Viewing all items in Resource Category: Looking at You

What a flaming nuisance! Are you lighting fireworks on Bonfire Night?  The cost of a Bonfire Night party Organise a wine tasting this autumn Those giant autumn house spiders Why you should not squeeze your teabag Good news about dog theft ** Editor:  David Pickup, a solicitor, considers the problem of rubbish. What a flaming...

‘…His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor…’ Matthew 3:12 Autumn is time to tidy up the garden, whether it is collecting leaves, or cutting down trees and shrubs. So what do you do with the rubbish? Suppose you light a fire and you then get an angry neighbour coming...

If you are planning to set off fireworks at home on Bonfire Night, you may wish to review the Fireworks Code, to help keep you and your family and guests safe…. Only buy fireworks marked BS 7114. Don’t drink alcohol if you are the one setting off fireworks. Keep fireworks in a closed box. Follow...

Burning your money is one way to describe a fireworks party. But they can also be a fun way of socialising.  Here are some of the recent trends: In the UK, we spend an average of £100 to £300 on fireworks alone, if we hold a private garden party.  If we increase that to a...

Basic tips to get started Don’t try too many wines – stick to four reds and four whites, or eight of one colour. Chill your whites well and let your reds breathe. Have plenty of plain dry biscuits on hand. This will soak up alcohol and cleanse palates. Get your tasting order right: whites before...

We’ve all been there – quietly relaxing at home, when suddenly a HUGE thing with LONG legs scuttles right by you. You can’t help but jump, and if you are normal, scream. What just scared you was a fully grown adult male Eratigena atrica. They are among the largest spiders in Central and Northern Europe....

More than eight million of us drink at least two cups of tea a day. Many of us drink five cups or more. As a nation, we love tea. George Orwell loved tea. Back in 1946 he even wrote an essay, ‘A Nice Cup of Tea’ to set out his 11 rules for making the...

The only good news there can possibly be about dog theft is that it is going down, and finally this is true. After a horrific spike in thefts during the COVID-19, when due to 2020 lockdowns it seemed that everyone wanted a puppy, things have now settled down. According to pet insurance data and police...

Think twice before you join that committee\ How to stop your children becoming a pain in the back Stoptober 2026 Be thankful for grandparents Be nice to your knees Which milk do you buy? Why it is easy to break the law in your own garden ** Editor:  David Pickup, a solicitor, offers some advice...

People involved in church or village life are often asked to join committees or to help run things. These include trusts and charities, being a PCC member, school governors and hospital managers, village hall groups and I suppose judging bonny baby competitions. These community positions are vital for the good of everyone, but unfortunately not...

He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. (Luke 13) I was waiting for Evensong to start and had got most things ready. I usually sit outside while I wait if it is nice. It was a...

This month (5th to 11th October) is Back Care Awareness Week – a good time for parents to think about the challenges of simply picking up their children. For no matter how much you love them, there is no doubt that babies and young children can be a real pain in the back – literally....