Life-changing Obvs Skincare fundraiser 

Liz Nicholls

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Liz Nicholls

Obvs Skincare’s family fun day raises over £1,500 for Brain Tumour Research and The Sophie Barringer Trust 

Local organic skincare brand Obvs Skincare hosted a family fun day fundraiser at the Concorde Club, raising over £1,500 for The Sophie Barringer Trust and Brain Tumour Research. The event, organised by Obvs Skincare Founder, Sian Louise, was a huge success, with over 600 people attending to support vital causes while celebrating the launch of the brand’s new Organic Scalp Oil.   

The new product has a deeply personal story. Maddison, Obvs Skincare’s lab assistant, played a key role in formulating the oil while recovering from chemotherapy after being diagnosed with a brain tumour at just 23 years old. Created under Sian’s guidance and following Soil Association COSMOS organic standards, the oil supports scalp and hair health—something Maddison experienced firsthand during her recovery. 

The event also saw support from Southampton FC legends James Beattie, Mark Dennis, and David Hughes, who attended to back the fundraiser and its important mission.

Speaking about the event, Sian Louise said: “This fundraiser was more than just a celebration—it was about raising awareness and funding for critical research. Maddison’s story is a testament to resilience, and we’re proud to support both Brain Tumour Research and The Sophie Barringer Trust while launching a product that came from such a personal journey.” 

With over 600 attendees, the event was a fantastic community effort, bringing people together to raise funds and awareness. All proceeds will go towards funding research and supporting those affected by brain tumours. 

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Foodie courses at The Bell, Ramsbury 

Liz Nicholls

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Liz Nicholls

During April and May, The Bell is hosting several special food-focused events so you can learn from the best, including talented head chef James Graham 

Friday, 18th April, bring a Good Friday Fish Special – a special evening celebrating fish from around the world + fish & chips! On Thursday, 24th April, one for asparagus lovers: an eight-course dinner highlighting new-season asparagus. £80pp with optional wine flight, £45pp. 

On Thursday, 29th May, there’s a lamb butchery demonstration at 6pm hosted by The Bell’s head chef, James Graham, which includes welcome drink and small dishes served throughout the evening, £80pp. 

Recently included in The Good Food Guide and the Michelin Guide, this boutique retreat and community hub is owned by the Ramsbury Estate, which surrounds the village and supplies The Bell with its own multi- award-winning Ramsbury Distillery single estate gin and vodka (voted Vodka of the Year with the London Spirits competition 2024) and award-winning Ramsbury Brewery beers, and the Estate’s Black Gold extra virgin cold pressed rapeseed oil from its own Oil Press.  

Seasonal fresh produce is delivered daily from the Estate’s Priory Farm kitchen garden two miles away, along with regular consignments of beef from its own herds of Aberdeen Angus, flocks of water meadow lamb and wild game from its woodlands, which also help to keep the pub’s carbon footprint low. 

James Graham is passionate about and committed to creating a truly individual style of sustainable, responsible, farm-to-table dinning using the best, local, seasonal produce on his exciting, flavourful and regularly changing menus.  

Dogs are welcome in the bar, Cafe Bella, out on the terrace and lawned beer garden, and for overnight stays in the four converted coach house bedrooms, free of charge     

The Bell’s 10, stylish and individually decorated guest bedrooms, with six above the pub and four in a separate converted coach house, offer a calming palette enhanced with locally sourced antiques, comfy armchairs, prints and photographs, with luxurious Hypnos beds, upholstered headboards, hypo-allergenic duvets and pillows and crisp white linens.  

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The Haar will star in Harwell 

Liz Nicholls

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Liz Nicholls

Genre-busting folk band The Haar will bring their sweeping panorama of Irish traditional music to Harwell Village Hall on Friday, 18th April 

Known for taking a familiar tune and turning it into something breathtakingly fresh and ambitious, The Haar are a band of high-level improvisers who produce ever-changing musical soundscapes, while Molly Donnery lets her sublime vocals flow to stunning effect.  

This Anglo/Irish folk band bring the formidable singing talent of All-Ireland Scór na nÓg winner Molly combined with three of the most exciting instrumentalists on the folk and traditional music scene Cormàc Byrne (Show of Hands/Seth Lakeman), Adam Summerhayes, and Murray Grainger (both of the FATEA award-winning The Ciderhouse Rebellion).  

“We need more music like this; spontaneous, alive and affecting,” wrote FRUK of The HAAR who have also earned praised for their radically fresh, boundary-pushing take on traditional songs. 

“This is not a dyed-green-Guinness-and-a-bit-o’-craic Ireland, this is the coast of Connemara Ireland, watching the fog roll in around The Skellig Islands Ireland… devastatingly beautiful,” wrote Bristol 24/7. 

Expect a magical evening of stunning, made-in-the-moment renditions of some of the world’s most incredible songs. Doors open at 7pm with support from Eleanor Dunsdon & Gregor Black.  

Doors will open at 7pm ahead of the music starting at 7.40pm. Support comes from Eleanor Dunsdon & Gregor Black. Tickets £18pp at wegottickets.com

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Tower Wizard rings the changes! 

Liz Nicholls

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Liz Nicholls

Theo Boughton, the 10-year-old newly appointed Tower Wizard at All Saints’ in Marlow, tells us about bellringing and invites you to have a go at a church near you 

My duties include doing the register, waking my brother up for the Sunday morning service (he’s also a bellringer), and writing articles like this for Round & About and for The Ringing World.  

Bellringing is an excellent social activity for all ages. I started learning when I was eight but I’d recommend starting at 10 as you’ll be shorter than everybody and some towers can’t provide large enough boxes to stand on (but Hambleden and Marlow do).  

Usually you ring for services on a Sunday, practices that vary between all days but Sunday, and weddings.. but only if you’re good enough (and you get paid if you do, varying amounts!)  

You can ring a Quarter Peal method (45 minutes), or a Peal (three hours of ringing). It’s the equivalent of going to the gym but much easier and much more social! You can also ring if you’re blind or use a wheelchair. The only problem is some towers have quite steep stairs, others have ground-floor ringing chambers (Lane End, for example). So if you want to get fit, earn a little cash, or are just interested, get in touch with your local tower’s Tower Captain. You never know, some day our paths may cross! 

You can ring bells on practice nights at Cookham (once renovations finish), Wycombe/Bray (Monday), Marlow/Hughenden (Tuesday), Lane End (Thursday) & Hambleden (Friday). Visit odg.org.uk or type ODG EBSB into your search engine! 

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Marlow Players’ French connection 

Liz Nicholls

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Liz Nicholls

Gloria Kendrick tells us about The Marlow Players’ entente cordiale with Les Baladins (“strolling players”) de Marly-le-Roi ahead of another visit in May 

Marlow began a link with Marly-le-Roi, about 12 miles west of Paris, about 1971. Russell Sage, a teacher at Borlase’s Grammar School and a founder member of The Marlow Players, thought it would be a good idea for the Players to form a link with Les Baladins (strolling players) of Marly. Since then two companies have enjoyed visiting each other’s towns, as well as performing to delighted audiences.   

Every other year Les Baladins present a French play in Marlow and the following year The Marlow Players present an English play in Marly. Agatha Christie, Shakespeare and Noel Coward are just some of the playwrights we introduce to our French audiences. This year, for a change, we are taking one of our popular Murder Mysteries, presented in the form of a 1950s BBC radio play. The play will be performed in English, as usual, but there will be explanations in French to help those less fluent in English. The evening will comprise a “diner spectacle” – a meal will be served, probably before the performance begins. (For our home-grown evenings we invite our audience to bring an indoor picnic, which they may consume during our presentation.) During the interval we shall invite our audience to guess the identity of the murderer and, after the denouement, present a small prize for the first correct answer drawn out of a hat.  

As a troupe we shall travel to Paris, Gare du Nord by Eurostar, then by commuter train to Marly.  Two of our number are coming by car, which will be loaded with our props. e.g. our wind machine, some old-fashioned microphones and our costumes. Coach travel has become too expensive for us and we first travelled by Eurostar two years ago, which worked very well, as we had very few props to take along.  The weekend, hosted by Les Baladins and the Marly Twinning Society, was successful and very enjoyable. The one downside was the unannounced train strike by Eurostar staff, which we learned of only when we arrived on Sunday evening at the Gare du Nord.  We had to book in at a nearby hotel for the night and find an alternative method to get home on Monday. It is quite amusing to think back to now, but not so amusing at the time, when the station was full of confused passengers wondering how and when they were going to get back to the UK. 

We are travelling on Eurostar again – the triumph of hope over experience. I’m sure it will be just fine! 

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Full of beans ahead of Easter! 

Liz Nicholls

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Liz Nicholls

Milissa Davis, Watlington chocolatier & director of Tutu Chocolates, tells us about her sweet journey 

Watlington, with its picturesque Chilterns landscape, is a dream location for any chocolatier. The town is a perfect stop for walkers exploring the Ridgeway, especially on National Walking Day (it’s the first Wednesday of April). 

What makes Watlington even more special is its thriving independent high street, where shop owners pour their hearts into unique, curated products. From artisanal food to one-of-a-kind gifts, it’s a town chock-full of character.  

Tutu Chocolates was founded in 2011 by Zoe Haynes. My journey with chocolate began when I was 16, working as a Saturday girl at Tutu Chocolates. I fell in love with the art of chocolate making, fascinated by the craftsmanship and creativity. That passion led me to become an apprentice chocolatier, honing my skills, learning the techniques of tempering, moulding, and flavour balancing. Eager to expand my knowledge, after working for Tutu Chocolates for five years, I worked in London, completing courses across the UK & America, gaining invaluable insights from some of the best in the industry. When Zoe decided to retire & the opportunity arose to buy Tutu Chocolates in 2023, I knew I had to jump at the chance! At 23, I took on the challenge of owning and running the business, making me one of the youngest chocolatiers in the UK with my own shop. It’s been an incredible journey.  

Every chocolate is crafted by hand using traditional techniques. Tutu Chocolates is committed to sustainability and sources its cocoa through Cocoa Horizons, which supports farmers and promotes ethical practices. 

From the award-winning Fennel Pollen, Honey & Ginger truffle to the bold Mango & Chilli truffle, each piece is carefully curated to surprise and delight. The shop offers an immersive experience where you can witness the magic of chocolate making. Walking into Tutu Chocolates isn’t just about buying chocolate – it’s about experiencing it. The shop is filled with the scent of rich cocoa, the warmth of handcrafted artistry, and the joy of watching chocolate being made right in front of you. It’s a place where every piece has a story, and every bite is a moment to savour. Rich in antioxidants, chocolate boosts heart health, enhances brain function, supports mood & wellbeing, thanks to essential minerals and natural ingredients. 

Owning Tutu Chocolates has been filled with incredible moments. We recently won bronze for our Fennel Pollen, Honey & Ginger Truffle in the Academy of Chocolate, using Oxfordshire Clear Honey from our lovely Watlington beekeeper, for sale at Calnan Bros Butchers.  

I love seeing customers return happy again & again! From 5th April I’ll be creating a Tumble Stone Hollow Gigantic Easter Egg you can win at Stonor Park. And up until 18th April (Good Friday) Tutu Chocolates is collaborating with No.4 for an Easter competition to win a chocolate bunny & a soft toy bunny teddy!  

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The Skadinals, get moving for two-tone! 

Liz Nicholls

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Liz Nicholls

The Skadinals are sure to get the crowd bouncing at a venue or festival near you soon, including at The Chequers Marlow on 11th April. Liz Nicholls chats to singer Colin… 

Ska music – with its intoxicating fusion of Caribbean rhythms, jazz and R&B influences – is joyful and energetic, as you’ll find at The Skadinals’ live gigs. 

“We always have the place bouncing by the end of the night!” says Colin, who lives in High Wycombe. “We cover classic two-tone hits from the likes of Madness, The Specials, Bad Manners, The Beat and others. We’ve been going about 18 months with the current line-up and are steadily building a following.”  

 Today, The Skadinals’ line-up includes drummer Neil who lives in Faringdon, Witney bassist and backing vocalist Kev, guitarist Martin who lives in Wantage and sax player Nick who lives in Wycombe. 

Colin, who had been playing open mics and doing a few solo acoustic gigs but had never sung in a band before, was recruited via joinmyband.co.uk by the band’s original guitarist. He says: “I loved Madness but wasn’t that familiar with the rest of the two-tone genre other than the famous songs everyone knows… What followed was a three-month intensive ska boot camp as we built up a set list from scratch. We had our first gig in July 2022. It went pretty well and The Skadinals were off. We’ve slowly been gathering a following, and are already fully booked for 2025.” 

Last year The Skadinals performed at Witney Music Festival, “probably the largest stage we’ve played, and Follyfest in Faringdon where we went down a storm”. This year, festivals fans (watch this space for our festivals special next month!) they’ll perform at Lane End Festival, Follyfest, The Wycombe Big Bash 25 & Festibell, at The Bell in Princes Risborough… 

“We love playing the The Bell, it’s our most-played venue,” adds Colin. “It’s always a great crowd in there and each visit has been busier than the last. Other pubs we enjoy playing are The Belle Vue (probably Wycombe’s number-one music pub) and The Dashwood Roadhouse which also has its own PA and sound engineer. We’ve had a couple of amazing gigs there. 

“We also love Fat Lil’s in Witney; they have a house PA, a great sound engineer, a stage and a dancefloor, and The Red Lion in Kidlington. The Kingsley Cafe is a great venue, it’s shame they don’t do more evening gigs. We play infectious dance music and we like to see people up and dancing and singing. It means we’re doing it right, feed off that energy and play better. There’s nothing more rewarding than looking out from the stage and seeing the venue bouncing and people enjoying themselves.  

“We’ve tried to make fezzes a ‘thing’ for the band. The dream is to see a room full of people, and a sea of fezzes! Judging from our recent gig at Fat Lil’s, we’re getting there!” 

Find The Skadinals on Facebook at Visit facebook.com/Skadinals/ 

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Echoes of the Landscape in Woodstock 

Liz Nicholls

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Liz Nicholls

Enjoy 40+ artworks by sculptor Jon Earney & watercolourist Rod Craig in Woodstock, 14th to 21st April  

Art lovers visiting Woodstock this spring are set to be captivated by an inspirational joint exhibition featuring over 40 artworks by renowned watercolourist Rod Craig and sculptor Jon Earney. The exhibition will be hosted at No 14 Gallery. 

Both artists draw much of their inspiration from the beauty of the surrounding Oxfordshire countryside; Rod’s paintings of the majestic ancient oaks of Blenheim are a fitting companion to Jon’s meticulously crafted wooden sculptures as shown in Balance (above), a work in walnut.  

Rod’s light-filled watercolours (Little Green and Here Comes the Sun here) reflect a similar quality to Jon’s translucent polished alabaster sculptures (such as Pierced and Infinity). Jon says: “Working in alabaster is a calming, sensory experience. Smoothing the sculptures is a very long and extremely tactile process – I know it’s finished when it ‘feels’ right.” 

Jon Earney and Rod Craig met through their association with Artists in Woodstock and have exhibited together previously in group shows. Rod says: “I’m thrilled to have a joint exhibition with Jon; a synergy has developed in our respective work and both have an endless fascination for the elements, how time weathers the trees and landscape and the beauty of light on nature.” Jon adds: “When I moved to Woodstock, I saw Rod’s work in a gallery and was immediately drawn. It seemed we were both striving to create a little beauty and permanence in a chaotic world.” 

Woodstock has been Rod’s home for more than 30 years. He started his design business in the town and for the last 15 years has been painting full time – in his studio and out on location. When Rod isn’t painting, he can be heard playing the mandolin in various musical ensembles. He says: “Woodstock is an inspiring and unique place; striking architecture, lovely water meadows close by and of course Blenheim Park on our doorstep. Watercolour is my preferred medium; its vibrancy and fluidity allow me to create dramatic moods and atmospheric paintings of the countryside.”  

Jon’s career path was set in stone early; some of his earliest memories are “walking the beaches in Norfolk with my mother, searching for carnelian and small pieces of agate to take home and tumble polish”.  He started learning lapidary techniques while living in New Zealand, inspired by the resurgence in the Maori art of carving jewellery out of Pounamu (nephrite jade). He taught himself to fashion pendants. “It was a natural progression to sculpting in stone,” says Jon. “I love being outdoors searching. The most organic-looking of my pieces are likely to be from stones I’ve picked up on beaches and mountainsides.  

“More recently I’ve enjoyed the challenge of working in English woods; these are scavenged from hedgerows and recycled from dead trees. Barbara Hepworth has been a huge inspiration, particularly her use of negative space.” 

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Evie Whitehead: ‘listen to your gut!’ 

Liz Nicholls

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Liz Nicholls

Local nutritional therapist Evie Whitehead, DipION, mBANT, CNHC, who recently launched podcast series with ITN, advises us all to trust our gut! 

Born in Amersham, brought up in Beaconsfield, I am a local nutritional therapist with a passion for helping people feel their best through food!  

I have over a decade’s experience in helping people with all kinds of health concerns, but I specialise in gut-related issues. I run my private clinic in Bourne End and see my clients mostly online for private one-to-one consultation. My approach is realistic using simple, achievable and sustainable changes to help you feel your best. I often find the simple changes people can stick to get the best results, so please don’t think nutritional therapy means turning your world upside down!  

My very first client had an inflammatory bowel condition called diverticulitis. To study this condition, I leaned into the mysteries and inner workings of the gut and gut microbes which fascinated me. I started to see lots of people with irritable bowel syndrome (and still do) and learned how to find and correct the root cause/s of these conditions. Ten years on, it’s still my passion.  

We don’t know everything about the gut yet – this fascinating scientific area is still in its infancy. Despite recent advancements, we’re still uncovering the complex relationships between gut bacteria and human health. However, we know that we can modulate the behaviour and balance of the trillions of gut microbes in our gastrointestinal tract through food. This holds much promise in terms of preventing disease including autoimmune conditions, metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases.  

Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing gut experts from around the world on my ITN podcast series Listen to Your Gut. Interestingly, from the experts’ studies, the key missing component in participants’ diets was the same, regardless whether the condition was diabetes type 2, Crohn’s disease or depression. The missing ingredient in our western diet is fibre which we’ve largely replaced with ultra processed foods. These are generally low-nutrient, softer in texture and moreish, meaning we easily overeat them. They satisfy the dopamine centres in our brain making them highly addictive and they’re everywhere!  

Our food has changed so much since the industrial era but in the last 20-30 years it has become even more processed, full of sugar, oils and additives, making this “food” cheap to produce with long shelf life. This shift directly impacts our digestive system and gut microbes. We’re literally starving our gut microbes of the nutrients they need to survive which is making us ill. However, the good news is we can make some simple changes to make a big difference. Why not book a free, no-obligation call with me? Just email info@evienutrition.co.uk.

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Grow Together Bucks helping your community 

Liz Nicholls

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Liz Nicholls

Stephanie Killingbeck-Turner tells us about Growing Together Bucks (GTB), founded in 2020 with a vision to help local communities grow fresh food together & boost wellbeing 

Five years ago we were offered an overgrown allotment at Back Lane at Wycombe Marsh as a site for a community allotment. 

It was the early days of the first lockdown; fortunately allotments were one of the few places we could visit. With the help of committed volunteers, we established growing beds, accessed by wood chip paths. In 2023, support from the Rothchild Foundation enabled us to continue our community work. 

Today the allotment is a thriving organic growing space maintained by a wonderful, open, friendly group who welcome new volunteers, with Wednesday & Saturday morning sessions restarting in spring. Once a month through the summer, we share and enjoy a vegetarian lunch, made from produce harvested that morning and cooked on site. Volunteers also take home some of the crop with any spare food being donated to the One Can Trust. 

We also run two other projects: working in schools and community volunteering days. Our experience teaching in five schools has grown into the creation of a GTB Practical Growing Programme. This year, Marsh & Micklefield Big Local are supporting our work with Marsh Primary and Ash Hill School.  

Please find out more & get in touch at growtogetherbucks.co.uk

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