Doctor Who at Escape Hunt

Cherry Butler

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Caversham & Sonning

Worlds Collide, the new Doctor Who escape room in Reading, proves challenging for Cherry Butler.

Worlds Collide, the first escape game officially based on the BBC series, gives players an hour to solve various puzzles and stop the Doctor’s arch-enemies, the Cybermen, breaking though a tear in the fabric of space and time and “upgrading” the human race.

You don’t have to be a true Whovian to play, but you do need your thinking cap on to make sense of the numerous puzzles.

There are some fun pieces referencing the TV show, but they seem to be window dressing rather than knowledge about them being integral to the game. This adds to the entertainment for fans but means you can play even if you haven’t watched Doctor Who since Tom Baker was in it.

Some of the scene setting was a clever surprise, while some was a tad lengthy without really helping us get to grips with the clues.

Not all the puzzles are Doctor Who or sci-fi related. There are so many that we found it a bit tricky to focus and follow the thread; one thing distracted us for ages, but only worked later. With few of the standard letter/number codes, combination locks or hidden keys, they make for a genuine challenge.

Escape Hunt’s rooms are high tech in comparison with more home-grown games. This slickness works well for the sci-fi theme; the sleek-looking setting lives up to the screen version with plenty of light-up gizmos. On the flipside, automation can occasionally cause frustration when items break down or don’t quite connect.

The minimum age to play is 10, accompanied by an adult. Having young Doctor Who fans with sharp brains and curious minds on your team might be handy! As long as they are prepared for a taxing – but not too tense – time.

A game costs £30-£33 per person depending on the number of players (up to six in a team), so Worlds Collide is priced higher than the other rooms at Escape Hunt Reading. Alice in Puzzleland, Wild West, Viking and pirate themed games cost £20-25 per person, with concessions for students and over 60s.

Reading’s games are upstairs in Kings Walk shopping arcade. Escape Hunt also has rooms in Oxford, Bristol and other cities around the UK and worldwide.

You can find out more and book at escapehunt.com

Image courtesy of Escape Hunt

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Cycle Safely

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More and more of us are cycling, but are you wearing a helmet? A Reading-based charity is encouraging everyone to Cycle-Smart.

Cycling is a great way to get fit, not to mention the benefits to the environment and the number of children and adults getting on their bikes has increased.

But are you getting on your bike and wearing a helmet? Often considered uncool, they are quite simply lifesavers and one charity is out to promote the importance and benefits of wearing one as you cycle.

The Cycle-Smart Foundation in Reading is committed to saving lives through the promotion of safer cycling, and helmets in particular. The award-winning charity was founded in 1998 by paediatric nurse Angela Lee who through her work saw the devastation head injury can cause, not just to the child but to the whole family.

Helmets have been proven to be effective in reducing potential brain injury and the charity works with parents, teachers, police, road safety officers and healthcare professionals to get this message across. Children’s skulls are thinner than an adult’s and their heads are bigger in proportion to their body, making them top heavy so if they do fall they are more likely to fall head first.

There are a few ‘rules’ to follow when fitting a child’s helmet:

• It should sit snugly and be comfortable to wear
• The helmet should remain secure when the child shakes or nods their head
• The rim should sit on the forehead, just above the eyebrows
• The helmet should not be tilted backwards leaving the forehead exposed and should not be worn too far forward as to cover the eyes
• Straps should not be twisted and there should be no slack in them
• Ensure the helmet does not affect the child’s ability to hear
• Cycle helmets have a use by date on them – a little known fact

Angie says: “Cycle-Smart educates children to understand the importance of their brain and that it is the body’s computer/games console, meaning it’s responsible for speech, feeling/touch, sight, hearing and more. Surprisingly, head injury can follow a low speed accident and not just high speed or impact as you may presume. The use of a helmet may dramatically reduce the injury sustained. We often get sent photos of damaged helmets from people who have been in a cycling accident and they say the helmet saved their life.”

Cycle-Smart go into schools to teach in peer groups, finding this the most valuable method to change attitudes towards helmet wearing, with pre-teens and teens the hardest to reach group as much of their decision making is swayed by image, peer pressure and the need to blend in.

“Through our programme we help to empower them to make an informed choice about their physical safety. We survey the children and young people who have attended our programme and many have reported back to us how they now wear a helmet and also encourage the rest of their family to as well,” says Angie.

Cycle-Smart has been chosen to benefit from the Co-op Community Fund this year. Go online to www.coop.co.uk/membership and search for Cycle-Smart Foundation.

For more information visit cycle-smartfoundation.org

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Green sale trail

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Looking for a handy way to get rid of your unwanted goods easily? Join the first Green Ticket Trail in Caversham

At this time of year it’s traditional to think about having a clear out, a good old fashioned spring clean – but rather than just throwing something away how about selling it to someone who wants it?

That’s the idea behind Caversham’s first Green Ticket Trail, save yourself the time of and hassle of listing each item individually online and host a Green Ticket sale from the comfort of your garage, driveway, porch or front garden.

All you need to do is sign up, pay your £10 fee and you’ll receive a sellers’ pack with all the information you need to run a successful sale. Your location will also be added to the trail map – ideally the sales will be fairly close together so buyers can ‘shop the trail’ more easily. If your location is not near others you can decide not to host the sale if you wish.

The idea is the brainchild of Caversham mum Katie Alexander who wanted to find a handy way of selling multiple unwanted items that were just filling up her house and share some bargains with others.

Katie says: “I want to bring our local community together on one morning for people to sell all their unwanted belongings conveniently and all in one go; from the comfort of their own home.”

She is also helping to support a great worthwhile local charity, Helen & Douglas House, which provides hospice care for babies and young children in Oxfordshire and the surrounding areas. All profits after Katie’s costs are covered will go the charity.

The trail takes place on Saturday, 27th April from 10am to 1pm.

  For more information and to book go to www.eventbrite.co.uk

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The search for King Henry I

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Reading Borough Council needs volunteers to take on role of costumed historical characters 

Do you have what it takes to be Henry I or Jane Austen?

Reading Museum is once again on the search for outgoing volunteers interested in taking on the role of costumed historical characters in the Abbey Quarter over the summer. 

The museum is keen to recruit male volunteers to take on the role of medieval monks as well as looking for Tudor women, a Georgian school pupil and someone to take on the leading roles of Jane Austen and King Henry I. 

They are also trying to find people to play supporting roles and get involved behind the scenes as wardrobe assistants to the historical characters. 

The volunteer recruitment drive follows on from the successful debut of the historical characters last year, where King Henry I, Empress Matilda, Queen Elizabeth and a medieval laundress, among others, helped bring the history of the Abbey Quarter to life at its reopening in June. 

Reading Museum Costumed Interpreters 

The role of ‘costumed interpreter’ involves interacting with visitors to the Abbey Quarter, to help bring the rich history of the area alive. 

By role playing the characters, volunteers will help people understand and empathise with the lives of the people who lived, visited or worked in the Abbey Quarter. 

Volunteers will be given replica period costumes to wear, as well advice on how to carry out research into their character and learn fact-based historical information to share with the public. 

No experience of drama is necessary, although the role is suited to enthusiastic, outgoing and friendly people, who like working as a team, are happy to wear a costume, stay in character and interact positively with members of the public. 

The role would involve a flexible commitment over some Saturdays and on the occasional weekday. 

Jen Woodhams, who volunteer interprets as Empress Matilda, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to do something completely out of the ordinary. I like the fact you can do as much or as little as you can to fit it in around your everyday life. I find the research side fascinating as you get to understand so much about the period your character comes from. I also love the way the museum encourages you to develop the role independently as it gives you a great deal of creative scope. The best part is engaging people and bringing Reading’s history to life for them and of course, it is immense fun dressing up in such a lovely costume!” 

View an interview with Jen below

Cllr Sarah Hacker, Reading’s Lead Member for Culture, said: “Our historical characters were extremely well received by visitors to the Abbey Quarter last year, and we are keen to expand on this success again. 

“This is a great opportunity for people to get involved in the Abbey Quarter and really help us bring history to life. If you think you could share your love of history with our visitors, this volunteer opportunity has the potential to offer loads of fun and a great experience.” 

  To find out more about the volunteer roles on offer visit www.readingmuseum.org.uk

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Henley House & Garden Show

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Looking for some inspiration for your home and garden, the head to the Henley House & Garden Show at the weekend. 

The show is returning to Henley town centre and the historic town hall on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd March with more than 65 exhibitors of high-end interior and garden goods and services as well as speakers, entertainment, competitions and more. 

Exhibitors include architects and curtain-makers, hot tub suppliers, cars and garages, cushions, candles and infusers, ceramics, garden sculpture and a boat. Designers for gardens, interiors, lighting and sustainability are available for expert advice, plus conveyancing specialists, home-builders and finance advisors. Home décor stands abound and all styles of furniture are covered from Italian dining tables to antiques, farmhouse tables and chairs to ‘living edge’ tabletop consoles. 

The show’s theme is conservation – both of the home (through sustainable recycling and time-honoured building traditions) and of the garden where butterflies and bees do such hard work.  These insects are the show’s symbols as they appeal to both garden and home lovers.  The RSPB and the Woodland Trust will be exhibiting as well as Henley’s own conservation and garden societies who will be in the town hall. Honeys of Henley will be giving a bee and honey tasting talk too. 

Local school children have been involved in an arts and poetry competition to draw bees and butterflies and the winning drawings and poems will be displayed at the show. There will also be a photography competition that will be overseen by the Henley College. Hashtag #HHGS19 on Instagram to send in your winning photos. 

Demonstrations, coordinated by the Creative Duck, will take place throughout the weekend on the stage in the central marquee. Displays include lampshade making, life drawing, building a hedgehog hotel, and tile painting. Local chefs will also be cooking at the Tara Neil Kitchen stand offering delicious treats to try. 

Three speaking events are taking place in the town hall, two on Saturday and another on Sunday. 

Tickets cost only £5 and all proceeds are going to the development of the garden at the Chiltern Centre for disabled children, a respite centre in Henley. 

Also on Sunday there will be  two Lego workshops for children at a cost of £15. 

To find out more visit www.thehenleyhouseandgardeshow.com 

  Tickets can be purchased at www.thehenleyhousegardenshow.com/speakers-workshops/ 

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Let’s Sing: The Hexagon

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Photo credit: Reading Arts

Choirs to battle it out for Mayor of Reading’s Let’s Sing 2019.

A “fantastic night of entertainment” is promised when 14 local choirs sing their hearts out to be the Mayor of Reading’s Let’s Sing champion 2019. 

Six youth and eight community choirs will be battling it out for the trophy at The Hexagon on Wednesday, 6th March.  

The youth choirs are: Calcot School Choir, Crosfields Chamber Choir, Jewel Tones, JMA Performing Arts, St Anne’s Primary School Choir and St Martin’s Glee Club.  

The line up for the community choirs is: Arborfield Military Wives Choir, Acquired Taste, The Barberettes, Reading Borough Council Staff Choir, Reading Community Gospel Choir, Readiphonics, Time to Sing Choir and Wargrave Community Choir.  

A winner will be chosen in each category and an overall Let’s Sing champion.  

Proceeds from the show will go to Mayor Debs Edwards chosen charities for the year – Berkshire Women’s Aid, Launchpad, Berkshire West Your Way and the YMCA. 

Cllr Edwards says: “We have got an outstanding selection of choirs taking part in this year’s Let’s Sing final. I think my fellow judges and I will have our work cut out selecting the winners. 

“It is going to be a fantastic night of entertainment and I would love to see The Heaxgon packed with supporters and music lovers enjoying the show and raising money for the Mayor’s Charity Fund.” 

The final starts at 6.30pm and tickets are £9.50, concs £4.50, family ticket £20.

  To book call the box office on 0118 960 6060 or visit www.readingarts.com

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Thames Valley Hospitality Awards

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Picture credit: Dijana Capan, DVision Images
Picture caption: Organisers Marc Allridge and Hilary Scott

 

Nominate your favourites for 2019 Thames Valley Hospitality Awards.

The 2019 Thames Valley Hospitality Awards are open for nominations celebrating excellence and outstanding staff in the sector. From hotels to B&Bs, bars to restaurants, it’s time to share who you think deserves to be honoured. 

In addition to last year’s categories, there are three new ones – Achiever of the Year, Wedding Venue of the Year and Outside Caterer of the Year. This is the second year of the awards and the organisers are delighted to be building on the success of last year. 

Co-organiser Marc Allridge of Cherubs Floral Design said they were very excited about the new categories. He added: “We would love people from managers to brides to nominate in the Wedding Venue of the Year category. And we want to hear form all those caterers who work away behind the scenes and often don’t get recognised for their efforts – winning Outside Caterer of the Year would fix that. 

“We also want to see lots of entries in Achiever of the Year – this is for a youngster who has overcome physical or mental issues to shine in the trade.” 

The gala awards dinner this year is being held at the De Vere Wokefield Estate on Sunday, 28th April and hosted by leading chef Daniel Galmiche. Fellow organiser Hilary Scott encouraged entries for this year, saying: “We had so many entries in our first year it was amazing. I hope that we can get more this year now we are a bit better known. And remember if you missed out last year you can enter again.” 

This year’s categories are: 

Hotel of the Year sponsored by TVHA 

Independent Hotel of Year sponsored by Newsquest Berkshire 

Bar of the Year  sponsor Matthew Clark 

​Restaurant of the Year 

​Hotel Manager of the Year sponsored by Cream Design 

​Front of house star sponsored by H&D Food Solutions 

Back of house star sponsored by Cherubs Floral Design 

Warm welcome  

Best breakfast 

Apprentice of the Year 

Three new categories for 2019: 

Achiever of the Year – a youngster who has overcome physical or mental issues to shine 

​Wedding Venue of the Year – in a competitive market who stands out for their venue, service and professionalism 

​Outside Caterer of the Year – in a growing market, we want to find the best 

  For full details and to nominate visit www.tvhawards.co.uk and don’t forget to share with us who you are nominating and why!

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Spice of life: local foodie’s book

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Pangbourne foodie Balwinder Kapila explains more about her new book A Pinch Of Spice.

That’s the first thing that springs to mind when you think of Indian cooking? The flavours? The colours? The wonderful spices and aromas, perhaps? Or do you think “I love the food, but I couldn’t cook an Indian meal. It’s too hard”? Trust me: it isn’t – and in this book, I’ll prove it!

For years, my friends in Pangbourne have asked me for the secret to Indian food, but, as a British person who grew up in an Indian family, I didn’t think there was any particular secret; it all seemed perfectly natural. The trouble sometimes seemed to be that people were using the right ingredients in the wrong way. When I was asked if I’d give cooking lessons to show how it was done, I tried to explain that it was easy. I think perhaps the idea of using unfamiliar spices and ingredients, coupled with visions of standing by the stove for hours on end made it all seem too much of a challenge for many. I hope this book helps dispel some of those myths and inspires people to be adventurous and enthusiastic about trying these recipes.

When I decided to write a cookery book in memory of our son (who was a student at Theale Green School), many friends were keen to help. The book has been eight patient years in the making. What was originally meant to be a little booklet for family and friends evolved into a full-scale project. A few hastily scribbled recipes eventually began to transform into a book. Cooking together, testing recipes in each other’s homes, sharing ideas of food and culture, photography masterclasses and proofreading all played their part.

I also wanted to share my experience of my Indian upbringing in Hounslow. As I put this book together it became clear to me that recipes and ways of preparing food for your family and friends carry with them stories and histories that are just as important as the ingredients themselves. They are about cultures, individual family members and memories, both happy and sad; about the everyday, special celebrations and love.

Most of the dishes are from the Punjab region of northern India. I have combined traditional Indian home-cooked food with other recipes that I have developed over the years. I hope you will enjoy serving your family and friends the dishes that I have so much enjoyed serving to mine.

   To contact me, or for more information, you can visit www.balskitchen.com, www.facebook.com/balskitchen or @balskitchen on Instagram.

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No strings! Pinocchio in Henley

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Immersion Theatre return to Kenton Theatre this month with a new musical version of The Amazing Adventures of Pinocchio. Peter Anderson finds out more.

Based on the fantastical children’s book, this magical story leaps off the page and on to the stage in this high-energy retelling of Pinocchio’s extraordinary adventures.

The show is packed with comedy, audience interaction, and a host of new songs guaranteed to have you singing along from start to finish.

The musical has been written by James Tobias and Robert Gathercole, who have combined to write many of Immersion’s successful productions. James says: “Having worked together so many times, Rob and I have developed a clear understanding of the style of show we enjoy creating: high-energy, pacy scripts with frustratingly catchy songs which serve to create a larger-than-life introduction to classic stories for youngsters which older generations can enjoy just as much. I adore all things family theatre so look forward to working on this wonderful story.”

Corey Jones is one of the actors in Pinocchio and Peter Anderson caught up with him recently to ask how he got the acting bug in the first place. By accident almost it would seem… “I was a musician firstly, saxophone being and then singing – being Welsh, it’s kind of a given that you’re in choirs! I then got dragged along to be in the local pantomime that my younger cousin was dancing in, as they needed more boys in the ensemble, and I never looked back.”

Pantomimes also feature in his memories of childhood visits to the theatre. Young Corey was mesmerised by school trip to see Beauty & The Beast at Cardiff’s New Theatre. Another early theatrical memory of his is of seeing The Lion King in London’s West End. Those childhood memories he has have inspired his work with Immersion, as their magic, storytelling and audience inclusivity remind him of those early theatre trips.

So, which actors have inspired him? “I’ve always been a big fan of actors such as Johnny Depp and Gary Oldman, and the works of Tim Burton which is why I like fairytale shows – there is usually a darker origin which interests me. Pinocchio has some really dark bits, but don’t worry we won’t scare the audience too much!”

    To find the scary and the fun bits, Pinocchio is at the Kenton Theatre on 15th & 16th February. For more information and to book, visit www.kentontheatre.co.uk

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Older & wiser: a care-giving career

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With our rapidly ageing society, the demand for elderly care at home increases and good care-givers are in high demand…

Many care providers are finding active retirees – sometimes nearly the same age as their clients – feature among their best employees.

“Older care-givers know the frustrations of ageing and have a lot of patience and understanding,” says Right at Home’s Kevin Lancaster. “They tend to relate well to their clients and can talk about the ‘old days’ with shared recollection.”

The number of older people delaying retirement is also increasing; with economic uncertainties and people living longer on fixed incomes, many are drawn to elderly care to supplement their incomes. Care is a natural choice for retirees wanting to give something back to their community and build meaningful relationships.

The UK Government recognises the value of recruiting older people. Department for Work & Pensions Minister Amber Rudd MP said: “Retirement should be an increasingly active phase of life, when people can continue working and volunteering, as well as saving and looking after their health. Older people have a wealth of skills and experience.”

“We love hiring older care-givers to provide home care for other seniors,” adds Kevin. “The Right at Home 2018 UK CareGiver of the Year, Yvonne, is a grandmother in her 60s. Older care-givers bring a compassionate awareness of age.

They already share Right at Home values, having grown up learning the value of commitments. The benefit of older people caring for their peers is a win-win situation for us all.”

    0118 207 0600 / www.rightathomeuk.com/twyford

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