The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

32
Vine Connecting local people to local businesses FREE Delivered to 10,000 homes in Luton the • Bramingham • Icknield • Barnfield • Stopsley Local Business Directory Local News What’s On Puzzles June/July 2014 Issue 3

description

A free community magazine for the Luton area of Bedfordshire. Packed with an engaging variety of articles, news, puzzles, competitions and local what's on guide. The Vine is also a local business directory, offering affordable and effective advertising to local businesses - "connecting local people to local businesses". 10,000 copies delivered to homes in the Bramingham, Icknield, Barnfield and Stopsley areas of Luton. www.thevinemagazine.com

Transcript of The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

Page 1: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

VineConnecting local people to local businesses

FREE

Delivered to 10,000 homes in Luton

the

• Bramingham • Icknield • Barnfield • Stopsley

Local Business Directory Local NewsWhat’s On

Puzzles

June/July 2014 Issue 3

Page 2: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

Please mention the Vine when responding to adverts

Asbestos Surveys, Consultancy and Advice

Development Survey Services have been trading since March 2002 and are proud of our record, carrying out Asbestos Management, Demolition and Refurbishment Surveys and Annual Re-

evaluations for all types of construction from Single Houses to Housing Association Stock; Care Homes to Hospitals; Single offices to Office complexes: Garages to Motorway Service areas,

Workshops to Factories and Nurseries to Schools. All of our survey personnel are P402 qualified and some are qualified to P405. No job is too large (we are currently surveying the housing stock of a large Housing Association amounting to approximately 25,000 dwellings) and no job is too

small (we recently carried out a survey of a single garage in Hertfordshire and an annual re-evaluation on a small amount of asbestos to a flat in Wales. We carry out surveys and re-

evaluations anywhere in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Worried about asbestos? We can help!

To celebrate 10 years of trading we have decided that, for a limited period, we will give advice over the telephone

regarding any aspect of asbestos, to any local homeowner or business worried by the possible presence of asbestos in

their home, work place or clients premises

COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE!

What’s more, if we are asked to follow up our advice with a letter, site visit, survey or report on any property then we

will reduce our normal fee by 25%* if given the code below:

Vine013

Please call 01582 517309 [email protected]

Registered in England No: 3582326 new customer *

Page 3: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

3www.thevinemagazine.com 19www.thevinemagazine.com

30 years

experience

•GARAGEDOORSINSTEEL,WOOD,GRP&ABS

•AUTOMATIONTONEW&EXISTINGDOORS&GATES

•FREEQUOTATIONS,SPARES&REPAIRSTEL:01525220212 www.premiergaragedoors.co.uk

UNIT 7, SPARROWHALL BUSINESS PARK, LEIGHTON RD. EDLESBOROUGH, LU6 2ES

Bedroom Furniture

ContaCt us for details:v 40 Joel Street v Northwood Hills v Middlesex v HA6 1PA v Tel: 01923 510586 v www.uniquebedroomsdirect.co.uk v Mon - Sat 10am - 5pm v Closed Sun

UNIQUE AFFORDABLE FURNITUREdesigns to fit your lifestyle

We specialise in made-to-measure fully

fitted furniture for bedrooms,studies and lounges.

Visit our NEW SHOWROOM.

Office Furniture Lounge Furniture

SPRING SALENOW ONContact for details

Fitted Bed Furniture

SPRING SALENOW ONContact for details

WIDE RANGE OF BEDROOM,

OFFICE & LOUNGE FURNITURE TO

CHOOSE FROMUnit 28, Icknield Way Farm,Tring Rd. Dunstable , LU6 2JX Tel: 01525 229331Open: Monday - Friday 8am - 6pm

WE NOW OFFER FITTED KITCHENS

Page 4: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

4

Editors:Scott NightingaleShelly Nesbitt

Editorial: 01525 22237907852 [email protected]

Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the content of advertising and articles published in this magazine are accurate, neither the publisher or its editorial con-tributors 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 publica-tion.No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission.

Keech: Super Hero 5K 6 A Good Read 8What’s Best For You 10Consumer Clinic 12Health, Beauty & Wellbeing 14Puzzles 16Looking Up! 18Recipe 19In The Garden 20Tree Nightmares 22Auto-biographies 24Technology 26Out & About 28

Advertising: Shelly Nesbitt01525 22237907852 [email protected]

Copy deadline for our next issue - 15th July

Vinethe

This Month...

twitter.com/pchelpcentre

10% Discounton any product orservice when quotingthis reference: LOS

“pchelpcentreprovided a very good,

fast & professionalservice”

Bill Watts, Renault Trucks UK Ltd– IT Manager

Visit our store for a wide varietyof services to the home and business

user including:

• Laptop & Desktop Repairs• Virus Removal • Data Recovery

• Screen Repairs• Home / Office Visits

PC Help Centre

Tel: 01582 862245 or 07914879178

For all your BrickworkBlock Paving, Patios, Re-pointing

Fencing, Decking & General RepairsBIG or small give us a call

Page 5: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

5Please mention the Vine when responding to adverts

AMBER ROSEELECTRICAL LIMITED

Energy Efficient LED Lighting Solutions

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

Page 6: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

6 98

Superhero Dad, Danny Kerr has signed up to take part in the Keech Hospice Care Superhero Run in memory of his daughter Lexi who passed away at the hospice. Last year, the Keech Superhero 5k Run had over 300 heroes take part, walking, running and flying around the course, all having fun and using their powers to do good whilst rais-ing over £20,000. This year Keech Hospice Care are appealing for su-perheroes to step forward and raise more money than ever while taking part in a special Superhero run on Sunday 15th June, which is also Father’s day, at Rothamsted Park in Harpenden at 11:00am.Danny Kerr is one of the first super-heroes to sign up and is planning on dressing up as Super Bramingham Bear – the hospice mascot - while running in memory of his daughter Lexi. Due to trauma during birth, Danny and his wife Sam were told the devastating news that Lexi would not make it through the night. However she did and it was then that Keech was recommended to the family.Sam said “We were offered the opportunity to be cared for at Keech Care Hospice. Initially we were very worried. It’s a hospice after all – somewhere you go to die. Actually coming here was an eye opener. We felt at home straightaway.”The nurses taught Sam & Danny how to feed Lexi and give her her medication, allowing them to be a real family for the first time.“We could be a family and actually look after our little girl for the first time. We played music and sang to her. We created memories that will be with us forever. We only had 19 days with our little girl. Six of those days were at Keech and were truly

special. Our only regret is that we didn’t go sooner.”Danny said “As a father all you want to be is your child's hero, protect them, look after them and show them how much you love them. Sometimes as parents our children have needs beyond our means and we need help to do the things that most parents take for granted.”“Some children are born with life limiting illnesses and every second with them is precious, so this Father's Day why not be many children's super hero and sign up for Keech's super hero fun run! You don't have to run the 5K, you simply have to do it. I hope that other fami-lies will sign up and have a great day whilst raising much needed funds for an organisation where they may not be able to add days to life, but with your help they can add life to days.”

Another super hero running on the day is seriously ill Lennon Ruffles, aged 7 years old, along with his mum, Nikki Lancaster and sister Isla, aged 5 years old.Lennon, who is deaf, mute, partially sighted and permanently hooked up to medical tubes, does not have a diagnosis for his condition, regularly attends Keech Hospice Care and has been using their services for the last 5 years. The family will dress up as caped crusaders and will fly around the course, as a family being cheered on by Dad, Ian Ruffles and younger sister Florence aged 1 year old. Nikki said “We are all really excited to be taking part in this superhero run as a family. Keech Hospice Care means the world to us as they have supported us for years.As Lennon has lots of complex needs, Keech is one of the only places that we know he is safe but

also know he has lots of fun. Keech Hospice Care has a special fish bowl bed which means he can sleep safely. Lennon needs this equip-ment but most places unfortunately don’t have this facility meaning that Lennon is unable to go on holiday or stay anywhere other than home. Lennon loves Keech and when he has visits and stays at the hospice he treats it like a holiday.Lennon also loves swimming and he is able to do this at Keech. Un-like most swimming pools, Keech’s hydrotherapy pool is heated both inside and outside the pool allowing for Lennon and other children to get in and out the pool without fearing a risk of a seizure. We come for swims as a family which allows us to have quality family time all together which doesn’t happen often.We decided to become superheroes and sign up for the Keech superhero run to give back to the charity that has helped us so much over the years. It is going to be lots of fun and a massive bonus is that we can com-plete the challenge as a family all together. The course is wheelchair friendly and not too long a distance meaning that it is ideal for families like ours. We are excited about seeing all the other superheroes on the day!”Mark Relf, Events and Community Fundraising Manager said “Why not sign up and unleash the superhero in you and join Lennon and his family. Dress up as your favourite super-hero or create your own superhero costume and join hundreds of other superheroes all raising funds for Keech Hospice Care to enable us to care for more local families.”To sign up to the Superhero 5K run and to find out more information visit www.keech.org.uk/superhero

Page 7: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

ART GALLERIES & TEA ROOMS

HOP IN & SEE US SOON !

FINE A

RT PRINTS + BESPO

KE FURN

ITURE + CERA

MICS

SCU

LPTU

RE +

JEW

ELLE

RY +

ORI

GIN

AL

PAIN

TIN

GS

The Stani Art Company www.staniart.co.uk

58 & 61 High Street Stony Stratford

01908 307878

Career opportunities withEurope’s biggest beauty company

now available in this area.

Call, text or email for more info:

If you have a few spare hours weekly and would like the chance to build your own business, with full support, then contact us now.

[email protected]

FREE TO JOIN!

7www.thevinemagazine.com 29www.thevinemagazine.com28

Dunstable Town GuidesPromoting the heritage of Dunstable

Kite FestivalDunstable Downs

26th & 27th July 11am - 5pm

Enjoy the fantastic atmosphere as you’re bedaz-zled by the professional kite team’s show stop-ping displays.Enthusiasts from around the world will gather for our annual Kite Festival. Featuring fantastic flying displays, giant kite displays, synchronised team routines and power kites. Children’s activities, craft stalls and much more. Taste the BBQ and ice cream while you watch countless awe inspiring displays and enjoy all the fun of the fair.

The Dunstable Town Guides offer walks and talks on the heritage of Dunstable for your clubs and societies, and scouting, guiding and school groups. Contact Booking Secretary [email protected] guided heritage walks and ghost walks are also led by Dunstable Town Guides.

Dunstable Library is hosting regular talks by the Town Guides. For details see below or contact Dunstable Library on 0300 300 8056

Saturday, 21 June, 11am Summer Solstice Ghost Walk – meet Priory Church car park. Saturday, 5 July, 11am Discover the Hidden Priory – meet Priory HouseSunday, 20 July, 11am Dunstable’s History and Heritage – meet as aboveSaturday, 2 August, 11am Discover the Hidden Priory – meet as aboveSaturday, 16 August, 11am Dunstable’s History and Heritage – meet as aboveSunday, 14 September, 11am Inns of Dunstable – meet as above The Dunstable Town Guides are supported by Dunstable Town Council

BBC Flog It Returns to Tring Market Auctions!

Tring Market Auctions is delighted to announce the return of BBC One’s Flog It to the sale rooms on Friday 25th July.Flog It will be holding a valuation day at Eng-lish Heritage’s Wrest Park House and Gardens at Silsoe near Luton, Bedfordshire on Thurs-day 26th June between 10am and 4.30pm. Members of the public are invited to bring along up to three antiques or collectables to the event and have them valued free of charge by a team of experts from the popular BBC antiques series.Items selected for inclusion in the Flog It TV series will be sent to Tring Market Auctions, Brook Street, Tring, Hertfordshire, HP23 5EF to go under the hammer on Friday 25th July.The sale will start at 11am and viewing is available until 9am on that morning, and also between 9am and 8pm on Thursday 24th July. Everyone who goes along to the event at Wrest Park will have their items valued; regardless of if they are selected for inclusion in the auction.The five editions of Flog It recorded at Wrest Park House and Gardens and Tring Market Auctions will be broadcast as part of the 13th series of the antiques show.Stephen Hearn, managing director and auc-tioneer at Tring Market Auctions, said, ‘we are delighted to welcome Flog It back for another exciting sale. The valuation and sale days are very entertaining - we look forward to seeing what treasures the Flog It team have in store for us.’All enquiries to Tring Market Auctions, Brook Street, Tring, Herts, HP23 5EF. T: 01442 826446 E: [email protected]

Page 8: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

A Good Read

A Flash of LightningBy Tony Drury

For You For The Kids

The Jolley-Rogers and the Ghostly Galleon By Jonny Duddle

A great choice for those living within the distribution area of The Vine Magazine, as this novel's clever concept weaves the infamous tale of The Great Train Robbery through an intrigu-ing idea of love, the world of city finance and and a terrorist plot to kill 400 people.If you like a read with local references these abound. At the beginning we are left wonder-ing about the relevance, but as we become familiar with our lead characters, Jessica, who has chosen to make love and having a child two different decisions and Matthew, a philandering city financier, the importance of the location becomes clearer.The brilliant and honoured, Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Rudd is also thrust into a posi-tion of having to make difficult choices as her career, her love of her husband and family jostle for attention. With insider knowl-edge of a planned terrorist plot the urgency to find out when and where jeopardises everything she holds dear in a race to save lives and the cost may be greater than anyone thinks.Matthew walks a tightrope throughout the plot as £6 million

of film financing goes missing and his desperation to find it increases. Meanwhile his messy divorce leaves him worried for his own daughter's well-being and he wrestles with his at-traction to other women whilst attempting to build a life with Jessica.The reader is led through a mix of plots and characters all intertwined with the details and facts of The Great Train Robbery. With this, a simple love story and the dilemmas that face women such as balancing the demands of family and career, whilst many will recognise the mid-life crisis of many a man like Matthew.All our questions are answered as the story of all our characters come together in a suspense filled finale.

Look out for Tony Drury's next book published on 16th July in all good bookshops and on AmazonThe Lady Who Turned revolves round three impressive women, the Lady magazine, and, in the back-ground, the renowned Mrs T, the lady who was not for turning

Jonny Duddle's picture books have quickly become modern children's classics, and this chapter book follows on from 'The Pirates Next Door', using familiar characters but offering a longer and more detailed read for that awkward age when pic-ture books are dismissed as 'babyish' but longer books are still a little too challenging. Duddle's illustrations are carefully spaced, so that there are no daunting pages of solid text: there is always at least one line drawing to pull us in. However, the text also does this brilliantly. Picking up the story from where it was left at the end of 'The Pirates Next Door', it begins with strange happenings in Dull-On-Sea. Firstly there are some very odd night-time visitors. Then the museum is robbed - and whilst the account of events offered by hapless security guard Arthur Poppycock is garbled, it makes one thing clear: there are pi-rates involved! Matilda thinks it must be time to contact her best friend Jim-Lad, and he and his family soon set sail for Dull-On-Sea to try to discover exactly what is going on...Short enough for a rainy afternoon read, or long enough to keep younger readers guessing through a week of bedtimes, this is a fabulous little book.

8

Page 9: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

9www.thevinemagazine.com

A Good Read

A Flash of LightningBy Tony Drury

For You For The Kids

The Jolley-Rogers and the Ghostly Galleon By Jonny Duddle

A great choice for those living within the distribution area of The Vine Magazine, as this novel's clever concept weaves the infamous tale of The Great Train Robbery through an intrigu-ing idea of love, the world of city finance and and a terrorist plot to kill 400 people.If you like a read with local references these abound. At the beginning we are left wonder-ing about the relevance, but as we become familiar with our lead characters, Jessica, who has chosen to make love and having a child two different decisions and Matthew, a philandering city financier, the importance of the location becomes clearer.The brilliant and honoured, Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Rudd is also thrust into a posi-tion of having to make difficult choices as her career, her love of her husband and family jostle for attention. With insider knowl-edge of a planned terrorist plot the urgency to find out when and where jeopardises everything she holds dear in a race to save lives and the cost may be greater than anyone thinks.Matthew walks a tightrope throughout the plot as £6 million

of film financing goes missing and his desperation to find it increases. Meanwhile his messy divorce leaves him worried for his own daughter's well-being and he wrestles with his at-traction to other women whilst attempting to build a life with Jessica.The reader is led through a mix of plots and characters all intertwined with the details and facts of The Great Train Robbery. With this, a simple love story and the dilemmas that face women such as balancing the demands of family and career, whilst many will recognise the mid-life crisis of many a man like Matthew.All our questions are answered as the story of all our characters come together in a suspense filled finale.

Look out for Tony Drury's next book published on 16th July in all good bookshops and on AmazonThe Lady Who Turned revolves round three impressive women, the Lady magazine, and, in the back-ground, the renowned Mrs T, the lady who was not for turning

Jonny Duddle's picture books have quickly become modern children's classics, and this chapter book follows on from 'The Pirates Next Door', using familiar characters but offering a longer and more detailed read for that awkward age when pic-ture books are dismissed as 'babyish' but longer books are still a little too challenging. Duddle's illustrations are carefully spaced, so that there are no daunting pages of solid text: there is always at least one line drawing to pull us in. However, the text also does this brilliantly. Picking up the story from where it was left at the end of 'The Pirates Next Door', it begins with strange happenings in Dull-On-Sea. Firstly there are some very odd night-time visitors. Then the museum is robbed - and whilst the account of events offered by hapless security guard Arthur Poppycock is garbled, it makes one thing clear: there are pi-rates involved! Matilda thinks it must be time to contact her best friend Jim-Lad, and he and his family soon set sail for Dull-On-Sea to try to discover exactly what is going on...Short enough for a rainy afternoon read, or long enough to keep younger readers guessing through a week of bedtimes, this is a fabulous little book.

Page 10: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

10 www.thevinemagazine.com

What ’s Best For You By Martin Lewis

Martin LEWIS Tackle your bills

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

@MoneySavingExpert

Once upon a time, bank accounts were ugly creatures that bit hard when you went overdrawn, and gave nowt back when you

were in credit. Today most still do exactly that. Yet a few innovative gems are starting to sparkle.

Bank Accounts

So, instead of bank bashing, today I'm applauding the bank accounts that pay. Last September, in response to multiple wrist-slappings for blocking competition, the banks finally made switching easier, launching the new ‘seven day switch-ing’ system. They now switch your direct debits and standing orders within a week, close your old account and ensure pay-ments get forwarded to your new bank for 13 months.

The Bank That Pays You To Pay Your Bills Three years ago, Santander.co.uk was a customer ser-vice pariah. Now its innovative 123 current account is the customer service silver medallist, with 74% rating it great. Roly tweeted me: "We've been using it for seven months – we've earned £350 with the credit card." You gain in two ways. Pay bills by direct debit and you get 3% cashback on mobile, phone and broadband; 2% on energy; and 1% on water, council tax and Santander mortgage payments. These should dwarf its £2/month fee, as someone with typical bills earns £10/mth. It also pays a best buy 3% AER savings interest if you've £3,000-£20,000. To qualify, you must pay in £500/month (ie, a £6,000+ salary). You can also apply for its linked credit card which gives 3% back on petrol spend (repay IN FULL to avoid interest).

The Bank Saving You Up To £500 On Travel, Mobile And Roadside Insurance Many have been ripped off for years with fee-charging bank accounts. Some are even entitled to reclaim years of fees, which can add up to to £100s (full help in www.mse.me/reclaimpackage). Used correctly, a few fee-paying accounts can win. Nationwide.co.uk’s FlexPlus tops the tree. You pay £10/mth and included is European breakdown cover, family worldwide insurance (max age 74) and family smartphone insurance. A family needing them all could pay £600/year separately. For travel cover, ensure you disclose pre-existing conditions.

The Bank That Pays You £100 Then £5 Each Month The Halifax.co.uk Reward account pays no interest, just pays you £5 monthly after tax if you stay in credit.

It also gives £100 for switching, so provided you don't keep savings in there, it can add up well.

The Bank Service Gold Medallist Your bank account's the one financial product you interact with day-to-day, so service counts. So every six months, I poll on my site to find out which bank you rate the most. And every time I’ve done it Firstdirect.com has won the gold medal by a mile. Financially, it's decent too, giv-ing £100 to join and a 0% overdraft for up to £250.

The Banks That Give You A 0% Overdraft An overdraft's a debt like any other. If you go into the red often, the most crucial thing's cutting its cost to give you respite to clear it. While Firstdirect.com offers a 0% overdraft for up to £250, Nationwide.co.uk's FlexDirect may give an interest-free overdraft for more, though it only lasts a year (it's 50p/day after). If that isn’t long enough to clear your debt, then it's possible to shift your overdraft to a few specialist credit cards which are 0% for 29 months. This can be a little tricky though, so read my full instructions on that, and best buys at www.moneysavingexpert.com/moneytransfersIt's worth noting that if you regularly go beyond your overdraft limit, there are no competitive banks. While for those in severe hardship bank charge reclaiming is still possible (see mse.me/bankcharges), the best thing to do is try to keep a tight rein on your money.

The Banks That Don't Credit Score You Sadly, there are up to a million people in the UK without a bank account CHECK; and some banks don’t make it easy to get them. For all the top pick deals above, you'll need to pass a credit score. If that’s not going to happen, basic bank accounts don't need credit checks, as they just provide a no-frills, no-overdraft service. You need ID to get one. When applying, ask for the specific account by name – otherwise you could get forms for standard accounts, then get rejected. The better options include Barclays.co.uk Cash Card and Co-operativebank.co.uk Cash-minder (not available to bankrupts). Even though there's no overdraft, they can still fine you if you try to spend more than you've got.

Page 11: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

1110 www.thevinemagazine.com

Tel: 01582 690005 Mobile: 07515 361972

Flat rooF Problems?

• Flat Roof Specialists• EPDM Rubber Membranes• Single Ply & Traditional Felt• Fascia & Guttering• Loft Conversions• Free Quotes• All Work Is Insurance Backedwww.completeflatroofsolutions.co.uk

Page 12: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

12

By Jonathan Vernon-Smith

Buying and Selling Houses the Savvy Way!

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

Consumer Clinic

They say that death of a loved one and divorce are the top two most stressful experiences in your life. Well number three must be moving house! Anyone who has moved will remember the stomach churning worry and the logistical nightmare that is buying and selling houses. However, there are some things you can do to not only make the process easier, but also demon-strate that you’re a savvy consumer. Here are my top tips:

When you decide that you want to move (please really do make sure you do as there’s nothing as unfair as a seller who changes their mind when emotions and money have been spent), assess the market. Is it a buyers or a seller’s environment? At the moment, property prices in most areas are increasing, which for sellers is great, but means buyers are having to dig deeper into their pock-ets to secure a deal. During tough economic times, property prices tend to fall which means a savvy buyer can bag a bargain.

Always get at least three good, repu-table, local agents round to value your house. Ask them for a sensible price at which to market your prop-erty and ask them what they will do to get those prospective buyers through the door. Always establish their fee and NEVER agree to pay any money upfront. Always ensure that you pay their fee on completion of a deal and for goodness sake, haggle! If one of the agents is pre-pared to market the property for a 1% fee as opposed to the other two

who want 1.5%, why would you even consider paying more? Get them to agree to match the other agent’s fee. If they’re not prepared to reduce their fee, then they’re not hungry enough for their commis-sion and will not try hard enough to find a buyer. Look at their pictures on websites like Rightmove and Zoopla to ensure that they make other houses and flats look nice and ensure their descriptions are nicely written.

Generally it’s better to sell your property before you agree to buy somewhere. Ultimately until you know how much you can achieve for your property, you don’t really know how much you can afford to spend on another. You should stipulate to your estate agents though that any buyer will afford you reasonable patience while you find somewhere to buy.

Always employ the services of a totally independent mortgage advi-sor with access to all companies and who is prepared to recommend the best mortgage for you and NOT for them. You will find that most estate agents will try to persuade you to use the services of their own conveyancing solicitor. I personally do not like the idea of this. To me, it’s a complete conflict of interest (particularly if both the buyer and seller use the same solicitor). You need a legal advisor who is completely inde-pendent and looking out for your interests, not someone who is under pressure from an estate agent to

hurry up and complete a sale. My advice is to ask friends and family members who have moved recently to recommend a good conveyanc-ing solicitor to you. Also, remember that you should get some different quotes for this service and never be afraid to haggle with them.

When it comes to you putting in an offer for the house of your dreams, you will need to again assess the market environment you’re working within. If the market is good and there are not many properties avail-able, but lots of buyers competing, then it’s normally better to go in with a high offer on the basis that marketing of the property is ceased immediately. In a falling market, then a cheeky, low offer may just bag you a bargain.

One final piece of advice I would like to share with you, is to be open and honest with people. Sadly property deals in this country can be messy, unpleasant affairs. Howev-er, I do not think we should sink to the levels of others. Be upfront with both your buyers and the vendors of the property you’re buying and treat them in the way you would like to be treated. Always ask to meet both parties so they get to know you and find it easier to also be transparent. Remember, once you’ve accepted a deal, to mess people around is utterly unacceptable.

Page 13: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

VinetheMagazine

Delivered to 52,000 homes • Dunstable • Dunstable Villages • Leighton Buzzard • MK South

and now LutonWith advertising rates starting as low as £32.50 per issue

For more information contact Shelly on 01525 222379 or 07852 453043

The only billboard you need to promote your business!

Cost effective advertising... that really works

13www.thevinemagazine.com

Free no obligation measuring and quotations 3All blinds made to measure 3

Blinds and awnings are made to meet your requirements and budget 3Large range of quality, affordable fabrics and colours to choose from 3

Choose in the comfort of your own home or workplace 3All blinds come with a guarantee 3

Make your house a home with blinds and awnings from Vansar...

Call 01525 220477 OR 01582 699565 TOdayFREE home consultation, measuring & quotation including FREE fitting.For Further information visit www.vansarblinds.co.uk

yOUR lOCal EXPERTS

OvER

25 yEaRS

www.vansarblinds.co.uk

• Free No Obligation Measuring And Quotations • All Blinds Made To Measure • Choose In The Comfort Of Your Own Home Or Workplace • Family Run Business• Large Range Of Quality, Affordable Fabrics And Colours To Choose From Call: 01525 220477 or 01582 699565 E: [email protected]

Make your house a home with blinds and awnings from

Page 14: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

--------------------

Health Beauty Wellbeing&

Sweet Feet For Summer

W e’ve kept them hidden in shoes and boots all Winter, but when Summer comes it’s good to put on a pair of sandals or flip flops, or

perhaps even walk around with bare feet. So, how can we make sure our feet are in tip-top condition and feel confident about showing them off to all around us? If you have a lot of rough and hard skin, foot conditions such as athletes foot, fungal nail infection, an ingrowing toe nail, calluses, corns or verrucas, a session or a number of appointments with a chiropo-dist or podiatrist is recommended. The terms are interchangeable, but strictly in the UK, ‘Podiatrist’ is a reserved title meaning that it can only be used by those registered with the Health Professions Council. Inside the profession, chiropody is used to suggest the routine processes of foot care, whilst podiatry is indicative of the higher skills and academic levels.Once any medical issues have been eliminated, you may wish to keep up the look and condition of your feet through pampering at home, or a trip to the beautician for a pedicure.

Regular maintenance tasks should include:

• Cutting your toe nails short. The use of clippers is generally recommended. Nails should be no more than a couple of mil-limetres over the edge of your toe.

• Next, file your nails using an emery board. File them so they are smooth, neat and square.

• It’s good to soak your feet in a bowl of warm water and use a foot scrub or lotion to get them clean and feeling smooth and silky.

• Various tools and devices are available to help you file hard and crusty skin to make it smooth. At home and at a beautician’s this is likely to be a pumice based product. A chiropodist is more likely to use a blade.

• Apply moisturising cream daily and mas-sage it in well, including between the toes. Let it dry before putting on socks or tights, as persisting dampness can cause fungus or athletes foot.

• Once a week, gently push back your cuticles with a cuticle stick to keep your toes healthy.

If you want to beautify too, you can apply polish to your toe nails. Some polishes have nourishing qualities. Make sure you remove traces of any previ-ous polish with an appropriate remover. Toe separators can make the job of apply-ing polish easier. Ongoing measures for foot health include putting your feet up after shopping sprees or long walks, and making sure shoes fit properly to prevent blisters or crushing of toes.

14

Page 15: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

www.thevinemagazine.com 15

----------HAIR&BEAUTY

Traditionally men spend less time caring for their skin than women, but also spend more time damag-ing it through outdoor activities and hazardous work conditions. As the body’s largest organ, the skin works hard to provide protection against the elements and to regulate body tem-perature - and it needs looking after. Achieving better skin can be quick and easy if you follow these three simple steps.

For Men

1 Cleanse your face daily, not with soap, but with a proper gel cleanser. It

doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but it should be strong enough to break through the grease that comes from open pores and active sebaceous glands, whilst gentle enough to be used every day.

2 Exfoliate 2-3 times a week. This dislodges debris from clogged

pores below the skin’s surface. Choose a scrub with granules in it to make your skin look smoother and brighter, and it will also soften the hair follicles to give you a closer, less irritat-ing shave.

3 Moisturise daily. Shower-ing and shaving open up pores which allow water

to escape, making the skin dry and taut. Moisturising regularly replaces lost moisture and also helps prevent razor burn. Use one with SPF to protect you against the sun’s rays.Follow these simple routines and your skin will soon look and feel much better!

Following the success of Mother’s Day which originated in the USA, it seemed apt of course to give Dads a chance to be recog-nised for a special day in the year when they too could be treated and pampered. It is acknowledged that a lady called Sonora Smart Dodd was inspired by the American Mother's Day celebrations and she planned a day to give thanks to fathers and indeed this special day has been celebrated in the USA since 1910.Held on the third Sunday in June, Father’s Day is a day to honour those who play a fatherly role and visit them and or treat them to gifts to show how important they are in our lives. With the increase in availability of personally printed products, Dads often get given mugs, T’shirts or calendars. Depending on the age of the children involved a specially drawn picture or painted pebbles can be treasured for years to come - for those who are older a pub lunch is often favoured!

Fathers Day

Sunday 16th JuneSunday 15th June

Page 16: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

16

PuzzlesPuzzlesPuzzles

Across

7. Policeman’s beat (6)

8. Yearly (6)

9. Jump (4)

10. Testimony (8)

11. Radiant (11)

14. Investor (11)

18. Physical exertion (8)

19. Clang, toll (4)

20. Save (6)

21. Zeal (6)

Down 1. Conscientious (7)

2. Clench, hold (4)

3. Cheat, swindle (6)

4. Lunatic (6)

5. Found within (8)

6. Small plot of land (5)

12. Co-operate (8)

13. Juvenile (7)

15. Cutlery (6)

16. Listened to (6)

17. Outdo, outshine (5)

19. Distil, infuse (4)

Crossword

PuzzlesPuzzlesPuzzles

PuzzlesPuzzlesPuzzles

PuzzlesPuzzlesPuzzles

SPOT THE ADVERTWhat advert

Is This? >>>>

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!

THONG

SHIPS

Answers on page 30

Career opportunities withEurope’s biggest beauty company

now available in this area.

Call, text or email for more info:

If you have a few spare hours weekly and would like the chance to build your own business, with full support, then contact us now.

[email protected]

FREE TO JOIN!

Open: Tues - Fri 8am - 5pm, Sat 8am - 1pm Telephone orders welcome - 01525 220213 1 Chapel Lane, Totternhoe, Dunstable, LU6 2BZ

F. HORTON & SON

Retail and Catering Supplies

Specialising in: Aberdeen Angus & Hereford BeefHome Made Sausages & BurgersFree delivery within a 10 mile radius on orders over £40

F. HORTON & SON ~ EST. 1861~High Class Family Run Butchers

Locally Produced Beef, Pork & Lamb

Page 17: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

17www.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

K. LEEPainting & Decorating

Advanced City & Guilds30 Years Experience

•COVING•PAPERING•TILING

Tel:01582 51712707941091916

[email protected]

All Painting & Decorating Including:

519 Lowther Rd. Dunstable, LU6 3LP

Page 18: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

18

By Seb Jay

Looking Up!in June & July2014

Bedfordshire’s Night Sky

Dark Sky Telescope Hire [email protected]

Scetch of Mars through a telescope.

Discover Saturn in Summer Evening Skies: Summer’s short warm nights are the perfect time to gaze at Saturn. The ringed planet is easy to see with the naked eye, appearing as a pale yellow ‘star’ no more than 20-degrees up above the horizon to your south around 11pm. In June look between 170° to 200° South on your compass. July finds Saturn a bit lower down in the sky towards the south-west. In a telescope Saturn is simply spectacular. You’ll be able to see the planet’s rings very clearly, along with some of Saturn’s moons. Watch the International Space Station Sail Overhead in June: Early and mid-June sees some spectacular flybys of the International Space Station (ISS) over

Bedfordshire. The action begins at around 11:05pm on Monday 2nd June. Watch for a bright light moving steadily across the sky from west to east / south-east, with a repeat performance about 90 minutes later. Simi-lar passes of the ISS happen every night through until Wednesday 18th June. See the Centre of our Galaxy: From 18th July to month’s end is a great time to go in search of the centre of our own galaxy! You’ll need to choose a dark location up on the Chilterns with an open southerly view. Look directly south at around midnight for a delicately glowing cloud of light about 10-de-grees above the horizon. This is the brightest part of the Milky Way – and the location of the centre of our galaxy.

Tailored Training Sessions for men and women in your own home

6 week Transformation Packages Weight Loss & Body Conditioning

Lifestyle & Nutrition Coaching Celebrity Client Base

For an Non – Obligation Consultation

Call 07983 384454

Action speaks louder than words"

Page 19: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

19www.thevinemagazine.com

By Seb Jay

Looking Up!in June & July2014

Bedfordshire’s Night Sky

Dark Sky Telescope Hire [email protected]

Scetch of Mars through a telescope.

Discover Saturn in Summer Evening Skies: Summer’s short warm nights are the perfect time to gaze at Saturn. The ringed planet is easy to see with the naked eye, appearing as a pale yellow ‘star’ no more than 20-degrees up above the horizon to your south around 11pm. In June look between 170° to 200° South on your compass. July finds Saturn a bit lower down in the sky towards the south-west. In a telescope Saturn is simply spectacular. You’ll be able to see the planet’s rings very clearly, along with some of Saturn’s moons. Watch the International Space Station Sail Overhead in June: Early and mid-June sees some spectacular flybys of the International Space Station (ISS) over

Bedfordshire. The action begins at around 11:05pm on Monday 2nd June. Watch for a bright light moving steadily across the sky from west to east / south-east, with a repeat performance about 90 minutes later. Simi-lar passes of the ISS happen every night through until Wednesday 18th June. See the Centre of our Galaxy: From 18th July to month’s end is a great time to go in search of the centre of our own galaxy! You’ll need to choose a dark location up on the Chilterns with an open southerly view. Look directly south at around midnight for a delicately glowing cloud of light about 10-de-grees above the horizon. This is the brightest part of the Milky Way – and the location of the centre of our galaxy.

Tastes so good... ROAST SEA BASS WITH A LEMON & GARLIC CRUST

Perfect for a simple lunch or a dinner party with friends, this main course is an easy crowd pleaser, looks great on the plate and is a wonderful dish to serve with vegetables or salad alike.

Ingredients : 4 skinned fillets sea bass, washed under running water 3 unwaxed lemons 4 cloves garlic Small bunch of washed fresh parsley 25g butter 30g wholemeal bread 50ml extra virgin olive oil Salt & pepper

Equipment: Small processor or mortar and pestle Oven: Gas Mark 5, 190°c Method: Brush undersides with olive oil and season fish all over with salt and pepper. Zest one of the lemons and squeeze juice. Wedge the other lemon for garnish. Whizz garlic with lemon juice and zest. Once no more large pieces can be seen, add the parsley, bread and butter to the processor. Quite quickly you should produce a moist and very tasty breadcrumb mixture. Press this mixture firmly onto the upper side of the fillets. Roast for approximately 20 minutes, or until the crust is brown. Serve with whatever takes your fancy!

Diane Johnson

Tastes so good... PARSNIP QUICHE WITH BLUE CHEESE

This dish can be eaten hot or cold and it’s great for lunch boxes. You can use up leftover cooked veg from the Sunday roast instead of the freshly cooked parsnip. Sweet potato or

carrot can be exchanged for the parsnip.

Equipment: 23cm / 9 inch buttered/greased loose bottomed flan dish. Rolling pin

Method: Make the pastry by rubbing the butter into the flour until it resembles bread crumbs. Add sufficient water to bring the pastry together into a ball without it being sticky and leave to rest for half an hour covered in the fridge.

Cook the parsnip in boiling water until soft. Leave to cool. Fry off the shallot until soft. Set to one side to cool. Line a 9 inch greased flan dish with the rested pastry. Prick the bottom of the base gently with a fork to stop air bubbles forming. Bake blind (this will avoid the famous "soggy bottom"!) by crumpling baking parchment and placing it in the pastry case being careful not to tear the pastry. Then fill with ceramic baking beans spreading them out evenly. Cook at 450º F for 20 minutes until lightly brown and a little crisp.

Remove the paper and beans. Whilst the pastry case is cooking beat the eggs together and add the creme fraiche and milk, incorporating all together with a whisk. Puree or mash the parsnip with the spice or korma and gradually add to the egg mixture until thoroughly mixed. Once the pastry case has come out of the oven dot the base with the blue cheese, onion and ham. Pour the egg mixture into the pastry case and bake on 180ºC for 45 minutes, or until the centre doesn’t wobble. Diane Johnson

Ingredients:

Shortcrust pastry: 100g salted butter 200g plain flour 4-5 tbps cold water

Filing: 200g parsnip, peeled & sliced 1 shallot, diced 3 eggs 175ml crème fraiche 290ml milk 1/2 tsp mixed spice or korma curry powder 50g good blue cheese 50g ham or cooked bacon

Ingredients

165ml can coconut milk1 tablespoon brown sugar1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom2 garlic cloves, crushed1 teaspoon fish sauce800g / 1.5lbs beef rump steak, trimmed, cut into 2cm cubes

Method

Combine coconut milk, sugar, sweet chilli sauce, cinnamon, cardamom, garlic and fish sauce in a non-metallic bowl. Add beef. Toss to make sure the beef is coated with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, longer if time permits.

To make the coconut chilli sauce combine the peanuts, coconut, coriander, chilli, sweet chilli sauce and 3 teaspoons cold water in a bowl.

Heat a greased barbecue plate or griddle on medium-high heat. Thread beef onto skewers. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes each side or until browned and cooked through. Drizzle with coconut chilli sauce.

Serve with steamed rice, salad and lime wedges.

Tastes so good...

PARSNIP Q

UICHE W

ITH BLUE CHEESE

This dish can be eaten hot or cold and it’s great for lunch boxes. You can use up leftover cooked veg from

the Sunday roast instead of the freshly cooked parsnip. Sweet potato or

carrot can be exchanged for the parsnip.

Equipment: 23cm

/ 9 inch buttered/greased loose bott

omed flan dish. Rolling

pin M

ethod: Make the pastry by rubbing the butt

er into the flour until it resem

bles bread crumbs. Add suffi

cient water to bring the pastry together

into a ball without it being sticky and leave to rest for half an hour covered in

the fridge.

Cook the parsnip in boiling water until soft. Leave to cool. Fry off the shallot

until soft. Set to one side to cool. Line a 9 inch greased flan dish with the

rested pastry. Prick the bottom

of the base gently with a fork to stop air

bubbles forming. Bake blind (this w

ill avoid the famous "soggy bott

om"!) by

crumpling baking parchm

ent and placing it in the pastry case being careful not to tear the pastry. Then fill w

ith ceramic baking beans spreading them

out evenly. Cook at 450º F for 20 m

inutes until lightly brown and a litt

le crisp.

Remove the paper and beans. W

hilst the pastry case is cooking beat the eggs together and add the crem

e fraiche and milk, incorporating all together w

ith a w

hisk. Puree or mash the parsnip w

ith the spice or korma and gradually add

to the egg mixture until thoroughly m

ixed. Once the pastry case has com

e out of the oven dot the base w

ith the blue cheese, onion and ham. Pour the egg

mixture into the pastry case and bake on 180ºC for 45 m

inutes, or until the centre doesn’t w

obble. Diane Johnson

Ingredients: Shortcrust pastry: 100g salted butt

er 200g plain flour 4-5 tbps cold w

ater Filing: 200g parsnip, peeled &

sliced 1 shallot, diced 3 eggs 175m

l crème fraiche

290ml m

ilk 1/2 tsp m

ixed spice or korm

a curry pow

der 50g good blue cheese 50g ham

or cooked bacon

Preparation time (including marinade time) : 1 hour Cooking time: 20 minutes

Sweet Chili Coconut Skewers

Utterly delicious and ideal for cooking on the BBQ

Page 20: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

20

In The Garden

How to make the grass greener on your side

jobs to be . getting on with...

For instance, everyone knows grass needs to be cut. But it is the way

that it is cut that is crucial – mowing needs to be done little and often, every week if possible. Letting it get long and then scalping the lawn is a guaranteed way to introduce weeds and moss. Grass is happy at about 1” (slightly longer in drought or winter).All plants need to be fed, and grass is no exception. Again, though, the way that you do it is vital. Put on too much food and you will scorch the grass, use it at the wrong time (such as when it is too cold or rain is forecast) and it is wasted. Read the packet and follow the instructions, it is as simple as that.‘What about weeds?’ I hear you ask. Well, what about them? If you keep the grass at the right height, cut it at the right time, and feed it the right stuff at the right time, then the chances are your lawn will out-compete a lot of weeds. Some people even like pretty

weeds. If they are thugs, though, or you just like to be weed-free, then apply a weedkiller separately to the feed, or buy a feed that incorporates weedkiller.Most lawns this year will have suffered from moss, thanks to the wettest winter on record. (In some areas, I guess, people will be grate-ful to even have a lawn at all.) If you apply a mosskill-er it is important to scarify once it has died off. This can be done with a spring-tine rake, but if you are not Popeye, it is much easier to buy or hire a machine.Finally, those nice neat stripes. It is all down to the mower and the way the grass is flattened in one direction or the other when it is mowed. Hover type mowers can’t do it.Of course, if all this sounds complicated or too much bother, then the easiest way to get a great-looking lawn is to use nothing but a deckchair and a phone – the phone to call in profes-sionals, the deckchair to admire their handiwork.

A healthy-looking green sward, with no weeds or moss and fresh green stripes, seems to be most people’s idea of a great lawn. And if I had to give one general piece of advice on how to achieve it I would say, it is not what you do, so much as the way that you do it.

Finally, those nice neat stripes. It is all down to the mower and the way the grass is flattened in one direction or the other when it is mowed. Hover type mowers can’t do it. Of course, if all this sounds complicated or too much bother, then the easiest way to get a great-looking lawn is to use nothing but a deckchair and a phone – the phone to call in professionals, the deckchair to admire their handiwork. Ends Sample pics, can be supplied electronically:

Catherine Miller CLM Gardens www.clm-gardens.co.uk Please do not use without the by-line above Submitted March 2014, please let me know if /when it is scheduled for use; and also note if the article has been not been scheduled for use by Sept 2014, it may be offered elsewhere, so please check before using after that date. Rights offered: one use only, free of charge if by-line used

June & July are busy months in the garden, and as well as a good time to plant alpines, other jobs include:

June• Sowing salad leaves every 2 weeks for a continuous crop • Plant grasses • Tie up climbers • Earth up potatoes

July• Feed lawns• Place conservatory plants outside now that it is warm• Deadhead bedding plants and repeat-flowering perennials, to ensure continuous flowering• Pick courgettes before they become marrows• Treat apple scab• Clear algae, blanket weeds and debris from ponds, and keep them topped up

Until next time, happy gardening,

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

Page 21: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

21www.thevinemagazine.com

All Things Archery

Sunday 25th and Monday 26th May 2014

11am - 4pmHave-a-go archery

DemonstrationsMeet our archers

Find out how to get involved in this great sport

Free entry

•••

Sparrow Hall Farm, Edlesborough, LU6 2ES01525 229374

www.silverarrowarchery.co.uk [email protected]

Archery Open Weekend

In The Garden

How to make the grass greener on your side

jobs to be . getting on with...

For instance, everyone knows grass needs to be cut. But it is the way

that it is cut that is crucial – mowing needs to be done little and often, every week if possible. Letting it get long and then scalping the lawn is a guaranteed way to introduce weeds and moss. Grass is happy at about 1” (slightly longer in drought or winter).All plants need to be fed, and grass is no exception. Again, though, the way that you do it is vital. Put on too much food and you will scorch the grass, use it at the wrong time (such as when it is too cold or rain is forecast) and it is wasted. Read the packet and follow the instructions, it is as simple as that.‘What about weeds?’ I hear you ask. Well, what about them? If you keep the grass at the right height, cut it at the right time, and feed it the right stuff at the right time, then the chances are your lawn will out-compete a lot of weeds. Some people even like pretty

weeds. If they are thugs, though, or you just like to be weed-free, then apply a weedkiller separately to the feed, or buy a feed that incorporates weedkiller.Most lawns this year will have suffered from moss, thanks to the wettest winter on record. (In some areas, I guess, people will be grate-ful to even have a lawn at all.) If you apply a mosskill-er it is important to scarify once it has died off. This can be done with a spring-tine rake, but if you are not Popeye, it is much easier to buy or hire a machine.Finally, those nice neat stripes. It is all down to the mower and the way the grass is flattened in one direction or the other when it is mowed. Hover type mowers can’t do it.Of course, if all this sounds complicated or too much bother, then the easiest way to get a great-looking lawn is to use nothing but a deckchair and a phone – the phone to call in profes-sionals, the deckchair to admire their handiwork.

A healthy-looking green sward, with no weeds or moss and fresh green stripes, seems to be most people’s idea of a great lawn. And if I had to give one general piece of advice on how to achieve it I would say, it is not what you do, so much as the way that you do it.

Finally, those nice neat stripes. It is all down to the mower and the way the grass is flattened in one direction or the other when it is mowed. Hover type mowers can’t do it. Of course, if all this sounds complicated or too much bother, then the easiest way to get a great-looking lawn is to use nothing but a deckchair and a phone – the phone to call in professionals, the deckchair to admire their handiwork. Ends Sample pics, can be supplied electronically:

Catherine Miller CLM Gardens www.clm-gardens.co.uk Please do not use without the by-line above Submitted March 2014, please let me know if /when it is scheduled for use; and also note if the article has been not been scheduled for use by Sept 2014, it may be offered elsewhere, so please check before using after that date. Rights offered: one use only, free of charge if by-line used

June & July are busy months in the garden, and as well as a good time to plant alpines, other jobs include:

June• Sowing salad leaves every 2 weeks for a continuous crop • Plant grasses • Tie up climbers • Earth up potatoes

July• Feed lawns• Place conservatory plants outside now that it is warm• Deadhead bedding plants and repeat-flowering perennials, to ensure continuous flowering• Pick courgettes before they become marrows• Treat apple scab• Clear algae, blanket weeds and debris from ponds, and keep them topped up

Until next time, happy gardening,

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

Ta

ylored Landscapes

established since 1998

Commercial and Domestic Services

Garden MaintenanceFencingPatiosTurfingDeckingPlanting

Water FeaturesSite Clearance

Free QuotationsRing 01525 380114

[email protected]

Page 22: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

22

Don’t Have Tree Nightmares

Can I Cut My Neighbour’s Tree Back?If your neighbour’s tree hangs over into your land you should firstly ask your neighbour to trim back the tree. If they refuse or ignore your request, you are well within your rights to trim the tree back yourself but only the parts that overhang your land and you can only trim back to the boundary line. There is, however, an exception to the above when there is a Tree Preservation Order in place protecting the tree. If this is the case you will need to seek authority from the local authority before taking any steps.

I Live In A Conservation Area.Trees are thought to contribute to the character of conser-vation areas, so even if the tree in question isn't subject to a preservation order, if you live in one of these areas, you'll need to contact the council to give notice of pro-posed work. This applies to trees with a trunk diameter greater than 75mm measured 1.5m above ground level. You can't start work before a six week notice period has elapsed unless the council gives you permission to go ahead before then. Dead, dying and dangerous trees are exempt, but you'll still need to check with the council to ensure this applies to your tree. Once again, you can be prosecuted and fined if you don't follow the rules.

My Neighbour’s Tree Is Dangerous, What Can I Do?In England and Wales, local authorities have powers to deal with trees on private property which are on the point of causing damage. A local authority can:-make the tree safe, if it is on the point of causing dam-age and are asked to do so by the owner of the land on which the tree stands. The local authority will recover the costs of doing this from the ownermake a tree safe on someone else’s land, if asked to do so by a neighbour whose property is in imminent danger from the tree and the owner of the land on which the tree stands is not known sserve a notice on someone who has a tree which is on the point of causing damage to the property of a

neighbour and that neighbour asks the local authority to take action. The owner of the tree must comply with the notice. If they do not, the local authority will do the nec-essary work and recover the costs from the owner. The owner can appeal to the county court against the notice.If you want the local authority to take action, you will need to find out which department deals with dangerous trees as this varies from one local authority to another. You can then ask this department to check the condition of the tree. It is up to the local authority to decide if the tree is on the point of causing damage. If they consider it is not on the point of causing damage, they don't have to take any action. An overhanging tree may also be a dan-ger. For example, most parts of a yew tree are poisonous. If any damage or injury is caused, the tree owner will be liable to pay compensation if a person affected brings a claim for damages.

My Neighbour’s Tree Is Blocking Out My LightThere are no laws that allow a right to light per se and you will be unable to force the neighbour to do anything. But if the tree is blocking light from a window in your house or a green house, you can acquire the right to light with the help of your local authority and you should con-tact them first to see how helpful they might be. If you have enjoyed a certain level of light for 20 uninterrupted years the law states that it is reasonable for you to expect the same level of light and you can go to court for relief. You should also check your deeds to see if they contain a covenant stating that your neighbour must not block your light.

If I Cut My Neighbour’s Tree Can I Dispose Of The Branches?You are actually required by law to hand the cut branch-es back to your neighbor as they form part of the tree that is their property. However, unless it’s a fruit tree it is unlikely that they will want them back as they will only have to dispose of the debris. You should ask them if they do want the branches back and if they say no record it in writing before disposing of them.

Over the last few months I have received lots of questions about what rights are in place when a neighbours tree encroaches into your garden. Here’s what you need to know before you get out your hacksaw and start chopping branches off.

By Dean Dunham - Legal Eagle of Consumer UK

Page 23: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

23

LEWIS BUILDINGCONSULTANCY SERVICES

Tel/Fax: 01525 874113Mob: 07870 326607

Drawings for extensions & Conversions

to pass Local Authority requirements

101 Leighton Rd, Toddington

Email: [email protected]

C. LEWIS MCIOB

PLASTERING SERVICES30 Years Experience In All Aspects Of Plastering

Render SpecialistNo Job Too Big Or Small!

250 High Street North

250 High Street NorthDunstableBedsLU6 1BE

Phone : 01582 472526Mobile : 07958377463Email : [email protected]

All Work Fully Guaranteed

DOMESTIC APPLIANCE REPAIRSWashing Machines, Dishwashers,Tumble Driers, Electric Ovens &

Vacuum Cleaners

Contact Leigh Hibon OnDays: 07841 652 496 Eve: 01582 842764

• No Callout Charge• All Makes Repaired

• Honest & Reliable Advice• Full Electrical Safety Tests

• Evening & Weekend Appointments• All Work Guaranteed

DOMESTIC APPLIANCE REPAIRS

Washing Machines, Dishwashers,

Tumble Driers, Electric Ovens &

Vacuum Cleaners…

*No Callout Charges*

*All Makes Repaired*

*Honest & Reliable Advice*

*Full Electrical Safety Tests*

*Eve & Weekend Appointments*

*All Work Guaranteed*

Contact…

Leigh Hibon

On

Days: 07841 652 496 Eve: 01582 842764

DOMESTIC APPLIANCE REPAIRS

Washing Machines, Dishwashers,

Tumble Driers, Electric Ovens &

Vacuum Cleaners…

*No Callout Charges*

*All Makes Repaired*

*Honest & Reliable Advice*

*Full Electrical Safety Tests*

*Eve & Weekend Appointments*

*All Work Guaranteed*

Contact…

Leigh Hibon

On

Days: 07841 652 496 Eve: 01582 842764

Cullen & SonPainting & Decorating

AndAll Types Of

General Maintenance WorkNo Job Too Small

Call Sean:07932 62622401582 608547

Call Neil on 01582 666027 or 07837 735200www.locksurgeon.co.uk

EMERGENCYLOCKSMITH

All types of locks to PVC, Aluminium &

Wooden DoorsStore our number in your phone so you have it in an emergency

No call out charge

Burt Carter - Painter & DecoratorFor all of your decorating needs

Any Job - Large or SmallReliable, Friendly

& Trustworthy

Carters Decorators

Call me today for a free quote & advice

01582 263571 07729 962196

FOUNDED ON TRADITION. LOOKING TO THE FUTURE.

■ Huge Range of Furniture■ Competitive Prices■ Free Delivery■ Fully Trained Staff

■ Removal of old furniture■ Removal of new packaging■ Lounge, Dining & Bedroom furniture■ Accessories and artefacts

Tel: 01525 373520 Email: [email protected] Web: www.dillamores.co.uk

Proud to be celebrating our 90th anniversary, Dillamore’s offers service as it should be - pop in and see for yourself!

Years of Quality Customer Care

CelebratingFounded on tradition. Looking to the future.

Proud to be celebrating our 90th anniversary, Dillamore’s offers service as it should be.Call in and see for yourself!

Tel: 01525 373520 Email: [email protected] www.dillamores.co.uk

Lounge, Dining & Bedroom Furniture & Accessories

46 High St. Leighton Buzzard. LU7 1EA Monday - Saturday

9am - 5pm

From a single chair to a complete suite, Dillamore’s have a huge display of quality furniture and accessories to choose from.

Over two showroom floors, we stock fine cabinet furniture including beds, sofa-beds, upholstery, lift & rise recliners and adjustable beds.

Helping create beautiful homes for 90 years!

• Large Range Of Furniture• Competitive Prices• Free Delivery• Fully Trained Staff

• Removal Of Old Furniture• Removal Of Packaging• Lounge, Dining & Bedroom Furniture• Accessories

Page 24: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

24

auto Biographies

Max speed: 109 mph 0-62 mph: 12.0 secs Combined mpg: 60.0Engine: 1598cc 4 cylinder 16 valve diesel Max. power (bhp): 105 at 3750 rpm Max. torque (lb/ft): 236 at 1750 rpm CO2: 122 g/km Price: £19,590on the road

FAST FACTS

PROS & CONS Grippy√ Safe√ Stylish√No built in sat-navXSlowX

By Tim Barnes-Claywww.carwriteups.co.uk

The Fiat 500L Trekking com-bines a fashionable look with special grip gadgetry

called Traction+, which helps the car handle difficult and dicey surfaces.Under conditions of low or zero traction, the system detects slip, making it easy to maintain directional stability and control. The car is slow and cumber-some to begin with, but the technology certainly inspires confidence during bad driving conditions. The fresh model offers the same functional and practical quali-ties of the standard Fiat 500L, but has a more upright look.

This is because the Italian automaker has raised the car’s suspension to enable it to drive over rough ground more ef-fectively.Features on the 500L includes a touchscreen radio with Bluetooth, six airbags, ESC (Electronic Stability Control), cruise control, leather gearknob and steering wheel, dual zone climate control, side mould-ings, parking sensors, electric windows, automatic lights with rain sensors, front fog lights and rear armrest. The Fiat also has high-tech fabric seat upholstery with eco-leather inserts.To be honest, all that the 500LTrekking lacks is a built in sat-nav. Other than that, my flagship test model came loaded with kit including 17” alloy wheels which were fitted with mud and snow tyres.To emphasise its outdoor disposi-tion, the Fiat also has specific front and rear bumpers, a skid-plate and fog lights which help

give it a rugged look.If you’re concerned about the wellbeing of you and your passengers then the Fiat will certainly tick your box. It’s one of the safest motors on the road today, as demonstrated by its prestigious Euro NCAP 5-star rating. In fact the 500L Trekking is the first car in the Fiat range to provide City Brake Control as standard. This system is designed to reduce the effects of low-speed collision in traffic. It’s clever stuff.Overall, the big Fiat is a robust motor and will appeal to style conscious families who need the space for five people com-bined with functionality and practicality. Just don’t expect awesome acceleration and cer-tainly allow yourself lots of time to overtake. With a 0-62mph pace of 12 seconds, life can get a little frustrating behind the sluggish, albeit inoffensive wheel of the Fiat 500L 1.6 MultiJet 105hp Trekking.

FIAT 500L Trekking 1.6 Multijet

auto BIOGRAPHIES FIAT 500L Trekking 1.6 Multijet

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

FAST FACTS Max speed: 109mph

0-62 mph: 12.0 secs

Combined mpg: 60.1

Engine: 1598cc 4 cylinder 16 valve diesel

Max. power (bhp): 105 at 3750 rpm

Max. torque (Ib/ft): 236 at 1750 rpm

CO2: 122 g/km

Price: £19,590 on the road

PROS ‘N’ CONS

Grippy√ Safe√

Stylish√ No built in sat-navX

SlowX

The Fiat 500L Trekking combines a fashionable look with special grip gadgetry called Traction+, which helps the car handle difficult and dicey surfaces. Under conditions of low or zero traction, the system detects slip, making it easy to maintain directional stability and control. The car is slow and cumbersome to begin with, but the technology certainly inspires confidence during bad driving conditions. The fresh model offers the same functional and practical qualities of the standard Fiat 500L, but has a more upright look. This is because the Italian automaker has raised the car’s suspension to enable it to drive over rough ground more effectively. Features on the 500L includes a touchscreen radio with Bluetooth, six airbags, ESC (Electronic Stability Control), cruise control, leather gearknob and steering wheel, dual zone climate control, side mouldings, parking sensors, electric windows, automatic lights with rain sensors, front fog lights and rear armrest. The Fiat also has high-tech fabric seat upholstery with eco-leather inserts. To be honest, all that the 500LTrekking lacks is a built in sat-nav. Other than that, my flagship test model came loaded with kit including 17” alloy

wheels which were fitted with mud and snow tyres.To emphasise its outdoor disposition, the Fiat also has specific front and rear bumpers, a skid-plate and fog lights which help give it a rugged look. If you’re concerned about the wellbeing of you and your passengers then the Fiat will certainly tick your box. It’s one of the safest motors on the road today, as demonstrated by its prestigious Euro NCAP 5-star rating. In fact the 500L Trekking is the first car in the Fiat range to provide City Brake Control as standard. This system is designed to reduce the effects of low-speed collision in traffic. It’s clever stuff. Overall, the big Fiat is a robust motor and will appeal to style conscious families who need the space for five people combined with functionality and practicality. Just don’t expect awesome acceleration and certainly allow yourself lots of time to overtake. With a 0-62mph pace of 12 seconds, life can get a little frustrating behind the sluggish, albeit inoffensive wheel of the Fiat 500L 1.6 MultiJet 105hp Trekking.

auto BIOGRAPHIES FIAT 500L Trekking 1.6 Multijet

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

FAST FACTS Max speed: 109mph

0-62 mph: 12.0 secs

Combined mpg: 60.1

Engine: 1598cc 4 cylinder 16 valve diesel

Max. power (bhp): 105 at 3750 rpm

Max. torque (Ib/ft): 236 at 1750 rpm

CO2: 122 g/km

Price: £19,590 on the road

PROS ‘N’ CONS

Grippy√ Safe√

Stylish√ No built in sat-navX

SlowX

The Fiat 500L Trekking combines a fashionable look with special grip gadgetry called Traction+, which helps the car handle difficult and dicey surfaces. Under conditions of low or zero traction, the system detects slip, making it easy to maintain directional stability and control. The car is slow and cumbersome to begin with, but the technology certainly inspires confidence during bad driving conditions. The fresh model offers the same functional and practical qualities of the standard Fiat 500L, but has a more upright look. This is because the Italian automaker has raised the car’s suspension to enable it to drive over rough ground more effectively. Features on the 500L includes a touchscreen radio with Bluetooth, six airbags, ESC (Electronic Stability Control), cruise control, leather gearknob and steering wheel, dual zone climate control, side mouldings, parking sensors, electric windows, automatic lights with rain sensors, front fog lights and rear armrest. The Fiat also has high-tech fabric seat upholstery with eco-leather inserts. To be honest, all that the 500LTrekking lacks is a built in sat-nav. Other than that, my flagship test model came loaded with kit including 17” alloy

wheels which were fitted with mud and snow tyres.To emphasise its outdoor disposition, the Fiat also has specific front and rear bumpers, a skid-plate and fog lights which help give it a rugged look. If you’re concerned about the wellbeing of you and your passengers then the Fiat will certainly tick your box. It’s one of the safest motors on the road today, as demonstrated by its prestigious Euro NCAP 5-star rating. In fact the 500L Trekking is the first car in the Fiat range to provide City Brake Control as standard. This system is designed to reduce the effects of low-speed collision in traffic. It’s clever stuff. Overall, the big Fiat is a robust motor and will appeal to style conscious families who need the space for five people combined with functionality and practicality. Just don’t expect awesome acceleration and certainly allow yourself lots of time to overtake. With a 0-62mph pace of 12 seconds, life can get a little frustrating behind the sluggish, albeit inoffensive wheel of the Fiat 500L 1.6 MultiJet 105hp Trekking.

Page 25: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

25

auto Biographies

Max speed: 109 mph 0-62 mph: 12.0 secs Combined mpg: 60.0Engine: 1598cc 4 cylinder 16 valve diesel Max. power (bhp): 105 at 3750 rpm Max. torque (lb/ft): 236 at 1750 rpm CO2: 122 g/km Price: £19,590on the road

FAST FACTS

PROS & CONS Grippy√ Safe√ Stylish√No built in sat-navXSlowX

By Tim Barnes-Claywww.carwriteups.co.uk

The Fiat 500L Trekking com-bines a fashionable look with special grip gadgetry

called Traction+, which helps the car handle difficult and dicey surfaces.Under conditions of low or zero traction, the system detects slip, making it easy to maintain directional stability and control. The car is slow and cumber-some to begin with, but the technology certainly inspires confidence during bad driving conditions. The fresh model offers the same functional and practical quali-ties of the standard Fiat 500L, but has a more upright look.

This is because the Italian automaker has raised the car’s suspension to enable it to drive over rough ground more ef-fectively.Features on the 500L includes a touchscreen radio with Bluetooth, six airbags, ESC (Electronic Stability Control), cruise control, leather gearknob and steering wheel, dual zone climate control, side mould-ings, parking sensors, electric windows, automatic lights with rain sensors, front fog lights and rear armrest. The Fiat also has high-tech fabric seat upholstery with eco-leather inserts.To be honest, all that the 500LTrekking lacks is a built in sat-nav. Other than that, my flagship test model came loaded with kit including 17” alloy wheels which were fitted with mud and snow tyres.To emphasise its outdoor disposi-tion, the Fiat also has specific front and rear bumpers, a skid-plate and fog lights which help

give it a rugged look.If you’re concerned about the wellbeing of you and your passengers then the Fiat will certainly tick your box. It’s one of the safest motors on the road today, as demonstrated by its prestigious Euro NCAP 5-star rating. In fact the 500L Trekking is the first car in the Fiat range to provide City Brake Control as standard. This system is designed to reduce the effects of low-speed collision in traffic. It’s clever stuff.Overall, the big Fiat is a robust motor and will appeal to style conscious families who need the space for five people com-bined with functionality and practicality. Just don’t expect awesome acceleration and cer-tainly allow yourself lots of time to overtake. With a 0-62mph pace of 12 seconds, life can get a little frustrating behind the sluggish, albeit inoffensive wheel of the Fiat 500L 1.6 MultiJet 105hp Trekking.

FIAT 500L Trekking 1.6 Multijet

auto BIOGRAPHIES FIAT 500L Trekking 1.6 Multijet

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

FAST FACTS Max speed: 109mph

0-62 mph: 12.0 secs

Combined mpg: 60.1

Engine: 1598cc 4 cylinder 16 valve diesel

Max. power (bhp): 105 at 3750 rpm

Max. torque (Ib/ft): 236 at 1750 rpm

CO2: 122 g/km

Price: £19,590 on the road

PROS ‘N’ CONS

Grippy√ Safe√

Stylish√ No built in sat-navX

SlowX

The Fiat 500L Trekking combines a fashionable look with special grip gadgetry called Traction+, which helps the car handle difficult and dicey surfaces. Under conditions of low or zero traction, the system detects slip, making it easy to maintain directional stability and control. The car is slow and cumbersome to begin with, but the technology certainly inspires confidence during bad driving conditions. The fresh model offers the same functional and practical qualities of the standard Fiat 500L, but has a more upright look. This is because the Italian automaker has raised the car’s suspension to enable it to drive over rough ground more effectively. Features on the 500L includes a touchscreen radio with Bluetooth, six airbags, ESC (Electronic Stability Control), cruise control, leather gearknob and steering wheel, dual zone climate control, side mouldings, parking sensors, electric windows, automatic lights with rain sensors, front fog lights and rear armrest. The Fiat also has high-tech fabric seat upholstery with eco-leather inserts. To be honest, all that the 500LTrekking lacks is a built in sat-nav. Other than that, my flagship test model came loaded with kit including 17” alloy

wheels which were fitted with mud and snow tyres.To emphasise its outdoor disposition, the Fiat also has specific front and rear bumpers, a skid-plate and fog lights which help give it a rugged look. If you’re concerned about the wellbeing of you and your passengers then the Fiat will certainly tick your box. It’s one of the safest motors on the road today, as demonstrated by its prestigious Euro NCAP 5-star rating. In fact the 500L Trekking is the first car in the Fiat range to provide City Brake Control as standard. This system is designed to reduce the effects of low-speed collision in traffic. It’s clever stuff. Overall, the big Fiat is a robust motor and will appeal to style conscious families who need the space for five people combined with functionality and practicality. Just don’t expect awesome acceleration and certainly allow yourself lots of time to overtake. With a 0-62mph pace of 12 seconds, life can get a little frustrating behind the sluggish, albeit inoffensive wheel of the Fiat 500L 1.6 MultiJet 105hp Trekking.

auto BIOGRAPHIES FIAT 500L Trekking 1.6 Multijet

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

FAST FACTS Max speed: 109mph

0-62 mph: 12.0 secs

Combined mpg: 60.1

Engine: 1598cc 4 cylinder 16 valve diesel

Max. power (bhp): 105 at 3750 rpm

Max. torque (Ib/ft): 236 at 1750 rpm

CO2: 122 g/km

Price: £19,590 on the road

PROS ‘N’ CONS

Grippy√ Safe√

Stylish√ No built in sat-navX

SlowX

The Fiat 500L Trekking combines a fashionable look with special grip gadgetry called Traction+, which helps the car handle difficult and dicey surfaces. Under conditions of low or zero traction, the system detects slip, making it easy to maintain directional stability and control. The car is slow and cumbersome to begin with, but the technology certainly inspires confidence during bad driving conditions. The fresh model offers the same functional and practical qualities of the standard Fiat 500L, but has a more upright look. This is because the Italian automaker has raised the car’s suspension to enable it to drive over rough ground more effectively. Features on the 500L includes a touchscreen radio with Bluetooth, six airbags, ESC (Electronic Stability Control), cruise control, leather gearknob and steering wheel, dual zone climate control, side mouldings, parking sensors, electric windows, automatic lights with rain sensors, front fog lights and rear armrest. The Fiat also has high-tech fabric seat upholstery with eco-leather inserts. To be honest, all that the 500LTrekking lacks is a built in sat-nav. Other than that, my flagship test model came loaded with kit including 17” alloy

wheels which were fitted with mud and snow tyres.To emphasise its outdoor disposition, the Fiat also has specific front and rear bumpers, a skid-plate and fog lights which help give it a rugged look. If you’re concerned about the wellbeing of you and your passengers then the Fiat will certainly tick your box. It’s one of the safest motors on the road today, as demonstrated by its prestigious Euro NCAP 5-star rating. In fact the 500L Trekking is the first car in the Fiat range to provide City Brake Control as standard. This system is designed to reduce the effects of low-speed collision in traffic. It’s clever stuff. Overall, the big Fiat is a robust motor and will appeal to style conscious families who need the space for five people combined with functionality and practicality. Just don’t expect awesome acceleration and certainly allow yourself lots of time to overtake. With a 0-62mph pace of 12 seconds, life can get a little frustrating behind the sluggish, albeit inoffensive wheel of the Fiat 500L 1.6 MultiJet 105hp Trekking.

30 Year Colour GUARANTEEWEATHER PROOF YOUR HOME Roofing & General Maintenance

Great Cosmetic Improvement

Save Time & Money on Maintenance

Wood & Rot Free Roofline

Protects and Ventilates Your Roofline

A Huge Choice of Colours Available

FASCIAS, SOFFITS, CLADDING & RAINWATER

Roofing

Tel: 01582 618679 Email: [email protected] Mob: 07801 315140 Web: www.gjsmithroofing.com

Quality craftsmanship in all areas of :

• Groundwork • Electrics • Glazing • Carpentry • Brickwork • Plumbing • Ceramic Tiling

• Refurbishments • Conversions • Glazing • Conservatories

Please call/email Tom for a free quote: 01582 866718 07889 870307 [email protected]

We also offer advice & assistance in all matters relating to your planning/permission requirements

References from satisfied customers can be supplied on request

Page 26: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

26

TEC

HN

OLO

GY

By Alex Albrighton

Not so long ago there was no getting back at reckless drivers like this guy but in-car

cameras now offer the chance to bring them to count.An absolute given in countries like Russia, Japan and the USA, only 3% of British drivers currently own a dash cam, but the trend is on the increase. A recent RAC survey found that 4 out of 10 car owners would consider buying one, and that a fifth of current dash cams are used to guard against ‘cash for crash’ scams.False insurance claims are growing, and one common way of faking it is to set up a colli-sion and claim the crash was the fault of the innocent party. If you’re the victim in a case like this, capturing the event on camera could help prove your innocence and bring the bad guys to justice. Good footage from a dashboard camera is admissible evidence in court, so if you are involved in a genuine accident it can offer proof of what really took place. You can also use it to protect your vehicle whilst parked. The camera will come to life when damage is detected.Dashboard cameras, which are usually mounted on the windscreen, record onto memory cards whilst the ignition is on. Re-

cording is constant, which means that once the card is full, old files are overwritten. Re-cording time depends on the size of memory card and the bit rate of the camera, but can run into several hours. Installation is by suction or adhesive pads. Cameras are most often wired into the cigarette lighter, but can also be hard-wired directly into the car battery - the only way if you want a model with parking mode. When choosing an in-car camera, first consid-er the size. Smaller models are more discreet, and black is the best low-profile colour. Next, look for one with a decent video resolution. The current standard is 1080p, which will pick out number plates and other details - es-sential if required as evidence. Check what the night video quality is like, and decide if you want a model that can save footage you might want to keep. Other useful options in-clude date and time stamps, and dual or mul-tiple channels which record what’s behind as well as what’s in front of you.Finally, don’t forget that dash cams can be fun! They are a great way to capture details of memorable trips, and film the more unusual sights we come across from time to time!

Imagine... You’re behind the wheel of your family saloon, quietly minding your own business, when a souped up sports car suddenly flies past and cuts you up just as you reach the motorway exit. Seconds later it’s gone, with nothing to show but a trail of smoke.

In Car Dash Cameras

Page 27: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

27www.thevinemagazine.com

TEC

HN

OLO

GY

By Alex Albrighton

Not so long ago there was no getting back at reckless drivers like this guy but in-car

cameras now offer the chance to bring them to count.An absolute given in countries like Russia, Japan and the USA, only 3% of British drivers currently own a dash cam, but the trend is on the increase. A recent RAC survey found that 4 out of 10 car owners would consider buying one, and that a fifth of current dash cams are used to guard against ‘cash for crash’ scams.False insurance claims are growing, and one common way of faking it is to set up a colli-sion and claim the crash was the fault of the innocent party. If you’re the victim in a case like this, capturing the event on camera could help prove your innocence and bring the bad guys to justice. Good footage from a dashboard camera is admissible evidence in court, so if you are involved in a genuine accident it can offer proof of what really took place. You can also use it to protect your vehicle whilst parked. The camera will come to life when damage is detected.Dashboard cameras, which are usually mounted on the windscreen, record onto memory cards whilst the ignition is on. Re-

cording is constant, which means that once the card is full, old files are overwritten. Re-cording time depends on the size of memory card and the bit rate of the camera, but can run into several hours. Installation is by suction or adhesive pads. Cameras are most often wired into the cigarette lighter, but can also be hard-wired directly into the car battery - the only way if you want a model with parking mode. When choosing an in-car camera, first consid-er the size. Smaller models are more discreet, and black is the best low-profile colour. Next, look for one with a decent video resolution. The current standard is 1080p, which will pick out number plates and other details - es-sential if required as evidence. Check what the night video quality is like, and decide if you want a model that can save footage you might want to keep. Other useful options in-clude date and time stamps, and dual or mul-tiple channels which record what’s behind as well as what’s in front of you.Finally, don’t forget that dash cams can be fun! They are a great way to capture details of memorable trips, and film the more unusual sights we come across from time to time!

Imagine... You’re behind the wheel of your family saloon, quietly minding your own business, when a souped up sports car suddenly flies past and cuts you up just as you reach the motorway exit. Seconds later it’s gone, with nothing to show but a trail of smoke.

In Car Dash Cameras

Page 28: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

Out About&• Clubs • Groups • Events• Community

STOCKWOOD DISCOVERY CENTRETel: 01582 548600

Visions of the UniverseFriday 4th ApriL - Sunday 8th June

FreeThis dazzling collection of images featuring stars, planets and galaxies have been gathered from NASA, the Russian space programme, the Euro-pean Southern Observatory as well as the best entries from Astronomy Photographer of the Year. Don’t miss this exhibition of awe-inspiring science and breath-taking natural beauty.Children’s trail (7+ years) available. In association with Royal Museums Greenwich

Invasion Sci fi ExhibitionFriday 4th July - Sunday 31st August

£3.95 Adults £2.95 Children & concessions

£12 Family ticket £15 Large family ticket

Guaranteed to thrill, this fabulous exhibition of props and costumes from sci fi movies will be on display this summer.Items on show include:•The creature from Aliens•Alien Resurrection’s iconic sleep chamber•The alien host from the X Files•Jim Henson’s cute Bobut from the fantasy adventure Aliens In The Family•The massive transporter spaceship model from Lost In SpaceAs well as costumes and props from:•Planet of the Apes•Star Trek Enterprise•Andromeda•Stargate Atlantis•Red Dwarf•The Chronicles of Riddick•Star Wars•Doctor Who•and other sci fi classicsPlus lots more.

Sci-fi Family FundaySunday 20th July 11AM – 6PM

Cost: £3.50 adults, £3 concessions and Culture Card, £2.50 children,

Under 5s free Rocket along to this magical family funday full of space-related adven-tures and sci-fi activities. Help us

build the Stockwood Space Station. It’ll be out of this world!For all the family

Summer Holiday ClubMonday 28th July - Friday 1st

August, 2014 9AM – 4PM

£20 per day or £85 for the week per child.

Information: Call 01582 548 600 A great way for your children to enjoy an arts packed week.•Crafts, recycling, mosaic making, manga art•Design and curate your own exhi-bition – become an arts leader•Achieve Arts Award Discover or Explore in a week – a national certificate and qualification!Enjoy an arts-packed week with the chance to acheive an Arts Award! Daily activities range from crafts, sculpture and manga art. Ages 7 – 11 years

LEWSEY FESTIVAL - LEWSEY PARKSaturday 28th June, 2014 Time: 10AM – 5PM Free

Attraction for all the family•Stalls•Displays•Bouncy castle•Face painting•Food stall•Information stalls•Neighbourhood governance con-sultation LBC – Have your say For information - 01582 696355

LEAGRAVE FESTIVALHockwell Ring Community Centre

Saturday 5th July 11AM – 4PM Free Attraction for all the family•Stalls•Displays•Bouncy castle•Face painting•Food stall•Information stalls•Neighbourhood governance con-sultation LBC – Have your sayFor infromation - 01582 548392

THE BOGTROTTERSThe Bogtrotters (Dunstable and District Walking and Hostelling Group) are a group of about 90 walkers, hikers and hostellers. We run a surprisingly diverse range of activities, including half and full day

walks, hostelling trips, meals and evening activities.New members are always welcome. Prospective members are invited to get in touch via the website, give us a ring or just turn up to an event or walk.Enquiries@dunstablebogtrotters.co.ukwww.dunstablebogtrotters.co.uk01582 865966 Sue or Julian

SAPPHIRE SOCIAL & SINGLES GROUP

we are a social group for those aged 45+ and unattached. We are not a dating agency or a lonely hearts, our emphasise is on social. We have 38 members at presentfor those aged 45+ and unattached meet in Hitchin every Thursday at 8.30pmTel Joyce for details 07960 440417www.sapphiresocialsinglesclub.co.uk

BUSHMEAD FESTIVALBushmead Community Centre

Saturday 19th July1:30PM – 4.30PM Free

Attraction for all the family•Stalls•Displays•Bouncy castle•Face painting•Food stall•Information stalls•Neighbourhood governance con-sultation LBC – Have your sayFor more information please contact Bushmead Community Centre on 01582 422818

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]

28

Page 29: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

WARDOWN PARK MUSEUMTel: 01582 546722

Saturday Selection Free 11am - 1pm / 2pm - 4pm

Drop in and take part in object-handling sessions on Saturday’s at Wardown Park Museum.Visitors will be able to get up close and hands on with a range of weird and wonderful objects from the museum’s many and varied collec-tions. Each week the museum will be searching its stores and bringing out objects for people to see and handle, many of which have never been on display.

Eastern FusionMonday 7th April - Sunday 20th

July, FreeThis exhibition displays intricate and beautifully made bobbin lace by the Rakushikai lace group from Atsugi in Japan.

Theodor KernSaturday 24th May - Sunday 29th

June, FreeRe-Created presents -Theodor Kern was an Austrian artist, born in 1900, who studied in Europe before settling in Bearton Green, Hitchin, where he lived until his death in 1969. As well as being a former teacher at Luton School of Art, Kern produced a wealth of paintings in a huge range of styles and subjects, including self portraits, still life, landscapes and cubism.This free exhibition will display works left to Wardown Park Museum after Kern’s death, some of which have never been seen before. The exhibition is being curated and run by Re-Created, Luton Museums’ Youth Forum.

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

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

THE PARKSIDE SINGERSDo you enjoy singing?The Parkside Singers is a lively mixed choir, singing four-part harmony musicincluding pop, songs from musicals and some choral favourites such as AveVerum and The Lords Prayer. We will be holding an Open Evening at rehearsalon Tuesday 15th July at 8.15pm at Parkside Hall, Woburn Street, AmpthillMK45 2HX.Come and see the Choir in rehearsal and who knows - you may decide youwould like to join in. Free entry and light refreshments will be provided. For more information, visitour website on: or call Claire on 01525 753110.

CHILTERN GATEWAY CENTREChilterns Gateway Centre Shop,

01582 500925

Chilli Festival14th June 11am - 5pm FREEDiscover all things chilli at the Dun-stable Downs Chilli Festival!From hot sauces and oils to chilli cheese, pickles and plants there’s something for everyone ‘ how ever spicy you like things. Free entry, normal parking charges applies.

Orchid and nature walk5th July 11am - 1pm £2 per TicketEnjoy a 2 hour walk to look for the creatures that call Whipsnade Downs home.The Ranger team will guide you through the different fascinating and beautiful wildlife and plant life found at the Downs. There will be walking up and down the hills.

Kite Festival26th & 27th July 11am - 5pm FREEEnjoy the fantastic atmosphere as you’re bedazzled by the professional kite team’s show stopping displays.Enthusiasts from around the world will gather for our annual Kite Festival. Featuring fantastic flying displays, giant kite displays, synchro-nised team routines and power kites. Children’s activities, craft stalls and much more. Taste the BBQ and ice cream while you watch countless awe inspiring displays and enjoy all the fun of the fair.

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

44 45

THE DUNSTABLE ORBIT CLUB

Tel: 01582 890270

CHILTERN GATEWAY CENTRE

www.thevinemagazine.co.uk

“The more you put in, the more you get out” is certainly true for the members of Dunstable and District Orbit Club. Since its inception over 20 years ago, the club has raised thousands of pounds for local and national charities from events such as quizzes, race nights, stalls at Carnivals etc. However, there is more to Orbit than the com-radeship and teamwork involved in organising fundraising events. The emphasis is very much on having fun in all their activities including a wide range of social pursuits such as archery, 10-pin bowling, cinema/theatres, guided walks, progressive meals etc. The club plan events to suit all budgets and many of them are free or at a low cost. Membership is only £10 annually. The club is keen to expand its social and charity events and hopes newcomers will bring fresh ideas along with them. Meetings are on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at the Dunstable Rugby Club, Bedford Road , Houghton Regis , LU5 6JW from 8 pm. You’ll be guaranteed a warm welcome. For more information contact Mark on 01582 539379, Julie on 01582 535761 or the website at www.orbitclub.org.uk/dunstable

We are an independent social club for ex-Rotarians and simi-larly minded people and have been in existence for nearly 3 years. We are named ‘The Watling Street Club’ as our mem-bers form a link along the Watling Street. We meet every Thursday evening at the ‘Old Hunter’s Lodge’ Whipsnade for a meal and speaker.New members are welcome. For more information contact John Stevens 01582 668033We are also holding a ‘Bridge Evening’ at Eaton Bray Village Hall on 5th February, 7pm until 10.30pm. The tables will be set for 4 players per team and entries are for a complete team at £10 per person.The format is competitive, in a fun way, with prizes. Supper is included, but bring your own drinks and glasses please. There will also be a raffle with some nice prizes. All pro-ceeds support local charities and good causes.For tickets contact Verna & John Dent 01582 704642

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

DUNSTABLE BRIDGE CLUB

WATLING STREET CLUB

For details of events and demonstrations throughout the year please contact the Visitor Centre on 01582 500920

Spring Craft Fair 9th-10th April11am - 4pm

Marvellous Craft Fair showcasing our local craftsmen. Come and browse our craft fair with lots of new spring and summer products from local craftsmen. Enjoy the beautiful view over the vale of Aylesbury with a coffee or lunch in our cafe.

Children’s Cake Decorating WorkshopWednesday, 13 April 2011

10am - 11am11am - 12pm 12pm - 1pm

Easters here! Why not celebrate by creating some yummy treats. Decorate cup cakes as Easter bunnies, Easter eggs and more, with Hayley from Crafty Crea-tions. Price includes tuition and all ingredients and 4 cakes. All tickets £6

Easter Trail and Activities22nd-25th April

11am - 3pm Come and follow the Easter Egg Trail.Solve the puzzle and claim your chocolate prize. Decorate an egg and have your face painted. Enter a competition to design your own Egghead. All Tickets £2

Dawn ChorusSunday, 01 May 2011 4:30 am - 6:30 am

Listen to the Songbirds singing at the start of a new day. International Dawn Chorus Day is an annual celebration of the world’s oldest wake-up call - the dawn chorus- and the beauty of bird song. Join us on the Dunstable Downs and listen to the song birds singing at the start of a new day. Enjoy a breakfast bap and coffee or tea in the cafe after the walk. All Tickets £8

Priory House Heritage CentreDunstable

Tel: 01582 890270Local History Talks

with Tea/CoffeeThursday Afternoons

2.30p, - 4.00pm£4.50 per person

April 7th Boudicca Warrior Queen of the Britons. Was she a maraunding barbaric rebel, or

a C1 patriotic freedom fighter?

www.thevinemagazine.com 29

Page 30: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

3130

SPOT THE ADVERT

Step On ItTHONGTHINGTHINSCHINSCHIPSSHIPS

Answers

OriflamePage 7

Caritas Harmony

Luton Ladies Voices Charity, Friendship & Compassion

Needs You!

Formerly known as the award winning Pasque Harmony, Caritas Harmony, is looking for:-

Second Sopranos and Altos To join our choir as we embark on rehearsing for our 3rd CD. A chance to experience the joy of making wonderful music, forging friendships for life, and also raising money to help our chosen charity Macmillan. All ages are welcome and the ability to read music is not essential, so why not come

along and see for yourself? We rehearse predominately on a Monday evening at

Stopsley Baptist Church Luton from 7.30 -10.00pm.

An Experienced Rehearsal Pianist

Our repertoire is extremely varied and our sense of humour second to none, so we are looking for an accompanist who appreciates good music whilst having fun along the way

with the 45 lovely ladies that are Caritas Harmony! Regular rehearsal commitments would be either a Monday or Thursday evening from 7.30 – 10.00pm at £40 a session at

Stopsley Baptist Church, Luton

Please contact our Musical Director Margaret Blenkin on

07802 675942 for further details

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

to promote?

We can help!

And it’s Free!

17

Discover magic, pure and simple magic. Grow food,

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

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

ible Edible Todmorden set up in 2007 with her friend

Pam Warhurst. Together with the help of their commu-

nity they have grown being Incredible into a worldwide

revolution with 300 IE’s all over the world.

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

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

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

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

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

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

so I began!

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

ing to Dunstable Council and asking can you help, they

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

provided huge support. So together with some willing

volunteers we built this garden. We now have 5 raised

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

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

produced strawberries, tomatoes, fennel, coriander, mint,

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

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

We were involved with Anglia in Bloom this year and

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

Chatterley Dunstable Town Mayor and he is in full support

of our community garden. We had a massive raspberry

plant over the half term holiday and planted over 30 fruit

canes all donated for free.

Next year the garden will be used for the students from

Barnfield Vale Academy as the garden for their Enrichment

Option. This will involve teaching them all about com-

munity, nature and sustainable food production, in a way

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

potential for expanding this project.

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

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

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

to each other after harvesting the free vegetables and fruit.

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

tions of their time and donations of plants and materials

from the local businesses and the local community.

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

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

suppressant membrane and a few bags of mulch every tiny

bit of help is received with open arms.

Maybe a tree surgeon could deposit some free chippings

directly to our garden or a landscape gardener has extra

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

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

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

truly grateful.

Big love, smiles and nice tea to share

Sahira (pronounced Syra)

Like and share our Facebook page Incredible Edible Dun-

stableFor more information contact me on

01582 519132 or 07905 116623

INCRedible

5

4

www.thevinemagazine.co.uk

The word on the street is that DUNSTABLE ROCKS,

the closing event for Dunstable Town Council’s Sum-

mer of Music, is going to attract phenomenal crowds.

This FREE event is headlined by legendary soul singer

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

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

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

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

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

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

a string of memorable hits that are still on radio playlists

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

soul legend has an undying passion to perform and on

Saturday, 18 August 2012 you can enjoy his celebrated

act ABSOLUTELY FREE .

DUNSTABLE ROCKS will open at 12 noon with local

performances along with bands Subset, The Call Up and

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

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

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

along, dance-along tunes getting Grove House Gardens

up on its party feet.

Keeping the party atmosphere going, Back to Black, the

Amy Whinehouse Experience will take up the reins with a

performance that encapsulates the look, the mannerisms

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

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

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

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

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

for this 80s hottie!!

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

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

supply both alcoholic and soft drinks. So what are you

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

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

a prime position.

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

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

ted on site and due to the enormous crowds expected at

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

picnic tables because of lack of space.

SATURDAY, 18 AUGUST 2012

Grove House Gardens 12 Noon - 10pm

25

24

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

www.thevinemagazine.co.uk

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]

to non-profit organisations

Career opportunities withEurope’s biggest beauty company

now available in this area.

Call, text or email for more info:

If you have a few spare hours weekly and would like the chance to build your own business, with full support, then contact us now.

[email protected]

FREE TO JOIN!

Page 31: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

31

NEW

BATHRO

OM

Com

plete B

athroom

Installatio

nIn

cludin

g:

• P

lum

bin

g•

Ele

ctrics•

Heatin

g•

Pla

sterin

g•

Tilin

g•

Flo

or C

overin

g

TUB

SFor a FREE Q

uote Call

01525 222379 or 07846 126515

Page 32: The Vine Luton - June / July 2014 - Issue 3

• 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

Contact Peter Pascan 01525 404204

[email protected]

WWW.CLADWINDS.COM

insuran

ce bac

ked

10 ye

ar guara

nteeestablished in 1985

Imagine beautiful windows for your home

Transform your home with beautiful new windows from Cladwinds. A trusted local

firm with 29 years manufacturing and installing experience

www.thevinemagazine.com