Essentially Local March-April 17

March/April 2017 

Your FREE copy – Issue 79 

Get out and about at The Urb Farm 

Photos courtesy: Florrie Bryant at The Urb Farm 

The Bell at Beachampton 

Serving fresh food and well-kept real ales 

with a friendly yet professional service! 

See page 3 for more details… 

www.essentiallylocal.co.uk

Building Services 

2 

Please mention Essentially Local when responding to adverts

Leisure 

Book now for 

Mother’s Day! 

Call us to book a table: 

01908 418 373 

Main Street 

Beachampton 

Milton Keynes 

MK19 6DX 

www.thebellbeachampton.co.uk 

Serving fresh food and well-kept real ales 

with a friendly yet professional service! 

The Bell at Beachampton is a beautiful countryside pub, serving food 

that is freshly prepared on the premises using seasonal local produce. 

Check out the website for our menu details, 

Opening times: 

Monday-Saturday 11am-11pm (food served 12.00pm-2.00pm & 6.00pm-9.00pm) 

Sunday 12am-8pm (food served 12.00pm-6.00pm) 

Book now for 

Mother’s Day! 

The Old Thatched Inn, situated in the picturesque 

village of Adstock, Buckinghamshire, offers a unique 

blend of high quality dining hosted in a relaxed and 

comfortable environment. 

Visit our website for full menu details, 

and to book your table. 

Main Street, Adstock, Buckinghamshire MK18 2JN 

Monday-Friday: open 11am – 11pm (food served 12pm-2.30pm & 6pm-9.30pm) 

Saturday: open (11am-11pm (food served 12pm-3pm & 5pm-9pm) 

Sunday: open 12pm-10pm (food served all day 12pm-8pm) 

Tel: 01296 712584 

www.theoldthatchedinn.co.uk 

To advertise please call 01908 380777 

3

Contents & Welcome 

Inside this Issue… 

Essentially Business and Professional 

24 Thirty hours of free childcare 

29 GreenThumb success; Wealth & Tax Management donate 

Essentially Children 

8 Creating with glass 

24 Children’s fun; Understanding child care vouchers 

Essentially Community 

18 Deanshanger and Wicken Royal British Legion; 

Welcome to the Old Bath House & Community Centre 

20 The Bygone Stony Exhibition; New Bard for Stony Stratford 

40 Milton Keynes from birth to 50 – the first 10 years 

Essentially Health, Well-being & Sport 

8 Call for women to be bold 

12 Stony Stratford Bowls Club open day; Cyclists ride to Belgium 

13 Running for Willen Hospice 

14 Deanshanger Sports Club celebrates its’ 50th year; Run Stony 

16 Branch-out MK need your spare land 

Essentially Home & Garden 

6 Recipe – flapjacks 

42 Fighting back against rising energy bills 

44 Stony Stratford Floral Club 

46 Stony Stratford in Bloom 

48 Saying it with flowers 

Essentially Leisure 

6 Whose turn?; Castlethorpe Open Gardens 

20 Potterspury Players – take your seats! 

22 MK Biergarten Spring Beer Festival; 

44 Nature Day at the Urb Farm; Volunteers needed at Rushmere 

Essentially Pets 

10 RSPCA relies on local heroes; Why you aorta get your dog’s 

heart checked! Diabetes doesn’t need to be a CATastrophe! 

32 A cruel trade from Trading Standards 

Regulars 

22 Essential numbers 

23 Competition – Win a meal for two at Blue Mountain Yard Cafe 

26 What’s on 

50 Advertisers 

Where we Deliver… 

Towcester 

Paulerspury 

Alderton 

Yardley Gobion 

Potterspury 

Old Stratford 

Hanslope 

Castlethorpe 

Wolverton 

Deanshanger 

Wolverton Mill 

Stony Stratford 

Wicken 

Passenham 

Calverton 

Beachampton 

Hanslope Long Street 

Cosgrove 

Haversham 

Old Wolverton 

Hello Readers… 

Spring is in the air – days are getting longer 

and our beautiful flowers are blooming 

Mother’s Day is on 26 March – treat 

your mum and choose one of the displays 

offered by our amazing local florists and 

growers (page 9), or maybe afternoon 

tea at ARTea Room, Potterspury (page 

19)? Sunday lunch can be booked at The 

Bell Inn, Beachampton, The Crown, Stony 

Stratford and The White Lion, Wicken. Be 

quick though, to be sure of a table! 

Recent reports about increased prices on 

our fuels will mean that many of us will be 

finding ways to increase efficiency at home. 

Take a look on page 42 for the National 

Energy Foundation Energy Planner survey. 

The Blue Mountain Yard Café now offers 

evening opening. Enter the competition on 

page 23 for a chance of winning a meal for 

two at this excellenct Caribbean venue. 

If you enjoyed our Magical Christmas 

Drawing Competition I hope you enjoy 

the follow-up on page 8, which shows 

one of our young winners making his next 

masterpiece at Vitreus Art. 

There are also lots of events, 

stories and helpful articles, so 

why wouldn’t you keep your 

business Essentially Local? 

Emma – Editor 

Get in Touch… 

Essentially Local 

The Office, 5 The Stocks, 

Cosgrove, Milton Keynes MK19 7JD 

Tel: 01908 380777 

Email: info@essentiallylocal.co.uk 

Website: www.essentiallylocal.co.uk 

Essentially-Local 

Essentiallyl 

Design and production: 

Andrew Metcalfe andrew@meticulousdesign.com 

4

Motoring Services 


5

Community 

Flapjacks 

These flapjacks are a healthier option for anyone 

involved in sports and fitness. The seeds add a 

little extra crunch as well as goodness. Enjoy 

and let us know what you think. 

Ingredients 

250g rolled oats 

125g butter 

75g mixed seeds 

90g golden syrup 

90g soft light brown sugar 

¼ tsp of ground ginger 

250g rolled oats 

Consider adding 50g of raisins and chopped 

apricots to make the flapjacks even tastier 

Method 

• Gently heat the butter, syrup and sugar in a saucepan until the 

ingredients have melted and dissolved. 

• Combine the oats, seeds, ginger and fruit (if being used) in a 

large mixing bowl. 

• Pour the heated mixture onto the oats and mix well. 

• Spoon the mixture into a greased tin measuring 20cm by 

30cm and smooth the surface with a palette knife. 

• Bake in a preheated oven at 180C (160C fan, Gas 4) for about 

30 minutes. 

• Leave to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes. 

• Once cooled, carefully remove from tin and place on a flat 

surface to cut into squares. 

Whose turn is it anyway? 

8pm to 10pm, Saturday, 18 March 

York House Centre, London Road, 

Stony Stratford, 

MK11 1JQ 

If you’ve ever seen the 

comedy TV show “Whose 

Line is it Anyway?” 

you’ll love this highenergy 

night of hilarious 

improvisation. There is 

one team of comedians, one compere and an evening of 

improvised comedy. 

The players don’t know who they’ll be, where the scene 

will be set, that’s all down to you the audience. 

Doors to this evening of spontaneous fun will open at 

7.30pm and York House bar staff will be pleased to serve 

you real ale, wines, and soft drinks. Drinks to be paid for by 

cash only. The proceeds from the bar will go to York House. 

Tickets - £7 in advance £8 on the door with payment 

by cash/credit/debit card. 

www.whoseturn.org.uk 

For more details email david@whoseturn.org.uk 

York House www.york-house.org.uk. 

Castlethorpe Open Gardens 

Saturday and Sunday, 8-9 July 

This July 

Castlethorpe 

gardens will be 

on display at this 

traditional biannual 

event that 

attracts visitors 

from near and far 

afield. The proud 

owners of the 25 

open gardens will be on hand to answer questions, share 

tips as well as sell plants. 

You can also follow the Scarecrow Trail and stop at the 

village hall for refreshments including Ploughman’s lunches 

and cream teas. 

Tickets for both days – £5 per adult £2 per child and a 

family ticket is £12. 

Buy tickets on the day from the car park adjacent to 

Castlefield, the village hall and the open gardens. Proceeds 

go the Village Hall Fund and other village projects. 

For more information call Russell 01908 510941 

or email Keith keithprestidge@hotmail.co.uk 

6 


Leisure 


7

Community 

Call for women to be bold 

International Women’s Day on 8 March 

wants women to be bold for change. The 

day aims to help women to take action 

for themselves, as well as celebrating the 

achievements of women. 

To help women locally to make a 

change for the better – and bolder – 

Happy Bodies gym in Old Stratford is 

offering their facilities and advice. On 

this day, women aged over 16 can use 

the gym for free all day, including the 

equipment, classes or taster sessions. 

You are welcome if you: 

• have never set foot in a gym before 

• are nervous of exercising because 

of how you see yourself 

• stopped your exercise routine because 

of family, illness or maybe work 

• are exercising and would like to 

step up it up to reach a goal. 

Whatever your reasons or story, Happy 

Creating with glass 

Bodies would love to meet you to 

help you be bold and take action. 

Research shows that women who 

take part in sport and exercise have 

higher levels of confidence, self-worth 

and esteem, as well as lower levels 

of depression. Exercise also helps 

women to develop a more positive 

body image. Make 8 March the 

day that you begin to rebuild your 

confidence about your body. 

Check the Happy Bodies FB page 

and website for times and details. 

Even if you only pop along for a chat 

or a look around, you will have taken 

that important first step to being bold 

and taking action. 

Furtho Court, Towcester Rd, Old Stratford, Milton Keynes MK19 6AN 

01908 477066 • www.happybodies.co.uk 

A fun afternoon of glass fusing was had 

at the Vitreus Art Glass Studio recently. 

Lucas, 2nd prize winner of the 

Essentially Local Magical Christmas 

drawing competition, enjoyed an 

afternoon of learning how to create 

glass art with Jenny Timms, artist and 

co-owner of Vitreus Art. 

Lucas normally prefers using felt-tip 

pens to achieve the fine detail in his 

meticulous artwork. While working with 

Jenny, he learnt that different mediums 

work in different ways and if you are 

careful you can still achieve lots of detail 

using glass. Take a look at the photo 

of the finished pieces – ‘A nod to a 

London Bus’, and the ‘Sword & Pickaxe’ 

symbols from Warhammer Games. 

“It was very interesting and great 

to learn something new, it was also 

very fun as well,” said Lucas. “It was 

very special working with glass and 

Jenny was very kind. They did a 

brilliant example of the ice cream in 

glass, showing how to do things. The 

chocolate cake was very tasty as well!” 

“It’s always a pleasure to share 

what we do here at Vitreus Art with 

others and to show them there are lots 

of different art forms to work with,” 

Jenny Timms of Vitreous Art explained. 

“Lucas has a wonderful imagination 

and it’s very obvious that he has an 

artistic flair.” If your kids would like to 

have a go at this craft, contact Jenny at 

Vitreus Art on 01327 810320, or pop 

into the gallery for a chat. 

Vitreus Art, Unit 4, Wakefield Country Courtyard, Nr Potterspury NN12 7QX 

www.vitreus-art.co.uk 

8 


Leisure 


9

Animal services 

RSPCA relies on local heroes 

Sometimes animals that come into the care of RSPCA 

Milton Keynes and North Bucks have special long-term 

needs or are elderly. The branch relies on local heroes 

who will take them on and look after their medical needs. 

In cases where this is not possible, the branch will pay 

for the medical costs relating to their condition. Socks is 

looking for a local hero. This handsome boy joined us as 

a result of his owner passing away. He is 12 years old and 

is hyperthyroid, which is controlled with medication. Socks 

is the most charming of cats and is always up for a cuddle 

and a fuss but needs someone very special who can take 

on him and also his medical needs. 

If you think you are that someone, please call RSPCA 

Milton Keynes and North Bucks on 01908 611179 and ask 

to meet Socks. To make a donation, please go to https:// 

mydonate.bt.com/charities/rspcamiltonkeynesnorthbucks 

RSPCA Milton Keynes and North Bucks is a registered 

charity that rescues, rehabilitates and re-homes stray, 

abused and unwanted animals in the area. They are 

separate from the National RSPCA. 

Why you aorta get your dog’s heart checked! 

Advances in medicine mean 

improvements in the care of our 

dogs. Canine heart medicine is now 

moving from tackling problems when 

they arise to picking up conditions 

before they cause an issue. Kate from 

the Vet Centre, Cherry Lane says, 

“Recent research has shown if a heart 

condition is picked up before it causes 

clinical signs, medication can now 

be used to delay the onset of health 

problems.” A new blood test has been 

developed that can detect potential 

underlying problems of the heart. If an 

issue is suspected, a heart scan is used 

to confirm what type of abnormality 

is present and what treatment is 

required. This should enable our dogs 

to keep running and enjoying life for 

longer. 

Diabetes doesn’t need 

to be a CATastrophe! 

As with human health, we are starting 

to see more cases of diabetes in the 

animal world, especially in our feline 

friends. Many of the risk factors are 

similar, the main ones being weight, 

lack of activity and genetic factors. 

David from the Vet Centre Maids 

Moreton says, “Typically early warning 

signs are eating and drinking more 

than normal. They also sometimes 

lose weight and urinate in odd places 

around the house - typically on the 

most expensive rug they can find!” 

Controlling diabetes requires diet 

management and giving insulin by 

injection. This can seem daunting but 

with training most owners quickly get 

the hang of it. It can take time to get 

feline diabetes under control but with 

careful monitoring you can give your 

cat the best chance of being healthy. 

Contact The Vet Centre Cherry Lane Garden Centre, Potterspury, NN12 7QN 

01280 812057 or 01908 542155 visit www.thevetcentre.ltd.uk for more information. 

10 


Leisure 

OUR EXERCISE CLASSES 

ARE AVAILABLE TO 

NON-MEMBERS TOO! 

We are 4!! 

Anniversary Open Day: 

Saturday 22nd April 

Check our website and FB page for details. 

Our classes are open to non-members 

and start from as little as £3 per class! 

Come along and give us a try. 

HAPPY BODIES | FURTHO COURT | OLD STRATFORD | MK19 6AN 


11

Community 

Open day at Stony Stratford 

Bowls Club will bowl you over! 

Ancell Trust Sports Ground, Ostlers Lane, Stony Stratford 

The first Open Day of the bowling 

season will take place on Sunday, 

30 April. Members will be ready to 

welcome you between 10.00am and 

5.00pm and can’t wait to introduce 

you to the sport. Everyone from 

10 years old is welcome, although 

younger visitors will need to bring an 

adult. There will also be a cup of tea 

or coffee to waiting for you. 

Free coaching and training will 

be on offer, provided by accredited 

coaches, as well as all the equipment 

you will need. It won’t take long for 

you to learn the skills – usually only 4 

or 5 sessions. 

Stony Stratford Bowls Club has over 

a hundred members, men, women 

and a growing youth section. New 

members are being sought to enjoy 

this fun and sociable game. Lawn 

Bowls is played from mid April until the 

beginning of October and then winter 

activities begin. You can look forward 

to Sunday lunches, quizzes, crib, bingo 

and coach trips, as well as start of 

season and Christmas parties. 

Come along to try out your 

skills and see if the game of 

Bowls is for you. Visit www. 

stonystratfordbowlsclub.co.uk if you 

would like to get in touch or ask 

questions before, or alternatively 

come along on 30 April. 

Local cyclists ride to Belgium 

On Sunday, 28 May a team of cyclists, 

with back-up from Milton Keynes 

Rugby Union Football Club (MKRUFC 

formerly Wolverton RFC) will cycle 

from Wolverton to Ploegsteert, 

Belgium in 3 days! This will be the 

annual fund-raiser for MKRUFC. 

Starting at the Memorial in the Square 

Wolverton they will follow the canal to 

Leighton Buzzard, cut across to South 

Herts. and into London. At Woolwich 

they’ll join the cycleway to Chatham 

having spent 90 miles in the saddle. 

The next day it’s off to Dover to 

catch the Calais ferry, and after a 

night at St Omer they will head to 

Vieux Belgium to meet the Mayor. 

The great-grandfather of Chris 

Stevens, one of the founding ‘Ring 

Of Fire Cyclists’, Captain Thomas 

Tannat Pryce VC, was killed in 

action here during WW1 and was 

awarded a VC. The team will then 

visit the Ploegsteert memorial where 

Captain Pryce and Albert French 

from Wolverton are remembered. 

Wolverton Tigermoths Football Club 

donated a ball which will be laid at 

the Football Truce site before heading 

to the Menin Gate. They will lay three 

wreaths at one of the daily formal 

tribute services – one each for Albert 

French, Captain Pryce VC and the 

Edgar Mobs Battalion (made up of 

local sportsmen). Tuesday night will be 

spent with friends from Ploegsteert. 

The twenty-four riders cycle back 

to Dunkirk for a lunchtime event, 

possibly with a minor hangover! Not 

all are keen cyclists and one mad pair 

is even contemplating doing the trip 

on a tandem, so remember to show 

them your support! 

If you can support this project, 

please contact WGTC Twinning group 

via email on: office@WGTC.org.uk . 

A local ‘Just Giving’ page is available 

for donations that will go towards the 

club’s developments. 

12 


Wellbeing 

Running for 

Willen Hospice 

After the death of her grandfather 

from pancreatic cancer, Corinne 

Valor began to run for the first time 

in years. Four months later she had 

signed up for a 10K run in London 

to raise money for Pancreatic Cancer 

Awareness. This was the start of a 

journey of getting her mind and 

body fit for new challenges. 

Corinne completed a personal 

training course and set up a new business – and now she 

is once again challenging herself. This May she is running 

the Milton Keynes marathon for Willen Hospice, to help to 

raise money for this essential local service. If you can dig 

deep and give her some support this is her Just Giving 

page www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Corinne-Valor1 

Read more about Corinne in our 

Run Stony article on page 14. 

Contact 07850372824 Facebook: corinnevalorfitness 

corinnevalorfitness@yahoo.com 

find your healthy! 

Fitness classes and 

personal training for everyone 


13

Community 

Deanshanger Sports Club celebrates its 50th year 

The Deanshanger Sports Club has 

started its 50th anniversary year by 

announcing some top entertainment 

including a range of tribute acts to 

celebrate the milestone. 

The club’s bar pulled its first pint 

on 3rd May 1967, and fifty years 

on it’s still one of the best value 

pints around. Dave Hill, a stalwart 

of the club who was instrumental in 

getting the bar opened, passed away 

in January. Dave, who played for 

Deanshanger Athletic FC for many 

years, will be sadly missed, and the 

club committee will be looking to 

commemorate his part in the creation 

of the club later in the year. 

Michael Jackson graced the stage in 

January, while March sees Tom Jones 

belting out the hits, before The Dung 

Beatles go through the “Fab Fours” 

songbook in May. Robbie Williams’ 

tribute is planned for later in the year 

and all this is mixed with local bands 

and children events, as the club is a 

family venue. 

The club is a members’ club, with 

family membership going down to just 

£5 for a whole year and £3 for singles 

starting in September. 

The Little London based club 

is home to Deanshanger Athletic 

Football Club’s three teams and the 

Deanshanger Colts & Divas grassroots 

club, so there is football to watch on 

most Saturdays and Sundays. 

Entertainment Calendar 

25 March – 

Rob Dee is TOM JONES Tribute Act 

8 April – 

Easter Egg Extravaganza Bingo 

6 May – 

The Dung BEATLES Tribute Act 

17 June – 

Band Substance as seen on Sky TV 

Weekly Events At 

Deanshanger Sports Club 

Monday & Tuesday Evening: 

Free Pool 

Wednesday Evening: Poker Night 

8.00pm 

Thursday Evening: Prize Bingo 

7.00pm to 8.15pm 

LL Sky Sports & BT Sports Shown On 

The Big Screen + 2 Smaller TVs 

Contact: Little London, Deanshanger MK19 6HU • 01908 567137 

A new running club for all abilities 

In early February, 40 members of the 

local community turned up to the 

very first RunStony – a new group for 

runners of all abilities, from absolute 

beginners to the seasoned marathon 

and ultra runners. 

Within 3 weeks of starting, the 

group has grown to 50 members, 

taking part in weekly beginner, 5K and 

10K runs. 

Corinne Valor, Vikki Quinn, 

Kimberley Chapman and Andrew 

Metcalfe formed RunStony after 

recognising a need for a running 

club in the local area. Between them, 

they have achieved some incredible 

goals and have a wealth of running 

experience. They all understand how 

hard it can be to get started and stay 

motivated. You can read more about 

them on the RunStony Facebook page. 

Whether your aim is to get fit, 

lose weight, progress your running 

distance, or just find other likeminded 

people that you can run 

with, RunStony could be just what 

you need. 

Your first RunStony run is free, so 

pop along and give it a try. Thereafter, 

membership is £10 per year, with 

members getting discounts on 

products and services from an evergrowing 

number of local businesses. 

RunStony currently meet every 

Sunday on Millfield, Stony Stratford, 

at 10.30am, with other running times 

and sessions planned for the coming 

months. More information can be 

found on their Facebook page: 

www.facebook.com/RUNSTONY 

The first RunStony social evening 

14 


Wellbeing 

www.nailsalonmiltonkeynes.co.uk 

LANh's NAiL sALoN 

• Acrylics • Nail art • Shellac • Air brush designs 

• Hand designs • Gel nails • Pedicures 

LANh’s NAiL sALoN in 

Stony Stratford provides a 

professional and relaxing nail 

care service to fully meet all 

your individual needs. 

BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY! 

CALL 01908 567796 

95 High Street, Stony Stratford MK11 1AT 

What’s more, we also have free 

parking at the rear, free fast wi-fi 

in the shop and free tea and coffee. 


15

Community 

Branch-out MK 

need your spare land 

This is a call for spare land 

that Branch-out MK can 

use to grow more flowers 

with their gardeners. 

They need about half an 

acre – maybe an unused 

paddock, corner of field, 

or an overgrown patch of 

old garden. It needs to be 

local to Stony Stratford, 

positioned in the sun, accessible from the road and be near 

to or have a water source. 

Branch-out MK CIC is a self-funding, not-for-profit 

social enterprise that supports vulnerable adults. Their 12 

gardeners and those waiting to join will grow more flowers 

on the extra land and then sell them. These sales will help 

them to buy plants, compost, tools and materials and pay 

for sessional support staff. 

Branch-Out receive excellent feedback about their 

products and have much more to offer. Can you help? 

Theresa on 07900 882740 or branchoutmk@aol.com 

16 


Wellbeing 

| Back pain | Muscle injury | Sore or overused muscles | Muscle cramping 

| Pregnancy back and leg discomfort | Headaches | Whiplash | Lymphatic drainage 

| Circulatory problems | Anxiety | Depression | Insomnia | Stress 

Tailor-made massage 

with you in mind 

Massage in Mind provides 

massage to meet your needs. 

Whether suffering from stress or having 

muscular discomfort, massage is a powerful 

tool to alleviate these and many more 

physical and emotional conditions. 

Call 01908 968430 to 

book your appointment. 

Massage in Mind Action Physiotherapy, 

54b High Street, Stony Stratford MK11 1AQ 

Email reception@actionphysiotherapy.co.uk 

www.massageinmind.me 


17

Community 

The Royal British Legion – 

can you help them to help others? 

Since 15 May 1921, The Royal British 

Legion has been caring for those who 

have suffered as a result of service in 

the Armed Forces. They continue to 

work to provide lifelong support to 

members of the Armed Services and 

their families. Remembrance also forms 

a big part of their work – ensuring that 

the sacrifices of those serving in the 

Armed Forces are never forgotten. 

A series of local branches are 

run and supported by dedicated 

members of the community, including 

the Deanshanger and Wicken British 

Legion Branch. Formed in 1927, it 

is believed to be one of the longest 

serving in the country. In recent years, 

the committee has been leading the 

group with the aim of achieving more 

for the community. 

They would like to develop their 

vital welfare and benevolent work 

but to achieve this they need people 

like you to help. They are actively 

involved with Elizabeth Woodville 

School and carry out lots of 

fundraising activities with Lorraine, 

the famous landlady of the Beehive 

pub in Deanshanger! The last 

Poppy Appeal raised an incredible 

£6406.89, thanks to the generous 

donations from local people. Now 

they are asking you to give some 

of your time to this very worthwhile 

cause – you don’t have to have been 

in the forces to help. 

The group meet on the 2nd 

Tuesday of the month at Deanshanger 

Conservative Club. 

If you think you could help call David Jones 01908 562341 or 

email peterdorrill881@btinternet.com for more information. 

Welcome to the Old Bath House 

& Community Centre in Wolverton! 

The Old Bath House in Wolverton, built 

by North Western Railway Company in 

1890, was once home to the Victorian 

Baths. When Tesco was granted 

planning permission in 1992, it was 

on the condition that it financed a 

brand new community centre and the 

refurbishment of the Old Bath House. 

Today The Old Bath House & 

Community Centre, located on 

Stratford Road, offers great facilities 

to a whole range of different local 

groups. Fitness classes, yoga, 

belly dancing, zumba and aerobics, 

Ballroom, Latin American, Salsa and 

Bhangra dance classes all make use of 

the dance studio with its professional 

dance floor, mirrors and ballet barres, 

while in the band rehearsal room 

groups like Wolverton Town Band 

and the Shammanic drummers can 

be heard making music. Musical 

Monkeys, Mini Strikers, Judo and 

Kickboxing classes make a different 

sort of noise in the Centre. 

Every Friday the WI Country Market 

stall-holders bring food, crafts and 

other wares, while Age UK provides 

an Afro-Caribbean lunch club. Church 

groups, ME and BiPolar support 

groups also make use of this excellent 

local facility. Businesses can also hire 

the bright, comfortable meeting room 

that can cater for up to 30 people. 

If you want to know more about 

this thriving community centre come 

to The Bath House Open Day on 

Saturday 1st July! 

Full details will appear in the May-June edition of Essentially Local, 

so book Saturday 1st July in your diaries. Meanwhile, find out more about 

the Old Bath House at www.oldbathhouse.org or on 

Facebook Old Bath House Community Centre 

205 Stratford Rd, Wolverton, Milton Keynes MK12 5LY Tel: 01908 310574 

18 


Leisure 


19

Community 

Potterspury Players – take your seats! 

The Potterspury Players are 

back to present another of their 

delightful productions. Out of 

Focus, written by Peter Gordon, 

is a contemporary comedy set in 

a village hall. Confusion reigns as 

various groups descend upon the 

hall for their multiple bookings. 

Eventually everyone unites for the 

production of the pantomime but 

not before alliances form, fall-outs 

happen, confidence is built, some 

get their comeuppance and everyone 

receives their just deserts. These 

amateur actors offer a professional 

performance of a particularly funny 

production. Loyal and new supporters 

will definitely be entertained. 

Put Thursday, 23 March and Friday 

25 March in your diaries and head to 

Potterspury Village Hall. 

The tickets are £8 (£6 concessions) 

and are available from 01908 542650 

or 01908 542255, The Cottage 

Stores, Potterspury or on the night on 

the door. Doors open at 7.00pm and 

the performance will start at 7.30pm. 

The Bygone Stony Exhibition 

– what a weekend 

More than 450 visitors walked, 

biked and drove to The Bygone 

Stony exhibition at York House 

in January. As memories were 

stirred and new residents made 

discoveries, there was a terrific 

buzz. The usual great generosity 

of local residents came into play 

and a whopping £276 appeared 

in the donations bucket during 

the exhibition. This will go to future 

York House community events. 

Thanks to all the photo 

contributors, to John Hawkins for 

the slide-show, to Ken Daniels’ able 

assistants and all those who came 

along and made it worth while. 

Thanks also to MK50 for putting on 

the celebrations, and to Liz & Rob 

Gifford for StonyWords! 

New Bard for Stony Stratford 

The Stony Stratford trials saw a new 

Bard appointed on 24 January at York 

House. 

Four brave hopefuls entered the 

open competition before a live 

audience and panel of judges. Three 

rounds and an exciting tie-breaking 

vote saw Stephen Hobbs being 

appointed to this prestigious position 

– Bard of Stony. 

Theresa Wedderburn (Branch-out 

MK) added the Bardic Wonderland 

themed décor to transform the hall 

with trees and candlelight tables, 

making this a memorable part of 

Stony Words. 

Since 2010, this honourable 

tradition has appointed a Bard as a 

figurehead for the spirit of creativity, 

culture and community for the town. 

Anyone who has the power to use 

their voice can enter. The winner 

becomes the holder of the Bardic 

Pencil and Bag of Magic Beans for a 

year and one day. During this time 

the Bard must produce and perform 

original pieces in the oral tradition 

to celebrate the customs and 

achievements of the town 

and people. 

Mayor of Milton Keynes Steve 

Coventry congratulated Stephen, 

who said, “I believe that the Bard is 

uniquely placed to provide a human 

commentary on our everyday civic 

life. I shall use poetry and storytelling 

to entertain and illuminate … I would 

be honoured to offer my voice to the 

good people of Stony Stratford as 

their Bard.” 

We look forward to A Year and a 

Day of Hobbs, Bard Hobbs, 007! 

20 


Leisure 


21

Community 

MK Biergarten 

Spring Beer Festival 

Noon-10.00pm, Saturday, 25 March 

York House Centre, London Road, 

Stony Stratford, MK11 1JQ 

The dynamic team of MKBiergarten and York House 

Centre return to offer you another chance to enjoy the 

Biergarten experience – on a larger scale. 

You’ll find all the fun and beer of an Oktoberfest 

with a twist to usher in sunnier days. German lager, 

craft beers and a local real ale bar, street food and live 

music to swing those elbows to will all be there for your 

enjoyment. 

Fancy a taster in advance? Pop into MKBiergarten in 

Wolverton to see the great range of cask and bottled 

beers – from very local to German and international. 

You can try a pint of the local Triple Goat, or perhaps 

Wu Gang Chops the Tree or a refreshing German 

Weissbier to whet your appetite. 

More details to follow at: www.york-house.org.uk 

www.mkbiergarten.co.uk and elsewhere, nearer the time. 

Essential Numbers… 

For all the everyday useful numbers you may need 

HOSPITALS 

Milton Keynes General Hospital 01908 660033 

Northampton General Hospital 01604 634700 

HEALTH CENTRES 

Hanslope Practice 01908 510230 

Paulerspury Practice 01327 811630 

Stony Medical Centre 01908 260382 

Stony Stratford Health Visitors, Physios 01908 565555 

The Stonedean Practice 01908 261155 

Towcester Medical Centre 01327 359953 

Wolverton Health Centre 01908 222954 

Wolverton Health Visitors, District Nurses, 

Podiatry, Physiotherapy 01908 316633 

NHS Direct Textphone 111 

INFORMATION SERVICES 

AgeUK Information and Advice 01908 560822 

SUPPORT LINES 

Samaritans 0845 790 9090 

Alcoholics Anonymous 0845 769 7555 

22 

OPTICIANS 

DW Roberts Optometrists 01908 562355 

VETERINARY SURGEONS 

The Vet Centre 

Old Stratford 01908 567272 

Maids Moreton 01280 812057 

POLICE 

Non emergency calls 101 

Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 

Victim Support Line 0845 30 30 900 

Emergencies 999 

COUNCILS 

Aylesbury Vale District Council 01296 585858 

Buckinghamshire County Council 01296 395000 

Text phone 01296 383111 

Milton Keynes Council 01908 691691 

Northamptonshire County Council 0300 126 1000 

South Northamptonshire Council 0845 2300226 


Competition 

Win… 

… a two course meal for two 

The Blue Mountain Yard Café at Wolverton Mill has proved 

so popular amongst local people that owner Jonathan 

Smith has decided to extend his opening hours to 

evenings. 

This means that diners can now enjoy tempting 

Caribbean inspired recipes every Friday and Saturday 

evening. Award-winning chef Louis Bailey helped to create 

the exciting new menu which brings unique twists to a 

selection of classics. 

Dishes like Ironshore Jerk Chicken Breast, with its 

delicious combination of warm spices, come highly 

recommended. The Trinidadian influenced aromatic ginger 

and coconut infused Chick Pea Curry is another winner. 

There is also a good selection of drinks, including house 

red or white wine, spirits, beers and softer choices. 

Businesses of all sizes can hire a fully equipped meeting 

room with smartboard, video conferencing and free WIFI. 

Up to 20 guests can sit comfortably and with corporate 

catering on site, all your needs will be met. 

The Blue Mountain Café brings authentic Caribbean 

cuisine and culture topped with perfect hospitality to make 

every visit memorable. 

And … don’t leave without a taste of the famous Blue 

Mountain coffee! 

Wordsearch winner… January/February 

Congratulations to Mrs S Gough from Deanshanger who has won 

a meal for two at The Crown in Stony Stratford. 

H 

C 

P 

V 

G 

B 

A 

W 

I 

N 

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S 

C 

S 

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I 

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Y 

C 

P 

T 

E 

D 

R 

A 

C 

R 

A 

E 

R 

E 

I 

O 

ACKEE BEERS BLUE 

CARIBBEAN COCKTAILS COFFEE 

COLLECTION CORPORATE CURRY 

EVENING HOSPITALITY JAMAICA 

MEETINGS MOLASSES MOUNTAIN 

PRE-ORDER SALTFISH SANDWICHES 

SPIRITS VIDEO WIFI 

WINE WRAPS YARD 

L 

E 

I 

R 

E 

E 

L 

D 

R 

V 

I 

W 

R 

For a chance to win this fantastic prize, 

find the missing word in the grid and send 

us your answer. Don’t forget to include your 

name and address. 

A 

T 

V 

L 

A 

O 

B 

U 

E 

Q 

E 

D 

A 

S 

J 

L 

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Competition rules 

To enter the competition, email, post or telephone your answer to info@essentiallylocal.co.uk, Essentially Local, The Office, 5 The Stocks, 

Cosgrove, Milton Keynes MK19 7JD. 01908 380777. Remember to clearly state which competition you are entering and include your name, 

address and telephone number. 2. The competition runs from 1 March, 2017 and the closing date is 5pm, 7 April , 2017. No purchase 

required. 3. There will be one winner who will be notified by telephone by 28 April, 2017. The winner’s name will be published in the May- 

June 2017 edition of Essentially Local. 4. The prize for correctly identifying the missing word in the word search is a meal for two. There is 

no cash or alternative prize. The winner must take up the prize offered between 1 May, 2017 and 11 June, 2017, excluding the May bank 

holidays. 5. Entries are limited to ONE per household. Competitions cannot be entered by employees or family of The Blue Mountain Yard 

Café, Wolverton Mill or Essentially Local Ltd. All correct entries will be placed in a draw and the winner will be the first randomly selected 

name that is drawn. 6. The draw will take place on 11 April, 2017. Judge’s decision is final. 7. Entrants may be notified of special offers from 

The Blue Mountain Yard Café, Wolverton Mill; please state if you do not wish your details to be used. 


23

Children’s Page 

Word wheel 

Try to find as many words of 3 

letters or more, only using the 

letters in the grid. You can only 

use each letter once in the words 

you make and you must always 

use the letter in the middle. 

No proper names are allowed. 

Can you find the 9 letter word? 

Good: 8+, Excellent: 10 +, Outstanding: 12+ 

Charlotte’s Joke Corner 

How did the barber win the race? 

He knew a short cut 

Where do sheep get their wool cut? 

At the Baa Baas 

Why do bees have sticky hair? 

They use a honey comb! 

Send your jokes to info@essentiallylocal.co.uk 

E H G 

S E D 

G O H 

Wordsearch: The missing city is York. It was attacked by the Vikings on 1 

November 866. The city was called Jorvik. Vikings came from Scandinavia. 

Word Wheel 

3 letter words: Doe, Dog, Egg, Ego, God, Hoe. 4 letter words: Does, Dose, 

Edge, Eggs, Egos, Ghee, Goes, Heed, Hose, Seed, Shed, Shod. 5 letter words: 

Edges, Egged, Hedge. 6 letter words: Hogged, Hedges. 

8 letter word: Hedgehog • 9 letter words: Hedgehogs 

Mar-Apr wordsearch 

E L T S A C W E N 

D U N D E E C U J 

K B D R O F X O B 

B R I G H T O N U 

L I V E R P O O L 

E S F F I D R A C 

E T B E L F A S T 

D O M A H X E R W 

S L O N D O N B Q 

Find the cities in this wordsearch. There is one city that 

cannot be found, which one is it? 

Which group of people attacked this city? What did 

these people call the city? Where did they come from? 

BELFAST BRIGHTON BRISTOL 

CARDIFF DUNDEE LEEDS 

LIVERPOOL LONDON NEWCASTLE 

OXFORD YORK WREXHAM 

30 hours of free childcare from September – how will it work? 

The Government announced that free 

childcare for 3 to 4 year old children 

will increase from 15 hours to 30 hours 

per week from September this year. 

The eligibility rules are complex as the 

scheme aims to help working parents. 

A summary of some of the main points 

are listed below however a more in 

depth question and answer review has 

been posted on the Essentially Local 

website: 

• 30 hours are free for 38 weeks or 

1140 hours for the year 

• Parents must earn the equivalent of 

16 hours a week at the minimum 

wage 

• Each parent must earn less than 

£100,000 a year 

• Applications for funding can be 

made from the term following the 

child’s third birthday 

• Each funded session cannot be 

longer than 10 hours 

While parents must work exceptions 

may apply if one parent 

is on disability benefit, is 

a carer or on statuatory 

sick pay. Zero hours 

workers and the selfemployed 

have to earn 

an equivalent of 16 hours 

at the minimum wage, 

meaning some may work 

less hours but earn more. 

Some childcare 

settings will only offer 

stretched or all year 

round calculations. 

Funds can also be divided between 

more than one provider if they are 

registered. Parents will be responsible 

for any funding shortfalls that the 

grant doesn’t cover, such as food and 

other sundries. 

To find out more visit https:// 

childcare-support.tax.service.gov. 

uk and remember to read the fuller 

summary on www.essentiallylocal. 

co.uk/articles/Acorn-30hours 

Finally if you are not eligible for 

the 30 hours your 3-4 year olds will 

remain entitled to the 15 hour of free 

childcare. 

Thanks to Zoe Raven 

from Acorn Childcare for 

supplying this information. 

www.acornchildcare.co.uk 

24 


Leisure 

Professional childcare with a personal touch 

Looking for local childcare? 

* A non profit organisation - the money 

is invested where it matters 

* Highly qualified, warm and welcoming 

staff team 

* A focus on outdoor and natural play 

* Award-winning Menus 

* Forest School 

Acorn Day Nursery, Castlethorpe 

17 South Street 

Castlethorpe, MK19 7EL 

castlethorpe@acornchildcare.co.uk 

01908 510222 

www.acornchildcare.co.uk 

Leisure 

Traditional Tea Room 

@ Wakefield Country Courtyard 

Serving home-made cakes, delicious sandwiches 

& toasties, cream teas and afternoon teas. 

With a wide selection of quality teas, 

coffees and drinks to choose from. 

Opening hours: 

Tuesday to Saturday: 10am to 4pm 

Sunday: 11am to 4pm 

Bank Holiday Mondays: 11am to 4pm 

Telephone: 01327 810245 

Email: enquiries@artearoom.co.uk 



25

What’s On – March/April 2017 

HISTORY, ARTS & 

CRAFTS 

Craft Social Club 

All crafts welcome. Pop in for a 

cup of tea & chat. Old Stratford 

Memorial Hall. Mondays 2.00- 

4.30pm. 01908 380777 

Cosgrove Art Group 

Friendly art group meets 

welcomes new members. 

Meet at Cosgrove Village Hall. 

Tuesday 10.00am- 12.00noon. 

Call Joy 01908 677679 

Westbury Arts Centre 

admin@westburyartscentre.co.uk 

www.westburyartscentre.co.uk 

01908 501214, Foxcovert Road, 

Shenley Wood, Milton Keynes, 

MK5 6AA 

The North Bucks 

Woodturning Club 

Courtyard Arts Centre, 

Parklands, Great Linford, Milton 

Keynes Saturdays 10.00am- 

12.00pm 01908 311243‚ 

pip.watts@btconnect.com 

Stony Stratford Floral Group 

Spring is in the Air 

Demonstration by Jane Haas 

Tuesday 7 March. 

Annual Charity Quiz Tuesday 

31 March. 

A Night on the Town 

Demonstration by Shirley 

Henderson Tuesday 4 April 

Demonstration by local florist 

Tuesday 2 May 

Visitors £6.00 Doors open 

7.00pm for 7.30pm Sue 01908 

564453 or Judy 01908 569429 

Russell Street School Hall, 


Milton Keynes Aviation 

Society (MKAS) 

AGM and Photo Competition. 

14 March 

Britain’s First Space Rocket. 

11 April 

Lecture to be confirmed. 9 May 

8pm doors open 7.30pm, 2nd 

Tuesday of the month Kents Hill 

Community Centre MK6 6HQ 

Visitors £3 www.mkas.co.uk 

mkasinfo@gmail.com 

Milton Keynes National 

Trust Association 

Old Wolverton to Loughton, an 

illustrated talk by member June 

Watson 8 March 

The Swedish Nightingale talk 

on the popular 19 century 

singer Jenny Lind 12 April 

AGM followed by Medieval 

Dunstable: monasteries, 

manors, markets and melees 

10 May New members and 

guests welcome. Membership 

Secretary 01908 314151 7.45 

pm usually 2nd Wednesday of 

month. Cruck Barn, Bradwell 

Abbey 

Wolverton Archaeological & 

Historical Society 

Past, Present and Future of 

Stowe House by Anna McEvoy 

Wednesday, 15 March 

Entertainment in Northampton 

by Ruth Thomas Wednesday, 


No more lectures until 

September St Mary & St Giles 

School, King George Crescent, 

Stony Stratford MK11 1EF 

Enquiries Iris Day 01908 568330 

or irisdy86@yahoo.co.uk 

Yardley Gobion History Group 

Meets village hall 8pm, 1st 

Thursday of the month 

01908 542322 

babskingyg@talktalk.net 

The National Museum of 

Computing 

Museum open 12noon-5.00pm 

Thursday, Saturday and Sunday 

afternoons. Guided Tours at 

2pm on Tuesdays and 10.30am 

on Thursdays. Booking 

recommended. The Colossus 

Galleries open 10.30am – 5pm 

daily. www.tnmoc.org/bytes 

Bletchley Park, The Mansion, 

Bletchley, Milton Keynes 

MK3 6DZ. 01908 374708 

Vitreus Art Courses 

Full range of art and craft 

courses available. Vitreus 

Art, No. 4 Wakefield Country 

Courtyard, Potterspury NN12 

7QX 01327 810320 

See www.vitreus-art.co.uk for all 

courses. 

Buckingham Canal Society 

Restoration of disused canal – 

practical task conservation work 

parties, alternate Thursdays 

and 2nd Sunday of each month. 

No experience necessary, all 

welcome. Meet 10.00am Lock 

Lane, Cosgrove, MK19 7JR. 

01908 661217 to confirm or 

Athinabec@aol.com 

www. buckinghamcanal.org.uk 

CHILDREN 

Cosgrove Playdate! 

Drop in and out for under 5s, 

meet friends, share a favourite 

toy, drink and biscuit or bring 

your own snack. 

10.30am-12.00 noon, 3rd 

Thursday of the month. St Peter 

and St Paul Church, Cosgrove. 

Act Out & Act Up 

Term-time drama group for all 

levels and abilities of 7-14 year 

olds, covering theatrical skills 

– acting, story telling and the 

spoken word etc. 

Act Out for 6-10yrs starting at 

4.30-5.30pm, and Act Up for 

11-16yrs 5.40-6.40pm. Both on 

Thursdays. York House Centre, 

London Road, Stony Stratford. 

info@redphoenixstory.co.uk 

York House Junior Youth Club 

Ages 8 -12 6.00pm-7.30pm 

Mondays during termtime. 

yorkhouseyouthclubs@hotmail. 

com Maria 07988 078056 

www.york-house.org.uk 

York House Senior Youth Club 

Ages 12 – 16 years 6.00pm- 

7.45pm Wednesdays during 

termtime Tash 07949 402862 

tash.youth@ymail.com 

Stony Stratford & Wolverton 

Library Stories, songs and 

rhymes for under 5s and carers, 

free 11.00- 11.30pm, Thursdays 

Stony Stratford. 2.00-2.30pm, 

Fridays Wolverton. 

Term time only 

www.miltonkeynes.gov.uk/libraries 

Deanshanger Library 

Rhymetime 2.15pm every 

Thursday Under 1s Play and 

Learn 10.30am every 

Wednesday Deanshanger 

Library, Deanshanger MK19 

6HT 

Brownies and Guides 

South Northants Brownies (7- 

10yrs) Guides (10-14yrs) Every 

Mon, Tues & Wed. South 

Northants Rainbows (5- 7yrs) 

Every Wed. Call Emma 

01908 571244 

Wolverton Rainbows, Brownies 

and Guides & Stony Stratford 

Guides. Every Monday. Stony 

Stratford Brownies and 

Guides Every Wednesday 

Stony Stratford Rainbows 

Every Thursday Stacey Pond: 

staceywpond@gmail.com 

Towcester Brownies Brownies 

– Tuesday, Wednesday and 

Thursday. Guides – Monday 

and Thursday. Hattie – Guider 

in Charge 3rd Towcester 

Brownies, 07776 257398 

3rdtowcesterbrownies@gmail.com 

Stony Stratford Beaver Scouts 

1st Stony Stratford Beaver 

Scouts (boys & girls 6-8yrs), 

Mondays 1st Stony Stratford 

Cub Scouts (boys & girls 

8-10.5yrs), Thursdays 1st Stony 

Stratford Scouts (boys & girls 

10.5-14yrs), Tuesdays 

www.facebook. 

com/1stStonyStratford 

Email: alby@backstage.co.uk 

MUSIC 

Jazz – New Orleans Jazz Club 

With Good Time Jazz Trevor 

Jeavons. £3 entry on the door. 

01908 569432 

www. goodtimejazz.co.uk, 

08.00pm-10.30pm, 1st 

Wednesday of the month 

The Cock Hotel, Stony Stratford 

Jazz Jam 

Terry Marshall (tenor sax) and 

The Hounds with other local 

musicians. The Fox & Hounds, 

Stony Stratford Free entry. 

8.30pm Every Thursday. 

Junction 14 Ladies A Cappella 

You don’t need to read music 

to have fun singing and 

entertaining. Singing for 

pleasure and to raise funds for 

club and charities. Rehearsals 

7.30pm Thursdays Drama 

Studio at Shenley Brook End 

Secondary School, Milton 

Keynes. To join: 

01908 678558. To hire: 

01908 667029 

bookings@junction14.org 

www.junction14.org 

MK Acapella Men 

Barbershop Chorus Rehearsals 

every Monday Stantonbury 

School, Bradville, Milton 

Keynes. To join: 

membership@mkacapella.com 

To hire: 

bookings@mkacapella.com 

www.mkacapella.com 

Milton Keynes Acoustic 

Music Centre Tuition in roots 

guitar, fiddle and penny whistle. 

Beginners to advanced, exciting 

projects – join a band. 1st & 3rd 

Thursday Community Centre, 

Britten Grove, Old Farm Park, 

Milton Keynes. 

johntimpany@aol.co.uk 

www.mkamc.co.uk 

Music Makers of 

Milton Keynes 

Choral music and singing. 

Rehearsals in Stony Stratford. 

7.30pm- 9.30pm Thursdays 

Call Teresa 07928156006 

26 


March/April 2017 – What’s On 

The Song Loft 

Saffron Summerfield, 8.15pm, 

Friday, 7 April £7.00 

Bob Fox 8.15pm, Friday, 10 

March The Concrete Cowboys 

5 May, £7.00 

Perfomers Nights with Narius 24 

March, with Storywheel 21 April 

The Cock Hotel, Stony Stratford 

MK11 1AH 

Scribal Gathering 

Stony Stratford’s premier music 

& spoken word open mic event, 

hosted by Jonathan JT Taylor. 

Welcome to musicians, poets 

and performers of any style, 

genre or level of experience. 

Headline performances from 

acclaimed acts. Upstairs at The 

Crown, Market Square, Stony 

Straford. 7.30pm for 8.00pm- 

11.00pm, 2nd Tuesday of 

every month. Free entry with 

dedicated bar! www.facebook. 

com/ScribalGathering 

The Towcester Choral Society 

Rehearsals in Towcester Town 

Hall, 7.30pm-9.30pm Tuesday. 

01327 353314 or 

membership@ 

towcesterchoralsociety.org.uk 

www.towcesterchoralsociety.org.uk 

See Facebook and Twitter 

DANCE 

Old Mother Redcaps 

Friendly Ladies Morris dancing 

side, looking for new dancers 

& musicians. Meet in Swinfen 

Harris Hall, Stony Stratford, 

8.00-10.00pm Mon evenings 

Catherine 01908 667112 

Potterspury Dance Club 

Friendly group of ballroom and 

sequence dancers. £2.50. New 

members welcome. John & 

Di 01604 862632 8pm-10pm 

Tuesday, Potterspury Village 

Hall. 

Rose & Castle Morris 

New members welcome to 

this morris side. Stoke Bruerne 

Village Hall 8.30pm-10.30pm 

Every Wednesday. 

Dance out with other Morris 

sides, The Boat, Stoke Bruerne 

followed by music and singing 

in the pub. 7.00pm 23 April Ian 

01908 635133 or 

welborn@cmdevelopment.co.uk 

www.rose-castlemorris.org.uk 

Triple K Western Line Dancers 

Improvers class 7.30pm-9.00pm 

Thurs, Haversham Social & 

Community Centre. Beginners 

class 10.45am-11.45am, 

Deanshanger Memorial Centre. 

Kay or Andrew on 

01525 376172 

Royal Scottish Country Dance 

Society Milton Keynes Branch 

(RSCDSMK) 

Classes 8.00pm-10.00pm 

Mondays, Bradwell Village 

Memorial Hall MK12 9AG 

Newcomers and experienced 

dancers welcome, no need to 

bring a partner. For info 07877 

153259 

MARKETS 

Monthly Farmers Markets 

Market Square, Stony Stratford 

Last Friday 9.00am- 1.00pm 

Towcester Nr Waitrose 2nd 

Friday 9.00am-1.00pm 

Wolverton Road/Creed Street, 

Wolverton 1st and 3rd Saturday 

9am-1.00pm 

Milton Keynes Country Market 

Fridays 8.00am- 12 noon. Local 

produce, baking, crafts, plants, 

cafe. The Old Bath House, 

Stratford Rd, Wolverton. Free 

entry. 

Timor Court Market, Stony 

Stratford. Saturdays Fruit, veg, 

owers and other stalls. 

LEISURE 

Coffee mornings 

First Thursday each month 

from 10.30am. Contact 

wendypage1@gmail.com 

St Peter and St Paul’s Church, 

Cosgrove 

Reading Group 

Meet 2.00pm second Friday of 

month, Deanshanger Library 

01908 562889 paula.culley@ 

rstforwellbeing.co.uk 

Yardley Gobion Coffee shop 

Coffee, cakes and chat that 

welcomes everybody, toys 

available for children 10.30am- 

12noon 3rd Saturday of month 

The Knit and Natter 

Learn to knit and natter 

3.30- 4.00pm First and third 

Friday of month, Learn to knit 

and sewing. Aimed at children. 

Thursdays (term time only) 

3.30pm- 4.00pm Deanshanger 

Library, Little London, 

Deanshanger MK19 6HT 

01908 562889 

paula.culley@ rstforwellbeing.co.uk 

Stony Stratford Library 

Knit and Natter 1st and 3rd 

Fridays of month Learn to Knit 

Thursdays 3.30- 4.00pm (term 

time only) Book Club 2.00- 

3.00pm, 4th Wednesday of the 

month 

www.miltonkeynes.gov. uk/libraries 

Deanshanger Sports Club 

Social Evenings In partnership 

with Deanshanger Colts 

and Divas. Little London, 

Deanshanger MK19 6HU 01908 

567137 Facebook Deanshanger 

sportsandsocialclub 

Stony Stratford Tuesday Night 

Charity Curry Club Quiz 

Fun general knowledge quiz 

and meal – teams of 4 – £15 

per head £24k raised for 

Willen Hospice and Rett UK 

since 2008. Naidni Restaurant, 

Wolverton Road, Stony 

Stratford. 8-10pm, 1st Tuesday 

of every month www.facebook. 

com/groups/StonyStratford 

TuesdayNightCharity 

CurryClubQuiz 

Wolverton Community 

Orchard Gardening Day 

10.00am– 3.00pm Tuesdays 

weather permitting all welcome. 

Yvonne 01908 320405 or 

Mandy on 01908 319719 

Towcester Bridge Club 

Meet 7.20pm for a 7.30 start, 

every Tuesday for friendly 

duplicate bridge at Towcester 

Conservative Club. Price Table 

Money £2.50 for members 

£3.50 for visitors. Membership 

£10 annually. More information 

Lynda Riecken, 

lynda@riecken.co.uk. 

New players welcome. 

www.bridgewebs.com/towcester 

Towcester & District Art 

Society 

Meet every Thursday 

throughout the year in 

Paulerspury Village Hall. 

www. towcesterart.com 

SENIORS 

Senior Citizens Afternoon Tea, 

coffee, home-made cakes. All 

welcome. Last Friday of month, 

2.00pm-4.00pm, Memorial 

Hall, Deanshanger Road, Old 

Stratford (by village shop). 

Havencourt Sheltered Home 

Bingo 7.00pm Mon & 2.00pm 

Weds Coffee Morning 

Fri 10.30am jean.miller@ 

southnorthantshomes.co.uk 

Ridgmont, Deanshanger 

WOMEN’S 

INSTITUTE 

Bradwell WI 

Friendly afternoon meeting 

with interesting speakers, tea 

and cake, warm welcome. Olive 

Stewart 01908 310267. 2.30pm, 

3rd Tuesday of month Sports & 

Social Club, Abbey Road, 

Bradwell Village. 

Castlethorpe WI 

Meet 7.30pm, 2nd Thurs of 

month Castlethorpe Village 

Hall. castlethorpewi@gmail.com 

Cosgrove WI 

Meet 7.30pm, 1st Tues of the 

Month, Cosgrove Village Hall 

Deanshanger WI 

Visitors and new members 

welcome. Visitors £3.50 

7.30pm, 2nd Thursday of 

month, Deanshanger Memorial 

Community Centre, Deanshanger 

Hanslope WI 

Meet 7.30pm, 1st Tuesday of 

month, Hanslope Village Hall. 

Visitors welcome. R. Simpson 

01908 510516 

tubs@full-moon. eclipse.co.uk 

Potterspury WI 

Visitor fee – £3.00 7.30pm, 1st 

Wed of month, Village Hall 

Stony Stratford WI 

The History of Woburn Abbey 

by Kirsten Ash 2.15pm Tuesday, 

7 March Sweet Memories by 

Kevin Varty 2.15pm Tuesday, 

4 April Resolution meetings 

2.15pm Tuesday, 2 May 

York House, London Road, 


Craft and Chat, Methodist Hall, 

Silver Street, Stony Stratford 

2.15pm Tuesdays, 21 March, 18 

April, 16 May 

gill.williams@fsml.co.uk 

Stony Nightingales WI 

Talk by Paula Rastrick from Brain 

Tumour Research 8pm, 

Thursday, 9 March. Talk about 

the design and maintenance 

of the Gold Award Winning 

gardens at the OU by Alan 

Marham, Open University 8pm, 

Thursday, 13 April. Member 

only for May meeting. 

Visitors welcome. Swinfen 

Harris Hall, London Road, Stony 

Stratford MK11 1AJ. Julie 

Clothier – President: 

07738 054915 Facebook: 

Stony Nightingales WI 

www.snwi.co.uk 

… continued 


27

What’s On – March/April 2017 

Towcester Evening WI 

An active group of women, 

meet 7.00pm for 7.30-9.30pm, 

1st Thursday of month, 

everyone welcome! Donation 

for tea/coffee. Riverside Centre, 

Islington Road, Towcester 

NN12 7AU 

towcesterwi.blogspot.co.uk/ 

Yardley Gobion WI 

7.30pm 2nd Thursday of the 

month. Yardley Gobion Village 

Hall. Visitor fee £3 

Wolverton WI 

7.45pm 2nd Wednesday of the 

month. Orchard House, Green 

Lane, Wolverton MK12 5EZ. 

EVENTS 

HULA Animal Rescue’s Early 

Mother’s Day Celebrations 

Pamper Treatments for Humans 

& Pets, Fun & Games for the 

Children, HULA Dog Parade 

@ 2:30pm, refreshments from 

The Trough Café, on-site shop 

& pet bed shed bargains. 

Meet the farm animals. Dogs 

welcome & please invite your 

friends. Admission only £2 

adults & children 50p FREE 

Parking. All Proceeds For 

The Care & Welfare Of Hula’s 

Animals. Glebe Farm, Salford 

Road, Aspley Guise MK17 8HZ. 

01908 584000 

www.hularescue.org 

hularescueoffice@gmail.com 

1.00pm-3.30pm, 

Sunday 12 March 

Potterspury Players 

The amateur actors will be 

presenting Out of Focus for your 

entertainment on Thursday 23, 

Friday 24 & Saturday 25 March. 

Tickets £7 (£5 for concessions) 

available from The Cottage 

Stores, Potterspury, or 01908 

542255 or 01908 542156. 

Milton Keynes Biergarten 

Spring Beer Festival 

See page 22 Saturday 25 March 

Stony Stratford Floral Club 

Annual charity quiz See page 44 

7.30pm, 31 March 

Milton Keynes Theatre 

Frankly Sinatra www.atgtickets. 

com/miltonkeynes See page 7 

7.30pm, 3 April 

Milton Keynes Museum 

Easter Activities. 

See page 16 for details. 

Milton Keynes Museum, 

McConnell Drive, Wolverton, 

Milton Keynes MK12 5EL www. 

miltonkeynesmuseum. org.uk/ 

spring-half-term-2017/ 01908 

316222. 11.00am-4.30pm, 

14–17 April 

Nature Day at the Urb Farm 

Pond dipping, bird watching, 

bird feeder and bug house 

making and a nature trail. 

Learn about and experience 

the fascinating wonders of 

the natural world – all for free! 

Refreshments, homemade 

cakes and variety of Urb Farm 

plants, produce and preserves 

on sale. Further details 

Growing People on Facebook. 

10am-1pm Saturday 22 April. 

Urb Farm, between 196-198, 

Windsor Street, Wolverton, 

Milton Keynes, MK12 5DR. 

Details page 44 10.00am- 

1.00pm, Saturday 22 April 

Bradwell Silver Band Concert 

Award winning Bradwell Silver 

Band concert. Tickets £8.00 

includes light supper and wine. 

Booking essential as tickets are 

limited. Call Margaret 

01908 542794 St Leonard’s 

Church, Yardley Gobion 

7.30pm, 29 April 

Stony in Bloom Plant Sale and 

York House Coffee Morning 

Plant sale, horticultural 

tombola, seed swap event, 

family planting workshop 

at 10.30am from the newly 

extended ‘Edible Bed’ scheme, 

Shakespearean drama excerpts 

performed throughout the 

morning by Stony Stratford 

Theatre Company. 9.30am- 

12.30pm. Saturday, 29 April 

Stony Stratford Bowls Club 

Open Day Details on page 12, 


Yardley Gobion Art Exhibition 

Yardley Gobion and District 

Art Society present ‘Over the 

Rainbow’ exhibition of paintings 

with a selection of flowers. 

Food and refreshment all day, 

St Leonard’s Church, Yardley 

Gobion, 10.00am-5.00pm, 6 May 

Yardley Gobion Garage Sale 

Village sale of goods with 

bacon rolls served at St 

Leonard’s Church, Yarley 

Gobion from 10.00am, 13 May 

Castlethorpe Open Gardens 

8-9 July Details on page 6 

SPORTS: WHAT’S ON 

Aerobic Fitness 

Over 55s exercise class £5 for non-members. Junior Gym 

11-15yr olds £5 PAYG. www.happybodies.co.uk, Furtho Court, 

Old Stratford, MK19 6AN. 01908 477066 

Badminton 

Feathers Badminton Club 2.00-4.00pm Wed £3. Mill Mead Hall, 

Wolverton. 01908 373966 or mr.baldwin@btinternet.com 

Bowling 

Castlethorpe Short Mat Bowls Club. New members welcome – 

experienced or beginners. Castlethorpe Village Hall, Tues 2.15- 

4.15pm, Wed 7.30-9.30pm & Fri evenings Dave 07731 670457 

Paulerspury Bowling Club. New members welcome 7.30pm Tues 

Paulerspury Village Hall. Contact Ann on 01327 811352 

Stony Stratford Bowls Club. Club Secretary 01908 565659 

www.stonystratfordbowlsclub.co Ancell Trust Sports Ground, 

Ostlers Lane, Stony Stratford, MK11 1AR 

Wolverton Town Bowls Club. Junction with Cambridge Street 

and Furze Way, Wolverton. Joe 01908 562952 

Croquet 

Stony Stratford Croquet Club Ostlers Lane, Stony Stratford 

MK11 1AR. Roy 01908 566345 

Cycling 

Twenty3c Shop Bike Ride. Meet at shop, 01908 260322 

Football 

Deanshanger Colts & Divas. www.deanshangercolts.co.uk 

Martial Arts 

Karate – beginners & seniors, Wednesday. Adults, Thursday. 

Deanshanger Community Hall, Little London Rd, Deanshanger. 

Friday Beginners, Seniors Cosgrove Village Hall Bridge Road, 

Cosgrove. Huw 07739 707455 www.karategoju.co.uk 

Karate & Kickboxing. See page 13. Sensei Lauren 07910 154499 

or lauren.ecka@hotmail.co.uk 

Jado Kuin Do Family Martial Arts - St Mary and St Giles School, 

Stony Stratford, Tuesdays. Bushfield School, Wolverton, 

Thursdays. Emma Bacon 07790 296737 

emma.bacon@jadokuindo.com. Free 2 week trial. 

Stantonbury Judo Club. Ages 5 – 50+. The Old Bath House 

Wolverton. 01908 220748 www.stantonburyjudoclub.co.uk 

6.00pm-8.00pm Fridays 

Squash 

Turn up and play. 5.00pm-7.00pm Sat £3 members, £5 nonmembers. 

Kiln Farm 077294 14000 david.boyd@mksquash. co.uk 

Walking 

Stony Stratford Local Walking Group, walks of 45-60 minutes at 

your own pace followed by tea, coffee and a chat. Meet Mill Lane/ 

Willow Lane, 10.00am every Friday. Mary Kendall 01908 260570 

Winslow District Ramblers Max 4-5 mile walks. winslowramblers@ 

gmail.com or see www.bucksvoice.net/winslowdistrict-ramblers-group 

Sailing 

Haversham Sailing Club, all ages welcome. Experienced helms 

will explain. Winter season from 2pm Sunday or Wednesday 

afternoons. For a free trial: mail@havershamsc.org 

www.havershamsc.org 24 High Street, Haversham MK19 7DX 

Table Tennis 

Towcester and District Table Tennis, new players and all abilities 

welcome. Rod Barr 01604 847948 or 07885 108559 

tt.rodbarr@gmail.com www.tabletennis365.com/Towcester 

Tennis 

Wolverton Tennis Club Coaching. Pete Tolaini, 0774 0004548. 

wolvertontennis@ hotmail.com, Facebook, clubspark.lta.org.uk/ 

Rebalance – Eating Disorder Self Support Group 

10am-12noon, 2nd and 4th Saturday of month Swinfen Harris 

Hall, London Road, Stony Stratford. 

www.balancedmk.co.uk info@balancedmk.co.uk 

28 


Business Services 

WE BELIEVE LIFE IS FOR LIVING YOUR DREAMS 

Wealth and Tax Management are chartered financial planning specialists, offering a wide 

range of practical wealth-building and protection solutions. We also offer investment and 

tax planning strategies for both business owners and private clients. 

Our extensive range of specialist services include: 

• Financial planning & individual financial advice. 

• Comprehensive financial planning service. 

• Pensions and investment planning. 

• Ensuring that your money is working for you. 

• Estate planning and protection. 

• Help you protect your wealth efficiently. 

• Will writing for you and your family. 

When you require the assistance of a financial adviser in 

Milton Keynes or further afield, make us your first port of call. 

17 Shirwell Crescent, Furzton Lake, Milton Keynes MK4 1GA 

Tel: 01908 523740 | Email: wealth@wealthandtax.co.uk | www.wealthandtax.co.uk 

Wealth and Tax Management Limited are regulated and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. 

Delivery people 

required for 

Essentially Local. 

Good rates of pay. 

Call Emma on 01908 380777 


29

Business 

Wealth & Tax Management donate £50,000 

to Milton Keynes Community Foundation 

Milton Keynes based financial 

planning company Wealth & Tax 

Management is donating £50,000 

to the Milton Keynes Community 

Foundation to help make a difference 

locally to financial education. 

The donation will be staged in 

5 payments of £10,000 per year, 

with 50% going to good causes and 

50% placed into an endowment 

where it will be invested indefinitely. 

Charities and self-help groups will 

benefit from the income from the 

endowment. These funds will be 

spent on financial education for 

people of all ages in Milton Keynes, 

with the aim of making them 

financially self-sufficient. The monies 

will be managed as The Tony Byrne 

Financial Education Fund. 

Tony Byrne, MD of Wealth & Tax 

Management, explained, “I liked 

the idea of supporting smaller local 

charities and self-help groups. Giving 

back to our local community appealed 

to me and I thought there would be 

less waste in smaller organisations. 

Being able to meet the people from 

these local groups is invaluable, 

because we can see our donations 

really do make a difference.” 

Tony would like to see as many 

people as possible financially literate 

and self-sufficient. 

Milton Keynes Community 

Foundation provides grants to other 

not-for-profit organisations, charities, 

voluntary groups and community 

initiatives in Milton Keynes. 

• 01908 523740 

• wealth@wealthandtax.co.uk 

• www.wealthandtax.co.uk 

GreenThumb achieves Which? Trusted trader status 

GreenThumb Milton Keynes 

franchise owners, Clare and Ray, have 

demonstrated their commitment to 

giving customers peace of mind. 

Following their application for Which? 

Trusted trader status, they were 

endorsed on 1 February this year. The 

assessment follows a rigorous process 

that involved the Head Office as well 

as their own business. 

Over the last 14 years, Clare and 

Ray have built up a well-respected 

business that currently treats over 

3,000 lawns in the Milton Keynes 

area. With their dedicated team, they 

provide a variety of seasonal lawn 

treatments and programmes as well as 

giving expert advice. Clare says, “We 

are driven by customer satisfaction 

and recommendation, therefore it is 

critical that our customers’ lawns look 

as good as they possibly can. We also 

want customers to feel happy and 

relaxed about our service, to trust us 

and seek our advice about all aspects 

of lawn care.” 

Every GreenThumb customer 

receives a free, no obligation survey 

that assesses their lawn and finds 

the most suitable programme. It is 

never long before your lawn could be 

converted to lush, weed-free green 

lawns. 

GreenThumb is the UK’s largest 

lawn care specialist; to find out more 

or to book your lawn survey, please 

visit www.greenthumb.co.uk or call 

the Milton Keynes branch on 

01908 850548. 

Essentially Local would like to wish 

GreenThumb congratulations on this 

great achievement. 

30 Please mention Essentially Local when responding to adverts

Business Services 

The Co-Operative Legal Services estimate that 38,000 

families end up in prolonged probate disputes, with up 

to 10% of the value of an estate lost in fees. If you aren’t 

married to your partner, have children from previous 

relationships, wish to split properties, own a business, have 

overseas properties or investments or are unsure about 

inheritance tax, get professional advice. And remember, if 

a professionally written will is later found to be defective in 

any way, your family will have someone to sue. 

For more information talk to Ashley Mirfin 

from Simply Wills 01908 866541 


The Co-Operative Legal Services estimate that 38,000 

families end up in prolonged probate disputes, with up 

to 10% of the value of an estate lost in fees. If you aren’t 

married to your partner, have children from previous 

relationships, wish to split properties, own a business, have 

overseas properties or investments or are unsure about 

inheritance tax, get professional advice. And remember, if 

a professionally written will is later found to be defective in 

any way, your family will have someone to sue. 

For more information talk to Ashley Mirfin 

from Simply Wills 01908 866541 


31

Community 

A cruel trade 

Milton Keynes Trading Standards are 

warning prospective dog purchasers 

to beware of buying from illegal 

puppy dealers. 

Puppies that are often too young to 

leave their mothers are being illegally 

imported from farms across Europe. 

Their long journeys to the UK leave 

many seriously ill or dead within days 

of being sold. Traders often breed 

dogs without a licence, mis-describe 

them and advertise them as Kennel 

Club registered when they are not. 

Before buying a puppy, Milton 

Keynes Trading Standards recommend 

that you ask your vet for information 

about reputable breeders or rehoming 

centres. The local Council can also 

confirm if a dog breeder holds a 

current breeder’s licence. 

Always visit the premises where you 

are buying from and look for clues 

that will tell you how the animals are 

treated: 

• Look for food bowls and bedding 

and check if the puppy knows its 

surroundings – it might not have 

been born and brought up there. 

• Ask to see the puppies with their 

mum and check that she is healthy 

and happy with her pups. 

• Look at the certificates of 

vaccinations and microchipping 

records. 

• Check for any signs of illness. 

• Avoid anywhere that advertises the 

sale of a variety of breeds. 

• Spend plenty of time with the 

puppy – do not allow yourself to be 

rushed. 

Imported puppies 

Imported puppies should be at 

least 15 weeks old, as vaccines 

are only effective from this age. 

Younger imported puppies must go 

into quarantine to ensure diseases 

like rabies are not brought into the 

country; however as new owner you 

could be liable by law to pay a release 

fee of up to £1,000. Imported puppies 

should have a pet passport showing a 

rabies vaccination was given at least 

21 days before being imported. This 

ensures it will be effective. 

Time to report if you: 

• See suspicious activity like different 

puppies frequently being brought 

in and out of a particular house or 

location; 

• Hear sounds of dogs barking 

or whining from houses visited 

regularly by different people; 

• Notice lots of puppies are being 

sold. 

Report it to Trading Standards by 

calling Consumer Direct on 03454 

040506. If you bought a puppy that 

you are concerned about, contact 

your vet in the first instance. 

Claire Kendall 

32 




33

Building Home Services 

To 32 advertise Please mention please Essentially call 01908 380777 Local when responding to adverts Please mention Essentially Local when responding to adverts 39 

34 32 




35

Community 


36 


3. Use of drive. Consider a more durable surface that is 

easy Community to clean if it takes a lot of use. 

4. Neighbours. Don’t lose value on your house and upset 

your neighbours with a completely ‘different’ look. 

4. Materials. There is a huge choice of surfaces. Concrete 

is cost effective and long lasting, while imprinted blocks 

give an authentic looking stone, slate or tile finish without 

the maintenance. Pushchair/ wheelchair users and those 

who don’t like weeding should avoid gravel! Consider 

a cellular structured surface for flood prone areas, so 

water escapes and cars can park without sinking. Natural 

products like bark could attract unwanted attention from 

your pets! Greener recycled aggregates like brick or glass 

can give some amazing effects. 

5. Conservation. Check planning restrictions – planners 

may make you replace unsuitable materials at your cost. 

Consumer holiday headache? 

Shopping for gifts and souvenirs is The European Consumer Centre 

an important part of our holidays and is part of an EU-wide network of 30 

most of the time we’re happy with our European Consumer Centres (ECCpurchases. 

What happens, though, if Net) who offer: 

you get home and find that the Gucci • Advice and information for UK 

sunglasses you bought in Italy are consumers who are having 

counterfeit, the phone you bought problems with a company based in 

in France does not work, or the hotel another European country; 

you Thank stayed you in to have Alan accidently Hickford of overcharged 

Hickford Construction 

• Intervention in disputes where the 

for supplying and you this are information. having trouble To discuss your consumer driveway and trader are unable to 

sorting with him out call the 01908 issue. 567 716 or 07717 508 reach 934a positive outcome. 

6. Deposits should be 10% of the total price; 

insist on a receipt. 


The UK European Consumer Centre 

is co-funded by the UK Government’s 

Department for Business, Innovation 

and Skills (BIS) and the European 

Commission. 

There is a European Consumer 

Centre in every EU country, as well as 

in Norway and Iceland, so you can get 

help and advice at home for problems 

that occurred abroad. 

So if you have shopped abroad 

and you need some help, contact the 

European Consumer Centre 

E-mail: ecc@tsi.org.uk 

Telephone +44(0)1268 886 690 

(lines open 9am – 4pm) 

Website: http://www.ukecc.net/ 

contact-us/index.cfm 

40 

Please mention Essentially Local when responding to adverts 

To 36 advertise please call 01908 380777 

Please mention Essentially Local when responding to adverts 37

Home Services 

Home Services 

Home Services 


33 

38 

33 


Home Services 


39

History 

Milton Keynes from birth to 50 

– the first 5 years 

Living Archive MK has been 

preserving and cherishing the heritage 

of Milton Keynes since 1984. As 

part of their celebration of Milton 

Keynes fiftieth birthday they created a 

timeline exhibition for Discover Milton 

Keynes at Milton Keynes Central 

Library. Throughout 2017 they will 

be sharing some of the timeline with 

you, our Essentially Local readers. If 

you would like to discover more about 

Living Archive Milton Keynes, or you 

have a little time to volunteer or have 

something you would like to share, go 

to www.livingarchive.org.uk or call the 

office on 01908 322 568. 

To see the pictures for the next 5 

years visit www.essentiallylocal.co.uk/ 

articles/milton-keynes-from-birth 

The fields where Central Milton Keynes will be built 

1967 

Milton Keynes 

Development Corporation 

is created for new city 

1968 

Aerial view of Bletchley 

in June 1968 

Sir Johnny Dankworth and Dame Cleo 

Laine courtesy of Living Archive MK 

1969 

Open University opens, Johnny 

Dankworth and Cleo Laine set 

up The Stables music charity 

and present its first concert, 

publication of the The Milton 

Keynes Master Plan 

1970 

The Board and Chief Officers with 

advisers and planning consultants, 

1970 courtesy of Living Archive MK 

1971 

Work begins on Galley Hill and 

Fullers Slade housing estates. 

Population of Bletchley 30,608 

40 


Home Services 

Home Services 

41 

Call Emma on 01908 380777 


35 41

Community 

Fight back against rising energy bills 

Help to save the planet! 

Every time there’s a hike in prices by 

energy providers, do you wish there 

was something you could do? One 

way to tackle rising bills is to increase 

efficient use, so you reduce the 

amount you consume – but how? 

It can be difficult to make sense of 

all the information out there and know 

who to trust, so we end up doing 

nothing. Now there’s a solution – a 

local charity, The National Energy 

Foundation, are offering innovative 

My Home Energy Planner surveys. 

Their dedicated team is working 

with Carbon Co-op to offer 

the surveys,which are open to 

householders in Milton Keynes and 

the surrounding areas. 

They are carried out by professional 

energy specialists and provide 

accurate, comprehensive and usable 

information on energy performance 

of your home, both at present and 

how it could be with a few changes. 

My Home Energy Planner provides 

a tailored action plan for the 

installation of various energy efficiency 

improvements, together with a 

selection of costed options that can 

be adapted to your personal needs 

and priorities. So take action now to 

reduce your energy consumption and 

everyone wins – including the planet! 

To find out more, register your interest 

– which will allow you to enter a prize 

draw to win a wireless energy monitor – 

please call 01908 354547 or visit 

www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MHEP4 

The National Energy Foundation 

is an independent, national charity 

which has been at the forefront 

of improving the use of energy in 

buildings for more than 25 years. They 

aim to give individuals, organisations, 

communities and government the 

knowledge, support and inspiration 

they need to understand and improve 

the use of energy in buildings. 

The National Energy Centre, Davy Avenue, Knowlhill, 

Milton Keynes MK5 8NG • T: 01908 665555 • F: 01908 665577 

E: info@nef.org.uk • www.nef.org.uk Registered Charity No. 298951. 

Registered in England with liability limited by guarantee No 2218531 

42 


Domestic Services 

37 

Call Emma on 01908 380777 


43

Gardening 

Stony Stratford Floral Club 

Stony Stratford Floral Club was 

formed almost 60 years ago, in 

May 1958. The club is affiliated to 

the National Association of Flower 

Arranging Societies (NAFAS), which 

means that visiting demonstrators 

must have attained a high Standard 

and you will be inspired by the best. 

Meetings usually include a 

demonstration by a professionally 

qualified flower arranger and outings 

to gardens, horticultural shows and 

national flower shows are organised. 

They also hold a popular annual dinner. 

Last year members took part in the 

NAFAS Lonely Bouquet day in May 

where they left small arrangements 

in public places with a note asking 

people to take them home and enjoy 

the beautiful flowers. They also helped 

with the flower festival at St Mary 

and St Giles Church to celebrate the 

Queen’s 90th birthday. 

Members have enjoyed several 

successes - Martin Capel took 1st 

prize at Blenheim Flower Show in 

June with his beautiful arrangement 

‘Through the Looking Glass’. Carol 

Fuller was commended for her 

arrangement ‘Here comes the Sun’. 

This friendly and informal club 

boasts a membership of around 60, so 

if you like flowers pop along to watch 

flower arrangements being created for 

your pleasure. 

You could even be lucky and win 

one of the arrangements that go in 

the raffle. 

Annual membership costs £35, with 

visitors welcome to any meeting for 

£6. Meetings take place on the first 

Tuesday of the month at Russell Street 

School Hall. On 31 March they will be 

holding their annual charity quiz. 

Full details Sue on 01908 564453 

or Judy on 01908 569429. 

The Floral Club’s 2017 programme 

can be found at www.bbando.org.uk 

and www.essentiallylocal/events/ 

Nature Day at The Urb Farm, 

Wolverton – time to get out 

and about 

10.00am-1.00pm, 

Saturday, 22 April 

This free event for families from all 

over Milton Keynes offers some 

exciting natural activities. From pond 

dipping, bird watching, bird feeding 

and bug-house making to a nature 

trail, you will be sure to have fun on 

Nature Day. 

Not only that, this is your chance 

to learn about and experience the 

fascinating wonders of the natural 

world - all for free! 

Refreshments and homemade cakes 

will be on sale for a small charge, as 

well as a variety of Urb Farm plants, 

produce and preserves. 

Further details: Search for 

“Growing People” on Facebook. 

Venue: The Urb Farm, between 

196-198, Windsor Street, 

Wolverton, Milton Keynes, 

MK12 5DR 

Volunteers are needed to joing the Heron 

Watch team at Rushmere Country Park 

Volunteers run Heron Watch to 

study these fascinating birds and 

view them in the wild. At the Visitor 

Centre, you can watch the herons 

nesting in the heronry through 

video cameras. There is continuous 

viewing of all the action – herons 

building their nests, breeding and 

incubating their eggs, as well as 

feeding their hungry chicks. 

Rushmere Heron Watch started 

in February and will run until early June while the herons are active. The nest 

activity can be viewed daily from 11.00am-3.00pm. 

Get involved 

No specialist knowledge is required, just a love of nature 

and a friendly personality. Volunteers welcome visitors, give 

advice, hand out leaflets and talk to people about Greensand 

Trust and Rushmere. Full training is provided, with volunteers 

having 2-hour shifts from 10.00am to 3.00pm every day. 

If you can help to make a difference, call Sarah Preston 01525 234260 

or email: sarah.preston@greensandtrust.org 

Many thanks to Peter Ford for his excellent photographs 

44 




Call Emma on 01908 380777 


35 


43 

45 43

Stony in Bloom 

Garden Services 

Preparing the town 

Grey Streets for Wildlife’ and the SSIB 

projects will reflect this. More and 

more plants have been added along 

the London Road Allotments fence – 

this must be one of the most colourful 

boundaries around! 

Stony in Bloom have been around 

town planting, weeding and preparing 

the town for the beautiful and 

changing colours that will be seen 

through the year. Despite dodging 

the rain showers and keeping warm 

through the frosts, they have not had 

to cancel any work groups. 

You should already be able to see 

the attractive new shrubs that stand 

proudly in the sensory bed on London 

Road after a complete redesign and 

removal of old, over-grown shrubs. 

RHS Theme 

This year, the RHS theme is ‘Greening 

Paving Stones 

Where paving stones have lifted 

around the tree roots in Market 

Square, SSIB have been in touch 

with Milton Keynes Council. They are 

waiting for permission to add a little 

compost and plant variegated vinca. 

Keep a look out for signs that show 

they have been given the go-ahead. 

Pruning 

As long as it isn’t frosty, pruning roses 

and fruit trees are winter jobs and 

you may have seen the team busily 

pruning the Galley Hill roundabout 

roses and the north end entrance to 

town. Robin Nichols made a beautiful 

new planter to replace the one moved 

to Wolverton Road. 

Diary dates 

• 13 March – talk on wildlife in 

the Ouse Valley Park with the 

Parks Trust. 

• 29 April – SSIB Plant Sale and 

Tombola in conjunction with 

the York House Coffee 

• Morning with Shakespeare 

excerpts and other attractions. 

To 46 advertise please call 01908 380777 

Please mention Essentially Local when responding to adverts 47




47

Community 

Saying it with flowers 

There are many family traditions 

associated with giving flowers at 

Mothering Sunday and Easter, when 

the florists’ are full of affordable 

daffodils and other spring flowers. 

Thank goodness the attempt by 

some in the flower industry to move 

Mother’s Day to a more expensive 

time of year failed! 

Mothering Sunday has its origins in 

a church festival and was an important 

time for families, when children were 

allowed home from their work as 

servants and apprentices to see their 

families, gathering posies of wild 

spring flowers on the way. Most people 

love the cheerful sight of flowering 

bulbs at this time of year and it doesn’t 

take much planning to have your own 

in bloom for this special day. 

If you don’t have any daffodils 

tucked into pots or borders, make a 

note to look out for bulbs appearing 

for sale from late summer onwards. 

Plant them as soon as possible, 

either in well-draining containers or 

the ground, in a mix of compost and 

sharp sand, so they will survive wet 

winters. Tulips are also associated with 

Mothering Sunday but delay planting 

them until November, as they are 

prone to disease and late planting 

minimises the risk. As the flowers 

finish, clear away any fallen petals that 

may carry disease. 

As a rule of thumb, plant bulbs 

at a depth of three times their size, 

making sure that the root platelet is 

downwards. Don’t worry if you get 

this wrong though, they will eventually 

right themselves! The you can leave 

them to look after themselves until 

they reward you with a cheerful 

display in spring. 

Floral Easter symbols 

Most flowers associated with Easter 

are white: 

White lilies – stand for purity and 

goodness 

White tulips – passion, belief and love 

Daisies – innocence 

Irises – faith, wisdom and hope 

Hyacinths – peace of mind 

Time to get busy 

Empty your compost bins, using most 

of the contents as a soil improver 

on your flower and vegetable beds. 

Return a small amount to the bin as a 

starter for your next batch. 

Sow flower and veg seeds 

according to packet instructions 

but don’t forget – a packet of 100 

seeds can result in 100 seedlings, so 

only sow what you will need! Share 

varieties with gardening friends, so 

you don’t end up with too many halfempty 

packets. 

Keep an eye out for emerging weeds 

and keep the hoe handy before they 

can establish themselves and multiply. 

Don’t forget to stop for a cup of tea 

or coffee and a stroll round to look 

for new growth and the promise of 

warmer days. 

Happy gardening! 

Sheila Harvey 

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Essential Advertisers 

ACCOMMODATION 

Furtho Manor Farm 31 

AERIAL & CABLE 

MKL Cable Solutions 33 

BUILDING & PROPERTY SERVICES 

Antony Thompson Architect 31 

Three Shires Group Services 35 

Handyman Property Services 33 

Hickford Construction Ltd 37, 47 

KAS Builders 37 

Ian Bodily Building Services 36 

Morris Roofing 37 

Premier Improvements 37 

Thomas Betts & Co 36, 37 

BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL 

Blue Mountain Yard Café 23,29 


MK Box Self Storage 31 

Simply Wills 31 

Trading Standards 32 

Wealth & Tax Management 29,30 

CHILDREN & YOUTH 

Acorn Childcare 24,25 

CLEANING & DOMESTIC 

Carpet Pride MK 43 

Cooker Pride 43 

Domestique 45 

Grace Bardin Garments, Alterations & 

Restyling 42 

Haberdashery 29 

Linda’s Sewing Services 45 

Stony Dry Cleaning 42 

Ovenvaleting 45 

Rob Bracey, Septic Tank 34 

The Stainbusters 45 

Quality Care Ironing Service 29 

Vickie’s Cleaning 45 

COMPUTER SALES & REPAIRS 

Baldox Computing 31 

Laptop and Computer 31 

COMMUNITY 

Deanshanger and Wicken Royal British 

Legion 9 

ELECTRICAL SERVICES 

Microwave Service Centre 33 

MKL Cable Solutions 33 

MJ Electrics 33 

FLOWERS 

Back to the Fuchsia 9 

Branch Out 9 

Truly Gorgeous Flowers 9 

FOOD & DRINK 

ARTea Room 19 

Bamboo Cottage Chinese Takeaway 19 

Blue Mountain Yard 23 

Direct Pizza Company 21 

The Bell Inn 1,3 

The Old Thatched Inn 3 

The Crown, Stony Stratford 7 

The White Lion, Wicken 21 

GARDEN SERVICES 

Advanced Turf Machinery 46 

All Green Lawn Treatments 49 

Bartlett Tree Experts 49 

Creative Homes and Gardens 49 

Francis Rose Landscaping & 

Garden Services 49 

Firewood Supplies 47 

Graham Churchill Plant Ltd 51 

GreenThumb 47 

Hickford Construction 47 

Linnell Bros Ltd 49 

Maxwell Home & Garden Services 47 

Prestige Lawns 46 

HAIR, HEALTH & WELLBEING 

Action Physio 17 

Amplifon 16 

Andrew Hill Psychoanalysis, Psychotherapy 

& Counselling 17 

Beauty United 15 

Clive Heayns Podiatry 15 

Corinne Valor Personal Trainer 13 

Counselling for Change 17 

Design by Sharon 15 

Elanele 13 

Grand Union Physiotherapy 17 

Happy Bodies Fitness Centre 11 

Janice Skillman Foot Health 16 

Karate MK 13 

Lanh’s Nail Salon 15 

Massage in mind 17 

Nails by Sally 15 

Pilates 16 

HOME INTERIORS 

Carpetwise 41 

Daniel Chapman Antique Restoration 41 

Firewood Supplies 47 

G dad’s Collectables 38 

Handyman Property Services 33 

Kenneth Hudson Interiors 38 

Linda’s Curtains and Blinds 45 

Maxwell Home & Garden Services 47 

National Energy Foundation 42 

Table and Bench Co. 43 

Thomas Betts and Co. 41 

Universal Blinds 43 

Whittlewood Stoves 34 

Willow Bank Joinery 41 

KITCHENS & BATHROOMS 

On-Tap Installations 34 

LEISURE & HOBBIES 

ARTea Room 19 

Bamboo Cottage 19 

Direct Pizza Co 21 

Frankly Sinatra 7 


Happy Bodies Fitness Centre 11 

Milton Keynes Museum 16 

One Stop Craft Shop 25 

Pilates 16 

The Bell Inn 1,3 

The Old Thatched Inn 3 

The Crown 7 

The Stony Sweet Shop 25 

The White Lion 21 

Vitreus Art 25 

Wolverton On Film 36 

MOTORING & TRANSPORT 

G & G Autos 51 

Saxon Bridge.com 5, 51 

PAINTERS & PLASTERERS 

Abercrombie Painter and Decorators 38 

BWB Plastering 38 

DPL Services 38 

SJ Adcock & Son 38 

Thomas Betts & Co 38 

PETS & VETS 

RSPCA 10 

The Vet Centre 10,11 

PLUMBING, GAS SERVICING 

& HEATING 

Add Warmth 34 

On Tap Installations 34 

Premier Heating 34 

Jay Gas & Oil 34 

TAXIS 

Skyline 52 

WASTE REMOVAL 

Graham Churchill Plant Ltd 51 

Rob Bracey, Septic Tanks 34 

WINDOWS & CONSERVATORIES 

Cloudy 2 Clear 39 

Custom Glaze 39 

Thomas Betts & Co 34 

Win-Dor 2 

WILL WRITING 

Simply Wills 31 

Disclaimer: We gratefully acknowledge the support of businesses whose adverts appear in Essentially Local and we endeavour to 

make sure that all published information is accurate. The publishers cannot be held responsible for loss, damage or omission caused 

by error in the printing of adverts or other information. All artwork is accepted on the understanding that descriptions of goods 

and services are fair and accurate. Advertisers are responsible for checking copyright on all images supplied. Essentially Local has 

not vetted the advertisers and cannot accept responsibility for work done or goods supplied by any advertiser. We do not officially 

endorse any advertising material included within this magazine. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval 

systems or transmitted in any form without prior consent of the publishers. The publishers cannot be held responsible for any nondelivery 

of Essentially Local. © Essentially Local 2016. 

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