Forest of Dean Dec15

FOREST OF DEAN YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY MAGAZINE

December 2015

www.forestofdeanmagazine.co.uk

FREE December What‘s On Guide Growing Fruit Trees

Gardening by Pippa Greenwood

Make Room for Guests at Christmas Home & Interiors

by Katherine Sorrell

Local News Local Businesses

Martin Lewis

Finance

Advice for Winter

Financial Help for First Time Buyers

The Millionaire Maker

Christmas Last Dates Estuary Post Oils Estuary

Local Writer Richard Denny

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To advertise call 07939 802 384 or 01594 806 555 or visit www.forestofdeanmagazine.co.uk

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To advertise call 07939 802 384 or 01594 806 555 or visit www.forestofdeanmagazine.co.uk

From the Editor

Local Magazines Published

by Glos Directories - connecting local businesses with local people

Hello Reader, Well where did the year go? I can’t believe it’s December already and Christmas is almost here!

December is such a magical month, not only for children but also for parents and grandparents. One of the festive highlights must be the annual nursery or school nativity play. It’s a very emotional time for us parents, so make sure you pack the tissues and put on the waterproof mascara!

Christmas is also Pantomime time, so don’t miss out on the fun! The Savoy Theatre, just up the road in Monmouth, is staging ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ this year and it runs from the 16th to the 31st of December. Full details can be found on the theatre website: www.monmouth-savoy.co.uk To see what else is on in your area during December, have a look at our events pages towards the back of the magazine.

Finally, I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year from all of us at Forest of Dean Magazine! See you next year!

Best wishes,

Vicky Muller

- Editor

Please like us on Facebook.com/ForestofDeanMagazine Follow us on Twitter @ForestMagazine

Tel: 01594 806 555 or 07939802384

Local: community@forestofdeanmagazine.co.uk Advertising: info@forestofdeanmagazine.co.uk Website: www.forestofdeanmagazine.co.uk

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Request a price list online or call to book your space in Aug/Sept Magazine

Book now to be included in the next Issue and grow your business locally.

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Page 5

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Or visit our shop & showroom in Chapel Hay Lane, Prospect House, Church Road, Churchdown, GL3 2ES

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Auction Anecdote Smiths November antique sale included a large specialist section for silver, gold and jewellery. Of course it is no coincidence that this is just in time for the run up to Christmas and plenty of trade and private buyers were on the look out for ‘glitzy’ stocking fillers.

Star lot of the auction day was a 1.3 carat asscher cut diamond ring which was much admired during viewing and eventually sold to a telephone bidder for £5,100 against a local private buyer in the room.

The asscher cut is very unsual in that it is step cut in a square or slight rectangle so that when one looks directly down into the ring a ‘hall of mirrors’ effect is created. This simple geometric style was understandably very popular during the Art Deco period although modern day asscher cuts are technically more advanced and can achieve more brilliance and light than antique examples. The cut was invented in 1902 by the Asscher Brothers who were famed for cutting the largest diamond in the world. Because one looks directly into the centre of the stone asscher cut diamonds have to have exceptional clarity and be of good colour – any flaws would be immediately noticeable.

The stunning example which sold at Smiths auctions was set in platinum with trillion cut diamond shoulders. It is typical of the type of diamond rings which are selling well at present as women are looking for unusual cuts and styles and not surprisingly large diamonds in excess of one carat are always popular.

Smiths December sale features a special section for antique and collectable toys whilst the January sale has a coins and tokens section. Coin and token entries are now invited – please see the website at www.smithsnewentauctions.co.uk or telephone 01531 821776 for details.

- Written by Rita Kearsey Manager of Smiths Auction Room at Newent

Monthly Sales of Antiques & Collectables

Three diamond rings From large selection of jewellery

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MARTIN LEWIS MARTIN LEWIS

Winter Winter

A stark warning, not just for Game of Thrones fans… winter is coming. Yet A stark warning, just Gameknee of Thrones is coming. don’tnot leave it for till we’re deep infans… whitewinter stuff to sort bills,Yet as changes can don’t leave drag-on it till we’re knee deep in white stuff to sort bills, as changes can (sorry). drag-on (sorry).

So dust off your long johns, grab a cup of Bovril and snuggle up with my So dust off your longto johns, cup of Bovril and up with my checklist keepgrab youracosts down and thesnuggle heat up. checklist to keep your costs down and the heat up.

1) Save £250+ on energy bills.

1) Save £250+ on energy bills.

Winter is of course the highest-use energy period. So the Winter is ofkey course highest-use energy period. So the deal – that is tothe ensure you’re on the cheapest possible key is to ensure on thetariff cheapest possible dealprovider, – that it may be may you’re be changing with your existing may be changing tariff with your existing provider, it may beit now to switching. The move across takes 17 days, so do switching. The move across 17 days, do it the nowcold to snaps. ensure you’re ontakes the right deal so before ensure you’re on the right deal before the cold snaps.

Those who worry about this, don’t – it’s the same pipes, gas, Those who meter worry about this, don’t – it’s the lose samesupply. pipes, The gas,only and safety, and you don’t meter and safety, and isyou don’t supply.service.

The onlyBut savings can be difference price andlose customer difference ishuge. price and customer service. But savings can be huge.

About 70% are on their provider’s standard tariff – across About 70% the are big on their provider’s standard tariff – across six this is an average of £1,095/year based on typical the big six this is anYet average of £1,095/year based on typical usage. the cheapest open market’s deal is around £830 a usage. Yet the cheapest open market’s deal is around £830 a winter year – that’s £260 a year saved, much of that in the year – that’smonths. £260 a year saved, much of that in the winter months.

However, as your exact cheapest depends on what you use However, asand your exactyou cheapest depends what you where live – to find out,onalways do ause comparison. and where you – to findyou out, always a comparison.

Just live make sure select ‘alldo tariffs’ on a comparison site.

Just make sure you select ‘all tariffs’ on a comparison site.

You can use my www.CheapEnergyClub.com which also You can usegives my www.CheapEnergyClub.com also monitors you switchers up to £30 cashbackwhich and then gives switchers to £30 cashback andbeats then it, monitors you tariffup after to check no one or any Ofgem.gov.uk tariff after to check nocomparison one beats it, or any Ofgem.gov.uk approved site. approved comparison site.

2) Switch energy now and you could get £100s back.

2) Switch energy now and you could get £100s back.

If you pay by direct debit, it’s likely you’re in credit after the If you pay by direct debit, it’s Most likely providers you’re in credit low-use summer. give itafter back the automatically, low-use summer.

Mostdon’t, providers giveask. it back automatically, but if they call and If you’ve switched in the past but if they don’t, call and you’ve switched in theyou past five years, yourask. oldIfsupplier may still owe too. five years, your old supplier may still owe you too.

Asking for it back is simple and here’s a success to Asking for itencourage back is simple a success tome from 17 months you:and “Thehere’s balance owed to encourage you: “The balance owedgot to back me from 17about) months ago (which they never to me was £1,364.22. ago (which Athey neverresult got back about) wasfor £1,364.22. brilliant but to I dome feel an idiot not knowing how A brilliant result do feel ansoidiot foreveryone not knowing muchbut I'd Ioverpaid, I urge to dohow the same as me much I'd overpaid, so I urge everyone to do the same as me and check.”

– Col.escargot. and check.” – Col.escargot.

3) Free winter car check.

3) Free winter car check.

Halfords.com is offering a free £15 winter car check, which Halfords.com is offering a free £15 winter check, which includes checks to your battery,car bulbs, wiper blades, oil and includes checks to your levels. battery,You bulbs, screenwash don’twiper needblades, to bookoilinand advance, screenwashthough levels. you You can don’t neediftoyou book in advance, online want, and the check should though youtake can online if you want, and the check should about 15 minutes. There is no obligation to buy take about 15 minutes. is no obligation tomight buy try to upsell you. anything, butThere be prepared that staff anything, but prepared that staff to upsell you.

Thebewinter car check is onmight until try spring next year.

The winter car check is on until spring next year.

4) Are you entitled to any extra winter help?

4) Are you entitled to any extra winter help?

Winter is a tough time for many as the cold sets in. But there Winter is a tough timewhich for many the cold sets in. But there are funds may as help… are funds which may help… a) Winter fuel payments. If you were born on or before 5 a) Winter fuel January payments.

If you or beforecriteria 5 1953 (andwere met born otheron qualifying throughout January 1953 met other qualifying criteria throughout the(and week commencing 21 September 2015), you’re eligible the week commencing 21 September 2015), you’re eligible for the up to £300 winter fuel payment. If you get certain for the up to £300 winter fuel payment. If you get certain

b)

c)

5)

6)

7)

benefits, eg, state pension, pension credit or jobseeker’s benefits, eg,allowance, state pension, or jobseeker’s– otherwise you you’llpension usually credit get it automatically allowance, you’ll usually get it it. automatically otherwise you 15 15 15. may have to claim You do that–by calling 03459 may have to claim it. You do that by calling 03459 15 15 15. b) Cold weather payments. Anyone on certain benefits, eg, Cold weather payments.

Anyone on certain benefits, eg, pension specific income support, jobseeker’s allowance, specific income support, jobseeker’s allowance, credit, gets £25 for every seven days pension where there are subcredit, gets zero £25 for every seven days where there are temperatures. It’s paid automatically subfrom 1 November zero temperatures. this year.It’s paid automatically from 1 November this year. c) Choosing between heating and eating? If you’re seriously Choosing between and eating?

If you’re seriously behind,heating or in general financial hardship, you may be eligible behind, or in hardship, you may be eligible forgeneral specialfinancial tariffs/help.

Try the HomeHeatHelpline.org.uk on for special tariffs/help.

Try the HomeHeatHelpline.org.uk on 0800 33 66 99.

0800 33 66 99.

5) Do you know where your water cock is?

Do you know where your water cock is?

Everyone should know where their main water off-switch is, Everyone should knowknown whereastheir main water off-switch is, create an otherwise a stopcock.

Frozen pipe bursts otherwise known asof a stopcock.

Frozenworse pipe bursts createfind an the off average £4k of damage, if you can’t average of £4k of damage, worsefloods. if you So can’t finddon’t the off switch as your home if you know, spend five switch as your homenow floods.

So ifout you–don’t know, minutes finding typically it’s spend under five the kitchen minutes now finding – typically it’s under the kitchen sink, in theout boiler cupboard, or outside. sink, in the boiler cupboard, or outside.

6) Full service car breakdown cover £41, basic for £16 – and if Full serviceyou’re car breakdown £41, basic for £16 – and if renewing,cover haggle. you’re renewing, haggle.

Problems are more likely in winter and the consequences Problems are in winter and the consequences aremore morelikely severe.

For breakdown, home start and onward are more severe. breakdown, home start and onward travel For cover, AutoAidBreakdown.co.uk charges £41/year, travel cover,though AutoAidBreakdown.co.uk if it sends a truck andcharges driver £41/year, you pay, then reclaim. though if it sends a truck and driver you pay, then reclaim.

Or if you’ve got cover and are at renewal, haggle. In a recent Or if you’vepoll got Icover and are84% at renewal, a recent conducted, of AA andhaggle.

78% ofInRAC customers who poll I conducted, 84%lower of AArates, and 78% of RAC customers whofor the tried got like Graham did: “Thanks tried got lower rates,advice. like Graham did: five “Thanks for the haggling Just spent minutes on the phone to the haggling advice.

Justgot spent minutes on the phone RAC and myfive renewal slashed from £252totothe £151. Just RAC and gotover my £100 renewal slashed from £252 to £151.

Just do nicely!” for about five minutes’ work – that’ll over £100 for work – that’ll do nicely!”

Fullabout help five to dominutes’ this in www.mse.me/breakdown Full help to do this in www.mse.me/breakdown For basic policies, buy through a cashback site like For basic policies, buy through or a cashback site and like you can reduce the Topcashback.co.uk Quidco.com Topcashback.co.uk Quidco.com and you canand reduce cost, eg,or RAC basic is £27.99 a year you the get around £12 cost, eg, RAC basic is £27.99 a year and you get around £12 cashback, AA is a little more. cashback, AA is a little more.

7) Free loft/cavity wall insulation, open to all.

Free loft/cavity wall insulation, open to all.

Energy firms face sanctions if they don’t meet Eco quotas, so Energy firmssome, face sanctions they don’tEDFEnergy.com meet Eco quotas, eg, BritishifGas.co.uk, andso some, eg, British Gas.co.uk, Npower.com giveEDFEnergy.com free insulation and to anyone in England, Npower.com give free England, Scotland orinsulation Wales withtoaanyone suitableinhome (you don’t have to Scotland orbe Wales a suitable home don’t Ifhave theirwith customer or on a low(you income). youto paid for this be their customer or on a itlow income).

If you paid for this commercially, could cost around £700. commercially, it could cost around £700.

The savings can be huge. The Energy Saving Trust estimates The savingsyou’ll can be huge.

The Energy Saving Trusta estimates see a reduction in bills of £300 year compared with a you’ll see a typical reduction in bills ofhome. £300 aOn year compared with3-4 a weeks to uninsulated average it takes typical uninsulated home.and On average takes 3-4 weeks book a survey a furtherittwo weeks for thetoinsulation to book a survey further two weeks the insulation to be and fitteda (though it can take for longer). be fitted (though it can take longer).

Please mention Forest of Dean Magazine when responding to advertisers.

Page 9

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Page 11

Growing Fruit Trees

by Pippa Greenwood

For the ultimate in gorgeous apples, pears, plums or more, the fruit needs to be freshly picked and sun-warmed - so grow your own and make some good looking additions to your garden, even when space is limited. There’s no need to have a massive plot or an orchard to grow fruit trees…

You can grow fruit trees in surprisingly small spaces, especially if you don’t grow them in a classic tree shape, but train them. Training them into espaliers (several sets of horizontal ‘arms’), cordons (single main stems grown at an angle) or fans (with branches trained into a fan shape) means that you can grow many varieties of apples and pears up against a suitable vertical surface such as a wall, fence or set of sturdy wires.

You could also train fruits like apples to make a neat edging for a bed or border about 45cm above ground level (called ‘step-overs’). A step-over apple grows to a height of about 30cm and is trained to forms two horizontal ‘arms’, which will bear a smallish crop of fruit. Try step-overs around the edge of your vegetable plot or flower bed.

To make a real feature of fruit, use a tree to create a Page 12

decorative and productive arch. Buy an inexpensive bare root cordon (straight stem) or a ‘whip’ fruit tree of your favourite variety, pair it with another variety that is a suitable pollinator (check with the nursery) and plant one on each side of the arch, training them in as they grow. It will look pretty when in blossom in spring and will bear tasty fruit too.

Provided you get the right rootstock (see below), you can grow fruit trees in large containers. The container needs to be big - a half-barrel at least - and have drainage holes kept clear using a few inches of broken china or ‘crocks’ at its bottom. Good quality loambased compost such as John Innes No.3 will work well, but help to keep it well aerated and free-draining by adding 2550% multi-purpose loam-free compost.

It is essential to choose fruit trees on the right ‘rootstock’, as this determines the ultimate size and vigour of the tree.

Apples are complicated, but as a rule, for step-overs, cordons, dwarf bushes and trees in containers try the extremely dwarfing M27 - though weak varieties may fail in poor soil or if not well pampered. For bush, cordon, espaliers and

half-standard try the dwarfing rootstock M26, while for a cordon, an espalier on poor soil, arches and bush trees try the semi-dwarfing MM106.

You can buy one year old ‘maidens’ or ‘whips’ which are small, fairly straight stems and train them yourself or you can buy trained or part-trained trees.

Make sure you choose varieties that flower at the same time so that they pollinate each other and thus provide fruit. Ask your supplier which ‘pollination group’ each variety is in.

At this time of year you can buy inexpensive fruit trees sold ‘bare-root’, which means lifted from a field and not container grown; they also establish well. Bare-root fruit trees are generally available from about November until early March - so don’t delay, get ordering or planting today!

Perfect as a Christmas gift, make vegetable growing fun with Pippa’s unique ‘Grow Your Own with Pippa Greenwood’ system.

Select the vegetables you’d like to grow at www.pippagreenwood. com and your garden-ready plants will be delivered in May, accompanied by weekly emails packed full of advice and tips.

Gift cards are available too for this perfect present! It is great value and various pack sizes are available.

To advertise call 07939 802 384 or 01594 806 555 or visit www.forestofdeanmagazine.co.uk

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Page 13

Home & Interiors Make Room for Guests at Christmas box, bag or basket to stow bedding during the day.

Dinner is served

The tree is decorated and the turkey in the freezer, but are you ready to welcome friends and family this Christmas?

Katherine Sorrell outlines some quick and easy ways to create extra space for holiday visitors.

Lounging around

If you’re going to need somewhere for everyone to relax in the living room, bring in beanbags for the kids and pop cushions on top of coffee tables and benches to create a few extra TV-viewing spaces.

A bed for the night

No guest room? No problem. A sofa bed, day bed or futon – or simply a longish sofa – will do the trick. A good quality airbed is a great thing to have, too.

If your living room is acting as a temporary bedroom, clear space for your guests’ luggage and place a small lamp near the head of their ‘bed’ and a spare throw or blanket nearby. Use a Page 14

An extendable dining table is perfect for accommodating additional guests; alternatively enlarge your table temporarily by topping it with an overhanging sheet of plywood (you might want to protect the table with a pad or cloth first), covered with a pretty tablecloth. Or, create a separate dining table – maybe just for kids – using anything with a flat surface, from a trestle table to a coffee table, surrounded by cushions on the floor.

Any old china

If you haven’t got enough crockery for all your guests, plan ahead and pick up extras at car boot sales, charity shops or vintage shops; the same goes for glasses and cutlery.

If all else fails, have a stack of paper plates to hand – no one will mind once the turkey is dished out, and at least you’ll save on washing up!

Are you sitting comfortably?

If you have a shortage of dining chairs, consider investing in a few inexpensive folding chairs that you could hide out of the way when not in use. If you’re not keen on how they look, try covering them with pillowcases and adding a pretty cushion.

By Katherine Sorrell

Alternatively, a flat-topped stool can double as a seat and as a side table – handy next to that seldom-used guest bed, too – and will slide out of the way under the table when not in use.

Hallway solutions

Extra guests means a proliferation of coats, shoes, boots and umbrellas, so a simple stacking shoe rack will always come in handy, as will a few extra hooks mounted on the wall. How about a free-standing coat rack? Or, for cheap and instant spacesaving, over-door racks, hooks and shoe organisers can be added anywhere in the house.

Eat, drink and be merry

Aim to create enough room in your kitchen to store all your festive goodies by clearing out your cupboards and fridge in good time. Add internal racks, shelves, boxes and baskets so you can stack everything neatly (clear plastic makes it easy to see everything at once).

Bathroom bliss

Clear plenty of space for your guests to store their toiletries before they arrive and look for bath and shower caddies that attach by hook or suction, allowing you to stock all sorts of products out of the way. Provide clean towels on a separate hook or rail from your own – a clothes airer that hooks over a radiator is ideal – and some luxury soaps. Your visitors will never want to go home…

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CON SER VATORIES ● SU N L OU N GES ● W INDO W S ● DO O RS FASCI A Magazine & GU T Twhen ER IN G ● GLtoAS S CENTRE Page 15 Please mention Forest of Dean responding advertisers.

Triangle Radio

We are a community radio fully run by volunteers who have a passion for radio and the community.

We serve the Forest of Dean.

After a successful year of programming and outside broadcasts we have finally come to December. As many of you are aware we have had a very busy couple of weeks.

Not only are we just coming to the end of our FM broadcast session on 105.8, but we have also had a very eventful time on the 28th of November where we supported Santa as he lit up Cinderford’s new and improved Christmas decorations.

Our FM broadcast is our opportunity to showcase the breadth of local talent across the Forest of Dean and we would love your feedback and your highlights of the week. Feel free to contact us either on Facebook or via email at triangle@triangleradio.co.uk.

We have delayed the release of our new schedule until early in the New Year, but please visit our website for the current listings.

PROGRAMME Monday

08:00: Breakfast Shuffle with Daren 10:00: Daytime Shuffle with Clive 13:00: Daytime Shuffle with Ian 16:00: Daytime Shuffle with Ryan 18:00: Forest Sport with Paul & the team 19:00: Q-Burn with Peter Anthony 21:00: Encyclopedia of Rock with Trevor Howard (Rpt) 22:00: The Elbum Show with Phil Meek (Rpt) Tuesday 08:00: Breakfast Shuffle with Daren 10:00: Daytime Shuffle with Clive 13:00: Daytime Shuffle with Ian 16:00: Daytime Shuffle with Ryan 18:00: Daytime Shuffle with Dan 19:00: Manda’s C60 Mix Tape (rpt) 20:00: Chris Arscott’s Folk Show 21:00: Daren's All 80's (rpt) Wednesday 08:00: Breakfast Shuffle with Daren 10:00: Daytime Shuffle with Clive 13:00: Daytime Shuffle with Ian 16:00: Daytime Shuffle with Ryan Page 16

Next year an exciting opportunity has arisen: OfCom is relaxing its regulations for community radio which has given us a chance to expand beyond internet radio into DAB. To do this as smoothly as possible we are looking for two self-employed commission-based sales executives to join our team; if this is a venture that interests you, please contact us at triangle@triangleradio.co.uk.

community radio as well, as the original idea of local commercial stations had been scuppered by large groups. He holds that they are a better source for local news and events, and urges you to support your local community radio station.

Below is a short Bio on one of our presenters, Phil Meek.

If you would like to know more about Triangle Radio please visit our web site on www.triangleradio.co.uk or contact us for an informal chat by emailing ryan@triangleradio.co.uk

Phil has been interested in Radio ever since his parents first introduced him to Radio Luxemburg. The Pirate Radio era of the late 60’s introduced a new arena of music to Phil. Phil’s Favourite station is Radio Caroline, and he is now lucky enough to run some programs on air for them, as well as maintaining the radio’s ship, Ross Revenge, which is the last sea home of the station.

Phil believes strongly in

18:00: Soft Rock & Acoustic Sessions with Clive (rpt) 20:00: The Blues Hour 21:00: Blues Hour Xtra 22:00: Daren’s All 80’s

You can tune in to Phil’s Show every Sunday evening at 7pm for his ‘Elbum Show’ and ‘Mostly Summer’ on Tuesday evenings at 9pm.

We are a not for profit organisation and rely solely on grants, donations or advertisements, if you would like to discuss a flexible package to promote your business then please make contact.

Triangle Radio is available online at www.triangleradio.co.uk where you can stream or download our free app on Google play store or via the TuneIn App. Written by James Green (Station Communications Officer)

22:00: Global House Party 23:00: Bass And Breaks Saturday

08:00: Breakfast with Daren 10:00: Daytime Shuffle with Clive 13:00: Daytime Shuffle with Ian 16:00: Daytime Shuffle with Ryan 18:00: Chris Arscott’s Folk (rpt) 19:00: The Blues Hour (rpt) 20:00: Best of British Unsigned 21:00: Encyclopedia of Rock with Trevor Howard 22:00: Q-Burn (Rpt)

08:00: Saturday Breakfast with Daren 10:00: *NEW* The UK Airplay Chart 12:00: The Daytime Shuffle 18:00: Saturday Night Party with Dan Green 20:00: It’s the Weekend with Ryan Davies 21:00: Electrik Playground with Andi Durrant 23:00: House Central with Jay Forster

Friday

Sunday

08:00: Breakfast Shuffle with Daren 10:00: Daytime Shuffle with Clive 13:00: Daytime Shuffle with Ian 16:00: Daytime Shuffle with Ryan 17:00: The Forest Weekly 19:00: Friday Night Party with Dan Green 20:00: It’s the Weekend with Ryan Davies

08:00: The Daytime Shuffle 10:00: Check in with Cat Lake 12:00: Mellow Moments 14:00: The Daytime Shuffle 16:00: Manda’s C60 Mix tape 17:00: The Soft Rock and Acoustic Sessions 19:00: The Elbum Show 21:00: The Chill Factor 23:00: The Nighttime Shuffle

Thursday

To advertise call 07939 802 384 or 01594 806 555 or visit www.forestofdeanmagazine.co.uk

Branches in: Gloucester, Newent, Mitcheldean and Coleford

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Please mention Forest of Dean Magazine when responding to advertisers.

Page 17

Finding Gifts For The “Nothing I Need” Brigade

by Kate McLelland

“Don’t buy me anything. There’s nothing I need.”

Isn’t that the most irritating thing anyone can say to you in the lead-up to Christmas?

Especially after you’ve searched the shops for hours or pored over hundreds of websites, trying to think of a suitable present.

It’s the festive season, and not buying anything just isn’t an option, unless you want to feel like a cross between the Grinch and Ebenezer Scrooge on Christmas morning. But what do you get for those friends or family members who genuinely seem to have everything?

I’m not talking a mansion, a yacht and a Ferrari: just all the things they need for comfortable, everyday living.

There comes a time in everyone’s life when it’s likely they will have collected all the knick-knacks, gadgets and gizmos they could ever want.

If my friends and relatives are anything to go by, this time also seems to coincide with a Page 18

narrowing down of tastes and desires.

For example, my older brother used to love experimenting with food and drink: he was never happier than when he was given a jar of some obscure sauce or a bottle of cranberry and basil wine as a present.

However in recent years he has become fairly risk averse when it comes to sampling new things, and now it’s all I can do to get him to try a new brand of coffee. It’s the same with TV box sets, music and even clothes. He’s reached the age when he knows what he likes and no longer wants to try something new.

So what are the options when it comes to buying an original gift for the man or woman who says: “There’s nothing I need”?

Give a goat

If your friend or relative has a kind heart, they may enjoy knowing that their Christmas gift has been used to help someone less fortunate.

Giving a goat or a hen on their behalf can be a lifesaver for desperate families trying

to survive in areas affected by war or drought. At Oxfam (www.oxfam.org.uk) it costs just £25 to buy a goat for a needy family, who will use your gift to produce nutritious dairy products such as milk and cheese. Oxfam also supplies a brightly coloured gift card that explains your purchase.

An unforgettable experience

If you’ve run out of gift ideas for your nearest and dearest, why not give them an experience? It could be anything from afternoon tea for two at a choice of 70 hotels and restaurants nationwide (£36 from www. redletterdays.co.uk), to a hot air champagne balloon flight for one (from £109 at www. buyagift.co.uk). This isn’t the kind of gift you can keep in your bottom drawer, but the lucky recipient is unlikely to ever forget the sensation of drifting high over the British countryside with a glass of bubbly in their hand.

Adopt a rare animal

The World Wildlife Fund (now called WWF) has another

To advertise call 07939 802 384 or 01594 806 555 or visit www.forestofdeanmagazine.co.uk

HPS TR Ltd, Newent

Britain’s Premier Sport Shooting Supplies Company

Commercial manufacturer and supplier of a vast range of top quality ammunition, from new to once fired to reloading free issue cases, HPS offer a bespoke ammunition service for both sport shooting and hunting.

Manufacturing their own aluminium (“The HPS Convertible”) and wooden rifle stocks, HPS can build you a custom rifle to suit your specification. From ammunition, rifles, range equipment and accessories, HPS provides the sport shooter a We are only a short variety of products and drive from J3 off the services and should be M50. Call first, but do your first stop for all come by & see us! your shooting needs.

Tel: 01531 822 641 Fax: 01531 828 741 E-mail: info@hps-tr.com Website: www.hps-tr.com clever gift idea for people who like to feel they are helping a good cause. Go to www.wwf. org.uk and buy an “adopt a wild animal” pack as a gift.

This isn’t an actual adoption – your donation won’t be linked to a specific animal – but the adoption pack does include a cuddly toy version of the chosen species.

Go retro

If your recipient has everything he or she needs to live in the 21st century, why not go retro? For a number of years now there has been a trend towards reviving and celebrating the stuff of childhood memories. Treat them to a retro sweet hamper (£36) or a retro chocolate gift box (£12.95) full of Munchies, Curly Wurlies and other nostalgic goodies: both

from www.retrosweets.co.uk.

Vintage board games are also popular and you can buy old games in “as new” condition from online retailers such as eBay and Amazon.

Buy a gift voucher

It used to be that gift vouchers could only be exchanged at one particular retailer, but those days are long gone.

The “Love2Shop” voucher can be spent in over 20,000 UK locations, including restaurants, hotels, spas and leisure resorts (www. highstreetvouchers. com). You can also buy vouchers that can be redeemed at garden centres and theatres.

Can’t afford any of the above?

If your Christmas gift budget won’t stretch to the items mentioned here, consider giving the gift of your time.

Buy a small gift box and enclose a note promising to do something for the recipient: a couple of hours of gardening; baking a cake every week for a month; decorating the spare room.

These gifts are a far cry from a boring box of toiletries or a shirt and tie set, and at least you’ll win Brownie points for original thinking.

You’ll also avoid the dirty looks and long silences that come from having taken the “Nothing I need” brigade’s protestations too literally!

Please mention Forest of Dean Magazine when responding to advertisers.

Page 19

Marmalade and Mustard

Glazed Gammon Serves 6-8

Ready in 2 hours 45 minutes, plus cooling

Glazed gammon is a Christmas favourite – delicious hot from the oven as a festive supper or served cold as part of the Boxing Day buffet!

Place the gammon joint in a large deep pan with the onion, carrot, bay leaves and peppercorns. Pour over enough cold water to cover the joint.

Ingredients: • 2.5kg smoked gammon joint

Bring to the boil then skim off any scum from the surface using a slotted spoon. Reduce the heat, cover and leave to simmer for 1� hours, topping up the water level as needed.

• 1 onion, peeled and quartered • 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4. Lift out the gammon from the pan and place in a foil-lined roasting tin (discard the cooking liquid). Leave to cool for 10 minutes. Cut away the skin from the gammon, leaving a thin layer of fat and score the fat into diamonds. Stud the scored fat with the cloves in an even pattern.

• 2 fresh bay leaves, plus extra to garnish • Few black peppercorns • 1 tbsp whole cloves • 3 tbsp shredless orange marmalade, warmed

Mix together the marmalade, honey, mustard and sugar and spoon all over the gammon fat. Roast in the oven for 40-45 minutes, basting regularly with the glaze and pan juices until the fat is golden. Serve hot or cold garnished with fresh bay leaves and orange wedges.

• 2 tbsp runny honey • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard • 3 tbsp light soft brown sugar • Orange wedges, to garnish Page 20

TIP

Add 1 tsp each ground cumin and ground coriander or a splash of Tabasco sauce to the glaze for a bit of extra spice, if liked.

To advertise call 07939 802 384 or 01594 806 555 or visit www.forestofdeanmagazine.co.uk

Please mention Forest of Dean Magazine when responding to advertisers.

Page 21

The Yew Tree Inn

Your Family, Dog & Horse Friendly Country Pub The Yew Tree Inn located at the bottom of May Hill is the perfect stop on your way to the top!

PUB QUIZ AVAILABLE EVERY 2ND FRIDAY OF THE MONTH.

2 Course dinner & pub quiz entry for £12.00 pp

Now taking bookings for FESTIVE CHRISTMAS MENU, CHRISTMAS DAY LUNCH & NEW YEARS EVE

Open for brunch from 12 Noon 2.30pm on Boxing Day

Next Pub Quiz on Dec 11th

Visit our website www.yewtreeinn.com or like us on Facebook to keep up with new events.

The Yew Tree at Cliffords Mesne

Call us for details and or reservations 7 days a week

The Yew Tree Inn Clifford’s Mesne, Newent Gloucestershire, GL18 1JS info@yewtreeinn.com T: 01531 820 719

Page 22

FRESH BRITISH CHRISTMAS TREES OPEN: Friday, Saturday & Sunday from 5th December!

Christmas Tree Retail Site - our second harvest!

Bigger selection non drop & larger trees!

Come & choose your tree which is grown in harmony with nature.

We can select & deliver!

Call Harry Edwards on 07896 733754 Prestbury Farm, Huntley Road, Tibberton, GL19 3AA

harryedwards1987@gmail.com www.natural-christmas.co.uk

To advertise call 07939 802 384 or 01594 806 555 or visit www.forestofdeanmagazine.co.uk

Treat yourself to Plum Delicious Products from Bentley's Castle Fruit Farm Shop Here at Castle Fruit Farm just north of Newent we grow fabulous cherries, plums, apples and pears.

We are blessed by a very benevolent microclimate and fruit grows well here. Inevitably some plums are blemished or do not have the shelf life required for supermarket sales and so last year I became determined to find a good home for every plum.

The result is my Bentleys Delicious Plum Sauce range.

The Sauce line up is: • PLUM DELICIOUS: A plum syrup to be enjoyed in a myriad of ways. Hence the strap line “do it your way “ It is great as a cocktail mixer or on porridge!

• PLUM KETCHUP: A spicy plum sauce delicious with meat, pasta, or in a Shepherd’s Pie. • PLUM CHILLI SAUCE: Very plummy but with a kick of chilli. There is a hot one too...

Great as a dipping sauce or in stir fries or as a condiment when you want that chilli touch.

• PLUM AND GINGER: a magical mix delicious on ice cream or with yoghurt.

• PLUM COULIS: divine just as it is...or with ice cream or yoghurt There is also a Plum Relish Range: Plum and Ginger, Plum and Cinnamon and Plum and Chilli.

These are all selling really well. There are presentation packs which make great gifts. Of course we continue to sell delicious apples and pears at this time of year together with our Single Variety Apple juice and Pear juice. Apple and Beetroot, Apple and Ginger and Apple and Raspberry are also about to make an appearance! Come and find our Farm Shop on the B4215 between Newent and Dymock.

We are open until Christmas.

BENTLEYS CASTLE FRUIT FARM Specialist growers of cherries, Specialist growers of cherries, plums, apples and pears plums, apples and pears.

• Apples and October to January Cherries endpears of June to mid July • Plum and relishes PlumsDelicious early July sauces to mid September Apples and pears early to January • Seasoned firewood logsSept delivered Delicious single variety pressedapple Delicious single variety pressed apple also available. and pearjuice juice also available.

Buy fresh, local and seasonal fruit!

Call at our Farm Shop for your fruit!

Open Mon to Sat, 9-5 pm, for Sundays phone 01531 890 428, July until Xmas.

On the B4215 between Newent and Dymock

Michael and Christiana Bentley

Castle Fruit Farm, Castle Tump, Newent, GLOS, GL18 1LS

Tel: 01531 890428 Fax: 01531 890346 email: bentley@castlefruitfarm.co.uk

www.castlefruitfarm.co.uk

Please mention Forest of Dean Magazine when responding to advertisers.

Page 23

Golden Years

Memories of 50 Years Ago by Ted Bruning

On 22nd December 1965 Transport Minister Tom Fraser gave us a Christmas present we still use every day – the 70mph speed limit. And not before time, either, because out there on Britain’s roads it was absolute carnage.

Back then, there was only one speed limit: 30mph in built-up areas had been the legal ceiling since 1935. Anywhere else, you could go as fast as you liked – and despite the primitive suspension, steering and brakes of the day, and the complete lack of even the most basic safety features (such as seatbelts, for instance), people did.

And died.

You’d be astonished at the number of road deaths people used to take pretty much for granted. In 1926 when records began, 4,888 people were killed on Britain’s roads. At the time there was a 20mph speed limit, which was scrapped in 1930 as being unenforceable - and perhaps predictably things very quickly got worse. In 1934, with car ownership at only 2,500,000, there were 7,343 road deaths, half of them pedestrians.

Page 24

During the war, the black-out trumped petrol rationing and 1941 became the worst year on record with 9,196 road deaths.

Afterwards, with rationing still in place until 1950 but the streetlights turned back on, the annual death toll fluctuated between 4,500 and 5,500. But from the late ‘50s on, with returning prosperity bringing rising car ownership, new technology producing faster cars, the closure of many branch-lines and factory sidings forcing freight off the rails and on to the roads, and the gradual spread of the motorway network, matters span out of control again.

The total for 1964 was 7,820, the worst since 1934 (barring the blackout years, when more British civilians were killed in road accidents than

by German bombs). A series of high-profile pile-ups on fogbound motorways in the autumn of 1965 persuaded the Government to act, and on 22nd December the 70mph national speed-limit was announced as a four-month trial. The results were positive enough to persuade Fraser’s successor Barbara Castle to give it another 15 months; in July 1967 it became permanent, and the only change since then has been the reduction of the national limit to 60mph except on motorways and dual carriageways, where it remains

70mph, and on roads with designated lower limits of their own.

It would be nice to record that the introduction of the 70mph limit (and the breathalyser that followed in 1967) had a dramatic effect on road safety.

No such luck. The grim toll was stubbornly slow to fall and it wasn’t until the 1990s, after the Government adopted more sophisticated and closelytargeted road safety campaigns, that it fell below 3,000 and stayed there. But since 2007, when the number of road deaths fell below 3,000 for the first time ever, there has been a miracle.

The figure for 2013 was 1,713 deaths: a record low. There are many reasons for this, not all of them positive: safer cars and better engineered roads, fine; but also far more single-occupancy journeys (hence fewer casualties per crash), punitive insurance premiums that price many younger drivers off the road, and far fewer unaccompanied child pedestrians. How great a part speed limits have played is something to argue about, but the fact remains that for whatever reason Britain is second only to Sweden in the international road safety rankings.

Happy 50tH BirtHdays to Katarina Witt (3rd), Ed Davey (25th), Heidi Fleiss (30th), and Will Carling (31st).

Cake and botox to you all!

To advertise call 07939 802 384 or 01594 806 555 or visit www.forestofdeanmagazine.co.uk

Christmas gifts with a personal touch, just add your images!

Express

Ross-on-Wye Gloucester Road Ross-on-Wye HR9 5BS Tel: 01989 768316 kodak-express.co.uk Open Mon - Sat 9am - 5.30pm FREE WI-FI Please mention Forest of Dean Magazine when responding to advertisers.

Page 25

NEED A NEW LOOK FOR YOUR BUSINESS OR CLUB? We supply top quality clothing and offer a professional embroidery and printing service

Orchard End employs skilled Social Care Workers who are trained in complex Mental Health, Learning Disabilities, Autism and Epilepsy. Personalised care is practised alongside a full activities programme, aiming to see individuals progress and make the most of their potential.

Come and work for us

Polo Shirts, T-Shirts Hoodies, Sweatshirts, Fleeces Staff Uniform - Formal Shirts Workwear Hats & Caps

Over 20 Years Experience in Printing & Embroidery Services QUALITY SERVICE GUARANTEED

Call 01452 301473 Email. sales@freedomembroidery.co.uk

Web. www.freedomembroidery.co.uk Unit 12, Highnam Business Centre, Newent Road, Highnam, Gloucester, GL2 8DN

We are looking to recruit passionate and caring Social Care Workers in the Gloucestershire Area.

Experience is not essential as we provide certified training. DBS Disclosure expense will be met by employer. Excellent staff benefits package offered.

For more details please contact the HR Department at Highnam, Gloucestershire.

Tel: 01452 768758

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11 Pyart Court, Coleford, Glos, GL16 8RG Page 26

We are an established Gloucestershire company whose aim is to help you make some of the most important choices in retirement as simple as possible.

We provide a professional home based service offering advice on Wills, Lasting Power of Attorney, Funeral Plans and assistance with Personal Taxation and Probate.

If you need specialist advice, such as Financial Planning and Equity Release we have links with trusted local professionals so call us today to discuss how we can help you.

T 01452-813145 or 01452-412067 E enquiries@tl-ls.co.uk W www.tl-ls.co.uk

To advertise call 07939 802 384 or 01594 806 555 or visit www.forestofdeanmagazine.co.uk

Tips from The Millionaire Maker The media have called Richard Denny the millionaire maker.

For over 30 years he has helped thousands of people into financial wealth, and others into greater achievement and happiness.

His lectures, books, videos, DVD’s and CD’s are bought around the world and he lives right here in the Cotswolds.

Happy Christmas Many of us know, but some have forgotten, that Christmas is a Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus.

The 25th December is the day that Jesus was born and gifts were given to him.

This has become a very happy time for most Christians and this celebration is shared with millions of people who are not practicing Christians but who wish to be part of this memorable event. They show their loved ones their love with gifts and a special meal to celebrate this special day, the great ‘Christmas Dinner’. Sadly and unfortunately these festivities can easily become so pressurised, particularly with the media encouraging us to spend, spend, and spend so that the opposite of happiness occurs. Worry, pressure, debt, guilt, dissatisfaction, arguments, anger and jealousies can all rear up. Apparently the busiest month for divorce lawyers is January.

Now I am sure you, my readers, really do want to look forward to a happy Christmas, so here are a few tips:

1. Children laugh on average 150 times a day, adults laugh on average six times a day.

Be a child this Christmas and laugh a lot bringing happiness to others.

2. Resist and fight the pressures to spend, borrow and get into debt, this only brings very short term happiness.

3. The Christmas story is about bringing happiness and joy to others, so may I respectfully suggest you reduce your expectations from others to zero and give attention, time, conversation, listening, playing with others and you will have a very happy Christmas.

4. Expect nothing for you, but give kind and caring words to others. Be grateful for what you have; your smile is infectious let others catch it, and decide to enjoy each day regardless.

5. Eliminate the tendency to think it’s another person’s role to make you happy, be it a partner, a parent, or a child.

Finally just spare a thought that this wonderful celebration of Christmas is all to do with the birth of a person 2015 years ago in Bethlehem.

For more detailed information and help join the Denny Business Academy for free.

For success and wealth go to www.dennyacademy.com Page 27 Page 1

Please mention Winchcombe Forest of Dean Magazine Magazine when when responding responding toto advertisers advertisers.

Page 28

To advertise call 07939 802 384 or 01594 806 555 or visit www.forestofdeanmagazine.co.uk

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Each letter in this puzzle is represented by a number between 1 and 26. The codes for three letters are shown. As you find the letters enter them in the box below.

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Page 29

Have a Healthier, Happier Christmas

By Alison Runham www.alison.runham.co.uk Christmas is often laden with expectations, anxieties, overindulgence and family tensions. It’s no coincidence that divorce lawyers are busiest in January.

So how can you make Christmas happier and healthier?

Take The Pressure Off • Buy presents throughout the year, even on holiday; gift shops may stock something unique.

• Try to resolve family conflicts beforehand.

• You can’t please all of the people all of the time, so ask everyone involved (including yourself) what one or two things really makes their Christmas. Agree on a plan that includes these things, plus exercise and group activities. Allot tasks to ensure one person doesn’t do everything.

• Bake and freeze food in advance where possible. avOid fesTive fOOd POisOning Hygiene can slip with extra food, extra cooks and extra time pressure, so: • Store and prepare ALL raw food separately from ready-toeat foods.

• Rub fruit and vegetables clean – don’t just rinse them.

• Defrost foods thoroughly and then cook or refrigerate immediately. Large turkeys take time - always check inside for ice crystals.

• Ensure your fridge stays Page 30

below 5°C and there’s room for cold air circulation.

• Keep food in the fridge until the last possible moment.

• Make sure nobody skimps on washing (and drying) their hands. Germs love damp.

• Ensure that meat between the breast and thigh of your turkey isn’t pink, and that juices are clear.

• Adhere to ‘use by’ dates and check food carefully when beyond its ‘best before’ date.

• Don’t leave buffet food out for more than four hours.

• Chill leftovers rapidly and reheat them thoroughly (just once). healThier ChrisTmas eaTing Start with a healthy, filling breakfast to avoid snacking temptations. dinner: • Avoid fat-laden starters and the salt shaker.

• Keep portion size sensible and stop eating just as you start to feel full.

• Poultry fat is predominantly in the skin, so prick it then cook it on a rack, above the escaping fat.

• Use vegetarian sausage mix rather than sausage meat in stuffing.

• Forget goose fat roasties. Use a healthy oil spray or cook jacket potatoes.

• Microwave, steam or boil vegetables in minimal water until just soft. Add herbs or lemon juice rather than butter.

• Use low salt gravy mix and

remove fat from meat juices before adding them.

• Keep Christmas pudding portions small and add lowfat custard, crème fraîche or Greek yogurt rather than cream or brandy butter.

Christmas Party or Tea: • Swap traditional mince pies for filo or open-top versions.

• Swap breaded or battered snacks for savouries made with herbs, light dressings and marinades.

• Choose tomato-based dips or make creamy dips with yogurt or crème fraîche.

• Avoid crisps, salted nuts and chocolates; choose plain popcorn, rice cakes, pretzels, unsalted nuts and fruit dipped in chocolate (preferably dark).

Be drink Wise • Even small amounts of alcohol affect judgement and reactions. Absorption depends on many factors, so no set amount guarantees you’re under the legal driving limit and Scotland has a lower limit than the rest of the UK. • Don’t exceed NHS recommended weekly limits: 21 units for men and 14 units for women.

• Alcohol and salty snacks contribute to dehydration, making people irritable.

Provide jugs of chilled water jazzed up with winter berries or citrus peel.

Take time out to relax, and remember: a burnt turkey isn’t the end of the world.

To advertise call 07939 802 384 or 01594 806 555 or visit www.forestofdeanmagazine.co.uk

Voice of Newent Donation The Voice of Newent organisation has donated funds left over from their successful Big Lunch this year on behalf of 4 year old LaCie Hale of Newent, to the James Hopkins Trust at 'Kites Corner', Hucclecote, Gloucester.

On a visit and tour of the Trust a cheque for £150 was presented to Sarah James, Head of Fundraising at the Trust, on behalf of the Voice of Newent by Sue Eden, Lynn Ashton and Joanne Quinton.

Sue, a spokesperson for the Voice of Newent, said "This is an amazing place. You never know when you or your loved ones may need this type of help. I especially loved the "sleepover" room" - the one with the two beds for a proper sleepover with your mate so that they can be normal naughty kids keeping awake all night".

James Hopkins Trust aims to help severely disabled, life threatened and life limited young children aged 0 - 5 years in Gloucestershire, so that the quality of their lives may be enriched.

As a result of a very successful campaign in 2005 the Trust raised

sufficient funds to open a bedroom extension at Kite's Corner. This has enabled the Trust to offer free nursing respite care to provide peace of mind to the local families of disabled children who rely on the Trust's services. This facility has now become the cornerstone of the Trust policy and, for a growing number of families, it is a lifeline of desperately needed support.

So far the Trust has helped well over 350

children and families in every corner of Gloucestershire to the staggering amount of over 150,000 hours of nursing, free to those that desperately need it.

The Trust is funded solely by donations (by funds or doing work for them) and if you can help you can donate by going to their website - www.jameshopkinstrust.org.uk or by purchasing lottery tickets from the Gloucestershire Lottery.

- by Colin Thomas, Crystal Flame Photography

Lynn Ashton, Sue Eden, Sarah James (Head of Fundraising) and Joanne Quinton

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Page 31

TOP TIPS FOR PET SAFETY AT CHRISTMAS Christmas is rapidly approaching once again and while we are distracted by preparations, visiting guests and celebrations, our pets sometimes get themselves into mischief of one sort or another! It is worth reading through the following, to make sure you can relax and enjoy your festive season while keeping your beloved pets out of harm’s way!

Food hazards Chocolate, onions, nuts, blue cheese, fruit cakes, puddings and mince pies can all be toxic to dogs. Watch out for turkey bones as these can cause choking, constipation or cause damage to your dog’s intestines.

Christmas trees Most species are low toxicity but may cause a mild gastrointestinal upset (vomiting and/or diarrhoea) if chewed.

Pine needles in themselves can get stuck in paws

Page 32

and cause irritation as well as potentially causing irritation or perforation of the intestines if eaten.

Consider buying a lowshedding variety of tree.

Vacuum daily and ideally keep plenty of water in the bucket to help reduce the number of fallen needles.

Decorations Christmas decorations are designed to look attractive and beautiful, unfortunately this usually means they are also tempting to your furry friends. Whilst not often toxic in their own right they can still cause significant problems if ingested.

Baubles will tend to splinter or smash into shards which can cause irritation, perforation or blockages and dogs tend to eat tinsel a little like spaghetti often consuming an entire ribbon of tinsel in one go!

Again these are often not especially toxic (even if not particularly nutritious either) but can bunch up and cause blockages or, more worryingly start to work their way through the guts whilst some is still in the stomach. This effectively runs a thread through the intestines and causes a

linear foreign body which can be extremely serious!

Your dog may also get a nasty shock if they chew through the electrical cable for your Christmas lights!

Holly, mistletoe and poinsettia

All of these pretty types of festive foliage are mildly toxic if ingested and can cause vomiting, drooling, diarrhoea to name a few, so should be avoided or kept well out of reach.

Batteries Ingestion of batteries is more common at this time of year. If the battery is chewed and pierced it can cause chemical burns and heavy metal poisoning. If they are swallowed whole it is possible they will cause an obstruction. All batteries are potentially toxic so if you suspect your dog has chewed or swallowed a battery speak to your vet.

To advertise call 07939 802 384 or 01594 806 555 or visit www.forestofdeanmagazine.co.uk

Presents One area where people can come unstuck is with Christmas presents. We put a lot of effort in hiding away potential problems but then wrap up auntie Flo’s big box of chocolates to place under the tree.

Although we can no longer tell what it is... our dogs can! Apart from the irritation of having them unwrap someone else’s present and having diarrhoea in the living room on Christmas day, there is likely to be an emergency trip to the vets needed.

Make sure any tasty or tempting presents are placed high enough out of the way so that your dog can’t help themselves.

Antifreeze Ethylene glycol (anti freeze) ingestion is very dangerous. It is sweet-tasting and very palatable. Even a relatively small

quantity can cause serious kidney damage and even prove fatal. Sadly, even cats can be tempted to drink this fluid, so ensure any bottles are kept well out of their way.

Hopefully this list will keep you and your pets safe this Christmas. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Sundean Vets on 01594 840404.

Merry Christmas from all the team at Sundean!

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Page 33

8.30am-6.30pm 8.30am-6.30pm

8.30am-6.30pm 8.30am-6.30pm

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Livestock Avian Exotics pets livestock avian exotics • • • Herefordshire, HR9 5RS Herefordshire, HR9 5RS Tel: 01989 564687 www.vinetreevets.co.uk pets livestock avian • • • exotics Herefordshire, HR9 5RS Walford Road, Ross-on-Wye, Walford Road, Ross-on-Wye, Tel: 01989 564687 www.vinetreevets.co.uk Telephone: 01989 564687 • vinetreevets.co.uk

Walford Ross-on-Wye, Telephone: 01989Road, 564687 • vinetreevets.co.uk Herefordshire, HR9 5RS Herefordshire, HR9 5RS

Herefordshire, HR9 5RS Tel: 01989 01989 564687 www.vinetreevets.co.uk Telephone: 564687 • vinetreevets.co.uk Telephone: 01989 564687 • 1 2 vinetreevets.co.uk 3 4 5 6

Mini Cryptic Crossword

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7

8 9

10

16

11

12

17

13

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19

14

15

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22 23

24

25

26

14. Couple seen back in growth (3) 15. Teacher’s favourite animal? (3) 16. City to catch fire, we hear (5) 17. Total state (5)

©puzzlepress.co.uk

Across 1. Recap about a leap (5) 4. Sounds like candid money (5) 7. Circular calls? (5) 8. Get up an increase in pay (5) 9. Small bird that goes back and forth (3) 10. Parking area to keep for future use? (3-2) 13. Paces round pests (5) 16. Colours that are sung (5) 19. Direction of a wandering thorn (5) 22. Letter read out for drink (3) 23. Proportion from a riot (5) 24. One trade is perfect (5) 25. Eagle’s nest sounds creepy (5) 26. Turned dye on senior member of a group (5) Down 1. Girl found in a warm sea reef (5) 2. Coin girl (5) 3. Corroded and out of practice (5) 4. Levels dwelling places (5) 5. One contesting group in a different direction (5) 6. Catches sight holding game (5) 11. Pointed tool when law is broken (3) 12. Insect to exist up to a point (3)

18. Votes cast for cooker (5) 19. Water nymph Diana dealt with (5) 20. First young animals turned thin (5) 21. Darling of Paris (5)

To advertise call 07939 802 384 or 01594 806 555 or visit www.forestofdeanmagazine.co.uk

PETS

Thinking of buying a hamster? Which type should you choose?

As one of the most popular small pets in the UK, hamsters take pride of place in many homes. They can make a great first pet for children, although they do not tolerate rough handling, so you need to make sure that younger ones treat them gently.

Dwarf vs golden hamsters Not many people know that you can buy dwarf hamsters as an alternative to the more commonly known Syrian, or golden hamster.

Syrian hamsters live for 2-3 years on average, and are very solitary in nature. They should be kept on their own in a cage, as they display a strong tendency to fight with other hamsters.

Dwarf hamsters grow to approximately 8cm in length. They look extremely cute, but beware if they escape their cage – they can be very difficult to catch! This type of hamster is not as solitary as its golden counterpart, but even so it is advisable to check with the breeder or pet shop whether two or more hamsters would mix.

01452 830441

07817 693203

FOR ALL YOUR EQUINE NEEDS Very competitive prices with a huge range to suit everyone’s pocket.

FREE hat and body protector fitting with fully qualified members of staff.

Wide selection of horse feed available with affordable meal deal offers.

Opening Hours: Mon - Fri 12 - 7pm Saturday 10 - 4pm Sunday 11 - 4pm

FIND ALL OUR LATEST OFFERS ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE

Sue Mason, Newhunt Farm, Newent Lane, Huntley, GL19 3HH

Caring for your hamster Hamsters are usually bought between the ages of four and eight weeks. Care will involve cleaning their cage, providing the correct type of food, as well as making sure they are entertained when you are asleep.

Hamsters love to climb and run around, and these activities are essential for their health.

They’ll need a large cage with a wheel and other toys such as cardboard tubes. Wooden toys are also good for keeping their teeth short. http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/advice/smallanimal-care-advice/hamster-care-advice/caring-for-yourhamster http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/advice/smallanimal-care-advice/ hamster-care-advice/ are-hamstersthe-right-animalfor-you

By Ann Haldon

Please mention Forest of Dean Magazine when responding to advertisers.

Page 35

Christmas Memories A Traditional Musical Celebration Saturday, 12th December, 7.30 p.m.

Newent Memorial Hall Tickets on the door ÂŁ7.00; ÂŁ6.00 concessions; children free.

Includes mince pies and mulled wine.

Orchestral favourites and carols with guest choir, Newent Scottish, conducted by Joe Skivington.

Launch your festivities with our annual community celebration. Lovely raffle prizes to be won.

A CORNUCOPIA OF SEASONAL WORKS INCLUDING: Christmas Memories (A Dream Fantasy), H. Finck The Fairy Doll, from 'A Children's Suite', John Ansell Join us for a good old-fashioned sing-along.

Valse Lyrique, Sibelius Waltz in F and a Slavonic Dance, A. Dvorak SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC MAKING If you would like to be a supporter of Cavatina, from 'I Puritani', V. Bellini local music making, come to our concert.

Dance Of All the Hours, A. Ponchielli Another way is to donate some cash to Dances from the music to 'Henry VIII', E. German our Grant Fund, set up specifically for Hungarian March, Berlioz this purpose. Thank you!

Gavotte from 'Mignon' and Scherzo, Woodhouse

Page 36

To advertise call 07939 802 384 or 01594 806 555 or visit www.forestofdeanmagazine.co.uk

Farm & Country Store celebrates its 10th anniversary They say time flies when you’re having fun... but nothing could have prepared Ursula and Paul Deighton, owners of the Farm & Country Store, for how quickly the last 10 years have flown by!

Ten years ago they had no previous retail experience, just a desire to provide excellent customer service and value-for-money products.

The business has grown considerably over the years and new products are added all the time by listening to what their customers want. As a small local business, they try to provide a wide range of products to save you time and fuel!

“There has been a marked growth over the years in the number of local people supporting us, which we really appreciate and we in turn support as many local businesses in the Forest as we can” says Ursula.

An important part of the team is Mike Willetts who joined Farm & Country in 2009; when he’s not in the shop he’s out and about making vital deliveries in all weathers!

Colin Packham is about to clock up his third Christmas as part of the team, taking care of the bookkeeping and lots more.

Many friendships have developed over the years and Ursula, Paul and Mike always take time to chat to their customers; as farmers themselves they appreciate the issues facing the agricultural industry today.

Even after 10 years people still call into the shop who have been driving by every day not realising the wide range of products they stock. If you are one of them, then why not call in and have a wander around to see what the shop has got to offer. There’s plenty of parking and a warm welcome is guaranteed. With Christmas just around the corner, the gift area might provide you with some inspiration and something a little different.

Ursula, Paul, Mike and Colin all wish you a peaceful and happy Christmas-time and look forward to seeing you in 2016.

Farm & Country Store has a great range of products, so make sure you stop by and have a wander around the shop.

01452 760511 Your local, friendly, helpful store with easy access & plenty of parking.

We are open Weekdays 8.30am-5.30pm & Saturdays 9.00am - 2.00pm Suttons Seeds & Compost/bark/grow bags, shrubs and seasonal plants Food, bedding & health care products for all animals/birds We are now DIY supplies incl. cement, stockists for sand, ballast, postcrete natures:menu Local eggs, honey, jam, chutney & potatoes Calor gas, logs, kindling, coal, briquettes, firelighters & paraffin From brooms & buckets to wheelbarrows, wellies & waterproofs.

We are on the A48, just outside Westbury-on-Severn at Elton Court, GL14 1JG

Please mention Forest of Dean Magazine when responding to advertisers.

Page 37

The Tech Trends For 2016 What Will Everybody Be Talking About?

In many ways 2015 has been an in-between year, with many firms offering slightly updated versions of products they launched last year – so, for example, Apple replaced the iPhone 6 with the iPhone 6S, Samsung updated the Note 4 to the Note 5 and so on. Bigger things are coming in 2016 - so what will be hogging the hightech headlines? Let’s find out.

WEARABLE COMPUTERS We’ve seen these already, of course, but devices such as the Apple Watch and Android Wear watches were just the first steps. Wearables are getting smarter, their batteries better and their apps more useful, and increased competition means they should get a lot cheaper too. And wearables aren’t just for showing off or for going to the gym: they can help monitor chronic medical conditions too.

WIRELESS CHARGING Some smartphones already charge wirelessly, as do some smartwatches, but this year should see wireless charging become more mainstream: Intel’s new PC processors support it, and there’s a good chance Apple will throw its weight behind it too. The longpromised wire-free world might not be too far off.

STREAMING EVERYTHING If you’re still buying CDs or DVDs you’re in a shrinking minority: more and more TV, Page 38

music and movies are being streamed over the internet, usually as part of subscription services such as Netflix or Amazon Prime. That trend will continue in a big way this year, with streaming firms investing heavily in new programming - so for example Amazon is spending millions to bring the Top Gear trio back to TV on its service. You’ll also see some TV channels going streamingonly, and rival channels appearing on the BBC’s iPlayer.

SMARTER DIGITAL ASSISTANTS Apple’s Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana and Google Now are already pretty clever, but they’ll get smarter still this year. Apple, Microsoft and Google are spending big money on hiring artificial intelligence experts, and the goal is to make Siri and Google Now so familiar with your routine that they’ll show you the information you need before you even need it. Their voice recognition will improve too: it’s already good, but if you’ve got a strong accent you’ll know that there’s still a lot of room for improvement.

SMARTER THINGS The Internet of Things has been massively hyped, but it should start to deliver on its promises in 2016. Smart plugs, smart lights, smart cameras, smart TVs, smart locks… if it’s possible to connect it to the

internet and control it from a phone, somebody will do it. The automated home might just be on its way, a mere 90 years after it was first predicted.

PRIVACY WORRIES The problem with letting your digital assistants organise everything is that your digital assistants end up knowing everything about you and possibly sharing that information with marketers or other third parties. The more we let our devices organise our lives and our homes, the more likely a really big privacy scandal is likely to strike.

AD BLOCKING Trouble’s brewing on the internet over advertising.

Invasive ads and privacyinvading advertising trackers are making some websites unusable, and more and more of us are blocking those ads - which means the websites aren’t making any money. This issue has been bubbling under for a few years but now that ad-blocking tools are available on mobile devices - something that wasn’t the case until the end of this year - it’s going to be a really big deal in 2016.

Images left to right: Netflix on a TV; Samsung Gear 2 smartwatches; Nest wireless camera; Cortana digital assistant on Windows Phone

To advertise call 07939 802 384 or 01594 806 555 or visit www.forestofdeanmagazine.co.uk

ARE YOU READY FOR WINTER?

PLEASE CALL IN FOR YOUR FREE WINTER SAFETY CHECK

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Father Christmas turns on Hereford's Christmas Lights with Stooshe, Sandi Thom and Forest of Dean Magazine's Gregg UpUpwards Record crowds packed Hereford City in November for the annual Christmas Lights Switch On. The event was hosted

by Sunshine Radio and sponsored by Kidwell Solictors.

The event saw chart topping Sandi Thom give a stunning performance of her Number 1 song "I wish I was a punk rocker" and her new single "Earthquake".

Sunshine Radio's Paul Ellery, Leon Oldman, Mark Edwards and Sunshine Radio's and Forest of Dean Magazine's Gregg Upwards then introduced this year's Courtyard Panto cast Widow Twanky and Sleeping Beauty to the crowd.

Other appearances on stage included X-Factor's Danny Dearden (who had all the girls screaming!), and the man

Paul Ellery, Leon Oldman & Gregg Upwards with Sandi Thom

of the night was of course Father Christmas who spent two hours posing for pictures with children and taking the Christmas lists while Stooshe (Courtney, Karis & Alex ) took to the stage and rounded off an amazing night by singing Black Heart, Lock Down and Slip - thanks girls you were amazing. Roll on Next Year!

Please mention Forest of Dean Magazine when responding to advertisers.

Page 39

Newent Community School and Sixth Form Centre

STEAMED UP DOUBLE GLAZING? Don’t replace the Frames... just the Panes!

Broken or Damaged Windows?

Faulty Hinges, Handles or Locks?

Want the latest energy saving glass?

5 year guarantee on new double glazing.

Watery Lane Newent Gloucestershire GL18 1QF Tel: 01531 820550 Fax: 01531 820707 Email: admin@newent.gloucs.sch.uk Website: www.newent.gloucs.sch.uk

SENIOR ICT TECHNICIAN The successful candidate will provide support and maintenance of the school’s network, servers, software packages and computer equipment and audio/visual hardware.

All information and application forms available on request, or from the School’s website. www.newent.gloucs.sch.uk Applications should be supported by letter and full CV and sent to Mrs Ann Price, Business Manager.

...we make saving money perfectly clear...

Call Freephone

0800 61 21118

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We aim to be a safe school - chilren’s welfare is paramount.

These posts are subjected to a satisfactory Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Enhanced Disclosure

Newent Community School and Sixth Form Centre Striving for Excellence

Christmas Alleluia Bells Camel Cards Carols Chimney Crib Cupid Donkey Donner Elves Family Gifts Gold Happy Holly Inn

Ivy Jolly Joy Manger Merry Mince pie Myrrh Noel

Party Ribbon Sing Star Toys Vixen Winter Xmas

Find the names associated with christmas in the grid and the remaining letters will spell out a related phrase

Page 40

To advertise call 07939 802 384 or 01594 806 555 or visit www.forestofdeanmagazine.co.uk

Cold Comfort When frost and fierce winds have stripped the garden bare, a sense of panic can set in: Only evergreens remain in leaf, the garden skeletal is on show, the perennials have died down, colour has drained away and the most striking elements in the garden are the trees. However, I don't think your garden looks bleak, the absence of foliage just allows you to see elements of the garden that are not normally visible and to discover their souls and identities. The natural shapes of trees and shrubs take on a wealth of forms - horizontal, rounded, weeping, spreading and conical.

Does your garden look barren during winter?

You may have a few shrubs dotted about, now is the time to give them a strong year round backbone, so look at topiary with lots of shapes.

Does your garden lack colour and scent during the winter months?

There are so many things plants can do for a garden in winter: From trees with colourful barks and late autumn/early spring flowering bulbs to ornamental grasses; from Cotoneaster displays of coloured fruit, Hamamelis Witch Hazel, Garrya and Lonicera winter fragrant

The Garden Lady 01594 541118 or 07767690009

Catherine will take you on an inspirational journey

My purpose in life is to create landscape magic, to share that passion for beautiful gardens with as many people as possible, to have fun and to achieve success.

The business involves garden care & conservancy for clients in many different situations - from busy professionals to elderly people. I am a sole trader, and have been working for myself for 24 years.

I cover the Forest of Dean area, Gloucestershire, Monmouth & Ross-on-Wye . I am also a professional speaker who talks to small groups and clubs.

Small or large areas • Practical garden ideas & help • Design consultation • Planning advice • Planting & plant care • Pruning and maintenance Living with the grain of nature-rewards are great.

The right garden has a beneficial effect, is an oasis of calm and a home in the natural world to make you feel good.

4 West Avenue, Drybrook, Glos, GL17 9HX mail2@thegardenlady.me.uk flowering shrubs to Viburnum, heathers, winter aconite and snowdrops. They all bring nature to your doorstep and allow you to enjoy their foliage, flowers and fragrance.

If you want a hand preparing your garden for winter then give me a call on 01594 541118 or 07767690009.

- Catherine Williams, The Garden Lady

Please mention Forest of Dean Magazine when responding to advertisers.

Page 41

Sudoku

PD U H L O You have two minutes to find all the words of three or more letters that can be made from the letters above. Plurals are allowed, proper nouns are not. The 6 letter word will always be just a normal everyday word.

3 letters: 9 4 letters: 5 5 letters: 0 6 letters: 2

3 D D H H H L O P P

Puzzle & Crossword Solutions Christmas TV Quiz

Word Ladder

1. Gavin And Stacey 2. The Simpsons 3. Charlie Brown (in A Charlie Brown Christmas) 4. David Walliams 5. Only Fools And Horses 6. Catherine Tate 7. Queen Elizabeth II (in 1957) 8. Archie Mitchell 9. An alarm clock 10. Wimbledon Common (the mispronunciation gave her the inspiration for The Wombles)

Here is one possible solution Here is one possible (others may exist)

solution (others may ex SHIP shop shot soot sort PORT

Codeword 13

P

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Page 42

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Pictograms 1. Iron Man 2. The Hills Have Eyes 3. Carry On Doctor

To advertise call 07939 802 384 or 01594 806 555 or visit www.forestofdeanmagazine.co.uk

Update on Forest Policing

by Inspector Steve Chester For the year to date, crime overall has fallen in the Forest of Dean by 1.7% compared to 2014’s figures, although it is disappointing that violent crime has risen by 6.1%. Burglary and theft have fallen by 7.4 and 5.0% respectively, which is encouraging. Burglary is still a priority for us, as the harm this kind of offence does to victims can be immense. As nights are getting longer, the opportunities for criminals are getting greater, so we have been carrying out more patrols during the early evenings when many people are still out at work. Please consider your property’s security; leave a light or radio on, or use a timer switch to give the impression someone may be at home.

That may be all is required to deter an opportunist criminal.

Please be vigilant about who is snooping about in your neighbourhood. If you see anyone behaving suspiciously, or if you become aware a crime has taken place, inform us via the 101 number, which is a flat rate call of 15p, irrespective of how long you are on the phone to us. If there is someone in danger, or a crime is in progress, use 999, which of course is free. There is now a facility to report a crime or an incident on the Constabulary’s website. To find it, tap in “Gloucestershire Police UK” on the internet and click “Contact Us”.

Speeding is something we receive a lot of complaints about across the whole of the Forest of Dean.

We have consequently been concentrating on this; not only on catching offending motorists, but in educating them on the risks of excess speed, particularly in towns and villages. You may have noticed that we now advertise when the camera enforcement vans are likely to be in specific areas

in the local press. We also have regular visits by traffic officers to specific “hotspots” as identified by the public and Forest officers have run several “Wheeled Respect” operations. These target stretches of road in two or three areas, which are visited in one day to identify motoring offences and educate or prosecute drivers as appropriate.

I am delighted that The Aston Project has been launched in Newent and will hopefully be rolled out to other areas of the Forest of Dean in the future. It was set up in Cheltenham in 2011 in memory of Neighbourhood Officer PC Lynn Aston and its aim is to work with young people (aged 9-17) by identifying their interests and engaging them in constructive activity through which they build credits towards a reward activity, promoting a reward for work ethos. The credit scoring activities fall broadly into four categories; community based, discipline based, character/team building or vocational. The Aston Project is Police led, working together with partners and communities to reduce harm, crime & anti-social behaviour, by inspiring young people to meet their potential in a positive and rewarding environment, which may not be available to them otherwise.

The project is now seeking to develop by using the skills, interests and contributions of the wider community and is therefore looking to recruit volunteers to bring their own skills, interests and passions, whatever they might be, for the benefit of the young people involved.

In order to become a volunteer with the Aston Project, applicants will need to: • Complete a short online application, • Complete an application for a DBS check (FREE OF CHARGE),

• Complete the GCSB approved ‘Safeguarding Children’ online training (FREE OF CHARGE)

In return the project will provide volunteers with a point of contact who will welcome you to the Aston Project team and fully support you through the application process and your subsequent volunteering activity. If you are interested in offering some time to support the Aston Project, we would very much like to hear from you.

You can complete the online application form via the link found at www.theastonproject.co.uk under the ‘Volunteering’ tab, or you can get in touch on 01242 276251 if you would simply like to find out more.

Each town in the Forest retains their named constables, who are supported by PCSOs and have geographical accountability for the town and the parishes adjacent; Lydney (PC Phil Hopkins), Coleford (PC Leanne Sterry), Cinderford (PC Julie Evans) and Newent (PC Rob Mortimer). In addition; Tidenham has PC Nick Assirati, West Dean PC Henry Davies, and the A48 corridor PC Rob Dix. They are there to help their neighbourhoods deal with local problems and spend most of their time on their respective areas.

We also have 5 teams of officers based at Coleford which provide 24/7 cover for incident resolution and investigations.

Have an enjoyable and safe Christmas and New Year.

Please mention Forest of Dean Magazine when responding to advertisers.

Page 43

LOCAL CLUBS & SOCIETIES Forest of Dean Walking for Health We offer 16 free, regular walks throughout the Forest of Dean. No need to book. They are suitable for all abilities and can range from just 10 minutes to up to an hour. All end at a café or similar so there’s a chance for refreshments and a chat.

Full details on our website at www. walkingforhealth.org.uk/forest-deanwalking-for-health or phone Kim Spencer on 01594 562240.

BREAM Bream Rugby Social Club High St, Bream, Lydney Tel: 01594 562320 Bream Sports Club High St, Bream, Lydney Tel: 01594 563094 Forest of Dean Male Voice Choir The choir practices every Monday and Friday evening at the West Dean Community Centre, Bream.

New members always welcome. We offer enjoyable taster sessions free of charge. No auditions - just a friendly bunch of guys so join and enjoy their company and camaraderie. The choir sings at concerts to raise money for various charitable causes as well as at private functions. For more information call Eric Woods on 01594 836050.

CINDERFORD Causeway Club Edge Hills Rd, Cinderford Tel: 01594 822039 Cinderford Band Contact: Ian Tomlins - Press Secretary, Assistant Secretary and Webmaster for the Cinderford Band Tel: 01452 723518 Cinderfordband03@aol.com www.cinderfordbrassband.co.uk Cinderford Bowling Club Steam Mills Recreation Ground, Cinderford, Gl14 3JD Tel.: 01594 542004 Cinderford Hanover Court Activities Cinderford Hanover Court, Extra Care Flats, GL142 LQ We offer the following group activities: Every Tuesday: Songs of Praise, 3-4pm with a cup of tea; Wednesday,10.30-11.30am: Trevor Reynaert T’ai Chi - £3; Wednesday, 3-4pm: Quiet Corner Book Reading with Mary including the partially

sighted - £3; Thursday, 11-12am: Extend Exercises with Sue; Last Friday of each month, 3-5pm: A social Musical Afternoon with singing, dancing, friendship, tea and raffle £4, monies for a defribulator. Come and bring your friends. For more information contact Celia Large on 01594824276.

Miners Welfare Hall Wesley Rd, Cinderford Tel: 01594 823422 Soldiers & Sailors Club 1 Commercial St, Cinderford Tel: 01594 822142 YMCA High St, Cinderford Tel: 01594 823388

COALWAY Coalway Singers Practice every Monday 7.15pm 9pm, Pisgah Chapel in Coalway We welcome all ladies or girls aged 16 or over with an interest in music and singing. We are in the process of learning a new repertoire under the direction of our new musical director Sam Davis and pianist Joe Smith.

Valerie Harris: 01594 832465 Eileen Avery: 01594 835977 Coalway Ladies Group Meet on the second Wednesday of the month at 7pm, Pisgah Hall, Old Road, Coalway, GL16 7JT We have a varied programme of interesting speakers throughout the year.

Ladies of 16years onward and visitors are always very welcome. For more information call Anne on 01594 834402.

COLEFORD Coleford Photographic Club 17 Cinder Hill, Coleford, Gloucestershire GL16 8HJ New Members Welcomed. All ages, abilities and photographic interests.

Tel: 01594 839118.

DRYBROOK The A. W. Parker (Drybrook) Band Tel: 01594 543707 www.drybrookband.co.uk Drybrook & District Ladies Choir Practice every Wednesday in Drybrook Bandroom (7pm – 9pm). All ladies, or girls aged 16 or over, with an interest in music and the ability to sing in tune welcome! Tel: 01594 542414 www.ddlc.org.uk Drybrook & District Male Voice Choir Tel: 01452 830492 Drybrook Memorial Hall & Social Club Drybrook Road, Drybrook Tel: 01594 543794

LYDNEY Forest of Dean Camera Club Meets each Monday evening at 7.30pm (doors open at 7.00pm).

Meetings are held at the Viney St. Swithin Sports and Social Club, Viney Hill, near Lydney. The programme includes talks with advice on various aspects of photography, question and answer sessions and competitions.

Progarmme details and information can be obtained on the club website: www.forestofdeancameraclub.co.uk Forest of Dean U3A Every 3rd Thurs of the month, 1.40pm, Lydney Town Hall Painting, skittles, whist, photography, three walking groups, bridge, cribbage, French, art and crafts, trips, singing and luncheon club are just some of the voluntary activities offered during each month for the over 50s. Why not come and join our lively, friendly groups? Come along, listen to our guest speakers, and meet the people who run the groups.

Annual membership is only £15. For more details visit: www.u3asites.org.uk/forest-of-dean Lydney & Severnside Flower Club Meet on the second Monday of the month, 7.15pm at Lydney Town Hall Floral demonstrations at most meetings. Refreshments and raffle.

Give yourself a treat! Visitors always welcome. Contact: 01594 860 578 Lydney Tennis Club Hams Road, Lydney Tel: 01594 842159 Lydney Training Band We rehearse every Monday evening from 6.30 til 7.30pm at the Bandroom, Swan Road, Lydney GL15 5RU. Training is given by experienced and qualified teachers (DBS checked).

All ages welcome including adults. £1 a week covers tuition and instrument.

Come along and have a chat or ring Kerry Ford BMus on 01594 530886.

The Senior Band rehearses on Fridays from 7.30 til 9.30pm.

The Royal British Legion Clubs 3 Hill Street, Lydney Tel: 01594 842444 Parkend Working Men’s Club Lion Row, Parkend, Lydney Tel: 01594 562566 Sports Clubs in Lydney Lydney Bowling Club Bathurst Park, Lydney Tel: 01594 842962 Lydney Cricket Club The Pavilion Recreation Ground, Swan Rd, Lydney Tel: 01594 842765

Page 44 advertise call 07939 802 384 or 01594 555your or visit www.forestofdeanmagazine.co.uk Get in touchTowith the Forest of Dean Magazine to806 have local club or society listed for FREE!

Lydney Golf Club Naas Lane (access off bypass), Lydney, GL15 4ES Tel: 01594 842775 Lydney Town A.F.C Recreation Ground, Swan Rd, Lydney Tel: 01594 844523 Lydney Rugby Football Club Regents Holme, Regent St, Lydney Tel: 01594 842479 Viney St. Swithins Sports & Social Club Recreation Ground, Viney Hill, Lydney, Tel: 01594 510658 Lydney Yacht Club The Old Shipyard House, Harbour Road, Lydney, GL15 4ER Tel: 01594 842573

MITCHELDEAN Forest of Dean Chess Club Meets Thursday evenings (except during Public Holidays), 7.00pm9.30pm at Mitcheldean Library.

The club competes in Division Two of the North Gloucestershire Chess League and also runs its own internal tournaments. Training sessions, simultaneous displays and social matches form part of the club’s variety of chess-related activities.

New members are welcome; why not come along for a taster session? For further information, contact Secretary Ray Francis (07815597714) or visit www.fodcc.org.uk Forest of Dean Motorcycle Club Meet at least once a month on a Tuesday night, 12 Vantage Point Business Village, Mitcheldean, GL17 0DD Family oriented Club. Members enjoy all aspects of Motorcycles from Vintage to Modern and from Club Rallies to the Isle of Man TT. For more information contact Mike (Spike) Hook on 07815571350 or email: spikehook@3rossroad.freeserve.co.uk Mitcheldean Folk Club Every second Thursday of the month, 8pm, The White Horse in Mitcheldean Xerox Sports & Social Club Vantage Point Business Park, Mitcheldean, GL17 0DD Xerox SSC has a well maintained clubhouse consisting of a bar, lounge, skittle alley, snooker room and an exceptionally well appointed function room. The club regularly hosts charity evenings & includes a thriving Country/Western club which holds events every month. There is a floodlit patio and a secure, extensive car-park reserved for members and guests. Annual membership fee £5.20.

Tel: 01594 544900

NEWENT Newent Bridge Club In the Sixth Form Centre of Newent Community School We play duplicate bridge every Wednesday (18.45pm for 19.00pm start) and Friday (19.00pm for 19.15pm start). There is always a host on Fridays, so you don’t need a partner. Visitors are always welcome.

Full details on our website www.bridgewebs.com/newent.

Newent Walking Group Meets twice a month on a Sunday.

An informal friendly walking group.

Walks may be full or half day and vary in distance between 4 and 10 miles, often with a picnic or pub break.

For more information please telephone our Programme Secretary, Alison Jones, on 01531 820151.

NEWNHAM Clay Hill Potters Pottery Group in Newnham-On-Severn, www.clayhillpotters.co.uk Lions Club of Severn Dean 2 Whetstones, Newnham GL14 1BL Tel: 0845 833 5836 The Friendship Club Social club for over 50s which meets fortnightly in the Armoury Hall in Newnham during the afternoon.

Opportunity for members to meet their friends for a chat and a cup of tea.

There is usually also some entertainment which varies from fortnight to fortnight.

Tel: 01594 516545 The Newnham Art Group Newnham Art Group meets every Tuesday in the Armoury Hall between 10am and 12 Noon with the exception of short breaks at Christmas and Easter and a longer recess in the Summer. Consisting of amateur artists who simply want to take time out on a regular basis to draw and paint and exchange tips, advice and ideas. £2 to cover room hire and refreshment costs.

Tel: 01594 516450 or 01594 516007 Newnham Club Newnham Club is a social and sports club situated in a fine building in the centre of the village. In addition to the bar and a family friendly atmosphere it offers a number of activities including skittles, darts, snooker, pool, a garden with a barbecue and an area where you can watch televised sport. It also has a large function room with a bar that can cater for a wide range of events. Tel: 01594 516379 Newnham Garden Club Providing a forum for all species of gardener in Newnham and the surrounding area. The club meets on the third Monday of each month

at 7.30pm in the W.I. Hut in Dean Road (opposite Orchard Rise).

The programme is varied and includes talks from specialists and professionals; summer trips to gardens; themed evenings and a Christmas Party. Indoor meetings include a bring and buy plant stall, a raffle, a monthly competition, refreshments and a chance to talk horticulture. Members range from beginners to professionals.

Tel: 01595 823411 Newnham Players The group welcomes new members for all aspects of drama from acting and directing to make up and construction, costume skills, props, sound engineers, front of house, etc.

For more details visit: www.newnhamonsevern.co.uk Newnham Youth Club For children from Year 7 and older.

Meets at the Armoury Hall on Monday evenings during term time between 7pm and 8.30pm. Club is run by local volunteers and seen as a benefit for both the young people of the village and the wider community, providing a safe environment for young people to meet, socialise and engage in fun activities. New children and volunteers always welcome. Tel: 01594 516742 / 01594 516287 Pillowell Singers Practice Wednesday evenings from 7pm to 8.30pm at Pillowell Methodist Church New members welcome. Ladies with an interest in joining please ring 01594 562 485.

WOOLASTON The Springfield Singers Secretary: Lesley Wreford Tel: 01594 529468 www.thespringfieldsingers.co.uk

Forest voluntary Action Forum (FVAF) is the support agency for voluntary and community groups in the Forest of Dean.

A data base of groups is kept, so if you are looking for an activity or club get in touch.

We are also the local volunteer centre. Have a look at www.fvaf.org.uk email help4groups@fvaf.org.uk or phone 01594 822073.

Finance What type of financial help is available for first time buyers?

By Ann Haldon The thought of buying your first home can be daunting, but there’s help available from the government that you may not know about. Equity loans and mortgage guarantees combine within the Help to Buy scheme, which has been a popular option for many people wanting to get their foot on the property ladder.

Other possibilities include Shared Ownership schemes and Help to Buy ISA products.

Additionally, choosing a fixed rate mortgage deal will help you to budget effectively and provides peace of mind that you can afford the repayments.

Help to Buy Equity Loan You only need to find a deposit of 5% as the government loans you the remaining 20%.

The loan is offered interestfree for the first five years, with an interest rate of 1.75% being charged in year six on the amount of the original loan. Subsequent annual rate increases are in line with inflation, using the Retail Price Index plus 1%.

You’ll be able to repay part of the loan early without penalty if you want, and you can sell your home whenever you like.

The repayment figure on sale is based on the property’s value at the time so that the government benefits from its rise in value.

Mortgage Guarantee This part of the Help to Buy Page 46

scheme is available until 31st December 2016 for new-builds and older homes. It is valid for properties worth up to £600,000, and the government provides a guarantee to mortgage lenders for up to 15% of the property value.

The scheme is geared towards purchasers with a low deposit, and is intended to encourage confidence in lenders that their money is safe, increasing the likelihood of them offering a larger number of 95% loan-tovalue mortgages.

Shared Ownership The Shared Ownership scheme enables you to own a proportion of your home - usually between 25% and 75% of the property’s value. You pay rent to a housing association on the remaining proportion, but at a subsidised rate.

Shared Ownership helps people to buy their first home because rents are generally low, and are paid in conjunction with a mortgage. The housing association may allow you to purchase more of your home over time – usually up to its full value.

Help to Buy ISA The Help to Buy ISA is a new product offered by the government, and is due to be introduced this month (December). If you make a lump sum deposit of £1,000 the government will boost this

amount tax-free by up to £250 when you buy your home, plus by another £50 for each further £200 of monthly savings. There is a limit on these tax free bonuses, however, of £3,000.

Fixing your mortgage rate If you fix your mortgage rate you’ll be able to budget with confidence, and won’t need to worry about mortgage interest rate rises. Interest rates are expected to increase in the spring of 2016, so this is a good time to look for a suitable fixed rate deal.

It can be difficult to know for how long to fix your rate, but with increases expected over the next few years a five-year term might be the best choice, even though the rates offered will be higher than deals over two or three years.

With a little research and pre-planning you can take advantage of the various schemes available, fixing your interest rate to provide some stability and peace of mind. http://www.moneywise.co.uk/ news/2015-09-09/first-timebuyers-to-get-4000-deposit-boost http://www.moneysupermarket. com/mortgages/hubs/first-timebuyers/ http://www.moneysupermarket. com/mortgages/first-time-buyers/ http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/ money/mortgageshome/article3177711/Time-start-savingbenefit-new-Help-Buy-Isa.html

To advertise call 07939 802 384 or 01594 806 555 or visit www.forestofdeanmagazine.co.uk

LOCAL FREELANCE Crystal Flame Photography PHOTOGRAPHER (With mobile studio)

Forest of Dean Chess Club

PORTRAITS

Families, Children, Christenings, Pets, Teen Shoots, etc

FODCC meets at Mitcheldean Library Thursday evenings 7.00pm-9.30 pm 2015: 3rd Sep.—17th Dec. 2016: 7th Jan.—3Oth June (Except Public Holidays)

[No posing in studio - comfort of your home or preferred location]

NEW MEMBERS ALWAYS WELCOME

WEDDINGS

Imaginative and Relaxed Photography

Packages from £100 to £800

For quote or discussion call Colin on 07851 407628 or 01531 822172 or email colinwe@aol.com

For further details, contact Secretary Ray Francis: Tel. 07815597714 Forest of Dean Chess Club Website: www.fodcc.org.uk

Christmas TV 1. A 2008 Christmas special of which TV show saw Dave Coaches get engaged to Nessa Jenkins?

2. Miracle On Evergreen Terrace is the title of a special Christmas episode of which TV show?

3. In an animated TV special that was first broadcast in 1965, who was feeling depressed because Christmas had become too commercialised?

4. Made into TV films broadcast at Christmas in 2012, 2013 and 2014, which comedy star wrote the children’s books Mr Stink, Gangsta Granny and The Boy In The Dress?

5. Diamonds Are For Heather, Miami Twice and To Hull And Back were all titles of Christmas special episodes of which TV sitcom?

6. Who played the title character in The Runaway Bride, the 2006 Doctor Who Christmas special?

7. Who read out the first Royal Christmas Message to be televised?... King George V, King George VI or Queen Elizabeth II? 8. Which EastEnders character was murdered on Christmas Day in 2009?

9. In the 2013 Christmas TV advert for John Lewis, what did the hare get the bear as a Christmas present?

10. Where in London did Elisabeth Beresford take her children for a walk one Boxing Day when one of them pronounced the name of this place wrong, giving her the inspiration for a group of TV characters?

Please mention Forest of Dean Magazine when responding to advertisers.

Page 47

LYDBROOK BAND Annual Christmas Concert

Movie Pictograms 2 words

with the

Fe

Blaenavon Male Voice Choir Saturday 12th December at 7pm Forest Theatre, Five Acres

4 words

Tickets £8.00

HAIRRY GRAINGE DAMION

3 words

GOLF E KILDARE

For your reserved seat call Barbara Morgan on 01594 860944

Everyone Welcome!

Coffee

Chat

and

Every Tuesday

Every Wednesday

10am – 12 noon Gloucester Drop In, Brunswick Road,

10am – 12 noon

and...

Forest of Dean Drop In, The Main place,

Gloucester,

Coleford,

GL1 1HT

Gloucestershire, GL16 8RH

For more information call: 01452 529663

Page 48

For more information call: 01594 834436

To advertise call 07939 802 384 or 01594 806 555 or visit www.forestofdeanmagazine.co.uk

What‘s On in December Elsa’s Christmas Grotto and Real Reindeer Saturdays and Sundays in the run-up to Christmas, Arden’s Farm, Westbury on Severn, Gloucester, GL14 1PE

Queen Elsa and her reindeer friends will be stopping by at Arden’s Farm for a magical Frozen Christmas Experience.

Come and spend time with Elsa, Anna and Sven and his friends. Tickets are available from https://www.eventbrite. co.uk/e/elsas-christmas-grottotickets-19362681301 Medieval Banquet Ongoing until Saturday 12th December, Caldicot Castle Country Park, Church Road, Caldicot, NP26 4HU A medieval themed evening with a five course feast, live entertainment, music, juggling and singing. Dress up for the occasion!

Admission: £60 per person. For more information and times visit: www.visitmonmouthshire.com Underground Christmas Grotto Ongoing until Sun 27th Dec Clearwell Caves, Clearwell, Near Coleford, GL16 8JR Come and visit Father Christmas in his Grotto located underground in the 4,500 year-old mine caves – this will be an unforgettable experience! Don’t forget to dress up warmly. For more information visit: www.clearwellcaves.com

Christmas at Puzzleworld Weekends between Saturday 5th and Sunday 13th December, 10am - 4.30pm (last entry 3.30pm), Puzzleworld, Near Coleford, GL16 8QB Come and meet Santa and his reindeer and get into the festive spirit. For more information call 01594 833187 or visit: www.puzzleworld.net Meet the Gruffalo at Dean Heritage Centre Saturday 5th – Wednesday 23rd December, 10am - 4pm Dean Heritage Centre, Camp Mill, Soudley, Forest of Dean, GL14 2UB Meet the Gruffalo and his friends as well as Santa who will hand out presents for the children who come to see him. There will be mince pies and seasonal craft activities for the kids. Christmas dinners available at the cafe.

Adults: £7.20, children £5.40, under 3's free, family (2+2) £23.

For more information visit: www.deanheritagecentre.com Christmas at Perrygrove Saturday 5th, Sunday 6th, Saturday 12th, Sunday 13th, Saturday 19th, Sunday 20th December, and daily between the Tuesday 22nd and Thursday 24th December, Perrygrove Railway & Treetop Adventure, Perrygrove Road, Coleford, GL16 8QB Get to see Father Christmas come down the chimney in front of your eyes, watch a performance by the Carriage Shed Theatre (at a prebooked time) and enjoy a ride on the train. Santa will be handing out presents and mums and dads can enjoy a winter drink and mince pies.

Dress up warmly and in suitable outdoor closing for this magical event! It is recommended to arrive 1 hour before the show, to ride on the rain first. For more information visit: www.perrygrove.co.uk Santa Specials Saturday 5th - Thursday 24th December, Running dates: 5th, 6th, 12th, 13th, 19th, 20th & 24th December, Departures:

11.30am, 1pm & 2.30pm every day, Norchard Station, Forest Road, Lydney, GL15 4ET The children will love this journey through the Forest starting and ending at Norchard Station.

Santa will come to your seat and give each child an age-related gift. Pre-booking essential.

Refreshments available on board.

Book online at www.dfr.co.uk Winter Wonderland at Whitemead Saturday 5th December – Saturday 2nd January Whitemead Forest Park, Parkend, Lydney, GL15 4LA Come and visit Santa in his own log cabin, then take the family for a spin, twirl and fun on the ice on the wonderful outdoor skating rink.

Admission: Santa’s Grotto - £6 per child including a gift: Skating - £7.50 per session. Outdoor Skating will be open from 10am to 5pm on the 5th, 6th, 12th and 13th December and daily from 19th to 24th December.

Please note that opening times for skating on 2nd January are 10am to 1pm. There will be an earlier closing time of 2pm on 24th, 26th and 31st December and 1st January. For more information call: 03301 230 374.

Forest Singing for the Brain Monday 7th & 21st December, 11am - 12.30pm, Forest of Dean

...events cont‘d on p50

...events cont'd from p49 Drop In, The Main Place, Old Station Way, Coleford, GL16 8RH By the Alzheimer's Society. After your singing session you are welcome to come to the Drop In for Tea or Coffee. The Drop In is situated on the ground floor in the same building opposite the library. If you would like to participate in the singing group please contact Jane or Rachel on 01452 525222 or the Drop In on 01594 834436.

Silver Jewellery Demonstrations & Christmas Event Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th December, Mariana-Art Gallery, East Street, St Briavels, GL15 6TQ

Mariana-Art Gallery will be holding a Christmas Gift event at which Ann Skehel will be demonstrating her silver jewellery making techniques. There will be a free prize draw and mulled wine available for visitors to the demos which will be held at 11am and 2pm on each of the days. Come along and see how silver jewellery is made, sign up for a class in 2016, and enjoy a convivial festive atmosphere whilst browsing paintings, ceramics, prints, carved hiking sticks, scarves, Christmas cards and gifts. Free on-street parking.

Credit/Debit cards accepted.

Welsh Grand National Sunday 27th Dec, Chepstow Racecourse, Chepstow Racecourse, Monmouthshire, NP16 6BE Enjoy a day at the racecourse watching the annual Coral Welsh Grand National, one of the most Page 50

prestigious jump fixtures of the season in the UK and the richest race in Wales.

Mince Pie Specials at Dean Forest Railway Sunday 27th Dec, Thursday 31st Dec and Friday 1st Jan from 10.30am, Dean Forest Railway, Norchard, Forest Road, Lydney, GL15 4ET Enjoy a relaxing steam ride

through the picturesque Forest.

Admission: £11 adults, £5 children (5-16), £30 family (2+2). For more information visit: www.dfr.co.uk Jack in the Beanstalk Monday 28th, Tuesday 29th and Wednesday 30th at 2pm and 6pm; Thursday 31st at 12 Noon and 4pm, Savoy Theatre, Church Street, Monmouth, NP25 3BU Fee Fi Fo Fum – it’s panto time at the Savoy Theatre – a fun family event full of audience participation. Tickets Adult £12; Under 16s £8; Family £35 (2 adults & 2 under 16s) available from the theatre, the box office (01600 772467) or online.

Regular Events Forest of Dean Drop In Coffee & Chat Every Wednesday, 10am 12 Noon, Forest of Dean Drop In, The Main Place, Coleford, GL16 8HR Everyone welcome. For more information call 01594 834436.

Run by the Independence Trust.

LOCAL MARKETS Buy Local Saturday 12th December, 11.00am - 4.00pm, Taurus Crafts, The Old Park, Lydney, GL15 6BU Buy local produce and tasty fresh food and drink at our regular market. We offer locally farmed meat, local Cider and Perry, Coffee, locally made country wine and much more.

Coleford Country Market Every Fri from 9.30am 12 Noon, beside the Clock Tower in Coleford; Every Sat from 10am - 12 Noon, in Mushet Walk, near the Co-op. We sell home-baked cakes and pastries, home-produced preserves and honey, handmade crafts, home grown seasonal fruit, as well as vegetables and plants.

St. Briavels Farmers Market First Saturday of every month, 9.30am - 1.00pm, The Pavilion, St. Briavels Produce, patisserie, fish, pies and more.

Taurus Crafts Christmas Market Saturday 5th – Sunday 13th December, 10am - 5.30pm Taurus Crafts, Lydney Park Estate, Lydney, GL15 6BU Come to the largest Christmas market in the area for some fantastic gift ideas, arts and crafts, delicious food and drink and much more! Fresh local Christmas Trees also available.

Asperger's Awareness Support Group Last Tuesday of every month, 2pm - 4pm, The Main Place, Old Station Way, Coleford, GL16 8RH For more information call 01592 834436.

To advertise call 07939 802 384 or 01594 806 555 or visit www.forestofdeanmagazine.co.uk

T: 01594 564444 W: www.whiteknightgroup.co.uk

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Ten year old Forest girl cuts off hair for Gloucestershire Hospice Help young people to meet their potential with the Aston Project

The Aston Project is a Police led project, working together with partners and communities to reduce harm, crime and anti-social behaviour, by inspiring young people to meet their potential in a positive and rewarding environment.

The project achieves this by engaging young people in constructive activities for which they earn credits towards a reward activity of their choice, therefore promoting a ‘work for reward’ ethos.

Having launched in Cheltenham in 2011 and expanded to Gloucester in April 2015, the project is now seeking to develop further by utilising the skills, interests and contributions of the wider community.

The Aston Project is, therefore, now taking the exciting step of recruiting volunteers to bring their own skills, interests and passions, whatever they might be, for the benefit of the young people engaged with the project.

In order to become a volunteer with the Aston Project, applicants will need to; • Complete a short online application • Complete an application for a DBS check (FREE OF CHARGE) • Complete the GCSB approved ‘Safeguarding Children’ online training (FREE OF CHARGE) In return the project will provide volunteers with a point of contact who will welcome you to the Aston Project team and fully support you through the application process and your subsequent volunteering activity.

If you are interested in offering some time to support the Aston Project, we would very much like to hear from you.

You can complete the online application form via the link found at www.theastonproject. co.uk under the ‘Volunteering’ tab, or you can get in touch on the below contact details if you would simply like to find out more.

Tel: 01242 276251 Email: astonproject@ gloucestershire.pnn.police.uk Page 52

A ten year old girl from Coleford in the Forest of Dean cut off her waist length brown hair to raise money for the hospice where her granddad was cared for – Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice.

Brave Charley Smith cut her hair on 12th November in Lydney to raise money for the hospice, which provides specialist end of life and palliative care for local people in Gloucestershire.

And in a double donation for charity the big hearted Coalway Junior school girl gave her long brown hair to the ‘Little Princess Trust’ who make wigs for children who have lost their hair through chemotherapy.

Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice cared for Charley’s granddad, Brian Barnett, who passed away in July.

Charley’s mum, Rachel Smith said “We lost Brian to cancer earlier this year and Charley shared a very special bond with her granddad. Losing him was a very traumatic and devastating time for Charley and the whole family, but we were so fortunate and grateful to have had the support of the hospice.”

“While visiting her granddad at Leckhampton Court Hospice, Charley was amazed by the beautiful surroundings and the incredible care being given by all the staff. It was during these visits she read some information on how much money is needed to support the hospice. This inspired Charley to do something to help raise funds and pay for more incredible care there.”

and I can maybe do it again someday!”

Elise Hoadley, Director of Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice said, “We are so very grateful to this incredible young lady for choosing to raise funds for us in this brave way. The money Charley raised will help us provide care for more local families in Gloucestershire who have a loved one with a life limiting condition. On behalf of everyone at Leckhampton Court Hospice we want to say a big thank you to Charley for her support.”

Charley's target was to raise £300 for the hospice, but she raised over £1,000!

“Charley came up with the idea of having her hair cut herself and we think she is just amazing.”

Charley said, “I think this hospice is brilliant! It makes me so happy to be able to raise money in memory of my granddad. My hair will grow back

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Queen Elsa and her reindeer friends will be stopping by at Arden’s Farm for a magical Frozen Christmas Experience.

Last years event was voted as the Western Daily Press’s number 8 attraction in the South West of England.

Come and spend time with Elsa, Anna as well as Sven and his friends.

Arden’s Farm Westbury on Severn Gloucester GL14 1PE Tel: 07809 711268 Tickets available from https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/ e/elsas-christmas-grotto-tickets-19362681301

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