Affordable housing

Round & About

There’s no denying affordable homes need to be built. But where? Here are two emotive arguments for both green belt building or brownfield sites. Which do you feel is right?

GREEN BELT: A lot of families move to the countryside for all the benefits of living in a beautiful green area. However, when it’s time for the children to leave the nest, can they really afford a property in their home town?

BROWNFIELD: Many industrial or commercial facilities that may have moved or ceased production have left huge footprints of vacant land. Should money be put into these areas to clear them, ready for affordable housing to be built?

Cast your vote…

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Here is last week’s poll results, all about this summer’s hottest subject … the weather.

 

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Cat Quiz

Round & About

It’s International Cat Day on Wednesday, 8th August. This date was created in 2002 by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, and at Round & About magazine, we’re all about celebrating our affectionate friends.

Research shows that watching funny cat videos online can boost a person’s energy and create positive emotions, and, according to experts owning a cat can also be good for your heart. Petting a cat is said to reduce stress levels too.

So, cats have more than earned their extra treats and cuddles this International Cat Day. Go on, show your appreciation to that moggy in your life, or buy that extra pack of cat food at the shops to donate to your local rescue centre as a little thanks to our four legged pals!

In our October edition, it is all about the other animals in our lives. So if you  have a pet business and wish to advertise click here.

In the meantime, test your catty-knowledge with our quiz.

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Woking Wonders

Round & About

A glimpse of Woking between the wars is the focus of a current photographic exhibition by Sidney Francis at the Lightbox Gallery

Photographs around Woking: Sidney Francis in the 1920s and 1930s gives us a glimpse of life in Woking and the surrounding towns and villages nearly a century ago.

This fascinating, uplifting collection is testament to the area’s vibrant and diverse community spirit.

Visitors can gaze at locals dressing up celebrating Woking Carnival in 1927; family-owned businesses such as dairies, butchers, printers and confectioners proudly displaying their wares; crowds gathering for Remembrance Day memorials; religious holidays at the Shah Jahan Mosque (Britain’s first purpose-built mosque) and families uniting for modest yet joyful wedding parties, sports teams, Eid celebrations, parades, dancers and musicians.

Sidney Francis was born Sidney Francis Patient in Southwark. By the time of the 1911 census, he was working as a photographer’s assistant in Crawley. By 1916 he was working as a photographer in Godalming. During the First World War, he served in the Royal Air Force.

From 1923 Francis lived at 88 Maybury Road in Woking, where he also ran his photography business. Often describing himself as a “photographic chemist”, Francis’ work included wedding photography, commissions for local businesses, event photography for local newspapers the Woking News & Mail and Surrey Advertiser, and commissions for The Islamic Review.

For details, please visit www.thelightbox.org.uk

Colourful Capers

Round & About

The colourful comic book world of 1930s America lands in Windsor as Le Navet Bete brings Dick Tracy to the stage in their own style, writes Peter Anderson

Will Dick Tracy be able to save the day, get the girl and get to the bottom of who’s causing all the mayhem? Or perhaps the truth is closer than he thinks… With its theatre work rooted in the ridiculous, Le Navet Bete’s Dick Tracy is a physical comedy influenced by the world-famous detective incorporating fooling, original live music, plenty of audience interaction, lightning quick character changes, incredibly authentic accents spattered with mystery, malice and mischief.

I asked Al Dunn, one of the Exeter team, how he got into comedy, and Le Navet Bete? “I loved the slapstick side of comedy,” he says, “and can remember when I was 12 or 13 I really enjoyed watching programmes like Bottom with Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson. Then I met up with the other guys when we were at college. We worked out a show and took it to the Edinburgh Fringe. It went down well and ten years later we are still touring, in our 30s and married, so we don’t do as many foreign trips! But I am pleased to say our Dracula script has been published in Canada, America and Greece as well as other countries.”

So, I wonder, is he looking forward to performing in Windsor, and what can the audience look forward to? “I love the Theatre at Windsor it is really old and beautiful, as to what the audiences can look forward to, well… With Dick Tracy, we aim to recreate the colourful cartoon strips of 1930s America with loads of set pieces and great music. It is so much fun to connect with the audiences; they seem to love to watch something build and build only for it to come crashing down. I guess you could say slick but slapstick.”

This team promise you a show where the villains end up in handcuffs and the audience in stitches.

Dick Tracy is at The Theatre Royal, Windsor, 13th-15th September. To book, please visit www.theatreroyalwindsor.co.uk.

Calling carers

Round & About

Aura Care Living is looking to reward the best carers in the Cotswolds – and they need your nominations for these unsung heroes

Aura Care Living’s team are looking for the unsung heroes of Gloucestershire.

The award-winning care group, who run Cirencester’s Stratton Court nursing home and retirement village, have launched a competition to find the county’s best carers. The winner will receive a week’s respite at their care home and a luxury hamper.

“The nominee doesn’t have to be a relative or a friend, or someone caring for you, just someone who you feel is changing someone’s life for the better,” says Cliff Hasler, Aura Care Living’s managing director.

“As care home operators we understand the difference it makes to a person’s life when they are looked after so we want to hear from you if you know someone who is making that difference who is not a professional carer. This is your chance to say thank you to that person.”

You are allowed to nominate one person, who can be of any age and be providing any kind of care or support. Enter online at auracareliving.com/caring or pick up an application form from Kings Lodge. The nominees will be chosen at the beginning of September and as well as the respite package the winner will receive a luxury hamper.

For more information about Aura Care, or to book viewings, please call 01285 283132 or email enquiries@auracareliving.com

All aboard for charity

Round & About

Berkshire Community Foundation (BCF) is working hard to ensure charitable organisations get support, just like Wokingham Me2 Club

Berkshire is considered affluent, however there are areas of deprivation and Berkshire Community Foundation (BCF) is working hard to ensure nobody is left behind.

The funding is a lifeline to grassroots charitable organisations helping them to tackle need across the county. BCF supported 133 groups in 2017-2018 promoting better mental health and alleviating poverty and loneliness.

One of the groups, Wokingham based Me2 Club, received £5,000. The club supports children with additional needs and disabilities at a wide range of mainstream leisure activities. The beneficiaries struggle to access these activities because of their needs, resulting in social isolation.

Me2 Club trains and supports volunteers before they are carefully matched with a young person enabling them to participate. Liz McDaniel, Me2 Club’s Fundraising and Development Officer said: “Like all small charities, fundraising remains a priority, we were so excited that BCF supported us. This donation will allow even more children to take part in an activity! As a parent said to me, Me2 Club is “an amazing organisation that provides so much” to the child and family.”

Gerry Lejeune, Chief Executive of BCF said “Granting over £1,000,000 was a huge team effort and we’re delighted to have supported so many small charities. There’s a great need in Berkshire. This money will help many, so that they can continue their vital work.”

For more details, visit Berkshire Community Foundation or Me2Club

Chock-a-block with LEGO

Round & About

Take your children along to a enjoy a free “edutaining” workshop, between 3rd and 5th August, thanks to LEGO at the Natural History Museum

Children aged six years and up are welcome to join the sustainable superhero Plantus Maximus at the Kensington museum and learn more about the natural world through fun and interactive LEGO® brick-building experiences.

To celebrate the arrival of the first LEGO bricks made from plants, children are challenged to combine LEGO plant elements and bricks to build their own sustainable superhero and create a natural habitat fit for Plantus Maximus and his friends.

You can embark on a special adventure with Plantus Maximus around the museum to learn more about the environment, natural world and how to help protect our planet. Kids and families are also invited to join in a variety of free activities and events over the same period.

The Natural History Museum exists to inspire a love of the natural world and unlock answers to the big issues facing humanity and the planet. It is a world-leading science research centre, and through its unique collection and unrivalled expertise it is tackling issues such as food security, eradicating diseases and managing resource scarcity.

It is the most visited natural history museum in Europe and the top science attraction in the UK, attracting more than 4.5 million visitors each year.

Online booking is essential for the LEGO® Build sessions; visit www.nhm.ac.uk

Making merry with Robin Hood

Round & About

Join Robin Hood and his friends from Sherwood Forest this month in The Savill Garden, Englefield Green, thanks to an outdoor special from Chapterhouse Theatre Company

A dashing new theatre production of Robin Hood, adapted by award-winning writer Laura Turner, will be brought alive with sword play, song, dance and stunning medieval costumes. Producer Richard Main says: “The best thing, is each night is like an opening night. For the cast and audience each performance is an opening. If you imagine at the beginning of the summer the sun is high in the sky and there isn’t a star in the sky but as you work through the months the atmosphere changes. Unlike in a theatre, the audience has a chance to relax and see friends in a garden setting and there is a sense of freedom.

“I love the creative process of putting the tours together and creating the opportunities for arts to be brought to people up and down the country. I had toured Shakespeare as an actor as well, and these were always open-air productions, so the passion for gardens and being out in the open to deliver some of the most beautiful words ever written just became a part of who I was. Chapterhouse was a culmination of years of hard work and learning and I am still amazed to find myself in the very privileged position of performing at some of the most glorious venues in the world.”

Robin Hood & His Merry Men will  perform in The Savill Garden, Wick Lane, TW20 0UU, at 7pm (gates open at 5.30pm) on Monday, 27th August; tickets £11-£18. Visit www.chapterhouse.org

Dive in to some terrific tales!

Round & About

Take your little minnows to see Tiddler and Other Terrific Tales, adapted from the best-selling books by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, at Oxford Playhouse

Prepare to go under the sea, out on the farm and into the jungle, as four terrific tales are bought to life on stage with live music, puppetry and a host of colourful characters

Funky moves, toe-tapping tunes and giggles are guaranteed from beloved Julia Donaldson titles Tiddler, Monkey Puzzle, The Smartest Giant in Town and A Squash and a Squeeze.

Tiddler and Other Terrific Tales weaves together four stories by the multi award-winning author of some of the world’s best loved children’s books, most notably the modern classic The Gruffalo which has sold more than 13 million copies worldwide. Julia is best known for her popular rhyming stories for children, especially those illustrated by Axel Scheffler, which include Zog, Stick Man and Room on the Broom. Tiddler and other Terrific Tales is directed by Sally Cookson, with music and lyrics by Benji Bower, design by Katie Sykes, lighting design by Elanor Higgins and musical direction by Brian Hargreaves. The puppetry and associate director is Chris Pirie, and the associate director is Georgia Green. The cast features Maryam Grace, Anna Larkin and Alex Tosh.

Tickets for Tiddler and Other Terrific Tales, from Wednesday, 22nd until Saturday, 25th August. Call the ticket office on 01865 305305 or visit www.oxfordplayhouse.com

Claim to FAME!

Round & About

The 30th anniversary tour of Fame The Musical is coming. We catch-up with star Jorgie Porter, of Hollyoaks fame, ahead of her performance.

Remember! Remember! Remember the 1980, phenomenal, pop culture film, Fame The Musical? Well now there is an updated version, minus the legwarmers, still following the lives of students at New York’s High School for The Performing Arts as they navigate their way through the highs and lows, the romances and the heartbreaks of life.

This bittersweet but uplifting triumph of a show explores the issues that confront people even today. Jorgie Porter, perhaps best known for playing Theresa McQueen in Hollyoaks is taking on her first role in a stage musical and is delighted about it.

Jorgie Porter

“I am so excited to be making my stage debut playing Iris Kelly in Fame,” Jorgie tells us. “The musical is one of my favourite ever films and I can’t wait to open the show in Manchester, my home town. I’ve not had a chance to perform ballet for a long time. It’s what I originally trained in – so I’m looking forward to getting my ballet shoes on”.

Jorgie started ballet lessons aged three and it was only when she landed the role of Theresa she gave them up. So who, or what, has inspired her? “I went to see Phantom of the Opera as a child and that really made an impression on me,” she adds. “More recently, I am a big fan of Beyoncé and Darcey Bussell I just love the discipline she has. So, would like to follow Debbie McGee on to Strictly, and be judged by Darcey and the others? Wow, the leg extensions Debbie did last year – I would jump at the chance to do Strictly!”

This is Jorgie’s first role on stage in a musical, but she can draw on her time appearing in the soap as good experience. “Definitely, my work on the soap has enabled me to be in control of my emotions and be able to switch them at a moment’s notice. Plus, both of the characters have secrets that they are keen will stay hidden.”

As Jorgie starts this new venture, what is the best advice she’s been given? “Probably two central pieces of advice; always be true to yourself and make sure you have a circle of friends around you who will tell you the truth.”

Fame The Musical comes to The Hexagon, Reading between Monday 3rd and Saturday, 8th September:  www.readingarts.com  & New Victoria Theatre, Woking, between Monday, 1st and Saturday, 6th October www.newvictoriatheatre.