More Christmas...

Las-minute gift ideas

• Merry Fitmas from Herongate Club three-month membership with no contract.
• Lavender Eye Pillows & Soy Wax Candles and Online Yoga with Beth.
Quote ‘PENNYPOST’ for £2 off (valid until 31 Jan 2022).
• Spa days, hair/beauty treatments and gift vouchers from Natura Spa, Inglewood. 
Quote 'PENNY10' for 10% OFF in Jan 2022.

Eco news

• See here for more eco news.

Recommendations

• Christina recommends Green Machine Computers: “I wish there were more companies like yours with such incredible values.”
• Clare McKeon recommends Move Breathe Personal Training: "Poppy delivers a totally personalised routine that's always varied and tough. It's the best hour of my day."

This week's jobs

Save the date: Thursday 6 Jan 2022  Recruitment Open Day at The Retreat, Elcot Park for reception, spa, housekeeping and front-of-house staff, chefs and managers.

This week's jobs include: part-time admin & finance officer, part-time dog walker and pet sitter, site officer & minibus driver, foreman/site manager, full-time marquee rigger, returns administrator, hairdresser, barber, nursery school cook, workshop-based mechanics, bar and wait staff, chefs, kitchen porters, housekeepers, drivers, lifeguards, warehouse operatives, forklift operators, unit managers, cleaners, LGV drivers, personal care assistants, heavy-recovery operator, service manager, carers, recreation assistants, facilities manager, nurses and laundry assistants.

Volunteering is good for the CV (and the soul) See local volunteer positions avaialble.

This week (and year) with Penny

• I'm glad I didn't turn 21 this month (well, in some ways it would have been nice). However, our son Adam did just this the other day. Not the best of times to celebrate your formal coming-of-age but he seems to making the best of it.

• You might remember that Brian claims to have access to a world-famous art critic, Sir Courtney Inchbold-Grist. In any event, it seems the man has just reviewed a recently released picture covering a gathering in Downing Street earlier this year – click here to get Sir Courtney's insights into Eighteen People at a Meeting.

•  We cover a lot of things each week. With over 2,500 posts on the site it's hard to make a selection that conveys the range of what we've written about recently. But here goes – to match the days of Christmas, I've picked 12...
• West Berkshire's Lockdown Woods Project.
• Ray Collins, Wantage's Mr Charity, interviewed by Penny Post.
• Lauren Bell, Hungerford's rising cricket star.
• The fight to save the Oasis Leisure Centre in Swindon.
• How two men changed GWR's timetable to help people get Covid vaccines.
• A rural walk from Hungerford to Ham.
• Restaurant review: The Five Bells in Wickham.
• Home-front living history at Littlecote.
• Thatcham artist Sophie Stone.
• Wildlife-friendly gardening tips.
• An analysis of COP26 by local residents and experts.
• Exclusive preview (sort of) of the next season of Line of Duty. 

Please let us know if you'd like to contribute anything in 2022.

• So, that's another year over for Penny Post as we'll be taking the day off on 30 December (which also happen to be my birthday). We'll be back with issue 716 on Thursday 6 January. Have as wonderful a break as circumstances permit and let's hope that 2022 gives us something to celebrate. I'll leave you with a festive mandala, one of many which I've done since lockdown. 

Local events

See the Penny Post website calendar here.

A list of events can also be found in the news sections for each of the nine areas we cover (see the links at the top of the newsletter).

A number of events may be cancelled or postponed at short notice due to Covid. Be sure to check that any event is still taking place before making plans.

Penny & Brian
penny@pennypost.org.uk