Feminarum issue 20

FEMINARUM

•May 2015

Major article by Rosie Sizler.

Ihis month We will be reviewing the popular streaming services..

Book reviews.

Katie's Diaries.

And articles revealing a bit more about the team.

For women by women

Pg 3 : Editorial News from the Founder 04-05: Taking a stand and catching up with news.

06-07: Darren Essex talks about how he got started in fitness..

08-09 : Maxine talks about her journey in psychology..

10-11 Polly Hale talks about the dangers of diet pills.

12-13: Steve Wright talks about his involvement in the world of Cosplay.

14-15: Kate updates us with her diary entry.

16-17: Review of Montezumas chocolate

18-19: Miss Sew and Sew talks about cross stitching.

20-25 : Gallery of Guys.

26-27: Rosie Sizer

29: FEMINARUM emoji

30-31: Kate's Chemo Diary

32-33: Shahnas book review

34-35: Advertising space.

36-37: Spinach and Asparagus soup recipe.

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38-39: Streaming services reviewed.

40- Contact page

FROM THE EDITOR This month I wanted the team to talk about themselves a bit more. It's always important to remember that the people that write for the magazine are business people and have families and commitments. Yet every month without fail, he produce articles for the magazine. This in turn provides the readers across the world with the kind of fantastic content that they have come to reply on seeing in the magazine..

So this is a magazine for the people by the people and we all love to learn about others.

Obviously we will have the normal content like our Gallery of Guys and various diaries .

But I wanted this issue to be a bit more about us the team..

Everyone has been working so hard over the last year and a half to make the magazine a success. Every member of the team has their own story that I wanted to them to tell to all our readers..

I believe that people buy into people rather then products. The magazine is all about people so this fitted in well with who we are and what we stand for..

Founder and Editor: Helen Wright Writing team: Darren Essex Maxine Harley Polly Hale

Steve Wright

Helen Wright

Katie Rose

Founder and Editor.

Kate Henwood

Shahna Thwaites

@FeminarumMag

www.facebook.com/feminarummagazine

Front cover image by David at Mmmfire Photography.

MUA: Heather from Everyone needs a little Sparkle

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aking a "and and looking at life #erentl "The idea behind the magazine was to produce something that everyone and anyone could contribute to."

At some point, we have all had that "Lightbulb moment." When inspiration strikes and you see things clearly.

For me, that was the protagonist for the magazine. Many people have in the past asked me all sorts of questions about the magazine. Did you have any previous experience? Where do you get your ideas from? I answer them all with an honest and open reply.

I explain that the world we live in needs to change. Yes, women actually want to know about computers and mobile phones. Women ride bikes and cars.

A lot of the mass media for me feels like it's still stuck in the 1940s when magazines told women what to wear, what to eat.

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We have always wanted to %&t &t l&d and clear..Get ' peoples messa) across."

No oence but I am not interested in who is dating who in the world of celebrities. Of course there are magazines out there for that demographic. There seemed to be a gap in the market for a magazine that would ask it's readers what they wanted to see within it's pages.

So that is how FEMINARUM magazine was bor n. It strange from me having a "Lightbulb moment" whilst I was in in bed one cold October morning...the rest is history, as they say.

So how have we managed to keep going you ask??

Because we have never deviated from our core ethos which is, asking our readers what they want to see and getting them involved.

Many people now send me in clips and issues that they have come across in the news or on the internet.

Organisations, charities and groups contact me on a daily basis, asking for help We will never turn anyone always who contacts us. We don't have an oďŹƒce, a big budget or a stand in the newsagents but we do have an honest voice. And it is one which is being heard right across the world.

The magazine is read as far as India, USA and Russia.

When I look at the stats each month, I am astounded at the countries that we reach.

It just goes to show that if you have a vision, and you can get others to believe in it, nothing is impossible and this magazine is living proof of that. I have seen many magazines like Company, Bizarre and others fall by the wayside in the last year.

longer do the magazines have the monopoly on media. The internet has opened doors that a few years ago would have been shut to a small magazine like ours.

Whilst newspapers magazines are finding numbers diminishing, are growing faster higher every month.

and their ours and

We are bold, modern and out there taking on and reporting on issues that are relevant to our readers..

Long may we continue..

Helen Wright.

What is happening??

The way people digest information is changing. No

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“Nam ut massa

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Darren Essex My fitness journey My fitness journey began around the age of 14 when I began to join my dad at the local weight lifting gym. I was the usual skinny teenager not much muscle just very lean and luckily good genetics.

I was quickly hooked on lifting weights but never really considered competing during my early years I mainly just trained for fun and to boost my self-confidence. I did however compete in the sport of Judo and so I didn’t want to gain too much bulk so I trained sports specifically to enhance my speed and endurance and strength for Judo. I continued to compete in Judo up to the age of 30 gaining a 2nd Dan Black belt.

At this time I had been working as a Leisure club manager running a busy gym and had qualified as a Personal trainer from the age of 26 so was now really into the fitness scene and enjoying helping other people reach their fitness goals.

It wasn’t until 3 years ago aged 44 that I saw advertised a fitness model competition called Miami Pro World Championships and was very intrigued to find out more about it.

The competition was to be held in St Albans Hertfordshire in 9 months’ time. I knew I was in pretty good shape for my age and felt confident that I could do well in the over 40’s Fitness Model category. I rose to the challenge and sent in my entry form. I began a nine month competition preparation that would test my body and my mind to the limit. I never realised how hard the lead up would be particularly with regard to the very strict diet involved. The day of the competition came and although very nervous I was enjoying the buzz back stage I was up against ten other guys in my category all over aged 40 but all in amazing shape including 5 times world champion Helmut Strebl from Austria. I finished my first competition in 4th place with the top 5 winning trophy’s I was so excited that I had

won a prize and after this I couldn’t wait to compete again. However I suffered a couple of minor muscle injuries over the next few months so didn’t compete again until 12 months later April 2014 aged 45 at Miami Pro Worlds again. This time I had improved and finished in respectable 3rd place which I was delighted with. My next competition was in November the same year and was called Pure Elite in Margate Kent. I entered the over 45’s in this category and was now 46 years old. I was again up against an a m a z i n g g ro u p o f a t h l e t e s a l l w i t h outstanding physiques and I managed to place in 4th Place picking up my 3rd trophy in 3 competitions. I have now progressed to the UKBFF (United Kingdom Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation) and compete in the Men’s Physique masters over 40’s category.

In this category and federation only the top 3 athletes are placed. I competed in The South Coast Championships in Portsmouth in April this year and at The USN Classic in May unfortunately failing to make the top 3 at either competition.

However despite not making the best start in my UKBFF debut I intend to carry on working hard on my weakness’s and refuse to give up until I have that British Masters Title. My next competition will be July the 5th the UKBFF English Grand Prix and this is a qualifier for The Amateur Olympia Liverpool and The Arnold Classic Madrid later in the year.

Watch this space and see what happens with my challenge to become the British number one men’s Maters physique Champion.

Darren Essex Fitness Model and Personal Trainer •7

Maxine Harley How diverse can life be...

This is the question that Maxine was asked..

How diverse can a life be?

Where you are now, and where you can be, may be very different from where you started out. Thank goodness for that!

My own story is an example of how diverse the past and present can be.

I came from a 'troubled' childhood of violence, abuse and neglect. I was programmed to fail – and yet something inside me wasn't having that! My many fights (literally) got me into even more trouble but the alternative was unthinkable. It was sink or swim for me, so I thrashed about until I taught myself how to swim in the pool of life.

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My curiosity about why people, particularly parents, behaved as they did eventually led me on a long and circuitous path to becoming a counsellor and then a psychotherapist. I now have 20 years of experience in helping many people with their own very wide and diverse range of problems.

I've helped them to emotionally and psychologically swim to the shore and avoid the rocks and currents along the way.

The best type of guide, therapist or coach is someone who's already been there themselves, and has not only survived but thrived, and can now keep you safe whilst you learn what you need to know in order to get to where you want to be.

I'm still dreaming – and there'll always be more dreams to come!

www.maxineharley.com

No matter how diverse our backgrounds, the one thing we all share is a desire to be happy, to have peace of mind and to enjoy loving relationships.

www.psychotherapy-sussex.co.uk

Maxine Harley (MSc Psychotherapy)

(Photos by Double8)

Our childhood might have set us up to expect and attain these – but if it didn't it's never too late to make a big difference and to become what you once could only dream of.

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Pollyanna Hale

Diet pills:Are they safe??

Polly Dear Readers ,

If you put ‘diet pills’ into Ebay you get almost 6000 results. Try ‘diet food’ and you get just over 12,000. In other words consume 2/3 food and 1/3 pills and you’ll be skinny. You get the (stupid) idea. Pills are expensive, a bag of apples not so much. Pills are profitable (bringing in an estimated $20-40 billion in revenue every year) – ‘miracles’ can command high prices and marketers tap into the insecurities we have about our bodies to emotionally drive us towards any means of being thinner, because we believe, naively, that we will be happier if we are thinner.

Oh if only it were that simple, but that discussion is for another day.

In 2006, over 1000 people were admitted to Accident & Emergency departments from taking appetite suppressants, and caffeine accounted to over 4000 emergency cases! Now I’m not going to tell you to stop drinking your morning cuppa for fear of overloading your cardiac muscles (heart) and moderate caffeine consumption is perfectly safe in most people. However there’s only one tried and tested formula that’s been proven since the beginning of time to be safe, effective, and pretty cheap too: Eat Well, Move Often, Sleep Lots.

Polly xxx www.pollyannahale.co.uk info@pollyannahale.co.uk

I would love to simply keep you safe by ‘naming and shaming’ the ingredients and brand names that have shown to be dangerous, lethal even, but even as you read this new formulas are being developed, rebranded, and released for sale (legal or otherwise) without stringent testing. But what is safe to say is that, would an effective and safe (both long and short term) option exist, we would all know about it and the newly reinstated Government would be handing it out freely. In other words, such a product does not exist, yet a shocking one in three overweight individuals have admitted to taking some form of diet pill at least once.

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How safe are dieting pills. The latest deaths by people using these are showing a need for a greater understand and education in the way we look at our diet and also the supplements that are available both over the counter and on the internet. Is it about time legislation was bought in to regulate this trade ...??

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Steve Wright Life in Costumes..

When we are kids we think nothing of dressing up as our favourite Super Hero or Character for a party or even just around the house. As we grow up we wear costumes less and less and, as adults, we only tend to wear a costume when we go to a fancy dress party or go out with our kids trick or treating at Halloween.

Some of us though continue to don this costumes into our adult years, not just for parties, but also to attend Conventions and Charity Events. I’m one of these people. I’ve dressed up as various characters over the years, from Doctor Who to a Stormtrooper and many others in between.

I attend Sci-Fi and Comic Conventions around the country, and have helped raise a fair amount of money for various charities. It’s something I’m proud of, and I’d like to tell you how I got to doing this, and maybe.. just maybe… you might want to give it a go yourself.

Like most people I’d put aside the idea of dressing, and saw it as something you only did for fancy dress parties, with people wearing slightly naff costumes they'd hired or purchased for £20 or so. I never even dreamed that there were people out there that regularly dressed up in costumes and outfits that equalled, if not surpassed, the real life costumes they were emulating.

I started by fulfilling a life long dream to own a set of Stormtrooper Armour. As a Star Wars fan since the age of 8 (when the first movie came out), I wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to own a set.. So I begged and begged and pleaded with my wife to let me buy it, and after a great deal of begging she caved in and said yes. Partly to shut me up I’m sure..

This snowballed and soon I’d got a replica Stormtrooper Helmet, rifle and voice box, to add to the armour. The cost rose and I knew if I didn't put it to use, I’d be in big big trouble with the wife.

So put photos of myself in the armour onto Facebook and was surprised by the response..

All of a sudden I was being invited to school fetes, game launches, parties and charity events. That was it. I was hooked..

This went on for a couple of years, nothing too serious and no conventions yet, but every so often I’d put on the armour and spend the day posing for photos with people at these events.

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Then almost overnight It stepped up a gear. I was in a local toy shop and the owner mentioned a carnival float they were arranging for the Worthing Carnival.. We got speaking and I ended up being asked to come along and dress up as the 3rd Doctor. The costume they provided was nothing short of amazing.

There was I with all the other 10 Doctors, on a float with a couple of Daleks, Davros and the Original TARDIS.. The crowds along the route loved it and the thrill of being involved in a big even like that was amazing. From there I started to attend various conventions with the same people, eventually graduating to buying my own costume and becoming known for dressing up as the 4th Doctor, complete with Sonic Screwdriver and a stupidly long multicoloured scarf. I’ve met the stars from various movies and tv shows and have become friends with people who I once watched on the screen.

Now its come full circle again. With the upcoming release of the new Star Wars movie, I’m once again wearing the Stormtrooper Armour. Its more refined now and definitely closer to the movie originals, and my confidence when out in it has grown since those early days. The reaction I get from kids and adults alike make it something I

will continue to do for a long time to come.

Recently I’ve become involved with a Mask Making company and have been involved in filming a documentary on Stormtrooper Armour. All this from giving in to my childhood dream of owning the armour.

So next time your walking through town, or at an event or convention, keep an eye out for a Stormtrooper.. You never know.. It might be me.. So come up and say Hi..

"Amazing feeling to see little children staring up at you.."

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Katie's Diary.

Dear Diary, So, it has been a month now and I'm please to say that I'm still running, still eating relatively healthily and I've smartened up my outside space with good bee-friendly flowers and a 'luxury' bird feeder. I have already received visits from some butterflies, bees and birds which has turned that grey space into a little pocket of happiness. The promise I made to myself, to my little patch of Earth and to all you lovely readers is being kept..but I must admit, it's been hard going lately. University deadlines crept up on me but in the struggle to keep focussed I discovered something new about myself. This does not happen very often and is normally because I've sunk to a new low of chocolate related indulgence. One evening of essay writing I decided that I just couldn't stand to look at the laptop a second longer so I up and left for a late night swim. When I got out of the pool again I was rejuvenated and on returning to the flat I managed to pen another page of rather heavy-going academia before bed.

I love swimming, it has helped me to clear my thoughts which have been unusually busy lately. I struggle with patches of low-mood and nervousness but to have the water around me when I swim and the track ahead when I run has helped me more than I ever thought it would. As a teenager I was unhealthy, overweight and hugely self-conscious so this really was a revelation to me, I thought it would always feel like a chore. I'm planning some more overhauls this summer while I'm left to twiddle my thumbs and wait for my results to come back. Namely my business... I say this with a very sheepish look upon my face because I've been telling people for months now that I am planning a stall, I'm planning a shop launch and I've become stuck in the planning stage with very little real doing getting done.

I've teamed up with a friend of mine who also has her own business in the early stages and we are supporting each other to get beyond the rut. I feel that I take away a lot more motivation from a cup of tea with someone who just knows, right now, what it feels like. We've looked around our local area and found a little Vintage Market that runs fortnightly so we're on the waiting list for a table there. As it'll be the first craft fair for us both we're playing it safe and will be sharing a place between us. We felt this would be good as we can not only support each other on the day and with building up stock but it will halve our expenses too!

I will also be getting involved with a fantastic project that is being running here in Chichester next month. On the 21st June there will be Peace Festival in Priory Park where myself and some friends will be looking after a poetry and short story tent. All are welcome, it will be open mic and good fun! More on this next month...

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Montezuma Chocolate Delight..

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I am a big chocolate fan and came across the Montezuma shop many years ago.

They have an amazing range of products which all made and produced locally in Sussex.

They produce award winning chocolates, trues and gift boxes.. Yummy..

The idea Montezumas is the Brainchild of Helen and Simon. They foundered the brand in 2000. They were making the produce in a small shop in Brighton They had no training in chocolate and approached their business with a sense of nativity but also loads of enthusiasm and ideas..

The company is 100% British and they are proud to remind us so. In the factory in West Sussex, the company employs 70 people.

Every product is made by the company and they are proud to be involved in every step of the company.

For many years now, we have worked with an amazing charity, Children on the Edge who are based in our home town of Chichester and work tirelessly for those children around the world who are literally, 'on the edge'. We have big ideals and small pockets so we try to be creative about how we help.

In the last four years we have run the 'bags of cash scheme' where our store customers are asked to donate a coin for every carrier bag they use when making purchases. This has been a fantastic success with over ÂŁ50,000 raised since the scheme started. If you are one of these generous customers, thank you for all you have donated so far!

(Montezuma website.)

They have a wide range of bars which include Great British Puddings, Dark Chocolate, organic and many more.

"Our simple philosophy on great chocolate is exactly that, keep it simple and focus on the substance of the chocolate. Use the best ingredients, innovate and stay original.

Chocolate is tricky and complex, but we like to keep it simple and avoid discussing chocolate in overcomplicated and frankly pompous terms. For the most part we can all identify rubbish chocolate from good chocolate, but that jump to great chocolate need not be tangled up with tasting notes and boutique paraphernalia."

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Miss Sew and Sew How she got started with cross stitch. Miss Sew and Sew talks to us about her love of everything crafty...

I started cross-stitching after a prolonged recovery from a car accident eighteen years ago this June. I did suer with serious head injuries hence the recovery did take a tad bit longer!

However after a few years my dear Mum and Aunt decided to show me how to stitch, as they had both done it for years, as a way to try and activate my brain into thinking more logically plus also to attempt getting more strength back into my right hand which had been left disabled from the accident.

This was all many years ago and I haven't put the needle down since. When I first started I do have ,to admit to using my left hand, I even learnt, after always being right-handed to write with my left hand not as neatly but readable to most.

However, once I had re-gained the ability to write again with the correct hand I quickly swapped to sewing with it too and haven't stopped since! Due to my increasing love of this, a further few years 18 •

on I chose to enquire at college about a course that I could take involving this kind-of thing. To my luck they had a Textiles/Art course, which I signed up for and started that September. I thoroughly enjoyed it, doing it for a year and gaining an AS merit whilst learning a lot of new skills for what I love doing.

Many of the cross-stitch tapestries, big or small depending on the time span that I have had to do them in, I also make into personalised cards or gifts for people.

Selling them at craft fairs wherever I can find them.

Also, as you can see from my articles in previous issues my other keen love is reading.

I find it thoroughly relaxing particularly after a long and stressful day.

Prior to my accident I had hoped to b e c o m e a h i g h - fl y i n g j o u r n a l i s t .

Unfortunately that was not now to be.

Writing for FEMINARUM has helped to bring back the dream.

Miss Sew and Sew has been very popular in our magazine and we are very privileged to have her writing for us on a regular basis..

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Gallery of Guys.

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Our Gallery of Guys...

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Women can be strong and sexy at the same time..it's actually not a crime to be brainy and beautiful."

26.

Rosie Sizer Changing perceptions We at FEMINARUM are proud to changing people's perceptions on how women should look.

blames the way men look at women squarely at the feet of readily available porn on the web.

Rosie has appeared in our magazine before and talked about how she became a model. She struggled in an industry which advocates external beauty above all else. The fashion world is changing and now we are seeing a more diverse range of womenon the cat work. Are they a fair representation of the 21st Century women, only time will tell??

Again, the porn our children are exposed so distorts the true relationship that men have with women. We are not all wanton short skirted, fake haired sex starved women.

Dolce and Gabbanna had mums walking down their catwalks with children in their arms..

Department stores now have larger size dummies to high light the fact that women over a certain size are now being seen as mainstream and marketable. The newspapers bombard us with articles on the rise of obesity and how the unhealthy lifestyle is on the rise..

So we need to keep up the fight to change the way society portrays the fairer sex...

(Photos by David at Mmmfire Photography.

(MUA: Heather from Everyone Needs a Little Sparkle.)

Yet the glossy magazines still perpetuate this slim is beautiful image.. The pressures on women from teens to those over forty are compounded by the industry enforcing this despotic and monstrous demand for women to look a certain way. Society

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Katie's Diary So here we are, chemo 3 complete.....it's all in the blog....http:// katecandothis.blogspot.co.uk/

Chemo 3 – Consultant Visit

Just a very quick update……

Because the tumours have reduced so quickly, essentially after 2 cycles of chemo, Richard has suggested that we have a clip fitted to the breast tumour as a marker so that we can track it – bit like a micro-chip that you have for dogs and cats! This means that we can locate what, if anything, is left of the tumour when we eventually do the next scan. This will happen on Monday evening.

I had an appointment with my consultant, Richard, this morning to review how I’m coping with chemo and the way forward.

With 3 lots of chemo under my belt, I was keen to see how HE thought things were going.

I think I’ve confused my consultant, my body isn’t doing what he is expecting and I don’t think he really knows HOW it is doing it.

Having established that, despite one trip to A&E during cycle 2, chemo so far has been largely uneventful. He asked how I thought things were and I said that I definitely felt that IndieGo had got smaller. A quick grope, s o r r y, e x a m i n a t i o n bought a big grin to his face……IndieGo has indeed got smaller……not just a little bit, but in his professional opinion, by at least 50%......as have the tumours in the lymph nodes.

Gut instinct says that a t t i t u d e , positivity, love, friendship, good food, h o l i s t i c treatments, prayers and l a u g h t e r a re making this happen…….please keep it going….it’s working!!!!

So all in all, a really good day……

This is fantastic news and could change the game plan as he feels that by the time we have completed 6 cycles of chemo, there may be nothing to remove surgically!!!

30.

Love and prayers to you all xxxx

Katie has been attracting a lot of attention from our readers who can't wait to read the next chapter in this amazing woman's diary.

Everyone at FEMINARUM magazine behind her and wishing her all the best. course this is a difficult journey to take, we have offered our help and support putting this diary into the magazine.

is Of so by

It was our hope that someone out there reading this and going through treatment would know that they are not alone.. There are others out there going through it as well...

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Book review.

By Shahna Thwaites

32.

Book review - A couple of weeks ago I attended a writers meeting, which I do once a month in the hope of finding assistance in getting my own book out.

At our meeting we were joined by the author Carolyn Pertwee. She gave us all great suggestions on the subject covering this area, as well as advice and inspiration. At the end of the meeting she also gave us all a signed copy of her latest book of which I have been reading recently. The book called Feeling the Fear and is lots of dierent short stories all put together.

Some I have loved and have kept me gripped right to the end, often ending with unlikely, sometimes emotionally chilling endings. Whereas on others I have lost the plot, literally, after the first few paragraphs. Look her up and read some of it yourself to decide on an outcome.

Today, I have also bought the next long awaited for (in my eyes that is) Paige Toon book - The Sun in her Eyes, which has The Sunday Times Bestseller on the top of the front c o v e r. I a m s t a r t i n g i t tonight and just hoping that it is going to be as good as her others. I will let you know next month.

"I look forward to reviewing the book next month.."

"The book reviews we do are on books that can easily be found in any shop on the high street. We welcome your reviews as well.."

If you want to have your book review in the magazine then contact us via the website, www.feminarummagazine.co.uk

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Spinach and asparagus soup..

36.

We always like to give you recipes that you can make yourself. Soup in the shops can be so expensive and there is always the issue of what ingredients are actually in them.

All the recipes we use in the magazine, have been made by myself or a me beer of the team.

Spinach & Asparagus Soup Serves 4 A perfect summer starter or light lunch, just as tasty chilled as it is warm.

INGREDIENTS A large onion 4 celery sticks 200g spinach 10-12 asparagus spears 1 litre veg stock or water 2 garlic cloves, crushed.

Salt & pepper 400ml coconut milk 4 tbsp. Fresh or dried parsley METHOD You can soften the onions first if you like, but I didn’t and it turned out just perfect.

Simply put all the ingredients into a saucepan, bring to a boil, then simmer until the vegetables are soft.

Blend to a smooth consistency, and serve.

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STREAMING SERVICES

A CHANGE IN THE WAY WE WATCH TV

On the 14th July 1930 the BBC transmitted its first experimental

television play ‘The Man With the Flower in HIs Mouth’, and ever

since the nations love affair with television has grown exponentially

advance. The current cost is £79 per year, and this gives

access to Prime Instant Video plus free one-day delivery on milli

of items via the Amazon Store website. You can also add Love

by post for an extra £6.99 per month, which will allow you to r

unlimited DVDs and Blu-rays, two at a time, with free 1st Cl postage both ways.

every year. When I was growing up TV was a family event. We sat in

Like Netflix the service offers thousands of movies and TV se

front of the glowing sceen, as a family, watching our favourite

for instant viewing, many in HD. The content sometimes doubles

series or film. Christmas TV was an event in itself, scouring the

on that available on Netflix, and to be honest the selection i

Radio or TV Times for the programmes you just had to see.

always as good as its rival.

In the last few years, however, our viewing habits have changed. We

The years subscription up front might put a lot of poten

no longer need to watch programmes on their broadcast date and

customers off, especially if you don't use Amazon’s services t

time, and more often then not, we record these programmes on our

much. But again, like Netflix, the 30 day free trial makes it easy

Sky/Virgin or Freeview box to watch when we want to. We also use

you to see if you like the service. My recommendation is the sa

more Catchup TV services, and streaming our content has started

as with Netflix. If you love your films and TV, give it a go.

to become common place, in some ways making TV a more solitary

event, rather then a family one.

NOW TV

So. which services are worth you hard earned money. In this article

Sky were late to the streaming tv service. Up until recently

we will look at three paid for Streaming Services.. Netflix, Amazon

needed to subscribe to Sky to get access to on demand movies

Prime Instant and Sky’s NOW TV Service.

TV on your consoles and other devices. But Sky now offer a n

service with stands on its own, apart from Sky’s traditio

Netflix

services.

Netflix has become one of the most used streaming TV services

Unlike the other two services, Movies and TV subscriptions

over the last few years. Your £5.99 per month subscription gives

separate and you can even get a subscription to Sky’s Spo

you access to thousands of movies and TV episodes which you can

Channels. NOW TV Movies will cost you £9.99 per month, NOW

watch instantly on your TV or computer. You can also, via the

Entertainment will cost £6.99 per month and finally NOW TV Sp

relevant app, watch on your Phone, Tablet or Games Console. Much

will cost you either £6.99 per day or £10.99 per week.

of the content is available in HD, although of course this will take

up more internet bandwidth. So make sure your internet speed is

Unlike the other two services, you get not only On Demand cont

up to the task. ]

but also access to streams of Sky’s Live Channels within y subscription.

When you originally sign up, you will get a 30 day free trial to the

service, so you can see whether you like the programmes on offer

Like the other services you can access the content via y

before you subscribe.

computer or via games consoles, phones and tablets. Unlike

others, NOW TV also offers a Set-Top Box that you can purcha

A big plus point is that your account is available worldwide. So if

This small puck like box connects your TV via HDMI and y

you go on holiday, you will still be able to log into Netflix and watch

internet via Wi-Fi and gives you access to not only the NOW

content. The app will automatically log you into the Netflix Service

services, but also to other catch up TV, such as BBC iPlayer,

for that country, giving you access to programmes possibly not

other News and Entertainment Apps. These boxes cost £19.99

available in the UK.. If you are so inclined you can even set your

come with with either a 2 months Movie pass or a 3 mon

devices DNS settings to another country (such as the United

Entertainment Pass within the price.

States), and you will be able to watch that countries Netflix content

in this country (Google Netflix DNS settings for more info).

NOW TV also offers, like the other services, a months free trial

once again its nice and easy to find out whether this service is

Netflix is probably one of the more rounded services, with plenty of

you. NOW TV probably offers the most well rounded service,

content for everyones taste. And now Netflix is producing its own

the biggest library of content. You get pretty much everything

TV Series, not available elsewhere, it makes it even more tempting

would get from a Sky subscription at a fraction of the cost. So

to subscribe. The 30 day free trial makes it a no brainer, so do

can enjoy the latest movies and TV from Sky at your o

yourself a favour and give it a go.

convenience.

Amazon Prime Instant Video

The one downside is the cost if you get both the Movies

Amazon Prime Instant Video was originally known as Lovefilm, and

like Netflix, has been around for a few years now. You get a 30 day

free trial, but unlike Netflix, the subscription is paid for a year in

Entertainment Pack subscription, currently £16.98 for the two,

when you think of how much a compatible Sky TV subscript would cost it actually isn't that bad.

38.

Streaming Services reviewed.

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39