Sept 11 Dukeries low res

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sp tlightOn SEPTEMBER 2011

The Dukeries

Delivered Monthly to: Edwinstowe, Wellow, Rufford, Walesby, Kirton,Gorsethorpe, Old Bilsthorpe, Bothamsall,Perlethorpe, Old Ollerton and Old Boughton. Inside this issue: • Money Sense • Postnatal Exercise • Back to School • Gardening • Puzzles • Your Community info. • Head Lice Headaches


Avoid the mortgage maze Free* and Impartial Advice on your Mortgage, Re-Mortgage and Life Insurance Call now to discuss your needs and requirements or make an appointment to meet with one of our fully qualified independent advisers

take the easy route... *We do not normally charge a fee as we are paid by the lender. However, you have the option to pay us a fee for mortgage advice and receive any commission which we are paid by the lender. If you choose this option, we estimate a fee of ÂŁ495. The Official Mortgage Company is a trading name of Tom Guest. An appointed representative of Mint Financial ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

Retford Enterprise Centre Randall Way, Retford, Notts DN22 7GR

Tel: 01777 712784

email: enquiries@theofficialmortgagecompany.co.uk

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Spotlight on The Dukeries Contents Health and Wellbeing Head Lice Headaches 6 Postnatal Exercis 8 Back to School 10 Lifestyle and Leisure Money Sense 12 Business Focus 14 Puzzles 18 Home & Garden Gardening 20 Planning Permissions 22 Community Information 26/28 Index of advertisers 30 Published by Spotlight Local Media Ltd Company No. 6841257 Tel: 01623 249940 Suite 104 1 Hanley St. Nottingham NG1 5BL Graphic Design and Layout: Spotlight Local Media

Distribution: Spotlight on The Dukeries is delivered monthly to 6,200 homes in Edwinstowe, Wellow, Rufford, Walesby, Kirton, Perlethorpe, Old Ollerton and Old Boughton.

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Hello all and welcome to Autumn! I think I must have missed summer this year. Now at least the kids are back at school and we can all get back into our normal routines. This month we have good advice from Don French regarding planning permissions. Our business focus is on Easy Kitchens and The Independent Mortgage Company. There are also the usual puzzles and articles to keep you busy for a while. Please help to support all our local business who are advertising each month. As always please feel free to comment or contribute by emailing to info@spotlightlocal.co.uk. Have a great month.

Dave

To advertise or contribute call 07595 510190


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Health and Wellbeing Oh No Not Nits Again!

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t’s September and backto-school time. There are lots of new experiences to look forward to, and a couple best avoided. One of these is the dreaded head lice, which seem to become more of a problem each year. Even the Prime Minister’s children weren’t immune! About the size of a sesame seed, head lice feed on blood from the scalp, often hiding near the nape of the neck and behind the ears. They prefer clean, long hair - much better for clinging to the hair shaft and for easier transmission (they don’t fly or jump!). An adult louse can lay 4 or 5 eggs (nits) a day for up to 10 days. These hatch after 7-10 days, usually on the top of the head where it is warm and humid. A louse attaches eggs to the base of a hair using saliva-based glue. Before feeding it injects an anaesthetic into the scalp. Both this and the glue can cause intense itching. Insecticide-free remedies are preferable for those who suffer from eczema or asthma, young children and pregnant or lactating mums, due to the possible side-effects of malathion, permathrin and phenothrin. A degree of resistance to these chemicals is also becoming a problem. Wet-combing to remove lice and nits using a specialised comb, such as the Nitty Gritty, with the addition of hair conditioner or olive oil, is also the best treatment if there are any open sores due to scratching. Clean the comb with an old tooth brush or rinse in water between each combing. Olive oil is useful as it suffocates lice, but it can take a few washes before it is completely removed.

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Adding a few drops of eucalyptus, lavender, rosemary and neem oils to olive oil, and massaging well into wet hair will further help to weaken the lice. Cover with a towel or a shower cap and leave on for at least one hour, then shampoo thoroughly. Remove the eggs with a comb to prevent more lice hatching at a later date, and repeat twice more at 3/5 day intervals. Always carry out a patch test before using, and always protect the eyes. Following treatment, the above oils can be added to shampoos as a natural preventative. Hot wash bedding, and check clothes and soft toys. Warning others, as the PM did, will also help! There is no shame in having head lice! There are a number of herbal treatment lotions and preventative sprays, such as Delacet, Fairytales, Nice ‘n Clear and Not Nice to Lice, available from chemists or online, but wet-combing is still essential to remove the eggs. Delacet claims to kill both, as does Quit Nits, but these may be tricky to find in the UK. Sue Blain, Naturopath

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Health and Wellbeing

A

Postnatal Exercise

s an Ante/Postnatal Exercise Expert, I’m here to answer a frequently asked question: “When can I do sit ups after birth?”

Why aren’t sit ups safe to do after birth? Sit ups work the six-pack muscle, and this exercise is considered contra-indicated for postnatal women. Contra-indicated means: the exercise causes more harm than good. So, if you’ve recently had a baby and you’re doing sit ups, STOP them immediately! The six-pack muscle lies on the top of all of your other abdominal muscles (like an outer unit), and really is the last muscle you want to focus on when getting back into shape after birth. There are different layers of abdominal muscles and strengthening them after birth is a bit like building a house. If you work on strengthening the deepest/ internal muscles first eg your “core” and pelvic floor muscles (your inner unit), your six-pack muscles have more of a chance of re-aligning back to their original structure.

What do sit ups do? Sit ups work the six-pack muscle. During pregnancy, this muscle has lengthened, separated and remains in a very weakened state after birth. If you do sit ups straight after birth, any abdominal separation you had, will now be wider, because you’re forcing the muscle to strengthen, when it’s still in a state of separation and weakness. What abdominal exercise is safe? The best type of exercise for new mums to do is Pilates. Pilates focuses on re-aligning your pelvic floor and core muscles, making it an ideal exercise choice for new mums. A postnatal-specific Pilates class is best, because your program will be safe, effective, and get you results. How do I get a flat stomach? I’m afraid, sit ups AREN’T going to help anyone, male or female, get a six-pack. There are three things you need to do: a) clean up your diet firstly, b) make fatburning exercise part of your routine, and c) do Pilates to strengthen your inner unit. Claire Mockridge

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Health and Wellbeing

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Back to School

hether you view the end of the summer holidays with sadness or a sense of relief, there’s a lot to do before that new school term starts. Clothing. You’ve already bought all uniform items, including shoes and bags, haven’t you? Hopefully everything has been tried on recently. Children grow, often very suddenly, and usually during the first week of term! Now label everything. Iron-on labels save time, but can peel off after a few washes. Make sure you have spares. Stationery. What child doesn’t love a new, filled pencil case. It gets the school year off to a good start. Buy a few extras too so they’re available for when junior suddenly announces “I can’t possibly go to school because my favourite pen is missing”.

Hassle-free mornings. Create an area near the door for all school items. Ensure all bags, sports equipment, musical instruments, shoes etc. ‘live’ there at all times. No more time-wasting and morning stress, scouring the place frantically for missing items. Well that’s the theory…it must be worth a try! Get as much as possible ready the night before. A calendar or timetable for each child will help everyone be more organised. Thinking caps. Available online now. Oh how I wish this was true. Tissues. Necessary if your child is starting school for the first time…you’ll need them. Good luck!

“Don’t move, Improve!”

Your local tradesman No job too small 01623 452474 or 0795 161 2435

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Food and Drink

Perfect Autumnal Food

Apple Crisp

Serves 4-6 Preparation time 30 minutes Cooking time 30-40minutes Ingredients 900g / 2lb apples, peeled, cored and sliced apples (you will probably need 1.5K / 3lb g of whole apples to achieve this) 1 tsp ground cinnamon Juice of 1/2 lemon 115g / 4oz brown sugar 75g / 3oz butter, cut into bits 40g / 1.5oz cup rolled oats 75g / 3oz plain flour 25g / 1oz flaked almonds (optional) Method 1) Preheat the oven to 200C / Gas Mark 6. Toss the apples with half the cinnamon, the lemon juice, and 1 tbsp of the brown sugar.

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Place the fruit mixture into a lightly buttered 9-inch / 22cm round baking pan. 2) Combine all the other ingredients, including remaining cinnamon and brown sugar, in the container of a food processor and pulse a few times. Process for a few seconds more until everything is roughly incorporated. If you do not have a food processor, soften the butter slightly, and toss together the dry ingredients, then work in the butter with your finger-tips, a pastry blender, or a fork. 3) Spread the topping over the apples and bake 30-40 minutes, until the topping is browned and the apples are tender. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature with cream or ice cream.

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Money Sense

Pension Changes for Businesses 2012 is going to see huge changes for all businesses when auto enrolment legislation comes into effect. Currently employees ask to join a company pension scheme however that is going to be turned upside down and employers are going to have to automatically put their employees into a pension scheme and it will be down to the employees to opt out instead. Companies will also need to eventually contribute 3% of ‘Qualifying Earnings’. These include overtime and shift bonuses which is not the same as basic salary from which most schemes are currently set up to calculate payments. This is going to cause a huge administrative and financial burden to businesses and firms need to explore how best to set up or amend a pension scheme and your adviser can help you with this.

Ensure that your firm’s Pension Provider offers the support required to guide you through this process. Maybe they have a relationship manager to amend a current scheme or an implementations manager to set up a new scheme and coordinate with employees so that you don’t have to. Incorporate the option of ‘Salary Sacrifice’ for employees that enables the reduction their gross salary for increased pension contributions. In doing so the Employee and Employer save on National Insurance Contributions. You should seek Independent Financial Advice and don’t use the first and only Group Personal Pension that your Bank offers. They may not have sourced it from the whole of the market and the fees could be high to repay the Government who have bailed them out.

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Business Focus Easy Kitchens

Y

ou would think that for a top quality bespoke kitchen you would have to pay quite a considerable amount of money for it. So how do Easy Kitchens manage to supply and fit the highest quality kitchens at such competitive prices? Well, unlike many other kitchen companies, Easy Kitchens are true manufacturers who really do make all their kitchens from scratch, in a state of the art factory based

manufacturer we can build the kitchen to whatever specification you want, any colour, any size, shape or configuration. We offer hundreds of door styles from laminates, vinyl’s, painted, to real wood designs in many species of timber. You can have modern, traditional, and contemporary, if we can design it we can make it. Curved doors, mantles, specials, there are no restrictions in creating what you want. What about everything else, appliances, worktops etc.? Easy Kitchens have direct trade accounts with all the leading appliance brands including Bosch, Miele, CDA and Franke amongst others, again these are offered to the public at very competitive prices.

locally in Bilsthorpe that is fully open to the public so they can visit and actually see their kitchen being made.

Worktop choice includes granite, composite, timber, glass, laminate and

Most kitchen showrooms buy their components, units, doors etc. from various suppliers and put them together. This is not the same as a true manufacturer like Easy Kitchens who make the whole of the kitchen, ensuring that it is made to the highest of specifications, on time and it all fits together perfectly, and more importantly at a very, very competitive price. So what about the price? How can you beat other written quotes and supply superior products? Well, Easy Kitchens manufacture their furniture from the basic raw materials that go into making them and are then available direct to the public, cutting out the middle man and his hefty profit margin, giving the end user a massive saving. Price is extremely important. But what about choice? In a word choice is endless with Easy Kitchens, because we are a true

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many other materials, all at very reasonable prices. So Easy Kitchens can genuinely beat any quote without compromise? Yes they can, and once more we offer a free no obligation design and quotation service that guarantees you will get a high quality kitchen that fits perfectly, hassle free and at an unbeatable price. To book a no obligation appointment with one of our highly experienced designers please ring on 01623 871700.

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Business Focus

T

The Independent Mortgage Company

he Official Mortgage Company is an experienced independent firm of mortgage and life insurance brokers who have been advising and recommending within the industry for over 10 years. Having recently opened an office in Nottinghamshire to add to their existing base in Oxford, they offer fee free independent advice and recommendation on all types of mortgages and associated life insurance. The new offices are based on the outskirts of Retford but they are flexible enough to offer home appointments in both the daytime and the evening. Tom Guest of The Official Mortgage Company says; “Our sector has been hit hard over the past 3 years and the number of brokers within it has depleted. We have been able to survive by continuing to offer not only a fee free service but honest, independent and impartial advice which I think people appreciate. I cannot stress enough the importance of speaking to a broker rather than just your bank. A broker will more often than not find you a better rate, a more suitable product and process the application a lot quicker, saving you time, money and a great deal of stress!

over the last 6 months we’ve also seen an improvement in the buy to let offerings. Many clients may be happy with their mortgages and just want to know if the life insurance policy they have in place is suitable and value for money. We are independent in this area too and offer fee free advice for all associated insurance products. With the current mis-selling of PPI (Payment Protection Insurance) hanging over the banks’ heads this surely stresses the importance of taking independent advice on such matters. Repeat custom and recommendations have been our main source of business over the last 3 years, so moving to a new area we are keen and more than willing to speak to anyone who has a general query or requires a full mortgage review.’’ Please contact us on 01777 712784 or email your enquiry to enquiries@ theofficialmortgagecompany.co.uk.

I have been looking after most of my client’s mortgages and life insurance needs for the last 10 years because I believe it’s important to build a relationship, considering for the vast majority of people these transactions are often some of the most important ones they will make throughout their entire lives. We are living in an uncertain financial climate and the unpredictability of market forces over the next few years makes it imperative that individuals are happy with and understand what impact this may have on their mortgages and their lifestyle in general. There are currently some fantastic re-mortgage rates available on both fixed and tracker deals; rates are improving for those with less of a deposit or equity and

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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!

Quick Crossword

Answers on page 28

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Across 7 Faucet (6) 8 Flamboyant (6) 9 Gusto (4) 10 Light egg-based snack (8) 11 Bestial (7) 13 Roost (5) 15 Lively dance (5) 17 American-Indian drums (3-4) 20 Canal (8) 21 Companionless (4) 22 Yellow-flowered plant (6) 23 Tear away (6) Down 1 Choice (6) 2 Enthralled (4) 3 Cushioned footstool (7) 4 Card game (5) 5 Built-in (8) 6 Inert (6) 12 Capricious (8) 14 Fancy mug (4,3) 16 Deity in human form (6) 18 Ripe (6) 19 Miniature (5) 21 Convinced (4)

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Garden View

Miniature narcissi Think of daffodils and you’ll probably think of the large yellow variety. They look fabulous while in flower, but can present some problems for small gardens. They are tall, unstable in high winds, heavy rains and snowfall, and they produce masses of green foliage which must be left to die down for six weeks after flowering. Only then can you shear them off to ground level.

Plant the bulbs just below the surface then stand the pot in the shelter of a wall. Water the compost when it looks dry. Come the spring you should enjoy a pot full of colour. Once they’ve finished flowering you can plant them more deeply outside and they’ll continue to flower each year.

Miniature narcissi however were made for small suburban plots. They are under 12 inches / 30cm tall and are much more stable in bad weather, even heavy snow. As a bonus their foliage is neat so not particularly unsightly during the dyingdown period. Just like the big varieties, if you plant them now they will provide pleasure for many years. All daffs, be they large or dwarf, need a good start. Make a hole roughly four times deeper than the bulb. It will seem like overkill, but the biggest mistake most gardeners make with bulbs is shallow planting. They will still flower well during the first seasons, but because they are too near the surface, they will find it difficult to take in enough nutrients and water to make reserves for the subsequent years. The result will be a show of green leaves and not much else! So plant them deep and they’ll return year on year, looking more beautiful each time. Another great way to enjoy miniature narcissi is to plant them in pots. 25cm /10 inch pots are about the right size. Put some drainage material in the bottom then fill with potting compost.

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Miniature Narcissi Suggestions ‘Minnow’ - A profusion of multiheaded lemon-yellow flowers. ‘Jetfire’ - Bright orange trumpet and deep yellow petals. ‘Cotinga’ - Dainty ivory flowers with petals that look like they’re windswept backwards and trumpet flushed with apricot. Very unusual. ‘Golden Bells’ - Free-flowering with a large trumpet. These are just suggestions. You can’t really go wrong with any miniature narcissi. The only problem you’ll have is deciding where to plant them all!

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nottingham

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Home & Garden Do I Need Planning Permission? There is no cut and dried answer to the above question, but the Government issued National guide lines under the heading permitted developments in 2008 which allows some alterations to be done to your home without planning permission. Examples are new bathrooms, kitchens, internal alterations and small single storey extensions. Whilst it may sound simple the rules and regulations are numerous and complicated and not possible to list here. All Councils will offer pre application advice, usually by submitting a pre app form obtained from the Council. With some Councils this is still free but I note that a number have started to charge for this service with significant fees. Your Council will furnish the information on fees etc. You usually get a response to a pre application in around four weeks. The best advice I can give is that if you intend to extend your home first make sure you have a good idea what you want

to achieve with an extension. With your thoughts in mind you can conduct the process yourself. You will need to be able to put your ideas on paper to enable you to complete the pre application form. The alternative is to engage a professional designer who is used to the planning process and will almost certainly save you time and frustration. He or she will have a very good idea as to what you can and cant do without reference to the Council. A word of caution, make sure that you are comfortable with your chosen professional and be very sure to take references. Any form of extension or alteration to your home is expensive, you need to be sure you will get what wanted in the first place. Finally, almost all alterations and extensions will need Building Regulations, definitely a job for the expert.

M. Lee Gardening Services • • • • • •

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Don French


Willowcroft • • • • •

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24/6/10 16:28:27




Home & Garden

O

Harvest Time

f all the seasonal celebrations, the harvest festival is the oldest and most globally widespread. A successful harvest is still critical to people across the world. With so much invested in this ‘life or death’ time of year, various beliefs and rituals have become associated with harvest time. Some of these survive to this day. Saxon farmers sacrificed a hare, and also made an offering of the first cut sheaf of wheat to their gods. They believed this would ensure a plentiful harvest for the following year. They also believed the ‘spirit of the harvest’ lived in the last of the crop to be reaped. Once this was gone they felt the spirit would die, causing all future crops to fail. To prevent this catastrophe, corn dollies were created by plaiting straw from the last sheaf. Decorated with blue ribbons to represent Mother Earth, these figures were revered as a safe place for the goddess to sleep until spring. Once the harvest was finished, the landowner thanked all the workers by providing a bountiful harvest supper. At this merry banquet the corn dolly was given a place of honour. After the festivities, the figure was displayed in the farmhouse until the following spring. It was then ploughed back into the ground to preserve the cycle of life. Smaller dollies were made by the farm workers for their personal good fortune. In medieval times the harvest celebrations started on 1st August, with Lammas Day, which means ‘loaf mass’. Loaves of bread were made from the freshly harvested first crop of wheat, and donated to the church. These precious loaves were blessed, and then used as Communion bread during a thanksgiving service. On Lammas Day, farmers customarily gave their labourers gifts of new gloves. This was probably as protection against the rough work to be undertaken at harvest time. Modern Britain relies much less on the success of home-grown crops. The contemporary harvest festival has a different focus. It tends to draws attention

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to people in other countries, whose crops often fail. The church service is also a motivation to help those less fortunate people in the community. Nowadays, people take gifts of food to the church as donations for the needy. Harvest festivals are now more usually held towards the end of the harvest. Traditionally they are arranged for the nearest Sunday to the Harvest Moon. This is the full moon closest to the autumn equinox, around 22nd September. Churches are typically decorated with local produce and sheaves of wheat for the service. With more people than ever growing their own fruit and vegetables, perhaps some of the old rituals will make a comeback? You don’t have to sacrifice a hare though, corn dollies are easy to make, and very attractive! Suki North

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Community Information COULD YOU BE AN ELF? The elfinstowe and dukeries lions club are now interviewing for elves to help santa in his annual sleigh run in the following areas, bilsthorpe, clipstone, ollerton, elfinstowe ( sorry edwinstowe ) wellow and the surrounding villages. Hopefully most of you know of the excellent work your local lions do in our community, all year we raise money in various events, like race nights ,easter egg raffles , fetes etc etc. But by far our most busy time is helping santa to visit you throughout all of december, we are out most nights and santa collects your loose change to distribute to lots of worthy causes, and nearly all in our local region, every penny raised is given away. As most of you might remember last year the weather was pretty bad and santa really struggled to get around, but lets hope that this year we have better luck. We need your help the local lions work really really hard and especially in december, so if you fancy giving us a hand please call us and arrange an interview, interviews are are held twice monthly at the ollerton house hotel ( every second and fourth thursday evening ) it just so happens that the lions group hold their meetings at the same time, so it might be nice to sit in and see what we do.. You never know you might one day grow up from a little elf to a fully grown lion. The lions always have fun throughout the year, golfers are extremely welcome but really anyone who has a little spare time and a sense of humour should consider a visit, if you are interested whether you are on your own or a couple please call lion/elf jon yarwood on 07581 265531, it may be the best call you have made............. Jons on email to jon.c.yarwood@gmail.com MENS PROBUS CLUB OF SHERWOOD FOREST The Mens Probus Club of Sherwood Forest is a non-profit making and non-charity collecting orgnisation. The Club is for men aged over 53 who are retired or semiretired. We meet once a month on the first Thursday at 11.30 a.m. at the South Forest Complex, Clipstone Road, Edwinstowe. At each monthly meeting there is a speaker (except July which is 28

the Presidents’ Lunch and December which is of course the Christmas Lunch) and the subjects covered are both many and various. After the speaker, lunch follows and then afterwards it is down to Club business and friendly chat. The annual subscription is only £20.00 The next speakers are, in September Mac Munford on “Country Camera” and in October Dr. Jan Jones on “The Amazing Story of the Polar Bear”. For further information on our activities or joining please call President Bryan Frettsome on 01623 822827 or Secretary Peter Hull on 01623 822148. DUKERIES U3A OLLERTON Do you wish to meet new people, foster new friendships, join in new activities and travel to places of interest and entertainment? Then why not join the Dukeries U3A? It offers you excellent value on trips and holidays, and our annual subscription is only £17. For your money you can join many different groups. You can read new novels at the Book Club; you could play Bridge or Scrabble; you can join an Investment Group or be artistic in Card Craft; you could get to grips with History or Art Appreciation, or you could have a good time at our two Luncheon Clubs. If you are feeling energetic, you can play table tennis, walk, line dance or go ten-pin bowling. There are trips on offer. The U3A have recently been to Highclere Castle and Wiseby Gardens and are now off to Oxford. Holidays, too, are organized, all at unbeatable prices. Our main offer, though, is friendship. Come and meet us on Monday September 19th at 1.30pm at the Jubilee Hall in Ollerton, or ring 01623 824789 for more details. Thanks, too, for all the recent support received from Ollerton Town Council and Nottinghamshire County Council. Puzzle Solutions


New canine hydrotherapy pool now open in Bilsthorpe Help with arthritis, hip & elbow dysplasia, ligament & tendon injuries, spinal conditions, fractures and weight loss Also fun swims & puppy ‘learn-to-swim’

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29


Index of Advertisers Aerials 1st Astral Aerials

7

Accountants Focus Accounting

8

Architectural Designs Don French

24

Beauty Mansfield Electrolysis East Midland Laser

Furniture Progressive Furnishings

26 19

Gardens Michael Lee Ace Landscapes Willowcroft

Children Brighter Futures

7

Cleaning Stain Busters

8

Decorators Diamond

29

Dentists Shine Dental

7

Electricians RS Electrical Rob Davies RJM Electrical

30

22 13 5

Estate Agents Eazi-Move

11

Financial Advice Veracity Brix Finance

12 19 3 22 21 23

Property Maintenance Sapphire Home Improvements 5 Abbey Drives 9 DJM Plumbing 21 French Designs 22 G L Concrete 30 Restaurants & Bars Mint Restaurant China Fong

32 17

Roofing VFM Roofing Fletcher

21 13

Stairlifts & Mobility Liftec

29

Joinery Davis Joinery

9

Kitchens Easy Kitchens

14

Mortgages The Independent Mort.

Telephone Connectaphone

13

2

Pets Longland Hydrotherapy

Therapists Sweetdragonsfly

7

29

Plumbing and Heating P C Plumbing Nottm Combi Svcs MCK

29 13 31

Windows & Doors Cloudy2Clear

To advertise or contribute call 01623 249940

32


e mail us at info@spotlightlocal.co.uk

31


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