Barton April 2013

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VILLAGERThe

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Issue 4 - April 2013

Bringing Local Business to local people in Barton, Harlington, Ampthill, Flitwick, Westoning, Pulloxhill and all surrounding villages

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LOCAL NEWS • LOCAL PEOPLE • LOCAL SERVICES • LOCAL CHARITIES • LOCAL PRODUCTS

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In this Issue

Town Planning and the Price of Parking ................6London Marathon ..........................................................9Top 5 Money Saving Apps .........................................10Grow your own Veg .....................................................13Your Will, House, Tax and Care Fees .......................14Get Composting ...........................................................18Children’s Page ..............................................................19AWD XJ Porsche Cayenne ..........................................21Seasonal Delights .........................................................22Puzzle Page .....................................................................24What’s On ........................................................................26Book Review ...................................................................31

Advertising SalesMary Williams Tel: 07453 [email protected]

Additional EditorialSusan Brookes-Morris, Pippa Greenwood, Bruce EdwardsSolange Hando, Helen Taylor and James Baggott

Front Cover Photo:Erickn

Design and ArtworkDesign 9 - Tel 07762 969460

PublishersVillager Publications Ltd24 Market SquarePotton, Beds SG19 2NPTel: 01767 261122Email:[email protected]

DisclaimerAll adverts and editorial are printed in good faith, however, Villager Publications Ltd can not take any responsibility for the content of the adverts, the services provided by the advertisers or any statements given in the editorial. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored without the express permission of the publisher.

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VILLAGERThe

and Town Life

Issue 4 - April 2013

Bringing Local Business to local people in Barton, Harlington, Ampthill, Flitwick, Westoning, Pulloxhill and all surrounding villages

£25Prize

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LOCAL NEWS • LOCAL PEOPLE • LOCAL SERVICES • LOCAL CHARITIES • LOCAL PRODUCTS

VILLAGERThe

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4Big BenCast at Whitechapel Foundry

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What could be more British than Big Ben? You hear the bong of the 13-ton bell every time you watch ITN’s evening news or listen to the 6pm and midnight news on Radio 4. And even if you very sensibly try to avoid the news you’ll have heard the Westminster Chimes – played on the four quarter-bells that live with Big Ben in the Elizabeth Tower at the Houses of Parliament – probably more than any other piece of music. Distantly descended from a tune in Handel’s Messiah, they’re in alarm clocks, doorbells, ice cream vans, possibly even ringtones wherever you go. When you finally arrive at the Pearly Gates and ring for admission, you’ll probably hear them then.But there’s more to Big Ben’s Britishness than mere ubiquity. Because there’s nothing more British than a right old foul-up, and Big Ben started its career with not one foul-up but two.One night in October 1834 the Houses of Parliament were burnt to the ground. Next day some fool decided to rebuild them and – shazzam! – a mere 24 years later they were rebuilt. The project was masterminded by Sir Charles Barry but the design of the Great Tower (only re-named last year to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee) was assigned to the great Gothic revivalist Augustus Pugin. Looks like stone, doesn’t it? Looks can be deceiving, though – the shaft of the tower is brick, and the bell chamber and spire are cast iron. The stone is only cladding, like Jack and Vera’s house in Coronation Street.Naturally a great bell had been commissioned. The 16-ton monster was cast in a foundry in Stockton-on-Tees and named after Sir Benjamin Hall, the worthy who supervised the rebuilding. In 1856, before the Great Tower had been topped out, Big Ben was hung up in New Palace Yard and tested. It promptly broke. Whoops! Just time to order a new one, from the Whitechapel Foundry just across the City. Smaller this time, at a mere 13 tons; but still called Big Ben. It was cast on 10 April 1858 and took 18 hours to haul the 200 feet up to the bell chamber to be tested. And guess what? Yes – it broke too. The clapper, it turned out, was twice the recommended weight. It took three years to repair and, apart from 1916-18 when people thought Zeppelins might hear it, it’s been bonging almost uninterrupted ever since. It didn’t even stop during the blitz, when

10 APriL 1858 BIG BeN CAST AT WHITeCHAPeL FOuNDrY

the Luftwaffe totalled the chamber of the House of Commons but spared the Great Tower.The Britishness doesn’t stop there, though. The design of the clock itself, a prestige project if ever there was one, was entrusted to a couple of amateurs. edmund Denison was actually a lawyer, while George Airey was the Astronomer royal. Theirs was a completely new and quite revolutionary design, which I’d explain to you if I understood it; but it was such a good one that the clock is accurate to a second a day and is regulated by a pile of pre-decimal pennies – adding a penny advances the clock by 0.4 of a second a day.The movement, being more than 150 years old, has been a wee bit stop-start since the 1970s, but Big Ben itself, complete with the original crack, bongs on. It did chime 30 once – but that was deliberate, to announce last year’s opening of the 30th Olympiad. either an inspired departure from convention or a shallow piece of political gimmickry, depending on your persuasion; but at least nothing broke this time.

Photo by DAVID ILIFFLicense: CC-BY-SA 3.0


Come April, the start of the new financial year, and everything goes up. Including, in many towns across the country, the price of parking.Well, you may say, these are hard times and local councils have to fund their activities somehow. But the cost of town-centre parking is more than just a nuisance: it’s slow poison for high street retailers whether they’re independent or branches of national chains.Town-centre planning is an incredibly abstruse art with an infinite number of variables and nobody, not even the professionals, really knows what works and what doesn’t. A new supermarket in a Hampshire high street – was it responsible for killing off the independent traders, or did it increase footfall and keep them on life-support, allowing them to absorb high rents for a few years longer? A new Waitrose in a Cambridgeshire town centre: yes, the butcher and the greengrocer couldn’t compete, but on the other hand an independent wine merchant set up shop directly opposite because Waitrose people are his people too, and as a specialist he feels he can do the job better.These two examples give just a hint of the complexities involved. But there’s one constant

ToWn PLAnningAND THe PrICe OF PArkING

that separates all high street retailers whether chain or independent from all out-of-town retailers: free parking. And it’s not just Tesco and B&Q that have moved out of town centres and settled in car parks the size of small farms: why are franchises like Fired earth and Cotton Traders generally sited in garden centres and farmyard malls? Plenty of free parking! A case in point: Beers of europe is located in an old grainstore down a track outside king’s Lynn. It has unlimited parking. Shoppers can, and do, fill the boots of their cars with beer, and Beers of europe is thriving. But town-centre beer shops in Bury St edmunds and Lincoln went under because the most a customer could physically carry away was five or six bottles. And it’s worth remarking that nearly all of the spectacular retail collapses of recent years – Woolworth’s, HMV, Clinton Cards – were primarily high street operators.Campaigns to ‘shop local’ are commonplace, but convenience is the order of the day. If in-town parking has limited availability and means shoppers must carry loose change, but have to cut their shopping trip short for fear of a hefty fine, they will vote with their tyres and head straight to the big free car parks.Persuading local councillors who need income that providing plentiful free parking is in their interest is a very hard sell. But a high street populated with charity shops isn’t good for the council either. Charity shops don’t pay business rates and they rely on volunteers: they don’t hire unemployed people whose housing benefit is funded by the council. Surely carting all the unpopular and inconvenient pay-and-display meters off to the scrapyard is a measure that would encourage local shopping.The trouble is that so many town-centre independents have already gone to the wall that their political voice is very feeble. Many towns no longer even have a chamber of trade. One answer to that would be to persuade the high street chains – Iceland, Boots, M&S Food, Costa etc – to permit and indeed encourage their store managers to get involved. A chamber of trade that represented more than just the last independent optician and the last independent jeweller would be an energetic and influential lobby group that local councils would have to listen to.


Immerse yourselves and guests in the close up magic of Steve Dean or enjoy a Cabaret Show that includes mentalism and much more.

Have you ever witnessed unexplainable events or illusions so convincing that they leave you fascinated and completely spellbound? This is Cabaret, close up mix and mingle and table magic at it’s very best.

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This year’s London Marathon will be held on April 21st. This iconic event first took place over 30 years ago, in 1981.It was the brainchild of John Disley and Chris Brasher who after taking part in the New York Marathon, wondered if London could stage such a festival. 7,747 runners took part in the first London Marathon, whilst in 2012 there were over 37,000 participants. The Marathon is now a calendar highlight for competitors, spectators and charities alike. Olympic champion Stephen kiprotich will take part this year and is expected to complete the 26.2 mile course in just over 2 hoursFor most of us a marathon would prove too gruelling, but there are half marathons, 10k and 5k runs or sub 5k events which anyone can enter. There are running events nearly every weekend somewhere in Britain. Running has many benefits, firstly it’s free. Once you have your basic kit, it costs nothing to simply ‘go out for a run.’ As you are not tied to a specific class or opening times, you can go running whenever you please. Studies extol the health benefits. Runners tend to be stronger and live longer. regular exercise, along with a healthy balanced diet, can also reduce your risk of cancer. So how does a fledgling runner get started? Most beginners’ guides suggest doing a combination

London MArATHonBy SuSAn BROOkeS-MORRiS

of run/walk/run on your first outings and building up your distance gradually. You should always stretch, warm up and cool down and ensure you are hydrated. You should not run too fast. You should always be able to maintain a conversation and not breathe too heavily. Training programmes suggest that subject to satisfactory health, beginners could train to complete a 5k run within six weeks, training three times a week. Someone preparing for a marathon would probably have a training plan of at least 16 weeks. It’s important to have the correct equipment and in particular the right shoes. Specialists will use biomechanics, your weight, the surfaces you wish to run on and the shape of your feet as influencing factors when determining which shoes to recommend for you. Serious runners will alternate between two pairs of shoes during training, and shoes should be replaced after around 500 miles. Other items to consider include running socks, tights leggings or shorts, a stop watch, technical t shirt, a heart monitor, training log, drinks carrier, energy drinks and a lightweight jacket. Ladies will also require a high impact sports bra. Many find they are more committed to running if they have a training partner, and some join local running clubs for increased support and guidance.


The mobile application market represents a cultural shift for the human race. Smartphones are now the ultimate universal digital Swiss Army knife for every possible facet of our lives and a broad cross section of money-saving utility is now in your pocket. We’re going to take a look at some of the best money-saving apps available for both Apple and Android devices.

Skype | www.skype.com | FreeThese days, Skype is practically a household name but many overlook the mobile version of this brilliant Internet telephony software as a supremely useful money-saving tool. encourage everybody you know to download Skype on their mobile device and you have suddenly significantly reduced the chances of ever using up all of your free minutes. For those of you who find yourselves with £10-£50 (or more) in excess fees, this simple app could save you hundreds in the long run.

Voucher Cloudhttp://www.vouchercloud.com | Free

Most people are familiar with the idea that we’re now in a digital era of cutting coupons. Voucher Cloud is an app for all of the best digital offers. Firing it up will find you everything from free five-day passes to your local gym to discounts on driving lessons and reduced prices in restaurants. It’s worth taking the time to sit down and check the T&Cs so you know exactly what it is you’re signing up for. Spending a little time being thorough on the small print however will save you hundreds of pounds per year.

redLaser Barcode Scannerhttp://redlaser.com | Free

ever found yourself in a shop whereby the little voice in your head is asking you whether you might find the item cheaper on the internet or just round the corner? All that’s needed to answer the question is your smartphone device and a Wi-Fi or mobile Internet connection. Photograph the barcode using the on-board camera and it will recognise the item and then cross reference prices with department stores, a vast array of websites, including ebay, and even local stores. It’s worth noting that the latter feature works best in larger towns and cities. It’s practically impossible to scan a barcode which is not recognised by this incredible app so scout for bargains and save money.

Your ToP 5 MONeY SAVING APPS

Direct Debit Control Centrehttp://www.directdebit.co.uk | Free

There’s nothing worse than trying to stay on top of your finances, thinking you’re almost there and subsequently getting stung with excess overdraft fees for an unexpected direct debit. The Direct Debit Control Centre helps you keep on top of when your direct debits are leaving your account via its early warning system. It will save you money and give you peace of mind.

iXpenseithttp://www.fyimobileware.com | £2.99

So, what will you do with all this money saved? One small but wise investment would be to buy an app that helps you stay on top of your expenditure and few are better than iXpenseIt. There’s a lite version which can be downloaded for free so you can try before you buy. This is as good as mobile money management software gets and the app has won several awards including one from CNN Money Magazine. You’ll receive pocket-sized help with managing all the different budgets in your life whether business or personal and all that’s required is a little patience adding incomes and expenditures as they occur.


Your ToP 5 MONeY SAVING APPS


As the new gardening year is upon us, why not have a go at growing your own veg because it doesn’t need to be difficult and has the potential to be one of the most productive and fun things you’ve ever done.Home grown food tastes better, uses little if any air miles, can save you a packet and is enormously rewarding because you’re getting the top end of the market produce. remember to grow what you like and what your garden can grow well - this may take some experimenting, but don’t be afraid to admit that some things are trickier than others in your plot.If you’re an organic gardener or you simply want to produce pesticide free vegetables, you might need to spend more time thinking about what to grow and how you can best nurture it so that pests, diseases and other problems take a back seat.* Seed and plant catalogues are now more likely

to let you know which varieties are relatively pest or disease resistant.

* You can also encourage some of the naturally occurring insects that parasite or predate upon the garden pests, or bigger animals such as frogs, toads, hedgehogs and many birds. Insects include:

Ladybirds: The larvae and the adults both consume huge numbers of aphids.Lacewings: The young or larvae are brilliant predators, eating mainly aphids, but also eating other pests such as thrips and eggs of moths.Hoverflies: The soft-bodied yellowy grey larvae are great aphid eaters, a single one eating up to fifty in a day, nearing 1,000 in its lifetime.Ground beetles: Often seen scuttling off at speed when you move pots, low-growing plants or loose slabs, they are mostly black and often shiny and are brilliant predators of many pests including slugs, vineweevils and some insect eggs.Solitary wasps: Some feed their larvae on aphids, weevils and other insects.Some of these may already be in your garden, but by growing some suitable plants you can really build up their numbers. On the whole the simple, non-double varieties are the most insect friendly, so try some of these:* Phacelia: A hardy annual with bluish perfumed

flowers, perfect for direct sowing.

groW Your oWn VegBY PIPPA GreeNWOOD

* Limnanthes douglasii (the poached egg plant): This yellow and white flowered hardy annual is loved by hoverflies.

* eschscholzia (the Californian poppy): This pretty yellow, orange and cream flowered plant can be direct sown and thrives in sunny well-drained sites.

* Iberis (candytufts): One of the easiest hardy annuals, it has readily available pollen and nectar, perfect for many beneficial insects.

The rewards are plentiful - a regular supply of superbly tasty vegetables, picked when ripened to perfection (not just to make them last longer on the supermarket shelf), gathered as and when you need them and in the quantities you need (cutting down on wastage) plus you can choose the varieties you find tastiest.Why not grow some great vegetables in 2013? Go to www.pippagreenwood.com and sign up for ‘Grow Your Own with Pippa Greenwood’ – choose from a fantastic selection of vegetables sent to you at just the right time for planting and each week you receive an email from her telling you all you need to know to ensure great results. You can also sign up for Pippa’s newsletter and receive a free e-book on organic gardening, and buy a hand-picked selection of garden products.


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Do not miss out on the benefits available from a properly structured Will and trusts. A Will records your wishes and who is to carry them out. No Will means the rules of Intestacy determine the distribution of assets and the maximum tax will apply. Couples cannot assume all will be left to each other; ex. spouses can claim on the estate; step children and ‘common law’ partners will get nothing. Persons not of your choosing will sort out your affairs and the guardianship of any orphaned child. PROTECT YOUR HOUSE & CHILDREN: A house held in trust is not part of any care fees means test nor is it exposed to a local authority enforced sale. Beneficiaries of the trust (children?) cannot be disinherited no matter what the survivor does - remarries, incurs debts (care fees) redrafts their Will. The surviving partner can live in the house or its replacement until their death. INHERITANCE TAX: Typically 40% tax applies to an estate’s value over £325,000. Married and civil

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partners can inherit each other’s 0% allowance if any unused allowance can be proven to HMrC on the second death. Where an inheritance tax liability exists it is invariably tax efficient to shield all or part of the assets in a trust. Not only are the assets guaranteed to benefit the trust’s beneficiaries; they can be used tax efficiently to benefit the surviving partner and others. HMRC record trusts, so guaranteeing a couple do not loose any of the 0% tax entitlements. It is important to be guided through the options available to you and to have documents prepared by experts. THE WILL TRUST & PROBATE PRACTICE provides a no obligation In HOMe service, daytime or evening, using specialist STeP solicitors and professional will writers backed by a Best Price Guarantee.

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As spring approaches and our thoughts turn to our gardens, make sure you take advantage of a limited offer to get a discounted compost bin. Central Bedfordshire Council has teamed up with www.getcomposting.com to help you beat the price increase at the start of April. Composting is a great way to help our gardens bloom and more than a third of household waste is made up of organic material which can be composted at home. Grass cuttings, hedge trimmings, unwanted plants, fruit and vegetable peelings, tea bags and even the contents of the vacuum bag are all ideal for composting.Cllr Brian Spurr, executive Member for Sustainable Communities Services at the council said, “We want to encourage you to reduce the amount of waste that is sent to landfill. Composting selected kitchen and garden waste is an easy and effective way of recycling some of the waste we produce every day, while putting nutrients back into our gardens and the wider environment. It is simple

geT CoMPoSTing THiS SPring AND SAVe A LITTLe MOre

to get started and you may be surprised at how empty your black bin is when you compost at home and use all the recycling services. “While the new deal will still offer superb value, I’d encourage anyone thinking of getting into composting to buy a bin before the end of March to save that little bit extra!”Prices for compost bins start at only £9 with a £5 delivery charge and a range of accessories to choose from. There is also a ‘Buy one get one half price’ offer for residents with larger gardens.For further information about these products, call 0844 571 444 and quote reference CBC01L. Alternatively, you can order your home compost bin and composting accessories online: www.cbc.getcomposting.com


You want a 911, but need more space and would rather have the commanding view of the road a 4x4 offers. Is the Porsche Cayenne the answer? We find out…What is it?it’s a Cayenne – Porsche’s roughty toughty off-roader – but one that’s had a dose of steroids and some glitter liberally applied to its bodywork. Slotting into the range between the V8 S and the Turbo, the GTS comes with more focus and power and some distinctive styling options.What’s under the bonnet?A rather raucous 4.8-litre V8 that’s been uprated from 394bhp to 414bhp and boasts 515Nm of torque. Performance is far from the Turbo’s though; the GTS will hit 60mph in 5.7s and go on to 162mph. It sounds pretty special getting there though! everything else has been on the sharpening block – the steering is crisper, the eight-speed gearbox shifts quicker, and the lowered ride height gives it an added edge on the road.What’s the kit like?Pretty impressive, but like all Porsches you’ll soon rack up Ford Fiesta-sized bills on the options. A communications pack costs £2,157, 21-inch black alloys are £1,513 and even the red paint will set you back £1,619. Our test car had a total of £13,760 worth of goodies…ouch.Any rivals?The ageing range rover Sport puts up a pretty good fight, but we’ve never tried a Rangie that

AWd XJPOrSCHe CAYeNNe

sounds as good as this GTS. Audi will soon be at the party with its SQ models, but that’s yet to be applied to its Q7. For a left field there’s always the infiniti Vettel edition, but that’s very expensive in comparison. So, not much choice out there at the moment.Is it any good?Although it’s incredibly quick and sounds tremendous, it can feel a little bit stressed out at times. By that we mean it feels on edge, twitchy even – perhaps the added sharpness has given it a little too much bite. However, there’s no doubting it has real presence on the road – it’s just the styling might not suit all tastes.The verdictWe like the GTS treatment given to most Porsches. The 997 911 really benefitted from the work over, and the Panamera GTS we tried after this Cayenne worked fantastically well too. However, the off-roader doesn’t feel quite right in this guise. It’s quick and sounds incredible, but feels like it’s pretending to be something that it’s not.

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SeASonAL deLigHTSSPICeD rACk OF LAMB WITH FrAGrANT rICe

Perfect for a spring Sunday lunch or stylish supper this quick and easy lamb dish is full of

flavor. Choose a couple of meaty racks of lamb from a good butcher and score the layers of fat before spreading with the harissa paste. Serve with a cooling garlic and mint yoghurt sauce.

ingredienTS

1 tbsp harissa paste (see Tip)2 trimmed racks of lamb, each with 6 bones

2 red onions, peeled and cut into slim wedges50g butter

225g basmati rice, rinsed and drained1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

750ml vegetable stockGenerous pinch saffron strands

50g sultanas40g flaked almonds, lightly toasted

2 tbsp pomegranate seeds

TipHarissa paste is a fiery hot north African blend of red chilli peppers and spices – just a little goes a long way so use sparingly. you’ll find it in small jars near the dried herb and spice sections in most large supermarkets.

Serves 4Ready in 1 hour

1 Preheat the oven to 200C, 400F, Gas 6. Spread the harissa paste over the lamb racks. Place the racks in an oiled roasting tin and add the onion wedges.

2 roast in the preheated oven for 25-35 minutes depending on how pink you like your lamb. remove from the oven. Cover with foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes – the lamb will be juicier and easier to carve.

3 Meanwhile, heat the butter in a heavy-based pan until melted and foaming. Add the rice and garlic. Fry gently for 1-2 minutes, stirring until the rice is translucent. Pour in the stock. Add the saffron and bring to the boil, stirring.

4 Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 15-20 minutes without removing the lid until the rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed. remove from the heat. Fork through to separate the grains. Add the sultanas, flaked almonds and pomegranate seeds.

5 Carve the lamb racks into individual cutlets and serve immediately with the fragrant rice and roast onion wedges.


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1 AprilEaster Hunt Trail

10am-3pmRSPB The Lodge, Sandy

Trail sheet £2. Admission £4 per vehicle to non-RSPB members

Follow the easter trail and spot all of the pictures hidden in the woodland with a crème egg to

collect when you finish!Tel: 01767 680541

Web: www.rspb.org.uk/thelodge

1 AprilEaster Egghead Hunt

10.30am-4.30pmDunstable Downs, Chilterns Gateway Centre,

Whipsnade Road, DunstableTickets £2 (for trail and prize) plus normal

admission pricesJoin us for an exciting egg hunt with our

sponsors Cadburys. Complete our trail exploring the Downs and win a yummy Cadburys chocolate

egg! There will be lots of family easter fun happening too, all in the glorious surroundings

of Dunstable Downs. Booking advisable.Tel: Chilterns Gateway Centre Shop 01582 500925

email: [email protected]: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/

dunstabledowns/

2, 9, 16, 3 & 30 AprilTuesday Morning Walkers

9.30-11.30amRSPB The Lodge, Sandy

Adults £3, RSPB Members free. Admission £4 per vehicle to non-RSPB members

Weekly walks around the reserve with a leader, looking for birds, wildlife and enjoying the site.

everyone welcome.Tel: 01767 680541

Web: www.rspb.org.uk/thelodge

6 AprilBarton Rovers v AFC Hayes

3pm kick offBarton Rovers FC, Sharpenhoe Road (entrance in

Luton Road) Barton-Le-ClayTickets available on the gate

WHAT’S on?IN APrIL

6 AprilBenslow Baroque Opera: The Fairy Queen

7pm Main Theatre, North Herts College, Willian Road, Hitchin

Tickets £12, Free for full time studentsParticipants in Benslow Music’s unique Baroque

Opera course, in partnership with the North Hertfordshire College, perform a fully-staged

version of Purcell’s magical semi-opera.Tel: Tickets Benslow Music Box Office 01462

459446 (9 am - 5 pm, Mon - Fri)Web: www.benslowmusic.org

9 AprilBarton Rovers v Ashford Town Mx

7.45pm kick offBarton Rovers FC, Sharpenhoe Road (entrance in


11 AprilFloral Demonstration

7.45pm Flitwick Village HallVisitors very welcome £5

Mid Beds. Floral Society demonstration by Shamima Hasnan entitled “Around the World”.

Tel: 01234 742396 for more details

12 AprilThe Soul Man singing live

Barton Rovers FC, Sharpenhoe Road (entrance in Luton Road) Barton-Le-Clay

Tickets £3 per personTickets: 01582 707772

13 AprilFarmers and Craft Market

9.30amBaldock High Street

13 AprilTable Top Sale

10am-3pm Campton Village HallAdmission 50p

refreshments will be on sale and there will also be a raffle. in aid of All Saints Church and

Campton Village HallWeb: www.camptonandchicksands.org.uk


WHAT’S on?IN APrIL

13 AprilCall My Bluff Wine Tasting

7.30pm for 8pmWingfield Club, Ampthill

Tickets £15Ampthill Festival in association with Cambridge

Wine are hosting a Call My Bluff Wine Tasting. Fun Competitions, bottle Raffle, light refreshments, quizzes, lots of Prizes! Tickets

from Cambridge Wine Company Church Street or The Cottage Bakery Dunstable Street. Limited

tickets so be quick!Tel: Jill 07840 932930 or Belinda 07880 734148

for more details

14 AprilFidelio Trio

8pm Benslow Music, Hitchin, Herts SG4 9RBTickets £10 (free for all full time students)

Works by Faure, Sally Beamish, Luke Bedford and ravel.

Tel: 01462 459446email: [email protected]: www.benslowmusic.org

18 April-10 MayArt Exhibition

Rhodes Theatre, 1-3 South Road, Bishops Stortford

Free admissionRhodes is pleased to welcome back five artists from Furneux Pelham who are exhibiting for a

second year running. Paula Cherry, Nikki Simms, Tanya roberts and Sally Anne-Latham will be joined by a fifth artist Shelley Mason. Shelly

Mason will be donating 10% of any sales during the show to Brain Tumour uk.

Web: www.rhodesbishopsstortford.org.uk

20 AprilVauxhall Male Voice Choir

2.30pm St. Andrews Church, AmpthillTickets £8.00

The choir will be joined by local soprano soloist kerry Watson. The programme will be a varied

selection of music to suit all tastes.Tickets from Brian 01525 841077 or ken 01525

753110

20 AprilBarton Rovers v Chalfont St Peter

3pm kick offBarton Rovers FC, Sharpenhoe Road (entrance in


entries into our What’s On sections are free. If you

have an event you would like us to publicise please

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Across1 Jewels (4)3 Allowed in (8)9 Worried (7)10 Annoy (5)11 Fading away (12)13 deny (6)15 interfere (6)17 directions (12)20 Ships load (5)21 Vital part of healthy diet (7)22 enjoyed (8)23 repair (4)Down1 Protecting (8)2 Blends (5)4 dismiss (6)5 Crossroad (12)6 Taught (7)7 deceased (4)8 Contests (12)12 Flavoured (8)14 Army rank (7)16 Flexible (6)18 overweight (5)19 Mark left by wound (4)

28 Please mention The Villager and Town Life when responding to adverts

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Complete the crossword, fill in your details below, cut out this section and send to the address below before 19th April 2013.

Prize Crossword, Villager Publications Ltd 24 Market Square, Potton, Beds SG19 2NP

1st Prize£25

Last Month’s Crossword Winners. Congratulations to:1st prize - Mrs edwards from Bedford and 2nd prize - Claire Curzen from Langford

For last month’s solution please visit www.villagermag.com

Ty Interiors Prize Crossword Sponsored by Ty Interiors, The Olde Watermill Shopping Village, Faldo Road, Barton Le Clay, MK45 4RF

Please enter me into the prize draw to be drawn at end of 3 months for £1000 off a fully fitted kitchen. T&C’s apply. (Please tick)


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The Gilded Fan Christina Courtenay

Published by Choc Lit Ltd in paperback at £7.99

It takes a goodly amount of courage to spin a romantic fantasy with historic settings as diverse as the characters, but Christina Courtenay is not one to shirk her responsibilities at the challenge. Midori, an intelligent young girl, half Japanese, half english, has to leave her birth country in the 1600’s to avoid the routinely applied death meted out to anyone of an ‘impure’ race. The understandably reluctant Captain of the ship on which she chooses to escape to england battles with his conscience, his duties and his inclinations to become the likable male protagonist (of course!) and the story then takes on the irritating (for some) ‘push-pull’ romance with an ultimately predictable ending. There’s a horrible lecher amongst the crew to deal with during the voyage and his punishment is not for the squeamish - though our girl takes it in her stride, grateful for the unbiased support of another veteran crew member who serves her well in later months. ultimately taking the english Civil War as backdrop, our feisty and rather too militarily efficient girl’s conversion to Puritanism and with the odd skirmish or two skilfully included for good measure, the tale has an enjoyable golden thread clearly discernable amongst some intriguingly random distractions. Full of detail, an admirable mixed collection of personae and an obvious though understandable aim, this, the latest from a romantic Novelist Association vice-chairman could well appeal to many.

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Barton April 2013

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