sp tlightOn FEBRUARY 2012
West Bridgford
Nottingham Landlord? Need tenants? Need an agency that does the job properly? Due to expansion across Nottingham, Eastside Properties urgently require properties in your area for waiting tenants. Please call 0115 983 8758 or email
info@eastsideproperties.co.uk
to find out how we can maximise your investment.
www.eastsideproperties.co.uk in ses each month es n si u B d an 00 Homes Delivered to 6,2 Lady Bay and West Bridgford Edwalton, Inside this issue: • Money Sense • Food of Love • Dragon Boat Challenge • Garden View • Eco Homes • Puzzles • Your Community Info • Recipe
wedding Receptions in 2012 for £2012! Monday to Thursday only Includes: • 3 course Wedding Breakfast for 40 Guests • Finger Buffet for 60 Guests • Bridal suite at Nearby Hotel • Flowers for the Top Table • Candelabra Table Centres for other tables Contact your Wedding Coordinator now to take advantage of this great offer.
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for more information contact
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Spotlight on West Bridgford Contents
Health and Wellbeing Sugar Alternatives 6 Pregnancy and Exercise 8 Food and Drink Heart Melts 10 Money Sense Life Insurance 12 Lifestyle and Leisure E Mail Essentials 14 Puzzle page 18 Home & Garden Food of Love 22 PC Spring Clean 24 Dragon Boat Challenge 26 Community Information 30 - 36 Index of Advertisers 38 Published by Spotlight Local Media Ltd
No. 6841257 Tel: 0115 882 HomeCraft Company 1_4_main page:Layout 1 9892 13/6/08 Suite 104, 1 Hanley Street Nottingham NG1 5BL
Graphic Design and Layout: Spotlight Local Media Distributed by leafletmedia.co.uk
Happy February everybody! The good news is that Spring will soon be upon us. The bad news is that there are now only 320 shopping days left until Christmas! Plenty of good reading and information in this months mag. I hope you enjoy it. Have a great Valentines day and try to stay warm. All of our advertisers are committed to working hard for you the customer and the community, so let’s try and give them the support they deserve. Spotlight magazine is delivered to 6,200 homes and businesses in the West Bridgford area each month. To Advertise or contribute: 9898 M: 07595 510 190 E: info@spotlightlocal.co.uk Web:www.spotlightlocal.co.uk
10:49 T:
Page 0115 1882
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Health and Wellbeing
C
Postnatal Exercise
laire Mockridge is an Ante/ Postnatal Fitness and Pilates Instructor and is here to answer your questions about exercising after birth. When can you return to exercise after birth? New mums can return to exercise 6-8 weeks (natural birth), or 8-12 weeks (c-section). Make sure you’ve had your Doctor’s Health Check-up first. What happens to the abdominals during pregnancy? The six-pack muscle which runs from your breast bone to your pubic bone is joined together with a strong fibrous sheath called the Linea Alba. As your pregnancy develops, the Linea Alba (painlessly) lengthens and, in some cases separates. It’s a bit like cling film stretching apart! Do the abdominals re-align after birth? The abdominals start to re-align within a few weeks after birth. They will never completely re-attach to their original place, and the more pregnancies you have, the more the gap remains. If you’re in any
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doubt, ask your Doctor. If your GP finds a gap of more than 2 fingers, Pilates-based exercise and lots of pelvic floor work are what you need. What sorts of exercise should new mums do? Pilates-based exercise, or a postnatalspecific fitness class run by a qualified Ante/Postnatal Instructor really are the safest options. Mainstream exercise classes could do more harm than good, as not all fitness instructors are qualified to accept postnatal women in their classes. Claire runs Mummies and Buggies Postnatal Fitness Classes (indoors) and CoreBaby Postnatal Pilates Classes in your local area. See www.mummiesandbuggies.co.uk www.corebaby.co.uk or call Claire on 07747 656550 for more info
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Health and Wellbeing
What to use instead of the white stuff? that bacteria do not feed on it so it won’t cause tooth decay. Large quantities may have a laxative effect on some so introduce it gradually. It is toxic to dogs so must never be fed to them. It is available in some supermarkets and on line.
M
ost of us are well aware of the need to limit the amount of sugar we consume, but a little sweetness is occasionally required! Best then to use more natural, nutrient-rich products than refined white sugar, such as chopped banana, pear or berries or a spoon of honey (local or Manuka) or maple syrup on cereals. Similar could be added when cooking tart fruit or you may wish to try Xylitol, an increasingly popular natural sweetener that can also be used in baking and jam making. Xylitol, recommended by Diabetes UK, has been extracted from the bark of birch trees since the 1940s, when sugar was in short supply. Found naturally in many fruits, it looks and tastes as sweet as sugar but has 40% fewer calories and, with a low glycaemic index (GI), has far less impact on blood glucose levels than sugar, and even honey and maple syrup. Xylitol inhibits yeast so cannot be used in bread making and will not promote Candida overgrowth (the organism responsible for thrush). There is evidence
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High Fructose Corn Syrup, HFCS, is increasingly being added to drinks and processed foods, instead of sugar. Fructose is the main sugar in fruit but there is some concern that when it is refined or ‘isolated’ it is not so good for us. It is metabolized by the liver and converted into fat more easily than any other form of sugar. Similarly, Agave Syrup, made from a Mexican cactus, may not be as good for us as first thought, but it does have a low GI. The safety of artificial sweeteners is still controversial but hopefully more research will be forthcoming. Websites such as medicinenet.com are useful references. Stevia, a plant long used as a sweetener in South America and Japan, in their cola drinks, and recommended by the American Diabetic Association, is not approved for sale in EU countries! It is clear that deciding on sugar substitutes is not easy. It will be a personal choice based on taste, state of health and the latest reliable research. My advice is to check they are as natural and unrefined as possible. Try to use a variety, in moderation. Cutting down is always the best option as it reduces cravings, retrains your palate and improves your health! Picture a food pyramid, representing a balanced diet, with the healthy whole grains and vegetables at the base, supporting the other food groups and sweet treats, the tiny pinnacle at the top! By Sue Blain - Naturopath
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Food and Drink Heart Melts
So-called because they would melt anyone’s heart. Why not whip up a batch for Valentine’s Day? Makes 24-30, depending on the size of the cookie. Preheat the oven to190C / Gas Mark 5 Ingredients For the cookies 225g/8oz butter (slightly softened) 140g/5oz caster sugar 1 egg yolk (lightly beaten) 2 tsp orange extract 280g/10oz plain flour 75g/3oz plain chocolate chips or chunks 75g/3oz raisins Pinch of salt
dish. Scoop out walnut-sized pieces of the cookie dough, roll them into balls, and then roll them into the cinnamon mixture to cover. Place the cookies on a greased baking sheet, spaced well apart. You might need two baking sheets if you make the full amount. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Leave to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, and then use a palette knife to transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Pop the cooled cookies into a gift bag or decorative jar and your Valentine gift is all wrapped up. Enjoy.
For the coating 1½ tbsp caster sugar 1½ tbsp cinnamon Method Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk and orange extract. Sift the flour and salt into the mixture, then add the chocolate chips and raisins and mix until they are thoroughly combined. The mixture should be quite firm. For the cinnamon coating, mix together the caster sugar and cinnamon in a shallow
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THuRsdays WEdnEsdays FRidays
“Great Food, Great Company, Great Girl’s Night Out” (Free Cocktail for Ladies, gentlemen welcome and still eligible for £10 tapas offer, choose from 2 main dishes & side or 1/2 board & side)
9pm-11pm Live Acoustic Lead guitarist Jono from our house band and guest vocalists spoil you with relaxed guitar and vocals. Chilled vibe, background volume. Bar closes 12am
Nu Soul Revolution 10.30pm-1am House Band feat. Tashaka & Iain Our own house band playing soul, disco, funk, acid jazz and rare groove covers from the 70’s onwards by Shalamar, Stevie Wonder, Brand New Heavies, Michael Jackson, Jamiroquai and more... Bar closes 2am
saTuRdays
What’s on at the Riverbank Bar sundays
Riverbank Bar & Kitchen reserves the right to cancel acts without prior notice. See listings on our website for up-to-date acts and upcoming events
£10 Tapas Meal & FREE cockTail
Saturday Night Live 10.30pm-1am House Band feat. Jennifer Garner Our own house band performing Soul, Motown, Pop and Disco covers for a rare groove night out, covering Amy Winehouse, Estelle, Alicia Keys and many more... Bar closes 2am
NEW
Traditional Roasts from £8.95 12pm-6pm every Sunday in the Bar Great Traditional Roast meals carved in the bar and served to your table. Pre-book a table or just rock up! Less formal alternative to our restaurant on Sundays.
Riverbank Bar & Kitchen, Trent Bridge, Nottingham NG2 2GS Tel. 0115 986 7960 www.riverbanknotts.co.uk RiverbankliveThursFRISAT.indd 1
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18/1/12 11:16:04
Money Sense
I
Love is....... Proper Life Insurance
have found that life insurance is one thing that many people leave to chance. It isn’t something that many of us like to think about, but for many people the death of a loved one not only brings heartache, but financial misery as well. According to a survey by Aviva, a staggering 61% of families don’t even have basic life insurance – with single parent families the most financially vulnerable family unit should the worst happen. I have found that many people believe that having life cover that would pay off the mortgage means they are adequately covered. But as the average family’s mortgage makes up just a fifth of their monthly spend, at a terrible time in their lives many families have the added burden of trying to makes ends meet.
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Many of us are still tightening our belts following Christmas and so an additional expenditure like life insurance is probably something we’d rather put off. However it needn’t cost the earth – find a good local independent financial adviser and they’ll help you find a policy that best suits your family circumstances and provides you with the kind of protection that you need. So in the month where love is in the air, have a think about whether your family is adequately protected and give them peace of mind for a financially secure future. For help with any aspect of your financial planning, contact Justin Stockdale of Sense Financial Solutions, for a free initial meeting, by telephone on 0115 837 8620 or by e-mail justin@itmakessense.net .
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Business Focus Email essentials What does your email address say about you? Does it matter what your email address is? It may not seem that important, but it’s something you should consider. If you have your own website (and if not, why not?), it makes sense to use the same domain name, such as info@yourcompany. com for example. Having your own website but using a free service such as Google Mail or Hotmail just screams cheap and unprofessional. It says that you’ve probably paid for a cheap website package and it didn’t include email. That may or may not be true, but it’s the impression it gives. Especially if you have a small and basic website to go with it. What should go before the ‘@’? It doesn’t really matter. If its’ an email address for a particular person in the company, use their name. A common format is joe.bloggs@yourcompany.com. Small companies may just use first names, but adding a surname can make you appear to be a bit bigger and a bit more professional. If the email address is for the whole company, or for a specific department, use an appropriate term, such as accounts@ yourcompany.com or sales@yourcompany. com. Something like info@yourcompany. com or enquiries@yourcompany.com can be a useful generic email address if people aren’t entirely sure who, or which department, they are trying to contact. Beware that these types of addresses will get lots of spam though. When a spammer finds your website, it’s easy to just guess info@yourcompany.com, whereas john. smith@yourcompany.com is less likely to be guessed.
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What if you don’t have a website? Or what if you can’t use your domain name? If you have to use a free email service, you still need to make an appropriate choice. Everybody has heard of Hotmail and it is known for personal email. A business could come across as a bit unprofessional by using Hotmail. It definitely gives an impression of being a low tech company, so don’t use it if this is important for your business. Email accounts, from home phone providers give an impression of working from home. Again, this may or may not be important for your image. Google Mail probably has about the best reputation amongst free email providers. It is a popular choice for techies, so it gives a slightly better impression than Hotmail or Yahoo email accounts. People don’t like to use the phone any more, so if you have an email address and if you have an enquiry form on your website (and if you don’t, you should have) then make sure you check it regularly - at least a few times every day. Losing customers because you get out of the habit of checking your emails is crazy. If you don’t respond to emails, a lot of prospects will choose a competitor who does, rather than using the phone to call you. If you’re out and about a lot, its no excuse - you can easily have setup and check email on your smartphone. For help and advice on any of the above email Neil Duckmanton at solutions@ upbeatdesign.co.uk
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Business Focus
Eazi-Move Call Centre Service & Value At A Fair Fixed Fee We offer a complete estate agent service, rivalling any of the best local high street estate agents, we don’t need to charge you extortionate commissions for, let’s face it, an already extremely expensive transaction. How do we do this? Well, for starters we don’t just operate expensive high street branches with all the associated costs that entails. We run a centrally based head office for administration and taking calls from buyers. Our local area property specialists who work in your area handle the appointments, valuations and viewings. By introducing the new call centre we can step away from opening more and more local offices keeping our expenses down, and then, we can then pass all the savings to you, the customer, so your money is used for what it should be used for - marketing your property to targeted buyers.
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It’s simple economics. Over 95% of buyers now use the Internet to search for property. The top property portals in the UK are seeing a 10% rise in visitors year-on-year and already receive over 50 million visits each month! We receive nearly all of their enquiries as a result of buyers seeing a property on the Internet. In this day and age of the internet there is ABSOLUTLEY NO NEED to operate from expensive high street offices anymore , however we offer both at Eazi-Move. You can still get that face to face contact by walking into one of our established offices to discuss your property. Please call 01623 491311 for more information.
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Puzzle Page How to play Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through to 9, with no repetition! That’s all there is to it. You solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic - there’s no maths involved and no adding up. It’s fun! Challenging! It’s addictive!
Across 7 Greeting used after midday (4,9) 8 Rogue, usually homeless (8) 9 Pitch (4) 10 Scholarly (7) 12 Ladle (5) 14 Committee (5) 16 Italian dumplings (7)
Quick Crossword
19 Inscribe (4) 20 Adolescent (8) 22 Hotel (8,5) Down 1 Small bit (4) 2 Establishes a person’s authenticity (abbr.) (2,4) 3 Male undergarment (1-6) 4 Prepared (5) 5 Arch of the foot (6) 6 Medieval exclamation! (8) 11 Consequence (8) 13 Subject to (7) 15 Plead (6) 17 Pencil (6) 18 Uppermost story (5) 21 Child’s play (4)
Answers on page 36
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Win a FREE PENDANT worth up to £30 from Crystal Rain Just visit the website: www.crystalrainonline.co.uk and answer the following question.
Q: What are the two different colours of Butterfly pendants currently in our range? The winner will be picked at random from correct entries. Please send your answer, name, address, telephone number and email address to: Puzzle Competition, Suite 104, 1 Hanley St, Nottingham. NG1 5BL or email to info@spotlightlocal.co.uk
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Home and Garden
A
The Food of Love
t this time of year the sales of chocolate and oysters go way up. But do aphrodisiacs really work? Is the way to a man’s heart really through his stomach? Many old wives tales abound about food and love, and some of those tales actually have a grain of truth! Oysters have long had a romantic reputation. It turns out they are a good source of zinc, which is vital for the production of those hormones responsible for our libido! If you don’t like oysters, try cheese, pumpkin seeds, peanuts or lamb, which all have high zinc levels. Chocolate, especially dark, is also high in zinc. But in addition, it increases the amount of serotonin in the brain, inducing relaxation, as well as other hormones that increase pleasure impulses and receptiveness. No wonder we feel good after eating some!
Other foods that have been found to contain or release those all important feel good chemicals are sushi, pomegranate juice, wine, caviar, soy (tofu) and honey.
So it looks like the ideal meal for wooing your favourite person would be oysters, lamb, sushi or tofu, with pumpkin pie for dessert! Not forgetting the chocolate and cheese for nibbles, and a nice red wine or pomegranate juice to wash it all down! Of course you can’t make someone fall in love with you just by feeding them the right foods, but you may enhance already good feelings, and who knows what might happen from there? By Rita Williams-Hall
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Home and Garden
W
PC Spring Clean
inter is almost behind us, spring is coming. Why not treat your computer to a clean up.
Tidy up the desktop – move any stored files into your my documents, create short cuts to them if you wish. This will help to speed up the loading of your computer profile. Remove any unwanted programs and internet explorer toolbars from the system by going to Control Panel – add remove programs (XP Users) or Control Panel – Program and Features (Vista/Win7). Check your computer hard drive is working well. Go to the RUN command for XP and Start/Search for Win7/vista, type in CMD (make sure you run as Administrator for Win7/Vista) and run the CHKDSK command. Look to see if you get any problems listed in section 2 or 3. If you do, try the /F command (it tells you what to do), reboot the PC, let it run as windows loads. When windows is back up and running, try it again. If you still have
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problems, call your IT guy to have a look at it for you. Clean up your disk drives by removing any unwanted files, goto computer, right click on your hard drives one at a time, select properties. In here open the Disk clean up utility – remove all files except off line files if you synchronise to another PC. Defragment your hard drive – go to the same place as disk clean up, select the tools tag and defragment now. In XP you will need to select your drive that you have just cleaned up and select the defragment button at the bottom, in Vista/Win7 select Defragment now and select the drive from the list of available drives. Always disk clean up before defragmenting. Anti – Virus – check that you have the latest version of anti-virus and it is in date. If you have any questions, call Bryan from Midland Data Networks (01949 876 098) or email sales@midlanddatanetworks.co.uk
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Home and Garden
R
Dragon Boat Challenge
ainbows Hospice for Children and Young People celebrates the Year of the Dragon with the launch of the fourth Nottingham Riverside Festival Dragon Boat Challenge! To celebrate Chinese New Year and the Year of the Dragon, Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People has joined with Gable Events to launch the fourth Nottingham Riverside Festival Dragon Boat Challenge. The 2012 Challenge takes place on Sunday 5th August as part of the annual Riverside Festival and is one of the largest and most eagerly anticipated team events in the region. Up to 50 crews representing companies, organisations, clubs and groups of friends from all over the East Midlands are expected to battle it out over the 200m race course on the River Trent at Victoria Embankment to raise much-needed funds for the Hospice. Dragon boat racing has an ancient Chinese history and the Festival is a reenactment of a tragic event that took place more than 2,000 years ago in the kingdom of Chu. Legend has it that falsely accused of treason and exiled by jealous rivals in the government, despairing warrior poet, Qu Yuan, threw himself into the Mi Lo River. Local fishermen rowed out to save the drowning poet and tried to rescue him from vicious fish by beating the water with their paddles. But their attempts failed and every year in Hong Kong a Tuen Ng (Dragon Boat) Festival is held as a mark of respect for the fishermen’s frantic efforts and to commemorate the tragic death of Qu Yuan. According to the Chinese calendar, 2012 is the Year of the Dragon which may result in some interesting races as the dragon is said to be all powerful but completely unpredictable!
The dragon boats, qualified helms and all racing equipment are provided and each crew is guaranteed a minimum of three races. Teams and spectators also benefit from being part of one of the region’s largest family festivals with a bustling fair and vibrant mix of music, dance, crafts and food from around the world, staged by Nottingham City Council. Rainbows is the only children’s hospice in the East Midlands and cares for over 230 local children and their families every year. An incredible team helps to control symptoms, improve quality of life and provide end of life care. Rainbows gets less than 10% of its funding from the government and therefore relies almost solely on the generosity of members of the public, fundraising events and sponsorship. Katie Baxter, Events Manager at Rainbows Hospice, says, “The Dragon Boat Challenge is a fantastic opportunity for teams to have fun whilst raising essential money for an amazing charity. Everyone involved will really be helping to make a difference for children and families who are facing extraordinary challenges”. For further information and an entry form please visit www.dragonboatfestivals.co.uk/cambridge or call Gable Events on 01780 470 718. To find out more about the services of Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People call 01509 638000 or visit www. rainbows.co.uk
No previous experience is required to take part in the dragon boat racing, just plenty of team spirit so why not take up the challenge? Thankfully, you don’t need the physical strength of a Steve Redgrave or the athleticism of a Jessica Ennis to be successful as teamwork and timing win the day.
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Garden View
T
Sexy Rexy or Buxom Beauty?
he snowdrops maybe in full bloom right now, but as February marks the month of love, there is another flower which cannot go unmentioned. This is of course the Rose. Roses have been the symbol of love for hundreds of years, and where would our florists be without them? Come to think of it, where would men be without them? We’d have to make a decision as to which single flower to purchase, to show our affection to our intended. Roses had a great ‘boom’ period in the 60’s where homeowners and councils alike, removed geometric shapes from their lawns, creating island beds filled with roses. Equally spaced and pruned accurately, these hardy, woody shrubs lived on for years and examples of these schemes can still be witnessed. Associated with bare soil, manure, flat caps and the dreaded ‘P’ word (pruning), these woody and often stumpy plants, with their short lived blooms in vile colours, would eventually be seen off with a white talcum powder like coating of powdery mildew by late summer... I really don’t understand why they ever went out of fashion!!! Well thankfully those days are gone, and I reckon it’s about time our roses made a 21st century comeback. Just as Dahlias did a few years ago, I think roses deserve a second chance. Some of the modern roses with great pest and disease resistance and an instinct for repeat flowering, have been bred with the old fashioned sweet smelling types to make wonderful garden plants. In addition, there are roses for every situation, from pergolas and pots, to hedges and even partially shaded walls. They look great planted in a mixed border, especially when under-planted with a free-flowering hardy Geranium.
in the ground before the end of the month. Soak the roots in a bucket of water for around 30 minutes, while you dig a very generous hole about 40cm deep and 30cm wide. Incorporate well rotted manure or compost into the planting hole and plant slightly deeper than you would normally, so the graft (knuckle) is under the ground. Back fill with soil and firm well. Don’t prune until next month. And as for the variety you choose, be it Rosa ‘Sexy Rexy’, ‘Buxom Beauty’, or one of the more sophisticated named cultivars, be sure to go for a repeat flowerer with great scent. Other jobs to do this month include: Pruning deciduous shrubs such as Berberis Prune Clematis (type 3 / late flowering types only) Prune Wisteria (search spearjac on youtube.com for my video ‘how to’ guide) Order seed potatoes and onion setts Lee’s favourite Rose of the moment, ‘Gertrude Jekyll’. Until next time, happy Valentine’s Day!
It’s not too late to buy your bare root roses, but act quickly, as ideally they need to be
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Lee
Martin Page
Edwalton &
West Bridgford’s Local Tree Surgeon Have you considered? Just like the rest of your property your trees may need some maintenance from time to time? Are your trees too tall, unsafe or untidy? Are they blocking light from yours, or your neighbour’s property? With o v e r 25 years of experience working with trees in your area I would be pleased to offer you free advice and a free quotation.
call me now on
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Community Information Local Events Guide
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West Bridgford Online
Your local website
Saturday 11th February – Dino Baptsite followed by Kris Ward – Southbank Bar Sunday 12th February – Richie Muir – Copper Sunday 12th February – Steve McGill – Southbank Bar Tuesday 14th February – Paul Robinson – Stratford Haven Thursday 16th February – The Money – Fire & Ice Friday 17th February – Joe Strange Band – Southbank Bar Saturday 18th February – Sticky Morales followed by Richard Howell – Southbank Bar Sunday 19th February – Joe Strange – Copper Sunday 19th February – Poppy Folk Club, Bryony Griffith and Will Hampson – Poppy & Pint (Tickets £7.50) Sunday 19th February – Dr Comfort & the Lurid Revelations – Southbank Bar Thursday 23rd February – Roy D’Wolff – Fire & Ice
Friday 24th February – Joe Strange Band – Southbank Bar Saturday 25th February – Boogie Street followed by Kris Ward – Southbank Bar Sunday 26th February – Kris Ward – Copper Sunday 26th February – Roy Stone – Southbank Bar Thursday 1st March – The Face – Fire & Ice Friday 2nd March – Joe Strange Band – Southbank Bar Saturday 3rd March – Mood Indigo followed by Richard Howell – Southbank Bar Sunday 4th March – Tee Dymond – Copper Sunday 4th March – Wild Wood – Southbank Bar Wednesday 7th March – Ladies Night (£15 3 course tapas & half price cocktails all night) – Belle & Jerome Thursday 8th March – Roy D’Wolff – Fire & Ice Friday 9th March – Joe Strange Band – Southbank Bar Saturday 10th March – Urban Intro – Southbank Bar
Brought to you by West Bridgford Online – www.westbridgfordonline.com Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/westbridgfordonline Follow us on Twitter - @westbridgfordol
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Second Nature “Remo” kitchen pictured below. Unique barrel feature units available.
Manufacturers of quality Kitchens, Bedrooms, and specialist accessible kitchens. Open to both the Trade and Public. Family run business with 20 years of experience. Showroom open Mon-Fri. (Sat by appointment). No one else offers a more comprehensive range of kitchens in Nottinghamshire. Full design service. No “hard sell”. No obligation. Friendly service. Thousands of very satisfied customers. We will aim to beat any “like for like” showroom quotation. We offer “supply only” or “supply and fit”, along with most work-surfaces and appliances. Alpha House. Belgrave Road. Bulwell. Nottingham. NG6 8HN.
Tel: 0115 9761876
Fax: 0115 976 1877
e-mail; steve@ellisinteriorsnottingham.co.uk www.ellisinteriorsnottingham.co.uk
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With each step, in a case like this, around 80% of each spend often goes into the local economy. So in effect the money that stays within West Bridgford gets more & more. Local independent businesses are far more likely to use other local firms than any of the big national giants would – it’s what makes them tick and they know the true value of keeping it “Totally Locally”. It’s also a lot easier!
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It’s not about protectionism, it’s about small decisions that have a big impact on where we live. Only by following the money trail do you get a true sense of the knock-on effects of buying Totally Locally West Bridgford. It takes you in all kinds of directions, ping-ponging from groceries and clothing, to tradesmen and accountants, each time adding to our economy. The trail is staggering. So when you go for your next purchase, be it a cup of coffee, a newspaper, eggs, a sofa or new pair of shoes, consider the true effect of how you buy. We are blessed with many independent shops scattered around our town why not pop in and discover what they have to offer. The next Melton Road monthly market will be on Saturday 3rd March from 10-2pm www.meltonrdshops.co.uk and every 1st Saturday of the month thereafter.
This can be applied to everything from a sourcing good for school fairs to bike manufacturers, to music shops, to food producers. If you compare this with buying online & outside the area – where none of the money comes back into the West Bridgford economy – it seems to make sense really. Add to this a smaller impact on the environment
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Go
If you imagine that when you buy a West Bridgford -made pie from a local butcher, a big part of your money is passed on to the local pie maker. The shop employs a local accountant or even a decorator. In turn the pie maker who sources his meat from a local farm spends a big percentage of his money with the farmer. The farmer then spends some of his money at his local garage, the garage owner etc. etc…..
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How to turn £10 into £50! There’s a bit of maths that says if you spend £10 in a local shop that sells stuff from local producers the amount of money that goes back into West Bridgford economy can be over £50!
due to less transportation and you have good reasons for keeping your purchasing Totally Locally.
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Totally Locally is launching the Magic Tenner scheme throughout West Brigford
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Transition West Bridgford
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Community Information
To advertise call 07595 510190 e mail usoratcontribute info@spotlightlocal.co.uk
New stairlifts from £1100 Rapid installs available • Curved • Straight • Used • Rentals
01159 875 218 liftecltd.co.uk
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Community Information
T
Looking for a new hobby? he Mayor of Rushcliffe is to visit West Bridgford’s hobbies and sports exhibition.
The forthcoming Sports, Leisure and Hobbies Exhibition arranged for the 31st March in West Bridgford Community Hall, near St Giles Church, will offer everyone, irrespective of age and ability, the opportunity to discover or take up a new interest. For active sports you can learn about dragon boat racing, football, tennis, Karate, kendo, fencing, dance, keeping fit for the over 50’s, gardening, and flower arranging. For group leisure pursuits you can talk to the scouts, the boys brigade, Nottingham Youth Orchestra, South Notts College, and for the arts you can find out about painting, pottery, textile art, beading, print-making, photography, video and digital photography, opera, and drama.
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Other exhibits will feature model cars, model trains, heraldry, chess, stamp collecting, local history, canal restoration, and Rotary. There will be experts available to tell you about what their clubs and organisations provide, and if you would like to join them, there will be application forms available. The Rotary Club of West Bridgford, which is arranging the exhibition, is pleased to announce that The Mayor of Rushcliffe Borough Council will be visiting the show, and while visitors are browsing the exhibits, there will be stage performances by a quartet from the Nottingham Youth Orchestra, the BunbuDoju Karate Club, the Radcliffe Sword Club, Fitness with Swing 50 Plus, the Sandra Taylor School of Dance, the Eishinjuku Kendo Club and the Boys Brigade Brass (Radcliffe). Further details from charles.tyrie@btinternet.com.
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is a member run, non-profit organisation based in Nottingham. Its members are highly respected, likeminded business people who meet fortnightly for breakfast to create an opportunity to build long term relationships, an understanding of fellow members and their businesses and exchange quality referrals that turn into real business. NNG runs a one company per industry sector rule. The group meets at The Millers Barn fortnightly on Mondays at 8am for breakfast, and can be contacted at: www.nottinghamnetworkgroup.co.uk
They are experts in the field and aim to deliver information, advice and solutions which are clear and easy to understand. They will help you throughout your lifetime and pride themselves on their long standing client relationships. With Reliance Financial Planning, your plans will be kept under review so you can rest assured in the knowledge that expert assistance is always on hand. For more information please go to http://nottinghamnetworkgroup.co.uk/ portfolio/reliance-financial-planning/.
One of our members is One of our members is Alain Mengoli from Reliance Financial Planning. They provide services to help you improve your financial plans.
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Community Information This is a free page to publicise your local events and information. We would love to hear from you if you know of any event in or around the West Bridgford area; copy deadline is the 25th of each month. Please email dave@ spotlightlocal.co.uk or write to The Editor, Spotlight Magazine, Suite 104, 1 Hanley St, Nottingham NG1 5BL. Mirabilé is looking for quality trained and/or experienced soprano singers. We are a small ladies ensemble covering a wide range of repertoire from early music to contemporary arrangements, both in English and other languages. We rehearse Monday evenings from 8.00-10.00pm in West Bridgford. We are taking part in the “Coffee Break” concert programme at St. Peter’s Church in Nottingham City Centre, on Saturday 25th February (coffee at 10.15 for a 11.00am start) For enquiries or audition details please contact: Alison Smith on 0115 9143510 alisonsmith20101@hotmail.co.uk The Friends of Bridgford Park have an open invitation to our next meeting which will include our annual AGM to be held at the Civic Centre 13th March at 7pm. Please contact FOBP for attendance details. The positions of Chair, Vice Chair , Secretary, Treasurer and Publicity Officer nominations should be submitted not less than 14 days prior to the meeting. A new location is planned for a Willow Tunnel on Bridgford Park during February and our next project may be the tree trail for which we are in search of a woodcarver. Please contact Linda 9819146 or Lorraine 9816646 with any details regarding any of the above Nottingham Hardy Plant Society meeting at West Bridgford Community Hall, Church Drive, West Bridgford, NG2 6AY at 7.30pm. Sugar and Spice and all Things Nice by Dr. Myleechreest explores the range of plants for the benefit of humans such as food, decoration and medicine. Members free. Guests free admission on first visit and £3.00 for subsequent meetings. For further information about the Group or meetings please contact Sylvia Bennett 01949 836882 or see www.hardy-plant.org.uk/groups/nottingham Just Friends West Bridgford, a friendly social group for local single people over 55yrs, meet at the Wolds pub, private upstairs room on Wednesday 22nd February and Thursday 29th March at 8pm. See our website www.justfriendswestbridgford.wordpress.com or ring Lillian on 8462225. Wilford Karate school - www.karate-nottingham. com/ We teach traditional Shotokan Karate to people from 7 years through to adults. Our club is part of a world wide federation and offers the unique opportunity to train under Master Asano Hanshi, 9th Dan. All abilities 7yrs + Mon 7-8pm Thu 7:30-8:30pm Brown and Black belts (Honbu) Tue 7:30-8:30pm At Nottingham Emmanuel School – Wilford. Contact C Goronwy 0115 9814246 for more details The next meeting of the South Notts Flower Club is February 14th at 7.30pm in Edwalton Church Hall, Edwalton, Nottingham. The demonstration is titled ‘Hearts and Flower’s’ by Mr Tim Kirkham of Nottingham. New members are welcome, visitors can attend the demonstration for £5.00 including refreshments. For more information contact 0115 9822070.
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Anyone interested in a coach trip to Salou Spain? • Half Board Accommodation • 3*+ Hotel • 2nd June 11th June 2012 • £360 per person - Single supplement extra For more information call Lynn 07834 239999 The Poppy Folk Club Sunday 19th February Bryony Griffith & Will Hampson. The Poppy and Pint, Pierrepont Road, Lady Bay. Tickets £7.50. Contact Julie & Phil 0115 9812861, or phil@poppyfolkclub.co.uk. Our next meeting will be Sunday 11th March with 4 Square. More details on the website: www.poppyfolkclub.co.uk. MODERN LINEDANCING CLASSES:- Daytime and Evenings Held in West Bridgford, Radcliffe on Trent, Plumtree (also Bakersfield and Stapleford) Suitable for Beginners, Improvers and Intermediate Levels. For further information please contact Pat on 0115 9140673. Rushcliffe Photographic Society is the areas leading camera club and we welcome all photographers over 18, whether novices or experienced. We meet on Tuesday evenings from 7:30 pm until 10 pm and offer a varied and exciting programme of events and activities from September to June.. You can find out more at www.rushcliffephotosoc.co.uk’ Radcliffe Sword Club Learn the exciting modern Olympic sport of fencing at this local club, meeting at the Sports Hall at the National Water Sports Centre, Holme Pierrepont every Monday during term time for Juniors (age 10+) and every Wednesday throughout the year for adults (age 13+). 8-week Beginners courses for Juniors and Adults are run every September and January. Please contact Norman on 0115 911 0050 for more information or visit our website atwww. radcliffeswordclub.co.uk Edwalton Church Garden needs volunteers of all ages to help in the lovely 1 1/2 acre garden behind the church. The garden us used and appreciated by people from all over Notts. We meet every Saturday 10am 12pm. No one is compelled to turn up every week, but just to come when they are available. It becomes a social occasion with coffee/tea and cakes etc. annual outings, BBQ’s and a dinner before Christmas. There are plenty of tools and mechanical equipment. Seeing the garden go through all the seasons, watching children trying the discovery walk and the many memorial seats and trees makes a visit a pleeasure. Interested? Do join us. Ring Donna 0115 9233650. TAI CHI FOR THE OVER 5O’S – Well established daytime classes offer slow, controlled Tai Chi and Qi Gong. Every Mon afternoon (West Bridgford), Weds morning (Ruddington) and Fri Morning (Bramcote). A few spaces now available in New Beginners’ Class, Weds afternoons. Tel Joy Parsons on Nottm 9743542 or visit www.taichi-joy.co.uk.
Puzzle Solutions
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Let the sun shine in this Summer
Ellis Double Glazing Repair Services offer a brand new service, Conservatory Cleaning
Ian Ellis of Ellis Glazing Services is now offering Conservatory Cleaning, “I began offering this service earlier in the year before when I cleaned the after conservatory of a friend. The neighbours on both sides saw the transformation and asked me to do theirs and in the end I cleaned 4 conservatories on that street alone!” With over 20 years in the Glazing Industry and a good head for heights, Ian feels offering this service complements his existing business. “Sometimes a conservatory builds a greenish film up over time and a normal window cleaner can’t reach it, this is where I specialise. If the conservatory has other problems, leaks, drafts etc. I can sort them out as well.” So why not give Ian a call and let the sun shine in this Summer.
ELLIS DOUBLE GLAZING - REPAIR SERVICE • UPVC, Aluminium Windows, Doors & Patios • Replacement Units (misted glass) • Locks, Handles and Hinges • Security Locks for Patio / Double Doors / Safety Chains • Leaks and Draughts • Doors Catching • Shrunken Rubber Seals Replaced • Window Cleaning • Letterbox Replacements • Gutter Cleaning • Conservatory Cleaning • Emergency boarding up and glass replaced (insurance work undertaken)
For advice and a prompt, friendly, reliable service
Call Ian Ellis on
0115 940 0525 / 0770 603 1690 Based in Gedling
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Index of Advertisers Aerials A1 Astral Aerials
19
Antiques ABC Antiques
Garden Services Charnwood Tree Surgeon 29 Abbey Drives 31
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Hair & Beauty House of Colour
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5
Health and Keep Fit Zest Health & Fitness
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9
Jewelery Crystal Rain
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Chimney Sweeps Home Sweep
Kitchens Ellis Interiors Drew Designs
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Cleaning Services Jackson Cleaning Domestique
Oven Cleaning Renu
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13 7
Computer Midland Data Services
Painting / Decorating Phil Sargeant Homecraft
31 4
24
Estate Agents Eazi-Move Eastside Properties
Pets Dial a Dog Wash
16 1
Electrical Services Arnold Electrical Icon Electrical Services
39 25
Financial Services Sense Tax Assist
12 9
Builders Westerman Homes BurglarAlarms Scantec Carpets & Flooring Carpet Image Transformafloor
D N H SGS Gas
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Property Services Home Solutions Framework UK Blockright Spectrum The Fireplace Shop Timbertech
33 27 25 23 20 23
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Restaurants Riverbank Bar
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Roofing R Hales Hudson Roofing RSJ
29 2 34
Stairlifts Liftec
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Taxis NG 11 Cars
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Plasterers Bramcote Plastering IRS Plastering ED Plastering
Telephone Connectaphone
15
29 33 13
Tiling I B Tiling
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Plumbing & Heating Mint Halls Plumbing Agua Gas Nottm Combi Svcs
29 7 22 15
Venues The Boat Club Draycott House
Windows & Doors Ellis Double Glazing Lady Bay Art Glass
38 3 37 15
THE CAVE at THE BRIT & THE BOAT CLUB TRENTSIDE
Ideal for Private Parties Riverside Location • Large Balcony • Ample Parking Refurbished Throughout • Contemporary Style • Well-Stocked Bar Stage for Disco’s and Bands
0115 9811251
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07775 876964
claire.ceas@hotmail.co.uk
e mail us at info@spotlightlocal.co.uk
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