the Gazette and Diary magazine October 2012

The Autumn Issue October / November Issue 19 / 2012 £1.50 - where sold

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christm a sparkl s magaz e ine inside

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With Aberga the ve Chronic nny le

■ Style & Fashion ■ Homes and Gardens ■ Local Events ■ Competitions ■ call the experts ... and much more ...

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The Autumn Issue

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October / November

Welcome...

With Autumn weather well and truly here, we seem to be on the countdown to Christmas and in this month's Gazette and Diary we take a look at the very best that Abergavenny and the surrounding area has to offer to anyone thinking ahead to their festive celebrations. Whether you are planning on booking at Christmas party or searching for that perfect little black dress to wear to a Christmas party you are certain to find the answer in our Christmas Sparkle section.

Inside...

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Of course before that we have Halloween to think about and we've got no shortage of spooky goings on for the whole family to enjoy inside this month's packed magazine.

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Page 00 Hugh’s magic number

The Abergavenny Chronicle DESIGNERS: Dave Simkiss dave.simkiss@nwn.co.uk Michaela Cox michaela.cox@nwn.co.uk ADVERTISING: Jenna Hopkins ext 26 Hazel Walding - Advertising Manager For information on how to advertise in our next issue, contact: advertising@tindlenews.co.uk or telephone 01873 852187 ext 34 or ext 26 GENERAL MANAGER - Mary Purcell

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Page 09 Get in a jam

In association with

Page 05 Beryl’s Diary

When you have finished reading the Gazette & Diary Magazine - please recycle it.

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PUBLISHING: Printed and distributed by NWN Media. www.nwnmedia.co.uk Mold Business Park, Wrexham Road, Mold, CH7 1XY.

Page 14 Blazing the trail for autumn ▲

Page 16 Green with energy

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Page 00 Halloween

At NWN Media we are committed to addressing the key environmental impacts of printing and the production process, and preserving the environment for future generations. Our environmental policy is achieved through continuous monitoring, annual targets and action plans.

The sourcing of newsprint is a major environmental concern for publishers and we at NWN Media source our newsprint from UPM Kymmene in Deeside, utilising their 100% recycled paper, which is produced as a natural, renewable and recyclable fibre from sustainable, responsibly managed forests. UPM is committed to forest management and forest harvesting practices based on the internationally accepted principles of sustainable forest management.

UPM Kymmene is just a mile from the press site, which also keeps carbon footprint to a minimum in the obtaining of our paper.

All newsprint waste is taken back to UPMʼs site and fully recycled.

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Page 00 Five minutes with...John Challis

Nick Ramsay AM Assembly Member for Monmouth Hospitals - Schools - Transport Environment - Housing Write to: Nick Ramsay AM, Constituency Office, 16 Maryport Street, Usk, Monmouthshire, NP15 1AB E-mail: nicholas.ramsay@wales.gov.uk

For further information call: 01291 674 898 or 029 2089 8735 ●

The Autumn Issue

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Out and about in a purple haze Head to the hills this time of year and witness the vast purple expanse of our heather moorlands in full bloom.

High up on the tops, on hills like those of the Clwydian range and moorland like Denbigh andf LLandegla the landscape is blushing with a purple bloom.

For most of the year this sparse, barren land has hunkered down against the cold and the rain, dressed in sombre browns and faded mustards.

But as high-summer melts into early autumn, our uplands, moors and heaths are transformed into a shimmering purple wonderland.

The heather bloom is a floral spectacle with little parallel in the UK. The brief flowering transforms one of the UK's harshest landscapes into hypnotic carpet of colour - perfumed with the faint scent of honey.

Heather, or ling as the plant was known for generations, covered huge tracts of the UK's uplands and was a key component of rural life - used for bedding, rope, dye and even as an ingredient for beer.

As enclosure and changes in land management gathered pace, our heathlands (literally heather-lands) and moors were grubbed up to make way for trees and farmland.

Heather moorlands continue to remain one of the most threatened habitats in Europe but fragments can still be found from southern England to the wild northern expanse of the Highlands.

Ling, or Calluna vulgaris, with its pinkish flowers, makes up the majority of our moorland heather, but bell heather, with its large flowers and varieties such as Dorset heath and cross-leaved heath, can also be found on Britain's moors.

Ling provides the basis of a habitat which harbours some of the UK's most dramatic wildlife, and key among the moorland's star species is the red grouse. The bird is one of the main reasons why more of our moorland hasn't been lost forever.

But the reason behind this may not please the grouse. The multimillion-pound industry of grouse shooting ensures that thousands of the birds are shot each year.

diminutive merlin were slaughtered in their thousands to protect the grouse.

The situation has improved but tensions remain.

The fortunes of the bird are intrinsically linked to the heather which represents the grouse's main source of food. As a result, moors have been specifically managed to maintain perfect grouse habitat.

The RSPB believes some gamekeepers are still illegally killing birds of prey wandering on to grouse moors, including the hen harrier, a bird teetering on the brink of extinction in England.

But rather than dispatching the birds with a shotgun, there are other ways to enjoy the red grouse spectacle.

But there's more to our uplands than just heather and grouse. Insects abound, from rare bumblebees to the UK's highest-flying butterflies, such as the mountain ringlet and the Scotch argus.

This prize-fighter of a bird struts and poses, semi-hidden amid the ling. Dressed in mottled brown finery, grouse are difficult to see and even harder to approach, exploding from the heather at high speed, emitting their distinctive "go-back, go-back" call.

Curlew sing the song of the moors with their mournful call, while the harsh retorts of stonechat and ring ouzel heighten the sense of wilderness to an already wild land.

Grouse make good eating and this, combined with their agility and flying prowess, has made them much sought-after by the hunter.

But this fragile landscape is under threat.

Atmospheric pollution, severe overgrazing, rampant bracken growth and depopulation have conspired to present our uplands with a fragile future.

That the bird was favoured above all else on grouse moors led to our uplands becoming a battle ground for conservation.

Traditionally, gamekeepers killed anything that they believed could pose harm to their precious birds - apart from, of course, the hunters ritually descending upon the moors on the "Glorious Twelfth" - the date in August signifying the start of the hunting season.

Otters, wild cat, badgers, fox, pine marten, golden eagle, harriers, goshawk, even the

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The Autumn Issue

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October / November

And this future needs securing. As well as providing one of the UK's most compelling landscapes, our heather moorlands play a vital role in tackling climate change.

There is more carbon stored in the peat in our uplands than in the combined forests of Britain and France.

For a brief moment each year, our heather moorlands are at their enchanting best, now is the time to embrace the purple haze.

Beryl’s Diary Our Uncle Bert My Auntie Beat, dad's sister, was four foot nothing of pure dynamite but she thought the world of my Dad, and would always be up and down the farm, lending a hand whenever needed.

She was my mum's midwife when the babies were born and they were born at an alarming rate too!

On the one occasion when my

mother was due, Auntie Beat was on standby and had brought her husband, our Uncle Bert, up with her to stay for a few days.

Now Uncle Bert was as knowledgeable on farming as my dad was on dancing, which means no knowledge at all.

I well remember when my Uncle decided to try out milking and sat under wrong side of the cow. He came flying out the cowshed door, bucket going one way, him the other, as the old cow gave him a good kick. Us kids thought it so funny and would all curl up laughing at his attempts.

We would also slyly watch him do a detour around the old gander, because as soon as the gander spotted Uncle Bert, he'd give him a run for his money. But I'll give Uncle Bert full marks for trying. He'd not give up and would attempt many tasks.

Muck spreading was one job I can remember him trying his hand at. Of course, poor Uncle had little idea on how to go about it. It was a wild windy day when he took the horse and cart, full of cow manure, into the field to start. Now one thing to remember is don't try

Cuddle and Cwtch

muck spreading unless the wind is blowing away from you. After the first half hour there was more muck over our Uncle than ever hit the field.

He was covered in it and stank to high heaven. Dad said, ' Stay down wind from me Bert' and my Auntie Beat and my mum would laugh their heads off at his sorry plight.

We did not have the luxury of a bathroom, so Auntie put a bucket of water on top of the fire to warm through for him to scrub down. 'And don't you come in till you have,' she shouted at him, 'you will stink the house out'.

Us kids took the mickey out of him but he was a kind man and did not have a nasty bone in him. He towered over Auntie but she was the boss. What she said went. It was so funny to see her telling him off, half his size and he taking it all without saying a word. Yes, Uncle Bert's visit was as good as comedy any day of the week.

Cuddle & Cwtch

After twenty years as a primary school teacher Emma Williams has launched her dream business venture.

‘Cuddle and Cwtch’ at 54a Frogmore Street, Abergavenny is a family-run shop specialising in clothing with the ‘wow factor’ for babies and children up to eight years of age.

Most of the clothes are created from organic cotton and made by British designers like the Cornish-based company Frugi, whose motto is ‘completely ethical from seed to garment’.

Other labels include Little Green Radicals of London and Toby Tiger of Brighton (noted for its eye-catching raincoats and snow suits).

The shop also carries a range of Inch Blue shoes for babies made in Brynmawr.

“You won’t find the clothes we sell on every High Street. The colours are bright and bold and they’re amazingly soft to the touch. They’re so special they really sell themselves,” said Emma.

The shop stocks everything from playsuits, baby grows, sleep suits and pyjamas to pinafores, dresses, dungarees, hoodies and zip-up tops.

Cuddle and Cwtch also has a children’s clothing agency for ‘pre-loved and gently used’ items.

“We only accept quality items in really good condition – and we share any profits from their sale.”

Anyone who’s interested can email for an information sheet: cuddleandcwtch@aol.co.uk Emma, her partner Russ and their daughters Nia and Elli are all involved in the new business.

“It’s a real family affair. Russ has done all the shop fittings, the girls love helping out, even our logo was designed by Russ’s niece!”

Quality clothing for babies and children OUTFIT COMING SOON

Before opening Cuddle and Cwtch Emma had taught in primary schools in Gwent, Blaenau Gwent, and Monmouthshire and, most recently, had been a deputy head teacher in Caerphilly.

“I thought it was time for a change. I’ve always been interested in children’s clothing and fashions – my daughter Nia, who’s now 12, was a very ‘girly’ little girl. We place a lot of emphasis on our customer service. We aim to please.

“There’s been amazing interest – with lots of positive comments posted on our Facebook page.

“I absolutely love doing it – particularly meeting all the wonderful ‘little people’ that come into the shop and seeing their reaction to the clothes!”

54A Frogmore Street, Abergavenny

01873 850524

Cuddle and Cwtch is open from 9.30 to 5pm Monday to Saturday. ●

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The Autumn Issue

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October / November

07

The new Autumn & Winter 2012/13 menu The seasons have changed and so has our brochure. Our chefs have been working hard to develop our range of tasty and nutritious meals to keep our menu as varied as possible, while still ensuring we maintain high standards of quality and value. We are also delighted to welcome our new Dietitian, Helen Blunn, on board to bring you helpful advice. We’ve given you more information about our menu, highlighting the health benefits, while giving you some interesting facts about our range of meals.

So what’s new for the winter months? We have 21 exciting new meals for you to choose from, everything from a tasty Lamb & Mint Pie, to warming soups. Our brand new Choices range offers a selection of favourite meals and side dishes so you can

choose your own combination.

There’s a delicious Steak Casserole, or a Chicken Tikka Masala with six different side dishes to choose from, like Extra Buttery Mash

and a Minted Vegetable Selection. You may want to pair your main meal with one of our delicious side dishes, or add your own choice of vegetables or a fresh salad. Whatever you choose, our Choices range allows you to enjoy your meal exactly as you like it. For the perfect sweet treat, we’ve also added three new cakes to our Afternoon Tea range.

There are over 250 tempting options to choose from in the new brochure, including breakfast and afternoon tea. We cater for all appetites – our Mini Meals are a great option when you’re after a lighter meal or snack, and our Hearty Meals are perfect for when you fancy a larger portion. We also cater for a wide range of special dietary needs, including Low Fat, Gluten Free, Low Salt and a range of ‘Free From’ options. All our main meals are suitable for people with Diabetes, and our range of Diabetic Hot Desserts allows you to enjoy tucking into something sweet-tasting – they just contain less sugar to help your diabetic diet.

Meals are delivered FREE of charge and direct to your door by our caring, CRB policechecked drivers and if you wish, your driver will even pop the meals in the freezer for you.

Whenever you’re ready, you can simply heat your meal from frozen in an oven or microwave and enjoy. So a piping hot meal is only ever minutes away!

Brian and Sara Stringer from Wiltshire Farm Foods Monmouth comment: “We’re so pleased with all our new meals and desserts and they’re perfect for the winter months. If you can’t decide what to choose, try one of our menu packs, offering a selection of our most popular meals and desserts – it’s the perfect introduction to our range. Ordering is easy on the phone or online at www.wiltshirefarmfoods.com and we’ll deliver to your door free of charge.

Give our team a call on 01600 892855 we’ll be happy to take your order or answer any questions you may have.”

With 21 years experience, Wiltshire Farm Foods has earned a reputation for delivering quality meals and outstanding customer service, so you’ll be guaranteed tasty, nutritious meals whatever the weather this winter.

Reassuringly tasty, nutritious and dependable.

Now that’s a recipe for an easier life.

Roast Chicken Breast with Stuffing and vegetables £3.95

At Wiltshire Farm Foods, we’ve been taking care of mealtimes for over 21 years, and our range of 250 frozen meals cover all mealtimes and appetites. You’ll enjoy FREE delivery from our carefully-selected drivers, who have all been individually vetted by the police for your peace of mind. Simply take a look at our FREE brochure and order over the phone, or online.

TASTY MEALS FROM £2.95

FREE DELIVERY

For your FREE brochure call

of great service 08

●

The Autumn Issue

●

October / November

01600 892 855 or shop online at wiltshirefarmfoods.com

Get in a jam With the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness upon us, it's time to get cosy in the kitchen by making some homemade jam. Kate Whiting learns from the author of Preserving Through The Year, Oded Schwartz. By Kate Whiting When the nights start drawing in and the leaves slowly begin to turn golden, homes around the country become filled with the smells of spicy chutneys and fruity jams bubbling away on stoves.

should exude the delicious, sweet aroma of luscious fruit, spices and drying herbs," writes Schwartz. "Winter is the best time to make marmalades, tidy your cupboards and plan the year ahead."

After all the excitement of the summer, autumn is also a welcome opportunity to hunker down and learn new skills, so when a colourful copy of the late Oded Schwarz's Preserving Through The Year (Dorling Kindersley) landed on my lap, I couldn't resist the opportunity to fill my flat with THE fragrance of the season.

The proof of the pudding, as they say, is in the eating and it was time for a preserving novice to put Schwartz's plum jam recipe to the test.

Having never so much as attempted to make jam before, a quick call to my mum yielded some good advice: stick to plum as it's so easy, she said. Beyond that, I was relying on the book. Israeli Schwartz grew up with "pickling in the blood".

The local grocer had a fresh stock of Victoria plums (which was lucky, as our own plums were maggot-ridden) - and I dug out a variety of jam pots I'd squirreled away all year.

"There are few things in life more enjoyable than producing your own pickles, relishes and sauces and consuming the fruit of your labour together with family and friends," he writes. "In the Middle East, the love of preserved food crosses all cultural and religious boundaries."

But when he moved to England in the Seventies, he was disappointed by the lack of variety and availability of preserves he'd grown up to believe were everywhere.

"The raw ingredients were all there: wonderful fresh fruit and vegetables and different types of meat and fish. So, armed with an extensive knowledge gleaned from my youth, I set out to develop and modify ancient recipes that would appeal to a Western palate."

The result is a book stuffed with delicioussounding ways to preserve all kinds of food throughout the year, with tempting titles from candied apricots and vanilla flavoured peach marmalade to guava jelly and mango chutney.

"During late summer and autumn, your kitchen

Plum jam (Makes 1.75kg) :: Special equipment: Preserving pan, sugar thermometer, sterilised jars and sealants :: Shelf life: 2 years 1.25kg plums, stoned and halved or quartered if large 350ml water :: 1kg preserving or granulated sugar 1. Put the plums and water in the preserving pan.

2. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally or until the plums are soft.

3. Add the sugar, stirring until it has dissolved.

4. Return to the boil and boil for 25-30 minutes or until the setting point is reached.

5. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to settle for a few minutes.

6. Ladle the jam into the hot sterilised jars, then seal.

A trip to my trusty local hardware store, equipped me with the basics: little waxed sealants, rubber bands, a jam funnel, a sugar thermometer and all-important labels.

Fig chutney

Onion marmal ad

e (Makes about 1.5 kg) :: Special equip ment: Non-corro sive preserving sterilised jars an pan; d vinegar-proof :: Shelf life: 2 sealants years :: 1.25kg onion s, sliced into th in rings :: 3 tbsp salt :: 1kg preservin g or granulated sugar :: 500ml vineg ar :: 11/2 tsp clo ves tied in a pie ce of muslin :: 2 tsp caraw ay seeds 1. Sprinkle th e onions with th e salt. Mix well leave to stand for and 1 hour. Rinse an d dry. Put the sugar, vinegar, an d muslin bag in the preserving pan.

Feeling more confident, I grabbed the only big stainless steel, thick-bottomed pan in the cupboard and popped the plums in with some water to mush down. Pouring in an entire bag of sugar was rather scary, but without it, jam never sets.

Scooping out the dark, sticky, plum gloop with a ladle into my sterilised jars (washed and then baked in the oven for 10 minutes), I discovered my jam had caught on the bottom of the pan, perhaps from when I'd left it for a few minutes.

So I avoided the burnt bits.

And the taste? Caramelised plums, but quite delicious.

rry jam Raspbbeout 1.5kg)

n, sugar rving pa a nt: Prese and sealants e (Makes m ip u d jars cial eq :: Spe ometer, sterilise therm rs a e y lf life: 2 :: She spberries d sugar ra ranulate :: 1kg ing or g rv se re p :: 1kg f one lemon eo :: Juic r in the ave nd suga berries a h a cloth and le sp ra e it th er over w 1. Lay g pan. C an. preservin to the p til t. on juice un h overnig ay, add the lem ng frequently ext d , stirri il n o e b h e T th 2. wly to r 20-25 Bring slo as dissolved. rapidly fo rh d. the suga e heat and boil point is reache ing g to tt in ase th k se re o c o e c In th f 3. or until e end o minutes ntly towards th sta n . o g c in r k ti S a sieve to stic through it from prevent ss half the jam turn to the hed, pa then re 4 .If wis ontent, e seed c ave the reduce th inutes. t and le 5m the hea le into the hot m o fr boil for n d a utes. La ve the p 5. Remo le for a few min tt jam to se rs, then seal. d ja sterilise

2. Bring to th e boil, then sim mer for 5 minu the onions and tes. Add caraway seeds.

Return to the bo skim, reduce th il, e heat to minim 2- 21/2 hours, um, and cook for or until the syrup is thick and the onions are trans lucent and golde 3. Remove th n brown. e pan from the heat and leave onions to settle the for a few minutes.

4. Ladle the mi xture into the hot sterilised jars, then seal.

5. The marmala de is ready to eat immediately bu t improves with keeping.

:: Preserving Through The Year by Oded Schwartz is published by Dorling Kindersley, priced £16.99. Available now

And that's where the thermometer comes in.

As Schwartz explains in the book, jam is only ready to pot when it reaches setting point, or when the sugar thermometer shows 105 degrees. If you don't have a thermometer, you can do the wrinkle test by pouring the jam onto a saucer, and leaving it to cool for a few minutes. Then gently push it with your finger and if it wrinkles, it has reached setting point.

1. Put the vinegar, sugar, and salt in the preserving pan, stirring until the sugar and salt have dissolved.

Bring to the boil, then simmer for about 5 minutes.

2. Add the figs, onions, dates, and spices.

3. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 1 hour, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is thick.

4. Remove from the heat, add the tarragon, and mix well.

5. Ladle into the hot sterilised jars, then seal.

6. The chutney will be ready to eat in 1 month.

(Makes about 2kg) :: Special equipment: Non-corrosive preserving pan; sterilised jars with vinegar-proof sealants :: Shelf life: 1 year :: 1.25 litres red wine vinegar :: 500g light soft brown sugar :: 2 tbsp salt :: 1kg firm, slightly under-ripe black figs, sliced into rounds 1cm thick :: 500g onions, sliced into thin rings :: 250g pitted dates, coarsely chopped :: 150g fresh ginger root, finely shredded :: 2 tbsp sweet paprika :: 1 tbsp white mustard seeds :: 3 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon or 1 tbsp dried tarragon

St. Mary’s Bakery Outside Catering: Delicious Finger Buffets for Birthdays, Christenings, Weddings, Funerals, Children’s Parties or business lunches.

Whatever the Occasion we can put together a tasty selection of Sandwiches, Savouries, Fruits and confectionar y to your specification.

No matter how large or small the order, buffets star t at just £3.75 per head.

For more information pop into the bakery or call:

01873 268183 St. Mary’s Bakery, 15 Frogmore St, Abergavenny ●

The Autumn Issue

●

October / November

09

The Welsh Pig Company

Rachel Williams and Tayah Rennie-Morgan.

The Welsh Pig Co., run by Ian and Rachel Williams from their Raglan farm, is striving to keep alive the heritage of hundreds of years.

All their meat products are free from added water, antibiotics, growth promoters and artificial colouring and the emphasis is on animal welfare, with the herd reared in open paddocks, which they believe is the best way to ensure fantastic flavour and tenderness.

“Our over-riding aim is to produce food that tastes great,” said Rachel. “To do this we want to farm in a way that ‘honours the animal’ and our agricultural, cultural and family heritage.

“By definition the best way to ‘honour the animal’ is to have a free range system of rearing. This also means keeping a breed of pig that thrives outdoors. So we have The Welsh, Saddlebacks and Durocs that graze and root in sun, rain and wind.

“Having raised a ‘happy’ pig in a slow and relaxed way from conception to its final journey, it makes sense to continue to treat the meat with respect.

“When we make sausages, for example, we use high quality rusks and seasonings. Adding rusk is important as rare breed pork has a bit more fat than other pork and the rusk absorbs this as the sausage cooks. That’s what gives succulence and flavour.”

The company’s Cracked Black Pepper Sausages and Traditional Pork Sausages, won Gold awards at the 2011 Winter Fair at the Royal Welsh Showground.

“In order to make use of every aspect of the pig we started dry curing,” Rachel explained.

“Now we’re making everything from air-dried belly pork (salted, smoked for two to three days and left to dry) and air-dried Monmouthshire ham (which can take anything from one year to three years to mature) to a range of salamis.”

The salamis, made to their own traditional recipe, include ‘Chilli Four’ containing chilli, smoked paprika and sweet pimento and ‘Black Noir’, made from Duroc ham with three types of pepper. The latest addition to the range - and still unnamed - is a sweet-tasting salami containing local ale.

“We’re constantly coming up with new products.

“We also have a range of handmade pork pies, gammons and pancetta (some marinated in red wine and garlic, others with pepper and herbs) and traditional lardons.

“We’ve recently starting making our own honey too!”

The company is also the only UK importer of a Columbian coffee called Coffee Nativo, whose highgrade beans are shade-grown, bought direct from the growers and roasted and sold in three different blends.

The business is a family affair, with sons Ethan, 15, and Matthew, 12, involved with both pigs and free range hens on a day-to-day basis.

The Welsh Pig Co. sells its products at shows and local farmers’ markets (including Abergavenny), where customers are welcome to ‘try before they buy’.

The family has also opened a shop and café at Little Castle Farm, open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, where they sell artisan bread, homemade cakes, organic fruit and vegetables, free range eggs, chutneys, oils and Welsh cheeses alongside the pork products.

“To think all this came from a passion for good food – and coffee!” said Rachel.

ABERGAVENNY

MARKET

Situated in the middle of the town known as the Gateway to Wales, Abergavenny Tuesday Market is well known as one of the major markets in Wales.

Hugh's magic number With new cookbook, Hugh's Three Good Things On A Plate, fresh on the shelves, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall reveals why, when it comes to cooking, three really is the magic number. By Diana Pilkington :: Hugh's Three Three may be a crowd on the dancefloor, but in the culinary world of Hugh FearnleyWhittingstall it's the perfect marriage.

In what will be music to the ears of many a time-pressured cook, the TV chef has come to the realisation that some of the best dishes centre around just three main ingredients.

"There are many obvious classics, like ham, egg and chips, or rhubarb, crumble and custard," he says. "But I wanted to look at it as a way of unlocking people's creativity and demystifying the alchemy of creative cooking."

In his latest cookbook and accompanying TV series, Hugh's Three Good Things, he presents a whole host of inviting dishes, from salads to mains to puds, each neatly named after the trio of key components.

He also encourages people to play around with classic combinations. He suggests serving bacon, lettuce and tomato not in a sandwich, for example, but on a plate after frying them all in a pan.

Naturally, you can't sling any three things together and expect them to work. But he reckons the best combinations can be deconstructed into three distinct adjectives, such as sweet, crunchy and peppery.

"I think one of the dishes that sparked the thought for me was what has become a bit of a River Cottage classic - scallops with broad beans and chorizo. You've got the bittersweet broad beans, the salty spice of the chorizo and the succulent sweetness and fleshiness of the scallop. It epitomises the philosophy."

Anyone hoping to manage with a sparse store cupboard, however, may be disappointed to find extra ingredients in many of the recipes.

But Fearnley-Whittingstall insists they all stick to the magic formula.

MARKETS EVERY TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY & SATURDAYS

Craft Fairs Saturday 13th Octobe r

Antique Fair Sun day 21st October

Far mers Market

For further details contact Geoff Harris

Good Things

by Hugh FearnleyWhittingstall is published by Bloomsbury, priced £25.

Available now

"Of course I'm not trying to create a crazy world in the kitchen where you're not allowed to use salt and pepper or a dressing on a salad is somehow de trop," he says.

"All those things were there, and where good seasoning or a trickle of this or a dash of that improves the dish, of course it's in the recipe.

Nevertheless they all hang together because of the three main ingredients and the complementary textures and flavours created by those ingredients."

Of course, Fearnley-Whittingstall is chiefly known for his back-to-basics approach to cooking and, in recent years, for his campaigning.

His Fish Fight project, which aimed to change EU laws surrounding the discarding of dead fish into the North Sea, has already attracted more than 800,000 supporters and has seen the EU commit to phasing in a ban on discards from 2014.

But the chef says there's more to be done, and new TV series of Fish Fight in the New Year will take up the issue once more.

"It's exceeded my expectations so far but it's not a done deal. We've got this on the agenda in Europe. We've got the fisheries ministers talking about the discards, it's in the campaign arena, and we've got lots of supporters getting noisy about it when we need them to, but there's still a bit of a way to go.

"But the response has been incredible and very heartening. We love our Fish Fight supporters and they should take enormous credit for the progress made."

Here is a trio of recipes from FearnleyWhittingstall's latest book for you to try at home (and there's no fish this time)...

CHEPSTOW SUNDAY MEERKAT?

01873 735811

Thursday 25th October

Car Boots Restarted!

Traders from all over Great Britain attend this market ● Large Car Park & Coach Park ● Picnic Area and Kiddie’s Inflatables ● Coach Parties Welcome

E.D. MARKETS ☎ 077680 00854 10

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The Autumn Issue

●

October / November

ds, cumin Carrots, almon

Red Red lentils, onion, bacon (Serves (Serves 4) 4) :::: 1tbsp 1tbsp rapeseed, rapeseed, sunflower sunflower or or olive olive oil oil :::: 44 rashers rashers of of smoked smoked bacon, bacon, chopped chopped :::: 11 onion, onion, chopped chopped :::: 200g 200g split split red red lentils, lentils, well well rinsed rinsed :::: 11 bay bay leaf leaf and/or and/or aa sprig sprig of of thyme thyme (optional) (optional) :::: Sea salt and freshly ground Sea salt and freshly ground black black pepper pepper 1.

1. Heat Heat the the oil oil in in aa large large saucepan saucepan over over aa medium medium heat. heat.Add Add the the bacon bacon and and fry fry for for aa few few minutes minutes so so the the fat fat starts starts to to run. run.Add Add the the onion onion and and sweat sweat gently gently over over aa low low heat, heat, stirring stirring from from time time to to time, time, a good 10 minutes for afor good 10 minutes untiluntil softsoft and and silky.silky.

2.

2. Stir Stir in in the the lentils, lentils, then then add add about about 800ml 800ml water. water.

Add Add the the bay bay and/or and/or thyme thyme ifif you you have have them. them.

Bring Bring to to aa simmer simmer and and cook, cook, stirring stirring from from time time to to time, time, for for about about 15 15 minutes minutes or or until until the the lentils lentils are are completely completely soft soft and and breaking breaking down. down.

3.

3. Remove Remove the the bay bay and/or and/or thyme thyme ifif used. used. Blitz Blitz the the soup soup in in aa blender blender or or with with aa handheld handheld stick stick blender blender until until smooth, smooth, adding adding just just enough enough extra extra water water to to get get aa thick thick soup soup consistency. consistency.Taste Taste and and add add salt salt and and pepper pepper as as needed, needed, then then serve. serve.

4.

4. Top Top tip: tip:AA few few more more snippets snippets of of bacon, bacon, fried fried until until crisp, crisp, make make aa lovely lovely sprinkle, sprinkle, as as do do some some simple simple fried fried bread bread croutons. croutons.

and (Serves 6) rrots, scrubbed , finger-sized ca :: 500g small tops trimmed ds hed whole almon :: 100g blanc n seeds mi cu p tbs 1 :: virgin olive oil :: 2 tbsp extra black pepper freshly ground d an t sal :: Sea d ter to the boil an pan of salted wa 1. Bring a large and add the carrots. der, then drain minutes until ten 2. Boil for 5-8 t a little. leave to cool jus ing pan over a , heat a large fry , 3. Meanwhile onds and toast alm e th d Ad medium heat. golden with a are ey th til un , tly tossing frequen to a plate to patches. Transfer e pan and few little brown sam e th in ds see min cool. Put the cu nt. Add to the gra fra til un tes minu toast for a few rtar, bash the a pestle and mo almonds. Using to break up the ly ht lig min very almonds and cu d the nuts a little. a large bowl. Ad rm carrots into d an oil ve oli 5. Put the wa gin min, extra vir fer to almonds and cu well, then trans ss To er. pp pe d some salt an . individual plates ure, a serving dish or room temperat to ol co ad sal the s and a squeeze 6. Top tip: Let nt me seg e ng ora then add some of orange juice.

Colour me in

October 2012 Bellringing Open Evening at St Mary’s Abergavenny 7-9pm. Come and see the bells in action and have a go!. Anne 07729 239919.

Gazette Giggles!

What did the skeleton say to the bartender?

I'll have a beer and a MOP! What do witches put on their hair?

SCARE spray!

Abergavenny Alzheimer’s Carers Group, “Singing for the Brain”, Trinity Hall, 10-30am – 11-30am. All Welcome.

Abergavenny Alzheimer’s Carers Group, “Singing for the Brain”, Trinity Hall, 10-30am – 11-30am. All Welcome.

What's it like to be kissed by a vampire?

A real PAIN in the neck!

Why aren’t ghosts arrested?

It's hard to PIN anything on them!

Why didn't the skeleton dance at the party?

He had no BODY to dance with!

Why do vampires need mouthwash?

They have BAT breath!

Why did the Game Warden arrest the ghost?

He didn't have a HAUNTING license!

What did the cannibal eat at the "All You Can Eat" buffet?

Two waitresses and a busboy!

Solution on page 23

Why do mummies have trouble keeping friends?

They're so WRAPPED up in themselves!

6.30pm Harvest Festival and Supper at Moserah Presbyterian Church

Jumble Sale at Mardy Hall.

Doors open 1.15.

Refreshments, Abergavenny Alzheimer’s Carers Raffle. Llantilio Group, Charity Stall, Pertholey VPA. Abergavenny Market, 8am – 330pm, bargains for everyone, please come along.

Abergavenny Alzheimer’s Carers Group, “Singing for the Brain”, Trinity Hall, 10-30am – 1130am. All Welcome.

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Main Road , every Thursday, mornings, weather permitting. 01873 830834

Crickhowell History Society, John Evans Local Tram Roads Llangattock, Brynmawr, Blaenavon, 7.30pm at Dragon Hotel, High Street, Crickhowell.

Brecon. An evening with Pam Ayres, coach/theatre £30.

Reservations and details Tel: 01873 852567.

Abergavenny Local History Society, David Maddox will talk about the Tonypandy Riots 1910-1911 at The Borough Theatre, 7.30pm. Nonmembers are welcome to join on the night.

Abergavenny Alzheimer’s Carers Group, “Singing for the Brain”, Trinity Hall, 10-30am – 11-30am. All Welcome.

Govilon Car Boot. Main Road , every Thursday, mornings, weather permitting.

01873 830834

Abergavenny Alzheimer’s Carers Group, Angel Hotel , 730am – till late.

All Welcome

Abergavenny Farmers Market, Market Hall, Abergavenny.

Fresh local produce.

Car boot every saturday see below

Blessing of Pets, 11am, Saint Michael’s Church, Llanvihangel Crucorney, A465 Abergavenny to Hereford Road.

All pets very welcome. Tel: 01873 890532.

Glangwryney Baptist Chapel Harvest Service at 7.30pm.

Minister Reverend Ray Lewis, Llangynidr. All welcome.

Car boot every saturday see 13th

Pandy and Monnowside Society Fun Bingo, Pandy Hall 8pm. Tel: 01873 890591.

Car boot every saturday see 13th

Abergavenny Alzheimer’s Carers Group, “Singing for the Brain”, Trinity Hall, 10-30am – 11-30am. All Welcome.

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The Autumn Issue

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October / November

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Monthly news for the elderly World Alzheimer's Month This is World Alzheimer's Month: the first international annual campaign to raise awareness of dementia and try to reduce the stigma associated with the disease. Sadly, dementia-related stories that have reached the British media recently involve the failure of pharmaceutical companies to develop effective treatments, despite investing huge amounts of money. It seems that the more understanding we develop about dementia, the more we realise that it is an incredibly complex condition – or rather, a range of conditions; research has shown that there are lots of different sorts of dementia Alzheimer's; vascular; CJD; Pick's disease; Korsakoff's syndrome; etc, and people with a range of conditions including Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, Huntington's and motor neurone disease are also more likely to develop dementia. All things considered, it is perhaps not surprising that we have failed to find a silver bullet solution.

Blue Badge Parking One of the areas of Independent Living that has just been updated is all about Blue Badge parking. Since the beginning of the year, the permits themselves have been upgraded to make them harder to forge, and

other steps have been taken to make Blue Badge abuse more difficult.

I Love Twitter!

I love Twitter! Never thought I'd say those words; I haven't embraced the microblogging site with undiluted joy, as I always have lists of jobs to do, and I am an "A" class procrastinator, so a place where it is possible to lurk, exchange notes, and generally pass great chunks of time without noticing, seems an infernal invention. However, each time I dip a toe in the Twittersphere, it delivers great results. In the past, we've managed to line up independent OT services for site visitors in various parts of the country, and found out about a number of interesting services, from stairlift recycling to the fantastic Netbuddy, @netbuddytoptips. Our latest coup is helping one of our site visitors who generously wished to donate a wheelchair and powerpack combination that she no longer needed, to find a very appreciative new home for the equipment, in her hometown of Glasgow.

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@samedifference1, is using Twitter to campaign against absurd applications of the new benefit rules, which led to Liam Barker, an 18-year-old who is paralysed and on life support, breathing with the aid of a ventilator and communicating only by blinking, being summoned to a Work Capability Assessment, in order to prove that he is unable to work.

Latest Showcase Pages Aids to help with mobility and daily living, whatever a person's individual needs: the supplier showcase pages on Independent Living are a useful way to keep up to date with products and services from reputable suppliers.

The Ability Superstore has a range of more than 12,000 products, from bathing aids to reachers, eating and drinking aids to products for health and well-being. You can buy securely online from their website.

Other updated showcase pages include Hollister the specialist suppliers of incontinence products; the Clos-o-Mat automatic toilet, which includes Total Hygiene's Changing Places solutions; Rainbow Mobility , whose range includes special-needs

pushchairs, standing and walking aids, and powerchairs; and Able2 - suppliers of a comprehensive range of daily living aids.

Last Minute Updates - Pat's Petition In an earlier edition of the newsletter, I wrote about Pat's Petition, calling on the government to review the welfare cuts, which are falling disproportionately on people with disabilities, carers and families. As you know, 100,000 signatures is the magic number which makes the government sit up and take notice. It's proving a bit of a slog getting there, so this is a reminder that if you haven't yet signed, you still have time to do so: when last I looked, we were almost halfway to the goal.

Having seen Virgin Rail rustle up 100,000 signatures in about a week when they lost their West Coast rail franchise, I'm sure that with 6 million carers in the country, we could all do our bit to try and ensure that it isn't always those who are least able to bear the burden who are given the biggest load to carry.

Visit www.independentliving.co.uk to sign the petition

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The Autumn Issue

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Blazing the trail for autumn their planting hole isn't completely swamped with the roots of the larger specimen. Dig in leafmould to give the tree a boost. They shouldn't need much pruning, just snip out any dead shoot tips as the buds begin to open in spring.

Here's five of the best trees which you shouldn't be without in autumn: :: Cornus kousa 'Satomi': This amazing

flowering dogwood offers something for every season. In autumn the leaves turn fiery red and orange, while large, deep-pink, star-shaped bracts appear in late spring. It also bears strawberry-like fruits in late summer that continue into winter. :: Nyssa sinensis: The deciduous leaves on the Chinese tupelo provide a wide array of autumn colours, from mellow yellows to fiery reds. It thrives in acid soil and you'll need to give it plenty of room as it grows up to 10m (30ft) in height and width.

A look at some of the trees and other plants which will be providing us with magnificent autumn hues - plus, find out what else needs doing in the garden this week

:: Sorbus x 'Joseph Rock: This popular small tree was introduced to the west after it was found in China in the early 20th century by the famed plant hunter, Joseph Rock. This Chinese mountain ash has cool green, featherlike leaves which turn fabulous shades of blood red in autumn before falling. Its stunning autumn colour is complimented by large clusters of bright yellow fruit.

By Hannah Stephenson A rich tapestry of colour should be enveloping our landscape over the next few weeks as leaves turn golden, orange and even red, thanks to a massive growth of foliage during the wet summer followed by cold nights.

The trees and other plants which will be providing us with magnificent hues include the maple and Japanese maple, native oak trees, Nyssa sinensis and Parrotia persica (Persian ironwood). The winter-flowering cherry, stag's horn sumach, sorbus (wild mountain ash) and varieties of cornus can also paint a palette of vivid colours.

Following a wet summer, the recent warm weather has resulted in the production of lots of chlorophyll and increased sugar levels in trees. When the night-time temperature falls, it sends a message to the tree to stop growing and then the leaves will start turning, breaking down the chlorophyll to reveal autumnal pigments in shades of red, orange and yellow.

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The Autumn Issue

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Venturing out on autumn walks may give you inspiration to grow some colourful specimens in your own garden. Maple, vine and mahonia leaves offer shades of red, while sedum flowerheads provide subtle russet tones which will stay on the plant well into winter.

In larger gardens use trees carefully so that their rich hues are a highlight rather than just a small part of an extremely busy planting scheme. Keep green as your main colour in the garden, as if you cram it with coloured foliage it can be far from restful.

Some trees take on more refined, subtle shades, such as yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis) with its beautiful buttery yellow foliage, or the common beech (Fagus sylvatica), which turns a glorious shade of copper.

October / November

If you are going to plant a maple, avoid planting it in windy, exposed sites as its fragile leaves will be shredded. The best time to plant is autumn, when the soil is still warm, to give the trees time to establish before winter sets in.

Maples thrive in well-drained soil enriched with some well-rotted garden compost and will do well in full sun or dappled shape, and are ideal growing in the gentle shade of larger trees, provided

:: Euonymus europaeus 'Red Cascade': Seen either as a shrub or trained as a small tree, this form of our native hedgerow spindle boasts a combination of bright red autumn foliage, turning purple as it ages, which colours at the same time as its generous crops of red and orange fruits. It's an adaptable plant, happy in most reasonable soils in sun or light shade and growing to 3m (10ft). :: Katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum): The heart-shaped green leaves of this dainty woodland tree turn to rich colours of yellow, orange and red leaves in autumn and produce the sweet scent of caramel or candyfloss as they fall. This

tree, which works well as a stand-alone specimen, should be planted in soil enriched with organic matter in a sheltered spot, as the coppery young leaves are prone to spring frost damage.

Best of the bunch - Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) Of course, these wonderfully elegant trees are the jewel in the crown of autumn and there is a variety for every size of garden, whether you want to plant them as part of a scheme or as a standalone specimen in a pot.

Good container varieties include Acer palmatum var. dissectum 'Garnet', with its feathery, garnet-coloured leaves that turn bright scarlet in autumn and look as if they have been shredded. Its rounded, compact habit makes it a perfect focal point for a small garden, particularly in a container.

Other good varieties include A. palmatum 'Bloodgood', with its deeply lobed purple leaves, A. palmatum 'Sango-Kaku', whose green leaves turn to yellow in autumn, and A. palmatum 'Osakazuki', which produces fiery scarlet foliage in autumn.

Acers are happy in neutral to slightly acid soil in sun or dappled shade, but avoid placing them in an exposed spot, as cold winds can burn their delicate foliage.

Good enough to eat Growing garlic Autumn is the ideal time to plant garlic as it needs a few weeks of cold weather to grow well.

Buy bulbs specially cultivated for planting, rather than supermarket cloves, to have a better chance of reaping a good-quality harvest.

Plant bulbs in a sunny site in well-drained soil, breaking each bulb into individual cloves and plant each one 810cm (3-4in) apart, with 30cm (24in) between rows, so that the tips of the cloves are just below soil level.

Three ways to... Look after alpines 1. In autumn remove dead foliage from the plants and clear fallen leaves to stop pests sheltering under them.

2. Top up surface chippings, tucking them under rosette plants to help deter slugs and improve drainage around the neck of the plants, to prevent them from rotting in winter.

3. In winter, protect delicate plants from wet weather by covering them in an inclined sheet of glass or transparent plastic to deflect rain. Don't use cloches as alpines need plenty of fresh air.

If you want to get them off to a quicker start, plant the cloves in module trays with large cells and keep them in a cold frame for the winter.

They can then be put in the ground in spring. Water them in dry weather until the foliage dies down in late summer, then lift and dry the bulbs before storing them in a cool, airy place.

Save bulbs from a healthy crop to replant them the following year.

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What to do this week :: Continue to plant up winter pots, adding bulbs to extend the season of interest into spring. :: Take cuttings of lavender by pulling whole shoots away from the main stem with a heel. They can be rooted directly into gritty soil outside, or in a cold frame. :: Take hardwood cuttings of privet, potentilla, rosemary, berberis, laurel and holly. :: Feed your lawn with a low-nitrogen fertiliser sold as autumn lawn feed, and repair small bare patches by sowing seed. :: Thin out oxygenating and floating plants which have outgrown their space in the pond. :: Move evergreen shrubs which are in the wrong place while the soil is still warm and damp. :: Start pruning climbing roses when the flowers fade, removing dead or diseased wood first. :: Dig up bulbs and corms of non-hardy summer varieties to store in a dry, frost-free place over winter. :: Sparingly water potted cyclamen in the greenhouse that were dried off for summer to encourage them back into growth. :: Plant out hardy primulas raised from seeds or divisions. :: Sow hardy annuals including cornflowers, poached-egg plants and California poppies outside now for flowering next year. :: Lift and dry any onions still in the ground and bring them into a cool, dry storage space before wet weather sets in. :: Sow winter lettuce in shallow drills and cover with cloches.

The Autumn Issue

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Storage tips for your fruit & veg Tips on storage solutions which will enable fruit and vegetable gardeners reaping their harvests to enjoy the fruits of their labour in the months ahead - plus, find out what else needs doing in the garden this week. By Hannah Stephenson It's been a difficult year for fruit and veg, with the cold weather in spring, incessant summer rain and subsequent deluge of slugs, snails, blight and other nuisances.

But for those of us who haven't suffered from poor pollination of fruit crops, tomato and potato blight and slug-infested greens, now's the time to think about how you are going to store what you have.

Temperatures are dropping and tender veg need to be encouraged to ripen before the first frosts. Anyone with unripe tomatoes shouldn't delay in removing leaves from the bases of plants to let in more sunlight to the fruits.

They will need harvesting before the first frosts and should continue to ripen indoors if you pick them now. Cut whole trusses of green tomatoes and hang them in an airy place such as a garage or spare bedroom.

Long-keeper varieties such as the Spanish 'De Colgar' ripen slowly after harvesting if kept in

a cool, frost-free place and can take three months to reach maturity, so they'll be ready for eating in winter.

Maincrop potatoes should be harvested on warm, sunny days and left to dry out in the sun, after which they can be stored in thick paper sacks (only half-fill them as this makes it easier to check for bad potatoes) and kept in the dark in a frost-free place. First early and second early varieties generally don't store well, so use these as quickly as you can.

Maincrops, however, should store until after Christmas and possibly into March.

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The Autumn Issue

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October / November

Bend the leaves of onions and shallots over at the neck and once they turn brown, pull the plants up but leave the bulbs on the ground to continue to dry off. After about a week, lay them in trays or put them into nets to hang up in the shed. Alternatively, you can make French onion strings (and do the same with shallots and garlic) by keeping as much of the straw-like foliage on them as possible and plaiting it together, reinforcing the strands with hessian twine to make it stronger.

Varieties of early apples generally don't keep so they need to be eaten shortly after picking, but later varieties will keep in the salad compartment in your fridge for between four to six weeks. Alternatively, they can be placed in wooden boxes lined with newspaper, in a cool, airy shed, where the mice won't get them. You can wrap stored apples individually in newspaper to ensure they never touch each other and so prevent one bad apple infecting the whole crop. Apples and pears kept in this way should last for six weeks or more and maybe even until Christmas.

Be warned, though, that pears don't store as well as apples. If they are fully ripe, keep them in the bottom of the fridge in polythene bags for up to six weeks. If storing for longer, pick the pears before they are fully ripe and keep them as cold as possible, laying them out on wooden trays in an airy place.

Root veg including beetroot, maincrop carrots and turnips can be stored in boxes, but leave parsnips that you don't want to eat now in the ground as frost improves the taste. You can also leave hardy varieties of leeks where they are and you should still be digging them up until late February.

Winter salads such as radicchio also keep well in the shed in boxes lined with plastic, but should be checked regularly for mouldy leaves, which need removing immediately.

Squashes need to ripen and dry, so when you cut them, leave them outside so the skins dry in the sun. Then bring them into a warm, dry place so that the skins harden. They should keep until Christmas in a frost-free shed, although they store better in a covered porch or in a cool room indoors.

There are certain crops which don't store well, such as sweetcorn and French beans.

You'll need to blanch and freeze the surplus for further use. And then there's all those chutneys and jams you could be making for Christmas. Best of the bunch - Autumn cyclamen (C. hederifolium) This pint-sized specimen looks so delicate, with its flowers in shades of white, pink, cerise and magenta appearing in early autumn before the ivy-shaped leaves with heavy marbling.

The later blooms appear above the deep green leaves and look amazing when the plants are massed together.

This cyclamen prefers a slightly shaded position and thrives in moist but not waterlogged soil, doing well under mature shrubs or at the base of a shady wall.

Cyclamen, which are members of the primula family, develop corms which help them cope with summer drought. They don't like being overfed but if left undisturbed they will multiply, brightening up autumn and spring every year.

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The Autumn Issue

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October / November

17

Getting your crops to ripen Good enough to eat Helping summer crops ripen If you still have green tomatoes at the end of the season, stick them in a paper bag with a banana and that should help them along. In the greenhouse, stop feeding the tomato plants and cut back on watering, which should quicken the ripening time.

Take the tops off cucumber plants and nip off the tips of the sideshoots a few weeks before you want to remove the plants from the greenhouse, to coax them into swelling.

Remove any leaves that look dusty, as this could be the start of powdery mildew.

Peppers and aubergines are also sensitive to temperature at night and are unlikely to develop further fruits at this stage, so focus on what you have by cutting down on watering and feeding and closing the ventilation earlier on in the day to trap the heat inside.

Even if you end up with undersized fruits, they will be edible.

Three ways to... Have success with leafmould 1. Avoid adding evergreen leaves to the mix, as they are too leathery to rot down.

2. Only collect leaves which are a nuisance, such as those on your grass or paths. Let them rest on flower beds as they will rot down in situ.

3. Water the leaves if they are dry, before transferring them to black bags with air holes in them, to help them break down quicker.

What to do this week :: Keep collecting seed from perennials and alpines and watch out for any tree and shrub seeds you might want to save. :: When planting spring bulbs in pots, put plenty of drainage material in the bottom to stop them becoming waterlogged and add potting compost mixed with a handful of grit. :: Stop feeding permanent plants in containers. :: Watch out for the first autumn-fruiting raspberries. They should be ready for eating.

:: Divide and replant large clumps of perennial herbs :: Raise the cutting height on your lawnmower as the growth rate of the grass slows. :: Take pelargonium cuttings to overwinter indoors. :: Propagate new gooseberry bushes by taking hardwood cuttings from healthy plants before their leaves drop. :: Collect, clean and store away cane supports as plants go past their best. :: Cut down marginal plants around pools that are dying back. :: Net ponds to stop autumn leaves blowing in. :: Transplant overgrown or badly positioned shrubs and conifers after preparing the new planting sites. :: Sow hardy winter varieties of lettuce under cloches or in the borders of a greenhouse. :: Detach the layered side shoots of carnations which have rooted and place them in a new spot. :: Plant blocks of Dutch Iris in sunny positions, to flower in early summer.

Take a leaf from the style books utumn's renowned for its spectacular foliage and this season it's a show that is being replicated in our homes. Designers have created a harvest of designs which will add their beauty to rooms long after the season ends. Gabrielle Fagan seeks woodland style.A look at some of the trees and other plants which will be providing us with magnificent autumn hues - plus, find out what else needs doing in the garden this week Autumn's renowned for its spectacular foliage and this season there's a harvest of decor designs which will add their beauty to rooms long after the season ends.

"But a common theme prevails, of a love of nature and a desire to bring the freedom and freshness of the great outdoors into the home."

"The trend for botanical designs has resulted in a beautiful array of prints and patterns featuring leaves and foliage," says Claire Vallis, design director for fabrics and wallcoverings specialist, Harlequin.

Don't be afraid to experiment with pattern and scale, she advises, as even the most oversized design can be accommodated, by pairing it with a plain or textured finish in the rest of the room.

"They range from dramatic, large-scale branches and woodland forests, through to ditsy, dainty leaves. These can be realistic depictions, so you feel you are walking though a forest or scrunching through fallen leaves, or more painterly interpretations with sweeping brushstrokes and vivid hues.

Falling leaves may mean extra work in the garden, but if you celebrate their form and rich colour indoors they'll bring rooms to life, and conjure an unbe-leaf-ably delightful winter sanctuary!

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Golden harvest "Designers have taken the countryside to their heart," says Jacqueline Duncan, principal and founder of London's Inchbald School of Design.

"Tree and leaf motifs are a key feature in pattern and print and range from the traditional and botanically accurate to interpretations which fully exploit innovative digital techniques, and give a fresh, chic effect.

"This look is perfectly in tune with our desire for a natural, organic approach to interiors.

"Woodland designs are particularly well complemented by earthy palettes, such as cream, charcoal and mushroom, and can be made luxurious with shades of gold.

"It can even work well with stronger tones of damson and mustard through to fashionable strong blues."

Turn over a new leaf: Little Greene's Oriental Papers collection features stunning designs, including the Trellis Bamboo wallpaper in copper, £54.75 a roll.

Complement it with gilded accessories, such as a Liliana table lamp, £80, from John Lewis.

Its stem base is adorned with gold leaves. A Potentilla cushion with foliage print, £59, from Clarissa Hulse, makes another great addition.

Bring on the blues with a Momentum Wallpaper in Leaf design, £54 a roll, from Harlequin. Continue the colour theme with a bold Painted Leaf bedding set, from £32 for a double duvet set and £24 for a single set, from Bhs.

Evergreen elegance Delicate foliage, paired with a fresh green and crisp white palette, creates a scheme which truly, yet gracefully, brings nature indoors. This style is well suited to kitchen or dining areas.

"Forest and leaf prints are a great way to introduce a relaxed organic effect in any room," says Donna Riley, brand manager at wallpaper specialists Graham & Brown.

Natural woodland The great outdoors has an abundance of textures and tones, many of which make great additions to homes and have inspired designers since the dawn of time.

Natural materials, from wood to stone, bring interest and variety into rooms, and are perfectly complemented by bold, graphic motifs of leaves in bright shades for a modern, rustic look, where texture and pared-back design triumph.

"Cosy seasonal tones and a mix of traditional British style work well with a playful natureinspired collection in one of our key trends Woodland," says Gillian Anderson, trading director at Heal's.

"Our main theme, Autumn, features rustic wooden furniture and home accessories inspired by fallen leaves, in a palette of rustic red and orange hues with highlights of green encapsulating a warm and homely mood."

Turn over a new leaf: For a subtle woodland backdrop, Nottingham wallpaper, £20 a roll, from Graham & Brown, gives a 3D illusion of forest depth.

Gather foliage features from the MissPring woodland range at Heal's: Discovers Woodland drum lampshade, £115, and Discovers Woodland Sunflower rug, £695.

Leaves decorate the retro, up-cycled Ash Storm chest of drawers, £895, by furniture designer Lucy Turner.

"This will heighten their effect as well as keep the scheme easy to live with."

Turn over a new leaf: A monochrome Leaf mural from the Conran Fabrics Archive collection, from £70 per square metre, Conran Shop (also available to order as print or canvas through www.surfaceview.co.uk). Just as striking, but more traditional, is a Pines design wallpaper featuring a forest of trees, £54.75 a roll, Little Greene.

A Barletta Love Seat, covered in Fern chenille, which has a strong graphite leaf design, £1,149, Marks & Spencer, would be a perfect focal point.

Alternatively, simply dress up a chair with a photoprint Pine Forest cushion, £80, Nordic Elements, or liven up corners with a quirky black tree-shaped hat stand, £20, Tiger Stores.

"They create an illusion of soft, natural depth, while a shimmering landscape of beckoning trees will produce a delicate ethereal finish."

Turn over a new leaf: Angel Ferns wallpaper, £32 per roll, from Sanderson Home, is classic and crisp in white and green.

Alternatively, a Leaf sketch printed panel, from £79 (125cm x 227cm), from Digetex, would instantly bring nature indoors.

Make a statement with a foliage embellished Little Lady chair upholstered in Morris & Co Orchard Bayleaf and Rose, from £1,126, Sofa Workshop.

Echo the theme in accessories, with Made by Hand's foliage decorated Twine Table Runner in black, £55, or green and black, £79. Add bright touches to the dining table with Heal's Discovers Woodland Dinnerware by MissPrint, from £5-£20.

Branching out Simple black and white decor enhances the beautiful silhouettes of winter woodland for a serene, modern interior. This look can be enlivened and warmed with rich colour in accessories.

Bold feature wallpapers can be used on one wall, or smaller patterns can be used on all four, says Claire Vallis at fabrics and wallcovering designers Harlequin and Scion.

"A leaf print sofa can act as a gorgeous focal point to a room when teamed with plainer curtains, or you could use a blind in a foliage print and combine it with textured curtains," she suggests.

"The same applies to colours - don't shy away from the vibrant shades as they can make a real statement, but do complement them with softer, toning shades.

:: Woodland sources Bhs: Clarissa Hulse: Conran Shop: Digetex: Graham & Brown: Harlequin: Heal's: John Lewis: Little Greene: Lucy Turner: Made By Hand: Marks & Spencer: Nordic Elements: Sanderson Home: Sofa Workshop: Tiger Stores:

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Green with energy Ever thought of becoming energy self-sufficient? Save on expensive fuel bills and make neighbours green with envy with this guide to adopting an eco-friendly approach to energy: from solar panels to wind turbines.

By Kate Hodal Renewable energy is a green, cost-effective alternative to coal, oil and natural gas. Easily replenished (or 'renewed') and stemming from infinite resources, it's never been easier to sign up.

Government legislation and incentives mean that with a little investment, you could turn your home from a fossil fuel-dependent space into a green energy palace - and save money in the long run.

:: Solar power Did you know the average home in the UK could generate 50-60% of the power needed to supply its own electricity? And solar panels don't just generate light - they can also provide hot water for your home.

The panels are made up of photovoltaic (PV) cells, each one made from layers of semiconducting material. Light shining on the cell creates an electric field.

If eco-warriors including Prince Charles and Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis have their way, solar panels and wind turbines could soon be heating homes and lighting offices in the UK with renewable energy.

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His eco-minded Royal Highness recently called on Britons to take shorter showers to save money on energy bills - and revealed he increased the use of renewable energy at his four households to 22% last year.

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They can be installed on roofs and conservatories - basically anywhere that can hold some weight and attract light - or integrated into existing roofs with tiles that resemble normal roof tiles.

The cost you pay depends on whether you opt for solar tiles or panels. Tiles have a higher price tag but you can expect to pay between £5,000 and £8,000 per kilowatt (kW) installed, with most homes requiring 1.5-3kW. However, it could save up to 1.2 tonnes of CO2 a year, according to the Energy Saving Trust (www.energysavingtrust.org.uk). That could knock £250 off your electricity bill.

Several companies are now offering free solar PV to customers in return for the income generated through a scheme called Feed In Tariffs (FITs).

:: Wind turbines Although the UK is home to 40% of Europe's total wind energy, only 0.5% of that power is currently being tapped into.

But before you go slapping a wind turbine on your roof, remember they're best located on a mast or tower, ideally on a hill.

Wind turbines are good for homes with an annual average wind speed of six metres per second or more. Distance from nearby buildings, trees or hills that might decrease the wind coming your way is also key and you'll need to take note of local planning requirements, as permission is usually required prior to installation.

Don't be surprised if some of your NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) neighbours raise an objection!

According to the Energy Saving Trust, nearly £5 billion is wasted on energy in the UK every year and the average UK household could save £200 a year by taking some simple energy efficiency measures.

As wind is free, you can start saving money on your fuel bills straight away, but start-up costs are high.

Depending on whether you install the system on a mast or a roof, you can expect to pay anywhere from £1,500 to £20,000.

Almost half (40%) of the heat is lost through the walls and roof, while a fifth could be lost through single glazing and badly insulated windows, so why not fork out for insulation and doubleglazing - and use draught excluders.

:: Ground source heat pumps You can heat your home by burning carbon-neutral biomass or by tapping into the heat below the ground with ground source heat pumps. The pumps transfer heat from underground into your home, heating either the space or the water in your house.

You'll need a large space in your garden to fit a ground loop (to heat your home with), or space on an external wall to fit an evaporator coil (if heating the water in your house).

A typical 6-8kW system costs up to £12,000 to install, but if you're replacing electricity to heat your home, you can save around £870 on heating bills and almost six tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.

:: Try it out If you've baulked at the start-up costs of making your home greener, you'll be pleased to hear that Government funding of up to £2,500 is available, as well as Feed In Tariffs just log on to www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk to apply for an online grant.

If your boiler is more than 15 years old, consider replacing it with a condensing boiler to save up to 32% on your bills. And just lowering your heating thermostat by one degree can save you 10% on heating costs.

Use energy-efficient lightbulbs and the eco settings on appliances like dishwashers and washing machines.

For more energy-saving tips, visit: www.energysavingtrust.org.uk.a

You could also qualify for Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs), or other green energy certificates, which can save you cash.

Although start-up costs can be high, don't be put off. Homes boasting renewable energy can expect to see their property values increase in the long run, as more homes in the future will be expected to be self-sustaining.

:: Energy efficiency If you don't have the space or can't afford to go sticking solar panels on your roof or wind turbines in your backyard, there are plenty of other ways to save money by saving energy.

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Feel like it's time for a frighteningly good party?

Feel like it's time for a frighteningly good party? Ultimate party organiser Polly Breton reveals some ghoulishly good recipes for a Halloween bash that's certainly not for kids. By Sarah O'Meara There's a dark cloud settling over Britain. No one's in the mood for fluffy bunnies or children's clowns anymore. A new survey has revealed that when it comes to partying, Halloween is now our second favourite family celebration, behind Christmas, ahead of Easter and even birthday parties.

plastic skull masks and pumpkins, event organiser Polly Betton (who thinks nothing of firing cakes from a giant slingshot in the name of a good party), suggests using your portion of the £280 million reportedly spent in Britain each year on Halloween, to have some bad, clean adult fun.

As household incomes shrink, the opportunity to send your kids out begging for sweets may suddenly seem more attractive. But more probably, the popularity of Twilight and Harry Potter has finally put witches, werewolves and vampires into the official party lead.

"Don't make it cute," advises Betton, author of Party! How To Organise A Brilliant Bash. "A grown-up Halloween is not fluffy, so abandon that in favour of almost anything else. This is not the moment for adorable ghost-shaped biscuits, twee gift bags or dressing up like a fairy."

One in three families will throw a Halloween bash, according to a new survey by Woolworths.co.uk.

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Instead, follow Betton's top tips for a wicked time...

:: Have a great theme. The Mexican holiday of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is shortly after Halloween, and gives an excuse for amazing skeleton makeup and a riot of colour. For a more glamorous tone, try a Dead Celebrities theme, and if you're a fan of kitsch, Hammer Horror is always a winner. :: Put together a carefully curated cocktail list, because good cocktails get a party swinging in no time. Think about appearance, flavour and practicality. Tequila sunrise is great for Dia de los Muertos, or perhaps Bloody Marys for dead celebrities. :: Have fun with your playlist. While the usual suspects, such as Thriller by Michael Jackson, have their place, you can also take your cue from television and film (e.g. Bad Things by Jace Everett, from True Blood). :: Projectors are a great way to fill up empty space without damaging the walls. If you have access to one, use it to project vintage horror films to give a cheap, easy and impressive backdrop to your party. :: Go all out with your pumpkins and invest in a carving tool: a little serrated blade that makes it easy to carve intricate designs.

Find instructional videos and free patterns to follow online, for an amazing pumpkin display. For a really impressive effect, put some dry ice inside a pumpkin and pour a little water over it to create billows of low lying, spooky mist. :: Make use of the witching hour. A midnight feast is always a good idea at a big party because it helps to sober up anyone who's a bit too tipsy and delivers a welcome shot of energy to anyone who is flagging.

October / November

Try Polly Betton's recipes to get your party started...

Chocolate 'earth' with edible flowers, served with a trowel (Serves 6) This pudding is great fun, a wonderful talking point and absolutely delicious. Your Chocolate 'Earth' is a moreish chocolate crunch that's a little like a cheesecake base, with a piquant hint of salt. Serve in a garden container. (NB: buy new containers from a garden centre and wash thoroughly) ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

125g caster sugar 125g ground almonds 75g plain flour 50g cocoa powder A large pinch of salt 65g melted butter Edible flowers

For the chocolate custard: 600ml milk ■ 190ml double cream ■ 3tbsp cocoa powder ■ 4 egg yolks ■ 100g caster sugar ■ 1½tbsp cornflour ■

:: Preheat the oven to 150C/gas mark 2.

Mix the dry ingredients, then beat in the butter with an electric mixer. Pour in 200ml water in stages, beating as you go, until you have a smooth, glossy batter. :: Use a palette knife to spread thinly onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Bake for around 15 minutes, being careful not to let it burn.

:: Leave to cool in the pan, then crumble into your garden container and decorate with edible flowers. :: For the custard, pour the milk and the cream into a pan, gently heat to a simmer and then set aside. Beat together the cocoa powder, egg yolks, sugar and cornflour with an electric mixer on a medium speed until you have a nice, smooth mixture (you can loosen it up with a splash of the warm milk if you need to). Continue to beat as you slowly pour in the warm milk, then return the whole lot to the saucepan. :: Stir constantly over a medium-low heat (don't let it boil, or even simmer). The custard should thicken beautifully; it's ready when it coats the back of a spoon. :: Serve the custard in small watering cans (the type usually used for houseplants, also new and clean) with the sprinkler heads removed. If you're worried it's too thick to pour from the watering cans, whisk in some more milk to thin it. :: To complete the look, you should provide trowels (also brand new and washed) for guests to serve themselves.

Pan de Muerto (Bread of the dead)

Cheese and pineapple hedgehog

(Serves 20) ■ 125g butter ■ 125ml milk ■ 550g plain flour ■ 2tsp dry yeast ■ 1tsp salt ■ 1tbsp anise seeds ■ 190g caster sugar ■ 4 eggs ■ 190ml orange juice ■ 2tbsp orange zest ■ Icing sugar, to decorate

Avoid torturing your guests with sweaty Cheddar and pop some of the following combinations onto cocktail sticks instead. If you think of it as a weirdly presented cheeseboard, it suddenly seems a perfectly reasonable proposition.

:: Pop the butter, milk and 125ml water in a pan over a medium heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is nearly boiling. :: Take off the heat and set aside. :: Put 165g of the flour into a mixing bowl with the yeast, salt, anise seeds and 95g sugar and mix together. Once combined, gradually beat in the warm milk mixture, followed by the eggs and another 125g of the flour. Keep adding in flour until it forms a soft ball of dough that's not sticky when prodded. :: Put the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes until it's nice and elastic. Pop into a lightly greased bowl, turn it a couple of times so it's well coated, cover and set aside in a warm spot to rise. It should take about an hour and a half to double in size. :: Punch the dough down and form into simple skull and bone shapes - make a whole skeleton if you've got the attention span! Cover with a tea towel and return to the warm spot to rise for another hour. Pop the oven on at 180C/gas mark 4 to preheat. :: Once the second rising is done, bake the bread for 40 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. :: Meanwhile, make up the glaze by putting 95g sugar, the orange juice and the zest into a pan. Bring to the boil and keep going for two minutes. Apply to the bread fresh out of the oven while still warm. :: Sprinkle with icing sugar before the glaze is set.

Fireworks night Entries should be marked Firework Poster Competition and should reach The Abergavenny Chronicle office at Tindle House, 13 Nevill Street, Abergavenny by no later than Thursday, October 18. The winners will be informed by the end of that week and published in the following edition of the paper.

:: Halve a grapefruit (or a melon if you want to fit more 'spines' on), wrap in foil and spear with your yummy cocktailsticked morsels. :: Torn mozzarella wrapped in prosciutto and a basil leaf with a small squirt of balsamic glaze. :: Thinly sliced quince jelly, thinly sliced Brie and thinly sliced pear. ::: A small cube of goat's cheese with a couple of blueberries. :: Half a strawberry, hulled and filled with any blue cheese.

:: Ripe quartered figs with a smear of Stilton and a light drizzle of honey. :: Fresh or dried apricot slices with little wedges of Camembert. :: Party! How To Organise A Brilliant Bash:

The Essential Guide by Polly Betton is published by Kyle Books, priced £19.99.

Available now.

WITH just weeks to go before November 5 and Bonfire Night, The Abergavenny Chronicle has teamed up with Abergavenny and District Round Table to run a competition to design the poster for the annual Belgrave Park Fireworks Display.

All local children are invited to take part in the competition and with two age categories - 47 and 8-11 there's a chance for everyone to be a winner. The winners of each category will received a £50 donation for their school and free tickets to the display for every child in the winner's class. The winning entries will also be published in The Abergavenny Chronicle in the lead up to the event The annual Fireworks Display has been a feature of the Abergavenny calendar for many years and profits from the event all go to local charities and good causes. The display is professionally organised and fully insured and refreshments are available during the evening.

As always the display - which is set to music takes place on November 5 at Abergavenny's Belgrave park, with the gates opening at 6pm.

If you would like to take part in the competition simply design your poster, which should have a Bonfire Night theme, on a piece of white A4 paper, leaving a minimum of 10cm blank at the top of the page. Make sure that your name, address, daytime telephone number and age is marked clearly on the back of your entry.

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The Family Way As a new campaign urges parents to ensure children have fun with music, experts explain how music helps child development, and how just encouraging kids to make sounds and sing will keep them happy and help them learn.

By Lisa Salmon From a very early age, children love both listening to and making music - although the sounds they create are often far from tuneful.

However, whatever their 'music' sounds like, not only does it make children happy, it also helps them develop and learn, says a new report.

But with Government funding for music in schools being slashed from £82.5 million a year to just £60 million, it's more important than ever for parents to encourage musical creativity at home, says Dr Barbie Clarke, a child social psychologist who has just written the report into the educational, social and therapeutic benefits of music for children.

"Encouraging children to sing, to pick up anything that's lying around to help to make sound and rhythm, and to join in family events in a musical way will help your child to connect socially, improve their learning, and can also be therapeutic," says Clarke, who wrote the report as part of the new Persil Get Messy With Music campaign.

"Above all, music should be fun and enjoyable not something that's forced or too formal," she stresses.

The report found that children increase their creative development just as much by messing around and having fun with music as they do from hours of serious practice.

It also showed that it's beneficial for a child's creative development to make loud noise, whether that's screeching on a violin or banging on a saucepan.

Clarke says children can communicate through making sounds - banging on a homemade drum or shaking a rattle - and if they simply sway to musical sounds, for example, there will probably be a response from the people around them, such as clapping or laughter.

"By getting a response from the adults in their lives, children learn that they can create pleasure, prompt a response, and become an entertainer," explains Clarke.

"By doing so they're able to build confidence and self-esteem."

By taking part in music, children also learn important non-verbal communication skills such as taking turns, making eye contact, anticipating the actions of others, listening and concentrating, and relating to others, says Clarke.

Music is also thought to have educational benefits, as research suggests listening to music affects the function of the brain, and learning to play a musical instrument can improve certain skills.

"The ability to remember through playing music, hearing rhythms and making sounds can

help to improve the way a child learns - and in so doing, language and literacy improves," says Clarke.

She explains that music also helps the brain to think systematically and logically, and there appears to be a link between learning music and being skilled at learning maths, science and engineering.

"Research has shown that if children have music in their lives - either by learning to play a musical instrument, learning to sing in a choir, or learning to recognise music - it can help them to improve academically," she stresses.

Music also has therapeutic benefits, and music therapy can help children who've experienced emotional or physical trauma to express how they feel without words.

"Music plays an important role in our everyday lives," Clarke emphasises.

"It stirs a natural rhythm in children and creates a fun and enjoyable environment that prompts a sense of community and friendship.

Ask the expert Q: "I've just had a baby and want to look after her while looking after the environment at the same time. What sort of things should I do?"

A: Pippa Hough, co-ordinator of Green Babies at London Science Museum, says: "There are many big and little changes you can make to your family's lifestyle to help reduce the environmental impact of bringing a new person into the world.

"For starters, try to get as much of the baby furniture, clothes and other paraphernalia second-hand. A large proportion of a product's impact on the environment happens during manufacture. By extending the life of a cot, buggy or babygrow, you've instantly prevented all the waste products produced when making a new one.

"Breast is best for many health reasons, but it's also the most eco-friendly food you can give your baby. Unlike formula milk, it doesn't need to be processed, packaged or transported.

When it's time to switch to solids, try to stick to seasonal fruit and vegetables as they're less likely to have been grown in energy-intensive greenhouses.

"One of the best things you can do is create eco-conscious offspring. Talk to your kids from a young age about the importance of a lowcarbon lifestyle and explain your reasoning.

They'll grow up to follow your example and pass the message on to their own babies.

"Most importantly, it can help those who find it difficult to make friends, or communicate, to find expression and connect with others."

The Persil Get Messy with Music campaign is fronted by singer and mum-of-three Sophie Ellis-Bextor, whose own mum Janet Ellis is a former Blue Peter presenter.

Ellis-Bextor has helped put together some tips for parents to get involved in making music and sounds with younger children, and she suggests making musical instruments from household items, creating a stage in the back garden, or making up rhythms and lyrics to your own songs.

The whole family dressing up and performing on the makeshift stage to recreate favourite bands is another idea which will help develop a child's imagination and encourage social interaction.

"Creativity and a love of music were passed on to me by my parents," says Ellis-Bextor, "and I'm doing the same with my own kids.

"To me, music is all about having fun and getting stuck in, which is why I'm encouraging families across the country to get involved with music at home."

"If you'd like to find out more, come along to the Science Museum's Green Babies event, where environmental experts - who are parents themselves - will be talking about the issues around green parenting." :: Green Babies is at the Science Museum's Dana Centre, London, on September 27. For more information, visit www.danacentre.org.uk/events/2012/09/27/665

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Five minutes with... John Challis Actor and writer John Challis, 70, is best known for his role as Boycie in Only Fools And Horses. He talks about his new autobiography, Boycie & Beyond, and the highs and lows of his career TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEW BOOK, BOYCIE & BEYOND. PRESUMABLY IT COVERS THE RISE AND RISE OF ONLY FOOLS AND HORSES? It does, yes. The first one (Being Boycie) finished in 1985, and I guess that was when it started to take off a bit; when everybody realised we might be on to something, and thereafter it sort of grew and grew. There's a lot written about favourite episodes and specials. Funny things that happened and so on, and also me getting married again for the third time, and that all ending in disaster as well. I like to treat it in a humorous way, but it is a bit dark, you know; the ongoing relationship with my father which never really got resolved. I've read it. I think it's pretty good!

IT MUST BE CATHARTIC GETTING IT DOWN ON PAPER Well, it is. Some of it is quite painful. I mention the break up of my third marriage, and at the time I wasn't feeling very good about myself, thinking it's probably all my fault; my parents died within two years of each other, and it all happened in that two or three years. Then I entered a sort of rebound relationship, which was very exciting but pretty destructive really. By the time that was over, I was feeling pretty sordid, but luckily I met (current wife) Carol and everything

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WAS IT FUN MAKING ONLY FOOLS SPINOFF, THE GREEN GREEN GRASS? That's one of the luckiest things that ever happened. As we moved down here to Herefordshire from London in 1998 and it spawned this idea for a spin-off. We had four or five years of great fun. It involved a lot of the whole community. And of course as the character became more well known, you get into extraordinary places.

THE LOSS OF WRITER JOHN SULLIVAN MUST HAVE BEEN A SAD TIME Yes, it was a bit of a dark period. He died suddenly and there we (the Only Fools cast) all are standing around at his funeral wondering what to say to each other, and you suddenly realise that for 30 years of your life you've been saying those words.

WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT THE CURRENT ONLY FOOLS REPEATS ON BBC ONE? It just doesn't seem to age. That's the extraordinary thing about it. Some comedies have dated quite a lot, but it's still funny and sweet and the whole family can watch it, can't they?

DO YOU THINK THE SHOW WORKED BECAUSE WE LOVE THE UNDERDOG IN BRITAIN? Yes, Del Boy is aspirational; 'This time next year, we'll be millionaires', and he gets up there and falls straight back down again, and

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everybody just smiles at that. It's so much part of the British psyche. That's its enduring appeal, and all the characters... everyone knew one, didn't they? Everybody knows a Boycie, a Trigger, a Marlene. I'm just so lucky to have been part of it.

DO YOU EVER TIRE OF PEOPLE DOING BOYCIE IMPRESSIONS? It depends on the context. Sometimes you think, 'Oh, give it a rest!'

But mostly people smile, and you think, 'I should be so lucky to have created something that makes people smile'.

DID YOU THINK THE TROTTERS' VAN WOULD ONE DAY BE AT THE LONDON OLYMPICS? No, I didn't. It didn't last very long though, did it? It was amazing to see that, but I think it was a shame that they tied it in with Michael Caine's wonderful line about "blowing the bloody doors off", and everyone I think was a bit confused. It obviously wasn't David (Jason) and Nick (Lyndhurst) getting out of the little yellow van. I think they should have paraded around on a low loader or something.

IS IT TRUE YOU WERE ALMOST IN THE BEATLES' MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR? Yes it is. For some reason they were having trouble casting the courier on the coach, and my agent had a hunch that I might get on with them. So I went to see three of them, John, Paul and Ringo, and we just got on. We had a very similar sort of humour. Lennon said, 'Have you got a favourite Beatles tune?'

I said, 'Actually I prefer the Rolling Stones'. I ◆

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The Autumn Issue

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Dorrell Oliver Ltd chartered accountants Linden House, Monk Street, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire NP7 5NF Tel: 01873 852113 Fax: 01873 858523 www.dorrells.co.uk

✦ ACCOUNTANCY ✦ AUDIT ✦ TAX ADVICE FOR NEW BUSINESSES

October / November

◆ Visitors Welcome

Old Ross Rd, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire. NP7 8NG. Tel: 01873 856223 Fax: 01873 852177 Email: info@wernddu-golf-club.co.uk Web: www.wernddu-golf-club.co.uk

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was being very cheeky and thought I'd completely blown it, and he said:, 'No, I think you're right. I prefer them sometimes as well', which is one of my favourite stories.

When I found I was unavailable to do it, it was one of the worst moments in my life.

The idea of spending some time with those guys in '67, '68, it would have been fantastic.

Of course I was only mucking about. I loved their music.

FINALLY, TELL US ABOUT PLAYING CAPTAIN HOOK IN YOUR UPCOMING PANTO Two friends of mine run an outfit called Extravaganza Productions. They make all their own costumes and it's all pretty camp and highly colourful, and it's just good fun.

I've never played in Middlesbrough before, and I promised to go up and help them out this Christmas. They need the children of Middlesbrough frightening, so they thought I was the best man for the job. I try to play it as nastily as I can, but occasionally I will pop out and do a bit of comedy with my first mate, Smee, and it's at those times that some reference to Boycie comes out. And it's great because it brings the house down. :: Boycie & Beyond by John Challis is published by Wigmore Books, priced £9.99. Available on September 20. For more information, visit www.wigmorebooks.com

GOVILON GARAGE Motorcycle and Car MoT Servicing and Repair

MOT Trade Centre

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A fish-eye view The first step is to decide what sort of fish you want.

Most beginners opt for coldwater fish as these require the least looking after and are cheaper.

As a novice, it is better to buy a small tank as it requires less maintenance.

A length of 60cm is a good starting point and will be available from your local pet shop.

It is essential to clean the tank out before use – but don’t use detergents.

You will also need a filter, either internal or external., which will remove waste products from the fish and plants.

Now for the fun part – decoration.

Gravel is one of the most important things as it gives the fish a natural environment to live in, stores food particles for them to nibble, and looks great too!

It is better to keep the gravel particles small, and the depth should not exceed 5cm.

You will also need plants. They boost the oxygen levels of the water, provide hiding places for fish and can serve as a food source.

Many people prefer artificial plants as they are easier to look after. The fish are the very last thing to add to the aquarium.

IT really is true – watching fish in an aquarium is relaxing, reduces stress and has a calming influence on the brain.

There is a huge range on offer and it is best to talk to your pet shop about the best species for your needs.

Feeding fish is one of the most important jobs there is – but remember overfeeding can kill.

That’s why the humble goldfish is one of our most popular pets.

Some goldfish can go three weeks with no food.

Between us we look after more than 19 million of these easy-to-keep fish.

But it’s not just the fact that they are relaxing which makes fish popular.

Keeping an aquarium can offer the enthusiast limitless chances for creativity.

Whether it’s a goldfish in a bowl or a tropical species in an exotic tank – keeping fish has something for everyone.

Bailey Bros MOT TEST CENTRE

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A1

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We will beat ANY written quotations Free Quotations any day or evening

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Cash Paid for MOT Failures / Scrap Cars and Commercial Vehicles Containers Supplied

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Realistic Gas and Electric Fires Fireplaces and Surrounds in Real Wood, Marble & Stone

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Made to individual specifications Fireplaces & accessories at competitive prices Installation Service Available~Also Plumbing and Heating Specialists

Mon-Fri 8.30am-5pm, Saturday 10am-2pm 19 Whitcross Road, Hereford 01432 265364 www.rgmfireplaces.com

LINDA J. GARRATT D.O. REGISTERED OSTEOPATH

BROOKS PLACE, 56 UNION ROAD WEST, ABERGAVENNY NP7 7RH

01873 856818 ●

The Autumn Issue

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October / November

27

Cy fa rt hf a Cas tl e M u seu m & Ar t G all ery Winter Events OCTOBER 30TH & 31st

DECEMBER 11TH & 12TH

Halloween Mask Making

Christmas at Cyfarthfa

Create your very own Halloween mask at this FREE drop-in family workshop.

No booking required just drop-in between 11:00am1:00pm or 2:00pm- 4:00pm

Take part in festive craft activities and meet Father Christmas in this beautiful Victorian setting. Cost is £3.50 per child (present included).

BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL & there are two sessions, one at 5:00pm & another at 6:00pm

NOVEMBER 1st – 31st Georgetown An exhibition that uses the photos of Tony Hyde and historical research to tell the story of Georgetown

The ‘Ironmaster’ William Crawshay commissioned Cyfarthfa Castle in 1824 to overlook his successful ironworks. Today, the museum houses extensive fine and decorative art collections and atmospheric social and industrial history galleries.

Set in beautiful parkland with relaxing woodland walks, a state of the art splash pad and lakeside miniature railway.

DECEMBER 8TH & 9TH Christmas Craft Fair Find the perfect gift at our Christmas craft fair. On both Saturday and Sunday stalls will be open from 10:30am and close at 4:00pm

Free Admission Park & Museum Cyfarthfa Park open from 7am until dusk.

Cyfarthfa Castle Museum & Art Gallery April-September. 10am-5.30pm (Last Admission 5pm) 7days a week.

October-March. Tuesday-Friday. 10am-4pm. Weekends. Noon-4pm.Closed Mondays. www.cyfarthfa.com www.museums.merthyr.gov.uk e-mail: museum@merthyr.gov.uk

Tel: 01685 727371 Cyfarthfa Castle, Brecon Road, Merthyr Tydfil. CF47 8RE