Jun.Jul Issue TLM

June .July 2011, Issue 12 Bridgwater's most useful Monthly Magazine

To advertise, Contact Ada. T: 01278 588 430. E: [email protected] W: www.townlifemonthly.co.uk 2

Dear Neighbours,

W elcome to the June/July issue of Townlife Monthly. I hope you are enjoying the warm weather as much as I am. I’m pleased to

announce that I had my baby (boy) on the 2nd of April and he is an absolute joy in my life. We’ve named him Tobias (Toby) and he absolutely rules my sleep time at the moment, but I don’t mind too much :). I’d like to thank all my advertis-ers and friendly neighbours for the kind messages and cards you’ve been sending to me since getting back from the hos-pital. I thought I’d share a picture of little Toby with you (see below)

Now in our 12th issue, I’m hoping you’ve noticed how far we’ve come with our ‘little’ community magazine. We now have many more local businesses promoting them-selves through the magazine, we distribute the magazine to approximately 76% of homes in Bridgwater, we are featuring more local events than ever and have been fortunate to have more and more interesting articles from both local and na-tional freelance writers. You’ll notice on page 4 that we have a new feature called ‘Behind the Business’ and the purpose of this feature is to get to learn more about the people who run the small and medium sized businesses in Bridgwater. The individuals interviewed for this feature are long term advertisers in the Townlife Monthly publication and we thought it would be a great idea to spend a bit of time with them to find out what makes them tick. For this issue, we met with Amanda Saunders from Ab Fab Cleaning Services and it was lovely learning more about how she got started with her business. We hope you enjoy reading through her interview as well as the whole magazine.

As always, we have credible businesses advertising with us, so please do use them and recommend them to others if you are happy with their products or service.

Until next time, please remain well and do email or call me if you have any feedback/questions about Townlife Monthly and I’ll be happy to hear from you.

Best Wishes,

From Ada Lazz-Onyenobi

(Editor)

Publisher: Townlife Monthly Community Magazine Editor: Ada Lazz-Onyenobi T: 01278 588430 E: [email protected] W: www.townlifemonthly.co.uk Distribution: Royal Mail

Contents Page Behind the business: Ab Fab Services 4 Home Interiors Something Old, Something new 6 Lifestyle Working from Home 8 Motoring Review 10 Tech Spec 12 Book Reviews 14 Health & Beauty 16 Special Feature : A Special Fathers Day 18 Meals in Minutes 21 Gardening Feature 22 Local Feature Highlights from the Bridgwater 24 College Hair & Beauty Showcase Vets Tips 25 Supermarket Opening Times 27 What’s On In Bridgwater 28 Useful Community Numbers & Information 30

This issue of Townlife Monthly has been dis-tributed by Royal Mail to all homes and businesses in the TA6 5 & TA6 6 areas.

For advertising deadlines, please go to page 30

Please mention Townlife Monthly when responding to adverts 3


My name is Amanda Saun-ders and I am a happily married mother to four active boys ageing between 2yrs and 11yrs. They cer-tainly keep us on our toes with all the clubs/activities they are involved in. I am currently a Club Leader of Quantock Vale Young Farm-ers where my son is a mem-

ber and I help organise activities/events. I am always keen to help with fundraising and my latest venture is to help fundraise for ‘ACTION ON PRE-ECLAMPSIA’ due to a dear friend’s loss.

Our office is actually based in Cannington but we cover a 10 mile radius of Bridgwater. Ab Fab is now in its fourth year.

Absolutely Fabulous Cleaning Limited or Ab Fab for short!

I wanted something beginning with an A as my name being Amanda so sat down with son’s dictionary and found the word absolute! Straight away ‘Absolutely Fabulous’ sprung to mind

Before my Children, I use to work as a co-ordinator at a Homecare business and remem-bered there were often people who just need-ed a little help around the home rather than personal care. Also, having a large family myself

I fully understand the need to keep on top of housework, especially with ironing when it comes to my house! People of all ages need help with housework, and that includes me.

Living in and around Bridgwater all of my life, helps the business as there is always someone who knows someone! This helps with good rec-ommendations

We have friendly, reliable and trustworthy staff that are professional and I appreciate every one of them!

We have had many enquiries thanks to Townlife and look forward to a successful future advertis-ing with you.

This is a new feature intended to help us learn more about the people behind some of the businesses featured in Townlife Month-ly. Bridgwater is very fortunate to have very credible businesses looking to offer the very best money can buy and this month, we will be learning more about the proprietor be-hind Ab Fab Professional Cleaning Services.



U nexpected and individ-ual, unique and envi-ronmentally friendly,

well-made and timelessly appeal-ing – how does this sound? Whether we’re talking vintage, retro, antique or, erm, just plain old, there are heaps of good rea-sons why adding a well-chosen selection of ‘mature’ furnishings to any room scheme can be enor-mously successful. Old pieces make a statement, have a fasci-nating history and are built to last. The quality of old pine, for exam-ple, is vastly superior to that of new pine (and a nicer colour, too), and old mirrors are much more flattering. What’s more, including even just one antique piece in an otherwise-modern room will add texture and subtle individuality.

But just how do you combine old with new, contemporary with classic? Especially when the aim is to be both good-looking and prac-tical, with a look that won’t go out of fashion in the next five minutes.

As with all interior design schemes, it’s best to start by as-sessing your room. Measure it and draw a plan, marking in such key elements as windows, doors, built-in cupboards, radiators, light fittings, plus sockets and so on. Do you need to make any structural changes? If so, now’s the time. If the structure is fine, consider the room’s size and shape, and wheth-er its architectural style will affect the way in which you decorate. Work out where furniture will go, and whether you have too much or too little of it. Now you have a good idea of what type of things you’ll need to look out for – whether you’re planning a trip to the high street, a charity shop, car boot sale or auction house.

The next important princi-ple is to concentrate on timeless designs. If it’s well designed, whatever era it dates from, it will work with other pieces. Another good rule is to keep floors, walls and woodwork neutral. They won’t date and, more importantly, won’t clash with your one-off furnish-ings. On a similar note, avoid having more than one, or perhaps two, ‘statement’ pieces in a room. When you have chosen a piece that you really love, you can build a scheme around it. It could be a chaise longue, a lamp or a hand-made vase – try to complement its charac-teristics with other key pieces and to provide a pleasant contrast with others. It’s a subtle one, this. Too much contrived matching and the room will look forced; too many

contrasting elements and it will lack coherence. It all comes down to a combination of instinct and trial and error – just keep on trying until everything feels right.

Colour can be an excellent ally, drawing together disparate items so that they co-ordinate well. It could be that you re-upholster an old armchair and choose co-ordinating cushions for a new sofa, adding in a picture with elements of the same colour, or a vase in a complementary shade. Bingo! An appealing room appears as if by magic. And of course, the easiest and cheapest transformation of all is to repaint. Tables, cabinets and sideboards, wardrobes and chests of drawers, and in particular wooden chairs and stools, can all be rescued, restored and transformed quite easily. A selection of cheap wood-en chairs, for example, will look fabulous painted the same matt off-white, no matter how dispar-ate their style – a superbly simple way to mix old and new. A paint job is ideal for a junk-shop find or an old Ikea purchase – though obviously not for valuable an-tiques. Changing knobs and han-dles can also make a dramatic difference, giving a vintage feel to a cheap, modern piece, or adding a touch of class to something frumpy and old-fashioned. If you’re feeling bold, you can even add or remove mouldings, replace solid doors with glazing, or fit additional hanging rails or hooks.

The final guideline is perhaps the most important of all: don’t forget function. Old or new, every piece you choose should do its job brilliantly. Mend that sticking drawer or wobbly chair and then you can be as bold and imaginative as you dare, putting together rooms that are as enjoyable to live in as they are to look at.

Katherine Sorrell’s new book, The Vintage Modern Home, is out now, published by Merrell at £24.95.

Fresh, modern colours and a vintage vibe contrast beautifully with Georgian architecture.

Victoriana bedstead, £299 and Crochet rug, £250; Marks & Spencer (0845 302 1234;

ww.marksandspencer.com)



B eing ill is simple when you work in an office. You just

stay at home until you’re better. Of course, there are refinements. For example: do you ring in sick early, before the switchboard is warmed up, and leave a message hoping nobody will bother will call back? Or do you wait until the boss has his/her coffee, and then ring up and really lay it on with a trowel? The actor in me says the latter; the coward says the for-mer.

It’s not so simple when you work from home, though, be-cause work and home are the same place and – if you’ll pardon the metaphysics – the same time. If you’re an office worker with a snuffle that looks like it could turn nasty, then you make a deci-sion at a specific time – ie the last moment you can leave home in time to catch the bus – not to go to a specific place – ie the office. If you work from home then that time doesn’t exist, and you’re already in that place.

So how do we workers-from-home decide when we’re too ill to go to work? Well, there are two options: (a) when we’re genuinely too ill to get out of bed, and (b) when we’re not really that ill but there’s nothing vital to do. These two states of ill-health correspond exactly to those that keep office workers at home; it’s the process of deciding exactly when one or the other has been attained and then acting on it that is less well-defined and therefore more problematical for

us workers-from-home. You have to be really, really (a) or really, really (b) before you admit that you’re far too ill to crank up the PC. (And yes, it is possible to be really, really (b), although it feels more like apathy than illness).

Then there’s guilt. If you’re an office-worker, there’s a simple piece of political philosophy that can utterly zap employee guilt: it’s called Marxism. All value is labour, says Karl: the value of goods and service precisely equates the labour that has gone into them. Capitalists become rich by appropriating most of the value of the workers’ labour; so every moment you spend at work you’re being robbed. By calling in sick, you keep your miserly share of the value of your labour – without actually surrendering the labour itself. So throwing a sickie is a crime prevention measure and a blow for social justice. Don’t feel guilty, feel proud! But if you’re self-employed then you are both capitalist and labourer, so whichever way you look at it you’re robbing yourself. Again, don’t feel guilty: feel confused.

My musings on illness were prompted by a recent bout of flu during which I ran a high temper-ature and so enjoyed a state of mild delirium. During my uncon-trolled mental ramblings two

(mercifully short) poems leapt fully-formed into my fevered brain. I don’t pretend to under-stand them. Delirium is the twin brother of dreaming, and just as incomprehensible. But they made me laugh, so here they are.

ODE TO WILLIAM HAGUE

Whether you take this ode as a compliment is up to you.

It’s just something that’s there, and perhaps slightly surprising,

Like suddenly seeing your portrait painted on a boulder

Or tattooed on the rear end of a pig.

STEPHEN FRY IS WATER

Stephen Fry is water. He is everywhere and necessary,

The loving gift of a bountiful God.

Not enough Stephen Fry and we wither.

Too much and our carpets get wet.

No, I don’t get it either.



This one surprised us too. CAP has found that the Hard Top 4.0 Sahara two-door model with an automatic gearbox has risen £475 in the last 12 months to a trade price of £5,450. CAP says even at this price it’s considered to be a cheap, heavy-duty vehicle – but only for those that can afford to run it.

BCA says despite the volumes currently being sold, the Mini is a future classic in waiting. The auction house told us that One models are selling well for around £3,500 to £4,000 even with as many as 100,000 miles on the clock. But prices for well looked after Countryman, Convertible and Clubman models are the firmest.

London-based dealer Clive Sutton specialises in selling the most exclusive supercars. He often sees cars rise in value, but if he was spending his money it would be the Ford GT he’d shell

out on. ‘The Ferrari Enzo was the one to go for a while ago, but prices have cooled,’ he told us. ‘Now the Ford GT is the car to invest in.’

It’s the V8-engined sports car from Audi that’s popular with buyers, reports CAP. Our experts said it had a slow start in the used market, but in the last 12 months a 2007 model with 20,000 miles has risen £1,900 in the trade to £53,100. ‘It’s increasing in popularity,’ said CAP’s man in the know.

This is a good sign that the recession is easing. Prices for the Volante Convertible version of the stunning Aston Martin DB7 have risen £1,300 in the trade during the last year, according to CAP. An 04-reg, 50,000 miler currently costs £31,400. ‘Today’s buyers appear less concerned about running costs than they were 12 months ago,’ said CAP.

By James Baggott, editor of Car Dealer Magazine

(CarDealerMag.co.uk)

Car buyers are used to driving their new purchase off the fore-court and it instantly plum-meting in value. It’s a fact of motoring life. Or is it? What if we told you there are some cars out there that are actually rising in value? And we’re not just talking about automotive exotica either.

We spoke to experts from trade price bible CAP as well as leading auction house BCA to uncover the cars that are turning residual values on their heads.

‘There are some classic and sports cars that will keep going up in value,’ one expert told us. ‘Others will simply hold firm. But it’s all dependent on how much you use them and their condi-tion.’

So here are our depreciation-busting top picks.

MINI

Jeep Wrangler



There are three big players in the UK ebook market: Apple, with its iPads; Amazon, with its Kindle; and Sony, with its Reader devices. There are others - for example Waterstone’s offers a range of ebook readers from firms including Elonex and iRiver, while recent Android-powered tablet computers boast Google Books software - but for now it’s a three-horse race.

There are some big differences between the devices. If you want a do-it-all that doubles as an ebook reader, then Apple’s iPad 2 is the way to go: it’s a proper computer that can edit video, make music, browse the Internet and play games. Android-powered tablets are very similar.

There are downsides to all that power, though. The first is price - iPad 2s start at around £440, rising to nearly £700 for the top-end model. The second is the screen - tablet computers use laptop-style screens, which are hopeless in direct sunlight. They’re also power hungry. The iPad’s ten-hour battery life is impressive in computer terms, but it’s terrible compared to a device such

as Amazon’s Kindle.

The Kindle (pictured here) has an e-ink display, which is the closest to real ink on paper from an electronic device. That means it’s quite happy in direct sunlight, very easy on the eyes – there’s no

tired-eyes feeling that comes from staring at a screen

for hours - and it’s very small and

light, although it also means the Kindle can’t cope with colour images, let alone

video. E-ink only uses power when

you change the page, so battery life is extraordinary: tablets need charging daily, but e-ink devices last for weeks between charges.

There are two Kindles: the Wi-Fi-only one at £111, and the 3G one at £152. The former is the better bet. Unless you intend to read newspapers on it (you can subscribe and have them delivered wirelessly) there’s no real need for a 3G mobile connection - simply transfer books via Wi-Fi when you’re at home. Kindles store up to 3,500 books, so you’re unlikely to run out of things to read

when you’re travelling.

The problem with the Kindle is that it’s an Amazon-only effort: if you want to read copy-protected books (most mainstream ebook releases are copy-protected), you’ll need to buy them from Amazon. It’s a similar story with the iPad 2 - its iBooks software expects you to buy from the iBooks shop. If that sounds too restrictive, then Sony would like to show you something.

Sony’s Readers (pictured below) are based on the same idea as the Kindle and costs much the same (at the time of writing the PRS350 is

£149), but it has two interesting features: its e-ink screen is a touch screen, which makes using the device much easier, and its formats

of choice are EPUB and PDF.

Such books are sold in all kinds of places - all Waterstone’s titles are in EPUB or PDF format - so you’re not limited to a single ebook shop.

So what’s best? If you want a do-everything device, choose a tablet - but if you’re a bookworm, try an e-ink display.

Our final thought... The choice ultimately comes down to your favourite bookshop. If it’s Amazon, choose a Kindle;

if it isn’t, think Sony.



Azincourt

by Bernard Cornwell

From the creator of ‘Sharpe’ came Azincourt, undoubtedly Bernard Cornwell’s best historical novel - a story depicting the events at Agincourt seen through the eyes of an English longbow-man. Ex-ploring the horrors of the battle in detail and the plight of the people – as well as delving into the context of Christian values, socie-ty and the Church, the author creates solid characters and a scene in which history becomes very real for the reader. A fascinating, unput-downable novel.

It’s Not the Winning that Counts

by Max Davidson

Just when you think that sport is all about busi-ness and money, this book comes along and captures fifty of the most tear-jerking moments of good, honest sportsman-ship that ever were. From the final putt of the 1969 Ryder cup to Fred-die Flintoff’s heart-warming consolation of Brett Lee at the 2005 Ashes series, you’ll need to buy Dad some man-

sized tissues to accompa-ny this fantastic book!

The Haynes Dad Manual

In a format that’s famil-iar to most father fig-ures, Haynes have put together this ingenious

resource in-structing Dads everywhere how to engage, in-volve and inter-est their children with all kinds of projects and activities. From making and growing things to kitchen fun

and the rules of sport, as well as a number of ‘taking things apart’ diagrams, the compre-hensive title is easy to follow and full of colour images and illustrations. With tonnes to keep Dads and their children busy, this is full of fan-tastic ideas to inspire and develop skills, as well as cementing that vital father-son/daughter bond. A must-have!

What You See is What You Get

by Alan Sugar

Honest, controver-sial and very entertain-ing, this is the life story of the ulti-mate self-made man, best known

as S’ralan. Sugar de-scribes his early days growing up on a council estate in Hackney and how his father’s struggle motivated him towards becoming an entrepre-neur, which led to his triumph with IT giant Amstrad. From achieving full-blown fame in the hit TV series The Apprentice to his peerage, this is a truly incredible story - bold, inspirational and highly amusing!

Race to the Pole by Ben Fogle and James Crack-nell

For the adventurer with-in! Deciding that their jaunt across the Atlantic wasn’t quite challenging enough, this famous duo headed to the South Pole, inspired by the race between Captain Scott and Roald Amundsen almost a century ago. This diary-style story covers their gruelling trek, as well as the ex-tensive preparation they underwent, making this a more intimate and enduring story as the reader journeys with them at each stage.

Personal, hon-est and fasci-nating, this is the ultimate modern tale of endurance and friendship.

AMAZING & EXTRAORDINARY FACTS: British Prime Minister

by Jonathan Bastable

Packed with

fascinating facts and

trivia, this title delves

into the 300 year

history of England’s

Prime Ministers.

Covering a wide range

of topics and revealing

a number of intimate

details about Number

Ten’s occupants over

the years, from one

who served 100 days

to another who kept

the job for 21 years,

this is a thoroughly

absorbing read that’s

perfect for any

politically-minded

father.



When an insect bites or stings you, it makes a small hole in your skin, usually in order to feed on your blood. The sting will contain chemicals which are an irritant and will trigger a very mild through to a very severe reaction.

Most stings are unnoticed at the time except those of bees and wasps, but the swelling and itchiness that follows brings it to your notice.

If you can still see the sting in the wound you should remove it as soon as possible. It is better to scrape it out than to use tweezers as pinching it can cause the venom sac to further deposit its contents into your skin. There is one important exception to this though, and that is if you have a tick which has latched itself onto any part of your body. This will look rather like a dark, swollen tag mole and it must be completely removed otherwise you risk developing Lyme disease. You can use tweezers to remove a tick ensuring you

pull straight up rather than twisting the tick out. If you are unsure how to do this consult your GP.

If your skin becomes particularly itchy as a result of being bitten, a flannel soaked in cold water and taking paracetamol or ibuprofren can relieve the discomfort. Over the counter preparations may also help, or if you are really suffering, your GP will prescribe crotamiton cream. Antihistamines may be recommended to help reduce the reaction.

Finally, despite the temptation, try to avoid scratching the area as this increases the risk that the bite will become infected, especially if your hands are dirty.

Bites and Stings

CARNIVAL CONCERT 2011 TICK-ETS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

Tickets for the prestig-ious Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival concerts can now be booked in advance online.

Available through the event’s official website – www.bridgwatercarnival.org.uk – tickets for the 2011 show, which commences on Monday 3 October and runs until Saturday 15 October, can now be reserved by concert goers at the online shop for performances on Monday 3 October and between Monday 10 October and Saturday 15 October.

Tickets cost £7 for the opening perfor-mance on Monday 3 October, and £10.50 for all other performances.

The popular concerts have been an annual feature in Bridgwater since 1883, and are now seen as a curtain raiser to the eagerly anticipated procession in November. Over 3,500 tickets are available for the performances,

where a cast of over 600 entertainers from 13 carnival clubs, dance troupes and front of cur-tain acts entertain an enthralled audience.

Grandstand tickets and other carnival souvenirs, including videos and DVDs of past processions, hats, scarves, badges, etc, can also be purchased at the online shop, which has been open since organisers launched a new website in partnership with Somerset Web Services in April 2007.

Dave Stokes, publicity officer for Bridg-water Guy Fawkes Carnival, said: “Our website has opened up all sorts of opportunities, and the online shop is one way of ensuring that supporters of our carnival from throughout the country can purchase their souvenirs easily.

“Selling carnival concert tickets online will also help those individuals who, due to work, holiday and family commitments, are unable to attend the ticket sale sessions planned for September in the carnival centre.”

BRIDGWATER Guy Fawkes CARNIVAL

http://www.bridgwatercarnival.org.uk/


Smile Bright A bright white smile is associated with youth and vitality because as we age, our teeth start to discolour naturally. Whilst good dental health is an essential basis for your youthful smile, many external factors can make otherwise good teeth look unhealthy. So how can you address this?

The first step is to avoid the things that cause your teeth to yellow in the first place. Smoking, coffee (particularly black coffee), tea, red wine, cola drinks and curry will all cause discolouring. If you do indulge, brush your teeth as soon as practical afterwards.

For red wine or cola using a straw will minimise the effects as this delivers the liquid into your mouth without touching your teeth. Crunchy,

raw foods such as carrots, celery and apples are natural cleaners. They encourage your mouth to salivate and can help to rub off the plaque that sticks to your teeth.

There are many whitening toothpastes available although some can be pricey. Often

the main ingredient in these toothpastes is baking soda. You can make your own paste of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda although it won’t taste great and you shouldn’t use it every day as it can be abrasive.

If toothpaste and vegetables are not enough to make a noticeable difference, then the next option is to go for a teeth whitening

treatment. It is possible to buy kits to do this at home and this is certainly a cost effective way of getting a bright white smile. However, treatment from a dentist will both achieve better results and be much quicker.


There is a very good reason why my family should buy me lots of presents this Father’s Day, which falls on 19 June. They, and all other families for that matter, should be queuing up at the nation’s department stores to spend, spend, spend on bottles of scotch, pipes, slippers, motoring sundries and all similar items beloved of dads in order to save the nation.

A t this point I can quite clearly hear the cynics saying that’s all that Father’s Day is about

– envious dads trying to even the score with mums, who are pampered, showered with gifts and generally spoilt rotten on Mother’s Day. I thought so myself until recently, but the truth is slightly different.

For, surprisingly, Father’s Day was started by mums. Although the one utterly unsurprising thing is that they were American mums. But they didn’t have a consumer-led economic boost in mind. It was all far, far more serious than that.

The first Father’s Day was held in Fairmont, West Virginia, on 5 July 1908, as a memorial service for more than 200 men recently killed in the Monongah Mining Disaster, leaving 1,000 fatherless children. It was a largely local affair, although in what seems to have been a case of simultaneous invention, the town of Spokane, Washington, held another Father’s Day service two years later.

The idea belonged to Sonora Smart Dodd whose father William, a Civil War veteran, had raised six children on his own after his wife died in childbirth. This was at a time when motherhood was becoming increasingly sentimentalised and Mothering Sunday (the fourth Sunday in Lent) was being more and more widely celebrated. Dodd felt that men deserved an equal break (hurrah!). She won the support of the local YMCA and churches, and on the appointed Sunday – which, rather neatly for us in 2011, happened to be 19 June – YMCA members all went to church wearing roses in their lapels to honour their dads.

Spokane’s church service attracted much wider attention than Fairmont’s and

became an annual event. President Wilson was a speaker at the 1916 event, and eight years later President Coolidge backed one of several failed bids in Congress to recognise it as a national holiday – an ambition finally realised by President Nixon only in 1972. A rather cheapskate holiday,

though. As it’s always on a Sunday, nobody actually has a day off work.

So last year was the centenary of the first Father’s Day. This was celebrated by the ringing of church bells and processions of grateful children bearing bottles of scotch. Well, it should have been, but it wasn’t. The reason – and I’m guessing here, but there must be a reason – was that everyone realised that the 101st anniversary was far worthier of celebration because, like the first, it falls on

Trinity Sunday.

If you’re a practising Christian (which I hasten to add, I’m not), you’ll see the significance of this. God the Son has loads of space in the liturgical calendar – Christmas, Easter, Ascension Day and so on. The Holy Ghost has Pentecost. But God the Father doesn’t have his own special day (although there is a movement to dedicate the second Sunday in August to him). Trinity Sunday is the nearest we come. As I said, I’m not religious, but the symmetry still pleases.

But what would really please me would be for someone to buy me a bottle of scotch…

by Ted Bruning

surprisingly,

Father’s Day

was started

by mums





T he Hanging Gardens of Babylon may be the famous ones, but why

not create a superbly colourful hanging basket of your own? Garden centres and nurseries are crammed full of summer bedding plants at this time of year and there are colours to suit every taste. If aerial gardening is not for you, then the same type of plants can be used to produce a superb container for your terrace, patio or backyard. The great thing about summer bedding contain-ers is that you can do just about whatever you want in the way of planting ...and get away with it. So now that the frosts are over in most areas, why not start planting?

All you need is readily availa-ble from your local garden centre: a good-sized basket - choose a 12” basket as it’s easier to keep moist than smaller ones, a hang-ing-basket liner (make sure it is the same diameter as the basket you’ve chosen), or a good-sized pot or planter with plenty of drainage holes. A good quality multi-purpose compost is essen-tial for excellent results. What you choose is up to you, but the range is vast - Nemesia, Surfinia Petunias, Upright Petunias, Cine-

raria ‘Silverdust’, purple-bronze leafed Thalia Fuch-sias or their more tradi-tional cousins, Pelargoni-ums, Lobelia ...the list is endless. Think carefully about colours and tex-tures. Decide whether you’re going for subtle or brash and bold, or if you would like to co-ordinate the flowers with other garden features.

If you are planting a basket, place it in a large flowerpot as this stops the round-bottomed basket from moving and makes it much easier to plant. Place the liner in the basket, adjusting it to fit the basket and trimming off any excess. Next add handfuls of compost up until the point where you want to plant around the sides of the basket. Planting slits are included in some liners. If you are using a pot, place a few inches of broken flower pots or large stones in the base and top up with compost to with-in a few inches of the pot rim.

Carefully remove the plants you need from their containers, easing the root balls out gently but firmly. An upright plant such as a Fuchsia or Pelargonium is a perfect choice for the centre of the basket or container as it helps to give your planting height and structure. For hanging baskets

carefully ease the root ball of each through the planting slit and nestle the root ball in to the com-post. It is easier posting the roots through and you’re less likely to do any long term damage.

Any container looks better if there are plants cascading over the sides, so choose trailing plants and put these in around the edge. Space the trailing plants evenly around the sides of the basket.

Drizzle compost around and between the root balls of all the plants, making sure that each one has new and fresh compost to grow in to. Use your fingers to firm the compost and make sure

Tips for Keeping your Summer Planter or Basket Looking Great

Water regularly, never letting the compost dry out completely. Use a watering can with rose attached, or a gentle spray nozzle on the end of a hose to minimise the risk of disturbing the compost or the plants.

If the container does become too dry it may be difficult to re-wet the compost. If so, carefully sit it in a bowl of water for about an hour, allowing it to soak up the water it needs from the base and sides.

Regularly remove faded flowers, before they have a chance to set seed. This should help to encourage the plants to continue producing more flowers. Pinching them off by hand works well for most plants but if the stems are a bit tough, use secateurs or sharp scissors.

Check regularly for any pests such as greenfly and treat the problem promptly. When plants are as tightly crammed together as they are in a flourishing basket or patio pot, problems soon build up and spread if you’re not quick off the mark.

Feed every couple of weeks with a high-potash liquid fertiliser such as a tomato feed, as this will help to encourage more flowers to develop. If you position a planter full of summer bedding on the paving be-neath a hanging basket, then any excess water or feed from the basket won’t be wasted.


that there are no gaps. It is best to use a combi-nation of cascading plants and some upright ones around the outer edges of a basket. This will ensure a really well filled and colourful dis-play and should help to hide the basket frame-work too.

Once the planting is complete, water the container thoroughly using a watering can with the rose attached. It is best not to hang a basket up or stand a pot in its final position until it has had a few days ‘rest’ sitting in a cool spot out of too much hot, direct sunshine. This little rest period allows the plants to settle in to their new home and perform better later on.

Pippa Greenwood is a gardening writer and journalist and regular panellist on BBC Radio 4’s

‘Gardeners’ Question Time’. Visit www.pippagreenwood. com and sign up as a ‘Friend of Pippa’ to receive a free e-book and regular updates and bulletins. Up until early June you can also order ‘Grow Your Own with Pippa Greenwood’ – garden ready veg plants plus weekly advice emails from Pippa.


On the 5th of May 2011, Bridgwater College hosted it’s annual hair and beauty showcase featuring

their talented students work. I was thrilled to be invited to this years event and it was evident that a lot

of work went into the impressive production of the show. We were blown away by the creativity the

students exhibited on the day and it was clear that the students will have great careers in the hair &

beauty industry. We have included highlights of the event in this months issue of Townlife Monthly.


Peter Crook

Driving Instructor

30 yrs Experience in the driving training industry. No Gimmicks, No flash cars

covered with graphics, just honest, Relia-ble and expert Tuition

Nervous pupils welcome

Mob: 07831 672074

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List your event (free of Charge) in Townlife Monthly’s Next Issue.

E: [email protected] W: www.townlifemonthly.co.uk T: 01278 588430

Date & Venue Details of Event

Thursday 2nd June

North Petherton Community Centre.

The Bridgwater League of Friends Presents a Murder Mystery Evening: Blake Drama Club in association with Bridgwater Hospital & Community League of Friends presents an evening of fun and entertainment and a good ol’ who done it! During the evening, a spring buffet will be served and the bar will be open all evening. COME AND JOIN US. Contact 01278 685550 for tickets. Starts at 7:30pm

Friday 3 June

Fyne Court, Broom-field, Bridgwater Somerset TA5 2EQ

Family Bush Craft: A National Trust Event: Join the AONB and the National Trust Rang-ers and discover and learn about nature and bush craft. Contact: Isabella Mullin 01823 451587. Tickets:Adult:£7.00 Child:£6.00. Booking Essential 01823 451587. Website: www.nationaltrust.org.uk. Times:10:00 to 15:00.

Sunday 5 June

Fyne Court, Broom-field, Bridgwater Somerset TA5 2EQ

Elderflower Champagne Making: A National Trust Event: Join our ranger for this hands on making session and learn how to create your very own champagne. Begin with a walk around the estate, picking flowers before learning how to turn them into your own bubbly. Please bring your own lunch or visit our cafe. Contact: Isabella Mullin 01823 451587.Times:10:00 to 15:00. Tickets: Adult:£10.00. Booking Essential 01823 451587.Website: www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Saturday 11th June

Bridgwater Method-ist Church

Bridgwater Methodist Church celebrates its Centenary: On 11 June, Bridgwater Meth-odist Church is celebrating its Centenary with a Concert featuring the Cheddar Male Choir plus Soloist/Harpist Elaine Thorneycroft-Gibb. Doors open 7.00pm; Concert begins 7.30pm. Tickets are £7.50 for adults and £5.00 for children under 16 years old. The prices include refreshments. All proceeds from the evening will go to "ACTION FOR CHILDREN".

Sunday 19 June

Penwood Farm, Chedzoy, nr Bridg-water Somerset TA7 8RW

Penwood Farm - Open Garden for NGS: Plant lover’s garden approx ¾ acre. Terrace, patio, pergola, gravel, rock, water and kitchen gardens. Hundreds of different roses - old, ’new’ English and modern; collections of clematis, hosta, penstemon, shrubs and herbaceous perennials, unusual plants and trees. Japanese-style bridge over sunken garden with water lilies. Blue garden, vegetable and cutting garden. Admission £2.50, Children free Open for charity.

Sunday 26 June 2011

The Walled Gardens of Cannington, Church Street, Can-nington, Nr Bridgwa-ter, Somerset TA5 2HA

£1 plant sale at the Walled Gardens of Cannington: Come and see the wide variety of plants the walled gardens, with selected plants for only £1 on this day. The gardens grow about 85% of the plants onsite in the greenhouse.

Every Friday Bridgwater Castle Market: Between 9am – 2pm. Bridgwater Town Centre To book a stall, contact Kevin at GPR Traders on 07834 088082

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk


Advertise your classes & business events in Townlife Monthly’s Next Issue E: [email protected] W: www.townlifemonthly.co.uk T: 01278 588430

Doing business without advertis-ing is like winking at a girl in

the dark. You know what you are

doing, but nobody else does” Steuart Henderson Britt


Whilst every care is taken to ensure accuracy, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss, damage or omission caused by error in the printing of an advert.

All artwork is accepted on the strict condition that permission has been given for use in the publication. Ad-verts are accepted on the understanding that descriptions of goods and services are fair and accurate. Town-life Monthly does not officially endorse any advertising/editorial material included within the publication.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or trans-mitted in any form-electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise- without the prior consent of the pub-lisher.

Publisher: Townlife Monthly. T: 01278 588 430 E: [email protected] W: www.townlifemonthly.co.uk

Ad

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The Bridgwater Rotary Club 01278 424677

Bridgwater wolves F.C. 01278 422098

www.bridgwaterwolves.btck.co.uk

Sydenham Family Centre 01278 446771

Bridgwater & District Choral Society 01278 422132

Parallax Youth Dance Theatre 01278 422700

Sydenham Community Centre 01278 423327

The Royal British Legion 01278 683765 Victoria Park Bowling Club 01278 444138

Bridgwater Pantomime Society 01278 451733

Great Western Railway Staff Association 01278 21599

Bridgwater Sports & Social Club 01278 446215

Bridgwater Model Railways 01278 427646

Bridgwater Flower Club 01278 722653

Bridgwater Folk Dance Club 01823 491662

[email protected]

The League of Friends of the 01278 50827

Bridgwater Hospital and Community

Bridgwater Lions Club International 01278-421407

Kids Corner: Pg 26 Uh-Oh!: Dinosaur Riddle Time: Incorrectly Number Square: 1 8 4 8 2 7 5 1 2 38 2 1 3 8 5 2 2 5 3 31 8 6 4 2 3 2 3 1 8 37 3 1 2 0 9 6 5 6 2 34 7 2 7 2 2 3 3 3 0 29 0 3 9 4 3 0 7 7 7 40 2 9 2 4 0 1 2 9 1 30 23 30 31 28 24 21 27 32 23

United Reformed Church . 01278 447153

West Street Westfield United Reformed Church, TA6 7EU

St Mary C Of E Church 01278 424972.

ST. Mary Street, A6 3EQ

St Josephs R C Church 01278 422703.

9 Binford Place, Bridgwater, TA6 3NJ

St John The Baptist C Of E Church 01278 422540

Blake Place. TA6 5AU

St Mary Magdalene Stockland 01278 652953

27 Brook Street The Rectory, Cannington. TA5 2HP

Bridgwater Methodist Church 01278 458371

Monmouth Street, Bridgwater, TA6 5EQ-

St Marys Church 01278 66429

Christ Church Unitarian Chapel 01278 459659

Dampiet Street, Bridgwater. TA6 3LZ

Third Thursday Club 01278 459659

Chris Church Unitarian Chapel, Dampiet Street, Bridgwa-ter. TA6 3LZ

Issue Advert Copy & Booking

July/August Thurs, 9th Jun

August/September Thurs, 7th Jul

September/October Thurs, 11th Aug

October/November Thurs, 8th Sept

November/December Thurs, 6th Oct

December/January Thurs, 3rd Nov


Ashcott Primary School 01458 210464

Brymore School 01278 652369

Cannington CofE Primary School 01278 652368

Catcott Primary School 01278 722527

Chilton Trinity School 01278 455631

Cossington County Primary School 01278 722451

East Bridgwater Community School 01278 422841

Eastover Primary School 01278 422693

Elmwood School 01278 422866

Hamp Infant School 01278 422012

Haygrove School 01278 455531

North Petherton Infants School 01278 662442

North Petherton Junior School 01278 662614

Pawlett County Primary School 01278 684151

Penrose School 01278 423660

Sedgemoor Manor Community 01278 424725

Junior School

Somerset Bridge Primary School 01278 424006

St John & St Francis CofE VA 01278 456918

Primary School

Robert Blake Science College 01278 456243

Christmas and New Year 2010/11 20 Dec - 5 Jan 2011

February (spring) half term 21 - 25 Feb 2011

Easter holiday 9 - 25 Apr 2011

May (summer) half term 30 May - 3 Jun 2011

Summer holiday 25 Jul - 31 Aug 2011

NHS Direct 0845 4647

North Petherton Surgery 01278 662223

Mill Street North Petherton Bridgwater Somerset TA6 6LX

Taunton Road Medical Centre 01278 720000

16 Taunton Road, Bridgwater TA6 3LS

East Quay Medical Centre 01278 444666

East Quay, Bridgwater TA6 4GP

Victoria Park Medical Centre 01278 437100

Victoria Park Drive, Bridgwater, TA6 7AS

Somerset Bridge Medical Centre 0844 4772594

Stockmoor Park, Taunton Road, Bridgwater, TA6 6LD

Cranleigh Gardens Medical Centre 01278 433335 Cranleigh Gardens, Bridgwater, TA6 5JS

Bridgwater General Hospital 01278 451 501

Salmon Parade, Bridgwater, TA6 5AH

Avon and Somerset Constabulary 0845 4567000

Sedgemoor District Council 0800 585 360 / 01278 552400

National Rail Enquiries 08457 484950

Eurostar 08705 186186

Bristol Airport 0871 3444344

Exeter Airport 01392 367433

London Heathrow 0870 0000123

National Express 08717 81 81 78

Webber Bus 0800 0963039

Forbouys PLC (Angel Place) - Mon-Fri Post office closes at 17:30. Sat:15:00

Parkay (2-5 Mountbatten House) Mon-Fri Post Office closes at 15:30. Sat: 12:30

Wemdon (26 Wembdon Hill) Mon-Fri Post office closes at 17:30. Sat: 12:30

Ian Liddell-Grainger T:01278 458383. W:www.somersetwest.org.uk

Bridgwater Library. Binford Place,TA6 3LF

Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri (9:00—17:30) Wed (9:00—18:-00). Sat (9:30—16:00)

Rowlands Phamacy 01278 423015

New East Quay Medical Centre/East Quay, TA6 4GP

Lloyds Pharmacy 01278 445333

Redgate Health Centre, TA6 5BF


14, Taunton Rd, TA6 3LS

Sainsburys Pharmacy 01278 422108

The Clink, TA6 4AB


105, Fore St, TA6 6RY Tel: 01278 455236 Email: [email protected]

Web: www.sedgemoorcab.org.uk

Opening Times: Mon-Sat: 8am - 10am. Mon-Thurs: 1pm-4pm

Documents

Jun.Jul Issue TLM