the vine dunstable - december 2014 & january 2015 - issue 62

Vinethe

December 2014January 2015 Issue 62

VineConnecting local people to local bus

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Don’t Pick A Turkey 8Happy New Year! 10Local Christmas Attractions 12A Travellers Tale 14What’s Best For You 16Consumer Clinic 18Aged Concerns 20Bedfordshire’s Night Sky 22At Home 26In The Garden 32Totternhoe Players Presents 36Auto-biographies 40Puzzles 42 Out & About 44

VineThis Month...

Editors:Scott NightingaleShelly Nesbitt

For advertising & Editorial: Shelly Nesbitt 01525 22237907852 [email protected]

Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the content of advertising and articles published in this magazine are accurate, neither the publisher or its editorial contributors can accept and hereby disclaim any liability to any party to loss or damage caused by errors.Neither do they reflect the opinion of this publication. The Vine does not officially endorse any advertising material included within this publication.No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission.

Copy deadline for our next issue - 15th January

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Since last time the team has been doing re-ally well. We’ve won five lost two and drew a game. We’ve been scoring lots of goals as well as conceding quite a few along the way - under 8’s football is anything but dull. We have played games as far away as Bedford and Flitwick and have welcomed teams from Leighton Buzzard, Flitwick and Kempston.Back in October I decided to take my son, who is also one of my players, to watch the Dunstable Town first team. They were to play Weymouth Town on the Saturday. On the Friday I remem-bered hearing somewhere that the first team were keen to have the younger players as mascots so I sent a few texts out and it was kindly arranged that our under 8 boys could be mascots for the game. As I wasn't expecting it to be arranged for that particular game I had to quickly send out texts to players parents. Five of the boys were available and we also invited another boy we knew who was watching the game anyway.On the day the boys were met at the turnstiles an hour before kick-off by the first team manager who took them off to tour the changing rooms and meet the players. They were then taken on to the pitch where they were put through their paces with a couple of drills, they were then taken over to the goal where they did some shooting excercises.About ten minutes before kick-off the boys were taken back to the changing room and were to re-emerge hand in hand with the first team players. They had their photo taken with the captains, of-ficials and the Dunstable Town lion mascot before watching the game.All in all the boys had a great time and really enjoyed the experience. I would like to thank Dunstable Town for allowing our boys to take part in the day and making them feel part of the club.

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Every Christmas as a child I received a new colouring book and set of crayons with which I spent many happy hours sprawled on the living room floor colouring in the pictures. As the years progressed, the col-ouring book was replaced with a series of craft sets, and I remember one year spend-ing ages knitting an extremely long scarf!Crafting helps children to develop their imagination, express themselves and ex-plore new ideas or concepts. The creative process brings feelings of satisfaction and pleasure, and builds children’s confidence in their ability to make their own decisions and choices. Crafting is a great way to learn how to solve problems, follow directions and develop skills such as cutting, measur-ing, gluing and sewing. It can also give family members the chance to spend quality time together in a shared activity. Christmas offers children the opportunity to hand make gifts for friends and family mem-bers. From home-baked treats to a painted plant pot or a decorated photo frame, there is no end to the possibilities. Craft sets also make ideal stocking fillers and promise hours of entertainment. Loom bands are extremely popular right now, knitting is enjoying a revival, finger puppets are always lots of fun and card-making, jewellery kits and scrap books are guar-anteed winners. You could also consider science and modelling kits.

Have fun getting crafty this Christmas!

Crafty Kids!We all want our Christmas dinner to be special and a meal to remember for the right reasons! So how can you make sure that your bird is the best choice? First take the time to buy your meat from a source you trust. You might prefer a trusted butcher, farm shop or mail order company. Knowing how your meat has been reared and where it came from can help you determine the likely quality of the meat. Usually higher quality comes from younger animals that are subject to greater welfare standards. Of course prices will also reflect this so battery-reared birds will be much cheaper than those which have been subject to a mainly organic diet and free-roaming. Look for birds with unblemished skin, and if buying fresh check whether they will be dressed or whether you will need to do additional preparation. Consider carefully the size of the bird you require. General recommendations allow around half a pound or 225 g per person for boneless meat and three quarters of a pound or 340g per person for meat with a bone in. Of course appetites vary and you may want to buy larger deliberately, in order to have enough for leftovers. Choose well and enjoy your Christmas Dinner!

Don’t Pick A ‘Turkey’

9

Every Christmas as a child I received a new colouring book and set of crayons with which I spent many happy hours sprawled on the living room floor colouring in the pictures. As the years progressed, the col-ouring book was replaced with a series of craft sets, and I remember one year spend-ing ages knitting an extremely long scarf!Crafting helps children to develop their imagination, express themselves and ex-plore new ideas or concepts. The creative process brings feelings of satisfaction and pleasure, and builds children’s confidence in their ability to make their own decisions and choices. Crafting is a great way to learn how to solve problems, follow directions and develop skills such as cutting, measur-ing, gluing and sewing. It can also give family members the chance to spend quality time together in a shared activity. Christmas offers children the opportunity to hand make gifts for friends and family mem-bers. From home-baked treats to a painted plant pot or a decorated photo frame, there is no end to the possibilities. Craft sets also make ideal stocking fillers and promise hours of entertainment. Loom bands are extremely popular right now, knitting is enjoying a revival, finger puppets are always lots of fun and card-making, jewellery kits and scrap books are guar-anteed winners. You could also consider science and modelling kits.

Have fun getting crafty this Christmas!

Crafty Kids!We all want our Christmas dinner to be special and a meal to remember for the right reasons! So how can you make sure that your bird is the best choice? First take the time to buy your meat from a source you trust. You might prefer a trusted butcher, farm shop or mail order company. Knowing how your meat has been reared and where it came from can help you determine the likely quality of the meat. Usually higher quality comes from younger animals that are subject to greater welfare standards. Of course prices will also reflect this so battery-reared birds will be much cheaper than those which have been subject to a mainly organic diet and free-roaming. Look for birds with unblemished skin, and if buying fresh check whether they will be dressed or whether you will need to do additional preparation. Consider carefully the size of the bird you require. General recommendations allow around half a pound or 225 g per person for boneless meat and three quarters of a pound or 340g per person for meat with a bone in. Of course appetites vary and you may want to buy larger deliberately, in order to have enough for leftovers. Choose well and enjoy your Christmas Dinner!

Don’t Pick A ‘Turkey’

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Amazing firework displays from around the world have become a familiar sight on New Year’s news pro-grammes. Many countries also have traditional forms of cel-ebration dating back hundreds of years.

In the UK many people observe first-footing. This is traditionally done by a young, healthy, good looking male with dark hair. He carries gifts which include a piece of coal, money, bread and salt, and should be the first person through the front door after the New Year begins. This is believed to bring good luck. Auld Lang Syne is the familiar tune that many of us sing. This represents remembrance of old friends and times spent with them. Generally credited to Robert Burns, he actually said he was merely noting the

words of an ‘old man’s sing-ing.’ He set these words to the tune of a traditional Scottish ditty ‘Can Ye Labour Lea.’

In Denmark traditions involve smashing plates. People throw broken plates on to friends’ doorsteps. This symbol-ises good wishes for the year ahead. Another tradition involves leaping from chairs on the strike of midnight.

In Austria, New Years Eve is called Sylvesterabend which means Eve of Saint Sylvester. Suckling pig and peppermint ice cream are traditional food for New Year celebrations. Tables are often decorated with marzipan pigs, and good luck symbols made out of chocolate or marzipan in shapes such as chimney sweeps, coins, or horseshoes are exchanged.

Happy New Year

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Lead is considered to be auspicious in Germany so at New Year, they pour molten lead into cold water and see what shape develops. It is believed that this predicts the future, so: heart shapes sym-bolize marriage, round shapes denote good luck, and a ship means a journey. People also leave a bit of every food eaten on New Year's Eve on their plate until after Midnight, as a way of ensuring a well-stocked larder. Carp is also included, as it is thought to bring wealth.

Whereas in Brazil, lentils are seen as a symbol of wealth and prosperity and thus are traditionally part of a New Year’s meal. Other customs include priestesses of the local macumba voodoo cult, dressing up in blue and white for a ceremony ded-icated to the god of water Yemanja. In addition, a sacrificial boat laden with jewellery, candles and flowers is pushed out from Ipenama beach in a bid to bring health, wealth and happiness.

In Greece, 1st January is also St Basil’s Day. He is remembered for his kindness and generosity to the poor. Vassilopitta, or St Basil's cake, is one of the special dishes that is prepared and contains a silver or gold coin. Whoever finds the coin will be lucky for the next year.

Want to support your local economy? The Priory House Gift Shop is the local spot for local products made by local people. We stock a wide variety of handmade items including woodwork, pottery, pho-tographs and paintings. We also have a selection of locally produced honey, preserves and chutneys.Our large selection of glass tree ornaments and wide variety of unusual Christmas items mean you are sure to find something you will not find any-where else in Dunstable which will brighten your festive season or somebody else’s.If you are looking for a gift for that hard to buy for person, why not treat them to some Dunstable Tea. The Dunstable Tea range is exclusive to Priory House and consists of over 20 different blends and infusions all named for the history and heritage of Dunstable. Available in loose leaf and tea bags, Dunstable Tea makes the ideal gift.Here at Priory House we are also launching a range of beautifully presented Gift Hampers. Our hampers will include Dunstable Tea, homemade Christmas pud-ding and cake, local honey and Priory Pantry chutneys and jams. Ideal for the person who has everything or one of our smaller ham-pers will make an ideal thank you gift. Prices start at £12.50.

Park for Free, Shop for Fun! To help you with your pre-Christmas purchases the Dunstable Joint Committee has funded THREE FREE PARKING DAYS in the lead up to the big day!The Free Parking will take place in selected town centre car parks on Saturday 6th & 13th December

The car parks included in the scheme are:

Ashton Square (Wilkinson)St Mary’s Gate ( West Street )Church StreetMatthew Street (Eleanor’s Cross)

Car parks not mentioned are NOT included in the scheme and charges will still apply.

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Discover AshridgePriory House Gift Shop

The Natural History Museum at Tring was built in 1889 to house the incredible zoo-logical collections of Walter Rothschild. Come and discover animal specimens from around the world, from tiny beetles to enormous bears.Explore exhibitions and events atwww.nhm.ac.uk/tring.

Akeman Street Tring

Hertfordshire HP23 6AP

For Infomation Tel: 020 7942 6171

Animal CalendarThursday 11th December30-minute craft workshops at 11.00 and 14.00Messy play especially for under fives.Tickets £1.50

Christmas Holiday Challenge20th December to 4th JanuarySearch the galleries for the lost polar bears on this trail.Free

Polar Bear CraftMonday 29th and Tuesday 30th December30-minute workshops at 10.15, 10.45, 11.15,14.30 and 15.00Suitable for all ages.Tickets £1.50

Potato Print PenguinsThursday 8th January30-minute craft workshops at 11.00 and 14.00Messy play especially for under fives.Tickets £1.50


· Ashridge Christmas Trail - Join us at the Ashridge Visitor Centre for our Christmas Trail around Meadley’s Meadow. Learn more about how the wildlife spends Christmas, answer the questions along the way and earn your Christmassy reward!Daily from Nov 15th to Dec 31st 10am to 3.30pm £1 per child. No booking needed · Ashridge Christmas Fair – Come to the visitor centre and join the seasonal celebrations at our annual Christmas fair. Find some unusual presents and foodstuffs, including original local gifts and products. Free entrySunday Dec 7th 10am to 3.30pm · Visit Father Christmas at Ashridge. Each 45 minute session includes a visit with Father Christmas, a Christmas craft making session and a present!Sat Dec 13th, Sun Dec 14th, Sat Dec 20th & Sun Dec 21st. Hourly slots 10am, 11am, 1pm, 2pm & 3pm each day.Booking essential on 01442851227 £6 per child and £2.50 per adult (2 adults per child only) · Ashridge Post-Christmas Walk - Enjoy a scenic post-Christmas walk through the Estate at this magical time of year. There will be mulled wine and mince pies afterwards.Sat Dec 27th 10am to 12 noon £7 per adult & £6 per childBooking essential on 01442851227 £6 per child and £2.50 per adult (2 adults per child only)

More Information: Ashridge Estate Visitor Centre, 01442 851227, [email protected]

Discover AshridgeDiscover this area of outstanding

natural beauty right on our doorstep.There’s lots to do and see this Christmas!

Visitor Centre, Moneybury Hill, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire HP4 1LT

14

Perhaps you'll remember a few years ago when one of the Euro-star trains got stuck in the tunnel

because its electrics had shorted out due to the wrong sort of snow on the French side? Moral:- You can't trust the French on anything, can you.Well, at that particular time Val and I were waiting for this train to get back to St Pancras so that we could board it and start our Christmas holiday to the Austrian Tyrol. We waited, and waited and eventually learnt that the trip had been abandoned. But give our travel insurance and the holiday rail companies their due, we were reimbused down to the last penny. Having been treated so fairly, we thought we'd try again the next Christmas; and hope like mad that the French had sorted their snow out.Our ultimate destination was Jenbach in a corner of Austria close to both Germany and Italy. The rail journey took two days altogether with an overnight stop in Cologne. One cannot fault German trains and their timekeeping - they run correct to the minute - but the trouble with travelling on the run up to Christmas is that the world (and his dog) are all travelling at the same time. What is more, everyone (including the dog) has piles of luggage which the trains are not really geared for. The overall result was that, although we had individual seats booked, it could take ages before we were actually in our seats and with our luggage safely stowed. I must confess, the luggage aspect of the rail journey certainly took the shine off the whole trip: and, of

course, we had to face it all over again on our return (which was then the run up to New Year!). There must be another moral here somewhere - and there's a lot to be said for being picked up at home such that the next time you see your luggage is either in the hotel room or in the cabin.A particular "luggage nightmare" happened on the final leg from Munich to Jenbach. It was a corridor train with separate compartments for 6 people and meant that any surplus luggage was piled in the corridor thus creating a real obstacle course when trying to pass. Especially when one passenger moving in the op-posite direction had a Zimmer frame! I'm afraid that any natural sympathy towards disabled people quickly evaporated. He caused absolute chaos!Our tour manager was a fluent Ger-man speaker and he'd clearly made a study of German and Austrian medieval history. Whilst we were running alongside the Rhine from Cologne to Munich, he eluci-dated on the many castles which we passed; and it was much the same when we later went to Salzburg, Innsbruck and other places. He was very efficient, got us to the right spots at the right times; but could also be a bit boring and rather pompous.However, we survived and eventu-ally arrived at our most comfort-able hotel. But unfortunately, we'd brought the snow with us and for the next three days, it snowed on and off from a grey and leaden sky and we couldn't see the surrounding scenery at all - even on trips out.Our first trip was to Kufstein close

to the Bavarian border where we viewed the medieval castle and where a daily organ recital at noon is amplified so that the whole town can hear it. We also poked our noses into the very ornate church where some form of service was being conduct-ed; but since we were clearly not part of this particular congregation, we didn’t stay long.In the afternoon, we went to Ratten-berg - a small, and pretty medieval town renowned for its glassware and crystal. We’d been promised a Christmas market - which should have been very pleasant - but, for some reason, it wasn’t happening that day. A pity. Still, the shops had some lovely glass ornaments and artefacts which, although expensive, were very tempting.There were other coach or train trips to Salzburg and Innsbruck but the dull weather put a dampener on both of these and meant that supposedly beautiful buildings were not seen at their best. Also, we were taken round the world famous Mirabell Gardens in Salzburg - but there’s not much in the way of floral delights in Decem-ber when it’s snowing!Salzburg is Mozart this, Mozart that, Mozart with bells on; it’s difficult to escape from the guy. But there’s a splendid castle and an extremely ornate cathedral on offer. Speaking personally, I don’t think these super extravagant catholic cathedrals can lay a candle (forgive the pun!) on the soaring Gothic splendour of our English cathedrals and I feel that the Austrian ones are way OTT and that any self respecting Puritan would go mad!

A Travellers

TaleTo Snow Or Not To Snow,

That Is The Question

By Paul Heley Lake Achensee

15

Innsbruck cathedral is much the same, ie not much to look at on the outside but the interior blows your mind with its over elaboration and fussiness.On Christmas Eve the hotel laid on a special meal - complete with a five piece brass band consisting of trumpet, flugel-horn, tenor horn, euphonium and tuba playing Tyrolean folk tunes and Christmas music. They made a most pleasant noise. A real old fashioned Ger-man style oompah band!Then, right on cue, it stopped snowing and next day - Christ-mas Day - the sun came out complete with a lovely blue sky. What a difference - the world was transformed. Suddenly, we realised that Jenbach is sur-rounded by lovely scenery and a trip out to Lake Achensee and the village of Pertisau reinforced our new found delight. The vil-lage looked its picture postcard best and Val and I wandered all over the place rejoicing in this belated Alpine splendour. This was what we'd come for.In the afternoon, a sleigh ride had been arranged and we were transported through the forest to a busy cafe/tea room/restaurant which was doing extremely good trade. It was very pleasant but rather "twee", contrived, and rather touristy.Christmas dinner rounded off our festive celebrations and was followed on Boxing Day by what many in the party regarded as the highlight of the entire trip:

a ride on a steam train up the Ziller Valley to the ski resort of Mayrhofen.Our reserved carriage was im-mediately behind the engine so the genuine train buffs (which didn't include either Val or myself) could stand outside and get their full dose of smoke in the lungs, soot in the eye and hot embers to burn you. But clearly, this train is clearly something of a local celebrity given by the vast number of sightseers at each stopping point. For Val and I, it was an interesting journey and a nostalgic reminder of times past.

It's interesting to note that Val had been skiing in Mayrhofen back in the Dark Ages so she was keen to take the finicula up to the ski slopes and refresh her memory. Apparently, it's all very different now even though the scenery up top (about 6500 feet) is still as splendid as ever.This was our holiday swan song and next day, we had to survive the return journey. Sad to say, the luggage problem was still with us as was the the number of people on the move. However, at Cologne the next morning there was time to have a proper look at the cathedral. It's ENORMOUS. It's magnificent. It makes one feel antlike. To call it majestic is not sufficient - but I can't think of a better word.After this spiritual uplifting, we returned to Brussels and thence Eurostar to St Pancras and home.So, what did we make of the trip? I cannot say we enjoyed the luggage humping and scram-bling for our seats: nor can I say that the start of the holiday with slate grey skies and snow was uplifting: but I can definitely say that when the snow stopped and the sun came out, our spirits rose a thousandfold; and, fortunately, that is the lasting memory.Would we do the same sort of holiday again? Perhaps, but never at Christmas or New Year. Maybe at a less popular time if there were a direct journey to our destination, ie no mucking about in between.We'll see.

Oompah bandZillertalbahn

Cologne cathedral.

What ’s Best For You By Martin Lewis

Martin LEWIS Tackle your bills

Winter is coming. Don’t wait until you’re knee-deep in the white stuff to sort your bills. Here, prevention truly beats cure – tackling your bills now means you can take the financial bite out of winter chills…

Free loft insulation and even boilers (for some). While the loft insulation free-for-all's ended, some will still be entitled to some serious free energy-saving measures. Most of the big six energy firms offer free boilers, typically worth £2,000, and free insulation, usually worth about £300. Crucially, you don't need to be with the energy provider to get it, but you do generally need an income under £16,000, and to be on income-related benefits or pension credit. I can’t definitely say you’ll qualify, but it is worth checking. Alternatively, the well-meaning but stuttering Green Deal initiative is designed to let you pay for things like underfloor heating, double glazing and solid wall insulation, from the 'savings' you make on energy bills. Deciding whether it’s right for you is complex, so for full help read www.moneysavingexpert.com/greendeal

Save £100s and beat the hikes. Rather surprisingly, fixing energy, where you lock in a set rate, is now cheaper than a normal switch. Five of the big six energy providers have now announced hikes, and their best new prices are costlier than the cheapest fixed tariffs. So right now you can get the very cheapest deals available, and it comes with no-hike certainty. The only exception to this is a variable (ie, subject to hikes) tariff from minnow Spark Energy – though it hasn't hiked (yet?), needs paying upfront, and feedback ain't great, so I’m ignoring it.

The cheapest fix comes from E.on for a year, but slightly longer and only a touch more are deals from EDF or Npower. Crucially, these two have no exit penalties. So on the off-chance the Prime Minister delivers the price cuts he’s promised, and the even more unlikely event that they’ll be so substantial that other tariffs elsewhere are cheaper, you'll be free to leave.

However, always do the numbers for your own circumstances. To check if you can save (you may be on an older, cheaper deal), and who your winner is, you can use my Cheap Energy Club top fixes comparison at www.cheapenergyclub.com, or do a standard

comparison on any Ofgem-approved comparison site – just search for The Confidence Code at www.ofgem.gov.uk to see the full list. If you're not online, use a comparison with a phone service, such as Energyhelpline on 0800 074 0745, or uSwitch on 0800 051 5493.

Paying energy bills by monthly direct debit’s up to 6% cheaper. If you can, do, as it’ll usually mean discounted bills of up to 6% less, so contact your provider to check. Though always do regular meter readings for accuracy, as your bill is estimated. If it’s too high, you have a right to ask for it to be lowered.

Got electricity only? You can still save. With electricity only, you can still get a cheap fix to save - just follow the info above. For those on Economy 7, assessing is trickier. It’s only really a boon for those who use at least 40% of their energy at night. If not – don’t bother. Full help to decide at www.mse.me/eco7

Can you find your stopcock? No sniggering - winter frozen pipe bursts can create an average £7,000 of damage, often worsened as many scrabble round searching for their stopcock - the mains water off switch - for ages as their home floods.

Take the time to find it now – mine is under the kitchen sink. Others find theirs in the bathroom or inside a cupboard. If yours isn’t working, you may want to call a plumber now, before it’s a problem.

Choosing between heating and eating? If you're seriously behind, or in general financial hardship - as far too many are after the hikes - you may be eligible for special help. Call the Home Heat Helpline on 0800 33 66 99 to check. Plus if anyone in your home was born on or before 5 January 1952, you're due up to £300 in tax-free winter fuel payments. Payments should be made automatically, but if you’ve never had it before then you may need to register - see www.gov.uk.

Plus anyone on specific income support, jobseekers' allowances or pension credit gets £25 in cold weather payments for every 7 days it's sub-0 C.

@MoneySavingExpert

Brrrr... The mercury has started to tumble, summer’s warmth seems a distant memory and the central heating is starting to kick into gear. As it’ll only get colder, now’s the time to ensure you’re set up for winter to keep the cost down and the heat up.

Here’s my checklist…

Find out where your stopcock is. Everyone should know where their mains water off switch is. Frozen pipe bursts create an average £7,000 of damage, made worse if you can't find the off switch as your home floods. As Angie wrote on my Facebook page: "I know where mine is but only due to a burst pipe and collapsed floor a few years ago. Took us & the council 2 hours to find." So find it now before you’ve problems. Mine is be-hind a kitchen cupboard, but you’ll also typically find yours in bathrooms, shared corridors in flats, boiler cupboards and more. To help locate yours there’s a nice Thames Water video at www.mse.me/stopcock.

Switch energy now and you could get £100s back. This is a great time to switch energy supplier if you pay by direct debit, as it's likely you're in credit after the low use summer months. Therefore switch now, and provided you ask for it – so ask - you'll likely be given cash too (switch after winter and you may be in debt). Yet while the switch-over takes time, the work to compare and activate a switch doesn't. For fun, I put a stopwatch on four new members of my team trying to compare and switch - the quickest took 202 seconds, the longest 376 seconds. The average was 310 sec-onds with a £226 saving. When comparing you may’ve heard of the recent scandal about ‘hiding top deals’ on some comparison sites. This is true – though my own www.cheapenergyclub.co.uk always shows all tariffs. Yet it means if you are using a different www.ofgem.gov.uk approved comparison site, when you get to the “Do you only want to see tariffs you can switch to today” question – say ‘no’ – that way all will display. Switching isn't a big deal, it's the same pipes, gas, meter and safety scheme - the only difference is price and customer service. You can do it even if you're on

a prepayment meter / electricity only / Eco 7.

Paying energy by monthly direct debit is cheaper. It discounts your bill by up to 6%. Firms then estimate your annual usage and divide it by 12 so you're likely to build up credit after summer and be a little in debt after winter. Always do regular meter readings for accuracy, as your bill is estimated. And if they try to push your direct debit up unfairly (eg, you're heavily in credit) you've a right for it to be fair, just call and ask for it to be lowered.

Full service car breakdown cover £40. Breakdown is more likely at winter, and the consequences more severe. Yet policies can be very cheap. For breakdown, home start and onward trav-el www.autoaidbreakdown.co.uk is £40 a year, though it’s a ‘pay and claim’ policy so here it sends a local pick-up truck that you have to pay, then you can reclaim the cash later. Feedback and call out times are good, though you need to remember to claim. If you’ve got cover and are at renewal, then HAG-GLE - 90% of AA customers and 78% with the RAC lowered their rates by bartering. For more deals see www.mse.me/breakdown.

Cut boiler costs by £100s - you don't need your energy firm's cover. Many energy firms use our fear of losing heating to charge hefty insurance costs. They also want us to think there's some link between our energy provider and our boiler cover. There isn't - you're not locked in. In short…

a) Renters usually don't need it, as their landlord's likely responsible. Check.

b) Ensure you know what cover you need, choose between boiler-only, or central heating cover.

c) To find the cheapest compare via www.uswitch.comif you have more time add www.energyhelpline.com and www.moneysupermarket.com for a wider com-parison. More help on www.mse.me/boilercover.

Winter money saving

16

What ’s Best For You

Are you entitled to any extra winter help. Winter is a tough time for many as the cold sets in. Therefore there are some funds which may help... a) Winter fuel payments. If anyone in your house was born on or before 6 Jul 1952 and gets a state pension, pension credit or jobseekers allowance you automatically get the up to £300 winter fuel payment (provid-ing you met this qualifying criteria by 21 Sept 2014). Some on other benefits may be eligible too, but will need to claim if new to it. b) Cold weather payments. Anyone on spe-cific income support/jobseeker’s allowance/pension credit gets £25 for every 7 days it’s sub-zero. It’s paid automatically from 1 Nov this year. c) Choosing between heating and eating? If you’re seriously behind, or in general finan-cial hardship, you may be eligible for special tariffs/help. Try the Home Heat Helpline on 0800 33 66 99.


What ’s Best For You

Are you entitled to any extra winter help. Winter is a tough time for many as the cold sets in. Therefore there are some funds which may help... a) Winter fuel payments. If anyone in your house was born on or before 6 Jul 1952 and gets a state pension, pension credit or jobseekers allowance you automatically get the up to £300 winter fuel payment (provid-ing you met this qualifying criteria by 21 Sept 2014). Some on other benefits may be eligible too, but will need to claim if new to it. b) Cold weather payments. Anyone on spe-cific income support/jobseeker’s allowance/pension credit gets £25 for every 7 days it’s sub-zero. It’s paid automatically from 1 Nov this year. c) Choosing between heating and eating? If you’re seriously behind, or in general finan-cial hardship, you may be eligible for special tariffs/help. Try the Home Heat Helpline on 0800 33 66 99.

What ’s Best For You By Martin Lewis

Martin LEWIS Tackle your bills

Winter is coming. Don’t wait until you’re knee-deep in the white stuff to sort your bills. Here, prevention truly beats cure – tackling your bills now means you can take the financial bite out of winter chills…

Free loft insulation and even boilers (for some). While the loft insulation free-for-all's ended, some will still be entitled to some serious free energy-saving measures. Most of the big six energy firms offer free boilers, typically worth £2,000, and free insulation, usually worth about £300. Crucially, you don't need to be with the energy provider to get it, but you do generally need an income under £16,000, and to be on income-related benefits or pension credit. I can’t definitely say you’ll qualify, but it is worth checking. Alternatively, the well-meaning but stuttering Green Deal initiative is designed to let you pay for things like underfloor heating, double glazing and solid wall insulation, from the 'savings' you make on energy bills. Deciding whether it’s right for you is complex, so for full help read www.moneysavingexpert.com/greendeal

Save £100s and beat the hikes. Rather surprisingly, fixing energy, where you lock in a set rate, is now cheaper than a normal switch. Five of the big six energy providers have now announced hikes, and their best new prices are costlier than the cheapest fixed tariffs. So right now you can get the very cheapest deals available, and it comes with no-hike certainty. The only exception to this is a variable (ie, subject to hikes) tariff from minnow Spark Energy – though it hasn't hiked (yet?), needs paying upfront, and feedback ain't great, so I’m ignoring it.

The cheapest fix comes from E.on for a year, but slightly longer and only a touch more are deals from EDF or Npower. Crucially, these two have no exit penalties. So on the off-chance the Prime Minister delivers the price cuts he’s promised, and the even more unlikely event that they’ll be so substantial that other tariffs elsewhere are cheaper, you'll be free to leave.

However, always do the numbers for your own circumstances. To check if you can save (you may be on an older, cheaper deal), and who your winner is, you can use my Cheap Energy Club top fixes comparison at www.cheapenergyclub.com, or do a standard

comparison on any Ofgem-approved comparison site – just search for The Confidence Code at www.ofgem.gov.uk to see the full list. If you're not online, use a comparison with a phone service, such as Energyhelpline on 0800 074 0745, or uSwitch on 0800 051 5493.

Paying energy bills by monthly direct debit’s up to 6% cheaper. If you can, do, as it’ll usually mean discounted bills of up to 6% less, so contact your provider to check. Though always do regular meter readings for accuracy, as your bill is estimated. If it’s too high, you have a right to ask for it to be lowered.

Got electricity only? You can still save. With electricity only, you can still get a cheap fix to save - just follow the info above. For those on Economy 7, assessing is trickier. It’s only really a boon for those who use at least 40% of their energy at night. If not – don’t bother. Full help to decide at www.mse.me/eco7

Can you find your stopcock? No sniggering - winter frozen pipe bursts can create an average £7,000 of damage, often worsened as many scrabble round searching for their stopcock - the mains water off switch - for ages as their home floods.

Take the time to find it now – mine is under the kitchen sink. Others find theirs in the bathroom or inside a cupboard. If yours isn’t working, you may want to call a plumber now, before it’s a problem.

Choosing between heating and eating? If you're seriously behind, or in general financial hardship - as far too many are after the hikes - you may be eligible for special help. Call the Home Heat Helpline on 0800 33 66 99 to check. Plus if anyone in your home was born on or before 5 January 1952, you're due up to £300 in tax-free winter fuel payments. Payments should be made automatically, but if you’ve never had it before then you may need to register - see www.gov.uk.

Plus anyone on specific income support, jobseekers' allowances or pension credit gets £25 in cold weather payments for every 7 days it's sub-0 C.

@MoneySavingExpert

Brrrr... The mercury has started to tumble, summer’s warmth seems a distant memory and the central heating is starting to kick into gear. As it’ll only get colder, now’s the time to ensure you’re set up for winter to keep the cost down and the heat up.

Here’s my checklist…

Find out where your stopcock is. Everyone should know where their mains water off switch is. Frozen pipe bursts create an average £7,000 of damage, made worse if you can't find the off switch as your home floods. As Angie wrote on my Facebook page: "I know where mine is but only due to a burst pipe and collapsed floor a few years ago. Took us & the council 2 hours to find." So find it now before you’ve problems. Mine is be-hind a kitchen cupboard, but you’ll also typically find yours in bathrooms, shared corridors in flats, boiler cupboards and more. To help locate yours there’s a nice Thames Water video at www.mse.me/stopcock.

Switch energy now and you could get £100s back. This is a great time to switch energy supplier if you pay by direct debit, as it's likely you're in credit after the low use summer months. Therefore switch now, and provided you ask for it – so ask - you'll likely be given cash too (switch after winter and you may be in debt). Yet while the switch-over takes time, the work to compare and activate a switch doesn't. For fun, I put a stopwatch on four new members of my team trying to compare and switch - the quickest took 202 seconds, the longest 376 seconds. The average was 310 sec-onds with a £226 saving. When comparing you may’ve heard of the recent scandal about ‘hiding top deals’ on some comparison sites. This is true – though my own www.cheapenergyclub.co.uk always shows all tariffs. Yet it means if you are using a different www.ofgem.gov.uk approved comparison site, when you get to the “Do you only want to see tariffs you can switch to today” question – say ‘no’ – that way all will display. Switching isn't a big deal, it's the same pipes, gas, meter and safety scheme - the only difference is price and customer service. You can do it even if you're on

a prepayment meter / electricity only / Eco 7.

Paying energy by monthly direct debit is cheaper. It discounts your bill by up to 6%. Firms then estimate your annual usage and divide it by 12 so you're likely to build up credit after summer and be a little in debt after winter. Always do regular meter readings for accuracy, as your bill is estimated. And if they try to push your direct debit up unfairly (eg, you're heavily in credit) you've a right for it to be fair, just call and ask for it to be lowered.

Full service car breakdown cover £40. Breakdown is more likely at winter, and the consequences more severe. Yet policies can be very cheap. For breakdown, home start and onward trav-el www.autoaidbreakdown.co.uk is £40 a year, though it’s a ‘pay and claim’ policy so here it sends a local pick-up truck that you have to pay, then you can reclaim the cash later. Feedback and call out times are good, though you need to remember to claim. If you’ve got cover and are at renewal, then HAG-GLE - 90% of AA customers and 78% with the RAC lowered their rates by bartering. For more deals see www.mse.me/breakdown.

Cut boiler costs by £100s - you don't need your energy firm's cover. Many energy firms use our fear of losing heating to charge hefty insurance costs. They also want us to think there's some link between our energy provider and our boiler cover. There isn't - you're not locked in. In short…

a) Renters usually don't need it, as their landlord's likely responsible. Check.

b) Ensure you know what cover you need, choose between boiler-only, or central heating cover.

c) To find the cheapest compare via www.uswitch.comif you have more time add www.energyhelpline.com and www.moneysupermarket.com for a wider com-parison. More help on www.mse.me/boilercover.

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18

By Jonathan Vernon-Smith

You can listen to The JVS Show every weekday morning from 9am on BBC Three Counties Radio

Consumer Clinic

To me, compensation in its real sense is when people look for a financial payment even though they have not suffered financially. For example: you buy a sandwich from the supermarket, get home and find a plaster in it. Most of us would simply take the sandwich back and expect not only a heartfelt apology for the mistake, but also a replacement sandwich. There are however, an increasing number of people who would also want the supermarket to PAY them an amount of money for ‘emotional stress’. What a load of old greedy codswallop! Why am I so against compensa-tion? Well, it’s really very easy, it ends up costing everyone else money. Every time someone receives a compensation pay-out, somebody else has to pay for it - normally other customers. It’s not free money! If a company has to pay £2 million pounds a year in compensation claims, then it will charge its other customers £2 mil-lion pounds to recoup the costs. Sadly, loads of people are after it now. I get lots of calls every week from people saying ‘can JVS help me get compensation out of such and such’? Thankfully my team know my feelings and these call-ers rarely get on air.

You only have to observe the increase in the ‘no win no fee’ solicitors and those ghastly adverts that start with ‘Have YOU had an accident?’, to see what a thriving business claiming compensation is. Sadly, I think it will only get worse and before you know it, everyone will be suing everyone else for each simple mistake made in life. Incidentally, many of the ‘no win no fee’ solicitors charge an absolute fortune for the service they have provided you with in the event of a successful claim. You should always read the small print and understand exactly what you’re getting involved in before you sign a contract with them. A successful pay-out of £1000 doesn’t seem so good when the solicitor takes £800 and you find you’re liable for other charges. So what SHOULD you claim for? Out of pocket expenses are, in my opinion, totally justifiable. But what’s the difference between out of pocket expenses and compen-sation? It’s very simple - when a company makes a mistake which has a detrimental effect on you financially, I think it’s reasonable for them to pay for this. For ex-ample if you have to pay £20 for phone calls to a company to deal with a problem they have caused you, it is in my opinion totally reasonable to ask the company to

reimburse you the cost. If I was having a new boiler in-stalled and the plumber dropped a spanner on my tiled kitchen floor, then I would expect him to pay for the cost of replacing the tiles. To me this is obvious and utterly understandable. Most importantly a judge would probably feel the same if it went as far as court. Why is it important that we understand the difference between compensation and out of pocket expenses though? I’ll tell you why, because using the word ‘compensation’ very often an-tagonises companies. They have a keen radar waiting to sniff out greedy little consumers desper-ate to make a quick buck and are often quick to dismiss such claims even though there may be a justifi-able complaint. My advice is to always ensure that you are only claiming for reimbursement of costs rather than looking to make a profit out of a problem and ALWAYS use the phrase ‘out of pocket expenses’ rather than the dreaded C word!

Claiming Compensation & Out Of Pocket ExpensesI HATE compensation!

There, I said it! I hate it! In fact, I have made it my mission during the last 13 years that I’ve been presenting a consumer show on the radio, to put people off making such claims. If this shocks you then please read this article through to the end and you may understand my thinking.


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www.thevinemagazine.com20

By Mike Newman

Aged Concerns... A Pensioner’s View

Mike Newman is a member of The Dunstable And District Senior Citizens Club. If you have a view on any of the issues raised why not attend one of their monthly meetings,

held on the last Thursday of the month at St Marys Catholic Social Club, West St., Dunstable.

The Guided BuswayValue For Money ?

We have just reached the an-niversary of the Rapid Transit

Service and the question was asked in a ballot carried out by Luton & Dunstable local newspapers. The resounding result of those that voted was an over whelming No. I am of the same opinion, the number of passengers carried is, over this first year, an estimated 1.3 million, or 9,000 per day. However second and third quarters were down 59% on this estimated total figure, first quarters figures were only 41% of the estimated figure.But if you look at the actual wording used for the appli-cation for funding from the government of the time, some £800 million, Rapid Transport system does, in my opinion meet such a criteria. There can be no doubt that you do get rapid transport between the terminals at Luton to Dun-stable and vice versa. One could truthfully state that you can make the trip faster in the bus, at peak periods, than you

can by car. There is only one problem, after the busway run you then perambulate via numerous bus stops and dawdling traffic before you reach your true destination, if it is not the White Lion Trad-ing Park. So in one instance the criteria is met, in the other it is far from rapid transit, al-though the busway sprint may well shorten the time taken for the jouorney, but a premium price to the paying public is charged. Pensioners travelon their bus pass, so have no problems with premium fares.I think most would agree that anyone making the busway itself as a mode for fast travel would not be disappointed, but this would not be a profit making run for the bus operating companies, they had to extend the bus routes to neighboring estates in Dunstable and near by urban areas. The passengers have to make their own mind up as to whether it is worthwhile to pay an extra fare price for this service. All bus routes I have observed would seem to say

that the majority of passengers choose the normal bus routes, during the middle of the day the numbers carried on the busway seem to be very small, if any.One of the biggest problems is that many residents on either side of A505 cannot use the service because there are few stops on the busway itself. The people in Jeansway have the buses running along the bottom of their gardens, but cannot use the service unless they catch the bus on the ordinary service and then transfer to the busway route. Is that really worth while? If you take Central Beds as a whole, what percentage of council tax payers use this service? Is it value for money as far as they are concerned? The criteria of the amount owed by local government to pay for this particular form of transport is not value for money.Could it be made to be a profitable service? It might be possible but I have ran out of space to deal with this matter.

www.thevinemagazine.com 2120

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By Mike Newman

Aged Concerns... A Pensioner’s View

Mike Newman is a member of The Dunstable And District Senior Citizens Club. If you have a view on any of the issues raised why not attend one of their monthly meetings,

held on the last Thursday of the month at St Marys Catholic Social Club, West St., Dunstable.

The Guided BuswayValue For Money ?

We have just reached the an-niversary of the Rapid Transit

Service and the question was asked in a ballot carried out by Luton & Dunstable local newspapers. The resounding result of those that voted was an over whelming No. I am of the same opinion, the number of passengers carried is, over this first year, an estimated 1.3 million, or 9,000 per day. However second and third quarters were down 59% on this estimated total figure, first quarters figures were only 41% of the estimated figure.But if you look at the actual wording used for the appli-cation for funding from the government of the time, some £800 million, Rapid Transport system does, in my opinion meet such a criteria. There can be no doubt that you do get rapid transport between the terminals at Luton to Dun-stable and vice versa. One could truthfully state that you can make the trip faster in the bus, at peak periods, than you

can by car. There is only one problem, after the busway run you then perambulate via numerous bus stops and dawdling traffic before you reach your true destination, if it is not the White Lion Trad-ing Park. So in one instance the criteria is met, in the other it is far from rapid transit, al-though the busway sprint may well shorten the time taken for the jouorney, but a premium price to the paying public is charged. Pensioners travelon their bus pass, so have no problems with premium fares.I think most would agree that anyone making the busway itself as a mode for fast travel would not be disappointed, but this would not be a profit making run for the bus operating companies, they had to extend the bus routes to neighboring estates in Dunstable and near by urban areas. The passengers have to make their own mind up as to whether it is worthwhile to pay an extra fare price for this service. All bus routes I have observed would seem to say

that the majority of passengers choose the normal bus routes, during the middle of the day the numbers carried on the busway seem to be very small, if any.One of the biggest problems is that many residents on either side of A505 cannot use the service because there are few stops on the busway itself. The people in Jeansway have the buses running along the bottom of their gardens, but cannot use the service unless they catch the bus on the ordinary service and then transfer to the busway route. Is that really worth while? If you take Central Beds as a whole, what percentage of council tax payers use this service? Is it value for money as far as they are concerned? The criteria of the amount owed by local government to pay for this particular form of transport is not value for money.Could it be made to be a profitable service? It might be possible but I have ran out of space to deal with this matter.

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December 2014 & January 2015

See The Christmas Star In The East: Look out towards the eastern horizon mid-evening this Christmas and you’ll see what looks like a bright star in the sky. At first glance it is indeed a star with royal beauty bright. Yet this is no star at all, but the largest planet in our solar system – the planet Jupiter. 10x50 binoculars are all you’ll need to resolve this bright beacon into a planetary disc. In a telescope we get a high-impact view with Jupiter’s alternating dark bands and light zones stealing the show.

Enjoy December’s Shooting Stars: Bedfordshire sky watchers with a clear view towards their east are in for a real treat on Sunday December 14th. Between 8pm to midnight the Geminids meteor shower is forecast to hit its peak in activity. Expect to see upwards of 100 shooting stars per hour lighting up

the sky, all radiating from the constella-tion of Gemini.

Discover The Orion Nebula (Pic left): Throughout early winter Orion hangs in the sky towards the south-east. It is easy to find with its three bright stars making up Orion’s Belt. Below the belt on the left-hand side is a fainter line of stars dropping down towards the horizon. This is Orion’s Sword. Embedded within the sword is the Orion Nebula – a spec-tacular stellar nursery where new stars are being born. The nebula can be seen in binoculars on a moonless night from

the Chilterns, and is breathtaking in a telescope.

Image by Dave EagleBy Seb Jay

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Keeping It RealI l ive in a house that is divided. My husband

loves real Christmas trees but in recent years I’ve talked him around to the artificial op-

tion, believing – incorrectly as it turns out – that a reusable tree is better for the planet than one that is chopped down and discarded after a few weeks.Most artificial trees are made from PVC – one of the most non-renewable, polluting, unrecyclable materials around - and consequently their carbon footprint is ten times greater than that of real ones. Shocked into realising that my fake tree is not the morally correct choice I thought, I’m now keen to join the six million Brits who opt for a real tree at Christmas.Christmas trees spring up all over the place from late November and the quality varies greatly. Be-fore you make your choice, do a bit of fact finding about its freshness. Ask where it was grown (UK produced trees are likely to be fresher), how long it has been in stock and when it was cut. You can carry out a couple of tests yourself. Give the tree a firm tap on the ground or run a closed hand over its branches. If lots of needles fall off, chances are it’s not that fresh. You can also try bending the outer branches. They should be pli-able - not brittle and dry – without discoloration.Before leaving to make your purchase, measure

the height and width of your space and take a tape measure with you to check your tree. Most are trimmed to an 80% taper, which means that a 10 foot tall tree will measure 8 feet at the bottom.You should also consider how you plan on deco-rating your tree. The three main species – spruce, fir and pine – all have their own characteristics. Spruces and firs have short needles whilst a pine’s are long. Pine branches tend to bend, making them unsuitable for heavier ornaments. Firs have lush branches and ornaments sometimes get lost in them.The traditional British Christmas tree, the Norway spruce, is attractive but tends to drop its needles. An alternative is a “non-drop” variety like the popular Nordmann fir, which will last longer but is more expensive.To care for your tree, cut off half an inch from the base of the trunk and place in a water-holding stand. Position the tree away from sources of heat and keep it topped up with fresh water. At present, 90% of real trees end up in landfill, so after Christmas is over try and recycle! By turning your tree into wood chippings or compost you will continue to do your bit for the environment.Hopefully with this guide choosing the family tree will be a holiday highlight, not a headache!

26

At Home&In The Garden

To make a small room seem biggerIf you want to make a small space look larger the obvious recommendation is to paint it in a light, bright, colour. This reason this works is because your eye isn’t drawn to anything in particular and the colour is light reflective. This helps to make the space feel more spacious and airy, and distributes the natural light well. Painting all surfaces the same colour also has the effect of space. Try using a darker colour on the floor and keeping the walls light.

To make a floor space appear largerA way to make your floor space appear larger is to paint your skirting in a dark colour to match a flooring. This gives the illusion of the floor travelling up the walls so tricks your eye into thinking it’s a bigger space than it really is. A way to do this with walls to make them appear taller is to continue the wall colour up onto the coving.

Help a long narrow room look widerYou can make a long narrow room ap-pear wider by painting the end wall in an advancing colour. Examples of advancing colours are reds, oranges, yellows, ma-roons and pinks. They help to bring your eye to the colour, which gives a widening effect to the rest of the room.

These are just some basic tricks to using colour to your advantage when decorat-ing. Give them a try and see the difference a little colour can make!

by Sarah Akwisombe. www.sarahakwisombe.com

Paint Your Perfect RoomColour creates subtle feelings and moods that you may not even notice. Walking into a space that’s painted all Red can make you feel warm and passionate. Orange; fresh and perhaps hungry! Blue; calm and tranquil. But aside from just changing your mood, you can also use colour to draw attention to, or away from certain areas of a room or accentuate a feature. It’s a trick interior designers have been using for years and with a little understanding of how colour works, you can too!

27www.thevinemagazine.com26

At Home&In The Garden

To make a small room seem biggerIf you want to make a small space look larger the obvious recommendation is to paint it in a light, bright, colour. This reason this works is because your eye isn’t drawn to anything in particular and the colour is light reflective. This helps to make the space feel more spacious and airy, and distributes the natural light well. Painting all surfaces the same colour also has the effect of space. Try using a darker colour on the floor and keeping the walls light.

To make a floor space appear largerA way to make your floor space appear larger is to paint your skirting in a dark colour to match a flooring. This gives the illusion of the floor travelling up the walls so tricks your eye into thinking it’s a bigger space than it really is. A way to do this with walls to make them appear taller is to continue the wall colour up onto the coving.

Help a long narrow room look widerYou can make a long narrow room ap-pear wider by painting the end wall in an advancing colour. Examples of advancing colours are reds, oranges, yellows, ma-roons and pinks. They help to bring your eye to the colour, which gives a widening effect to the rest of the room.

These are just some basic tricks to using colour to your advantage when decorat-ing. Give them a try and see the difference a little colour can make!

by Sarah Akwisombe. www.sarahakwisombe.com

Paint Your Perfect RoomColour creates subtle feelings and moods that you may not even notice. Walking into a space that’s painted all Red can make you feel warm and passionate. Orange; fresh and perhaps hungry! Blue; calm and tranquil. But aside from just changing your mood, you can also use colour to draw attention to, or away from certain areas of a room or accentuate a feature. It’s a trick interior designers have been using for years and with a little understanding of how colour works, you can too!

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32

In The Garden

Winter colour in the garden

By Catherine MillerCLM Gardenswww.clm-gardens.co.uk

Pick the window that overlooks your garden best and heat up the soup. (Hopefully, you thought things through when planting

earlier in the year and positioned plants with winter interest within your window’s view.) If you got it right, you will now be admiring the bare bones and structural beauty of your plot. Perhaps the drama of red-stemmed dogwood and yellow-stemmed willow, both classic shrubs for winter colour, and – if your garden is big enough – specimen trees with fabulous bark, such as a shiny cherry (Prunus serrula) or a fabulous peeling Acer griseum.

Stick a dark green, well clipped, evergreen hedge behind any of the above and you have highlighted everything beautifully.

Berries are a must, from trees such as rowan, through to shrubs like holly and Cotoneaster, Skimmia and Gaultheria. For a more unusual twist, try the rather surreal-purple berries of Cal-licarpa. They are always a talking point.

Flowers, meanwhile are thin on the ground at this time of year, if you will excuse the pun. Snowdrops, pansies, crocus and hellbores can nevertheless be welcome splashes of colour through the window pane.

All of this is horticultural stuff, but personalis-ing your garden palette doesn’t have to involve green fingers – pimp up your pergola with a whacky stain, place silver or coloured balls or statuary where herbaceous plants have gone to sleep underground (move them before spring!), or go all designer and install some painted

posts in strategic positions – I like dark blue as a counterpoint to evergreens, but red is a cheerful winter alternative with Japanese overtones.

Don’t overlook mirrors, to double the impact of what colour you have, and lights to inject bright-ness into dark corners, or highlight shrub and tree structure. Whilst of the subject of highlight-ing, one of my favourite colour combinations occurs around sunrise and sunset, when you can sometimes see the dark, bare branches of a tree silhouetted dramatically against a darkening but still pale blue sky, or one streaked with early rosy pink.

You see, there is plenty of colour to be found, it is just as I said at the beginning, you just have to look harder or differently for it.

For me, winter is all about window gardening. That is, enjoying the garden from the window with a cup of soup in your hands There might not be much natural colour in the garden this time of year, but that is not to say there isn’t any, you just have to look harder, or differently.

A bit of colourful stain cheers up this log store


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Breakfast with Santa

HQSportsBar @HQSportsBar1

01582 675 464 [email protected]

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CHRISTMASWHAT’S ON IN DECEMBER AND OVER

Christmas Eve New Year’s Eve

Festive music, mulled wine, free nibbles and fantastic drink promos to really get

you in the christmas mood!

OPEN ALL DAY!NO ENTRANCE FEE!

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AFTER ALL THE EXCITEMENT, WE’LL BE CLOSED ON CHRISTMAS DAY!

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special sparkle to yourchild’s Christmas!

Saturday 13th Decemberand Saturday 20th December

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breakfast of waffles or pancakes (or off the regular breakfast menu if you would prefer), a

fruit shoot or fruit juice, fun and festive activities and of course a present from Father Christmas

himself and time to take photographs.

Breakfast will be served at 10.30am on these mornings.Pop in to book a table or call 01582 675 464

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Tel: 01582 618679Mob: 07801 315140

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Breakfast with Santa

HQSportsBar @HQSportsBar1

01582 675 464 [email protected]

FACEBOOK TWITTER

CHRISTMASWHAT’S ON IN DECEMBER AND OVER

Christmas Eve New Year’s Eve

Festive music, mulled wine, free nibbles and fantastic drink promos to really get

you in the christmas mood!

OPEN ALL DAY!NO ENTRANCE FEE!

DJ and disco all night, fantastic drink promos and

FREE shots at Midnight!What else could you ask for!

...AND KEEP COMING IN TO SEE ALL YOUR SPORTS ON 46 SCREENS!

AFTER ALL THE EXCITEMENT, WE’LL BE CLOSED ON CHRISTMAS DAY!

ONLY £8PER CHILD

Join Santa atHQ Sports Bar this December to add a

special sparkle to yourchild’s Christmas!

Saturday 13th Decemberand Saturday 20th December

Enjoy a yummy festive breakfast along with fun-filled activities and presents (if you’ve been good all year round). This includes a feastive

breakfast of waffles or pancakes (or off the regular breakfast menu if you would prefer), a

fruit shoot or fruit juice, fun and festive activities and of course a present from Father Christmas

himself and time to take photographs.

Breakfast will be served at 10.30am on these mornings.Pop in to book a table or call 01582 675 464

irror, Mirror in my hand, who is the fairest in the land?

This festive season, Totternhoe Players celebrates their 25th birthday by bringing you the story of Snow White! In true panto style, there will be glittering costumes and side splitting comedy! As the Evil Queen prepares the castle and her plans to marry the Prince, she is fearful of Snow White’s beauty and keeps her cleaning the floors in her ragged old clothes. However, when Prince Charming and Snow White realise that love is an open door, with a little help from Algernon, Dame Daisy and of course

the D.W.A.R.F.S. they set to change her wicked plans. Are they are a match for the Evil Queen’s dark magic and Naughty Gnomelet? Will good conquer evil? Who is the fairest in the land? There’s only one way to find out!! The story is unveiled at Totternhoe Lower school on Friday 6th February 2015 at 7.30 pm and on Saturday 7th February at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm. If you think you can help the D.W.A.R.F.S. save Snow White then the tickets are only £7 for adults, £5 for children and concessions or £20 for a family group of 4! Heigh-ho Heigh-ho, it’s off to Totternhoe you go!

For tickets please call the box office on 01582 603 287

Totternhoe Players

Presents

M

36

37

1

www.thebedfordshireoracle.com

Sample Directory Page

"Jazzercise keeps me in shape and gives me my MUM energy. I crave Jazzercise because it makes me feel rejuvenated and stress free."

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FREE CLASS WITH THIS ADVERT(new students only)Ring Nicky on 01525 405178www.jazzercise-uk.com

Monday 7.30pm Redborne School South, Ampthill & Shefford Lower School Tuesday 6pm Maulden Village Hall (lite class)Wednesday 7.30pm Flitwick Lower School & Robert Bloomfi eld School, SheffordThursday 7.30pm Redborne School South, AmpthillSaturday 9.30am Greenfi eld Village Hall

Directory Page Master.indd 1 13/09/2012 12:56

For more information ring Nicky on 01525 405178 www.jazzercise-uk.com

Mon 7.30pm Redborne School South, Ampthill and Shefford Lower SchoolTues 6pm Maulden Village Hall (Low Impact)Wed 7.30pm Flitwick Lower School and Shefford Lower SchoolThur 7.30pm Redborne School South, AmpthillSat 9.30am Greenfi eld Village Hall

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Mon 7.30pm Redborne School South, Ampthill and Shefford Lower SchoolTues 6pm Maulden Village Hall (Low Impact)Wed 7.30pm Flitwick Lower School and Robert Bloomfi eld School, SheffordThur 7.30pm Redborne School South, AmpthillSat 9.30am Greenfi eld Village Hall

12 10 Jazzercise half.indd 1 16/09/2012 13:10

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Mon 7.30pm Redborne School South, Ampthill and Shefford Lower SchoolTues 6pm Maulden Village Hall (Low Impact)Wed 7.30pm Flitwick Lower School and Shefford Lower SchoolThur 7.30pm Redborne School South, AmpthillSat 9.30am Greenfi eld Village Hall

1



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Mon 7.30pm Redborne School South, Ampthill and Shefford Lower SchoolTues 6pm Maulden Village Hall (Low Impact)Wed 7.30pm Flitwick Lower School and Robert Bloomfi eld School, SheffordThur 7.30pm Redborne School South, AmpthillSat 9.30am Greenfi eld Village Hall

12 10 Jazzercise half.indd 1 16/09/2012 13:10

FREE CLASS WITH THIS ADVERT(new students only)For more information ring Nicky on01525 405178www.jazzercise-uk.com


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THE WHITE LIONChalk Hill, Dunstable, LU6 1RSwww.whiteliondunstable.co.uk

01582 663366

We absolutely love our New Years Eve parties, you can’t beat the atmosphere.

We would love you to join us this year to celebrate and welcome 2015!!

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Full ticket price must be paid for in advance

Teenagers may attend but must be accompanied

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Canape Reception

Delicious hot fork buffet will be served from 8.30pm – 9.00pm

Selection of savoury bites and nibbles will provided for each table

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DJ Entertainment

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NEW YEARS EVE BURNS NIGHT

SUNDAY 25TH JANUARY, 3.00PM

Delicious Four Course Meal

Scottish Smoked Salmon,

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Kilts & Bagpipes Welcome!

38

ACL LOCKSMITHS LTDSafe Engineers

Wentworth House, 83 High Street North, Dunstable, Beds LU6 1JJ

Tel: 01582 606329 Mobile: 07860 770270www.acllocksmiths.co.uk

Over 25 Years ExperienceNo Callout Charge

OAP and Student DiscountLocal, family run business

All types of locks and safes opened, repaired and replaced

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auto Biographies

By Tim Barnes-Claywww.carwriteups.co.uk

Volvo S60

Volvo has never had the same appeal as its German executive cousins. It has never looked as aggressive as Audi, nor as brutal as BMW or as mean as Mercedes-Benz. But that is a good thing.

You see, the Swedish marque does things its own way and that’s at the very heart of why motorists opt for Volvo – even though they could, for the same money, afford something a little sexier.

Take the S60; it’s very much a thinking man’s car. And that’s not to say that German motors don’t attract intelligent people. It offers some of the most restful, supportive and sumptuous seats on the automotive market. Chairs you can imagine a college profes-sor sinking into before lighting his pipe and mulling over the day’s events. It’s the kind of car he’ll then cruise back home in while listening to Classic FM. Do you see where I’m going here?The S60 is by no means boring though; it can still satisfy your pleasure sensors. Let’s face it, Scandinavian design is generally pleasing. This is evident in the redesigned interior and exterior of the latest S60. Step inside, and materials, such as wood and leather and the easy-to-use controls, contribute to

an ‘in-command’ driving experi-ence. The overall effect is warm and cosy, like being in a Swedish house on a cold night. The car’s colour themes correspond beauti-fully with the backlit white con-trols in the dash and elsewhere in the vehicle. On the outside, the S60's road presence has been increased by a new front design. The more focused and determined-looking headlamps help create an expres-sive face. The car’s horizontal lines at both the front and rear have been emphasised. Together with details such as a wider grille, daylight running lights and LED tail lamps, they give the S60 a handsome, road-hugging pres-ence. The Volvo saloon has a beauty that appears rooted in the natural world. The clean surfaces and contours give it a very classy feel.Enhancements for the S60 include ‘Sensus’. This is the name Volvo uses for all its HMI (Human Ma-chine Interface) functionality and the all-new Sensus Connected Touch accessory is the latest addition. It enables connectivity and Internet in the car and turns the seven-inch display into a state-of-the-art infrared, beam-scanned touch screen that can be used even when wearing gloves - a world first in cars and handy in winter.Connection is made either via a car-mounted 3G/4G dongle or your mobile phone. It allows you access to full Internet browsing (except when driving), Internet

streaming of music, on-line Google Map and Search, weather information, an App Store for new functions and updates as well as a Volvo service locator. It is also possible to share a WiFi network with everyone in the car.Volvo is certainly pushing at the technological boundaries now – and that’s including one very important area of motoring: fuel efficiency. The fuel consumption of the S60 D2 diesel, on test here with a manual gearbox, has been improved to a class-leading 72.4 mpg, translating into CO2 emis-sions of only 103 g/km.With environmental credentials like these, any self-respecting, Volvo driving, college professor will have to put his pipe out now.

Max speed: 121 mph 0-62 mph: 10.9 secs Combined mpg: 72.4Engine: 1560cc 4 cylinder 8 valve turbo diesel Max. power (bhp): 113 at 3600 rpm Max. torque (lb/ft): 199 at 1750 rpm CO2: 103 g/km Price: £26,545 on the road

FAST FACTS

PROS & CONS Comfort √Emissions √Economy √Cabin √Image X

auto BIOGRAPHIES Volvo S60

By Tim Barnes-Clay, Motoring Writer www.carwriteups.co.uk @carwriteups

Volvo has never had the same appeal as its German executive cousins. It has never looked as aggressive as Audi, nor as brutal as BMW or as mean as Mercedes-Benz. But that is a good thing. You see, the Swedish marque does things its own way and that’s at the very heart of why motorists opt for Volvo – even though they could, for the same money, afford something a little sexier. Take the S60; it’s very much a thinking man’s car. And that’s not to say that German motors don’t attract intelligent people. It offers some of the most restful, supportive and sumptuous seats on the automotive market. Chairs you can imagine a college professor sinking into before lighting his pipe and mulling over the day’s events. It’s the kind of car he’ll then cruise back home in while listening to Classic FM. Do you see where I’m going here? The S60 is by no means boring though; it can still satisfy your pleasure sensors. Let’s face it, Scandinavian design is generally pleasing. This is evident in the redesigned interior and exterior of the latest S60. Step inside, and materials, such as wood and leather and the easy-to-use controls, contribute to an ‘in-command’ driving experience. The overall effect is warm and cosy, like being in a Swedish house on a cold night. The car’s colour themes correspond beautifully with the backlit white controls in the dash and elsewhere in the vehicle. On the outside, the S60's road presence has been increased by a new front design. The more focused and determined-looking headlamps help create an expressive face. The car’s horizontal lines at both the front and rear have been emphasised. Together with details such as a wider grille, daylight running lights and LED tail lamps, they give the S60

a handsome, road-hugging presence. The Volvo saloon has a beauty that appears rooted in the natural world. The clean surfaces and contours give it a very classy feel. Enhancements for the S60 include ‘Sensus’. This is the name Volvo uses for all its HMI (Human Machine Interface) functionality and the all-new Sensus Connected Touch accessory is the latest addition. It enables connectivity and Internet in the car and turns the seven-inch display into a state-of-the-art infrared, beam-scanned touch screen that can be used even when wearing gloves - a world first in cars and handy in winter. Connection is made either via a car-mounted 3G/4G dongle or your mobile phone. It allows you access to full Internet browsing (except when driving), Internet streaming of music, on-line Google Map and Search, weather information, an App Store for new functions and updates as well as a Volvo service locator. It is also possible to share a WiFi network with everyone in the car. Volvo is certainly pushing at the technological boundaries now – and that’s including one very important area of motoring: fuel efficiency. The fuel consumption of the S60 D2 diesel, on test here with a manual gearbox, has been improved to a class-leading 72.4 mpg, translating into CO2 emissions of only 103 g/km. With environmental credentials like these, any self-respecting, Volvo driving, college professor will have to put his pipe out now.

FAST FACTS Max speed: 121mph

0-62 mph: 10.9 secs

Combined mpg: 72.4

Engine: 1560cc 4 cylinder 8 valve turbo diesel

Max. power (bhp): 113 at 3600 rpm

Max. torque (Ib/ft): 199 at 1750 rpm

CO2: 103 g/km

Price: £26,545 on the road

PROS ‘N’ CONS

Comfort √ Emissions √ Economy √

Cabin √ Image X

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PuzzlesPuzzlesPuzzles

Across1.Traditional Festive drink - Rum _____ (5)3. Striped confectionary - _____ canes (5)6. Mary gave _____ in a stable (5)7. Festive colour (3)8. Given by 12 down (4)10. Christmas lunch - _____ turkey (5)12. 12 Down came to _______ the baby (7)14. City where King Herod lived (9)16. Also given by 12 Down (5)17. Christmas trees are usually this type (3)18. Mary was told her ____ would be the son of God (4)19. Christmas Carol - The First ____ (4)20. Christmas Carol - Oh ____ Night (4)

Down

1. US festive treat - Pumpkin ___ (3) 2. Christmas song - When a _____ is Born (5) 3. 25th December! (9,3) 4. ____ log (4) 5. 12 Down followed a ____ (4) 9. The ____ sent an angel to Mary (4)11. Might be cranberry or bread (5)12. There were three of them (4,3)13. Fortified ____, drunk after dinner (4)15. Greeting - _____ Christmas!

Crossword




1 26

3 9 7 62 8

4 3 7 2 93

9 2 8 54 6

6 3 7

Sudoku 数独

Each row, column and 3x3 box must contain the numbers 1 to 9 just once. This can be done by applying logic -you don’t have to guess!

DITCH

MARCH

1. US festive treat Pumpkin ___ (3) 2. Christmas song - When a _____ is Born (5) 3. 25th December! (9,3) 4. ____ log (4) 5. 12 Down followed a ____ (4) 9. The ____ sent an angel to Mary (4)11. Might be cranberry or bread (5)12. There were three of them (4,3)13. Fortified ____, drunk after dinner (4)15. Greeting - _____ Christmas!

42

Answers on page 46


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CHRISTMAS TORCHLIGHT AND CAROL PROCESSIONFriday 5th DecemberAshton Square 7pm

Involved the massed choirs of Dunstable. A ttorchlight procession through Priory House Gardens and

carol service in Ashton Square.

DUNSTABLE LADIES CHOIRLadies - new members are wel-come to join our choir. If you enjoy singing why not come to a Tuesday evening rehearsal from 7.30-9.30pm at Houghton Regis Baptist Church, Hammersmith Gardens LU5 5RG and give us a try. No audition neces-sary. We also have a lively social life including meals out, get-togethers and trips to concerts and shows. Dunstable Ladies Choir Spring Do join us for the Dunstable Ladies Choir Christmas Concert7.30 pm on Saturday 6th December at St Augustine’s Church, Mayfield Road, DunstableTickets £8 on the door including homemade refreshmentsFurther details from Pat Jackson 01582 520302.

HOUGHTON REGIS BOWLS CLUBOpen day on the 4th may from 11am to around 4pm The only thing needed is flat soled shoes. All ages and abilities are welcome. Children over 12 years must be ac-companied by a parent please.Light refreshments will be available.Please come and have a go, look forward seeing you all, any enquiries please ring me on 01582518645

DUNSTABLE BRIDGE CLUB

We meet every Monday (except bank holidays) in Chews House in High Street South, Dunstable, from 1pm to 5pm. We would welcome new mem-bers of all standards and you do not need a partner. If anyone is interested please call: 01582 664485

FRIENDS OF STUDHAM COMMONWe are a friendly,voluntary group whose aim is to conserve,maintain and promote Studham Common as

a haven for wildlife and a place for everyone to enjoy.For this purpose we meet as a work party on the third Saturday of each month (except Dec.) The work is not onerous and we enjoy the exercise and the good company –and a picnic lunch is provided! Details from Pam on 01582 872608 [email protected]

DUNSTABLE PROBUS CLUBDunstable PROBUS Club meets on the second Monday of the month and membership is open to retired or semi-retired professional and business men. The Club’s main object is the promotion of good fellowship. Members enjoy a variety of social activities and organized visits throughout the year and at their regular monthly meetings they are entertained by after-lunch speakers. If you are interested in joining the Club, please contact the Secretary Malcolm Partridge 01525 222711

LANGDALE CHURCH‘HATTERS TEA’- informal neighbour-hood group meets monthly on a Wednesday pm. Free tea/coffee & home-made cakes, quiz and raffle.Friends and Neighbours- monthly on a Thursday pm. Speakers and free tea/coffee. At Langdale Church.Other groups- table tennis, walking group and drawing for beginnersMake the most of our community activities and meet new people in our community. Tel Colin, Community Worker01582602980

BREAKOUT SOCIAL CLUBWe are a club for the over forty fives, not a singles club but a social club for people who enjoy going out but are on their own, where they can meet like-minded people, with a varied monthly programme covering Disco’s, Pub lunch’s, walks, parties and much, much more, we meet once a week in the front bar at the Conservative Club, High street North DunstableFor more information please contact Sandy on 07813 262556

DUNSTABLE SENIOR CITIZENSWhat age would you like to live to?Would you like to live it withDignity, Financial peace of mind, With a voice We are a local group fighting the fight for the over 50’sInterested in finding out more?Come to a meetingWe meet the last Thursday of each month at 2pmIn the Social club of The Catholic Church in West Street DunstableOr call for more information on01582 534357

THE BOGTROTTERSThe Bogtrotters (Dunstable and District Walking and Hostelling Group) are a group of about 90 walkers, hikers and hostellers. We run a surprisingly diverse range of activities, including half and full day walks, hostelling trips, meals and evening activities.New members are always welcome. Prospective members are invited to get in touch via the website, give us a ring or just turn up to an event or walk.Enquiries@dunstablebogtrotters.co.ukwww.dunstablebogtrotters.co.uk01582 865966 Sue or Julian

TOTTERNHOE QUARRY VOLUNTEER WORK PARTIES

Would you like to spend a day work-ing in the fresh air and help look after this nature reserve?If so please come along

Friday 5th December &Tuesday 16th December

Scrub Clearance. Meet at 10am at the end of Knolls View, Totternhoe.

All tools provided, however stout footwear or wellies are recomended.Tea and coffee will be provided, please bring your own lunch and cold drinks.For more information or to confirm your attendance please contactRichard Knock on 07872 [email protected]

44

THE DUNSTABLE ORBIT CLUB Out About&• Clubs • Groups • Events• Community

PRIORY HOUSE Tel: 01582 891420

Christmas Ghost Walks, Saturday, 13 December

4pm (Family Ghost Walk) Friday, 19 December at 7.30 pm

All ghost walks start at Priory Church car park. Family ghost walks are suitable for children over 8 yrs old: on these walks children must be accompanied by adults. A torch and warm clothes are recommended and the ghost walk route is unsuitable for wheelchair users. Tickets cost £5 and need to be booked in advance.

TEA TIME TALESTalks of local and nationalinterest with tea or coffee

and a pastry.Alternate Thursday afternoons

2.30 - 4.00pm £4.75 per personDecember 11th

History of the Pantomime Pam Barker, Member of the Dunsta-

ble Town Guide Committee

THE HEALING TRUSTArdley Hill School, Lowther Rd, Each Thursday evening 7.30 - 9pm. No charge, donations accepted. NFSH T: Pam Hill on 01582 606182Come for interest or healing.

BREATHEASYDo you suffer from a lung condition? Then why not come and join our local Support group - breatheasy - Part of the British lung foundation. We meet on the 2nd Thursday of the month at peter newton pavilion (Behind tesco) 2 - 4pm carers also welcomeAs well as supporting each other we have a variety of speakers and also arrange day trips out.New members most welcomeMore info phone michael on 01582 602348

DUNSTABLE & DISTRICT ORBIT CLUB

Since its inception over 25 years ago, Orbit has raised nearly £60,000 for local charities. We also give our time to help organisations and people in the community.Orbit offers an active social calen-dar, with wide-ranging events to suit all budgets and tastes. Annual

membership is just £15.We meet on the first and third Tues-day of the month at Dunstablians Rugby Club, Bidwell Park, Bedford Road, Houghton Regis, LU5 6JW from 8 pm. You’ll be guaranteed a warm welcome.For more information please visit www.orbitclub.org.uk/dunstable or contact Mark on 01582 539379 or Julie on 01582 535761.

CHILTERN GATEWAY CENTREChilterns Gateway Centre Shop,

01582 500925

Learn the art of wreath making6th Dec11am - 1pm £15

Create a special wreath for your home this ChristmasLearn how to make your own beau-tiful Christmas wreath. With expert guidance you’ll create a wonderful wreath with a personal touch to take home and enjoy. Please bring your own secateurs if possible.

Tree Dressing6th & 7th Dec 11am - 3pm

£1.50 (take a decoration home)Help bring Christmas to life in the Chilterns Gateway Centre as you create decorations for the trees.

Father Christmas7th, 14th, 21st Dec 11am - 3pm Child £5 (inc gift &reindeer foodHelp Father Christmas’ elves to make magic reindeer food and then meet Father Christmas. Don’t forget to think of what you would like to ask for this year!

50 things Activities7th Dec & 4th Jan 2pm - 3pm

FREE Bring the kids and join us on the first Sunday of the month get involve with National Trusts 50 thing to do before your 11 and ¾.Each Sunday you’ll get to cross another fantastic activity off you list and get outdoors and discover something new! We’ll be taking the kids to explore outdoors so remem-ber to dress for the weather.

Toddler’s Christmas10th & 17th Dec 11am - 3pm

Child £5 (inc gift & reindeer food) A very special weekday visit to see Father Christmas for the under 5’s.

Help Father Christmas’ elves to make reindeer food and then meet Father Christmas.

Christmas Burn off Walk26th December 11am - 1pm £2Overindulged this Christmas?Walk off all those extra calories over Christmas, with the countryside team on a guided walk over Dun-stable Downs. Enjoy the spectacular views and fresh air as you enjoy a healthy walk.

New Year’s resolution walk1st Jan 11am - 1pm £2

Start the New Year with your best foot forwards. Was your New Year’s resolution to get outdoors more? Exercise more? Get fitter? Take the time to enjoy nature? Then join us for a breath of fresh air on this one and a half hour walk lead by one of our rangers.

TODDINGTON HELPING HANDSWe are a group of about 30 volunteers who provide lifts to the doctors, dentists, hospitals, hairdressers etc for the residents of Toddington, Chalgrave, Wingfield and Tebworth.We also carry out the delivery of prescriptions, shopping and gen-eral errand running to those who are not able to do so themselves.During the last quarter we com-pleted in excess of 400 jobs in the local community.We urgently need more volunteer drivers. Tel: 01525 633660


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Answers

46

Gift A Song

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Christmas Spectacular 6.30pm Sat 13 December 2014 Methodist Church, The Square,

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the vine dunstable - december 2014 & january 2015 - issue 62

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