the vine luton - december 2014 & january 2015 - issue 6

Connecting local people to local businesses

FREEVinethe

• Bramingham • Icknield • Barnfield • Stopsley

December 2014January 2015 Issue 6

Delivered Free to 10,000 homes

Vine

Please mention the Vine when responding to adverts

• Conservatories • Windows • Doors • Aluminium Seamless Guttering• Garage Doors • Car Ports • GRP Flat Roofing

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4

Editors:Scott NightingaleShelly Nesbitt

For advertising & editorial: Shelly Nesbitt01525 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.

Competition 6 Happy New Year 8Local Christmas Attractions 10What’s Best For You 12Consumer Clinic 14Puzzles 16Looking Up! 18At Home 20In The Garden 22Auto-biographies 24Don’t Pick A Turkey 26Out & About 28

Copy deadline for our next issue - 15th January 2015

Vinethe

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A complete refurbishment and roofing service.n Flat Roofingn Tiled Roofingn Loft Conversions

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6

With it’s aphrodisiac powers and its fruity floral aromas, Quizás Seducción, the latest fragrance from luxury Spanish label, Loewe, launches at The Fragrance Shop in the Arndale Shopping Centre in Luton. And The Vine magazine has managed to get hold of two 50ml bottles to give away to two lucky winners. Quizás Seducción brings a fruity cocktail of tempting passion fruit, sweet orange and blackberry with a full floral heart combining elegant Sambac jasmine with strong tuberose and orange blossom. All this complements the base of the perfume which features sweet notes of caramel and vanilla. Housed in the heart of the Spanish capital, Madrid, Loewe has been renown for its luxury fashion and beauty ranges since 1846. The Fragrance Shop is one of the few shops to sell Quizás Seducción this winter. To win one of the two Eau de Parfum in its elegant black bottle worth £62.50 each, please answer the below question: Where is The Fragrance Shop in Luton?

Win A bottle

of luxury

spanish scent

Quizas Seduccion

courtesy of

The Fragrance Shop

Get Christmas Wrapped Up!

Post your answer to our Facebook page, The Vine Magazine, Dunstable or email us at [email protected] will be chosen at random on Friday 19th December.

www.thevinemagazine.com

WW

01582 454184 WWW.JAMESAYRESFLOORING.CO.UK

[email protected] 593 Hitchin Road, Stopsley, Luton, Beds. LU2 7UN

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8

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

Around The World!

UKThursday 18th December 2nd class and Royal Mail signed for™ Saturday 20th December 1st class and Royal Mail signed for™ Tuesday 23rd DecemberRoyal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed

International Standard (Was Air Mail)Wednesday 3rd December Asia, Far East (including Japan), New ZealandThursday 4th December AustraliaFriday 5th DecemberAfrica, Caribbean, Central & South America, Middle EastMonday 8th December Cyprus, Eastern Europe, GreeceTuesday 9th December Canada, PolandFriday 12th December USASaturday 13th December Western Europe (excluding Greece, Poland)

LAST POSTING

DATES


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.

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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

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’

1110 www.thevinemagazine.com





13www.thevinemagazine.com12

· 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

12

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 savingWhat ’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.

Winter money savingWhat ’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.

LEATHER

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14

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.

www.thevinemagazine.com 15

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16

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!

Answers on page 30


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Bedfordshire’s Night Sky Looking Up!

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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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


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

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!

20

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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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

23

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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24

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

25

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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26





Out About&• Clubs • Groups • Events• Community

STOCKWOOD DISCOVERY CENTRETel: 01582 548600

Stockwood Christmas FairSunday 7th December, 11am – 4pm

£3 Adults, £2 ChildrenA traditional Christmas craft fair and yuletide celebration, featuring Craft Activities, Simon The Snowman, Shambles Big Band, JezO from CBBC’s The Slammer, Santa’s Grotto and much more. Tel: 01582 548 600

British Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2014 Exhibition

17th January - 15th March FreeCelebrating the work of amateur and professional photographers and the beauty and diversity of British wildlife. Tel: 01582 548 600

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

SAPPHIRE SOCIAL CLUBSapphire Social Club - this social club caters for the unattached aged 50+. We meet weekly in Hitchin and organize a variety of social events every month. No joining fee for the first two months. Come along and meet new friends.Tel: Joyce 07960 440 417 for detailswww.sapphiresocialsinglesclub.co.uk

CHILTERN GATEWAY CENTREDunstable Downs 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 some-thing new! We’ll be taking the kids to explore outdoors so remember 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.

POETRY CLUB FOR YOUNG WRITERS.

Reviving young Love, for Literature!The Parish Centre Bramingham Park, Luton

First Saturday of each Month starting November 1st at 1.30pm – 2.30pm

Professional Home Tuition are creating a platform for young poetry writers to showcasetheir work. The Poetry club aims to help the writers enhance their skills and share theirwork with others. Poets will meet other like minded individuals who have the samepassion for writing and reading poetry. PHTS say,’The club aims to revive love for Literature for the younger, gadget lovinggeneration’.The club is open to all students from ages of 8 to 13.Yearly membership of £10 and then £2 per visit.To register your child or for further information email or call 01582 528 368.

28

WARDOWN PARK MUSEUMTel: 01582 546722

Saturday SelectionEvery Saturday11am - 1pm & 2pm -

4pm FREETake part in object-handling sessions on Saturday’s. Visitors will be able to get up close and hands on with a range of weird and wonderful objects from the museum’s many and varied collections. Each week the museum will be searching its stores and bring-ing out objects for people to see and handle, many of which have never been on display. For information 01582 546 722

Luton’s World War 1 StoriesContinues until 4th January 2015

FREELuton’s Great War told by its people today. Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War, this exhibition looks at how one of the deadliest conflicts in human history affected the town.Find out Wardown Park’s history as a World war 1 hospital, read stories about how ordinary Lutonian’s were affected by the war, and enjoy a rare chance to see many precious and rare objects donated by the com-munity and discovered deep in the museum stores. Tel: 01582 546 722

Music In the Museum 4th January, 2 – 4pm

Enjoy live music on the first Sunday of every month in this unique setting. Spaces are limited.Free (However, contributions are re-quested on the day for what you feel is fair). To book call 01582 878100

TALKS & EXHIBITIONSChristmas Cards

Friday 21st December 2-3.30pm £7, £5 concessions

Buildings of the Hat IndustryFriday 16 January2-3.30pm

A look at some of Luton’s most inter-esting history through film footage,

photos and museum artefacts.Tea & coffee included.

Tel; 01582 548600

Luton Art’1429 November 2014 - 22 February

2015 FreeAn exhibition of works by local art-ists, in a range of medium and styles. A result of Luton Art Competition.Tel: 01582 546722

HOMESTARTHave you got just 2 to 3 hours to spare each week to support a local young family who are struggling to cope? The charity Home-Start is looking for caring parents and grand-parents. All training and support is given and expenses paid. It’s a great way to gain new skills, make friends and really make a difference to your community.Tel: 01582 [email protected] www.home-startcentralbeds.org.uk

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

THE PARKSIDE SINGERSDo you enjoy singing?The Parkside Singers is a lively mixed choir, singing four-part harmony musicincluding pop, songs from musicals and some choral favourites such as AveVerum and The Lords Prayer. Call Claire on 01525 753110.

WARDEN AFTERNOON CLUBMeets every Tuesday 2 - 4pmWarden Hill Community Centre (rear of the Warden Tavern)We are a recently established group of friendly ladies and gentlemen who meet weekly for companionship, activities and refreshments. If you would like some company, or know someone who would benefit from joining us, please come along any Tuesday - everyone is very welcome.

For more information contact Sue on 07706895444 or email [email protected]

FARLEY CHRISTMAS FAYRESat 6th December, 12 – 4pm Free

Farley Community CentreFor more details or to book a stall for £6 call 01582 736 812

HOCKWELL RING COMMUNITY CENTRECHRISTMAS BAZAAR

Monday 29 December, 10am – 4pmBook a stall - £5 Tel: 01582 548 392

BUSHMEAD COMMUNITY CENTRECINDERELLA PANTOMIME

Saturday 6 December, 7 – 9pmFamily tickets: £20.00(2 x Adults & 2 x Children or 1 x Adult & 3 Children)Adult tickets: £7.00, Child tickets: £5.00 (Aged 2 yrs – 16 yrs & should be accompanied)Entry by ticket only - must be pur-chased in advance. Tel: 01582 422818

VISIT SANTAAT THE MALL LUTON

Santa is coming to The Mall, Luton! He’s arriving on Saturday 29th No-vember, and will be in his Grotto every day until Christmas Eve!

Each visit is just £4, including a fantastic FREE gift for every child.

www.thevinemagazine.com 29

3130

Step On ItDITCHHITCHHATCHCATCHMATCHMARCH

Answers

Got any News, charities, events, groups or good causes

to promote?

We can help!

And it’s Free!

17

Discover magic, pure and simple magic. Grow food,

cook food and share food and do it in public places.

These are the words of Mary Clear co founder of Incred-

ible Edible Todmorden set up in 2007 with her friend

Pam Warhurst. Together with the help of their commu-

nity they have grown being Incredible into a worldwide

revolution with 300 IE’s all over the world.

I run my own gardening business and most of my work is for

the elderly. I have seen how lonely some folk can be when

everyone is out at work, everyone has stuff to do and no

one has time for their each other. I wanted my neighbour-

hood restored so I thought what better way to do this than to

make a beautiful garden that grows food for us all to share,

so I began!

February 2013 on a snowy winter’s day I started by writ-

ing to Dunstable Council and asking can you help, they

said ‘Yes’. Central Bedfordshire is our landowner and has

provided huge support. So together with some willing

volunteers we built this garden. We now have 5 raised

beds filled with 40 bags of horse manure topped off with 8

tonne of top soil all donated and collected for free. The beds

produced strawberries, tomatoes, fennel, coriander, mint,

thyme, kale, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, mixed salad leaves,

lettuce, spring onion, radish, swede all donated for free.

We were involved with Anglia in Bloom this year and

helped to bring home GOLD. We have been visited by Mr J

Chatterley Dunstable Town Mayor and he is in full support

of our community garden. We had a massive raspberry

plant over the half term holiday and planted over 30 fruit

canes all donated for free.

Next year the garden will be used for the students from

Barnfield Vale Academy as the garden for their Enrichment

Option. This will involve teaching them all about com-

munity, nature and sustainable food production, in a way

that will inspire them to look outside the box and see the

potential for expanding this project.

We will be hoping to have a seating area in the garden for

people to take the time to sit and have their lunch after do-

ing some work in our garden. Meet and take the time to talk

to each other after harvesting the free vegetables and fruit.

We are not funded by anyone; we rely on volunteer’s dona-

tions of their time and donations of plants and materials

from the local businesses and the local community.

If you feel you are able to support our project by working in

the garden or a donation of a plant or a few roles of weed

suppressant membrane and a few bags of mulch every tiny

bit of help is received with open arms.

Maybe a tree surgeon could deposit some free chippings

directly to our garden or a landscape gardener has extra

supplies or a grab lorry driver could remember us if he has

some topsoil to dispose of. We could use all of these things

for our herb spiral we want to make next year. We would be

truly grateful.

Big love, smiles and nice tea to share

Sahira (pronounced Syra)

Like and share our Facebook page Incredible Edible Dun-

stableFor more information contact me on

01582 519132 or 07905 116623

INCRedible

5

4

www.thevinemagazine.co.uk

The word on the street is that DUNSTABLE ROCKS,

the closing event for Dunstable Town Council’s Sum-

mer of Music, is going to attract phenomenal crowds.

This FREE event is headlined by legendary soul singer

Alexander O’Neal, famous for a wide range of classics

which includes ‘Cri tic ise’, ‘Fake’, ‘Never Knew Love

Like This’, ‘Saturday Love’ and ‘Secret Lovers’.

It is recommended that if you want to grab a prime view-

ing spot, you should arrive early. O’Neal is reputedly the

best pure singer to come from the 80s soul era, releasing

a string of memorable hits that are still on radio playlists

across the UK to satisfy regular ‘radio requests’. This

soul legend has an undying passion to perform and on

Saturday, 18 August 2012 you can enjoy his celebrated

act ABSOLUTELY FREE .

DUNSTABLE ROCKS will open at 12 noon with local

performances along with bands Subset, The Call Up and

Gin House Delta. Back by popular demand, after a very

popular set last year, is exceptional cover band ‘Leech’

who will once again deliver a string of popular, sing-

along, dance-along tunes getting Grove House Gardens

up on its party feet.

Keeping the party atmosphere going, Back to Black, the

Amy Whinehouse Experience will take up the reins with a

performance that encapsulates the look, the mannerisms

and the voice of Amy. ‘Can You Keep A Secret?’ Nathan

Moore, lead singer of Brother Beyond, takes to the stage

as the final act before the eagerly-awaited Alexander O’

Neal. Brother Beyond’s first hit, ‘The Harder I Try’ made

number 2 in the charts and we expect lots of female fans

for this 80s hottie!!

There will also be a variety of good quality food on sale

and our wonderful outside bar, BarWorx, will be there to

supply both alcoholic and soft drinks. So what are you

waiting for? Put Dunstable Rocks, Saturday, 18 August in

your diary now. And don’t forget to arrive early to secure

a prime position.

We want everyone to have a fantastic time, so to ensure

this; only a reasonable amount of alcohol will be permit-

ted on site and due to the enormous crowds expected at

this event, it will not be permissible to erect gazebos or

picnic tables because of lack of space.

SATURDAY, 18 AUGUST 2012

Grove House Gardens 12 Noon - 10pm

25

24


With Bradley Wiggins becoming the first Briton to

win the Tour de France and an outstanding ending

sequence to the Olympics featuring a hoard of

chrome bedazzled scooters to the backdrop of The

Who's 'Pinball Wizard', mod culture has reaffirmed

it's place as a truly heritage piece of everyday British

life in the nations psyche. Unknowingly created in

the smokey, dark jazz clubs of Soho in the 1950's

and rising in popularity to it's salad days in the mid

sixties following a swathe of media coverage follow-

ing clashes with leather clad rockers on the south

coasts holiday resorts, mod has always been typified

by smart, clean cut individuals with an obsessive sar-

torial attention to detail and penchant for tailor made

suits and Italian scooters - forever set in cinematic

stone in The Who's legendary cult film, Quadrophe-

nia. Mod culture has remained firmly rooted in Brit-

ish culture ever since and can be seen even today

in Dunstable with the formation and rising presence

and popularity of the towns very own scooter club

- Ready Steady Go! SC. Formed in the summer of

2012 by a group of long standing mods, some new

to Dunstable, to raise the profile of the town and

mod culture, Ready Steady Go! were named after

the legendary TV music show of the 1960's. Found-

ing member Micky Fallows explains more; "We all

came together and met during the summer of 2012

through the mod scene and felt the town needed a

scooter club with some glitz and glam. The public

love nothing more than seeing a line of scooters

dressed in chrome and lights. It raises a pride and

excitement in people with a piece of British culture

that they can all identify with in some aspect or

another." The group first met at the Four Kings Bar

& Bistro on High Street South in September with

16 colourful and shiny steeds sat proudly on the

forecourt. "It was a great day. Two of us have moved

up this way from Watford and we were happy to

have a few of the guys from down there come up

and say hello." Following the buzz and excitement

the first meeting created amongst the scootering

fraternity, the groups second major meeting the fol-

lowing month saw over 100 people on 60 scooters

turn up in the town to support the club with a line

of classic Lambretta's and Vespa's stretching half the

length of High Street South. "We were absolutely

stunned if we're honest." Micky continues. "We had

clubs come down for the day from Aylesbury, Milton

Keynes, Hemel Hempstead, Oxford and a few other

towns. The support has been incredible. The towns

shoppers and residents were out taking photos,

beeping their horns as they drove by and coming to

chat and have their pictures taken with the scooters.

It just goes to show that mod culture is very dear to

most people whether they are immersed in it or not.

It's a huge piece of British heritage and culture and

something the majority of people remember from

different parts of their lives and can identify with."

Since then club has had a continually growing core

membership and to this end have made the Four

Kings Bar their permanent home, meeting every

Thursday evening for a get together. Other founding

member Paul Quin says; “We meet every week, just

to catch up - either on the scooters or if the weather

is bad we head down by car. We always love to

see new and younger faces come down, so pop

along and say hello and get involved. We have lots

going on and coming up. The Four Kings have been

amazing, welcoming us with open arms and playing

us some good music when we show up too.” In ad-

dition to their weekly get-together and large monthly

weekend meetings, the club are now focussing the

support they have been given into running some

charity events for their nominated charity - the Keech

Hospice childrens services - with the first being an

evening of sixties/mod/soul music to be held at the

Four Kings Bar on Saturday 23rd February. Member

David Savage explains; “We have managed to get

the areas finest DJ’s from the best local mod clubs to

come together for the night to hopefully help us raise

lots of money for the Keech, and have a top night as

well!” Tickets for the charity night can be purchased

from from the Four Kings Bar, Hetty Spaghetty cloth-

ing, Vinyl Revelations record shop or online through

the clubs website. The club are always happy to

receive new members to club, as Micky concludes;

“Anyone wishing to get involved should come down

to the Four Kings on a Thursday evening. Whether

you are on a scooter or not, we don’t sit about talk-

ing boring mechanics. It’s all about a love for mod

and sixties culture and being proud of it’s place in

Dunstable.”

Dunstable

Scooter Club

5


4

Dunstable Glider Pilots selected for British Women's Team Helen Hingley, seen here with her own LS4

glider, has been chosen to represent Britain

in the 2013 Women's World Gliding Cham-

pionship to be held in Issoudun , France , during July. Fellow Dunstable pilot Melissa

Jenkins has been selected as the British Team

Captain.Helen has been flying at the London Gliding

Club for 5 years, initially wanting a "holiday

with a difference" and decided to go flying

again after a 9 year break from flying light

aircraft. "I much prefer the challenge of pow-

erless flight" Helen says.She's been highly successful in cross country

competition recently, coming third in her class in the Dunstable Regionals this year and 7th out of 37 in the pre-worlds practice.

The competition will last over 14 days, and

each day over 50 women glider pilots from

around the world will be set task distances of

up to 600 kms.Understanding and then making best use of

the prevailing weather conditions in order to

find rising air and fly these huge distances -

without an engine - is the essence of gliding.

The London Gliding Club has operated from

its airfield at the foot of the Dunstable Downs

since the early 1930's. It is famous among

the aviation community for cross-country,

aerobatics and vintage gliding, and is one of

the largest gliding clubs in the world.

There is a whole world to discover on your

doorstepwith your local Wildlife Trust in 2013

Here are some of your up and coming events

for February and March this year· A Talk On Education And Community On Blows Downs Nature Reserve

Come and find out about the importance of educa-

tion and community work and the differences it

makes to Blows DownsEvent: Indoor Talk

Booking: Essential

Date: Monday 11 Feb 2013

Time: 7.45pm – 9.15pm

Location: Priory Middle School,

Britain St, Dunstable, LU5 4JA. Meet in the Dome

Price: Donations gratefully accepted

Audience: AdultA Free Event For Youth Wildlife Rangers

Event: Fun Outdoor Activity for 13 - 19 Yr Olds

Booking: Essential

Date: Wednesday 20 Feb 2013

Time: 1.00pm – 3.00pm

Location: Blows Downs Nature Reserve,

Dunstable. Meet at Oakwood Avenue

Blows Down Litter PickCome and help the Blows Downs Conservation

Group to keep your local nature reserve looking

beautifulEvent: Outdoor Activity

Date: Sunday 17 March 2013

Time: 10am – 3pm

Location: Blows Downs Nature Reserve,

Dunstable. Meet at the Half Moon Lane entrance

Price: Free. Turn Up On The Day

Audience: Everyone Welcome

Children must be accompanied by an adult

Community Open DayCome along and find out more about your local

nature reserve at Blows DownsEvent:

Activities for Adults & Kids

Date: Sunday 24 March 2013

Time: 10am – 3pm

Location: Blows Downs Nature Reserve, Dunsta-

ble. Meet near to the Half Moon Lane entrance

Price: Donations gratefully accepted

Audience: Everyone Welcome.

Children must be accompanied by an adult.

For information Tel Ruth Sneath: 01525 874317


Wildlife Trust

Tel: 01525 222379 07852 453043Email: [email protected]

to non-profit organisations

Gift A Song

Caritas Harmony Are Joined By Ladies from Herts, Beds & Bucks To Gift A Song

For Macmillan At Christmas !

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

Dunstable LU5 4NA !

Tickets £5 from Brenda Wood on 01582 873656 (Children 12 and under free) !!

email - [email protected] www.caritasharmony.co.uk

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the vine luton - december 2014 & january 2015 - issue 6

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