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The VILLAGER Issue 106 - Sept 2017 and Town Life LOCAL NEWS • LOCAL PEOPLE • LOCAL SERVICES • LOCAL CHARITIES • LOCAL PRODUCTS In this issue Win 2 tickets to see The Selector and Beat Beautiful Blackberries Win £25 in our Prize Crossword Bringing Local Business to Local People in Langford, Henlow, Shefford, Stanford, Hinxworth, Ickleford, Caldecote, Radwell, Fairfield Park, Shillington, Pirton, Upper and Lower Stondon, Gravenhurst, Holwell, Meppershall, Baldock, Stotfold, Arlesey, Hitchin & Letchworth Your FREEcopy The Old White Horse • 1 High Street • Biggleswade • SG18 0JE Tel: 01767 314344 www.lolineinteriors.co.uk e: [email protected] 2 Please mention The Villager and Town Life when responding to adverts The VILLAGER Issue 106 - Sept 2017 and Town Life LOCAL NEWS • LOCAL PEOPLE • LOCAL SERVICES • LOCAL CHARITIES • LOCAL PRODUCTS In this issue Win 2 tickets to see The Selector and Beat Beautiful Blackberries Win £25 in our Prize Crossword Bringing Local Business to Local People in Langford, Henlow, Shefford, Stanford, Hinxworth, Ickleford, Caldecote, Radwell, Fairfield Park, Shillington, Pirton, Upper and Lower Stondon, Gravenhurst, Holwell, Meppershall, Baldock, Stotfold, Arlesey, Hitchin & Letchworth Your Contents FREEcopy Back to Back ..................................................................37 Man’s Best Friend Beds Branch of the Masonic Fishing Charity ..................38 4 R.A.T.S. Rehoming Appeal .............................................40 Animal Queries ..............................................................43 Husband and wife take 10k-mile rally ...........................45 Puzzle Page ...................................................................48 What’s On ......................................................................50 Nick Coffer’s Weekend Recipe ........................................53 Prize Crossword .............................................................58 Man’s Best Friend ............................................................4 Book Review .................................................................62 Wine and Olive Oil: My Italian Passions ...........................8 Win tickets to see The Selector and Beat .......................12 Beautiful Blackberries Macmillian’s Biggest Coffee Morning ............................14 Macmillian Move More Herts ........................................16 34 Hertfordshire MS Therapy Centre ...................................19 How to Effortlessly Wear Red ........................................21 Stranger Danger ............................................................24 Say Church and Smile ....................................................26 Employment Matters ....................................................30 Beautiful Blackberries ...................................................34 9,500 copies delivered free of charge in the following areas: Henlow, Langford, Astwick, Edworth, Hinxworth, Caldecote, Newnham, Radwell, Bygrave, Shillington, Holwell, Pirton, Upper and Lower Stondon, Shefford, Ashwell End and Stanford (Further bulk drops are made to local shops and busineses in Arlesey, Upper and Lower Stondon, Shefford, Baldock, Letchworth, Hitchin and Stotfold) Editorial - Catherine Rose, Trevor Langley, Jennie Billings, Publishers Tracey Anderson, Carol H Scott, Rachael Leverton, Louise Addison, Villager Publications Ltd RSPCA, Nick Coffer and Kate Duggan 24 Market Square, Potton, Bedfordshire SG19 2NP Tel: 01767 261122 Advertising Sales/Local Editorial [email protected] Nigel Frost - 01767 261122 [email protected] www.villagermag.com Photography Disclaimer - All adverts and editorial are printed in good faith, Christopher Smith and Darren Harbar Photography however, Villager Publications Ltd can not take any responsibility for the content of the adverts, the services provided by the advertisers or any Design and Artwork - Design 9 Tel 07762 969460 statements given in the editorial. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored without the express permission of the publisher. Advert Booking and Artwork Deadline: Tuesday 12th September for the OCTOBER edition To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122 3 History By Catherine Rose Man’sThe domestic dog (canis familiaris) has beenBest Friend around for almost 20 thousand years. Despite resting on the dog’s flank and demonstrating the much speculation, modern research has bond in life between the two. concluded that all dogs are descended from the Like man, wolves are sociable pack animals who grey wolf (canis lupus), although it is difficult to accept the authority of a group leader. This made see what some of today’s diverse breeds have in them readily adaptable to human leadership, common with them. being naturally loyal and able to obey the rules In the 1960s, ethologist John Scott studied and of their pack. Scientists believe that our hunter- compared the behaviour of wolves and dogs. gatherer forefathers took grey wolf puppies from He concluded that the latter exhibited 71 out the wild, taming and interbreeding them to have of a total of 90 similar lupine behaviours, laying traits according to the needs of their owners – to rest questions about the origin of one of our from being hunting companions to helping herd favourite pets. livestock. Today’s domestic dog is the most varied mammal This selective breeding meant that some dogs on earth in terms of shape, size and behaviour. developed an acute sense of smell, hearing The oldest dog remains have been uncovered at or vision, while others developed speed and a Palaeolithic site close to the Ukraine. They date stamina, or guarding, hunting and retrieving back 19 thousand years, the skulls resembling skills. These traits evolved over thousands of those of modern Siberian huskies. Another years to produce diverse canine types that were Palaeolithic tomb excavated in Israel contained then bred within those types to evolve into the the skeletons of a man and his dog who had domestic dog breeds we have today. been buried together, the man’s hand touchingly We know from murals that dogs were kept by the 4 Please mention The Villager and Town Life when responding to adverts To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122 5 ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. Chinese selection, pedigree breeding has resulted in emperors lavished so much care on their canine genetic weaknesses within certain dog types. companions that they were even said to have Tail docking – a practice begun to prevent injury their own servants. and prevalent during the Georgian era following In Europe, owning a dog gained popularity from a tax on working dogs – also became a desirable the 13th century onwards, and during the Middle aesthetic trait for specific breeds. In more recent Ages it became a status symbol. Dogs were years, docking has attracted controversy and, referred to as ‘hounds’ (from the Old English word although still practised, is now often considered ‘hund’). Selective breeding increased during this unnecessary. era but the term ‘hound’ went on to become a Another topic that has also caused global specific canine type with long ears and an acute controversy in recent years is the traditional sense of smell. ‘Dog’ subsequently came into Asian custom of eating dog meat, often killed common use to refer to them all. inhumanely, which seems horrific to the many Across the globe, selective breeding according people who see dogs as companions, pets and to environment and need continued to produce helpers. distinct differences in dogs’ appearance, and Different dog breeds differ widely in their life breeds with recognisable traits emerged. For spans. Larger dogs tend to be shorter lived: example, some dogs were bred to have a longer Great Danes, for example, typically only survive snout or ears, others to have lighter coloured or eight years. The breed with the shortest lifespan longer fur. Today, there are two types of dog coat: - around five years - is said to be the Dogue de the double, originating from wolves and more Bordeaux, while the longest-lived breeds are suited to colder climates, comprising both coarse Toy Poodles and Border terriers, both of which ‘guard’ hair and a softer downy fur (such as that can survive for up to 15 years. According to the in golden retrievers for example), and the single Guinness Book of World Records, the oldest dog which consists only of a topcoat. was a mongrel named Pusuke, who was almost Dogs were still largely kept for purpose rather 27 years old when he ‘crossed over the rainbow than pleasure until the mid-19th century, when bridge’. the Victorians made family pet-owning a sought- Our long relationship with dogs runs deep into after social practice. With it came organised the backwaters of human history and will no dog shows and the birth of the Kennel Club doubt continue to do so. With the right training, in 1873 to differentiate between and regulate dogs have consistently proved themselves ‘pure’ or pedigree breeds. Dogs outside of these to be intelligent, loyal, affectionate and often specialisations came to be known as mixed breed invaluable companions, rightfully earning or mongrels. The first Crufts was held in 1891. themselves a place within our homes as a much- Unfortunately, with its move away from natural loved member of the family. 6 Please mention The Villager and Town Life when responding to adverts To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122 7 Food and Drink Wine and Olive