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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.
Anyone For Tennis? 6 Hoo’s Book Fest 8Microchip Your Pet 10Foster Care 12Martin Lewis Money Page 14Puzzles 16Looking Up! 17Consumer Clinic 18Health, Beauty & Wellbeing 20At Home 22In The Garden 24Auto-biographies 26Out & About 28
Copy deadline for our next issue - 18th July
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A broken pony-roller belonging to the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club was the cata-lyst which led to the birth of the most prestigious tennis tourna-ment in the world: Wimbledon. When the roller broke in 1877 the members decided to hold a lawn tennis competition to raise funds for repair. There were 22 male competitors who each paid a one guinea entrance fee. The champion was 27-year-old Spencer Gore who won 12 guineas and yes, it did rain on the day of the finals!In spite of the weather the competition was such a success that it became an annual event. In fact there have been only ten Wimbledon-free years since that first competition: four years dur-ing the First World War and six during the Second World War.At the start the only event was the gentlemen’s singles. Then, in 1884 the ladies’ singles and the gentlemen’s doubles were added, followed by the ladies’
doubles and the mixed doubles in 1913.Only top-ranked amateurs were allowed to play until 1968 when the tournament became ‘open’, meaning that professionals could finally enter.The British dominated The Championships, as they are known, for the first 30 years: Ernest and William Renshaw, and Laurie and Reggie Doherty were national heroes. But our winning streak didn’t last. Until recently the last British man to win at Wimbledon was Fred Perry in 1936. He won a hat trick of titles just before the Second World War. Then, in the glorious summer of 2013 Andy Murray finally brought the title home to Britain and won the heart of the nation.He’s on a high this year having married his fiancé Kim Sears in the spring. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if he made this a real fairytale year and won Wimbledon again?
Anyone For Tennis?Wimbledon Fortnight
The first black person to win Wimbledon was a woman, the American Althea Gibson, in 1957 and 1958. The first, and only, black male to win was Arthur Ashe, who beat Jimmy Connors in 1975.
The last British woman to win Wimbledon was Virginia Wade in the silver Jubilee year, 1977.
It is the only tennis competition where players are required to wear all or predominantly white clothing. In 2002 Anna Kournikova had to change her black shorts for white ones on court!
Every year about 27,000 kilos of strawberries, 7,000 litres of cream, 60,000 pints of Pimms and 14,000 bottles of Champagne are consumed by spectators during Wimbledon.
Wimbledon Facts
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A broken pony-roller belonging to the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club was the cata-lyst which led to the birth of the most prestigious tennis tourna-ment in the world: Wimbledon. When the roller broke in 1877 the members decided to hold a lawn tennis competition to raise funds for repair. There were 22 male competitors who each paid a one guinea entrance fee. The champion was 27-year-old Spencer Gore who won 12 guineas and yes, it did rain on the day of the finals!In spite of the weather the competition was such a success that it became an annual event. In fact there have been only ten Wimbledon-free years since that first competition: four years dur-ing the First World War and six during the Second World War.At the start the only event was the gentlemen’s singles. Then, in 1884 the ladies’ singles and the gentlemen’s doubles were added, followed by the ladies’
doubles and the mixed doubles in 1913.Only top-ranked amateurs were allowed to play until 1968 when the tournament became ‘open’, meaning that professionals could finally enter.The British dominated The Championships, as they are known, for the first 30 years: Ernest and William Renshaw, and Laurie and Reggie Doherty were national heroes. But our winning streak didn’t last. Until recently the last British man to win at Wimbledon was Fred Perry in 1936. He won a hat trick of titles just before the Second World War. Then, in the glorious summer of 2013 Andy Murray finally brought the title home to Britain and won the heart of the nation.He’s on a high this year having married his fiancé Kim Sears in the spring. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if he made this a real fairytale year and won Wimbledon again?
Anyone For Tennis?Wimbledon Fortnight
The first black person to win Wimbledon was a woman, the American Althea Gibson, in 1957 and 1958. The first, and only, black male to win was Arthur Ashe, who beat Jimmy Connors in 1975.
The last British woman to win Wimbledon was Virginia Wade in the silver Jubilee year, 1977.
It is the only tennis competition where players are required to wear all or predominantly white clothing. In 2002 Anna Kournikova had to change her black shorts for white ones on court!
Every year about 27,000 kilos of strawberries, 7,000 litres of cream, 60,000 pints of Pimms and 14,000 bottles of Champagne are consumed by spectators during Wimbledon.
Wimbledon Facts
www.thevinemagazine.com
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01582 454184 WWW.JAMESAYRESFLOORING.CO.UK
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[email protected] 593 Hitchin Road, Stopsley, Luton, Beds. LU2 7UN
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[email protected] 593 Hitchin Road, Stopsley, Luton, Beds. LU2 7UN
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01582 454184 WWW.JAMESAYRESFLOORING.CO.UK
[email protected] 593 Hitchin Road, Stopsley, Luton, Beds. LU2 7UN
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01582 454184 WWW.JAMESAYRESFLOORING.CO.UK
[email protected] 593 Hitchin Road, Stopsley, Luton, Beds. LU2 7UN
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01582 454184 WWW.JAMESAYRESFLOORING.CO.UK
[email protected] 593 Hitchin Road, Stopsley, Luton, Beds. LU2 7UN
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01582 454184 WWW.JAMESAYRESFLOORING.CO.UK
[email protected] 593 Hitchin Road, Stopsley, Luton, Beds. LU2 7UN
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01582 454184 WWW.JAMESAYRESFLOORING.CO.UK
[email protected] 593 Hitchin Road, Stopsley, Luton, Beds. LU2 7UN
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01582 454184 WWW.JAMESAYRESFLOORING.CO.UK
[email protected] 593 Hitchin Road, Stopsley, Luton, Beds. LU2 7UN
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01582 454184 WWW.JAMESAYRESFLOORING.CO.UK
[email protected] 593 Hitchin Road, Stopsley, Luton, Beds. LU2 7UN
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01582 454184 WWW.JAMESAYRESFLOORING.CO.UK
[email protected] 593 Hitchin Road, Stopsley, Luton, Beds. LU2 7UN
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01582 454184 WWW.JAMESAYRESFLOORING.CO.UK
[email protected] 593 Hitchin Road, Stopsley, Luton, Beds. LU2 7UN
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01582 454184 WWW.JAMESAYRESFLOORING.CO.UK
[email protected] 593 Hitchin Road, Stopsley, Luton, Beds. LU2 7UN
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01582 454184 WWW.JAMESAYRESFLOORING.CO.UK
[email protected] 593 Hitchin Road, Stopsley, Luton, Beds. LU2 7UN
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01582 454184 WWW.JAMESAYRESFLOORING.CO.UK
[email protected] 593 Hitchin Road, Stopsley, Luton, Beds. LU2 7UN
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01582 454184 WWW.JAMESAYRESFLOORING.CO.UK
[email protected] 593 Hitchin Road, Stopsley, Luton, Beds. LU2 7UN
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01582 454184 WWW.JAMESAYRESFLOORING.CO.UK
[email protected] 593 Hitchin Road, Stopsley, Luton, Beds. LU2 7UN
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01582 454184 WWW.JAMESAYRESFLOORING.CO.UK
[email protected] 593 Hitchin Road, Stopsley, Luton, Beds. LU2 7UN
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01582 454184 WWW.JAMESAYRESFLOORING.CO.UK
[email protected] 593 Hitchin Road, Stopsley, Luton, Beds. LU2 7UN
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Hoo’s Kids Book Fest introduces Our Summer Day
Wednesday 29th July 2015 11.00 am to 3.00 pm at
Luton Hoo Walled Garden, LU1 4LF
Book your tickets for two very special events for all the family in the magical Walled Garden!
Boy. Wizard. Hero. Celebrating the Harry Potter Books
Have you ever wanted to explore the magical world of the Harry Potter books? Join our ‘Professor of Potter’ and his plucky assistant as they bring to life the characters, creatures, spells and adventures
from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. A fun and interactive event for all the familywhether you are new to the books or a dedicated fan. Certificates and postcards for all who attend.
Come and share the magic!
14th June 2015 at The Base, Dunstable
Kids In Action
Children’s Charity
Great fun for all the family, lots of things to do.
CLIMBING WALL
BOUNCY CASTLE
BASKET BALL
TOMBOLA’S
FACE PAINTING
HOOK THE DUCK
PLUS LOTS MORE STALLS. The wall is wheelchair accessible
Fish & Chip Van Ice-Cream Van Candy Floss Tea & Coffee
Cakes Sweet Stall
SUNDAY
10am To 4pm 26 Apex Business Centre,
Boscombe Rd,
Dunstable,
LU5 4SB
Kids In Action Reg No: 1053470 Tel No: 01582 477762
PROFESSIONALFASHION SHOW
Skimpot Road
Luton Skimpot Road LU4 0JB
Tel: 01582 572294
AT
LUTONSPONSORED BY
THE WAY YOU
LOOK?
Friday 5th June from 9.30pmTickets available at £4 to include ticket to fashion show, late session & goodie bag.
Terms and conditions apply. Over 18s only.
Book your tickets for two very special events for all the family in the magical Walled Garden!
Boy. Wizard. Hero. Celebrating Harry Potter.Have you ever wanted to explore the magical world of the Harry Potter books? Join our ‘Professor of Potter’ and his plucky assistant as they bring to life the characters, creatures, spells and adventures from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. A fun and interactive event for all the familywhether you are new to the books or a dedicated fan. Certificates and postcards for all who attend.Come and share the magic!
Pandas, doughnuts and the Queen’s handbag, with Steve AntonySince his first picture book debuted in 2014, Steve Antony has become the hottest talent around – his first book, The Queen’s Hat, has been shortlisted for the Waterstones Book Prize.Learn to draw a panda who loves good manners (and doughnuts!), read stories together and get a sneak peek of Steve’s next book, The Queen’s Handbag
PLUS Art activities, fun and entertainment!Artist Vanessa Stone will be cutting up materials and involving children in something very spectacular!Local illustrator Livi Gosling, who loves creating amazing maps, will be joining us for interactive fun!Professor Pango Mango, the Wandering Poet will be making us all laugh with his wonderful words and delightful ditties!Come and join us for a great day out in the magical Luton Hoo Walled Garden where there will also be refreshments, food, books, plants for sale and family fun for everyone!Details of ticket sales will be available shortly.Keep up-to-date with news by following us on Twitter @hoosbookfest , Facebook, Pinterest and www.lutonhooestate.co.uk
Hoo’s Kids Book Fest introduces Our Summer Day
Wednesday 29th July 2015 11.00 am to 3.00 pm
at Luton Hoo Walled Garden, LU1 4LF
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Who do you know with:• Cancer? • A neurological condition? • Fibromyalgia? • Sports Injuries?
• Diabetic or Leg Ulcers? • TBI? • Broken Bones? • ME/CFS/Extreme Fatigue?
Can Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
help you?Oxygen Therapy Service
Find out if Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy can improveyour health, accelerate healing, give you more energy.
Search online for ‘hyperbaric’ and your condition.
This Charity has delivered 60,000 Oxygen Therapy sessions since 1988 – all carefully supervised.
Our friendly team responds fast to all enquiries.
Call Mark today on 01462 684214
or email [email protected]
Registered Charity 299524 Hertfordshire Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre 30 Campus Five, Letchworth, Herts SG6 2JF www.hertsmstherapy.org.uk
A charity is offering three free trials of Oxygen Therapy to people with leg ulcers or diabetic foot ulcers.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is be-coming popular due to media coverage of the amazing results it can achieve.
Mark Boscher from the Oxygen Therapy Ser-vice (part of the Herts MS Therapy Centre) ex-plains: “Oxygen Therapy involves the delivery of oxygen under pressure. We’ve seen some exciting results amongst people with cancer, ME / CFS / Fibromyalgia and other condi-tions with debilitating long term exhaustion. Oxygen Therapy can often help boost energy levels and fight stubborn infections.“
Three free places at Oxygen Therapy sessions are available – for people with leg ulcers or diabetic foot ulcers.
“Oxygen Therapy has huge potential to help people with leg ulcers and diabetic foot ul-cers,” explains Mark. “Gaining feedback from the people who get involved will help us to help others.”
To find out more about this unique offer, contact Mark or Claire on 01462 684214.
To discover how Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy may help you or someone you know, search online for ‘hyperbaric’ and the name of your condition. Only three free places are available – don't miss out on this free support!
Cancer? CFS? Leg Ulcers? Diabetes? Oxygen Therapy
May Help!
Mark Boscher standing by the oxygen chamber.
10 www.thevinemagazine.com
LEATHER
CAR SEAT & FURNITURE REPAIRS
Most repairs can be undertaken
in your home by our qualified
leather technicians, or larger jobs
brought into our fully equipped
workshop.
• Rips • Cigarette Burns • Holes • Cat Scratches • Re-colouring• Colour Matching • Cleaning• Cracking • Stain Removal • Re-Padding • Spring Replacement.
Repairing leather is approximately 20% of the cost of re-upholstering
Before After Before After
RESTORATION SERVICE
Unit 26 Acacia Close, Cherrycourt Way, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 4QE
Luton:01582 380 750 Leighton Buzzard:01525 888 250
Website: www.furnitureclinic.co.uk
From April 2016 it will be compulsory for a dog to be microchipped in the UK. But what exactly is a microchip?
Microchipping seeks to aid reuniting lost or stolen pets with their owners with their pets. It should be used in conjunction with the usual tag and collar.
The computer microchip contains a unique identity number and is housed in a type of glass which is compatible with living tissue. The whole thing is about the size of a grain of rice.
A special syringe and needle are used to implant the chip between your pet’s shoul-der blades. The insertion isn’t painful and a check will be made using a handheld device immediately afterwards to ensure that the chip’s data is readable. The code and owners details are then stored on a national database. It is important to update your details on the database if you move.
Many pets are suitable for microchipping including dogs, cats, rabbits and horses. Charities such as the Dogs Trust are so pas-sionate about its importance that they offer it for free at their rehoming centres and run chipping roadshow events throughout the year. Vets and other organisations charge for microchipping, and costs will vary de-pending on the size of your pet and where you live.
Microchip Your Pet
Gas boiler, fire & cooker, servicing, installation
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1110 www.thevinemagazine.com
• Conservatories • Windows • Doors • Aluminium Seamless Guttering• Garage Doors • Car Ports • GRP Flat Roofing
visit your local showroom at Leighton Buzzard Garden CentreLeighton Road, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, LU7 9NX
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FCA appeal for new carers across Thames Valley to foster young parents with their childFoster Care Associ-ates (FCA) is help-ing young parents in Mil-ton Keynes, Aylesbury, and across the Thames Valley region, to develop their parenting skills by provid-ing support in the home of a specially trained foster carer. The aim is to keep the family together and stop the children from going into care.
FCA which marks its 21st an-niversary of providing care and support to children and young people this year, is appealing for potential carers in Thames Valley with the time, inclination and space to care for a young parent and their child to con-sider a move into fostering.A parent and child placement offers the parent – often the mother – and child the best
opportunity to remain together. A young parent may be strug-gling to care for their child and require extra support, and these placements allow the parent to develop their parenting skills in a stable and caring environment whilst in the guidance of their foster carer.
FCA encourages parent and child placements because they allow the parent to maintain and build upon their relation-ship with the child, meaning a foster home can play a pivotal role in ensuring the parent and child a happy lifetime together.Karen Bolton, registered manag-er, from FCA Thames Valley said: "Rather than referring struggling young parents to residential units to have their parenting assessed, family courts and local authorities are increasingly be-ginning to refer them to parent and child foster placements.
“With fully trained support staff across the Thames Valley region ready to work with new carers and guide them, FCA
offer full support and guidance to carers and children alike to ensure that each relationship fulfils the children and the fam-ily as whole”
Placements can range from short-term assessment periods, which generally last up to 12 weeks, to more long-term ones that offer the chance to help the parent provide care and guid-ance to the child. This means an appropriate placement can be found to suit the foster home. Some are pre-birth placements that help parents to prepare for the birth of the child.
FCA provides support to those undertaking parent and child placements every step of the way, including training, a finan-cial allowance, access to carer support groups and organised family activities.
For more information on be-coming a foster carer with FCA call 0800 023 4561 or visit www.thefca.co.uk
www.thevinemagazine.com 13
giving a child a home, not just a
place to stay.
careis...
Foster a young person.Seeing someone flourish before your eyes – thanks to the support you’ve given them – is one of the most exciting and fulfilling things life can offer.
If you would like to do something truly unique and rewarding, call us on 0800 022 4012 to find out how.
0800 022 4012fosterwithfca.co.uk
A2300_Tactical_Recruitment_Advert_130x187mm_[Step_Down]_A_AW.indd 1 12/05/2015 16:35
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The Martin Lewis Money PageMartin 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
A company’s job is to make money, nowt wrong with that, but our job is to keep it. Some firms use a host of tricks to keep us in
the dark, yet if you can uncover their secrets you can win.
Shhh! They don’t want you to know
Their techniques are wide and varied. One example is ‘price differentiation’, where they aim to charge each customer as much as they’ll pay - often done using ‘white labels’, where the same thing is sold under different names. So here are 7 tricks to turn the tables…
British Gas customer? It also operates under the name Sainsbury’s Energy but there it’s £200/year cheaper. British Gas runs Sainsbury’s Energy for the supermarket, yet there you pay it far less. Based on a year’s typical dual fuel usage...
- On British Gas’ standard tariff you pay an average £1,154.- On British Gas’ Price Promise March 2016, its cheapest deal, you pay average £1,100. - On Sainsbury Fixed Price March 2016, you pay average £950.
Sainsbury’s Energy does have separate call centres, but it’s still operated by British Gas and while like many energy firms it gets its fair share of complaints, in my most recent poll 43% rated its service ‘great’, British Gas 37%.
So if for some reason you’re brand loyal and want to stick with British Gas, huge savings are still possible. However, as always price varies by region and usage, so do a comparison to see how it stacks up for you via my www.CheapEnergyClub.com (where you also get switching cashback) or any www.ofgem.gov.uk approved comparison site.
Zara sells its clothes at a fraction of the price. If you’re one of millions planning a trip to Spain this summer, you may want to stop shopping
at Zara here right now. Spain is Zara’s home country and it sells its clothes at vastly lower prices there. Better still, the www.zara.com Spain website has an English language option, you can compare prices before you go (you can’t order UK delivery from it).
Clothes there are often cheaper in euros than in pounds, even before the currency conversion. In fact on a basket of goods it was on average 38% cheaper. Some of you may think ‘ah yes I’ve seen the euro price on some labels in the UK’, but that’s usually the French price, which is generally more expensive. This trick works for others in the same group, Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear and Uterque.
If a loan’s advertised at 3.9% rep APR, they’re allowed to charge 20%. Every loan these days is listed as a ‘representative’ or ‘rep’ APR - that means by law only 51% of accepted applicants need to get the advertised rate. The rest can be and usually are charged more, and there’s no cap on how much more. Worse, the only way to know is to apply, and that leaves a footprint on your credit file. So be very careful.
One way to mitigate this somewhat is to use the calculator at www.mse.me/eligibility which tells you your odds of being accepted without marking your credit file. The higher your ac-ceptance odds the more likely you are to get the advertised rate, although it’s not guaran-teed.
Amazon shopper? You’re entitled to music going back 16 years. If you’ve bought CDs or vinyl, you’re entitled to the downloads for nowt going as far back as 1999. To be fair Amazon
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The Martin Lewis Money Page
doesn’t hide that you can do this, but it’s a good trick.
Just login to your www.amazon.co.uk music library to see if you’ve any past tracks available. As JHL1959 told me: “Crikey, it’s given me 182 albums, that’s 2,367 tracks. Amazingly, I still like a lot of them - cheered me up.”
It’s not always such a success though, GingerJuice said: “Just did this - thought it was brilliant then realised I’d bought the mother-in-law the Susan Boyle CD last year... ugh.” Only get good mobile signal with one network? Switch to a piggyback. Many people tell me “I wish I could switch network but only Vodafone/EE works in my home.” Yet there’s a way to switch provider but keep the same signal...
Only EE, Vodafone, Three and O2 are actual mobile networks, yet there are many cheap virtual networks piggyback-ing on the same signal. E.g. Giffgaff is O2, Asda is EE, TalkMobile is Vodafone and Shebang is Three (full piggyback list at www.mse.me/piggyback). So check which other providers piggyback on your existing network and see if they’re cheaper.
Energy firms can’t charge exit penal-ties within 49 days of a fix ending. If you’re on a cheap fixed energy deal you needn’t wait until the last day to switch to avoid exit fees as rules state that 49 days before your fix ends, you’re al-lowed to switch without penalty.
Play the codeshare trick - where two airlines sell the same flight. Airlines don’t shout that their partners often sell their flights too, sometimes for less. If you’re going on popular long-haul routes this can be a way to save.
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@moneysavingexpert
twitter.com/pchelpcentre
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16
PuzzlesPuzzlesPuzzles
Across
1. Hit, clouted (6) 4. Abundance (6) 8. Institution (12) 9. Precise, singular (10)12. Required (6)13. Like better (6)16. Amenities (10)17. Advanced culture, society (12)18. Prompt (6)19. Rides a bike (6)
Down
1. Ceasing (8) 2. Watched, looked (8) 3. Deliberation, Cogitation (13) 5. Outstanding (13) 6. Cares for (5) 7. Concern, problem (5)10. Accredited, authentic (8)11. Gifts (8)14. Stiff (5)15. Father’s brother (5)
Crossword
PuzzlesPuzzlesPuzzles
PuzzlesPuzzlesPuzzles
PuzzlesPuzzlesPuzzles
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!
LOADS
HARPS
Answers on page 30
17www.thevinemagazine.com
See The International Space Station From Bedfordshire: The first two weeks of June sees the International Space Station (ISS) pass over Bedfordshire in the evening sky. Look for a solid bright white light moving at an almost constant speed across the sky roughly west to east. Timings vary from night to night, so keep your eyes peeled between 9:45pm and midnight. On some evenings you might get to see the ISS a second time, about 90 minutes after its first passage.
Hunt Down Electric Blue Clouds At The Edge Of Space: Late summer evenings are a great time to hunt down noctilucent clouds (NLCs). These eerie electric blue strands of cirrus-like cloud sometimes appear draped over the northern horizon after dark. Sunlight reflecting off tiny particles of frozen meteor dust in Earth’s upper atmosphere are thought to cause these
strange night-shining clouds. Look out for them in the sky towards your north between 11pm and 2am.
Discover How Saturn Looks In A Telescope: Seeing Saturn for the first time in a telescope is an unforgettable experience. This June and July the ringed
planet is perfectly placed for evening viewing near the constel-lation of Scorpio. Look for it low down towards the south near a curved line of three dimmer white stars. To the naked eye Saturn appears as a bright yellow ‘star’. A small telescope is all that is needed to reveal the planet’s ring system.
Dark Sky Telescope Hire www.darkskytelescopehire.co.uk
Bedfordshire’s Night Sky Looking Up!
June and July 2015
Image: Noctilucent Cloud Display by Jan Erik Paulsen
By Seb Jay
By Jonathan Vernon-Smith
You can listen to The JVS Show every weekday morning from 9am on BBC Three Counties Radio
Consumer Clinic
Knowing Your Consumer Rights I am becoming increasingly fed up with dealing with retailers right across
Beds, Bucks and beyond who either don’t familiarise themselves with consumer law, or who deliberately attempt to pull the wool over their
customer’s eyes. That makes it so important that we all understand the law as consumers. That way, when a retailer talks rubbish,
we spot it straight away.
I thought this month I would take the opportunity to ex-plain ‘Statutory Rights’. You may have seen on a receipt or contract ‘This does not affect your statutory rights’. This means that anything the retailer has offered you (in terms of returns policy etc) does not change the things you’re entitled to by law. When you purchase any brand new goods or services in the UK you are protected by your ‘statutory rights’ (sale of goods act 1979).
All Goods Must Be: a) Fit for purpose
b) Of ‘reasonable’ quality (based on the cost)
c) Last for a reasonable amount of time (based on the cost)
Therefore, if you buy (for example) a fridge for £300, it should last for a ‘reasonable’
amount of time. I would suggest a minimum of 5 years’ worth of ‘reasonable use’ before it blows up. If it develops a manufacturing fault at any time during that period, the retailer IS LIABLE! Any attempt to fob you off, should be met with a firm, but polite explanation of your consumer rights. Bear in mind, the retailer is at liberty to take into ac-count usage you’ve had from a product before it breaks though. For example, if your 4 year old fridge blows up, the retailer could offer to replace it, but will ask for a contribution from you for the 4 years use you had from the previous model. For the first 6 months after purchase, it’s up to the retailer to prove that the fault with the item is NOT their responsibility. After the first 6 months it’s your responsibility. Therefore, my advice when dealing with an obstructive retailer, is to
obtain an independent report to confirm that the product has a manufacturing fault, then ask the retailer to not only fix the problem, but also reimburse you for the cost of the report. It is also worth noting that when you first purchase an item, during the first 4 weeks you are entitled to return faulty goods and get a full refund. After this period of time, generally you will have to permit the retailer an op-portunity to repair the item if they so wish. So, remember next time the manager of a shop says ‘oh sorry, there’s nothing we can do I’m afraid’. Tell them you understand your statutory rights and if they still fail to help, then call my team on 01582 637450 and I’ll have a little ‘word’ for you!
www.thevinemagazine.com18 19
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Health Beauty Wellbeing&
Brows & Lashes
Internet searches assure me that no matter how over-plucked, over-waxed or over-groomed your eyebrows may be, there is hope still for beautiful, arched, perfectly coiffed speci-mens. The most extreme method might be an eyebrow transplant (yes really!), but there are other less drastic options!
Most of us ladies – and the odd gent too – need to lose a few hairs from the brow line. The easiest solution is tweezing away the stray hairs yourself, but the results are short-lived and the risk of creating the wrong shape is high. Better results can be achieved by a professional, with waxing and thread-ing methods achieving hair removal lasting around 4-6 weeks. Fair or very thin eyebrows may benefit from being tinted. Like hair dye, this changes the colour and lasts 4-6 weeks.
A popular look at the moment is HD (High Definition) Brows which focus on shape and design and promise to give you sleek, stylish brows like those enjoyed by the stars. A seven step process that includes a consul-tation followed by tinting, waxing, threading, tweez-ing, trimming and finishing with a pencil or brush to fill in any gaps, is described as more than just shaping or tidying but actual eyebrow artistry!
With your brows looking beautiful brows it’s time to move on to the eyelashes.
There are numerous mascaras around promising volume, length and thickness, and I can vouch for some of them actually work-ing! My daughter’s naturally
long lashes were taken to another level following the application of a
new mascara. But what else is on offer?
Tinting is an option if your lashes are particu-larly fair, and it’s not just for girls. I remember the difference it made to my friend’s son after his lashes were darkened. Curling makes straight lashes appear longer, and creates the illusion of wider, brighter, more feminine eyes. Lash-perming, which is best carried out by a professional, can make the results can last for six weeks, which is great for holidays or if you have any big events lined up.
Finally, how about having eyelash exten-sions? This is one of the UK’s fastest growing beauty treatments and involves gluing separate synthetic eyelashes to individual natural lashes to give a luscious, natural look. The amount of curl, length or thickness can vary according to your personal preference and the results last for 8-12 weeks depending on your natural lash growth cycle.
I was born with my dad’s eyebrows. Naturally thick, shapeless and unsightly, they looked like two caterpillars stuck to my forehead. At age twelve I followed the fashion of the day and plucked away until they were within a whisper of totally disappearing - and I was on the point of fainting! Today, my eyebrows are thin, shapeless and unsightly and I’m resigned to them looking that way forever. Or rather I was…
20
Health Beauty Wellbeing&
Brows & Lashes
Internet searches assure me that no matter how over-plucked, over-waxed or over-groomed your eyebrows may be, there is hope still for beautiful, arched, perfectly coiffed speci-mens. The most extreme method might be an eyebrow transplant (yes really!), but there are other less drastic options!
Most of us ladies – and the odd gent too – need to lose a few hairs from the brow line. The easiest solution is tweezing away the stray hairs yourself, but the results are short-lived and the risk of creating the wrong shape is high. Better results can be achieved by a professional, with waxing and thread-ing methods achieving hair removal lasting around 4-6 weeks. Fair or very thin eyebrows may benefit from being tinted. Like hair dye, this changes the colour and lasts 4-6 weeks.
A popular look at the moment is HD (High Definition) Brows which focus on shape and design and promise to give you sleek, stylish brows like those enjoyed by the stars. A seven step process that includes a consul-tation followed by tinting, waxing, threading, tweez-ing, trimming and finishing with a pencil or brush to fill in any gaps, is described as more than just shaping or tidying but actual eyebrow artistry!
With your brows looking beautiful brows it’s time to move on to the eyelashes.
There are numerous mascaras around promising volume, length and thickness, and I can vouch for some of them actually work-ing! My daughter’s naturally
long lashes were taken to another level following the application of a
new mascara. But what else is on offer?
Tinting is an option if your lashes are particu-larly fair, and it’s not just for girls. I remember the difference it made to my friend’s son after his lashes were darkened. Curling makes straight lashes appear longer, and creates the illusion of wider, brighter, more feminine eyes. Lash-perming, which is best carried out by a professional, can make the results can last for six weeks, which is great for holidays or if you have any big events lined up.
Finally, how about having eyelash exten-sions? This is one of the UK’s fastest growing beauty treatments and involves gluing separate synthetic eyelashes to individual natural lashes to give a luscious, natural look. The amount of curl, length or thickness can vary according to your personal preference and the results last for 8-12 weeks depending on your natural lash growth cycle.
I was born with my dad’s eyebrows. Naturally thick, shapeless and unsightly, they looked like two caterpillars stuck to my forehead. At age twelve I followed the fashion of the day and plucked away until they were within a whisper of totally disappearing - and I was on the point of fainting! Today, my eyebrows are thin, shapeless and unsightly and I’m resigned to them looking that way forever. Or rather I was…
21www.thevinemagazine.com
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Katarzyna Golinska Foot Health Practitioner MCFHP MAFHP
Home Visiting Practice
Golinska Foot CareFootcare for all the family
Nail CuttingCorns/CallusesCracked Heels
Fungal NailsVerrucasIngrown Nails
07926 944302 / 01582 512734www.golinskafootcare.com
Katarzyna Golinska Foot Health Practitioner MCFHP MAFHP
Home Visiting Practice
Golinska Foot CareFootcare for all the family
Nail CuttingCorns/CallusesCracked Heels
Fungal NailsVerrucasIngrown Nails
07926 944302 / 01582 512734www.golinskafootcare.com
Katarzyna Golinska Foot Health Practitioner MCFHP MAFHP
Home Visiting Practice
Golinska Foot CareFootcare for all the family
Nail CuttingCorns/CallusesCracked Heels
Fungal NailsVerrucasIngrown Nails
07926 944302 / 01582 512734www.golinskafootcare.com
Katarzyna Golinska Foot Health Practitioner MCFHP MAFHP
Home Visiting Practice
Golinska Foot CareFootcare for all the family
Nail CuttingCorns/CallusesCracked Heels
Fungal NailsVerrucasIngrown Nails
07926 944302 / 01582 512734www.golinskafootcare.com
Katarzyna Golinska Foot Health Practitioner MCFHP MAFHP
Home Visiting Practice
How to blend contemporary style
with
At Home&In The Garden
By Sarah MyallDesigner Principle/Director 07734 955303www.white-houseinteriors.com
As a designer we are often required to work on properties around the home counties that have significant traditional or period features. For the homeowner they often assume that because they want to keep elements of those features they must blend the interior to feature a recreation style of when the property is dated from, this can then mean you can end up with overfussy, crowded, dark and heavily patterned furnishings. Using the work “Contemporary” and “Traditional” within the same sentence can often strike panic onto the faces of the clients as they cannot see how this would work together.
The trick is to not try to go to far one way or the other. Pick some subtle traditional features and highlight these, for example details like coving/cornice, decorative door handles, original flooring. These all work surprisingly well with very mini-malist contemporary furniture. The clean lines of modern design highlight intricate details, show up grains for original wood and sit uncluttered next to very grand and exuberant items.
I was asked to work on a “Mock Tudor” style property, which is only actually around 20 years old, but build in a fashion that leaves lower ceiling heights, lots of dark timbers and difficult room proportions. The clients wanted a modern comfy lounge/snug but have a inglenook style fireplace which dominated the room. They couldn’t see how they could get that clean edge design they had in previous homes. We added a deco inspired coving as a traditional coving would have been too deep for the ceiling, balanced the room by blocking up one of the two entrances, and inlaid a simple pat-terned carpet into a rustic wood floor. Picking out a pop of colour and blending the TV into a media wall in dark textures similar to the fireplace meant that the TV didn’t dominate as a focal point, and the fireplace still remained a feature, but with other darker aspects to the room it no longer dominated the room. When it comes to property like this get-ting the blend right is simply down the planning, plan out what you would like to do and see if it works. Try some mood boards, thereare a few great apps like Morpholio Board, Olioboard and Home-Style that you can download to help.
Period Features
22
2319www.thevinemagazine.com
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The Lawn
In The Garden
Watering... without the guiltWho remembers their dad hosing the garden on warm summer evenings? We always seemed to have a lush lawn when I was a child, apart from the summer of 1976 when hosepipes were banned and we all used stand-pipes for weeks.But nowadays hosepipes are the horticultural equivalent of a bad taste joke: out of style and somewhat frowned upon.
But gardens need water to survive so what can we do?
Well the truth is, we have more than enough water in the UK to sustain an average garden, but it tends to fall in the winter when all the plants are dormant.A water butt is a simple, economical solution for most urban gardens. Butts will catch the rainwater from your gutter and store it until it’s required. They typically hold between 100 and 300 litres depending on size.You can now buy huge rainwater tanks which hold up 1000 litres and are great if you have the space. There are also underground storage tanks which hold over 2500 litres!With special attachments, stored rainwater can be fed into hoses and sprinklers, so you can use them guilt-free.
However, if you want to make the most of your saved water then irrigation systems are the best choice. They typically reduce the amount of water you use by 70-90%, which is a huge saving. Here are a few tips for get-ting the best from an irrigation system.
Ground preparation is really important. Dig in lots of home-produced compost, well rotted horse manure, or spent mushroom compost. This organic matter will help the soil retain any moisture it receives.
Make sure the irrigation lines run under the tips of the branches rather than at the base of the plant. This will water the roots more efficiently.
Make sure you mulch. Mulch can be a mem-brane, gravel, bark chips or cocoa shells. The aim is to keep moisture in the soil. I favour organic mulches because they gradually rot down and can be dug in to improve the soil texture further.
A few simple measures will ensure that your garden stays green this summer without cost-ing the earth!By Rachel Leverton
24
The Lawn
In The Garden
Watering... without the guiltWho remembers their dad hosing the garden on warm summer evenings? We always seemed to have a lush lawn when I was a child, apart from the summer of 1976 when hosepipes were banned and we all used stand-pipes for weeks.But nowadays hosepipes are the horticultural equivalent of a bad taste joke: out of style and somewhat frowned upon.
But gardens need water to survive so what can we do?
Well the truth is, we have more than enough water in the UK to sustain an average garden, but it tends to fall in the winter when all the plants are dormant.A water butt is a simple, economical solution for most urban gardens. Butts will catch the rainwater from your gutter and store it until it’s required. They typically hold between 100 and 300 litres depending on size.You can now buy huge rainwater tanks which hold up 1000 litres and are great if you have the space. There are also underground storage tanks which hold over 2500 litres!With special attachments, stored rainwater can be fed into hoses and sprinklers, so you can use them guilt-free.
However, if you want to make the most of your saved water then irrigation systems are the best choice. They typically reduce the amount of water you use by 70-90%, which is a huge saving. Here are a few tips for get-ting the best from an irrigation system.
Ground preparation is really important. Dig in lots of home-produced compost, well rotted horse manure, or spent mushroom compost. This organic matter will help the soil retain any moisture it receives.
Make sure the irrigation lines run under the tips of the branches rather than at the base of the plant. This will water the roots more efficiently.
Make sure you mulch. Mulch can be a mem-brane, gravel, bark chips or cocoa shells. The aim is to keep moisture in the soil. I favour organic mulches because they gradually rot down and can be dug in to improve the soil texture further.
A few simple measures will ensure that your garden stays green this summer without cost-ing the earth!By Rachel Leverton
25
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26
auto Biographies
By Tim Barnes-Clay www.carwriteups.co.uk
Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class
Sometimes a pair of new shoes feels just right. No blisters ever appear and they soon become your go-to choice of footwear. Others cause you a little discomfort at first but, once worn in, you feel as though you’d never sauntered in anything else.The Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 AMG Sport I drove was very much the latter example. It took me a while fine-tuning the seat to give me the best driving position. I then had to adjust the steering wheel several times – and then get the lumbar support right. For the first day I just couldn’t nail it and, squirming uncomfortably, I was convinced this car wasn’t for me. But, by the second day of my week with the Merc, I felt it was made with my name on it. Some car seats just require a quick twiddle here and there and you’re all set up. I think the CLA’s sports seats with integral headrests simply take some getting used to. They’re sculpted in a curve-forwards position, and make you feel like your head needs to go back more – although that could have been me being fussy on the day the car was delivered. Anyway, enough of the seats and my hair-splitting; let me explain why, on the whole, the CLA is an excellent piece of German machinery.Aesthetically, its proportions and dynamic design give the compact four-door saloon-cum-coupé
an unmistakable appearance. The vehicle's striking features include the bonnet embedded in the front end with power-domes and a diamond-look grille. The light modules and LEDs behind the headlamp cover glass have been arranged in such a way as to create a characteristic "flare effect" for the daytime driving lights and indicators. This light signet defines the car's energetic form and shapes a new, youthful Mercedes face.The width-emphasising rear end exudes muscle and athleticism, featuring an interplay between convex and concave surfaces. The gently sloping roof contour and the pronounced, hallmark curvature of the rear window, provide the CLA 250 AMG Sport with a coupé-style character from the rear, too.The exterior's progressive, sporty appearance is continued inside the Benz. All trim surfaces are gal-vanised in silver shadow, resulting in a cool-to-the-touch metallic finish. The instrument panel incorporates five large round vents and there’s a prominent free-standing display screen that features a black piano-lacquer-look front panel with a flush-fitting silver frame. In the back, the seats, once again, become a sticking point. They are cramped for adults and not even the best fit for two child seats, but my eight and five year old coped without too much squabbling. On the plus side; boot space is good for this type of car.
On the road, the CLA 250’s turbocharged four-cylinder engine rocks for most situations. The car has excellent grip when pushed through corners and its seven-speed automatic transmission climbs and descends excellently under pressure. Especially note-worthy is the Mercedes’ direct steer system, which offers precise feedback in comparison to con-ventional power steering.Safety hasn’t been overlooked either, with numerous driving assistance systems offering sup-port and reducing your workload behind the wheel. Standard-fit features include drowsiness detec-tion and radar-based collision prevention assist with adaptive brake assist, which helps to protect you from collisions from a speed of only 4mph.
Max speed: 149 mph 0-62 mph: 6.6 secs Combined mpg: 42.8 Engine: 1991cc 4 cylinder 16 valve turbo petrol Max. power (bhp): 208 Max. torque (lb/ft): 258 CO2: 154g/km Price: £33.440
FAST FACTS
PROS & CONS • Design √• Steering √• Grip √• Safety kit √• Rear seats X
AUTO-BIOGRAPHIES Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class
By Tim Barnes-Clay, www.carwriteups.co.uk
Sometimes a pair of new shoes feels just right. No blisters ever appear and they soon become your go-to choice of footwear. Others cause you a little discomfort at first – but, once worn in, you feel as though you’d never sauntered in anything else. The Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 AMG Sport I drove was very much the latter example. It took me a while fine-tuning the seat to give me the best driving position. I then had to adjust the steering wheel several times – and then get the lumbar support right. For the first day I just couldn’t nail it and, squirming uncomfortably, I was convinced this car wasn’t for me. But, by the second day of my week with the Merc, I felt it was made with my name on it. Some car seats just require a quick twiddle here and there and you’re all set up. I think the CLA’s sports seats with integral headrests simply take some getting used to. They’re sculpted in a curve-forwards position, and make you feel like your head needs to go back more – although that could have been me being fussy on the day the car was delivered. Anyway, enough of the seats and my hair-splitting; let me explain why, on the whole, the CLA is an excellent piece of German machinery. Aesthetically, its proportions and dynamic design give the compact four-door saloon-cum-coupé an unmistakable appearance. The vehicle's striking features include the bonnet embedded in the front end with power-domes and a diamond-look grille. The light modules and LEDs behind the headlamp cover glass have been arranged in such a way as to create a characteristic "flare effect" for the daytime driving lights and indicators. This light signet
defines the car's energetic form and shapes a new, youthful Mercedes face. The width-emphasising rear end exudes muscle and athleticism, featuring an interplay between convex and concave surfaces. The gently sloping roof contour and the pronounced, hallmark curvature of the rear window, provide the CLA 250 AMG Sport with a coupé-style character from the rear, too. The exterior's progressive, sporty appearance is continued inside the Benz. All trim surfaces are galvanised in silver shadow, resulting in a cool-to-the-touch metallic finish. The instrument panel incorporates five large round vents and there’s a prominent free-standing display screen that features a black piano-lacquer-look front panel with a flush-fitting silver frame. In the back, the seats, once again, become a sticking point. They are cramped for adults and not even the best fit for two child seats, but my eight and five year old coped without too much squabbling. On the plus side; boot space is good for this type of car. On the road, the CLA 250’s turbocharged four-cylinder engine rocks for most situations. The car has excellent grip when pushed through corners and its seven-speed automatic transmission climbs and descends excellently under pressure. Especially noteworthy is the Mercedes’ direct steer system, which offers precise feedback in comparison to conventional power steering. Safety hasn’t been overlooked either, with numerous driving assistance systems offering support and reducing your workload behind the wheel. Standard-fit features include drowsiness detection and radar-based collision prevention assist with adaptive brake assist, which helps to
27www.thevinemagazine.com
auto Biographies
By Tim Barnes-Clay www.carwriteups.co.uk
Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class
Sometimes a pair of new shoes feels just right. No blisters ever appear and they soon become your go-to choice of footwear. Others cause you a little discomfort at first but, once worn in, you feel as though you’d never sauntered in anything else.The Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 AMG Sport I drove was very much the latter example. It took me a while fine-tuning the seat to give me the best driving position. I then had to adjust the steering wheel several times – and then get the lumbar support right. For the first day I just couldn’t nail it and, squirming uncomfortably, I was convinced this car wasn’t for me. But, by the second day of my week with the Merc, I felt it was made with my name on it. Some car seats just require a quick twiddle here and there and you’re all set up. I think the CLA’s sports seats with integral headrests simply take some getting used to. They’re sculpted in a curve-forwards position, and make you feel like your head needs to go back more – although that could have been me being fussy on the day the car was delivered. Anyway, enough of the seats and my hair-splitting; let me explain why, on the whole, the CLA is an excellent piece of German machinery.Aesthetically, its proportions and dynamic design give the compact four-door saloon-cum-coupé
an unmistakable appearance. The vehicle's striking features include the bonnet embedded in the front end with power-domes and a diamond-look grille. The light modules and LEDs behind the headlamp cover glass have been arranged in such a way as to create a characteristic "flare effect" for the daytime driving lights and indicators. This light signet defines the car's energetic form and shapes a new, youthful Mercedes face.The width-emphasising rear end exudes muscle and athleticism, featuring an interplay between convex and concave surfaces. The gently sloping roof contour and the pronounced, hallmark curvature of the rear window, provide the CLA 250 AMG Sport with a coupé-style character from the rear, too.The exterior's progressive, sporty appearance is continued inside the Benz. All trim surfaces are gal-vanised in silver shadow, resulting in a cool-to-the-touch metallic finish. The instrument panel incorporates five large round vents and there’s a prominent free-standing display screen that features a black piano-lacquer-look front panel with a flush-fitting silver frame. In the back, the seats, once again, become a sticking point. They are cramped for adults and not even the best fit for two child seats, but my eight and five year old coped without too much squabbling. On the plus side; boot space is good for this type of car.
On the road, the CLA 250’s turbocharged four-cylinder engine rocks for most situations. The car has excellent grip when pushed through corners and its seven-speed automatic transmission climbs and descends excellently under pressure. Especially note-worthy is the Mercedes’ direct steer system, which offers precise feedback in comparison to con-ventional power steering.Safety hasn’t been overlooked either, with numerous driving assistance systems offering sup-port and reducing your workload behind the wheel. Standard-fit features include drowsiness detec-tion and radar-based collision prevention assist with adaptive brake assist, which helps to protect you from collisions from a speed of only 4mph.
Max speed: 149 mph 0-62 mph: 6.6 secs Combined mpg: 42.8 Engine: 1991cc 4 cylinder 16 valve turbo petrol Max. power (bhp): 208 Max. torque (lb/ft): 258 CO2: 154g/km Price: £33.440
FAST FACTS
PROS & CONS • Design √• Steering √• Grip √• Safety kit √• Rear seats X
AUTO-BIOGRAPHIES Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class
By Tim Barnes-Clay, www.carwriteups.co.uk
Sometimes a pair of new shoes feels just right. No blisters ever appear and they soon become your go-to choice of footwear. Others cause you a little discomfort at first – but, once worn in, you feel as though you’d never sauntered in anything else. The Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 AMG Sport I drove was very much the latter example. It took me a while fine-tuning the seat to give me the best driving position. I then had to adjust the steering wheel several times – and then get the lumbar support right. For the first day I just couldn’t nail it and, squirming uncomfortably, I was convinced this car wasn’t for me. But, by the second day of my week with the Merc, I felt it was made with my name on it. Some car seats just require a quick twiddle here and there and you’re all set up. I think the CLA’s sports seats with integral headrests simply take some getting used to. They’re sculpted in a curve-forwards position, and make you feel like your head needs to go back more – although that could have been me being fussy on the day the car was delivered. Anyway, enough of the seats and my hair-splitting; let me explain why, on the whole, the CLA is an excellent piece of German machinery. Aesthetically, its proportions and dynamic design give the compact four-door saloon-cum-coupé an unmistakable appearance. The vehicle's striking features include the bonnet embedded in the front end with power-domes and a diamond-look grille. The light modules and LEDs behind the headlamp cover glass have been arranged in such a way as to create a characteristic "flare effect" for the daytime driving lights and indicators. This light signet
defines the car's energetic form and shapes a new, youthful Mercedes face. The width-emphasising rear end exudes muscle and athleticism, featuring an interplay between convex and concave surfaces. The gently sloping roof contour and the pronounced, hallmark curvature of the rear window, provide the CLA 250 AMG Sport with a coupé-style character from the rear, too. The exterior's progressive, sporty appearance is continued inside the Benz. All trim surfaces are galvanised in silver shadow, resulting in a cool-to-the-touch metallic finish. The instrument panel incorporates five large round vents and there’s a prominent free-standing display screen that features a black piano-lacquer-look front panel with a flush-fitting silver frame. In the back, the seats, once again, become a sticking point. They are cramped for adults and not even the best fit for two child seats, but my eight and five year old coped without too much squabbling. On the plus side; boot space is good for this type of car. On the road, the CLA 250’s turbocharged four-cylinder engine rocks for most situations. The car has excellent grip when pushed through corners and its seven-speed automatic transmission climbs and descends excellently under pressure. Especially noteworthy is the Mercedes’ direct steer system, which offers precise feedback in comparison to conventional power steering. Safety hasn’t been overlooked either, with numerous driving assistance systems offering support and reducing your workload behind the wheel. Standard-fit features include drowsiness detection and radar-based collision prevention assist with adaptive brake assist, which helps to
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STOCKWOOD DISCOVERY CENTRETel: 01582 548600
The History of Transport in Lego®4th July – 6th September Charges
applyExhibition and activities based around Lego®.
Fine Art Taster Sessions12th & 19th July, 10am – 1pm
£10. Limited places, booking es-sential.
Explore formal drawing and fine art painting techniques in our beautiful inspiring gardens.Please dress weather appropriate for outdoors.
Bee and Honey Day26th July, 11am – 4pm FREE
Take part in different bee themed activities and learn all about bees and beekeeping with the Bedfordshire Beekeepers Association.• Honey extraction demonstra-tions• Live observation of a real hive with industrious worker bees and the Queen Bee• The Virtual Hive - explore the inner workings of a bee colony• Introduction to candle rolling• Children’s craft activities• Honey tasting• Specialist advice on keeping your own bees.
Working WednesdaysEvery Wednesday
29th July – 19th August. FREEGo along to Stockwood Dis-covery Centre to see stationary steam engines in all their work-ing glory
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 440417 or Ian 07900 890583 for detailswww.sapphiresocialsinglesclub.co.uk
THE PARKSIDE SINGERSDo you enjoy singing?The Parkside Singers is a lively mixed choir, singing four-part har-mony musicincluding pop, songs from musicals and some choral favourites such as Ave Verum and The Lords Prayer. Call Claire on 01525 753110.
LUTON POETRY SOCIETYLast Saturday of every month, 2-4pmLuton Central Library£3, free for Poetry Society member (£20 annual membership)Our meetings usually take place on the last Saturday of each month at Luton Central Library (3rd Floor)June’s theme is ‘Sorry, Please and Thank You’. July’s theme is ‘Summer’For more information visit www.lutonculture.com/luton-libraries or call 01582 547 418
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
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 companion-ship, 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]
LUTON CENTRAL LIBRARYTel: 01582 547 418
I Have a Plan!3rd June, 1-2.30pm £2
Architectural drawings can tell us more about our world than the buildings that survive. Come and explore a world that was and a world that might have been.
Carers Information Day9th June, 11am-3pm Free
As a part of Carers Week 2015, we are hosting a carers information day, which features MIND, YAWN and the Confident Carer Service from the Disability Resource Centre and many more.
Parish Records Talk10th June, 1-2.30pm £2
Find out what else you can discover besides parish registers, as we help you lift the lid on the parish chest.
Introduction to Palaeography17th June, 1-2.30pm £2
“That looks amazing...but what does it actually say?” Come along and discover the basic skills of reading old handwriting.
Meet Audio Book Narrator Gordon Griffin
26th June, 10am – 12pm FreePart of Make a Noise in Luton Librar-ies Event. Discover how great audio books get made.Gordon Griffin has recorded over 500 audio books ranging from Gogol to Chris Ryan, from Dickens to Catherine Cookson.He has won many awards for his narration, including The Golden Earphone Award 2005.Gordon will be joined by Simon Cox of W.F. Howes, publisher of Clipper audio books.
28
Out About&• Clubs • Groups • Events• Community
WARDOWN PARK MUSEUMTel: 01582 546722
Inspired by Lace23rd May – 28th June free
The Inspired by lace project is a collaboration between Luton Culture and Ashcroft High School. The Year 8 students were given a challenge to become Museum Makers and create art work which was inspired by the lace collection at Wardown Park Museum.
Sikh Fortress Turban3rd June – 6th September FREE
A rare chance to see a magnificent Dastaar Boonga Sikh turban, literally translated ‘towering fortress’, stand-ing at over 70cm in height, and using 37 metres of cloth.This style of turban was worn by a group of Sikhs called Akali Nihangs. These skilled warriors used this type of turban to hold their weapons; including daggers, double-edged swords, deadly throwing discs and a battalion badge. Some Akali Nihangs still wear this type of turban today as a symbolic representation of this tradition.On loan from The British Museum and supported through the ArtFund Prize.
100 Images of Migration6th June – 19th July
100 photographs which tell a story about migration; social and cultural history comes to life.Some of the stories accompanying the photos are immensely mov-ing and detailed, and shed light on different people’s experiences, and the connections we have across all culture
Music in the Museum7th June& 5th July 2-4pm £5
Enjoy live music every month in this unique setting. Spaces are limited.
POETRY CLUB FOR YOUNG WRITERS.
Reviving young Love, for Literature!The Parish Centre, Bramingham Park,
Luton. First Saturday of each Month 1.30pm – 2.30pmProfessional Home Tuition are creating a platform for young poetry writers to showcase their 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 same passion for writing and reading poetry. PHTS say,’The club aims to revive love for Literature for the younger, gadget loving generation’.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 call 01582 528 368.
5TH STOPSLEY GUIDES Guides is our section for girls aged 10 to 14.By becoming part of a worldwide community of girls who learn together and share skills and experi-ences, Guides have the chance to get out there and do something really different.Members take part in a wide range of exciting activities at their regular meetings, and at special events or holidays. Girls can get involved in anything from adventure sports to performing arts, travel and taking part in community action projects. Girlguiding is the leading charity for girls and young women in the UK. By volunteering with us, you can help us create amazing opportunities for thousands of girls around the UK.Guiding happens thanks to more than 100,000 amazing volunteers – men and women like you who give their time to ensure that we are active all over the UK, and beyond. Girlguiding welcomes volunteers of all backgrounds, ages, cultures, faiths and abilities. We are flexible and volunteering can be arranged to fit around a busy lifestyle. If you are interested in finding out more please visit www.girlguiding.ork.uk/joinus
LUTON LIBRARY THEATREcall 01582 878 100
Berakah7thJune, 6.30pm Free. Please book.
Celebrating 10 years of Berakah and creating harmony in more ways than one by including musicians from Christian, Muslim & Jewish heritage. Berakah will be performing music from their two studio albums as well as new music specially written for the 10th Anniversary National Tour.
Newbury Productions PresentsReduced Shakespeare Company inThe Complete Works of William
Shakespeare19thJune, 7.30pm £14 advance,
£16.50 on the night37 plays in 97 minutes! A fast-paced romp through the Bard’s plays.The Complete Works of William Shakespeare was London’s longest- running comedy having clocked a very palpable nine years in London’s West End at the Criterion Theatre! Join these madcap men in tights as they weave their wicked way through all of Shakespeare’s Com-edies, Histories and Tragedies in one wild ride that will leave you breath-less and helpless with laughter
THE HAT FACTORYTel: 01582 878 100
Tamasha Theatre PresentBlood
24th June, 7.30pm £10, £8 concessions
A love story about two teenagers from a Midlands’ Pakistani com-munity.Like a modern-day Romeo and Juliet, Caneze and Sully’s story is about family ties and the risks people are willing to take for love – and the lengths to which others will go to keep them apart.Blood is sparky, funny and heart-wrenchingly honest.Ages 13+
Hayward Club Charity Disco
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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
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www.thevinemagazine.co.uk
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
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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
Email: [email protected]
Wildlife Trust
Tel: 01525 222379 07852 453043Email: [email protected]
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Contact us:
For a FREE quote and consultation01582 864138 / 01525 567028
Tel: 01582 618679Mob: 07801 315140Web: www.gjsmithroofing.comEmail: [email protected]
Experts in all aspects of
Roofing & General Maintenance
✓ Tiling ✓ Slating ✓ Gutters & Down Pipes ✓ Lead Work ✓ Chimney Repairs ✓ Fascias & Soffits ✓ Flat Roofing ✓ Rubber Roofing ✓ Built-Up Felt Roofing
We supply & fit: ✓ Velux Windows ✓ Skylights ✓ Sun Tunnels
✓ Free Estimates
✓ Repairs & New works undertaken
✓ “Trust A Trader” and “EDS” approved
✓ All repair work undertaken
✓ All new work guaranteed
✓ Insurance backed guarantee available
✓ Friendly Service
Friendly staff, honest work, highly recommended...
- customer review
PLEASE CHECK OUR REVIEWS ON TRUST A TRADER
GJ Smith Roofing A6 Flyer.indd 1 23/03/2012 13:31
Approved installer of fascias and soffits.
30 year colour guarantee.Friendly staff, honest work,
highly recommended...Customer review
Tel: 01582 618679Mob: 07801 315140Web: www.gjsmithroofing.comEmail: [email protected]
Experts in all aspects of
Roofing & General Maintenance
✓ Tiling ✓ Slating ✓ Gutters & Down Pipes ✓ Lead Work ✓ Chimney Repairs ✓ Fascias & Soffits ✓ Flat Roofing ✓ Rubber Roofing ✓ Built-Up Felt Roofing
We supply & fit: ✓ Velux Windows ✓ Skylights ✓ Sun Tunnels
✓ Free Estimates
✓ Repairs & New works undertaken
✓ “Trust A Trader” and “EDS” approved
✓ All repair work undertaken
✓ All new work guaranteed
✓ Insurance backed guarantee available
✓ Friendly Service
Friendly staff, honest work, highly recommended...
- customer review
PLEASE CHECK OUR REVIEWS ON TRUST A TRADER
GJ Smith Roofing A6 Flyer.indd 1 23/03/2012 13:31
Approved installer of fascias and soffits.
30 year colour guarantee.Friendly staff, honest work,
highly recommended...Customer review
PLEASE CHECK OUR REVIEWS ON
TRUST A TRADER
Free Estimates
Repairs and new works undertaken
“Trust A Trader” and “EDS” Approved
All Repair Work Undertaken
All New Work Guaranteed
Insurance Backed Guarantee Available
Friendly Service
Tel: 01582 618679Mob: 07801 315140Web: www.gjsmithroofing.comEmail: [email protected]
Experts in all aspects of
Roofing & General Maintenance
✓ Tiling ✓ Slating ✓ Gutters & Down Pipes ✓ Lead Work ✓ Chimney Repairs ✓ Fascias & Soffits ✓ Flat Roofing ✓ Rubber Roofing ✓ Built-Up Felt Roofing
We supply & fit: ✓ Velux Windows ✓ Skylights ✓ Sun Tunnels
✓ Free Estimates
✓ Repairs & New works undertaken
✓ “Trust A Trader” and “EDS” approved
✓ All repair work undertaken
✓ All new work guaranteed
✓ Insurance backed guarantee available
✓ Friendly Service
Friendly staff, honest work, highly recommended...
- customer review
PLEASE CHECK OUR REVIEWS ON TRUST A TRADER
GJ Smith Roofing A6 Flyer.indd 1 23/03/2012 13:31
Experts in all aspects of
Roofing &General
Maintenance Tiling Slating Gutters & Down Pipes Lead Work Chimney Repairs Fascias & Soffits Flat Roofing Rubber Roofing Built-Up Felt Roofing Velux Windows Skylights Sun Tunnels
Tel: 01582 618679Mob: 07801 315140
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.gjsmithroofing.com
www.thevinemagazine.com
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www.zebramoney.co.uk
YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGEThere may be a fee for arranging a mortgage. We charge a flat fee of £495 for advising and arranging straightforward mortgages and £995 for more complex cases, which is payable on completion of the mortgage. We will inform you of the precise amount at the outset, prior to any work being carried out. Pension Health Checks are carried out by a local Independent Financial Adviser, with whom we have an affiliation. Zebra Money Centre is not authorised to give Pension advice.
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