LOCAL
February 2018 Issue 10
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Homes! LOWTON & GOLBORNE
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Welcome to the February issue of Local Living The best bit about February? For me it’s seeing the first hint of Spring peeping through. As much as I love Winter to have a few signs of better weather is always great! Our late Winter walks feature on page 6 gives you a couple of ideas to get about with the family. As always an interesting read. We have some lovely local businesses in this month and some fantastic good news stories. Who doesn’t love those! There’s an article on keeping your home a little safer on page 12 & 13. If you take a nosey at our classified section there’s a great mix on there this month. For the March issue we will have a bumper mix of Mothers Day, Easter and Spring so, if this is the issue for you to advertise in please get in touch soon.
Tracy Leach, Editor
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Tax-Free Childcare opens to children under 9 In April 2017 HM Revenue and Customs started rolling out Tax-Free Childcare, which helps working parents with the cost of childcare with up to £2,000 of support per child per year, or £4,000 for disabled children. Tax-Free Childcare is now open to parents whose youngest child is under 9. The scheme will open to all remaining eligible families with children under 12 on 14 February 2018. This means all eligible parents will be able to apply for Tax-Free Childcare before the end of this financial year. Parents, including the self-employed, can apply online for Tax-Free Childcare by visiting Childcare Choices. Parents can also access the government’s childcare calculator through Childcare Choices, which helps parents to choose which government childcare support is best for them. The government is giving more help with the cost of childcare to working parents than ever before. It introduced Tax-Free Childcare in April 2017, and has doubled the free childcare available to working parents of 3 and 4 year olds to 30 hours a week for families in England. In 2019/20 the government will be spending around £6bn on childcare support – a record amount of support. For up to date information visit: www.gov.uk/government/ news/tax-free-childcare-opens-to-children-under-9
Stewart and Laura Hulme donate CuddleCot to hospital in memory of stillborn son Ollie A couple whose first-born child was stillborn have raised funds for equipment to help other families affected by baby loss. Stewart and Laura Hulme lost their first-born son Ollie Poppyseed Hulme after he was stillborn at 26 weeks and one day at Warrington Hospital in May last year. While the pair were able to make keepsakes including handprints and footprints in the hospital's Butterfly Suite, a CuddleCot - which would have allowed them to spend more time with Ollie - was unavailable as it was already being used by another family. The couple, from Lowton, have since been raising funds to donate a new CuddleCot to Warrington Hospital in his memory. Stewart and Laura, aged 29 and 28 respectively, said: "Being able to do something in Ollie's memory to help other families in a similar position is really important to us. "We've had amazing support from the trust staff as well as family, friends and colleagues throughout and its nice to see that our fundraising has reached its goal." Laura and Stewart, who welcomed their second son Toby into the world in April, managed to raise more than £3,000 in order to donate a CuddleCot in Ollie's memory through events including a tea party. Meanwhile, another family have donated a third CuddleCot to the hospital as a lasting legacy to their baby. A CuddleCot keeps the baby cool and slows down natural changes in order to allow families longer to spend with their stillborn child. The cooling pad can be placed in a stillborn baby's Moses basket, cot, pram or bed. Debbie Yates, bereavement support sister at Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, added: "We are overwhelmed by the generosity that Stewart and Laura have shown fundraising for the maternity unit. "Not every hospital has a CuddleCot and not all families want to use the CuddleCot. "To now have three is ideal, as sadly there are times when the CuddleCot is needed for more than one family. "This donation will ensure that all families have the choice of using a cuddle cot wherever it is needed within the hospital and facilitate care in the community for those families who wish to take their baby home."
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Let’s stick to the coast and around home. Plenty of time for the moors later in spring! Last month we suggested you buy the local Ordnance Survey maps (OS 108 and 109) and take some footpaths across the mosslands around home. And we also suggested you keep an eye open on ploughed or bare fields for tiny bits of broken white pottery. How did bits of broken pot get scattered around our countryside? In the 1840s and 1850s mosslands became converted from wild, often boggy untamed countryside into good arable farmland. Fertiliser was needed to help the crops grow and this came in the form of ‘night soil’. Those living in the crowded slums of expanding Manchester didn’t have loos. Instead they put their sewage on to middens at the back of their homes. What a pong! At night sewage from the middens was taken by cart to the new Manchester-Liverpool railway and taken along the line to where it was needed on the mosses. It was offloaded onto carts and spread on the new fields. When pots, plates and cups got broken the bits were chucked onto the midden and that is how those tiny bits of pot ended up on our fields. They have been there for well over 150 years! TWO SHORT COASTAL STROLLS Sunderland Point is on the north side of the Lune estuary (follow signs from the M6, junction 34 to Heysham, but just before you get there take the left turn to Overton and then onto Sunderland Point). The last bit of road goes across saltmarshes and is flooded at high tide, so check and don’t try to cross within two hours of high tide (Google: High water Liverpool). Park near the public loo and then walk westwards past the buildings of the Point. These were built when Sunderland Point was where sailing ships carrying bales of
Information courtesy of Malcolm Greenhalgh
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cotton arrived from the New World; they landed here and smaller boats carried the bales on to Lancaster. Across the estuary is Glasson Dock, which took over harbour duties from here. Carry on and the track leads round from the estuary into Morecambe Bay with Heysham’s horrid power station in view. You will then see a sign pointing right to Samboo’s Grave. Samboo was a slave-boy to the Captain of one of the cotton-carrying ships and he died in 1736 while the ship was unloading its cargo. No one knows why, from influenza or measles perhaps? He was buried here and on his simple grave stone visitors put flowers. It is a sad reminder of how cruel human beings can be to one another. If you continue a short distance north, a track leads back to where you parked the car. Formby-Freshfield will have been visited by many of you. Park at the National Trust Squirrel Reserve (signposted from Formby) and spend some time looking for the red squirrels that live in the pines here, for this is the best place to see this rare animal in northwest England. Then walk onto the shore and head north. Ideally the tide should be out (Google High water Liverpool) for this next bit. The dunes developed about 3,500 year ago when sand drifted over some very shallow, muddy lagoons. Bronze Aged people lived here then and they hunted over the very shallow lagoons, leaving their footprints embedded in the mud. In very recent years the dunes have been retreating and the mud beds revealed. So if you look out across the beach you will see patches of the ancient lagoon bed of flat, hard grey clay; and if you keep your eyes open you may see preserved footprints. I have seen the footprints of the old wild ox (or auroch), wolf and crane, as well as the prints of children and adults from so long ago. Eventually they get washed away as more are exposed from deeper down in the clay.
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If you want birds like blue tits or robins to nest in boxes in your garden, put them up this month, for this is when they choose where they will nest.
For those who like to grow some vegetables, now is the time to sow things like onions, summer cabbages and lettuces in seed trays on a warm, sunny windowsill. If you want to grow things like tomatoes and peppers sow them now, ideally in an electric propagator. Weeds will be growing: every week walk round the garden and get them pulled up or hoed out.
There has been much publicity about the collapse of insect populations, including bumble bees and butterflies. Why not put into your garden some plants that will attract these lovely insects. Highly recommended are: Buddleia (the butterfly bush), Agastache, Rudbekia (black-eyed Susan), Solidago (golden rod) , Monarda (bee balm), Nepeta (catmint), and any of the Vibernum or stonecrop species. Any of the lavenders will attracts bees and butterflies in vast numbers when they are in flower, but you need a well drained soil (my Lowton soil is too clayey and gets waterlogged).
And what about snowdrops and crocuses? They are in flower now and provide the first meal to early bumble bees. Snowdrops are best planted ‘in the green’, so buy some now and get them in for future years.
My strawberries look awful, with lots of brown, tatty leaves. Cut them off and give the plants a dose of fish, blood and bone fertiliser. Warning: you will soon see ‘half hardy’ plants such as antirrhinum and dahlias for sale. DON’T BUY YET! Wait until the end of April unless you have a frost-free greenhouse. Malcolm Greenhalgh (Newton-le-Willows Gardeners’ Association) NlWGA Sales and Advice Hut, off Rob Lane is open Saturday and Sunday mornings 10.30-12 noon. New members welcome.
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Enjoy the unique landscape and winter nature of the wild Wigan Flashes and the canal on our family-friendly beginners’ nature walk. Meet on the Greenheart Flashes car park (WN3 5DX) for a 10am start, appropriate footwear and waterproof clothing and binoculars are recommended. PLEASE NOTE THE NEW DATE FOR THIS WALK (was 4th February in Health Walks brochure). Any queries contact Jeff 07922 453908
Children's bird box painting Join the Children’s Event team at Bents to create your very own painted bird box in celebration of National Nest Box Week. All materials included and children must be accompanied by an adult. £4.99 per child. Booking required online: www.bents.co.uk/events/childrens-bird-box-painting/
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A fabulous start was made in January by all the members attending our groups in January. Over 3000lbs lost already! At Slimming World we are here to help the whole family, if Mum or Dad attends group they can bring their 11 to 15 year old free of charge. Do you find healthy eating tricky? Are you confused about what you should or shouldn’t be eating? If you followed all the advice in celeb mags you might end up on a blue - food -only diet, wrapping yourself in clingfilm and eating upside down! Forget those kinds of crazy plans. With Free2Go you can: 1. Pile up your plate... and enjoy your favourite foods (even if Aunty Marge does insist that cottage cheese with crispbread is the ultimate healthy snack 2. Enjoy your favourites... ditch those dull diets designed to starve you. Free2Go isn't a diet. There's tons of variety and you won't ever be left hungry 3. Have fun... live your life. Enjoy the same food as all your friends. 4. Feel fitter ...and have more energy. With Slimming World there isn't a cold hockey pitch in sight! February sees the launch of Free food February join group to find out how you can still eat your favourite curry For more information call into one of groups or visit www.slimmingworld.co.uk
This is a slight modification of a very old recipe found in some papers. Ingredients: 3lbs Seville oranges; 1 large or two small lemons; 5 pints water; 6lbs sugar (NOT with added pectin); about 2 or 3 tablespoons black treacle (the one with bees and a dead lion on the tin); 4 tablespoons of rum, or brandy or whisky*. I have used half these quantities with no problem. Quantity produced: 9-10lbs. *I have used quality rum we brought back from Barbados (ace) and both Laphroaig and Ardbeg Islay malts and both my mother and I prefer them to brandy. Yvonne hates the aroma of Ardbeg and Laphroaig, yet she will scoff the marmalade. Need I point out that all the alcohol boils off when it is poured into the hot gunge? It’s the added flavour. NB: Ardbeg is expensive, but I would gladly give a fiver for the remains of the bottle after you have taken the 4 tablespoons for your marmalade. 1. Wash and dry fruit and remove the dried up bit (receptacle) that attached the fruit to the stem. 2. Put in polybag in freezer for 12-24 hours. I have some in now that will be turned into MMM later in the year. 3. Thaw out and then halve each fruit and scrape out juice, pulp and pips into muslin/old handkerchief/tights material (WASH). I line a sieve with the cloth and put the sieve over a small bowl to catch every bit of juice). Tie the muslin or whatever into a bag so that pips cannot escape and put the bag and juice from small bowl into your jam pan. 4. Put the soft half-fruit rinds in your food processor with the sharp blade in place and blitz them. If you do this for just a few seconds you get v chunky marmalade, longer and you get a finer cut. 5. Put all the chopped up rind into the jam pan and add the water. 6. Cook gently for between an hour and two hours. When the original recipe was published no one had a food processor or freezer, so it took the full time to get the peel soft. By using the freezer first, you cut down on the cooking time. 7. Turn the stove down to a gentle heat whilst you add the sugar and stir until it has all dissolved. Then stir in the black treacle. Yummy! 8. Turn up the stove to maximum and get it boiling furiously. After 15 minutes test for setting point on a plate you have had in the fridge. Usually it takes about 25 minutes. With my new induction hobs it takes much longer because the boiling is not continuously furious: 40-45 minutes. 9. Remove scum and allow to cool for 10 minutes: otherwise the peel will tend to float and the bottom will be just jelly. 10. Add spirit, stir and put into warmed jam jars ...enjoy!
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Tuesday The Three Towns Operatic Society rehearse 8 – 10pm at Tyldesley Methodist Church, Elliott Street, Tyldesley M29 8JE. Anyone wishing to become a member is invited to come along with no commitment. Learn in a friendly atmosphere. Broadway, West End, Songs from the Shows, Popular and Classical Music. For further information look at our website or contact Ursula Lightford on 01942 670284. www.thethreetowns.net
Wednesday 10:30 Coffee morning St Thomas Church. Thursday 8:30 - 12. Coffee and chat at Lowton St Mary’s, Newton Road.
Thursday Lowton and Golborne art group meets every Thursday at Leigh and Lowton Sailing Club from 10 till 4 and enjoy not only the freedom to express their artistic talents but also engage socially with other members with similar interests.
Second and fourth Friday of the month Knit and natter held in St Luke’s church on Slag Lane. 2-4pm. Lots of chatting and cup of tea and a biscuit 50p towards costs.
First Thursday of the month Lowton WI ladies enjoyed their annual dinner held this year at Haydock Golf Club. The next meeting will be on Thursday 1st February at All Saints Social Centre in Golborne at 7.15pm. We will be setting off the New Year with seated yoga. As always visitors are always welcome. For further details contact Lin Hayes on 01942 207764
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How to Safeguard Your Home Against Burglary & Crime by HomeAdvisor Plenty of criminals will be interested in breaking into your home. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t make it tough for them! The first step in home crime prevention is to eliminate opportunity, and it’s up to you to cut those chances. Though many people only worry about night time security, most burglaries actually occur during daylight hours when most people are at work, school, or running errands. It’s important to take precautions during the day, at night, and any time you leave the house to ensure your home stays secure. When it comes to protecting your family and your belongings, you can’t be too careful, and there are plenty of ways you can protect your home from invasion or burglary. This guide will discuss prevention steps to take both inside and outside your home, and even ways to keep your home protected while you’re away on vacation. Don’t let your home fall prey to a thief: make it a waste of their time and resources! Protecting Your Home From the Outside Walk around the exterior of your home and scout out its weaknesses. The best way to protect your home from the outside is to survey it with the eyes of a burglar. If you can easily tell that a window could be pried open, a thief will definitely be able to come to the same conclusion. While you’re checking for vulnerable spots, take note of any expensive electronics, art, or furniture that is easily spotted through windows. You don’t have to redecorate your entire home to keep expensive items out of sight, but it doesn’t hurt to make small adjustments where you can. No need to tempt thieves any more than you have to!
Keep shrubbery around entrances and walkways trimmed. The last thing you want is to make it easier for a thief to hide when attempting to break in, so eliminate his options for hiding spots. He may only need a few minutes of cover to make his entry but with no place to hide while doing it, he’s less likely to even try. You could even plant thorny shrubs by your windows to make it not only difficult to break in, but painful! Store expensive items like BBQ’s, cars, and bikes in the garage. Though it may seem like a hassle to roll out the BBQ everytime, leaving it out makes it an easy target for thieves. They don’t even have to enter your home to grab it, and if it’s got wheels it can be a breeze to sneak away with. If your area only offers street parking, always lock your car and be sure to park in a well-lit area. Use curtains on garage windows. Chances are these areas don’t need the sunlight, so put up curtains or blinds for privacy and protection. Storing your outdoor valuables only does so much good if they’re constantly on display!
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Build a fence. If you don’t have one already, a fence can be an excellent way to keep unwanted visitors off your property. Open chain-link or ornamental metal fencing tend to be preferable and are ideally secured into concrete to prevent lifting. Solid fences can be easier to climb and offer thieves a place to hide, though some homeowners prefer them for privacy and noise reduction. You can better secure them by having sharp pointed tops or, if you don’t mind rough barbed wire fencing. Install motion sensor lighting around your home, especially at entrances. Shine a spotlight on a potential intruder before he can even touch your doors or windows by adding extra lighting with motion detectors at entrances and especially dark corners of your home. If you live in an flat, ask your landlord to install sufficient lighting in walkways and halls to eliminate dark corners. Get to know your neighbours. Crime tends to be lower in tight-knit communities because neighbours are more likely to look out for each other and can easily spot a stranger. Your neighbours can be one of your best assets in home crime prevention because they offer extra eyes and an outside perspective. Plus if they have a different work or school day from yours, they might be around during the day when you’re away and can alert you to any suspicious activity that may occur in your absence. Talk to your neighbourhood association about increased lighting on your street. Burglars often case an entire street or neighbourhood to determine if it’s a good target, but often prefer to do so in the dark of night. A well-lit neighbourhood will likely deter him from your area, or at the very least make it very difficult for him to slip away undetected. Consider forming a neighbourhood watch program. This will give you the opportunity to get to know your neighbours better. and create an invaluable awareness and commitment to crime prevention in your area. You can speak to your local police department about giving your group an informal lecture that can provide insight into identifying a suspicious person and what to do if you spot one loitering on your street, how to recognize a burglary in progress, how to recognize an auto theft in progress, and what to do in an emergency. Local PD will also usually distribute free literature on home safety and sometimes even offer window stickers and ID cards identifying your neighbourhood organization. Keep your garden free of toys, tools, and ladders. A garden littered with toys signals to a thief that the house may be filled with equally interesting entertainment, like games consoles, tablets, or laptops. A ladder or toolbox left out even briefly for an afternoon can give an opportunistic thief help in gaining access to your house.
Keep fences, gates, and garage doors locked. It’s worth investing in a quality padlock for each outside entrance, even if you only lock it at night. However, since most friends and family won’t mind calling ahead to let you know they’re visiting, it’s best to leave them locked at all times. Install large, reflective numbers on your house. Burglars prefer dark houses difficult to identify by address as it can buy them crucial spare moments in the event they’re caught in the act. Secure your car. If you must park on the street, do so in a well-lit area and bring valuables like cell phones, purses, GPS devices, and satellite radios inside. Never leave anything of value in plain view, and always lock the doors and roll up windows. Break-ins can occur in even the safest neighbourhoods, and an unlocked car is one of the easiest possible targets. Never leave a spare key in the visor or anywhere else inside, even if the car is locked.
Protecting Your Home from the Inside Keep all doors and windows closed and locked at all times. An open exterior window or door is an invitation for burglars to easily enter your home, so keep them shut and securely locked whether you’re home or not. Don’t underestimate strong window locks, and update them if needed. Thieves know how to spot weak locks that would be easily forced open. Make sure exterior doors have deadbolt locks. Sliding doors should have vertical bolts and a metal or wooden rod in the track to prevent being forced open or doors being lifted off the track. Never leave your home without locking the front door, no matter how brief your trip. Don’t forget the door attached to the garage. It’s one of the easiest targets and a likely route of entry. Change the locks when moving into a new place. If you’re a renter, ask the landlord to change them if it wasn’t already done. Even if an old tenant returned all the keys originally issued, there’s no way to know for sure if there were ever other copies made and distributed. Secure valuables in a home safe If it is small and not mounted, consider having your safe bolted to the floor since many burglars will simply take it with them Don’t label your personal keys or hide spares outside. If your keys are labelled and get lost or stolen you could be in big trouble, especially if your wallet with your address are with them. And thieves know to look under mats and in the gravel for fake rocks to find hidden keys. Instead leave a spare with a trusted neighbour. If you live in a rural area and your closest neighbour is miles down the road, opt for a combination lockbox in a discreet area of your property. Reinforce windows with safety glass or metal bars. It may seem an extreme step, but burglars will often break a small window in order to gain entry. Make it impossible for them to get through by installing safety glass or metal bars. There are plenty of decorative options for metal grills that can make the adjustment practical and aesthetically-pleasing.
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Protecting Your Home While You’re on holiday Check all doors and windows before you leave. Make sure your house is as locked-up and secure as it can be in your absence. Be sure to leave some curtains and blinds open to give the illusion that someone is around. Thieves tend to take note of a house that’s clearly been closed up. Talk to a trusted neighbour about a “lived-in” look. Have them use your outdoor bins and collect your mail, newspapers, and any packages. Stacked up mail and newspapers along with empty bins can be a clear sign that you’re not home and may be gone a while. Don’t forget to give your spare key directly to your neighbour. It’s important to leave a key in case of emergencies, but it’s also helpful to have someone check in on your home periodically to ensure no one has entered in your absence. Make sure you leave a contact number where you can be reached while you’re away. Leave a radio on and turn down your doorbell. A batteryoperated radio is a practical, cheap way to make it sound like someone is around. And since many burglars ring the doorbell or knock to see if anyone’s home turning down the sound of the doorbell combined with a loud radio will make thieves unsure if the house is empty or if the resident simply doesn’t hear the door. Don’t advertise your trip. It’s pretty common for people to post all about their upcoming trip on social media, but avoid the urge. The more people who know your house will be empty, the more you open yourself up to the possibility of a break-in. Home invasion and burglary may never truly be eliminated but their threats shouldn’t cause you to live your life in fear. Take these simple measures to secure your home, and reduce the chances that a crook will even look at it twice! Article courtesy of www.homeadvisor.com
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ARCHITECT SERVICES Lowton based architect for your property conversion designs including submission to local authorities for planning and building regulation consideration. Excellent service with quality drawings at competitive prices. Ring Gavin Pinion at Goldcrest Design Services Ltd on 01942 729832 or 07958102874
HEATING & FUEL SUPPLIES Local company that provides heating products including; kiln dried hardwood (individual bags or bulk bags), kindling, firelighters, fuel logs and Biomass wood pellets. In Summer we have various grades of charcoal for BBQ’s, fuel and accessories. PLEASE QUOTE LOCAL LIVING WHEN YOU CALL. Biomass Fuel Supplies on 01942 356257 or email orders@biomassfuelsupplies.co.uk or visit our website www.biomassfuelsupplies.co.uk SEMI RETIRED (GLAZIER) Still enjoys hard work, very experienced in all areas. Enjoys especially replacing misted up double glazed units. We can clean / refresh your UPVC windows of doors - you’ll find my prices very reasonable and my services extraordinary. For a free quote call same day or evening. 07413 917964. You have my 100% guarantee on both works. What could be fairer?
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INDUSTRIAL/COMMERCIAL GAS SUPPLIES Local company that provides Industrial Gas for all solutions. Welding gas, propane, butane, commercial refrigerant gas and domestic. We have an extensive range of consumables available for collection at the trade counter and we can deliver 90% of our stock within 48 hours. PLEASE QUOTE LOCAL LIVING WHEN YOU CALL. Gas UK on 0800 133 7490 or to email: oders@gascylindersuk.co.uk and visit our website www.gas-uk.co.uk
ROOFING Time served roofer. (25 yrs. exp). All roofing and gutter repairs - from a broken tile to a full re roof. Insurance work undertaken, special rates for OAP’s. Call Alan on 01942 576183 or 07930 110031 for a free estimate
UPHOLSTERY DESIGNS Atlas Upholstery Design Services. Specialist in the re-upholstery of Settees, Easy Chairs, Dining Chairs etc. Headboards recovered and made to order. Spring repairs etc. Do you need new foam cushion? Pubs, Clubs, Caravans recovered etc. 40 years In the trade. Workmanship guaranteed. Free Estimates. Call David on 01942 729978. www.atlasupholstery.co.uk
Local company have a new ‘green solution’ to your pest problems Andy McMillan who is a co director at Guardian Pest Management has been volunteering at a falconry centre in Cheshire for several months in order to learn the ancient skills of hunting and flying hawks. Andy says that his hawk who he has named Angel is now flying freely and enjoying hunting. Harris hawks are one of a number of hawks and falcons which have been used for centuries for hunting, sport and recreation. In the pest control industry such birds are used as a "green solution" for controlling pest bird species in areas such as landfill sites, airfields, town centres and buildings. Angel is still very much in training and Andy admits they both have so much more to learn but is looking forward to the challenge with great anticipation. We have already been contacted by several agencies to provide our services or even provide a small display of Angel's skills. Should anyone require any further information about Angel or the services that Guardian Peat Management can offer they can be contacted via the following: Andy McMillan Guardian Pest Management And Environmental Services Ltd 07930839259 info@guardianpestmanagement.co.uk www.guardianpestmanagement.co.uk
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