Spotlight on the Ollerton Villages Contents Health and Wellbeing Health Crunch 6 Motoring Wheel Alignment 10 Lifestyle and Leisure Recipe 12 Puzzle page 26 Home & Garden Last minute gifts 14 Business Focus 16 Secret Santa 18 Gardening page 22 Talking tablets 24 Community Information 29
Editor’s Letter
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
As always please feel free to comment or contribute by emailing to info@spotlightlocal.co.uk.
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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Merry Christmas everyone! Here we are again. Goodwill to all men and all that. I hope you find time to read the articles during this busy month, as there should be something in here to interest everyone. This is also the last magazine of the year. Thanks to everyone involved in producing, delivering and of course reading the magazine. Thanks to all our advertisers too for supporting us, and here’s wishing you all a happy new year.
Have a great month.
Dave
To advertise or contribute call 07595 510190
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Health and Wellbeing
“Health Crunch” hits Britain
W
e all know how the credit crunch is affecting interest rates and house prices, but now it seems the economic gloom is beginning to affect our health as well. This is because more of us are cutting back on healthy foods and costly exercise classes and gym memberships in a bid to save money.
Despite the growing financial pressure of the current economic climate, holidays are the one non-negotiable thing one in five of us is not willing to sacrifice. It would seem that for some, abandoning a healthy diet and exercise regime is worth it if they are still able to treat themselves and escape from the daily grind once a year.
It might sound ludicrous, but one in five British people are not eating as healthily since the credit crunch began, according to a report by insurance company PruHealth. It says that the main reason we’re no longer stocking up on nutritious foods, is the burgeoning cost of living. These rising costs are putting pressure on the health and wellbeing of 10.6 million people, according to the study. As a result, a staggering 60 per cent can no longer afford the perceived added expenses associated with ‘being healthy’. This sadly suggests that many people believe they can’t afford to look after their general health and wellbeing in the current economic climate. This is hardly surprising when you consider that in the past 12 months alone, food inflation has reached a record high of 13.7 per cent. As a result, many families have come under increasing financial strain, with nearly one in five parents now turning to cheaper, frozen and convenience food options, and one in eight buying less fruit and vegetables than they used to. But a healthy diet is not the only thing we are sacrificing to stay afloat financially. It seems that exercise is also too expensive for most of us. Worryingly, a third of people feel that participating in exercise is too costly, while 14 per cent of adults say they cannot currently afford to take exercise classes or participate in paid-for sports activities.
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But it doesn’t have to be this way. You can enjoy a healthy diet, exercise regime and a great holiday each year without sacrificing your health or wellbeing. For example, exercise needn’t cost you a penny, just slip on a pair of trainers and get walking, it doesn’t matter where. Just walk until you feel tired and gradually increase the amount every day. Similarly, with a bit of shopping around you will find that there are plenty of options to buy reduced-price healthy produce. Marketing director at PruHealth, Katie Roswell, says: “Although it’s a time of belt-tightening for many people, there are some ways of maintaining your health and wellbeing without breaking the bank. Looking out for deals on varieties of fruit and vegetables whose prices have dropped, and taking advantage of cheaper ways of exercising, such as using the local swimming pool or by getting off the bus a stop early, can all help.”
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Blackburn House Brake Lane Boughton NG22 9HQ Tel : 01623 867540
Merry Christmas From All at Blackburn House
Cut out this voucher and bring it with you to our Weekday Restaurant to receive your 15% off any main dish from our light bites menu opposite.
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Motoring
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Wheel Alignment
egular wheel alignments are an important part of conscientious car maintenance. Unfortunately, many car owners fail to understand the importance of good wheel alignment, and therefore donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have their alignment checked often enough. Here are five reasons why getting regular wheel alignments is good for your car, your bank account, and your peace of mind. 1: Better gas mileage. When your wheels are aligned properly, it cuts down on rolling resistance, which means that you car doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to work as hard or burn as much fuel in order to move forward. This is good news for everyone: Not only do you spend less money on gas, but you also get the satisfaction of knowing your car is responsible for less pollution. 2: More mileage out of your tires. Even the slightest problem with your alignment can have disastrous effects on your tires. If your tires have too much or too little toe-in (the degree at which they point in toward each other at the front, like a person who stands pigeon-toed), a narrow strip on each tire will wear down very quickly, causing you to have to get new tires sooner. By getting regular wheel alignments, you ensure that your tires wear evenly, making them last as long as possible. 3: Tire warranties still apply. The problem with your tires wearing from poor wheel alignment is that it usually voids your warranty on the tires. Most warranties only apply to the quality of the goods. In other words, if the tires wear out too soon because of something other than poor quality, then the manufacturer is not responsible. 4: Less wear and tear on other parts. Having the wheels out of alignment can be stressful on the rest of the car, too. It means that you continually need to put pressure on the steering system in order to keep the car straight, and when you brake you often feel the car pull even more sharply, indicating that the brakes are needing to work harder on one side than the other.
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5: Easier to drive. One of the biggest advantages of having your wheels aligned properly is that your car is easier to drive. No annoying pull to one side or the other. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s much easier and more pleasant to drive a car that has had regular wheel alignments. As you can see, there are many reasons why a car owner should be sure to get regular wheel alignments. Not only does having your wheels aligned properly save you money on gas, tires, and other potential repairs, but it also gives you better peace of mind to know that your car is being cared for properly. Mansfield Wheel Alignment Centre are wheel alignment specialists who utilise a state of the art wheel alignment tracking system called Hawkeye, which allows your vehicle to be adjusted, so that it has exact wheel alignment to match your vehicle manufacturer settings, exactly. The HD version further enhances the alignment process utilising the Hunter WA aligner console. Four high resolution digital cameras are able to capture the position and orientation of the HD targets mounted to the wheel rim. This gives rapid live alignment readings. WinAlign software leads the operator seamlessly through the adjustment process, and will realign your car back to the manufactures standard. Many local dealers use Mansfield Wheel Alignment Centre for their vehicle alignment, why not you... They can be found at: Unit 7 Anglia Industrial Estate, Anglia way, Mansfield, Nottingham NG18 4LP Or Call 01623 661501 Book now and save on fuel costs.
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Food and Drink
Spinach and Feta Pie Serves 6 Prep: 20 min
Cook: 60 min
1kg washed spinach 2tbsp olive oil 4 spring onions, finely chopped 200g feta cheese 250g ricotta cheese 4 eggs, lightly beaten Grated nutmeg 2tbsp finely chopped dill or flat-leaved parsley Sea salt and pepper 1 packet filo pastry, thawed 125g melted butter Method Pre-heat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Chop the spinach quite roughly. Heat the olive oil in a large pan then add the spinach and spring onions and cook until the spinach has wilted. Drain well and cool then lightly squeeze out any excess juices.
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In a big bowl, mash the feta cheese with the ricotta, then beat in the eggs, nutmeg, chopped dill or parsley, sea salt and lots of pepper. Add the spinach and spring onions and mix well. Brush one sheet of filo pastry with melted butter and place it in a lightly oiled 20cm x 28cm (8in x 10in) ovenproof baking dish, allowing for some overlap. Continue layering the brushed sheets one on top of the other until you have six layers, and then fill the dish with the spinach mixture. Top with six more layers of buttered pastry and trim or tuck in the edges. Bake for 60 minutes or until set. Rest for ten minutes, then cut into squares and serve.
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Lifestyle & Leisure Last Minute Gifts
It’s not too late to find the perfect gift.
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re you ready for Christmas? Are you so organised that you bought everything in the January sales for gift-giving twelve months later? If you answered “yes”, then there’s no need to read on. However, if you’re like me, Christmas has once again taken you completely by surprise. I suspect we all go into denial at the point when the first Christmas decorations arrive in the shops around about August! Normally we’d panic and snatch the first vaguely suitable gift from the nearest available shop. But wait! Last minute gifts are never well thought out, are they? The adage “it’s the thought that counts” is actually incredibly important. People would rather receive a small, carefully chosen gift than a hastily grabbed box of bath products that scream “this will do”! Don’t panic. Most shops will be open on Christmas Eve, so you can really leave it until the absolute last minute if you plan a little first. Make a list of who you need to buy for and spend time really thinking about those people. What do they like? What would they appreciate? Keeping the recipient in mind and choosing a thoughtful gift is the only way to succeed at this late stage.
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Some people are just downright impossible to shop for which is why you’ve put off buying anything until now. In this case, present them with a written promise to take them shopping for something they really want. For some people it really is better to get their input before buying. Another heartfelt refrain is “what do I get the person who has everything?” The answer is… a box to put it all in. Whether this is an unusual jewellery box, a useful sewing chest or colourful, personalised storage containers for children, you can’t go wrong with an attractive box. Donate the gift of your time. Offer to babysit so parents can take a welldeserved break. Spend a day gardening for someone. Buy tickets for a concert, cinema, sporting event or a play and take the family. Organise a surprise weekend break or holiday and present the tickets on Christmas Day. Bring some nostalgia to Christmas with family-friendly board games. Introduce extra food with a gourmet gift hamper. A beautiful tree ornament will hold memories every year when it comes out again. Students will always appreciate money. Don’t even attempt to work out what the ‘in-thing’ is as it will surely change next week. If you’re still stuck, there are always gift vouchers. Spa-breaks, restaurant vouchers, experience days, animal adoption and cookery courses are unusual vouchers to give. Last minute Christmas gifts don’t have to come from the shops. Use your imagination and take some time to think about what they would really welcome. Have a happy and stress-free Christmas! Suki North
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Business Focus Eazi-Move
Worksop. Mayor Tony Egginton opened the office and cut the ribbon at the latest franchised office. Said Dawn “ We opened during a very difficult time in the market back in 2007 but we have had a great response due to our unique service given at Eazi-move, we blow the traditional agents out of the water with their old traditional way of marketing houses.” Another franchisee opens at Eazi-move Dawn Broome who set up the first Eazimove office in Rainworth more than 3 years ago is celebrating the opening of her latewst office in Mansfield Woodhouse. Since then, the firm has bucked the trend and expanded into Warsop and then
Dawn is this month starting training with new franchisees which are planned for opening in January 2011 and she has another 10 offices planned over the next 12 months. “Our mission is to be the regions most successful Estate & Letting Agents with 30 offices by 2013. Interested in being part of that success visit our website www.eazi-move.net
Do you want to run your
OWN BUSINESS Eazi-move are inviting self motivated driven individuals to become franchise owners for either new or established branches. Our opportunity is vibrant, fresh and is of course different to the rest
BE PART OF OUR SUCCESS
For more information call Dawn Broome
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01623 846905 www.eazi-move.net To advertise or contribute call 01623 249940
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Lifestyle and Leisure
Secret Santa..or Yankee Swap?
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he Secret Santa gift exchange has become something of an office tradition. It works because it takes the pressure off who to buy for. Here we explain how to run a good Secret Santa and how to spice it up a little. The first rule of a good Secret Santa is that it should of course be secret! The traditional way of organising it is to put everyone’s name into a hat and then draw one name each...putting your own name back if you draw that. A budget is set...say £5 or £10 and you then buy a gift for the person you chose. This should be done anonymously. On the day of the gift exchange the gifts are marked with the recipient’s name but the gift giver is not identified. Of course in a large office you may not know everyone well enough to feel confident about buying them a gift they’ll genuinely like, so you can tailor the Secret Santa a little. It’s easy for each person when submitting their name to add a list of three or four items they would like. The gift giver may then select one and be confident that the recipient will like it. Of course this is all very safe and can be a bit boring, so what about making the whole gift- giving experience more of a game? A couple of years ago I came across a Yankee Swap, also known as a Grinch Exchange, then I participated in one and discovered they’re great fun if run well. The beauty of a Yankee Swap is that the gift doesn’t have to be suitable for one specific person, it can be absolutely anything within the set budget.
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How to run a Yankee Swap You can choose a theme if you like and determine a budget The gift should be wrapped. Gifts should be placed in a private area so no-one can see who brought which gift. Slips of paper numbered to correspond with the number of gifts should be prepared, and each person participating draws one to determine the order of play. On the first turn player 1 chooses a gift, unwraps it and shows it to everyone else. On the second turn player 2 can either choose a new wrapped gift or ‘steal’ the first. If they ‘steal’, player one gets to choose a new gift from the table. On the third turn player three can choose a new gift or ‘steal’ one of the previous two gifts. The player whose gift is stolen can select a new gift…and so on. A ‘turn’ is over once a new gift is taken from the table. A gift may only be stolen once during a turn and after three steals is declared ‘won’ by whoever has selected it.
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Memories Revived Ideal Christmas Gift CD File or Framed
Damaged & Faded Photo Restoration - Recolouring Object Removal/Combination Exposure Correction â&#x20AC;&#x153;Photoshopâ&#x20AC;? Enhancements Visit www.photo-image-workshop.co.uk
Tel 01623 406010
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Business Focus Southwells Best Kept Secrets?
he Furniture Barn stocks a wide range of quality furniture (Brand new and ex-display) all at very attractive prices.
From sofas & armchairs to bedroom furniture, from dining to individual one off finds you are assured of something different here. New stocks are arriving every week all at heavilly discounted prices - if it’s in stock, it’s available for immediate delivery or for you to take away. Situated on the outskirts of Southwell (next to Reg Taylors Garden Centre) Open weekends, or during the week by appointment via the Secret Garden
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t the Secret Garden you will find quality homewares, gifts & accessories all at affordable prices.
Come and browse in the friendly atmosphere of an Aladdin’s Cave of furniture, gifts, accessories, lighting & mirrors at prices you cant afford to miss. Open for just the last 6 months, Secret Garden Interiors has gone from strength to strength. We are now showcasing some of the most unusual and attractive pieces for the home from candles and votives at £1 each to furniture from £95
Come and be inspired!
Open Mon - Fri 10am - 5pm Sat 9am - 4pm
Tel: 01636 819960
Tel: 01636 819960
The
Furniture Barn
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e mail us at info@spotlightlocal.co.uk
A5 Mint Carpet Cleaning Leaflet:Layout 1
10/5/10
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How to get a Healthy and Beautifully Clean Home
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Home and Garden The Holly and The Ivy The holly and the ivy, when they are both full grown, of all the trees that are in the wood the holly bears the crown.
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here’s no doubt that holly and ivy are synonymous with Christmas. This dates back to preChristian era when pagans used evergreen decorations in their mid-winter celebrations. It’s not hard to see why they were attracted to these beautiful plants which offer a promise of better times to come during the most barren time of the year. Early Christians adopted them too and imbued holly particularly with Christian symbolism. In the carol, ivy isn’t actually mentioned again until the last verse which is a repeat of the first. It has a cameo role because of earlier songs, such as ‘The Contest of The Ivy and The Holly,’ in which the attributes of holly (male) and ivy (female) are compared. Our ancestors lived close to the earth and the seasons and were open to symbolism. As modern gardeners we might be sceptical of the symbolism, but we can embrace the glory of these seasonal plants.
Ivy (Hedera) comes in many sizes, from the tiny-leaved ‘Spetchley’ to the handsized leaves of ‘Maple Leaf’. It also comes in a beautiful variety of colours from the rich green, crimped leaves of ‘Parsley crested’ which makes great ground cover, to the gorgeous red-stemmed yellow leaves of the climber ‘Sunrise’. For winter baskets I’d recommend the lime-green ‘Ursula’ and her grey-leaved friend ‘Frederick’. Ivy is a doddle to grow. There are only a few things to remember. Cut it back in spring to encourage new growth and take cuttings between October and March when the growth is woody. Yellow varieties need sunshine and don’t let any of it grow into your eaves. Other than that, it is your undemanding gardening friend. Holly (Ilex) is pretty easy-going too. It will grow almost anywhere except really waterlogged soil. It’s tolerant of pollution, salt and wind and grows really slowly, so it’s great for small gardens in the city and by the sea. Protect it from rabbits if they frequent your garden as they love to eat the bark. Trim it in August if you have to and remove plain green shoots on variegated varieties. Take cuttings in the late summer or autumn. It does resent root disturbance once it’s established so plant it in the right place first time. Hollies are male or female but not necessarily named to help, so ‘Silver Queen’ is actually male and ‘Martin’ is female! You’ll need both for berries so talk to your nurseryman to be sure. If you only have room for one, grow a self-fertile variety such as ‘J C Van Tol’. Merry Christmas.
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When times are good you should advertise, when times are bad YOU MUST ADVERTISE This size advert for just £35.00 for a limited period Tel: 01623 249 940 e mail us at info@spotlightlocal.co.uk
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Lifestyle & Leisure
T
Talking Tablets!
he new tablet computers - or “tablets” – mean that taking your book, your mp3 player and the whole internet with you just got easier. Apple cornered the market with the release of the iPad. The decision to combine applications (apps) available on the iPhone and the iPod incorporated with the facilities of a netbook is a huge step forward. It has become the consumer electronics hit of 2010. ‘Androgynous’ is the best way to describe the tablet computer. Sleek and masculine, yet light and feminine. It doesn’t look out of place in anyone’s hands. The iPad costs from £450 so is only £100 more expensive than a netbook, and it’s smaller too. Your online life - Facebook, Twitter, blogs, music, email, photographs – is instantly accessible and the applications available are varied, ingenious and affordable. Motion-sensitive features of tablets create a whole new dimension to gaming and the touch sensitive screen brings back tactility. The clarity of the screen ensures that using the tablet as an e-reader is an enjoyable affair. Turn virtual pages and store thousands of titles on your virtual bookshelf. Built-in WiFi means a tablet connects to your home internet network within a few minutes and 3G technology lets you take advantage of thousands of free internet hotspots available all over the UK. Long battery life means you can use a tablet all day without worrying about the battery dying in the middle of something important.
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Apple’s iPad has spawned imminent releases from Blackberry, Samsung and Dell – the Playbook, the Galaxy and the Streak respectively. Each of these tablets has copycat features but each has added a camera and a few other features that the iPad does not yet have. The Blackberry Playbook uses its own operating system to support its own apps whereas the Samsung Galaxy uses widely available Android-based apps. The next generation of iPad will incorporate a camera - great for Skype and video conferencing. Further updates will be software-based. Upgrades will be available for free or a very small charge – just like the iPhone and iPod. Using the same operating system as the iPhone and the iPod means that consumers who already subscribe to the Apple store or iTunes can synchronise the iPad with their existing account. Previously purchased applications (apps) such as games, newspaper subscriptions and e-books can also be transferred over. Tablet computers create easy access to your online life whilst freeing up your phone for calls and texts. It is a happy medium between home and on-the-move. Nickie O’Hara
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S T Y L E Q U A L I T Y A N D VA L U E G U A R A N T E E D wooden - rollers - verticals - pleated - venetians - romans perfect fit - panel blinds - intu blinds - conservatories/roofs Very competitive prices. Will beat any like for like quote!!
Farnsfield, Notts
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Gardening Puzzle Page Bonfires
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 26
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Community Information The Lions Club THE LIONS …. NEVER HEARD OF THEM !!!!! Well, what a well kept secret, without sounding a little like MICHAEL CAINE did you know about your local LIONS CLUB ? Well let me tell you a story , now that’s MAX BYGRAVES for you slightly mature people, think there’s a theme here don’t you, The lions are a small but very hardworking band of local people living in Edwinstowe, Ollerton, Bilsthorpe and nearly Mansfield. You will most likely see us around Christmas time dragging SANTA and his sleigh around the villages, we are his helpers and what Santa collects goes to lots of people who need help, just about every penny raised goes to local causes Schools, Sports clubs, Scouts, The St Johns Ambulance and the Air Ambulance plus loads more. The rest of the year, when we have recovered, is about organizing Race nights, Easter egg raffles, Casino evenings etc etc. We have in fact just
completed our annual CHILDREN IN NEED pub collection, raising just over £450.00, we visited over 25 local establishments until we couldn’t do any more, for obvious reasons. The big onus is about raising cash and along the way having lots of FUN. The EDWINSTOWE and DUKERIES LIONS are a close bunch, who apart from fund raising have grown as great friends and often socialize outside club events. NOW DOES THAT SOUND LIKE ANYTHING YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN? If it does then ring JON YARWOOD on 01623 411136 for more information, maybe come along to a meeting to see what we do, These take place at the OLLERTON HOUSE HOTEL PUB every 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month P.S. LOOK OUT FOR US AND SANTA AT TESCO’S ON THE 11TH AND 12TH HOPEFULLY WE WILL ALSO BE IN YOUR STREET AT SOMETIME IN DECEMBER. HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS !!
Puzzle Solutions
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Getting Married or Having a Party? 40,000 + music catalogue - 1950â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to today Amazing light show
Up to 3 video screens Your pictures on screen
Over 10 years experience Fully insured and licensed
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7991
Index of Advertisers Beauty MansfieldElectrolysis & Laser 7 Blinds D F Blinds 25 Builders J Johnson
23
Franchises Eazi-Move
16
Gardens Green Thumb
3
Health and Fitness Lighter Life
31
Children Brighter Futures
25
Crafts Craft-e-Liza
Ironing Services Pressed Express
25
29
Joinery Andrew Logan
30
5
Kitchens Easy Kitchens
27
Motoring Tyre 4 U
11
Photography Photo Image Workshop
19
Plant Hire Egmantan Plant Hire
23
Dentists Shine Dental Care Disco / Karaoke Entertainer Video Disco Electricians Trevor Hylton RS Electrical
30 21
Estate Agents Eazi-Move Fencing Steve Horsnall
29
16/17
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Furniture Progressive Furnishings 2 Secret Garden 20 Furniture Barn 20 Ex Catalogue Furniture 12
30
Private Hire Acorn Travel
7
Restaurants & Bars Pontefinoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Blackburn House Browns Bar
32 8 13
Roofing Fletcher Roofing
19
Pets Dial a Dog Wash
29
Security Services Gee Security
25
Stairlifts Liftec
21
Therapists Uriel Therapies
7
Upholstery Specialist Upholsterery
21
Weight Loss Lighter Life
31
Windows & Doors Victorian Sash
15
Property Maintenance Sapphire Home Improvements 15 DIY SOS 19
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Lose weight at the speed of LighterLife. LighterLife is fast. Very low calorie soups, shakes and bars. In fact, it’s so fast we’re not allowed to tell you exactly how fast. Which, of course, tells you how fast it is better than we ever could.
Lighter Life for p
eop 1 stone le with or m to lose ore *
We lost weight with LighterLife Mike & Rowena, Hertfordshire
*BMI of 25 and above
Debbie Kennedy Sutton In Ashfield & Mansfield
What have you got to lose?
01623 627049
www.lighterlife.com/counsellorname www.lighterlife.com/debbiekennedy e mail us at info@spotlightlocal.co.uk
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Tel. 0115 9663711 Email. info@pontefino.co.uk Web. www.pontefino.co.uk Address. 80 Main St, Gunthorpe, Nottingham, NG14 7EU
Great food, exceptional service, reasonable prices and a welcoming atmosphere! In true Italian style, we welcome you to our table.
Live Music
Sunday Lunch!
From; Soul, Jazz and Motown
£12.95 for 2 Courses £15.95 for 3 Courses
Every Thursday
12.00pm to 4.00pm
Presto Menu
Mon to Thurs - 5.30pm to 8.00pm
£13.95 for 2 Courses £15.95 for 3 Courses
Tuscan Wine Tasting Evening
Wednesday 24th November - Limited Spaces
4 Courses 4 Wines £39.00 pp
Christmas Opening Hours Please visit our website to view our festive menus Christmas Lunch Day - 4 Courses - £49.00pp 12.00-3.30pm (closed on evening of christmas day)
New Years Eve - 5 Courses - £55.00pp 5.00pm open til 2.00am
Boxing day Lunch - 4 Courses - £24.95pp 12.00-3.30pm (closed on the eve of Boxing day)
New Years Day - 4 Courses - £24.95pp 12.00-3.30pm (closed on the evening )
Bookings being tak now en! 0115
9 663711