Spotlight Magazine for South Mansfield, Notts, October 2014

sp tlightOn ISSUE 57 October 2014

Mansfield South

ch month in and Businesses ea orth es om H 00 ,0 18 Mansfield N Delivered to ansfield South, & M d, or gf id Br t es W Inside this issue: • Garden Power • School Phobia • Fit ‘N’ Fun • Cheesy Onion Soup • Halloween History • Business Focus • Puzzles • Recipe • Stags Roundup

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Spotlight Magazine

Contents

Hello everyone and welcome to the October Magazine.

Garden Power 6 Cheesy Onion Soup 8 Fit ‘N’ Fun 10 Aromatherapy 12 Instruments in Schools 14 Business Focus 16 What A Load Of Rhubarb 18 School Phobia 20 Halloween History 22 Puzzle Pages 24 A Good Read 26 Stags Update 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

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We are always looking for local people who would be happy to contribute to the magazines each month with local stories, history and news.

Or maybe you are part of a group or society and would like to attract more members.

Perhaps your school or after school project has awards or an event that you would like to tell us about.

If any of these apply, just email me and we would welcome your contribution to your local magazine.

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

To Advertise or contribute: T: 01623 706570 E: info@spotlightlocal.co.uk Web:www.spotlightlocal.co.uk

To advertise or contribute call •07595 510190 www.spotlightlocal.co.uk • 01623 706570 info@spotlightlocal.co.uk

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Spotlight Magazine

Garden Power

Gardening is a bit like Marmite: you either love it or you hate it. But whatever your reasons for doing it, there is a way to make it quicker, easier and more effective power tools!

width indicates the maximum thickness of the branches you can cut, so a 16mm blade can cut branches up to 16mm thick.

Telescopic trimmers are available for higher hedges.

You should opt for the lighter-weight, less powerful, electrically operated versions if your garden is on the small side, and choose the heavier, more powerful, petroloperated gadgets for larger lawns and longer hedges. Cordless electric tools, powered by rechargeable batteries, are also available to allow more freedom of movement and reduce the chance of cutting your cord in half!

Blowers are useful in autumn for clearing an area of fallen leaves and directing them into a specific spot. Once collected they can be vacuumed up along with other light debris then shredded into an attached storage bag. Blowers and vacuums can come separately, or as a combination blower vacuum.

There are four types of lawn mower – the cylinder mower that produces an even, close cut ideal for flat lawns; the rotary mower which is better for longer grass and uneven lawns; the hover mower which floats on a bed of air to make it easier to manoeuvre; and the hand mower which is environmentally friendly and has no running costs. In all cases, the addition of a box or bag to collect grass will save you time and energy.

A trimmer keeps borders tidy, paths free of grass, and reaches areas around bushes and trees which can be difficult to access with a mower.

Hedge trimmers have two blades which work against each other rapidly. Trimmers with double action blades are more efficient than single action trimmers where only one blade moves. Longer blades cut quicker. A 450-560mm blade is fine for an average-sized hedge, but larger or denser hedges may need one longer. The blade

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The surface of a lawn can become covered in leaves, moss and thatch (plant debris) which prevent water, oxygen and nutrients from getting into the soil. Rakers aerate the lawn and remove leaves, moss and other garden debris. Some also incorporate a scarifier with blades that push into the soil to remove moss and thatch.

Shredders dispose of branches, twigs and leaves. Rapid impact shredders chop leaves and green branches finely into mulch. Crushing-shredders are quieter and are suitable for turning woody branches into chips. As shredders sometimes get blocked, look for one with a reversible option or other anti-blocking mechanism.

Finally, how about a chain-saw? Used to cut down trees, lop branches and cut firewood, they are much faster than an axe, but should only be used when wearing appropriate safety gear.

Now, where did I put that tub of Marmite?

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Cheesy Onion Soup

s the clocks go back and the nights draw in take comfort in our onion soup, topped with crunchy bread and bubbling cheese

Preparation time: 15 mins Cooking time: 1 hour Serves: 2 Ingredients 12oz / 350g onions (can use a mixture of brown, red and white or all the same variety) Butter for frying 1 1/2 tsp Demerara sugar 2 tsp dark soy sauce 1 pint stock (chicken stock is lighter, beef stock heartier) 2 thick slices lightly toasted bread 2oz / 50g cheddar or Gruyere cheese Method Peel and thinly slice the onions.

Heat the butter in a medium-sized saucepan.

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Add the onions and sugar and fry gently over a low heat for 10-20 minutes, stirring frequently. The sugar will caramelise to a nice golden brown coating on the onions.

Be careful not to let it stick and burn though, especially towards the end.

Add the stock and soy sauce, and season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Put a lid on the pan and simmer for approximately 30 minutes until the onions are soft and starting to disintegrate.

Grate or thinly slice the cheese.

Divide the soup between two heatproof bowls.

Float a slice of toasted bread on top of each bowl of soup, and top with the sliced or grated cheese.

Grill for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling (which is why you have to use heatproof soup bowls!)

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Spotlight Magazine

Fit ‘n’ Fun

Does going to the gym sound as appealing as root canal surgery? Does the thought of going for a run make you want to hide under the duvet for the rest of your life?

When you use a trapeze you need to control all your muscles for proper balance and stretching, and it’s a great way to burn calories at the same time.

If you’ve tried aerobics, spinning and swimming and still can’t get into your exercise groove, what about these more unusual ways to get fit and burn fat?

More gums are offering classes now. Look for a beginner class near you and don’t worry about heights. Initially you start very close to the ground as you learn how to get comfortable in the harnesses and about the mechanics of swinging. Only then will you move on to more advanced moves.

Bounce Baby!

While a trampoline gives you some bounce and helps you to become airborne, you need to use your muscles to push yourself into the air and to control your movements so you stay upright. If you’ve ever spent time on a trampoline with your kids, you know it’s a great workout!

Invest in a good trampoline for your garden and use it regularly. It’s fun and will get you outdoors into the fresh air, as well as help you to build muscle and burn calories.

Dance like there’s no-one watching!

Salsa dancing is a great way to get your legs and bum toned and firm, and it’s also a fun way to spend time with someone you love! You can dance on your own or visit a dance club and join the group. You’ll make friends and have the most fun you’ve ever had getting into shape!

Be the daring young man or woman on the flying trapeze!

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Pole is good for the soul!

Pole dancers need to be in great shape, since they swing themselves around a pole to get into a variety of positions for the best routine. It’s a fun and effective way to get into shape, and can also be very sexy! Remember that there is a HUGE difference between pole dancing and stripping, so don’t be shy about checking out a class near you. You may find it’s one of the most enjoyable ways to burn calories, trim your waistline, and build long, lean muscles.

Surfing USA...but indoors!

Surfers usually have great leg muscles toned bottoms, since they’re using all these muscles to keep themselves on their boards and to guide and direct themselves in the water. Today, indoor surfing classes are popping up in gyms everywhere because this is such a fun way to stay in shape. These classes use short boards that work much like surfboards and which tone all the lower body muscles. They’re a fun and inventive way to work out and may even turn you into a serious surfer!

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A Bouquet Of Benefits

romatherapy is incredibly versatile and can be used in many ways –massage treatments, baths, compresses, inhalation, added to skin care creams, balms and serums, body products, hair shampoos room sprays and soaps.

It is not uncommon to see essential oils used as part of many skin care and body ranges as the therapeutic values are renowned for improving skin health, healing and many have anti-ageing properties.

Often they are complemented with botanical extracts for optimum effects on the skin and this type of application can have truly amazing effects on the skin from the natural active ingredients.

Essential oils are rarely applied neat to the skin as they are too strong. A professional Aroma therapist is trained to know how to choose and use the various oils available, they are trained to carefully select and produce blends of essential oils in a carrier oil for each individual client.

To use essential oils in treatments a fully qualified Aromatherapist will blend a select few together to create a synergy in a carrier oil such as Sweet Almond or Grapeseed oil, to name but a few. The percentage of this blend will depend on the client’s individual needs.

The application of the essential oils incorporates a gentle Aromatherapy massage which is the vehicle to carry the essentials oils onto the skin and of course provides the client with a relaxing massage doubling up the effects of the treatment.

The essential oils have two paths into the body, the inhalation of the odour affecting the bronchial tubes and olfactory region of the brain plus due to the molecular structure they can be absorbed into surface skin cells, the pores of the skin and hair follicles.

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Spotlight Magazine

Instruments In School

Why Children Should Learn an Instrument

Music is an important part of life – nearly everyone enjoys listening to it. Yet relatively few of us have the ability to create it.

Scientists say that children who play an instrument do better academically than those who don’t. It can benefit their reading age because it enhances comprehension skills.

Learning to understand beat, rhythm and scales improves their maths skills as children learn how to divide, create fractions and recognise patterns. Listening to pitch, rhythm and tempo helps to sharpen their concentration and using mnemonic devices to learn musical patterns can improve memory.

Co-ordination and motor skills are also developed as a child learns to convert written notes to movement of hands, arms and feet. This improved co-ordination and timing can benefit children in other hobbies such as dance and sports.

Children who learn as part of a group cultivate social skills as they interact with other class members. They learn to wait patiently for their turn, and show respect for others. It’s also a chance to make friends, especially if they play in a band or orchestra.

Mastering an instrument and achieving goals takes months or even years.

Perseverance and patience are useful

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qualities developed along the way, as is self-confidence which grows further if they go on to perform in public.

Caring for their instrument teaches a child responsibility, while managing their time to ensure that practice is done regularly helps them develop organisational skills.

Finally, learning about and playing a musical instrument can help children discover the role of music in other cultures, and this familiarity from an early age helps foster open-mindedness about worlds and traditions beyond the ones they know.

If your child shows an interest in learning an instrument, be sure to choose one that excites them (my daughter was horrified to be presented with a cello when what she coveted was a clarinet). Select an instrument that suits their ability and temperament, and make sure it produces a sound that you can tolerate for hours as you listen to them practise (I have memories of my mum banishing me to the furthest corner of the house because she couldn’t bear the sound of me screeching on the violin!).

I was nine when my parents found me a piano teacher, and even though the road has not always been smooth, I am forever grateful to them for taking this decision, as I consider myself amongst the privileged few who have had the opportunity to learn an instrument and enjoy the benefits this brings.

By Debbie Singh-Bhatti

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Spotlight Magazine

New Castlegate Office In Rainworth Peter Mitchell.M.D

Joseph Mitchell.

Director / Valuer

Martine.

Director / Negotiator

CASTLEGATE ANNOUNCE THE OPENING OF THEIR NEW SALES AND LETTINGS OFFICE IN RAINWORTH. Hello Everyone, I am very proud to announce the opening of our new office on Southwell Road East in Rainworth. This follows the success of our Bulwell and Shirebrook offices and gives us a very strong presence in the local and surrounding areas.

We are an independent family run business with a wealth of experience in buying, selling, renting, property valuation and management. We currently have over 400 properties under rental management and our property sales have gone mad as the banks begin lending again. We are growing fast and our aim is to become your recognised agent of choice.

Now I’m getting on a bit but I’m not daft! and I understand that this can only be achieved by offering you an exceptional service and value for money and to get people talking about us for all the right reasons, to this end all our directors have a share in the business and this ensures that we all have a vested interest in looking after you by ensuring that you, our client’s, receive a service that will truly exceed your expectations.

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OPENING OFFER

As an opening offer we invite you to sell or Let your property through Castlegate and you will be guaranteed to win a prize in our ‘Golden Ball Prize Draw’ and if you draw out ‘The’ Golden Ball the top prize being to either Sell your house FOR FREE or offer you 12 months FREE management if Letting your property, ( t&C’s apply ) I have a great team of people with Martine and my son Joe being the spearhead of the business, and both are vastly experienced. Joe is a great valuer and both are experienced negotiators! ( Probably because they have had a good teacher ) this is very important in securing you the best possible sales price.

So we really are excited about our new venture and in offering you all a local presence for you to Sell or Rent your home. Please phone and arrange a FREE NO OBLIGATION VALUATION with my son Joe and if you’ve been on the market for a while lets have a change of agent, freshen things up for you and get it sold.

I encourage you all to visit our new office, come along say hello and see what we are all about, we look forward to meeting you all soon.

Best Wishes Peter Mitchell. M.D. For you free valuation tel: 01623 889989 Castlegate Sales and Lettings Ltd 287A Southwell Road East, Rainworth, Nottingham NG21 0BL www.castlegateproperty.co.uk Info@castlegateproperty.co.uk

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What a load of Rhubarb!

ast your mind back to the fabulous sunny months of April, May and June, when the rhubarb plants were producing delicious stems of juicy fruit, perfectly ripe for crumble. Each of the stems (so technically not a fruit at all) which blushed with the colour of pink champagne or deep raspberry sorbet depending on the variety, could easily be torn from the plant, topped and tailed and then either used immediately or blanched and frozen for later.

Rhubarb freezes very well, and lasts for around a year, in fact I made a crumble in April this year using last years frozen harvest. Chopped into 1cm pieces, it can be placed directly into freezer bags, but to retain its colour should be blanched for around 1 minute in boiling water. Allow to cool and dry before freezing. To revive, boil in a little fresh orange juice, a teaspoon of cinnamon powder and sugar to taste before allowing to cool. It’s a versatile crop and makes great jam, compote and crumble, and tastes delicious when made as above and served with crème fraîche.

Rhubarb originates from the colder parts of China and its popularity is fairly recent in historical terms, becoming more widely eaten as sugar became less expensive.

The leaves are toxic and so too are the stems later on in the year, because the toxic acids move down the stems from the leaves and into the crown as the winter temperatures cool.

October is the perfect time to plant rhubarb if you haven’t got any at the moment and would like a patch of your own. It’s quite un-fussy and will grow in sun or part shade as long as the soil is moisture retentive. Add well-rotted manure to the planting hole and mulch the plant with a ‘doughnut’ shape of manure about 50cm deep in spring. Give the plant a feed with ‘blood, fish and bone’ in March and watch it grow! It’s an easy perennial plant, which produces giant leaves and is pretty resistant to pests, although hungry mammals might feast on the crowns in early spring when food is scarce.

Early rhubarb can be ‘forced’ inside upturned dust bins, but only do this with established plants. Place a black bin (or terracotta rhubarb forcing jar if you’re a pro) over the plant in early spring, and then enjoy the small, tender and sweet stems as they develop and search for the light. Grown commercially in large dark sheds in the Yorkshire rhubarb triangle - between Wakefield, Leeds and Morley - this wonderful vegetable (classed as a fruit for tax reasons) can also be divided up this month if you have a large overgrown patch.

Happy Gardening Lee

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School Phobia

here seems to be growing evidence of a condition known as School Phobia.

It was first recorded in America around 1941, then gained further attention in the 1960’s, and has become more commonly diagnosed in recent years.

Whilst in some cases the factors were not related to specific instances at school, the parents of other sufferers felt the condition had been triggered by bullying, underperformance or a general sense of being overwhelmed by school expectations.

Kay Mawson, the mother of sufferer Andrew, describes School Phobia as the ‘fear of school,’ which brings on debilitating symptoms. She says that to avoid the fear, children exhibit behaviour often called School Refusal. For her son the causes were a sensation of feeling trapped and out of control in school and therefore feeling insecure and unsafe.

He also suffered from separation anxiety resulting from being apart and out of contact with those he cared about, and being fearful that something might happen to them. Kay feels it is important to raise awareness of the condition because it is commonly misunderstood, and often remains untreated. Many parents become distressed at finding themselves struggling with courts, schools and truancy issues.

Last years Netmums and the TV programme This Morning carried out a poll of 1,054 parents. This suggested that one in five British children suffer from School Phobia but only half of parents are aware of it. Children aged five to six and 10 and 11 were the most frequent suffers.

Common behaviours include faking illness to try to avoid school, or going for registration and then leaving. Many sufferers have temper tantrums and scream and kick if forced to attend. Forty six percent of those referred to in the study also became ill with genuine stress related conditions such as headaches and stomach aches. Many had difficulty sleeping.

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The study suggests that many parents struggled to get help; indeed some experts claim that parental behaviour has sometimes made cases worse.

Some parents have been able to get their children medically diagnosed with School Phobia, and pupils in the UK have obtained places at special units for anxious and school phobic children.

There remain differences of opinion on the best way to handle the condition.

Some feel that getting the child into school is crucial even if it involves parental accompaniment and perhaps arranging special acclimatisation sessions. Some parents have found that moving their child to a more supportive school helped tremendously, while others believe that home schooling provides the solution.

Kay Mawson advises parents to research all of the available options and discuss them with their child and perhaps an educational psychologist. That way there is a consensus on the best way to move forward, though arrangements should be reviewed on a regular basis.

By Susan Brookes- Morris

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Halloween - History & Traditions

he origins of Halloween are unclear but many believe it is over 200 years old and associated with ancient pagan festivals, which were held around the end of October.

People believed that at this time of year, the spirits of dead people could come ‘alive’ and walk among the living. They thought that it was important to dress up in costumes when venturing outside, to avoid being harmed by the spirits.

There are many traditional activities associated with Halloween. A common game is apple bobbing, sometimes known as apple ducking. Competitors - who have their hands tied behind their backs - use their teeth to try to catch apples which are

floating in a container of water.

Some say this reflects the way women accused of witchcraft were tried in the Middle Ages. They were tied to a chair and ducked repeatedly in a river or pond.

If the woman drowned she was declared innocent but if she survived she was found guilty of witchcraft and burnt at the stake!

Some aspects of modern Halloween celebrations, such as carving lanterns out of vegetables, originated long ago.

Whilst we now commonly use pumpkins for this (because they are large and easy to carve), in the past turnips, beets and potatoes were used.

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Crossword Clues Across 1 Zooming, dashing (6) 4 Pallid, milky (5) 8 Ivory horns (5) 9 Crepe (7) 10 Witty, pithy saying (7) 11 Rubber wheel-cover (4) 12 Ocean (3) 14 Broad smile (4) 15 Connects head and body! (4) 18 Space (3) 21 Rant, rage (4) 23 Soothing baby-song (7) 25 Where the Pope lives (7) 26 Spanish gentleman (5) 27 Sweetie on a stick (5) 28 Frank (6) Down 1 Putrid, rancid (6) 2 Till-operator (7) 3 Facial jewellery (8) 4 Magic stick (4) 5 Country famed for pasta (5) 6 One more than ten (6) 7 Sends annoying emails (5) 13 Island near Wales (8) 16 Tethered (7) 17 Trek, tour (6) 19 Aircraft (5) 20 Cross-breed, half-blood (6) 22 Necessary (5) 24 Disgusting (4)

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Quick Crossword

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Spotlight Spotlight Magazine Magazine Word Search Word List bat boo broomstick cape claws cobweb creepy devil fancy dress fear frighten ghost ghoul hat horns horror howl lantern makeup mask

monster moon mummy October party scared scream shadow spell spider spooky terror vampire witch wizard zombie

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Spotlight Magazine

A Good Read

Dark Road – Ian Rankin and Mark Thompson As Rankin says in his introduction, Dark Road was written in response to a query about why we see crime fiction dominating television and bestseller lists, but not on the stage.

‘It started,’ he says, ‘almost as a dare’.

Following a widely praised run at the Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh, the script has now been released in book form. Initially, there were some groans from die-hard fans who had hoped for, or expected, the inclusion of Rankin’s most famous creation, John Rebus. But whilst the characters here inhabit the same world, Rebus is not present even as a shadow, and the play works better for it.

Reading a script is different to reading a novel, and it is clear that Rankin found the process different too. Here the dialogue has to carry and develop the characters. The central character, Isobel MacArthur, is as successful on the page as reviews suggest she was on the stage. As she approaches retirement from a distinguished career, Scotland’s first female Chief Constable is drawn to revisit one of her earlier cases: that of Alfred Chalmers, convicted for the murders of four young women twenty five years previously. Chalmers has always protested his innocence, and the key evidence in the case has been conveniently lost…

The scenes between Isobel and Chalmers are tautly written and full of menace. As a counterpoint, the black humour of Frank Bowman and the tapes of the original interviews, which Isobel obsessively revisits, take us into familiar

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territory. Unfortunately, the relationship between Isobel and her daughter is less convincingly drawn, and this weakens the ending – perhaps here the gap between page and performance is most evident.

Nevertheless, the script will stay with you, and there is certainly evidence that the dare has paid off. Here’s hoping it is not Rankin’s last foray into scriptwriting.

Supertato – Sue Hendra Sue Hendra will be familiar to parents everywhere as the creator of Barry, Keith and Norman – a fish, a cat and a slug respectively, all with rather odd features.

Her latest creation is Supertato – a crime fighting superhero who just happens to be a spud. Strange? Not if you have already read about the fish with fingers!

As Hendra points out at the start, some vegetables are frozen for a good reason.

The supermarket is thrown into chaos when a pea escapes from the freezer, intent on causing mayhem. Luckily Supertato is there to save the day, facing up bravely to the threat of the masher in order to ensure that the veggies can live safely again.

Be warned, though – some editions of the book come with stickers. Once they have finished laughing, your children may find them. And you may be summoned downstairs to a decorated kitchen with the words, ‘Mummy, there seems to be an escapee (geddit?) on the loose…’ To be honest, if they can get that absorbed in the book, it has to be a good thing!

By Kath Bennett

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Spotlight Magazine

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Spotlight Magazine

Stags Roundup

ts fair to say that Mansfield Town FC have IWith had a mixed start to the season so far. a very impressive pre-season, beating

Oxford United, where the stags won one nil.

such big clubs like Notts County and Leeds United. Paul Cox also made some impressive additions to the club like Liam ‘Hitman’ Hearn and Fergus Bell. These players left all stags fans excited for the start of the season, who knew how the club would perform in its second year back in the Football League.

Stags gained back to back wins as the following week Newport County suffered a one nil defeat to the stags.

But eventually reality kicked in, Paul Cox’s side suffered defeats against Dagenham & Redbridge away, Promotion favourites Burton Albion and local rivals Notts county.

However the teams pre-season form was broken down on their first league game, away at Northampton where the stags lost two nil. The losing streak continued as the stags found themselves knocked out of the capital one cup in their first game in the competition. To make matters worse, the stags new star striker, Liam Hearn was injured and has now found himself awaiting a operation and out until christmas, not the bright start to the season stags fans had in mind.

Mansfield regained some pride with a twoone win against Exeter, but the side ran out of luck against Wycombe.

Stags eventually picked up their first three points of the season, at home against

Towards the end of September, the stags have gained back to back wins against Morecambe, and relegated side Carlisle United.

As a fan myself, I’m very happy with Mansfield Town’s start to the season, there have been pros and cons, and plenty of drama, which is common at the One Call stadium.

Daniel Vickerstaff

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Spotlight Magazine

Index Of Advertisers

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Spotlight Magazine

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