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N O RT H E D I T I O N | J A N U A RY / F E B R U A RY 2 02 1
PUZZLES INSIDE
Exciting Move for Local Dog Groomers Blyth Town Centre gets £11m Boost Thriving Furniture Business opens new High Street Premises
COVID-19 SECURE This magazine has been delivered in compliance with the UK Govenment’s Covid-19 risk management guidance
YO U R LO CA L M AG A Z I N E F O R : M O R P E T H
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1 B E D L I N GTO N | C R A M L I N GTO N
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WELCOME TO ABC MAGAZINE Welcome to the North edition of ABC, your bi-monthly local magazine. ABC is distributed free of charge to thousands of homes in Bedlington, Cramlington and Morpeth. You can also read it online, visit www.yourabc.co.uk for more information. Interested in advertising in ABC? Please call Richard on 07526 522272 or email info@yourabc.co.uk Published by: ABC Magazines, PO Box 225, Bedlington, NE63 3FL @yourabc
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Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that the data in this publication is accurate, neither the publisher nor the editorial contributors can accept, and hereby disclaim, any liability to any party to loss or damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accident or any other clause. R Wilson Advertising does not officially endorse any advertising material included within this publication. All Rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission of the publisher.
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ADVERTISING FEATURE
Exciting Move for Local Dog Groomers GROOMS BY ARIANE HAS BRANCHED OUT INTO THEIR OWN PREMISES - ADDING A BRAND NEW PET SHOP TOO
G
rooms By Ariane is a dog grooming business owned and operated by Ariane Blevins. Having launched the business in 2018, and spent the last 2 years working withing another groomers in the town, she decided the time was right to open her own salon / pet shop. She found the ideal premises, right in the heart of Bedlington Front Street at 76A High Street West, directly opposite Bedlington Community Centre and next door to Studio be and Innovations hairdressing. Grooms By Ariane provides professional clipping, cutting and styling grooming services for all breeds of dogs as well as nail clipping, teeth cleaning and baths and brushes to keep our best friends clean and healthy. Ariane has also incorporated a pet store side in the shop which sells various animal related products including pet food, leads and collars, pet beds, doggie treats and toys. In addition it is there for our wild bird friends as well selling fat balls and 'non-growing' wild bird seed amongst other things. Ariane, 24, is a professional City and Guilds qualified Level 3 dog groomer with over 10 years experience which seems strange for
one who appears so young. Ariane has a strong work ethic and started grooming whilst training to Level 3 standard in Animal Management and City and Guilds at Brooksby College in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire whilst simultaneously working at a local boarding kennels in Lincolnshire, a kennels she had worked at since she was 14 years old. Ariane came to the North East when her parents moved to Durham as her ex-military father was from the area originally and moved 'back home' as Ariane said he described it. Ariane found immediate employment as a dog groomer first with a local big chain followed by employment with an independent business before setting up Grooms By Ariane as her own brand with her own clients and renting a table at another Bedlington grooming shop. After grooming for 10 years Ariane felt that she had to
build a business of her own for her long term future, thus Grooms By Ariane on Bedlington High Street was born. It has been a painful time for everyone this year, Covid has seen to that, and no sooner had Grooms By Ariane opened on 12 January 2021, new guidance during the current National 'lockdown' meant that Ariane felt that despite all of the Covid precautions she had put in place in the shop, she had to close the grooming side to protect her and her customers health from the risks associated with Covid. Unfortunately, at time of writing, no local Government Agency is prepared to give a straight answer as to whether or not groomers can remain open, stating only welfare grooms can be carried out, but no-one will define what a welfare groom is and the risk of being fined for being open is very real. Nevertheless, the pet shop side of Grooms By Ariane is open, as an essential shop, so visit if you can and support your local High Street shops. We all hope this Covid situation will be over soon and Grooms By Ariane can start to offer the grooming services that have brought Ariane many loyal customers who are desperately waiting for her to reopen. â– Grooms by Ariane, 76a Front Street West, Bedlington, NE22 5UA Tel: 07494 874 471 www.groomsbyariane.co.uk
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EDUCATION
WORLD BOOK DAY
Thursday 4th March is WORLD BOOK DAY and this year the focus is on libraries. By Sarah Davey
E
very Saturday morning, after we’d endured the weekly shop, my mother took me and my brother to the library. We’d flop down in the children’s section and skim the titles, our heads tilted at ninety degrees. Our card limit was three books each and it never seemed enough. My mother was an avid reader and instilled in both of us the love of a good story. It’s why I’m delighted that World Book Day is here again, and that it's working even more closely with libraries. For the first time in our lives libraries are seriously under threat. Yet libraries level the playing field for families who can't afford to buy books. They are gateways to a world of information and imagination. World Book Day is the annual event supporting books and reading in the UK. Schools, libraries and bookshops will be holding book related events, activities and parties. It’s a great opportunity for everyone to get involved. The aim of World Book Day is to encourage children to explore the pleasure of reading. Your child will be given a book token which can be exchanged for one of ten specially published World Book Day books. The theme this year is story-sharing. Research has proven that keen readers: ·· Read, write and concentrate better ·· Process new information more easily ·· Have many interests and do well in a wide variety of subjects 8
·· ·· ··
Are more flexible thinkers and are more open to new ideas Deal with personal problems better without their schoolwork being affected. They are also well equipped to deal with the explosion of constantly changing information available through the internet and social media.
TV and computer games take up so much of our children’s leisure time that the simple pleasure of reading can be overlooked. Yet reading is the only entertainment medium which is also a life skill and it’s one of the best gifts you can give to your child. So let’s all support World Book Day and... celebrate the power of a story. ■ Visit www.worldbookday.com
Share a few of your childhood favourites with your own children. If your memory needs a jog, here are a few to start you off… Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. Grandpa’s Great Escape by David Walliams How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell The Gruffalo By Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
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LO CA L N E W S
Blyth Town Centre gets £11m funding boost
Northumberland County Council has welcomed the news that a major funding bid unlocking up to £31m investment to transform Blyth town centre has been approved by government. Blyth was one of 50 towns shortlisted to benefit from the Government’s £1 billion Future High Streets Fund (FHSF) and the Government has now confirmed that Blyth’s application has been successful. The council has been awarded £11.12m from FHSF which is complimented by significant funding support of £20m by the County Council approved earlier this year. The approved funding will support a programme delivering a revitalised Blyth Market Place and Bridge Street with new culture and leisure facilities in the heart of the town centre. The town’s established reputation as a centre for the Energy and offshore wind industry will be bolstered by the development of a new research and education Energy Institute. The programme also includes projects which focus on improving green space, cycling and walking improvements to better connect the town centre to the quayside. The County Council is working as part of the Blyth Town Deal Board with public, private and community sector partners to back the ‘Energising Blyth’ vision. Creating a Vibrant Town is a key objective for the town with the aim of developing new projects which could help the town centre to be more attractive, welcoming and safe in the future. The plans prepared are based on the results of over a year of engagement through the Blyth Town Forum with local users of the town centre. Consultation has been carried out with businesses, the local community and schools including two drop-in events in the town centre which attracted thousands of visitors. The council will now be working with partners to develop a full delivery programme with preparations beginning in earnest for the FHSF scheme to deliver 10
over three years from Spring 2021. There will be further detailed engagement with the community, businesses and partners as the scheme is developed. In early 2021 the town will also benefit from the new Northern Gateway project supported by the national Towns Fund, Northumberland County Council and Blyth Town Council, which will introduce an improved town centre environment focused on Bowes Street, Church Street and Wanley Street, which will eventually be integrated with the FHSF programme. A new ‘Town Deal’ is also set to be agreed with Government in Spring 2021 which could bring in up to a further £47m programme to help the town to grow, improve and renew between 2022-2026. Council leader Glen Sanderson said: “I’m delighted the Government have backed our ambitious plans to transform Blyth town centre. This will be a major boost to the town centre as it also restructures and recovers from the impact of Covid19. This award is a testament to the strong partnership working in the town, and thanks to residents and businesses who have told us they care about Blyth, are proud of their town but also want to see the town centre thrive again.” Councillor Richard Wearmouth, Cabinet Member for Business and Tourism, said “The Future High Streets Fund will ensure Blyth town centre is a place that people once again want to spend time in. It’s hugely exciting to get this news on the back of the recent announcements about the planned investment on Northumberland Energy Park and progress in re-instating the Northumberland Line. Blyth Town Council Mayor Warren Taylor added: “Blyth Town Council welcomes the exciting news of this further investment in our town centre. We look forward to working with Northumberland County Council through the Blyth Town Forum, on developing and delivering these exciting new projects to transform our town centre."
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FITNESS
HULA FITNESS! The perfect lockdown exercise By Tracey Anderson
During the first lockdown I rather enjoyed the enforced laziness. I am a gym member, but I don’t really love it. After a while though I noticed that, while I didn’t miss weights and running on the treadmill, I did miss the classes, and the rush of endorphins that followed. Then one day while idly flicking through YouTube videos I came across a ‘hulafitness’ workout. It looked fun. I grabbed one of my daughter’s neon hula hoops and had a go. Much harder than it looked but I enjoyed it. The next afternoon I had another go and my teenage daughter joined in. We laughed a lot (which was a bonus as anyone who has a teenage daughter will acknowledge) and afterwards we investigated hula-fitness a bit more. Hula hooping is inexpensive, and you can do it practically anywhere, which is kind of the point in lockdown. All you need to get started is a hoop and room to move. Standard hula hoops are cheap as chips but after a few sessions we invested in weighted ones. Even they didn’t break the bank. Ours cost about £15 each but even the more expensive ones were only £40. It is important to find the rightsized hoop. Larger hoops are a little easier as a beginner because you spin more slowly. If using a weighted hoop, begin with a lighter one (around 0.5-1Kg) and increase the weight as you get more proficient. Correct form is more important than weight, and I did have a little accident where I pulled a muscle in my back 12
for a few days because in my enthusiasm the first hoop I bought was too heavy. There are a few online tutorials that talk you through how to hula hoop with proper form. To my delight I found our gym offered a beginner’s online hula fitness class, so we signed up for that. With hula hooping, you teach your body how to move the right way with the hoop while working your cardiovascular system. Shorter workouts are better at the start. We started with two ten-minute sessions a day and worked up from there.
Hold each side of the hoop around your waist, resting against your back. With the hoop against your back, start spinning the hoop in whichever direction you find easiest. As the hoop starts to spin, move your waist in a circular motion to keep the hoop moving. Push your hips slightly forward as the hoop moves across your stomach and push back when the hoop moves across your back. KEEP THE CORE MUSCLES ENGAGED – TUMMY TIGHT. If the hoop drops, just pick it up and get going again.
BASIC FORM AND POSTURE
FINALLY
Feet should be a little more than shoulder-width apart, with one foot slightly in front of the other. Your back should be straight, and your core engaged to protect your back.
If you have a back injury or chronic back pain, check with your doctor or physical therapist before trying hula hooping to make sure it’s safe for you.
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FITNESS
German Language Learning for 2021 SUSANNE WARDLE, DIRECTOR AND FOUNDER OF THE GERMAN TEACHER, EXPLAINS WHY LEARNING A LANGUAGE COULD BENEFIT YOU IN 2021
Could German language learning be your New Year’s resolution for 2021? Finally, the year 2020 has gone and, despite the ongoing challenges due to Covid-19, it is time to think about the fulfilment of plans, dreams and the achievement of goals for 2021. However, while 60% of people make New Year’s resolutions, most give up by the 12th of January and 43% in under a month. As a matter of fact, only 8-12% of all resolutions see their fulfilment by the end of the year. Let it be German Whether you have always wanted to learn a new language or refresh your language from school, German is a great choice for any English speaker. Undeniably German is similar to English, as you say the letters you see and it is very structured. Whether you decide to learn German or any other language, here are the top tips: Firstly, pick a language which is relevant to you. So, it might be your holiday destination, or you might have friends who are native speakers or speak the language well. Do you need the language for work or will it further your career? Did you enjoy the language at school and wished you kept it up? Do you enjoy German films, books, music or composers? Whatever your reason, if the language is relevant to you, you will put the work in to learn it! Secondly, you could learn a language with a partner, friend, group or your children? It is fun to learn together and apart from practising, you can correct and challenge each other. Expect challenges on the way and have realistic expectations. It is unlikely that you will achieve fluency within a few months unless you have some prior knowledge. Your life will get busy at times and your language learning might not be your priority. Be clear in your goal settings and convey this to your language teacher! What do you want to get out
“A different language is a different version of life” - Frederico Fellini – film director 14
of your language learning? Any professional language teacher will have that conversation with you and tailor the lesson to your needs. Make a commitment to learning! 10 minutes of vocabulary learning a day is better than 1 hour in 7 days. Complete the set homework! Have fun with the language: Listen to songs, label your house with post-its, write your shopping list in German, try your German out on friends and on holiday and watch German language films with subtitles. Benefits of learning a language • It opens your world to another way of thinking while gaining a deeper understanding of your own culture. • Languages let you connect you with different people and a different culture and limit barriers between people. • Foreign languages improve your analytical and problem-solving skills. • A foreign language opens the door to art, music, dance, fashion, cuisine, film, philosophy, science. • It undoubtedly has health benefits, as it sharpens your memory and helps to prevent the onset of dementia. • Learning a language is fun and gives you a sense of achievement. In brief, whatever your New Year’s Resolutions for 2021, make language learning one of them. There is no age limit and you might surprise yourself. Absolutely consider German as an option. It has a lot to offer and is easier than you think! ■ www.germanteacher.uk
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LOCAL NEWS
OVERWHELMING RESPONSE RECEIVED TO RAIL CONSULTATION
LEARN FRENCH with Lingua Forme! French Classes for Adults Is learning French on your bucket list? I can help you to learn at a level that is suitable for you, from beginner to advanced. All classes are now online via Zoom and I provide regular resources and audio files to keep learning fresh, fun and foolproof. Visit www.linguaforme.co.uk for details
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Public consultation on the reintroduction of a rail passenger service in Northumberland closed last month and over 1,000 people took the time to give their views on detailed plans for the Northumberland Line – which will connect Ashington to central Newcastle with a number of stops in between. With a proposed opening date for passenger services of winter 2023, thousands of residents a day are expected to use the service, while the scheme could boost the local economy by up to £470m. The ambitious project includes new stations at Ashington, Bedlington, Blyth Bebside, Newsham, Seaton Delaval and Northumberland Park in North Tyneside, as well as upgrades to the track and changes to level crossings where bridges or underpasses may need to be built. Councillor Richard Wearmouth, Cabinet Member responsible for economic development, said: “We’d like to thank everyone who’s taken time to make their views known on this hugely important scheme for the whole region. Due to the Covid restrictions it just wasn’t possible to do face to face consultation but we’ve got a lot of feedback on various elements of the scheme which is now being evaulated ahead of planning applications being submitted early next year.” Council Leader Glen Sanderson added: “This scheme has the potential to transform this part of the world, not just in terms of transport links, but bringing a boost to education and job opportunities and a huge injection into our economy. The public’s views are key to the scheme’s success and we look forward to more engagement with our communities as work progresses.”
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CROSSWORD Across 7 Rubbery, flexible (7) 9 Application, employment (5) 10 Well known (5) 11 Compress, contract (7) 12 Large flightless bird (3) 13 Slowly get rid off (8) 16 Moaners (8) 17 Vat, bucket (3) 19 _______ Banderas, actor (7) 21 Gone ____, circulated rapidly on the internet (5) 22 Most important person (5) 23 Sir Ranulph _______, Polar explorer (7)
WORD LADDER A word ladder is a sequence of words formed by changing just one letter each time eg CAT - COT - DOT - DOG. Can you find the missing words? Use the clues if you get stuck.
CHASE
Clues:
Down 1 Release from captivity (7) 2 Speak ill of (8) 3 Lothario (4) 4 Clumsy incompetents (8) 5 Agreement (4) 6 Switches baby to solid food (5) 8 Style of bread (11) 13 Folding ranger tool (8) 14 Proclaiming (8) 15 Dispose of (7) 18 Cheekily sexy (5) 20 Slim (4) 21 Outlook, scene (4)
Discontinued Charter
MINDBENDERS
Lead
Can you find the hidden phrases?
Fruit Roost Sear Mend
CATCH SOLUTIONS MNDBENDERS 1. Last, not least 2. Blood is thicker than water 3. Rub up the wrong way WORD LADDER CHASE, CEASE, LEASE, LEASH, LEACH, PEACH, PERCH, PARCH, PATCH, CATCH
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least
blood H20 R U B
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LOCAL ADVERTISING FE ATURE
Luxury Living in Stannington
CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON EXECUTIVE BUNGALOW DEVELOPMENT
H
usband and wife team Alan and Victoria, of Altoria Development, are returning to Stannington Station to build more of their stunning, executive bungalows. The couple began their development venture in 2016 with a passion to build bespoke bungalows in the North-East. From Morpeth themselves, they found their first development in Stannington Station and obtained planning permission for fourteen bungalows at Furrow Grove, all of which were snapped up and sold off-plan. Since then they have expanded their portfolio to Oakfield Grove, Blyth, an intimate development of four bungalows. Alan said “We are delighted to be returning to Stannington Station to build a sister site to Furrow Grove. Ridge Grove will maintain the high quality and executive specification that is expected of Altoria Development. This development has three different bungalow types and are all three-bedroom homes; each home is fully adaptable and provides all of the benefits of one-storey living.” Ridge Grove offers each buyer the opportunity to design their new home without the responsibility of 20
“Ridge Grove will be a gated private development and offer luxury before you even step into one of the exceptional homes. ” managing a self-build. With bespoke Kitchens including choice of stone worktop, co-ordinated cabinetry and all integrated appliances included as standard. Villeroy and Boch bathroom and ensuite both fully tiled. Flooring is included throughout and there is a choice of internal oak doors and finishings. Farrow and Ball colours throughout and all offering double garages with electric doors. Victoria explained “Ridge Grove will be a gated private development and offer luxury before you even step into one of our exceptional homes. The bungalow’s have been designed to compliment the nearby surroundings of the Northumberland countryside and has been placed delicately into the heart of the wonderful community that is Stannington Station.” Stannington Station has the luxury of a wonderful Farm Shop and cafe with facilities for young children to
play, garage and convenience store all a few minutes walk from Ridge Grove. Slightly further afield is the village of Stannington with a quaint pub and village hall. The historic market town of Morpeth is only a few miles away which provides an abundance of shops, boutiques, excellent schools, doctors and dentists. Alan and Victoria have begun the initial construction of what will become a beautiful development, with completions taking place from early 2021. Prices from £445,000 onwards. To request the sales literature please contact Altoria Development on 01670 432603 alternatively email info@altoriadevelopment.co.uk
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ADVERTISING FEATURE
CLEANING BEHIND THE SCENES IN A DENTAL PRACTICE
JOANNE DUGGAN, PRINCIPAL DENTAL SURGEON AT BEDLINGTONSHIRE DENTAL PRACTICE, EXPLAINS HOW THEY KEEP CROSS INFECTION UNDER CONTROL
H
ave you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of a dental practice so the dentist can use not just clean, but sterilised instruments in your mouth? Probably not before this horrific COVID-19 pandemic, but now the whole world is aware of how easy it is to spread viruses and bacteria; this is what I would term "cross infection". "A cross infection is the transfer of harmful microorganisms, usually bacteria and viruses. The spread of infections can occur between people, pieces of equipment, or within the body. These infections can cause many complications. So, medical professionals work hard to ensure equipment safety and a clean environment1." Although I am a dentist, I know other medical professions go through similar cross infection control measures and decontamination processes as we do in dentistry. With this in mind let me share with you what actually goes on behind the scenes at Bedlingtonshire Dental Practice. The Holy Grail of cross infection control which dentists must comply with is a document published by the department of health called, (sorry it is a mouth full), "Decontamination Health Technical Memorandum 01-05: Decontamination in primary care dental practices2." This document prescribes the essential requirements and best practice for dentists to operate in "a safe and responsible manner with respect to decontamination of instruments and dental equipment2." Basically this document, (I'm going to call it the Holy Grail from now on), is to ensure we have a clean practice, using clean
and sterilised instruments to ensure you are safe and we are not spreading bacteria and viruses between patients. I will take you through the journey of the instruments that have been used in your mouth; I will call these "dirty instruments" , all the way to being sterilised and ready to be used again in a new patient's mouth, "clean or sterilised instruments" . From a patients point of view I am sure your emotion at the end of a dental appointment is a mixture of sheer relief and a want to get out of the surgery as quickly as possible, however, while you are getting out of the dental chair, putting on your coat and receiving advice from your dental professional, the nurse will already have started the decontamination process. All the used instruments are placed in a secure storage container and sealed. The dental nurse will then clean all the exposed surfaces in the surgery so it is clean for the next patient. At Bedlingtonshire Dental Practice we are fortunate to have two rooms designated for cleaning and sterilising instruments; these are called the decontamination room and the clean room. The Holy Grail2 describes two rooms instead of one as best practice because there is physical segregation of dirty and clean instruments. This is similar to the strategy behind social isolation and shielding of our elderly and vulnerable in the control of Covid-19. The nurse takes the box of dirty instruments into the decontamination room , washes their hands and dons their personal protective equipment, or PPE, as it is now commonly known. Before the horror of COVID-19 , I'm sure the majority of you would not have known what PPE stood for in the medical world. If you are interested in 23
politics you will know this to mean something completely different; PPE, or its full name of Philosophy, Politics and Economics is a popular degree for budding politicians, especially at Oxford university: here are some high profile names you may recognise with a PPE degree from Oxford University : Matthew Hancock, (the current Secretary of State for Health and Social Care), David and Ed Milliband, David Cameron, Ed Balls, Yvette Cooper, William Hague, Tony Benn, Ed Davey, Edwina Currie, Edward Heath, Lord Mandelson, Michael Foot, Harold Wilson to name just a few as the list is long3. Also another fact from Wikipedia3 is the former U.S. President Bill Clinton initially studied PPE at Oxford University but did not complete this degree as transferred to a different political course at Oxford4. Boris Johnson studied at Oxford University too but read Classics5. I don't know why the term old school boy network just sprang into my mind when I researched this! Sorry, I must abide by the rule of no politics or religion, therefore just to be clear, I am not referring to politics, philosophy or economics again when PPE is mentioned. PPE worn by the dental nurse for the decontamination process includes disposable clinical gloves, household gloves, plastic disposable aprons, face masks, eye protection and adequate footwear2. All our clinical staff wear a set of scrubs, (a new clean set every day), and this clothing is not worn outside the practice. That's why you will never see us coming to work, popping out to the shops at lunch time, or going home in our scrubs, as we always change into our civvies before we leave the building. The only exception is when going on a home visit; we change into a new clean set of scrubs to visit the patient, then change out of them on our return. These scrubs are then classed as contaminated and have to be washed before we can wear them again. All clinical 24
staff also have dedicated footwear which they only wear whilst inside the practice. (Our staff room is full of shoes, clothes and scrubs!) Once in the decontamination room the dirty instruments are transferred into a washer-disinfector, which is akin to your dishwasher at home. Washerdisinfectors are used to carry out the processes of cleaning and disinfecting the instruments in an automated cycle consisting of 5 stages: Flush – removes “difficult” gross contamination, including blood, tissue debris, bone fragments and other fluid and solid debris, (sorry if you are squeamish). Wash – removes any remaining soil. Mechanical and chemical processes loosen and break up contamination sticking to the instrument surface. Detergents are used in this process . Rinse – removes detergent used during the cleaning process. Thermal disinfection – the temperature in the washer- disinfector is raised to 90oC for 1 minute. Drying – The chamber of the washer is purged with heated air to remove any moisture.
·· ·· ·· ·· ··
After this cleaning process, which takes about 45 minutes, the instruments are taken out of the washer disinfector and inspected under an illuminated magnifying glass to confirm they are spotlessly clean. Effective cleaning of the dirty instruments before sterilisation is of the utmost importance to reduce the risk of transmission of bacteria and viruses. After the instruments have been though the washer disinfector, although clean, cannot be used on patients just yet. The instruments still need to be sterilised and to do this the nurse passes them through a hatch into the "clean room." The nurse then takes off
“At Bedlingtonshire Dental Practice we are fortunate to have two rooms designated for cleaning and sterilising instruments” their PPE in the correct manor. Gloves are removed first (so they end up inside out), then the plastic disposable apron, then the face mask and finally the eye protection and disposed of appropriately in the clinical waste. The nurse washes their hands thoroughly before leaving the decontamination room to go into the clean room. As its name suggests, only cleaned or sterilised instruments are allowed in the clean room. This rule is strictly obeyed; we want no viruses or bacteria to contaminate anything in this room. The nurse on entering this room will wash their hands again and put on new clean PPE. The instruments are placed into an autoclave which will sterilise them; this is like a steam cooker. There are 4 elements needed to sterilise the instruments and these are steam, temperature, pressure and time and their parameters needs to be correct every time. For example to sterilise instruments successfully they need to be in the steam at a temperature of 134oC, under 2 bar of pressure for 3 minutes. The cycle time depends on how quickly the autoclave heats up and cools down, builds pressure and decompresses, but this takes approximately 30 - 40 minutes for our machines. When the autoclave has successfully completed its cycle the sterilised instruments are taken out, allowed to cool down, dried, and inspected again under another magnifying light to ensure they are spotlessly clean. The sterilised instruments are now placed into pouches that are sealed, signed, dated and stored for up to a year in clean areas of the practice. Once the expiry date (a year from sterilisation), is exceeded, the instruments have to go through the whole process again, ( both the washer - disinfector and autoclave), even if they have not been used. Only if all the above procedures are correctly followed are instruments allowed back in the surgery to be used on patients.
HOW DO YOU REALLY KNOW YOUR DENTIST IS PERFORMING ALL OF THESE CROSS INFECTION CONTROL MEASURES?
I'm sure you have heard of the Care Quality Commission, or CQC. They are the regulator of dental practices and their role is to protect you as the patient.
Bedlingtonshire
Dental Practice
The CQC inspect dental practices to check whether they meet the legal requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations. Bedlingtonshire Dental Practice was inspected in January this year, led by a CQC inspector who was supported by a specialist dental adviser. The CQC inspectors wanted to get to "the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment6", and asked the following five questions: • Are we safe? • Are we effective? • Are we caring? • Are we responsive to people’s needs? • Are we well-led? The inspection lasted approximately 7 hours; to say they were thorough in their inspection is an understatement as no stone was left unturned; staff were interviewed, (or some could say interrogated), resulting in quite a stressful day for all. However I am delighted and very proud to say the CQC confirmed we are doing everything correctly and we received a great report. Now if you really are bored during self-isolation and are looking for something to occupy your time then you can find and read our report at; https://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-1386626842. In this article I have outlined only a minute part of the cross infection control procedures dental practices follow. Apologies to any of you reading this whom are dentally trained, as you will know how much of the Holy Grail2 I have omitted, but the fact is there was just too much to fit into this article without filling the whole magazine and sending the reader to sleep! Infection control includes all aspects of the running of a dental practice: from correct training of staff, attention to personal hygiene, hand hygiene, masks, protective clothing, to the cleaning and sterilization of instruments and the maintenance of the equipment, to validation of all these processes, audits, and record keeping of all the above. The unseen role of the dental nurse behind the scenes of a dental practice is much more critical than you could ever imagine; they display dedication and professionalism to ensure we have vital cross infection control. 30 Front Street East, Bedlington, NE22 5AA Tel: 01670 828402 www.bedlingtonshiredental.co.uk
References: 1. https://www.healthline.com/health/cross-infection 2. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/decontamination-in-primary-care-dental-practices 3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_University_of_Oxford_people_with_PPE_degrees#Broadcasters,_journalists,_media_(UK) 4. “The most successful and famous alumni from each Oxford College”. Business Insider. Retrieved 2017-04-08. 5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Johnson 6. https://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-1386626842
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www.bedlingtonshiredental.co.uk
27
LOCAL NEWS
Thriving Furniture Business Opens new High Street Premises DECEMBER SAW A LOCAL FURNITURE BUSINESS OPEN THEIR SECOND STORE, ALLOWING SIGNIFICANT GROWTH AND EXPANSION, AS WELL AS CREATING NEW JOBS.
Quay Furniture, based at the Royal Quays in North Shields, and a sister company to Northumbria Flooring based in Blyth (North East retailer of the year award winner 2019), opened their brand store in Ashington on December the 5th and it is a very welcome addition to the town. Quay Furniture, owned by James Cunningham, have over 25 years of experience selling furniture, and now employs fourteen staff, with the majority based and living in the local and surrounding areas. Four new jobs have also been created and recruited from Ashington as a result of the new store. The new store takes up numbers 2-4 Woodhorn Road in Ashington, a property which stood vacant for over two years. Inside you will find a good selection of sofas, beds, wardrobes, dining sets, and lounge furniture, with some very eye catching displays. Quay Furniture offer free local delivery and interest free finance is available. The business has been going from strength to strength from its current base at the Royal Quays in North Shields and, having grown the business significantly, they needed additional premises to support their further expansion plans. They were looking for premises in Northumberland and, when this site came available, they decided the chance to take advance of its prominent corner plot location on the high street, right in heart of Ashington town centre, was too good an opportunity to turn down. When the store opened on Saturday 5th December they created a Covid safe walk around environment for customers and suppliers to enjoy their modern furniture showroom. However, at the 28
time of going to press, the showroom has unfortunately had to temporarily close due to lockdown measures. To keep up to date with the changing situation please contact Quay Furniture using the details at the bottom of this page. Cllr Richard Wearmouth, Chair of Advance Northumberland and cabinet member for economic development at Northumberland County Council said: “It’s great to see such a prominent high street building that has not been used for some time brought back into use. This new retail offer will add to the shopping opportunities that are
already available on our high street and elsewhere in the town, all saving people time and money”. James of Quay Furniture said: “We look forward to welcoming the people of Ashington and surrounding areas to help them shop local for all their furniture needs. We are delighted with the new building and we have ambitious plans for it, providing a fantastic base for our furniture showroom”. ■ For more information on Quay Furniture visit: www.quayfurniture.co.uk or call 01670 814 333
RECIPE
Valentine Jammy Dodgers A HOME MADE TREAT WITH ADDED LOVE
INGREDIENTS
175g plain flour Pinch of salt 75g icing sugar 125g unsalted butter, diced 1 egg yolk 1 tsp vanilla extract 75g raspberry jam 75g apricot jam
METHOD 1. 2.
3.
4.
n time: Preparatio s 30 minute e: m Cooking ti s te u 15-20 min : Makes 6-8 30
5. 6.
7.
Sift the flour, salt and icing sugar into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub it lightly into the flour mix, using your fingertips, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk and vanilla extract lightly together. Make a well in the centre of the flour mix. Add the egg and vanilla and work together to form a soft, smooth dough. (You can use a food processor if you have one). Place the dough in a polythene bag and place in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 170C / gas mark 3. Divide the chilled dough into two equal portions. Place one portion between two pieces of lightly floured greaseproof paper and roll the dough to approximately a 4mm thickness. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Remove the top sheet of paper. With a large biscuit cutter, cut the dough into an even number of discs. Using a small heart cutter, cut out and remove the centre of half the biscuit discs. Place all the discs on the baking sheets. Bake for 15–20 minutes until just firm and barely coloured. Don’t fully bake yet. Remove from the oven and place a teaspoonful of jam in the centre of each whole biscuit round. Spread to 1.5cm from the edge. Place the heart cut-out rounds on top. Return to the oven and cook for a further 5–6 minutes by which time the biscuits will be evenly cooked and the jam sufficiently hot to stick the two halves of the biscuits together. Leave the biscuits to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
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ADVERTISING FEATURE
GIVE SOMEONE POWER OF ATTORNEY… BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE Lasting Powers of Attorney are invaluable documents as part of the overall planning of your estate as managing your financial affairs can become more difficult as you get older. If a person is unable to manage their affairs due to mental incapacity and they have not made a valid Enduring or Lasting Power of Attorney, their assets will be frozen as no one (including their spouse and children) has the authority to deal with them. At this point someone will need to apply to the Court of Protection to be appointed as the person’s Deputy. The Court will then authorize the Deputy to deal with the person’s affairs in a certain manner. This is a very time consuming (around 6 months) and expensive (in the region of £1,750) process. This situation can be simply avoided through the making of a Lasting Power of Attorney. By making a Lasting Power of Attorney you can decide whom you would like to manage your affairs in the event that you are unable to do so either due to physical or mental incapacity. There are two types of Lasting Power of Attorney that can be made, one dealing with your property and financial affairs and the other dealing with your personal welfare. PERSONAL WELFARE This power gives your attorney the authority to make decisions regarding your healthcare and medical treatment. PROPERTY AND AFFAIRS This power enables your attorney to deal with your bank accounts and your property. This includes decisions in relation to selling or renting your property, paying your bills, applying for benefits you are entitled to and all aspects of dealing with your bank accounts, savings and investments. 34
All work we undertake is at fixed fees: Single Property and Affairs Lasting Power of Attorney: £300 inclusive of VAT Double Property and Affairs Lasting Power of Attorney (suitable for couples): £420 inclusive of VAT Single Will: £180 inclusive of VAT Mirror Will: £240 inclusive of VAT It is imperative that specialist advice is taken in order to ensure that the power given accurately reflects your wishes. Call Crichton Wills Trusts & Probate on 01670 514772 and speak to a specialist adviser today who will be happy to discuss any concerns you may have and offers a free no obligation appointment in the comfort of your own home.
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37
LOCAL NEWS
Plans for Newbiggin Sports & Community Centre upgrade revealed Plans to upgrade, refurbish and remodel Newbiggin Sports and Community Centre have at last been revealed. The designs and proposals can be viewed at https://nland.uk/newbigginlc .Residents can give their comments on the proposals by emailing ccorless@hlpuk.com or handing in their written comments at Newbiggin Sports Centre reception. Northumberland County Council has agreed to fund the £1.5 million upgrade which will provide modern, flexible leisure, library and community spaces. Plans include a new entrance, the relocation of the library within the centre, the creation of a community café and hub area and improved changing facilities including those for outdoor sports. They also include the creation of a dedicated studio space, the relining of the sports hall floor, the refurbishment of the squash courts and viewing gallery and the centre will be redecorated throughout. There will also be some essential repairs to the fabric of the building. There will also be changing and toilet facilities for adults with additional needs or older children who need privacy and space.
The centre has two external full sized football pitches that are used by a number of local teams; Northumberland County Council has been working with Newbiggin AFC, local clubs and the Football Foundation to provide new and enhanced grass pitches to the rear of the centre. Northumberland County Councillor and cabinet member for Health Lives, Jeff Watson said: “This major refurbishment and upgrade work will breathe new life into the centre and provide a modern and much improved experience for the local community. It is really important to us that local residents are given the opportunity to have their say about the proposals. Whilst we are unable to hold an engagement event due to the coronavirus restrictions, we very much welcome feedback from the local community, whether they use the existing centre or not. “ Detailed plans for the centre were submitted to Northumberland County Council’s planning service in December and if approved, it is hoped that work will start in Spring 2021 and be completed towards the end of 2021. ■
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FOOD
FAT TUESDAY! 16th February is Shrove Tuesday By Sarah Davey
I grew up near Olney, in Buckinghamshire. It’s a pretty little town with lots of lovely independent shops and a strange claim to fame; it is the home of the pancake race. On Shrove Tuesday, in a 500-year-old tradition, many of the Olney women (and the odd bloke in a dress), don aprons and head coverings, and race through the streets to the church tossing a hot pancake in a frying pan! It’s an entertaining afternoon, but how did it all come about? Legend has it that in 1455 a woman cooking pancakes heard the shriving bell summoning her to confession. In her Christian haste she ran to the church, wearing her apron and still clutching her frying pan, complete with hot pancake, and so the tradition was born. The reason this 15th Century woman was cooking pancakes in the first place was due to a Christian dictate; that through the 40 days of Lent no person should eat milk, eggs, or butter. This was a pre-fridge era, which meant that if a housewife had stocks of these foods they would go off before the fast ended on Easter Sunday, so she had to use them up. The solution was to make pancakes and they became a symbol of self-indulgence before the fast. Indeed Mardi Gras, as the ritual is called in France and the USA, literally translates as ‘Fat Tuesday.’ Over the years I’ve tried my pancakes with fruit, maple syrup, and a variety of savoury fillings but I keep coming back to fresh 40
lemon juice and a sprinkling of sugar...irresistible. Here is my own recipe for perfect pancakes. Ingredients 115g (4oz) plain flour Pinch salt 1 large egg 285ml (half a pint of milk) 115g (4oz) butter, melted Juice from 2 lemons, strained Caster or Demerara sugar to taste. To make the batter: 1. Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Beat in the egg and a little of the milk until smooth. Gradually beat in the remaining milk and add 4 tablespoons of the melted butter. Cover the bowl and leave to stand for
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
one hour. In a small non-stick frying pan heat some of the butter until sizzling, but taking care not to let it burn. Pour enough batter into the pan to coat the base evenly. Cook over a moderate heat until the pancake is light golden-brown underneath and looks dry on top. Flip over (try to do this with style!) and cook the other side until golden. Continue until all the batter is used. The recipe should make 1012 pancakes. You can keep the pancakes warm in the oven (Gas mark 1 / 140C) until they are all cooked, but in our house they’re barely out the frying pan before they’re scoffed. Serve with the lemon juice and sugar...Enjoy!
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SUDOKU
SPORTY ANAGRAMS Can you work out the kinds of sport from the following anagrams? Word lengths are shown in brackets. Solutions below.
A WET FEW RAN IT RIGHT (5,5,7) GET WIN IF LIGHT (13) RING WELTS (9) LOB ALOFT (8) LITHE CATS (9) ROMAN HAT (8) MINOR GO CART (5,6) Fill in the grid so that each row, column and 3x3 box, contains the numbers 1 through to 9 with no repetition.
Solution
WIN FUN GRIDS (11) BALK TABLES (10) SOLUTION: White Water Rafting, Weightlifting, Wrestling, Football, Athletics, Marathon, Motor Racing, Windsurfing, Basketball
42
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GARDENING
The Winter Garden By Rachael Leverton
If I say ‘winter garden’ what do you imagine? A stately home? Evergreen shrubs? Topiary maybe? It dawned on me a few years ago when I was out walking the dog on a frosty morning that winter gardens are really all about the light. From late autumn through the winter there is a pink-gold low slanting light in the morning and afternoon which makes frost and raindrops sparkle, casts interesting shadows and makes everything look magical. Watch your garden throughout the day from the rooms you where you see it best. Watch where and when the sunlight falls and plan accordingly. Grasses look beautiful when they are covered in frost and backlit. The red or yellow winter stems of Cornus (or dogwood) however seem to glow when winter sunshine illuminates them directly. Most suburban houses have smaller gardens, easily visible from the house so it’s important to choose plants which look good in more than one season. As well as shrubs with good
stem colour, look for smaller trees with pretty bark. There are plenty of small Japanese Maples which can be grown in tubs. If you have a little more space a silver birch can look stunning, or even my favourite, the paper-bark maple, Acer griseum, which is a slow-growing small tree, pretty all year round with crimson leaves in the autumn then a characteristic chestnut bark which peels naturally to reveal bright orange red bark underneath.
Look for plants with architectural shapes such as one of the sculptural eryngiums (sea holly), salvias or sedums. All look beautiful in the summer and autumn but gain a second lease of life when covered with frosted cobwebs. Plants like these will make you want to get out in your garden even in winter, so add a little scent with a winter jasmine or a sarcococca confusa (Christmas box) which has tiny white highly scented flowers. These late flowering plants provide a source of nectar for early pollinators. I no longer tidy my flower beds. I leave piles of fallen leaves and debris in beds to provide shelter for wildlife. The leaves to rot down in the end which is good for the soil too. But I do spend time neatening the edge of the lawn and sharpening the edges of my borders. It’s amazing how much smarter my garden looks with minimal effort. ACER GRISEUM AND SEA HOLLY WILL KEEP YOUR GARDEN LOOKING GOOD ALL YEAR ROUND Happy Gardening! 44
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BOOKS
A GOOD READ By Willow Coby
THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY by Rachel Joyce
Retirement is meant to be relaxing, isn’t it? You do what you love doing and enjoy yourself. But what if you suddenly receive a letter out of the blue? A woman who worked in your office many years ago has cancer and is dying. She just wants you to know. This touches you for reasons you can’t quite explain, so you write her a note to say that you are sorry to hear that. Putting on your coat and your yacht shoes you leave with the note. Your destination? The post box. Just as far as the end of the road. And so, starts Harold Fry’s extraordinary journey: 627 miles in 87 days. With no plan, other than to reach Queenie, he sets off on a journey of faith. Scribbling on the note he tells her to wait for him. This debut novel from radio and TV writer, Rachel Joyce, will take you on a gentle journey with Harold and the various people he meets along the way. Totally unprepared for what he will encounter, his faith in positive thinking keeps him going as he learns more about his life and relationships with his wife and son.
THE MAZE RUNNER by James Dashner
Post-apocalyptic and dystopian literature is perennially popular with teens and adults alike, and the events of 2020 only served to increase its attraction. The Maze Runner was initially published in 2009 but came to prominence with the release of the film adaptation in 2014. Thomas is a teenager who awakes to find himself in a box in a place called the Glade. He has no memory of who he is or how he came to be here, but he is thrown into this new community, and as a reader so are you. Before long you become familiar with the terminology used by the boys and you feel as if you are a Glader along with them. As Thomas adjusts to his new environment, he learns 46
about the Maze which surrounds the Glade. Each day the walls open and a select group of runners spend daylight hours exploring and mapping it. It is a race against the clock because at sunset the Grievers – giant robotic creatures – enter the Maze and they are deadly. The walls close to protect the community and overnight the structure of the Maze changers, leaving the runners to start again in the morning. The big mystery is why. Why are Thomas and the other boys there and why do the Grievers come out to get them? Why do the walls in the Maze change and will the runners ever solve it? However, more importantly why has a girl been sent to the Glade and why has all communication with the outside world suddenly stopped? This is the first book in an engaging series which develop the story and characters beyond the original theme.
WHEN THE CURTAIN FALLS by Carrie Hope Fletcher
Somewhere in every town or city is a special place. A place where real life is suspended, and you can forget about your problems. A place that shows us life in all its details. The ups and downs, love, death, joy, and sadness. It shows us life as we wish it was and life as we hope it will never be. That place is of course, the theatre. This novel catapults you into that world and provides a fascinating glimpse of life backstage where the audience usually never get to venture. Part romance and part ghost story When the Curtain Falls switches between the present day and 1952, where two young lovers try to steal moments together backstage as life begins to echo the drama being played out on stage. Tragedy strikes and one of them is destined to remain forever haunting the dressing rooms and fly floor high above the stage. Nearly 60 years later and their fateful play is revived at the same theatre. Among the cast are Olive and Oscar, also stealing moments together to keep their budding romance secret. But strange things start to happen as a previous occupant is reawakened. Sometimes (especially right now) you need a light, easy-to-read, novel for a bit of escapism. When the Curtain Falls fills that brief. It won’t win any literary awards, and sometimes the character development feels rushed, but it has a certain level of charm. Fletcher herself has grown up in the theatre and anyone who knows her cannot help but picture her when Olive is described. But that only adds to the fun.
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