LOCAL NEWS
• Newbury Spring Festival starts tomorrow morning with street performances in Northbrook Street, free folk instrument have-a-go sessions outside the Town Hall from 11.15am and a concert in the Corn Exchange at 1pm. See Gael Music's Culture Together project that celebrates local traditional songs and offers free tuition to local children.
• West Berkshire Spokes invite you to cycle to Sheepdrove Farm for the free Lambing Day tomorrow, Sat 12 May. Meet 9.30am at West Mills, Newbury (nr Lloyds Bank) or 10.45am at Three Swans, Hungerford. Contact William Pitt on william@hisuniverse.co.uk for more details.
• raise money for your charity/group by entering in Newbury Rotary's Sponsored Walk on Sun 10 June starting midday from Greenham
• I'm sorry we're not going to be able to make this year's Culture Fest at Newbury Racecourse on Sat 30 June. There will be everything from Scottish dancing to martial arts to Thai massage to delicious curry. If you can help with preparations or on the day, Waheeda Soomro from the W Berks Minority Ethnic Forum would be very grateful. Please contact waheeda@all2gether.org.uk
• Cold Ash Pathusers start their programme of gentle walks next Weds 16 May
• Hungerford is planning a fantastic Double Diamond Celebration on Sat 2 June including a Severn Bridge building competition, tag rugby demonstration, tug of war, Punch & Judy, Maypole & Morris dancing...if you want to have a free stall please contact Nick Fritz on russian.translation@newburyweb.net
• there's still time to get fit for the Hungerford Harey 8m Run on Sun 1 July
• there is more about rain than drought on the Met Office blog these days and when I'm bailing out our overflowing little plastic pond every morning to prevent the tadpoles from being washed over the side by heavy rainfall I feel sorry for the people whose job it is to nag us to save water. However when we saw a mother duck & her 5 ducklings stumbling along the dry bed of the River Lambourn this week I felt guilty about the bath I'd just had (although it was my first one in years) so I decided to try using the bath water to flush the loo. Now, instead of using 2 gallons of drinking water per flush, we use 2 sandcastle bucketfuls of dirty bathwater. How does it work?
• Mary & Henry Wilson would like to thank all the volunteers & walkers who helped raised a stunning £4,000+ for Thames Valley Air Ambulance from their Bluebell Walk at Fishers Farm last weekend
ERRATUM
• apologies for the faulty link last week to greatenglishwines.co.uk who are offering free delivery to PP readers in postcodes RG17, RG14, SN8 & OX12 till the end of May. I can highly recommend the Pinot Auxerrois 2010 from a'Becketts Vineyard in Devizes.
LOCAL EVENTS
- see below
MONTHLY REPORT from Julie Stevens, Better Business Decisions, friendly specialists in small business bookkeeping, accountancy & tax
From 1st April 2012, all businesses now have to submit their VAT returns online and make payment electronically. See below for tips on how this works.
ITEMS OFFERED/WANTED
• Guinea Fowl keets wanted - 6 - 8 wks old, unclipped. Thanks Laurence laurenceChayes@gmail.com
• tropical fish tank (approx 2 ft wide) including 5 resident fish offered free to good home. Contact lou@louspence.com
• free tadpole food offered by Dave at Howard Pet Care, Park St, Hungerford
• are you clearing out any clothes, shoes, bags, curtains, soft furnishings? John O'Gaunt School will gladly collect for their Phil the Bag scheme. Please contact me or Karolyn on 01488 684184 or karolyn.m.smith@googlemail.com to arrange collection before next Friday
• does anyone have spare loo rolls/kitchen roll tubes? I need some for planting parsnips. Thanks Penny
SUMMER SPECIALS
• Fare Wise Travel have bargains galore! Banish the rainy day blues with one of the following great offers:
Sandals and Beaches 2-4-1 best value all inclusive deals in the Caribbean - fantastic for families.
Free 1 or 2 week airport parking for all holidays worth over £1500.
Florida & Formula 1... we have it all! Ask for a quote from our friendly professional team 01488 686858 or hung@farewise.com
• Spring Treats from Riverside Beauty – Now is the time to look after your feet and have lovely smooth legs. Half leg wax and Shellac or OPI pedicure – only £30. Please telephone Beth on 07790 015762 or visit www.riversidebeauty.co.uk. This offer is valid until 31st May
• French Language course for busy Mums! First 2 weeks free for first 4 applicants! Contact Nathalie at The Vici Language Academy in Newbury, 01635 522410 or ndanonkerr@thevici.com
• if you want to look ultra-cool on the beach this summer, come and do some essential pre-holiday training with Newbury Volleyball Club. Dig, set and spike like a pro, before you go. Training 8.30pm Tuesday nights at Trinity School old Sports Hall. E-mail richadcottle@hotmail.com for details. Great fun sessions, first two sessions free.
• Spring offer from Andresa Skin Health Clinic in Hampstead Norreys With summer holidays on the horizon, book a course of six pain-free permanent laser hair reduction treatments and only pay for five. Contact Andresa on 01635 800183 to book or visit www.andresa.co.uk to find out more.
RECOMMENDATIONS
• recommendations wanted for small 5 door family car. There are too many models to choose from! Thanks Lou lou@louspence.com
• can anyone recommend Utility Warehouse? We're thinking of switching our electricity and phones over to them. Thanks Penny
• Roz S-B recommends the Oxford Dance Camp for a great family experience this summer. Book this month for special rates.
LOCAL CLASSIFIEDS
• August House Designs are a friendly local home improvement company specialising in painting & decorating; floor and wall tiling; hardwood and laminated floors as well as kitchen & bathroom installations. We also hang curtain poles, mirrors (supplied by Artifax in Newbury), shelves, etc. Please call Tim on 01488 71594 or timsgraham@tiscali.co.uk. We are also non VATable.
• If you would like to find out how massage can aid your training and keep your muscles tension-free contact Claire Digweed on mc.digweed@btinternet.com or 07810 886673
• 2Quirky LLP designs competitively priced websites for businesses and schools, and can help with marketing, integration of social media and blogging. If you would like an informal discussion about your requirements, contact John on 01488 72618 or john@2quirky.co.uk.
• Greg & Robbie Allsop handyman service as well as building, refurbishment & landscaping. Come highly recommended. Call 01488 649977 or 07917 798079 gregallsop@live.co.uk
• Carpet & Upholstery cleaning by Eclipse Cleaning. We are a local business that depends on referrals from existing customers, ensuring each customer is delighted with their professional deep clean. Delivering great results by removing ground-in dirt and stains, bacteria, fungal spores & allergens (pet hair & dust mite) Call Jonathan on 07723 395 457 for a free no obligation quote. Child and pet friendly.
LOCAL EVENTS
• Monthly farmer's markets: 1st Sun: Newbury 9 - 1pm • 2nd Sat: Hampstead Marshall & Enborne 10am - 1pm • 2nd Sat: Hampstead Marshall & Enborne 10am - 1pm • 3rd Sun: Inkpen 10am - 12.30pm; Newbury 9am - 1pm • 4th Sat: Woolton Hill 10am - 1pm • 4th Sun: Hungerford, 10am - 1.30pm
• What's on in: Newbury, Thatcham, Wantage, Hungerford, Marlborough, Marlboroughboxoffice, Aldbourne, HEAT What's On for Hungerford-based green events
• Open Studios (May 5 - 29) • West Berks Enjoy! for all local cultural & sporting events this year • Newbury Spring Festival
Sat 12 May
Sheepdrove Lambing Day 11am - 4pm, Sheepdrove Organic Farm. FREE ENTRY & PARKING
Fri 18 May
Cold Ash Brass (not a Christmas) Concert 7pm St Mark's Church. Tickets £6 inc glass of wine
Sat 19 May
Thatcham Cake Sale 10am - 12pm, Thatcham Broadway Green. Run by Kennet Vale Rainbows to support 2 Ugandan children's education.
Tues 22 May
Free 'Let's talk Skin' Event 8- 10pm, Andresa Skin Clinic, Hampstead Norreys. Important advice on preventing skin cancer. Call Andresa on 01635 800183 to book or visit www.andresa.co.uk to find out more.
LOCAL JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS (send me yours...)
Lambourn Diamond Jubilee Family Picnic Party, Mon 4 June 12.30pm onwards, Lambourn Sports Club. 01488 71468.
Great Shefford Jubilee Celebrations • East Garston Jubilee Celebrations
ONLINE TAX RETURNS from Better Business Decisions
The online service is easy to sign up for – but you will need to have your VAT registration certificate and last VAT return to hand in order to do. Sign up is immediate though – you don’t need to wait for an activation code to arrive in the post like you do with some other HMRC services. Online VAT returns have an additional 7 days in which they can be submitted and paid. For example, for a VAT quarter ending 30th April, paper returns would have to be submitted by 31st May but an online return is not due until 7th June. In addition, if you set up a direct debit (which you can do once you have signed up for the online service), payment is not taken until around the 10th of the month. You can also ask HMRC to send automatic email reminders of when a VAT return is due. Businesses that submit a return on paper will have to pay a penalty payment of between £100 and £400 depending on their turnover. Contact 01488 640841 or hello@betterbusinessdecisions.co.uk for more help
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