anAurora: Autumn 2006 Text Version

"The Internet Magazine for the disAble Woman. The 'dis' is small, it's the Ability that Counts".

We have been delighted by your responses, keep the articles flowing. We have been delighted by your responses, keep the articles flowingWe have been delighted by your responses, keep the articles flowing. Arts paintings from the artist Dollner and the Arts Council England funds two new commissions at Liberty festival.

In Beauty and Fashion there are a few hints to take the best care of your skin and get that radiant glow. Florence our resident beautician answers your questions
Features Cringletie House wins Scottish Hotel Accessible Room award 2006. Garnet Access Project exists to promote disabled access to the countryside using quad bikes and amphibious six-wheelers. Mary rises to the Extra 10th State Street Caledonian Challenge
Fiction contains two short stories, and a light hearted horoscope for October, November and December.
Food recipes containing Asparagus, how to cook and eat them property, described by our food expert Pade Ross from her villa in Spain.
Violet Lutea is here once again with her helpful gardening tips.
Health: Advice from Jeni.
Regulars: the links page increases each issue, and our Quizzes become easier!

It is apparent right from the start that this little book about walks for disabled people is written by someone who knows what they are doing. Inside the front cover is a very useful key to the suitability of routes – easy, shown on the maps by blue dots, difficult, in yellow and challenging, in red. Not just the surface, but the things able-bodied walkers may not think about much – or at all, like gradients, cambers and width; not much use being a flat tarmac surface if you can’t turn your wheelchair or scooter around.

As a new wheelchair user I am learning how much these things matter; a recent visit to a Perthshire beauty spot I remembered well from my hill walking days as a nice flat track had to be abandoned because what were quite small stones in my walking days now became mini-boulders, and in Portugal last year the charming cobbled streets took on quite another aspect as I bumped and jolted over them. Having been frustrated in Perthshire, this book has come like a shot in the arm, and I look forward to trying out some of the walks.

The book is born out of the determination of the author, Eva McCracken, not to abandon the delights of her beloved hill walking once she was confined to a wheelchair. She has listed fifty walks in Scotland in seven different areas, and has carefully audited all of the routes in the book to a very high standard, not only for the suitability of the trail but for many other factors that disabled people will need to know. Each page has a description of the walk and map references, distances, availability of toilets (even whether there is room for a wheelchair to the right or left of the toilet) with website details and/or telephone numbers of relevant organisations and people – Forestry Commission, Visitor Centres, Rangers and Access Officers, for instance. On the facing page there is a map of the area, showing the walk marked as easy, difficult or challenging (no such thing as very difficult, I noticed!) and a photograph. Some walks are through forested areas, some through more open country, some along canal towpaths, all with detailed notes where necessary about access, gates, and roads which may need to be crossed. I was very impressed by the walks around the Loch Morlich area in the Cairngorms, where I often walked in pre MS days; not only were they well covered, but I found a track I did not know about, and more to the point found I could borrow a scooter from the Visitor Centre! I thought my days on the Glenmore Forest tracks were just a wistful memory, but thanks to this book I shall be back there again as soon as possible. Thank you, Eve McCracken. Many disabled lovers of the outdoors will bless your name.
I have looked to see what could be in the book that has been omitted, but cannot find anything, other than the understandably limited coverage. It would be good now if other wheelchair walkers were to audit paths in their area and pool the information for a second edition, but it would be very important to maintain the same high standard. I am sure that not only will there be a demand for a second and enlarged edition, but a clamour from south of the border for someone to do the same for England.

The book is published by the Cualaan Press, ISBN 0-9544416-8-0, and costs £10.99
Proceeds are going to the Walking on Wheels Trust
John Berridge

anAurora readership increases daily and has already reached Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, and India. Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, UK and the USA, which is fantastic. Please, continue to support anAurora by sending in your articles to: editor@anAurora.co.uk

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Liberty, the UK’s largest disability rights festival, returns to Trafalgar Square.

If anyone would like to send some of their own poetry, paintings, and crafts, etc, please contact: editor@anAurora.co.uk

I was looking for my site listing on your site and it seems to be something wrong so I am sending you this one to list again.

If anyone would like to send some of their own poetry, paintings, and crafts, etc, please contact: editor@anAurora.co.uk

Liberty, the UK’s largest disability rights festival, returns to Trafalgar Square for the fourth time with a strong line up of street arts, theatre music and dance that is aimed at everyone.

For the first time, the festival has received Arts Council England funding, which has enabled the commissioning of two new works by leading disabled performers - Priscilla Queen of the Deaf World by The Alexandras and Elevation by Caroline Bowditch.

The commissions are designed to counter the historic under-representation of disabled artists in the UK street arts sector and it is hoped that the works will have a continued life after Liberty.

Priscilla Queen of the Deaf World features the creative talents of leading sign song artist Caroline Parker, who has been delighting audiences with her interpretations of classic songs such as Bohemian Rhapsody and her recent tour Signs of a Diva.

Directed by Jenny Sealey of Graeae Theatre, Priscilla Queen of the Deaf World is a high impact performance featuring Caroline Parker, Mark Smith and Daryl Jackson using sign song, elaborate costumes and evocative entrances to catch the eye of the public and reflect the Deaf view of the world, life and emotions.

Elevation by Caroline Bowditch is a new piece of dance specifically created for Trafalgar Square. Exploring the concept of elevation in terms of the practical (movements of the performers), physical (structures within Trafalgar Square) and political (disabled people needing to be recognised and given equality) the work invites the audience to aim high and personally experience the power and value of rising upwards. Using movement, sound and images, Elevation will challenge, excite and amuse.

Along with the presentation of Miniatora, by internationally renowned integrated dance company CandoCo, these new inspirational site specific performances on Trafalgar Square will complement Liberty's stage based programme.

Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, who organises Liberty in conjunction with Deaf and disabled Londoners said:
'Liberty is part of my efforts to make London an accessible and inclusive city. Deaf and disabled people make up more than 20 percent of London’s population and it is important that their contribution is celebrated. Liberty is now the largest disability rights festival in Europe and the exciting new commissions featured this year build on this success. Liberty offers an array of acts – from street art to rock – that all Londoners and visitors can enjoy.'

Sarah Weir, Executive Director of Arts Council England, London, said:
‘We're delighted to be supporting two new commissions at this year's Liberty festival, which will contribute to a dynamic body of wide-ranging and provocative street art. Liberty is a key opportunity for Londoners to experience the wealth of talent and creativity of disabled artists, as well as promoting disability equality in the capital and beyond.’

In addition to the new commissions, artists such as New York born vocalist Marlo Donato, the bands Beat Express, FreeSlave and The Heroes and mime artist Ramesh Meyyappan are also due to perform at Liberty.

Arts Council funding has also contributed to the setting up of a Liberty seminar programme later in the year, which will focus on good practice for access at festivals and training placement opportunities for disabled people www.london.gov.uk/mayor/equalities/liberty/index.jsp.

Carousel present dance company High Spin in a high energy duet 'Crush Proof'
Carousel present four piece rock band Beat Express
Candoco present Miniatora, a newly commissioned contemporary dance piece set within a giant inflatable architectural structure
Up and coming band Freeslave led by songwriter Haydon Spenceley feature material from their new album
Ramesh Meyyappan presents his acclaimed mime performance 'The Insomniac'.
Ramesh Meyyappan also performs 'Lazzi of Hunger', a street theatre performance in the Comedia del Arte style.
Caroline Bowditch presents world premiere of Elevation, a site specific dance piece
New York born vocalist Marlo Donato performs with her musicians
Creative Routes present innovative multi-media music theatre performance
Kickin’ Kangaroo present a club based dance set designed to encourage everyone to participate
Johnny Crescendo and Andy Morgan perform protest songs
The Alexandras present world premiere of Priscilla Queen of the Deaf World
The Heroes perform hard-hitting pop music fused with strong social awareness

Liberty is a festival for everyone and is organised to be inclusive and accessible. The following facilities and services on the day will include:

If you are an artist with some work to share, would you like to send some of it to us? Email editor@anAurora.co.uk

Cringletie House

CRINGLETIE HOUSE WINS SCOTTISH HOTEL ACCESSIBLE ROOM AWARD 2006

Cringletie House has been announced the winner of the Scottish Hotel Accessible Room award at the prestigious Scottish Hotels of the Year Awards 2006. The award was presented on Sunday 23 April and recognises the outstanding design applied to access, comfort and style for disabled guests provided by Cringletie House in Peebles, Scottish Borders.

This award closely follows praise given to Cringletie House by Anne McGuire, Minister for Disabled People, for the recent renovations carried out to ensure easy access for disabled people. Anne McGuire cited Cringletie House as a good example of how businesses can improve their customer service.

Changes that have been made to Cringletie House include access to the main entrance being levelled and a ramp installed to the doors. An induction loop is fitted at reception and a portable device can be used elsewhere in the hotel, plus one ground floor room has been designated for disabled people.

This specially equipped room includes a sensor to gain access to the room as some people with co-ordination impairment find it difficult using a traditional key; and the wooden flooring enables moving around the spacious room easy. There is also room to recharge power chairs.

If the fire alarm sounds, lighting is activated in the room to alert deaf guests to evacuate the building. Vibrating pillows are also available to warn people with hearing impairment of an emergency. The bathroom has a roll-in shower facility, a shower seat, low level sink and grab rails.

Johanna van Houdt, proprietor of Cringletie House comments; ‘We’re thrilled to be presented with this prestigious award as it’s always great for the work and dedication of our team to be recognised. We’ll continue to provide excellent service for all our customers and maintain the high standards we have set for disabled facilities and services at the hotel.’

Cringletie House is set in 28 acres of gardens and situated in the heart of the Scottish Borders only 40 minutes drive from Edinburgh. This romantic baronial mansion was also recently awarded three red stars from the AA, making it the only hotel in the Scottish Borders with such an accolade and is listed amongst the AA’s Top 200 hotels in Great Britain and Ireland with its restaurant retaining two AA rosettes since 2003.

The hotel was very highly commended in The Scottish Country House Hotel of the Year and The Scottish Hotel Chef of the Year categories. It was also a finalist in the Scottish Hotel of the Year Award 2006.

For enquiries or reservations please contact:

Cringletie House
PEEBLES
EH45 8PL

e-mail: enquiries@cringletie.com
call: 01721 725732
visit: www.cringletie.com

For further media information please contact: Fiona Vernon or Caroline Smith at Niche Works on 0131 467 4241 or fiona@nicheworks.co.uk /caroline@nicheworks.co.uk
Please find attached a press release highlighting Cringletie House’s success on Sunday 23 April at the Scottish Hotels of the Year Awards 2006 where they won the Scottish Hotel Accessible Room Awards 2006.

This follows recent praise from the Minister for Disabled People, Anne McGuire, for the renovations carried out at the hotel to ensure easy access for disabled people.

If you would like any images or further information, please don’t hesitate to contact me on 0131 467 4241 or e-mail me at caroline@nicheworks.co.uk
Many thanks,
Caroline
Niche Works
T: 0131 467 4241
F: 0131 467 4248
E: caroline@nicheworks.co.uk
W: www.nicheworks.co.uk

Please contact the editor@anAurora.co.uk with any stories or features that you would like us to publish for you.

Feature Facts

Adding Text to Speech to MS Word

Word Talk is a 'plug in' template that adds text-to-speech to Microsoft Word for Windows®. Research and experience has shown that students with visual or reading difficulties can find it very helpful to have text read out by the computer.

Supporting reading and study through ICT also offers greater independence and a useful life skill rather than relying on a human reader.

Word Talk was developed by Rod Macaulay at TASSC in Aberdeen and the Scottish Executive Education Department and has been distributed on CD free of charge to secondary schools in Scotland.

The program was formally launched in September at a series of presentations. It can be downloaded free of charge from the Word Talk website, www.wordtalk.org.uk. As the installation file is very large we would strongly recommend using broadband or a similar fast internet connection. If you can only access a slow dial-up connection, the CD can be obtained from:

CALL Centre
Communication Aids for Language And Learning
The University of Edinburgh
Paterson's Land
Holyrood Road, Edinburgh
Tel: 0131 651 6235
Fax: 0131 651 6234
Email: callcentre@ed.ac.uk
www.callcentrescotland.org.uk

The Rail Passengers Committee Scotland (RPCS) is the official, independent, voice of the travelling public. Together the Rail Passengers Council and Committees make up the RPC network, representing all passengers on the UK rail network.

We consult and listen to passengers to work for improvements to rail services that will benefit all passengers.
Our aim is to build a passenger survey/questionnaire website so that we can survey and provide feedback to passengers in Scotland on specific issues and, to inform our work. We are in the process of setting up the website and will be in touch with you again shortly to request information and provide further details.
http://www.railpassengers.org.uk

The Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) for Accounting and reporting by charities has recently been revised and applies to all but the very smallest charities.
Community Enterprise offers a course to provide a comprehensive overview of SORP 2005, giving easily understood information for the non-accountant on the formats and information to be provided in a set of SORP compliant accounts. The emphasis is on demystifying the jargon and picking out the relevant information from the 110 pages of SORP guidance.

For information on future SORP training dates contact Pamela at Community Enterprise.

email : pamela@communityenterprise.co.uk

National Wheelchair Review of NHS Wheelchair Services in Scotland

A review of NHS Wheelchair and Seating Services in Scotland has been published, following a consultation exercise seeking the views of all people involved in using or providing wheelchair services across Scotland.

The remarks of the chairman, Professor Martin Ferguson-Pell, can be read here.

My name is Erin Shamberg and I am part of a group of volunteers who have developed an online community site called Dating4Disabled.com.

This site is aimed at helping disabled individuals develop their social, personal and romantic life in a supportive and understanding environment. We offer forums, private chats, a dating service and blogs, among other features, to facilitate personal expression and connection via an on-line community.

We feel it is important for persons with disabilities to have more opportunities for social and romantic interaction. Our site is totally free and non-committal.

All the features can be seen at the website without becoming a member. Just click on the orange feature buttons on the left hand side of the screen.

Dating4Disabled.com was developed by a group of volunteers who wanted to provide more social, intellectual and romantic outlets for disabled individuals. This growing community has become a gathering place for the international special needs population, home to members from over 15 countries world-wide. It is a place for people of all nationalities, backgrounds and life-challenges to share, connect and just be heard.

The Dating4Disabled environment is welcoming and user-friendly. Advanced internet tools make for easy communication, and facilitate a convenient and fun way to create connections within the disabled community. Members can come together through forums, a dating service, private chats, and blogs, among other features, providing people with mobility issues the opportunity to fulfill their social needs from the convenience of their own home. The site has also incorporated large font options and supporting icon comments to assist the visually challenged.

The members of Dating4Disabled can network internationally in an understanding, safe and non-committal atmosphere. This unique cyberspace community facilitates an embarrassment-free opportunity for disabled individuals to express themselves, make friends, and hopefully find a partner for life, with out the pressure of uncertain face-to-face meetings. The support and understanding available in the dating4disabled family makes for an exciting new "home away from home".

Our free membership is simple and quick. In the 2-minute sign-up, people create a profile which tailors their online preferences and enables other members to know more about them and what they are looking for. One can customise their interactions by type of relationship, life-challenge, location, interests and more.

All these tools and features provide an enjoyable and valuable online experience. The potential for net-working, meeting new people and creating relationships is unlimited. Dating4Disabled provides its members with the opportunity to utilize the World Wide Web for their own unique needs, and to open windows of possibility to the international disabled community.

Best Wishes,
Erin Shamberg (201) 984-5912
erin@dating4disabled.com
The Dating4Disabled Team
www.dating4disabled.com

Hi,
I really hope you can help me. I came across your website whilst searching through disability forums. I am a researcher at The Open University and also a part- time PhD student.

I am working as part of a team on the project The Making of Modern Motherhoods. This project is a very prestigious academic research project funded by the ESRC and is looking at women's experiences of first time pregnancy and ideas of motherhood with the aim to compare different women's experiences and changing experiences over time (looking at differences from previous generations).

Prior to this project I have done a lot of youth work and research/consultancy work with young disabled people.

My interest in disability lead me to start a PhD part-time at The Open University which is focusing specifically on disabled women's relationships with their bodies in pregnancy and Your website looks great - I wondered if you could give me any advice about trying to find women to take part in the Making of Modern Motherhoods project?

I am currently posting messages on forums but I wondered if this was appropriate for your website? Do you know of any organisations and groups in the UK who may be interested in helping me? I am really keen to find women for The Making of Modern Motherhoods project as I think it is important that disabled women's experiences are not left out of mainstream academic research. (It would involve filling in a questionnaire and being interviewed in their home.)

You can contact me or leave a message on: 0208 855 4774
or by e-mail: l.s.hadfield@open.ac.uk

Lucy Hadfield
Research Fellow
The Making of Modern Motherhoods
FHSC
The Open University
Walton Hall
Milton Keynes

Dear Sir, Madam,
Within the framework of the BenToWeb project:
www.bentoweb.org, ISdAC International Association is looking for test users.

BenToWeb (Benchmarking Tools and Methods for the Web) is a European project aimed at supporting the development of an accessible Web environment.

In order to be able to ensure the accessibility for the different target groups, BenToWeb wishes to call upon the user expertise of people with varying disabilities. By means of a user test we want to investigate the accessibility of the BenToWeb developments.

The first test sessions will take place in March. The actual test consists of a series of about 20 short exercises and will take about 30 minutes of your time. You can attempt the exercises at home or work by accessing our website.

Test participants receive a reimbursement for each completed test series of 20 exercises by means of purchase vouchers by choice (e.g. Amazon, Tesco, Carrefour...) or an equivalent amount.

If you are interested in participating in this test, and you have at least 30 minutes of time available in March, we would like to invite you to fill out the short questionnaire at:

http://bentoweb.org/amfortas/

We require this information (name, age, assistive technology used,) so that we get an idea of how you access the Web. This data will be kept strictly confidential and will not be passed on to third parties. It will only be used internally for statistical purposes.

Unfortunately, registration doesn’t guarantee we can accept you as a test user as we require a panel of users who represent the disabled community at large. It is possible that your user profile doesn’t match the specific profile(s) we are looking for in the first test series. However, more tests
will follow and you may then be contacted for future test sessions.

As soon as you have registered we will contact you personally in order to inform you if you have been selected and for further arrangements.

Test users that are already registered at the ISdAC database need to register again through the link above. It is technically impossible to automatically link the individual data of interested test users to the BenToWeb user profile questionnaire. Furthermore, in order to safeguard the
privacy of the registered ISdAC test users we do not wish to pass on this data to the BenToWeb consortium.

If you have any more questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Also, don’t hesitate to pass on this mail to anyone else that might be interested.

Thank you!
Kind regards,
Tony Verelst
Chairman ISdAC International Association
c/o IGL
Boddenveldweg 11
B-3520 Zonhoven
Tel. +32 11 819465
Fax +32 11 271622
Direct phone +32 11 720012
E-mail : Chairman@isdac.org
www.isdac.org

Indepen-Dance is offering a dance training day with award winning physical theatre company, Earthfall 29th September 2006

5 Langside Avenue
Glasgow
G41 2QR

Earthfall are a physical theatre company based in Cardiff. They tour nationally and internationally and have gained a solid reputation for their extensive performances and work with schools throughout the UK and overseas.

The workshop will provide a unique chance for you to learn new and relevant skills with the area of dance theatre.

The areas of focus for the workshop will be partner work, physical theatre, contact improvisation and contemporary technique.

This course is aimed at social work staff, care workers dancers and those using dance/movement in a community setting workshops are practical therefore please dress appropriately.

Cost £30 (£25 conc) limited free places for GCC staff
To book a place contact:

Claire Mitchell
Dance Manager
Tel 0141 248 5525
Mob 079808455525
Email indep_dance@hotmail.com

Supported by The National Lottery and Scottish Arts Council

Please contact the editor@anAurora.co.uk with any stories or features that you would like us to publish for you.

Garnet Access Project

Garnet Access Project exists to promote disabled access to the countryside using quad bikes and amphibious six-wheelers.

My name is Jon Heasman and I have been in a wheelchair for the past six years. I spent the first year gazing at the countryside where I used to walk so often, thinking " I'll never go there again."

I then decided to change this dire situation. I am now in a position to show you how you can do this for yourself. These vehicles can take you there, whatever the terrain and whatever your disability.

Please contact the editor@anAurora.co.uk with any stories or features that you would like us to publish for you.

Junior Crew

There are two contributions to the Junior Crew in this edition, an introduction to the Global Youth Awards, and the Junior Quiz. Also, we have the answers to the Adult Quiz.

GLOBAL YOUTH AWARDS

Hi there, I would like to introduce you to:

Global Youth Awards

We will like to personally invite you to nominate a young person whom you believe has done something truly remarkable and is deserving of an award. As part of the first truly Global Youth Awards we are seeking nominations from around the world for such young people.

Nominations are straightforward and won't take 5 minutes of your time. There is no charge for submitting a nomination and you can nominate as many as you believe deserve an award.

To nominate a deserving youth please go to:
www.globalyouth.net

We appreciate your time and cooperation in helping us find the best of the best.

Yours sincerely,
John Sebastian
Awards Team
jsebastian@globalyouth.net

JUNIOR QUIZ

Here is our Junior Quiz. The answers are in the Regulars front page. Click here

1	What does the Roman Numeral V equal?
2	Which is the higher belt in Judo: black or yellow?
3	What is the key ingredient of an omelette?
4	How many hours are there in TWO days?
5	In what structure would Clark Kent visit to change into Superman?
6	How many years have a couple been married when they celebrate their SILVER wedding?
7	What does the French word bonjour mean?
8	How many ten pence pieces are there in twenty pounds?
9	Emulsion and enamel are types of what?
10	Used in World War II, what sort of device were U-boats?

ADULT QUIZ: ANSWERS

1	Who wrote Not a Penny More, Not A Penny Less? ... Jeffrey Archer
2	Which member of the Royal Family married Serena Stanhope? ... Viscount Linley
3	Nat King Cole in 1957, Donny Osmond 1973 and Rick Astley in 1987 all recorded the same song. Which one? ... When I Fall In Love
4	What was the name of the prostitute with whom Hugh Grant was arrested in Los Angeles in 1995? ... Divine Brown
5	What is 4 cubed minus 8 squared? ... Zero
6	Who made Who's Who for the first time in 1991 listing his hobbies as football, snooker, pigeon racing and darts? ... Andy Capp
7	James Callaghan in 1977, appointed his then son in-law as Britain's Ambassador to Washington. Name him. ... Peter Jay
8	Which word can mean any form of transport and the legal term for the transfer of property by way of deed? ... Conveyance
9	Which breed of dog is called "The King of the Terriers"? ... The Airedale
10	What is the three dimensional image created by laser beams called? ... A Hologram

Please contact the editor@anAurora.co.uk with any stories or features that you would like us to publish for you.

Rising to the Extra Challenge

Rising to The Extra Challenge
by Mary Guild

Just imagine – nearly 10,000 people of all shapes and sizes trekking en masse along a gruelling fifty-four mile stretch of some of the most beautiful, rugged terrain known to man. Some slog.

Cue 14 June 2006 - and the 10th State Street Caledonian Challenge along the West Highland Way. Fort William to Loch Lomond non-stop. Scotland’s number one endurance, fund-raising event.

Cue, too, the accompanying Extra Challenge – an accessible eight-mile long haul across this same West Highland Way – for disabled entrants only. But forget any fond misconceptions of a light stroll in the park. This is seriously stiff outdoor stuff too. Just ask The Intrepid Twenty – the score of disabled adventurers who signed up this year – including three BPF members and seasoned ramblers, Helene McLean, Heather Macdonald and myself – not forgetting Inverness Shop Mobility who generously delivered and collected the requisite scooters, and our trusty group of experienced, able-bodied walkers on hand lest our batteries pack in and we need a push!

The Extra Challenge begins with a straightforward three-mile run along a scooter/wheelchair-friendly tarmac road. Then the real test begins – a five-mile obstacle course, encompassing rough terrain, potholes, and an Inverness-Edinburgh railway crossing, culminating in an undulating path by some breathtaking forests, lochs and mountains from Bridge of Orchy down to Tyndrum. Add for good measure an incessant struggle with the resident rampaging midges ever launching heavy, unprovoked assaults on any unprotected skin – including ones derriere during a comfort stop at one of the many Port-a-loos en route!

The Caledonian Challenge – and its sister Extra Challenge – though, isn’t just an energetic jolly. It’s about funds as well as fun. Alongside the mud, sweat and tears, the banter and the blisters is charity – and the chance to make a difference and give something back. It all started a decade ago when a group of seventeen undaunted souls climbed some munros to collect cash for The Scottish Community Foundation. Next target was The West Highland Way, and it’s mushroomed ever since, as thousands annually undertake the 54-mile odyssey to raise millions for charities and communities across the land.

Oh, and one can’t omit the pre-hike Pasta Party – a Friday night orgy of carbohydrate overloading, cramming the calories in a convivial social setting in eager anticipation of the day ahead.

And, yes, we did finish the course! Check the medals and the T-shirts to prove it! And what an immensely satisfying and fulfilling experience it all was, the ideal opportunity to get out and about and enjoy some awesome scenery – whilst helping fill the coffers of many of our most deserving good causes. Each contestant’s entry fee raises £10, to which the sponsors will donate £20 to a UK disabled charity of the participant’s choice.

Fancy a shot yourself? If you’re interested in doing The Extra Challenge in 2007 please contact:

Fiona Lindsay
Chartered Physiotherapist and Event Organiser

Tel: 0131 524 0350
Email: Fiona@scottishcommunityfoundation

Fiona will be delighted to provide you with all the necessary information. Go on! Rise to The Extra Challenge!

Please contact the editor@anAurora.co.uk with any stories or features that you would like us to publish for you.

Health & Wellbeing

Regulars

This begins with a short, amusing tale, pointing out the fact that we cannot please all of the people all of the time, followed by the tail (?) of a poor feline who underwent a terrible "trimming" ordeal and lost most of her coat due to a misunderstanding.

The section ends with our Horoscope for October, November and December.

If you enjoy writing, and have a story, poem or narrative that you would like to share, send them to editor@anAurora.co.uk If you wish to attach a drawing or sketch, then so much the better!

Careful with your Donkey

An old man, a boy and a donkey were going to town. The boy rode on the donkey and the old man walked. As they went along they passed some people who remarked it was a shame the old man was walking and the boy was riding. The man and boy thought maybe the critics were right, so they changed positions.

Later, they passed some people that remarked, "What a shame, he makes that little boy walk." They then decided they both would walk!

Soon they passed some more people who thought they were stupid to walk when they had a decent donkey to ride. So, they both rode the donkey.

Now they passed some people that shamed them by saying how awful to put such a load on a poor donkey. The boy and man said they were probably right, so they decided to carry the donkey. As they crossed the bridge, they lost their grip on the animal and he fell into the river and drowned.

The moral of the story? If you try to please everyone, you might as well ... Kiss good-bye. Have A Nice Day!
(Careful with your donkey)

If you are a poet or a writer with some work to share, would you like to send some of it to us? Email editor@anAurora.co.uk

Here's a Cat Story ...

Note: This was not done on purpose (by the pet owner) and the cat is fine and back to normal.

"My sister-in law is from Oklahoma and has a slight accent. She has cats and when she lived in the south she would take them to the groomers and have what is called a Line Cut. To her a line cut is when all of the fur hanging down below the cat's tummy is taken off (because it gets matted or snarled).

When she moved to Chicago with my brother, one of the cats fur got all tangled up during the move so she took it in for a line cut. She was quite surprised when she heard the price as it was twice as much as it was down south. She confirmed with the groomer that he understood what a line cut was and he said, "yes, I know what a LION cut is."

It seems her accent came out sounding like LION not LINE and this is how her cat was returned to her.

She cried for a week...but not as much as the cat. It was November in Chicago and the cat needed all the fur it had."

Gas in car to go to groomers	$ 4.50
Cat car carrier	$32.99
Grooming fee	$80.00

Getting the look from one seriously p*ssed off cat Priceless !

If you are a poet or a writer with some work to share, would you like to send some of it to us? Email editor@anAurora.co.uk

Horoscope

anAurora's horoscope is here with her light hearted view of the stars.

In the Stars

SIGN	HOROSCOPE
LIBRA 24th September - 23rd October	Three quarters of the year has gone, and now the leaves begin to go yellow and gold. Your wallet has become emptier after the holidays and it is time to save for the Festive Season. What a life.
SCORPIO 24th October - 22nd November	As the rains begin, and the nights get longer, there are still a couple of holidays left. Cheer up, it's time for chestnuts, Guy Fawkes, bonfires and ... was that a gnome you saw down at the river?
SAGITTARIUS 23rd November - 21st December	Christmas day is coming, plenty of hot cheer around a sparkling fire. So what if it's icy cold outside and white is the colour of the ground? Enjoy the shortness of the days - they are going to start to get longer soon enough.

For those who want a more personal horoscope: Please contact your local newspaper!

If you enjoy writing, and have a story, poem or narrative that you would like to share, send them to editor@anAurora.co.uk If you wish to attach a drawing or sketch, then so much the better!

Health & Wellbeing

Regulars

Pade has excelled herself with three delicious recipes, all including asparagus, plus a note on the health benefits derived from eating it.

Cringletie House appears again with another award given to their Hotel Chef of the Year, Paul Hart, and information about booking.

A –Z for Happy Bellies
A Wee A –Z for Happy Bellies
By Pade Ross

Extracts from her Receipt Book Asparagus Contains:
Recipes for sensual, caressing, warming, cooling, heartening, comforting, delicious, exciting, harmonising, smooth, rough, sophisticated, tough, tasty and easy Food for Friends

The celebration of being alive, large, small, poor, or rich, Christian, Buddhist, Moslem, Jewish, Japanese or Communist, vegan, vegetarian or omnivore, together at one table.

Wee Notes

For the “wee notes”, which you can read – or not - I am grateful to:

Earl Mindell for The Vitamin Bible and The Food Medicine Bible
Thorsons, for The Complete Guide to Vitamins and Minerals Prevention for New Foods for Healing
Dr. Christina Scott-Moncrieff for The Vitamin Alphabet
Michael van Straten and Barbara Griggs for Super Foods
Phyllis and James Balch for Prescription for Nutritional Healing
Arnold and David Bender for Oxford Dictionary of Food and Nutrition
James Duke for The Green Pharmacy
Denise Mortimore for The Complete Illustrated Guide to Vitamins and Minerals

If you have any recipies or hints on cooking, would you like to send some of it to us? Email editor@anAurora.co.uk

Asparagus And Broccoli

Ingredients:

Same weight each of:
Asparagus and broccoli
Some olive oil
Garlic
Chilli
Boiling water

Method:

Wash and trim the broccoli into small florets and the woody part from the asparagus, you can peel the remaining part of the asparagus stalk if you want.

Tie the discarded bits of asparagus stalk together and steam with the rest of the vegetables in a little water with the lid on.

Peel the garlic and slice thinly. Top and tail the chilli and slice thinly. Put into some hot olive oil and sweat gently. (If you want less heat to the chillies scrape out the seeds and discard them).

Strain the broccoli and asparagus and lay on a hot dish or ashet. Pour the hot garlic and chillies over the other vegetables and serve, delicious!!

A Wee Note

Asparagus is rich in folate (also known as folic acid, folacin and pteroylmonoglutamate!!) a member of the vitamin B complex. So is broccoli.

Another Wee Note

Folic acid is vital for all cell division, it is needed to utilize carbohydrate and amino acids, it may help to prevent cancer, it may help to prevent spina bifida and other birth defects, it is essential for a healthy skin, it boosts the immune system and help to prevent infertility and depression!!! WOW! And I bet you thought asparagus was a Spring treat and broccoli just something you had to eat!!

Yet Another Wee Note

Broccoli is full of beta-carotene, or pro-vitamin A. this is good for human bodies because it gets rid of free radicals and delays the signs of aging!! It helps to maintain a healthy skin and mucus membrane which helps to protect against infections of the nose, throat, lungs, urogenital tract and intestines!!

If you have any recipes or tips about food, then editor@anAurora.co.uk would love to know.

Asparagus And Butter Bean Pate

Ingredients:

A couple of packets of fresh asparagus
Two or three cans of butter beans
A knob of ginger
A handful of parsley
Olive oil
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
Boiling water
Loaf tins

Method:

Put the water on to boil, put your oven on to medium, break off the woody bits of asparagus and tie them together, peel the remaining stalk of the asparagus and put the spears and tied together woody bits into the boiling water, cook for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile tip the butter beans out of their can into a sieve under gently running water.

Peel the ginger and slice it as small as you can, or grate it finely into a mixing bowl.

Wash and slice the parsley as finely as you can and add to the ginger. Dry and tip the beans into the ginger and parsley mix and add a little salt, pepper and olive oil. Agitate the contents of the bowl.

Take the asparagus out of the water and allow them to dry off a little while you mash the beans roughly into the mixture in the bowl. The mixture should just about hold together.

Grease the loaf tins and spread the bean mixture over the bottoms of them. Lay the spears over the bean mixture and cover with more. If you have enough you can do another layer of beans and asparagus and end with beans.

Dribble a little olive oil over the mixture and sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the top. Shove into the oven for about 20 – 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

Allow to cool then tip onto an ashet and either serve straight away or put into the fridge for an hour or so. Slice and serve with melba toast, scrumptious!

If you have any recipes or tips about food, then editor@anAurora.co.uk would love to know.

Asparagus And Mushrooms

Ingredients

Four or six asparagus spears p.p.
Two medium mushrooms p.p.
Three new potatoes p.p.
Parsley
Syboes
Olive oil
Boiling water
Sea salt and black pepper

Method

A small contribution: syboes are what are called spring onions in English; Syboes are a rich source of vitamin C, folate, calcium, iron, beta-carotene and fibre. Syboes are extra-ordinarily good for bodies and can be substituted in every case for onions and leeks.

Put the water on to boil. Wash and scrub the potatoes, put them into the boiling water, bring the water back to the boil and turn the heat down to simmer.

Put on a pan with some of the olive oil and some salt and pepper, clean and quarter the mushrooms and put them in the hot oil. Turn the heat down a little and fry the mushrooms slowly.

Rinse, trim and peel the asparagus spears, tie the woody bits of the spears together and put the asparagus into boiling water, bring back to the boil and simmer with the lid on till the wee spears are just tender, the mushrooms are beginning to become a little brown and the spuds are done.

Pour the potatoes, and return to the pot to dry out a little.
Pour the asparagus and any liquor from the mushrooms into a jug and retain. Discard the woody stalks.

Wash, top and tail and slice the syboes very finely. Wash and slice the parsley very finely. Mash the potatoes with a little olive oil and add the syboes and parsley. Put your grill on as high as it will go.

Grease a baking tray. Make lots of little potato boats on it. Put some of the mushrooms into each boat and decorate with asparagus spears.

Sprinkle with some olive oil and a wee dash of sea salt and black pepper. Place the tray under the grill till things start turning brown.

Whip it out, pour the liquor from the vegetables onto an ashet and place the wee boats carefully on the liquid. Absolutely scrumptious!

A wee note: this dish is simply bung full of vitamin C, anti-oxidants and dietary fibre (roughage!). Asparagus contains folate, vitamin C, copper and fibre; Mushrooms contain copper, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin),folate, selenium and fibre. Potatoes contain vitamin B6, B1(thiamine),C (the newer the potato, the more vit.C), folate, vitamin B3(niacin), potassium and fibre.

Another wee note: the lining of you stomach and intestines is very delicate. The continued use of commercial roughage is akin to scraping round the insides with a pot scourer! If you really cannot eat more vegetables then make your own vegetable sauce or drink and keep clean and healthy from the inside out!

Yet another wee note: parsley contains natural blood thinners called coumarins, anti- oxidants called monoterpenes which help to protect the body against cancer and reduce cholesterol and flavonoids some of which work as anti-oxidants while others work to deactivate hormones which may cause the growth of tumours. Parsley is also powerfully anti-stink! The more you eat the less you need to spend money on deodorants or anti perspirants and the more you eat the more you are protected by all the vitamin C and other goodies packed into the plant.

If you have any recipes or tips about food, then editor@anAurora.co.uk would love to know.

Cringletie House Chef

Paul Hart, Head Chef at Cringletie House Hotel in Peebles has been awarded Hotel Chef of the Year at the Scottish Chef Awards 2006. This is the first time such an award has been presented to a Chef in the Borders region.

The award, which was presented at the tenth anniversary gala dinner of the Scottish Chef Awards in Glasgow on Sunday 7 May, follows Paul’s recent highly commended award from Hotel Review Scotland as ‘The Scottish Hotel Chef of the Year’.

Paul has been at Cringletie House since 2004. His classical French training has been gained at Michelin star restaurants including Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons in Oxfordshire and The Moody Goose in Bath where he worked as Sous Chef prior to joining the team at Cringletie House. Paul said: ‘I am delighted to have been presented with this prestigious award and am really grateful to my team for their support’.

Hotel proprietor, Johanna van Houdt commented: ‘We are thrilled for Paul. All his hard work and attention to detail has really paid off. It is great for him to be recognised in this way and provides the whole team with increased morale and a sense of pride.’

In the recent Hotel Review Scotland Awards Cringletie House was very highly commended in ‘The Scottish Country House Hotel of the Year’ and ‘The Scottish Hotel Chef of the Year’ categories. It was also a finalist in the ‘Scottish Hotel of the Year Award 2006’.

For enquiries or reservations please contact:
Cringletie House
Peebles
EH45 8PL

e-mail: enquiries@cringletie.com
Phone: 01721 725750
Website: www.cringletie.com

For further media information please contact:
Fiona Vernon or Caroline Smith
Niche Works
Phone: 0131 467 4241
email: fiona@nicheworks.co.uk /caroline@nicheworks.co.uk

If you have any recipes or tips about food, then editor@anAurora.co.uk would love to know.

Health & Wellbeing

Regulars

The Edible Garden gives information about the flowers and veg which are easily grown in your garden, are safe to eat, and useful as garnishes accompanying meals.

The article on mushrooms is informative, giving details about the types that are safe to eat, attractive and edible, advising research on the ones that are not so well known.

Please keep them coming. Send your articles on Gardening and Home to editor@anAurora.co.uk

Armchair Gardener

Armchair gardener
By Violet Lutea

The Edible Garden

There is something magical about growing something you can eat from seed. Almost everyone must remember the childhood delight watching cress growing from the seeds you planted a week before, or a broad bean pushing up two satisfyingly fat leaves from the side of a jam jar. Although I found it hard to believe that broad beans were actually edible. Rediscovering that joy is one of reasons to try growing your own food, flavour and health, (no pesticides or chemicals if you choose,) are other reasons too.

There are many plants commonly grown in the average garden that are edible, and they can be very decorative. There is no need to grow them in rows or in large quantities just because they are food. Gardens were originally used for growing a few vegetables, herbs and salad crops close to the house. You can even grow strawberries and trailing tomatoes (Tumbling Tom) in hanging baskets. You can have baby salad leaves in your window box, unusual salads, expensive in the shops, are easy and you can grow successive plantings from early spring to late summer.

Even some flowers are edible and look fantastic in a salad. Don’t forget to check out which ones are for eating and which ones are not before you serve them up at dinner party. Nasturtiums, roses and borage flowers are all safe and if you don’t fancy eating them you can use them as a garnish.

Suggested salad leaves to use as baby salads are: lettuce, most varieties, (radichio lettuce is good), rocket, Chinese cress, spinach, parsley, sorrel, basil and some varieties of beetroot.

Please keep them coming. Send your articles on Gardening and Home to editor@anAurora.co.uk

Mushrooms

Mushrooms and toadstools belong to the fungi kingdom. There are about 4000 species of fungi in the UK. Edible fungi with an umbrella shape and cap and stem are termed mushrooms and poisonous ones are called toadstools. Most people will be familiar with mushrooms growing on lawns trees rotting wood on dung and on old bonfire sites.

Fungi are not plants but have enzymes to dissolve food externally from where it is absorbed. Unlike plants mushrooms are not made up of cells but of thin tubes called hypae many people collect and eat mushrooms. However beginners must on no account gather wild fungus to eat unless they have been correctly identified by an expert.

The problem even for experts is that edible fungi can have look-alikes which may be poisonous. Most species can be identified from their characteristics such as the habitat where they grow, the appearance of the gills colour, smell and texture. Most species are umbrella or mushroom shaped and has gills on the cap underside. Here are three which are edible.

Shaggy ink caps are generally found on grass which is cut fairly regularly and on woodland vegetations. They are found from spring through to winter the cap is normally 10cm across with the stem about 20cm and 10mm in diameter. They are edible but must be eaten young.

Blackening wax caps have bright orange waxy caps and darken with age. They are found right throughout the summer into the autumn. They are found mainly on grass which is cut or grazed. The cap, gills and stem all blacken on handling or with age these are not really edible as they have a bitter taste.

Peppery Bolete are also quite common they are peppery in taste and can grow to a large sized they are extremely attractive to look at.

A safe way to enjoy mushrooms is to buy a mushroom growing kit from a gardening centre. Results are generally good although they taste very similar to shop-grown ones.
Wild mushrooms have a totally different taste but remember to take care.

Please keep them coming. Send your articles on Garden and Home to editor@anAurora.co.uk

Health & Wellbeing

Regulars

An in-depth article about Meniere's disease desribes in detail the various symptoms and signs of it, followed by a very useful article about how to recognise a stroke by asking three key questions.

If you have any similar experiences and would like to share them then email jeni@anAurora.co.uk

Jeni's Column

Jeni is here to help and advise. Her column in this edition focusses on Meniere's Disease

Symptoms and Incidence of Ménière's disease

Symptoms:
Ménière's disease is usually characterised by four symptoms.
1) Periodic episodes of rotatory vertigo or dizziness.
2) Fluctuating, progressive, low-frequency hearing loss
3) Tinnitus
4) A sensation of "fullness" or pressure in the ear.

Detailed description of symptoms
1) Periodic episodes of rotatory vertigo or dizziness.
Periodic attacks of vertigo (the so-called Ménière's "attack") is the most disruptive of the symptoms to the patient. It is usually the vertigo attack which causes the patient to seek medical treatment. Typically, vertigo occurs in the form of a series of attacks over a period of weeks or months, interspersed by periods of remission of variable duration. The attack consists of a period of dizziness or vertigo (dizziness may include a feeling of unsteadiness; the term vertigo is normally reserved for the perception of spinning).

The sensation of spinning may produce nystagmus (a beating of the eyes from side to side), nausea, vomiting, sweating and all the symptoms normally associated with extreme motion sickness. The onset of vertigo may be preceded by a sensation of fullness or pressure in the ear, increased hearing loss and tinnitus, as described below. The onset is frequently sudden, reaching peak intensity within minutes and lasting for an hour or more before subsiding. Unsteadiness may persist for the following hours or days.

Vertigo must be one of the worst chronic afflictions to affect the body. The vertigo patient perceives either that the world is spinning around them or that they themselves are spinning. With many other disabilities, some portion of a normal life can be continued. Vertigo disrupts virtually every aspect of life, since the patient loses the ability to do anything normally, especially when movement is involved.

In addition to the obvious hazard of falling, moving around is hampered by the fact that even small head movements often make the spinning sensation worse.

The resulting nausea, sweating and vomiting combine to make the patient subjectively very "ill". Vertigo can totally incapacitate the individual, so they cannot function. Often the patient will confine themselves to bed until the symptoms subside.

Most normal individuals probably cannot appreciate the devastating impact of this condition. Most of us are familiar with mild forms of vertigo or dizziness (from fair rides, excessive alcohol consumption, etc.). If you haven't recently experienced vertigo, try the following experiment (in a large open space, on a soft surface such as grass). Take hold of a heavy object at arms length (my son recommends a school backpack full of books) and spin around, leaning slightly backwards to balance the bag. Spin around 10-20 times at a rate of about 2 revolutions /second.

Alternatively, if you don't want to injure yourself by falling over, sit in an "executive" swivel chair and have someone spin you around as fast as they can without the chair becoming unstable, for 20-30 seconds. In both these cases, you will experience rotatory vertigo for a few seconds when you stop rotating. You will have the sensation you are still spinning, your eyes will exhibit nystagmus (a beating from side to side) and if you continue, you may experience nausea.

Based on this experience, you now partially understand the problem. There are additional factors which the patient must deal with. One is that their vertigo may last from hours to days, compared with the few seconds you experienced. With the brief episode you experienced, the vertigo declined quickly with time. For a patient, the vertigo may be sustained or even increase in intensity over a few hours.

Another difficulty the patient may have is that the vertigo can be made worse by "external" stimuli, such as head movements or loud sounds. Even TVs and radios may have to be avoided. It should also be considered that in this exercise, you had control over your situation and you knew you could stop when you wanted. You also knew that you would be fine tomorrow.

The Meniere's patient has to deal with a lack of control of their situation, except for the limited control provided by taking anti-vertiginous drugs. Even when the symptoms have passed, they must face the stress and uncertainty of when the next episode will occur, and whether it will be more or less severe than previous ones. It is generally true that most people underestimate how disruptive episodic rotatory vertigo can be to an individual's life.

Please email her at Jeni@anAurora.co.uk

2) Fluctuating, progressive, low-frequency hearing loss
the hearing loss usually affects one ear, which typically loses sensitivity to low-frequency (bass) sounds the most. As well as being harder to hear, sounds may appear "tinny" or distorted. Loud sounds may cause more discomfort than normal (loudness intolerance). The hearing loss fluctuates over time. Sometimes the hearing may recover to some extent, but then on other days hearing may be difficult.

In addition, the degree of hearing loss may get progressively worse with time, eventually affecting all sound frequencies and hearing may be completely lost in the affected ear.

3) Tinnitus
Tinnitus is sustained, loud "ringing" in the ears. Many normal individuals experience brief episodes of tinnitus, such as a loud "ping" which declines over a period of seconds to minutes. The tinnitus experienced by Ménière's patients is continual and does not abate with time, although its intensity may vary. The tinnitus is generally nonpulsatile. In addition, it may be heard more as a load roaring or buzzing sensation, rather than a whistling.

4) Aural fullness
T he feeling of "fullness" in the ear is similar to that experienced by barometric pressure changes (such as when riding up or down a hill, or ascending or descending in an airplane). However, this fullness cannot cleared by swallowing, as in the case of pressure changes.

Incidence and Prevalence of Ménière's Disease
Incidence and prevalence are sometimes confused. Incidence is defined as the number of new cases in a population over a period of time; Prevalence is the number of existing cases in a population at a given point in time.

The incidence of Ménière's disease has been estimated to range from 0.5 to 7.5 per 1000, although this figure depends upon a number of factors, such as the diagnostic criteria used to define the disease. It also varies by ethnic background, showing relatively high incidence in Britain and Sweden. However, it affects not only the white race but also black and oriental races.

Ménière's disease most commonly affects people in their 40's and 50's, although individuals from 20 onwards may be affected, as in the picture below. It is rarely, though occasionally, reported in children. Males and females appear to show a similar incidence of Ménière's.

Natural Time Course of Ménière's Disease
The time course of the disease has been documented in patients who were suitable candidates for surgery, but who declined surgical treatment of their vertigo (Silverstein et al. 1989). Initially, the frequency of vertigo attacks in these patients varied from less than 3 to more than 10 per month. After two years, more than half the patients were vertigo-free and most of the remainder showed less than 3 attacks per month. After 8 years, the vast majority were vertigo-free, although a small number showed less than 3 attacks per month. This decline of symptoms with time was generally comparable to the group of patients who elected to undergo surgery, although the severity of the vertigo was not compared during the two year period following surgery.

Also, although vertigo attacks may become less frequent over a number of years, the hearing loss tends to progress and tinnitus often remains a problem. Thus, it should not be concluded that spontaneous "recovery" from the disease occurs. There are also many patients in whom the symptoms do not abate, even after many years. There is tremendous variability in the long-term evolution of the disease.

Descriptions of symptoms by patients
For persons unfamiliar with Ménière's disease, these descriptions of symptoms make you realize how disruptive the disease can be.