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Covering MALMESBURY, ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT and villages

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APRIL 2017

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Established Local Auctioneers - One minute off J17 of M4 Westbrook Farm, Draycot Cerne, Chippenham, Wilts SN15 5LH The Town Crier Magazine | APRIL 2017 1 FOOD l HEALTH & BEAUTY l MOTORING l HOME & GARDEN l PETS

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The Town Crier Magazine | APRIL 2017

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APRIL 2017

IN THE APRIL ISSUE

Editor’s Letter Welcome to April!

the Easter Spring has finally sprung, and with ty to look plen is e holidays falling in April ther the What's k chec se Plea forward to this month! for an And do. to gs thin of s On section for idea er East for e recip the try not Easter treat, why 22. e pag on s cake Cup Choc Fudge in A big thank you to everyone who sent Concert bury mes Mal e, issu contributions to this Air shire Wilt a, estr Orch cert Band, Wessex Con don Swin es, erfli Butt rth kwo Brin Ambulance, more.

Museum and Art Gallery and many Until next time ...

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Local Focus Local News and Events

20 Gardening

Fuchsia Perfect!

22 Recipe

Easter Choc Fudge Cupcakes 24 Technology

What is the internet of things?

26 Money

Savings accounts explained 28 Puzzle Corner

Crossword & Sudoku 30 A Good Read

The Guilty One and The Bad Beginning:

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Annie

Your Local

TownCr er Magazine

5b Wood Street, Calne, Wiltshire SN11 0BZ Tel: 01249 811068 www. towncriermagazine.com Deadline for submissions for the May 2017 issue: 6th April 2017

ADVERTISE IN THE TOWN CRIER

Editor: contact@towncriermagazine.com Advertising: contact@towncriermagazine.com Advertising: carlene.sales@towncriermagazine.com Artwork: production@towncriermagazine.com

We now use ROYAL MAIL who deliver our magazine to over 11,000 residential and business addresses in the following postcodes: SN16 0, SN16 9, SN15 5, SN4 7

CONDITIONS OF ADVERTISING: The Editor reserves the right to refuse any copy which she feels may not be appropriate material for print. No responsibility will be taken for any damage or loss of material caused by inaccuracy or omission of any advertisement. Artwork prepared by us remains the property of The Town Crier Magazine and reproduction in any form is expressly forbidden without prior permission from the Editor. We provide artwork free of charge and where possible we will adhere to your request on layouts and type, but we cannot guarantee an exact copy. If you wish to produce your own artwork to a specific layout, or have any changes to an existing advert, please ensure your copy is with us by the 1st of month prior to publication at the latest.

Opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the The Town Crier Magazine.

For general enquiries please call Annie Harling on 01249 811068 or email: contact@towncriermagazine.com

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The Town Crier Magazine | APRIL 2017

We are the only magazine to cover both Malmesbury & Royal Wootton Bassett via Royal Mail on a monthly basis.

If you would like to advertise in our next edition, you can go to our website: www.towncriermagazine.com and upload and pay for your advert online.

Alternatively please contact: Carlene Field: 01249 811068 carlene.sales@towncriermagazine.com

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ON W NE HAT A R ’S YO U

Local Focus APRIL 2017

What’s happening locally • News • Events • Charities • Clubs

Save the dates – 9th-11th June 2017 We are holding our fourth Corsham Walking Festival on the above dates, and will be offering 18 walks to suit all abilities, including a fully accessible walk, wheelchair friendly, therefore suitable for all.

Senior Accountant joins AMS Accountancy

Walks vary in distance from 1.5 to 19 miles and we’ll be offering some new walks, fine-tuning some others, using a number of experts to talk about specialist subjects en route to offer walkers information, as well as our expert walk leaders to guide you.

AMS Accountancy Ltd. is delighted to welcome Laura Dearing as a Senior Accountant. She is joining our team after working at Banks BHG for over 9 years where she qualified for AAT and ACCA and worked her way from a junior to an account manager. She is also an expert in cloud accounting. She will work with small businesses, provide management accounts (she has a passion for making things clear and understandable) and year end accounts for our clients. She will also support trainees and work on staff development. www.ams-accountancy.co.uk

There will be walks for a range of interests and abilities, Quarrying, Geology, Railways, Natural History, plus a Children’s Free Treasure Hunt and a “Mindfulness” Walk, plus evening entertainment, so we hope there is something for everyone.

Find out more information by visiting our website at www.corshamwalkingfestival.org.uk which will have all the walk details on there as and when we finalise various information. Otherwise, visit our Corsham Walking Festival Facebook page for information on the Festival, walking and other local related topics.

Email your What's On items to Annie: contact@towncriermagazine.com or via our website: www.towncriermagazine.com

♥ ToMw agazinn e Cr er Your Local Covering MALMESB

Visit our website: www.towncriermagazine.com

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URY, ROYAL WOOTTON

BASSETT and villages

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APRIL 2017

Grass cutting from £12

Happy Easter see page 27

Delivered by

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ITEMS WANTED for our forthcoming

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The Town Crier Magazine | APRIL 2017

ms.co.uk Tel: 0124 9 720888

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Y l MOTORING

Booking will start in early April via the Pound Box Office, you can link in to that via our website.

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Brochures will be available from the start of April and on line via our website. Many walks will start from the Corsham Community Campus, which will be again the Festival Headquarters for the weekend, though we will start others from locations around the area to give a wider range.

Draycot Cerne, Chippenh

am, Wilts SN15 5LH

The Town Crier l HOME APRIL 2017 & Magazine GARD|EN 1 l PETS

Trade in your weight-loss approach to Weight Watchers in

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Move over to the most liveable plan, for a full month’s membership FREE at your local meeting today*

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Visit weightwatcherslocal.co.uk or call 0345 677 7788 to find your nearest meeting *1.Join Weight Watchers as a Meeting + Online member between Sunday 19th March and Saturday 8th April 2017 and you will be entitled to a free month if you bring along any materials, which have a monetary value for example a recipe book or memberships card from any other weight loss plan. 2.You must give the materials to the Coach in your first meeting. These materials will be kept by the Coach in order to provide the free months Weight Watchers membership. Following the first free month Meetings + Online Subscriptions will automatically renew at the standard monthly rate (currently ÂŁ21.45) until you cancel. For Meetings + Online purchases made in a meeting activation needs to be completed on our website. 3.Offer open to New members only. 4.Offer open to UK residents (excluding Channel Islands & Northern Ireland) who are 18 years and over. 5.One claim per person for new members and is non- transferable. The offer cannot be combined with other offers. 6.Offer is subject to availability. Weight Watchers reserve the right to change, amend or cancel this offer at any time. 7. Offer available in selected postcodes, see weightwatcherslocal.co.uk to check if your local meeting is included in the offer.

The Town Crier Magazine | APRIL 2017

7

What’s On

Diary Dates APRIL 2017

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TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE Town Hall, Cross Hayes, Malmesbury, SN16 9BZ Tel: 01666 823748 Email: tic@malmesbury.gov.uk MALMESBURY SINGERS SPRING CONCERT Sat 1st April, Malmesbury Abbey.

The highlight of the evening will be the ‘German Requiem’ by Brahms and works by Bruckner, Rheinberger, Schumann and Strauss will also be performed.

Tickets available from Malmesbury Abbey Bookshop or by email: tickets@malmesburysingers.co.uk (Adult £15, Student/Child £5).

DOLLY BOBBINS CLASSES 1 Day Course – Saturday 8th April 10am to 4pm £45 including materials & refreshments. Please contact Tracey on dollybobbins@ hotmail.com or 07835 467551 MOVIES@MALMESBURY Fences (PG) – Monday 3rd April 8pm Sing (u) – Tuesday 11th April 2pm Royal Opera House – Jewels – Tuesday 11th April 7.15pm Loving (12a) – Wednesday 12th April 2pm Lego Batman Movie (u) – Tuesday 18th April 2pm Hidden Figures (pg) – Friday 21st April 2pm Sing (u) – Friday 21st April 5.30pm The Viceroy’s House (12a) – Friday 21st April 8pm Hidden Figures (pg) – Monday 24th April 8pm RSC-Julius Ceasar – Wednesday 26th April 7pm The Viceroy’s House (12a) – Friday 28th April 2pm Moonlight (15) – Friday 28th April 8pm Tickets in advance from Malmesbury Town Hall, on the door or online from www.oxboffice.com Tel. 01666 822143 8

The Town Crier Magazine | APRIL 2017

SHIPTON QUILTERS CELEBRATE THEIR 13TH EXHIBITION Saturday 8th 10am-5pm & Sunday 9th April 10am-4pm Rencomb College Nr Cirencester £4 entry under 16s go free Raffle in aid of The Little Princess Trust & The Butterfly Garden CALNE SPRING SING Saturday 8th April , 10.30am – 3.30pm Calne Town Centre Free entry. A variety of choirs performing in venues across Calne town centre, ending with choirs and spectators joining for a ‘Big Sing’ finale. Enjoy two hours free parking at Calne Heritage Quarter car park, accessed from the A4, where you can also choose to park for the whole day. www.calne.gov.uk Royal Wootton Bassett Choral Society THE CRUCIFIXION by J Stainer Monday 10th April, 7.30pm Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church. Royal Wootton Bassett Free Admission, Refreshments Retiring Collection.

MALMESBURY FILM SOCIETY I, Daniel Blake 16 April £5, 7.30pm St Mary’s Hall THE GENTLEMEN OF ST JOHN’S COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE 7.30pm Saturday 22 April Malmesbury Abbey MAMS is delighted to be able to bring you The Gentlemen of St John’s College Cambridge.Tickets £15 (£5 students). From the Abbey Bookshop, 01666 824 924 or online at mamsmusic.co.uk 2017 ROTARY CHARITY GOLF CLASSIC Wednesday 26th April, 2017 at Manor House Golf Club, Castle Combe We are all looking forward to welcoming you to the Rotary Club of Chippenham’s 2017 Rotary Golf Classic.

WESSEX CONCERT ORCHESTRA SCENES FROM SCANDINAVIA Malmesbury Abbey on Saturday 29th April at 7.30pm.

Under the baton of its new conductor, Tim Harrison, the Wessex Concert Orchestra is making a welcome return.

This promises to be a wonderful evening of Scandinavian music.

Tickets at £12 (£10 concessions) are on sale from Malmesbury Abbey Bookshop Thomas of Malmesbury, The Triangle. www.wco.org.uk See page 16 CAROLE ANN INGRAM WATERCOLOUR INSPIRATIONS at Westonbirt Arboretum 28th April through to 3rd May 2017 10:00 am to 4:00 pm daily.

An exciting exhibition of watercolour portraits, architecture, nature and wildlife by local Wiltshire based artist, Carole Ann Ingram. Do you have a favourite photograph that you wish could be a beautiful watercolour painting to treasure? Carole’s passion is watercolour and she will interpret your photograph or image in her own unique style. www.caroleaingram.wix.com/artist

MAY 2017

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BUSHTON MANOR PLANT FAIR AND OPEN GARDEN Bank Holiday Monday May 1st 2017 11am -3pm Postcode SN4 7PX This event has grown and grown over the last 10 years with over 700 people attending last year. Within the grounds of this 18th century Manor House there will be some 30 stalls scattered around the garden with plants, crafts and other related products as well as the ever popular bacon butty BBQ and home made refreshments. A plant crèche will enable you to stroll around without having to carry your purchases.

A team of Morris Dancers will be visiting at some time during the event. For the younger people there will be outside games to keep them occupied. Entrance £2. Children and car parking free. www.clyffepypard-bushton.com SCARECROW TRAIL – THE LEA VILLAGE PIG CHASE Sunday 14th May between 1pm and 4pm Trail starts at Lea & Garsdon Primary School Playground, SN16 9PG Family Trial Map cost £5. For more information please contact catherinecarter@outlook.com

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What’s On

Carole Ann Ingram at Westonbirt Arboretum

7.30pm Saturday 22 April Malmesbury Abbey

Watercolour Inspirations

An exciting exhibition of watercolour portraits, architecture, nature and wildlife by local Wiltshire based artist, Carole Ann Ingram.

Do you have a favourite photograph that you wish could be a beautiful watercolour painting to treasure?

Carole’s passion is watercolour and she will interpret your photograph or image in her own unique style with prices starting from £175.

30% of all paintings commissioned or sold during this exhibition will be donated to the Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum.

Carole’s solo exhibition is in the Great Oak Hall, Westonbirt Arboretum from Friday 28th April through to 3rd May 2017 10:00 am to 4:00 pm daily.

Email: caroleaingram@hotmail.co.uk www.caroleaingram.wix.com/artist

Royal Wootton Bassett & District Art Society May 19th - 21st 2017, Hook Village Hall The Royal Wootton Bassett & District Art Society is holding it’s annual art exhibition at Hook Village Hall from May 19th to the 21st. This is a new venture for the society and we hope it will become an annual event for our local community. The exhibition will be held at Hook Village Hall SN4 8EA. The exhibition will open with a preview evening on May 19th which is by invitation only then it will be open to the public on May 20th and 21st from 10am to 4pm. There will be opportunities to buy original art, artist’s postcards and greetings cards. Hook Village Hall has a good car park and we will be serving refreshments, admission is free. Why not come along and see what this long established art society has to offer.

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The Town Crier Magazine | APRIL 2017

MAMS is delighted to be able to bring you The Gentlemen of St John’s College Cambridge, described

by BBC Music Magazine as “an immaculately blended, responsive, interactive consort”, They are planning a varied programme of music for us.

The first half will include music by Thomas Tallis, Orlando de Lassus, Diogo Dias Melgas, Franz Biebl and William Harris. The second half is lighter a cappella musicarrangements of folk songs, as well as popular numbers by the Beach Boys and the Beatles, among others.

Tickets £15 (£5 students) From the Abbey Bookshop, 01666 824 924 or online at mamsmusic.co.uk where you can also find information on how to save money on your tickets by becoming a member.

Bushton Manor Plant Fair and Open Garden Bank Holiday Monday May 1st 2017 11am -3pm Postcode SN4 7PX This event has grown and grown over the last 10 years with over 700 people attending last year. To celebrate this 10th Anniversary there is to be a dedicated display of Garden Art which will include sculpture, painting, demonstrations and country style products.

Within the lovely grounds of this 18th century Manor House there will be some 30 stalls scattered around the garden with plants, crafts and other related products as well as the ever popular bacon butty BBQ and home made refreshments. A plant crèche will enable you to stroll around without having to carry your purchases.

For the younger people there will be outside games to keep them occupied.

Money raised will go towards the upkeep of St Peter’s Church the Grade 1 listed building in Clyffe Pypard.

Entrance £2. Children and car parking free.

Further details: www.clyffepypard-bushton.com

Brinkworth Butterflies

BRINKWORTH BUTTERFLIES PRE-SCHOOL • Registered for children aged 2-4 years • Free weekly 15 hours for funded 3-4 year olds • Free weekly 15 hours for funded 2 year olds • ‘GOOD’ Ofsted rating 2016 • Unique weekly session at Brinkworth Earl Danby School for rising 5s Contact us for a chat or to arrange a visit Email: butterflies@brinkworthpreschool.co.uk Web: www.brinkworthpreschool.co.uk Phone: 07802 722082 or find us on Facebook

Butterflies is a voluntary led pre-school based at the Village Hall in Brinkworth. We currently have 16 children on roll and are looking to extend our presence outside of the Parish to help ensure our future sustainability.

At our AGM in September 2016, we feared the end might be nigh, however with a reasonable intake of children and some new committee members on board we put our best foot forward and set out to try and secure the future for our pre-school. Expenditure was stripped back, staff hours were reduced to cover only minimum staff ratios and only essentials were purchased. We applied for grants with Wiltshire County Council, Brinkworth Parish Council and Dauntsey Parish Council, and put our hands out for all donations going.

We are now pleased to be back in a more favourable financial situation. Our own cutbacks have really helped and the added support from the Councils and local organisations has meant that we will be able to open in September 2017. Many thanks to all those that have listened to our woes and put their hands in their pockets to help us over the last few months; we could not have done it without you.

In the meantime we have seen some changes to our staff team. We appointed our Deputy, Anne Cowie as Manager at the end of November to replace Nicole Jones who had been with the pre-school since 2014. We then appointed Natalie Draper as Deputy Manager in January 2017. Natalie has recently relocated to Lyneham with her family and is settling in well within our small staff team.

Michelle Gale also remains with us celebrating 10 years at Butterflies in January 2017!

We do hope you will continue to support our pre-school.

Watch this space for future fundraising events and if you have children aged 2-4, we would love to see you and show you the early years’ experience we can offer your child in the heart of our community. Please drop in during session times or call Anne on 07802 722082 or email us at butterflies@brinkworthpreschool.co.uk to arrange a visit.

FREE 15 hours funding per week for 2 year olds as well as 3-4 year olds. Rated Good by Ofsted in 2016.

The Town Crier Magazine | APRIL 2017

11

Local Focus

Ellen Blacker Health and Wellbeing Champion

Planning to Travel?

If you require expert advice and financial peace of mind when booking your next holiday or business travel please contact Marc Fitchett – Travel Counsellor.

Marc specialises in weddings abroad, honeymoons, long-haul travel, cruise, business and group travel. ”I’m very competitive on price and always add great value with excellent customer service, adding advance passenger information, dealing with visa queries and making sure you have a memorable trip.

Marc Fitchett

PERSONAL TRAVEL COUNSELLOR Tel: 01249 848510 Mobile: 07970 971041 marc.fitchett@travelcounsellors.com www.travelcounsellors.co.uk/marc.fitchett

Can you drive?

I love my car! Some of you will know that it has a name and whilst not always in pristine, polished condition, I love it! I’ve been driving on the road since my 17th birthday; driving around fields long before that too! I cannot imagine how I would feel if I lost that independence, but I know that at some stage, like very many people, I will have to stop driving. The feeling of complete and utter isolation must be horrific, and this is where the LINK schemes are absolutely fantastic. Most of our area is covered by a Link scheme and they are a real success story. Volunteers (like you?) give a few hours per month, either on a regular or ad hoc basis, to offer transport for isolated people to attend various appointments, often health related, but sometimes shopping or social events. The Link scheme gives a mileage allowance to its drivers for motoring costs.

Is this something YOU could help with? It is not an onerous task and it’s something which can be fitted in around our busy lives, but it makes such a huge difference to the users of the scheme.

Are you an organiser?

Marc Fitchett

PERSONAL TRAVEL COUNSELLO

R I enjoy travelling, and have over 15 years’ experience, working for both myself and the Travel Counsellors family. I love working closely with my customers making sure they get the best possible service before, during and after their trip. I have planned many diffe rent trips across the planet in my time in travel and have visited over 30 countries myself and have a pass ion for helping people fulfill their dreams. I am able to keep in touch with all of my clients, be it by phone on soci al media or email. This along with our fantastic financia l protection on all of our bookings, gives each customer that extra peace of mind.

I have lived in the local area for near ly ten years and love being part of local life and helping the people in Wiltshire with all of their leisure and business travel. If you are looking for a weekend break in Lond on and a West End show or a round the world cruise, a group trip with a club or society or a family holiday in the med, I can help advise on these and anything else travel related.

I look forward to many more year s helping people discover the world and fulfill thei r dreams.

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The Town Crier Magazine | APRIL 2017

LINK schemes are all about putting people in touch with people. As such, a key LINK scheme role is that of the co-ordinator. Taking calls from people needing transport and putting them in touch with LINK scheme drivers is the main thing that’s involved so if you like talking to people then this might be the ideal role for you. Could you support this role even for just a few hours per week or month?

Volunteers are wonderful and make the world go around. We all volunteer from time to time, so how about trying something new? Call me for a confidential chat to find out what it’s all about. If you wish to take it further, I can put you in touch with your nearest Link Scheme – between us we can make a difference!

Meanwhile (after I have washed my car!), as ever, I am around for general help and support on a wide variety of issues including transport, mobility and safety around the home and reducing the feeling of loneliness. Give me a call on 07557 922020 and leave a message. I will get back to you as soon as possible. Or email me on ellen.blacker@wiltshire. gov.uk STOP PRESS……..do you have need for an MPV (people carrier) for your group or club. There is one available to use in the area, contact alexa.smith@ wiltshire.gov.uk for more details on how to borrow it!

Clearing out give us a shout!

Tel: 01793 854847 / 07515 062947 Email: lynda@crapperandsons.co.uk www.crapperandsons.co.uk

Soil Improver Compost Topsoil & Compost Mix Ideal for Landscaping & Gardening

Tel: 01793 854847 / 07515 062947 lynda@crapperandsons.co.uk www.mrcrapperspottingshed.co.uk

Y’S SCHO NB

EARL DA TH

INKWOR BR

call Liz on 0844 8000219

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BRINKWORTH EARL DANBY’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

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For more information please

With places available, we welcome you to visit anytime.

Every day is an

open day

Contact us - 01666 510406 admin@brinkworthearldanbys.wilts.sch.uk

www.brinkworthearldanbys.wilts.sch.uk The Town Crier Magazine | APRIL 2017 The Town Crier Magazine | MARCH 2017

13 13

Local Focus

Movies@Malmesbury April Schedule

Monday 3rd at 8pm Tuesday 11th at 2pm Tuesday 11th at 7.15pm

Wednesday 12th at 2pm Tuesday 18th at 2pm Friday 21st at 2pm Friday 21st at 5.30pm Friday 21st at 8pm Monday 24th at 8pm Wednesday 26th at 7pm

Friday 28th at 2pm Friday 28th at 8pm

“Fences” “Sing” “Jewels” (Ballet Live from the Royal Opera House) “Loving” “The Lego Batman Movie” “Hidden Figures” “Sing” “The Viceroy’s House” “Hidden Figures” “Julius Caesar” (Live from the Royal Shakespeare Company) “The Viceroy’s House” “Moonlight”

Tickets for all events available from Malmesbury Town Hall, online at www.oxboffice or on the door. Full of all events on our website at www. malmesbury.gov.uk/cinema. html or our Facebook page: Movies at Malmesbury

Get snapping to create a heli mosaic at new airbase WILTSHIRE Air Ambulance has come up with a fun and innovative way of raising funds for its new airbase.

The charity is creating a mosaic of photographs in the shape of a helicopter to be displayed outside its new airbase at Outmarsh Farm, Semington, near Melksham.

The heli mosaic will have space for 2,000 photographs and people can upload their image for a donation of £20.

Cheryl Johnson, Head of Wiltshire Air Ambulance’s Airbase Appeal, said: “We thought a mosaic featuring photos of people to be permanently displayed at our new airbase would be a unique feature.

“Our new airbase is everyone’s airbase and the heli mosaic will have pride of place at it. We have many supporters and well wishers and we wanted to offer them an opportunity to be part of the new airbase and the heli mosaic is a fun way to become involved.

Your photo can be a selfie or something that holds a special memory for you.

“As well as people feeling connected to Wiltshire Air Ambulance, the funds raised will go towards completing the building and equipping of the airbase so please send in your snaps and help us reach our fundraising target. The mosaic could raise a fantastic £40,000 if we get 2,000 photos.”

Everyone who submits a photo will be entered into a draw to win one of six VIP visits to the airbase once it is completed. All photos must be submitted by 31 December 2017 and the draw will be made on 30 April 2018.

Photos can be uploaded directly on to the special airbase appeal website – www.wiltshireairbaseappeal. co.uk People must be over 16 years of age to submit a photograph.

The Airbase Appeal is to raise the remaining £1.25 million needed to complete the building and equipping of the new airbase.

14

The Town Crier Magazine | APRIL 2017

Your local service for Wills, Trusts, Lasting Powers of Attorney and other legal needs.

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MAKE OR UPDATE YOUR WILL

Make a Will and help a charity Readers of the Town Crier have the opportunity of making or updating their Will with Goodwills and helping a charity of their choice, at no additional cost.

Call Michael Rhodes (8am-8pm)

Goodwills Legal Services Ltd is a well established regulated law firm that has been assisting local families for many years.

Goodwills offers a helpful and professional home visit service that assists people with Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Probate, prepaid funeral plans and a range of other related services.

Email: info@goodwillslocal.co.uk Website: www.goodwillslocal.co.uk

Goodwills will make a substantial donation to a charity of the reader’s choice when they mention the Town Crier Magazine and nominate a favourite good cause.

Prices include VAT, an individual consultation and your Will being produced by Goodwills Legal Services Ltd, a professional regulated law firm.

A donation will also be made for other work such as Lasting Powers of Attorney and prepaid funeral plans.

Free home visit from your local Goodwills consultant

Single Will only £88 Mirror Wills for couples only £148

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There is no additional cost to customers who will still benefit from low prices such as only £88 for a standard Single Will or only £148 for two standard Mirror Wills for a couple.

Michael Rhodes, Goodwills Senior Consultant for Wiltshire and the neighbouring areas, said: “We offer an individual, caring and professional service to local people and I am delighted that we will also be able to support Town Crier readers’ favourite charities in this way.

“I am sure local people will be pleased to know they are helping a favourite charity whilst also gaining the peace of mind and protection of a professionally drawn up Will, Trust, Lasting Power of Attorney or prepaid funeral plan.”

Appointments can be booked by calling Michael Rhodes on 01225 683062 or contacting him by email at info@goodwillslocal.co.uk or via the website www.goodwillslocal.co.uk

London River Cruise January Competition donated by Marc Fitchett Travel Counsellor was won by Anita Evans from Royal Wootton Bassett Dancing Flavours Recipe Book February Competition donated by Wafaa Powell was won

by Caroline May from Calne The Town Crier Magazine | APRIL 2017

15

What’s On

Modern Times:

The School of London Swindon Museum & Art Gallery

Swindon’s impressive Art Collection has returned back to Swindon after a very successful exhibition at Osborne Samuel Gallery in the heart of Mayfair giving the London art world a chance to discover this collection for themselves.

Following on from this success, a new exhibition at the Swindon Museum and Art Gallery looks back into how a group of painters transformed the British art world. The School of London shared connections to the capital, its art schools and galleries, and produced confident, expressive paintings which reflected the world in which they lived and worked.

In 1976, RB Kitaj curated an influential exhibition entitled ‘The Human Clay’, and featured many great artists including Lucian Freud, Leon Kossoff, Frank Auerbach and Maggi Hambling. He described this group of artists as the ‘School of London’ and wrote about their “unique and strong” artistic personalities, the quality of their work and their imagination.

This new exhibition brings together works by members of the School of London from Swindon’s important collection of modern British art and features Frank Auerbach, Lucien Freud, Richard Hamilton and Leon Kossoff. Recent acquisitions by RB Kitaj and Joe Tilson are displayed for the first time. The exhibition also features their friends, teachers and influences.

Modern Times runs till Saturday 1 July.

Swindon Museum and Art Gallery, Bath Road, Old Town, Swindon SN1 4BA www.swindonmuseumandartgallery.org.uk From 4th April SMAG will be open from Tuesdays through Saturdays, from 10am until 5pm Osborne Samuel Gallery – Credit: Toby Kirk Media

Wessex Concert Orchestra Under the baton of its new conductor, Tim Harrison, the Wessex Concert Orchestra is making a welcome return to Malmesbury Abbey on Saturday 29th April at 7.30pm.

The highlight of the evening must be the Grieg Piano Concerto.

It was written in 1868, when Grieg was just 25 and was inspired by marriage and fatherhood.

This is one of the best known piano concertos particularly in Britain – being brought to popular notice in a famous Morecambe and Wise sketch with conductor Andre Previn where Eric Morecambe famously played "all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order". The soloist for the evening will be You-Chiung Lin. She says ‘I am super excited to be joining the Wessex Concert Orchestra to perform the Grieg Piano Concerto as a part of a delightful programme and I am looking forward to visiting and playing at the magnificent Malmesbury Abbey for the very first time.’

Finlandia by Sibelius is possibly the most famous piece by Sibelius. This piece was inspired by protest against Nicholas II, Emperor of Russia. Sibelius wanted to be part of this action and in 1901, a standalone symphonic poem entitled Finlandia was first performed. It has turned out to be one of his most popular works.

The rousing Sibelius 3rd Symphony is also on offer and the cameo pieces Grieg’s Wedding ad Troldhaugen, Letzter Fruhling (Last Spring from Elegiac Melodies) and Andante Feastivo by Sibelius.

This promises to be a wonderful evening of Scandinavian music in the beautiful setting of Malmesbury Abbey Tickets at £12 (£10 concessions) are on sale from Malmesbury Abbey Bookshop Thomas of Malmesbury , The Triangle Website – www.wco.org.uk And on the door subject to availability.

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The Town Crier Magazine | APRIL 2017

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The Town Crier Magazine | APRIL 2017

17

What’s On

Malmesbury Concert Band Malmesbury Concert Band (MCB) is now rehearsing weekly for a busy series of engagements this year, after an active programme of performances during 2016.

Scarecrow Trail

COME AND TAKE PART IN THE

LEA VILLAGE PIG CHASE

2017

Sunday 14th May START THE TRAIL ANYTIME BETWEEN 1PM AND 4PM STARTS AT LEA AND GARSDON PRIMARY SCHOOL PLAYGROUND THE STREET, LEA, SN16 9PG

‘Trot’ on down to Lea and Garsdon school playground to collect your trail map. ‘Snuffle’ out the trail around the village and guess the name of the scarecrow pigs. Look out for the

‘Tamworth Two’ and don’t eat too many ‘Percy Pigs’. Take the opportunity to ‘Pig out’ on a hog roast, ice cream and homemade cakes, tea and coffee.

Family Trail Map cost £5 (Pram friendly route) Money raised for Lea and Garsdon School Association New classroom interactive smart boards Charity number: 1073265 For more information contact: catherinejcarter@outlook.com

In addition to Bandstand concerts, these included: their annual Musical Extravaganza at the Town Hall; the Remembrance Day service in Malmesbury Abbey; and, just before Christmas, carols in Brinkworth Church and at the Malmesbury Market Cross.

What’s On in 2017 14th May – Royal Victoria Park Bandstand, Bath – 2pm 21st May – Hot Air Balloon launch – Crosshayes, Malmesbury 3.30pm (alternate wet weather date: 4th June) 3rd June – Market Cross, Malmesbury – 10.30am 1st July – Oaksey Village Fete – 2.00pm 23rd July – Stratford Park Bandstand, Stroud – 2.30pm 17th Sept – John Coles Park Bandstand, Chippenham – 3.00pm 30th Sept – Market Cross, Malmesbury – 10.30am 28th Oct – Musical Extravaganza, Town Hall, Malmesbury – 7.30pm 12th Nov – Remembrance Service, Malmesbury Abbey – 2pm 15th Dec – Carols – Brinkworth Church – 6.30pm 16th Dec – Carols – Market Cross, Malmesbury – 11.00am MCB is a concert wind band with approximately 35 woodwind and brass playing members. Subject to vacancies, it’s always happy to welcome new members.

The Band is always pleased to receive requests to play at events in the local area.

For more information about the Band, please visit: www.freewebs.com/malmesburyconcertband/

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The Town Crier Magazine | APRIL 2017

Residents of Hill House say that it is their ...

‘Home from Home’ Hill House is a Country House set in open countryside once owned by the Chamberlain family.

We offer nursing, residential, respite, day care and end of life care. Please give us a call if you would like more information on our lovely Home.

‘Person centred care sees residents as equal partners in planning, developing and assessing care to make sure it is the most appropriate for their needs. It involves putting residents and their families at the heart of all decisions.’ Norma & Chad Doveton (Owners of Hill House) The recently opened new wing has large living and dining areas overlooking the Dauntsey Vale.

There are many new features including community coffee hub, bar, hairdressing salon, nail bar, ensuite shower in each room, large assisted bathrooms, WiFi throughout. The gardens are a magnificent feature of Hill House where you can enjoy peace and

tranquillity sat on the terraces. We have introduced a new person centred software system to ensure a high standard of record keeping and enabling staff to spend more time with residents.

care home

We continue to drive our Homes forward to achieve ever higher standards. We recognise training our staff is the key to providing the best care possible. Training also helps staff to achieve their personal goals, career development and to be happy and fulfilled in their work. We are looking for highly motivated caring individuals to work in our new Home and have several vacancies including Registered Nurses and Care Assistants.

If you would like to be part of our team please call us on: 01666 822363

Hill House Care Home, Little Somerford, Nr Malmesbury SN15 5BH Tel: 01666 822363 email: hillhousemanager@gmail.com • www.countrycarehomes.co.uk

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7 Burnham Road, Malmesbury, Wiltshire SN16 0BQ The Town Crier Magazine | APRIL 2017

19

Gardening

Fuchsia perfect

by Rachael Leverton

Make sure you pinch out the shoot tips frequently. It delays the flowers a little but they will become bushy little plants which produce more flowers in the long-run.

If you have a smaller plot try “Tom Thumb” or “Alice Hoffman”.

They are named after a 16th Century German herbalist and physician called Leonard Fuchs.

Lots of gardeners struggle to spell fuchsia but if you think of his name and stick and ‘ia’ on the end you have it!

In mild areas or at the seaside they can grow into huge shrubs. Elsewhere hard frosts see off most of the top growth in winter, then new shoots burst up from the soil in the spring, maturing into small shrubs about 2-3 feet / 60-100cm tall.

At this time of year rooted cuttings are cheap. Grow them on for a few weeks under cover, changing the pot to a slightly larger one as they grow, then plant them out in May. Choose a sunny spot in welldrained soil.

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The Town Crier Magazine | APRIL 2017

There are lots of lovely varieties.

“Mrs. Popple” is tall with red and purple flowers. “Mrs. W. P. Wood” is paler with pearly flowers. I have a soft spot for “Whiteknight’s Pearl” which is a beautiful pale pink.

Once they are mature you can more or less leave them to it.

Simply sprinkle a handful or two of fertiliser around them in the spring and again in the summer.

It’s a little known fact that the berries and inner petals of fuchsias are edible (though it’s worth noting that ‘edible’ doesn’t mean they necessarily taste good!). However there is now a variety bred especially for eating. It’s called “Berry” and produces fruit with a flavour something like a sweet fig. The fuchsia berries are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants.

They don’t have a long shelf life so pick them when they are soft and squishy and eat them fresh, or freeze small quantities as you collect them, until you have enough to make fuchsia jam or add to muffins, much as you might add blueberries.

Inset: iStock.com/isuaneye

I

LOVE HARDY FUCHSIAS. They are some of the most rewarding plants to grow.

They are easy to propagate, flower well and are not the least bit temperamental.

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As the night progressed, our staff served each course efficiently and unobtrusively having liaised with the organisers about their needs and wants for the evening. In this case there was also an on-the-night raffle for a local charity and we were able to display raffle items on a table in the room to generate interest during the evening.

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The Town Crier Magazine | APRIL 2017

21

Food & Drink

Easter Choc Fudge Cupcakes Fun to make with the kids METHOD

For the cakes: He at oven to 190C/fa n 170C/ gas 5 and put the cases into a fairy -cake tin.

Sieve the dry ingr edients into a bo wl. Add the remaining ingred ients and beat fo r 2 mins with an electric hand-w hisk until smooth . Divide between the case s so they are twothirds filled, then bake for 12 -15 mins or until risen. Cool on a wire rack.

For the frosting: Microwave the ch ocolate on High for 1 min. Cr eam the butter an d sifted icing sugar togeth er, then beat in th e melted chocolate. Spread over the cakes an d decorate with mini chocola te eggs of choice!

INGREDIENTS CAKES 140g soft unsalted butter 140g caster sugar 3 medium eggs 100g self-raising flour 25g cocoa powder ICING 85g milk chocolate / or plain if you prefer less sweet icing.

85g softened butter (I actually like salted butter for the icing but unsalted works well).

140g icing sugar (sifted) Mini chocolate eggs of choice for decoration.

Preparation time: 15 minutes + marinating time Cooking time: 12-15 minutes Makes: 12-16 (depending on case size) 22

The Town Crier Magazine | APRIL 2017

Happy Easter Sunday 16th April

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slimmingworld.co.uk 0344 897 8000 The Town Crier Magazine | APRIL 2017

23

Technology

What is the Internet of Things?

T

by Kate Duggan

HE ‘internet of things’ refers to electronic devices connecting to each other using the internet. It’s a way to collect information and improve efficiency. Take as an example, a Fitbit or other fitness-tracking device. These give you an indication of how many steps you’ve walked or ran in a day, your heart rate, calories burned and so on. You can also synch one to an app on your phone, or to an online account. Then you can check your progress over a week, how you compare to other people you’re sharing information with, how many calories you’ve burnt off and so on. If you also sync your account up with ‘smart’ scales, it’ll keep track of your weight and BMI, to give you a fuller picture of your health in one place.

Smart homes Smart home devices are becoming increasingly common. They let you control your heating, hot water, lights and other technology while you’re out of the house. Let’s say you’re running late from work.

You realise you’re going to miss your favourite TV programme, so you use your phone to set it to record.

You also postpone the heating coming on, and turn a light on so it looks like someone is home. At least you know your security cameras will send an alert to your phone if they detect any movement.

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The Town Crier Magazine | APRIL 2017

On the way home, you nip to the supermarket, but can’t remember whether you need milk. A couple of clicks and your smart fridge has sent you a photo of its contents. After buying the milk, you turn your heating on, and set your coffee machine to have a brew ready for when you get in.

Smart health The internet of things isn’t just about making our lives a bit easier. Trials are underway to see how it could help people with pre-existing medical conditions. Medical devices that patients use at home can collect data to give healthcare providers a better picture of a patient’s day-to-day health. Doctors can even be sent an alert if measurements go above or below a safe level.

Smart cities By using smart technology, and acting on data, cities could become more efficient. From bins that send an alert when they need emptying, to traffic lights that help reduce congestion, the internet of things is set to bring about a lot of changes. It may seem like sci-fi, but it might not be that long until you’re travelling in a driver-less vehicle, which knows exactly where there’s an available parking space, and any road closures to avoid on the way to your destination.

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The Town Crier Magazine | APRIL 2017

25

Money

Savings accounts explained W

HETHER you’re saving for a holiday or a rainy day, there are lots of ways you can earn interest on your money, from peer-to-peer lending to fixed rate bonds. The most popular options include:

separate account. That way your savings won’t disappear on paying the bills. Keep an eye open for offers. Lots of banks will offer you a bonus for opening an account, but you might have to pay in a minimum amount each month.

Cash ISAs Cash ISAs let you save up to £20,000 a year tax free. Fixed-rates ISAs tend to earn you more interest than easy-access ones, but you will have to pay a penalty if you withdraw money early. The new Lifetime ISA is for people under 40 who are saving for their pension, or for a first house. You can save up to £4,000 a year and the government will top it up by 25%.

Savings accounts Savings accounts aren’t paying huge levels of interest at the moment, but they are still worth a look. Regular savings accounts, where you put a fixed sum away each month, usually pay a little more. And ones where you lock your money away for a set time pay more again. The interest rate is still pretty low in most cases though, so you might want to consider other options first.

Bank accounts Some bank accounts are currently offering higher rates of interest than savings accounts. At the time of writing this article, Nationwide was offering 5% interest on balances up to £2,500, for the first year, for people paying in at least £1,000 every month. However, to use a bank account to save money in, you might want to open a 26

The Town Crier Magazine | APRIL 2017

It’s not just about the AER AER stands for Annual Equivalent Rate. It shows you the percentage of interest you’d earn if you left your money in an account for a year. While the AER is certainly an important deciding factor, it’s not the only thing you’ll want to consider. Other questions to ask yourself include:

• Whether you want to be able to get to your money straight away if you need it.

• How long you’re planning to save for.

• Whether you want a guaranteed return or are prepared to take a risk in the hopes of making more money.

• Whether you want to save regular amounts each month, or lump sums.

• How you want your money to be invested.

• Whether the organisation aligns with your values (e.g. will it invest your money in animal testing, or green energy projects)?

• How good the customer service is. www.moneysavingexpert.com is a good place to visit to find out the latest ‘best-buys’. It also gives information about customer satisfaction rates.

by Kate Duggan

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27

13:49:24 January 15, 2014 1 of 2 Sarah

Puzzles

St George’s Day D

PUZZLE CORNER

ID you know that St George never actually set foot in Britain? It’s believed he was born in Lydda in Palestine, or in Cappadocia (now in central Turkey), and brought up in Palestine. His father was a Roman soldier, and when his parents died, George decided he would travel to Nicomedia (Turkey) to join the Roman army. He served for several years, progressing up the ranks to become an imperial guard of the Emperor.

George was a devout Christian, and was tortured and executed for refusing to give up his Christian faith. It’s believed that he was killed on 23rd April 300AD, which is why St George’s Day is celebrated on April 23rd each year.

So where does the dragon come into it? The legend of George and the dragon dates back hundreds of years, to the 11th century, if not earlier. According to the legend, a dragon was terrorising a small village. The villagers would sacrifice their children to appease the dragon.

One day George was riding past the village and met a young princess, whose turn it was to be sacrificed.

George rescued the girl and offered to slay the dragon for the villagers, if they would convert to Christianity.

They agreed, so he killed the dragon.

Today the Feast of St George is celebrated in countries across the world, including Palestine, Syria, Hungary and the Czech Republic. If you’re taking part, perhaps you could adopt the old English custom of wearing a red rose in your lapel on St George’s Day.

by Kate Duggan

ACROSS 1 Gawks, stares (5) 4 Registers, documents (5) 7 Levitating, fluttering (8) 8 Greek god of love (4) 9 Most chaotic, most unkempt (8) 11 Kiln or stove for drying hops (4) 12 Baby swan (6) 14 Church room (6) 16 Niche, hole (4) 18 Delirious, overjoyed (8) 20 Elliptical (4) 21 Unspoken, implied (8) 23 Reboot, start again (5) 24 Parting, leaving (5)

DOWN 1 Store, minimarket (7) 2 Iron, flatten (5) 3 _ _ _ Sunday - Winter sports programme (3) 4 Downsides, bad points (9) 5 Mini earthquakes, vibrations (7) 6 Footwear (5) 10 Radical, zealot (9) 13 Stinging plants (7) 15 Fence, barrier - mostly metal (7) 17 Romantic partner (5) 19 Excuse, defence (5) 22 Small, wrinkly dog! (3)

Solutions to the crossword and sudoku on page 30

28

The Town Crier Magazine | APRIL 2017

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The Town Crier Magazine | APRIL 2017

29

Books

A Good Read

The Guilty One

by Lisa Ballantyne

.........................................................................................

It is true that the premise of this book may put some people off: eight-year-old Ben is found dead in a park and eleven-year-old Sebastian is arrested and charged with his murder. With echoes of other high profile cases it does ask us to question how our behaviour as adults can lead to horrific consequences.

However, it is a very well-written and gripping novel.

The focus of the story is Daniel, a solicitor chosen to represent Sebastian in court. Despite the child being quite difficult to warm to, Daniel sees something of himself in the boy and he begins to recall his own childhood as the son of a drug addict, who spent most of his time in foster care. Here the narrative splits and we discover his story in the mid-1980s interspersed in the current day court case.

Ballantyne successfully transports us back to a cold farm in the North of England where Daniel finally finds the warmth and love he has been looking for in the shape of his foster mother, Minnie. She immediately takes to this boy that no one else wants and an unlikely relationship develops between them. What becomes apparent though is that something went very wrong with the relationship and as an adult, facing the death of Minnie, and the trial of young Sebastian, Daniel is forced to confront his own childhood whilst we are left wondering who the guilty one really is.

The Bad Beginning: A Series of Unfortunate Events

by Lemony Snicket

.........................................................................................

There are some children’s books that invite you in.

Literature has long been used to escape from the real world and children’s literature is no exception.

30

The Town Crier Magazine | APRIL 2017

Whether it is an escape to a magical boarding school where you realise you are someone special, or a fantastical journey down a rabbit hole, you can expect to be welcomed into the new world for the next 200 or so pages.

Not so here. There is a very clear warning that you do not want to learn of the terrible events that will occur to the three Baudelaire children.

But tell a child not to do something and they most certainly will and so this novel – the first in the series – has been a hit with readers since it was first published in 1999.

With a new adaptation premiering on Netflix it seems a perfect time to return to the original story. Set in a timeless version of our world we are introduced to the Baudelaire’s: Violet, Klaus, and baby Sunny. Their life is turned upside down when their parents die in a house fire and they are sent to live with Count Olaf, a mysterious man who lives in a crumbling mansion and owns a theatre troupe.

You know from the beginning that this will not end well and are told “if you enjoy books with happy endings then you are best of reading another book.” You have been warned!

Reviews by Willow Coby

Crossword & Sudoku solution page 28

FOR ALL YOUR ELECTRICAL, PLUMBING & RENEWABLE REQUIREMENTS Electrical: Rewires, Alterations, LED Lighting,

Test & Inspecting, Domestic, Commercial,

Industrial & Agricultural Plumbing: Refurbishment, Central Heating, Hot Water &

General Repairs, Wood Burners & Flue Installations Renewable: Solar PV & Battery Storage, Solar Hot Water,

Air/Ground/Water Source Heat Pumps &

Biomass Boilers Wilts Electrical Contracting Ltd, 10 Harris Road, Porte Marsh Ind Est, Calne, Wiltshire, SN11 9PT

Tel: 01249 812850

Email: enquiries@weclimited.co.uk www.weclimited.co.uk

The Town Crier Magazine | APRIL 2017

31

WINDOW WINDOW OF OF OPPORTUNITY? OPPORTUNITY?

WE ARE LOOKING FOR NEW PEOPLE TO JOIN OUR AWARD WINNING TEAM WE ARE LOOKING FOR NEW PEOPLE TO JOIN OUR AWARD WINNING TEAM Whether you have experience in sales, lettings, or new homes, looking for a complete change, Whether you have experience in sales, lettings, or new homes, looking for a complete change, wanting an opportunity to develop your current career plans or kick start your new career, we wanting an opportunity to develop your current career plans or kick start your new career, we would love to hear from you. would love to hear from you.

Please email us on hr@richardjames.info with your CV Please email us on hr@richardjames.info with your CV or visit richardjames.info/careers or visit richardjames.info/careers

SOUTH WEST ESTATE AGENCY OF THE YEAR 2016 SOUTH AGENCY OF THE YEAR 2016 32 TheWEST Town CrierESTATE Magazine | APRIL 2017