Falmouth & Penryn Wave Magazine

This month

cornish paws Catch Up

Based in Penryn, Cornish Paws is a new family run independent veterinary practice. Every month we will bring you the latest information on pet care, food, training and fun stuff.

FROM

It was late on Christmas eve afternoon. An excited Father Christmas was heading through Cornwall to start delivering presents to all the families, making their Christmas wishes come true. As the younger children were starting to settle and sleep, Father Christmas begins his deliveries in the little town of Penryn.

The first house on his list he was welcomed by a very bouncy, happy pup who was intrigued to see the man in red walking through the house carrying a large sack on his shoulder. Father Christmas loves to meet everyone’s pets on his travels.

After stacking the presents under the tree, he turns around looking for the goodies the family had left for him on the table, a glass of milk and a mince pie. But instead of getting his tasty treat he was left with a trail of crumbs. Following the trail he finds a guilty looking pup who had not only eaten the mince pie but also was lying in a bed of empty chocolate wrappers. Father Christmas knew this was bad and needed to get the pup help.

Across town, the team at Cornish Paws were about to head home just as Father Christmas arrived with the pup. They knew they needed to act quickly. Unfortunately, the treatment he needed was to make him sick. After he had vomited all the pie and chocolates up, the vets were feeling satisfied he was going to be okay and gave him the all clear, sending him on his way back home.

Before continuing his deliveries, Father Christmas made sure the pup was home safely with no access to any more chocolate or mince pies. He was grateful he managed to get this pup the treatment that he needed but would like everyone to be aware not to leave any tasty treats where cheeky pets can reach and eat them!

Paula Russell

Matt & Rusty

It’s that time of year again. For some of us it means excitement, joy and togetherness. For some, we anticipate Christmas with dread and for others it can be a time of sadness when we miss our loved ones.

One thing we all face at Christmas is pressure. Pressure to celebrate. Pressure to buy. And perhaps most of all, pressure to eat and drink.

In this piece, I am going to take a look at the often complicated relationship between drinking and Christmas.

For most people, a few extra drinks at Christmas time means nothing much apart from the odd hangover, a few extra pounds on the waistline and fewer in the bank. But for a significant proportion of us who may have a more complicated relationship with alcohol, Christmas can be fraught with problems.

I make no secret about the fact that I don’t drink and the fact that my decision not to was driven by my destructive and dangerous relationship with alcohol as a young man.

In a way, the decision made itself and I’m grateful that it did. For many of us though, it’s not so clear cut and whilst alcohol might not bring the chaos that it brought to my life, it can however, have detrimental effects for us and those we love. Our health and our ability to function can suffer and those closest to us can also be affected.

Let us not forget that although it is readily available and socially encouraged at this time of year, alcohol is a mood altering and depressive substance that can have serious consequences for both our physical and mental health.

A phrase I’m hearing more and more is ‘sober curious’ and I was curious to find out what that meant. Essentially, the term applies to people who are wondering what an alcohol-free or alcohol-reduced life might be like. If you’re feeling anxious at the thought of a life without alcohol, then it may be an idea that’s worth exploring?

Questions we could ask are: ‘what does alcohol do for me?,’ ‘when I’m drinking, what am I not doing?,’ and perhaps, most importantly, ‘could my relationship with alcohol be improved?’

For me, the answer to the last question was a clear ‘yes!’ - by leaving it out altogether. But for others, readjusting and finding healthier drinking patterns might be all they need to do.

I’ve recently come together with Sophie (from Georgia’s Voice), Ross (from Man Down Cornwall) and Johnny (The Self Development Coach) and we are planning a social event early in the New Year at an alcohol free venue. Our aim is to help people find out that it is possible to socialise and even have fun in an alcohol-free environment. All profits will be divided between Georgia’s Voice and Man Down Cornwall so by joining us, you’ll also be supporting two fantastic local organisations. Check out @sobersoiree on Instagram and Facebook for updates.

If you’d like to have a conversation with one of our counsellors about alcohol in your life, you can nd us at lifetimetherapy.co.uk

Gorgeously Golden Christmas Cake

A mix of trend and tradition, this is one of the easiest Christmas cakes Iʻve ever created, with a virtually all-in-one method thatʻll save you some stress!

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CAKE

350 grams roughly chopped dried pears

250 grams roughly chopped dried apricots

250 grams golden sultanas

175 grams soft butter

200 grams caster sugar

125 millilitres white rum

200 grams ginger jam (or preserve or marmalade)

225 grams ground almonds 35 grams sesame seeds (or mixture sunflower & pumpkin) seeds from 3 cardamom pods ¼ teaspoon ground coriander 3 large eggs

FOR THE TOPPING 75 grams whole blanched almonds

METHOD

1. Roughly scissor the pears and apricots into small pieces and put them into a saucepan with the sultanas, butter, sugar, rum and ginger jam or preserve, or indeed marmalade.

2. Simmer for 10 minutes and then leave to stand for about 30 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 150°C/130°C Fan/gas mark 2/300ºF. Line the bottom and sides of a 20cm / 8 inch high-sided tin with a double layer of Bake-O-Glide or regular baking parchment; the lining should extend about 10cm / 4 inches above.

4. Stir the ground almonds, sesame seeds (or a mixture), cardamom seeds and corian-

Bites Beryl's

der into the cooled saucepan. Beat in the eggs and spoon into the prepared cake tin, smoothing the top.

5. Starting in the middle, work in concentric circles as you place the blanched almonds on top of the cake batter in decorative rings (rather like a Dundee cake).

6. Bake for 1 hour 40 minutes, then leave to cool completely in the tin. Once cool, take out of the tin, wrap with baking parchment then foil, before stashing it away in its cake tin or other airtight container. Though, unlike a traditional fruit cake, it doesn’t need to stand before being divinely edible.

Festive Weekend is BACK!

10th and Sunday 11th December, 12 - 6pm

Falmouth’s Festive Weekend will be back on Satur day 10th and Sunday 11th December, midday till around 6pm on both days (note: timings may be affected by weather of course, so follow website and social feeds for further information).

The community favourite, organised once again by the Falmouth Town Team (the award-winning Falmouth BID/ Falmouth Town Council partnership) will see a lovely range of activities taking place across the town. Hop on board the festive land train, enjoy the snowy streets, have a go on the artificial ice-rink, or listen to the brilliant live music performed by local choirs and bands. 2021’s event was hugely well received by businesses and residents alike, providing a timely festive boost for one and all.

One of the lead organisers, Executive Director of Falmouth BID Richard Wilcox said:

“The Festive Weekend really highlights all that’s fantas tic about Falmouth. There’s a great atmosphere, volun teers give up time to support, while businesses get in volved with window displays and more. The event brings the community together really well and the feedback we receive highlights the importance of organising such a festival at this time of year.”

For further information visit www.falmouth.co.uk

Christmas A very Cornish

Plenty of fun and laughter across the county this Christmas

Check your Christmas tree lights are in good working order and conform to the British Standard.

Never Place candles near your Christmas tree or your furnishings. 3.Think about where you are placing your Christmas tree, is it going to obstruct your means of escape from the room.

Always switch off your Christmas lights before you leave the house or when going to bed.

Never overload sockets or extension leads.

Make sure that any family visitors who are staying with you over the festive period know what to do in the event of an emergency.

Take time to check on older relatives and neighbours this Christmas. 8. Some decorations can burn easily, don’t attach them to heaters or lights. 9. The risks of accidents, especially in the kitchen, are greater after alcohol is consumed - take care if you’re having a few festive drinks. 10. Use Christmas as a reminder to clean and test your smoke alarms. 11. Most fires start in the kitchen, never leave a cooker unattended. 12. If you’re planning on using fireworks for your celebrations over Christmas/New year make sure you store them correctly. Never go back to a lit firework.

Cornwall. It goes without saying that the roof over your head is one of the most important parts of your home, protecting you and your possessions from the elements. Whether you need a roof repair, a new roof, or replacing an existing roof, you can call on England Roofing Contractors Ltd to carry out the work to a high standard and great finish. We cover all aspects of roofing from roof repairs for a damaged or leaking roof, new roofs, re-roofing, slating, tiling, flat roofs, lead work, zinc, copper and hard metals, chimneys, guttering, velux windows and all else in-between. We are happy to offer advice and expertise on all of the roofing services and materials we provide.

You will find our prices are very competitive and we endeavour to cater to all of our customers budgets.

“England Roofing have re-roofed two 200-year old cottages for us plus a flat roof extension. From start to finish they have been excellent. The quotes were precise, the team on-site were hard working and very pleasant and easy to deal with. They were very efficient and friendly when organising the extras we requested during the job and when answering any queries we had. Plus the new roofs look great. Would definitely recommend England Roofing Contractors – a very professional team”