Vol. 7 â—? Issue 8 â—? December 2015/ January 2016
Priceless Pricel eles el ess es
Delivered to selected homes in Esher, Claygate, Hinchley Wood, Molesey, Walton on Thames and Hersham
The whole range, from A
to TT.
At Audi, we believe all our cars should combine advanced technology, luxurious features and innovative design. Come to our Centre to experience everything our range has to offer, whether you’re interested in the A1, A4, RS 5, TT or any of our other models.
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And so this is Christmas... Ch And what wh have you done? Anothe Another year over and a new one just begun... What have I done this Wha year? Spent a whole lot yea of time planning things that will never get done tha okay, day dreaming, oka then. Hopefully, your you year will have been more productive? And you’ll have great plans for 2016 too, I expect. So another Christmas is upon us, with all that it entails: shopping for presents and meeting up with friends old and new; family gatherings that only happen at special times. This can be a wonderful time for some people and a pool of deepest despair for others. In an ideal world there would be no lonely people (like Eleanor Rigby), but there are. If you have elderly neighbours, please keep an eye on them over the festive period. Old age is a destination for all of us if we manage to dodge the alternative. Let’s try and make everyone’s journey that little bit easier. Because, all you need is love, really. My thanks to the late, great John Lennon, who co-incidentally - died almost 35 years ago to the day, and to Sir Paul McCartney for the inspiration this month. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all!
Inside this month........ What’s On in December
6
Panto Special
8
On Your Plot
12
WSB news
16
Martin Lewis
18
Christmas Considerations
28
Crossword
36
Notes from Westminster
38
Police 5 (Minutes)
40
Vol. 7 Issue 8 December 2015/ January 2016
Priceless
Shelley February/March deadline: 18th January 2016 Ads & editorial Tel: 0208 941 3569 Email: info@yourelmbridge.co.uk Web: www.yourelmbridge.co.uk Delivered to selected homes in Esher, Claygate, Hinchley Wood, Molesey, Walton on Thames and Hersham
Printed by: Evonprint Ltd. Tel: 01273 494 631 Delivered by: 3Colours Ltd. Tel: 020 8965 3339 Š Fleetside Publishing Ltd 2015 -- All rights reserved. We do not take responsibility for the views expressed by contributors of articles or for the accuracy of claims made by advertisers within this magazine. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior permission from the publisher. The publisher cannot accept any liability to any party to loss or damage caused by errors or omissions or any other cause.
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93 Hersham Road, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey KT12 1RJ T: 01932 220372 Our skilled bakers and confectioners create a wide range of bread, cakes and pastries daily at our bakery on The Halfway Freshly filled sandwiches made to order, hot bacon and sausage baguettes and much more Bespoke celebration cake orders for all occasions We can help with catering and buffets at any event We also deliver to a wide range of wholesale customers seven days a week We’re open from 7am to 2.30pm Monday to Saturday (and Christmas Eve!)
Like us: The Ginger Bread Man Bakery
What’s on in December? A small selection of events in Elmbridge....
THE FOUNTAIN GALLERY 26 Bridge Rd, Hampton Court, East Molesey, Surrey KT8 9HA
CinderElla at the Walton Playhouse 19/12-24/12 2 shows a day 2.30 and 6.00
Tel: 020 8941 5865 email info@fountaingallery.co.uk
New Telling of a Traditional Tale with Live music, song and dance For all the Family
Open Tuesday – Sunday 11.30am - 5.30pm The Fountain Gallery is an artists’ cooperative of artists offering an exciting programme all year round. Visitors to the Gallery will be able to meet the artists showing their work.
Tickets: £12.00 Family ticket £45.00 Local Theatre Company Professional Show ticketsource.co.uk/yellowroseproductions 0333 666 3366
24 Nov – 6 Dec Nicky Browne & Nataliya Zozulya The Thames & Sybil Penn local ghost; drawings, prints, cards. Your portrait in around an hour – a present for Christmas!
River Thames Society 7 - 17 Dec Orsi Cowell-Lehoczky Orsi’s paintings with her dream-like figuralism & shifted dimensions are openings into a unique world of her own.
December 6th. Lunch at The Boat House, Chertsey, KT16 8JZ. 12 noon.
18 - 31 Dec Kitty Wass & Joyce Newman Kitty’s iconic Jewellery and smaller paintings with a highly narrative feel while Joyce explores domestic still life.
Pre-Christmas lunch. Open to all to meet up and catch up on River Thames news and activities. Venue: Kingfisher, Chertsey Bridge Road, Chertsey, KT16 8LF. 12 noon. Please telephone 020 8224 1643 to reserve a place.
12 – 24 Jan John Walsom & Guest Town and Country - new paintings featuring contrasting images of urban and rural landscapes, including both Plein Air and studio paintings, in oil and watercolour
Welcome in the New Year with a friendly pub lunch on 3rd January, 2016. Venue: The Anglers Retreat, Laleham, TW18 2 RT. 12 noon. Our listing of interesting talks and meetings for 2016 will be available in the New Year and we look forward to meeting all newcomers.
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New N e Year’s Y Eve Oatlan Oatlands Park Hotel We invite you to celebrate with our Winter Wonderland party. Be welcomed by a drink and canapÊs before your host takes you through for dinner where you will enjoy a superb three course meal. Then dance the night away to the DJ with a glass of Champagne for everyone at midnight.
For more information, download our brochure - www.oatlandsparkhotel.com
Quote: Q u NYE 2015
Tel: 01932 847 242 | E: events@oatlandsparkhotel.com Accommodation | Meeting & Function Rooms | Weddings | Afternoon oon Te Tea
singersandsongs.com
3 Singing Courses a year - Find Your Voice!! Not a choir - no need to read music Daytime and Evening classes. All styles and genres - friendly and relaxed
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Panto Special Katie Price will be bringing some glitz and glamour to Woking this Christmas, with stalwart of stage and screen Anita Dobson casting her legendary charm! They will be joined by CBeebies favourite Ben Faulks aka Mr Bloom as our green "ngered Prince Charming and South African funny man Alan Committie as Chester the Jester. Featuring traditional pantomime ingredients to delight audiences of all ages with glittering costumes, sensational songs, dazzling dance routines, and bags of audience participation guaranteed to keep you awake this Christmas! New Victoria Theatre, Woking 0844 871 7645 11th Dec - 10th Jan
Peter Pan Whisk yourselves away to Neverland in an enchanting and timeless tale at New Wimbledon Theatre this Christmas, with Hollywood star Verne Troyer, comedians Marcus Brigstocke and Jarred Christmas plus dance troupe Flawless. Best known for his role as Mini-Me in Austin Powers, Verne Troyer has become a regular on British TV with appearances on Celebrity Big Brother, The Jonathan Ross Show and Celebrity Juice. Standing at a mere 2ft 8 inches, he will be the shortest actor ever to appear in British pantomime. Also making a panto debut as Captain Hook is Marcus Brigstocke, one of Britain s "nest comedians and broadcasters. An award winning international comedian, his theatre credits also include Spamalot and The Railway Children. New Wimbledon Theatre 0844 871 7651 5th Dec - 10th jan Cinderella Richmond Theatre and First Family Entertainment are thrilled to announce that stars of stage and screen Hayley Mills and Matthew Kelly will appear in this year s panto Cinderella! Golden Globe and BAFTA award winning British actress Hayley Mills will make her panto debut as the Fairy Godmother, with Olivier award winning and the nation s favourite dame Matthew Kelly as one half of the Ugly Sisters. Matthew will be joined by his son, actor Matthew Rixon. The dynamic duo are back reprising the roles of the Ugly Sisters after critical acclaim in Cinderella at Wimbledon last year. Richmond Theatre 0844 871 7651 5th Dec - 10th Jan
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ALL TICKETS : £12.00
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Visit our shop to see our beautiful range of Christmas arrangements, up yourdoor HollyBrighten and Pine Christmas Autumn a seasonal wreaths, andwith our unique range of eternal stones ideal for outdoors, bouquet gardens and memorials
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On your Plot Scarves at the ready December is perhaps the one month where, in the build up to Christmas with roaring fires and shorter days, even the hardiest of gardeners may struggle to get out there and do the necessary for their plots. December often means hard frosts and you need to harvest your winter cabbages, celery and cauliflowers this month. Parsnips and swedes are pretty hardy so if you are a bit over-run with your crop you can keep these in the ground until you need them. If bad weather is forecast then keep some straw handy to cover them over and stop the ground from freezing them in. Make sure that you check your stored crops for any sign of disease and remove any that look problematic. If the ground isn’t too sticky then this is also a great time to get out your hoe and work between your vegetable crops. Look out for any plants which might have been lifted by frost and press
them gently back into the ground. Keep an eye on your Brussels too - these should be starting now so try cooking them in different ways in your meals before the ‘big day’ (adding a spot of garlic can make all the difference) until you find something suitable to go with the bird. You don’t just have to eat them on Christmas Day you know! Be mindful of any snowfall this month or in future weeks and help out your plants and shrubs as best you can by brushing off any settled snow. This helps to prevent any damage with branches breaking under the weight. Just make sure you if you have small children they don’t take this as an opportunity to flick snow everywhere otherwise your quiet gardening time could suddenly turn into an impromptu snowball fight! Birds at this time of the year need all the help they can get too. There 12
are some great plants that you can introduce to help them as well as popping out the traditional feeders. These include hawthorn, holly, beriberi and indeed your holly can double up as a craft project for indoor decorations over the festive season. If you are planting these types of shrubs for our feathered friends then do try and put them somewhere quiet in the garden where the birds won’t be frightened off. Sit back at your window and watch them feed contentedly whilst you enjoy the view. Why not get out a few gardening books, grab a cup of tea and imagine how you’d like your garden to look next summer? More or less vegetables? Bigger shrubs, more colour? Whatever you choose, pat yourself on the back for all the hard work you’ve done this year and think how green your fingers really could be!
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What happened in... ...December 1966? By Patrick D Cousins
For billions of children worldwide, from the Twenties until…well, for happy ever after, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a special piece of magic from Walt Disney. Born in December 1901, this entrepreneur, business magnate, cartoonist, animator, voice actor (a big thank you from Mickey Mouse), producer, director and screenwriter spent most of his life not just fulfilling his own dreams but creating dreams for countless generations to come. Part-way through producing The Jungle Book, on December 15 1966, Walt Disney died of lung cancer. According to rumour his body was cryogenically
frozen pending a cure for the disease. Well, who wouldn’t want to believe that Walt Disney is in suspended animation? 1st: Following the declaration of independence from Britain, Rhodesia’s Prime Minister, Ian Smith, and Harold Wilson held talks aboard HMS Tiger, in the Mediterranean, with no positive outcome. 8th: The USA and the USSR signed a treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons in outer space. 21st: Russia launched Luna 13, which made a soft landing on the moon three days later (Is another atmosphere, eg the moon’s, technically ‘outer space’? I just wondered). 23rd: The final episode of Ready Steady Go! was broadcast. This programme had been a regular feature
Petrol was about 5/- 3d a gallon The average price of a house was about £3,840
of Friday evenings since August 1963 and the viewing figures peaked on 20 March 1964, when the Beatles were interviewed, before performing their then current hit Can’t Buy Me Love, as well as It Won’t Be Long and You Can’t Do That. The first screening of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, starring Clint Eastwood, took place in Italy. American audiences would have to wait another twelve months to see it and it didn’t premiere in London until ’68. This film was memorable as much for its evocative music as anything else. 24th: I bought my first threepiece suit, off-the-peg from Burton, for £14.10/-. It was a bit short in the arms but as long as I kept my hands in the pockets it didn’t show. 31st: I went swimming in the Thames at midnight. Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Fortunately I was rescued by a passing police launch and spent the first few hours of 1967 in A&E. My three-piece-suit was ruined.
Three of the bestselling singles this year were: Green Green Grass Of Home, Tom Jones What Would I Be, Val Doonican Good Vibrations, The Beach Boys
A very merry Christmas to both of my readers; and please buy my books from Amazon: Rainbows, Dreams and Angels is a double novella and Short Shorts is a collection of short stories and humorous articles.
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Nordmann Fir Non Drop Christmas Trees On sale now at Apps Court Farm Superb quality trees at excellent prices! Our staff will be happy to help you find your perfect Christmas tree! Apps Court Farm, Hurst Road, Walton on Thames, KT12 2EG enquiries@appscourtfarm.com
01932 244 822
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www.appscourtfarm.com
Santas get ready for Woking & Sam Beare Hospices annual fun run
Local families including five children and even a six month old baby dressed up in their Santa suits this week to launch Woking & Sam Beare Hospices’ Santa Fun Run. The family friendly event which helps to raise much needed funds for the local charity will take place at Mercedes-Benz World on Sunday 6th December, where hundreds of Santas, big and small, will be running, jogging or walking the 2.5 or 5 km course. Registrations for the popular event are already coming in and the dressed up Santas certainly caught everyone’s attention at the launch which took place on Thursday 8 October, with people curious to learn what the event was all about. Events Fundraising Manager, Danielle Le Cuirot said “Our annual Santa Fun Run is the perfect way to start the festive season. It’s an event for all the family and it’s wonderful to see people of all ages and from all over the local area coming together to support us each year. By taking part in this wonderful Christmas event you can enjoy a great day out and raise vital funds for hospice care.”
On the day there will be a raffle with lots of prizes, live music entertainment and the run is suitable for all the family with adults and children receiving a free Santa suit and a free Santa hat for younger children. There will also be a medal at the finish line for every participant! Online registration for the event is now open and tickets costs £12 for an adult, £6 for a child and 3 years and under go free. Family tickets which include 2 adults and 2 children, are £30 and additional child tickets purchased on top are only £5 and can be purchased by calling the Fundraising Team. The Hospices will also be holding a fancy dress competition this year with great prizes for both adults and children, for those who would like to come dressed as another winter character of their choosing – perhaps a few elves and reindeers will be seen joining the run too! To register please visit www. wsbhospices.co.uk/santa or call the Fundraising Team on 01483 881752.
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FOR EVERYTHING IN LUXURY BATHROOMS & SHOWERS
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tjbathrooms@ntlbusiness.com • www.tjbathrooms.co.uk FREE DESIGN & PLANNING SERVICE 17 Also at: 122 SUMMER ROAD THAMES DITTON, SURREY KT7 0QP 020 8398 4324
Martin
LEWIS Christmas No we do not want Christmas songs, goods or fairy lights in September, or October, or even November. Christmas is on 25 December and that’s where it should stay. Yet, while it is far too early for celebration, it’s never too early for preparation. Many of the key Christmas must-dos to save money only work if you do them early enough. So now we’ve far fewer than 100 days to go, here’s my Christmas (or Chanucah or Eid) savers checklist. • Earn 5% cashback on your Christmas shopping If you’re going to be spending for Christmas, you might as well do it on a card that pays you every time you spend on it. The no annual fee AmericanExpress.com Amex Everyday credit card pays 5% cashback on your first three months’ spending (maximum £100) followed by up to 1.25% after. Get it now and this falls during the high spend Christmas period. The cashback won’t be paid until a year later, but, then again,
that’s a bonus for next Christmas. Set up a direct debit to repay IN FULL each month to avoid the 22.9% rep APR. There’s a full list of options at www.mse.me/ cashback, plus an eligibility checker that tells you your odds of getting each card. • Agree to not give unnecessary presents Far too many people do tit-for-tat giving, and using the end result is tat. So now’s the moment to agree with friends, family and colleagues to cut back on giving this year. Why not save it for just the immediate family? Too many people end up with goods they’ll never use, so why waste our cash out of some peer-pressure filled obligation. And even those who want to be generous to those with less than them, remember by giving to someone that person often feel obligated to buy back which can do more harm than help. For my full ‘ban Christmas presents’ philosophy, go to www.mse. me/banchristmas.
• Book your train tickets 12 weeks in advance Wherever you’re planning on spending the festive season, if you need to travel by train, book your tickets 12 weeks in advance. That’s when most cheap advance tickets launch, giving maximum availability. As we’re closing in on the perfect moment – Christmas and New Year tickets are likely to start selling from the first week in October – keep a look out now. • Not saved for it? Start now – then you can split the cost by four A typical family Christmas costs around £820 – a huge amount from one month’s salary alone. But if you haven’t started saving yet, there is still time. For example, put £200 aside from your September, October and November’s income, and it’ll spread the cost. Save what you can, but if you really can’t afford to, I’m afraid you’ll need to cut your cloth accordingly.
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19
Christmas (continued from previous page)
• Not used it since last Christmas? Flog it Walk around the house and examine everything – it’s time for your annual personal stock clearance. Many old items can be worth serious cash and if you’ve not used things for a year, whether kids’ toys, prams, coffee makers, mobile phones, gadgets, or even clothes, why not sell them? Have a look on eBay to see if any of your bits are suitable for sale. There are also lots of recycling sites that will pay you for old mobiles and gadgets – just make sure you do your research first to find the one that’ll give you the most. • Set up a Christmas cupboard, then POUNCE on the biggest discounts Become a tactical shopper. Work out now what you want to buy and then you can pounce on it when there’s a code, voucher or discount that’s cheaper (my weekly email includes the hot ones www.mse.me/ tips). Even better, as is part of many MoneySavers’ Christmas arsenal, once you by a present, bag it, wrap it, and pop it in a Christmas cupboard. Don’t borrow for Christmas - but if you’ll do it anyway, ensure it’s at 0%
• Xmas borrowing’s a bad idea. Far better to go, er, cold turkey, and have a more austere time (Christmas is just one day, after all). That said, if you’ll borrow anyway, at least do it right. The longest 0% spending credit card is Cbonline.co.uk at 26 months or PostOffice. co.uk at 25 months. Although these cards are over two years interest free, before they jump to 18.9% rep APR, aim to clear the card before next Christmas or you just perpetuate the misery. • Small cutbacks now can mean big savings Small cutbacks now can save large when there are 90 days, 66 working days and 13 weeks left until Christmas. So, if you give up a £2 coffee every day at work you’ll save £132, or cut back on an £8 pack of cigarettes every week and it’s £104. I’m not saying you must give up everything completely, but make an active choice: would you prefer the cash at Christmas or the daily treat? • Don’t use Tesco vouchers for festive food A £10 Tesco voucher is worth just £10 in-store. Yet you can double or triple its value on items in its www. tesco.com/clubcard/deals/ brochure (£10 becomes £30) on gift items such as Goldsmiths jewellery or Merlin annual theme park passes.
20
Plus every few months its ‘double-up’ scheme gives 2x value year-round on selected items in-store and on Tesco Direct, including fragrance, toys and electricals. Tesco won’t confirm for sure when it’ll next be on, but it’s likely to be around the beginning of November. Warning! Don’t ignore your household enquiry form Every UK household is being sent a Household Enquiry Form from their local council to check the right people are registered to vote – and if you repeatedly fail to fill it in you can be fined up to £1,000. It should arrive by November, and by law, fill it in and return it. So don’t mistake it for junk and bin it. When you get it doublecheck the info is correct and send it back by the end of Nov, even if there are no changes needed. Warning: Go quick if you want solar panels If you’ve been thinking about getting solar panels then you need to act now to lock in the high earnings as a Government consultation’s proposing to reduce the amount those with panels are paid for generating electricity from January 2016 from £515/ year to £135/year. So for many this will mean it simply won’t be worth it.
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23
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Best Tips to beat the Christmas Blues
‘Tis the season to be jolly’, so why are you blue? I understand that during this festive time of the year, being away from home and from your loved ones, can make anyone feel upset and lonely, but is your happiness truly dependent on others? Think about it! Sometimes though, loneliness is not just connected to being at home alone. It is not a matter of being surrounded with people that can keep the feeling at bay but rather, finding that feeling of fulfilment on your own. When it comes to loneliness, it is what’s inside you that matters rather than your surroundings that create a difference. That is what I tell my patients; find the reason why you feel blue so that it can be fixed and yes, it can be fixed and removed for good! Holidays are a time to relax and the perfect time to regain control of your life. Spend quality time with yourself and turn that downward curve on your face upward. Show the world that happiness comes from within, that it’s not dependent on others. Beat the Christmas blues and celebrate the festive season with yourself. Take this time to reflect on your thoughts and habits to find out what is bothering you. Now, if any bit of what I’ve said makes sense to you, then you’ll love what I have to share with you next. I can understand how loneliness can feel, especially at the time of Christmas when everyone else seems to be rejoicing except for you. Let’s just say I’ve spent a lot of time among such lonely family and friends but I have also seen many of them take control. You know how? By remaining positive! Positivity leads to happiness. When you
at least try to look at things positively, you can change your outlook about them. For example, if you fill your Christmas days with activities that you love doing, as opposed to those you have to do as daily routine, it can help beat the blues to an extent, as now, you will look at the holidays with a different perspective, having things to look forward to, that you like doing. If it is yet another festive season where you’re feeling blue no matter what, let me share some more tips with you: 1. Accept Invitations The best way to kick the blues is to accept invitations to dinner from friends at work. Now you may want to turn them down and lock yourself in your home, but trust me, if you say yes and go out and become a part of other people’s happiness, you’ll feel good. 2. Have a Daily Goal Do you spend your days aimlessly or with a purpose in mind? Spending your precious time with intention to fulfil your goals helps keep your mind busy and prevent feelings of loneliness. Accomplishment of a daily task will also uplift your spirits upon its achievement. 3. Enjoy Solitude If you don’t have friends around during Christmas, then don’t you worry! Plan a day with yourself. Prepare yourself some great food and watch a movie. Relax and unwind. Don’t sit around and feel sad for yourself on Christmas. Make the most of the time and enjoy the holidays!
26
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Christmas Considerations.... by
Kevin Waters With Christmas around the corner most of us are focused upon the seasons festivities and preparations for the big day. Christmas can also be a stressful time, particularly if you or a loved one are having difficulties in terms of health, emotional or financial issues. So perhaps this is not a bad time to reconsider our lives and the impact we have on others. In particular our loved ones and what would happen to them if we weren’t around or became incapacitated through illness or an accident. It is said that only one in three of us have a will. A frightening statistic when you consider that without a will you will burden your loved ones with the bureaucratic nightmare of intestacy and possibly a hefty inheritance tax bill, now 40% of your remaining estate above the government nil rate allowance, currently £325,000. Also if you have children or step children and you have not properly defined your wishes for them in your will there is a worst case scenario where the local authority can take control of what happens to them.
finances are to be arranged by your nominee. As an example without a valid Power of Attorney your Bank or Energy provider will not speak to anyone other than you, the account holder, due to the Data Protection Act. If you have ever had to apply for a Power of Attorney in an emergency you will know how fast life can become difficult and fractious. Better to put these in place now whilst you are in good health. Another point for those who hold a Lasting Power of Attorney you should ensure that it is correctly registered and still covers all of your needs as the law here has changed. As the New Year beckons and we all make similar resolutions to drink less and go on diet (or is that just me!) please do give some consideration to making a will or at least taking some advice on estate planning. Remember, “Don’t put off today what you may not be able to do tomorrow”.
Power of Attorneys, one for medical and one for health, are also an important consideration should you become incapacitated. They are used to protect your preferences of how you would like to be medically treated and how your
Kevin J Waters is principle of EMC Asset Protection t) 020 8979 6709 e) kwaters@emcassetprotection.co.uk
28
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The Gambia By Solange Hando Glancing at the map of Africa, it’s easy to miss the Gambia. Tucked on the bulge of the western coast, it is the smallest country on the mainland, barely 30 miles across at its widest point, stretching along the lower section of the Gambia river. This mere ribbon of land is surrounded by Senegal on three sides but claims a fine coastal strip where the river meets the Atlantic ocean. Next year will mark the 50th anniversary of independence for one of Africa’s most stable states, no longer part of the Commonwealth but still using English as its official language, at least for the time being. Add the promise of winter sun, just six hours away and no jetlag, and it’s no wonder the Gambia has proved popular with British tourists. Imagine soft tingling sands, swaying palms, warm waters, a cool sea breeze sweeping the shore, the perfect picture postcard whether one opts for quiet beaches or the popular Senegambia strip with its fruit stalls, thatched restaurants and savvy ‘bumsters’ selling African beads, wood carvings, sea shells and cashew nuts. It’s friendly, colourful and most exciting when a small fleet of
dug-out canoes appears on the horizon, riding the crest of the waves, and everyone rushes down to the beach to help pull in the fishing nets. There’s much bargaining and sorting out on the sand, red snapper, bonga, cat fish, calamari and more, before the men head for home with whatever is left for the family’s supper. Broad sands cover much of the shore, secluded coves hide here and there, framed by rocks and cliffs, and when the sun sets all red and gold over the ocean, myriad tropical birds twitter in the trees. It’s a magical moment. But there is more to the Gambia than sand and sea. Banjul, the capital, has a lively market brimming with fancy footwear, frilly clothes, batik, knobbly tomatoes and bags of ice cold water. Tailors compete for business, babies bob on their mother’s back and tourists climb up to the balcony for a bird’s eye view of the nearby streets. Meanwhile, others seek out the Gambia’s UNESCO heritage, from Kunta Kinteh island and related sites, highlighting European encounters and the slave trade, to the stone circles of Senegambia, a vast cross-
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border area with a sacred landscape dating back 1500 years. As for nature lovers, the Gambia is a dream. You may not find the ‘Big Five’ of eastern or southern Africa but this tiny country manages seven nature reserves and national parks, home to monitors and crocodiles, endangered monkeys, pretty butterflies such as the dark blue pansy or citrus swallowtail, and 576 species of birds, in wetlands, forest and along the shore. Highlights include watching the sun rise over the mangrove when nothing disturbs the peace but the gentle paddle of traditional canoes. A bird calls, a kingfisher dives in a flash of colour and soon the dawn chorus rises all around, parakeets, sunbirds, sanderlings, drongos, black egrets and many more. A golden light spreads across the creek, oyster shells glisten on the mangrove roots and the canoes drift in silence in this quiet country basking on the banks of its namesake river. According to legend, Gambia means ‘place of the king’, a glorious name for the smallest nation on the African mainland.
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It’s that chilly time of year when sniffles and bugs are all around us. It can make for a miserable Christmas and prevention is better than cure so learn how to boost your immunity and ward off winter bugs.
Boosting Immunity On average an adult can experience colds two to four times every year, while a young child can experience anything from three to eight colds over the same period, with the worst times for susceptibility occurring during winter. Tweaking your diet is key to boosting your immunity, as vitamins and minerals, naturally found in fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, all play a huge part in cold-proofing your body. Increasing the amount of fruit and vegetables in your diet, each packed with essential vitamins and minerals, can help to improve immune function. Foods rich in vitamin A, a powerful antioxidant that plays a key role in the body’s immune system, include orange and yellow fruit and vegetables such as apricots, mango, sweet potato and carrots. Vitamin C is a super immune and all-round health booster that can also be effective in minimising asthma symptoms. Dietary sources of vitamin C include kiwi, strawberries, oranges, tomatoes, steamed broccoli and green peppers. Did you know – raw green pepper actually has higher vitamin C levels than many fruits. Vitamin E is another great immunity booster due to its high antioxidant levels. Fruits such as berries are antioxidant-rich so fill up on these at snack or dessert times whenever possible. Vitamin E enriched foods include avocado, carrots, almonds, Brazil nuts and sunflower seeds. Zinc is an important immunityboosting addition to the diet that helps to reduce the amount of time you have symptoms for, if the early signs of a cold are already present. Zinc can also help you to recover
more quickly. Foods rich in zinc include dark leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, tofu, lentils and sesame seeds. Omega-3 oils which are naturally found in oily fish varieties plus vegetarian-friendly options such as flaxseeds, linseeds, almonds and walnuts, can also help to boost immune function, reduce our susceptibility to infections and reduce the inflammation associated with colds. It may not be the most obvious, or the most popular smelling food, but garlic is a fantastic natural antibiotic, which has anti-viral properties due to its active ingredient allicin, which is effective in opening up airways and easing allergy and asthma symptoms. Try to minimise your intake of refined food items such as white bread, white flour, white rice and white pasta as these can depress the immune system and increase your susceptibility to cold viruses. If you struggle to eat a varied colourful diet, or would simply prefer to have the reassurance of a daily supplement to ensure you have healthy levels of essential vitamins and minerals in your body over the colder months, opt for a good quality multivitamin and mineral supplement. However, experts warn that although multivitamin supplements will help to fend off cold infections, they will not replace all of the immuneboosting benefits of a healthy diet. Leading a healthy lifestyle, being physically active and getting a good quota of sleep can additionally help to boost your immunity. Don’t fall into the habit of using the cold weather as an excuse to stay indoors. Getting outdoors, even for moderate exercise such as a brisk stroll, really helps to boost the immune system by strengthening the body and making it better able to fight seasonal viruses and infections. by Julie Penfold
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What happened in... ...January 1962 7th: The UK was blanketed in snow, with temperatures in Oxfordshire plummeting to minus 18° centigrade.
On 1st January 1962 The Beatles, comprising John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Pete Best and George Harrison, arrived at Decca’s London office for an audition. They were a day late after their road manager, Neil Aspinall, lost his way. They performed fifteen songs in just under an hour, starting with a Lennon/McCartney composition – Like Dreamers Do. Decca eventually rejected the group, commenting: ‘The Beatles have no future in show business.’
8th: An express train heading for Amsterdam collided with a commuter train from Rotterdam in thick fog, killing 91 people. 10th: An avalanche on Mount Huascaran in Peru killed 4,000 people. 11th: The Soviet submarine B-37 was moored at Polyarny naval base, undergoing maintenance, just nine days before it was due to be sent to Cuba. At 8:20am a fire in the torpedo compartment detonated all twelve torpedoes, destroying the vessel. Captain Begeba,
The average price of a house was £2,900 Petrol was about 23p a gallon.
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who was making an external inspection of the submarine at the time, survived but the rest of the crew drowned as it sank to the bottom of the Borents Sea. The blast also killed men on nearby ships and docksides; 122 people perished. The explosion hurled the submarine’s anchor over a mile. Nelson Mandela secretly left South Africa for the first time, touring Europe for six months. On his return, the future president was arrested and charged with leaving the country illegally. He was found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison. 15th: The Meteorological Office started giving the temperature in centigrade after mentioning Fahrenheit temperatures. By October it was the other way round. 26th: The US launched Ranger 3 with the aim of sending back images of the lunar surface. Unfortunately it missed the moon by 22,000 miles and went into orbit around the sun (and you thought your satnav was bad). It did, however, provide the first measurements of interplanetary gamma-ray flux.
Patrick D Cousins is the author of Rainbows, Dreams and Angels, available from Amazon at £6.99. This a double novella with both stories set in London’s East End, mostly during the Fifties and Sixties.
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Long-lost Brooklands Cinematic Gem Gets Rare Public Showing at London’s Cinema Museum After a long search, a relatively unknown British film featuring the thrilling sport of air racing, made in 1932 at the famous Brooklands Race Track, finally gets its public airing at London’s inimitable Cinema Museum. Through its association with the British Film Institute, the Cinema Museum has tracked down an original copy of The King’s Cup (1933) and will screen it at its cinema hall on Saturday 12th December, using period projecting equipment. Fans of Brooklands and early British film will be able to see a tantalizing glimpse of the airfield and some of the flying that took place there before the Second World War. The annual King’s Cup Air Race was established by King George V in 1922 as an endurance race, taking in hundreds of miles across the British Isles, to encourage development in engine design and participation in aviation as a sport. In 1928 and 1932 the finish line was at Brooklands. Still continuing to this day, it begins and finishes at various locations up and down the UK and is now run by the Royal Aero Club. The film stars as Betty Conway the first British ‘It Girl’, Dorothy ‘Chili’ Bouchier, who, coincidentally, starred in the 1934 film Death Drives Through, also made at Brooklands. Alongside her are René Ray (Tiger Bay, with Anna May Wong, 1933) and Harry Milton, to whom Dorothy was married at the time. There is also a cameo part from leading band leader of the era, Lew Stone. The film centres around pilot Dick Carter (played by Milton) who, after losing his confidence in the air, is encouraged to start flying again and goes on to win the King’s Cup Air Race. Not much else is known about the 1hr 16minutes long film, probably because at that time so many movies were made but only shown for a relatively
short period before being ‘shelved’ and forgotten. This copy has 7 minutes missing, covering parts of the climactic air race scenes in which the aircraft fly over various English localities, such as Crystal Palace in London, the Shell refinery on Canvey Island, Blackpool Tower and the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Tickets are £15 each and only available through the Cinema Museum so for all enquiries including directions and parking, please visit: www.cinemamuseum.org.uk A selection of refreshments will be available to purchase on the night. The Cinema Museum was founded in 1986 and, in 1998, relocated to its current home in part of the majestic Lambeth Workhouse building in south west London one of whose occupants in earlier times was, appropriately enough, a young Charlie Chaplin. www.cinemamuseum.org.uk The Cinema Museum 2 Dugard Way (off Renfrew Road) London SE11 4TH Tel.: +44 (0)20 7840 2200 Email: info@cinemamuseum.org.uk Brooklands Museum For decades, Brooklands was the ‘Ascot’ of motorsport and aviation: right up until the outbreak of World War II it was where the rich and famous came to spectate, race and fly. Motor racing came to an end in August 1939. The Brooklands Museum Trust was formed in 1987 to preserve and celebrate that unique heritage and opened the 32-acre site within the north east corner of the Race Track to visitors in 1991. www.brooklandsmuseum.com
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Notes from Westminster By
Dominic Raab MP for Esher and Walton
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At the end of October, Transport for London (TfL) announced its proposal for the exact route for Crossrail 2, bringing the proposed new railway connecting Surrey and Hertfordshire with central London a step closer to becoming reality.
construction of Crossrail 2 should free up much-needed capacity to run more trains on the South West Trains route. As Esher & Walton’s MP, I am keen to hear local residents’ view on the Crossrail 2 plans, and I would encourage those interested to engage directly with the public consultation that is running until 8 January in the New Year. Details can be found online via the Crossrail 2 website, together with events being held around Surrey.
There is no doubt that extra rail capacity is needed for commuters in Elmbridge, as it is in other suburban areas in Surrey and around London. Trains carrying Elmbridge commuters to and from London at peak times are already amongst the most overcrowded in the country, and passenger demand on peak suburban routes is projected to increase by 40% over the coming decades. Network Rail argue that Crossrail 2 is the only long-term proposal with the potential to get close to allowing our railway to cope with such growth. Surrey County Council believe that the scheme is “vital” for local commuters and business.
Further developments on Crossrail 2 could be announced as early as the Spending Review in late November, in order to prepare and plan for the line to open around 2030. In the more immediate term, I have joined with MPs from across the area served by South West Trains to make the case for greater investment in local services. With the government holding a franchise competition to find a new operator for the South West Trains route, from 2017 onwards, I am working with local MPs to make the case that the winning bid must ease overcrowding, and deliver a fairer financial deal and better value for money for passengers. There have already been some welcome developments this year, with progress on the redevelopment of Waterloo station and the addition of extra carriages on selected peak time services.
Of particular local relevance, TfL propose that Crossrail 2 will connect directly with Elmbridge, stopping at Thames Ditton and Hampton Court. This will have important implications. Under the plans, train services to central London from Hampton Court and Thames Ditton would be replaced by Crossrail 2 services, with the frequency of services doubling from 2 trains an hour to 4 trains an hour. However, the Crossrail 2 services would no longer directly serve London Waterloo, stopping instead in central London at Victoria, Tottenham Court Road and Euston. For stations that are not directly affected, the
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Police 5 (Minutes) Cyber Crime By Sarah Milligan Elmbridge Neighbourhood Inspector Each year, people across Britain lose billions of pounds to scammers who bombard us online, by mail, over the telephone and even at our front doors. Of concern is the increase in cyber crime – a term used to define any crime that takes place online or where a digital system is targeted by means of a criminal attack. Victims of cyber crime are varied – they can be an individual, a group of people or an organisation. Anyone can become an unwitting victim – no matter your age, ethnicity, faith, walk of life or general demographic. It’s sometimes difficult to spot online scams, fraudulent emails and dodgy websites as cyber crimes types can present themselves in sophisticated forms such as - Facebook accounts being hacked into and taken over; access being gained to your online banking to make payments, transfer money and get your bank details; being bullied online – often called cyber bullying; someone pretending to be someone they are not whilst online dating or talking to people online to extract money; someone hacking into your smartphone via a public wifi spot and gaining access to your contacts, messages and apps. So what can you do to protect yourself online? There are a few basic tips that you can follow. First of all remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! Install security software and use strong passwords. Only give out your personal details when
absolutely necessary and only to people or companies you trust. Never send money to anyone you don’t know, have recently met or have never met. Avoid replying to spam emails and don’t send money to claim prizes or lottery winnings. Make sure that you destroy any personal information by shredding documents like bank statements and headed letters. Just because a company has a well-designed website, it doesn’t mean that it is legitimate, so always be suspicious – if in doubt seek advice from a friend, family member or even the police. There is a wealth of information through national initiatives which can provide you with additional advice and guidance: • Action Fraud – contains a wealth of information about cyber fraud and how you can report a crime directly to them. Their news feed is particularly helpful for keeping up to date with current threats and trends • Beware what you share – a useful guide about sharing information on social media and how it’s not always private • Cyber Streetwise –an easy-to-use website which outlines how both businesses and individuals can keep themselves safe from cyber crime. Everything from online shopping to what kind of software to install on your device is covered Otherwise, please contact the local team on Elmbridge@surrey.pn.police.uk. Stay safe online!
Telephone Surrey Police on 101 and ask to speak to a member of the Safer neighbourhood Team for your area. www.surrey.police.uk 40
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