Around Town Magazine Upminster April Edition 2018 by Black Square Print Media Limited

T E R I N S U P M T I O N E D I 3 7

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innocent customers like legal contractors but turn out to be cowboys or organised criminals who dump materials from the city’s building sites into our environment. Since my election I have been talking to Conservative council representatives in Havering to discuss what we can do as a team to tackle this problem. When the collection and disposal costs are added together, the total cost of fly-tipping to Havering residents and businesses between April 2016 and March 2017 was estimated to be well over half a million pounds and we now fear the overall cost is closer to £1 million – a huge burden on the local ratepayer that diverts money away from other priorities.

Julia Lopez

Member of Parliament For Hornchurch and Upminster Our constituency marks the point at which London’s metropolis turns to beautiful countryside, and as such has become the victim of widescale fly-tipping. There is money to be made from illegal dumping, with waste management licences given to what look to

I have been working with Cllr Jason Frost, Havering’s Deputy Cabinet Member with responsibility for the Environment, to push for increased local authority fines. Havering is already using to the maximum existing anti fly-tipping measures including joint police operations with covert officers, monitoring of roads and the use of solar powered surveillance cameras. However, much of the fly-tipping experienced is carried out by serious organised criminal gangs and traditional means of combatting fly-tipping, like using CCTV cameras, are

not effective when false plates and stolen trucks are used. I have met Environment Minister, Therese Coffey, to discuss the idea of raising fines and last week spoke in a parliamentary debate on how we can better deal with fly-tipping. New regulations have been brought in to give the Environment Agency and local councils more effective tools to use in investigating and prosecuting waste crimes. However, I have asked the Minister for further analysis of police operations in this area to ensure we have a thorough understanding of who is behind this crime, and a new mapping app is being developed to assist in pinpointing problem areas. The government is also bearing down on other types of littering offences with new on-the-spot fines. As ever, if you have a problem you think my team and I can help you with, please drop us a line! Or if you would like to come and have a look around parliament, we can book you in for a complimentary tour.

Julia.Lopez.MP@parliament.uk 0207 219 2631 www.julialopez.co.uk Twitter: @julialopezmp

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CONTENTS 11

FREE

UNDERFLOO

HEATING WITH THIS ADVERT

ASK IN STORE FOR DETA

08 Recipe

Pea and Mint Soup

James Blower The Savings Guru

16 Your Yoga Warrior 1

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Travel

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What’s On 22 | Small Extensions When and Where...

Porches | Paths Copyright 2018. Around Town Upminster is an independent magazine and does not endorse the products or services that appear in the magazine. Opinions expressed in Around Town do not necessarily represent those of the editors of Around Town Magazines. Around Town Magazines are published by Black Square Print Media Ltd produced by Black Square Litho Ltd.

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RECIPE Pea and Mint Soup Ingredients: 1 cupful of chopped spring onions 1 medium potato, peeled and chopped 1 crushed clove of garlic 850ml vegetable stock 250g fresh peas 4tbsp fresh mint, chopped Large pinch of sugar 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice 150ml soured cream

Method: 1. Place the spring onions into a large pan together with the potatoes, garlic and stock. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and allow to simmer for 15 minutes or until the potato is soft. 2. Set aside a few tbsp. of peas for the garnish. Add the remaining peas into the pan and simmer for 5 minutes only. 3. Blanch the remaining peas in

boiled water for 2-3 minutes. Drain them and then put to one side in a bowl of cold water. 4. Into the main pan add the mint, sugar, lemon and allow to cool slightly. 5. Pour into a blender and mix to the desired consistency. 6. Stir in half the cream and season with salt and pepper to taste.

If you would like your recipe to appear in Around Town Magazines then contact our sales team on: 01277 658444 or email: sales@aroundtownmagazines.co.uk

advertorial

Cloudy2Clear Announce Trusted Trader Partnership Consumer champions Which? have now joined the thousands of customers who recognise that Cloudy2Clear Windows really are a business that you can TRUST. The company which specialises in repairing windows which are steamed up, broken or damaged by replacing the panes – not the frames has received the coveted ‘Which Trusted Trader’ status after going through a rigorous accreditation process entirely focussed on customer service. Group Managing Director Marcus McGee believes that Which? have endorsed Cloudy2Clear’s long standing company

policy of delivering the highest standards possible at all times. ‘Our service is simple. If your double glazing has misted up we can replace the glass at a fraction of the cost of a new window, in any type of frame, and with a new 25 year guarantee. But it’s not just about saving people money, although that obviously helps. Whilst a number of tradespeople perhaps don’t focus on customer care as much as they should do, we make sure we turn up when we say we will, do the job the customer requires and leave their house as clean as a whistle. Locally Cloudy2Clear service Upminster and

Cranham & manager Chris Miller agrees that this approach is a major factor in his success. ‘The truth is that it’s not just the personal satisfaction that I get from doing a good job but also it makes good business sense. I get a huge amount of business from friends and family of people I’ve done work for, which just goes to show how much a little bit of effort is appreciated as both my customers and, obviously a body as nationally important as Which? now recognise.’ So, if your windows are steamed up, broken or damaged give Chris a call for a free quotation on 0800 61 21 118 and he’ll be happy to help!

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Is Peer to Peer lending an alternative

to a cash ISA? Last month’s article on cash Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) sparked some interesting emails to arrive in the Savings Guru inbox. Many people hadn’t realised that the same non-ISA savings account often paid a significantly lower interest rate and that the tax benefits to savings in an ISA were not there for so many savers with the advent of the new personal savings allowance. A number of you had seen the advent of the new Innovative Finance ISA for Peer to Peer lending and wondered how these worked, if they had a separate allowance to cash ISAs and whether they were a better alternative to cash ISAs. So here’s my overview and thoughts on Peer to Peer lending and the new Innovative Finance ISA: What is Peer to Peer Lending? Peer to peer (P2P) lenders effectively replace banks as the middleman in financial transactions by matching savers with borrowers. These borrowers can be individuals or companies. Whereas banks operate on what is known as Net Interest Margin (NIM), which is the difference between the interest rate money is paid to savers and the rate paid by borrowers, P2P companies typically charge a fee (which is taken from the return, rather than being paid upfront by savers) for their match making.

Is my money protected? The big difference between P2P companies and banks is that there is no financial protection for savers with P2P whereas savers with banks are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), within the scheme limits. There is a chance that savers can lose their money. How risky is P2P? It is possible that savers could lose all their money but P2P firms do a number of things to limit risk for savers. Money is spread across a number of borrowers to limit the risk of loss e.g. if a saver puts £1,000 in, this may be lent to 50 borrowers who get £20 each. The P2P firms also carry out their own checks on the borrowers and many grade them according to the level of risk. A savers portfolio can therefore have a range of borrowers in with differing interest rates to reflect the risk. Is P2P unregulated? No – since 1st April 2014, the industry has been regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority which requires firms to present information clearly to customers, be honest about the risks involved and have contingency plans (in case things go wrong). Firms who don’t follow the rules can be fined or face sanctions from the regulator. What’s the attraction to save with a P2P instead of a bank? For savers, the projected interest

rates on offer are far higher than those on a savings account. With the best instant savings account paying 1.30% and the top five year rate offering 2.60%, returns of 4 – 6% from the major P2P firms compare favourably and this has made them attractive for many savers, despite the risks. How does the Innovative Finance ISA work? It works very similar to a normal ISA. There’s no separate allowance so the £20,000 ISA allowance applies which means that savers can use it all on an IF ISA or put hold sums up to £20,000 across cash, stocks and shares and IF ISAs. Interest on P2P investments is treated the same as bank interest from a tax perspective so anything over the personal savings allowance limits (£1,000 for basic rate taxpayers and £500 for higher rate taxpayers) is liable to tax. With the potential for higher returns, the IF ISA is popular as the personal savings allowance limits can potentially be breached on much smaller sums than a savings account. How popular is P2P lending? In January this year, the Peer to Peer Finance Association, a body that represents a number of P2P firms, including some of the largest, announced that lending on its members platforms had exceeded £8bn. While the overall size of the market in the UK is hard to predict exactly, we estimate it

is approximately £12 – 15bn. This is dwarfed by the £1.5tr held by banks but P2P continues to grow quickly. Zopa, the oldest P2P lender, was only set up in 2005 so the industry has developed rapidly. Is there anything else to be aware of? With a savings account, savers start earning interest on the day they put their money in. With P2P lending, this will be when your funds can be matched to a borrower – this is not always straight away. It may only be a few days but, with larger amounts, it could take a few weeks to drip feed it in. Similarly, although some P2P firms offer accounts where you can access your money relatively quickly, this isn’t always instant like it is with a bank savings account so make sure you understand what you are investing in and how you can get your money back. So, should you consider P2P? My view is that P2P is definitely worth considering. There are risks involved so savers shouldn’t put all their money in to P2P but it is worth considering putting in a proportion – perhaps something like 5 – 15%. Savers who are debt free and willing to take some risk over the longer term may want to considering trying it out by putting in small amounts initially to get used to it. If you are interested in finding out more, the two largest firms, who are both members of the Peer to Peer Finance Association, are worth having a look at: Zopa Zopa lends money to individuals wanting personal loans and offers projected returns of 4% in its ‘Core’ product and 4.6% in its ‘Plus’ product and savers can invest from £1,000. Funding Circle Funding Circle lends to businesses and has an autobid system which spreads your money across a wide range of borrowers. It has two products, Conservative and Balanced which have projected returns of 4.805 and 7.2% after fees and bad debts.

James Blower Founder Savings Guru Ltd

www.thesavings.guru hello@thesavings.guru @SavingsGuruUK

There are a huge number of smaller firms also worth exploring including Proplend, who offer projected returns of 5-12% on property lending and Market Invoice, who lend money on invoices and loans to British businesses. This article will also be published on our website, with links to all the providers and reference sources listed in here, to make it easier to find more information. That’s all for this month, have a great April everyone James

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YOGA YOUR YOGA

Warrior 1

nd s

ep g nd

Method:

ad, lengthen sides of strength your waist and keep your Warrior poses arethe essential for building Turn your left heel down and angle your left toes staminayour in yoga practice. movement or place forwards about 75 degrees. Press your weight you and keep armsTheparallel your palms stretches the hips and thighs as well as building strength in the legs, hips, buttocks, core and upper body.

through this heel, on the outer edge.

Warrior 1 is a gentle backbend and is super for opening up the front of the body (quads, hip flexors) whilst strengthening the lower body.

and fingers reaching high. It is up to you if you keep your arms parallel or place your palms together.

chest and press your palms up overhead, bs, making sure your shoulders Open areyourrelaxed with lengthen the sides of your waist and keep your palms

epeat on the other leg.

With your feet together, exhale and take a long step back with your left foot and lunge with your right leg so that your knee is over your ankle. Your toes and pelvis should be pointing to the front of your mat.

Gently tilt your head back to gaze up at your thumbs, making sure your shoulders are relaxed with your shoulder blades pressed firmly inward. Hold for up to one minute then step forward and repeat on the other leg.

If you would like your advert or editorial to appear in Around Town Magazines then contact our sales team on: 01277 658444 or email: sales@aroundtownmagazines.co.uk

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TRAVEL - IsLE of WIghT The

By Tim Saunders – www.travelwriter.biz A butterfly has a 12-week life cycle. We learn this during a visit to Butterfly World at Newport on the Isle of Wight. It all starts with an egg, then the caterpillar, the chrysalis and then finally the adult butterfly; each a three week process. There are some magnificent butterflies and moths all under one roof. Next door Fountain World is home to a variety of koi fish, which don’t just make for an alternative investment – with some fetching upto £3,500 – but they can live for over 200 years.

We stay in a six-berth static caravan at Sunnycott Caravan Park near Cowes. Here there are 20 caravans on a three-quarter of an acre site. There’s a farm next door. When we wash up we watch the cows grazing. It’s really peaceful. Inside there’s a kitchen, a master bedroom and a second bedroom with two twin beds. A pull out sofa bed caters for additional guests. There’s a flat screen television. But the best part is the shower which provides a good reliable spray of warm water and the oversized shower tray acts as a bath, especially for the little ones, which they thoroughly enjoy. “We’ve owned the site for 13 years,” says Jenny, who runs the site with her husband, Jim. At Mottistone Gardens we marvel at the well cared for gardens – the children love exploring the vegetable patch and seeing the variety of flowers. At Bembridge Windmill apart from climbing to the top we grind oats to make flour and soak up the atmosphere. Henry gets stuck in and starts sweeping the floor. After the children let off steam, running around the outside of the windmill, we discover a countryside walk that takes in some of the island’s breathtaking scenery.

At the Needles the electric Model T Ford electric cars are the most popular with our children. It’s a joy to watch their happiness. They also like the swirling teacups. The Needles is also home to sweetmakers and glassmakers. We get to watch both in action. While watching how sweets are made little Henry starts to crawl through the legs of bystanders pushing one lady’s legs apart to make his way through. There are fits of giggles. In between this side show we learn that 6kg of sugar product makes 2,000 sweets and this is done in 20 minutes. We get to try some at the end. There’s a wonderful sweet shop. Then we watch glass being made and a steady hand is certainly a requirement. It’s a really challenging process that involves a great deal of care when working with such high temperatures. If time allows there’s an excellent restaurant in Marconi’s named after the great man who carried out his groundbreaking radio work here in the 19th century. There’s a 4D cinema and for dare devils the chair lift provides the best way to see The Needles.

We travel with Wightlink ferries from Portsmouth to Fishbourne. It is surprising how smooth and fast the 25-miles journey is covered. Our 9am sailing sees us arriving on the island before 10am. We stand on deck and wave goodbye to Portsmouth. This is little Henry’s (21mths) first trip on a ferry and he loves waving at the other boats and just savouring the experience. He’s only just mastered saying ‘boat’ and makes good use of this. The ferry is clean. It feels new and well maintained. On our return journey we are meant to board at 7pm and arrive 45 minutes prior to sailing, feeling quite exhausted after a fun packed few days. To our surprise we get on the 6pm sailing, which is great because our tired children would have found it difficult to wait for the later ferry.

Tim saunders is an author, journalist and businessman. He meets celebrities, goes on holiday and road tests cars.

CllR The ClaRenCe BaRReTT

Upminster & Cranham Residents’ Association

Shoppers Know Your Rights! It is a concern that not all shoppers are aware of their rights and, more worryingly, not all shops and retailers are either – with some fobbing off customers with incorrect information! Consumers have very clear rights under the Sale of Goods Act (1979) which was strengthened under with the Consumer Rights Act (2015). Here are some key pointers: • The Golden Rule to remember is that the item purchased should be of satisfactory quality, as described, fit for purpose and last a reasonable length of time. • If the goods are faulty, you do not necessarily need the receipt as long as you have evidence of purchase (eg bank statement, credit card bill). • If the goods are not faulty, then the shop does not have to refund or replace. However, many shops will have their own sales policy which will give you a credit note or exchange for something else. • If the goods are faulty and do not satisfy the Golden Rule, then you are

entitled to a refund tag or no tag, box or no box. If you are looking to exchange, then it is subject to the stores own sales policy (which may insist on tags and boxes). • You can get a refund up to 30 days from when you bought the product or opt for repair or replacement if you prefer. You can still get a repair or refund after six months, but the seller has the right to deduct some money for the use you’ve had from the product Scam Talks Did you know that nearly half of all UK adults have been targeted by scammers? Fraudsters often target the more vulnerable members of our community, but everyone is at risk as they adopt ever more sophisticated ways of stealing your money and identity. I have been working with the National Trading Standards who recently launched a ‘Friends Against Scams’ initiative and have been signed up as a regional Ambassador (or SCAMbassador). I have now given many presentations to the community, big groups and small, with the aim of highlighting the scale of the problem, changing perceptions of victims along with prevention, support and advice. If any group would like to receive the presentation, please call me on 07863 116029.

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Basildon & District Rambling Club The group meets every Saturday at 2.00pm. The Saturday walks are 4-5 miles with a rest halfway, we have some longer walks on other days. New members are welcome and membership is only £6 per year which includes all walks. See our website www. basildonanddistrictrambling club.btck.co.uk for full details CAP Money Course We are pleased to be offering another CAP Money Course following our recent one in January. The dates are three consecutive Wednesdays in May - 9th, 16th and 23rd, at 8 p.m. in St Luke’s Centre, St Luke’s Church, Front Lane, Cranham. The course is free and workbooks will be provided. Registration, or further details by e-mailing capmoneystlukescranham@gmail. com or via the web-site www. capmoney.org Chelmsford & District Welsh Society Membership is open to anyone with Welsh origins or connections, or to anyone with an appreciation of Welsh heritage and traditions. Visitors and guests are warmly welcomed to attend our meetings.

Gwenno on 07724144432 www.chelmsfordwelsh.org.uk/ home www.facebook.com/ chelmsfordwelsh Cranham Art Society If you would like to join a friendly Art Club why not give us a try. We meet every Tuesday in Cranham Community Centre in Marlborough Gardens every Tuesday between 10am & noon. Whatever your standard you will be made welcome. Ring Gordon Setter on 01708 225612 for more information. Cranham Over 60s Club Covers Upminster and Cranham Every Thursday 1’00pm ‘till 3.00pm. Cranham Social Centre. Good company, tea and biscuits, entertainment, dancing free raffle, bingo. Car parking at the rear. Access for the disabled. All welcomed. £4.00 each. Just turn up, or ring 0208 5935 625. Liberty of Havering Bowls Club New members welcome. Sociable, good for your health, enjoyable & most important, friendly. Contact Anne 01708 470370 or Richard 01708 449245 for details and about our Open Day on Saturday 5th May 11am - 4pm where you can have a go, refreshments available. Green is at the rear of Harrow Lodge Sports Centre, Hornchurch.

The Society’s monthly meeting is held in St Cedd’s Hall, Cathedral Chapter House, Chelmsford, CM1 1NX, and is usually on the fourth Thursday of every month.

Deyncourt Ladies’ Probus Club We meet at the Masonic Hall, Deyncourt Gardens on the third Wednesday of each month. We start with a short meeting, have a three course lunch, followed by a talk or some form of entertainment.

Throughout the year there are also fund raising events such as coffee mornings, musical evenings and a Garden Party. For more details please contact

Throughout the year we have trips out to places of interest and we will shortly be going to a Christmas Concert at the Royal Festival Hall. Contact Janet Garrood 01708 225978

Friends of Parklands The aim of our “Friends” Group is to maintain Parklands Open Space as a pleasant place to walk and relax, surrounded by a natural environment. We arrange Working Parties to keep Parklands tidy and to help control any excessive overgrowth. The Working Parties meet for a couple of hours, at 10 a.m., on the second Wednesday of every month. If you would like to join us please visit our website, www.friendsofparklands.org.uk, for further information, or email our Working Party Organiser, Andy Brett, at: upminsterbrett@gmail.com Friends Of Upminster Mini Golf Course We are a recently formed group with the aims of promoting the Mini Golf Course in Hall Lane, Upminster and working in partnership with Havering Council to improve amenities and to encourage people of all ages to participate at the course. Find us on Facebook. Why not come and give it a go. Equipment is supplied and the course suits all abilities from novices to experienced golfers looking to improve their short game. More information on the Councils website: www.havering.gov.uk/Pages/ ServiceChild/Hall-Lane-golf-course. Friends of Upminster Park The Friends of Upminster Park is a voluntary group which exists to help maintain and improve the park to a high standard, in liaison with Havering’s Parks Department, for #the benefit of all users. It is a valuable local resource when open green spaces are becoming scarce and we would like it to remain a pleasant environment for local people to enjoy, whether to walk or relax in, to play tennis or football or any other leisure pastime (or even

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just to enjoy passing by the park when shopping).

charities but also enjoy fellowship and social events.

We are however in desperate need of new members, including a Chair Person, without whom the Group could cease to exist with detrimental effect on the park and its users. We meet on the last Wednesday of the month at 7.30pm in Trinity Church (Gaynes Road entrance). If you would be interested in joining the Group please contact Brian Flavell, e-mail: brianm1937@yahoo.co.uk

If you are interested in finding out about Rotary organisation and helping your local community why not come along one evening. Contact: Liz Goodwin on 07967644918 email:liz.goodwn7@ gmail.com.

Friends of Upminster Windmill Volunteers are sought to help us develop and maintain an attractive garden area around the new visitor centre at Upminster Windmill. Our small friendly group meets on Tuesdays. If you would like to help email charlottethemiller@gmail.com or enquire at the site on a Tuesday. Kids Activity Expo A community event taking place on Sunday 6th May, Coopers School in Upminster. A great family day out, with free entry tickets and over 10 free activities on the day. Book tickets: www.KidsActivityExpo.com Pilates for a Healthier Spine Experienced Sports & Remedial Massage Therapists Charlene & Neil Carpenter teach traditional Pilates in private sessions and also to small groups in Upminster & Cranham. For further information or to book a course or trial class please visit www. upminstersportsmassage.co.uk or call Charlene on 07411 826721, or email upminstersportsmassage@gmail.com The Rotary club of Havering East We hold our meetings at Upminster Golf Club every Tuesday Evening at 7pm for 7.30 and enjoy an excellent 2 course meal. We are a friendly club our main aim is to help people less fortunate than ourselves. We raise money for

The Rotary Club of Hornchurch and Upminster We attract members from in and around Havering who have a common agenda to help people in need wherever they may be. Our Club prides itself on the closeness and friendship between its members and their partners. We meet most Thursdays at 12.30 for 13.00 at The Railway Hotel in Hornchurch. If you would like to find out more please visit our website www. hornchurchrotary.org or contact Brian Taffs on 01708 250855 or e-mail btaffs@btinternet.com Upminster and District Probus Club Retired with free time during the week - Upminster and District Probus Club. Luncheon club, with talks and outings, for retired men, covering art, crime, gardening, history, music, sport and transport etc. Meet on the last Wednesday of the month at the Cranleigh Restaurant, Hornchurch. Outings planned 2018: Chelmer Cruise, Bressingham Gardens, The Peoples Post and Kentish Curios. Secretary: Barry, on 01708 703783 email secretary@upminsterprobus. com www.upminsterprobus.com and https://www.facebook.com/ upminsterprobus/?ref=bookmarks. Upminster Park Towns Women’s Guild We are a friendly group of Ladies enjoying a chat over tea

and biscuits listening to a good speaker or entertainer. Going on outings/theatre trips and promoting friendship and well being. We meet at St.Lawrence Church, Derham Hall, Upminster on the fourth Wednesday each month at 1.45 - 4pm. For more information contact Deborah Pryor 01708 226127 or Anne Monk 01708 226305 or simply come along. Upminster Royal British Legion Upminster Royal British Legion, 316 St Marys Lane, Upminster. Open Day /Beer Festival on the 19th May 1018, 11am - 4.30pm. Craft beers, food, Afternoon teas, Music, Craft Tombola, Face Painting, Glitter Tattoos, Competitions. The Royal Wedding will be on TV so will the Cup Final. Families welcome. http://http://branches.britishlegion. org.uk/branches/upminster/ news-events or Facebook. Email upminsterandcranham@ btconnect.com, or call 01708 220494 Upminster Wine and Social Club We are a fun group of people with an interest in wine appreciation and enjoying many social events. We hold meetings every month with a variety of speakers and a wine tasting. Meetings are held on the third Thursday of the month at 8.00 o’clock in the Cranham Social Hall, Front Lane, Cranham. For more information contact Maureen Jasper on 01708 223956, or simply come along on the night. You would be made most welcome. You don’t have to be ex Services to join, most are social members.

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