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Charity News
Well, it's the newsletter before Christmas, not a creature is stirring not even a ... Sorry, got carried away there. But it is, though, hasn't the time flown. Seems like only yesterday we were complaining about the endless heat of summer, now I'm writing this with me thermals on!
If you want to be a member of Northants Parkinson's People then, please
Join Us Here
A Few Thank-you Messages - from Angela
As this is our last Newsletter of 2021 I just wanted to say, on behalf of everyone, a Massive THANK YOU to our wonderful Sylvia. Not only does she ensure you get your newsletters via email every month, she makes sure we look after our gardens too. Sylvia also has a brilliant talent for fundraising and has raised over £1250 for Northants Parkinson's People!!! She is one in a million, and we love her.
More THANK-YOU's go to Danny Rooke - Dennis's son - here's a great picture of Dennis - he doesn't always wear the purple wig! Danny asked for donations via Facebook for his Birthday Fundraiser and raised a fantastic £150 - thank you, Danny.
Also, this month we have received another £200 donation from Harpole's 'Live and Let Live' Meat Auction. Each month a group of marvellous people from the village buy £100 worth of meat and sell £1 raffle tickets from the pub and around the village - they raise tons of money for local Charities, and this is the second time they have chosen Northants Parkinson's People. We were going to name a few of the hard-working fund-raisers but having to 'go to print' I have run out of time to gain permission, but you know who you are, and we are so, so grateful. THANK YOU.
Another wonderful Lady - Lady Lowther has also sent us a further generous donation - Lady Lowther has been growing and selling plants for worthwhile causes for many years and has supported us from the beginning. Thank you very, very much as always. Here is a picture of Lady Lowther, my Mum Isabel and Me at one of the Garden Open days in Guisborough quite a few years ago.
This picture brings me to my final, thank you. Many of you will know that my Mum passed away earlier this year quite suddenly, and I want to say thank you to everyone who sent me messages, cards and condolences. Northants Parkinson's People has some very lovely people involved - in the committee, the management team, younger guys, and everyone who comes to the walks and exercises. Thank you for being so kind and understanding, and for not mentioning how flaky I have been over the last few months.
I hope everyone has a peaceful and Happy Christmas. Much love Angela xx
Christmas Cards
Pat has been working hard on her fantastic cards, a small selection is pictured below. The quality of these cards is amazing. You can view and purchase these from Sylvia at either the Monday or Wednesday walks (racecourse car park) or after Fit&fab on Thursdays. Alternatively, email Sylvia at [email protected] if you want to buy or discuss options (custom or special occasion cards are also available). Prices for Christmas cards are £1.00 for small and £1.50 for large. Bargain!
Please get your Friends and Families involved
We are registered with EASYFUNDRAISING, which means you can help us for FREE. Over 4,000 shops and sites will donate to us when you use easyfundraising to shop with them – at no extra cost to yourself! All you need to do is sign up and remember to use easyfundraising whenever you shop online. It’s easy and completely FREE!
Even if you don't shop online, maybe your friends or families do.
Please ask them to help too
Click the image to sign up or go to
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Fit&Fab December Dates
Hello Gang - We will be Keeping Fit&Fab all the way up to Christmas -
2nd Dec - one-hour session start at 10am
9th Dec - 2-hour session to include tea, coffee & biscuits
16th Dec - 2-hour session to include tea, coffee & biscuits
23rd Dec - 2-hour session - exercise and a little party!! With refreshments
We will be closed on the 30th but back on the 6th January 2022
Mask Update: Could you please wear a mask coming into Church Rooms and to pay but once seated you can take them off. No one has to wear in cafes etc so we don't need to wear during coffee time. Please continue to regularly test and of course if you have been in touch with anyone with Covid please don't attend. Stay safe everyone.
Any questions you can call me 07954 099 537
Virtual Pub Quiz
Every 1st Saturday of the month. (next one is 4th December 11:00 am) Zoom in with the in-crowd. Several rounds of General Knowledge, Music and Pictures. A bit of a social at the end.
Walk In the Park- Update
The walk in the park combines exercise, fresh air, good company and Coffee (Wednesdays, The Old Grocery Espresso Bar, Colwyn Rd and The Park Café on Fridays) We are working on a venue for Monday walks.
The full itinerary
- Mondays 10:30, RACECOURSE, meet at the Pavilion car park.
- Wednesdays 10:30, RACECOURSE, meet at the Pavilion car park
- Fridays 10:30, ABINGTON PARK, meet at the Pavilion car park Starting on Friday 8th October Meeting at the bowling green/tennis courts. The nearest entrance is in Christchurch Road. If you use the 'What three Words' app on your phone the location is ///lace.hiking.drain
Keep the Romance alive
Walking with Parkinson's people
Northants Parkinson's People contact details are
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THE QUIZ
- On 18th September 2021 Princess Beatrice gave birth to a baby girl, what name have she and her husband Edoardo given the child?
- The MAZURCA, the POLONAISE, and the KRAKOWIAK are all dances, but from where?
- The character who is an artist (BASIL HALLWOOD) is the central character in which novel, first published in 1990?
- Who played the role of the renegade submarine captain in the film "THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER"
- Who starred as "ARTHUR" in the 1981 film "ARTHUR"?
- Which imperial unit is the equivalent to 0.453592 kg?
- What is the daily record of events that have taken place on board any maritime vessel called?
- What is the official residence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
- Which river flows through NEWCASTLE, GATESHEAD and JARROW emptying into the North sea.
- On which island is the famous TT motorcycle races held.
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Parkinson's Disease Aid
It has to be said I am rather a sceptic and tend to overly question things. So, when someone mentioned the 'Eye Guide' to me and I read about this new 'invention' to help people with Parkinson's, I wasn't convinced. However, and isn't it strange how these coincidences occur? - a friend called to say they were in fact trying out the Eye Guide!!
Before I say any more, I want to stress that this device will not be effective for everyone, it is not a cure, and it does have its limitations. However, in this instance it has made an improvement with walking gait, balance and particularly tremors. My friend's tremors were very debilitating, taking away much needed energy, so to get some relief from these has made a big difference. The limitations are that when the user is tired the effectiveness decreases, this is also the case at end of dose - when the next pill is due.
The person that invented this device has Parkinson's herself, and I am told that the customer service was fantastic - they even suggested taking the device home and sending payment later if and when it was found to be of benefit.
Despite my scepticism and I want to be very clear we are not endorsing this product, I feel it would be remiss of the Charity not to inform our readers. Finally, the device is not cheap - approximately £1000.00, and you will need to visit the company for fitting. Also at present, the device does not work if you wear glasses, although a version that does is in development. If you think this is of interested, have a look at the website and give them a call.
https://www.eyeguidemc.co.uk/
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Parkinson's Disease Aid | Eye GuideMC Ltd | Long Sutton
The Eye GuideMC is a new device invented by a person with Parkinson's, for people with Parkinson's. It is a simple, wearable aid that can drastically improve the quality of life of a person with Parkinson's Disease.
www.eyeguidemc.co.uk
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Hello once again.
At this time of the year, we all like to get out and do a bit of tidying up in the garden, but there are some plants which should not be cut back this month:
Do not trim Cherry, Plum or Peach trees now as they are prone to fungal diseases if pruned in winter. Wait until next spring or summer. It is too late to prune climbing Hydrangeas –this should have been done in late summer immediately after flowering. Bush Hydrangeas should not be pruned now, either.
Evergreen grasses should never be pruned, and deciduous grasses should be left until early spring. We have not had much in the way of ‘proper’ rain in the last few weeks, so don’t forget to water any plants in pots. (I suspect that by the time this goes to print, it will have rained in biblical proportions!). Displays of winter pansies in pots and hanging baskets should be watered once a week if no rain. Try to water around midday so that the temperature has risen a little.
I noticed a few days ago that the leaves of my rather beautiful tall black bamboo had rolled up. A sign of lack of water. It’s a rather beautiful specimen in my opinion, and I was horrified that I hadn’t noticed its distress before. It is growing in a very large pot and is a good ten-foot tall. However, three large watering cans full of water later, and it had perked right up!
Most of the stuff in the garden is taking a well-earned rest, so now is the time to do a bit of washing and cleaning. Wash all the pots ready for next year. I use warm water with antibacterial washing up liquid. Other things to clean are garden tools, secateurs, spades, forks, trowels etc. Again, wash in warm water. Then, when they are dry, use a piece of sandpaper over the metal bits and along the blades of the secateurs. Afterwards, I spray them with WD40.
Lastly, sort through your flower or veg seeds and discard any which are out of date. Then you will be able to make a list of the seeds you need to buy for the next growing season.
It won’t be long before the daylight starts to lengthen by a few seconds per day, and we will all know that spring is on its way! Happy Christmas everyone!
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Nicknames
I was thinking recently about some old friends from my army days, then a thought 'popped' into my head. Almost everyone who i knew from those days I knew mainly by their nicknames. Most nicknames are usually given to people as an identity mechanism, These are just a few but as you will see when it comes to nicknames there are many factors in play it's not just simply "oh he comes from Ireland, so he's called Paddy. During my service i had a few Irish mates one of whom had the nickname "F.A.T.S" this was due to his initials as his full name was Finbar Alloysius Turkington - Stevens.
Of course, to be blessed with an unusual or exotic surname was a godsend to those who liked to label others with a nickname, a good example of this, was when I enlisted. On the first muster parade, all of us new recruits lined up as the sergeant called out our names. This is what happened, the Sgt. called a name "BUCKLE" "SIR" I answered, "Is that the correct way of saying your name?" If it wasn't, you had to tell him, so then the Sgt. got to the lad next to me, and he was a bit nonplussed "I will spell this one" so he did "how do you pronounce it" " TCHAIRAZERZINSKY" (pronounced SHARAZERISINSKI) "Thank you lad , but from now on when i take morning muster you will answer to Smith with z, understood lad" but it was all done with a smile.
Also, the lads from the channel isles gave rise to a few good names; "FRENCHIE" FORVAUGE, "GROUCH" De GRUCHEY, "DING-DONG" De BELL.
There is a vast array of given nicknames such as DUSTY for anyone named RHODES, CHALKY for WHITE, WINDY for MILLER, the list is substantial, but I've never been able to fathom the logic between NOBBY and CLARK.
But the one nickname that brings a smile to my countenance is PIGLET this was my best mate for 3 and a half years in Aden. He was called PIGLET, he carried somewhere on his person a small knitted figure of piglet from the Winnie the Pooh stories. It was his little son's, he gave it to his dad when he left for Aden.
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Beginners Art by Judith
For this month, I have chosen to sketch two popular and beloved family pets for you try out. As I was sketching these pets, it brought back memories of the lovely beagle we had, who was the boss in our home for many years.
Here are a few tips on how to start. For instance, it might be easiest outlining dog number one from the tip of his nose, then continuing with the rest of his head. Once you are happy with your outlined sketch for dog number one, start shading in. Next, use the same strategy for dog number two and dog number three. Moving on to dog number four, starting with the top of his head and following the sketch of his body all the way through. When you are happy with your drawing of dog number four, try a bit of shading to make him seem more three-dimensional. The similar approach applies to dog number 5, starting from the tip of his nose, following the line from his nose until you have completed the whole dog. Then move on to the next animals: rabbits number six and seven. Progress as previously with the dogs, starting at the tip of his nose continuing with the rest of its body. Then shade in its body to create a feeling of fur. Some of you may have a pet, other than a dog or rabbit, which might also be fun to draw. Another idea might be creating your own birthday or Christmas cards with the design of your own pet. Going one step further, why not put a frame around your pet drawing? It would make a great personal gift for someone special. That could be a really fun activity to do. I have enjoyed getting this month’s drawing ready for you.
Good luck and have fun! More animals to follow next month.
Judith
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Recipe of the Month
SPICY PLUM ROLL
This is delicious with hot runny custard. Mmmm!
This is my version!
Ingredients
- 1 Pk ready-made shortcrust pastry.
- Tin of plums in natural unsweetened juice.
- A little butter,
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- A handful of sultanas
- mixed spice to taste
Method
Drain the plums well, saving the juice. Mash the plums, stir in a teaspoon sugar (maybe two if you have a sweet tooth), sultanas and mixed spice to your taste. You can even add a little ground
cinnamon if you like, and I do like!
Unroll the shortcrust pastry and spread a little butter over the top. Now cover the pastry with the plum mixture, leaving an edge all the way around. Carefully roll into a Swiss roll shape. Cut into
one inch thick slices. Lay the slices on their sides in a deep sided baking tray. Drizzle the tops with a little of the saved plum juice and bake on the middle shelf of the oven at 190c for 35-40 minutes. Check occasionally and if the pastry is going too brown, just lay a piece of foil or baking paper on the top.
Of course, the correct version would be to make your own shortcrust pastry and stew fresh plums, but when time is at a premium my version is so much quicker and just as tasty!
Sorry, no photo as it got eaten too quickly!
Sylvia
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- SIENNA
- POLAND
- The POTRAIT of DORIAN GRAY ( BY OSCAR WILDE)
- SEAN CONNERY
- DUDLEY MOORE
- One POUND weight
- The ships LOG.
- Number 11 DOWNING STREET
- The river TYNE
- The ISLE of MAN
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Mimi on the move - Part three
Another report from our wandering secretary (well ex secretary now I suppose) Mimi has moved to South Korea (the Island of Jeju) to teach and is sending the occasional report for the newsletter
War and Peas and Cheeky Puppies…or lots of selfies…or lots of trees…
We’ve found a nice new walk nestled between what is called a Dark Tourism site and the sea. Dark Tourism is unfortunately where many times Jeju and South Korea have been either invaded or used strategically in a conflict, or both, over the years. Here is an old airfield, showing aircraft hiding places, and viewing platforms, commemorating the lives of the Islanders forced to build fortifications for the Japanese. It is incredibly well maintained, and lots of visitors visit these many, many sites over the Island.
Then the fields are full of …radishes (didn’t rhyme with anything) but am sure there are peas somewhere…alongside TANGERINES which the island grows everywhere – literally all over
(and yet they are still expensive...we’ve started to get ours from one of the hundreds of roadside ‘shops’ almost straight from the trees. Lovely!
This road takes us to the lovely beach (easy for the dog to run around), again one of many as you would expect on the Island. The one in the picture on the left, is where we’ve seen dolphins (I promise they are in the picture!)
As you may have noticed, we have a new foster puppy – named Chinghu. This means ‘friend’ in Korean. He is very strong and very silly and loves chasing birds and running…sometimes he runs away, but so far he’s come back. It keeps Paul occupied taking
him out and about.
We had a few days on the east side of the Island this week (as it is half-term). We stayed in a quaint Pension (B&B) and visited the main sites (unfortunately it was poor weather, fortunately that meant we saw an amazing double rainbow over the Sunrise Peak.) We saw Udo, a small island off the coast, and walked around seeing a slightly different side of the island (but still full of ‘tourists’ much like ourselves!) It is such a popular place, and selfies are the thing – with selfie sticks, poses and much queuing to get to the best spot! It is an art in itself…and one we are resisting a bit.
Another ‘tourist’ visit - well, 2 actually – but both to Botanical Gardens. Hallim Park had bonsai and chrysanthemums and ostriches (and was beautiful) and Camellia Hill had…well camellias! And many other specimens. This overlooked Halla the main volcano / mountain, and we can just see some snow fall on top. Very lucky viewing that day.
Hope you enjoyed this instalment – I shall next report after our 3-week Xmas Holiday on the Island…can we do a full Roast?? We shall let you know… xxx
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Funny Christmas Jokes, well funnyish, it took me ages to pull all these crackers!
1. What do you call an obnoxious reindeer? Rude-olph.
2. What did the stamp say to the Christmas card? Stick with me and we’ll go places!
3. How is Christmas exactly like your job? You do all the work and some fat guy in a suit gets all the credit.
4. Why did no one bid for Rudolph and Blitzen on eBay? Because they were two deer!
5. What do you call a scary looking reindeer? A cari-boo.
6. What does the Queen call her Christmas Broadcast? The One Show!
7. What do reindeers say before they tell you a joke? This one’s gonna sleigh you!
8. What do you call Santa’s little helpers? Subordinate clauses.
9. Why don’t you ever see Santa in the hospital? Because he has private elf care!
10. What’s the difference between the Christmas alphabet and the ordinary alphabet? The Christmas alphabet has No-el.es
11. Why is it getting harder to buy Advent calendars? Their days are numbered!
12. How do you know when Santa’s around? You can always sense his presents.
13. How did Scrooge win the football game? The ghost of Christmas passed!
14. What do you call an elf that can sing and dance? Elfis.
15. What do angry mice send to each other at Christmas? Cross-mouse cards!
16. Where does Santa keep all his money? At the local snow bank.
17. What do you call a broke Santa? Saint Nickel-less
18. What do you call a bunch of chess players bragging about their games in a hotel lobby? Chess nuts boasting in an open foyer!
19. What did the beaver say to the Christmas Tree? Nice gnawing you!
20. Why don’t crabs celebrate Christmas? Because they’re shell-fish.
21. What does Miley Cyrus have at Christmas? Twerky!
22. What’s every parent’s favorite Christmas Carol? Silent Night.
23. What does Santa do with out of shape elves? Sends them to an elf Farm.
24. Who hides in the bakery at Christmas? A mince spy!
25. What do snowmen eat for breakfast? Frosted Flakes or Ice Crispies.
26. How do snowmen get around? They ride an icicle!
27. What do you call Santa when he takes a break? Santa Pause.
28. What does Santa do when his elves misbehave? He gives them the sack!
29. What do you get if you eat Christmas decorations? Tinsil-itis!
30. What did Santa say to the smoker? Please don’t smoke, it’s bad for my elf!
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And Finally...
We named him Buddy eventually, totally forgetting Christmas was just around the corner. So couldn't resist a Buddy Holly Picture
Happy Christmas everyone from all at Northants Parkinson's People |
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