Thatcham Connections - Issue 80 (Summer)

Issue 80 SUMMER 2021

Gardening Matters Smart Gardening

Love Matters Hope

Mind Matters Say What You Mean

Money Matters

Retirement Interest-Only

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ARE ARE AREYOU YOU YOULOOKING LOOKING LOOKINGFOR FOR FORCARE CARE CAREININ INTHE THE THE COMFORT COMFORT COMFORTOF OF OFYOUR YOUR YOUROWN OWN OWNHOME? HOME? HOME? D.OSTEEN D.OSTEEN D.OSTEEN HOMECARE HOMECARE HOMECARE SUPPORT SUPPORT SUPPORT ISIS IS HERE HERE HERE TOTO TO HELP! HELP! HELP! WeWe We areare are a community aacommunity community care care care provider provider provider based based based in in in Newbury, Newbury, Newbury, offering offering offering a range aarange range of support of ofsupport support options options options in the in inthe the comfort comfort comfort of your of ofyour your own own own home. home. home.

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OUR OUR OUR HOME HOME HOME CARE CARE CARE SERVICES SERVICES SERVICES INCLUDE: INCLUDE: INCLUDE:

•• Personal •Personal Personal Care Care Care •• Support •Support Support with with with Meal Meal Meal Preparation Preparation Preparation •• Shopping, •Shopping, Shopping, Collecting Collecting Collecting Prescriptions, Prescriptions, Prescriptions, Medications Medications Medications and and and similar similar similar chores chores chores •• Light •Light Light Household Household Household Cleaning Cleaning Cleaning •• Companionship •Companionship Companionship •• Hospital •Hospital Hospital Discharge Discharge Discharge Care Care Care •• Dementia •Dementia Dementia Care Care Care •• End-of-Life •End-of-Life End-of-Life Care Care Care Here Here Here is what isiswhat what ourour our clients clients clients saysay say about about about us!us! us!

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With With With thethe the Coronavirus Coronavirus Coronavirus outbreak outbreak outbreak wewe we areare are working working working closely closely closely withwith with thethe the relevant relevant relevant authorities, authorities, authorities, including including including thethe the Public Public Public Health Health Health England., England., England., Care Care Care Quality Quality Quality Commission Commission Commission andand and UKUK UK Home Home Home Care Care Care Association Association Association . Our . .Our Our Carers Carers Carers have have have been been been trained trained trained areare are working working working in-line in-line in-line withwith with local local local andand and national national national guidelines guidelines guidelines .We .We .We always always always take take take proactive proactive proactive steps steps steps to toto ensure ensure ensure wewe we have have have controls controls controls andand and contingency contingency contingency measures measures measures in place ininplace place to help totohelp help protect protect protect service service service users users users andand and ourour our employees. employees. employees.

Their Their Their safety safety safety andand and wellbeing wellbeing wellbeing remains remains remains ourour our toptop top priority. priority. priority.

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‘Our aim is to try and connect local businesses to local people.’

Distribution Thatcham Connections is a local independent magazine. We aim to think Local, Buy Local and live Local.

We print five times a year.Tried and Tested over thirteen years.

It is delivered free to 10,000 homes and businesses in Ashmore Green, Cold Ash, Curridge, Hermitage, Midgham,Thatcham, Woolhampton, UpperBucklebury and Yattendon.

How We Work We understand that the needs of a small business are quite different from those of a big company, and our advertising service is very much targeted at independent and local businesses. From advert design to general advice we are here to help you grow.

Technical & Legal Matters Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that the data in this magazine is accurate, the Publisher cannot accept, and hereby disclaims, any liability to any party for loss or damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accident or any other cause.

No part of this magazine may be reproduced, sorted in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form - electronic, mechanical, recording, photocopying, or otherwise - without prior permission of the Publisher.

All in-house artwork and editorial presented in this magazine remains the copyright of Ursula Aitken.

Contact Details Ursula Aitken Publisher and Editor Stable 5, Gravelly Bridge Farm House Grazeley, Reading, RG7 1LG

Dear Reader

Welcome to the Summer issue of Thatcham Connections.

"No man is an island” is a famous line by the English poet, John Donne. As the front cover suggests, we all need each other—and some people of course need more than others!

Thank goodness the Pandemic rules for visiting Care Homes are now somewhat relaxed.

It is great that at last our social lives are opening up a bit - and that we are able to enjoy certain outside events, - please see page 28 where there are just a few (More, hopefully, in next issue.)

Pubs and restaurants are in the heart of our community— some may have gone for good. However, let us support the ones we can.

I am thrilled and excited to announce that shortly here (in HQ) we are becoming a mother and daughter team—as my daughter, Rebecca (Becka) will soon be joining us. Becka has always taken a keen interest in the magazine and between us both we hope to give you double the service and double the help and expertise!

We are also planning some exciting changes in the near future, so watch this space and keep your eyes peeled for updates in the coming issues.

Meanwhile, have some good relaxing summer days!

Warmest Regards,

Tel: 0118 988 6070 active@thatchamconnections.co.uk www.thatcamconnections.co.uk August 2021

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Editor, Thatcham Connections

Ursula Aitken

CONTENTS Forest Holidays In the Pink Sounds of Summer Puzzle Page Camping with Kids Waterproof Tech Working from Home Handy Numbers What’s on in the Community Don’t pay too much Tax Make the Switch Beginners Guide to Stocks and Shares Working in the Garden Smart Gardens The Best Tech for Healthy Living Love Matters: Hope Kids Page The history of the Pandemic Recipe Mind Matters: Say what you mean Clubs and Organisations Book Reviews Handy Numbers

6 10 12 16 22 24 25 26 28 34 35 38 40 44 47 48 50 54 56 57 58 59 60

“If we are together nothing is impossible.”

Winston Churchill

Copy date for next issue is: Friday 8th October 2021, please keep in touch: active@thatchamconnections.co.uk or telephone Please 0118 mention Thatcham Connections when responding advertisements 9886070 (please leave message if we are to out).

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Kielder is also home to the biggest man-made lake in Northern Europe, making it a popular spot for water sports enthusiasts. With miles of beautiful trails, including forest walks and adrenalineboosting mountain bike tracks, Kielder invites you to have your own mini adventure.

From the starry skies of Galloway Forest Park to Kielder’s wildlife-rich woodland, some of our country’s most magical forests can be found in northern England and Scotland. We’ve put together three of our favourites, perfect for your next staycation.

The forest is a haven for wildlife too. Around 50% of England’s native red squirrels call it home, and rare wildlife including ospreys, pipistrelle bats, roe deer, salmon otters and water voles can also be found here.

Just like Galloway, Kielder is famous for its dark skies. The forest’s remote location in Northumberland means it’s virtually unaffected by light pollution, making it a stargazer’s paradise.

Don’t miss a trip to Kielder Observatory, where you can book ahead to attend a number of fascinating astronomical events.

Glen Affric, Inverness, Scotland A medley of native woods, glittering lochs, snowcapped mountains and dramatic moorland, Scotland’s Glen Affric could easily have been plucked out of Canada.

Galloway

Galloway Forest, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland Where better to start than with the UK’s largest forest? At 297 square miles, Scotland’s Galloway Forest Park is a sprawling playground of ancient woodland, magnificent scenery and an astonishing range of wildlife.

Light pollution is so low here that the forest has been recognised as a Dark Sky Park – meaning that its skies are perfect for stargazing. After a night camping out under the stars, start your adventures from one of the park’s three visitor centres.

With over 30 miles of ancient pinewoods, the forest has one of the largest ancient Caledonian pine woods in Scotland. The woodland is so treasured, it’s become part of the Scottish government’s regeneration project, with a target of 25% forest cover to reach by 2050.

Wander amongst the pine trees to the sound of woodland birds, looking out for ospreys, otters and red deer stags. Or tackle some of Affric’s hiking trails, punctuated with thundering waterfalls and jagged canyons. This is Scotland at its most spectacular.

Dog Falls are a must-see and provide a good starting point for several walking trails. Climb the gradual ascent to the spectacular viewpoint overlooking Loch Beinn a’ Mheadhoin, or picnic beneath the pine trees by Coire Loch.

Kirroughtree is your gateway to more active adventures, including the award-winning 7stanes mountain bike trails. If wildlife spotting is more your scene, look out for roe deer and rare red squirrels, or visit the park’s Red Deer Range.

Galloway isn’t just woodland either. There are around 250 lochs to discover as you explore the park’s scenic walking and cycling trails.

Kielder Forest, Northumberland, England When it comes to size, Northumberland’s Kielder Forest is also a front runner. Spanning 235 square miles, it’s the largest forest in England – and the second largest in the UK.

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Glen Affric

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By Katherine Sorrell

Bright and breezy, fun and summery, bubblegum pink will add a ‘pop’ of colour to any home, both indoors and outside. ç Made from linen, pompoms and ‘60s-style typography, this cushion adds a dash of fun and colour. ‘Love’ cushion, £39.50, redcandy.co.uk.

Add a touch of paradise with this tropical wallpaper. Under The Banana Tree wallpaper in hot pink, £38, lusthome.com. è

é This bath has embraced bold colour in the form of a pretty pink. There are 193 other colours available. River BacktoWall bath in custom colour ‘Pink Blush’, £2,290, Waters Baths of watersbaths.co.uk.

A traditional portrait with an ironic modern twist, this art print has a touch of mischief. Bubblegum Portrait 1, £261 (framed), mineheart.com. è

ç With a lovely feel of Oriental style, this art print is available to buy unframed in A4, A3 and A2 sizes, or as part of a set of three prints. Dark Pink Ginkgo Leaves botanical art print, from £22, claudeandleighton.com.

é This garden furniture set is made from sturdy steel frames and PE pink rattan. Three-piece String bistro set, £149.99, sueryder.org/shop.

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Using accents of bright pink • There’s no denying that vivid pink has vigour, vim and vivacity. It’s a great colour to introduce in small doses, in almost any room of the house, or even in the garden.

• True bubblegum pink is quite artificial, but if you prefer something softer and more natural, opt for rose-pink tones. What colours to team it with? Touches of fuchsia, orange or turquoise would be bold and full of impact, while black is sophisticated and dramatic. For a more subtle effect, try dove grey, lilac or soft blue.

• Covering a single wall with pink paint or wallpaper can lift the spirits. Try a wall of your living room, hallway or even home office. In the bedroom, an understated pink will be restful and romantic.

• Bringing in a single item of furniture, rug, light fitting, throw, cushion or framed art work in your chosen shade of pink can offer an instant refresh to a room. The tiniest of additions can cost very little – perhaps adding a pompom trim to a plain cushion, painting a picture frame or placing a small vase or ornament on a shelf. You may then decide that a whole burst of bubblegum is the way to go.

By Katherine Sorrell

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Puzzle Page Puzzle Page

See page 62 for Answers

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

3 letters: 12 4 letters: 14 5 letters: 5 6 letters: 1

Wordwheel

Sudoku Easy

Each word to be three letters or more (but no plurals), and all must contain the central letter. There’s at least one word which uses all of the letters.

Target: Excellent: 60 or more words Good: 52 words Fair: 43 words

R

O T

E

N

C U

N

?????

Word Ladder

H

Change one letter at a time (but not the position of any letter) to make a new word moving from top to bottom.

TEAR

©Puzzlepress.co.uk

Sudoku Hard

16

DROP

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See page 70 for Answers

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at orchard Life OFFERiNG a RaNGE OF CLassEs aND HEaLtHCaRE Iyengar yoga Teacher Maria Bird

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aBouT us At Orchard Life, our practitioners have come together to offer our clients a range of therapies to suit their individual needs. Our aim is to empower every one of our clients to make treatment choices and to guide and support them in their unique plan. Practitioners and teachers working together to advise, within our range of expertise, on health advice. We take time to listen to you.

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19

Pets in a divorce How does it work?

Going through a divorce is always a tough situation. If you have children, it can be a tumultuous time coming to an agreement for arrangements. When it comes to pets in a divorce, however, how are the arrangements decided?

A nation of pet lovers It is safe to say that Britain has a long-held reputation as a nation of animal lovers. Indeed, British animal protection laws date back to 1822. We have remained as obsessed with our pets as ever before.

Each year the Pet Food Manufacturers Association, PFMA, commissions research into the UK’s pet population. In 2021 due to the Pandemic, the survey moved online. It found that more than half of Brits keep a minimum of one pet.

To be more specific, British households host 12 million dogs, 12 million cats and, amongst a wide range of more exotic beasts, some 600,000 hamsters and 400,000 tortoises and turtles.

When things go wrong It is no surprise, therefore, that disputes over pet ownership within divorce or separation have become common features in court.

For example, when the husband left the family home leaving Freddie, the dog, behind, it was clear to my client that it was a declaration that Freddie belonged to her. This belief was reinforced by the fact that the husband did not seek to remove the dog when he collected his belongings but sought a timetable for when he could have Freddie for walks and stayovers. Problems arose during a prearranged access when the husband refused to return Freddie claiming he had paid for Freddie and various medical procedures and thus belonged to him. My client called the police who said it was a matter for the civil courts. The civil courts rejected the case and said it was a matter for the family courts as part of the divorce and financial proceedings.

What happens to pets during a divorce?

The family court would have to treat a pet as a ‘chattel’. Chattel means an object or property other than freehold land such as furniture or the golf clubs.

Pets have no special status for being loved as a member of the family, and the strong emotional attachments often formed with them, as much as with a child of the family, are not recognised.

income needs of a party as part of the overall financial award given by one party to the other.

For couples who are not married the court may work on strictly legal principles of contract law, i.e., give the pet to the person who paid for it or under whose name it is registered with the vet.

Regrettably, many judges are reluctant to make an order regarding pets and will not spend a lot of court time considering which party should be allowed to keep the family pet. This is because the court views the financial matters and child arrangements as much more important issues.

How are pets divided in a divorce?

Clearly, the court is neither able nor willing to take a pet’s wellbeing into account, nor even to settle disputes for formal shared arrangement.

To avoid these difficulties, a prenuptial arrangement for couples planning to marry or, for unmarried couples, a cohabitation agreement would most likely resolve the issue amicable. Such agreements can set out any arrangements including : • • • • • • •

Who the pet belongs to Who is to care for the family pet How the costs of its care are to be split Who the pet will live with Visitation rights Who would walk the pet Who pays for its food, vets bills, grooming costs

Prenuptials and cohabitation agreements are not used much in England and Wales and are not automatically enforceable. Nevertheless, they would carry weight with the judges if entered into fairly.

Of course, a pet can sense changes in its environment and couples must be sensitive to this when seeking to solve shared pet arrangements and ownership.

Author’s Details: Stephanie Minte, Solicitor – Family T: 01635 508196 E: s.minte@gardner-leader.co.uk

Nevertheless the court can order transfer of ownership, the same way it would for pensions or a vehicle. The court can even make provisions for the maintenance of the family pet when calculating

20

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47

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TMH Hairdressing Ltd

Tel: 07565 594356

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Steve has over 25 years experience as a qualified Bench Joiner and Carpenter

Local Mobile Hairdresser Friendly, Flexibile and Professional 30 Years Experience

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As most of his work is word of mouth and recommendations from satisfied clients, so references, if requested, can easily be supplied.

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21

Top tips whole lot lotmore moreenjoyable… enjoyable…

Top tipstotomaking makingsleeping sleepingunder under the the stars stars aa whole Fly the flag Fly the flag If, If, likelike me, you have me, you havethe thenavigation navigationskills skills of of Nemo’s best friend Dory, you may find Nemo’s best friend Dory, you may findyourself yourself getting lost occasionally. getting lost occasionally.AAtelescopic telescopicflag flagpole pole and and windsock is a useful marker, particularly if you’re windsock is a useful marker, particularly if you’re planning to to give the planning give thekids kidsaabitbitmore morefreedom. freedom.

ToTo wee oror not totowee wee not wee NoNo one enjoys a a3am one enjoys 3amtrek trektotothe theloo, loo,so so aa portable toilet is isyour portable toilet yourfriend. friend.AApotty pottyisisfine fine for for younger children, younger children,but butyou’ll you’llneed needsomething something aa bit bit more substantial more substantialfor forolder olderkids kids(and (andadults). adults).

If you have room, If you have room,a abucket bucketstyle styleloo looisisideal. ideal.

Otherwise, trytry a acollapsible Otherwise, collapsibletoilet. toilet.We Werecently recently bought BivvyLoo, Loo,which whichfolds foldsdown down small, small, bought thethe Bivvy supports stoneand andcomes comeswith with supports upup toto 2323stone biodegradable bagsand andpowder powdertototransform transform biodegradable bags liquid gel. liquid to to gel. there light LetLet there bebe light You’ll need headtorchestotofind findyour yourway way around around You’ll need headtorches after dark. rechargeablecamping campinglantern lantern is is after dark.

AA rechargeable also useful for evenings (and those 3am toilet also useful for evenings (and those 3am toilet breaks).

And stringofofsolar solarfairy fairylights lights around around breaks).

And a astring your door will help you to identify your tent at your door will help you to identify your tent at night.

(They alsolook lookrather ratherpretty.) pretty.) night.

(They also A decent night’s sleep A decent night’s sleep If you’re only planning to camp occasionally, air If you’re only planning to camp occasionally, air beds are usually fine. However, they do tend to beds are usually fine. However, they do tend to deflate somewhat overnight and don’t exactly deflate somewhat overnight and don’t exactly have the longest lifespan. While camping beds have longest lifespan. camping arethe more expensive, theyWhile can work out farbeds better arevalue moreinexpensive, they can work out farget better the long run. And you’re likely to a value in better the long run. sleep.

And you’re likely to get a much night’s much better night’s sleep.

Dress for the occasion Dress occasion Evenfor thethe hottest British summer’s day can turn Even hottestClose-fitting British summer’s can turn coolthe at night.

PJs (or day leggings and a cool at night.

Close-fitting PJswarmth (or leggings and a T-shirt) will help to keep the in.

T-shirt) will help to keep the warmth in.

Make sure you pack plenty of layers. You’ll Make sure you pack plenty layers.

You’ll appreciate a fleecy jumperof when you’re appreciate a fleecy jumper when you’re

22

huddled up sheltering from the rain. Speaking huddled up sheltering from the rain. Speaking of rain, rain, itit can canbe bedifficult difficulttotoget getdry dryin in a tent, of a tent, soso waterproofs are a good idea. waterproofs are a good idea.

Eat, drink drinkand andbe bemerry merry Eat, A camping campingstove stoveisisessential essentialforforanything anything longer A longer than a weekend break, even if you’re planning than a weekend break, even if you’re planning to mainly mainly barbecue barbecueororeat eatout. out.Stick Stick easy-toto toto easy-tocook meals, meals,from frombreakfast breakfastfry-ups fry-ups fajitas. cook toto fajitas.

Don’t have havean anelectric electrichook hookup? up? cool box with Don’t AA cool box with blocksmakes makesaauseful usefulfridge. fridge.You’ll You’ll need ice blocks need to to refreeze the theblocks blockseach eachday, day,which which you can refreeze you can usually do doininthe thesite siteshop. shop. usually My kids kids love love‘camping ‘campingcereal’ cereal’(aka (aka mini variety My mini variety packs). cereal bag. packs). Pour Pourthe themilk milkdirectly directlyinto intothe the cereal bag.

No bowl bowl ==less lesswashing washingup. up.

Ideally, a a Ideally, start startcollecting collectingcondiment condimentsachets sachets few have few weeks weeks before beforeyour yourholiday, holiday,sosoyou you have plenty etc. to to plenty of of ketchup, ketchup,mayonnaise, mayonnaise,vinegar vinegar etc. see see you you through. through.

And And what whatcamping campingtrip tripwould wouldbebecomplete complete without without toasting toastingmarshmallows? marshmallows?

Other essentials worth Other essentials worth packing include: packing include: • Washing line – string it • Washing line – string it between your tent and between tent and a tree to dryyour swimming a tree toon dry swimming costumes costumes • Baby wipes –on handy • noBaby wipes matter how – oldhandy the no matter how old the kids are kids are • Dustpan and brush Dustpan and brush • • Doormat Doormat • • First aid kit First aid kit • • Extra-thick thermal • socks Extra-thick thermal (Heat Holders socks are ideal)(Heat Holders are ideal) • Gaffer tape for tackling • leaks Gaffer tape for tackling • Travel games, a ball leaks a frisbee • and Travel games, a ball and a frisbee

By Kate Duggan

Please mention Thatcham Connections when responding to advertisements

By Kate Duggan

THE MATURE HANDYMAN FOR ALL THE JOBS YOU CANT DO YOURSELF! Martin Newman is a mature 50 plus tradesman with many years experience in the building and flooring trades.

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He aims to provide a reliable and professional property maintenance service for people of all ages.

He covers Thatcham, Newbury and surrounding areas.

He offers a ‘pay as you go’ service based on very reasonable half hourly rates, or fixed price quotes for jobs of 8 hours or more duration.

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23

Waterproof tech for outdoor entertaining Waterproof tech for outdoor entertaining The British summer is famous for its The British summer is famous for its unpredictability, playing havoc with outdoor unpredictability, playing with outdoor entertaining.

But with the havoc right gadgets, rain entertaining.

But with the right gadgets, rain needn’t stop play. needn’t stop play.

Lots of gadgets are either water resistant or Lots of gadgets either water resistant waterproof, so forare example you’ll often findor waterproof, so and for example you’ll often find smart speakers smartphones described andorsmartphones assmart IPX7,speakers IP67, IPX8 IP68. Thosedescribed numbers asimportant IPX7, IP67, IPX8 orthey IP68. numbers are because tellThose you exactly are important because they tell you exactly how protected the device is: IPX7 can survive how protected the device is: IPX7 can survive being dunked in up to 1m of water for up to 30 being dunked in up to 1m of water for up to 30 minutes; IP67 is the same but also dust-proof. minutes; IP67 is the same but also dust-proof.

IPX8 and IP68 can go slightly deeper (1.5m) IPX8 and IP68 can go slightly deeper (1.5m) forfor the same amount of time. the same amount of time.

Either rating Either ratingshould shouldensure ensurethat thatyour yourgadget gadget can cope with can cope withananunexpected unexpectedshower showeror or spill. spill.

If you’re a abarbecue If you’re barbecuefan, fan,you youdon’t don’tneed need to to stop cooking stop cookingjust justbecause becausethe theweather’s weather’s turned: allallyou turned: youneed needtotodo dototokeep keepyour your food food safe is is totokeep safe keepthe thelidliddown. down.IfIfyou youknow know in in advance that advance thatthe theforecast forecastisisbad badyou youcan can pre-cook most pre-cook mostofofyour yourfood foodininthe theoven oven for for aa quick sear quick searininthe thebarbecue barbecueatatthe theend, end, or or you you can use a aBluetooth can use Bluetooththermometer thermometersuch such as as the the

Meater+ to remotely monitor your barbecue, Meater+ to remotely barbecue, so you don’t get wetmonitor or haveyour to open the lid to so youon don’t getprogress. wet or have open the lid check your Justtobe aware thatto check on your aware thatof a persistent rainprogress. will lowerJust the be temperature persistent rain willbarbecue, lower the so temperature of more a traditional kettle you’ll need traditionalthan kettle soDon’t you’ll bring need a more charcoal onbarbecue, drier days. charcoal than on drier Don’t bring a such charcoal barbecue intodays. an enclosed area charcoal barbecue into an enclosed areaand such as a garage: the fumes are dangerous as a garage: the fumes and continue even after theare firedangerous is out. continue even after the fire is out.

Fancy a waterproof TV? You can get a fully Fancy a waterproof TV? You can get a fully weatherproof enclosure for TVs up to 43 weatherproof enclosure for TVs up to 43 inches for £891 from TheTVShield.co.uk, inches for £891 from TheTVShield.co.uk, rising to just over £3,000 for an enclosure rising to just over £3,000 for an enclosure big enough for a 70 to 80-inch display. These big enough for a 70 to 80-inch display. These enclosures can survive surviveaafull fullhour hourofofbeing being enclosures can sprayed with aa hose, hose,and andby byhaving havinga aseparate separate sprayed with enclosure you can can replace replacethe theTV TVwith witha a enclosure you similar-sized one any anytime. time. similar-sized one

Meater+ Meater+ ThisBluetooth Bluetooththermometer thermometer This withaa50m 50mrange range means means you you with canstay staydry drywithout without losing losing can trackofofyour yourbarbecue’s barbecue’s track progress, and it’s as useful progress, and it’s as useful indoors in the kitchen as it is in indoors in the kitchen as it is in a barbecue. £99, meater.com a barbecue. £99, meater.com

SonosRoam Roam Sonos you’realready already part IfIfyou’re part of of thethe Sonos music Sonosmulti-room multi-room music family, is is a great family,the theRoam Roam a great way system waytotoexpand expandyour your system totothe great outdoors.

It It the great outdoors. sounds great and is IP67 sounds great and is IP67 rated water. ratedfor fordust dustand and water. £159, £159,sonos.com sonos.com

GoPro HERO6 Black GoPro HERO6 Black This action camera is waterproof down to 33 feet, so This action camera is waterproof to 33 worrying feet, so it’s the perfect way to film outdoor down fun without it’s the perfect way to film outdoor fun without worrying about the camera getting dropped. It’s great for about the camera great for extremegetting sports dropped. too. £329,It’s GoPro.com extreme sports too. £329, GoPro.com

The TV Shield Weatherproof The TV Shield any TV with this complete enclosure, which can withstand for up to Weatherproof any TV constant with thishosing complete enclosure, an hour. rangeconstant from about 30 inches which canSizes withstand hosing for uptoto80 inches.

From £891, an hour. Sizes range TheTVShield.co.uk from about 30 inches to 80 inches. From £891, TheTVShield.co.uk

24

Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM This small speaker delivers This smallbig speaker surprisingly sound, delivers and its IPX7 water resistance means surprisingly big sound, and its you don’t need to panic ifmeans the IPX7 water resistance clouds openneed above party. you don’t toyour panic if the £59.99, Lewis. clouds openJohn above your party. £59.99, John Lewis.

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Walking

By Jo Turner

What walking can do for your health.

During lockdown I was furloughed, and my husband John had to work from home. We decided to use the time it usually took us to commute (an hour each way) to walk. We’d never really walked as a form of exercise before...we’d never really taken any form of exercise before, so this was something new.

We worked out a route and as we were used to getting up at 6am to travel to our respective jobs and we decided that staying in that routine seemed sensible so we wouldn’t be too out of sync on our return to work. The mornings were gradually becoming lighter at the start of lockdown so although we were heading out early it wasn’t dark.

We have walked for just over an hour every day for ten weeks and this is what we’ve discovered:

Walking trims your waistline Both John and I had the start of middle age spread. Over ten weeks I’ve dropped a dress size and John has discovered he’s wearing the trousers that prior to lockdown he’d been considering donating to charity.

Walking relieves arthritis pain After four weeks John noticed that his arthritis pain seemed less. This seemed counterintuitive so I consulted the arthritis society website and discovered that walking is recommended because it does indeed help reduce inflammation and stiffness in your joints. The important thing to remember is to walk ‘correctly’. Hold your head up; keep your neck, shoulders and back relaxed; swing your arms naturally, with a slightly bent elbow; tighten your stomach muscles a little to give yourself a supported core, and breathe deeply as you walk.

Walking improves your mental wellbeing At the start of lockdown I think we both felt really anxious about all the uncertainty. As the weeks progressed, while we walked awe discussed our worries and thrashed out solutions to some of the problems we faced or might face.

I certainly began to feel in a better place mentally and as though I could cope better with life in general. Being outside, breathing in the fresh air and enjoying the sunshine definitely helped to clear some headspace each day.

Walking reduces blood pressure Johns blood pressure had been sneaking upwards and just before lockdown our GP had been monitoring it with a view to him starting blood pressure medication. When it became clear that he wasn’t going to be examined by a doctor for some time I was concerned enough to buy a home blood pressure monitor online. We tested it out to make sure the readings matched those of the clinic then forgot about it! After six weeks (on the date he was supposed to have been returning the GP) we tried it and discovered his blood pressure was just within normal range. By week ten it was well within the normal range. Mine too has dropped significantly.

Crucially throughout this period neither of us has felt like we were ‘exercising’. Walking felt natural and easy. I know this article is anecdotal and personal but there is plenty of research to support exercise being almost as important as diet in controlling type-2 diabetes; that it helps with balance and co-ordination and so helps to prevent falls in older people, meaning they are more likely to stay out of hospital, which at the moment is even more important than usual, and finally that it helps boost the immune system which is important for obvious reasons right now.

We will definitely continue to fit walking into our day even when life returns to a more normal pattern.

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25

Handy Numbers

Emergency Community Responders 0800 587 0207 Police/Emergency Dial 999 101 Thames Valley Police (non urgent) British Gas Emergency 0800 111 999 Thames Water Emergency 0845 9200 888 Southern Electric Emergency 0845 770 8090 Royal Berks Ambulance NHS 0118 9365500 Royal Berks Fire & Rescue 0118 945 2888

Post Offices 01635 862440 Cold Ash (last posting 4.20pm) Hermitage (last posting 4.30pm) 01637 200276 Tesco, Northfield Road 01635 873251 The Co-op, 54 The Broadway 01635 863223 01635 201236 Yattendon (last posting 4.00pm)

Schools Brockhurst & Marlston 01635 200293 Downe House School 01635 200286 Elstree School 0118 971 3302 Francis Baily 01635 862188 Kennet 01635 862121 Parsons Down Infant & Nursery 01635 862475 Parsons Down Junior 01635 866700 Spurcroft Primary 01635 871541 St Finians Cold Ash 01635 865925 St Marks Cold Ash 01635 862600 Thatcham Park C of E 01635 870950 Trinity 01635 41373 Whitelands Park Primary 01635 862517 Yattendon Primary School 01635 201397

Chemists Boots, Thatcham 01635 864423 Medical Practice Lloyds Pharmacy, 01635 868538 Burdwood Ctre Lloyds Pharmacy, 01635 863334 Crown Mead Lloyds Pharmacy, 01635 869244 Kingsland Ctre

Supermarkets Tesco, Northfield Rd 0845 0269402 The Co-op (24 hrs) at Texaco 01635 588300 The Co-op Broadway 01635 865052 The Co-op Burdwood Centre 01635 869701 The Co-op Dunston Park 01635 865011 Waitrose, The Broadway 01635 868113 Yattendon Stores 01635 201236

Hospitals West Berkshire Community 01635 273300 Hospital (Minor Injuries Only) Royal Berkshire Hospital, 0118 3225111 Reading

Medical Practitioners Thatcham Medical Practice, 01635 867171 Bath Rd Burdwood Surgery 01635 868006 Emergency Only 01635 866169 Out of Hours Doctor 111 Carers Advice Service 01635 516609

Helping Services A.A. 0845 7697555 Cruse Bereavement Care 01635 523573 Newbury & District Cancer 01635 31542 Care Trust Childline 0800 1111 PALS 0118 932 3799 Royal British Legion 01635 867621 RSPCA 08705 555999 Victim Support 0845 30 30 900 Citizens Advice 0300 222 5941 citizensadvicewestberkshire.org.uk

Library Mon: 9.30-5.00 Tues: 9.30-7.00 Wed: NOT OPEN Thurs: 9.30-5.00 Fri: 9.30-7.00 Sat: 9.30-12.30

01635 866049

Citizens Advice Bureau West Berks CAB, at Thatcham Health Centre 01635 516605 Helpline for Carers 01635 864245 Client Advice Line 0844 4779980

Travel Rail Enquiries 08457 484950 Newbury Buses 01635 567500

Other Important Numbers B.T. Fault Line 0800 800 151 Fly Tipping, to report 01635 519080 KATS 01635 869893 Thatcham Connections 0118 9886070 Thatcham Photographic Club 01635 865516 Vet: O’Gormon Slater Main 01635 868382 DVLA Swansea 0300 7906801 In event of Power Cut 105

Recycling West Berks Council 01635 519080 Newtown Rd, Greenham RG20 9AG Padworth RG7 4JF 01635 519080

Term Dates 2021 - 2022 • Term 1 – Thursday 2nd September 2021 – Thursday 21st October 2021 – 36 days • Term 2 – Monday 1st November 2021 - Friday 17th December 2021 – 35 days • Term 3 – Wednesday 5th January 2022 – Friday 18th February 2022 – 33 days • Term 4 – Monday 28th February 2022 – Thursday 7th April 2022 – 29 days • Term 5 – Monday 25th April 2022 – Thursday 26th May 2022 – 23 days • Term 6 – Monday 6th June 2022 – Thursday 21st July 2022 – 34 days These term dates provide a guide. Sometimes a school may adjust the dates slightly due to specific circumstances, and we recommend that you check with the school if a specific date is key to your plans, e.g. before making a holiday booking.

Disclaimer: whilst every effort has been taken in the preparation of these listings, Thatcham Connections accepts no liability for any inaccuracies, misprints or omissions.

26

To advertise call:Thatcham 0118 9886070Connections or email: active@thatchamconnections.co.uk Please mention when responding to advertisements

26

everydayit_90x60mm_thatchconnect_ad01.pdf

Whether you're running a small business, or for your own personal home computing needs, we are here for you. In these testing times, it is vital that we remain connected with work, family and friends. Here at Everyday IT, we are ready to help. Available for home call out and remote support services across West Berkshire.

Please use promotional code “CONNECTIONSOFFER” for discounted first call out Please check website for more information.

www.everydayit.uk

02/03/21

16:05

Oranges are not a naturally occurring fruit.

Rather they hybrid of two citrus fruit: a pomelo and a mandarin, with 25% of its genome coming from the pomelo and 75% from the mandarin.

Home and Small Business Computer Services

Call 01635 745071

1

Surprisingly the word orange, referring to the colour, comes from the fruit first not the other way round. Before the fruit, the colour was referred to as geoluhread, which literally translates to “yellow-red”.

There are just two words in the English language with which orange rhymes. There’s a mountain in Wales called Blorenge and spores are made in a sac known as a sporange. Try including that in your next poetry session.

Orange peel is a natural deodoriser. Put the rind anywhere with a stale or musty smell and the odour will disperse in a couple of hours.

Margaret SPenCer CounSelling · Counselling · Psychotherapy · Coaching

• Abuse • Addiction • Anger • Anxiety • Confidence & Self Esteem • Bereavement & Loss • Divorce, Separation & Redundancy • Relationships • Stress Management • Trauma • Depression • Eating Disorders

Are you wondering just how effective Counselling, Psychotherapy or Coaching could be for you?

I believe in working together with you in an holistic way - providing a safe, professional, confidential and non-judgmental environment.

You can call me on: 07775 706907 or visit my website for more information: www.margaretspencertherapy.com

Margaret Spencer BSc MBACP (Accred) MNLP Working via Telephone and Zoom currently, making therapy accessible to you

Please refer to www.thatchamconnections.co.uk for advert prices and more.

27

WHAT’S ON IN THE COMMUNITY:

DIARY DATES

Information sourced from www.wherecanwego.com

Saturday 7 August and Sunday 8 August 2021

you howling with laughter; the perfect treat for the whole family!

Old Camps - Open Garden for NGS

Bring your own picnic, warm clothes, seating/rug. Please observe social distancing at all times and be prepared to be directed to an area in which to sit.

Old Camps, Thatcham, RG19 8LG 10am-5pm. Admission: £7.50, Children: free. Home-made teas.

Telephone: 07720 449702.

Call to check latest times or cancellations.

The café will be open selling snacks, drinks and ice cream to take outside. Toilets will be open in the House but we will ask you to adhere to the one-way system in place.

As featured on Gardeners’ World, a breathtaking garden set over an acre, which benefits from panoramic views of Watership Down.

Surprises await, ranging from traditional herbaceous borders through desert/prairie planting, an enchanted knot garden, potager to exuberant subtropical schemes; featuring bananas, cannas, hedychiums and more. New additions incl the Ravine Garden and Orto.

Sunday 29 August 2021

Monday 9 August 2021

Telephone: 01635 279279

Outdoor theatre: The Jungle Book

A unique French style Brocante market offering antiques, vintage, retro, decorative arts and bric-a-brac plus vinyl records on the Great Lawn at Shaw House. A great day out for all the family with free entry to Shaw House. Light refreshments and picnic facilities will be available outside, the café will be open offering a take-out service.

Shaw House, Church Rd, Shaw, Berkshire, RG14 2DR Gates: 5pm, Performance: 6pm.

Adults: £12, Children: £8.

Telephone: 01635 279279.

French Style Brocante Market - Socially distanced outdoor event Shaw House, Church Rd, Shaw, Berkshire RG14 2DR Open: 10am-4pm. No need to book. Free.

Immersion Theatre are thrilled to bring their trademark energy to their wildest show yet, a brand-new musical adaptation of the Rudyard Kipling family favourite, THE JUNGLE BOOK!

Monday 30 August 2021

Filled with original music, audience interaction, and the chance to meet the characters after the show, you are invited to join Mowgli and his friends, Baloo the bear and Bagheera the panther, on a madcap jungle adventure as they meet and attempt to outwit a slithering snake, some cheeky monkeys, and the fierce tiger, Shere Khan!

Telephone: 01488 608676

Funny, exciting and wildly entertaining, this larger-than-life musical will have

Open Garden for NGS Rookwood Farm House, Newbury RG20 8JX This exciting valley garden, a work in progress, has elements all visitors can enjoy.

A rose covered pergola, fabulous tulips, giant alliums, and a recently developed jungle garden with cannas, bananas and echiums.

A kitchen garden features a parterre of raised beds, which along with a bog garden and colour themed herbaceous planting, all make Rookwood well worth a visit.

Disclaimer: whilst every effort has been taken in the preparation of these listings, Thatcham Connections accepts no liability for any inaccuracies, misprints or omissions. You are strongly advised to check current details before committing to an event.

28

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Gail’s Guide to Gin

by Gail Mitchell

I fell in love with gin when I went to a gin tasting event a few years ago.

These events are a bit thin on the ground right now for social distancing reasons, so if you are gin-curious and wondering where to start I’m going to try to be your guide.

Gin is a flavoured alcohol, with juniper as the predominant botanical. Juniper is a fragrant shrub and its aroma and taste should be the signature note in any gin. Even the name ‘gin’ is derived from either the French genièvre or the Dutch jenever, which both mean juniper.

You can add other botanical ingredients, but juniper should always be the primary one.

There is actually a legal EU definition of gin: it must be a juniper-dominated spirit, with an agricultural origin and a 37.5% ABV. This means that as well as the main botanical being juniper, the base alcohol must be made from something natural such as wheat, barley, rye, molasses, potatoes or grapes, and there must be at least 37.5% of pure alcohol in the total volume of liquid.

London dry gin This doesn’t have to be made in London, it can be made anywhere in the world but it’s important to know that it’s the highestquality gin you can produce. It has to be made with all-natural ingredients (no artificial flavourings), high-quality alcohol and only contain 0.01g of sugar per litre of alcohol.

Crucially you can’t add any other flavourings after distillation. It’s the purest form of gin and is a good place to start your gin journey.

I would say No. 3 London Dry Gin is one of the best places to start your gin journey.

It’s won the world’s best gin 4 times and is a beautiful smooth gin which won’t disappoint.

Regular distilled gin This is made in a similar way to London Dry Gin but may have flavourings, essences and sugar added to it after the distillation process.

Craft distillers have been producing more variety and exciting new flavours recently.

Broadly there are herbal gins (less sweet), floral gins (light and fragrant), fruity gins (sweeter) and citrussy gins (light and fresh). Look at the list of botanicals to see which appeal.

Geographical gins Just as champagne has to come from a specific region in France so certain gins have to come from a particular geographical area. Mahón Gin can only come from Menorca, it’s a sweeter style of gin which comes in various flavours, and Vilnius Gin from Lithuania, which is quite smooth and has a citrussy / pine flavour. The UK used to have a geographical gin - Plymouth gin - but it lost its protected status in 2014.

Sloe gin Is actually a gin liqueur. It contains more sugar and its ABV is between 20-25%, which is below the minimum requirement of a spirit.

Old Tom gins An older style of gin. These gins are sweeter because in the 18th Century, when gin was also very popular sugar or honey was added to disguise bad-quality gin they used. Nowadays Old Tom Gins are made to a high standard and are the gin you would use in a Tom Collins cocktail, which should be made with soda water rather than tonic, because tonic would add too much sweetness to an already sweet alcohol.

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29

With regular exercise, a good diet and lots of love and care, your dog or cat can make it to a ripe old age without too many problems. But just like us, minor ailments creep in and their onset needs to be watched and managed.

Exercise Although they may be a bit slower, senior dogs do still need regular exercise. Just don’t overdo it, otherwise not only will you be carrying your pet home, they will suffer for several days afterwards.

Older cats need to be encouraged to move, and scheduling time to play every day is every bit as important as walks are for dogs.

Hearing & Sight If your dog or cat appears to be ignoring you when you call them, it could be a bit of hearing loss. Get used to catching their eye when speaking to them. If their sight is going, take care to approach them quietly and slowly so that they aren’t startled.

Toilet Access They may also need to go to the toilet more frequently and be unable to hold on as long between visits. Give them easy access to their toilet area and/or let them out more frequently.

Aches & Pains Signs of being less agile are to be expected but if they struggle to get up or can’t manage stairs or pavements, talk to your vet as there may be treatments that can help.

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You could be really lucky and never have any cause to need more than routine veterinary visits for your pet. But should something happen, at best you’ll have a hefty bill and at worst be in a position where the condition or injury is so serious that you can’t afford to pay and risk losing your pet.

Pet insurance can cover the cost of treatments and ongoing care for injury or any diagnosed conditions. Depending on your policy, these are some of the options.

• Missing pets: cover for when you pet goes astray – either by their own volition or because they’ve been stolen – will help contribute to a reward for information or return.

• Third-party liability: if your energetic pooch trips someone up or damages their property, this element will cover legal costs and the claimant’s expenses.

• Kennel and cattery fees: if you fall ill yourself to the extent that you are hospitalised and don’t have anyone to take care of your pet, you could qualify for care by a cattery or kennel.

• Dental covers: usually only accidents will be covered but some providers may include dental illness.

• Death by accident or illness: if your pet dies you could get back your original purchase cost. Most policies do have an age limit.

• Euthanasia, cremation and burial: if the worst comes to the worst, having these costs refunded could be a relief at a sad time.

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Care Homes

By Tom Hancock

How to choose the right one Care of the elderly is an emotive subject, and has become even more so during the pandemic.

Whether you are choosing a care home for yourself, or searching on behalf of an elderly relative, you want to make sure you get it right.

First you need to decide on the level of care required.

Residential homes are for people who can no longer cope with daily activities in their home. They may also need help washing, bathing, dressing and going to the toilet.

Nursing homes are for those people who require regular nursing care, by or under the supervision of a qualified nurse.

Residents tend to have no mobility or severely limited mobility, mental confusion, and may be faecally incontinent.

As with any home, location is important.

You may want to choose a place where family or friends can visit regularly?

Once a location has been decided on, select as many care homes as you can and visit every one of them. The Care Quality Commission (www.cqc.org.uk) have over 18000 care homes registered with them and publish all their inspection reports online, so this is a good place to start. Two other excellent sources of information are the websites www.yourcarehome. co.uk and www.carehomesupport.co.uk.

Groundwork is good, but there is no substitute for visiting and assessing the standard of service yourself. This is harder at the moment but that option should still be offered, even with all the restrictions in place. Begin your inspection by ringing to arrange appointments to visit the premises. Ask yourself if the phone was answered in a friendly way. Did the person answering the phone sound stressed or abrupt?

When you visit, what are your first impressions?

Is the place bright and clean, comfortable, welcoming and airy? Did the receptionist make eye contact and smile? Were you offered a cup of tea while you waited?

What are the noise levels like? Are there any unpleasant odours? Look at the residents and chat to them if you have an opportunity. Do they look clean, well-cared for and happy?

Monitor how much interaction there is between the staff and the residents. Is there lots of friendly chatter? Check to see if call lights over doors are on and being left unanswered.

This might indicate staffing problems.

Check the floor, especially in corners and under beds. This is a good indicator of whether standards of hygiene and care are high throughout.

When you’ve reached a decision, take good financial and legal advice. What are the fees and what do they include? Can you afford them on a long-term basis? What happens if funds dry up? What is the protocol for making a complaint? Consult the Office of Fair Trading ‘Fair Terms for Care’ booklet to see whether the contract you’ll be asked to sign is a fair one.

Ask as many questions as you can up front, and you will help ensure that any move you or your elderly relative makes will be the right one.

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money Matters

Make the Switch We’re increasingly comfortable with switching insurers or energy suppliers to get the best deal, yet many of us stick with the same bank for decades. Switching isn’t as tricky as it used to be and it can be well worth your time.

Nearly all major banks are part of a programme called Current Account Switch Service, launched in 2013, that guarantees a simple switch. It works in a similar way to switching energy suppliers but is much smoother and quicker.

To use it you simply open a new account, tell your new bank that you want to use the service, sign a couple of forms, and choose the date you want to switch. This must be at least seven days after you open the new account and can’t be a weekend or bank holiday.

The new bank will switch over your regular payments, standing orders and direct debits automatically from that date. Any manual payments made to your old account are automatically ‘redirected’ to the new one for at least three years, and your new bank will tell the sender you’ve moved.

The only thing you need to change manually is any continuous payment authorities for subscriptions where you’ve given a seller your card number, rather than your account number and sort codes. Credit cards aren’t affected by a bank account switch and any direct debit you have to pay the minimum or full amount each month will transfer over.

Glitches with the transfer are rare, but the Current Account Switch Guarantee means that your new bank will refund any charges or interest caused by problems with the switch.

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So why bother switching anyway? You could get higher interest rates on your balance, lower overdraft fees and interest, or better offers such as discounts on some purchases. Check whether it’s a ‘permanent’ rate or a time-limited introductory offer.

Often the main reason to switch is a cash bonus, with some banks offering £100 or more. Check for any conditions though: you may have to pay in a certain amount to qualify. Amounts vary, but usually the idea is to make sure you’re using it as your main bank account.

Remember that when you apply for an account, the bank will usually run a credit check. This is only likely to be a problem if you have a very poor credit history, and even then some banks will offer an account with a low overdraft or no overdraft at all. The credit check itself will appear on your record but this is only likely to raise eyebrows if you have a lot of checks in a short period. It may be safer to hold off switching accounts just before a big loan or mortgage application.

One big myth is that you can’t switch accounts if you are in your overdraft. This isn’t the case, as the new bank can transfer over a negative balance when you switch, though it’ll need to be inside any limit on the new account.

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money Matters

There are several HMRC programs that can reduce your taxable income. These aren’t shady scams but rather perfectly legitimate offers from the government, though admittedly ones they don’t always shout about.

Marriage Allowance If you are married or in a civil partnership you could get up to £252 a year through Marriage Allowance. That’s where one partner transfers £1,260 of their personal allowance to the other partner, who’ll then pay less in tax.

The allowance is only available (and only makes financial sense) if one partner is a basic-rate taxpayer and the other doesn’t pay income tax and you should always crunch the numbers before applying.

The person making the transfer (the nontaxpayer) can apply online at www.gov. uk/apply-marriage-allowance. The person receiving the transfer (the taxpayer) can’t make the application. All you need to apply is both partners’ national insurance numbers and proof of identity. HMRC will then apply the changes to both partners, either through their tax code or self-assessment.

When you apply, you can backdate your claim to cover any of the previous four tax years where you met the criteria. For previous-year claims, HMRC simply sends a cheque or bank payment for the relevant amount to the partner receiving the personal allowance transfer.

equipment. The other is to take a flat amount of £6 a week, which doesn’t require any evidence of the costs. It’s a small amount but adds up to more than £60 a year just for filling in a short online application. You can also backdate claims to cover two years, though the rate was £4 a week until April 2020.

Work Uniform Claims If you’re an employee with a work uniform and pay to clean it yourself, or you pay for repairing work equipment, you can claim tax relief on these costs. The uniform expenses are only for clothes that you have to wear for work and people wouldn’t normally wear outside of work. For example, you couldn’t claim for an ordinary suit.

You can claim the actual expenses of cleaning or repairs, but you will need to apply by post and send supporting receipts to HMRC. Alternatively you can claim a flat rate based on occupation.

For example, army staff can claim £100 a year, ambulance staff £185 a year and prison officers £80 a year. Full details are at www.gov. uk/guidance/job-expenses-for-uniforms-workclothing-and-tools.

Once you’ve had an application approved, the personal allowance transfer will remain in place until you cancel it.

Working From Home Allowance If you’ve worked at home regularly (even if it’s part-time or a ‘temporary’ arrangement during COVID), you can get tax relief to compensate you for your costs. This tax relief will reduce your taxable income and thus you’ll pay less tax. You can claim it at www.tax.service.gov.uk/claimtax-relief-expenses/only-claiming-working-fromhome-tax-relief.

You have two ways to work out the amount of the relief. One is to calculate the actual extra costs you’ve incurred, which can include a share of utility bills and costs such as office

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Compliance with all the laws and regulations that affect small businesses and taxpayers

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money Matters

If you have some spare money to invest, shares often seem like a good starting point. They’re among the more straightforward financial assets, though you do need to take into account risks, administrative costs and taxes.

The most important thing to understand about shares is that all the money you put in is at risk.

You could lose some of your money if the price has fallen when you choose to sell. You could lose all of your money if the company goes into liquidation.

Buy Online The simplest way to buy shares is through one of many online platforms that take care of the administrative and legal work for you, in return for fees. The fee structure varies across platforms but can include a regular charge for holding an account, a fixed or percentage fee each time you buy and sell, and in some cases an ‘inactivity’ fee.

Which fee structure works best for you may depend on how often you intend to buy and sell shares. Make sure any platform you use is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Dividends One thing that’s easy to forget is that shareholders may get regular payments from the company known as dividends. These often depend on the company’s profits and are a way to encourage people to buy and hold shares, i.e. to keep them for longer rather than sell.

If you compare the dividend payments across a year to the money you paid for the share, it can be a favourable ‘interest rate’ on your

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investment. You do need to check why a company is paying big dividends, however.

Sometimes it’s because profits are rising and it has more cash to spare. Sometimes, though, it’s because revenue and profits are falling and the business offers bigger dividends to try to attract investors who’d otherwise be put off.

Tax Implications Buying and selling shares does have tax implications. Each time you buy shares through an online platform in the UK, you have to pay 0.5% of the purchase price as stamp duty. If you make more than £12,300 profit in a year from selling shares, you’ll need to pay capital gains tax of either 10% or 20% of the profit above the £12,300, depending on your other income.

The first £2,000 you receive in dividends each year is tax free. After that you’ll pay a special dividend tax of 7.5%, 32.5% or 38.1%, depending on whether you pay the basic rate, higher rate or additional rate for income tax.

Stocks & Shares ISA You can reduce the tax costs by investing through a ‘stocks and shares ISA’. The money you put into this counts towards the annual £20,000 limit for all money you put into ISAs. You don’t have to pay capital gains tax or dividend tax for shares that you hold (or sell) through a stocks and shares ISA. How much benefit this brings will depend on your overall financial position.

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All you need to know about Retirement Interest-Only (RIO) mortgages It’s been over a decade since the financial crash

wiped billions off the value of the UK’s biggest companies.

As a result, borrowing became more difficult for those heading into their later years with many lenders lowering their maximum lending age limit and reducing the provision of interest-only mortgages.

However, since the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) recently improved access to mortgage borrowing for those in retirement, the door finally reopened for everyone seeking finance; no matter their age.

Is a RIO mortgage different to that of a standard residential mortgage?

What is a RIO mortgage?

A RIO mortgage is very similar to that of a standard residential mortgage, with two key differences:

RIO mortgages – short for Retirement Interest-Only – allow borrowers to pay a monthly interest payment with no set end date as it will run until a ‘significant life event’, such as the homeowner moving into long-term care or dying. It is at this point the mortgage is repaid by the sale of the mortgaged property.

Who eligible for a Newbury Building Society RIO mortgage?

Our RIO mortgage is designed to support borrowers in later life who either want to move or do not want to downsize their current property and wish to remain in their home. We lend to those aged 60 and above who are retired and in receipt of their pension or other ongoing income.

Why might a person want to borrower in later life?

There are many reasons why older borrowers might want to take out a mortgage: • To purchase a retirement property which better suits their needs as they get older • To fund home improvements or extend their property • To release cash to top up their pension income • To gift funds to a loved one looking to step onto the property ladder Always speak to an independent financial adviser who will explore your options with you and determine which route suits your circumstances.

1.

The loan is usually repaid when the borrower either sells the house, moves into long-term care or dies 2. The borrower only has to prove they can afford the monthly interest repayments because the method of repayment the loan is already agreed Essentially, the ‘retirement’ element of the mortgage means there is no defined end date the capital has to be repaid by.

Our mortgage appointments can be undertaken in branch, by telephone or by video link. If you would like to talk to a qualified mortgage adviser about RIO mortgages, contact us to book an appointment.

Thatcham branch: 4 High Street, Thatcham, RG19 3JD. Call: 01635 864996 Email: thatcham@newbury.co.uk Senior Branch Manager, Jane Bosher of Newbury Building Society’s Thatcham branch.

YOUR MORTGAGE IS SECURED ON YOUR HOME. THINK CAREFULLY BEFORE SECURING OTHER DEBTS AGAINST YOUR HOME. YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE.

Newbury Building Society is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (Financial Services Register number 206077). English Law applies and we will communicate with you in English. We are participants of the Financial Ombudsman Service. We have a complaints procedure which we will provide on request. Most complaints that we cannot resolve can be referred to the Financial Ombudsman Service. 8418

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Newbury

Building Society

gardening Matters

The best solution to having to work at least partially at home may be a garden building that’s set up as a fully functioning work area, but here we outline some points to consider.

First, assess how you’ll use the building. While a tiny office with a desk, chair and shelf will suit some, others may require more floor space, specially designed storage, larger windows or additional security, for example. Most people will want electricity in their new outdoor office, but will you also need a landline, a sink with running water, a kitchenette or a WC? For comfortable working, a garden office should be built to a high standard. Insulation is vital for walls, floors and roof for all-year-round use, including double glazing and draught proofing.

Heating is important, too, whether by timercontrolled electric convention heaters, electric radiators or wood burners. If anything valuable is going to be stored, glass windows are better than plastic, and a sturdy door with a proper lock will be necessary.

Your garden office must be big enough for your needs but not so large that it decreases your outside space by too much. Floor area can

This high-quality garden building is one of four designs, each customisable in terms of size, style and budget. TGO4 Garden Room, 5m x 4m, £25,245, greenretreats.co.uk.

range from 4m square up to 15 to 20m square, or even more. Usually there will be a maximum size possible and an obvious location, but where there is a choice of position consider how close you want the room to be to your home, whether the ground is sloping, where there are potential obstructions, how the sun falls during the day, and the best position for windows and door.

Consider how you will connect utilities – the closer you are to the house, the cheaper it will be to lay pipework and cables, including a wired internet connection if you can’t use or extend the wireless signal of your router. You might need a path from your back door to the new structure.

Most garden buildings are deemed ‘permitted development’, but check with your local authority in case you need planning permission. Any structure larger than 15 square metres or used for sleeping will have to pass building regulations. You can’t put an outbuilding in your front garden without planning permission or take up more than 50% of the area of land around the original house.

Design-wise, a garden office could take the form of a glorified shed, a futuristic dome, a traditional shepherd’s hut, an all-singing, all-dancing structure that offers every conceivable luxury – or anything in-between – you are limited only by your imagination and your budget.

This unique garden room has a removable desk top. Medium summerhouse garden pod, £18,995, limelace.co.uk.

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AJC SERVICES

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gardening Matters

If you want more time to enjoy your garden, there’s plenty you can do to reduce the maintenance work.

Soil Condition Get your soil in good condition before planting, by digging in bulky organic matter such as compost, well-rotted manure or leaf mould. This improves soil fertility and moisture retention.

Mulch flower beds and borders, and vegetable and fruit areas too. This hugely reduces the time you need to spend watering, weeding and generally titivating your plants. Make sure the soil is moist before you apply the mulch, to help it retain moisture during dry conditions. Remove big or deep-rooted weeds such as dandelions before you mulch; once in place the mulch will help prevent smaller and annual weeds from appearing.

Big Containers Containers make for a lot more work than flowerbeds, as plants in a container are totally dependent on you for food and water. Grow as much as you can in the soil and choose pots and planters that are as big as possible and incorporate controlled-release fertiliser and moisture-retaining granules at planting time.

Grow lots of bulbs; they are great laboursaving plants, as once planted they reappear every year with little need for care. In the current warmer climate even those plants like dahlias, gladioli and tulips – which traditionally were lifted and replanted each year – often seem able to withstand the winter without this effort.

Perennials Grow lots of relatively short herbaceous perennials i.e. plants that reappear every

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spring and die back late in the season, as they are more low-effort than annuals, which need planting and removing every year. Varieties that are relatively short and sturdy are less likely to flop and should not require support.

If plants do need staking or supporting, the quickest, easiest way to do this is to drive a few 45-60cm twiggy sticks, taken when you’ve had to cut back shrubs or trees, into the soil around the base of the plant.

Twiggy sticks are unobtrusive and attractive enough to be left in place all year round, with no need for you to keep replacing them.

Shrubs Shrubs are great plants, as once established they need little effort and often provide colour and interest for more than one season. If you want to minimise your input even further, go for shrubs such as Chaenomeles, rhododendrons and azaleas, deciduous cotoneasters and Magnolia stellate, which need little, if any, pruning.

Grow ground cover plants – either herbaceous perennials or low-growing shrubby plants.

These don’t need a lot of maintenance and will soon cover bare soil, meaning less weeding will be needed. Dense groundcover reduces evaporation from the soil and so also makes for less watering time. Plants such as Cistus x hybridus, lavenders and rosemaries work well on a dry site. Other good choices include hypericum, Euonymus fortune and Cotoneaster dammeri.

At www.pippagreenwood.com you’ll find a range of pet-and-wildlife-friendly bio-controls, Speedweeders, the fantastic SpeedHoe, signed books and more.

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Garden MaIntenance With over 25 years’ experience, I can help you get the garden you’ve always wanted Do you need expert advice with your garden?

Have you just moved house and need help to plan it the way you want it?

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References are available on request A concessionary OAP rate is also available

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Pest Control Control Services Limited We are a local family company of 20 years specialising in the discreet removal of:

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MAIN AGENTS FOR MOST LEADING MAKES Sales, Service, Parts, Repairs Berkshire’s largest garden machinery showroom, with over 200 machines on display, including:

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The best tech for healthy living From fitness to fat monitoring, smart trackers and smart tape Health technology is big business: we all want to live healthier, happier lives, and gadgets range from the relatively simple, such as smart scales, to all-singing devices such as the Apple Watch with its built-in heart rate monitor, blood oxygen monitoring and fitness tracking – tracking that can include dancing as well as more traditional forms of workout. There’s a wide range of stand-alone health devices too, such as Omron’s blood pressure monitor, and a whole host of infrared thermometers that give you instant results.

You don’t need to be an athlete in training to benefit from a fitness tracker: a dedicated tracker such as a Fitbit is a great way to motivate yourself to walk more, and the kid-focused Fitbit Ace 3 has our young ones charging around the garden trying to beat each others’ step counts. More advanced models for the grown-ups, such as the gorgeous Fitbit Luxe, include a wide range of health-tracking features including sleep tracking, menstrual cycle tracking, GPS route recording and blood oxygen saturation monitoring.

Smart scales can be a useful way to monitor your progress, because weight alone is a terrible indicator: if you start working out you’ll often find you put on weight because muscle is heavier than fat.

Eufy’s Smart Scale C1 connects to your phone and to fitness apps, enabling you to measure and track your body composition over time – and with support for sixteen different users you can use it for the entire family. And you can team it up with a smart measuring tape such as Bagel Labs’ Pie, which you can use to measure and track the size of biceps, bust, calves, hips, thighs, waist and shoulders. It’s not cheap – it’s around £70 – but it’s clever and there are similar, cheaper alternatives that do much the same thing. As with smart scales, smart tapes connect via Bluetooth to an app on your phone, so you can track changes over time as you become more buff.

Apple Watch Series 6 The Apple Watch has evolved into an elegant, powerful and very useful health tracking device thanks to its mix of sensors and a world of health-related apps. It looks great too. £379, apple.com

Anker Eufy Smart Scale C1 Eufy comes from electronics giant Anker and the C1 is a typically well-made product that does exactly what you’d expect and does it really well. It’s great for tracking body composition. £29, shop.bt.com

Omron H4 Blood Pressure Monitor If you need to monitor your blood pressure at home, Omron’s products are affordable, easy to use and deliver accurate results very quickly. £66, currys.co.uk Pie Smart Tape The Pie is no ordinary tape. It’s a Bluetooth tape with an app designed to track changes in specific bits of your body, such as your biceps or your thighs. £70, amazon.co.uk

Fitbit Luxe Not all Fitbits are plasticky: the Luxe is gorgeous and looks great with a formal outfit as well as when you’re in activewear.

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Hope I have been writing quite a lot about hope over the last year, partly because it is hope that has sustained me through the pandemic. Together with Faith and Love, Hope is one of the theological virtues – St Paul famously says, in his great passage on Love (or Charity, for those who prefer the old version) “these three remain, Faith, Hope and Love, and the greatest of these is Love”. Remaining here has the sense of things which are left when everything else is gone – things which, truly seen, last for ever. One of my favourite riffs on this passage ends “and the greatest of these is the status quo.”

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LOVE Matters

Well we are about as far distant from the status quo as we could possibly be – things have changed beyond our imagining. And back in June, when the easing of lockdown was put back a month, even my apparently relentless hope took a bashing, and I realised, as I so often do, that I needed to draw on a source of power and energy from beyond myself – for me, that is what my Christian faith gives me.

We had so many plans, at St Mary’s, for opening up once again to our community – they all went on hold – though we are grateful to be able to offer weddings and baptisms (christenings) once again. We know that people have deferred their own plans many times, and the sheer effort involved in pulling together revised plan after revised plan has been exhausting, and I am committed to making it as easy as possible for people to work with us.

But it isn’t enough for me – I don’t want to be open just for church people and church events – St Mary’s is, at heart, a community church, open for everyone – and I hope a beacon of that faith and hope and love in our community.

The bashing my own hope took put me in mind once again of the people who

mentionThatcham Thatcham Connections when responding to advertisements PleasePlease mention Connections when responding to advertisements

Revd Mark Bennet being soaked to mark the re-opening of St Mary’s for baptisms. have kept us going in these times – NHS staff and care staff, shop-workers and delivery drivers, refuse collectors and postal workers – our postman has been a star. I think of the staff at Thatcham Town Council rescheduling and reimagining events to hold us together. They all deserve our thanks.

But as the academic year comes to a turn, I want to give particular thanks to the staff who have kept our schools open – teachers and others. They have not always had the best press, and have borne the brunt of some of our frustrations. I have been alongside some schools thoughout the pandemic, and I have seen how hard they have worked to meet challenge after challenge often

thrown at them over a weekend or a half term. However we feel about schools, and the impact of decisions on our lives, the staff deserve our thanks, and a decent break.

So what is the point of all this? Well, I simply want to say to you what I have said to the people of St Mary’s – this, as we come out of lockdown, is a time to take care to be gentle with one another – it is no longer hope, but love which will sustain us – and that love, gently shared, will help us to keep Thatcham as a community which is a joy to live in.

Revd Mark Bennet, St Mary’s, Thatcham

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Open Water Swimming

By Louise Addison

Seven reasons to start.

It’s freeing - With no restrictive lanes, you swim in your own space and at your own pace without worrying about being caught, lapped, or kicked. Also...the scenery actually changes!

It’s social - Open water swimming groups are generally friendly and non-competitive.

It’s exhilarating - Swimming in nature is relaxing but stimulating.

It’s physically and mentally challenging Acclimatising to the cold temperatures of the open water pushes you physically and mentally!

You need to build up your stamina and train your body’s cold response. Wetsuits are not only allowed but recommended for beginners because they help keep you warm and improve buoyancy.

Your energy levels will increase Cold water excites nerves and speeds your heart rate. It’s a natural high!

It’s good if you’re trying to lose weight Although most open water swimmers are not doing it to lose weight, swimming in cold water requires your body to use more energy to keep you warm. So, you’ll burn fat more efficiently and increase your metabolism, and this will lead to weight loss as part of a calorie-controlled diet.

It’s good for pain management - Cold water immersion is used among athletes to help with injury and muscle pain. Swimming in cold water helps to minimise pain caused by inflammation. It seems to be particularly good for chronic pain.

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sidered approved and ready for print unless we hear from you

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53

The History of the Pandemic

By Catherine Rose

Despite our increased global mobility making pandemics more likely, diseases have crossed country borders for centuries.

One of the earliest pandemics, the Justinian plague, began in 500 AD, spreading from Egypt into Palestine, the Byzantine Empire and then Europe. Similar to bubonic plague, it killed twenty-six per cent of the world’s population – around five hundred million – thwarting Roman Emperor Justinian’s plans to revitalise the Roman Empire.

1347 saw the first wave of the Black Death, a pneumonic form of bubonic plague – one of the most devastating pandemics in human history. Originating in Asia, it is likely to have travelled along the Silk Route and then by ship into Europe.

It is believed, as with later outbreaks, that it was spread via fleas contaminated with the yersinia pestis bacteria.

The disease is estimated to have killed hundreds of millions of people worldwide and up to sixty per cent of the population in Europe. Characterised by a fever and buboes, the Black Death could kill within hours.

It lasted until 1352 and had huge economic and social repercussions.

Instances of bubonic plague returned over subsequent centuries. In 1665, the Great Plague of London killed twenty per cent of its population.

The term ‘quarantine’ was coined in Venice referring to

54

a period of forty days – the optimum time necessary for the spread of an epidemic to be contained. Cities that implemented quarantines were found to be less affected by fast-transmitting diseases.

Numerous cholera pandemics began in Russia in 1815.

Acquired through contaminated water and food, the British Army unwittingly spread this serious bacterial illness across the British Empire and millions of people died from its rapidly fatal effects.

Another outbreak occurred during the Crimean War between 1853 and 1856.

Nurse Florence Nightingale became famous at this time for her tireless efforts to improve unsanitary conditions.

A vaccine was created in 1885.

Smallpox, caused by the variola virus, is one of the most devastating diseases. Various outbreaks have occurred over the centuries, the earliest around 10,000 BC. During the twentieth century alone, smallpox was responsible

for up to five hundred million deaths worldwide. It was declared by WHO to be eradicated in 1980.

COVOD-19 is not the first pandemic virus to have originated in animals. The Spanish flu, which struck worldwide during 1918/19, is believed to have started in birds.

Although nicknamed the Spanish flu, it appeared in Kansas, America in 1918. Due to World War I, many European countries had news blackouts and initial reports came from Madrid, leading people to believe it had begun in Spain.

It was able to spread rapidly in the unsanitary and confined conditions of the trenches.

Unlike regular flu, it targeted healthy young people and came at a time when populations had already been decimated.

This flu was particularly deadly, leading to severe bronchial pneumonia. It infected a third of the world’s population and resulted in around fifty to one hundred million deaths.

Today, we are better informed about the spread of disease, our lives are more sanitary and scientists can more easily predict outcomes and implement strategies that contain it. Stay safe and well.

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Make the most of fresh blackberries with this delicious gluten-free cake.

Ideal as a dessert with yogurt.

Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 30-40 minutes Makes one 6 inch cake / serves 10 Ingredients • 150g gluten-free self-raising flour • 1 tsp baking powder • 75g xylitol or coconut sugar • Pinch of sea salt • 2 eggs • 100ml dairy-free milk or regular milk • 60g coconut yogurt or Greek yogurt • 120ml olive oil • 100g fresh or frozen blackberries • A little apricot jam for brushing • Yogurt to serve

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1. Grease and line a 6 inch cake tin. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4.

2. Place the flour, baking powder, xylitol (or coconut sugar, if using) and salt in a large bowl and mix together. In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, yogurt and olive oil, then pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and beat well with a wooden spoon.

3. Fold in the blackberries, reserving a few for the top.

4. Spoon the batter into the tin and smooth the top. Press the reserved blackberries into the top of the cake.

5. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and, with the cake in the tin, brush the top with a little warmed apricot jam to glaze.

Allow the cake to cool before removing from the tin.

6. Cut into slices and serve with yogurt.

Nutrition per serving (using xylitol): 218kcal, fat 13.4g (of which saturates 2.2g), carbohydrates 20.4g (of which sugars 1.5g), protein 3.4g

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MIND Matters

Say What You Mean I met with a friend the other day (I’m writing this at the end of June). We met, in the flesh, face to face 'and' we hugged, it felt quite illicit and forbidden but equally so ‘normal’ and needed. While we were talking about what we had both been up to, which didn’t amount to much because of recent events, she mentioned that “2020 had been a terrible month” – a very topical Freudian slip - we both laughed and then, predictably as two therapists, we started analysing it.

2020 did seem to stop in March.

It made me think about the other Freudian slips that pass through our lives. I feel the need to give a bit of theory here: Sigmund Freud (the Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis) believed that the slip of the tongue, or parapraxis, which we now refer to as a Freudian slip, was our unconscious thoughts, feelings, opinions, deepest desires, fantasies etc, slipping out into our consciousness bypassing our internal censor that keeps us from saying things we think others might be offended by. Others believe they are simple mistakes because the speakers mind is on something else.

To me, both seem plausible, if not possibly the same thing at times. Both often result in humorous misunderstandings, hideously embarrassing ones or even offence.

Some “classic” examples of the Freudian Slip are: “When you say one thing but mean a mother” – the speaker clearly means ‘another’ but perhaps they had forgotten to call their mum. A child who calls teacher “mum”, clearly wants to be home with mum or feels so comfy with their teacher that the mistake is easily made. A newsreader who doesn’t quite get Jeremy Hunt’s name correct. Calling the boss by our partners name during a heated debate.

texting her husband about a local theatre group; “I’m auctioning the kids tomorrow!” which should have been ‘auditioning’. In the early days of email I sent a message to my boss; the computer autocorrected my name to Marine Huskiness (I kid you not!) which was awkward, but tolerable.

I could keep going with examples but let’s be honest, many are quite unsuitable to be printed in Thatcham Connections; autocorrect can be quite rude and offensive.

No matter how sensible, professional or predictable we wish to be seen as, sometimes our minds take over and we are shown in our true colours; our inner most thoughts, fears or phantasies (or our electronic devices autocorrect us and we don’t reread our message before hitting send!).

Rather than berate ourselves for ‘getting it wrong’ we should encourage the freedom of our unconsciousness and consider what is going on for us when we say something we don’t quite mean. Maybe we did mean it, maybe it could be a way in to a difficult conversation that we have perhaps been putting off and now our unconscious has decided to act for us we cannot get out of it. Embrace it and use it to your advantage if you are brave enough.

I think we should celebrate our imperfections and I hope your autocorrect gives you something to laugh about very soon.

Maxine Hoskins MA, MBACP (Accred.)

Psychodynamic Counsellor. Tel: 07826 325835

Autocorrect on our devices also create some ‘interesting’ alternatives too. A wife

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57

Thatcham Clubs and Organisations Age UK (Thatcham Branch) ageuk.org.uk 01635 869395

Driving tuition RoADAR TVG www.roadartvg.org.uk

Thatcham Allotment Gardening Club 01635 865230 thatchamallotments.btck.co.uk

Gingerbread (for lone parent families) 01635 861813 gingerbread.org.uk

Alzheimers.co.uk alzheimers.org.uk 01189 596482

Thatcham Historical Society thatchamhistoricalsociety.org.uk

Thatcham Angling Association thatchamanglingassociation.co.uk Thatcham Art Experience 07914 321681 Angela Bates Blind Club Theale & Thatcham David Brazier 01635 253994 Thatcham Bowling Club 01635 867044/07979922233 www.thatchambowlingclub.co.uk Cancer Care Trust Newbury & District Newburycancercare.org.uk 01635 31542 Thatcham Classic Car thatchamclasic.co.uk Cold Ash Brass 01635 869906 Coldashbrass.org.uk Thatcham Folk Dance Club Mary Davidson 983 2605 Community Spirit Thatcham 34 High Street, quality clothes, toys and more.

Find on Facebook.

Hand Bell Ringers based at St Mary’s Church 1635 867421 barfield.org.uk Home Start facebook.com/newburyberks/ posts/1004543709573999 Thatcham Karate thatchamkarate.org Ladies Fellowship - Meet at Thatcham Free Church 01635 40358 Lady Frances Winchcombe’s Thatcham Foundation 01635 865339 Let’s Sing Mon eve, Kennet Sch 01635 813355

Rotary Club of Thatcham & District Email: secretary@ rotarythatcham.org.uk Tel: 01635 868727 Royal British Legion (Thatcham Branch) 01635 867621 Thatcham Rugby Club 07974771701 thatchamrfc.co.uk Survivors of Bereavement

by Suicide 07763644315 Thatcham Tennis Club 01635 861069/07917 710927 Thatcham Town Cricket Club 07932 692103 thatchamtowncc.co.uk Thatcham Town Ladies and Girls Football Club 01635 873596/07917 137022 pitchero.com/clubs/ thatchamtownladiesgirlsfc Thatcham U3A 01635 867037 Village Agent villageagentswb.org.uk 01635 581001

Philatelic Society 01635 866942 tdps.org.uk

Vision Youth Club thatchamyouth.org.uk

Thatcham Photographic Club thatchamphotoclub.com

W.I. 01635 866904 thewi.org.uk/thatcham

Thatcham Pre-School 07831 611145 thatchampreschool.co.uk

Thatcham Writers thatchamwriters.co.uk

Thatcham Rock Choir rockchoir.com

Thatcham Youth 07340 131337 thatchamyouth.org.uk

Disclaimer: whilst every effort has been taken in the preparation of these listings, Thatcham Connections accepts no liability for any inaccuracies, misprints or omissions.

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Views Views Viewson onLife Life Biographies, Biographies, Biographies, Biographies, memoirs memoirs memoirs memoirs and and and life lifelife lessons… lessons… lessons… lessons…

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Choose Choose Choose Choose Your Your Your Own Own Own Own Autobiography Autobiography Autobiography Autobiography –––Neil Neil Neil – Neil Patrick Patrick Patrick Patrick Harris Harris Harris Harris The The The The clue clue clue clue to tothis this to this one one oneone is is isin in inisthe the the in the title titletitle ––rather rather rather – rather than than than than aaastraightforward straightforward straightforward a straightforward ‘the ‘the ‘the whole ‘the whole whole whole truth truth truth truth and and and and nothing nothing nothing nothing but butbut the the thethe truth’ truth’ truth’ truth’ memoir, memoir, memoir, this this thisthis one one oneone gives gives gives gives the the thereader the reader reader reader the the the chance the chance chance chance toto choose tochoose choose to choose what what what what to to toread read read to read about about about next next next next and, and, and, and, ininsome some some in some cases, cases, cases, cases, inininwhich which which in which direction direction direction direction Harris Harris Harris Harris should should should should have have have have headed. headed. headed. headed.

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Each Each Each Each mini-bio mini-bio mini-bio is isisaccompanied accompanied accompanied is accompanied by by by full-colour full-colour by full-colour full-colour illustrations. illustrations. illustrations. illustrations.

Fantastically Fantastically Fantastically Fantastically Great Great Great Women Women Women Women Who Who Who Saved Saved Saved Saved the the thePlanet the Planet Planet Planet may may may may be be be aimed aimed be aimed aimed atat at young young young at young children, children, children, children, but but butbut parents, parents, parents, parents, grandparents grandparents grandparents grandparents and andand teachers teachers teachers teachers are are aresure are sure sure sure toto toenjoy enjoy enjoy to enjoy it itjust itjust just itas just as as much. much. as much. much.

Please refer to www.thatchamconnections.co.uk for advert prices and more.

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R

s a e

s n o

ot a

e v d

e s i rt

 Effective

 Affordable Advertising

 Reliable distributors - hand delivered to 10,000 homes and businesses  Advertorial opportunity  Leaflet distribution

Many of our advertisers pay by standing order which means that a tenth of their bill is paid monthly over ten consecutive months.

 Established 16 years  Local  Useful information  Community spirited  Read and Retained

We use expert professional graphic designers to make sure your advertisement stands out. There may be a small charge for this service (please enquire) but there is NO VAT. Every issue is put up on the web – quite often before the hard copy has been delivered from our printers!

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Please mention Thatcham Connections when responding to advertisements

Our readers are often members of busy young families and also retired people who remain very active

We are a small independent business who has been established over sixteen years. You will always deal with us directly and we fully appreciate how much your business means to you.

Our ethos is of friendliness and trust Your details will not be passed on to a third party.

Advertising in Thatcham Connections will reach 10,000 homes and businesses in: • Thatcham • Ashmore Green • Cold Ash • Curridge • Hermitage • Midgham • Woolhampton • Upper Bucklebury • Yattendon - that is a potential audience of approximately 22,000 people.

One Year of Advertising - 5 Issues

Advert Size

February/March, April/May, June-August, September/October, November-January

Standard Full page: 120mm x 180mm Bleed Full page: 148mm x 210mm + 3mm bleed Half page: 120mm x 85mm Quarter page: 60mm x 90mm Eighth page: 60mm x 45mm

£645 (£129 per issue) £420 (£84 per issue) £275 (£55 per issue) £165 (£33 per issue)

Please supply adverts in PDF or high resolution JPEG format.

Premium Back Cover Inside back, inside front, first, second and third right hand pages

£975 (£195 per issue) £690 (£138 per issue)

Leaflets Leaflets can be distributed

£45 (per 1,000)

Reserve your space today by calling us on 0118 9886070 and please confirm by emailing active@thatchamconnections.co.uk www.thatchamconnections.co.uk Please refer to www.thatchamconnections.co.uk for advert prices and more.

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SEE: www.thatchamconnections.co.uk To advertise, please email: active@thatchamconnections.co.uk Accountant Heslops

36

Drains Drain & Able

53

Aerials - TV S F Digital

18

Art Classes Creative Art Classes

Electrician Home Electrics TWK Electrical

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Beds & Mattresses Elite

Estate Agency Stephen Masters

7

9

Equity Release Hopwood Ash

36

Blinds Smart Blinds

11

Building Society Newbury Building Society 39 Car Maintenance Halfway Garage Pegasus

17 12

Cats Cosy Cottage Cattery 41 Newbury Cats Protection 41 Charity Newbury Cancer Care

27

Children - Including Babies Childcare - Mandy 53 GR Swimming School 53 Chimney Sweep PDD Services

41

18 12

Florist Buttercups & Daisies Funeral Directors Turner Brothers Furniture Pine & Oak

12 21 2

Garage Doors Garolla Roller Garage Doors

8 51

Gardening Services A4 Gardening Services AJC Services Back to the Fuchsia Easigrass Kalehurst Rycote

45 42 45 43 46 45

Glazier Homedene

14

Conservatories Amberwood

63

Counselling Margaret Spencer

Guttering CD Guttering

27

Handyman Peter Kirkham Martin Newman

15 23

Hairdresser Koo’s Hair Designs Tracey Blick Tracy Fearon

41 52 21

Health Orchard Life Centre

19

Curtains & Soft Furnishings Indigo Designs 53 Dancing Allenova School of Dancing 52 Decorator Tom Jupp

5

Dogs Allison’s Dog Grooming Harts Pro Hounds

41 31

Homecare D. Osteen

Two-minute Trial:

Wordladder:

Sudoku:

Words:

(other solutions may exist):

Easy:

tie tin

tens ties 3 Letters: tine 4 Letters: tins inn Inns ins nest 5 Letters: its nets inset net nine nines nit nite nites sen nits stein set sent tines sin sine sit 6 Letters: site ten snit tennis

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52

3

IT Every Day IT

Locksmith Cap Security

13

Maths Coach Michelle Llewellyn

33

Mortgage Hopwood Ash

36

Pest Control Control Services Limited

46

Picture Framer Berkshire Framing Co

17

Plasterer Mr H

17

Plumber AJ Bosley Paul Worsley

55 13

Roofer S Norman Roofing Roof Cleaning Services Mossinator

8 33

Solicitor Gardner Leader

20

Storage - secure The Barn Store

21

Vet Donnington Grove

31

Wealth Management Rebecca Kingwell

37

Window Cleaner Andy Jones

18

Hard:

team tram trap trip drip

Word Wheel:

13

School Yattendon School

TEAR

DROP

27

Joinery and Carpentry Woodgrain 21

ANSWER: TRUNCHEON

Please mention Thatcham Connections when responding to advertisements

Designs NEW: Guardian Warm Roof

ALSO: German ‘A’ rated Timberlook PVCu windows, doors & conservatories Bi-folding doors, made-to-measure wood windows 1 0Y INSURAN EAR CEPorches, carports, canopies, composite doors GUARA BACKED NTEE

Call: Roy Ward or Dermot O’Sullivan on 0118 982 0300 www.amberwooddesigns.co.uk office@amberwooddesigns.co.uk Visit us at: Office 1, Estate Offices, Youngs Industrial Estate Paices Hill, Aldermaston RG7 4PW Please refer to www.thatchamconnections.co.uk for advert prices and more.

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Learn to Draw & Paint Daytime, Adult Art Courses in Newbury, in a friendly, welcoming and relaxed class setting.

Many students come to learn but also to meet new people and have a bit of 'me' time.

We teach absolute beginners, as well as students who can already draw and paint, who seek more tuition with likeminded people.

Mediums taught include pencil, charcoal, acrylics, watercolours, ink and wash and many more.

Held at the St. Mary's Church Hall, Shaw, Newbury.

Resident Artist Carolyn Taylor

Get in touch for more details or to book your space.

Visit our website www.creativeartclasses.co.uk or email studio@creativeartclasses.co.uk

or call Carrie 07780 714656 Ursula Aitken, Stable 5, Gravelly Bridge Farmhouse, Grazeley, Reading RG7 1LG Tel: 0118 9886070 email: active@thatchamconnections.co.uk www.thatchamconnections.co.uk

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Please mention Thatcham Connections when responding to advertisements