kingswinford and surrounding villages villager magazine december 2009

01384 401407OOOOPPPPEEEENNNN 7777 DDDDAAAAYYYYSSSS WWWWHHHHAAAATTTTEEEEVVVVEEEERRRR TTTTHHHHEEEE WWWWEEEEAAAATTTTHHHHEEEERRRR!!!!Sixes, Ham Lane, Kingswinford DY6 7JU

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MAGAZINE

THE

VVVV IIII LLLLLLLLAAAAGGGGEEEERRRRDECEMBER 2009

Read The Villager online at www.villagermagazine.co.uk

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Please visit www.lsfootcare.co.uk

SHOLISTIC

L

Steve Carter Dip CFHP,MPSPract, Reiki Master.Lucky Desilva RGN,BSc Nursing, Dip CFHP,MPSPract, Reiki Master.

&Traditional Eastern Technique using a Combination of Reiki, TriggerPoints, Myofascial Massage, Acupressure & Reflexology, which canrestore health & harmony, physical, mental, emotional, spiritual wellbeing whilst aiding the natural healing abilities of the human body.

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If you would like to find out more,or to make an appointmentplease call Lucky or Steve on

01384 402 975Gift Vouchers Available

3

30

WelcomeWelcome to the Christmas edition of The Villager, your local best lovedmonthly magazine, this month we havemarvelous ideas for those last minutegifts and the best shopping deals on thehigh street, local tradesman to make sureyour home is in tip top shape for Christmasor to sort out your little emergencies. We have acompetition to win tickets to see ‘Come dancing’ at the Grand The-atre, Wolverhampton; Our vet, Cat offers ideas on ‘what to buy thepet who has everything’ and Philip from Ashwood Nurseries tellsus ‘our Christmas plants should not go to pot?’ We review ‘TheKingswinford Beefeater’ and announce the winners of theChocorocco Wedding competition, plus much more.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all The Villager mag-azine deliverers for their hard work and commitment during 2009,once again they have successfully delivered The Villager to hun-dreds of thousands of homes. I would also like to thank our edi-torial contributors for their informative and interesting articles andfinally The Villager magazine advertisers for making sure they offertheir best deals locally.

I do hope you enjoy this edition and I would like to wish everyonea very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

Happy readingMMaaggggiiee

1812

Useful Numbers

NHS Direct 0845 4647Russells Hall Hospital01384 456111Ambulance in anemergency Dial 999Fire in an emergencydial 999West Midlands Police0845 113 5000Police emergency,where life is in dangeror crime is in progress999Gas emergency service0800 111999South Staffs WaterReport a leak0800 24 33 52or check the identity ofa caller at my door0800 389 10 11Dudley Council Plus01384 812345www.dudley.gov.ukKingswinford Library01384 812740Wordsley Library01384 812765

Indexof

Advertisers

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Financial AdviceSimply MortgagesGarden ServicesGarden & LandscapeServicesThe Twin GardenersGasCentral MaintenanceGas & Electrical StoresGeoff Hill LtdHair SalonsTrendzStyles by MelHealth CareL&S FootcareL&S HealthcareHome maintenance andImprovementsBrian LongvilleDAPPAI.C.B. ServicesLewis ConstructionProperty ImprovementsR.W. HillHypnosisLorraine IrelandJewellersCNW JewellersKitchens/Kitchen FittersPAP CarpentryPainter & DecoratorsAllan WilsonPet ServicesBow Wow Dog GroomingPeace of MindPlumbing/HeatingElite PlumbingPPS Plumbing & DrainagePlasteringKinver PlasteringSports CenterSixesWeight Loss/DietLighter LifeValetersExtreme Valeting

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To advertise in the Christmas editionof The villager Magazine

Call 07726 790233Email - [email protected] visit www.villagermagazine.co.uk

For advertising or editorial Contact Maggie Reeves Editor on 07726 790233 Email [email protected]

No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission of the publisherWhilst all reasonable effort is made to ensure accuracy, the publisher accepts no responsibility for omissions or errors within The Villager Magazine, or competence of any business or statement made by any contributor. Before entering into any expense or commitment readers mustcheck facts for themselves.

Deadline for advertsand editorial

for January 2010 3311..1122..0099

to advertise call 07726 790233 or visit www.villagermagazine.co.uk

4


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PPaaiinnttiinngg && DDeeccoorraattiinnggPPllaasstteerriinnggTTiilliinnggWWooooddwwoorrkkPPllaassttiicc SSooffiittss,, FFaasscciiaa && GGuutttteerrss FFiitttteeddFFeenncciinnggSSllaabbbbiinngg

NNOO JJOOBB TTOOOO SSMMAALLLL FFoorr aa qquuoottee ccaallll JJoohhnn 0011338844 440011 4422990077996699 992288 117799

Brierley Hill Methodist Church and BrierleyHill & Kingswinford Rotary Club are re-membering loved ones this Christmas witha Tree Of Lights. The tree, holding morethan 500 lights, is situated in the churchgrounds in Bank Street, Brierley Hill. Thelights were switched on as part of a carolservice held on Sunday, 6th December andthe tree will be lit throughout the Christmasseason.

There’s still time for you to dedicate a lightin memory of someone special. Each lightcosts £5 and the name of your loved onewill be displayed in the church grounds forall to see. All profits from this venture willgo to local and Methodist charities.

If you’d like to remember someone andhelp a charity at the same time, applicationforms can be picked up from the Age Con-cern shop in Mill Street, Brierley Hill 01384265064 or by contacting Richard Rogerson07930 194093 or Simon Head 07985 182261

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to advertise call 07726 790233 or visit www.villagermagazine.co.ukto advertise call 07726 790233 or visit www.villagermagazine.co.uk

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Please mention the villager when responding to advertsPlease mention the villager when responding to adverts


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PCSO Jo Cooper from Kingswinford PoliceStation has organised a Christmas eventalong with the Good Companions Club atthe Wordsley Green Community Centre.The event will be taking place on Tuesday15th December from 2pm until 4pm. A fun packed 2 hours which will include agame of Bingo, a buffet and entertainmentfrom singer Lee Osborne. A free raffle withprizes which have been donated by localbusinesses will be drawn to conclude amemorable event.The Good Companions Club meet everyTuesday at Wordsley Green CommunityCentre and it is open to elderly people wholive in the area. So if you fancy an after-noon of entertainment and would like thechance to meet new people call in and join‘The Good Companions’.

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Draught beers include Becks Bier, Carling,Carlsberg, Heineken, Stella, BoddingtonsSmooth, Guinness and Strongbow Ciderplus 2 Guest ales which regularly change.A great range of wines and soft drinks arealso available or if you proffer somethinghot you can opt for tea or Costa coffee. WithChristmas approaching Mulled wine is alsoon the menu which really hits the spot onthese cold evenings.

The Kingswinford Beefeater issituated on the mainDudley Road in Kingswinford,opposite the main entrance toPensnett Trading Estate, nextdoor to it’s own Premier Inn.Built in 1998 then fully refur-bished to the new style in No-vember 2007 it’s a welcomingplace to eat, drink & sleep.

Outside the 200 space car parkmeans there is no shortage ofspaces.Inside there are leather chairsand relaxed seating in the bar,whilst in the restaurant there is booth seat-ing suitable for intimate dining or family ta-bles for about ten people. Being mostly adining venue the brand new restaurant has280 covers! A separate function room isavailable for private hire for all occasionsand Children are welcome in the restaurantwhen you dine or until 9pm in the bar.There is an ATM Machine and Debit & CreditCards are accepted.

I met up with a group of friends, to dine atThe Kingswinford Beefeater, it had beenrecommended to us, so we decided wewould sample as many different dishes fromthe menu as we could and tell Villager read-ers our verdict.

We ordered our drinks after being shown toour table and studied the menu. Beefeaterspassion is char grilling steaks, but we founda good choice on the menu with somethingto suit everyone, including chicken, fish andlamb grills as well as fabulous salads andpastas and a selection of vegetarian op-tions. Meal deals are available during theday with 2 courses from £7.95 and in theevening with 2 courses from £9.95. Fromthe main menu Starters are available from£2.99, main meals from £7.99 and dessertsfrom £3.60

A night out at The Kingswinford Beefeater

Sally, Tara, Robbie & Sue getting comfy in the Premier Inn


12


Draught beers include Becks Bier, Carling,Carlsberg, Heineken, Stella, BoddingtonsSmooth, Guinness and Strongbow Ciderplus 2 Guest ales which regularly change.A great range of wines and soft drinks arealso available or if you proffer somethinghot you can opt for tea or Costa coffee. WithChristmas approaching Mulled wine is alsoon the menu which really hits the spot onthese cold evenings.

The Kingswinford Beefeater issituated on the mainDudley Road in Kingswinford,opposite the main entrance toPensnett Trading Estate, nextdoor to it’s own Premier Inn.Built in 1998 then fully refur-bished to the new style in No-vember 2007 it’s a welcomingplace to eat, drink & sleep.

Outside the 200 space car parkmeans there is no shortage ofspaces.Inside there are leather chairsand relaxed seating in the bar,whilst in the restaurant there is booth seat-ing suitable for intimate dining or family ta-bles for about ten people. Being mostly adining venue the brand new restaurant has280 covers! A separate function room isavailable for private hire for all occasionsand Children are welcome in the restaurantwhen you dine or until 9pm in the bar.There is an ATM Machine and Debit & CreditCards are accepted.

I met up with a group of friends, to dine atThe Kingswinford Beefeater, it had beenrecommended to us, so we decided wewould sample as many different dishes fromthe menu as we could and tell Villager read-ers our verdict.

We ordered our drinks after being shown toour table and studied the menu. Beefeaterspassion is char grilling steaks, but we founda good choice on the menu with somethingto suit everyone, including chicken, fish andlamb grills as well as fabulous salads andpastas and a selection of vegetarian op-tions. Meal deals are available during theday with 2 courses from £7.95 and in theevening with 2 courses from £9.95. Fromthe main menu Starters are available from£2.99, main meals from £7.99 and dessertsfrom £3.60

A night out at The Kingswinford Beefeater

Sally, Tara, Robbie & Sue getting comfy in the Premier Inn


13


Our order consisted of most of the meatsand fish available on the menu which in-cluded starters of a dipping bread trio anda Beefeater combo, Main courses includedDuck, Lobster, Sea Bass, Steak, Chicken,Lamb, Sausages, Quesadilla Wrap and PorkRibs. Everything was amazing we couldn’tfault it.

The Kingswinford BeefeaterDudley road, kingswinford DY6 8WT

Reservations: 01384 291290If you would like The Villager Magazine toreview your restaurant call 07726 790233

As we were taste testing ‘we had to orderdesserts’ it would have been rude not to!We managed to find room to share Prof-iteroles and Chocolate Fudge Cake yum!

We all agreed our tastetesting evening was asuccess, the food, at-mosphere and servicewere all excellent andwe would happily returnfor another evening out.

Our tastyverdict?

As none of us had stayed at the Premier InnKingswinford before we left we asked if wecould sneak a peek at the rooms. Theywere happy to let us have a look but couldonly show us one room as they were full!The room was clean and spacious withcomfy surroundings, everything you wouldneed for a good nights sleep, really handy ifyou don’t have the room to put up all ofyour guests this Christmas or if you fancy anight out without having to journey home.One night stays start from only £29, thereare family rooms with sofa beds and inter-connecting rooms if required. Very nice.

We placed our vast order with easeand waited for our feast to ar-rive.All the food at The Kingswin-ford Beefeater is freshly preparedand cooked to your liking, but wedidn’t have to wait long beforeplate after plate appeared pipinghot on the table.

All of the meals were presentedexcellently, (as you will see pic-tured around these pages). I hadto stop the girls digging in beforewe had taken the photographs, itall looked so tasty.

11001100

We get cracking with our taste testing

Taster Sue

We sneaked a peek.......


14


Our order consisted of most of the meatsand fish available on the menu which in-cluded starters of a dipping bread trio anda Beefeater combo, Main courses includedDuck, Lobster, Sea Bass, Steak, Chicken,Lamb, Sausages, Quesadilla Wrap and PorkRibs. Everything was amazing we couldn’tfault it.

The Kingswinford BeefeaterDudley road, kingswinford DY6 8WT

Reservations: 01384 291290If you would like The Villager Magazine toreview your restaurant call 07726 790233

As we were taste testing ‘we had to orderdesserts’ it would have been rude not to!We managed to find room to share Prof-iteroles and Chocolate Fudge Cake yum!

We all agreed our tastetesting evening was asuccess, the food, at-mosphere and servicewere all excellent andwe would happily returnfor another evening out.

Our tastyverdict?

As none of us had stayed at the Premier InnKingswinford before we left we asked if wecould sneak a peek at the rooms. Theywere happy to let us have a look but couldonly show us one room as they were full!The room was clean and spacious withcomfy surroundings, everything you wouldneed for a good nights sleep, really handy ifyou don’t have the room to put up all ofyour guests this Christmas or if you fancy anight out without having to journey home.One night stays start from only £29, thereare family rooms with sofa beds and inter-connecting rooms if required. Very nice.

We placed our vast order with easeand waited for our feast to ar-rive.All the food at The Kingswin-ford Beefeater is freshly preparedand cooked to your liking, but wedidn’t have to wait long beforeplate after plate appeared pipinghot on the table.

All of the meals were presentedexcellently, (as you will see pic-tured around these pages). I hadto stop the girls digging in beforewe had taken the photographs, itall looked so tasty.

1010

We get cracking with our taste testing

Taster Sue

We sneaked a peek.......


15


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CREATIVE WRITING Mon. 11th Jan. 19.00-21.00. 5 wks. £24.50 # Mon 22nd Feb 19.00-21.00. 5 wks. £24.50 #

USING A DIGITAL CAMERA Mon.11th Jan 9.30-11.30 5 wks. £47.50 # Wed 3rd March 13.30-15.30 5 wks. £47.50 #

INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL IMAGING USING PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS Mon. 1st March 9.30-11.30 5 wks. £47.50 #

CONTINUING DIGITAL IMAGING USING PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS Wed 13th Jan. 13.30-15.30 5 wks. £47.50 #

COMPUTING for the TERRIFIED Thurs 14th Jan. 13.30-15.30. 5 wks. £47.50 # Thurs 4th March. 13.30-15.30. 5 wks. £47.50 #

LOW IMPACT FITNESS 4U @ Oakfield Fri. 15th Jan 11.30-12.30, 10 wks. £28.00 #

WATERCOLOURS for BEGINNERS Fri. 29th Jan 10.00-12.00, 3 wks. £20.00 #

DRAWING for BEGINNERS Fri. 12th March 10.00-12.00, 3 wks. £20.00 #

A wide range of online courses can be studied in our E-Learning Centre, at home or work. On-going assessment and accreditation available

From 4th Jan sessions operate at the following times: Mondays 19.00-21.00, Tuesday 12.45-14.45, Wednesday 10.00-12.00, Thursdays 10.00-12.00 Subject to change

INTRO. LEVEL: MY GUIDE First half term FREE Topics Include: Using the internet safely, public services online, the web, email, online searches and digital photography. Understanding public ser-vices, shopping, job hunting, eBay auctions, banking online, money management and UK politics.

ENTRY LEVEL: DIGITAL LITERACY £30.00. Plus session fees Topics Covered:Computer Basics. The Internet and WWW, Productivity Programs, Computer Security & Privacy, Digital Lifestyles.

LEVEL 1: CLAIT CERTIFICATE £92.10. Plus session fees Topics Covered: File Management and e-Document Produc-tion, Creating Spreadsheets and Graphs, Database Manipulation. Additional units available to reach Diploma level.

LITERACY & NUMERACYADULT CERT. LEVEL 1 & 2 Retention charge: £5 per half term plus examination fee £12. Achieve a City & Guilds qualification equivalent to a GCSE.

Session fees: Wk beg 4th Jan. and Wk beg. 22nd Feb Both 6 wks Fee £26.40 (£19.80 state pensions)

Where you see this # sign you can claim a 25% reduction on tuition fees if you are in receipt of a state pension and 100% if you are in receipt of

certain state benefits. You just pay a £5.00 registration fee. .

HOLIDAY FRENCH Mon 22nd Feb. 19.00-20.30, 6 wks. £22.10#

PLAY GUITAR Intermediates: Mon 4th Jan.19.00-21.00, 12 wks. £58.80# Improvers: Tues 5th Jan. 19.00-21.00, 12 wks. £58.80# Beginners: Wed. 20th Jan. 19.00-20.00, 10 wks. £33.50#

BALLROOM and LATIN AMERICAN DANCING Mon 4th Jan. Beginners: 18.30-19.45 Improvers: 20.00-21.15. Both 12 wks £54.75# PILATES Beginners: Tues 5th Jan. 19.00-20.00, 12 wks. £33.60. Wed 6th Jan. 18.00-19.00, 12 wks. £33.60#, Thurs 7th Jan. 18.00-19.00, 12 wks. £33.60 # OR @ Oakfield Fri 8th Jan.10.00-11.00,11 wks. £40.15 # Improvers: Thurs 7th Jan. 19.05-20.05, 12 wks. £33.60 # OR Thurs 7th Jan. 20.10-21.10, 12 wks. £33.60

PAINTING and DRAWING Tues 5th Jan. 19.00-21.00. Wed 6th Jan. 10.00-12.00. OR Thurs 7th Jan. 13.30-15.30, ALL 12 wks. £58.80# Thurs 7th Jan. 10.00-12.30, 12 wks. £73.50 #

LEGS, BUMS and TUMS Tues 5th Jan. 20.05-21.05, 12 wks £33.60

YOGA Wed 13th Jan. OR Wed 24th Feb.19.15-20.45 5 wks. £33.50

FITNESS BLAST Thurs 14th Jan. 19.30-20.15 11 wks. £23.10

CIRCUIT TRAINING Thurs 14th Jan. 20.30-21.15. 11 wks. £23.10

START YOUR OWN BUSINESS Mon. 25th Jan. 19.00-21.00. 6 wks. £40.20 #

FREE FAMILY HISTORY STARTER SESSION Fri. 8th Jan. 11.00-13.00. 1 wk. Basic Computer skills required. Places MUST be booked in advance

INTRO TO FAMILY HISTORY Mon. 11th Jan. 13.30-15.30. OR Tues 12th Jan. 19.00-21.00. 5 wks. £34.90 #

CONTINUING WITH FAMILY HISTORY Mon. 1st March 13.30-15.30. 5 wks. £34.90 #

PICTURING YOUR FAMILY HISTORY Tues 2nd March. 19.00-21.00. 5 wks. £34.90 #

EMERGENCY FIRST AID Fri 15th Jan. OR Sat 16th Jan.09.00-13.00. 1 day. £35.00

PAEDIATRIC EMERGENCY FIRST AID Fri 5th March OR Sat 6th March 09.00-13.00. 1 half day. £24.00

FREE E-BAY STARTER SESSION Thurs 21st Jan . OR Thurs 25th Feb. 19.00-21.00. 1 wk. Basic Computer skills required. Places MUST be booked in advance

BUYING and SELLING on E-BAY Thurs. 28th Jan. OR Thurs. 4th March 19.00-21.00, 3 wks £20.00 #

INTRO TO SIGN LANGUAGE Mon. 15th March 19.00-21.00, 3 wks £20.00 #

ADULT EDUCATION, TRAINING AND LEISURE

@ The Wordsley School,Brierley Hill Road, Wordsley,

Stourbridge, West Midlands DY8 5SP

Tel. 01384 816043 Mon. to Fri. 9.00 -13.00www.learning4life.co.uk

E LEARNING

REDUCED FEES

What's Newin2010

SWIM SCHOOL

Places available from Monday 4th January for 11/12 wks. Water Babies and Pre beginners £45.70/49.45 All other 30 min lessons £39.90/43.10 Rookie, Lifesaving, Advanced and Water Skills £49.55/53.65

We operate: 7 days a week and offer sessions at the following standards:

Water Babies Min age 3 years. Provides familiarisation activities to develop confidence and preliminary skills with buoyancy aids.

Pre-Beginner Min age 4 1/2 years. Provides familiarisation activities and skills to develop floatation and propulsion without aids up to 2m.

Beginner Min age 4 1/2 years. Provides skill development to swim 5m on a front stroke and 5m back crawl.

Improver Improves aquatic skills and stamina to swim 15m on a front stroke and 15m back crawl.

Intermediate 1. Develops confidence in deep water and front crawl breathing action to swim 20meters on a front stroke and 20m back crawl.

Intermediate 2. Helps to build stamina and endurance to swim 50m on a front stroke and 25m on back crawl.

Intermediate 3. Develops competence on all four strokes (25m) and a front and back stroke for 100m.

Advanced Swimmer To further develop swimming skills, speed and stamina.

Water Skills To develop survival and rescue skills.

ROOKIE LIFEGUARD

Learn new skills, have fun and overcome challenges. Min. age 8 years. Must be able to swim 20 m on a front stroke and 20 m on a back stroke. Saturdays 11.30-12.30 begins 9th Jan. 11wks £49.55 LIFESAVING Min age 10 years. Develops water safety principles and performance of survival skills towards Lifesaving 1,2 and 3 and Bronze Medallion Awards. Must be able to swim 20 m on a front stroke and 20 m on a back stroke. Saturdays 12.30-13.30 begins 9th Jan. 11wks £49.55

CHILDREN’S POOL PARTIES Wed 18.00-19.00, Sun 14.45-15.45 OR Sun 15.45-16.45 Pool with/without dining facility. Contact the office for further details

KIDS FITNESS SWIM ***** 10-19 yrs olds. Mon. 18.00-18.45 £1.50 Starts 4th Jan. no sessions: 15/02/10, 05/04/10 12/04/10, 03/05/10, and 31/05/10

HOLIDAY FAMILY SWIMMING ***** Tues. 12.25-13.25 £2.50 adults £1.50 children Thurs. 12.25-13.25 £2.50 adults £1.50 children Sessions on 16/02/10, 18/02/10 13/04/10, 15/04/10. No unaccompanied children. Adult/children ratios apply

***** The Learning4Life Community Group programme. Membership FREE just come along!

ADULT EDUCATION SWIMMING LESSONS Intermediates: Mon 4th Jan.19.45-20.30. Improvers: Mon 4th Jan. 20.30-21.15. Beginners: Thurs 7th Jan. 20.15-21.00, ALL, 12 wks. £34.65 #

ADULT EDUCATION

The ELEMENTS of FITNESS SWIMMING Tues 19th Jan. 14.05-15.55 10 wks. £49.90 #

RLSS POOL LIFEGUARD Mon 15th Feb. 6 days. £165 plus £71.15 Fri. 9th April. 6 days. £165 plus £71.15

ADULT SWIMMING ***** Mon. 8.00-8.45, Mon. 12.40-13.25, Thurs. 8.00-8.45, Thurs. 19.00-20.15. Fri.15.15-16.00. All sessions £2.50 Starts 4th Jan. no sessions: 02/04/10– 11/04/10, 03/05/10 and 29/05/10-06/06/10

AQUAFIT ***** Mon. 11.00-11.45. £2.50, (no session 15/02/10) Wed. 12.40-13.25 £2.50, Wed. 19.00-20.00. £3.50, Sun. 18.00-19.00. £3.50 Starts 4th Jan. no sessions: 02/04/10– 11/04/10, 03/05/10 and 29/05/10-06/06/10 ****** The Learning4Life Community Group programme. Membership FREE just come along!

PRIVATE SWIMMING LESSONS In a group of 2 or 1 to 1. Contact the office for further details

Sessions start on Mon. 4th Jan. and Mon. 22nd Feb. A brilliant opportunity for young people (over 5 years old) to learn tunes on 16.45-17.45 Beginners (max group size 4) 6 wks. £50.40 electric or acoustic guitar and have fun! Provide your own guitar, 17.45-18.45 Improvers (max group size 8) 6 wks. £25.20 an adult must remain onsite with children aged 5-8 years old Other conditions apply

PLAY GUITAR: YOUNG PEOPLE

FREE SWIMMING LESSONS

Never learnt to swim?

Not very confident in water?

FREE Six week course of swimming lessons starting: Tues 12th Jan. 19.00-20.00 or Tues 23rd Feb 19.00-20.00.

Min. age 11. Max. of one course per person. Places MUST be

booked in advance Contact us on 01384 816043

SWIMMING PROGRAMME




PLAY GUITAR: YOUNG PEOPLE

What's Newin2010

FREE Six week course of swimming lessons starting:Tues 12th Jan. 19.00-20.00or Tues 23rd Feb 19.00-20.00Min age 11. Max of one course per person.Place MUST be booked in advance.Contact us on 01384 816043

Never learnt to swim?FREE SWIMMING LESSONS

Not very confident in water?

ADULT EDUCATION, TRAINING AND LEISURE




E LEARNING

REDUCED FEES

What's Newin2010


1818


Dale Leach a soldier who was seriouslyinjured while serving in Afghanistan iscelebrating the end of ‘a year from hell’- after winning the Chocorococo & Sup-port Our Soldiers Wedding competitionwhich featured in The Villager Magazine.Dale 23 and his fiancée Alex Lewis have cho-sen Sunday August 8th 2010, as their weddingday. They will tie the knot in the BanquetingSuite at The Birmingham Council House, apresentation was held for them on Tuesday17th November and following a speech fromorganiser Lesley there wasn’t a dry eye in thehouse. Everyone agreed they were well de-served winners and a wonderful couple.Dale, a DMR (Drummer) in the 1st BattalionWelsh Guards has been serving for 5 years andhas been on various tours. In May of this yearhe was posted out to Afghanistan. and was hitby an improvised explosive device in Junewhile on patrol.He lost his left leg, had his skull fractured,broke his back in three places, punctured bothhis lungs and shattered his right heel.He was flown back to the UK and taken toBirmingham's Selly Oak Hospital where hespent several weeks in intensive care beforehis rehabilitation could start. Dale is currentlyreceiving treatment at Headley Court, a mili-tary rehabilitation unit in Surrey.He uses a prosthetic leg five hours a week ashe continues his recovery, and is allowed homeevery other weekend.Alex, 22, said: "I have a smile on my face forthe first time in seven months."

I was screaming down the phone when I foundout we’d won. "Dale’s been through so much,it’s been a year from hell. It was touch and gofor a while after the explosion, but thankfullyhe pulled through.”As winners of the Chocorococo & SOS WeddingCompetition, Alex and Dale can look forwardto a package worth thousands of pounds whichincludes everything for their dream day.The competition was the brainchild of Lesleyand Daniel Aimes, owners of Stourbridge-based chocolate fountain company Chocoro-coco, who brought together firms to supplyeverything on the day, including the weddingdress, bridesmaids dresses, rings, a weddingcar, hair stylists, jewellery, a photographer-Honeymoon in Paris a total prize of approxi-mately £18,000.Lesley said: "We are proud of our serving menand women and this is our way of showing ap-preciation for everything they do."We had hundreds of entries, but Dale andAlex’s story was so moving, it was a landslidewinner with the judging panel.”"Alex has proved to be a tower of strength toDale, being at his bedside whenever possible,looking after their little girl Ellie as well as ex-pecting another child in January, and beingsupportive to other injured soldiers in HeadleyCourt, who do not have their families aroundthem.”"We are working in conjunction with the Sup-port Our Soldiers charity which offers supportto soldiers and their families," added Lesley.“We aim to make this a day the couple willnever forget."

CHOCOROCOCO£18,000

WEDDING PACKAGEWINNERLeft to right Maria O ' Ryan

(sos representative)Alex & Dale, Lesley Aimes& Nick Owen Photograph courtesy of ‘Picture This’ Abby Stonehall Photography


19


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Nicola Bradbury from Sandpipers, Kingswin-ford (pictured above with Stylist Sarah fromStyles by Mel in Park Street, Kingswinford)was the lucky winner of a cut & blow dryafter entering The Villager competition.During a stay in hospital Nicola entered afew competitions and was over the moon toreceive a letter telling her she was the win-ner of a new hair do. Nicola was delightedwith the result and said “I have never wonanything before, it was a nice suprise.”

Competition Winner

Christmas shoppers across the Dudley bor-ough have been given some early festivecheer after car parking charges were sus-pended in the run-up to the big day.

Car parking on all Dudley Council car parksin the borough will be free on the three Sat-urdays in December in the run-up to Christ-mas. Parking charges will be waived onDecember 5, 12 and 19 to encourage fes-tive shopping in Dudley, Stourbridge, Brier-ley Hill and Halesowen along with smallercentres such as Sedgley and Kingswinford.

Car parking charges suspendedfor Christmas shoppers

The civic amenity site in BirminghamStreet, Stourbridge will be closed on De-cember 25, 26 and 27. It will re-open fromDecember 28 through to December 31. Itwill be closed on January 1 and re-openfrom January 2 onwards as normal.The current opening times are 8am to 6pmon Monday to Friday and 8am to 4pm onweekends.

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Christmas time is upon us again and it istime for the dreaded Christmas shopping!It is very few peoples idea of fun, trying tofind a suitable present for Great Aunt Floand all those cousins you barely see, andsometimes it is hardly less stressful buyingthe right thing for out nearest and dearest.But what about the animals in our lives?Sure there are plenty of pre-packaged 'treatstockings' out there, but these are not veryoriginal and are calorie packed. So, howabout buying something they will actuallyenjoy and be useful?

DOGSDogs are active, inquisitive, intelligent crea-tures and many are left alone for periodsduring the day, or are not given enough tokeep them occupied. This can lead to thembecoming bored which can cause behav-ioural issues. So, the best toys for dogs areones which keep them busy and enter-tained. Many dogs love to chew but someare experts at reducing chew treats to noth-ing in record time! Products like the Ny-labone chews are excellent as they arevirtually indestructible, are scented whichkeeps the dog interested and come in vari-ous sizes so can withstand even thestrongest jaws! Another good toy for dogsis the 'treat puzzle' kind. These are usuallyhollow rubber chew toys which can be

What do you get for the petwho has everything?!Cat Henstridge BVSc MRCVS

stuffed with kibble or treats. The dog has toplay, roll, throw and chew the toy to get thebiscuits out. They will only get one every sooften, so these can keep them interestedfor hours. They are also a good way ofmaking them 'work' for their food, particu-larly important for those a little broad aboutthe beam! The best of these are the 'Kong'range. It is also important to know what notto buy for your pet. For example, terrierbreeds love nothing more than to 'kill' theirtoys and will rip a nice, soft plush teddy topieces in no time. Better for them are the'tugger' rope type toys which can withstanda huge amount of abuse and still survive!

CATSCats are naturally solitary, territorial ani-mals and will only be interested in anythingnew in their environment. This is why theymay play enthusiastically with a new toy fora couple of days but bore of it quickly. So,rather than buying a couple of costly toys,buy 10 to 15 fairly cheap ones and onlyhave a few out at any one time, rotatingthem regularly to keep their interest. Thestuffed puzzle toys are also available forcats and, again, are excellent for makingthem work for their food. Obesity is a bighealth issue in cats and anything whichkeeps them active is a good idea. One ofmy favorites are the 'fishing rod' toys, par-ticularly good to keep cats moving while

their owners are being lazy, they are easilyoperated with one arm from the comfort ofa sofa! One issue cats have is they don'tdrink very much. This doesn't generallycause problems but encouraging them todrink more is helpful. One great way to dothis is using a 'Pet Fountain'. The con-stantly flowing water will usually cause thecat to be more interested, as most cat own-ers know, they are often keen to drink fromdripping taps!

RABBITSPet rabbits will also benefit from a presentto keep them happy! Rabbits are big chew-ers and very inquisitive (as anyone who hashad their wires nibbled by a house rabbitwill tell you!) There are now extensiveranges of chew toys for rabbits in the shops,which also have the added benefit of keep-ing their teeth ground down.

If you want to buy your pet a useful treatthis Christmas; one which will keep themactive, entertained and be good for them,the person to speak to is your vet nurse.They will have a lot of experience in thisarea and be able to point you in the direc-tion of a present that will actually be ap-preciated (rather than being wrapped up fornext year – you know who you are AuntFlo!)

Cat is the resident vet for Petstreet.co.uk,an on-line social networking site for petlovers.

PersonalisedSanta hatsagain for John& Edward. Lookslike it’s back tochewing thefurniture in 2010!

EDWARD

JOHN


23


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On Tuesday 22nd Decenber at 1pmKingswinford Police in conjunction with Ari-zona Crossing, will be treating the local eld-erly victims of crime, to a christmas fayre.Vicky Rogers, a Kingswinford CommunitySupport Officer thought it was important toengage with this vulnerable group of thecommunity during the festive season. “A lotof our elderly victims of crime, live alone orhave little family around throughout the yearand especially during the season of good will.We wanted to show the local victims thatthey are not just a statistic, and that we ac-tually care.” said Vicky.“Our Police crime prevention officer will beon hand to offer advice to those that attend.People that we have invited have been sub-ject to wide spectrum of crimes, from anti-social behaviour to distraction burglarys androbbery.”Officers are looking forward to serving lunchto those that attend and wishing them wellfor Christmas and the coming year. Mr Silcoxthe owner of Arizona Crossing, has kindly as-sisted with the funding of this event.

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Christmas is the time of year when lots of flowering potplants are given as presents. Cyclamen, Poinsettias,Azaleas and many more can give a great deal of pleas-ure, but they can also become a worry if they sud-denly begin to wilt or generally look unhealthy.Whether you are giving or receiving plants this Christ-mas time, here are some tips to keep them healthy.

Firstly, always buy from a reliable source. Plants thathave been kept and displayed in a greenhouse should befine, but any that have not been in natural light for somedays, or worse still, have been displayed in boxes on a pave-ment, could well be damaged or even chilled long before you getthem home.

All plants require natural daylight, and this is even more importantin winter when the days are short. To keep their foliage green and healthy, all plants needto be on a windowsill, or at the very least, very near to a good source of light. It is also im-portant to avoid very warm, dry situations. Poinsettias do like to be fairly warm; after all,they originate from Mexico. Cyclamen, azaleas and potted bulbs however, prefer muchcooler conditions which help them to last for many more weeks in good condition. Orchidsare very popular now, especially the Phalaenopsis, or ‘moth orchid’. Providing it is not toocold, these will love the humidity and diffused light of a bath or shower room.

Once light and temperatures are suitable, this leaves the often tricky problem of knowingjust when to water, and how much to give. With shorter days, plants generally do not useup very much water, but if they are in a centrally heated environment, the soil will losemoisture purely through evaporation, so how warm a particular room is will determine howfrequently your pot plants need to be watered. When you do decide to water, it is best togive sufficient water to moisten all of the compost in the pot. Frequent dribbles of water fromthe top do not really work, because the roots at the bottom of the pot may remain com-pletely dry.

More specifically, I usually water my moth orchids once per week, removing the clear plas-tic pot from its outer container, and then plunging this pot in a bowl of slightly warm water,just for a minute or two. Then allow it to drain thoroughly before returning it to the outercontainer. Azaleas will also benefit from being plunged, and for them, around twice a weekis usually sufficient, although they should never be allowed to dry out completely. Cycla-men should only be watered when the top of the compost looks and feels dry. I prefer towater from the top, but do this carefully to avoid wetting the centre of the tuber. Hyacinthsand other bulbs are quite tolerant, and can be watered as necessary. Poinsettias should beallowed to dry a little, but not so much as to cause dehydration, which will result in fallingleaves. Looking after winter pot plants does require some care, but with a little practice, itwill become second nature. One final word of warning; never allow any indoor plant to standin water for long periods; over-watering is much worse than allowing plants to get a littledry. Follow these simple rules and you should be able to enjoy your Christmas plants formany weeks into the New Year.

Have a very Happy Christmas, and as the days begin to lengthen again, let’s hope that2010 will be our best gardening year yet. We gardeners are always optimists!

Your Christmas PlantsShould not go to Pot!

By Philip Baulk of Ashwood Nurseries Ltdto advertise call 07726 790233 or visit www.villagermagazine.co.uk

26


Christmas is the time of year when lots of flowering potplants are given as presents. Cyclamen, Poinsettias,Azaleas and many more can give a great deal of pleas-ure, but they can also become a worry if they sud-denly begin to wilt or generally look unhealthy.Whether you are giving or receiving plants this Christ-mas time, here are some tips to keep them healthy.

Firstly, always buy from a reliable source. Plants thathave been kept and displayed in a greenhouse should befine, but any that have not been in natural light for somedays, or worse still, have been displayed in boxes on a pave-ment, could well be damaged or even chilled long before you getthem home.

All plants require natural daylight, and this is even more importantin winter when the days are short. To keep their foliage green and healthy, all plants needto be on a windowsill, or at the very least, very near to a good source of light. It is also im-portant to avoid very warm, dry situations. Poinsettias do like to be fairly warm; after all,they originate from Mexico. Cyclamen, azaleas and potted bulbs however, prefer muchcooler conditions which help them to last for many more weeks in good condition. Orchidsare very popular now, especially the Phalaenopsis, or ‘moth orchid’. Providing it is not toocold, these will love the humidity and diffused light of a bath or shower room.

Once light and temperatures are suitable, this leaves the often tricky problem of knowingjust when to water, and how much to give. With shorter days, plants generally do not useup very much water, but if they are in a centrally heated environment, the soil will losemoisture purely through evaporation, so how warm a particular room is will determine howfrequently your pot plants need to be watered. When you do decide to water, it is best togive sufficient water to moisten all of the compost in the pot. Frequent dribbles of water fromthe top do not really work, because the roots at the bottom of the pot may remain com-pletely dry.

More specifically, I usually water my moth orchids once per week, removing the clear plas-tic pot from its outer container, and then plunging this pot in a bowl of slightly warm water,just for a minute or two. Then allow it to drain thoroughly before returning it to the outercontainer. Azaleas will also benefit from being plunged, and for them, around twice a weekis usually sufficient, although they should never be allowed to dry out completely. Cycla-men should only be watered when the top of the compost looks and feels dry. I prefer towater from the top, but do this carefully to avoid wetting the centre of the tuber. Hyacinthsand other bulbs are quite tolerant, and can be watered as necessary. Poinsettias should beallowed to dry a little, but not so much as to cause dehydration, which will result in fallingleaves. Looking after winter pot plants does require some care, but with a little practice, itwill become second nature. One final word of warning; never allow any indoor plant to standin water for long periods; over-watering is much worse than allowing plants to get a littledry. Follow these simple rules and you should be able to enjoy your Christmas plants formany weeks into the New Year.

Have a very Happy Christmas, and as the days begin to lengthen again, let’s hope that2010 will be our best gardening year yet. We gardeners are always optimists!

Your Christmas PlantsShould not go to Pot!

By Philip Baulk of Ashwood Nurseries LtdPlease mention the villager when responding to adverts

27

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Step back in time and get ready todance with Bill Kenwright’s produc-tion of Ray Davies’ award-winningmusical hit COME DANCING, onstage at the Wolverhampton GrandTheatre from Tuesday 9th to Satur-day 13th February 2010.

COME DANCING is written by andstars the former frontman of TheKinks, Ray Davies, who penned someof the greatest songs in pop history,including timeless hits such as Wa-terloo Sunset, Tired Of Waiting ForYou, You Really Got Me, and ofcourse, Come Dancing. His work haswon him not only an induction intothe Musical Hall of Fame, but a CBE.

COME DANCING takes us back to thePalais Ballrooms of the 1950s, wherethousands would dance and romanceat a time when Rock ‘n’ Roll wasbursting onto the scene. Featuringimpressive dance routines and aheart warming tale of teenage ro-mance, the story is full of wonderfulnew songs in a show as timeless asits star.

Call the Wolverhampton Grand The-atre Box Office for more informationon 01902 42 92 12

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WE ARE DELIGHTED TO OFFER TWO VILLAGERMAGAZINE READERS TWO TICKETS EACH TO THEPERFORMANCE OF COME DANCING AT THEGRAND THEATRE WOLVERHAMPTON ON TUESDAY 9TH FEB AT 7.30PMQQUUEESSTTIIOONN:: IINN 22000044,, AA CCEELLEEBBRRIITTYY VVEERRSSIIOONN OOFFCCOOMMEE DDAANNCCIINNGG WWAASS LLAAUUNNCCHHEEDD,, WWHHAATT IISS TTHHEESSHHOOWW CCAALLLLEEDD?? CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES 04.01.10

To be in with a chance of winning answer thequestion and send with your Name, Address &Telephone number to - Come Dancing, The Villager Magazine, 1 Greystoke Drive,Kingswinford, West Midlands. DY6 8DX The draw will take place on 06.01,10 The winners will be notified and must collect the tickets from the box office on the night of performance. Tickets can not be exchanged and no cash, alternative prizes or nights are available. The winner may be required to take part in relevant publicity

Come Dancing was a BBC TV ballroom dancingcompetition show that ran on and off from1949 to 1998, becoming one of television'slongest-running shows.

The show was created by Eric Morley, thefounder of Miss World, and began in 1949 bybroadcasting from regional ballroom studios,with professional dancers Syd Perkins andEdna Duffield on hand to offer teaching.

In 1953 the format changed to become a com-petition, with later series seeing regions of theUnited Kingdom going head to head for thecoveted trophy.

The many presenters over the years includedPeter West, McDonald Hobley, Charles Nove,Terry Wogan, Brian Johnston, Angela Rippon,Michael Aspel, Noel Edmonds, David Jacobs,Judith Chalmers, Pete Murray, and RosemarieFord. Commentators included Ray Moore andBruce Hammal.

Do you remember ‘Come Dancing’?

30



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kingswinford and surrounding villages villager magazine december 2009

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