Who needs an excuse to eat cake ?    Go get your Banana bread....... quickly


Half Term over and back to it.  It’s been a week of organisation for lots of things, adding great new events, especially as Cielo seem to be putting regular events in this year’s calendar .  Their next one will be a quiz night with Pudding and Prosecco, just what every Wednesday should be like! 

The more we attend local events, the more successful they are and then it can only encourage more events to be put on.   Doing things locally are  much better than perhaps always traipsing into town where you think the best nights out are to be had, which is not always the case!   Friends and Family, eating and enjoying  local produce and drinking local offerings, meaning you can either walk home or use one of our local taxi’s; if you need a little help to put one foot in front of the other that is!  Which in turn helps us keep local business running!  Doing local things has such a  great impact on many things – so have a look on our events list for these fabulous events coming up soon

https://www.facebook.com/pg/themaindeal/events/?ref=page_internal


 
Other days this week, have been our team working on this years Feastival for 14th July – 3 of us generally run the day to day running and organisation, putting together, collaborating, finding, asking, checking, building, smiling and thanking God for Whatsapp….    There are some brilliant things that have been confirmed this week for Main Street and LaterLive at Quirky, all our ideas  are all slowly coming together nicely #excitingtimes for Garfeast2018


Members
I had a great meeting with our new member, Natalie Varley Travel Counsellor this week, fabulous lady who really knows everything you and I don’t know about booking that trip we’ve always wanted to go on.  I will definitely be using Natalie in the future for all my big and small holidays – so much less hassle to say.  “ Hi Natalie, I have this much money, I want to go here, do that and there’s 4 of us and these are the dates we want to travel”.  We all have hectic lives but we all want to go on holiday!   I quite like the idea i;m also supporting a small local business too


Connections make things happen
A few weeks ago, Katherine from Sling Swing and Beanie Boppers, came to me with an idea of taking one of her classes into the local care homes. Sling Swing is a great class for having fun with your baby whilst helping parents back into gentle exercise.

So I made that connection and discussed with the team I work with there and soon the date was booked in.  On Wednesday, Katherine, her ladies and babies went and held a class in one of the lounges at Augustus Court, it's something that hasn't been done in the care home before,  it was thought it would be a great success from mind. body and soul for all the residents, as you can see from the pictures they were happily joining in, and also seeing all the babies and tots, which is something they don't get to see very often.  It was so lovely to see these generations come together.

Making connections and working together really can work beautifully 

#WOTS
 
Some of you may of heard that RU Motoring finally closed their doors the other week, another great business lost.  The premises have now been split into two and one half is currently in the process of being rented.  The other half is still for rent with Rowlands Burkett, our local chartered surveyors   Find out all the details here for 56 Barley Hill Road http://rowlandburkitt.co.uk/to-let/barleyhill-rd-garforth
 
So  we don’t lose any more good businesses, we need to look at shopping local FIRST

One of the great impacts of shopping local first

You spend £20 locally – that shop owner uses it to buy their lunch in a café that week – the café buys produce so you can  eat there too – the supplier is a local fruit and veg shop – the local fruit and veg shop uses it to put diesel in his van to drive and drop off an order to a local resident, the resident is eating better and healthier.  

It’s not all about food, it’s the start of where you place your money first. Think about it this week - if you change your habits look at the greater impact your decisions can make.
 
 
Planning
 
Big Fat fingers being crossed over the next few weeks as we may have some fabulous news,  which I will be able to release soon; should the people Organising dot the I’s and cross the T’s….  it will take a big problem away and create a smile all round – well for most!  #watchthisspace and like me, keep everything crossed

Roadworks, Gas Works and Ninelands Road
I know we seem to be having a lot of holdups in Garforth at the minute with changes in roads and gas works updating pipes, it's a short term solution for long term benefits, but what it does show, stopping traffic brings more congestion.  As much as I’m always up for change, it has to be good change that brings benefits to people.   I;m not looking forward to Ninelands Lane. RedRow Development starting at all, and when it's finished, I think it might be best to walk everywhere...  always look at the positives
 

Give it a try, a local shop buy  - you really are helping when you do

​Until next week.............

Time with the #thomboys  - they really need a break from school and I'm always glad of it too.  No rushing, no lunch boxes to pack, no bags to pack,  no after school clubs, no prepping, signing,finding,shouting.... no getting up at stupid O'Clock .  If you're going away, I hope it's somewhere warmer, or you have good heating in your accommodation you're spending time in.  Have a happy half term.

Brrrr, it's been a week of cold.  Come on spring we need you.  I can do the hot coffees, and feel the need to eat pies and stodge (because it’s winter, right?) but we need the lighter mornings, and I need to wear my new Mac…


Today is national toothache day!  I hope you haven’t got one of these?  But I move on, it’s also national Pizza day… I hope you get one of these

​
Use our very own Pizza triangle, the independents do it better and it's always fresh

NEW MEMBER

We welcome Natalie Varley this week to our new members list.  Natalie is a Travel Counsellor and she can arrange all your holidays for you.  Finding the perfect place that ticks your box.  I know I’m going to use her services as I’m rather hopeless and get fed up trawling through pages of online sites trying to find my perfect holiday – Have a look and then contact her to discuss all your travel requirements  https://www.travelcounsellors.co.uk/natalie.varley  I look forward to meeting up with Natalie soon, in my second office.. Cielo of course!


WHATS ON

RNLI Garforth Branch are holding a coffee morning this Saturday 10th February at The Welfare Hall from
10am -12pm with refreshments, souvenirs, home baked cakes and a tombola  - support the good 

For half term things to do you can look at these links of things to do in and around our city

https://www.familiesonline.co.uk/local/east-leeds

https://leeds-list.com/family/school-holidays/february-half-term-activities-in-leeds/

​
​Contact Denise too to see if there are any places left for next week

Valentines Day is fast approaching, it’s not always about having a partner, boyfriend, girlfriend, wife or, hubby to love it’s just a day to share your love.

Giving you hints and tips to buy something nice for someone you love, anyone you love, even if it's your best friend

Dumouchel - Chocolates, cakes and breads - Open this  Wednesday, especially.
Funky Muppet - do some fabulous Valentines balloons; especially if you're popping the question!
The Gin Shack - Some lovely Artisan Gin and Tonics as a wrapped up gift
Personal Touch by Rachel   - unique gifts that are personalised to your loved one
Flowers By Chloe (in the Greengrocer)  Beautiful arrangements and very affordable
Willow Park farm - steak for dinner?
La Bella Vita - Get booked in for someone else to cook

You can find all contacts and links to all of the above, using our search box at the top right hand side.  

This is our last blog until after the half term, have a lovely one and don’t forget to shop local, you help cement changes in your children for the future.


​Until then................

Brrrr... what a cold week it's been.  I believe we're heading for a cold weekend too - may February bring better weather


Today is national Hedgehog day, try and look after them in your garden.  You can chuck a few of your leftover bits of food out for them in your back garden, better than chucking them in your black bin.  From following Leeds Recycling on social media, I read this week,  that Leeds is one of the top places in the country that throw away most food items!  Quite sad to read.  Perhaps we need to buy just what we need and not offers - that's why shopping in our local shops is always better, buy just what you need.  For example, 250g Mince rather than a big pack of 500g mince, then you can buy loose veg and fruit, like 2 carrots, 3 potatoes and a  tomato.  It works in the opposite way, the less you buy, the more often you  will use it.  I also find using the website www.lovefoodhatewaste.com is very helpful.  Willow Park Farm is open 7 days a week, we all have at least 1 day off to go shopping.  

Give it a try, a local shop buy, and share some with the hedgehogs too 


I see the panic on posts last week from people who were worried about the closure of Cooplands …, nice re-furb it’s had!  #panicover
 
 
 
#WOTS (word on the street)


I hear Mega Play has new proprietors and they seem very nice people, so say hello to Carl and Clair when you next visit  - I also hear on the Grapevine,  there will also be a name change to, Kids Zone.  #keepyoureyespeeled
 
You may have seen changes in Pride and Produce of late, with a smaller menu, or less things being offered.  News is to come this month, and all I can say is, don’t worry, it’s all really good news.
 
I hear on the grapevine that a request has been put into the local Council to make one of the car park’s off Main Street,  a short stay car park, in order we can offer  more spaces for you the customer wanting to use Main Street and not necessarily by commuters.  I do know the request for it to remain FREE  is also up there on the priority list  

A request has also been put in to have better lighting on Barley Hill Road car park by the Tennis Courts, therefore giving a safe and better option for our Main Street shop owners and workers to perhaps park further away, again alleviating  spaces for customers!  Fingers crossed something good does come out of these requests,  I

Unfortunately, I have  also heard that the Landlords, Henry Lax, ‘MAY BE’ implementing Car parking charges on the rear car park; the only place you can get a car parking space in the day!!   More money for him if he succeeds.  Is he not getting enough money already?  Greedy Landlords with no thought about our towns priorities and impact.  It makes me so cross.  It's already got a time limit of one and half hours and it works!
 


Nice to see the war memorial has finally found it’s place this week; it’s been a long time coming, it’s very lovely to see so many hero’s written on, but equally so sad to see and read how many local men were involved, when Garforth would have been so small back then.  At least it now gives a places for families and somewhere local to pay tribute and respect on Memorial Day to our all local men that should never be forgotten.



What’s on

Tonight, as mentioned last week, is GIN Friday with The Gin Shack at Quirky from 5.30pm.  If you miss this one, you can always go to next month’s and thereafter.  The First Friday of every month belongs to Gin
 
From next Wednesday and every Wednesday thereafter, Garforth Library will be hosting a, Digital Drop in  from 10am – 12pm

If you are looking for local baby classes for you and your child - Flutterbabies.co.uk offer some brilliant local classes - here are a few coming up this month

Book onto baby Yoga from the 20th February  - 5 session for only £40 with Flutterbabies  https://www.bookmyclass.co.uk/Flutterbabies/?fid=101  
 
They also run, Baby Massage Classes held in Zoe Waltons Dance school on Barley Hill Road  https://www.bookmyclass.co.uk/Flutterbabies/?fid=101   Starting on March 1st


Planning
Nothing much to report this week, nothing new.  But what I do always see in planning is the amount of home owners who are wanting to extend their current home, there are new applications every week – which make one thing stand out … People obviously love living in Garforth.

If Cinderella's shoe fit perfectly, why did it fall off?  - Nothing is perfect, we make the best of what we have been given
 
 Until Next week –