FOR YOU AND 60,000 READERS ACROSS THE COTSWOLDS & VALE FREE Cotswold & & INDEPENDENT valeOCTOBER 2020 Issue No. 244 magazine JUMP FOR JOY LET’S DANCE You tell us which song gets you moving DELIGHTFUL Rob fi nds Gaiety (the Avon kind) SNAP HAPPY Race against time to unveil camera club’s stars BYE BYE BARRIE (SOBS) Our motormouth zooms off into the sunset LOCAL WALKS t EATING OUT t MOTORING t PROPERTY t GARDENING t LEISURETIME t HEALTH & BEAUTY t BUSINESS and more! www.tomcookcarpets.co.uk TOM COOK OPENING HOURS Monday-Friday 9am - 5pm Saturday 9am - 2pm CARPETS t: 01386 833766 Re-fresh Your Home with WE’RE fabulous NEW Flooring OPEN! - DOMESTIC & COMMERCIAL - Exciting NEW We’re proud to have Ranges NOW IN been awarded High Level of Customer Satisfaction $"31&54t 7*/:-4t -".*/"5&4 A great range of fl ooring for your home or offi ce... to suit all budgets! CALL IN AT OUR BLACKMINSTER SHOWROOM BLACKMINSTER BUSINESS PARK, BLACKMINSTER, EVESHAM, WORCESTERSHIRE. WR11 7RE Vale Magazine 2 THE INDEPENDENT THE BATHROOM BATHROOM STUDIO EVESHAM LTD SPECIALIST design installation supply only retail supply only trade contract specialist VISIT THE SHOWROOM - OPEN Mon to Fri 8am-5pm. Sat 9am-5pm Unit 2, Evesham Trade Centre, St Richards Road, Evesham. WR11 1XG Tel: 01386 47234 www.the-bathroomstudio.co.uk OPEN: Monday to Friday 8.30am-5pm. Saturday 9am-5pm www.the-fl ooringstudio.co.uk Vale Magazine 3 AS Covid continues to cast a shadow, we Do you live near all need uplifting news... and we’ve plenty to make you beam this month. a noisy road For starters, you can lose yourself in the wonderful world of the Vale of Evesham OR FIND YOUR WINDOWS DRAFTY? Camera Club’s exhibition winning images. One LYNNE graces our cover and there’s a smorgasbord of It’s time to consider the benefi ts POWELL talent to enjoy in our special feature. Editor of Secondary Glazing... If you remember the Avon’s river queen REDUCE Gaiety, then you’ll love Rob Hemming’s piece NOISE after we tracked her down to her new life, as a BY UP TO family home. 80% MP Nigel Huddleston takes time to reveal some tasty titbits in our new Quick Questions cut heating bills and increase security with feature and we unveil the Vale’s best kept secondary glazing! secret... the identity of anorak astrologer Runic Suitable for most property types and window styles Ron in a valedictory to our dear departing including bespoke windows and listed buildings. motoring man Barrie Baldelli. Harry Green MBE celebrates a bird that I’ve Contact us today for a FREE QUOTATION never heard of, Andy Pedrick’s pages are a riot of colour and Alan Coxon fondly recalls a Turkish coffee experience. (Chef) hats off to Alan, whose latest gong is a QUALIFIED SURVEYORS & FITTERS gold medal for 2020 and 2021, presented by tel: 01789 778592 the global guide of Ambassadors of Taste® in [email protected] recognition of his lifetime contribution to world QUALITY WINDOWS, DOORS & CONSERVATORIES www.avonbridgeconservatories.co.uk gastronomy. Congratulations too to the Evesham Anti Litter Group, which attracted 34 people in the latest clean up in Evesham town centre. They fi lled more than 30 bags of rubbish, Plumbing taking the total picked since the group launched, four years ago, to a commendable & Heating Repairs 1117 in 63 litter picks. Brilliant! welcome LYNNE POWELL 24 hr COLIN COOKE Emergency Response 7 days a week - call 07947 534982 Est 1967 92% ATTENDED WITHIN ONE HOUR Carpets & SON Plumbing & Heating Emergencies SUPPLIERS & FITTERS OF Gas, LPG, Oil & Electric Boilers QUALITY CARPETS AND VINYLS Mains Pressured Cylinders 01386 556643 The Shop that Comes to You! www.1stcall24-7.co.uk SERVING THE VALE AND SURROUNDING AREA www.colincookecarpets.co.uk safe GAS TM REGISTER For a friendly service ring Paul Experienced - Local Family Run Business. Unit 5, Pershore Trading Estate, Pershore. WR10 2DD 01386 443223 - 07850 226667 Master Fitter Vale Magazine 4 Individual A relentless quest for distinctive products. An obsession with challenging the norm. An appreciation of what defi nes you. This is why we are individual. And how we create individuality. INDIVIDUAL KITCHENS Blackminster Business Park 01386 833 866 Blackminster WR11 7RE dimension-design.co.uk CUSTOM MADE CURTAINS & BLINDS // DESIGNER FABRICS // PAINTS & PAPERS Visit us at our Blackminster showroom Providing a friendly and professional Interior Design Service. Whether you need a full design service, or help picking out key fabrics, wallpapers or paint EQNQWTUVQGPJCPEG[QWTJQOGYGECPJGNR[QWƂPF the look that best suits your style. Tue - Fri 9.30am - 5pm / Sat 9.30am - 1pm (Monday by appointment only) interiorsbynicola.com T: 01386 741040 E: [email protected] The Old Bank, Blackminster Business Park, Blackminster, Evesham, Worcestershire WR11 7RE @interiorsbynicola.com Vale Magazine 5 inside information... 10 CELEBRATING GAIETY: Remember the COVER IMAGE Avon’s record-breaking cruise queen Gaiety? Rob Our delightful Hemming has been charting her journey since she cover shot, left us 30 years ago. entitled Launch, was taken by Alan Denison 12 QUICK OFF THE MARK: Local MP Nigel CPAGB BPE2* Huddleston kicks off the first of our new regular for VECC’S feature Quick Questions, and reveals his best day Photo2020. ever and his greatest fear. 45 20 SSSTARTLING: Harry Green MBE trains his binoculars on a wry-looking bird with a habit of REGULARS turning snake-like to ward off intruders. Vale Weather .......................... 9 Hemming’s Way ..................... 10 30 HOT WIRED: A buzzing Alan Coxon’s into coffee, Vale Magazine Quiz................. 14 with particularly happy memories of sludge-reading Bird of Month ......................... 20 sessions in Turkey. Soccermouth .......................... 22 Win a Meal for Two ................ 25 32 NETHER REGIONS: We stride off from the tiny, 16 Thinkers’ Corner .................... 26 pretty Cotswold village of Nether Westcote for this Runic Ron ............................... 29 month’s walk. Food & Eating Out .................. 29 Vale Walk ............................... 32 Vale Leisuretime ..................... 34 36 WE MADE IT: Vale of Evesham Camera Club judges managed to select Win a Music Voucher .............. 34 the Photo2020 stars just before the Covid shutters came down. Sudoku ................................... 35 Pershore Notebook ................ 42 45 GOTTA DANCE: We ask you what song gets you up and on the dance Vale Vox Pop .......................... 45 floor. Naturally Abba’s Dancing Queen figures. Business & Professional ........... 48 Vale Gardening ....................... 51 55 CHANGING GEAR: We bid a fond farewell to our motoring man, and Vale Motoring ......................... 55 secret astrologer, Barrie Baldelli as he zooms off into the sunset. Directory ................................ 60 CONTRIBUTORS HOW TO CONTACT US 10 Cotswold & Vale Magazine, Enterprise Centre, Lynne Powell (Editor) Juliette Kemp Vale Business Park, Evesham, Worcs. WR11 1GS Maureen Butler Tony Lane Tel: 01386 41144 email: [email protected] Barrie Baldelli Andy Pedrick www.valemagazine.org Alan Coxon Ian Pickering Published by Perfect Image UK Ltd. Alice Gillman Zoe Print Harry Green MBE Ian Tustin HOW TO SUBSCRIBE Please send a cheque/P.O. for £25 to the above address Gary Hale Val Wood To advertise in our (rate includes postage, UK mainland only, packing and next issue please tel. Mark Hamblin administration and is for one year - 11 issues). Please make 01386 41144 Rob Hemming cheques/P.O. payable to: Cotswold & Vale Magazine. Please note that all words, photographs and designs contained in this publication are the copyright of Perfect Image Cotswold & UK Ltd. and Cotswold & Vale Magazine. No part of the Magazine may be reproduced without prior consent of the publisher. We make every effort to ensure that the contents of this Magazine are accurate at the time of going to press. Readers are reminded that opinions expressed in the Magazine are not necessarily those of the management. Advertisers are reminded they have a duty to provide fair and honest copy. valemagazine If you have any queries or comments, contact us at 01386 41144, email [email protected] Luxury lingerie, swimwear boutique and more! A treasure trove of treats... Linda Rose, the Luxury lingerie and swimwear boutique in Alcester, is gearing up nicely for the autumn season. Since taking over the boutique in December 2019, new owner Jude Hough has worked hard to keep the beautiful and loved brands that Linda Rose was known for, as well as bringing in luxury new products to delight her customers. “When I placed the order for this autumn/winter back in gift ideas February we had no idea of what was to come with Covid etc. But it turns out that I chose wisely. ARRIVING “Since re-opening it is clear that customers are enjoying shopping again and treating themselves, and we have even SOON more to enjoy. We’ve expanded the ranges, bringing in new brands like Laurence Tavernier with their super snuggly robes, and Voluspa luxury candles from California. Not forgetting fabulous new lingerie brands like Andres Sarda. “It means we have a growing treasure trove of treats that complement our lingerie ranges, and completely capture the new desire to feel wonderful in less structured clothes, or to treat ourselves with when we do venture out for a shopping trip. “Our loungewear has been really successful, and customers can look forward to more DKNY and Eberjey sleepwear as we move into the autumn season. “We have an expanded nightwear range new brands to the boutique - Black Spade and Feraud Nightwear - will be arriving during October. Call in at: 2 Market Place “As the season goes on there will be gorgeous slippers and bejewelled flip Alcester, B49 5AE flops, make-up and wash bags too - perfect for luxury gifting.’’ The boutique remains open for walk-ins or if customers prefer they can book tel: 01789 400152 [email protected] an appointment online at www.lindaroselingerie.shop ‘’We also notice that customers like coming to Alcester, where they don’t have CURRENT OPENING HOURS: to pay for parking and the shopping is easy, stress-free, and not crowded.