The Stevenage Magazine | Issue 19 | Sept / Oct 2014

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Issue : 19 September/October 2014 thestevenagemagazine.co.uk

Win! With Happy Hampers Meet Stevenage RSPB Enter the Christmas Tree Festival

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welcome

contents

Welcome...

news & community

...to our September /October issue, which also marks our 3rd birthday! We can’t quite believe another year has gone by, and what a year it has been! We’ve doubled our circulation and now cover Chells Manor, we’re continuing to offer readers additional pick-up points plus we’ve increased the page count and launched our website. Phew. And of course, we’ve worked with many fantastic and inspiring people along the way.

So, what’s in this issue? There’s a fabulous prize draw from Happy Hampers (the perfect chance to do some early Christmas shopping). Talking of Christmas, Holy Trinity Church will be holding their annual Christmas Tree Festival in partnership with the Rotary Club of Stevenage (details on how to enter on page 4). And we continue to commemorate WW1 with a moving local history piece from Paul Johnson.

It’s hard to get autumnal and think about the cold weather (especially as I’m writing this in July, in 24 degree heat), but Holistic Eyes Beauty Specialists are doing just that with some sound advice on preparing your skin for the winter now the tans are starting to fade! See you next time...

what’s on

Louise and The Stevenage Magazine team

history

contact thestevenagemagazine editor@thestevenagemagazine.co.uk 07583 826088 advertising: ads@thestevenagemagazine.co.uk publisher: Old Town Publishing editor@thestevenagemagazine.co.uk

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored without permission of the publisher.

All content is published in good faith and correct at time of going to press.

4-6

prize draw

7

education

8-9

health & wellbeing

10-11

gardens

12

home & business

13 14-15 15

organisations

16-17

a chat with...

17

arts & culture

18-19

useful numbers

19

business directory

19

LEAFLET DELIVERY

The Stevenage Magazine offers both leaflet insertion and individual delivery.

Contact editor@thestevenagemagazine.co.uk for information on our rates and the areas covered (we deliver outside Stevenage too!).

Please don’t forget to mention The Stevenage Magazine when responding to advertising!

NOT YET ADVERTISING WITH US?

Why not give us a call to discuss what The Stevenage Magazine can do for you? Discounts on block bookings available.

WHERE CAN I GET ONE? We get many requests for magazines from people who don’t live in our current delivery area. We’re delivering to new roads as fast as we can but in the meantime, if you would like a regular copy, you can pick one up from: Stevenage Museum, St George’s Way, SG1 1XX. t: 01438 218881 or online at www.stevenage.gov.uk/museum Chells Manor Community Centre, 12 Emperors Gate, SG2 7QX Pin Green Community Centre, 291 Archer Rd, SG1 5HF Old Town Library on the High Street Central Library, Danestrete

Cover star - Issue 19 Thanks must go to Paul Collis who kindly supplied this issue’s front cover image.

Paul is a member of the local RSPB group and you can read more about the group in ‘A Chat with..’ (see page 17). The bird featured in the cover image is a bittern, taken locally.

Paul’s interest in photography stems from his time working at Kodak in Stevenage in the 1960s. He is a keen bird and wildlife photographer.

FREE

Bi-Monthly guide to Stevenage

Issue : 19 September/October 2014 thestevenagemagazine.co.uk

Win! With Happy Hampers Meet Stevenage RSPB Enter the Christmas Tree Festival

ERED DELIV FREE MES 00+ HO TO 60 ESSES IN & BUSIND TOWN, THE OL FIELD & WOOD MANOR LS CHEL EAS AR

SUPPORTING LOCAL LIVING

Contribute your ideas and thoughts....

We are a community magazine and welcome contributions from the community.

Poems, stories, interesting facts, front cover images, news and information are all considered for publication or if you simply have an idea that you think would work well in the magazine then drop us a line at editor@thestevenagemagazine.co.uk

3

news & community

www.thestevenagemagazine.co.uk

Support and friendship for families There is no rulebook for raising a family, but one thing most parents have in common is that at one time or another parenting can seem overwhelming, particularly if your family is going through difficult times.

Many of us rely on the advice and support of our own network of family and friends during these periods, however, for some of this isn’t an option and this is when Home-Start can be a life line.

Home-Start helps families with young children deal with whatever life throws at them, be it post-natal depression, bereavement, physical and/or mental health issues, struggling with a child’s behaviour, creating routine, or just finding things harder for whatever reason.

There are nine schemes across Hertfordshire, covering all areas of the county. Each scheme is an individual charity set up locally to support local families.

The scheme recruits and trains volunteer parents who can then support a family who are having a tough time.

At Home-Start Stevenage, our volunteers offer 2-3 hours a week to a family in need of practical and emotional support, we also run groups and offer support during holidays.

We tailor this support to the needs of each family. Parents and volunteers often develop a deeply trusting relationship which can lead to powerful change within. Home Start believes in offering families choice and we work in partnership – with each other, with families and with other agencies. Our work environment is one of openness, encouragement and enjoyment and we are flexible and responsive to the needs of each family.

The five years between birth and school are vital for a child’s development. What goes on inside a family during these years strongly determines the opportunities and life chances the child will have. When circumstances throw you off course, providing this nurturing environment can be difficult. Home-Start works because our volunteers are parents, they understand how hard it can be and they never judge. They work alongside parents, in their own homes, to help them cope with the stresses and strains of life and make sure they have the skills, time and strength they need to nurture their children.

Home-Start Stevenage is made up of people who listen and take time to get to know you and your family.

For further information on becoming a volunteer or for support, visit our website www.homestart-stevenage.org.uk or call us on 01438 367788. Please get in touch today, we’d love to hear from you.

Show us your ‘tree-rific’ creations!

They’ve had knitted ones, flowery ones, funny ones, moving ones, glitzy ones, recycled ones and even one made of hair! What are we talking about? The Christmas Tree Festival of course!

Now in its sixth year, this fabulous, entertaining, enchanting and magical festival has become a major and much loved community event.

This year’s festival organisers - the Rotary Club of Stevenage and Friends of Holy Trinity Church Stevenage - have invited the Stevenage and District Branch of Riding for the Disabled to be their charity partner.

The Festival, held at Holy Trinity Church, will be open to the public from Wednesday 3rd to Saturday 6th December, with late opening (until 8.00pm), on the Wednesday and Thursday for those who are not able to visit during the day. There is a nominal entry fee to view the trees with all proceeds being distributed to charities supported by the organisers.

Refreshments will be available at certain times during the Festival. All visitors will be encouraged to vote for their three favourite trees and prizes will be awarded to those who attract the most votes.

So, why not enter a tree? Traditional or funky, one with a message or just expressing your own brand of Christmas spirit – whether you are a business, charity, church, school, family, group of friends or individual - the organisers want to see your tree! Entry forms can be found online at www.christmastreefestival.co.uk but do hurry as the church only has capacity for up to 50 trees and there is always more interest than space! Entries are accepted on a ‘first come’ basis.

Last year the Festival raised over £2,400 of which half was donated to the third charity partner in 2013, Cancer Hair Care, and the remainder divided between Stevenage Rotary Club to support their invaluable contributions to charity and to Friends of Holy Trinity to assist with the ongoing maintenance of the fabric of the church.

The organisers very much hope that you will want to be part of this very enjoyable, high profile community event either by displaying a tree, by assisting with stewarding or simply by visiting and enjoying the Festival.

Business as usual as Age Concern moves premises One of Stevenage’s oldest charities, Age Concern, moved home on the 25th July. As thousands of the Borough residents will know, the Age Concern Information Centre had been housed in Southgate, close to the Central Library for many years.

From Monday 4th August we will be providing exactly the same services from Swingate House, close to the Bus Station and not far from Tesco.

The reason we are moving is that the building we are in is in need of attention, so the Borough Council has decided in the course of time to demolish it and have kindly offered us some office space in Swingate House.

Our phone number, 01438 314164, will stay the same.

In the past year, we have helped nearly 4,000 people through our many channels of information.

Our thanks to S.B.C, Stevenage Community Trust, The Chauncy Trust, The Follett Trust and M.B.D.A. for their generous financial backing.

Age Concern is there to serve the people of the Borough.

Enjoy the summer.

Ken Moore (Chairman)

4

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news & community

Stevenage Musuem turns 60!

Thanks to Stevenage for a great party!

On Saturday 28th June, we held a party to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Stevenage Museum.

Staff and volunteers past and present came along, including former Curators Maggie Appleton, Elizabeth St Hill Davies, Claire Willetts and Crispin Paine.

Our special guests were Susan Morris and Don Hills. Susan’s late husband, John, and Don were responsible for the creation of the museum, so we were delighted to have them there and a presentation was made to them by our Curator, Jo Ward. Don gave a short speech.

The Mayor, Sherma Batson, also came along, chatted to guests and cut our birthday cake. Guests were treated to a cream tea, soft drinks and cakes. Photos and publicity cuttings from the past 60 years were on show.

Representatives from the Church also stopped by including recently retired Rector Father Melvyn Barnsley and his wife Anne.

Entertainment for children was provided in the foyer by Charles Temple with his puppet show and our volunteers dressed in period costume throughout the gallery. A special prize birthday quiz was available for all to take part in.

The day was a huge success with over 400 guests of all ages sharing it with us.

Join us on the High Street on Saturday 29th November for a fun packed day of events, followed by a late afternoon lantern parade to the Bowling Green ready for the BIG Christmas Lights Switch-On! Wrap up warm, bring along your singing voice and enjoy the carol singing, entertainment, refreshments, a visit from Father Christmas and some good old fashioned community spirit!

You may have spotted the SOTBCP leaflet inserted in this issue of The Stevenage Magazine. This is the first leaflet produced by the partnership to promote our historical High Street. It provides an illustrated map of the High Street highlighting its facilities and amenities and on the reverse, you’ll find a list of events taking place on the High Street up until the end of the year.

Members of the partnership are also featured on the map, with all other retailers and businesses listed on the reverse. We’ll be producing further versions in the new year with updated information. If your leaflet has gone astray, you can pick one up from the Central Library, Old Town Library or Stevenage Museum. And if you’d like your business to feature on the map – come and join the partnership!

Don’t miss our second ‘Goody Bag Giveaway’ on Saturday 13th September. Packed with a variety of free gifts, vouchers and information the bags will be handed out on the High Street by members of the partnership or you can pick one up from member shops. Get there early as they go quickly! And don’t forget the Farmers Market will be on too.

Email: sotbcp@yahoo.co.uk

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Don’t forget...

Old Town residents show their generosity

...Herts Open Studio this September. Local artists Gail Robins and Katharine Armstrong will be opening their studio to the public. Pop in, look around, sock up the inspiring atmosphere, maybe purchase an original piece of art and have a chat with the artists themselves. Located at East Street Arts, Unit 7, Arlington Court, (behind the BMW garage), Arlington Business Park, Whittle Way, Stevenage (just off Junction 7, A1M).

The studios will be open to the public from 12noon until 6pm on Sat 6th, Sun 7th, Wed 10th, Sat 13th, Sun 14th, Wed 17th, Sat 20th and Sun 21st September. Our words cannot do it justice - go and see it for yourself!

Stevenage and Knebworth Community Food Bank was overwhelmed by the generosity of local residents recently at the food drive held in Waitrose in the Old Town.

Customers in the store donated a total of nine full trolleys of food. John Mead, Chair of the Food Bank said, "Our volunteers were overwhelmed by the amount of donations from Waitrose's customers. We are experiencing an increasing number of people, particularly families, coming to the food bank as a result of financial hardship.

This will help us to replenish our stocks of food. People understand the hardship that others are facing and are ready to support them. It is true that the spirit of kindness Chair of the Food Bank John Mead pictured with is strong in our community.” the donations.

Volunteers were immensely grateful to the staff at Waitrose for their help and support throughout the day and of course all the customers who donated to the drive.

Stevenage Community Food Bank helps people in Stevenage and Knebworth who suddenly find that they do not have enough money to provide food. Whether this is due to job changes, delays in finances, an unexpected large bill or a sudden change in their circumstances, the Food Bank offers a short term measure, providing nutritious food for a three-week period to allow time to organise, adjust or change their circumstances. The Food Bank is managed and run by local volunteers.

Visit www.stevenagecommunityfoodbank.org.uk for a list of donation drop off points or to find out more about volunteering.

NOT YET ADVERTISING WITH US? Why not drop us an email to discuss what The Stevenage Magazine can do for you? editor@ thestevenagemagazine.co.uk

Correction In issue 18, we stated that local physio Sarah Kinsella of ASKPhysio would be cycling from London to Brighton in aid of Action Research. This should have read ‘London to Paris’ (you may have guessed this from clues further down the article such as ‘she’ll be finishing under the Eiffel Tower’!) Apologies for the confusion. As many of you read this, Sarah will be en route to Paris and we wish her all the very best and look forward to reporting her success in the next issue. (There is still time to sponsor Sarah at www.action.org.uk/sponsor/wheelietyredSK)

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Letchworth | Stevenage | Biggleswade

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prize draw

WIN V O U C H E R

£25 HAPPY HAMPERS

One lucky reader is in for a treat! We’ve teamed up with local bespoke gift company, Happy Hampers, to offer our readers the opportunity to win a £25 voucher to spend on their range of beautiful and original personalised gifts and hampers.

Hampers can be created for any occasion and tailored to suit any budget. You can specify exactly what you’d like in yours or if you’re stuck for an idea (but know it has to be special) the Happy Hampers team have an abundance of creative ideas and a knack of paying attention to detail to make the perfect personal gift.

They also create gorgeous hand-made keepsakes. Choose from the enchanting Scrabble letter accessories - cuff links, rings, earrings and bracelets, Scrabble frames (pictured) commemorating your special occasion, eye-catching wax crayon initial frames or endearing sock monkeys (pictured).

Why not book them for your event or party? Whether it’s a school fete, church fair, or party at home, Happy Hampers can be there.

Made-to-order sweetie and gifts cones are also available and large quantities are catered for. Whatever the occasion, be it birthday, wedding, new baby, christening, hen do or simply pampering someone special... Happy Hampers will have the answer. And, with Christmas round the corner, what better way to surprise your recipient than with a unique and thoughtful Happy Hampers gift?

To enter, simply email the answer to the question below along with your name and contact number to editor@thestevenagemagazine.co.uk

Question: On which date is Hallowe’en?

Closing date for entries is 31 October 2014. The winner will be chosen at random from the entries received.

Terms and Conditions 1. No cash alternative available.

2. Retail value of products available are at Happy Hampers’ discretion.

3. Winner will be notified via email by 15 November 2014.

Contact Alexandra Burns at Hamper Hampers t: 07985 620 607 e: happyhampersgifts@gmail.com facebook: Happy Hampers Gifts

Waste Not Want Not Waste Not Want Not is a horticultural-based social enterprise and community interest company which rescues plants and horticultural material from landfill.

Started six years ago by project leader Isobel Barnes and assisted by two part time horticulturalists and in excess of 40 volunteers, the project’s benefits are twofold - offering the local community an opportunity to purchase a wide variety of plants, shrubs and bedding at economical prices and providing therapeutic tools (through volunteering) for those who have suffered major traumas in their lives. Volunteers come from diverse backgrounds including professionals (working and retired)and those wanting to simply put something back into their community.

Many have returned to work or training after a period with us and feel the experience has turned their lives around.

In April 2014, our third site was opened in Roebuck, Stevenage, by our patron Kim Wilde. We also have a site in the Learning Garden at the Galleria, Hatfield.

The project has gained several awards and funding from various organisations and local authorities.

Administered by a diminishing number of Trustees, we urgently need committed people who have time and skills to spare to help keep the project afloat and on track. Such people may have administrative, financial, horticultural or business backgrounds as well as understanding and sympathising with the aims of the project. We welcome all offers of assistance, plants, and equipment or financial support. To find out more about or work, please visit our website www.wastenotwantnot.org.uk, call 01438 820154 or email isobelbarnes@aol.com

Oh, What a Lovely War!At the Stevenage Lytton Players this October One hundred years on, “Oh, What a Lovely War!” comments on the events of the First World War, using popular songs of the time and a fantasy location far from the horror of the trenches. The Stevenage Lytton Players are presenting this old favourite, suitable for all ages, from the 15th-18th October 2014 at the Lytton Theatre Vardon Road, SG1 5PZ. On Friday the 17th of October we will be running a raffle, all the proceeds of which will be donated to The Royal British legion. The Royal British Legion provide care and support to all members of the British Armed Forces past and present and their families. Come along meet some representatives from The Royal British Legion, make a donation and watch the fantastic musical of remembrance.

For more information please visit www.lyttonplayers.co.uk, or to book tickets please call 01438 357 407.

7

education

www.thestevenagemagazine.co.uk

Stevenage Museum gets creative with the kids Art Club and Ten Plus Textiles are the latest additions to the Stevenage Museum’s already packed programme of projects, exhibitions and events.

Launching this September, the workshops will introduce new creative skills and opportunities to youngsters aged 8 and above.

Museum curator, Jo Ward said of the new groups, “I’m particularly excited about both these workshops.

Unlike the other events at the museum, the children can be left unaccompanied. In Ten Plus Textiles we will be making work inspired by the museum collections, using collage and learning new skills such as different embroidery stitches, felting and printing. In Art Club we will be starting with printing techniques and skills.

There are so many benefits to be gained from art and craft activities; it’s a great way to introduce new skills and inspire youngsters to explore and discover a potential hobby. It also provides a focus that can help with unwinding and relaxing which is vital for children of all ages. We are delighted to be able to offer such opportunities at the museum.”

Art Club will run on the first Saturday of the month (starting on 6th September) from 10.30am-12noon and will cater for 8-12 year olds; Ten Plus Textiles will run from 3.45pm to 4.45pm every Wednesday in term-time, starting on 10th September and is specifically for those aged 10 years and over. Both groups will cost £2 per session (free for concessions) and will be run by museum staff.

Stevenage Museum, St George’s Way, Stevenage, SG1 1XX. T: 01438 218881 or e: museum@stevenage.gov.uk

Bedwell Rangers at Herts Youth Games Bedwell Rangers’ schools programme for girls’ football saw an Under 9s team represent Stevenage at the Herts Youth Games held at Wodson Park, Ware on 6th July.

The team finished 3rd in their group, missing out on 2nd place only on goal difference. They then faced St Albans in the 5th/6th place play off where, after the match finished 1-1, they were unfortunate to lose in a penalty shoot-out.

Around 200 girls had previously taken part in the free taster sessions run by Bedwell Rangers in local primary schools; from these sessions, ten girls were selected to play at the games.

For the 2014/15 season, Bedwell Rangers will be fielding more than ten girls’ teams, ranging from Under 8s through to Under 17s. With around 150 girls playing, the club boasts one of the largest girls’ sections in Hertfordshire and recently became an Advanced Club Partner with Arsenal Ladies F.C. Anyone interested in playing for the club can visit www.bedwellrangersfc.co.uk for more information.

8

Nearly New Sale Sun 19th October 2014 10:00 - 12:00pm

Chells Park Pavillion, Gresley Way, Stevenage Baby & Under 6’s Clothes, Toys, Equipment & More... £1 Entrance (Free Parking) Cake Stall

Call Kirsty on 07967 017806 for further information www.stevenageandknebworthtwinsclub.co.uk

Twinklers Bunyan Baptist Church on Basils Road has two groups for toddlers. The largest, Twinklers, is held on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings from 9.15-11.15am and caters for little ones from birth to 2 years 9 months.

There are two interconnecting halls; one is laid out with different tabletop crafts, puzzles and painting, a carpeted baby area while the main church hall is filled with larger toys, ride ons, dressing up and a very popular slide! There is a break for drinks and biscuits and fresh filter coffee is guaranteed! The session ends with singing and at the end of each term, minister Dave Morris plays his guitar and shares a story from the Bible.

Twinklers Plus, is held on Wednesday afternoons and is available to our families who have attended Twinklers. This prepares the children for pre-school by following a theme each week which reflects the early years curriculum. Each child gets the opportunity to 'show and tell', hear a story and again we end with songs.

Twinklers sessions are £2.50 per week. Payments are required in advance either half-termly or termly.

Twinklers carers are invited to join in the long list of activities within the church from parenting courses to Zumba!

For further information or to add yourself to the waiting list please contact Twinklers coordinator -Kirsty HomfrayCooper at twinklers@bunyan.co.uk or leave a message on 07719 599109.

www.thestevenagemagazine.co.uk

education

Teaching Your Baby Sign Language Can Benefit Both of You Watching your baby grow and achieve various milestones in their young lives is amazing. The biggest milestone is language development and communication skills.

Sign language is a great tool to help open up the pathways to communication with your child and its use for babies and toddlers is increasing rapidly as more people become aware of its benefits.

Your baby understands words a long time before they can talk, and will try everything in their power to let you know if there is anything they want. Because fine motor skills develop much earlier than a baby’s ability to speak, babies will try to point and clap, and learn to wave ‘bye bye’ as soon as they are able. Baby signing builds on this natural ability by teaching you and your baby some simple signs to use for words which are important, such as ‘milk, teddy, mummy, sleep’ and many more. By teaching the spoken word together with the sign, you are also helping your baby to remember more words than if you didn’t sign. It’s perfectly possible for a 12 month old baby to be able to use around 30 signs or more - what could be more amazing than being able to communicate with your 1 year old?

So, what other benefits are there? When signing with your child, you are actively encouraging eye to eye contact, something that is not done as often as it should be.

Other members of the family begin to join in and this bonding becomes family wide.

And once your child is able to sign their most basic needs to you, they become happier. If they see something and naturally want to tell you what it is, they can do so through a sign OR if they don’t know what it is yet you can teach them the sign ready for next time. This allows them to become more confident in themselves.

Frustration is also reduced as they are more able to communicate what they want and there is less need for them to become upset by you not understanding them.

People sometimes ask if it delays speech? Far from it. Signing is shown to to help speech. Signing children speak earlier and have greater vocabulary. They have an understanding of what words mean because signing shows them.

Using puppets, music and a great variety of unique props, you can be sure that your baby and you are captivated for the whole lesson. I am a native signer and hold a NVQ Level 4 in British Sign Language, bringing my life time of signing experiences to these fun packed classes. I have also signed with my two children.

Signing Babies run classes in Stevenage, Hitchin and surrounding areas. We have programmes designed for the under 18mths, over 18mths and also run sessions in any nursery / pre-school setting to teach signs to adults and children to enhance their learning journeys.

If you are interested in learning to sign with your child or work in a childcare setting, please contact Becky on 07813 315914 or email becky@signingbabies.co.uk Photography by Sarah Reynolds

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9

health & wellbeing

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BreatheEasy North Herts Free monthly meetings for anyone affected by lung disease BreatheEasy meetings offer a varied programme of speakers, refreshments and time to chat.

Carers, friends & family all welcome.

Meetings held at Great Ashby Community Centre, Stevenage, SG1 6NH For more details contact Sue Churchman t:01438 357319 | e: benorthherts@gmail.com | www.blf.org.uk/north-herts Helpline 03000 030 555 Mon-Fri 10am - 6pm British Lung Foundation charity no. 326730

Treatments for men & women Gift vouchers available instore and online Why not book your treatment via our website?

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The Thomas Alleyne School, High Street, SG1 3BE Tuesdays 7.30pm Barnwell Middle School, Shephall Green, Stevenage, SG2 9XT Thursdays 7:30pm

For more information and an up to date class schedule please visit www.facebook.com/JazzerciseStevenage or contact Kerry on 07743 183036 kerry.jazzercise@hotmail.co.uk

10

Danielle Bruce from ABC Life Support provides us with some more paediatric first aid advice.

Choking is the most common module I get asked about in regards to training. Most parents enquire because they feel it is the one thing they are most likely to encounter and they would be right. Babies are fed a diet of mainly liquid (milk and water) in the first months of life. Weaning is the process of introducing solids to the diet and thus to the mouth. The chances of some of this food going down the wrong way is almost inevitable so knowing what to do in the event of a blockage to the airway is crucial. Anything that gets introduced to the airway and causes a blockage is called a ‘choke’, which prevents oxygen from reaching the brain. Without oxygen for more than 3-4 minutes, there is a high risk of irreversible brain damage.

If choking occurs, first assess the environment. Was the child eating something? Do they have an older sibling who likes to feed them Lego pieces? Is there something no longer on the floor that was there a second ago?

Secondly, are you dealing with a partial or complete choke? And how do you recognise which? The partial blockage involves coughing, and if an infant starts to cough and splutter whilst drinking or eating, then the basic survival instinct of the child has kicked in. Give this a chance as more often than not, they will and can clear it themselves. The body is an amazing machine and will protect itself when necessary to a certain extent. Help by leaning them forward and allow them to cough it out.

If you don’t hear the coughing and the spluttering, the face goes red then deep purple, the lips go blue or any of the above then this collectively could be a complete blockage. Lean the infant/child* over your arm/lap and administer up to 5 back blows (I mean blow, not pat or slap, it needs to be forceful enough to move the blockage out of the way!) to the middle of the shoulder blades with them pointing downwards, so using gravity to work with you. If this doesn’t work then chest thrusts (infant) or abdominal thrusts (child) are needed, both of which are highly invasive so medical advice should be sought after performing any of those procedures. ** If the child becomes unconscious dial 999 or 112, then you may need to administer CPR and yes, it is worth finding out how to do this, just in case. * Infant is a baby aged between birth and 1 year and child is from 1 year to puberty. ** Never shake a baby as you could cause severe and irreversible damage to the brain.

www.thestevenagemagazine.co.uk

health & wellbeing

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Look after your skin this winter We know the importance of looking after our skin in the summer months, but how many of us think to put the same effort into our skin come winter time? You need to pay as much attention to your skin in cold weather as you would any other season. Holistic Eyes Specialist Beauty Therapy owner, Lynn Davidson has put together some simple and effective advice to help us get a headstart on the perils of winter weather.

Mary McLaughlin

Mobile Chiropodist For all your footcare needs in the comfort of your own home

HCPC Registered 1. The approach to winter, cold weather, central heating, not to mention the stress and excitement of Christmas can www.marymclaughlinchiropodist.co.uk play havoc with your skin so look at how you treat your skin especially the skin on your face. Do you exfoliate each week to get the dry dead skin away? Make sure it’s a gentle exfoliator with spherical granules so that it is gentle on the 01462 484085 | 07986 920965 skin while removing the dead skin.

2. This is a great time to invest in a skin treatment like a facial. Most facials have at least 6 stages including a double cleanse, The Andrews exfoliate, massage, mask and moisturise. While the skin is working hard to adjust to the change in temperature and deal with the intense heat DANCE CENTRE of central heating the processes in the facial help it to adjust.

3. My favourite unusual beauty tip is to use nipple cream as a lip balm.

CHILDRENS Think about it and it makes perfect sense. The skin types are very similar DANCE in both appearance and texture and nipple cream is an intensive CLASSES cream which soothes and heals.

4. Hands need more moisture. But put the cream on the back of the Held in: hands as this is where all the pores are and where the cream has best effect.

Stevenage 5. Heated hot mitts with a moisture mask inside give a fantastic We specialise in teaching soothing boost to sore chapped hands. I have a lot of nurses as clients children from the age of and this is one of their favourite treatments to combat the dryness from all the hand washing they have to do.

3yrs & above in: 6. Nails also suffer from the winter weather and central heating. All • Disco/Street oil is good for nails. So... if you’re not organised enough to buy and • Ballet • Tap Dancing remember to use an actual nail oil... rub in some olive oil whenever you are in kitchen. Any oil is better than none at all Our classes are lively and enjoyable and most 7. This time of year your ear canals and sinus channels really come importantly lots of fun !! under stress. Help by keeping the ears covered when you are in the cold.

FIRST LESSON TRIAL 8. If you suffer with sinuses, ear candling is a safe, gentle and non Teachers CRB Checked & invasive way to work on this problem. qualified with the I.S.T.D and N.A.T.D 9. If you find your feet get dry, Astral cream is great and not expensive!

The oily cream works in two ways; the cream sinks into the skin while the T: oil stays on the surface for a while taking longer to sink in. So you get double hydration.

10. Finally, if the skin on your face and hands is getting dry so is the rest of your HOLISTIC EYES body. A fantastic natural exfoliator is to mix natural sea salt with olive oil. The salt Specialist Beauty Therapy crystals break down into the skin while you rub them and at the same time the �ea�t� � ho� �o� �ook� �hera�� � ho� �o� fee���� olive oil moisturises and it’s all completely natural!

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Tel: 07808 365171 Grove Road, Old Town SG1 3NT Web: holisticeyes.co.uk :@HolisticEyes :Holistic Eyes

11

gardens

www.thestevenagemagazine.co.uk

September in the garden It doesn’t seem possible that September is here and thoughts of autumn are upon us. But what a wonderful summer we have had, being able to enjoy our outside space, growing flowers and vegetables either in your garden or allotment, as so many people do now.

If you have planned your garden, September can be a colourful time of year. The days can still be warm, with good day length and there are a number of plants that are looking their best, includIng dahlias, heleniums, rudbeckias and echinaceas. There are a number of varieties, varying in height and colour – mix these with some grasses for a prairie effect and it can look stunning.

This is also the time to start planning and planting spring flowering bulbs. It is so rewarding in the late winter/early spring when the first shoots of the new growth start to show above the ground – it makes winter all the more bearable!

Fresh bulbs are arriving now in the garden centres. Look for those that are firm to touch, not soft and rotten and plant as soon as possible, so that they don’t dry out.

September is also the perfect time to renovate your lawn. Firstly, to remove debris or ‘thatch’, you need to scarify the lawn with a lawn rake and then aerate it by spiking it with a fork, to help with the drainage.

These jobs will help to remove compaction of the soil and help the roots to become stronger. Finally, use an autumn feed (not a summer one, as there are different nutrients in it), this will strengthen the grass up before the onset of the harsh winter months.

It is important to keep mowing while the lawn is still actively growing, although this job can be reduced as the growth slows down. I have been known to still be cutting grass into November and December before now, everything in the garden depends on the weather.

But whatever the weather, make sure you enjoy your garden.

Caroline Howells | www.arch.uk.com

Worried about computers and online safety?

We can help keep you safe online! We offer ..

• Online safety & security awareness training • Basic Microsoft Office training • Independent advice & consultancy for families and small businesses • PC & laptop upgrades and repairs

Contact David : 07404 603604 | david@web-safe.org.uk www.web-safe.org.uk

12

Just stop and think (before you click that link) It is essential to take sensible measures to protect your computer from the numerous threats encountered online these days and many of us do know what to look out for, but for others it can seem daunting. Web-Safe Herts owner and expert David Dunmore offers a few simple reminders.

You see an email from your bank in your inbox asking you to confirm your details as part of a security upgrade, you open the email, and there’s a link to click which appears to take you to your bank’s website. But does it? Definitely not! This is a ‘phishing’ email designed to appear genuine. If you click the link a number of things may happen: * You may be directed to a fake website that looks like your bank’s and asked to re-enter all your security details.

This means you’re giving the criminals behind the site access to all your money. DON’T DO IT. * Or you may have spyware automatically installed on your (Windows) computer which searches for bank and other financial details, stored passwords and email contacts to send further ‘phishing’ emails to.

There are many other ‘phishing’emails around, One purports to be from NICE with a subject ‘Important Blood Test Results’ implying you may have cancer. In the email, there’s a link to download a ‘results’ document, which again, will install malware on your computer.

So please be careful, and think before you click on any links.

If you’re worried about computer security or online safety, you can visit my website: www.web-safe.org.uk email me at david@web-safe.org.uk or call me on 07404 603604.

David J Dunmore Bsc. MIEEE MIET MACM.

www.thestevenagemagazine.co.uk

home & business

Meet the Business:

Abbotts Wills & Probate Services Tell us about your business?

Abbotts Will & Probate Services Ltd offer all types of estate planning services: will writing, administration of estates, drawing up Lasting Powers of Attorney, arranging for them to be registered, Inheritance Tax advice, creation of Trusts and secure document storage. We are members of the Institute of Professional Willwriters and we hold Society of Trust and Estate Planning (STEP) qualifications.

When was the business established?

The company was set up in 2008 by Jo Briley. Jo had previously been employed dealing with Wills and Probate, and she decided that she wanted the flexibility and challenge of running her own business. The company has expanded rapidly in the last six years and there are now five employees. Our ethos is to always be up front and honest and to provide the best service we can.

What can we expect from an appointment?

Our initial consultation is free and can be arranged to take place at our office or in the comfort of your own home if you prefer (in Hertford, Stevenage and surrounding areas).

We understand how stressful and upsetting these things can be and we offer a positive, professional and transparent service. We have open lines of communication – you will always be able to speak directly to someone who can help.

Q U A L I T YBU SI NE SS I NSU R A NC E C A N’ TBER U SH E D We ' l lt ak e t h e t ime t oh e l p yo u ge tt h e righ tc o v e rf o r yo ur busine ss.

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Anything else we should know / may not already know?

All our prices are displayed on our website, which is something that rarely happens with legal services.

We offer free presentations to clubs, groups and companies about the importance of making Wills and/ or Lasting Powers of Attorney. We can also talk about estate administration. Please contact us if you would like to book a presentation.

A will is the only way to ensure your wishes are carried out upon your death, and although it is easy to put off, making time to do it now will make your loved ones’ lives a little easier when you are gone. www.abbottswills.co.uk info@abbottswills.co.uk | 01992 535 135 WILLS • PROBATE TRUST & ESTATE PLANNING

• Appointments available at our office, or

by home visits (in Hertford, in Stevenage and surrounding areas).

• We are upfront and honest with our fees Conbar House, Mead Lane Hertford, Herts SG13 7AP 01992 535135 0845 3133353 info@abbottswills.co.uk www.abbottswills.co.uk

from the offset.

• We offer continuing support and secure storage for your documents.

• All our consultants have undertaken a STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners) qualification.

SINGLE WILL £100 + VAT MIRROR WILLS £180 + VAT A Will is the only way to ensure your wishes are carried out upon your death.

Would you like to submit an article or see your group featured in the magazine? Drop us a line at editor@thestevenagemagazine.co.uk - we’re always happy to hear from you!

13

what’s on

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Baby Rhyme Time - Old Town Library Tues 2 Sept, 2.15-2.45pm Join in songs & rhymes with your baby, first Tuesday of every month.

High Street, Stevenage, SG1 3EF 5th Annual ‘World’s Biggest Coffee Morning’ Fri 5 Sept, 9.30am-3.30 pm Held at Christ The King Church, Filey Close, SG1 2JW. Entry is £2 for as much tea, coffee & cake as you can eat! Offers of cake, please contact Chrissy Cass 01438 237369 or email christine.cass@ntlworld.com Make It! Fri 5 Sept, 12noon-2pm Free event, get creative, bring along your handicrafts, and lunch. Tea and coffee provided. www.stevenage.gov.uk/museum e:museum@stevenage.gov.uk t: 01438 218881, Stevenage Museum, St George’s Way, SG1 1XX Baby Rhyme Time - Central Library Fri 5,12,19 & 26 Sept, 10-10.30am & 11-11.30am Join in songs and rhymes with your baby every Friday at Stevenage Southgate, Stevenage, SG1 1HD Toddler Tales - Central Library Fri 5,12,19 & 26 Sept, 2-2.30pm Stories & rhymes for toddlers. Every Friday at Stevenage Central Library, Southgate, Stevenage, SG1 1HD Toddler Tales - Old Town Library Fri, 5,12,19 & 26 Sept, 2.15 - 2.45pm Stories & rhymes for toddlers. Every Friday (term time only) at High Street, Stevenage, SG1 3EF Ghost Tour & Bat Walk Fri 5 Sept, 6.30pm Tour Knebworth House at night.

Light supper and a bat walk in the garden. Pre-book tickets only. www.knebworthhouse.com/event Knebworth House, SG3 6PY Art Club Sat 6 Sept, 10.30am-12noon Art classes on the first Saturday of each month for 8-12 year olds. £2 (free for concessions) www.stevenage.gov.uk/museum e:museum@stevenage.gov.uk t: 01438 218881, Stevenage Museum, St George’s Way, SG1 1XX Garden House Hospice: Starlight Walk Sat 6 Sept, night-time It’s that time of year when we ask you to dust off your trainers in preparation for our annual Starlight Walk. A fun-filled, 6 or 10 mile walk around Letchworth.

To enter and for full details, visit www.ghhospice.co.uk 10 plus textiles Wed 10 Sept, 3.45-4.45pm Creative fun for young people.

Learn new skills, practice old ones, make great gifts. Ages 10 years and over only. Term-time only, £2 (free for concessions). www.stevenage.gov.uk/museum e:museum@stevenage.gov.uk t: 01438 218881, Stevenage Museum, St George’s Way, SG1 1XX

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www.thestevenagemagazine.co.uk Events are FREE to list.

Please email your events to editor@thestevenagemagazine.co.uk Deadline for Nov-Dec issue is 10 Oct 2014

Stevenage Floral Art Society: Floral Demonstration by Lisa Howarth Thurs 11 Sept, 7.45pm Watch an entertaining evening of flower arranging on stage. ‘Times of Mellow Fruitfulness’ is this month’s title. Arrangements given away in a free raffle at end. Refreshments and a friendly welcome on offer!

Methodist Church Hall, High Street, Stevenage (entrance in Sish Lane) t: 01438 880 086. Tickets: £6.50 Lunch & Listen - Building Stevenage from the medieval to the modern Fri 12 Sept, 1-2pm Enjoy a lunchtime talk on a variety of topics. Bring along your own sandwiches. Tea & coffee provided. £3.75 (£3 concessions).

This month’s talk by Hugh Madgin, is a celebration of Stevenage’s architectual heritage as part of Heritage Open Weekend. www.stevenage.gov.uk/museum e:museum@stevenage.gov.uk t: 01438 218881 Stevenage Museum, St George’s Way, SG1 1XX Emitremmus Bike Ride Sat 13 Sept, 10am-2pm CTC bike ride to celebrate the end of summer. This event has grown to a point where we now have well over 400 entrants each year, because of this, we encourage everyone to enter as early as possible to guarantee a place. www.stevenagectc.org.uk Stevenage Farmers Market Sat 13 Sept, 10am-2pm High Street market place (opposite the White Lion pub) Stevenage, Herts, SG1 3UA Stevenage Gardens & Allotment Association Annual Show Sat 13 Sept, 1.30pm Chells Manor Sport Pavilion, Gresley Way, Stevenage. Classes for vegetables, flowers, floral art, cookery, photography, wine, juniors, pot plants. Produce stall, refreshments, tombola & raffle. Entry is FREE. Stevenage Family History Society: Visiting the National Archives at Kew Wed 13 Sept, 7.15pm A brief history of Public Records stored in the National Archives and offer some tips on how to search the catalogue. Visitors £3. Friends Meeting House, Cuttys Lane, Stevenage. www.stevenagefhs.webspace. virginmedia.com or contact us via e-mail at stevenagefhs@ virginmedia.com Saving the 70s Sat 13 Sept - Sat 18 Oct Music, fashion and TV to take you back in time. Celebrate the 70s Stevenage style! www.stevenage.gov.uk/museum e:museum@stevenage.gov.uk t: 01438 218881, Stevenage Museum, St George’s Way, SG1 1XX

The Bathhouse Heritage Weekend Sat 13 & Sun 14 Sept, 11am-3pm Visit the bath house on Church Lane to see how the people of Stevenage kept clean through two world wars and well into the sixties. www.stevenage.gov.uk/museum, e:museum@stevenage.gov.uk t: 01438 218881, Stevenage Museum, St George’s Way, SG1 1XX Under 5s - The Very Hungry Caterpillar Fri 19 Sept 1.30 - 2.30pm Themed stories, games, arts and crafts. Entry £1. Accompanied children only. www.stevenage.gov.uk/museum e:museum@stevenage.gov.uk t: 01438 218881. Stevenage Museum, St George’s Way, SG1 1XX Family Saturdays - Paint like an Egyptian Sat 20 Sept, 11am-12noon & 2.30 -3.30pm Free event, arts & craft fun for all the family. www.stevenage.gov.uk/museum e:museum@stevenage.gov.uk t: 01438 218881, Stevenage Museum, St George’s Way, SG1 1XX Outdoor Cinema - Grease/Top Gun Sat 20 & Sun 21 Sept Classic films shown on a giant screen in Knebworth Park. Bring a rug and a picnic. Adults, £12.50, children up to 15, £8.50. Book in advance through www.thelunacinema.com. Capacity is strictly limited, so get your tickets early. Knebworth House, SG3 6PY Stevenage Choral Society Open Rehearsal Mon 22 Sept, 7.45pm Open rehearsal for those who’d like to try singing in a choir. You don’t need to be able to read music, all voices welcome, no charge for the open rehearsal Do come along and give us a try. Christ the King Church, Filey Close, SG1 2JW e: chairperson@stevenagechoral. org.uk, or www.stevenagechoral. org.uk Stevenage Locomotive Society Thurs 25 Sept, 7.45pm Former Managing Director of InterCity Charters, David Ward, recounts his anecdotes on this interesting sector of the leading British Rail business. Community Arts Centre, Roaring Meg Retail Park SG1 1XN www.stevenagelocosociety. co.uk Down Memory Lane - flat irons & toasting forks Fri 26 Sept, 10.30 - 12noon Themed chat over a cup of tea or coffee. www.stevenage.gov.uk/ museum e:museum@stevenage.gov.uk t: 01438 218881 Stevenage Museum, St George’s Way, SG1 1XX Make it!

Fri 26 Sept, 12noon-2pm Free event, get creative, bring along your handicrafts and lunch.

Tea & coffee provided. www. stevenage.gov.uk/museum e:museum@stevenage.gov.uk t: 01438 218881, Stevenage Museum, St George’s Way, SG1 1XX

Super Saturdays - Who do you think you are?

Sat 27 Sept, 10.30am -3.30pm Stevenage Family History Society help answer all your genealogical questions. www.stevenage.gov.uk/ museum e:museum@stevenage.gov.uk t: 01438 218881 Stevenage Museum, St George’s Way, SG1 1XX Stevenage Ostomistics Meeting: ‘Life as a Newsreader’, talk by Richard Whitmore Sat 27 Sept, 10.30am–12.30pm Oval Community Centre, Vardon Road, Stevenage, SG1 5RD. No charge, refreshments available Contact Alfred Levy at alfred@ levy1.plus.com or 01767 376958 Stevenage Family History Society: Family History Day Sat 27 Sept, 10:30am to 3:30pm We will be on hand at Stevenage Museum’s Family History event to share knowledge and resources for researching ancestors. There will be live access to Ancestry, Findmypast, FamilySearch and many others online tools. Cost is FREE. Stevenage Museum, St Georges Way. www.stevenagefhs. webspace.virginmedia.com or by e-mail to stevenagefhs@ virginmedia.com Stevenage Family History Society: Female Convicts 1770-1870 Wed 1 Oct, 7.15pm Between 1770 and 1870 over 290,000 people were convicted in Great Britain. Of these, 40,000 were women. Come along to find out what happened to them. Visitors £3.

Friends Meeting House, Cuttys Lane, Stevenage. www.stevenagefhs. webspace.virginmedia.com or by e-mail to stevenagefhs@ virginmedia.com Baby Rhyme Time - Central Library Fri 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31 Oct, 10-10.30am & 11-11.30am Join in songs and rhymes with your baby every Friday at Stevenage Southgate, Stevenage, SG1 1HD Toddler Tales - Central Library Fri, 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31 Oct, 2-2.30pm Stories & rhymes for toddlers. Every Friday at Stevenage Central Library, Southgate, Stevenage, SG1 1HD Toddler Tales - Old Town Library Fri, 3,10, 17, 24 & 31 Oct, 2.152.45pm Stories & rhymes for toddlers. Every Friday (term time only) at High Street, Stevenage, SG1 3EF Baby Rhyme Time - Old Town Library Tues 7 Oct, 2.15-2.45pm Join in songs & rhymes with your baby, first Tuesday of every month.

High Street, Stevenage, SG1 3EF. Herts Health & Wholeness Festival Sat 4 Oct, 10am-5pm Holistic wellbeing for mind, body and soul. Retail stands, treatments, talks and networking. Forum Conference Centre, Ibis Hotel, Stevenage, SG1 1EJ. t: 01462 624160 www.healerzone.com/events/ profile/356

www.thestevenagemagazine.co.uk

history

History: The Dead Man’s Penny - A Distinguished Stevenage Pilot Within the collection of archive materials at Stevenage Museum you will find several First Word War Memorial Plaques, nicknamed a ‘Dead Man’s Penny’, because of the similarity in appearance to the penny coin. The Memorial Plaque was issued after the First World War to the next-of-kin of all British and Empire service personnel who were killed as a result of the war. 1,355,000 plaques were issued, with each one uniquely named.

One of these is named to Cuthbert Foster who was born in Great Wymondley on 18 October 1898, the son of John and Charlotte Foster. The family later lived at 39 Walkern Road in the Old Town and after completing his education Cuthbert began work as a bank clerk. By this time, the war had begun and he was carried along on a wave of patriotism, like so many young men of his generation. Shortly after his 18th birthday, he volunteered for military service and joined the Army in February 1917. At this point in the war the exploits of the men of the Royal Flying Corps, particularly the fighter pilots, were the subject of intense media attention and the romance of this new form of warfare cast a spell upon many young men, including Cuthbert.

In November 1917, Cuthbert was selected for a commission in the Royal Flying Corps and soon began his pilot training. During this period he suffered two crashes, both of which he managed to survive, which, with flying still in its infancy, was something of an achievement in itself. Despite these setbacks, Cuthbert eventually graduated as a pilot on 27 February 1918 and after gaining his ‘wings’ was swiftly posted to ‘C’ Flight of No.88 Fighter Squadron, which had only recently been formed. The men of the squadron departed for France aboard the HM Australind on 16 April 1918, arriving at Le Havre the following day. They operated from airfields at Berques-Capelle, Drionville and Serny.

Local newspaper reports state that during his time at the front, Cuthbert was credited with shooting down six enemy aircraft and was responsible for damaging a great many more. Squadron records, however, indicate that there is only one entry which credits Cuthbert with the destruction of an enemy aircraft. This was on 4th September when he, and his Observer Lieutenant Beltram Hutchinson Smyth, were in combat with a Fokker biplane over Seclin. The enemy aircraft was seen to dive to the ground out of control to, it must be assumed, its destruction. Cuthbert was mentioned in dispatches for this action.

On 27 September 1918, Cuthbert climbed aboard his Bristol F2b fighter, E2153, along with his observer, Sergeant Thomas Proctor (212137) a 31 year old from Belfast. Together with four other aircraft they were to perform an escort role for aircraft of No.103 Squadron who were on a bombing mission. During the flight they were attacked by a number of enemy aircraft and Cuthbert was seen to perform a double loop whilst out-manoeuvring a German aircraft that was on his tail. Having done this successfully he was last seen in full control of his machine but flying low and heading for the British lines. It was assumed at the time that his aircraft was suffering from engine trouble and that he was attempting to make his way back to base. Sadly, neither Cuthbert, his observer, nor the aircraft were ever seen or heard of again. His name is recorded on the Arras Flying Services Memorial, Pas-De-Calais, France.

The information in this article was provided by Paul Johnson, Military & Aviation Researcher, Author and Battlefield Guide. Paul, of Stanmore Road, owns and operates the ‘Stevenage At War’ website (stevenageatwar.com) and has produced several military and aviation publications. If you would like to know more about this story or if you need assistance with researching an individual who served in the Great War you can contact Paul via email at frontlineresearch@hotmail.com

What’s On continued....

Stevenage Floral Art Society: Floral Demonstration by Joyce Furssedon Thurs 9 Oct, 7.45pm Watch an entertaining evening of flower arranging on stage.

‘Pick’n’Mix’ is this month’s title.

Arrangements are given away in a free raffle at end. Refreshments and a friendly welcome on offer!

Methodist Church Hall, High Street Stevenage (entrance in Sish Lane). t: 01438 880 086. Tickets: £6.50 Stevenage Farmers Market Sat 11 Oct, 10am -2pm High Street market place (opposite the White Lion pub) Stevenage, Herts, SG1 3UA

Stevenage Family History Society: Female Convicts 1770-1870 Sat 18 Oct, all day A day trip to The National Archives.

This will be an opportunity to carry out personal research using the vast resources of the National Archives at Kew. Details of costs are yet to be finalised but will be published on our website as soon as they are confirmed. If you are interested, please contact June Tye - j.tye7@ ntlworld.com. www.virginmedia.com

Stevenage Ostomistics Meeting: Talk by ex Tiller & Vernon girl Sheila Parker ‘Life is a cabaret’ Sat 25 Oct, 10.30am–12.30pm Oval Community Centre, Vardon Road, Stevenage, SG1 5RD . No charge, refreshments available.

Contact Alfred Levy at alfred@levy1. plus.com or 01767 376958 Stevenage Choral Society: The Peacemakers Sat 25 Oct, 7.30pm Stevenage Choral Society sing Karl Jenkins inspirational work The Peacemakers as part of our commemoration of the centenary of the Great War. St Andrew and St George Church, Cuttys Lane. Tickets from info@stevenagechoral.org.uk or www.wegottickets.com Adults £10 (£12 on the night) Children (under 16) £5.

Pumpkin Trail & Treats, Knebworth House Weds 29, Thurs 30, Fri 31 Oct,11.30am Pumpkin activities and trail through the gardens. Goody bag on completion of the trail.

Children’s fancy dress and ‘best decorated pumpkin’ competitions.

Booking essential, visit www. knebworthhouse.com/event Knebworth House, SG3 6PY Stevenage Locomotive Society Thurs 30 Oct, 7.45pm Within railway photography circles, Colin Gifford needs no introduction and the Society is privileged that ‘The Master’ is making a return to Stevenage.

Community Arts Centre, Roaring Meg Retail Park SG1 1XN www.stevenagelocosociety.co.uk

15

organisations

www.thestevenagemagazine.co.uk

ORGANISATIONS G R O U P S & C L U B S Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings - Old Town, Springhouse, Tues 8pm & Methodist Church, Chells Manor Weds 12.30pm, Chells Manor Community Centre, Weds 8pm. For other meets t: 0845 7697555 or www. alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk

Friday Club: Tea & Chat We meet Friday afternoons at St Paul’s Methodist Church Hall, Turpins Rise. Friendly chat and occasional guest speakers.

All ages welcome.

Contact: Janis Daniel t: 01438 317270

Al’s Cafe (Dementia Drop in Cafe) Mon, 6-8pm, Glaxo Unit (rear of Lister). Friends and family of those with dementia welcome.

Friendship, info, share concerns. T: 01438 723501/ 07799 267555. e: normawarden@hotmail.com

Grace’s Space First Sat of month. Volunteer led group for families with with children 3-14 yrs with Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC). Space for children & siblings to play, experience activities, form friendships with peer who understands family life. www.gracesspace.org e: graces_space@live.co.uk 07972 345797/07583 554 053

Alzheimers Society Support Group Last Wednesday of every month at The Ibis Hotel, Stevenage. Contact: Cate Mitcham - 01462 433999/07720 946034 / Annette Cooke 07720 946032 Bedwell Rangers F.C. Boys teams: Under 6 to Under 18s. Girls’ teams: Under 8 to Under 18s. Adults, Men’s & Ladies teams, plus Disability teams for Under 12s and Under 16s. www. bedwellrangersfc.co.uk The Betty Game Opportunities Trust (charity no. 1133370) Provides small grants to Stevenage residents who are studying with the Open University, or on certain higher education courses, and who need financial help. For more information or to request an application form, e:bgotrust@ virginmedia.com or t: 01438 354171

Indoor New Age Kurling Indoor Kurling is a great fun sport that can be played by people of any age including those with disabilities.

No experience necessary.

Archers Road Community Centre. Contact Helen t: 01438 354662 INS Supporting the older members of in Stevenage & surrounding areas.

Stevenage World Forum for Ethnic Communities. 10-12 Exchange Road, Bedwell, Stevenage, Herts, SG1 1PZ t: 01438 725400 e: info@ irishnetworkstevenage.org. uk Knit & Natter Weds, 12.30pm Archers Road Community Centre 291 Archer Rd. t: 01438 354662

Breathe Easy North Herts (charity no: 326730) Part of the support network of British Lung Foundation.

Free monthly meetings with speakers & entertainment at Great Ashby Community Centre. T: Sue - 01438 357319

Lace Group Thurs term time only. 10am12noon & 1pm-3pm.We have a tutor who teaches all kinds of lace work. Beginners welcome. Broadhall Community Centre, Hydean Way, Stevenage. Contact Sandra Langworthy 07840 722 108 or e: pearl. shaw@btinternet.com

Dementia Cafe Third Weds of every month.

Community Arts Centre, Roaring Meg. t: Jennifer Hewson 01923 894222/07834 420760

Meet & Eat Club 1st & 3rd Weds of the month. 10am-12 noon. FREE cuppa & chat Pin Green Community Centre 291 Archer Rd. t: 01438 354662

Douglas Drive Senior Citizens Centre Centre for Stevenage’s seniors (55+), care & therapy for stroke patients. 32 Douglas Drive, Stevenage, Herts, SG1 5PF. douglasdrivesca@hotmail. co.uk t: 01438 357227 Extend Exercise Fridays, 10.45-11.45am Exercise class for people who need gentle but effective exercise. Can be done sitting down. Run by qualified instructor.

Costs £2.50. Archers Road Community Centre t: Helen on 01438 354662

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Ostomistics Support group for those with a stoma. Meet last Sat of the month. 10.30am Oval Community Centre, Stevenage. Enjoy company of others, listen to talks, visit places. Contact Alfred Levy 01767 316958 or email alfredlevy@me.com or your stoma care nurse North Herts Ramblers’ Group Saturday & Sunday walks, Long & short walks, Dogs welcome walks, Evening pub walks! Stevenage walks start at Stevenage Library Visit www.nhrg.co for our full programme

Phoenix Group for Deaf Children Charity for deaf children based in Stevenage, We support children, young people & families from all across Hertfordshire. Contact info@phoenixgroup.org.uk or 01438 722142 Over 60s Luncheon Club Tues - Fri, 12.30pm Springfield House Community Centre. Friday lunch is served at 12 noon.

Cost £3.10 Overcomers Outreach A Christian 12-step recovery support group. Weds, 8pm, Christ the King, Filey Close, Symonds Green. www. immanuel-stevenage.org.uk Singing For The Brain Support Group Thursday, 2pm. Group acitivity for those suffering with Alzheimers. Friendly and social. Run by Alzheimers Society. The Community Arts Centre, Roaring Meg. Contact: Sharon Meakin 01707 265326.

Springfield House Bridge Club Friday afternoons, 1.304.30pm Springfield House, 24 High Street SG1 3EJ South Stevenage Flower Club 3rd Tues of month, Arts Pavilion, Roaring Meg. Demos, workshops and flower classes. Contact: Edna Holt t: 01438 227084 Stevenage Arts Society The Society has numerous painting, drawing & pottery activities. Meetings throughout the week.

For more info visit www. artistsco-operative.co.uk or t: 07565 912656.

Springfield House 24 High Street, SG1 3EJ Stevenage Basketball Club Meet Tues & Suns, all ages junior to adult welcome.

Marriotts School Leisure Centre. Contact Mark t:07921 828316 www. stevenagebasketball.co.uk Stevenage Bridge Club Tues, 7.15pm St John’s Ambulance Hall, Stanmore Road. Contact: Phil Cooper t: 07957 813434 Stevenage Chess Club Mon, 7.30pm Holy Trinity Church Contact: Mike Price t: 01438 239638 Stevenage Choral Society Rehearse every Mon during term time, 7.45-9.45pm.

Christ the King Church, Symonds Green, All voices welcome.Heather Heritage t: 01438 365769 www.stevenagechoral.org Stevenage CTC Cycle rides take place every Weds 7.15pm. Start at Bowling Green, High St. Bring lights. All welcome. t: Jim on 07939 687509 www.stevenagectc.org.uk

Stevenage & District Amateur Radio Club Society Tues, 7.30-9pm Stevenage Resource Centre, Chells Way. t: 01438 489045 / 07986 367537 Stevenage Family History Society 1st Weds of month 7.309.30pm. For anyone interested in researching their ancestors. Friends Meeting House, Cutty’s Lane. t: 01438 721296 www.stevenagefhs. webspace.virginmedia.com Stevenage Floral Art Society 2nd Thurs of month, 7.45pm.

High Street Methodist Church.Demonstrations, workshops, events. t: 01438 880086 Stevenage Gamers, Tabletop Role Playing Games Club, 7-11pm The Shephall Centre £5 per session, Cons, £2.50. First session free. Members must be 18+ unless accompanied by adult. e: enquiries@ stevenagegamers.org Stevenage-Kadoma Link Association (SKLA) Town twinning link with Kadoma (Zimbabwe), meet every month at 7.30pm. e: skla@hotmail.co.uk Stevenage & Knebworth Twins Club Meet first Mon of the month 2-4pm. Great Ashby Community Centre, White Lane. e: info@stevenageand knebworthtwinsclub.co.uk / www.stevenageand knebworthtwinsclub.co.uk Stevenage Locomotive Society Last Thurs of the month, 7.30pm Presentation & discussions. Roaring Meg Community Arts Centre.

Stevenage Locomotive Society Last Thurs of the month, 7.30pm Includes presentations & discussions.

Roaring Meg Community Arts Centre.

Stevenage Lytton Players Amateur dramatic and musical society.

Lytton Theatre, Vardon Road, SG1 5PZ. Visit www.lyttonplayers.co.uk Stevenage Male Voice Choir Rehearsals every Friday at 7.30pm, Roaring Meg Community Arts Centre.

Contact: Ed Furye t: 01462 672502 www.smvc.org Stevenage Photographic Society Mon, 7.45pm Roaring Meg Community Arts Centre.

Visit www.photograp hicsociety.org.uk Stevenage Plus Thurs evenings at the Holiday Inn Express. A local social group for people aged 18-35, to meet and make new friends. Contact: Natalie t: 07837 733830

Stevenage RSPB Meets third Tues of month.

From Sept-May at 7.30pm.

Friends’ Meeting House, Cutty’s Lane. Entry £2.50 for RSPB members & £3.50 nonmembers.

Stevenage Senior Forum ‘Maturity Matters’ 2nd Thurs of month. 1.303.30pm Open to anyone 50+Meetings take place at Bowes Lyon Centre.

Stevenage (North) Trefoil Guild Meet 2nd Weds of the month, 2.30 - 4.30pm Hellards Road Community Room. All ex-Guiders, Guides and Brownies welcome. t: 01438 351155.

Stevenage World Forum The Together Centre, 10-12 Exchange Rd, Bedwell Neighbourhood Centre, Bedwell Crescent, Stevenage, SG1 1PZ. T: 01438 725400 www.worldforum.org.uk The Rotary Club of Stevenage Meet Mon, 6.15pm for 6.30 start. Novotel Hotel. For further info please contact mg@gommarchitects.com or t: 07970 750302 The Royal British Legion Stevenage Branch meet at CIU Club Old Town on 1st Thurs of month 7pm for 7:30pm. New members most welcome. Contact Hon Secretary Mr Richard Mott 01438 233505 The Stevenage-IngelheimAutun Association Town Twinning link with towns in Germany and France. Meeting dates vary but see www.tsiaa.org. uk for information. e: tsiaa@hotmail.co.uk The Stevenage Society for Local History Meets second Mon of the month from Sept to May inclusive, 8pm. Springfield House Contact: Jill Campbell t: 01438 811439 auntduuk@yahoo.co.uk.

Timebridge Widow Meet every Tues, 1.303.30pm, at Timebridge Community Centre, Mobbsbury Way, Chells.

Come along have a cup of tea, chat & make soem new friends. All newcomers welcome. We runs occasional trips. Contact: Pat, Events Scretary on 01438 314587 The Wednesday Club Every Weds, 9.45-11.25am.

Methodist Church,High Street (term time). Enjoy a variety of speakers and demonstrations. Tea and coffee served. Contact Alanah t: 01438 361324 Women’s Institute - Great Ashby Meet first Fri of each month, 7.45pm at the Great Ashby Community Centre, Whitehorse Lane, SG1 6NH Contact Sylvia Urbanowski - 07967 091857 or e: greatgatsbywi@hotmail. com.

www.thestevenagemagazine.co.uk Women’s Institute (WI) Old Town Meets once a month, Tues 7pm. Holy Trinity Church, High Street. Joan McAdam t: 01438 216850 joanmcadam@ntlworld. com Women's Institute (WI) Poplars Meet first Weds of the month at Broadhall Community Centre, Hydean Way, Stevenage 2-4pm.

Contact Joan Bellott t: 01438 220724 e: pearl.shaw@btinternet. com

TODDLER GROUPS High Street Methodist Church Parent & Toddlers Mon, 9.30-11.30am £1.50 t: Helen, 07989 837036 Funky Feet Weds, 1pm-2.30pm, £1.50 adult & 2 children, 30p additional children at Symonds Green Community Centre.

T: Cheryl 07967 326082 Little Lambs Fri, 9-10.30am, donation welcome, all ages from babies upwards.

St Nicholas Church, Rectory Lane Contact Judy Brown on 01438 213587 or Sarah Metcalfe on 07903 717645.

Little Lunchers Thurs, 10am - 1pm, High St Methodist Church. Cost: donation. Acitivities, story, songs followed by lunch together round a table, with high chairs, lunch & bibs provided. t: Tim Hoof 07788 448592 or hoof@gmx.co.uk Old Town Toddlers Tues, 9.45-11.15am £2.50 at Trinity Church. t: Dinah, 01438 229663 Pin Green Pandas Thurs, 9.30-11.30am £1.50 at Pin Green Play Centre. t: Diane, 07886 256 703 Tiny Tearaways Tues, 9.30 -11am £2 adult & 2 children. The Hyde, Shephall t: Lynn, 07971 971793 Tiny Tykes Thurs, 9.45-11.15am 50p at Pin Green Community Centre 291 Archer Rd. t: Bridget, 01438 355734 Twinklers Tues, Weds, Thurs 9.15-11.15am Bunyan Baptist Church, Basils Rd. There is a waiting list for places. Contact Kirsty Homfray-Cooper on 07719 599 109

organisations

A chat with... Stevenage RSPB What’s your group called? We’re the Stevenage branch of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

How long have you been going? The RSPB was founded in 1889, although the local Stevenage branch began in 1982.

When & where do you meet? We meet on the third Tuesday of the month from 7.30pm at The Friends’ Meeting House, Cutty’s Lane, Stevenage. Entry is £2.50 for members, £3.50 for non-members and 50p for children under 16. We also meet regularly for walks; these tend to be on Sundays and Thursdays, although this is not set in stone.

A programme of events is produced each September detailing all our activities for the year ahead, this can obtained from Stevenage Library, The Stevenage Museum or by contacting us directly.

What can people expect if they join the group? A very warm welcome! We are renowned for being a friendly bunch. Tuesday meetings consist of a talk and presentation, which may be from members or guest speakers, with a tea break half way through. There is also an opportunity for everyone to chat and enter our monthly raffle. Members travel the world bird-watching and these experiences will often form the topic of their talks.

Walks take place both locally and further afield, they are great fun and very sociable. The expertise in the group stretches beyond birds. There are those with excellent knowledge on flora and fauna. Everyone is willing to share to help everyone get the most out of each trip. Even on a bad spotting day you always return having learnt something. We also run coach trips with the Hitchin and Letchworth Group of the RSPB. How many members do you have? About 50 members attend meetings and trips on a regular basis, however, we represent 1300 RSPB members living in this area.

Anything else you’d like to tell us about the group? There are some great bird watching opportunities in Stevenage, we are very fortunate to have such a large amount of green space; however it’s not just the parks and gardens that offer great spotting opportunities. A few years ago we had the privilege of playing host to a peregrine falcon who’d decided to nest at Southgate House. The former Norton Green rubbish tip is also a brilliant place to spot birds such as the migrating Wryneck.

Contact Ann Collis (group leader) on 01438 861547.

Meet... North Herts Ramblers’ Group We are the Ramblers! Do you have visions of bobble hats and knobbly knees? Of plodding through the rain in anoraks? We are not like that – well, not many of us! We are a diverse group who enjoy walking in the local countryside.

Some walk for physical health (it lowers cholesterol) and some for mental health (it alleviates depression); some enjoy making new friends and talking to other people. Experts and novices identify flowers and birds while others take plenty of photos. The point is we all ENJOY walking the footpaths of North Herts and the surrounding areas, taking in the views and breathing fresh air.

A sample of walks from our programme: Saturday 13th - dog friendly, 4-5 miles, Saturday 13th, Datchworth - 7 miles, Sunday 14th, Biggleswade - 10 miles, Wednesday 17th - evening, dog friendly pub walk, 4-5 miles, Sunday 21st, High Cross - 10 miles.

Coach trips, dances, socials and treasure hunts are also on our programme. Don’t worry about the length, we never leave anyone behind.

The walks are led by our own members who have passed our own course on map reading, navigation and leadership. You do not have to be a member for the first few walks and walking is free.

The Ramblers’ Association, to which we are affiliated, is a national organisation and charity and, if you are a member, you can walk with any club around the country – just look online for details.

Visit our site www.nhrg.org.uk to see our programme, photos and news.

It’s FREE to list your not-for-profit organisation,club or group on this page.

Please email details to editor@thestevenagemagazine.co.uk Deadline for the Nov/Dec issue is 10 Oct 2014

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www.thestevenagemagazine.co.uk

art, culture & creativity

MEET THE BUSINESS: Cherry Cheeks Face & Body Art Tell us about your business?

I’m a face and body painter which means I offer face painting, glitter tattoos, pregnancy art, fine art illusion, body painting and photography. I attend birthdays, christenings, hen dos, weddings, baby showers, fetes, fairs, markets and photo shoots. I also work for corporate clients custom designing and cutting intricate stencils which incorporate their business logo and branding into the face and body art. The possibilities are endless!

How did you become interested in body art?

I volunteered for my daughter’s school and the first time I picked up a brush I ‘knew’! I was (and still am) fascinated with the reaction and transformation that took place. From there I immersed myself in learning everything I could about colours, styles, skills and techniques. I booked myself onto a course to learn about hygiene, health and safe use of materials.

How long do your creations take?

Face painting takes about 3 - 8 minutes per face, I can paint ten in an hour. Pregnancy Art takes around two hours and a full body paint for a photo shoot takes about six. Smaller pieces for arms, chests, backs etc. vary, they can be beautifully simple for a larger crowd or dazzlingly detailed if time allows.

Favourite things to do?

I love painting the tummies of expectant mums. It’s a real privilege.

And it’s a huge compliment when I am booked again by families to see the little ones develop: painting the bump, attending the christening and then a 3rd birthday party (face painting is not recommended for under 3s).

What is the demand for this type of thing?

The greatest demand for face painting is at weekends and holidays, pregnancy art bookings and admin keep me busy midweek!

Contact Katja Kyd at https://www.facebook.com/cherrycheeksfacepainting www.cherrycheeks.co.uk info@cherrycheeks.co.uk 07747 073232

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Image by: Kim Watson

Where do the ideas come from?

Inspiration can come from anywhere! I love looking at Pinterest, art exhibitions and Google images. I also love spending time in the library, and browsing bookshops and stationery and art supplies.

I keep a notebook and pencil by my bedside as my ideas often come at night.

All images by: Katja Kyd unless stated otherwise

Any real challenges / bizarre requests?

I love challenges! I’ll often come up with new designs on the spot, no restrictions! It’s a great way to encourage little ones’ imagination.

www.thestevenagemagazine.co.uk

useful numbers / business directory U S E F U L

N U M B E R S

CHURCHES Bunyan Baptist Church 01438 369263 Church of Christ the King 01438 226857 The Church of Transfiguration (RC) 01438 226857 High Street Methodist Church 01438 721674 Holy Trinity Church (C of E) 01438 353229 Seventh Day Adventist Church 08432 890400 St Nicholas (CofE) 01438 213587 Stevenage Vineyard Fellowship 01438 233310

Snippets Needlework • Bridal Alterations • Bespoke Designs • Lessons Available

Call Deborah Aungiers: 07534 173663 or 01438 311095 First Floor, 7 Middle Row Stevenage SG1 3AN email: info@snippetsneedlework.com web: www.snippetsneedlework.com

TRAPPED? THERE IS A WAY OUT

JEWISH North Herts Liberal Jewish Community 01438 300222 CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU 08444 111 444 COMMUNITY CENTRES Archers Road (formallly Pin Green) 01438 354662 Chells Manor 01438 748792 Bedwell Community Centre 01438 314839 Springfield House 01438 356705 COUNCILS Stevenage Borough Council 01438 242242 Hertfordshire County Council 0300 1234040 DENTIST (NHS) Shephall Dental Surgery 01438 351556 DOCTORS’ SURGERIES King George Surgery 01438 361111 Manor House Surgery 01438 742639 Stanmore Road Health Centre 01438 313223 Symonds Green Health Centre 01438 316393

The Poplars Surgery 01438 351359 HOSPITALS Lister Hospital 01438 314333 Queen Elizabeth II 01707 328111 Hertford County Hospital 01707 328111 LEISURE CENTRES Stevenage Leisure Centre 01438 242605 / 08700 132068 Stevenage Swimming Centre 01438 218770 Fairlands Valley Park & Sailing Centre 01438 353241 John Henry Newman Leisure Centre 01438 218791 Shephall Leisure Centre 01438 210100 LIBRARIES Old Town - 01438 737333 Central Library - 0300 123 4049 SCHOOLS Almond Hill Junior School 01438 233660 Fairlands Primary School & Nursery 01438 351053 Letchmore Infants’ & Nursery School 01438 234400 Woolenwick Infant & Nursery School 01438 216070 Woolenwick Junior School 01438 216565 The Barclay School 01438 232221 The John Henry Newman School 01438 218791 The Thomas Alleyne School 01438 344344 STEVENAGE POLICE STATION 101 (non emergency) Stevenage Town Centre Management Company 01438 740884

BUSINESS DIRECTORY Abbots Wills & Probate Services

01992 535 135 / 0845 313 353

ABC Life Support

0800 0467 410

Andre Etienne

01438 728 358

Andrews Dance School

01462 643 384

Austin’s Family Funeral Directors

01438 316 623

bbw Solicitors

01438 359211

Breathe Easy North Herts

01438 35 7319

Extra Help

0845 219 8978

Expressive Art Green Oak

C O N T A C T

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

Jazzercise with Kerry

07743 183 036

Kip McGrath

01438 365 467

Matthew J Photography

www.matthewjphotography.co.uk

Maximum Beauty Multral Life

01438 317191 07733 364 144 / 0800 878 6084

Mobile Chiropodist NUF Mutual

01462 484 085

Oven Clean

Tel: 01438 747475

0845 769 7555

www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk ALL ENQUIRIES ARE TREATED IN THE STRICTEST CONFIDENCE

PUBLISHED BY THE GENERAL SERVICE OFFICE A.A

Pure

01763 241 611 07445 073 648 01438 487170 / 07759 856 532

Signing Babies

07813 315 914

Snippets

The Dressing Room

07534 173663

Tiny Talk

07532 077 808

Web-Safe Herts 40171111

01438 726 955 01438 314240 / 07770 381409

01438 316 900 01438 351 253 / 07404 603 604

Will Script

01438 214333

Window Geeks

07703 193 613

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