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Joanne Timperley pens debut children’s book
                                                                                                                                    Spring clean


          After repeatedly discovering sunflower seeds missing from her pots,
          Joanne Timperley, a keen gardener from Wardle, has written her
          first children’s book.                                                                                                                 your



          Entitled ‘Who Stole My             In a happy ending, the 8ft                                                                  medicine
          Seeds?’ the real-life              sunflower grows into the
          experience has been turned         tallest anyone has ever seen,
          into an exciting ‘whodunnit’       creating hundreds of sunflower                                                             cupboard
          tale for children.                 seeds for all the garden
                                             creatures to feast on – and
          Joanne said: “Every morning        produce a host of giant
          I came outside, and one pot        sunflowers the next year.                                                          The top-to-bottom tidy up of the home once
          would be tipped over with                                                                                             spring comes along remains an enduring part of
          seeds missing. I watched to        Avid sunflower grower Joanne                                                       the British calendar.
          see who was taking the seeds       added: “I love the finished                                                                                                                ABOUT THE WRITER
                                                                                                                                                                                        Dr Chauhan OBE is a respected GP, health and social
          and became aware of all these      product, which is designed to                                                      But in amongst the decluttering and perhaps             care campaigner, and champion of social justice and
          creatures visiting my              share with young children as a                                                     the painting and redecorating, how many of us           charity. As a local GP, he has become a powerful
                                                                                                                                                                                        advocate for his patients and introduced innovative
          sunflowers. I ended up moving      bedtime read.                                                                      remember to spring clean our medicine cabinet.          methods to improve their care. His work mentoring
          my plants from my patio to a                                            ‘Who Stole My Seeds?’                                                                                 and employing young people has won national
          table at the end of the garden.”   “They really get drawn into the                                                    From my experience of home visits, almost every         recognition and he was awarded an OBE in 2020 for
                                                                                                                                                                                        his creation of the Homeless-Friendly charity.
                                             drama of saving the last seed as     Mrs Greenfingers was puzzled                  house has one, which is good news. But when
          Beautifully illustrated by the     the story unfolds and it grows       – who, or what, kept eating the               was the last time you checked to see what’s in it?   It may be tempting to give left over medication
                                                                                  sunflower seeds when she wasn’t
          award-winning children’s           from a small seedling into an        looking? Come with her to find
          book illustrator Sarah-Leigh       8ft giant sunflower.”                out.                                          For accidents, your box should contain plasters,     to another family member, given long queues at
          Wills, ‘Who Stole My Seeds?’                                                                                          antiseptics, bandages, sterile dressings and         some surgeries and, of course, having to watch
                                                                                                                                                                                     your loved one suffer. However, like buying
          recounts how the very last         Joanne will be signing copies        Was it the cheeky robin, or the               medical tape, to help create a temporary splint
          sunflower seed was saved           of  her book at the All-in-One       big blackbird? Maybe it was her               should you suffer a serious cut. I keep eyewash in   medicines online, using old pills and potions or
                                                                                                                                                                                     not following your doctor’s instructions on when
          from the attentions of             Garden Centre, Castleton, on         friend the squirrel, or the                   there too to help shift dirt or foreign bodies from
          various hungry garden              Sunday 15 March.                     hedgehog who visited her garden               the eyes.                                            and how to take your medicine is incredibly
          visitors, including a                                                   each night. Or something else?                                                                     dangerous. It is truly like playing Russian
                                                                                                                                                                                     Roulette with your health, so don’t do it. Instead
          squirrel, hedgehog, blackbird      ‘Who Stole My Seeds?’ is                                                           Pain relief such as aspirin, ibuprofen and
          and robin.                         published by Pegasus Elliott         She sets out to solve the mystery             paracetamol help soothe the agony of cuts and        go to www.nhs.uk and search for ‘why do
                                                                                                                                                                                     medicines have expiry dates’ and learn how to
                                                                                  – and to protect her last seed!
                                             Mackenzie Publishers.
                                                                                                                                aches and pains. Antihistamine is always             dispose of unused prescribed medications safely.
                                                                                                                                advisable, especially as we are approaching high
            Joanne’s top tips for growing sunflowers                                                                            season for pollen. Anti-diarrhoea and oral           For many of us, spring is a time of renewed
                                                                                                                                rehydration salts are available at pharmacies.       optimism where we get outside and exercise

            “A spectacular summer sight, sunflowers really                                                                      The latter is an easy way to help restore your       (particularly if we have let those New Year’s
            do grow to over 8ft tall! Despite their size, they                                                                  body’s natural balance of minerals and fluid, and    Resolutions to slim down slip).
            are the easiest of plants to grow – as long as                                                                      aid your recovery.
            you protect them from garden visitors.                                                                                                                                   Those with hay fever or otherwise prone to
                                                                                                                                Speaking of pharmacies, they are a great place       pollen and dust allergies, may not share that

            Sunflowers have got to be the easiest and                                                                           to gain advice on what medications you need          enthusiasm but by following NHS advice, they
            most gratifying seed to plant. You literally just                                                                   to stockpile. These items could reduce pain, aid     should be able to manage their conditions and be
            fill a pot with soil, plant the seed, keep it well                                                                  recovery and in the case of a wound, prevent         active outdoors.
            watered and watch it grow. I repot them when                                                                        infection setting in. That’s how vital they are to
            they grow four leaves. The bigger the pot, the                                                                      have at hand.                                        The days are getting longer and the
            stronger the roots and the taller the flower. It                                                                                                                         temperatures warmer, so let us put a spring in
            really is that simple!”                                                                                             Conversely, spring is the time to rid your home      our step and with a few precautions, enjoy good
                                                                                                                                of unused and out-of-date medications.               health this season.
          REAL ROCHDALE - SPRING 2020                       40                                                                                                                    41                     REAL ROCHDALE - SPRING 2020
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