Spotlight Magazine for North Mansfield, Nottinghamshire December 2014

sp tlightOn ISSUE 50 December 2014

Mansfield North & The Dukeries

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Spotlight Magazine

Contents

Merry Christmas Everybody!

Retro Sweets 6 Toys For Boys 8 Party Politics 10 Keep It Real 12 A Good Read 14 Garden View 16 Christmas Recipe 18 Choose Your Turkey 20 Edwinstowe Helping Hands 22 24 Stags Update Puzzle Pages 26 Buying Jewellery 28 Index 30

Well it is upon us at last and I imagine the ultra organised among us will have had all of their presents and cards bought, wrapped and written by the end of the last January sales!

While the last minute brigade, myself included, will soon be engaged in a frenetic shopping spree, buying totally unsuitable, over priced gifts; which will inevitably end up at either a car boot sale or re-gifted before Easter.

Whichever one you are, here’s hoping you have a great christmas!

Spotlight magazine is delivered to 6,000 homes and businesses in the North Mansfield area each month, with similar magazines also going to Mansfield South and West Bridgford

Published by Spotlight Local Media Ltd Company No. 6841257 Tel: 01623 706570 Suite 104, 1 Hanley Street Nottingham NG1 5BL Graphic Design and Layout: Spotlight Local Media Distributed by Best Distributions Trusted Delivery Partner of the Spotlight Magazine

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MERRY CHRISTMAS from Spotlight Magazine to all our readers and advertisers!

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Retro Sweets

his Christmas why not take your loved ones back to their happy childhooddays by buying them some retro sweets.

Lots of treats fro yesteryear are have become available again, and you can buy them in all shapes and sizes from single items to whole boxes of your favourites, and some that are gift packaged in hampers or used to create tree or flower designs.

Many of us will remember sweets such as Space Dust, Black Jacks, Flying Saucers, Refreshers, Sugar Mice, Parma Violets, Midget Gems, Wham Bars and TrafficLight Lollies- and I could go on to name many more.

For me it was a Friday treat to have 10p to spend and select carefully ‘one of those and one of those etc’ which the assistant would then place into a little white paper bag and hand over to me. I would then joyfully savour them as I walked home from school taking ages to decide in which order I’d eat them.

Such retro sweets have also become firm favourites at weddings, where special candy carts are sometimes set up for guests to enjoy.

So if you are old enough to remember when Snickers used to be called Marathon, chances are your friends and family are also of the right era to enjoy a Sherbet Dip liquorice stick or some Fruit Salad chews.

Why not take them back to their carefree days, pop in to an old fashioned sweet shop and tick another present off the shopping list.

You could also arouse the interest of your younger relatives too, who won’t familiar with these sweets but are sure to find them as delightful as we did.

Behind those items, all laid out in small trays on the counter, were shelves crammed with tall glass jars, containing items such as Pear Drops, Bon-Bons, Pineapple Cubes and Cherry Lips, all of which were more commonly bought by the quarter.

There are now many shops with these layouts again, selling retro sweets.

These range from tiny independents to chains that have many branches across the country.

They all create a sense of nostalgia, and I’ve watched grown ups get such joy in once again telling the assistant ‘I’d like one of those and one of those etc.’ They are even known to whoop with delight when they find an old favourite again for the first time.

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Toys For Boys

y sister and I grew up with an older brother and we thought nothing of spending Saturday afternoons sprawled on the living room carpet, constructing items out of his beloved Lego.

His creations were always more ambitious and sophisticated than ours of course – windmills and tractors and mansions with masses of rooms compared with our rather mundane boxlike structures.

Occasionally we would ditch the Lego for a session on his Scalextric racing set. We hadn’t a hope of winning, but we certainly enjoyed trying!

It never once occurred to me that I was playing with ‘boy toys’ which is maybe why, when I became mother to four daughters, I happily bought them their own sets of Lego along with other ‘boyish’ toys such as remote control cars, science sets and basketball nets (they had their fair share of dolls, prams and jewellery kits too!).

Like it or not, the society we live in stereotypes children according to their gender. Manufacturers influence their choice of toys with labels identifying items such as dolls and tea sets as ‘girl toys’ in their pretty pink packaging, and cars and construction sets as ‘boy toys’ in their predominantly blue wrappers.

There is evidence to suggest that girls and boys do naturally select different types of toys.

Experiments conducted on primates concluded that male monkeys were drawn

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to boy-toys like cars whilst female monkeys preferred girl-toys like dolls.

There are various explanations about why boys and girls have different toy preferences. One theory suggests it is due to testosterone levels, whilst another attributes it to the way the brains are ‘differently-wired’, and there’s no doubt that nurture and socialisation also play a part.

Regardless of the reason, the consensus of opinion is that if children are offered a wide range of toys and experiences, they will develop into more rounded individuals with an expanded range of thinking and skills.

Just as playing with girl-toys like dolls and tea sets fosters the development of verbal and social skills that might be useful to the male population, playing with boy-toys like cars can help girls with the acquisition of spatial skills.

Other ‘boy-toys’ like science sets, Lego, Meccano and K’nex help develop STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) skills of which there is currently a shortage in the UK workforce - and why shouldn’t girls develop these just as much as their male counterparts?!

Some may argue – and I’m probably one of them – that at the end of the day whether male or female, children will be children and will naturally choose the toys that interest them the most.

The important thing is to at least give them that choice!

By Debbie Singh-Bhatti

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Party Politics

any of us look forward to celebrating Christmas with our work colleagues.

It’s a chance to get out of the office and have a bit of fun. But for some employees the morning after is full of embarrassment and regret. Your behaviour at such events could seriously damage your career.

Equally, if handled correctly you can also do a lot of good for your career at the annual festivities. So here are a few tips to help you be remembered for all the right reasons: Always attendwhilst you may think not attending is the safest option, it is best to go along even if it’s for just a short while as this demonstrates your willingness to be part of a team.

Dress appropriately- you may be excited by the opportunity to get out of your work attire but remember that you are still with work colleagues and probably your boss.

Where you are going will have an impact on how you dress but whatever the venue its best to avoid clothing that is overtly sexual.

At many parties there will be alcohol and it can be tempting to over indulge, especially if the boss is paying. But it’s best to drink in moderation and alternate alcohol with water. If you feel you may be getting a little too relaxed opt for soft drinks. Remember to eat well to soak up the alcohol.

relationships with colleagues from other departments, or those you’d like to impress but don’t usually get chance to speak to, so do circulate.

Don’t be boring by talking about nothing but work however. Usually some general conversation about holidays, families and hobbies will suffice and can stand you in good stead when you need to get these people on side for your next work deal.

Don’t be tempted to be drawn into gossip or talk about others or the organisations latest ideas in a negative way.

You never know who’s standing behind you. Of course don’t swear, be impolite or vulgar.

It may be that you have fancied one of your colleagues for months (or they become irresistibly attractive once you’ve had a few drinks), but insisting that they join you under the mistletoe or showing them your best Dirty Dance moves is not advisable.

These could lead to public humiliation at the event and years of teasing and having to avoid a ‘certain someone’.

It is possible to have fun at an office party, but for your careers sake, remember everything in moderation!

By Susan Brookes-Morris

Do socialise and chat to lots of people at the party. It can be a good time to build

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Keeping It Real

live in a house that is divided. My husband loves real Christmas trees but in recent years I’ve talked him around to the artificial option, believing – incorrectly as it turns out – that a reusable tree is better for the planet than one that is chopped down and discarded after a few weeks.

Most artificial trees are made from PVC – one of the most non-renewable, polluting, unrecyclable materials around - and consequently their carbon footprint is ten times greater than that of real ones.

Shocked into realising that my fake tree is not the morally correct choice I thought, I’m now keen to join the six million Brits who opt for a real tree at Christmas.

Christmas trees spring up all over the place from late November and the quality varies greatly. Before you make your choice, do a bit of fact finding about its freshness.

Ask where it was grown (UK produced trees are likely to be fresher), how long it has been in stock and when it was cut.

You can carry out a couple of tests yourself. Give the tree a firm tap on the ground or run a closed hand over its branches. If lots of needles fall off, chances are it’s not that fresh. You can also try bending the outer branches. They should be pliable - not brittle and dry – without discoloration.

your tree. The three main species – spruce, fir and pine – all have their own characteristics. Spruces and firs have short needles whilst a pine’s are long.

Pine branches tend to bend, making them unsuitable for heavier ornaments. Firs have lush branches and ornaments sometimes get lost in them.

The traditional British Christmas tree, the Norway spruce, is attractive but tends to drop its needles. An alternative is a “nondrop” variety like the popular Nordmann fir, which will last longer but is more expensive.

To care for your tree, cut off half an inch from the base of the trunk and place in a water-holding stand. Position the tree away from sources of heat and keep it topped up with fresh water.

At present, 90% of real trees end up in landfill, so after Christmas is over try and recycle! By turning your tree into wood chippings or compost you will continue to do your bit for the environment.

Hopefully with this guide choosing the family tree will be a holiday highlight, not a headache!

By Debbie Singh-Bhatti

Before leaving to make your purchase, measure the height and width of your space and take a tape measure with you to check your tree. Most are trimmed to an 80% taper, which means that a 10 foot tall tree will measure 8 feet at the bottom.

You should also consider how you plan on decorating

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Raw Spirit – Iain Banks

A Good Read

Subtitled ‘In Search of the Perfect Dram’, this book is the story of Iain Banks’ journey around Scotland, visiting as many single malt whisky distilleries as he can and tasting as many types as possible: surely every whisky lover’s dream holiday.

At first Iain Banks can’t believe that a publisher really wants him to undertake the task of visiting all of Scotland’s distilleries – there are around a hundred of them, not including those which have closed. Then he begins to realise what an opportunity it is.

So, accompanied by various friends and relations, he sets off – stipulating only that he can drive himself and can stop off at home several times to return the spoils of his visits in the shape of as many bottles of single malt as he can carry.

From the ‘tourist traps’ of Glenfiddich to the smaller operations like Aberfeldy, he takes us on a journey through the world of whisky.

Banks’ style is humorous and engaging throughout, from the first visit to Islay to his final trip to Oban. This is what makes this much more than a tasting guide – in fact, it’s as much a travel book for his beloved Scotland and includes a fair smattering of autobiography, too.

If you’re a lover of Uisgebaugh then you may or may not agree with his choice of the perfect dram, but you’ll certainly have fun comparing notes. And, if whisky isn’t your thing then there’s enough scenery, humour and even political comment to keep your interest throughout. The perfect Christmas gift for a whisky-lover.

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Orange Pear Apple Bear Monkey and Me Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears All by Emily Gravett With simple text and charming illustrations, there is an Emily Gravett book to suit all ages.

Orange Pear Apple Bear is beautifully simple, with a different permutation of the title on every page, and will provoke big laughs from babies (Apple Bear is the current favourite in our house). Available as a sturdy board book, it can be revisited again and again.

Monkey and Me is well suited to toddlers who will identify with the main character as, along with her toy monkey, she goes to see all kinds of animals.

The simple repetition in the text will have little ones ‘reading’ along and anticipating the revelation on the next page – perfect for reading aloud.

Finally, Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears, is an award-winning book, which is ideal for slightly older readers.

Each page details a different one of Little Mouse’s fears, encouraging children to talk about why they might be frightened of things like the dark or monsters under the bed.

The real delight here is the multi-layered illustrations, with chewed pages (aided by real mice!) notes, scribbles and annotations. This, and the others above, deserve to become modern classics.

By Kath Bennett

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Garden View

ong before the introduction of central heating and other luxuries of the 21st century, people required greater faith that they would safely survive the harsh upcoming winter.

One such symbolic display of this hope was the beautiful Christmas wreath. Now creeping back in fashion and available in a number of guises, they can be found hanging on doorways, both inside and out, as a centrepiece on a table, and even hung on walls as decorations.

Although we may have lost the traditional reasoning behind displaying such garlands, I’m on a mission to bring them back … in whatever style suits your home.

The word ‘wreath’ is linked to the word ‘wrist’, both words describing the form of a continuous circular shape. Fuse this with ‘wrethe’ from middle English (meaning a twisted band or ring of leaves) and you have the wreath as we know it today.

The circular shape is symbolic of eternity, or everlasting life because it has no beginning or end.

In ancient Rome the symbol became a popular display of victory.

From a Christian perspective it represents the unending circle of life, with the traditional Holly as the thorns on Jesus’ crown and the red berries as his blood.

At this bleak time of year, it’s wonderful to use evergreens and other

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brightly coloured flowers, foliage, or fruits to adorn your wreath. The addition of expensive and rare fruits such as pomegranates, indicated wealth, but wreaths also included the display of pinecones, seashells and even imported products.

Once the decorations had been taken down, the edible decorations would be eaten and the bounty of summer enjoyed in the depth of winter.

Making your own wreath is fun and easy, and can vary from a simple and cheap evergreen circle to an elaborate bauble ring. For those who like a quick and easy option, simply buy a circle of oasis and soak it in tepid water, before sticking in sprigs of evergreen foliage from the garden, flowers, berries, dried fruits, nuts, and bows.

If you have more time why not make your own base by taking a ring of string wire and covering it in moss or hay, holding it in place using thinner gauge wire, then wiring in the foliage and decorations.

Be aware though that holly wreaths are tricky and gloves should be worn!

The Americans seem to be leading the way in the contemporary wreath, so why not try something a little different this year such as a circle of pine cones, dried leaves, dried sweetcorn cobs, pussy willow or even a ring of astroturf!

Merry Christmas.

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Christmas Recipe

Cranberry Bread and Butter Pudding

of bread then sprinkle a few cranberries over the top.

Serves 4 Preparation time: 20 minutes (plus resting time)

Pour the egg mixture over everything and let the pudding rest for at least 2 hours (or overnight in the fridge).

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Preheat the oven to 180C or gas mark 4.

Sprinkle the finished pudding with soft brown sugar and place in the oven for 45 minutes.

Ingredients 1oz / 25 g dried cranberries 100ml Cranberry juice 2 tsp sugar 4 eggs 450ml / 16floz milk 450ml / 16floz single cream (you can use all milk if you prefer) 2oz / 50g sugar grated rind of 1 orange 2oz / 50 g butter 1 loaf bread (at least a day old, sliced into thick cubes) Soft brown sugar for sprinkling over

This is lovely served with crème fraîche or custard.

The perfect sweet for any time over the festive period.

Method Poach the dried cranberries in the cranberry juice with 2 tsp sugar. Reduce the mixture down until it thickens and becomes a little jammy.

Place it on one side to cool.

In a separate dish beat together the milk, cream (if using) and eggs, and then stir in the sugar and grated orange rind.

Butter the bread on both sides and place into a buttered dish, alternating layers of bread with layers of cranberry. Finish with a layer

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How To Choose A Turkey

e all want our Christmas dinner to be special and a meal to remember for the right reasons! So how can you make sure that your bird is the best choice?

First take the time to buy your meat from a source you trust. You might prefer a trusted butcher, farm shop or mail order company.

Knowing how your meat has been reared and where it came from can help you determine the likely quality of the meat.

Usually higher quality comes from younger animals that are subject to greater welfare standards. Of course prices will also reflect this so battery-reared birds will be much cheaper than those which have been subject to a mainly organic diet and freeroaming.

Consider carefully the size of the bird you require. General recommendations allow around half a pound or 225 g per person for boneless meat and three quarters of a pound or 340g per person for meat with a bone in. Of course appetites vary and you may want to buy larger deliberately, in order to have enough for leftovers.

Choose well and enjoy your Christmas Dinner!

By Susan Brookes-Morris

Look for birds with unblemished skin, and if buying fresh check whether they will be dressed or whether you will need to do additional preparation.

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Edwinstowe Lions

S

anta came to town on Thursday 27th November and was one of the many attractions at the traditional Edwinstowe lights switch on.

Santa thrilled the many children with his festive greetings and gifts as they visited him in his grotto. “ Forest Holidays is committed to the local community by contributing and supporting local fundraising” explained Amby Tatla, general manager of Forest Holidays “ This years Santa’s Grotto has raised funds for the Edwinstowe Pre-School Playgroup and Robin Hood Colts F.C. We thank all who visited Santa in the grotto and all profits will go to these two local groups.”

Edwinstowe Lions will be helping Santa on his annual sleigh pull as usual this Christmas and will be visiting the villages in our community.

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“ Santa in the grotto with his helpful elves” (photo courtesy Mark Walker Photography)

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Edwinstowe’s Helping Hands

e are a newly formed group in W Edwinstowe trying to help the senior citizens of the village by offering a luncheon club!

The luncheon club opened its doors on the 6th of November for its very first session and went down a treat! it is on every Thursday at Lynds Close community centre 12-2pm. it’s just £3 for a homemade three course meal plus a hot drink.

We also have bingo, sing a longs, card games, dominoes, tombola stall etc There will also be a magician, organist, singers etc coming in to entertain us :) There are only 35 spaces so to avoid

disappointment please tel 01623 232020 We are having a christmas party on the 18th of december which will include a 3 course xmas dinner and christmas cracker plus gift for everyone who attends!

If you have anything you can donate for our tombola please drop them in at Craft Supplies UK on Edwinstowe High Street anything will be greatly appreciated.

We would like to thank the Edwinstowe lions club, the pet shop girls, South forest Leisure complex, Craft supplies, Strawberry fields, pets paradise, Russ the odd job man, Pizza hood and Edwinstowe cricket club.

The winner of last months competitions were: For the free meal at Fothergills - Melissa Swann For the free bottle of Seduccion Perfume - Chaterina Blom, Sandra Garrattley, Brian Lister, Natalie Watson and Janice Cawkill. Congratulations to you all.

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Stags Roundup

ovember has been a tricky month for the stags and patience was running out at the field mill.

I’ll take you back to November the first, stags faced southend united, a team on a hot streak, unlike the stags who hadn’t won in many games and only gathered a few points from draws. 1-2 was the final score.

Paul cox’s squad ran out of look against a top side, but still put up a fight against a strong side so the stags may of walked away with no points, but pride was walking with them.

The next game took stags away to relegated league one side Shrewsbury, again another play off chasing team, however the stags seemed to of put up no fight and Shrewsbury won comfortably two nil.

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And mansfield fans were losing patience and demanded changes in Paul cox’s side as the stags were falling deeper and deeper down the league two table.

The FA cup had finally arrived,which saw Mansfield town face Concord Rangers at home, a conference south team who respectively made it this far into the competition.

However this was a very dull and bad day to be a mansfield fan. Credit is due to Concord Rangers as they managed to rescue a dramatic draw to earn a replay the following week.

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Spotlight Magazine

Puzzle Page

Christmas Crossword Clues Across 1 Traditional Festive drink - rum __(5) 3 Striped confectionary - __canes (5) 6 Mary gave ___in a stable (5) 7 Festive colour (3) 8 Given by 12 down (4) 10 Christmas lunch - ___turkey (5) 12 12 Down came to ___the baby (7) 14 City where King Herod lived (9) 16 Also given by 12 Down (5) 17 Christmas trees are usually this type(3) 18 Mary was told her ____would be the son of God (4) 19 Christmas Carol - The First __ (4) 20 Christmas Carol - Oh ___ Night (4) Down 1 US festive treat Pumpkin ___ (3) 2 Christmas song When a _____ is Born (5) 3 25th December! (9,3) 4 ____ log (4) 5 12 Down followed a ____ (4) 9 The ____sent an angel to Mary (4) 11 Might be cranberry or bread (5) 12 There were three of them (4,3) 13 Fortified ___, drunk after dinner (4) 15 Greeting - _____Christmas! (5)

26

Quick Crossword

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Spotlight Magazine Word Search Word List Belle Bob Cratchit Charles Past Dickens Present Ebenezer Scrooge Fan Tiny Tim Fezziwig Want Fred Yet to Come Ghosts Humbug Ignorance Jacob Marley Martha Michael Caine Miser Money Mrs. Cratchit Mrs. Dilber Muppets Nephew Old Joe Visit our website for more puzzles online www.spotlightlocal.co.uk/puzzles

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27

Spotlight Magazine

Buying Her Jewellery?

wears browns and greens she might not have anything to wear it with so make sure colours tone with her wardrobe.

Read Our Guide to Get it Right!

D

iamonds are a girl’s best friend right? Well maybe but some women don’t actually wear or even like this sort of jewellery. So how do you get it right?

If you want to buy precious jewellery look at her natural colouring. Silver haired women look great in silver, platinum or white gold, as do dark skinned women. Blondes look beautiful in warmer gold tones.

Rule one - Look at the jewellery she wears every day. If she always wears a fine gold chain and locket and discrete earrings then she’s probably not going to want a chunky plastic bangle no matter how ‘current’ the style. Likewise if she always wears chunky costume jewellery in bright colours it’s highly unlikely she’ll covet a dainty pearl bracelet.

Rule three - Consider her build. Petite women suit fine chains and tiny stones whereas those who are larger need a statement piece of jewellery which won’t accentuate their size.

Choose carefully and she’ll be overwhelmed at your thoughtfulness. You’ll guarantee her a very happy Christmas indeed.

By Louise Addison

Rule two - Look at the colour palate she normally wears. The funky pink necklace might be the right style but if she usually

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Index Of Advertisers

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Department Stores Beales..................................2

Logs Notts Logs..........................15

Beauty East Midlands Laser............13 Alexsa..................................13

Electrical Services RS Electrical.......................23

Mobility Services Liftec...................................11

Estate & Letting Agents John Sankey.......................25 Newton Fallowell...................1 Castlegate Estates.............32

Motoring Mansfield Van Hire.............20

Blinds R S Blinds............................25

Food & Drink South Forest.......................27

Plumbing Bilbeck....................................23 Gas Care................................20 C F Plumbing..........................21

Funeral Directors W S Ingham..........................9

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Furniture Sliding Door Wardrobes....19

Property Maintenance Key Building Supplies....................17

Chiropodists The Foot Guy.......................21

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Signs City Signs..............................15

Computer Saxon PC............................28

Handyman Services HomeTrades 4U..................22

Windows & Doors Cloudy2Clear..........................3 Loco Windows.......................29

Care Services Leda Homecare...................23 Carpets & Flooring Carpet Bargain Centre..........5 Chimney Sweeps Home-Sweep.......................25 L Clay...................................23

Leather Repair Leather Better.....................28

Puzzle Solutions

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