wye july 2012
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The Village DirectoryTRANSCRIPT
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BenskoProblem with Wasps?
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67
JULY
2012
The villagge directoryfor Wye
and surrounding villages and surrounding villages
DRESS MAKING & ALTERATIONSQurna Creations
Now in TenterdenTel: 01580 764131
Email [email protected]
MARY HEMSLEY INTERIORSHandmade Curtains • Tracks & Poles
Blinds • Wallpapers • UpholsteryDesigner Fabrics
01233 813717150 Bridge Street, Wye, TN25 5DP
DDRRESSSS MMAAKKINNGG && AALLTEERRATTIOONNS
NEEDLES & PINSREPAIR AND ALTERATION SERVICE
Zips & Trouser / Skirt Shortening from £4.50HAND SEWN CURTAINS
FREE COLLECTION / DELIVERY SERVICECall Christina 01303 864280
August Issue Deadline 1st July
Welcome tothe village directory
REPAIRS TO...WASHING MACHINES • COOKERS (ELECTRIC)WASHING MACHINES • COOKERS (ELECTRIC)
TUMBLE DRIERS • DYSON VACUUM SPECIALISTTUMBLE DRIERS • DYSON VACUUM SPECIALISTCall Garry on 07958 640152Call Garry on 07958 640152
01233 632329
PROFESSIONAL CLEANING SERVICESCarpets - Rugs - Upholstery - Mattresses
Stain removal and protection with anti allergy Mattress cleaning and protection with allergyshield
www.uksuperclean.co.uk07875 762012 01233 500168
life
Paul Smith Plumbing ServicesFOR ALL YOUR PLUMBING NEEDS
FREE ESTIMATESCall Paul on 01303 812965
07794005909
Hi everyone,
It’s July and it’s is a big month for The Village Directory as we are joining the smartphone revolution. We now have our own smartphone app, making our directory of local businesses and events available wherever you go, if you have a smartphone that is! It brings together all of the advertisers and events from all six magazine areas, but if you only want to search your own area you can. If you would like to know more why not check out the full story on page 22.
As always it’s really important to me that the magazine should be used by rural communities to let everyone know of their fund-raising events, get togethers, local meetings, clubs, school fairs/shows etc. If you wish to publicise an event, or run an editorial to create awareness of a local item please get in touch. It is completely free to advertise community items, you can phone me or post/email information to me and I absolutely promise I don’t bite! So please, please do let me know what’s happening out there so that I can let everyone else know in your area.
Also this month watch out for the Olympic Torch relay making its way from Rye to Ashford. It will be passing through Hamstreet on the 18th, as you’ll see in our What’s On pages this month. It may be the closest many of us get to the Olympics, other than via our television screens. Lets hope the sun shines on the event and the rain holds off .
~ DebbieT: 01233 720488e:[email protected]:www.thevillagedirectory.co.uke:[email protected]
3
A Multi-trade Company
Tree Surgery - Landscaping - Garden WorkDriveways & Patios
Tel: 07979 003 291 / 01303 87524630 years Experience - fully insured - www.fabbuilders.com
Fast Aff ordable BuildersF.A.B
30 years Experience fully insured www.fabbuilders.com30 years Experience fully insured www.fabbuilders.com
the garden
4
www.NATIONAL AWARD WINNER FOR 3 YEARS
WE ARE A LOCAL COMPANY, INSTALLING BLOCK PAVING, NATURAL STONE & SLABS
LANDSCAPE DESIGNS FOR DRIVEWAYS,PATIO & GARDEN PATHS
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It’s almost impossible to keep up with it all. But there are advantages – no wringing our hands about the hosepipe ban, for one; and some of the wildlife that was threatened by the drought in March is benefi tting too. In fact it’s been lovely weather for the ducks – and all the creatures that depend on moist conditions for their survival (that would be slugs and snails then). Not all species have done so well though. Last year we had a very dry spring, which actually helped the early butterfl ies, some of them quite rare. I noticed lots more in the garden later in the summer too, but butterfl ies don’t appreciate the wet, so numbers will be back to their downward trend again this year.
If you want to attract butterfl ies and bees to your borders, you need to choose plants that are nectar rich. Generally that means single fl owers, not frilly, double blooms that are probably sterile anyway and have very little to off er a hungry insect. Apart form
It’s a jungle out there at the moment – at least it is in my garden. The wet weather of the past few weeks has made the plants put on lots of lush leafy growth. The weeds are romping away and the grass is growing like it’s coming out of a pasta-making machine.
JulyThe Garden Shed
■ Regular Garden Maintenance ■ Hedge Cutting & Pruning ■ Mowing ■ Planting – shrubs, fl owers & vegetables ■ Garden Clearance ■ Jet Washing No Job too big or too small
LRL Garden ServicesContact John on 01233 613101M: 07702 023 454E: [email protected]
Established 25 Years
Groundwork ServicesRichard Gilbert
Telephone: 01233 812566 Mobile: 07749 258871
■ Driveways and Patios ■ Rainwater Harvesting ■ Tree stump removal ■ Landscaping ■ Drainage
■ Septic tanks & cess pools ■ Excavation & trenching ■ Concrete bases &
footings ■ Moling for cables & pipes
the garden
The fi nest quality cultivated turf from specialist turf farms nationwide, delivered promptly and direct at
competitive prices. ■ Screened topsoil ■ Blended loam ■ Top dressing ■ Composts ■ Bark mulches ■ Decorative gravel ■ Crushed slate ■ Grass seed
■ Railway sleepers ■ Aggregates ■ Rockery Stone ■ Equestrian Surfacing ■ Landscaping
Delivered loose or in crane bags. Discount on bulk orderswww.ransleyturf.co.uk
FREEPHONE 0800 096 16 17
G r o u n d c a r e D i v i s i o n
*
Tel: 01233 619 290 Henwood Ind. Est., Henwood Road, Ashford, Kent TN24 8DHwww.listerwilder.co.uk
MG250 Manége GraderMG250 Manége Grader
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the well known butterfl y bush – Buddleia davidii– there are lots of attractive and long fl owering plants that will look gorgeous and bring the butterfl ies fl ocking (or fl uttering) in for a visit. My top fi ve at the moment are Hebe Midsummer Beauty’, Verbena bonariensis (fl owering from June until November), Sedum spectabile, Aster frikartii ‘Monch’ and Scabious ‘Chili Black’. Creating a nectar border is an attractive (and tidy) way to bring the garden buzzing into life – it’s fascinating (and relaxing – if you do it from a deck chair) to watch the bees and butterfl ies busily pollinating the fl owers
Gardening to attract wildlife doesn’t always mean leaving things to nature and letting the nettles and brambles take over, but if that’s what’s happening in your garden at the moment, take heart - a nature garden sounds much more enticing than the description you could be using. And gardens these days are supposed to be a little rough around the
edges. After all, if you want butterfl ies to frolic in your borders, you’ve got to supply a few nettles for the caterpillars to eat…
Contact Jo for Garden advice and Border Makeovers www.hornbrookmanor.co.uk
Tel 01233 861186
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5
the garden
Wilson Landscapes• Grass Cutting• Hedge Cutting• Tree Work• Fencing• Landscaping of New Build Gardens
• Domestic or Commercial• Overgrown Garden Restoration• Patios• Turfi ng
For a Free Quote Please Call Richard Wilson on 07792216613 or 01233 720891
Over 20 years experience
Landscaping & Garden Maintenance
j .b. landscapedesign, construction & grounds maintenance
GARDENS • GROUNDS MAINTENANCE • COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPINGWE HAVE BEEN CREATING BEAUTIFUL GARDENS FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS. FROM WATER FEATURES TO
PATIOS, POOLS TO PAGODAS, WE WORK CLOSELY WITH YOU TO TURN YOUR IDEAS INTO REALITY.
01795 42706001233 714680
www.jblandscape.co.uk
STONE GREEN NURSERIES
Pluckley Road, Bethersden TN26 3ET
WHOLESALE NURSERY
****NOT TO BE MISSED****
Fri 6th, Sat 7th & Sun 8th July
www.stonegreennurseries.co.uk
Spe
cim
ensClim
bers
Directions: Dayglow Signs from A28 at Bethersden and from A20 at Charing
Truly A Gardener's Paradise !
We accept most major credit cards
Friday 10am-5pm Saturday and Sunday 9am-5pm
Please Remember we are only open on these dates
Quality, service and prices you will find hard to beat
Future Open Weekends in 2012 24th, 25th, 26th & 27th August 7th ,8th & 9th September
Photinia
Alpine
s
Herbac
eous
Conife
rs
Shrubs
Shrubs
Abelia
PittosporumBerberis
Fatsia
Potentilla
Acer
Magnolia
Cotinus
Camellia
Spirea
Ilex
Perenn
ials
r sFe n
Grasses
Box B
alls
Wist
eria
Clemati
s
Trees
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
*Shrubs* Trees* Herbaceous perennials* Climbers* *Ferns*Grasses*& Large plants for an instant impact*
At Stone Green Nurseries you will discover thatwe are passionate about plants. We grow a fantastic range of You can choose your
nowledgeable staff to help answer your questions
plants from our vast selection and direct from their growing beds! You can’t buy fresher. Our broad variety of garden plants are offered to you at fair prices. Should you need help with your selection we also have k
Euonymus
Hebe
Pest Control ServicesDOMESTIC - COMMERCIAL - INDUSTRIAL
Fast eff ective service forthe removal of all pests.
Family Run - Fully Insured.Authority Approved.
WASPS, BEES, ANTS, FLEAS, FLIES, COCKROACHES, RATS, MICE, MOLES AND SQUIRRELS
Tel: 01303 221008Mobile: 07857 344770
BENSKOKILBYS PEST CONTROL
• All Rodents and Insects• WASP NEST SPECIALIST• 7 days a week • Fully Insured
01233 840948 07756007428
KILBYS CHIMNEY SWEEP• Pots/Cowls/Birdguards Fitted Brush and Vac
• Certifi cates Issued • Fully Insured• ICS Registered • Family Run, Est 198301233 840948 07756007428
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7
On August 2 at 2.30pm visitors to Beech Court Gardens in Challock (near Ashford) in Kent can enjoy a guided hydrangea walk and take the opportunity to explore the picturesque gardens.
The walk is free with garden admission and visitors can hear about the garden’s history and wildlife while admiring the impressive red and blue hydrangeas and impressive trees, which provide welcome shade in the hot sun.
There is always a warm welcome from the owners of these beautiful gardens where visitors can also meet the interesting assortment of goats and rare breed chickens.
Surrounding a 15th century farmhouse this informal garden is truly a garden for all seasons. At all times the garden is framed by many varieties of rare trees including Acers, fi rs, pines, Kalopanax and the tallest Eucryphia in Kent. The autumn tints are classical and trees provide an ideal habitat for birdlife including nesting sites for a pair of Barn and Tawny owls, Kestrels and migrating varieties which the gardens are renowned for.
The site where the gardens are now found dates back to Saxon times, suggested by the discovery of Roman swords and artefacts. The house itself, which is not open to the public, dates back to 1415 but visitors can see the unusual shaped windows
known as Dering windows from the gardens. The story behind the name connects to Mr Dering being chased by the Roundheads, and being a slim build he was able to escape through a window of this shape, the Roundheads were unable to follow him. He lived to tell the tale, so after his marriage to the beautiful maiden he was visiting he changed all the windows at his estate in Pluckley to this interesting shape.
The garden is open Saturday to Thursday between 10.30am and 5.30pm until October 31. Adult admission is £5, senior citizens £4.50, students/wheelchair users £2 and children £1. Groups of 15 and over £4. Adult season ticket £12.
Lunch and tasty home cooked meals are served in the cosy Oast house tea rooms.
The gardens have a Disabled Silver Access Award and are fully accessible for wheelchair users except on very wet days.
For further information and opening times at other times of the year visit www.beechcourtgardens.co.uk or call 01233 740735.
For media enquiries contact Caroline Edmunds at Pennington PR on [email protected] or 01892 616647
Take a Hydrangea Walk at Beech Court Gardens
8
the garden
Chimney Sweeping ServicesChimney Sweeping ServicesBrush and VacBrush and Vac
Friendly, Clean, Reliable Service
Every Type Of Flue SweptPots, Cowls & Bird Guards Fitted
Stove InstallationsNAC’s Certifi cates Issued
Fully InsuredBest Possible Prices on all FiresBest Possible Prices on all Fires
Local Family Run BusinessWeddings Attended
All Areas Covered
BENSKOBENSKO
Tel: 01303 221008M: 07857 344770e: [email protected]
A CLEAN CHIMNEY IS A SAFE CHIMNEYA CLEAN CHIMNEY IS A SAFE CHIMNEY
Bespoke Timber Buildings, Sheds,Games Rooms, Stables, Gazebos.
All aspects of Fencing & Decking, Patios and Concrete bases.
Free no obligation quote - Friendly ServicePlease Call Edward on
07923 490859 / 01233 733765
Edward’sEdward’sDecking & Fencing
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9
Pet Care
10
Across1. Closed forcefully (7)5. Keen (5)8. Ceremonies (5)9. Brutal (7)10. At right angles (13)11. Violin (6)12. Beverage (6)15. Exhibition (13)18. Return to original state (7)19. Aff ected by alcohol (5)20. Registers (5)21. Found on the shoreline (7)
Down1. Strip of leather (5)2. Changed (7)3. Assorted items (13)4. Split up (6)5. Book of information (13)6. Low animal noise (5)7. Hold back (7)11. Of a league or alliance (7)
13. Lack of success (7)14. Speaks (6)
16. Poles supporting sails (5)17. Nude (5)
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Quick Crossword
scaff old poles on top of them. Oh well, they are scaff old poles on top of them. Oh well, they are only vegetables- nothing important like cat only vegetables- nothing important like cat biscuits or the lovely pouches I occasionally get biscuits or the lovely pouches I occasionally get as a treat!as a treat!
We have heard lovely tales of wildlife that has We have heard lovely tales of wildlife that has been at the clinic lately. Our favourite was a been at the clinic lately. Our favourite was a group of 5 baby barn owls. Sadly the Mum had group of 5 baby barn owls. Sadly the Mum had been found dead and the Dad wasn’t feeding been found dead and the Dad wasn’t feeding them. They were brought to the clinic and them. They were brought to the clinic and looked after until they could go to an RSPCA looked after until they could go to an RSPCA specialist centre where they will eventually be specialist centre where they will eventually be able to get released. We campaigned for Clive able to get released. We campaigned for Clive to bring them home at night to feed- I think to bring them home at night to feed- I think I could defi nitely teach 5 baby owls a few I could defi nitely teach 5 baby owls a few tricks....- but again I was blamed as the very tricks....- but again I was blamed as the very reason that they couldn’t come home and Chris reason that they couldn’t come home and Chris took them home with him and did a marvellous took them home with him and did a marvellous job. Chris’s cats are so lucky- getting to meet job. Chris’s cats are so lucky- getting to meet the owls. I would have loved to teach them how the owls. I would have loved to teach them how to catch catnip mice!to catch catnip mice!
I think it is quite unjust how I am always blamed I think it is quite unjust how I am always blamed for disasters and breakages. The humans just for disasters and breakages. The humans just don’t understand. Do any of you cats out there don’t understand. Do any of you cats out there have habits your owners just don’t understand? have habits your owners just don’t understand? I mainly get into trouble for misbehaving in I mainly get into trouble for misbehaving in front of guests. I think my most unpopular front of guests. I think my most unpopular
Hello Everyone, Hello Everyone, Mowgli here. How Mowgli here. How are all of you? Ebony are all of you? Ebony and I have spent a and I have spent a lot of time this last lot of time this last month looking at month looking at
all the rain and wind out of the window. We hope it gets all the rain and wind out of the window. We hope it gets sunny soon! All the wind meant that yet more roof tiles sunny soon! All the wind meant that yet more roof tiles fell off our cottage roof. If any more fall off we may need fell off our cottage roof. If any more fall off we may need to start using umbrellas inside....... Jane’s Dad (who was to start using umbrellas inside....... Jane’s Dad (who was a chartered surveyor before retiring and becoming a a chartered surveyor before retiring and becoming a receptionist at the clinic) shudders every time he sees the receptionist at the clinic) shudders every time he sees the roof! Still, we are all dry at the moment! Last year during roof! Still, we are all dry at the moment! Last year during quite a bad storm there was the most terrifying noise one quite a bad storm there was the most terrifying noise one night and it turned out (we sent Clive to look of course. He night and it turned out (we sent Clive to look of course. He has to have some uses....) that a chimney pot had come has to have some uses....) that a chimney pot had come crashing down. Just today ironically a roofer has come to crashing down. Just today ironically a roofer has come to mend the chimney pot which is great. Less great is that mend the chimney pot which is great. Less great is that the scaff olding to get to the chimney is being put up in the scaff olding to get to the chimney is being put up in Jane’s new vegetable patch. I have been keeping watch Jane’s new vegetable patch. I have been keeping watch out of the window and issuing regular updates. So far all out of the window and issuing regular updates. So far all the beetroot are underneath a plank and the beans have the beetroot are underneath a plank and the beans have
Mowgli
Pets Care
AT THE EVEGATE CENTRESMEETH, ASHFORD
‘We treat your pet as if it was our own’
Specialising in all pet animals including exotics& avian. Calm and friendly family run clinic.
Open 7 days a weekFull emergency service
Ample Free Parking
CALL 01303 813756
• • Collection ServiceCollection Service• • HandstrippingHandstripping• • ClippingClipping• • DemattingDematting• • Nails •Ears •TeethNails •Ears •Teeth• • Anal GlandsAnal Glands• • Doggy Day NurseryDoggy Day Nursery• • Cat GroomingCat Grooming• • MicrochippingMicrochipping
Marsh Rd Hamstreet Ashford Kent TN26 2JE
SMART SMART DOGSDOGSGROOMING GROOMING SERVICESERVICEEstablished 1997
TEL: 01233 732505www.smartdogs-kent.co.uk
phase was quite a while ago when I used to help phase was quite a while ago when I used to help with the washing. I don’t know about other cats out with the washing. I don’t know about other cats out there but our humans are always faffi ng about with there but our humans are always faffi ng about with clothes- in the washing machine then on the clothes clothes- in the washing machine then on the clothes horse, then seeing if they are dry and then ironing horse, then seeing if they are dry and then ironing them. I went through a phase of checking when them. I went through a phase of checking when clothes were dry and dragging them downstairs to clothes were dry and dragging them downstairs to let the humans know. It isn’t my fault that I could only let the humans know. It isn’t my fault that I could only drag the small clothes and that I only seemed to do drag the small clothes and that I only seemed to do this when we had guests. It was when the humans this when we had guests. It was when the humans were most distracted and didn’t notice what was were most distracted and didn’t notice what was dry on the clothes horse or not. It seemed to cause a dry on the clothes horse or not. It seemed to cause a bit of a rumpus each time I proudly came down the bit of a rumpus each time I proudly came down the stairs dragging pants or knickers or a bra, miaowing stairs dragging pants or knickers or a bra, miaowing through my mouthful of fabric to let everyone know through my mouthful of fabric to let everyone know the off ending item was dry. Some humans just don’t the off ending item was dry. Some humans just don’t appreciate the help! I stopped this after a few months appreciate the help! I stopped this after a few months as it seemed so universally unpopular and started to as it seemed so universally unpopular and started to pretend to fall off the dresser and yell instead so that pretend to fall off the dresser and yell instead so that Clive had to leap up to catch me in mid air. This is a Clive had to leap up to catch me in mid air. This is a good trick I perform to this day. I’d love to hear about good trick I perform to this day. I’d love to hear about all the habits your owners don’t like!all the habits your owners don’t like!
Anyway, I had better go and check on the vegetables. Anyway, I had better go and check on the vegetables. Fingers crossed for some sun!Fingers crossed for some sun!
Mowgli Mowgli - Montgomery Veterinary Clinic- Montgomery Veterinary Clinic
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11
CHICKEN COOPS by AnimalShacks
£169 with Free Delivery and Set-up of Coop
01233 714258 Email: [email protected]
Ask for Angie. All enquiries are welcome
the home
12
• Professional unique intensive valet process
• Range & AGA specialist
• All ovens, hobs, extractor fans & microwaves
• Environmentally friendly, no toxic chemicals, no fumes
• See ovenu.co.uk for a video of the valet process
• Ovenu Ashford is approved by Trading Standards
• Contact Richard at Ovenu Ashford
• 01233 380023 or 0800 1409800
The Handy HouseholdThe Handy Household - Aluminium Foilm FoilAluminium foil is commonly referred to as tin foil because the original product manufactured back in the early twentieth century was actually made of tin, but all the ‘tin foil’ you buy these days is now aluminium. A staple of the kitchen for over 100 years then, but it has many other uses around the home.Soften brown sugar by wrapping it in foil and putting it in a medium oven for around 5 minutes.Your dog or cat will dislike the feeling and sound of foil, so lay a sheet over your chairs and sofas and within a few days they’ll learn not to jump up. Likewise cover table and chair legs and this will put them off using the legs as a scratching post.Increase the effectiveness of your ironing board by laying a sheet under the cover. The foil will refl ect the heat back meaning you can iron on a lower setting. The same principle applies if you put foil behind your room radiators.If you have a tray of ice cubes in the freezer, cover it with foil and this will ensure the ice stays clean and doesn’t pick up odours from other food.If you are having your carpet cleaned you may not be able to move the larger furniture out of the room. Squares of foil under the legs will protect the furniture and won’t stain the damp carpet.Extend the life of your scissors by cutting through several layers of foil to sharpen them.
the home
13
How to Play: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3 x 3 box contains the digits 1 through 9, with no repetition! That’s all there is to it. You solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic - there’s no maths involved and no adding up. It’s fun. It’s challenging. It’s addictive!
Sudoku
Oak & Hardwood Windows & Doors
Bespoke Furniture & Carpentry
Flat Pack Furniture Assembly
General Joinery & Building Services
Listed Building Specialists
Part ‘P’ Approved Electrical Services
01233 758413 / 07889 041607E-mail: [email protected] 14, Meadowview Ind. Est; Ruckinge TN26 2NR
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14
Wood You Like’s
Wood You Like, Natural Wooden Flooring
Dark, pokey and inaccessible, lofts can often be, literally, a waste of space, useful for a bit of dusty, long-term storage and nothing else. Turn that space into one or two useful rooms and – ta da! – not only might you have added real value to your property, but you’ve got extra living space that could make all the diff erence to happy family life.
The simplest loft conversion might just involve strengthening and boarding out the fl oor, adding a light and sticking in a pull-down loft ladder – giving you a good-sized storage area that’s accessible on a regular basis, at a cost of probably only a couple of thousand pounds. Bear in mind, however, that Building Regulations may apply to even a simple conversion – see more at www.
planningportal.gov.uk. Such a basic project may be a good idea in practical, everyday terms, but if it’s added value you’re after, you’ll have to be more ambitious, say the experts, and put in at least one ‘real’ room.
‘It’s a false economy to cut corners,’ says Jeremy Leaf, RICS housing spokesperson (www.rics.org). ‘To maximise your return the conversion has to be designed properly from the very beginning. You should have a proper lobby area when you come up the stairs, there should be suffi cient head clearance, it should be properly insulated, you should have a dormer window rather than a Velux. It’s also important to think about how a loft conversion aff ects the house as a whole, as they can make them top heavy, with too many bedrooms and, in
Lofty IdealsConverting your loft can
be the ideal way to gain
extra space without the
expense and hassle of
moving house. Katherine
Sorrell outlines the dos
and don’ts.If possible, try to add a bathroom to a loft conversion. The combination of
bedroom with ensuite is not only convenient but is likely to add more value when it comes to selling. This Cora bath is £1,194 by BC Designs, 01206 827100; www.bcdesigns.co.uk.
the home
15
by Katherine Sorrell
comparison, too few reception rooms. Check out other properties nearby which have been similarly extended to see what has been done and what they’re worth.’ When doing your research, it’s always a good idea to ask a local estate agent for advice, and you could also go to a website such as www.nethouseprices.com to fi nd out how much properties in your area have sold for recently.
A word about space planning. If you have room, adding a bathroom to a loft conversion makes sense both practically and fi nancially, and shouldn’t cost any more than adding a new bathroom anywhere else in the house – in other words, anything from around £3,000 for a plain fi t-out. Costs will be minimised if you place the bathroom above one on the fl oor below, keeping plumbing work simple, but Hugo Tugman of Architect Your Home (www.architect-yourhome.com) points out that you should always keep your options open. ‘It’s folly to put the bathroom in the wrong place, just because that’s where the drains are,’ he says. ‘The same goes for staircases – most people think that there’s just one place where a staircase can be fi tted in a loft conversion, because Building Regulations require two metres of head room above it, but you can end up squashing your accommodation just because the best bit of loft is taken up with a staircase. It’s really worth considering the possible alternatives when doing your planning.’
And fi nally, if overall head height is an issue in your potential loft conversion, don’t try to get away with cramped, uncomfortable rooms. Hugo points out that lowering the ceilings of the rooms below is often a possibility, and can make all the diff erence to the success of
BUT WILL IT ADD VALUE?The HSBC’s annual home improvement survey found, in March this year, that a loft conversion is still the improvement that adds the most value, boosting the price of a property by, on average, £16,152. But according to specialists Econoloft, a typical conversion by building professionals costs between £20,000 and £30,000. The answer may lie, therefore, in keeping costs down by doing as much work as possible yourself – but only if you can do it to a good standard. Valuation expert Paul Cutbill, of Countrywide Surveying Services, said: ‘Whilst sensibly improved and well presented homes will generally be attractive to potential purchasers, rising labour and material costs mean that the gap between the cost of improving and monies realised at the point of any sale has been reduced. Poor quality refi tting and lack of proper design considerations, often as a result of inadequate project budgeting and planning, can also have a signifi cant knock-on eff ect to any added value which might be gained when selling a property.’
It’s important to fi t storage into sloping ceilings in a loft conversion, so a fi tted wardrobe such as this is ideal. This is the Melody French Oak
range from Hammonds, 0800 021 4360; www.hammonds-uk.com.
a project. ‘It sounds like it would be a massive expense,’ he says, ‘but in fact the additional costs are really only plastering and decorating the rooms below, and it would probably add no more than about three or four thousand onto a simple job.’
A double bedroom and ensuite loft conversion by Econoloft, 0800 269 765; www.econoloft.co.uk.
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HOUSE2HOMEFREE integrated full size Teka dishwasher when you purchase 4 other Teka appliances and a Teka sink and tap all with FREE 5 Year Guarantee. Displays at 18 High Street 01233 712757
JOHN WEST RECRUITMENTFREE CV /CAREERS ADVICE for an hour plus follow upCall 01233 714761 or email [email protected]
KIM BROMLEY THERAPYTherapist specialising in stress management, anxiety, phobias, panic attacks, ME/CFS. Book fi ve sessions get ONE FREEwww.kimbromleytherapy.co.uk Tel: 07809 124786 / 01622 890803
MARTIN G PULLEN ACCOUNTANTFREE consultation for your business or personal taxes. Visit my website to get a better deal on your currency with theProbiz FX Card - see www.martingpullen.co.uk. Call Martin on 01233 713463
44Spend £40 or more at “44” and get a FREE COFFEEof your choice in “Next Door”!!
YVONNE FERNANDO NLP Master Practitioner & Life CoachBOOST YOUR CONFIDENCECall Yvonne on 07968 785714 for a FREE 1/2 HOUR consultationfor a more confi dent and successful you.
WADY & BRETTTo celebrate the launch of our new brand range ‘SuperValu’ from Londis, spend over £20 on groceries (excluding cigarettes & alcohol) andreceive a FREE carton of fresh chilled juice. Just present this voucher.
BAR NINETEENHAPPY HOUR throughout July between 6.30 and 7.30. Buy oneglass of wine or beer and Get One Free (off er valid per person).
GREAT OFFERS for this special July from some of the great
shops and businesses in Charing
Vouchers valid July 2012 only. This promotion was organised by the Charing Business Association.
Just cut out these vouchers and enjoy using them.
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FIXINGS WAREHOUSE Spend over £50 in store & get a £5 VOUCHER to use on your next shop. T&Cs apply - see in store for details. Visit us at the top of Charing Hillor call us on 01233 714888
WOOD YOU LIKE - ONE YEARS WORTH of Maintenance Products FREE with any natural wooden fl oor supply and installation over 15sqm. Valid on orders placed in July 2012, supply & installationdate can be later. Pop in for a quote.
THE OAK 5 High StreetFREE BOTTLE OF WINE on production of this voucherfor any couple purchasing a two course meal.For reservations telephone 01233 712612
TENBURY CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTSGet a FREE initial meeting, coff ee and Olympic Marathon bar.Call 01233 714669 for an appointment.
CARPETS DIRECT FREE Rug Doctor Carpet Cleaning Hire (worth £22.95) with everyfl ooring purchase over £250. You’ll fi nd Carpets Direct at the top of Charing Hillor call us on 01233 714999.
GM&M JOHNS FAMILY BUTCHER10% DISCOUNT with this voucher (no min purchase). Meat fromlocal farms • BBQ packs • Homemade sausages • Bread/Cakes/Filled Rolls• Hot snacks/Deli counter. 01233 713793 www.johnsbutchers.com
DJ TRUELOVE FLOORING SPECIALIST10% DISCOUNT on Supply and Installation of all Flooring including Amtico and Spacia. Pop into House2Home and view the displays or call Danny for a quote on 07790 405626
PURPLE PATCH Handmade Chocs, Cakes and SweetsSpend £20 during July and produce this voucher to receivea voucher for £5 OFF your next cake order over £30. 20 High Street 01233 713362
YVONNE HARVEY UNISEX HAIR STYLISTS£5 OFF when you spend £45 or more with Warren, Caroline or Sharron.39 High Street Appointments: 01233 712203
what’s on
19
Events July
Members Wanted for Kennington Badminton Club who play at The Norton Knatchbull School on a Wednesday evening from 7.30 p.m. - 10.00pm. Previous experience of the game would be preferred.
Pilates Classes- Challock Village Hall, Wednesdays 9:15am. Suitable for all levels. Contact Victoria 07543543373
8th July The Ashford Branch of Kent Beekeepers Association meet at 2.30p.m. on 8th July, at their Apiary site, Cheesemans Green Lane, Mersham, TN25 7HX to hear a talk and demonstration by Mike Cooper on Queen Rearing. Anyone interested in learning the craft of keeping bees please contact Peggy Wood o1233 503074
Smeeth W.I. will meet next on Monday 9th July at Brabourne and Smeeth Village Hall when they will be joined by other W.I. members in their Group to enjoy a great evening with Headcorn Morris dancers. Visitors are always most welcome. For further information do contact Joy Taylor on 01303 812165 or Kathleen MacPhee on 01303 812536.
Saturday 14 July Kent Foster Care Association FUN Day at Capel-le-Ferne Village Hall (Lancaster Avenue, Capel-leFerne, Folkestone, CT18 7LX) on 2012 from 12 noon until 4pm. There will be lots of to do for all age groups.
Sunday August 26th Westwell Village Fete Westwell Queen Elizabeth Field 1pm - 5pm
July 18 Olympic Torch Relay - Hamstreet. The Olympic torch will pass trough the village en route from Rye to Ashford. The relay will pass through at 10.30am but there will be a convoy passing through ahead of this at 9.30am which is when spectators are advised to take their places. After the relay a whole host of events will take place including the village’s largest ever Zumba class on Pound Leas at noon, the Hamstreet school children attempting to break a world record for a formation of the Olympic rings for an aerial photo at 1pm, netball at 2.30pm/3pm, football at 4pm and a 5k race at 6pm. To enter the race go to www.podplus.co.uk
20
In S
easo
n
Cherry Pots with Cherry Pots with Fluff y Meringue TopsFluff y Meringue Tops
Preheat the oven to 220°C/ gas mark 7. Place the cherries in a pan with the brown sugar and red wine. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes until soft.
Spoon the cherries in to 4 large ramekins. Roughly crumble the amaretti biscuits onto the top, dividing them equally.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites to a stiff peak. Start adding the sugar gradually, whisking all the time until the meringue is glossy. Spoon onto the top of the cherries.
Bake for 5-8 minutes until the meringue is golden. Serve with nothing else but a chilled glass of dessert wine or a generous glass of cassis.
Cherries
• • 500g fresh cherries, pitted and cut in to half
• • 50g soft brown sugar
• • 150ml red wine
• 8 amaretti biscuits
• 3 large egg whites
• 150g golden caster sugar
Serves 4Preparation time 20 minutes
Cooking time 20 minutes
Seasonal Delights
FruitBlackberriesCherriesCurrantsGooseberriesLoganberriesRaspberriesStrawberries
VegetablesArtichokeAubergineBeetrootBeansBroccoli (celebrase)CarrotsCourgettes
CarrotsGarlicKohirabiMangetoutOnionsPeasPotatoesSpinach
SaladCucumberLettucePak ChoiRadishesRocketSorrelSpring Onions
TomatoesWatercressFishCodCrabDover SoleHaddockHalibut
21
Real bread, bunsand pastries
Open 8.30 to 5 on Tues, Thurs & Fri 9 to 1 on Saturdays
22 Church Street, Wye TN25 5BJ01233 812218 [email protected]
LOCAL MARKETSCHALLOCK
Challock Memorial Hall, Blind Lane.1st & 3rd Friday of each month 1pm to 4pm
Contact Pauline Hickson 01233 740979
THE BARN SHOP TRADITIONAL MARKETChallock - 2nd & 4th Saturday of each month
10am – 2pm Contact 01233 740237
CHARING COUNTRY MARKETCharing Church Barn
9.30 -11.00 every Thurs morningContact 01233 740176
EGERTONEvery Friday 2 - 4.30pm Millennium Hall
ROLVENDEN - 01580 240763Every Thursday 10am -12 noon
St Mary’s Church and the Village Hall
RYE MARKETEvery Thursday at the Cattle Market Car Park. Early till around 3pm (depending on the weather)
RYE COUNTRY MARKETFormerly WI Market
Rye Community Centre, Conduit Hill.Every Friday 10am -11.30am
TENTERDEN COUNTRY MARKETEvery Friday 9.30am -11.30am
St Mildred’s Church Hall, Church road.
WAREHORNEWarehorne Village Hall 10am -1pm
4th Sunday of the monthTel: 01233 733718 or Mob: 07979 905600.
WITTERSHAM MARKETEvery Tuesday Village Hall 9am. - 11am
Tel: 01797 270757
WYE - 07804 652156First and third Saturday of every month
on the Village Green in Wye. Tel: 07804 652156www.wyefarmersmarket.co.uk
Wye Community FarmWye Community FarmNative Breed Beef, Pork & LambProduced especially for you by our
pioneering community project.www.wyecommunityfarm.org.uk 01233 813303
Barbara-Ann ClarkFine Foods
Coffee - Lunches - Cream Teas - Dinner
Open Every Day 10pm - 5pmNew Menu
“Roundels Restaurant” 7pm-11pm(Booking required)
• Sunday Roasts• Fine Dining 1st Sat of every month• (Booking required)• Jubilee Champagne Tea Weekend
Saturday & Sunday• Indian Banquet Night 30th June
(Booking required)
01303 813175
(
Website under construction
Th e Courtyard, Evegate, Station Road, Smeeth, Ashford TN25 6SXwww.barbara-annclark.co.uk
HerringJohn DoryLemon SoleLobsterMackerelMonkfi shPlaiceSalmon
SardinesScallopsMeat & GameBeefGuinea FowlHareLambMutton
PorkRabbitVealWood Pigeon
Since 2005 The Village Directory has served the rural communities of Ashford, Tenterden and the Marsh with its monthly publication and delivery via Royal Mail. Now, for the very fi rst time, we are joining the mobile revolution and heading into the technological world of the Smartphone.
This month our brand new mobile app, for iPhone and Android smartphones, will go live and be available to any of you with a smartphone to download completely FREE!
The app will bring together all six of our magazine areas, providing local information, events, special off ers and of course a complete directory of all of our local advertisers.
You will be able to search your local area and, if you can’t fi nd what you need, look further afi eld into the areas covered by the other magazines. If you need directions, or a fast way to contact one of our advertisers The Village Directory will always be on hand to help.
We also plan to publish events, so if you miss the magazine deadline and wish to publicise your local event we can at least make it available to all our smartphone users.
We also hope to publish special off ers and discounts being off ered by our advertisers, so please watch this space.
If you are a small business with a limited budget you might like to advertise on our app rather than in the magazine please contact me for details on01233 720488 or email me at [email protected].
The app can be downloaded from your smartphone app store, simply search for “village directory”.
It will be a while before we can judge the popularity of this new service, and there are bound to be teething problems,but hopefully it will prove to enhance the service given by The Village Directory and enable us to put one foot fi rmly into the 21st Century.
Debbie Allen
Th e Village DirectoryGoes Mobile!
22
TAYLOR MAR T INHA IRHA IR
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01233 502719 Closed on Wednesdays
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Davinia GomesMAR, ITEC, Raw.Dip BABTAC
Home Based Salon ~ Evening AppointmentsGift Vouchers
Beauty TherapyCACI Non Surgical face Lift
Dermalogica Skin CareSHELLAC Nails
A- tan Spray TanEyebrow and Lash Care
WaxingHolistic Therapy
Refl exologyIndian Head Massage
Massage TherapyAromatherapy
T: 01233 634007 M: 07810828484www.beautybydavinia.co.ukAll Major Credit/Debit Cards Accepted
Willesborough Lees Ashford
India Bradshaw Photography
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t. 01233 713527m. 07854 951829
9 New Street AshfordKent TN24 8TNTel 01233 661662www.wellsmedicalcentre.comwww.wellsclinic.com
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health & beauty
23
24
by A. O’Brien
A Proverbial Life...
In our early days of married life each family photograph was lovingly taken with camera and fi lm, delivered to the chemist for development and the fi nished prints picked up a week later. Sometimes, I’d use a special envelope for sending fi lms off for processing to some far fl ung fi lm developers before, hopefully, having them delivered back through the door.
I can still remember the excitement of collecting developed pictures from the chemist; hoping the assistants hadn’t had a sneak peak at them, then hiding round the corner to scan the latest pictorial record of our life. There were always some photographs that hadn’t quite turned out as expected; blurrily out of focus, too bright or too dark, with maybe a fat thumb or skinny fi nger covering the lens and captured for all to see.
I treasured these photographs. I used to spread them out on the living room fl oor and gaze at them for hours. Then once I’d had my fi ll of imprinting them on my memory and showing them off I’d proudly stick them into albums. As the years passed the collection of photographs and albums grew. As further years passed I became lax about sticking the photos in albums; instead tossing the packets of prints into an old apple box kept for that purpose.
With the arrival of digital cameras we didn’t have to be so careful in our photo taking. Snap, snap, snap at each and every opportunity with no fears about the costs of fi lm or processing. Transfer to the computer, delete those you don’t like, crop, adjust and save those you do. In the early days proudly printing them out on the home printer, then later, just burn them to disc and forget about the printing.
Stacks and stacks of discs recording our life, sanitised, edited and suitable for viewing by all. Emailed to friends and family, posted on Facebook and shared with the world, backed up then slipped into
little plastic wallets... and largely forgotten. Far too many to commit to memory – far too many marking insignifi cant and truly mundane moments.
Recently, while sorting through some papers I came across a photograph. It showed three small boys in swimming trunks and a middle aged man also in trunks. They were all standing in a river, knee deep in water and holding hands. It’s a glorious summer day and while you can’t fully see their faces it’s clear they’re laughing. If you look closely you can see fi shing rods, towels, a picnic and two cans of beer on the riverbank. You can also see my toes captured while sitting on the grass and taking the photograph.
I’d nearly forgotten that day 25 years ago; not quite but nearly. Three young boys and their granddad fi shing and swimming, the family holiday, the nettles, the trek to the swimming spot and the digging for worms. I remember a lot more but it’s not for sharing. It’s for savouring in quiet, private moments when I need to count my blessings – something I do frequently.
Apart from the wonderful memories the photograph invoked it also prompted another feeling. I’m now increasingly convinced of the need to revert to actually printing my digital photographs, or of having them printed for me. I don’t want them to be forgotten or consigned to shiny metal discs and stuff ed into brittle plastic envelopes. I’d quite like my children and grandchildren to come across them and think, ‘I remember that.’
A picture paints a
thousand words
Advertise Here £30 per month plus vat
10% discount on 6 month bookingsEasy monthly payment option available
Please Mention The village directory When Responding to Adverts
health & beauty
25
business
26
Thinking of Buying a Property?
In another of our regular series on legal matters, Katrina Kemp, from Tenterden Solicitors Pengelly & Rylands, explains the process of buying a new home.
If you are thinking about buying a property you need to be fully aware of what is involved. After all, this is likely to be one of the largest investments you will ever make. Firstly, be sure you have budgeted properly. There are a variety of costs involved: Land Registry fees, Stamp Duty Land Tax, search fees, solicitor’s fees etc. At Pengelly & Rylands we provide a full break down of the costs involved, so there should be no fi nancial surprises! If you require a mortgage you should apply as soon as possible so as not to delay the purchase. Your lender will carry out a valuation of the property; this is not the same as a survey - if you want to be sure the property is structurally sound instruct a surveyor.Once your offer is accepted, you should advise the estate agents of your solicitor, and they will send your solicitor a memorandum of sale. The seller’s solicitor will then send your solicitor a draft contract of sale, title information and Property Information Forms and the investigation of title can then be carried out. Your solicitor will look at what is registered against the title at the Land Registry and various searches will reveal the property’s planning and buildings regulations history, etc. Enquiries will then be raised, based on your solicitor’s fi ndings. These will need to be answered by the sellers and their solicitor. The seller does not have to tell you about problems with the property or neighbourhood, but should reply truthfully to all enquiries raised. Your solicitor will then report to you on the fi ndings and, if you are happy to proceed, they will fi nalise the terms of the contract. You and the seller will then sign an identical contract and your solicitor will hold your signed contract until a completion date is agreed. This is when you need to provide the deposit, usually 10% of the purchase price, and this must be cleared funds in your solicitor’s account before they can exchange contracts. At exchange, the contracts become binding and the 10% deposit becomes non-refundable. If you require a mortgage, your solicitor will apply for the mortgage funds to arrive on or before the agreed completion date. Between exchange and completion you may need to sign the Land Registry transfer document. You will need to ensure that the balance of the funds is in place before completion, as you are contractually
bound to complete on the agreed date. On the completion day your solicitor will transfer the money to the seller’s solicitor, who will then complete the purchase and instruct the agents to release the keys to you. If there is a chain, it can take some time for the money to arrive and for completion to take place. After completion, your solicitor will arrange to pay any stamp duty required and register the change of ownership at the Land Registry. Buying a property can be stressful; so you should choose a solicitor who will communicate with you throughout. At Pengelly & Rylands we will guide you, personally, through every stage of the process to make it as stress free as possible. You can speak to Elizabeth Connell or Katrina Kemp on: 01580 762248.
Katrina Kemp - Trainee Solicitor
Pengelly& Rylands
FAMILY SOLICITORS
• House Sales & Purchases• Wills & Probate• Family & Cohabitation• Elderly Client Care• Company Formation• Employment• Fixed Fee Interviews
39/41 High StreetTenterden
Kent TN30 6BJ
Telephone (01580) 762248www.pengelly-rylands.co.uk
Please Mention The village directory When Responding to Adverts
27
business
Canterbury Law Solicitors in association with Moon and Co Solicitors
and Andrew M Johnson & Co Solicitor & Notary Public www.canterbury-law.co.uk
‘Looking after You and Your Family’ We are able to offer a wide range of legal services and pride ourselves in being approachable, professional and sensitive to all your legal needs
Family Mediation Collaborative Family Law Family Separation Divorce Children Accident Claims Personal and Medical Injury Employment Probate and Trusts Civil Disputes Wills Elderly Client Care Spanish Property and Probate Law Notary Public
The Innovation Centre University Road Canterbury Kent
Telephone 01233 712040 Email: [email protected] We are always very happy to undertake home visits and offer evening appointments
Law Society Panel Accredited Specialists in * Advanced Family * Personal Injury * Family Mediation
Nigel Clarke is a Resolution Accredited Specialist Collaborative Lawyer & Family Mediator
Ashford ComputerSolutions Guaranteed jargon free (unless you want it!)
- Home or Business - Virus Removal - Data Recovery - PC/Laptop Repairs- No Call-Out Fee - Fixed Price Repairs - Fully Insured
We’re here to help: impartial, friendly,expert advice and support. We can help with any computer or home technology issue – fast, local, on-site and cost effective
Call Steve Newman Tel: 01233 469217
Mob: 07510 672629
[email protected] www.ashfordcomputersolutions.co.uk
business
28
Please Mention The village directory When Responding to Adverts
The term cloud computing is used regularly these days, but most people don’t really know what it means. As there are many potential benefi ts to using “The Cloud”, I thought it would be useful to explain what it is, and to share some of the advantages and disadvantages.
Back in 1996, a marketing executive and a technologist from Compaq came up with the concept. Their futuristic idea was that we wouldn’t buy software for our own computers, as we would buy access to the programs we need on demand over the Internet. Fast forward 16 years, and most of us are indeed using cloud technology. In fact, if you share fi les in Drop Box, use Norton Online Backup, listen to music on
Spotify, use Yahoo/Gmail for your email or make phone calls using Skype, you’re already using The Cloud! Last year Google even launched Chromebook, a laptop designed to work only using software on the Internet.
What are the advantages of Cloud Technology?Using The Cloud means that your email, fi les, pictures and music are easily accessible anywhere you go: because they are stored on the Internet, and not on your own computer. You can also have access to an enormous range of applications - anywhere, from any computer. It’s normally quick to get started, and cloud services are designed to be easy to use. They are great for small businesses too, because you can inexpensively use applications that previously only larger businesses could have aff orded to install and maintain.
Reputable cloud service providers look after their systems and make regular backups. This means that your data should be safer (from loss or corruption) than when it’s stored on a home or offi ce computer. As cloud services are provided by multiple powerful servers, you’ll fi nd that you can achieve so much more without having to upgrade your own computer system.
Are there any disadvantages to The Cloud?Cloud services may not work well if you have a slow or unreliable Internet connection. If the Internet is unavailable, you may lose all access to your programs and documents as they won’t necessarily be available offl ine. There have been some very high profi le examples of “catastrophic system failures” in the cloud. These have been with services provided by Amazon and Microsoft, so even established companies are not immune to problems. Also consider that with data stored remotely, you are in eff ect entrusting your fi les to a third party. It’s important to understand where your fi les are being stored, how they are secured and who potentially has access to them.
What exactly is “The Cloud” that people are talking about?
Ashford ComputerSolutions Guaranteed jargon free (unless you want it!)
- Home or Business - Virus Removal - Data Recovery - PC/Laptop Repairs- No Call-Out Fee - Fixed Price Repairs - Fully Insured
We’re here to help: impartial, friendly,expert advice and support. We can help with any computer or home technology issue – fast, local, on-site and cost effective
Call Steve Newman Tel: 01233 469217
Mob: 07510 672629
[email protected] www.ashfordcomputersolutions.co.uk
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Invite WCRF UK to your special occasion by creating an online celebration page, personalised with messages and a photo. Request donations instead of gifts and support our vital cancer prevention research and education.
Visit www.wcrf-uk.org/celebrate and start celebrating!
World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF UK), 22 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3HH, Tel: 020 7343 4200 Web: www.wcrf-uk.org/celebrate Email: [email protected] Registered with the Charity Commission in England and Wales (Registered Charity No: 1000739)
World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF UK)
with WCRF UK
YYYYYYYYooooooouuuuuuurr KKKKiittccchhheeennn oorr BBeedddddrrrroooooooooooomm!
We have over 30 years experience in spray fi nishing existing Kitchen and Bedroom
doors, panels and accessories. Why not have your kitchen furniture matched to your
kitchen.
You can choose any colour, we will have it professionally mixed in a hard-wearing two-pack polyurethane paint, which is the fi nish we use when spraying Bespoke Kitchens for several kitchen suppliers in and around the
Kent and London area.
Our service includes:- Dismantling (where possible), re-fi nishing to your chosen colour and re-installing to a professional standard.
Why not give Tenterden Polishing a call today
TTTTTTTTTeeeel: 000112222333333 -- 88666000088888866666666666631
32
If there’s one thing I thought I’d never miss, it’s offi ce politics. All that bitching and bellyaching and backbiting. I was a victim of it myself, which is why I’m now working from home.
The truth is, I was never any good at it. I didn’t understand how it worked, nor why anybody should choose to indulge in it. As far as I was concerned, you did your work, you went home, you got paid; and everybody else did pretty much the same. I was always too honest, or (if truth be told) too slow in the wits to realise that life wasn’t like that.
Take character assassination. I know how it’s done now. You have to pick the right moments – in casual conversation (preferably out of the offi ce rather than in the middle of a meeting) to sow the seeds of doubt about a colleague’s performance. You have to dress it up right: damning with faint praise is far more eff ective than outright condemnation. You have to build up to it, to insinuate yourself with the right people, to create the image of the positive, helpful, sympathetic workmate rather than the envious, hate-fi lled sac of venom you actually are. I was always too polite, though. I believed that if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.
Then there’s empire-building. Personally, being bone idle, I couldn’t believe that anybody would actually want more responsibility. Come fi ve, my jacket was off the back of the chair and I was down the pub. If anybody was fool enough to want to take over some of my remit, more fool them. Then one day I woke up to fi nd I didn’t have any remit left. So here I am, working from home.
Well, perhaps I wasn’t as stupid as all that. I vaguely perceived that there were people who wanted to increase their infl uence at the expense of mine, and on the rare occasions when I managed to pull one over on them I was mightily pleased with myself. But I was no Iago. I wasn’t subtle enough, or persistent enough. I couldn’t be bothered to worm my way into the inner circle.
By the time I walked out of the offi ce door for the last time and entered the wonderful world of working from home I was heartily glad to be free
of offi ce politics and never dreamt I’d miss it. But after all, it’s human contact of a sort, even if they’re humans you really want to drop breeze-blocks on from the top of a very tall building. It keeps you sharp. And besides, I think I’d be much better at it now. I could be good at being the boss’s blue-eyed boy if I put my mind to it.
So I’m going to practise, although as a one-man band it might not be easy. I’m going to network surreptitiously with myself so I can blacken my reputation behind my back. I’m going to use my good standing with myself to gain ownership of my department’s operations. I’m going to claim the credit for all my successes while shifting the blame onto myself for all my shortcomings. I’m going to withhold vital information from myself and fi nally, albeit reluctantly, I’m going to have to let myself go. Then I’m going to have to replace myself with someone who’s more of a team player, someone who shares the company’s focus, someone who’s more directed towards common goals. Myself.
by Ted Bruning
Working from homeOffice Politics
the home
33
33
Wilco Plumbingand Heating
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Plumbing and heating engineer with over 30 years experience. Registered with the Institute of Plumbing and the Gas Safe Register for gas work. Registered with KCC Trading Standards as an approved tradesman.
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y Piping Hot Plumbing& Heating Services
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and Floor Tiling
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For your free quotation call
Derek
Central Heating SpecialistOil, Gas & LPG
OFTEC & Gas Safe Registered
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Oil boiler and oil tank installation and replacementGas boilers, fi res, cookers and hobsLandlord’s Gas Safety Certifi cates
All Domestic Plumbing Including ■ Power fl ushing ■ Unvented hot water systems ■ Bathroom and showers including tiling ■ Hot water cylinders and water softeners ■ Sink, dishwasher and washing machine
installations ■ Replacement radiators and
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Plumbing & Central Heating
Telephone: 01233 812566 Mobile: 07860 877836
Richard Gilbert
Established 25 Years
Please Mention The village directory When Responding to Adverts
wit & wisdom
34If you receive an email from the
Department of Health telling you
not to eat tinned pork because of swine fl u - ignore it.It‛s just spam!
MY EX-WIFE THE PILOT My ex-wife started taking fl ying lessons about the time our divorce started and she got her license shortly before our divorce was fi nal, later that same year.
Yesterday afternoon I got a phone call, that she narrowly escaped injury in the aircraft she was piloting. Seems she was forced to make an emergency landing in Hamilton because of bad weather. Thank God the kids weren’t with her.
The FAA issued a preliminary report, citing pilot error: She was fl ying a single engine aircraft in IFR (instrument fl ight rating) conditions while only having obtained a VFR (visual fl ight rating).
The absence of a post-crash fi re was likely due to insuffi cient fuel on board. No one on the ground was injured.
The photograph below was taken at the scene to show the extent of damage to her aircraft.
She was really lucky.
A man calls home to his wife and says,Honey, I have been asked to fl y to Canada with my boss and several of his friends for fi shing. We’ll be gone for a long weekend. This is a good opportunity for me to get that promotion I’ve been wanting, so could you please pack enough clothes for a 3-day weekend? .... And, also, would you get out my rod and tackle box from the attic? We’re leaving at 4:30 pm from the offi ce and I will swing by the house to pick my things up. Oh! And please pack my new navy blue silk pyjamas.”The wife thinks this sounds a bit odd, but, being the good wife, she does exactly what her husband asks.Following the long weekend, he comes home a little tired, but, otherwise, looking good. The wife welcomes him home and asks if he caught many fi sh.He says, ‘Yes! Lots of Walleyes, some Bass, and a few Pike. He says, “But why didn’t you pack my new blue silk pyjamas like I asked you to do?”The wife replies, I did. They’re in your tackle box.
Never, Never, Never try to outsmart a woman!
Regardless of one’s age, one should always plan ahead... The local news station was interviewing an 80-year-old lady because she had just married for the fourth time. The interviewer asked her questions about her life, about what it felt like to be marrying again at 80 and then about her new husband’s occupation.
“He’s a funeral director.” she answered.
“Interesting.” the newsman thought.
He then asked her if she would mind telling him a little about her fi rst three husbands and what they did for a living.
She paused for a few moments, needing time to refl ect on all those years.
After a short time, a smile came to her face and she answered proudly, explaining that she’d fi rst married a banker when she was in her early 20’s, then a circus ringmaster when in her 40’s, later on a preacher when in her 60’s and now in her 80’s, a funeral director.
The interviewer looked at her, quite astonished and asked why she had married four men with
such diverse careers.
She smiled and explained, “I married one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready and four to go.”
the home
35
AMulti-trade Company
• General building - New builds - Extensions• Plastering-vaulted ceilings• Painting & decorating• Roofi ng - small repairs to strip and re-tile
Tel: 07979 003 291 / 01303 87524630 years experience / Fully Insured
www.fabbuilders.com
Fast Aff ordable BuildersF.A.B
Oil Heating & Oil CookersR-OAK Services
M. Oakley & O.Stanley - Oil-fi red SpecialistsBreakdowns & Servicing • Boiler Installation • Power Flushing
AGA, Rayburn, Alpha, Stanley, Worcester, Grant, Boulter, Potterton, Trianco and more...
Tel: 01233 770138www.ohoc.co.uk
Peg tiles, Slates, LeadworkMathematical tiles
Over 25 years experienceCity & Guilds qualified, Fully insured
Free estimates
TEL 01303 814936 . MOB 07708 471869www.atlas-roofing.co.uk
Jakeman & Jakeman HomecareSteve Jakeman
HandymanPainter & Decorator
Interior & ExteriorDecoration and Maintenance
01233 625442 07910591393219 Canterbury Road, Kennington, Ashford, Kent TN24 9QH
Please Mention The village directory When Responding to Adverts
Industrial • Commercial • Domestic• Installations• Security and fi re alarms• Emergency Lighting• CCTV• Garden Lighting
• Showers/extractor fans• Inspection and PAT testing• Full and part rewires• General electrical repairs• Under fl oor heating
Call: 01233 665107E: [email protected]
FREE Quotations!
the home
37
Tel: (01233) 626176Bodyshop: (01233) 638006
3 ELLINGHAM WAY, ELLINGHAM INDUSTRIAL ESTATEASHFORD, KENT TN23 6NF
• FULL SERVICES• ENGINE TUNING
Have your MOT carried out using the latest Automated Test Lane equipment.
• MECHANICAL REPAIRS• BODYSHOP - RESPRAYS
For A Friendly and Reliable Service
• MOT TESTING CENTRE FOR CLASS IV AND VII & MOTORCYCLES
WILLESBOROUGH &WILLESBOROUGH &KENNINGTON GARAGES LTDKENNINGTON GARAGES LTD
CHURCH ROADKENNINGTON
TN24 9DG
Email: [email protected]
01233 622808
HYTHE ROADWILLESBOROUGHTN24 0QQ
Email: [email protected]
01233 623946
SERVICINGSERVICING REPAIRSREPAIRS MOT’sMOT’s CAR AND LIGHT COMMERCIALSCAR AND LIGHT COMMERCIALS
Please Mention The village directory When Responding to Adverts
useful information
38
VILLAGE HALL BOOKINGS
Village TelephoneBoughton Lees 01233 623639Brook 01233 811730Challock 01233 740504Westwell 01233 712107Wye 07504 839 858
Doctors SurgeryWillesborough 01233 621626Wye 0844 387 8419Parish Councils:Brabourne & Smeeth 01233 623902Boughton Aluph & Eastwell 01233 720392Brook 01233 750415Challock 01233 740351Hastingleigh 01233 750415Wye & Hinxhill 01227 700204Westwell 01233 623902 Ashford Borough Council 01233 637311W: www.ashford.gov.uk Citizens Advice Bureau 01233 626185Veterinary SurgeonsBarrow Hill Vets 01233 624687Montgomery Vets 01303 813756Ashford Volunteer Centre 01233 647 422Age Concern 01233 620 635www.ageconcern.org.ukCARM E: [email protected]: Www.carmromneymarsh.org.ukMacmillan Cancer Support W: www.forget-me-nots.co.ukParkinson’s UK, Ashford BranchContact Mike Wharrad – 01233 623530Royal British Legion 01233 620 167St. John Ambulance Brigade 01233 611 414
Disclaimer: Every care is taken to ensure this directory is as accurate as possible but the publishers do not accept responsibility for any loss or damage resulting from errors or omissions.
SE Kent Multiple Sclerosis Soc.phone: 07767326138email: [email protected]: Tenterden & DistrictMrs J Coombs 01580 763733CPRE Kent 01233 714540Bus EnquiriesArriva Bus Enquiries 0844 800 44 11Stage Coach East Kent: 0871 200 22 33 (Timetable) or 08456 00 22 99 (Customer Services)National Train Enquirieswww.nationalrail.co.ukWealden Wheels 01233 840000
Sucklifts Cesspool
Emptying Service~ Est 1986 ~
High Pressure JettingService and Repair to Sewage
Treatment Plants
01233 840624
Accredited Engineer British Water
Emergency 999Police Neighbhd TeamAshford & Tenterden 01622 690690Crimestoppers 0800 555 111
Out of Hours Doctor 0845 4349655William Harvey Hospital 01233 633331
Samaritans 08457 90 90 90www.samaritans.org
Electricity: Southern Electric 0845 770 8090 EDF Energy 0800 783 8866Gas: Natural 0800 111 999 LPG Details on tank
39
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