3pm

Illuminating times at the traditional display which runs through to 5.30pm at Howard Lane, Boughton, Northampton Sparklers: Tickets can be booked through skiddle.com

Level 42 Tuesday, November 8

Join Mark King and his band as they play through success after another, and incredible though it seems, they have already celebrated their fifth decade. Support comes from Mari Wilson.

Lessons in ‘Live’: royalandderngate.co.uk

delivered every month door to door across Northamptonshire

Step back in time to the best days of Motown with Get Ready - A Night to Remember at The Core

WHATS ON

Stray Friday, November 11

Enjoy an evening with Del Bromham and his band Stray, when the stalwart rockers play for the home crowd at The Stables in Wavendon. Expect a night of hard rockin’ and a sprinkling of good humour. All in Your Mind: stables.org

Craig Charles Friday, November 11

Join Craig as he presents his Funk and Soul Club, live at Unit Nine in Old Wolverton. The weekend starts here! Soul-ed out: unitninemk.com

Wolverton Gilbert and Sullivan Society –Transport of Delights Friday, November 11 & Saturday, November 12

WG&SS are back in play with a show bursting with novelty acts and famous music hall songs. Wolverton Light Orchestra will join them for the performances at Stantonbury Theatre. Victorian times: wolvertongands.co.uk

Jamali Maddix – King Crud Saturday, November 12, 8pm

Jamali visits Northampton’s Royal with a new show tackling more home truths and universal issues. King of laughs: royalandderngate.co.uk

The Comedy Cow Saturday, November 12, 8pm

Get the funnies with MC Paul Revil, Nathan Caton and Kate Martin at MK:The Venue, Walnut Tree, Milton Keynes Have you heard the one about? thecomedycow.co.uk

Australian Pink Floyd Sunday, November 13

Since giving its first ever concert in Adelaide, back in 1988, they have sold more than four million tickets worldwide and they were the first tribute show that took the concept into the worldwide arena circuit.

Animals: atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes

Vegan Food & Cruelty Free Fair Sunday, November 13, midday – 4pm

Enjoy free samples, a meal at the cafe, information stalls, merchandise, lots of ethical shopping, grassroots campaigns and more. Raising funds for Animals in Need – and you’ll get the chance to meet some of the residents from the sanctuary at Pine Tree Farm in Little Irchester.

All animals are equal: animals-in-need.org or call 01933 278080

Get Ready – A Night to Remember Wednesday, November 16

Celebrate the music of Motown in a brand new stage show that will take you back to 60’s Detroit, Michigan and a chance to relive the pulsating era that delivered artists including Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson 5 and Martha and the Vandellas. Masters from Michigan: thecorecorby.com

Girl from the North Country Tuesday, November 15 –Saturday, November 19

The songs of Bob Dylan, boldly reimagined in this heartbreaking and universal story about family and love, from the pen of Conor McPherson. Like a Rolling Stone: atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes

The Tiger Who Came to Tea Thursday, November 17 –Saturday, November 19

Based on the famous book by Judith Kerr, this musical play arrives at Milton Keynes Theatre direct from a smashhit West End season. Roar-some: atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes

The Bluetones Acoustic Friday, November 18

A stripped-back show from the indieites featuring singer Mark Morriss and guitarist Adam Devlin who will lead you through all those Bluetones favourites at The Black Prince. Never Going Nowhere: sbdpromotions.com

Marvel at sculptures and fireworks at Blackpit Farm, Silverstone on November 5

Pic: Ania Shrimpton

Girl from the North County

Endless Love

Saturday, November 19

Celebrate the magic and music of Lionel Richie and Diana Ross with pop, soul and Motown classics taking you through the decades and their extensive bodies of work, at The Deco Theatre.

Endless Love: theoldsavoy.co.uk

An Evening with Shaun Ryder Sunday, November 20, 7pm

Get the inside view into the life of one of music’s most memorable frontmen. Happy Mondays main man Shaun is quite the raconteur – you’ll be in for a treat!

Hallelujah: mk11kilnfarm.com

Sister Act

Monday, November 21 –Saturday, November 26

A heavenly musical which will be joyous and uplifting in equal measure – and it features the star of MK’s 2022 pantomime, Lesley Joseph. Answer to your prayers: atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes

SikTh

Thursday, November 24

A special warm-up show on the second stage for the lauded Brit prog-metallers. Tickets limited to just 100.

Behind the Doors: theroadmender.com

Jazz Sabbath Thursday, November 24

A UK jazz trio who deliver instrumental jazz interpretations of Black Sabbath songs.

Pianist Adam Wakeman leads the band – and he knows a thing or two, having been a part of both Sabbath, and Ozzy’s solo band.

Paranoid: stables.org

My Vagina’s Priceless Thursday, November 24

Comedian Rosie Sings impressed at this year’s Fringe Festival, and now the MK lady returns for a hometown show at The Stables, promising hysterically honest tales and stunning vocals in her musical comedy. Support your own: stables.org

Skinny Lister

Thursday, November 24

Not your average, modern day, gentrified folk group, which of course means that the show this London-based band will put on will be special too – catch them at Wolverton’s Craufurd Arms.

Folkin’ fun: thecraufurdarms.com

NCFWI’S Winter Craft Fair Saturday, November 26, 10am-1pm

The Tithe Barn, Wellingborough, NN8 1AH Come and buy beautiful hand-made gifts from WI members and other crafters.

Coffee/Tea and WI Cakes available. Free entry.

Superstars of Wrestling Saturday, November 26, 7.30pm-9.30pm

The Superstars of Wrestling brings its body slamming family entertainment show to Towcester Leisure Centre.

Get in the ring: Search FB for Superstars of Wrestling

Everybody in the Place with Slipmatt Saturday, November 26

Embark on a journey from early acid house, techno and hardcore through to the 90s rave anthems.

DJ Slipmatt will be in control, with support from DJ Torchman, Paul LH and Ian Loveshack.

Start the Dance: thepicturedrome.com

Wild Onion

Saturday, November 26, 7.30pm

Step into their circles and peel back the layers of this riotous, narrative cabaret. ‘Blending theatre, dance, circus and more than 100 delightfully destroyed onions, Wild Onion brings three queer best friends together to explore and grow their chosen family.’

Gen Fest delivery: royalandderngate.co.uk

Habib Koité & Bamada Sunday, November 27

Habib’s career has spanned four decades and brought him international recognition, with fans including Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and Eric Bibb.

An enduring fascination with Mali’s rich musical traditions is central to his continued success.

Ticket: stables.org

Six Tuesday, November 29 –Saturday, December 3

From Tudor Queens to Pop Princesses, this musical gives a voice to the six wives of Henry VIII to tell their own stories, in a decidedly modern manner! Divorced. Beheaded. LIVE!: atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes

Copies delivered every month door to door across Northamptonshire

The music of Diana Ross and Lionel Richie is celebrated in Endless Love at The Deco Theatre

Get festive and find some unique gifts at NCRWI’s Winter Craft Fair on November 26

Do electric cars need servicing and MOT?

We know that investing in the driving experience of tomorrow with an electric car is an exciting moment. That’s why Bells Kia are here to ensure you maximise your vehicle’s performance with comprehensive electric car servicing.

According to 2022 statistics from the UK Government’s Department for Transport, more than 250,000 electric vehicles now use UK roads. There has also been a 77% increase in sales of plug-in vehicles since 2020.

These official government statistics reinforce just how important it is for us to continue to support our growing Kia EV family with expert guidance on servicing. In this article, we’ll teach you about electric car servicing and show you how regular maintenance can improve your EV’s economy, maximise its long-term efficiencies and provide even more sustainable driving.

The big question: Do you need to service an electric car?

One of the most important things for our Kia EV owners to know is that their electric cars need to be regularly serviced. Just like regular petrol and diesel cars, a thorough examination of your electric vehicle’s health and general condition is crucial for driving efficiency and safety.

By regularly servicing your electric car, you can enjoy a range of benefits, including:

Improved driver safety

Ensuring continued monitoring of battery health

Optimum vehicle economy

Software updates and product enhancements applied

Longer stability of vehicle value

Increased lifespan of vehicle components such as brakes

Increasing the longevity of your vehicle and its parts also decreases its overall impact on the environment. At Kia, this is just as important to us as it is to our EV owners.

What servicing does an electric car need?

The process of servicing your electric car will be broadly the same as servicing any petrol or diesel vehicle. The only real difference in electric vehicle servicing is the specific parts that we’re examining.

A standard petrol or diesel car runs on a combustion engine, while an electric car uses an electric motor and battery. A combustion engine has hundreds of individual moving parts, all of which need to be maintained for peak vehicle performance. An EV motor, meanwhile, has fewer parts to be checked during a service.

Put simply, getting your electric car serviced is less likely to result in expensive repairs or replacements. During a service, an electric car has multiple components of a regular car that need to be checked, including: Brakes, Lights, Steering, Suspension, Wheels, Tyres, Air Conditioning, Software systems

At Kia, we also like to ensure that your vehicle’s electric components are also thoroughly examined, such as:

• Electric motor

• Battery (many batteries have cooling systems which need maintenance)

• High voltage cabling and charging systems

Comprised mostly of stationary parts, your EV motor will not usually require much servicing. Your EV battery will undergo a health check, including an inspection of battery fluid quantity and condition. The high voltage cabling and systems, meanwhile, will require a visual examination.

This ensures the protective outer layer of the cable or its connectors haven’t been damaged by road wear.

Electric vehicles typically require a full maintenance service every other year, but the state of your EV’s battery health should be checked regularly. The Battery Health Report one of the key benefits of our Kia e-Care service. It highlights the state of your battery’s performance and notifies you of any effects it may have on your vehicle’s range and overall efficiency.

This is extremely important because when it comes to EVs, your battery performance and health is the key to everything. Which is why we care so much about maintaining it.

How much does an electric car service cost?

A typical Kia e-Care three-year service plan starts at £389 for an EV6 and £329 for the all-new Niro EV. This is a significantly lower cost compared to servicing a petrol-based HEV and PHEV, which costs between £529 and £599. It’s also much more affordable to service an EV6 or Niro EV compared to a petrol or diesel Kia Sportage, which has a three-year service plan starting from £550.

When it comes to the health and condition of your electric vehicle, there’s no room for neglect. Once considered the future of sustainable driving, electric cars are now very much the present. This is reflected in the improved ease, accessibility and reduced cost of electric car servicing and MOT.

> There really is no better time to make the switch to Electric with Kia. Speak to a member of our team today or visit www.bellskia.co.uk

Customer satisfaction comes high on Kia Servicing priority list

Electric cars still need regular servicing every year and an MOT every year once they are 3 years old

View from the Far Kerb

Tests

Life seems to be all about tests. Kids are tested throughout their academic lives. It starts in Year One. Admittedly it is verbal questioning with the responses being recorded, but they are tests. They become examinations and don’t stop until they are released from the education system. At that point they join the Adult World where they discover that the testing continues, albeit in a different form.

Form-filing is a multifaceted form of testing. Some are so long and vacuous they would test the patience of a saint or deity. Did the person who completed the form get that job interview/social benefit/bonus/whatever? Did they pass or fail the test?

Social etiquette can be testing. When Mr/Mrs Obnoxious is encountered, laws exist to protect them from what is termed as ‘instant justice.’ No matter how strong the temptation is, victims of another’s unreasonableness should not dispense instant justice or seek retribution as it is against the law to do so. It is a major test for many and, unfortunately, some become criminalised simply through being a victim of a criminal. I suppose that is testing to breaking point and beyond.

Thinking about it, testing goes back earlier than being five or six years old and being at school. The ‘simple’ act of being born can result in medical tests. Come out a funny colour and all sorts of tests are performed. Depending on the nature of that testing, a pass or fail may well lead to further tests. It might even become a lifelong series of tests. Ask a type one diabetes sufferer how testing goes on and on without end.

Gosh, now I think of it, testing can even start before escape from the womb. If an expectant mother is

screened and shows an increased risk of carrying a baby with Down’s, Edwards’ or Patau’s syndromes, then an amniocentesis is offered. Yet another test and it normally takes place between 15 and 20 weeks along. So testing that can have an effect upon an individual can be before being born! That’s an eye opener.

But does it stop there?

IVF means testing can be performed on an embryo before implantation. It must be good because it has a mighty fine name: Pre-implantation genetic testing for monogenic disorders, or PGT-M if you want to save paper and the planet.

Does testing ever stop during a lifetime? Could a law be passed to make it illegal? Is it possible that GCSEs and their ilk could become an illegal currency to be passed between employers? Might unscrupulous businesses have super strongrooms with laser tripwires and immensely heavy steel doors in which they keep CVs submitted to them by those who have been secretly tested?

Some would argue that reading beyond the above paragraph could be deemed a test. Do you, dear reader, have the determination to continue past a ridiculous notion? Yes or No? Does that mean you Pass or Fail? Do you care? Should you care?

Yes, life is full of tests.

PHIL O’HARA

Down

Your stars

Flavour of the Times - The Scorpio new moon is the signature for November and with it comes deep, dark and intense energy. Its pagan and other-worldy overtones perfectly sets the scene for Halloween.

I suspect that things such as the current complex political realities may come home to roost with a vengeance, with some strong consequences of decisions that have been taken in the period leading up to it. I guess with Guy Fawkes’ night upon us, conspiracies might involved...

SCORPIO

October 24 – November 22

Venus is accompanying the new moon in your sign this month. This could be about money, values or love and sex. Either way, it’s not at all trivial but of course that’s why you might even relish delving into it all. Alternatively, you might fear to tread in those footprints because you know that some deep emotions are being stirred. Perhaps now is the time to own up to what you feel deep down?

SAGITTARIUS

November 23 – December 22

You might find it hard to just shake off difficult feelings and thoughts this month and for a while at least it will feel as if there is nowhere to hide or escape to. The lesson here is to accept that you may have to engage with things like some emotionally intense situations that you often prefer to run away from. Look them straight in the eye and be brave!

CAPRICORN

December 23 – January 20

Getting to the nub of the problem is a good activity for this month. There is nothing superficial about Scorpio as a new moon, so don’t be afraid to dig deep to see what’s going on under the surface. It will probably explain a few things that have been confusing you and may surprisingly, be a relief, and not as bad as you feared.

AQUARIUS

January 21 – February 19

This month could really challenge you, depending on how much you think you can just think your way out of difficult situations. November is a lot deeper and more emotional than that, so it’s a matter of feeling your way around in the dark and trusting to something other than your intelligence until you find something substantial to hang onto and guide you. But delicious too, eh?

PISCES

February 20 – March 20

Pisces is flighty but Scorpio is definitely not! Paradoxically, Pisceans tend to float with the currents of the moment so the big blast of intensity that this month threatens, may freak you out a bit. Whether you can keep paddling along on the surface or whether you get dragged down into the whirlpool will depend on how much you can learn to detach yourself.

ARIES

March 21 – April 20

With Jupiter retreating out of your sign you may not be feeling all that positive. In fact your natural forward motion may feel impossible and set-backs everywhere. A feeling of things just generally falling apart will take some shaking off. All this may bring up deep stuff from the past that you thought you’d left behind, so try to take a step back to consider all this.

TAURUS

April 21 – May 21

Sensuality – that’s the word that describes the flavour of this month for you Taureans. The new moon has your planet Venus next to it at the beginning of the month, suggesting all sorts of possibilities - for love or money, very likely. I’d love to see what happens on 8th when you will experience the full moon in your sign! Could be the last thing you’d expect, though!

GEMINI

May 22 – June 21

Mars in your sign is still intent on chucking so much stuff at you that you hardly know which way to turn, but the intensity that this month brings will probably set your priorities straight for you. This is complicated by Neptune, the planet of delusion muddying the waters, so indecision is likely to rule. Not your month really but one to be negotiated, nonetheless.

To really understand what this means for you on a personal level during 2022, I would recommend that you consider booking a comprehensive personal astrological consultation that is completely specific to you and your life. This will illuminate many things that you may not have considered and it will enable you to really take advantage of the positive energies and avoid the negative ones throughout the year.

PUZZLE SOLUTIONS

CANCER

June 22 – July 23

Relationships are set to get deep and complicated this month. Not that this can’t be a bit of a sexy and emotionally juicy time as well, but the sensualities of the month may not serve you as well as you hoped, and they could leave you feeling hurt and let down. The only way out is in, as they say so try not to walk away from all this as there may be rewards waiting for you if you persist.

LEO

July 24 – August 23

Deep emotional diving may not suit you but there really is no option this month. It’s as if the gems deep inside the cave are waiting for you but you have to go and get them and do the work. Let’s face it – you do tend to want things to come to you effortlessly, don’t you? The trouble is that this month they won’t and you will have to make the effort.

VIRGO

August 24 – September 23

Emotions are messy aren’t they, Virgo? They tend to disturb the nicely organised world you prefer to live in, but every so often you do need to be reminded that not everyone lives like you and this is one of those times. You can’t organise yourself out of this one, but watery chaos now can be very instructive and teach you something much more profound. Follow it.

LIBRA

September 24 – October 23

After last month, November is going to feel a bit alien to you. There’s not a lot of help out there for you to rely on and you may be thrown back on your own resources, something you are rather uncomfortable with because partnership is so important for you. It’s only temporary, of course, but it could feel lonely for a while.

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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HOWARD PARKER THE ASTRO-GUIDE