spotlightOn Mansfield North
ISSUE 65 March 2016
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on th in d Bu sin es se s ea ch m an es m Ho 00 ,0 18 Br id gf ord De liv ered to sfi el d So ut h & Wes t M an sfi el d N or th , M an Inside this issue: • Mother’s Day • The Black Stuff • Addictive Fitbit • Crufts 2016 • Trouble With Spots? • Business Focus • Puzzles • Your Community Info • Local Guides
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Spotlight Magazine
Contents
Crufts 6 The Black Stuff 8 Mother’s Day 10 Garden View 12 Recipe 14 Puzzle Pages 18 Addictive Fitbit 20 Hypnosis 22 24 Puzzle Pages Write A CV 26 Spots! 28 Index 30
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
So here we are.. March already, and we are all set to spring into spring. It’s the time of year when we start to think about getting our house and garden back into shape, and if you need help with that, our advertisers are the people to call. If you are a member of a club or society, please send me details so we can include it in the magazine. If you need a service or shop of some kind, please try and use our advertisers where possible and keep it local. And if you are a local business that would like more customers, we can help with that too! 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 To Advertise or contribute: T: 01623 706570 E: info@spotlightlocal.co.uk Web:www.spotlightlocal.co.uk
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Spotlight Magazine
Crufts
Crufts, the world’s largest dog show takes place between 10 and 13 March at the NEC Birmingham. The first of the ‘Crufts’ Dog events took place in 1891 at the Royal Agricultural Hall in Islington. It was the brainchild of Charles Cruft, hence the name. After college, Charles worked for the well known dog food company Spratts, initially as an office boy and later as a travelling salesman across Europe. In 1878 he was asked by French dog-breeders to promote the canine section of the Paris Exhibition. Back in England, he managed the Allied Terrier Club Show at the Royal Aquarium, Westminster in 1886. He launched Crufts five years later. When Charles died in 1938, his wife Emma took over the running of the Show. She handed the mantle to the Kennel Club in 1948. The first event had 2,437 entries representing 36 breeds. This year’s show will see over 22,000 dogs competing from around 43 countries. The event is truly international since quarantine laws were lifted in the year 2000. The ultimate accolade, Best in Show has been contested for 87 years, and won by 43 different breeds. The most frequent champion breed with seven wins is the cocker spaniel, followed by the Irish Setter and Welsh Terrier which have each taken four titles. The first ever winner was a greyhound and the 2015 winner was a five-year-old Russian Scottish Terrier called Knopa.
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Winners receive a replica silver trophy and a small cash prize, but it is the prestige and future stud-money that are the real attraction. In addition to the Best in Show and Best in Breed awards, there are now many other competitions including Scruffs - for crossbreeds. Visitors can also enjoy the spectacle of activities such as fast-paced flyball, skillful agility and heelwork to music. In many of the competitions there are junior as well as adult classes. Attendees also look forward to seeing famous names such as celebrity vets and TV personalities known for their love of dogs. There is a wealth of shopping opportunities with over 400 exhibition stands. And for those thinking of purchasing a dog the Discover Dogs section features examples, advice and information from owners of around 200 breeds. Over the last decade £138,000 has been raised from dog exhibitors for the Kennel Club’s charitable trust which distributes money to dog re-homing, assistance dog charities, and funds research into the understanding and prevention of dog diseases. Huge efforts are now made to ensure all dogs in the Show are healthy following previous concerns about welfare. Crufts is a great day out, and for dog-lovers it’s not to be missed! By Susan Brookes-Morris
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Spotlight Magazine
A Drop Of The Black Stuff
March 17th is St Patrick’s Day - a celebration of all things Irish - and people around Ireland and throughout the world will commemorate it with a pint or two of Guinness, Ireland’s unofficial national intoxicant, with more than a 25% share of the beer market.
Arthur Guinness founded the brewery that makes the famous drink. Born in 1725 in County Kildare, Arthur inherited £100 at the age of 27 from his godfather, and three years later he set up business as a brewer. In 1759 he signed a 9,000 year lease on a disused brewery in St James Gate, Dublin where he began brewing porter and ale. Porter is a dark, well-hopped beer made from brown malt. Its history is closely intertwined with that of stout, a term which originally referred to a beer’s strength but which now refers to the drink’s body and colour. Today’s Guinness is a dry stout available in a number of variants and strengths, including Guinness Draught, Guinness Original/Extra Stout, Guinness Foreign Extra Stout, Guinness Special Export Stout and Guinness Bitter. It is nicknamed ‘the black stuff’ on account of its dark colour, although it is actually a very dark shade of ruby! Now brewed in 60 countries and available in over 120, the first Guinness export was to England in 1769, and by 1824 it had become a worldwide brand. Sales soared from 350,000 barrels in 1868 to over a million eighteen years later.
to make Guinness Extra Stout ‘more drinkable’, resulting in a brand re-launch in 1981 with pale malt being used for the first time. Contemporary Guinness Draught and Extra Light Stout are weaker than their 19th Century counterpart, with Foreign Extra Stout and Special Export being closer to the original in character. Modern Guinness has a burnt flavour and is famous for its smoothness and thick, creamy head. The production of Guinness continues to change with the times. In November last year the company announced plans to make their beer suitable for vegetarians and vegans by the end of 2016, through the introduction of a new filtration process that will avoid the need to use isinglass from fish bladders. Claims have been made in the past that Guinness can benefit the heart by helping to prevent harmful deposit build-up on artery walls. It has also been described as a ‘meal in a glass’, and at 198 calories per pint, has slightly fewer calories than skimmed milk, orange juice and most other light beers. So, I wish you a happy St Patrick’s Day, filled with friends, fun, smiles and a drop of the black stuff.
However, by the 1970s sales were in decline and the company decided
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Spotlight Magazine
Why Do We Have Mothers Day?
“Why do we even need Mother’s Day?” My 14-year-old daughter grumped as I suggested she might like to put some consideration into a card and flowers. Well Gracie, let me enlighten you...
The full time job - No holiday. No time off for good behaviour. 24 hours, 365 days per year and no pay. If my boss at work tried to impose these conditions as the terms of my contract I’d have grounds to take him to court. The housework - It may surprise you Gracie to know that the house does not clean and tidy itself. Clothing does not wash, iron and sort itself into drawers. There isn’t an army of cleaning fairies who pop out at night to dust and run the vacuum cleaner over the carpet. It is actually your Mum. Ok some of it is me, and you will do the odd chore (generally reluctantly) but mostly, let’s be honest here, it’s mum. The food – Meal-planning, shopping, cooking. It’s just done, sorted, no problems. I realise you and your brother clear the table and stack the dishwasher, mostly while grumbling about slave labour and the general unfairness of life, but I’m betting you’d miss the meals if they suddenly stopped
The therapist – That boy you like but who broke your heart? Mum will offer hugs and a shoulder to cry on. That nasty teacher who was making your life a misery? Who spoke to her on your behalf? Which subjects should you take at school? Should you choose hockey practice or clarinet lessons? Mum will advise. You may not like the advice or take it, but you know she cares. The banker - That school trip you forgot to tell us about? The night out at the cinema with friends you simply must attend? The new shoes you absolutely have to buy? Who stumps up for all this stuff? That’s right, your mum. So a card, a handwritten note, a hug, a kiss and a heartfelt ‘Thank you mum’ will go a long way toward making her feel special, and yes it does seem ridiculous we have to have a day set aside for it but that’s the point! In our busy lives for one day we stop, think and appreciate everything she does. So that Gracie darling is why we have Mother’s Day! By Tom Hancock
The taxi – How often do you use your mum as a fareless taxi-service? What if she made you walk, catch a bus or cycle to your friends’ houses. What if she starting charging you? The organiser – Where are you supposed to be at 9.30am this Saturday? Or 4pm on Tuesday? Bet mum knows!
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Spotlight Magazine
Garden View
Lovely Lilies (and a spot of hard-pruning) The first day of spring this year is officially March 20th . Trees are blossoming and daffodils are in bloom. The garden has woken up from its winter sleep and is full of promise. But promise is not enough. A beautiful garden does not happen by chance. So what are the top jobs for March gardeners? Pruning features large! Hard-prune those late flowering shrubs like Buddleia, Leycesteria and Lavateria, but only if the risk of heavy frost is past. Spring-flowering plants such as Forsythia and Winter Honeysuckle should be pruned immediately the flowers fade. If you haven’t already pruned your bush roses, now is the time. Leave about an inch of last year’s growth to encourage bushiness and lots of flowers. Shrub roses don’t need such radical treatment but would benefit from losing a third of their old, thick, woody stems. Lift congested clumps of snowdrops while they still have leaves showing. Finally, stay on top of the weeds. If you leave them, weeding quickly becomes an insurmountable chore. Ok, we’ve dispensed with the hard work, now it’s time to look ahead. I have one word for you...Lilies. I always thought they were tricky to grow, and so they proved, mainly because my garden doubles as a slug sanctuary! Then I had an epiphany. It dawned on me that if I grew them in pots, slug prevention would be easier, plus I didn’t run the risk of slicing through the fat, scaly bulbs or tender shoots with my hoe while enthusiastically weeding my plot.
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Even better, it means you can grow them even if you only have a balcony. There are loads of varieties in the garden centres right now. Three bulbs fit nicely into an 8inch / 20cm pot and five fit into a ten inch / 25cm pot. I’ve found terracotta pots best because they provide enough weight to prevent these tall plants tipping over. Lilies need an open planting mixture which drains well so I use a mixture of potting compost plus a soil-less multi-purpose compost. The bulb tips should be a couple of inches below the compost. Keep in a sheltered spot and water when the surface of the compost looks dry. Once the buds have formed, feed weekly with dilute tomato food until late summer. When the blooms fade, cut the stems down and place in a sheltered spot. Each spring, scrape away a couple of inches of compost and add fresh mixture, then repeat the instructions above. Treated like this your lilies will reward you for three or four years before they need re-potting. There are a plethora of colours and scents available, so there is a lily for everyone. Try them. I guarantee you’ll be as in love with lilies as I am. By Rachel Leverton
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Spotlight Magazine
Banana and Walnut Loaf
Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 60-70 minutes Ingredients 225g plain flour 2 level tsp baking powder 80g softened or spreadable butter 1 large egg (beaten) 110g caster sugar 4 medium bananas (peeled) 50g walnuts (chopped) Zest 1 lemon Demerara sugar for sprinkling
Sift the flour and baking powder together into a separate bowl. Add the butter, egg and caster sugar. Using a mixer mix everything together for a minute or two. Add the mashed and chopped bananas and briefly whisk them into the mixture. Fold in the chopped walnuts and lemon zest. Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared tin. Sprinkle with Demerara sugar.
Method
Place in the pre-heated oven so that the top of the tin is in the centre. Bake for 6070 minutes until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Preheat oven to 180C / gas 4. Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin.
Let the cake cool for 10-15 minutes then turn out on to a cooling rack.
Mash three bananas to a pulp and chop the fourth.
This cake is good served warm with crème fraiche, cold, or even toasted.
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Spotlight Magazine
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Heat Heat Pumps Pumps -- absorb absorb heat heat from from the the outside outside and and intensify intensify it to increase its temperature. it to increase its temperature. The The increased increased heat heat can can then then be used used to to power power radiators, radiators, be underfloor heating heating systems, systems, underfloor or warm warm air air convectors convectors and and or hot water water in in your your property. property. hot
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Spotlight Magazine
A Good Read
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
Growing up in a typical English town this novel made a huge impact on me when I first read it. The colourful characters seem such a world apart from what I was familiar with and yet it is a story about all of our lives and a woman’s relationship with her mother. In 1949 four Chinese immigrant women in San Francisco agree to meet up each week to play mah-jong, calling themselves the Joy Luck Club. Here they discuss the lives they left behind in China and the dreams and hopes they have for their daughters as they embark on their new lives in America. Whilst not strictly speaking short stories, each chapter tells a different aspect of their lives. The first half of the book tells of the lives of the women in the Joy Luck Club. We learn of their lives in China. An-Mei Hsu whose mother left her to become a concubine to a rich merchant and Lindo Jeng who was forced to marry someone she didn’t love. We then learn of their daughters and their new lives growing up in America, in a culture that seems alien to the world their mothers are describing. Here lies the clash of cultures which leads to friction between mother and daughter. The older generation feel as if they are losing their daughters to American culture and the younger generation do not feel as if anything their mothers talk about is relevant to their lives. Sound familiar? You don’t need to be a Chinese immigrant or growing up in America to relate to the universal themes that Tan weaves into her debut novel. It is about learning to understand the people that fill our lives and accepting that they only have our best interests at heart. It is about learning that our parents too are real people, arriving in the present through a series of events that have shaped them and made us who we are too.
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Emily Feather and the Enchanted Door by Holly Webb Have you ever felt as if you just don’t fit in? Where even your own family seems different to you? This is how ten-year-old Emily Feather feels. She looks different to her siblings with her dark hair. It is true that everyone looks a bit different (even her older twin sisters aren’t identical) but Emily just can’t shake the feeling that there is something about her that sets her apart from the rest of the family. Her best friend Rachel points out that she is the only one not named after a bird, but surely there is more to it than that? Emily lives in an unusual house. Her dad, Ash, is an author, writing fantasy books. The house seems as if it could have come straight out of one of his books. Her room is in the old attic at the top of a rickety flight of stairs, with ornately carved mirrors on the landing. Sometimes it even feels as if the walls have moved: but that would be silly as Emily knows that can’t happen. One day she is passing one of the mirrors and sees a strange reflection in it. A girl with green skin is staring back at her and that is just the start of a series of events that will completely change Emily’s life. It turns out that she was right. She IS different from the rest of her family, but not in any way she could have possibly imagined. Holly Webb is better known for her novels books about animals and has written over 90 books for children. However this book, the first in a new magical series, shows that she is just as adept at writing about fantasy worlds. Aimed at readers aged 8+ this is a lovely introduction to traditional fairy mythology. It does take a while to get going and the titular enchanted door doesn’t appear until the final quarter of the book. This is clearly intended to introduce the reader to Emily’s world which is then explored in future books. By Willow Coby
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Spotlight Magazine
The Addictive Fitbit
Want to make sure you’re completing your 10,000 steps a day, or looking to improve your training? An activity tracker can help. The FitBit is probably the best known brand on the market, with several models to choose from: The entry level Zip, at around £50, tracks your steps, distance walked and calories burned. “So it’s a fancy pedometer then?” I hear you ask. Well, yes, basically, but it’s more responsive and you can sync it to your computer or smartphone to see your activity presented as a graph.
This makes it much easier to monitor your activity levels over time and track you progress. The Zip also acts as a watch, and there are various other extras, such as the ability to log your food intake. Feel like you’re getting your full eight hours of sleep, but still feel tired? You might want to opt for One or Flex, which track your sleep as well as your activity. They also have silent alarms, to wake you up, but not your partner. One clips onto your clothing, while Flex is worn like a watch. There are some differences in what they offer – Flex doesn’t have a clock, for example.
exercises, and has an automatic heart-rate monitor to help maximise your training. Top of the range is Surge, at around £200. It’s been designed for people who are really serious about their sports performance, and want to monitor every aspect of their training. For instance, you can track the route you’re running using GPS. You can also control music and read texts that come through to your smartphone. So which one to go for? Well Zip is a great choice if you just want to check whether you’re walking those recommended 10,000 steps a day. If you cycle, run, or enjoy another sport, you’ll want to opt for a more advanced model. Now, a warning… It is possible to get ever so slightly obsessed with the FitBit. You can easily find yourself checking it hundreds of times a day, which can distract you from real life, and you can find yourself pushing ever harder, unnecessarily. On the positive side, it does encourage you to increase your activity levels and build up your fitness. Like so much in life, the key is moderation. Tempted? Head to: www.fitbit.com
Charge is similar to Flex, in that you wear it like a watch, but it comes with some added extras, such as a clock. If your phone is nearby and it rings, the caller ID will come up on the Charge display. It also has a better battery life, of up to 10 days. Charge HR is designed for people who work out regularly, as it can recognise different
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Spotlight Magazine
W
Hypnosis: Fact & Fiction
e’ve all seen them. Old horror movies where someone is put into a hypnotic trance, adopts a zombie like state and performs all kinds of terrible acts they would never dream of in normal life.
This image of hypnosis might put some of us off, but in reality hypnotherapy (hypnosis used to promote healing or positive development) works very differently. Contrary to popular belief, hypnosis is not a state of deep sleep and patients cannot be made to do anything they would not ordinarily do. Totally safe, patients stay in control and can terminate the hypnotic state at any time. In fact, most people can’t tell the difference between a hypnotised and ‘waking’ state. Different for everybody, a hypnotic trance may feel like daydreaming for some, whilst others may simply experience feelings of relaxation or lethargy. Weightlessness and a tingling sensation in fingers are other possibilities. During hypnosis, the analytical left-hand side of the brain is turned off, whilst the non-analytical right-hand side is made more alert. The conscious mind becomes suppressed, and the sub-conscious mind more aware. In this altered state, positive suggestions for change are accepted readily. As the subconscious mind is deeper-seated and more instinctive than the conscious mind, this is the part which has to change for a person’s behaviour and physical state to alter. During a hypnotherapy session, the patient remains alert, but experiences a
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sense of deep relaxation as they focus on the hypnotist’s voice suggesting ideas, concepts and lifestyle changes. Hypnotherapy aims to re-programme patterns of behaviour within the mind, thus enabling irrational fears, phobias, negative thoughts and suppressed emotions to be overcome. Amongst other things, it can be used to help people lose weight, overcome addictions, conquer stammers, improve sleep, deal with pain, and release repressed events from the past. Hypnotherapy is not about being made to do things, in fact it is the opposite - it is about empowerment. In order for hypnosis to work, the patient must want to change some behaviour or habit and be highly motivated to do so. The readiness and ability of patients to be hypnotised varies considerably, and hypnotherapy generally requires several sessions in order to achieve meaningful results. However, the patient can learn the technique of selfhypnosis which can be practised at home, to reinforce the usefulness of formal sessions with the therapist. In fact, it is common for patients to be given a recording of their hypnotherapy session to listen to at home. It is generally accepted that all hypnosis is ultimately selfhypnosis and that a hypnotist merely helps to facilitate the experience. So, forget all those myths and remember that hypnosis could be your single most effective tool for change!
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Puzzle Page
Crossword Clues Across 1 Material used to make tents (6) 5 Skimpy knickers! (6) 8 Earth, compost (4) 9 Green vegetable (8) 10 Bendy fruit (6) 11 Hard yellowish tooth deposit (6) 12 Area, region (4) 14 Frozen water (3) 15 Nip, chomp (4) 16 Expression, brief utterance (6) 18 Lightweight waterproof jacket (6) 20 Sticky insect trap (8) 22 Barrage, bombardment (4) 23 Undercover, secret (6) 24 Brine (6) Down 2 Odour, scent (5) 3 Group of houses, rural community (7) 4 The Beatles sang about a yellow one! (9) 5 As well, also (3) 6 Coveted film award (5) 7 Dashing, debonair (7) 11 Dictionary of synonyms and antonyms (9) 13 Shakespearean play (7) 15 House of ill repute! (7) 17 Bramley, Granny Smith, Cox (5) 19 Extra-terrestrial (5) 21 Container, vessel (3)
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Spotlight Magazine
How To Write A CV
While it’s tempting to dust off your last CV and just add an extra couple of lines for your current job, sometimes it’s best to start from scratch. There’s a wealth of advice on CV writing to be found on the internet, but to get you started, here are a few of our top tips: Personalise it. Ideally, amend your CV for each job application, making sure you reference any skills that were mentioned in the job description. Keep it brief. There’s no need to detail every job you’ve had if they’re not relevant to the position you’re applying for. Avoid repetition. If you’ve had a similar job role at several companies, there’s no need to keep repeating the same skills. Try to focus on added responsibilities for each
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role, to show career progression. Include a link to your LinkedIn profile, but only if it’s up to date. Present it well. Use a clear font, make sure everything lines up well, and separate sections with sub-headers. Search online for a template to make it easier. Check for grammar and spelling mistakes, and ask a friend to look over it for you. Don’t forget the cover letter! The cover letter gives you the chance to really highlight why your skills and experience are relevant to a particular job. Good luck! By Kate Duggan
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Spotlight Magazine
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Spotlight Magazine
Spots!
Often appearing at the worst times; spots are unsightly and can be uncomfortable. They occur when oil called sebum comes into contact with blocked pores.
To reduce the risk of spots you should prevent excess oil build up by keeping your hair clean and off your face, not wearing tight clothes or bag straps which rub and not resting your face on telephones. You should also avoid the use of irritants like greasy makeup and certain sunscreens and hair products.
You should avoid squeezing spots as this can cause infection and scarring. Exfoliation can improve the effectiveness of topical treatments and improve the appearance of skin. Various technology products such as light and heat therapy are also available. Acne is something very different. This needs to be treated by a doctor possibly with antibiotics. More extreme cases will be referred to a dermatologist. By Susan Brookes-Morris
Daily washing with a gentle cleanser is recommended and remember to wash your towels regularly because dirty ones spread bacteria. A healthy diet can also help an d there are special vitamin products available to aid healthy skin. If you do get a spot you can try products which contain benzoyl peroxide, salicyclic acid and alpha hydroxy acids, as these help to unblock pores, prevent oiliness, kill bacteria and speed up the growth of new skin cells.
YOU HAVE THE SKILLS WE NEED Interested in fostering? Interested in fostering?
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Spotlight Magazine
Index Of Advertisers
Aerial Services ADI.......................................23
Estate & Letting Agents Castlegate Estates...............7
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