Wye Valley Life September 2009 by Wye Valley Media

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WYE VALLEY LIFE

...is your life

FOREST OF DEAN • HEREFORDSHIRE • POWYS • MONMOUTHSHIRE • SOUTH SHROPSHIRE

EMILY ROBB in her comtemporary city home

JULIETTE AUSTEN CHANDLER’S

LEDBURY a food lover’s black and white dream

Education

choose your local schools

birthday boys in the buff, and many other socials

Local

RESTAURANTS REGIONAL RECIPES GOURMET SHOPPING

SEPTEMBER 2009

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FASHION FOR AUTUMN and where to get it locally

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Kitchen solutions love your craftsmen

SEPTEMBER 2009 ONLY £2.50

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WVM

Home life

Flair

over five floors Words by Sharon Chilcott Photographs by Richard Weaver

When Emily Robb needed to find a new home for herself and her five children, she set her heart on somewhere in Castle Street Hereford, “Because it’s quiet, pretty and I love hearing the cathedral bells”. 8

WYEVALLEYMEDIA.CO.UK SEPTEMBER 2009

“I wanted somewhere fairly quickly, so I put letters through people’s letter boxes to see if they were interested in selling.” Almost immediately, architect Hugo Mason, whose vacant office building at number 11 had once been one of the finest gentleman’s residences in the city, contacted her. One of a pair, because of its importance, it is Grade II* listed and is set back from the street behind a small garden. Hugo had used it as his office since 1968, but he had left mainstream practice, his firm had moved out to new premises and he was left with an empty building. “Then along came Emily with her five children who were already keen to create a family

home here. I first showed her around when it was fully occupied as an office and to my surprise she fell for it straight away.” “Emily had no previous experience of building projects, let alone the creation of a house from an office. I promised to work closely with her and her children to turn no.11 back into a dwelling. Having carried out many similar projects for private clients in the past I was keen to get my hands really dirty and so I decided to design and manage the work on site myself. Each of the five children, Ben, George, Lara, Jemima and Isobel told me what they wanted and from day one we all worked together as a team.”

Home life WVM

“I wanted them to gasp when they came in and saw it, and they did.”

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Home life

The resulting house, with its seven bedrooms, four bathrooms, a fine kitchen, dining, drawing and TV room, provides a perfect home for Emily’s family, aged from 5 to17. “The boys have the basement and the girls have the top floor, there are two living floors and I have a floor to myself, so we can get away from each other when we need to and you really wouldn’t know there are so many people living here,” says Emily. Although this is the first home Emily has designed and decorated, her style and creativity have resulted in a ‘wow’ factor in every room – from the modern chandelier in the dining room, the row of enormous Venetian glass light shades in the entrance hallway to the purple sofa in the living room and the red work surfaces in the kitchen. Hugo explains, “Emily was very concerned with the kitchen and the other working parts of the house, and for someone who claimed to have no experience, it was a real eye opener. As it happens the kitchen was eventually made by Giles Mason, Hugo’s son, who has a design comapny. Her artistic ideas for the circulation areas have helped to create light and airy spaces whilst at the same time enhancing the original architectural features of the building to the full”. Says Emily, “One friend told me the décor is very ‘me’, which made me laugh, as it is all slightly eccentric. I had never done a house before and I was very anxious because there was so much time pressure”. The project was scheduled to take just I2 weeks, but although it went over time slightly, the children were able to move in for the start of the new school year as originally planned, even though for a while they had to camp out in the house. 10

WYEVALLEYMEDIA.CO.UK SEPTEMBER 2009

Home life WVM

“There were no carpets because there was a go-slow on production so I couldn’t move the furniture in. We slept in sleeping bags on the underlay and people lent us camping equipment. It was heading towards winter and just as it was getting intolerable and the children were getting pretty fed up, the carpets came.” Several of the other floors have been supplied by White Hall, with the shop just a stones throw away from the property. One of the most imposing rooms in the house is the living room with its eyecatching wallpaper depicting colourful humming birds. “It’s probably after an original Victorian design. I like it because you can constantly hear the birds here, the wood pigeons and ducks from the Castle Green pond and it reflects the atmosphere,” says Emily. The purple sofa, by Julian Chichester, picks up one of the colours in the wallpaper. “The sofa was the first thing I saw that I really wanted. I saw it in a magazine and went up to London to buy it. Then I saw the wallpaper and purely by chance it had the same purple in it,” says Emily. The high-ceilinged room has a pair of double doors opening to a Juliet balcony with white wrought iron balustrades and views over Castle Street. This creates a light, airy feel, which Emily has emphasised by the addition of stylish Perspex wall lights, modern reading lights from Italy, plain white drapes and Perspex curtain rails. This room is on the second floor, and opposite is a family TV room, where striking black and white striped Ikea sofas complement the red walls and curtains. On the floor above, Emily has decorated her own bedroom with a duck egg blue Coles wallpaper etched with burnished gold roses, the tones picked up in her Julian Chichester gold four poster bed and dark gold lustre curtains. Across the hallway an imposing four-poster bed bought in Singapore dominates the guest room, where Emily has complemented flock wallpaper with blue paisley on a slate

grey background with a white bedspread and white curtains. She has made effective use of wallpaper throughout the house but laughs: “The guy who put the wallpaper up couldn’t stand any of it!” Above, on the fifth floor, Emily has created princess-style bedrooms decorated with pink wallpaper for her youngest daughters, Jemima, 5 and Lara, 6. “I wanted them to gasp when they came in and saw it, and they did,” she says. Her eldest daughter, Issy, has a beamed attic room across the corridor and her own bathroom, with colourful Nina Campbell wallpaper depicting fish, and a roll top slipper bath painted pink. Back on the ground floor, Emily’s dining room is furnished with a large oval table and smoked Perspex Louis XV chairs, with the wow factors of a strikingly patterned Paul Smith rug and industrial style chandelier. RGM Fireplaces supplied the unique heating and plumbing systems. The modern kitchen across the hall is distinctive for its red shiny Deco glaze work surfaces and grey, Harewood veneered kitchen units with Japanesestyle black knobs. Emily has picked up the colour of the work surfaces in her large red gas cooker, which she says is the urban alternative to an Aga, and in the red cushion on the window seat which looks out over her small, walled cottage-style garden. Finally, downstairs in the basement, there are rooms for Emily’s two teenage sons, who have individual en-suite wet rooms and a soundproofed music room across a small yard. This former office building has been transformed into a stylish yet practical family house, one which Emily’s family and their architect are justifiably proud of. Hugo Mason sums up: “In its days as an architect’s office the building saw many clients who claimed to have much experience of building projects. For me, this finale had to be the winner – Emily claimed to be lacking in experience and yet flair, perseverance and good teamwork has re-created an exceptional house.” SEPTEMBER 2009 WYEVALLEYMEDIA.CO.UK

WVM

Kitchens

Design Ideas

Kitchens

Kitchens are at the hub of your home, whether they are small or vast, they are at the centre of cooking preparation and therefore at the heart of busy family life. With the increase in open plan, contemporary living, kitchens have also become the new dining room and general living space, so they need extra care and attention when attempting to design your dream space. Kitchens are without doubt one of the most expensive rooms in the home to design or renovate but they are equally the most essential room in which to invest careful thought. Not only does a wow-factor room raise value in your property it also promotes healthy family living and a better quality of life. 1. Creating something utterly bespoke to fulfill your every need. Oxford and King, Hereford, 01432 344671 oxfordandking.co.uk 2. Colour can be a great way of personalising your kitchen when chosen carefully. Robert Price, Abergavenny, 01873 858585 robert-price.co.uk

WYEVALLEYMEDIA.CO.UK SEPTEMBER 2009

3. Exceptional quality and style speaks for itself. Taylormade by Stanton, Longhope and Monmouth, 01452 831538 taylormadebystanton.co.uk 4. Creating the perfect harmony between modernity and architectural heritage, this kitchen by Masterclass is crafted out of English pippy oak and wildgrained French oak. Venture4Supplies Ltd, Abergavenny, 01873 850911 venture4supplies.co.uk 5. Chic, modern living, perfect for young professionals, by Keller. Westdown Kitchens, Hereford, 01432 263733

SEPTEMBER 2009 WYEVALLEYMEDIA.CO.UK

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w w w. k i t e c r a f t . c o . u k

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Julian & Jo Monkley

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Kitchens WVM

Talking tiles Make a statement with tiles. A feature wall can add a little humour and a great design feature. White Hall Hereford 01432 272898 white-hall.co.uk

Look while you cook

Mirrors are the latest craze for splash backs. Made from toughened glass to withstand the heat, this is a really quirky, space creating idea. Hereford Glass Hereford 01432 359358 herefordglass.co.uk

Top Tips

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High quality work surfaces are a must to complete a superior finish.You can also now add more design within the worktop to create subtle and seriously smart detailing. G.O.N Granite & Marble Ltd 01745 890888 g-o-n.co.uk

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Clever curves Curves take away plainness, not to mention saving hips from bruises. Smooth sweeps are a great design choice.

Look at the architecture of your property, and make sure to choose the colour of your units carefully. Outrageous colours make fabulous show pieces but can date very quickly. Equally opting for dark kitchens in small spaces can only add to a sense of cabin fever. So think carefully about the type of wood, colour of tiles and work service extremely carefully.

3. Ensure you consider the layout of your kitchen wisely, and always remember the triangle rule â&#x20AC;&#x201C; where the sink, refrigerator and stove are situated in a triangle for total ease of food preparation. 4. If you cannot afford a new kitchen why not brighten the counter and window sills with plants and flowers. 5. Lighting is really important in a kitchen, so when installing your electrics aim to put key lights on a dimmer so that you can change the lighting from day to night, this is especially useful if you have a kitchen diner SEPTEMBER 2009 WYEVALLEYMEDIA.CO.UK

The perfect little black number You cannot fail to impress with a little black dress. No matter what your size or shape, investing in one really gorgeous piece is invaluable, much like your Chanel clutch, the ‘lbd’ is timeless, classic and will ensure that you are never stuck for an outﬁt when you require a spot of night-time glamour. Animal print is one of this season’s greatest statement looks. EnVee Monmouth 01600 711557 www.envee.co.uk

Take one lbd, add shoes, high fashion for that black tie ball, or simple and sleek for an intimate supper, mix and match with a pashmina or accessories with on-trend jewellery. Done.

Latest fashion house catwalk collections revealed a surprising amount of bold colours set against black. This accessory is not only the perfect throw-over, but the vivacious fuchsia pink will help to bring some vibrancy into the look. Perilla Perilla.co.uk

Disco Diva James Lakeland has hit the nail on the head with this little black off the shoulder number, it’s simple asymmetric lines and modern crop creates a sexy silhouette that is utterly show-shopping. The Dressing Room Malvern 01684 567667

Handmade out of safety pins, this bracelet will add some chunky detailing and a spot of fun. Also available as a watch strap in many different colours. J B Gaynan and Sons Ledbury 01531 632992

By To Be, these shoes are really cute, and would add a real colour clash sentiment that is right on trend for the A/W season. Ensure that you match your make-up, using vibrant lip and eye shades that really promote the idea of clash. LuLu Smith Hereford 01432 273800

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Retail therapy WVM Lola Cruz, Art-deco shoes £175.00 Envee Monmouth 01600 711557 www.envee.co.uk

Perfect adult keepsake fabric hearts by Gisella Graham £2.99 Hintons Country Homes and Gardens Leominster 01568 612277 www.hinstonscountry.co.uk

Fuschia pink key board £12.95 Hearts and Flowers Ledbury 01531 634622

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Rural life WVM

Keeping it in the

family Words by Sharon Chilcott Photographs by John Teale

Breeding and showing Welsh Black Cattle has turned into a family affair for Chris and Meg Thorpe and their children Henry and Vida. Henry, aged 12, already has a shelf of trophies and rosettes to his name, having won calf handling classes at several agricultural shows across the region, including twice in succession at Brecon Show in the under 11 class. “I won reserve champion at Brecon at the age of nine, and champion in the under 11 classes there and that year I was interviewed by John Craven on TV, as Brecon is the oldest Welsh show and the Welsh Black is the oldest Welsh breed,” he says proudly.

time as an animal nutrition adviser, sees to the herd in the evenings and at weekends and spends holidays showing them, a favourite show being the fourday Royal Welsh Show in Builth Wells. Says Meg: “We stay on the showground in a trailer and the kids love it. All the public go home

around 7pm and then the ground comes alight, it’s a great atmosphere as there are a lot of people showing cattle and we get together with the other exhibitors and there are all sorts of things going on like an inter-breed

tug-of-war and quizzes. It’s very entertaining and you get the chance to sit down and talk to people and have a laugh with them.” “You need a bank of sleep beforehand,” says Chris. “Often we are up beyond midnight and then we need to be up at 5am to prepare the cattle!”

Sister Vida, aged 5, not to be outdone, reveals she has plans this year to show her favourite calf, Moley, so named, she says, because “When he was born he had a face like a mole”. The Thorpe family rear their award-winning Lucton herd of pedigree Welsh Black cattle on a 40-acre smallholding near Leominster. Chris, who works full

SEPTEMBER 2009 WYEVALLEYMEDIA.CO.UK

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Rural life

“Between January and July there are 101 things that can go wrong” The family’s herd numbers between 30 to 35 head of cattle, they sell their heifers for breeding at Welsh Black Cattle Society sales held throughout the year. “If we get an exceptionally good bull calf we leave it as a bull and hope it will make the grade as a breeding bull. Other bull calves are castrated and fattened for sale as prime quality beef which Meg retails from the farm”, explains Chris. The couple have bred Welsh Black cattle for the past 19 years. “We bought our first heifers in 1990. We moved here 20 years ago and having got a bit of land at last, we decided to breed Welsh Blacks because they are lovely unspoilt hardy cattle and we thought there would be a demand for them as they have so many attributes. The meat contains marbling, which helps it to stay moist during the cooking process, it cooks very, very well as it is self-basting and tastes like meat used to taste years ago.” Chris enthuses: “I rarely go out and order beef but on the odd occasion when we eat other beef, although it might be nice and tender it doesn’t taste quite like Welsh Black beef”. Meg explains that the idea of breeding Welsh Black cattle also

WYEVALLEYMEDIA.CO.UK

AUGUST 2009

appealed because they wanted to show their herd. “There are a lot of Hereford classes round here, but we wanted to do something a bit different.” They have certainly marked themselves out as different in Welsh Black cattle breeding circles, because their herd has an English prefix. Whilst it is near the Welsh border, Lucton is in Herefordshire. The Thorpes also decided to buy their stock from the old established blood-lines. “We knew we weren’t going to be able to have a large herd so we decided to try and buy the best we could afford. The most memorable triumph was at the Royal Welsh show in 1999, when we won the class for ‘Best cow with calf at foot’. To go to the Royal Welsh Show with a home bred cow and calf and to be pulled out first was quite special, I won’t forget that”, says Meg. The family enter the cattle in classes at up to eight agricultural shows each year, often including Monmouthshire, Brecon, Lampeter, Talybont and Cerrig-y-drudion. “It involves a lot of preparation and commitment,” says Chris. “I probably start thinking about which cattle to show in January

Rural life WVM or February, when there will be several cattle I’ll have in mind. By the third week in July I have got to have them in spot on show condition. That means both body condition and behaviour; so many hours of hard work go into achieving this. There’s no calculation I can do, I just have to judge it by eye. Between January and July there are 101 things that can go wrong”. There is also a lot involved on the day. The animals need

to be washed and groomed to perfection, and able to stand and move as required in front of the judge in the show ring. “It takes an awful lot of time working up a one-to-one relationship with the cattle so they will attract the eye of the judge, look interested and stand four square,” says Meg. “It is absolutely wonderful if you get a red rosette, but if we don’t, we have always got to remember there are all those potential customers round the ring. We

hope that if we do consistently well at shows we will benefit in the future at pedigree sales, but showing is not something you do for the money. If we didn’t enjoy it we wouldn’t do it.” ”The Royal Welsh is the biggest show we go to and we are there from Sunday to Thursday which is a big commitment, along with all the time spent in preparation before hand, but it is probably one of the biggest shop windows for the breed in the world.”

CATTLE FACTS

* The Welsh Black breed of cattle is a tremendously hardy breed and one of the oldest in Britain, having inhabited the hills of Wales since Roman times. * Drovers would herd the cattle for weeks to sell them at English markets, returning to Wales with large amounts of money which made them the target of bandits and highwaymen. The constant threat of robbery prompted the formation of the first bank, the Bank of the Black Ox, which evolved into Lloyds Bank. * Before the 1960’s very few Welsh Black Cattle were exported outside the UK, but they can now be found in Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Germany as well in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Jamaica and Uganda. * Welsh Black Cattle were often used as currency, giving rise to the description of them as “The black gold from the Welsh hills”. * The first Welsh Black Cattle Society was formed in 1882 and there were separate Societies for North and South Wales until the modern Society was launched at a meeting in the Boars Head Hotel in Carmarthen in August 1904. For more details visit the official website of the Welsh Black Cattle Society: www.welshblackcattlesociety.com AUGUST 2009 WYEVALLEYMEDIA.CO.UK

Gardening WVM

Timely Tips

for Gardeners

by Wincey Willis

2009 has served up such erratic weather patterns that it is difﬁcult to think ahead. However there are some tasks that are pretty much the same every September.

Avoid being too radical when hedge pruning. Give it a chance to recover a little before winter. To aid stability the top of the hedge should be narrower than the base.

Take stem cuttings of roses in early September by pushing cut stems straight into a small patch of soil that won’t be needed until next year. Most roses can be propagated from cuttings. Take a 30cm length of stem, removing the soft tip above a leaf joint, and cut below a joint at the base, removing all but the top three leaves. Then push the cutting halfway into the soil and let nature do her work over the winter. Photograph by Wincey Willis

If the weather is glorious then watering will be a daily task. Don’t water your greenhouse plants when the sun is out. Water on the leaf surface enhances the possibility of scorching.

Keep the netting on fruit bushes and trees taught to avoid trapping birds.

Check them frequently.

Seed gathering is a very satisfying task. For very little effort we can save money and also have sufﬁcient to share or barter. The golden rules are: Collect the seeds in paper not plastic bags. Write on the bag immediately after you ﬁll it with seeds. (You are unlikely to be able to sort what is what if you bundle them all together.) Hang the bags in a warm dry place to allow the seeds to dry. Then store the bags in an airtight container in a cool place.

G OPPORT UN WIN IT SO E IE T A

Herbs will keep well if chopped and frozen. Do it in individual ice trays, sufﬁcient for one meal.

Make sure onions are very well dried before storing.

Continue to harvest beans and courgettes to eat or freeze them at their best.

Harvest sweet corn when the ‘beard’ has turned brown. To get maximum ﬂavour and nutrition collect them immediately before cooking.

Winter Spinach Spring Cabbage Chinese Cabbage Green Manures, such as mustard, buckwheat and clover.

SEPTEMBER 2009 WYEVALLEYMEDIA.CO.UK

Wildlife WVM

Wincey’s

Wildlife The Wonder of Worms

“Worms are the intestines of the Earth”

(Aristotle)

I have noticed, with a tinge of sadness, the lack of birds following the plough in many areas. When I was a child the fields around our house were really noisy places at sowing and harvest time. Huge flocks of gulls and various members of the crow family and lapwings fought for pole position next to the plough point, to take advantage of the various normally soil bound creatures, suddenly exposed.

In ancient Egypt earthworms were so highly valued that Cleopatra declared them sacred. If you were caught smuggling them abroad, you would be put to death! Earthworms are busiest in warmer months. They are most active at night and need to retain moisture. In autumn their work is very obvious, tufts of fallen leaves stick half way

The juicy prize most sought after is a fat protein packed worm. It isn’t only the wildlife that gains a great deal from these amazing animals. Worms are vital to our very survival. When I interviewed Sir David Attenborough on television and he said, “Without worms our world would be in dire straights”.

Photographs Top: Composting worms Right: Earthworms Photographs courtesy of Wiggly Wigglers

Despite what you think, after a long day with a spade, the worm is by far the hardest worker in your garden and is vital to the health of your soil. According to the Soil Association one gram of healthy soil can contain more than one billion organisms of over 10,000 different species. Most of these are not visible to the naked eye, but of those that are, the worm is undoubtedly crucial in the management of this vital ecosystem.

into the lawn. Worm casts, much hated by fanatical lawn lovers, were found to contain up to ten times more nutrient than the surrounding soil. If you buy worm casts or have a ‘wormery’, use the product sparingly, as it is so rich. Worms

are constantly moving the fresh soil to the surface and pulling down organic matter; so over time the height of the soil increases. This is taken into account by archaeologists when dating a site. Don’t confuse your garden worms, Lumbricus terrestris, and your composting red worms, Eissenia andreii. Earthworms prefer decomposing matter and live in burrows, often deep in the soil; ‘reds’ eat fresh organic matter. Even though worms have both male and female reproductive organs (hermaphrodite), it takes two worms with their heads in opposite directions to mate. It isn’t true that if you chop a worm in half it will survive, although it can regenerate lost segments. In 1881 Charles Darwin said, “It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world as these lowly organised creatures. Without the work of this humble creature, who knows nothing of the benefits he confers upon mankind, agriculture as we know it, would be very difficult if not wholly impossible”. AUGUST 2009

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WVM

Real people

Words and photographs by Wincey Willis

Tiah Powell from Herefordshire is a bright pretty fifteen-year old girl, full of potential and enthusiasm for what the future holds. Confidently talking of going to college and planning to work with animals or in fashion. This is a far cry from the terrified shaking child who hid in her grandfather’s shed rather than go to school. “It started when I went to secondary school. They kept all my friends away from me. If I was talking to someone they would come over and link arms with them and just march them away. In class they would sit whispering and making it obvious they were talking about me. They wouldn’t let me sit at the same table as my friends in the classroom or at lunch. They would put drinks bottles all around the table pretending the seats were taken.” Tiah moved up to ‘big school’ with friends she had made in primary school. I asked her what they thought about the situation. “They didn’t really say anything about it until I left school. They were afraid to say anything to the bullies in case they started on them.” There was one particular girl who instigated the isolation of Tiah. She was the same age as her and had known her in primary school. She encouraged others to take part in the bullying. I wanted to know why Tiah thought they picked on her in 78

WYEVALLEYMEDIA.CO.UK SEPTEMBER 2009

particular. “I was quite a shy person and in primary school I had a best friend who used to be friends with the bully. I don’t think she liked that but she wasn’t a bully until we went to secondary school.” The bullying started after the first two weeks. Tiah would be forced to spend lunch and break times sitting alone. Not long into the first term the children who were making Tiah’s life a misery went to the head of year and complained about her! “They said I had been picking on them and saying horrible things. I was looking at them in evil ways. I was shocked to hear that. I told head of year that I knew who it was who had said that but at that time I didn’t say she was picking on me. The teachers don’t believe you; whoever tells them first they believe that person.” At this point her world crumbled, she couldn’t believe what had happened. When she was named as the bully, she cried in her room for days. She would always put on

a brave face in front of her family. Her mother suspected there was something wrong and quizzed her; she actually asked if she was being bullied. Like most victims of bullying Tiah was ashamed, she felt silly and thought she was letting her family down. She convinced her mother that everything was okay. Some children start to self-harm when this happens, others feign illness. Tiah tried to convince her mother that she was ill but as she had done this in the past at primary school, when she just didn’t like school, it didn’t work. Even though she was spending all her time alone and not going out with any friends, it took some months before it came to light. “It was getting worse and worse I was really upset and I just couldn’t deal with going to school and sitting by myself at breaks anymore. I just wanted it sorted. I went halfway to school and I pretended I had forgotten something. My grand parents were on holiday so I went

to their house and stayed in the shed for a few hours. It was getting very cold and I was shaking so I rang my sister Tanya but I ran out of credit. My sister rang me back and I was crying, she came to get me. I told her everything. She rang mum and when she came home she felt really guilty that she hadn’t questioned me more. It wasn’t her fault.” Subsequent meetings were arranged with the school. She was terrified at this point. Tiah and her mother had to meet with the chief bully and her mother and sign forms stating they would be nice to each other. They were instructed to be P.E. partners. When Tiah asked the bully why she always put bottles around the table saying the places were taken when they were not, she said, “The teacher told me to do it”! This statement was never questioned by anyone in authority. After this Tiah says, “I was feeling quite positive thinking that things would change but nothing did.” They were never made to be

Real people WVM

partners in P.E. in fact it was as though the meetings had never happened. The difference was at this point she was telling her mother what was happening. Tiah’s mother Bev had suspicions that things were not okay. Tiah convinced her that she was not being bullied and so she thought it was just that she didn’t like school. She was wracked with guilt and anger during her drive home from work on hearing from Tanya about Tiah. “When I came in she was just like a heap, I went up to her and gave her a hug and said everything is going to be alright. I blamed myself, I made her go to school, I felt I had let her down, why couldn’t she tell me? I made an appointment for the next day and we had the meeting of both sides and the deputy headmistress. We were only allowed to speak when it was your turn. No one said anything when the bully said the teacher told her to put the bottles around the table so Tiah couldn’t sit

there! It was then I knew that they were not going to sort this out.” “Tiah went to school for a couple of days and on the third day I found her on the top of her cabin bed with her legs out of the upstairs window staring into the distance! I crept in and grabbed her arm. She later admitted she was contemplating jumping out of the window. It was then I went about sorting out home education.” “We bought the Key Stage 3 books, we all helped and she’s never looked back. Two years ago she started using the online school, it’s a cyber classroom with fifteen other children her age, most of them out of school due to bullying. She has a web cam and she can communicate with everyone, it’s marvellous. The lady who comes round to see us is delighted with her progress. It really annoys me because nothing happens to the bullies, it’s always the victims who have to leave.” “A couple of months after Tiah left

the bullies started again, attacking some of the girls who were Tiah’s original friends. Their mothers came to me saying they now understood what we had gone through. Sorry we didn’t stand by you.” It was at this point that Bev decided to set up a website which children and parents could access for advice and understanding. www. cruelatschool.co.uk has become a lifeline for so many distraught parents and children. Bev has had adults contacting her who were bullies and are now feeling very guilty. She says, “Don’t get angry if you are a parent, the bullies are usually people with family problems. If you are a child just tell someone, it’s not your fault. It’s always someone who is a little bit different who is picked on. Remember you are special”. Several other major child-related sights are now linked with theirs. Tiah wrote a poem in her depths of despair, which has just been published in the USA in ‘Turning Nothing into Something’ by Lizzie Vishnevsky. SEPTEMBER 2009 WYEVALLEYMEDIA.CO.UK

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Ledbury WVM

Ledbury’s gastronomic evolution

Words and photographs by Heidi Chamberlain Jones

Mention Ledbury and abundant images of black and white splendour, medieval cobbled streets, and a gentle tourist trap spring to mind. You’d be right, but open your other eye and you’ll see that this beautiful border market town has developed into a gourmet destination to rival Ludlow and a shopping haven to challenge the most resisting purse.

››

SEPTEMBER 2009 WYEVALLEYMEDIA.CO.UK

Mrs Muffins Tea Shop At Mrs Muffins we offer scrumptious Award Winning food set in a beautiful 17th Century oak beamed building with a secluded pretty courtyard garden. We serve food All Day from our Herefordshire breakfast, morning coffee and lunches through to afternoon tea. All complimented by a range of local wines and beers. Our homemade cakes and Herefordshire clotted cream teas are a real treat. You can find us on the cobbled lane behind the Market House Mon-Sat 10.00-4.30pm Sun (April-October) 11.00-4.30pm

Mrs Muffins, 1 Church Lane, Ledbury, Herefordshire HR8 1DL 01531 633579 www.mrsmuffins.co.uk

Herefordshire’s Fair Trade Shop Little Tarrington Farm, Tarrington, Hereford 01432 890423 � Gifts, toys and novelties � Interior accessories � Soft furnishings and rugs � Beautiful jewellery � Exclusive knitwear � Scarves, bags and

much more

Wednesday to Saturday 10-4pm

Sunday 10-1pm

Member of The British Association for Fair Trade Shops

Ledbury is literally in its own little world and once you have stepped into it you will be forever smitten and is exactly what has happened to many of the current inhabitants and shop keepers. As I sat in the early evening sun with Andy Ward, local publican at The Talbot and staunch promoter of the town, I lost count of the number of people we discussed who had arrived as tourists and settled as residents. While visiting friends or holidaying in the area, they become enchanted, returning more and more often, until suddenly they find that they have set up a business or a home and now they’re here to stay. While this almost makes Ledbury a little cosmopolitan, let’s not overlook the foundations of the town’s economy that has been built up by generations of family businesses. J B Gaynan and Son is a fine example. A traditional family jewellers in the Homend, it has a reputation for quality and trusted service, still offering the rarely found art of pearl stringing and carrying out most repairs on site. Though daughter Karen is introducing some exciting modern accessories such as beaded bracelets handmade from safety pins and colour coordinated necklaces tailor-made to match your outfit, just to make sure they are keeping up with the times. When you get this mix of solid history entwined with new spirit, it makes a winning formula for economic growth and this is where Ledbury thrives. art galleries and antiques fold between linens and lingerie. There is plenty to service the local residents without having to leave the town; Shane Howells provides quality windows, doors and conservatories adapting designs to most periods of property, Hills cater to the Aga lovers with their large showrooms just outside the town, Lock, Stock and Barrel on the Dymock road

import interesting mahogany furniture to give your home a world wide feel, Ledbury Kitchens and Bathrooms is another wellknown family company run by a father and daughter team, a little further from the main road at New Street and there is even a selection of toy shops including the well-stocked Little Shop of Wonders in Bye Street. Art galleries and antiques mingle with interiors and high street favourites. See wacky businesses like The Cartoonery, a fascinating little workshop where Simon Cook can create an incredible personal piece of art with a comedy twist, though always flattering, from your own directions. Look out for his designs on all of the nationally branded Weird Fish tshirt artwork, and remember, it’s all from little old Ledbury. The new season collections at Sez ladies fashions sit equally beside the vintage rails of Connections clothing agency, though there are several terrific boutiques offering designer women’s wear and accessories. You’ll even find our own photographer, John Teale at his studio’s at the The Southend. Some new additions to Ledbury’s plethora of interesting and independent shops are Juice Jewellery at the Old Cottage Hospital Studios, where Jules Schad has relocated her delicious and unique jewellery displays, Versatile in New Street is a unique company offering imaginative design solutions for wall and floor coverings with a difference, and we’re not talking wallpaper or carpets, and Hus & Hem tucked behind John Nash Interiors off the High Street, will have you whirling around scooping up Scandinavian scrumptiousness for the home and as gifts, and making notes to come back for your Christmas run. Ledbury is all about making you want to come back. There is always ›› something new to look at and

Ledbury WVM

SEPTEMBER 2009 WYEVALLEYMEDIA.CO.UK

J B Gaynan & Son 18 The Homend, Ledbury 01531 632992

Connections Dress Agency

Jeweller and stockist of: Royal Worcester and Spode

Need a new outfit?

Royal Copenhagen Border Fine Arts

Why not come and update your wardrobe from our constantly changing stock

Wedgwood

Portmeirion

We sell clothes and accessories on behalf of private clients

Galway Crystal

Currently in stock clothes for every occasion by Jigsaw � Karen Millen � Basler � Brora � Whistles � John Smedley � Radley � Mulberry � Kurt Geiger � Ferragamo � Russell and Bromley � Oska � Armani

Welsh Royal Crystal

Quality items accepted for sale Mon- Fri before 3pm

Jewellery repairs done on-site Clock and watch repairs Glass and metal engraving while you wait

Opening hours Mon - Sat 9.30am - 4.30pm

The ultimate fashion recyclers

This family run business also offers a fabulous bespoke jewellery service for any special occasion

5 Homend Walk, Ledbury HR6 1BX

01531 635316 www.connectionsledbury.co.uk

Advertise with style Contact 01432 851115 sales@wyevalleylife.co.uk

Posterity of Ledbury www.posterityantiques.co.uk � Architectural � Interiors � Garden

Three barns to explore www.coppiceoldpine.co.uk

....

and three websites

www.agoodstuffing.co.uk Antique French Beds & Furniture

Restored English Antique Country Furniture 01594 861886

Posterity opens Monday - Saturday 10-5 2 miles out of Ledbury on the Malvern Road HR8 1EG

01531 631673

01531 636380

Ledbury WVM

experience. Poets and wordsmiths like Browning, Wordsworth and John Masefield were all regularly drawn to and inspired by the town. Whether it is the history and heritage, the culture and picturesque architecture that have traditionally attracted you, recently Ledbury has evolved another dimension, for the food lover. The town is now awash with a huge array of places to eat and buy gourmet ingredients from. The main street stretches half a mile and is well served at either end with excellent delicattessens offering everything from world foods to simple locally grown and organic produce. The newest

arrival to this repertoire is Cameron and Swan, with its own café, owned and run by sisters Bec Swan and Hannah Cameron. The girls grew up on a nearby self-sufficient smallholding where they gained a great appreciation for the simple pleasures of growing, cooking and eating good produce and both chose careers in food. After years of experience and living the high life in London and beyond, they came back to Ledbury to live their dream of opening a café-deli with a relaxed and stylish atmosphere, and with a daily changing menu of homemade breakfasts, lunches and patisseries. The irresistible cake counter compliments the selection of

local, British and homemade products for sale to take home or eat in, or sit outside and people-watch all day in the street. Yet another example that people just have to come back home to this hypnotising town. Restaurants serving Italian, Indian, modern and traditional British dishes, nestle in the atmospheric interiors of the chocolate box buildings. At the top of town at The Southend, The Royal Oak offers an ideal day-trippers menu in traditional coaching house splendour, and look out for its many entertainment events from music to food themed nights, or whet your ›› SEPTEMBER 2009 WYEVALLEYMEDIA.CO.UK

the

shop

at Hills of Ledbury AGA DISTRIBUTORS SINCE 1929 Aga Cooker Sales Rayburn Cooker Sales Free Home Survey, Advice and Quotation Cookery Demonstrations Open Days Cook Shop Collection Full Service and Repair Facilities Beggars Ash, Ledbury, Herefordshire Tel. 01531 634556 Fax. 01531 636151 Conservatories Sun Lounges Doors Windows Bifold Doors

Coming home has never been more pleasurable

Tel. 01531 635338

Specialists in all window types UPVC, timber, aluminium and secondary glazing. We can service all your glazing requirements Local family run company with a wealth of experience and professionalism The Workshop, Bye Street, Ledbury HR8 2AT

Ledbury WVM

whistle at The Talbot around the corner for a good honest pint, plus look out for its forthcoming refurbishment including the restaurant and rooms to stay in. One of my favourite snack stops is Mrs Muffin’s Tea Shop, opening like a little tardis from cobbles of Church Lane and serving a juicy range of sandwiches, cakes and beverages, even with its own little courtyard seating area. The glorious floral displays that have won Ledbury many awards in the Britain in Bloom stakes, make you want to take a little of this vibrancy home with you and you can do just that by visiting newly opened florist Hearts and Flowers. Located just over the lights at The Southend, its spot just beyond stunning bridalwear shop Bride of Ledbury is ideal for

personal treats, gift arrangements or special occasion displays that are a little bit different. Ledbury’s community is, as many of its kind, very self supporting and passionate about maximising the potential of its home-grown businesses and nearby producers. ‘Local to Ledbury’ is a new initiative promoting the wealth of regional producers including the award winning cider and juice makers, local butchers of which there is an incredible number of family run purveyors of highest quality meats in the town, bread makers and general local growers and food producers. Food mapping here is quite a project, embracing Ledbury’s four parishes and their talents. Shops are encouraged to stock regional fayre and the town hosts several annual events

attracting a wide range of visitors. The forthcoming carnival on 31st August still holds as much excitement for the carnival princess competition as it did decades ago, and brings the town together with floats, bands and community events and is considered a historical family occasion, plus a great platform for supporting charity events. The town would like to acknowledge the efforts of local resident Patrick Almond over the years, who, while working for a national company, has helped raise significant funds for local charities including the local Cottage Hospital. The Poetry Festival in July is an almost international affair, the Big Apple Cider Trail in October is a rustic excuse to try the area’s fruity tipple, and this year a festive

Christmas event will be held in the town, making it an even more magical place to be. Look out for Ledbury’s Town Crier Bill, who makes many an occasion a booming success. With routes to Ledbury providing easy accessibility there’s no excuse not to make a visit, but be careful, you may get mesmerised and never leave. In Andy Ward’s words “People fall in love with the town, become relaxed and involved. You can get anything and everything”. Some useful websites for information on Ledbury are visitledbury.co.uk, ledburyonline.co.uk, ledburyherefordshire.co.uk, ledbury.plus.com, and localtoledbury.co.uk

SEPTEMBER 2009 WYEVALLEYMEDIA.CO.UK

WVM

Small shops campaign

In Praise of Local Shops by Jesse Norman

I stared down at the words in amazement: “There’s a nice little shop in Gorsley With a welcome so very friendly Whene’er you go in You are served with a grin Small store winners they really should be!” So it wasn’t quite Shakespeare but nonetheless this hymn of praise, this paean, this Ode to Gorsley Stores, was in its own way extremely moving to read. The shop clearly meant a great deal to the poet, and even in these cynical days the poet had gone out of their way to say so.

No, the focus had been on harsh economic realities, on the many shops, which had closed across the county, on the people working there who had lost their jobs, on the effects of recession on small businesses and local communities. The county seemed to be losing its variety and distinctive character.

When I had first thought of trying to support our local shops, it had never occurred to me that the good citizens of Herefordshire would be so moved by the idea as to break spontaneously into verse.

Some 50 shops had closed or become charity shops in Hereford City alone, it was reported. Everyone was grumbling about the loss of shops but very few people were actually doing anything about it.

Small shops nominations directory •Aladdins, Bridge St, Leominster • AM News, Broad St, Hereford • Ambience Church St, Hereford • Andrew Lamputt, St Owen St Hereford • Andrew Morris Estate Agents, Bridge St, Hereford • Andrews Stores, Holmer, Hereford • Andy Callwood Butchers, High Street, Ross on Wye • Andy’s Kitchen, King Street, Hereford • Arkstone Mill Produce, Kingstone, Hereford • Art of Living, St Owen St, Hereford • Artisan Yarns, Capuchin Yard, Hereford • BS Whistance, St Martins St, Hereford • Bartonsham Stores, Green St, Hereford • Basler, Widemarsh St, Hereford • Beddards, Commercial Rd, Hereford • Berry Red, Church St, Hereford • Betty Swallox, Wellington • Bishops Frome New Community Shop, Bishops Frome • Bishopswood Village Stores, Bishopswood, Ross on Wye • Bopsom & Son, High St, Kington • Bowens, St Owen St, Hereford • Brampton Rd Shop, Ross on Wye • Breinton Manor Fruit Farm, Breinton, Hereford • Broad Oak Garage, Broad Oak, Hereford • Candy Castle, St Martins Ave, Hereford • Canon Pyon Stores, Hereford • Caroline’s Wholefoods Shop, The Homend, Ledbury • Central Bakery, West St, Leominster • Chave & Jackson, Broad St, Hereford • Cherry Savidge, Widemarsh St, Hereford • City Electrics, Catherine St, Hereford • Co-op, Holme Lacy Rd, Hereford • Colemans Stationers, High St, Ross on Wye • Cookies, Bewell Sq, Hereford • Cookmate, Widemarsh St, Hereford • Cooks Haven, Church St, Hereford • Coombes Cycles, Widemarsh St, Hereford • Mastercraft Cycles, Bridge St, Hereford • McColls, The Oval, Hereford • Melgray, Widemarsh St, Hereford • Mervyn James, Broad St, Ross on Wye • Mike Gell, East St, Hereford • Moreton on Lugg Fish & Chip Shop, Hereford • Mousetrap, Church St, Hereford • Mr James Cake Stall, Butter Market, Hereford • Mr T Cry Cleaners, Crofts Lane, Ross on Wye • Music Box & Jazz Café, Brookend St, Ross on Wye •

WYEVALLEYMEDIA.CO.UK SEPTEMBER 2009

Small shops campaign WVM e

“Extremely helpful and always smiling, a joy to walk in”

Sarah Jane’s Joy of Flowers, Hereford h

As a campaigner, my motto is: be positive, be effective and be local. I have been in public service for more than 20 years, one way and another and had quite a bit of experience to draw on. So the question was, how best to make a difference? Then it hit me. Two years ago I had run a countywide campaign to Save

Our Post Offices from closure by the government. We had gathered together 10,000-odd signatures from local people, in relative terms, by far the highest number in the country. We took a coach load of people down to London to present the petition to No.10 Downing Street.

We had been amazed by the level of public support for the Post Office campaign, so maybe we could tap that support again? We printed up some forms asking local people to nominate their favourite shop, and to say why it mattered to them. We circulated the forms as widely as we could around the county and waited. In the first few days, we had a small

Neil Powell Butchers, Widemarsh St, Hereford • Nilam Music, Aubrey St, Hereford • No1 Sandwich Bar, Church St, Hereford • Nutters, Capuchin Yard, Hereford • Off the Wall, St Owen St, Hereford • Ogelby’s Butchers, St Owen St, Hereford • Old School Stores, Weobley • One Stop Stationers, The Maltings, Ross on Wye • Oriental Store, Mill St, Hereford • Outback Records, Church St, Hereford • P&R Powell Cycles, The Homend, Ledbury • Paperway, Widemarsh St, Hereford • Parkfields Gallwry, High St, Ross on Wye • Parry’s Fruit & Veg, High St, Leominster • Paul Lewis Butchers, High St, Kington • Pedlars Tray, West St, Hereford • Pengethley Farm Shop, Peterstow, Ross on Wye • Pennells, High St , Kington • Peter Hickman, Gloucester Rd, Ross on Wye • Peterstow Stores, Peterstow, Ross on Wye • Philip Morris & Son, Widemarsh St, Hereford • Phillips & Preese, Butter Market, Hereford • Phil’s Greengrocer Store, Church St, Monmouth • Pots & Pieces, High St, Ross on Wye • Pritchards Menswear, King St, Hereford • Pritchards Butchers, Fownhope, Hereford • Pye Powder, High St, Ross on Wye • Copper Kettle, Aylestone Hill, Hereford • Coppini, Gloucester Rd, Ross on Wye • Cornwalls Butchers, Broad St, Ross on Wye • Cotterell St Stores, Whitecross, Hereford • County Collections, Market Place, Ross on Wye • Creature Comforts, Gloucester Rd, Ross on Wye • Crows Feet, Cantilupe Rd, Ross on Wye • David Benjamin Fish Stall, Butter Market, Hereford • Designer Flowers, High St, Ross on Wye • DJ Gladwin, New St, Ledbury • Doughty’s, Church St, Hereford • Electric Shop, Broad St, Ross on Wye • Essential Sewing, Gloucester Rd, Ross on Wye • Ewyas Harold Village Store, Herefordshire • Field Fayre, Broad St, Ross on Wye • Flights Organic, Falcon Lane, Ledbury • Flower House, Broad St, Ross on Wye • Fodder, Church St, Hereford • Forge Garage, Wormbridge, Herefordshire • Forge Tack Shop, Wormbridge, Herefordshire • ››

SEPTEMBER 2009 WYEVALLEYMEDIA.CO.UK

WVM

Small shops campaign l

“So many wonderful things to see, for everyone 1 to 100, and me!” Crows Feet, Ross on Wye n

Frasers Farm Shop,Vowchurch, Herefordshire • Fruit Basket, Mill St, Herefordshire • GD Parker, Gloucester Rd, Ross on Wye • GB Sports, Broad St, Ross on Wye • General Tools Store, Brookend, Ross on Wye • Georges, High St, Kington • Gibbons Butcher, Castle St, Hay on Wye • Glynn Slade Jones Butcher, Kington • Golden Crust, Broad St, Ross on Wye • Golden Valley Stores, Peterchurch, Herefordshire • Gorsley Stores, Gorsley, Ross on Wye • Grandma Peggy’s, High St, Ross on Wye • Grapevine, High St, Kington • Greenlane Stores, Westfaling St, Hereford • Greenflynns, Putson, Hereford • Gwalia, Broad St, Ross on Wye • HA Rutherford & Sons, St Martin St, Hereford • Harold St Stores, Bartonsham, Hereford • Hat Trick, East St, Hereford • Hay Wholefoods, Lion St, Hay on Wye • HE Philips, Gloucester Rd, Ross on Wye • Heggies Butchers, Whitecross, Hereford • Hereford Butchers, Bewell Sq, Hereford • Hereford Deli, St Owen St, Hereford • Hereford Model Shop, Commercial St, Hereford • Hopes of Longtown, Longtown, Hereford • JS Carpets, Millpond St, Ross on Wye • John Mckellar, Church St, Hereford • John Wood Tyres, Cattle Market, Hereford • Jolly’s of Goodrich, Goodrich, Herefordshire • Jones Home Hardware, Castle St, Hayon Wye • Jones the Bootmaker, Widemarsh St, Hereford • Kings Acre Stores, Kings Acre, Hereford • Lea Stores, Lea, Ross on Wye • Leominster Wholefoods, West St, Leominster • Likes Florist, Ross on Wye • Lingerie Shop, Church St, Hereford • Little Chic, Brookend St, Ross on Wye • Lock, Stock & Barrell, St Owen St, Hereford • Locks Garage, Allensmore, Hereford • Londis in Eardisley, Marden, Madley, The Oval Hereford • Lucy Gray, Crofts Lane, Ross on Wye • Madam Butterfly, Buttermarket, Ross on Wye • Hereford Map Centre, Church St, Hereford • Maries Stores, Tupsley, Hereford • Market Garden, Braod St, Ross on Wye • Marston Meats Farm Shop, Leominster •

WYEVALLEYMEDIA.CO.UK SEPTEMBER 2009

Small shops campaign WVM r

“It’s staff are heroes. It’s what we need to survive in the country” Golden Valley Stores, Peterchurch

trickle of nominations. Ah well, I thought, we gave it a good shot it was a nice idea but then something extraordinary happened. The trickle started to grow and grow and pretty soon it had become a raging torrent. In all nearly 1,000 people took part, nominating over 200 shops. We had poems, we had elegies, we had simple truths and we had writers who seemed moved beyond grammar by the sheer emotion of the situation. Every shop got a certificate; every participant got a new Small Shops Directory, very kindly produced by local firms ABC Print and The Naked Creative. We had a huge party at the end to celebrate all the shops involved. The campaign wasn’t a panacea and it wasn’t a popularity contest. Our local shops still need our support. Some fantastic shops were not nominated but many people, high and low, got the message that our small shops are important. We ended up feeling that we might just have done something rather worthwhile.

a. Jesse Norman with Nigel and Lynette Quinton of Mastercycles b & c. More small shop keepers receive their awards d. Iris Lord, Paul Rainthorpe, Sara and David Bruce, Pat and John Bardsley, Marion Rainthorpe ( Pots and Pieces) e. Ali, Graham and Shirley Baker f. The attendees of the small shops awards held at Left Bank Hereford g. Julia Paine and Kath Morgan (Bargain Booze) h. Chris Merrett and Mike Harris (Stokes Stores) i. David and Carol New (St Weonards Store) j. Marian Hawkes (Basler), Eithne Kipper (Hfds Money Box), Mr and Mrs T Roberts k. Gordon Martin and Graham Price (Gorsley Stores) l. Jesse Norman m. Karon James and Bruce Kingsland ( Master Meats), Carol Williams (Canon Pyon Stores) n. Cilla Mills and Fiona Swithenbank (Worthington Woodpower), Emma and Robert Richards (Little Chic) o. Clare and Stuart McFarlane (Betty Swallox Stores) p. Cynthia Palmer (City Centre Manager), Steve Beddard, Lyn Jones (Beddards Newsagents) q. Wendy James, Jane Amonds, Claire James (The Pedlars Tray) r. Andrew and Joan Rutherford (HA Rutherford & Sons) s. Barbara and Ray Chillington (Peterchurch Stores) t. Trevor and Shona Butler (Candy Castle) u. Carrey Eacocks and Zoe Taylor (Art of Living)

• Quarry Farm Shop, Luston, Herefordshire • RJ & RB Mailes Butchers, Ewyas Harold, Herefordshire • RJ Moxley & Sons, Grandstand Rd, Hereford • R Bright Butchers, High St, Leominster • Redhill Stores, Redhill, Hereford • Robes, Church St, Hereford • Ross Books, High St, Ross on Wye • Ruby Tuesday, Broad St, Ross on Wye • Sarah Janes Joy of Flowers, King St, Hereford • Shepards Icecream & Coffee Shop, High Town, Hay on Wye • Spar Shop, High St, Ross on Wye • St Weonards Stores, Herefordshire • Stella by Starlight, Gloucester Rd, Ross on Wye • Stitches, Drapers Lane, Leominster • Stokes Stores, Putson, Hereford • Sweetest Memories, High St, Ross on Wye • The Butter Market, Hereford • The Buttery, Maylord St, Hereford • Left Bank, Bridge St, Hereford • The Moka Bar, Church St, Hereford • Tidal Wave Gallery, Bridge St, Hereford • Tillington Village Stores, Herefordshire • Top Shop, Clehonger, Hereford • Tower Stores, Whitchurch, Ross on Wye • Trekitt, Eign Gate, Hereford • Truffles, High St, Ross on Wye • Tudorville Stores, Ross on Wye • View, Church St, Hereford • Wathens, King St, Hereford • West End Stores, Fownhope, Hereford • Wilson Newsagents, Eign St, Hereford • Wormelow Stores, Wormelow, Hereford • Worthington Woodpower, Broad St, Ross on Wye • Wye Electrical Services, Henry St, Ross on Wye • Post Offices Bodenham, Kingstone, Mordiford, Old Eign Hill Hereford, Maltings Ross on Wye, Kington, Madley, Much Marcle, Oval Hereford, Redhill Hereford, Ross on Wye, Shobdon, Tupsley Hereford, Westfields Hereford

SEPTEMBER 2009 WYEVALLEYMEDIA.CO.UK

Social life WVM 1

Nibbles and giggles on a sunny Monday morning

On Monday 15th June, Juliette Austen Chandler celebrated her 39th birthday with a breakfast party. Guests were attentively waited on by the ‘Butlers in the Buff’, who handed around an array of yummy nibbles and drinks, providing a fun departure from a normal Monday morning.

1. Becky Barton 2. Jackie and Sue Dereham 3. Helen Pearson and Butlers in the Buff 4. Vicki Webb 5. Angela and Alisa Whitehead 6. Juliette and her buff boys 7. Katie Whitehouse and Julie Green 8. Christine Snell and Rozzie Catley 9. Bridget McGarg 10. Sue Marshall, Kathy Clark and Suki Carpenter 11. Anita Carini 12. Juliette Austen Chandler, Suki Carpenter and Steph Clark

8 9

SEPTEMBER 2009 WYEVALLEYMEDIA.CO.UK

Social life WVM

HEREFORD BUSINESSES THRIVING NOT JUST SURVIVING In a challenging economic environment, more businesses are turning to their professionals, determined to fight back and ensure their business not only survives, but thrives. In support of their clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lloyds TSB Commercial, Kidwells Law Solicitors and Thorne Widgery Accountants, jointly hosted a seminar in Herefordshire. More than 100 local businesses attended the event which, was aimed at providing guidance on how firms can grow their companies during the recession. The event was a great success with guests enjoying a buffet and the chance to network and gain some expert advice. 1

1. Michael Horne, Paul Griffin, Simon Davies, Mark Smith and Andy Edwards 2. Michael Horne, Bryan Camden, Justin Camden and Trevor Owens 3. Chris Cale and Neil Sharp 4. Paul Griffin, Briony Mullis and Michael Horne

5. Laura Baskill, Alison Holmes and Liz Collins 6. Rob Hill, Peter Lewis, Jo Brown, Adrian Blackshaw and Stephen Smallwood 7. Phil Lewis and Hannah Alexander

SEPTEMBER 2009 WYEVALLEYMEDIA.CO.UK