Vanessa Daley, manager of the Garstang branch of Reeds Rains, has selected a home on Garstang Road, Catterall, with an asking price of Price £249,995.

Here’s what Vanessa says about the property...

Welcome to this stunning, traditional, semi-detached family home built in 1930s and which has been lovingly restored by the present owner.

The original external wooden door with stained glass windows leads into the hallway with stripped floorboards and wooden spindled staircase leading to the first floor.

The spacious lounge has stripped floorboards and the black cast iron gas stove set on a stone hearth creates a lovely feature in the room, which is flooded with natural light from the large wooden bay window.

On entering the second reception room, which is used as the dining/sitting room, the focal point is the fireplace, which has a marble inset, bespoke wooden surround and electric fire. There is stripped wood flooring and double wood French doors leading out into the lovely enclosed rear garden.

The “heart of the home”, which is the country style kitchen/breakfast room, is fitted with attractive shaker style wall and base units complemented by wooden worktops, cream tiled splash backs and inset Belfast Sink.

In the dining area of this kitchen there is a bay window with a built-in window seat incorporating storage and a wooden stable door leading into the side courtyard style garden. The high quality Karn-Dean flooring extends from the kitchen into the downstairs WC.

On the first floor the landing has stripped wood flooring and a feature stained glass window plus access to the three attractive bedrooms and the fully tiled family bathroom and separate WC.

There is an added bonus of an extra room in the loft, which is accessed by a pull down ladder on the landing and has velux window and under eaves storage.

To the front of this property there are double wrought iron gates opening into a large garden enclosed by hedging and offering ample parking space and access to a brick built garage.

To the side there is a lovely courtyard garden with outhouses and access to the rear, private, landscaped garden featuring a rockery area, a selection of raised beds, a flagged patio and a water feature perfect for relaxing in the long summer months.

Getting to the shops, schools. church or the pub should be a doddle for anyone wanting to rent 2 North Croft,

For this spacious detached family home is within easy walking distance of all those amenities and more and it also has easy access to the A6, the M6 and routes to the Lakes.

The house is set in pleasant and well maintained garden areas to both the front and the rear, the latter being lawned with a paved area and flower beds.

Parking is also helped by the property having a driveway and there is a detached double garage.

Number 2 North Croft is entered through the hall, from which there is a cloakroom and the stairs leading up to the first floor. The lounge is a good-sized and attractive room, off which is the conservatory, which provides another area for relaxation and family occasions.

The modern dining kitchen has fitted wall and floor units plus integrated appliances, and there is a useful utility room leading off this area.

Stairs go up to the first floor landing, off which is the master bedroom.

This has fitted wardrobes and an en- suite shower room.

The second bedroom also has fitted wardrobes, while bedrooms three and four are fitted with cupboards and desks.

These last three bedrooms are served by the family bathroom and the whole property is double glazed and has gas central heating.

Layout: A spacious detached family home set in pleasant gardens with hall, cloaks, a modern dining kitchen, good-sized lounge, conservatory, stairs to the landing off which are four fitted bedrooms (the master with en suite shower room) and a family bathroom.

Agent: Farrell Heyworth 7 High Street, Garstang

Tel: 01995 600666

Price: £895pcm

Food is the best way to a man’s heart so ROBERT KELLY wondered if it was the same for women by taking his wife out.

I always seem to get in trouble every Valentine’s Day...and before you start to ask it was not because I forget to get my wife a card.

Each year I try to surpass my romantic gifts or presents. including getting a bunch of flowers and teddy to be delivered to her in her lectures.

Anyway this was no different as after agreeing to not buy each other presents I decided to get her a card and some roses.

To some that might be not much of a big deal but then I booked a table at one of the first restaurants we ever went to together....Alghero .

We have always had a love and passion for Italian cuisine so I thought that I would not go far wrong by getting a table there.

I had to use all my powers of persuasion to get her to go out for our first dinner as a couple since our baby Eoin was born.

Being Valentines’ Day I was not alone in trying to treat my loved one for all those times I have left my shoes across the floor or the toilet seat left up as we walked to the conservatory.

Even though we were sat in an open space with lots of other couples the owners have obviously taken into account the occasion with lighting giving each table a bit of privacy.

We decided to look at the starters off the specials menu with Carolyn opting for the filo pastry with a hot sweet chilli sauce which started the evening with a bit of a kick.

I opted for the bruchetta which was served with meatballs and a tangy and tasty tomato sauce.

To accompany this we got a tomato garlic bread (£3.75) which was full of flavour but at the same time it was not overpowering with garlic for the breath test after the meal.

At this point, I must admit that my waistline was starting to feel the pressure and I was tempted to loosen my belt.

After scanning through the menu looking at my options I considered the capricosa pizza (£8.25) which was topped with a ham and mushroom.

I even weighed up the Pollo Alla Crema (£13.95) which was sliced chicken with a white wine and cream and mushroom sauce.

Even Carolyn was shocke d when I finally decided on the Tortellini al Proscutto et Funghi (£8.50) which was pasta in a creamy sauce with ham and mushrooms.

As any of our regular readers know that my eyes are bigger than my belly but on this occasion I feel the chef had got the portions right as there was a reasonable serving to accompany the chips that I ordered.

The only drawback was that the restaurant was full otherwise I was tempted to lick the plate of its cream sauce

Meanwhile, Carolyn plumped for the linguine pescatore (£8.95) which was a good option for her as she is a lactose intolerant pescatarian - not eat meat but can take fish.

There were no complaints from her and she seemed to be enjoying her meal while I was struggling with mine.

Amazingly, Carolyn asked if I wanted to a dessert so I did not turn it down and ordered the hot chocolate fudge cake while she went for her favourite sticky toffee pudding.

Both of them went down a treat and I am just glad that there were no stairs to climb to get back to our car.

It is all on one level like a massive bungalow and I think it is a taste of Italy - hidden gem off the M65 motorway.

We will be returning soon after this experience and we won’t be leaving it until the next Valentine’s Day.

Factfile

Name: Alghero’s Restaurant

Address: Bolton Road, Withnell

Telephone: 01254 202222

Food: Italian Cuisine with something for all tastes.

Rating: 10/10

Disabled Access: All on one floor but no disabled toilets

Jezebel – most recognise her as the notorious Biblical figure synonymous with power but forever tainted by her reputation as a treacherous ‘painted lady.’ Is her Old Testament story the truth, partly the truth or just a pack of lies?

The Book of Kings tells us that the Princess of Tyre who became Queen of Israel set off a period of bitter religious and political strife when she persuaded her husband to abandon the Jewish God Yahweh and worship the Phoenician god Baal.

By angering the vengeful Israelite priests, she signed her own death warrant...

Jezebel is the second sweeping and seductive Biblical saga from Eleanor de Jong who has found fertile territory in the ancient Holy Land for epic tales about some of the most controversial women of all time.

She specialises in taking female figures demonised by a history recorded predominantly by men and reimagining their loves and lives for a modern audience.

De Jong’s first novel, Delilah, featured the woman who famously seduced and betrayed Israelite leader Samson, and now she sets her sights on the beautiful and much-maligned Jezebel.

Jezebel, headstrong and determined, is destined to be married by her father King Ithbaal of Tyre as a pawn in a political game.

Led to believe that handsome Jehu, a Judean prince, will be chosen as her husband, she begins an illicit and passionate affair with him when he stays at her father’s court.

But when Jezebel is told she must instead marry Ahab, the middle-aged and shabby King of Israel, Jehu believes she has cruelly betrayed him.

Her destiny now lies with Ahab in Samaria, a city built on a great flattened mountain, where she is resented by her husband’s first wife and the Israelite priests who regard her as a ‘gaudy Phoenician harlot’ with ‘false gods.’

The years pass, and both Jezebel and Jehu nurse their secret. Jehu, unable to relinquish his love for Jezebel, grows bitter and twisted. But he is unaware of Jezebel’s greatest secret – that he is father to her eldest son, Ahaziah, the heir to Israel′s throne.

As her husband’s health deteriorates, Jezebel gradually assumes control of Israel but hatred of her is being fanned by firebrand prophet Elijah, one of the towering figures of the Old Testament, and his terrifying disciple Elisha.

And as they plot her downfall, Jehu circles closer and it seems the die has been cast. Can Jezebel finally take control of her own destiny or has her time already passed?

Grand in its scope and enthralling in its evocation of a courageous and doomed queen, Jezebel will delight fans of both history and romance.

(Avon, paperback, £7.99)