The Link Early Spring 2020

ESTABLISHED 1886

www.caterhamdistricthorticulturalsoc.weebly.com

www.facebook.com/cat.hortisoc

Want to enjoy your garden and allotment

more this year? Caterham & District

Horticultural Society has launched its packed

2020 programme. You can grow your skills

and meet like-minded people.

Its three annual horticultural shows will be on

Saturday 4th April, Saturday 11th July and

Saturday 12th September at The Westway, a new

community centre in Caterham, from 2.30pm to

4.30pm. Adults and children may enter.

An event at Caterham Valley Library lets you pose

your questions on gardening, cookery and flower

arranging to local experts on Saturday 6th June

from 2pm to 4pm.

Membership of the Society, which has around

280 members, offers you discounts at local

garden centres and benefits from its affiliations,

such as discounted entry at Royal Horticultural

Society gardens.

For more information see https://caterhamdistrict

horticulturalsoc.weebly.com/ and caterhamhortsoc1

on Instagram and Caterham District Hortisoc on

Facebook.

2

To advertise call 01684 833715 or email: info@grapevinepublications.co.uk

with

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0344 897 8000

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At Anwell Veterinary Centre, we pride ourselves on our kind,

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NOW OPEN

Our new Veterinary Clinic at

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For more information please

contact us on 01883 744461

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and 4.00pm - 6.00pm

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We work on an appointment system

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We can offer home visits on request.

Full medical, surgical and dental facilities on site.

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email: anwellvets@btconnect.com www.anwellvets.co.uk

The Link 3

Eric Morecambe’s

Pranks on Showbiz Pals

Showbiz pals were targets for Eric Morecambe’s

impish fun, which is one of the many new

revelations in local author Tony Flood's celebrity

book, second edition, 'My Life With The Stars –

Sizzling Secrets Spilled!'

The mischievous Morecambe had a wicked sense of

humour, both on and off stage, and many of his

showbiz friends were on the receiving end,

particularly Des O’Connor and the late Roy Castle.

Former Sky Television executive and Fleet Street

journalist Tony Flood, who lives in Eastbourne, says:

“When I met Des he revealed Eric’s biggest put down.

He recalled: “I once told Eric I had done a one-man

show and he replied ‘Let’s hope two turn up next

time'.”

Fiona Castle, widow of popular entertainer Roy Castle,

also tells how one of Eric’s pranks was at her expense,

after appearing with Morecambe & Wise at the

Coventry Hippodrome, where she was a dancer in

the chorus.

She let slip to Eric that she would love to meet the

multi-talented Roy, so some time later Eric invited

her to a TV show to introduce her to him.

But he embarrassed her by saying: “Roy, this is Fiona,

and she’s in love with you.”

She then learned that Eric had been even more

outrageous when he had set up the meeting. He

had told Roy: “I’ve got this sad little case coming to

see you. She has braces and a pigtail – try to be nice

to her.” But Fiona and Roy were married a year later!

'My Life With the Stars: Sizzling Secrets Spilled!' has

received glowing endorsements from singer Anita

Harris, comedians Al Murray and Tim Vine, and

former world boxing champion Frank Bruno.

Anita Harris says: “Tony Flood has come up with

virtually an A to Z of so many showbiz and sports

stars, from Peter Andre and George Best to David

Walliams – and tells great stories about them! Fans

young and old should love it.”

The first edition of Tony's book was so successful

that he has brought out nine extra chapters and

updated the rest of the book with many new

revelations.

He spills the beans on the musical legend who had a

4

penchant for teenage girls in white panties, the female

singer whose cure for settling stage nerves was

revealed when the curtain rose on her being spanked

by members of the band, and the world-famous star

who suffered abuse and a mental breakdown. There

are also laughs galore in stories about a host of

funny men, from Bruce Forsyth to Joe Pasquale.

There’s tragedy, too, as Flood recounts his exclusive

interview with devastated Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce

Grobbelaar immediately after the Hillsborough

disaster, and Bobby Charlton’s emotional memories

of how Manchester United rose from the ashes of

the Munich air crash.

More details about this book and Tony's spicy crime

thriller Triple Tease, endorsed by best selling authors

Peter James and Tamara McKinley, are available on

www.celebritiesconfessions.com, with reduced price

signed copies from just £3.99 during a special

promotion.

Tony's wife Heather is also an author, and details


about her fantasy adventure book 'Purple Mist',

children's 'Mousey Mousey' series and 'Giant

Sticker Monster and Other Children's stories' are

available on www.fantasyadventurebooks.com.

Tony's own fantasy adventure 'Secret Potion',

recommended by best-selling author Jessica

Duchen as being ideal for Harry Potter fans, is also

available.

Heather and Tony will be donating part of the

sales from these books to Children With Cancer

UK. All their books are also available on Amazon.

co.uk as both e-versions and paperbacks.

E-versions are available for just £1.99. You can

obtain two of them by going to these links:

Mousey Mousey:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0055WXL2W

Secret Potion:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004XJKY6E/

Tony and Heather are president and secretary

respectively of creative writing group Anderida

Writers.

Tony says: “Everyone has a book in them. We

would be happy to help both those who wish to

get published and those who want to write for

fun." He can be contacted at tflood04@yahoo.co.uk

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The Link 5

Hello Readers...

Happy New Year, and

welcome to the Early

Spring edition of The Link.

The LinkL

T

Publisher & Advertising

Grapevine Publications (Worcestershire) Ltd

•

info@grapevinepublications.co.uk

www.grapevinepublications.co.uk

Editor

betty@grapevinepublications.co.uk

Advertising & Editorial

Contributors

Surrey Wildlife Trust

Trevor Langley

Photography

Next Issue Copy Date

Keep me for 2 months - then please recycle -

I hope you had an enjoyable

festive season, albeit a

very wet one! As I write,

it is once again pouring

with rain. I’ve just been

out in the garden (to feed

the hedgehog) and although we are not prone to

flooding in this area, the ground is so soggy my cats

have decided to take swimming lessons! It’s a pity

we can’t somehow redirect our horribly wet weather

down south to Australia, where they so desperately

need it.

On to this month’s magazine. For the music fans out

there, we are running a competition to win a

Bluetooth speaker. You’ll find the details on page

19, so have a go and see if you can work out the

hidden word in the Word Search. If you are one of

our advertisers and would like to use this to

promote your business with your own bespoke

Word Search, give me a call or email me for details.

It’s a Leap Year this year, and traditionally that means

that instead of waiting for him to pop the question,

ladies you can do the proposing! I recently saw a

couple of YouTube clips showing very elaborate

proposals involving flash mob dance routines –

great fun, and really very romantic. So come on

girls, let’s see what you can come up with. If he says

yes, then drop me an email with the details and we’ll

print the most original as an article in the next issue

– the winner gets a box of Thornton’s chocolates.

Until next time, stay happy and healthy.

Betty

DISCLAIMER. All information published is correct

according to those who supplied it and no responsibility

is taken if it is not. Care is taken to ensure all

advertisements are truthful and no liability is accepted

for errors or omissions. Artwork is accepted on the

understanding that there are no copyright restrictions.

6

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. All artwork and copy appearing in this

publication is copyright and may not be reproduced without

written permission from the publisher. The right to refuse

advertisements is reserved. The use of this publication for

canvassing, direct marketing or any other activity apart from

sourcing local goods and services is strictly prohibited. © 2020


This month . . .

2 CATERHAM & DISTRICT

HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

4 ERIC MORECAMBE

8 ROTARY CLUB OF

CATERHAM

10 FOLIATION

13 AGE UK

14 CLUBS & GROUPS

10

15 VET TALK

18 CATERHAM OXTED &

GODSTONE LIONS CLUB

19 WORDSEARCH COMPETITION

20 SURREY WILDLIFE TRUST

4

39

23 OLD COULSDON CAMERA

CLUB

33 COFFEE BREAK

25 RSPB

34 COMMUNITY CONTACTS

26 ENERGY HEALING

35 PURLEY CROSS CENTRE

28 WHAT'S ON IN JANUARY &

FEBRUARY

37 INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

20

31 WHATEVER THE WEATHER

39 A TASTE OF . . . MEXICO

The Link 7

Students from three local

Secondary Schools

participated in this year’s

Caterham Rotary Young Chef

Competition earlier this month.

Their task was to produce a

healthy three course meal with a

starter, main course and a dessert

for two people for £20 or under.

They had to prepare a table and

serve the food at the correct

temperature in a time limit of

two hours.

The two adjudicators were

Michael Pirog, the chef de cuisine

8

Gold Award Winner, Babajimi Ogun

Young Chef's Triumph

at the Surrey National Golf Club

and Claude Bertin, a Rotary Club

member. They were very impressed

with the performances of the 14

participants and they congratulated

them all on their preparation,

planning, creating a timeline and

their choice of ingredients as

well as the meals they prepared.

The Food Technology Room at

de Stafford School was filled with

the sounds of young chefs at work

and the aromas coming from

their preparations were exquisite.

The sight of the finished dishes

which ranged from meat,

poultry, fish, fruits and

vegetables, soups,

cheeses, stuffed peppers

and so on were a delight

to behold.

Geraint Jenkins President

Elect of Caterham

Rotary commented: “By

the end of the evening,

we were all ravenously

hungry and amazed by

the delicious food being

produced.”

The winner of the Gold

Award was Babajimi

Ogun from Caterham

School, who produced a

sweet chili prawn starter,

followed by a feta cheese

and dried tomato lamb

as a main course, and

dark chocolate bombs

as a dessert.

The runner ups were

Silver Award to Sky-

Brooke Da Costa from Caterham

School and Bronze Award to

Ammon Read from de Stafford

School.

Caterham Rotary Club would like

to thank the adjudicators for

their time and professionalism

and massive congratulations to

all the students who

participated, each of whom will

receive a Certificate of

Commendation.

Babajimi, Skye-Brooke and

Ammon will now compete

against another group of Young

Chefs in the Rotary District

Competition which is part of a

national competition.

For any further information

please contact Caterham Rotary

Club by emailing

caterhamrotary2@gmail.com

or go to:

www.caterhamrotary.org.uk


The Link 9

Creating Your Garden Paradise

Wooden

Structures

in a Garden

Wooden structures give height in a very

confined space or the strategic

positioning of a structure could even draw

your eye to a designated area of the garden,

should you wish it to become a focal point

for any visitors.

The main use of a wooden structure is in

offering support to a climber, where it needs

something to grow up or tangle between

in order to support itself.

Choosing the right climber is very

important; climbers are designed to grow to

the top of something then flourish.

Varieties like ivy grow to the top of trees. At

its adult stage it doesn’t actually climb, but

fruits providing food for the birds to pick. It

also kills the tree by cutting out the light.

The treetop vegetation then acts like a sail

and the wind can bring down a tree in this

state. Ivy will then seek out the next tree

and climb up it.

10

When Choosing a Climber

Against a wooden structure, you want to

choose a climber that is a relevant size in

height to the wooden structure you are

putting up. Most common, a rose arch is

specifically designed for roses. If you put a

Wisteria on a rose arch it will swamp it, so

much so that you won’t even be able to walk

through it without a machete!

For various climbers, in a confined space

where an arch isn’t feasible, a simple post with

some horizontal brackets coming off it would be

enough to support a clematis, or something

similar, in very a small back garden.

With arches and wooden structures, gazebos

that you stand under, the structure itself can

help to hold scent in, so getting a rose to

flower at head height allows the fragrance to

permeate through your senses as you walk

through the arch giving both visual and

aromatic pleasure. Wisteria is the same.

A Dead Tree

If you have an old tree that has died off and

you pollard it back retaining the main trunks,

this is a great climbing frame for various roses;

the Banksia rose, that isn’t prickly, will again

flourish in an apple tree which is alive, as long

as it doesn’t overpower it.

An avenue of rose arches, or a leading point,


will focus the eye down the centre of a garden,

where you could create another area of the

garden for an interested person to walk to.

Placing a simple structure or a feature at the

end of the avenue, almost as a full stop in a

garden, will also attract the eye down the

avenue towards it.

A structure such as a gazebo that you sit

underneath or something that comes off the

house, this is great for shade, but you also

want to take into consideration what you

might be growing on it. For arguments sake, it

is very nice to sit under roses, etc., but when

they drop their blossom this can cover

everything. Wisteria would be far better, since

it drops less. A grapevine again would drop

less petals and flowers.

When pruning climbers on a rose arch or

wooden structure, make sure you prune back

to the main structure of the plant. For example,

Honeysuckle grows from a top joint and then

falls over the old growth cutting off the light

and killing it off. It then becomes much

thicker, which is obviously great for wildlife,

but it can make a rose arch etc. look lopsided

and this additional weight can cause damage

or pull them down in winds.

Things to do in the garden this month

Remember to keep turning your compost and

then re-sheet. February/March will be the

time to start to use it on your beds.

The bulbs you planted in November have

started to come up. I recommend taking

photos of the area to record and remind you

where the bulbs are. You may wish to put a

new plant in that area, or add more bulbs the

following year.

If you have any fencing or wooden structure

that need attention, now is the time to act as

most plants are dormant and you can get

behind them to repair or paint. It is also much

easier to see what needs to be done when all

herbaceous plants are cut down to ground

level. Any replacement work can be done at

the same time.

The Link 11

12


Caring for Older People as

winter approaches

As the long winter nights

continue and the temperature

drops, it is good to check in

on your older relatives, friends

and neighbours who often have

less social contact in the winter

months and who may not be

able to get out and about.

If you are looking for advice,

practical support, activities or

companionship, Age UK Surrey

can help:

Our Information and Advice

team has a wealth of information,

tips and guides on many

issues that impact us in later life,

such as keeping warm and well

in winter, benefit entitlements

and your later life options.

home and in their day to day

lives (for example cleaning,

shopping, preparation of light

meals, gardening) and

companionship.

Our regular Tea and Chat

sessions with activities in

Caterham, Oxted and Lingfield

help combat loneliness and

social isolation.

As a local independent charity

we depend on donations to

deliver our local services,

improving later life for Surrey

residents. There are many ways

to support us:

- by donating: https://www.

ageuk.org.uk/surrey/getinvolved/donate/

- by knitting hats for Innocent

Smoothie bottles – we have

knitting patterns to help you

along your way. If you send

your knitted hats to Age UK

Surrey we receive 25p for

every one!

purchase lottery tickets please

support our cause! You can

buy tickets online at: https://

www.tandridgelottery.co.uk/

support/age-uk-surrey

For more information about our

services please visit the Age UK

Surrey website: www.age.uk.

org/surrey. Alternatively call our

office on: 01483 503414 or email

enquiries@ageuksurrey.org.uk

Our Help at Home team matches

a friendly reliable Home Help

to anyone aged 50+ who needs - we are also part of the

practical support around the

The Link

Tandridge Lottery – so if you

13

Clubs & Groups

1st St Mary's Scouts 01883 340680

2nd Purley

Brownies brownies@2ndpurley.org.uk

3rd Caterham, St John's Scout

Group 01883 348629

3rd Kenley

Brownies 3rdkenleybrownies@gmail.com

21st Purley Scouts

www.21stpurley.uk

Aikido at The Arc, Caterham

Self Defence Classes www.thearcaikido.com

Aquarius Swimming Club 01883 344 662

Caterham & District Horticultural

Society

catdisthortisoc@gmail.com

Caterham & District

U3A

www.u3asites.org.uk/caterham

Caterham Army Cadet Force 07973 386343

Caterham Art

Group secretary@caterhamartgroup.org.uk

Caterham Bowls Club 01883 340014

Caterham Bridge Club 01883 730304

Caterham Sea Cadets & Royal

Marines Cadets www.sea-cadets.org/caterham

Caterham Community Choir 01883 345678

Caterham Craft Club 01737 643191

Caterham Cricket Club 07568 717733

Caterham Croquet

Club

www.caterham-croquet.org.uk

Caterham District Scouts 07956 801008

Caterham Festival 01883 340000

Caterham Food Bank 07523 983122

Caterham Hill Badinton Club 01342 832702

Caterham Hill WI caterhamhillwi@gmail.com

Caterham Owners

Club www.caterhamownersclub.co.uk

Caterham, Oxted & Godstone

Lions Club 01883 335945

Caterham Rotary

Club

caterhamrotary2@gmail.com

Caterham Round

Table

caterhamroundtable@gmail.com

Caterham WI caterhamwi@hotmail.com

Caterham Youth Centre 01883 344678

Croydon Active

Paddlers www.croydonactivepaddlers.org

Croydon Borough Neighbourhood

Watch Association

nhw@cbnwa.com

Croyden Rifle & Pistol Club 020 8684 4260

Croydon Voluntary Action 020 8253 7070

Douglas Brunton Centre 01883 347230

East Surrey Choral Society secretary@escs.org.uk

Kenley Bridge

Club

www.bridgewebs.com/kenley

Kenley Hockey

Club www.kenleyhockeyclub.clubbuzz.co.uk

Kenley Sports Club 020 8660 4572

Kenley Scouts

(7th Purley) enquiries@7thpurleyscouts.org.uk

Kenley Valley WI 020 8660 3810

Marie Curie Caterham 01883832621

North Downs Drummers Community

Drumming Group 01883 622118

Old Caterhamians Club 01883 343488

Old Coulsdon Bowling Club 01737 552580

Pantaloons Amateur Dramatic

Society

www.pantoloons.com

Probus Club of

Caterham probusenquiries@wmanor.co.uk

Probus Club of Purley 020 8660 0404

Purley & Kenley District

Guides

bradshaw.joanne@sky.com

Purley Bowls Club 020 8660 0608

Purley Bridge

Club

www.bridgewebs.com/purley

Purley Food Hub 07546 635295

Purley John Fisher Rugby Club 01737 553042

Purley Sports Club 020 8660 0608

Purley Youth Centre 020 8668 7259

Reading Aloud Group 01883 722593

Royal British Legion 01883 712476

Skaterham Skatepark for Scooterers, BMX'rs,

Skateboarders & Inline Skaters 01883 348184

South Croydon Sports Club 020 8688 1782

South London Harriers 020 8398 1548

St Catherine's Hospice 01293 447333

Tandridge Befriending Scheme 07796 307286

Tandridge Club for the Visually

Impaired

diana.drysdale@godstone.net

Tandridge Photographic

Society 01883 626463

Tandridge Voluntary Action 01883 722593

The Bourne Society 01883 349745

The Royal British Legion 01883 343492

Warlingham Archery Club 01883 347301

To list your club or group, email info@grapevinepublications.co.uk


14

Vet Talk

with Martin Leith BVetMed MRCVS

How healthy are your pet’s

teeth and gums?

Did you know that tooth and

gum problems in dogs and cats

are very common, with around

85% of pets over the age of

three years suffering from some

degree of dental disease,

causing ill health and pain.

Over time the accumulation of

plaque bacteria on the surface of

the teeth, leads to inflammation

of the gums – this is known as

gingivitis (or gum disease). This

is often accompanied by bad

breath and also the accumulation

of tartar on the surface of the

tooth.

If gingivitis is left untreated, it

will in time, begin to attack the

gum line and the underlying

support structures of the teeth,

leading to infections and gum

loss, eventually leading to tooth

mobility and finally tooth loss.

Regular dental check-ups are a

key part of monitoring for dental

disease, a combination of a

Scale and Polish (under general

anaesthesia) and ongoing home

care can make a real difference

to your pet’s oral health.

There are a number of home

care options available. Tooth

brushing is the gold standard,

but we understand that this is

not always possible, so there

are a number of dental diets

and chews available. When

brushing your pet’s teeth, it is

Weight Management

& Dental Care

very important that you do not

use human toothpaste – this is

because some of the ingredients

in the toothpaste are harmful

to pets.

Are you struggling with your

pet’s weight?

Weight gain in our pets is a huge

problem; it is thought that up

to 1 in 3 household pets are

overweight. Not only does this

shorten their life expectancy by

2 years but it also increases the

risk of heart disease, diabetes,

arthritis and in some species

prevention of self-grooming

can occur. Small furries such as

rabbits and guinea-pigs are at

higher risk of fly strike occurring

especially in the warmer weather,

due to problems with grooming.

In conjunction with checking

your pet’s weight, we also

recommend assessing their

body condition score, which we

can help you with.

We can provide you with help

and support throughout your

pet’s journey, by providing freeof-charge

weight clinics. Our

experienced nurses offer hints

and tips on ways to help your

pets shift the pounds.

Exercise is a great way to help

your pet with weight loss. This

can be in the form of on lead/

off lead walks, a run or zooming

around the house chasing toys.

There are options to help keep

your pet stimulated and prevent

fast eating: toys like kongs,

treat balls, green feeders and

cat feeding trees offer a way to

encourage your pet to work for

their food.

If you are concerned about

your pet’s weight or teeth,

please contact your local

veterinary practice for help

and advice.

24 hour Emergency Cover 01531 632276

The Link 15

16

G HUMPHREY

ROOFING

Caterham

• Tiling

• Slating

• uPVC Fascias

& Soffits

• Flat roofing

• Guttering

• Lead

Flashings

• General

Repairs

• Chimneys

repointed

Family business - husband and wife team

Call Gary or Alison

01883 349439 - 07966 467498

garyroofer@aol.co.uk

Murphy's Other 15 Laws!

Light travels faster than sound. This is why

some people appear bright until you hear

them speak.

A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine

for doing well.

He, who laughs last, thinks slowest.

A day without sunshine is like … well … night.

Change is inevitable, except from a vending

machine.

Those who live by the sword get shot by

those who don't.

Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented

fool.

The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a

50-50 chance of getting something right,

there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.

It is said that if you line up all the cars in the

world end-to-end, someone from California

would be stupid enough to try to pass them.

If the shoe fits, get another one just like it.

The things that come to those who wait, may

be the things left by those, who got there first.

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.

Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat

all day drinking beer.

Flashlight: A case for holding dead batteries.

God gave you toes as a device for finding

furniture in the dark.

When you go into court, you are putting

yourself in the hands of twelve people, who

weren't smart enough to get out of jury duty.

* * * * *

Careful what you wish for ... !!

A married couple in their 60’s is visited by a fairy

who grants them both a wish.

“I want to travel around the world with my

darling husband” says the wife.

Two tickets for a luxury cruise magically appear in

her hand.

The husband says, “Sorry, but I wish to have a

wife 30 years younger than me.”

The fairy waves her want and the husband

becomes 92!

Moral of the story: don’t forget fairies are female!


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The Link 17

Caterham Oxted &

Godstone Lions Club

LIONS NEWS FOR JANUARY 2020

The Lions celebrated the

end of the year with a

Christmas dinner at the

Bletchingley Arms. Although

not everyone was able to

attend, there was a jolly

good turn out and all

members were relaxing after

the busy time many had just

had in going round local

areas with the Father

Christmas float.

The float was to be seen up in

Caterham Village, down by

Morrisons in Church Walk as

well as along roads in

Bletchingley, Godstone and

South Godstone. It also had a

stand at Morrisons in Oxted

and Clacket Lane Service

Station. Before expenses the

collections raised almost

£4000 which will go to local

deserving causes.

The Club is most grateful for

the outstanding support given

by those who are not Lions,

who helped with towing the

sleigh safely to and from its

location. For some years the

float was parked at the Sea

Scouts hall in Caterham which

sadly is no long available, but

Godstone Farm has turned up

trumps and from now on the

float will be securely stored on

its premises. The Club is most

grateful for this help.

One of the many local causes

that the Club supports is the

Foodbank in Caterham, where

for the last two years it has

donated £1500 towards

special food parcels for

Christmas. One of the first

social events that the Club is

due to hold in January is a fish

and chip supper at the White

Hart Barn. During the evening

a presentation on the

Caterham Food Bank will be

given by Steve Bidwell who is

a Trustee of the Trussell Trust.

Anyone wishing to join the

Lions or who would just like to

find out more about the Club

is most welcome to come

along to a meeting at the

White Hart Barn on the second

Tuesday of each month. Just

call Tony Carter on 01883

741809. A warm welcome

awaits all those interested in

the Club.

The Club also has a 12 seater

mini bus which is available for

use by the community. If you

would like to use it or find out

more about it call David

Annenberg on 01342 893353.

18


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The Link 19

The most opulent residents on the river bank

are without doubt the great crested grebes

with their magnificent velvety black and chestnut

orange head plumes and neck ruff, which frames

its white face. A wetland bird with elegance, its

courtship dance is a lavish affair to spy on a cold

spring morning in late February or early March.

The pair of love struck grebes join together to

Great Crested Glebe can be found in large water bodies

perform something like an Argentinian tango on on Surrey Wildlife Trust reserves such as Sheepwalk

water. Beak to beak, the head tossing begins. With near Shepperton, Puttenham Common and Boldermere

beaks full of water weed, they marvel alternately at Lake on Ockham and Wisley Common as well as

each other’s bill dipping and feather preening. The reservoirs near Staines. To find other reserves near

dance builds to a crescendo as they power up out of you visit www.surreywildlifetrust.org


20

Great Crested

Grebe

the water, chest to chest, flicking their beaks from

side to side.

It was the splendour of this plumage and the bird’s

unusually dense breast and belly feathers, called

grebe fur, which nearly led to its extinction in the

Victorian era. The feathers of the crest and neck

were so marvelled, that women of fashion decorated

their hats with their feathers and made muffs and

capes from grebe fur.

By the mid-eighteen hundreds, fewer than 70 birds

survived nationally and only protective legislation

bought in from 1870 reversed the decline. Happily

since that period the bird has increased dramatically

and now it is in good numbers across the country.

The great crested grebe is the largest of the five

European grebes and prefers to reside on large, open

expanses of shallow water. In the breeding season, a

reasonable reed fringe is required, where the birds

can build their anchored, but floating, nest. Three to

five eggs are laid, at any time from late February to

the end of August. Nest building, incubation and

rearing the young are shared by the pair.

The young leave the nest as soon as the last egg has

hatched and, for the next two weeks or so, the

young spend their time in the safety of a mobile

‘nest’, the parent’s back. The young are fed a diet of

mainly fish, and fledge after nine or ten weeks.

Grebe - photo courtesy of John Hawkins

Great Crested Grebe - photo courtesy of Ian Rose

Wild things to do in

February!

With the February half term holiday looming,

why not get out with your family to explore

Surrey’s wonderful wildlife? There are plenty of

outdoor children’s activities going on –

including a holiday club! Or you could join one

of our walks or courses this month.

Wild Tots at Nower Wood (Jan-Feb)

Date: Thursday 6th & 13th February

Time: 10.00am to 12 noon

Forest School inspired exploration and play for

2-5 year olds, every Thursday morning at

Nower Wood Education Centre, Leatherhead.

Booking essential: non-members £7.50,

members £6.50

Wild Tots at Pucks Oak Barn (Jan-Feb)

Date: Friday 7th, 14th, 21st & 28th February

Time: 10.00am to 12 noon

Wild Tots allows pre-school children to play,

learn and explore the woodland through a

variety of Forest School-inspired activities at

Pucks Oak Barn in Compton.

Booking essential: non-members £7.50,

members £6.50

Coppicing for Conservation

Date: Thursday 13th February

Time: 10.00am to 3.00pm

Learn about the history of coppicing before

mastering the practical skills of this ancient

woodland management technique at Nower

Wood Education Centre, Leatherhead.

Booking essential: non-members £47,

members £35

Botanical Drawing & Illustration Techniques

Date: Saturday 15th February

Time: 10.00am to 4.00pm

Learn to draw and colour the intricate details of

nature at Nower Wood Education Centre,

Leatherhead.

Booking essential: non-members £72,

members £60.

Wild Rangers Conservation Club

Date: Wednesday 19th February

Time: 9:30am to 4.00pm

Be a woodland manager for a day and help us

manage our ancient woodland at Nower Wood

Education Centre, Leatherhead.

Booking Essential: non-members £40,

members £35

. . . / continued on page 14

The Link Boldermere Lake - photo courtesy of J Adler

21

NEW BEGINNER Classes

Evening class

Every Wednesday 8-9pm

Audley School, CATERHAM

Pair of Great Crested Grebe - photo courtesy of Donald Sutherland

. . . / continued from page 13

Wild Explorers Holiday Club


Time: 9:30am to 4.00pm

An action packed fun day out in the woods looking

for wildlife, building a campfire, making crafts,

building shelters and toasting marshmallows at

Nower Wood Education Centre, Leatherhead.

Booking Essential: non-members £40, members £35

Astronomy Evening


Time: 7.00pm to 9.00pm

View the night sky like you have never seen it before

with the Edenbridge and District Astronomers Club

at Bay Pond in Godstone.


Tool Sharpening & Maintenance

Date: Saturday 29th February

Time: 9:30am to 12:30pm

Learn to sharpen and maintain your tools at Nower

Wood Education Centre, Leatherhead.


Daytime class

Every Tuesday 9.45am

Warlingham Church Hall (from 25 th Feb)

Friendly classes suitable for all.

No experience required.

Easy to follow instruction.

Dancing without a partner to pop,

rock, Latin, Irish & country music

Good exercise & lots of fun!

For more info or to book a space

call Nicky - 07802 894556

E-mail: admin@dancezing.co.uk

www.dancezing.co.uk

To book all courses and events go to:

www.surreywildlifetrust.org/whats-on

Join Surrey Wildlife Trust!

Surrey Wildlife Trust is the only charity solely

concerned with the conservation of wildlife in the

county – you can support its work by becoming a

member. For further information call 01483

795440 or visit www.surreywildlifetrust.org

22


• Re-Roofing and Re-Slating

• Chimney Stacks

• Leadwork

• Guttering

• Built-up Flat

Roofing Systems

• PVC Fascia Soffits

• Loft Conversions

• Porches Renovated

• FREE estimates

Paul says "I always keep my phone in my pocket in

case something catches my eye. I was out mowing

the lawn on the front drive and spotted this little

critter resting on the car bonnet."

FEBRUARY 2020

4th : Digital Image Competition

11th : Members Workshop - Photoshop

18th : SLF Interclub Semi Final

25th : ‘Seeing and Enhancing Landscapes’

Talk by Eddie Hyde ARPS

* * * * *

MARCH 2020

3rd : Street Competition (Digital)

10th : Members Workshop

17th : Colour Print Competition

24th : ‘Wildlife and Nature Photography’

Talk by Bob Webzell ARPS EFIAP

31st

: ‘Panel of Three’ competition (Digital)

Got a new camera? Want to learn how to take better

photos? We meet on Tuesday evenings from

7.45pm to 10pm in Cameron Hall, Canons Hill, Old

Coulsdon. Visitors welcome £5 (refunded on

joining).

Visit oldcoulsdoncameraclub.org.uk

See us on facebook or contact

lynda@oldcoulsdoncameraclub.org.uk

The Link 23

Prawn, Chicken & Chorizo

Paella

A quick and easy dish to prepare, perfect for a mid-week supper

or dress it up for a dinner party by adding extra seafood, such

as mussels, squid or seafood mix. Serve with garlic bread.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large red onion

110g Chorizo sausage

2 large, skinless chicken breasts

1 teaspoon turmeric

300g paella rice

1 litre chicken stock

200g frozen peas

350g jumbo king prawns

Serves 4

METHOD

• Defrost the jumbo king prawns

• Chop the Chorizo and onion.

• Cut the chicken breasts into small chunks.

• Heat the oil in a paella pan or large frying

pan, add onion, stir for 5 minutes without

letting them brown.

• Add the Chorizo and fry until it releases its

oils.

• Add the chicken breast and lightly brown.

• Stir in the turmeric and rice, coat them in

the oils then pour in the stock.

• Bring to the boil and simmer for 15

minutes, stirring occasionally.

• Add the peas and cook for 5 minutes, then

stir in the jumbo king prawns to heat

through for a final 1-2 minutes cooking or

until rice is cooked.

• Taste for seasoning and serve immediately

with lemon wedges.

24


The RSPB Croydon Local Group

Monthly Illustrated Wildlife Talks in South Croydon

Whitgift Sports Club, Croham Manor Road

off Croham Road. South Croydon, CR2 7BG

Second Monday of each month 2pm and again at 8pm

Admission £4.00. Everyone is welcome, not just RSPB members.

Free refreshments. A selection of RSPB goods, nuts and seeds are on sale.

Parking limited on site but free in adjacent roads. 64 & 433 buses stop nearby in Croham Road.

Monday February 10th 2020

“50:50”

The intrepid Biking Birder, Gary Prescott, will regale us with tales of 50 UK Reserves he is

planning to visit on his beloved cycle, aiming to see fifty bird species on each. The talk will

include personal favourite reserves, the birds and other wildlife to be seen at them and some

of the amazing people Gary has met.

* * * * *

Monday March 9th 2020

“East Anglian Wildlife”

Gordon Small has entertained us in the past with tales of Picos de Europa and the Falklands.

This time he visits the far-flung reaches of East Anglia. We are guaranteed some super images

from Gordon, plus surprises from this large and varied region that includes Minsmere.

For more information contact John Davis on

020 8640 4578

or see www.rspb.org.uk/groups/croydon

Note: on request we give illustrated bird talks to local organisations.

The Link 25

Energy Healing for

Mind & Body

Contact me for more

information

I have clinics in Ledbury and

Corse, Gloucestershire

Contact me on:

T: 01531 579 035

M: 07904 457 075

or email me at

helen@complete-balance.

co.uk

You can also find out more

information and article on my

brand-new website:

www.complete-balance.

co.uk

Newsletter

Sign up for my newsletter via

my website in order to receive

health information and

promotional offers.

What is energy?

Energy is all around us, we

are all made of energy;

everything we see, smell,

touch, hear and feel is also

made up of energy. Energy

can be influenced and

changed, scientists are now

beginning to realise to what

extent they can influence

energy in order to effect

changes in many different

and exciting ways.

In terms of energy healing one

of my roles as a therapist is to

influence a change in a client’s

energy system which will filter

through to the physical,

emotional or mental level and

effect a change at the

appropriate level for the client.

Often results happen quickly

when the imbalance at the

energetic level is found and

rectified and balance is

restored.

We have different facets that

make up our energy system just

as we have different facets that

make up our physical body

systems. All of these facets both

physical and energetic are

linked and work together.

Today in the techniques that I

will show you we will influence

the physical body systems and

the energy systems to work

positively together in order to

inspire health and well-being.

Two of the main energy

systems that we will work with

today are called the Meridian

System and the Chakra System.

If you find the word “energy”

difficult to accept it is maybe

easier for you to consider your

body as an electric circuit

board.

For example, if we consider

how machines in hospitals take

readings from our bodies, we

can see that we are actually

generating electrical currents

and impulses; if we were not

these machines would not be

able to take any readings from

us.

When something in our electric

circuit board fails or becomes

blocked or stuck the overall

functioning of our body

becomes compromised and we

get ill.

What I do as a therapist is work

to locate the blocked circuit

and then work to unblock it so

it can function properly once

more as part of the whole

circuit board. This is similar to

how acupuncturists work but I

don’t use needles!

26


The Meridian circuits

Meridians are energy pathways that distribute

energy around the body and are important for

our Health.

Meridians were identified by Traditional Chinese

Medicine around 5000 years ago. Charts detailing

14 pathways in the human body have been

found; later research using radioactive isotopes

injected into the body have confirmed the

existence of these pathways to be exactly as

these charts depicted. The meridians are what

acupuncturists work with. In Health Kinesiology

we hold meridian points or gently massage them

in order to balance the circuit.

The Chakra system

Chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning wheel; people

with clairvoyant abilities often see chakras on the

body as big wheels or circles of energy.

Chakras are also extremely important to our

health they are big energy centres and represent

different physical, emotional, mental and spiritual

aspects.

There are seven major chakras in the body, and

they run up the spine from back to front. Chakras

are extremely complex and further description is

beyond the scope of this article but please do

get in touch for book recommendations if you

are interested.

Health Kinesiology

Health Kinesiology is a healing system that is

built upon getting the body and energy systems

back into balance.

I originally trained in Health Kinesiology which

was developed by Dr Jimmy Scott in Canada in

1978. I also trained in Touch for Health

Kinesiology which was developed by Dr John

Thie in the ‘70s.

In my practice, I use Kinesiology when I am

looking at nutritional balance or allergies and

intolerance for clients. I also use the system for

balancing emotional issues or dealing with

things like phobias or fears.

My kinesiology training opened me to the

wonderful healing potential that we are all able

to access within our own bodies. The training I

undertook exposed me to and taught me many

techniques and tools in order to help restore

health, vitality and balance.

Quick self-help technique to balance your

energies

The Thymus Tap

The Thymus tap is an efficient and effective

variation on a “Meridian Balance” that I perform

as a Kinesiologist before I work with a client.

Tapping the Thymus in this way for around 20

seconds will balance your meridian energy

system for around 30 minutes. It is a great

technique to get into the habit of using

throughout the day. It is perfect to use before or

after a stressful interaction or situation.

The Thymus Tap will:

Balance all your meridians and energies

Boost your immune system

Dilute stress response

Increase strength & vitality

Thymus Tap Technique

Bunch the fingers of your dominant hand

together

Tap around your thymus area (between your

throat and breast’s) in a large circle in

anticlockwise direction (or left to right) for 20

seconds

Wellness Workshop

I developed my Wellness Workshop many years

ago and it is packed full of tools and techniques

that I give clients as homework to help keep

them balanced between sessions, much like the

technique described above.

I run the workshop over a day or half day

depending on the needs of the people attending.

My next half day workshop is taking place on the

29th February in Corse, Gloucestershire. For more

information please have a look at my website or

get in touch with me.

* * * * * *

Contact me for more information

I offer a free 15-minute telephone consultation so

you can find out more about the therapies I practice

and how they could help you. Contact me on T:

01531 579 035 or M: 07904 457 075, or via email on

E: helen@complete-balance.co.uk

The Link 27

What's on ... in February & March

Thursday 30th January to Saturday 1st February

The Adventures of Nellie the Elephant

Woodmansterne Operatic and Dramatic Society

(WODS) presents: The Adventures of Nellie the

Elephant, an original pantomime written by

Margaret Chorlton, MBE, especially for Junior

WODS. The story is based on the song, 'Nellie the

Elephant', recorded by 12 year old Mandy Miller

in 1956. Nellie runs away from the circus and

heads for the jungle, via the road to Mandalay. She

is accompanied by some hilarious characters who

try to help (or hinder) her on her journey. Nellie

encounters some tricky situations along the way.

What will happen to Nellie? Will she survive?

With well-known songs, awful jokes and, of

course, audience participation, the pantomime is

suitable for all ages. Evening performances on

Thursday and Friday at 7.30pm. Saturday matinee

at 2.00pm and evening performance at 6.30pm.

Tickets: Adults £10, children 3-16 £6. Interval

refreshments available. Tel: 07849 762294. St

Peter’s Church Hall, Chipstead Way, Woodmansterne,

Surrey SM7 3NR

Saturday 1st February

25th Purley Scout Group Jumble Sale

1pm to 3pm - St. Mark's Church Hall, Church

Road, Purley, CR8 3QQ - 50p Entry.

Wednesday 5th February

Munch with Music

St John’s Church, Clareville Road, Caterham

Valley. Andrew Chadney, Organ. Tea/Coffee

12.15pm to 12.45pm. Performance 12.45pm to

1.30pm. Free Admission – Donations welcome

Saturday 15th to Sunday 23rd February

Godstone Farm Olympics - February half term

Join us for an action packed day on the farm and

celebrate this Olympic year as you complete our

farm themed challenges. Will your toy tractor win

the race? Will your welly throw be far enough?

Get all 5 rings and join us on the winners’ podium!

With animal encounters and play areas to keep all

mini Olympians busy, everyone’s a winner!

Discover, explore and play! With over 40 years of

experience in providing genuine farmyard fun,

Godstone Farm is Surrey’s first choice for a family

farm adventure for you and your kids. Come rain

or shine, we pride ourselves on being interactive.

Looking after more than 500 animals, we

guarantee the highest standards of animal welfare

and enrichment and you can be sure in the

knowledge that we offer active learning through

wholesome, playful fun. As well as the animals, we

also provide tractor rides and a vast amount of

indoor and outdoor play equipment, including a

huge adventure playground and tailored activities

in our play barn. Tel: 01883 742546. Godstone

Farm, Tilburstow Hill Road, Surrey, RH9 8LX.

Saturday 15th February

Downland Chorale workshop

A choral workshop featuring folk rock for choirs-

Simon and Garfunkel, Fairport Convention, Byrds

and more. Registration 10.30.am Workshop

begins at 11.00 and finishes at 5pm with a

performance of the music learnt on the day

£12.50 Scores provided drinks and biscuits

provided, bring your own lunch. Tel: 07729

618226. Sanderstead Methodist Church, Limpsfield

Road, Sanderstead, Surrey CR2 9EF


Northern Soul/Motown/Ska & Mod night

Souled on Soul (ex Motown Nights Caterham)

relaunch. Featuring DJs Dave Sallis (Across The

Tracks) and Chris Dale (legendary 100 Club/New

Untouchables. Great venue. 7.30pm to 11.30pm.

Tickets - £7. Tel: 07931 862676. Caterham Ex

Servicemens Club, 15 Town End, Caterham, Surrey

CR3 5UJ.

Tuesday 18th February

Kenley Flyers WI

Come and join us at Kenley Memorial Hall on the

3rd Tuesday of each month, except August, at

7.30pm. We have a varied programme and

regular outings. You are welcome as a visitor for

two meetings. Contact Pauline on 020 8660 3810.


Wisdom & Wellbeing Fair

Wisdom & Wellbeing is a day of holistic delights

featuring 30 + stalls of beautiful products, talented

readers and healers. Refreshments will be available

including vegan options. 11am to 5pm. £2 entry,

under 16s free. NHS free. Tel: 07860 162641. Ark

Oval Primary, 98 Cherry Orchard Road, Croydon,

Surrey CR9 6BA.

28 28


Wednesday 4th March

Munch with Music

St John’s Church, Clareville Road, Caterham

Valley. Musicians from Trinity Laban. Tea/Coffee

12.15pm to 12.45pm. Performance 12.45pm to

1.30pm. Free Admission – Donations welcome.

Saturday 14th March

Blitzed Britain

At 4:56pm on 7th September 1940, the air raid

sirens wailed as the German Air Force launched a

massive raid on London. Over 350 bombers flew

across the Channel from airfields in France and

dropped 300 tons of bombs on the docks and

streets of the East End of London. The Blitz had

begun, a constant rain of death that fell heaviest

on London and hammered other cities. Month

after month, German bombers attacked British

cities, ports and industry. London was bombed

every day and night, bar one, for 11 weeks. During

the Blitz 32,000 civilians were killed and 87,000

were seriously injured. How did people live with

this death from the air? What could you do to help

you survive? Meet an Air Raid Warden and

discover how to stay alive. 1pm to 2.30pm. £5

per child. Tel: 020 8394 1734. Bourne Hall

Museum, Spring Street, Ewell, Surrey KT17 1UF.

Friday 20th & Saturday 21st March

Wendy and Peter Pan

Tragedy strikes the Darling family early on in this

adaption of this classic tale, Wendy and Peter Pan.

One night, a strange boy crashes through the

nursery window and suddenly Wendy and her

brothers are off with Peter Pan to Neverland for an

awfully big adventure. She’ll have to contend with

a fractious fairy called Tink give the Lost Boys a run

for their money, and face up to the dastardly

Captain Hook and his pirate crew. Along the way

she’ll have the chance to recover her parent’s

happiness and learn what it means to grow up. Ella

Hickson’s radical retelling of J.M. Barrie’s muchloved

story is a play (not a pantomime) and puts

Wendy centre stage in an adaption that is

refreshingly modern whilst never losing the charm

of the original. Tickets £9 - £10 are available from

01883 724852 or www.barntheatreoxted.co.uk.

7.30pm. Barn Theatre, 25 Bluehouse Lane,

Oxted, Surrey RH8 0AA.

Saturday 21st March

Indoor Boot (Tabletop) Sale

Indoor Boot Sale with 30 or more stalls selling a

variety of pre-owned goods including, books and

games, toys, clothing, shoes, bric-a-brac,

collectables, and much more besides. You are

bound to find a bargain here. Disabled access

throughout the premises with stalls in three halls.

Public transport links. Parking in adjacent roads.

Refreshments all morning: tea, coffee, biscuits and

cakes and bacon butties. 9.30am to 12.30pm.

Admission for buyers 50p and from 9am £2.

Accompanied children under 14 free. Sellers can

hire a pitch for £9, double £16 - these come with

a table(s). Must be pre-booked. Setting up from

8am on Saturday. Tel: 01883 723081. St Paul’s

Church Hall, Croham Park Avenue, South Croydon,

Surrey CR2 7HF.

Saturday 21st March

Welcome All Wonders - Epsom Chamber

Choir spring concert

Inspiring the title of Epsom Chamber Choir’s spring

concert is music by contemporary British composer

Jonathan Dove. Included on the bill are Vaughan

Williams’ Mass in G minor, Stanford’s Latin

Magnificat and John Tavener’s ‘Hymn to the

Mother of God’. James Henshaw returns as guest

conductor for this spring concert in which the choir

draws on the rich vein of English choral music.

Anthems by Byrd and Tallis from five centuries ago

are contrasted with works from both the early and

late twentieth-century. A piece by another fine

20th century choral composer, Gerald Finzi, is also

being performed but this time not by the choir but

by clarinet and piano – his wonderfully rhapsodic

‘Bagatelles’. 7.30pm. Tickets: £14 in advance, £16

on the door. Under 18 free. Tel: 020 8672 5495.

Text: 07940 486163. St Martin of Tours Church,

Church Street, Epsom, Surrey KT17 4PX.

The Arts Society Croydon Area

Meet Monthly (2nd Thursday) at 10.15am. All

Saints Church Hall, Sanderstead

13th February - Raphael

12th March - A Tour of Big Ben

For further details please phone 02086572496 or

email janice.brunger@outlook.com

To advertise The Link your event, email info@grapevinepublications.co.uk 29

30


Whatever the weather

article & photos by Geraldine Woods-Humphrey

Dawn, and I was on the top of Midsummer Hill

watching the sunrise colouring the

landscape in shades of orange and gold as it

peeked through a narrow stratum of grey cloud.

A bitter north-west wind was buffeting me,

making it difficult to hold my iPhone still so that

I could record the scene, rose-gold light

reflecting on the floods below me.

My iPhone is the only camera I have now and it is

grossly inadequate for my needs but arthritis makes

it almost impossible to hold my heavy Nikon D300s.

I have searched for a long time for a lighter

replacement, but everything I look at seems like a

downgrade from my old, trusty camera, so, for the

time being, I make do with the iPhone but not

without deep regret and a lot of moaning.

That morning, with wind numbed fingers and an

excited terrier tugging on the lead, I accidentally

took a selfie. It was an alarming photo: my eyes

peered out between my scarf and a woolly hat

pulled down over my ears as far as it would go. I

imagined the headlines: ‘Yeti spotted on the

Malverns. ‘Dawn sighting…’ etc, etc. But I was

grateful for both the scarf and the hat, I only wish I’d

put some gloves on. Down at the house it had

seemed quite mild, up here the wind cut straight

through me.

The floods have receded now and Christmas has

become a shadowy event located somewhere in our

memories. We squelched our way through autumn

and early winter, and experienced more fogs than I

can remember; up here we had so many days without

seeing the sun it was a relief to watch that sunrise.

We’ve had one of the wettest periods I can

remember. It has ruined crops, flooded people’s

homes and generally made life miserable. There

have always been weather extremes, but global

warming is intensifying them and somehow we

have to manage the consequences, even in our own

backyards. I planted winter salad crops, kale and

spinach last autumn, as I did in 2018. Then they

responded to the mild winter and grew resplendent

and tasty, this year they’ve sulked and barely put on

any growth at all. I’ve also been extending the

woodland garden and planning the planting

scheme. What do you plant that will cope with such

volatile weather and provide a succession of flowers

from spring onwards for the pollinators? For the

woodland area I’ve opted for more winter flowering

shrubs and trees as well as hellebores and

pulmonaria. At least if the weather is mild enough

to bring out the bees there will, hopefully, be

something for them.

The Link 31

32


(answers on page 38)

CROSSWORD

1 2 3 4 5

7 8

9

10

11

12 13 14

16

17

18

19

ACROSS

1

6

7

9

10

13

15

17

18

19

DOWN

1

2

3

4

5

8

11

12

14

16

Sun umbrella (7)

Detest (5)

Maybe (7)

Conditions (5)

Do again (6)

Be quiet! (4,2)

Heavenly body (5)

Batting session (7)

Approach (3-2)

Perfumed (7)

Writing medium (5)

Mariner (6)

Final (4)

Imposter (9)

Loaf-end (5)

Rebuke (9)

Transformation (6)

Muffler (5)

Sat for (5)

Pits (anag.) (4)

SUDOKU

Fill in the grid so that each line, each row and

each 3 x 3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9

without repetition.

8 2 1 6 9

5 9 3 2 8 1

3 1 5 2

4 6

2 9 6 7

7 6 8 1 3 2

9 1 2 4 8

TRIVIA

1. Which day of the year is St George’s day?

2. What colour is the bullseye on a standard

dartboard?

3. What is the name of Postman Pat`s pet cat?

4. Which breed of dog has breeds called Welsh,

Scottish and Irish?

5. What numeric term describes perfect eyesight

and a form of cricket?

6. Who was known as the Maid of Orleans?

7. How many boxes are used in the UK version

of Deal Or No Deal?

8. Which soccer club`s supporters are known as

the Toon Army?

9. What was Mohammad Ali`s birth name?

10. What is Doctor Who`s time box called?

The Link 33

EMERGENCY SERVICES

CRIME STOPPERS

HEALTH & HOSPITALS

COMMUNITY

CONTACTS

HELP & SUPPORT

(Relationship Counselling)

VETS & ANIMAL CARE

LOCAL & PUBLIC SERVICES

POST OFFICE

Sunday Closed

Wednesday Closed

34


The Link 35

10 Months Interest-Free Finance Available on

Boiler & Heating Installations

36


Architectural Services

Walk-In Architecture 36

Bathrooms & Kitchens

Boyden Tiles & Bathrooms 9

Premier Heating Supplies 17

Building & Construction

Cleaning Services

Capital on-the-hill 16

Michael Heyburn - Carpet &

Clubs & Groups

Caterham Oxted & Godstone Lions Club 18

Rotary Club of Caterham 8

Community Services

Age UK 14

South East Cancer Help Centre 30

Dance Classes

Dry Cleaners

Capital on-the-hill 16

DVD & Video Services

Carlton Video & Media Services 30

Electricians

Arenn Electrical 3

Estate Agents

Park & Bailey 40

Food & Drink

A Taste of Mexico 39

index of advertisers

Gardening & Landscaping

Foliation 10

Handyman

Heating & Plumbing


Surrey Plumbing Services 36

Health & Beauty

Slimmikng World 3

Kitchens & Bathrooms

Boyden Tiles & Bathrooms 9


Oven Cleaning

Pet Care

Anwell Veterinary Centre 3

Plumbing & Heating


Surrey Plumbing Services 36

Recipe of the Month

Roofing

Stamp Dealers

The Link 37

Veterinary Practices

Anwell Veterinary Centre 3

Wildlife

Surrey W

1. 23rd April

2. Red

3. Jess

4. Terrier

5. 20/20

6. Joan of Arc

7. 22

8. Newcastle United

9. Cassius Clay

10. The Tardis

(page 33)

7 8 2 5 1 4 6 9 3

6 5 9 3 7 2 8 1 4

1 3 4 6 9 8 2 7 5

3 6 7 1 8 5 9 4 2

9 4 5 2 3 7 1 6 5

2 1 8 9 4 6 5 3 7

8 2 3 4 6 9 7 5 1

4 7 6 8 5 1 3 2 9

5 9 1 7 2 3 4 8 6

P A R A S O L C C

A E A B H O R

P E R H A P S A U

E E M T E R M S

R E P E A T L T

R N C A

S I S H U T U P

C O M E T A A O

A A I N N I N G S

R U N U P G E

F D S C E N T E D

The farmer & the yuppie ...

A farmer named Sid is overseeing his stock in a

remote area of North Yorkshire when suddenly a

brand-new BMW skids to a halt next to him.

The driver, a yuppie in a Brioni suit, Gucci shoes,

RayBan sunglasses and YSL tie, leans out the

window and says: "If I tell you exactly how

many cows and calves you have in your herd,

will you give me a calf?"

Sid looks at the man, then looks at his peacefully

grazing stock and calmly answers, "Sure, why not?"

The yuppie parks his car, whips out his Dell laptop

computer, connects it to his Cingular RAZR V3 cell

phone, and surfs to a NASA page on the Internet,

where he calls up a GPS satellite to get an exact

fix on his location which he then feeds to another

NASA satellite that scans the area in an ultra-highresolution

photo. He then opens the digital photo

in Adobe Photoshop and exports it to an image

processing facility in Hamburg, Germany.

Within seconds, he receives an email on his Palm

Pilot that the image has been processed and the

data stored. He then accesses an MS-SQL database

through an ODBC connected Excel spreadsheet

with email on his iPhone 11 and, after a few

minutes, receives a response. Finally, he prints

out a full-color, 150-page report on his hi-tech,

HP LaserJet printer, turns to the farmer and says,

"You have exactly 1,586 cows and calves."

"That's right. Well, I guess you can take one of

my calves," says Sid.

He watches the young man select one of the

animals and looks on with amusement as he stuffs

it into the back of his car.

Then Sid says to the young man, "Hey, if I can

tell you exactly what your business is, will you

give me back my calf?"

The young man thinks about it for a second and

then says, "Okay, why not?"

"You're a Member of Parliament", says Sid.

"Wow! That's correct," says the yuppie, "but how

did you guess that?"

"No guessing required." answers the farmer. "You

showed up here uninvited; you want payment for

an answer I already knew, to a question I never

asked. You used millions of pounds of equipment

trying to show me how much smarter than me

you are; and you don't know a thing about how

working people make a living - or about cows,

for that matter ... because this is a flock of sheep!

Now give me back my bloody dog!"

38


A Taste of … Mexico

Mexican cuisine can be

traced back several

thousand years. Over the

different regions, beef, pork

and chicken, plus seafood, are

extremely popular and some of

the same dishes are often

found throughout Mexico.

Mexican foods offer

ingredients of beans and corn,

plus chilli peppers, and these

are regularly presented with

meats, rice and spices. Red

snapper, sea bass and prawns

are very popular, too.

Coal Drops Yard, King’s Cross,

London, is a redeveloped retail

area. During the 19 th Century

this site was London’s coal store

and has a very interesting

history:

www.coaldropsyard.com. Today,

this area provides popular

shopping and dining

experiences that include

independent shops, businesses,

bars and restaurants.

Casa Pastor and Plaza Pastor

offer a warm welcome from

Alejo and authentic Mexican

dining, with dishes that include

Tuna Tostadas, plus Tacos filled

with marinated pork shoulder or

fish, for example, and their

hugely-popular Ceviches.

Starters include various Botanas,

then on to Tostadas, that have

Cochinita, Chicken Tinga and

Tuna presentations. Very

flavoursome Tortas (Mexican

toasted sandwiches) are also

available. For Tacos the key is the

salsa. Made fresh, in-house,

these have Morita (chipotle,

tomatillos), Verde Fresca

(serrano chillies, tomatillos,

coriander), plus Mexicana and

Maya choices, through to El

Diablo, which is made with

some of the very hottest chillies

known.

Tacos offer Baja Fish (coronabattered

sea bass, shredded

cabbage, pico de gallo,

coriander) and Choripapa

(chorizo, potato, salsa verde,

coriander), which are very

popular, amongst an excellent

array, with mushroom, prawn

and chicken inclusions, plus Al

Pastor (Mexico City favourite

and inspiration for this

restaurant’s name). From the

Mexican-style rotisserie, half and

whole chickens are often

selected, with different

marinades and

accompaniments. Exceptional

complementing flavours and

splendid presentation definitely

warrant ‘Compliments to the

Chef!’ If sharing plates are

favoured, then hake, short rib,

steak and more, will most

certainly impress and satisfy.

Dessert selections include

creations of fresh pineapple,

Corn Cake and Queso Fresco

Cheesecake. Desserts pair

wonderfully with cocktails and

digestivos, too. Thank you to Lily

and Maureen, for excellent

service throughout. Popular

with locals (always a good sign),

a recommended restaurant, and

one to return to.

Casa Pastor and Plaza Pastor

Coal Drops Yard, King’s Cross,

London N1C 4DQ

Tel: 44 (0) 20 7018 3335

Email:

info@tacoselpastor.co.uk

www.tacoselpastor.co.uk

As always, Enjoy!

Trevor Langley

Images: Sam Ashton, @samsbowl

The Link 39

Time

for a

Move?

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your new nest...

If you are considering a move this Spring,

contact our team of property experts

for a personalised market consultation.

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for sale and to let, and for an

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