KEEP WARM THIS WINTER

By Christina Uppenkamp - Home Instead

Welcome to the latest edition of Senior Snippets: the monthly advisory column with the older members of our community in mind, brought to you by Christina Uppenkamp, Director of Home Instead Dartford.

trap hot air, keeping you warmer for longer. To keep heating bills down, consider wrapping up in a blanket or wearing more layers, rather than turning up the thermostat.

Keep your feet warm: There’s nothing worse than cold feet! To keep yourself warm this winter, wear thermal or thick socks and sensible shoes if you’re venturing out. Wear boots with a thick lining and consider buying specially designed shoes, in case the weather turns icy!

Hot water bottle: Consider using a hot water bottle throughout the day if you’re at home and during the night in bed. They are relatively inexpensive and very useful, quickly heating up your bed without using electricity or fuel. But make sure to check them for their expiry date and any cracks before use!

Here are some top tips to help you stay warm through the winter months.

Boiler check-up: It is recommended to have an annual boiler service to make sure it’s in tip top condition. The last thing you need in the middle of winter is a broken boiler, and a freezing cold house.

Draught excluders: It is important to make sure all windows and doors are in good condition. If you have old, cracked or broken frames you may want to seal the gaps or use draught excluders to stop the cold weather from creeping in!

Keep your pipes warm: Burst pipes are common during winter due to rapid freezing and thawing which could cause significant damage. The best way to prevent this from happening is to keep your pipes warm with their own foam cardigan (called lagging), which will reduce the heat lost and insulate the pipes to stop them from freezing.

Several thin layers: Try wearing several thin layers of clothing, rather than one big jumper – the layers

Bleed radiators: Trapped air in your radiators can prevent hot water from circulating effectively, which could be the reason your home isn’t as warm as it has been previously. Bleeding your radiators releases the trapped air and allows your central heating to work once again, keeping you and your property warm.

I’d love to hear from you! To make a suggestion for a future Senior Snippets topic, please write to me at c.uppenkamp@dartford.homeinstead.co.uk or by post to Home Instead Dartford, St Fidelis House, St Fidelis Road, Erith, DA8 1AT.

In this month’s article we look at new electric vehicles including SUV’s coming to the market in 2024.

By Dhiren Ganesh

2024 Renault Scenic electric SUV – The Renault Scenic name now being applied to an electric SUV that offers a range of more than 385 miles. This new Scenic will be available with two battery options, each of which sends its power to a single motor that drives the front wheels. The standard range car with 167bhp and a 60kWh battery will provide a range of 261, while the high range will provide the greater range of 385 miles. The standard car cam charge from 15-80% in around 30 minutes with the larger battery. It comes as a SUV with the touch required as a family car such as swivelling mounts in the rear armrest that can hold up two phones or a tablet for kids. It will have a available a panoramic glass roof where the glass can be turned opaque by touching a button. The car claims that up to 24% of the materials used in its construction are recycled, and that 90% of the car – including the battery – can be recycled at the end of its life. Prices are expected to start from £40,000 when it goes on sale in early 2024.

2024 Peugeot e-3008 SUV - All-electric Peugeot 3008 with ‘up to 435 miles’ of range unveiled, as the family SUV is reinvented as a ‘fastback SUV’. The entry level electric model, with a 73kWh (usable capacity) battery, one motor for frontwheel drive and 210bhp, and a predicted range of up to 326 miles. There will initially be a petrol mild-hybrid Peugeot 3008 too, with a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) expected to follow later. The fourwheel-drive Dual Motor version with up to 435 miles range will come later. The headlights are narrower, there are ‘three-claw’ vertical lights on each side of the grille, and the grille itself curves inwards at each end. New wheels and the new Peugeot badge will be available on the outside. On the inside, there is a curved 21in Panoramic i-Cockpit screen that runs across the top of the dashboard, serving as an infotainment touchscreen and driver display. On sale from February 2024, prices are not announced but could start from £40,000.

2024 Mini Countryman electric – The all new Countryman will be bigger than the previous with petrol and electric options. Also, the first to be able to accelerate, brake and steer by itself and are the first cars in the world to be fitted with an ultra-crisp OLED infotainment screen. The exterior will have a colour-contrast roof adds visual height and, by removing the car’s chrome, it has a far more modern appearance. The interior will be bigger as a result of a bigger car. The electric cars will be able to range from 269 miles to 287 miles depending on the version you choose and can charge from 10-80% in around 30 minutes with a fast charger. The petrol version will have 1.5-litre petrol (132 mph) to a high performance option which can go to 155mph available. When available in February 2024 it is estimated to be priced from £28,500.

by Bhavesh Ganesh

American Golfer, Phil Mickelson says his gambling addiction “caused a lot of harm” to relationships with friends and family but that he is now in recovery.

The six-time major winner said his gambling had “crossed the line of moderation and into addiction”.

He warned gamblers not to confuse your enablers as friends like I did.

Mickelson, who moved from the PGA Tour to the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf last year, remarked that it was the “love, support and commitment” of his wife Amy that helped get him “back on track”.

Mickelson, who has won 45 PGA Tour titles, has previously discussed his gambling and how he had taken steps to address it.

Sporting events in October include:

5 – 19 Oct: Cricket – 2023 Cricket World Cup, India

8: Formula 1 - Qatar Grand Prix, Losail

14: Rugby League - Super League Grand Final, Old Trafford

17: Football - European Championship qualifying England v Italy

21: Horse racing - British Champions Day, Ascot

22: Formula 1 - United States Grand Prix, Austin

29: Formula 1 - Mexican Grand Prix, Mexico City

Rock Painting in Dartford

In August he denied claims by noted sports gambler Billy Walters that he had bet on the 2012 Ryder Cup, saying he would “never undermine the integrity of the game”.

ocal people from Dartford Painted Rocks on Facebook have been busy this month painting nd hid xchanged at Stephen Oliver: Studio and Gallery

By Maria Kingsford

Local people from ‘Dartford painted rocks’ on Facebook have been busy this month painting and hiding them around the town. The rocks can be exchanged at Stephen Oliver: Studio and Gallery located at the Orchards Shopping Centre .

Here are some of the photos of their latest painted rocks.