LOOK AFTER YOUR GARDEN WILDLIFE THIS SPRING

Build a block of flats for your favourite garden creatures

With the warmer weather hopefully on its way, now is the ideal time to get outside in your garden and create a perfect habitat for the huge array of wildlife which live right outside your door step.

Children are fascinated by wildlife whether they are wriggly worms, creepy spiders, loveable ladybirds, buzzy bees, mice or frogs!  And they will love helping mum and dad to build this amazing-looking wildlife stack, which provides much needed shelter and nesting places throughout the important months ahead.

Carolyn Budding, director at Little Terra, the UK’s leading kids outdoor gear company, said:

“A wildlife stack is like a block of flats for our garden friends – providing a range of different animals and bugs with essential shelter and nesting sites.  By providing a number of habitats all in one structure your children will be helping lots of species survive and may even encourage new and unusual visitors to your garden!”

There are no rules to building a wildlife stack – you can be as creative as you want and use materials and junk you have lying around.  The easiest way to start is with a number of wooden pallets, which you can often get for nothing from supermarkets, garden centres and other retailers or which many people often have rotting in their gardens from old deliveries.

Once you have collected four or five pallets the next step is to think about what you want to put in between them.  Consider using a different material for each layer to add contrast and interest and make the stack look like an outdoor work of art.  Pebbles, rocks, household bricks, twigs, roof tiles, garden paving slabs, straw and logs will all look amazing and attract different little creatures.

Little Terra has teamed up with the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust to bring you your very own Guide to Building your Own Wildlife Stack:-

1. Take a walk around your garden to see where best to site your stack.  Stay away from damp areas as well as parts of the garden that may get too hot in summer.  The site should be level and remember when it’s finished it may be several feet high so choose somewhere where it won’t get in the way.
2. Firstly lay out a layer of bricks on the ground – broken ones are perfect for this job and provide little crevices for frogs and toads and other amphibians.  Then place a wooden pallet on top.
3. Stuff the pallet with straw, wooden shavings or dry grass, which will make cosy nesting sites for many creatures and attract queen bumble bees.
4. Add some bricks around the edges – air bricks with holes in are best for this as they will ensure a good flow of air through the structure and the holes also look good stuffed with pine cones – the perfect habitat for spiders, small insects and other invertebrates as they hide in the gaps between the cone scales.
5. Make sure the structure is stable, then place another pallet on top and then create a different layer.  A more open environment would be good here – try using clay plant pots around the outside and fill in the middle with old roof tiles or broken garden pots – a great little den for hibernating reptiles and lizards.
6. Add a third pallet and create a contrast in material with some twigs and branches bunched together which will be perfect for larger insects, including every child’s favourite garden visitor – butterflies.
7. You could add a fourth pallet and make a different layer.  Pebbles, rocks and stone will look great and will create a similar habitat to a drystone wall, providing a cool and shady spot for reptiles and nocturnal animals on hot days.  Logs with holes drilled in to the end will provide nesting places for many insects including solitary bees.  Bits of bamboo lengths will give ladybirds a home over winter and rolled up pieces of corrugated cardboard are ideal for attracting lacewings into your garden, as their larvae feed on aphids and other pests.
8. Once you have finished layering, make a roof to keep the stack dry with a piece of roof felt or heavy duty UV stabilised polythene tacked on.
9. Complete the look with attractive pieces on the top such as logs, cones, rocks or make it look like a proper little house with ornate chimney stacks and roof tiles – the children will be bound to come up with lots of ideas to help!

Your hard work will be rewarded with an attractive garden structure that will look good and which will keep the kids occupied for hours, checking out your latest garden guests.

For inspiration see the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust’s Wildlife Stack at its Conservation Centre at The Avenue Washlands, Wingerworth, Chesterfield or visit www.littleterra.co.uk or www.derbyshirewildlifetrust.org.uk.

I want to lose weight but every time I diet I put more weight back on.

The danger with dieting (reduced calories) is that each time you undertake it you affect your Basal metabolic rate (BMR). Your BMR is the number of calories you burn to fuel all essential body processes and keep your organs and tissues in working order.

Your body requires calories to breathe, pump your heart, generate body heat, perspire, transmit messages to your brain, and produce thousands of body chemicals. Everyone is different: it is dependent on height, weight, age and daily activity levels. Eating enough calories is crucial to your body being able to cope with the demands you place on it daily.

When you reduce daily calorie intake (dieting) your body starts to adjust to this and your Basal metabolic rate slows down. This means that it becomes less efficient at burning calories because, if it stays turning them at the previous rate, it would start to break down lean tissue (muscles and vital organs). When you then start to eat normally again your body is not used to burning the extra calories so stores them as fat.

The most effective way to lose weight is to calculate your BMR and create a calorie deficit through physical activity.

Physical activity increases your lean tissue which in turn increases BMR as your body’s calorific requirement increases.

To lose weight, ensure you are only eating this amount, or 5% less, and increase your physical activity. Walk to work one day a week, start an exercise class, go walking with a friend. You should undertake 20-60 minutes of moderate physical activity 3-5 times per week for health, so, not only will you lose weight but you will be healthier too!

By Vicky Edge from Fitness Revolutuions

Secrets to keep you glowing

Don’t let the elements take their toll on your looks. Here, the Jas Hair Salon Wilton share their secrets to keep you glowing this month

Face First: Visit the salon and experience a Free Dermalogica Mapping consultation with Sarah. One-to-one advice with our professional skin therapist. Designed to assess your skin to put together a personalised, results-orientated, skin care regime using products that address your needs.

Face Mapping is a complimentary service (come on girls, we love a FREEBIE )

Scrub up well: look after winter skin with regular exfoliation. With dry body brushing, this will stimulate cell renewal for healthy glowing skin and revs up circulation.

Relax and re-energise: treat yourself to a Therapeutic Massage Treatment to rid yourself of those pre and post Christmas stress-induced, tired and aching muscles while boosting your energy levels.

Cold comfort: protect against the elements, wind, cold, rain and central heating. Dermalogica Climate Control is a therapeutic balm formulated to help read acutely damaged skin and provide a barrier against environmental damage.

Stress Relief: don’t let the harsh effects of the winter damage your hair – such as wind, cold and central heating . Book yourself a Cut and Blow to keep your hair looking and feeling healthy this season. – Monday Only Promotion £20 cut and blow dry with Carla.

The Tisbus group trip to Waitrose last month was enjoyed by some and not by others.

If you are at all doubtful whether a visit may include too much walking, standing or too many stairs for you, please ask when booking – it may be possible to borrow a wheelchair if you really want to go on the visit. As there is a lift to the restaurant the visit to Salisbury College for lunch this month should be fine.

Wednesday, April 21 – A visit to The Close, Salisbury, with a guided tour of the Cathedral. You could have lunch in the Refectory before the Group visit to Mompesson House Costs for non-National Trust

members is £12.75, and for NT members (provided a current membership card is shown) £8.25. Again, an initial £5 seat reservation deposit is needed, and the remainder to be paid by Friday, April 9.

New art gallery with a difference comes to town

New on the local business scene and based in Wilton is an art gallery with a difference.

The business has had a very positive start and has been met with a warm welcome from local people.

The Wilton Art Gallery is owned by Sue Waugh and run by her and her partner Peter. They have lived in Wilton since July last year and love the town, so there was no question about the gallery being housed anywhere else.

The gallery provides a wide choice of contemporary original art, and an outlet for many local artists and other artists throughout the UK.

Sue said she has had incredible support from Peter, and her son Paul, and his friends, helping to get the business up and running. Peter is an artist, originally from Denmark and he works from a studio which is part of the gallery.

The bright, inviting interior of the gallery was created by Paul and his friends, and it has been the focus of many complimentary comments, even in these early days!

Now, tourists and local residents have a new attraction and an added bonus for the ancient capital of Wessex.

A Warm Welcome is Guaranteed.

Dave & Tina Turner of The Bell Inn, South Newton extend an especially warm welcome to customers now the new central heating system is up and running.

It’s thanks to RGV heating engineers, who provided a professional service with minimal disruption to the business. Of course, for those who enjoy the comfort of a real fire, the wood burner is still burning to  provide the cosy atmosphere customers have come to expect from the inn.

Although the pub itself dates back to 1737, the new heating system is a contemporary measure to bring it right into the 21st century – with its green credentials. The boiler is run by bio-fuel made on the  premises using recycled cooking oil which also runs the vehicles for our business, as seen on The One Show, October, 2008.

“Of course, there is only so much oil we, as a small busness, can acquire, so any donations of used cooking oil would be gratefully accepted. Telephone me on 01722 743336,“ said Dave.

“With a warm welcome in a cosy environment we have an array of events planned this spring for your entertainment: live music – traditional Irish, bluegrass, country and acoustic performed by Victor  Timanfaya Grass on Friday, March 6, 8.30pm: Karaoke Night featuring DJ Mitch on Saturday, Ladies Night at The Bell – free shot of sambuca on arrival, for the girls, and vodka £1 a shot all night on Saturday, March 20 and April 3,” he added.

The re-introduction of curry &a pint for £7.00 every Friday from 6pm to 9pm, and the ever- popular hidden pint at £1.50 every Monday from 6pm should prove popular. The pub team plays in the District Darts (winter league) every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

New rules apply to those earning more than £100,000, £130,000 and £150,000

The tax year runs from April 6 until April 5 of the following year.

Personal and employed income is based on the income received in the 12 calendar months relating to the specified tax year. You may be interested to know that income tax was originally introduced in 1799 as a temporary measure to finance the Napoleonic Wars with France.

Each year, there is a pre- Budget speech by the Chancellor in November when, in general terms, the Nation’s Budget spending for the following year and the personal allowances for individuals are announced and confirmed, sometimes with changes, in the Budget published in March each year.

This year there has been no inflation and, therefore, the Chancellor has not increased personal allowances. They remain the same as in the current year namely, a basic personal allowance of £6,475 per annum (£125.52 a week) and the next £37,400 at 20% tax rate.

Thus, you will not pay higher rate tax until your gross income is £43,875 or more. You can effectivelyIncrease your personal allowance by making personal pension payments. Thus, if you paid £5,000 into a pension, you would not be liable to pay higher rate tax until your annual income was £48,875.

For those between 65 and 74, personal allowance is increased to £9,490 per annum if your total annual income is £22,900 or less. This additional allowance of £3,050 reduces by £1 for every £2 income over £22,900. For those with an income over £29,000, the basic personal allowance of £6,475 applies.

These allowances apply to both husband and wife/partner. With careful planning, a couple could have an income in excess of £90,000 pa before paying higher rate tax. Income received from ISAs – cash or stocks and shares – are not liable to income tax. Additionally, if you take an income of up to 5% (of the original capital sum) from a life investment bond, that too is paid tax-free and neither of these items needs to be declared on your tax returns.

If you receive dividends from shares or ISAs, tax is deducted at 10%, and no further tax becomespayable unless you move into a higher rate tax bracket. Note: non-tax payers cannot reclaim the tax paid on these dividends. I should add that dividends received under ISAs are excluded from higher rate tax.

The law now states that pension contributions have to be made within the individual tax year to which they apply and therefore if you are self-employed or your income is not at a fixed level, you need to be sure that you have made any lump sum pension payments based on an assessment of expected income.

Since A-Day in April 2006, personal pension contributions may be as high as earned income in that year, with upper limits. The Chancellor has now introduced, with effect from April 6, new rules that will apply to those earning over £100,000, £130,000 and £150,000 respectively per annum.

For those who wish to make large capital gift payments to your family, you may like to know that payments up to £3,000 per annum are exempt from any potential inheritance tax liability and can be made retrospectively to the previous tax year.

Also, if you have a substantial sum and wish to make gifts to your family shortly before the end of the tax year and have not made gifts in the previous year, you may give £6,000 on April 5 and a £3,000 more on April 6, making a total of £9,000.

Gifts that form part of normal expenditure and are made out of income rather than from capital do not attract potential inheritance tax liability.

Couples in receipt of an annual income, either from employment or from pensions, and also have investments should try to ensure both parties have taken advantage of their tax allowances.

Note: A transfer of investments between legal partners is allowed without gift or IHT implications. Also remember that, although old age pension is paid gross, it is nevertheless liable to tax and forms part of your taxable income.

I am writing from a financial planning viewpoint and you should bear in mind that I am not an accountant: but if you have any individual queries you would like answered, you are most welcome email me at littlebryan@gmail.com.

I hope these comments will help you to pay a little less tax in the future and to arrange your income and investments in an attractive format.

A final note – for those of you with substantial investments, capital gains tax is levied on individual gains in excess of £10,100 in the current tax year, but in the case of joint holdings, that allowance is doubled for married couples and legal partners.

If you are sitting on gains in excess of this amount, you should give active consideration to encashing part of your investments and re-investing, thus taking advantage of your tax free allowance in this tax year.

For Mr and Mrs Average, it should be possible to arrange and invest in such a way that you do not have to pay capital gains tax on investment gains on shares and collective investment holdings. Capital Gains tax is payable at 18% on gains above these limits but there are strong rumours that it will increase in the foreseeable future.

Many people complain about the tax they have to pay. Remember, it is the tax we pay that finances all the services we receive and take for granted. If you pay tax, feel for those who don’t. Would you want to be in their shoes particularly on a cold winters night.

Bryan Little, FCII, ACIS

Partner, Emery Little Financial

Services LLP C

Home Close, Teffont, Salisbury, SP3 5QY

yourvalleynews@aol.com

Only one local?

Reference a recent claim that the Lib Dem parliamentary candidate is the only local contender, I would like to make a much more substantial claim than just being a local (General Election) candidate, and that is, I am the only one who has had a proper job.

I have been a hard working teacher mostly here in Wiltshire.I am appalled by the line-up we have in Salisbury. All the PPCs’ career paths have been good homes, good schools, and good universities and now standing for Parliament.

How dare they presume to advise the rest of us from such a profound position of ignorance. From my experience in the toughest schools in England, it is obvious to me that David Cameron knows nothing about state schools. He hasn’t the faintest idea of the size of the problems in the schools.

I once tried to explain it to the Conservatives but they asked me to keep quiet and so I left the party – as did so many current UKIP members.

Frances Howard / UKIP PPC, Salisbury

Lymphoma Association

Anyone interested in the work of the Lymphoma Association is invited to coffee on Saturday March 13, 10 30 to 12noon at 1, Russell Street, Wilton.

Two of my grand daughters are running the London Marathon in April for the Association in memory of their great friend Katie Hoppe who died last year aged 22, of a lymphoblastic lymphoma.

The Association is a charity that offers support and information on a range of issues to people with lymphatic cancers, their families, carers and their friends. Katie used the association’s telephone helpline for young people and raised money to support them. Please make a donation towards

my two grand daughters’ target. The Lymphoma Association Charity Number 106 8395.

Mrs Shirley Hebbert, Wilton

Will Monarchy be abolished?

Without any consultation and, following ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, I find that I am a citizen of  the Republic of Europe complete with a president. Monarchies and republics do not mix; so when will our monarchy be abolished? My guess is – on the death of the Queen.

The real purpose of the Regional Assemblies will become clear. Their purpose will be to administer rule from Brussels when the Westminster Parliament is abolished. In five years time?

This could be one of the reasons why many of the present MPs are lining their pockets. They

must have deduced what is going to happen. Other readers may have different time-scales

for these events.

H.V Whatley, The Hollows, Wilton

Not us, this time!

I am not pleased to have some woman marching up to my front door and pushing a copy of Valley News in.

What on earth use is a magazine devoted to Wilton and the valley villages to someone living on the south side of Salisbury. I had just managed to get rid of the newspapers and other paper detritus and had hardly had time to turn around before this infuriating rubbish was there on my mat. Indiscriminate delivery of rubbish is totally anti-green. Please do not do this again. I can check adverts in local

directories. Apart from anything else my neighbours are Romanian (mother and son) and speak no

English, the next house along is unoccupied and the next three are inhabited by bedridden old

ladies – the whole exercise was pointless and wrong.

B.Campbell Murdoch,

Fowlers Road, Salisbury

We apologise for the inconvenience, because we are so short of copies we can’t afford

to waste them. This area is not on our delivery list. ED.

Black hole

According to press reports in early February, the energy regulator Ofgem calculates the country needs to invest £200 billion in energy requirements so we can all keep warm.

We also need to spend about £200 billion on re-equipping the navy with smart new carriers, new submarines, and fancy frigates. And another £200 billion would be helpful to recapitalise bankrupt British banks. And that still does not cover MPs’ expenses.

This country is living way beyond its means. And no-one will bail us out, least of all the Americans who are spending in their current tax year of 2010 about $740 billion on their military, and fighting wars overseas, which is more than the combined military expenditure of every other nation.

Anyone who thinks the bankruptcy of the Western world will be solved in the next few years is as deluded as the bankers who got us into this crisis in the first place. No wonder George Osborne MP looks so worried. The Shadow Chancellor faces a black hole in the economy, and he has not the faintest idea of what to do about it.

Timothy Stroud, Quidhampton

Ladies’ services rewarded

ON BEHALF of The Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal, I thank all of Teffont residents for their most generous donations, which raised £699.61 for the Appeal.

Awards for 15 years of service to the Poppy Appeal go to Mrs. Elizabeth Goodfellow (known as Cis) for her work as Poppy Appeal honorary organiser/ collector, and Mrs. Muriel Johnson for her work as treasurer. Well-done ladies – a great achievement. Finally, our thanks to Mrs. Goodfellow for all her guidance and assistance during my first year as Teffont Poppy Appeal Honorary Organiser and her continued help in collecting, which was much appreciated.

Sally Coward

Common parking problem

Regarding the article about parking at Chilmark School in Valley News January. The school was graded by Ofsted as an ‘outstanding school’. The school offers its children a wonderful well-rounded education that focuses very strongly on the children’s spiritual and moral needs, as well as their academic needs.

These are qualities we want nurtured in our child and we are sure other parents want nurturing in their children as much as we do, as is reflected in the popularity of Chilmark School and the school being full in all year groups with a waiting list. With a good school, more parents want their children to go there and hence more cars.

The photographs printed in Valley News show the road blocked by the Tisbus and cars backed up behind it. Using the Tisbus is an initiative set up by one of the parents to transport a number of children to school together, and hence reduce the number of cars.

The bus temporarily blocks the road outside the school, preventing traffic flowing, to allow the young children to get on/off it safely. This is common practice in other schools where children need to get on/off buses. Parents are regularly reminded through the school newsletter to park and drive through the village considerately and children are requested to lift share wherever possible.

Chilmark School has had many wonderful achievements. It would be lovely to read about them in your paper.

Parents of Chilmark School

We offer a website directory in the Valley News hard copy.