Spotlight on West Bridgford Contents Editor’s letter Welcome to the second edition of Spotlight on West Bridgford. We made it safely through the first edition, so things must be getting easier right? Thanks to everyone involved, both advertisers and contributors for making the first issue a success. This month we have a great prize for you to win in the Sudoku competition. It’s a free family photo shoot including a 10 x 8 framed photo from Muse Portrait Studio. This month’s restaurant review is of the fine fare available at the Café Piano, Radcliffe-onTrent. It seems that summer is finally here, and Jonathan Wild has some expert advice on how to take care of your new garden plants. There is an interesting item on the effect a good school can have on house prices, wine and book reviews, and some excellent advice on how to keep your Internet running at top speed. A reminder that we would like to include community information in this magazine. Please e-mail us at info@spotlightlocal.co.uk with any events and information that you would like us to include in the next issue. Our copy deadline is the 30th of each month. Please also let us know your thoughts and suggestions. The magazines are always available to read online at: www.spotlightlocal.co.uk. Please support the advertisers of this magazine, and tell them that you saw their ad in Spotlight Magazine. If you would like to advertise, our rates start at only £35. Have a great month.
Dave Clark
Health & Wellbeing Psychotherapy The Benefits of Chocolate
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Food and Drink Restaurant Review Wine Review
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Puzzles Prize Sudoku Crossword
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Lifestyle and Leisure Going away in England Book Review Motoring Used Car Bargains
14 15 16
Business & Professional Speed up your Internet
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Home & Garden Property Look after your plants
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Community Information
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Index of Advertisers
30 Contact Information
Published by Spotlight Local Ltd Company No. 6841257 Tel: 07595 510190 7 Wimbledon Road, Nottingham NG5 1GT e-mail: info@spotlightlocal.co.uk www.spotlightlocal.co.uk Editor: David Clark Graphic Design and Layout: Smart Page Design Additional Graphic Design: Andrew Clark Printed by: Warwick Printing Contributors: Howard Clemmow, Penny Clemmow, Sandra Hutchinson, Tracey Ward, Graham Iek, Lauren McCarthy, Craig Brown, Roy Wood, Rachel Edwards, Kit Johnson, George Leslie & Jonathan Wild. Distribution: Spotlight on West Bridgford is delivered to 5100 homes in West Bridgford, Edwalton and Lady Bay.
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MADE IN BRITAIN
Psychotherapy - Why Worry?
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orry is sometimes useful. A student who does not worry about exams may not revise. A mother with no worry about her child crossing the road may not teach him to look right and left. Worry can help us to think through a problem, consider alternatives and arrive at a decision. However, for some people worry can become the problem….an activity in itself rather than a means to an end. Do you find your worry leads not to action but only to a worse scenario? Then try to remember that worry is just one of many strategies available to us for solving life’s problems. Perhaps another would be more successful. Try one of the following as soon as you notice yourself worrying (and before you start to worry about worrying too much!) • Discuss your problem with a friend • Write a list • Make a plan of action • Ask yourself, ‘is this something I can expect to do something about?’ If not, turn it over to someone
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who can – partner, boss, God, universe… • Distract yourself with a book, film, crossword.. • Write your worry down – does it still look reasonable? • Do something physical • Postpone your worry Keep in mind that there is nothing particularly virtuous about worry. Non worriers aren’t careless losers with hearts of stone. Understanding that perfection is not available to human beings can help. Accepting that we live in a world where the important things are the ones we have least control over can be difficult. Sadly, no amount of worry can ward off bad events….it’s not a magic potion. Spending your child’s gap year in a state of terror can’t keep them safe – but it will make you so old and grey that they won’t recognise you when you come home. So, no worries then! Sue Dymond Psychotherapist
Health & Wellbeing
Health Chocolate is good for you!
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n these times of recession, viral threats and general doom and gloom we all need some good news; well here it is…. Chocolate is good for you! Scientists in Aberdeen recently made an appeal for 40 volunteers to study the health benefits of chocolate on the heart, and received over 1500 applications in a week. So what is it about chocolate that has people running north of the border to be experimented on?
Another chocolate chemical called phenylethylamine helps to boost energy and excitement by stimulating the brain’s pleasure centres. Yay!
Some nutritionists believe that there are chemicals in chocolate that cause us to desire this sweet above all others. In fact, chocolate contains over 300 chemicals, some of which are thought to stimulate cravings. But is craving chocolate a particularly bad thing? I think not!
So, its official: chocolate is good for you. It reduces stress levels, helps your heart and circulation and is good for your mental health. However there is a small ‘but’ here. …The average Kit Kat has only very small amounts of the good stuff and lots of fat and refined sugar. To get all the choccy health benefits, eating plain chocolate is the key and the higher the percentage of cocoa in the bar, the better it is for you. So, for the sake of my health I shall now go and self-medicate with a bar of Green and Blacks and a nice cup of tea!
Chocolate stimulates the release of endorphins, hormones that generate feelings of pleasure and well-being and reduce sensations of pain. Chocolate also contains tryptophan a substance that the brain uses to make a nerve chemical called serotonin. High levels of serotonin can produce feelings of happiness and peacefulness.
Health & Wellbeing
Flavenoids are found by the bucket load in chocolate too, these plant compounds lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, improve blood flow and have anti-oxidant properties. Incidentally they are also found in red wine too.
Tracy Ward Therapist
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Restaurant Review Café Piano, Radcliffe-on-Trent
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ay the words “chain of restaurants” and many people who consider themselves authorities on good food will shudder in horror. Probably they are thinking of McDonalds or Pizza Hut, though, I have to say, describing a McDonalds outlet as a restaurant is a bit like describing me as the next Ernest Hemingway. Both statements are stretching reality to breaking point. However, making comparisons with fast food joints is not really fair on the majority of restaurant chains. For instance, while I have little time for Pizza Hut I’m very partial to eating in Pizza Express because the food is far nicer, you can get a decent bottle of wine and, without being snobbish, you get a better class of customer at Pizza Express. At the other end of the scale consider Rick Stein. In Padstow alone (and Padstow is a small fishing village in North Cornwall) he owns no less than four restaurants. Four restaurants is a chain in my book. This brings me to the matter of Café Piano and, to start with, I’ll tell you the story so far. In the beginning there were Café Piano restaurants in Radcliffe-on-Trent and Bingham and they did very well for themselves. Then, eighteen months ago, a Café Piano was launched in Southwell and that did very well for itself too. A few months ago the Radcliffe-on-Trent restaurant was bought by a nice lady called Ellie who is apparently good friends with the nice people who own the own the other two restaurants. One of the first things Ellie did was to refurbish the place so I decided that now would be a good time to review it. Café Piano is on the main drag in Radcliffe located in a 1960s retail unit. While this is probably not the most prepossessing of buildings, it has the advantage that it provides a good sized open dining area and the big, plate glass windows allow diners to watch the world go by. It is also fair to say that they have made the most of the building. The
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scrubbed oak floor, classy furniture and crisp décor create an interior that is modern and stylish. There is also a well polished piano and, I am told, someone comes along and plays it on Saturday nights. Café Piano is an Italian restaurant. By this I don’t mean that it is what a large leisure
corporation might want us to think an Italian restaurant is like, but rather what your friend from Milan might want you to find when he took you out for a meal at his local Trattoria. This means that there is not a Pizza to be seen on the menu and dough balls are conspicuous by their absence. There is a reasonable selection of pasta dishes but the focus is mainly on meat and fish dishes with rich, flavoursome sauces and fresh vegetables to accompany them. We went along with this in our choice of dishes. Penny started with Antipasto di Terra (Parma ham and Salami served with pickled vegetables) while I tried out Insalata di Mare (Seafood Salad.) This dish had two things to particularly recommend it. Firstly I found some baby octopus mixed in with the usual assortment of mussels, squid and prawns and, secondly, the chef had taken the trouble to marinate the shellfish beforehand rather than just slather it in seafood sauce. Our main courses were arguably more typical of a good French bistro than an Italian Trattoria, but don’t take that as
Food & Drink
Ellie was capably assisted by her cousin Mahsa and between the two of them they really made us feel at home. It was a bit like going home to your mum’s for tea and Ellie actually admitted that, when she has regular diners who always order the same thing, she gently encourages them to try something new – a bit like your mother coaxing you to try spaghetti for the first time.
any kind of criticism; both our dishes were excellent. Penny’s Salmone Dyonese (Salmon fillet in a sauce made of Dijon mustard, tarragon, white wine and cream) was succulent and beautifully flavoured. Café Piano does fantastic fillet steaks in an assortment of mouth watering sauces. It was a tough call but eventually I settled on Filetto al Pepe, which is really Steak au Poivre by another name but none the worse for all that. You could cut the meat with a fork and the sauce was to die for; it really was superb. Such scrumptiousness comes at a price, £19 to be precise, but I have to say that it was worth every penny. We had room for desserts too: Eton Mess Cheesecake and Chocolate Mousse – yum yum – and the whole lot was washed down with a very passable bottle of Pinot Grigio.
This leads me to make an observation. Rick Stein may have four restaurants in Padstow but they are all very different in character, ranging from his iconic Seafood Restaurant to a Fish and Chip bar. By way of contrast, Pizza Express makes good use of a whole range of buildings to host its restaurants but the menu is always the same. So it is with Café Piano – the menu in the Radcliffe restaurant is virtually identical to the one in the Southwell restaurant. Which idea is best? I really don’t know but look at it this way: I visit my local Pizza Express every couple of months whereas it has been a good ten years since I visited any of Rick Stein’s establishments.
Italians are very big on family and this concept is carried through in Café Piano.
Howard Clemmow Café Piano, 7a Main Rd, Radcliffe-On-Trent NG12 2FD Ph: 0115 9332233 With many thanks to Ellie and Mahsa for a wonderfully relaxed and friendly evening.
Food & Drink
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Sudoku Shack :: Print Sudoku to fill later
Prize Sudoku
Page 1 of 1
How to play
How to play
Fill in in the every row,row, everyevery Fill the grid gridsosothat that every column, and every 3x3 box contains column, and every 3x3 box contains the the digits 1 through to 9, digits 1 through to 9,no with no repetition with repetition! That’s all there is to it. You solve the That’s all there is to it. You solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic puzzle with reasoning and logic -- there’ no maths involved noinvolved adding up. there’s noand maths and no adding It’s fun! It’s Challenging! It’sup. addictiv It’s fun! It’s Challenging! It’s addictive!
Win a Family Photo Shoot and Framed Portrait! Just complete the Sudoku on this page, and send in the whole page or a photocopy to us at the following address: June Puzzle Competition, Spotlight on West Bridgford, 7 Wimbledon Road, Nottingham NG5 1GT Good Luck! Entries must be received by June 30th. The winner will be picked at random from correct http://www.soduko.org/sudoku-print.php?id=2000000580 01/05/2009 entries, and will receive a Free family photo shoot with 10 x 8 framed portrait courtesy of Muse Portrait Studio, 3–5 High Pavement, The Lace Market, Nottingham. Name..................................................................................……………………………………. Address.................................................................................................................................. .................................................................................Telephone………………………………...
Congratulations to Garry Clough of Edwalton who won the May puzzle prize, which was dinner for 2 at Amici’s Wine Bar & Restaurant, 19 Radcliffe Road, West Bridgford.
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Puzzle Page
Wine & Spirits Yellow Wine
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rbois is in the Jura (from which we get the word Jurassic). This limestone mountain region lies on the border between Switzerland and France. Arbois is on the French side. The wine area is from the north of Arbois to Lons le Saunier and it produces a range of wines, mostly white but with some reds (which are mostly quite pink!). The white grape varieties include Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Poulsard and Savignin (also known as Naturé). It is from Savignin grapes that the famous yellow wine, vin Jaune is made. Very ripe grapes are fermented normally and then there is a malolactic fermentation. After this the wine is put into old Burgundy barrels with air space left at the top. These barrels remain in cellars for over 6 years while an oxidation process takes place. A surface crust or voile or flor forms and this prevents the wine turning to vinegar. After its long sojourn in the barrels the Vin Jaune is bottled in traditional 0.62 litre bottles. It is said the Vin Jaune has been made since the 14th century. It can be kept for decades before drinking. It has a sherry-like flavour with some walnut, almond and spicy overtones. The very best Vin Jaunes come from the village of Château Chalon. Vin Jaune is an ideal wine to accompany Fois Gras and puddings.
Food & Drink
The Arbois region also produces a sparkling wine, Cremant du Jura made from Chardonnay grapes as well as a great deal of conventional Chardonnay. The Poulsard grape produces a very pale red wine which looks like a rosé. Trousseau and Pinot Noir are also used to produce pale red wines. Poulsard, Chardonnay and Savignin grapes are sometimes dried on straw or hung up to dry to reduce their moisture content and hence increase the sugar concentration. The wines from these grapes are aged in oak for at least 3 years to produce a dessert wine, Vin de Paille or straw wine. Arbois, apart from producing some interesting wine is an excellent place for a holiday. It has rivers, lakes and mountains to explore. The caves of Les Planches (Grottes des Planches) are close to the town. In the town itself there is the Gloriette Tower and the Chateau Pécault built by the Dukes of Burgundy and housing a wine museum. The great scientist Louis Pasteur was born nearby in Dôle in 1822 and lived in Arbois from 1830. His house was converted into a museum by the Academy of Sciences in 1995 and has exhibits of some of his wonderful achievements. George Leslie
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Useless Facts Avocados have more protein than any other fruit. The average car produces a pound of pollution every 25 miles! If the population of China walked past you in single file, the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction. Antarctica is the only land on our planet that is not owned by any country. In India, people are legally allowed to marry a dog! You are more likely to get attacked by a cow than a shark. Half of all identity thieves are either relatives, friends, or neighbours of their victims. A snail crawls about 2.5 meters an hour. “Rhythm” is the longest English word without a vowel. One quarter of the bones in your body, are in your feet! Like fingerprints, everyone’s tongue print is different! The average lead pencil will draw a line 35 miles long or write approximately 50,000 English words. More people are allergic to cow’s milk than any other food. Camels have three eyelids to protect themselves from blowing sand. The placement of a donkey’s eyes in its head enables it to see all four feet at all times!
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Nine good things about going away to England
ith the recession, dreadful exchange rates and the promise of a decent summer it looks like 2009 is going to be a bumper year for holidays at home. So, with great pleasure, we give you nine good reasons to go away to England (or Scotland or Wales for that matter!) Lost in Translation That’s right, there’s no need to struggle along in your execrable French or Spanish trying to order two beers and a plate of chips – you’re at home! Of course, if you choose to take your holiday in Glasgow you may struggle to understand what the waitress is saying. Good British Grub Holiday at home and you don’t need to eat filthy foreign muck, you can tuck into wholesome British scoff. How about a nice pizza and chips, a lovely burgher or there’s always that perennial favourite, a curry! How much is that in pounds then?
endlessly about the type of rain that’s falling, how strong the wind is and how much sunshine is penetrating the cloud cover. And there’s more… Clinically obese people suffer when it gets hot and, according to government reports, the majority of us Brits are clinically obese, know someone who is clinically obese or are worried about becoming clinically obese. Therefore, most of us would rather holiday at home where it’s nice and cold. Keep left The majority of foreigners insist on driving on the wrong side of the road whereas here, of course, we drive on the right (sorry, left) side of the road. That means all you’ve got to worry about are other drivers who are drunk, uninsured, driving while banned or trying to send a text message while navigating a roundabout. You can breathe easy then. Nasty bugs
Don’t worry about what 1500 Thai Baht is worth in good old Sterling because you are paying the bill in good old Sterling. In case you want to know, 1500 Baht is currently worth about £29. In Thailand, 1500 Baht will buy you a slap up meal for six. Will it do the same in Bournemouth? Maybe not!
Everyone knows that, while abroad, you barely have chance to eat your first mouthful of food before running to the toilet with a screaming case of the trots. No such problems here though where all you need concern yourself with are CJD, bovine encephalitis and those flesh eating bugs that do the rounds occasionally.
Proper Beer
Holiday romances that run and run
In Britain you can glug down some proper beer. You know, Marstons Pedigree or perhaps a nice pint of Throstlethwaites Olde Pigsticker. Failing that, how about one of those other great British beers, Castlemaine XXXX, Carlsberg or Heineken?
No need to dwell on what might have been when Gretchen returns to Dusseldorf after your five night fling. Mind you, whether you’d want to see fat Fiona from Finchley again is another matter.
Something to talk about… Go to the Costa del Sol and there’s not really much to say about the weather – “Phew, it’s hot!” springs to mind. In England though, lengthy conversations can be carried on
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Lifestyle & Leisure
Book Review
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Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
om Rob Smith’s first novel is a compelling thriller set in Stalinist Russia. Leo Demidov is an officer of the MGB, the state security service. He spends his days arresting people for counter revolutionary activities, secure in the knowledge that he works for the greater good of the nation and its people. Then, one day he has an epiphany when he arrests a man who he realises is totally innocent, only to watch as he is tortured, found guilty and summarily executed. This stark portrayal of life in 1953 Soviet Russia is arguably the novel’s greatest strength. It is easy to forget that Stalin’s communist utopia was also a society where millions were murdered by the state for crimes as nebulous as being a traitor to the revolution. Human qualities such as love, friendship and family loyalty are suborned to fear and betrayal. Paranoia is a character trait to be encouraged; it could very well be
the only thing keeping you alive. Against this bleak backdrop Rob Smith has crafted a pacy and absorbing thriller, superbly plotted and with all the twists and turns you could wish for. The central theme is the hunt for a prolific serial killer in a society where the official view is that crime as we know it does not exist, it is a manifestation of the decadent West – why would any good communist citizen feel the need to steal, rape or murder? Inevitably, the people trying to catch a killer that cannot exist become the criminals themselves. I would recommend reading this book to anyone, not just because it is a thumping good thriller and a real page turner, but because it reminds us how lucky we are to live in a civilised society. Rob Smith even manages to deliver the totally unexpected, a happy ending. Howard Clemmow
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Used Car Feature
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Chelsea Tractors – Going for a Song
t seems only yesterday that the luxury 4x4 was a major status symbol, a sign that you had made it. They also aroused the battle cries of eco-warriors and class warriors alike. With the recession, prices have been hit harder than almost any other class of car and there are some real bargains to be had out there. If you crave the luxury of an S Class coupled with the practicality of a large estate, a commanding driving position and off road ability, now is the time to buy one. Here is my pick of the bunch. Range Rover 4.4 V8 Vogue The Range Rover is the original luxury 4x4 and still the best. The current version has been around for a surprising 8 years and still looks as classy as Joanna Lumley at Ascot. It goes and handles superbly, has the most comfortable ride ever and the interior is a truly special place to be. There is a V6 diesel available but it’s a bit coarse and weedy. The 4.4 V8 petrol is super smooth, makes a lovely sound and provides all the power you need. You can get an eight year old one for under 10 grand but I would splash out another five which should get you an ’05 model with 50k on the clock For: Classy, luxurious, drives and looks great, superb off road ability. Against: Diesel isn’t good enough, footballers drive them too. BMW X5 3.0D The X5 is big, brash and stylish and drives like a well sorted saloon car. The handling is far better than you would expect from any off roader although it can’t match the Range Rover’s magic carpet ride. BMWs 3.0 V6 diesel is one of the best on the market and this is the one to go for. It is fast, refined and remarkably frugal. You also get every conceivable bit of kit, everything works perfectly and there is that bomb proof BMW build quality. For £15k you can take your pick of five year olds with modest mileage. For: Good looks, superb engines, great to drive, Germanic air of quality.
VW Touareg 3.0 TDi The Touareg is essentially the same car as the Porsche Cayenne but cheaper and better looking. Most of them are powered by the same V6 diesels that can be found under the bonnet of many Audis, although there is a monstrous 5.0 V10 diesel available that would be more at home in a cruise liner. Overall, this is a very comfortable, spacious and well built family car that happens to be capable in the mucky stuff too. The Touareg is good value too, our budget gets you a three year old with 40,000 miles on it. For: Good value, great engines, space and comfort. Against: Terrible ride, poor rear visibility. Toyota Landcruiser 3.0 D4-D LC5 Much loved by UN peace keepers everywhere, the Landcruiser still makes a very capable Chelsea Tractor. The looks are pretty chunky and utilitarian, as is the dash, but this is still a very comfortable, capacious and well equipped car. Most of them are powered by a 3.0 V6 diesel that is reasonably powerful and remarkably refined. There’s also a 4.2 V8 diesel which is excellent. Being a Toyota, it’s also one of the most reliable cars on the planet. They hold their value surprisingly well; for this kind of money you’re looking at a five year old example with 70k on the odometer. For: Vast, practical, extremely well built and understated. Against: A bit dull to drive and sit in. Kit Johnson
Against: Rather unexciting interior.
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Motoring
Motor Insurance Claim Forms “Going to work at 7am this morning I drove out of my drive straight into a bus. The bus was 5 minutes early.” Q: Could either driver have done anything to avoid the accident? A: Travelled by bus? The claimant had collided with a cow. The questions and answers on the claim form were Q: What warning was given by you? A: Horn. Q: What warning was given by the other party? A: Moo. “I was going at about 70 or 80 mph when my girlfriend on the pillion reached over and grabbed my testicles so I lost control.” “I didn’t think the speed limit applied after midnight.” “The car in front hit the pedestrian but he got up so I hit him again.” “I pulled away from the side of the road, glanced at my mother-in-law and headed over the embankment.” “I collided with a stationary truck coming the other way.” “In an attempt to kill a fly, I drove into a telephone pole.” “I was on my way to the doctor with rear end trouble when my universal joint gave way causing me to have an accident.” “An invisible car came out of nowhere, struck my car and vanished.” “I was thrown from the car as it left the road. I was later found in a ditch by some stray cows.” “Coming home I drove into the wrong house and collided with a tree I don’t have.” “I thought my window was down, but I found it was up when I put my head through it.” “The guy was all over the road. I had to swerve a number of times before I hit him.”
Motoring
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Computer Advice
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Bandwidth Blues
f all the technological advances of the last decade the widespread roll out of broadband to domestic users has undoubtedly had the greatest impact. With broadband, the internet has come of age. You can now watch your favourite TV programmes on your PC whenever you like, indulge in a bit of online gaming or post your every thought on Twitter. Every night your computer automatically downloads a host of software and security upgrades to keep it safe and running optimally. But more and more people are finding that they have a problem – the connection speed they experience through their home broadband is falling off dramatically and many of the things they have got used to doing via the internet are no longer possible. I am one of these people. I just tested my expensive BT home broadband and found it had a download speed of 0.13 Mbps, scarcely better than dial-up! Everyone I talk to in my town is having the same problem, regardless of their ISP. How can this be? If you are having the same problem, the first thing to do is test your connection speed. There are a host of websites that enable you to do this, just type “test your connection speed free” into Google and take your pick. If your download speed comes back at less than 1 Mbps you will struggle to use streaming video. You may also wonder why, when your ISP offers you a connection speed of up to 8 Mbps, your download speed is so low. The simple answer is that broadband is a victim of its own success. Although there are a multitude of ISPs, most home broadband connections come via the BT phone network. Home broadband is cheap because several homes share the same bandwidth. As more and more homes sign up for broadband and spend more and more time online that potential 8 Meg of bandwidth is being
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shared between more and more users. Another problem is that there is a huge discrepancy between download connection speeds and upload connection speeds; the best you can hope for on uploads is about 500 Kbps (half a Meg.) If your internet activities involve uploading large packets of data, you are going to find it pretty slow going. There are, happily, a number of things you can do to make things better. First of all, try speaking to your ISP; it may be that there is an issue with your phone line or its connection to the router that can easily be resolved. Next, speak to BT – they are gradually upgrading all the local exchanges to deal with the increasing demand, find out when they are upgrading yours. You could also look into Virgin high speed broadband delivered via a new fibre optic network that is being rolled out nationwide – you could be enjoying 50 Meg of broadband (although you will currently be paying £50 per month for it.) If all these things fail, consider opting for a business broadband package – they are more expensive but have the advantage that you don’t have to share your bandwidth with other users. Finally, and this is probably more applicable to business users, there is a service available via your phone line that offers 2 Meg of download speed coupled with 2 Meg of upload speed. This may not sound like much but, in practice, it is blindingly quick. Unfortunately, it is also very expensive - £120 per month at its cheapest. All these factors together tell me one thing; broadband may have transformed our lives already, but in five years time we will be doing things online that we can only dream of now. Graham Iek IT Consultant
Business & Professional
Business & Professional
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Foreign English Phrases 1. Cocktail Lounge Norway:
7. In a Tokyo bar:
Ladies are requested not to have children in the bar.
2. At a Budapest zoo: PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS.
If you have any suitable food, give it to the guard on duty.
3. Doctor’s office in Rome:
Specialist in women and other diseases.
4. In a Nairobi restaurant:
Special cocktail for the ladies with nuts.
8. Hotel, Japan:
You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid.
9. In the lobby of a Moscow hotel across from a Russion Orthodox Monastery:
You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous Russian and Soviet composers, Artists and writers are buried daily except Thursday.
Customers who find our waitresses rude 10. Information booklet about using a hotel ought to see the manager. air conditioner in Japan: 5. On the grounds of a Nairobi private Cools and heats: If you want condition school: of warm air in your room, please control
No trespassing without permission.
yourself.
6. In Aamchi Mumbai restaurant:
Open 7 days a week, and weekends too.
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Home & Garden
Home & Garden
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Property
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Do good schools affect house prices?
very year the Nationwide Building Society produces a table of the ten best and worst places to live in the country. They consider a number of factors such as schools, congestion and leisure facilities and attach a weight to each factor based on the results of a survey of homeowners. Interestingly, crime levels are considered the most important factor, followed by proximity to well paying jobs with good schools coming in third. Inevitably, whether a town or suburb is a nice place to live has a big impact on house prices but not quite in the way that the Nationwide survey would have you believe. Proximity to well paying jobs has a big impact. For instance, house prices in Maidenhead are higher than in Windsor because Maidenhead has an express rail link to central London, yet Windsor is such a nice place to live that it numbers The Queen among its residents. By way of comparison, some of the most expensive areas in the country have high crime rates and some villages I know that effectively have no crime do not command
particularly high property prices. Good schools, in my view, have the largest impact of all on house prices in an area. A survey conducted at the peak of the market in 2007 suggested that, all things being equal, a good secondary school can put 8% on average house prices. This is an astonishing impact; just think what proportion of the population of a town doesn’t have children of school age. Anecdotally, I would say that this situation has not changed through the current downturn. In fact, as good schools become ever more oversubscribed the impact on house prices is increasing if anything. There you go then, if you want your house to maintain its value, irrespective of the state of the overall housing market, buy one in an area with good schools, even if your own children have long since grown up and fled the nest. Craig Brown Lifestyle Estate Agents
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Home & Garden
Relax & enjoy a 5% discount on all boiler upgrades Bathrooms Central Heating Servicing Fires Tanks/Cylinders Ball Valves General Plumbing
Call Terry for a FREE quotation on 0115 982 0993 to see how you can save money on heating your water
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Home & Garden
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West Bridgford’s Local Tree Surgeon Outdoor drinking area The original holiday camp You workyou all year for one Just like the rest Have considered? tomay be need What everyproperty caterpillar aspires of your your trees Popular of Spainfrom time to time? some Region maintenance
Are your trees too tall, unsafe or untidy? Are they blocking light from yours, or your neighbour’s property? With o v e r 25 years of experience working with trees in your area I would be pleased to offer you free advice and a free quotation.
call me now on
0115 906 8680
Summer Crossword Answers: 1. Traffic Jam 2. Ice Cream 3A. Sunburn 3D. Sunshine 4. Beer Garden 5. Sandcastle 6A. Barbeque 6D. Butlins 7. Piz Buin 8. Hayfever 9. Holiday 10. Wimbledon 11. Butterfly 12. Deckchair 13. Costa Del Sol 14. Beach 15. Flowers
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Gardening Green Shoots of Recovery
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or some MP’s, gardening is simply another claimable expense for one or more of their homes. However, it’s nice to see that they can still produce some seasonal gardening related spin - even if it is a big fib! Whilst green shoots are what we would all want to see in our gardens (unless it’s b.…y ground Elder!) I am far too frequently asked to look at a sorry looking twig exhibiting as much ‘joie de vive’ as a Monty Python parrot! Normally, the autopsy doesn’t take long but the key is to find the root cause (sorry for the rubbish pun) of the problem and prevent further crimes against plants. The ‘victims’ are normally the result of innocent ignorance; disregarding their basic Plant Rights (there should be a law….) and committing them to a short life in alien surroundings. Not only painful for the poor old plant but also for your wallet! Just like yours truly, plants have very basic needs, most of which, if you follow the instructions on the label, will give a modicum of success. The problem is gauging that success against what that plant is truly capable of. Take for example Bonsai trees, miniaturised examples of woodland trees - perfectly healthy in all respects but stunted by their confinement in an exceptionally small container. You can get a similar effect if you live in area with heavy clay soil; dig out a hole the size of the pot and simply plonk in your expensive (and vulnerable!) purchase. The Japanese would be proud of you! Yes, there are some plants that will enjoy a clay soil, such as roses, but even these will repay you for a bit of work in achieving a good sized planting hole with plenty of organic matter incorporated. In the worst
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case, you may even have to resort to building raised beds to give an artificially increased topsoil layer, but I’d ask for advice first. It is only by getting a clear picture of exactly what your plot consists of that you will be truly successful with your planting. The soil conditions are just one part of the jigsaw, as you also need to consider the aspect of the plot with all the differing amounts of sunlight together with the moisture content of the soil. Lastly you should also know the pH levels of the soil in order to ascertain if your soil will be acidic enough to grow plants such as Rhododendrons or you will need to stick to lime tolerant plants such as Viburnums. Plants can also be downright fickle, and you can seemingly give them everything they need and still they sulk. Then it’s time for a bit of ‘relocation, relocation’ something I’ve been doing with my own plants for years. Most (sane) people are reluctant to dig up plants and move them to another spot in the garden but, provided you make the new home more inviting than the last, there is rarely a problem. Gardens are in a constant state of flux and need refreshing every two or three years at the most - you needn’t spend a small fortune on hard landscaping if you’re happy with the layout of the functional features such as pathways. Save your money for the planting, or even a new lawn, as these are the features that will really make a difference, but please make sure to give your plants a fighting chance! Jonathan Wild Garden Consultant and Plant Rights Campaigner!
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Community Information This is a free page to publicise your local events and information. We would love to hear from you if you know of any event in or around the West Bridgford area; copy deadline is the 30th of each month. Please e-mail dave@spotlightlocal.co.uk or write to The Editor, Spotlight Magazine, 7 Wimbledon Road, Nottingham NG5 1GT. The Rotary Club of West Bridgford meets every wednesday at 6pm at The Nottingham Forest Football Club. Enquiries for membership from both professional men and women of all ages are very welcome. For more information please contact John Walker on 0115 937 3551. Mother and Baby Postnatal Fitness Classes Tuesdays and Wednesdays 11am-12pm All Hallows Church Hall, Pierrepont Road, Lady Bay/West Bridgford. Mummies and Buggies classes are a great workout for new mums who want to get back into shape, without having to organise a babysitter. Come along from 6-10 weeks after birth. Phone Claire on 07747 656550, email claire@mummiesandbuggies.co.uk or see www. mummiesandbuggies.co.uk
Pilates Classes Tuesdays 7:30-8:30pm/8:30-9:30pm and Wednesdays 8:15-9:15pm West Bridgford Methodist Church, Cnr Musters/Patrick Rds, West Bridgford. Pilates is a slow, controlled form of exercise which helps strengthen and tone your abdominals/back, realign your posture, increase flexibility, challenge your co-ordination and relieve tension after a long day. To book your place on the next 6 week course, phone Claire on 07747 656550, email claire@zesthealthandfitness.co.uk or visit www.zesthealthandfitness.co.uk Line Dancing Classes At The Methodist Church, Shelford Road, Radcliffe On Trent Every Monday Evening 7.00p.m. - 9.45p.m. (First Hour Suitable For “Beginners�). All new members welcome - just come along and join in the fun or Ring 0115 9140673. for further information Line Dancing Class At West Park Pavillion, Loughborough Road, West Bridgford. Every Tuesday Evening 8.00.P.M. - 10.00 P.M......... (Improver - Intermediate Level) All new members welcome - just come along or Ring 0115 9140673 for further information.
Pregnancy Fitness Classes Mondays 6:00-7:00pm and Wednesdays 6:30-7:30pm Lady Bay Scout Hut, Cnr Trent Blvd/Mona Rd, Lady Bay/West Bridgford.
Line Dancing Class At Wightman Hall (Scout Hall) Stratford Rd, West Bridgford. Every Friday Morning. 9.45 A.M. - 11.45 A.M......... (Suitable for all abilities)
For mums-to-be who want to exercise safely, effectively and confidently throughout their pregnancy. Join from as early as 12 weeks/2nd trimester. Meet other expectant mums. Phone Claire on 07747 656550, email claire@bumptobabe.co.uk or visit www.bumptobabe.co.uk
All new members welcome just come along or Ring 0115 9140673 for further information.
Pregnancy Pilates Classes Tuesdays 6:15-7:15pm West Bridgford Methodist Church, Cnr Musters/Patrick Rds, West Bridgford.
All new members welcome - just come along or Ring 0115 9140673 for further information.
Suitable for pregnant women who want a slow, controlled form of exercise to perform from 12 to 40 weeks, which really focusses on improving abdominal strength, realigning posture, relieving tension and relaxation. Phone Claire on 07747 656550, email claire@bumptobabe.co.uk or see www.bumptobabe.co.uk to register for the next 8 week course. Little Black Dress Workout Mondays 8:15-9:15pm All Hallows Church Hall, Pierrepont Road, Lady Bay/West Bridgford. A fun, fat-burning, full body workout which WILL burn off those excess calories. Places are limited, so to book your space on the next course, call Claire on 07747 656550, email claire@zesthealthandfitness.co.uk or visit www.zesthealthandfitness.co.uk
Community
Line Dancing Class At The Burnside Hall,Church Hill, Plumtree Every Friday Evening 8.00.P.M. - 10.00.P.M...... (Improver - Intermediate Level)
Theatre Arts Workshop offers you the chance to have a go, whatever your age, abilty or experience! Drama Workshops, Youth Theatre and GCSE Drama Saturday classes held at Jesse Gray School, Musters Road, West Bridgford. NG2 7DD. lisa.goodlass@ntlworld.com 0115 8549175 Bridgford Beaders meet once a month at Rushcliffe Arena from 10am to 1pm. We are a very friendly group of ladies of varied ages and abilities and we are always willing to help each other. We tend to have a project each month but you are always able to do your own thing. For further info please contact Lynn 0115 9140927 .
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Index of Advertisers Aerial Services Cooper Aerials Beauty Salons Mansfield Electrolysis and Laser Clinic Building Services I.R.S. Plastering Carpet Cleaning Stain Busters Childrens Entertainers Shaw Time Computer Fresh Start PC’s Drain Cleaning Blitz Drainage Fascia’s R G Fascia’s Flooring Andy Worsell L W Flooring Florists Flower Bay
25 7 25 22 13 19 21 28 28 15 6
Farm Shops Harkers Farm Shop
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Garage Services Smart Repair 5 Minute Car Wash
17 17
Garden Services Charnwood Tree Surgeon Jonathan Wild Grass and Power The Lawn Ranger
24 25 21 12
Gates Woodland Gates
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Handyman Services Homefix Handyman
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Home Improvement Décor Direct Sapphire Kitchens Dream Doors
25 23 5
Letting Agencies Sanctuary Property Services Belvoir Lettings
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Mobile Disco’s Sonic Sounds
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Oven Cleaners Ovencleaners
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Painters and Decorators Richard Penny
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Pets Dial a Dog Wash
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Photographers Muse
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Plumbers MCK Plumbing Lady Bay Plumbing
32 23
Pubs and Restaurants Bombay Brasserie Amici’s
31 11
Soft Furnishings Homecraft Interiors
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Tiling Services Marcham’s of Nottingham
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Video Services VHS 2 DVD
15
Windows, Doors and Conservatories East Midland Glass 2
Bridgford
Free Home Delivery Service!
Now Open Sunday Lunch 1 - 3pm www.bombaybridgford.co.uk