L
ocal issue 30
Nmagazine
etwork
Garden View Crossword Problem Pool? What to do! Recipe - Avocado & Poached Egg on Toast On Hold, Hold On... Sweet Temptation Macros what are they are how can I get them? How many boyfriends should a girl have before choosing Mr Right? What’s in a name? Go the extra mile (or 25.2) Pawley & Malyon Chartered Accountant
FREE Magazines delivered through the letterbox Bishop’s Stortford, Sawbridgeworth, Stansted, Newport, Thaxted, Hatfield Heath, Hatfield Broad Oak, Elsenham, Takeley & Canfield Please see our website for full delivery details www.localnetworkmag.co.uk Local Network Magazine Issue 30 2016 | p1
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What’s inside
p5
Page 5 What is a dangerous dog?
p5
Garden View
p9
p13 p19
p19
27
Page 19 The man is not on the moon Sweet Temptation
23 The is On! Page 7 Garden view - which Christmas tree?p23 PageMacros whatheat are they are how can I get them? Crossword p6 Problem Pool? to do! p9 Page 11 Cranberry & What Orange Cake
many boyfriends? p25 PageHow 25 What does a carrier cost? What’s in a name?
p13
Recipe - Avocado & Poached Egg on Toast p27
p15
On Hold, Hold On...
Page 15 Deck the Halls EVERYWHERE! Page 17 Crossword & Word Search
p31
Page Keep Cyber Safe
Pawley & Malyon Chartered Accountant
Page 31 Pawley Malyon David Malyon - Tax Tips
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The Centre, Dunmow Road, Takeley, Herts. CM22 6SH Disclaimer While every care is taken Disclaimer © to ensure accuracy, the publishers cannot accept responsibility for loss, damage or omission caused by error in
the printing of artwork. While every care is taken to ensure accuracy, the publishers cannot accept responsibility for loss, damage or omission caused by error in the printing of All artwork accepted on the strict condition that permission has beenhas given forgiven use in Adverts are accepted on theon the understanding artwork. Allisartwork is accepted on the strict condition that permission been forthis usepublication. in this publication. Adverts are accepted understanding that the description ofservices the goods and are fairLocal and accurate. that the description of the goods and are fairservices and accurate. Network Magazine does not officially endorse and advertising material included in thisNetwork publication. No part ofnot thisofficially publication maybe in included any retrievable system or transmitted in any form-electronic, mechanical, Local Magazine does endorse andreproduced, advertising stored material in this publication. photocopying or otherwise – without the consent of the publisher. Publisher: Local Network Magazine. 8 The Maltings, Thaxted, Essex. CM6 2NB No part of this publication maybe reproduced, stored in any retrievable system or transmitted in any form-electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise – without the consent of the publisher. Publisher: Local Network Magazine. 8 The Maltings, Thaxted, Essex. CM6 2NB
p2 | Local Network Magazine Issue 30 2016
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Local Network Magazine Issue 30 2016 | p3
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GardenView
the difficult patch
Happy Gardening
Rachel Leverton
E
very garden has a couple of problem patches. I’m often asked which plants I’d recommend for a problem area and two which always crop up are damp shade and dry shade. Let’s deal with damp shade first. It’s actually less of a problem than you might expect. Okay, you’ll never grow a good lawn there, bulbs will rot, and sun-loving annuals won’t thrive, but there are loads of plants that will look wonderful. The trick in the case of damp shade is to go for leaf colour, plant form, and texture. Ajuga is excellent for ground cover. A. metallica has purple leaves and tiny blue flowers and A. reptans ‘Variegata’ is a pretty variegated cream and green variety. Astilbe does very well in damp shade; it has impressive red, pink or white flowery plumes depending on the variety chosen. Hostas are also a good choice, though in damp conditions you’ll need to be on slug-watch! If your shade is very dense then don’t choose golden varieties as the colour will fade. Hostas look wonderful planted with primulas, which also do well in these conditions. Some ferns love damp shade, including the Maidenhair fern, Adiantum pedatum; most varieties of dryopteris, and the ostrich feather fern, Matteuccia struthiopteris. Dry shade is definitely trickier. I don’t recommend fighting Mother Nature but I do think dry shade is one area where she sometimes needs a hand, so enrich dry soil with compost, well-rotted horse manure, or spent mushroom compost before planting, as this will encourage some moisture retention. Bergenias are attractive but tough enough for dry shade and their leathery leaves colour well in the autumn, particularly Bergenia cordifolia purpurea. The pink flowered varieties are the most commonly seen but there are red and white varieties too. I have a ‘Bressingham White’ which is quite lovely.
My favourite plant for dry shade is the Euphorbia. Not all varieties are suited to these conditions but E. amygdaloides with it’s red stems and lime-green flower heads will generally do very well. Solomon’s Seal (polygonatum multiflorum) is another standby. It looks like a large lily of the valley and the variegated variety is very pretty. The trick with problem areas is to embrace them as part of your garden Treated as a gardening challenge they can be fun to plant and you’ll feel a tremendous sense of achievement when you do succeed. Happy planting!
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Crossword Clues Clues Across 1 Occur (6) 4 Melodies (5) 8 Concur (5) 9 Letter puzzle (7) 10 Teach (7) 11 Clog, sneaker, pump (4) 12 Stick (3) 14 Repair (4) 15 Uncommon (4) 18 Army unit - special forces (3) 21 Slavic version of John (4) 23 Flexible (7) 25 Legal process to validate a will (7) 26 First sign of the Zodiac (5) 27 Computer to computer communication (5) 28 Tricky question (6)
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Local Network Magazine Issue 30 2016 | p6
Your local Jaguar Land Rover approved Service Centre • We charge up to 30% less for a service* than your local Jaguar Land Rover retailer. • Our manufacturer-trained Master technicians use genuine Jaguar Land Rover parts, equipment and diagnostic tools. • Peace of mind that a service at Taylor’s Jaguar Land Rover will maintain the Manufacturers service history and the on going value and condition of your vehicle. • We have built our 28-year reputation on providing outstanding service; our customers come back time and time again due to our care and attention to detail. • We also offer MOTs, parts and accessories, Jaguar Land Rover service plans and a price match promise on all branded tyres. Call our friendly team today – we offer pre-bookable appointments as well as while-you-wait service.
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Palm Tree Pools is a family run business with over 50 years of experience in all aspects of swimming pool management and maintenance. We are based in Essex and offer unparalleled customer service and reliability. We offer a range of maintenance schemes to keep your pool ready to use whenever you need it, taking away the stress of pool management and maintenance. We also provide a wide range of equipment and chemicals at very competitive prices as well as a knowledge base that only comes from servicing a varied blend of satisfied, long-term, clients. If you are not lucky enough to have a permanent pool, we also stock some amazing above ground pools and “easy up” hot tubs and spas which can be enjoyed throughout the summer and easily stored in the winter. Above Ground Pool packages start at £250 plus VAT and can usually be delivered within five days of ordering. Please contact us for details on maintenance schemes, above ground pools, hot tubs, spas, equipment, accessories and chemical supplies or visit our ebay store at www.stores.ebay.co.uk/palmtreepools
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Problem Pool? What to do!
W
ith summer on its way and the bank holiday season underway, we all start thinking about getting underwater. However, with the best will in the world and all your good intentions your hot tub, paddling pool or even permanent pool has probably been left to its own devices in the winter months and been left exposed to the elements. When this happens you are normally left with a green, or even worse black, body of water or a pool that holds as much water as a 5p carrier bag from a supermarket. Well, all is not lost; there are lots of solutions that can get your water back to its sparkling best or holding water without breaking the bank. Leaks are sometimes troublesome to find, in permanent pools particularly, it is sometimes a process of elimination whereby everything is turned off and the water level is monitored to see where it settles. Also you can check the surrounding area for water as that can give an indication, however there is leak sealer available for smaller leaks. Leak sealer is an ingenious liquid that finds the leak and crystallises around it to seal it up; it must be stressed however that this is not a permanent solution but can get you through a swimming season. For above ground pools and paddling
pools, there are puncture repair kits that are exactly like bicycle repair kits that simply seal the hole (but are obviously waterproof). Water treatment is a slightly simpler process and most people know that chlorine is the primary water treatment for pools - but what they don’t know is that this is usually stabilised chlorine and this type stays in the water for longer and therefore keeps the water clean for longer. However, this doesn’t help if your pool is full of green water, chlorine shock is what you need in this instance. It is unstabilised and starts clearing the water as soon as it hits it, combined with algaecide it can turn a green or black pool crystal clear within a matter of hours and if you have a filter for your water this will do the rest. To keep your pool clear, a chemical test kit is essential and they are relatively cheap and can help monitor the ph. level of the pool; if the ph. is maintained then the cleanliness of the water follows. If there is a ph. imbalance, then ph. adjusters are also available.
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Leaks are sometimes troublesome to find, in permanent pools particularly, it is sometimes a process of elimination whereby everything is turned off and the water level is monitored to see where it settles.
All of the chemicals, treatments and products and all pool accessories and hardware are available in PalmTreePools eBay store here www.ebay.co.uk/usr/palmtreepools2014
Local Network Magazine Issue 30 2016 | p9
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Avocado &
Poached Egg on Toast A simple but oh so tasty summery breakfast or light supper Preparation Time: 10 mins Cooking Time: 10 mins Serves 4
Ingredients u 4 fresh eggs u 20g Parmesan Shavings u 2 ripe avocados u Juice of one lemon u 1 tsp chilli flakes or 1/2 red chilli, finely chopped u 4 thick slices bread, toasted (sourdough bread is wonderful if you can get it) u 1 tbs chopped parsley to garnish
Method
Before
After
Heat a pan of lightly salted water to a simmer. Crack one of the eggs into a cup, then make a whirlpool with a spoon in the water and carefully tip the egg into the water. Repeat with a second egg. Cook each egg for 3-4mins until white is barely set. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Bring the water back to a simmer and repeat with remaining eggs Meanwhile, halve and de-stone avocados. In a large bowl, roughly mash avocados, lemon juice and chilli. Season to taste. Spread the avocado mixture over the toast, top each serving with an egg and garnish with parsley and parmesan shavings. Serve immediately.
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On Hold, Hold On... By Brenda Burlin
I I feel the need to go all Del Trotter in voice and language when trying to negotiate on the price of anything, look out Tesco’s
t’s that time of year again where car insurance needs renewing. It is at this point I question my mood. Am I happy? Am I tense? Do I feel frustrated? The reason for this questioning of my state of mind is simple, I have to call the insurance company and I know this is no quick two-minute chat to negotiate rates, agree terms and off we go. Oh no, this is going to be an in depth, drawn out interrogation, once I even get past the automated greeting. Deciding I’m feeling chipper and all is well, I settle down for the morning’s fun. Yes, it really will take most of the morning to get this done. I dial and wait, initially I’m tricked into thinking I’ve already got through to a real life, walking, talking human being. Alas no, just as I’m about to launch into my spiel about better rates elsewhere and what sort of deal are we going to strike (I feel the need to go all Del Trotter in voice and language when trying to negotiate on the price of anything, look out Tesco’s). I realise the pause is too long after the initial greeting and I’m subjected to the ‘press one for...’. By the time all six options have been regaled I’ve forgotten which one I need and have to go through the whole lot again. Number three is pressed, car renewal. Again a pause, am I going to be lucky? Have I called at the perfect time and will glide seamlessly
through to that archangel of car insurance...the insurance consultant? Alas no, it would appear not. Now I don’t mind a bit of Greensleeves played on an eighties synthesiser a la ‘Depeche Mode’ style but no, now I’m bombarded with a very loud, crass, ear splitting run of new insurance products available from pet insurance to holiday and even life insurance. These wonderful ‘must have’ products are advertised in almost rap style and to the sort of music the old Fruit and Fibre advert used, more end of season Red Coats at Butlin’s than anything else. I listen to this mind boggling menu, in full, twice before there is another pause, then a click. I have, by now convinced myself I’ve been cut off (not the first time its happened) but just as I’m about to hang up, rage simmering nicely and various words beginning with f and b that shouldn’t really be uttered by a female, at least certainly not before elevenses, I hear a faint voice. “Yes! Yes, you can help me.” I’m gleefully replying, of course I’ll give my name! Just as I feel I’m really making headway, I hear those fated words “I just need to call up your details, I’ll just pop you on hold for a minute”. Let’s just say it was then that I reached for my coffee and popped a couple of pieces of bread in the toaster; I have a feeling I may be here for a while, might as well make myself comfortable after all.
Local Network Magazine Issue 30 2016 | p15
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Local Network Magazine Issue 30 2016 | p17
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Sweet Temptation
umans have evolved with a liking for salt, fat and sugar. Cave men who sought out sugar would have fared better from the extra energy than those who did not, and hence it has been bred into our behaviour. Just as well, as our bodies need sugar in order to function. Unfortunately, this liking can backfire in the modern world where sugar is cheap and plenty; us consumers are now hard-wired to prefer sugar-rich items but our bodies cannot always tell when we have had enough. So we overdose. Sugar comes in many guises - sucrose, dextrose, maltose, fructose, lactose, glucose, hydrolysed starch, invert sugar and corn syrup to name a few. Our bodies break down all sugars into glucose and fructose, then our liver turns fructose into glucose. Nerve cells – particularly the brain – need glucose but cannot store it so it’s in need of a constant supply. Often if you are struggling with a mental task, having some glucose can often perk up your brain! Eating sugar also affects our mood by triggering the release of serotonin, but it’s this is only temporary and when the ‘sugar rush’ is over we feel even more unhappy and grumpy than we did before. So we crave sugar – and so it goes on. Glucose supresses the appetite; if you consume glucose you soon feel full but normal granulated sugar (sucrose) contains 50% fructose, and fructose doesn’t trigger the same ‘full’ response - so again, we overdose. Excess glucose is converted by the liver into fat, which is stored around the liver and in fatty tissues throughout the body. This can trigger a range of diseases including Type 2 diabetes. Obese adults are five times more likely to become diabetic and 90% of adults with Type 2 diabetes are overweight. Unfortunately, children enjoy sugar far more than adults. By primary school age, one child in 5 is overweight. By age 11 it is one in three. The UK is the fattest nation in Europe, with 29% of UK adults being obese and a prediction of 34% by 2025. But is sugar the culprit? The UK drinks 14.8 billion litres of soft drinks each year; that’s a massive 233 litres per person. UK adults get 12% of their calories from sugar and teenagers nearly 16%. Government health advisors suggest this should
be no more than 5% and tooth decay is now the single biggest reason for hospital admission of young children. So how much sugar should we consume each day in order to remain healthy? It is hard to keep track of naturally occurring sugars in our diet so recent guidelines focus on ‘added’ sugars. Adults should consume no more than 30g of added sugar per day and children only between 19-24g. Chancellor George Osborne recently announced a ‘sugar tax’ on soft drinks. However, that tax won’t start until 2018 to allow manufacturers time to adjust. Soft drinks with more than 5g of sugar per 100ml will be taxed, and those above 8g per 100ml will pay a higher rate. This will add between 6p and 8p per can. Fruit juice and milk-based drinks (some of which are very sweet) won’t be taxed at all. Will this make a difference? Let’s hope so. A single can of Extra Fiery Old Jamaica Ginger Beer contains 13 teaspoons of sugar - almost twice the entire recommended daily sugar intake for someone over the age of 11. And it’s not just fizzy drinks that are guilty Action on Sugar discovered that 98% of hot drinks served in high street coffee shop chains contain lots of sugar. Starbucks’s Hot Mulled Fruit contains 25 teaspoons of sugar, a large Costas chai latte has 20 and a Starbucks Signature hot chocolate contains 15. But sugar doesn’t just lurk in our drinks, it’s also in our food. ‘Low fat’ versions of foods (such as fruit yoghurts) often have added sugar to replace the missing fat and some salad dressings and salad creams have 7g of sugar in a serving. Pasta sauces can have as much as 12g per portion and breakfast cereals, ketchup, bread, canned soups and sweet and sour sauces are also surprisingly sugar-rich. Some alcoholic drinks also pack a sugar punch. So is this new tax good news for our health but terrible news for sugar manufacturers? Maybe not. 49% of the carbonated drinks we buy are low calorie and drinks producers will come under increasing pressure to replace even more sugar with artificial sweeteners such as Splenda, which is 600 times sweeter than sugar. And who produces Splenda in the UK? Tate and Lyle.
Local Network Magazine Issue 30 2016 | p19
Why?
Why? Why Live with your aches and pains? Hazel Williams is one of the few practitioners who specialises in both structural and cranial osteopathy to treat a wide range of patients from babies to the elderly, from the immobile to athletes. Her treatment can help with: back, neck, joint, arthritic and muscle pain, trapped nerves, sports injuries, headaches and migrane. She also incorporates acupuncture to aid pain relief and provides specially formulated pilate classes to help with rehabilitation. Her aim is simple... to give you continual relief from pain wherever possible. To claim your free assessment consultation* please call Hazel at her surgery on:
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p20 | Local Network Magazine Issue 30 2016
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Macros what are they are
I
how can I get them?
have actually been asked this question before and it is a classic case of how ‘buzzwords’ can be misunderstood in the fitness industry. Macros are short for macronutrients and are actually a way of dividing your diet up into 3 categories; fats, carbohydrates and proteins. It is a way of simplifying your diet but like everything when it comes to nutrition it seems to ask as many questions as it answers. Nutrition is an unbelievably trenddriven industry and because the human body is so complicated and because within each individual is slightly different in their make-up, you can read argument and counterargument for just about every different food source if you read enough blogs/ diet plans or theories. For example, around the time of World War 2, the statement that everyone went by was “Bread is the staff of life” however, now you will be very hard pushed to get a nutritionist to recommend a lot of bread in a diet, if any! 30 years later and we had diets such as the F-Plan, which basically said that you could live on baked beans and prunes (high fibre) and everything 4% fat and above was to be avoided. In fact, fat has been deemed the enemy for most popular diet plans until very recently when we suddenly we have ‘good fats’ appearing in our diets and even ‘bad cholesterol’ that can still be beneficial. This makes healthy diet choices very tough to make!
You can read argument and counterargument for just about every different food source if you read enough blogs/diet plans or theories.
This is where macros come into their own and even though there are still arguments about the percentages that should be set, it is safe to say that if you stay within health guidelines you can fashion a diet that will work for your body and your goals. Obviously there is some movement for your goals, increased protein for muscle mass gain, decreased carbohydrate for weight loss for example. Please feel free to mail me if you would like some more info on this but for the purpose of this article I will go with the majority and if you have an opposing theory please don’t shoot the messenger! The most popular macro split is 40/40/20, this is 40% of your daily calorific intake coming from protein, 40% coming from carbohydrate and 20% from fat. Within that there is 4 calories from 1g of protein and carbohydrates and 9 calories from 1g of fat. If you read the label properly on your food (see my article from last month’s magazine) this should give you a good basis for a healthy nutritious diet and stop you having to read 1,000 articles a day in the popular press! Enjoy! Justin Palmer
ℹ
Email: jfpfitness@gmail.com or call Justin on: 07805 394 175 Please see our website www. jfpfitness.co.uk or our Facebook page www.facebook.com/ jfpfitness for exercise tips, advice and customer references.
Local Network Magazine Issue 30 2016 | p23
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No.2 Stable, Netherhall Farm, Essex CM5 0JA | Local Network Magazine Issue 30 2016 Telephone: 01920 p24 823096 www.liberty-wills.co.uk
How many boyfriends should a girl have before choosing Mr Right?
T
his is a problem well known to young ladies throughout the ages. In an ideal world, wouldn’t it be great if a girl could line up all her future sweethearts and make a side-by-side comparison; a bit like internet shopping for clothes or comparing insurance quotes? Wouldn’t that make life so much easier and a great, simple way to pick the very best! But of course, that’s not what happens; these bunch of random boys will pitch up at the most unexpected times making it very difficult to carry out the comparison exercise. There’s absolutely no way to know how your current boyfriend compares to what might be round the corner and by the time you have worked out that the one you let go last month, was in fact your Mr Right; tragedy! It’s too late and he’s moved onto someone else. Sob. On the flipside, it’s also not a great idea to marry the first guy who shows an interest and it certainly doesn’t guarantee securing a lifelong partner – lacking in crystal balls, who knows what future husband-potential might have been better? Dating lots of men before settling down naturally gives a girl more experience with the male of the species…the ‘pic n mix’ of personalities and matching egos, a ‘try before you buy’ option perhaps might not be a bad
On the flipside, it’s also not a great idea to marry the first guy who shows an interest and it certainly doesn’t guarantee securing a lifelong partner
idea. So how may boyfriends should a girl ‘test drive’ before she chooses? Don’t worry – we have the answer… well MATHS has the answer!! Yep, good old decision theory is a classic mathematical problem to which our answer is 37! Not 37 partners, that would just be downright greedy and too exhausting! – but after dating 37% of prospective husbands (actually 36.79% or 1/e) the balance shifts between gaining ‘man’ experience and waiting too long. The world of mathematics knows the problem under several different guises such as ‘The Secretary Problem’ or ‘The Sultan’s Dowry’. Put simply, once a girl has dated 37% of her boyfriends she should marry the next one that comes along who is better than anything she’s had previously. On average this method should secure a partner who is at least 75% perfect - and you can always ‘change’ the other 25% later on. So now we know what to do. However, that stills begs the question: how many boyfriends does a girl expect to have in a lifetime in order to know when she has reached her 37% quota? UK surveys report the average number of partners for women as 10; so if you’ve kissed 4 frogs, chances are that statistically the next one is likely to be a prince… …and they lived happily ever after. The End.
Local Network Magazine Issue 30 2016 | p25
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Tel: 01279 422653 Mobile: 07703 254001 email: anita.gray@theathenanetwork.com www.theathenanetwork.com p26 | Local Network Magazine Issue 30 2016
What’s in a name?
O
ver the Easter holidays, the deadline for launching the brand new Local Network B2B website was imminent. Our team behind the creation and content of this innovative, new business resource were going over the last details with a fine tooth comb, ironing out any last minute issues and generally pacing the floor with anticipation, like an expectant father. But there was a niggle, an itch, and one that no amount of scratching could cure. We needed a non-biased view on how to launch with maximum impact. So, through the power of networking, we asked some marketing gurus to take a look. We did not expect what came back. The overall view was that it was a fantastic concept, the website was brilliantly designed and the functionality rocked, the content was informative, current and relevant, but it was the name that was our downfall. We didn’t realise everything would be scrutinised so closely including the business name, it just didn’t reflect what we stood for. As much as we tried to argue our case for keeping the name; we hadn’t factored national growth into the bigger picture – yes, we could argue that it would be used regionally, by county and that could be deemed as ‘local’, but when you’ve got the expert guidance of someone who has worked with big brands such as Hovis, Sensodyne and Tate & Lyle, you have to sit up and listen. We had to find a new name. Fact. We were sent a list of potential names and key words that made us think outside of the box we had climbed into and snapped
As much as we tried to argue our case for keeping the name; we hadn’t factored national growth into the bigger picture
the lid shut; most of them were definitely in the ‘no’ pile, but this really got us thinking, creating - and ultimately it got us a brand new name. We put together a focus group of 40+ professional people and quizzed them about what the word ‘base’ meant to them. About 60% said it related to location, as in where you’re based i.e. home or headquarters, some related it to laying a foundation or to a database, and we had a few random contributions too. So, after all of this. Were we satisfied? No! We needed a second opinion of course. The outcome of that second opinion was exactly the same as the first, so we had no choice but to concede. We warmed to the idea that most of our focus group felt ‘base’ represented home or headquarters or a foundation because that’s how we all viewed the ethos of our website; it’s a foundation for business, it’s the home of many invaluable business resources and HQ to thousands of networking group listings. The magazine itself still remains Local Network Magazine because it focuses on building a networking community of residents working with local businesses, but now we are thrilled to finally introduce you to our newly launched Base4Business website. Our logo is linked to the Google Maps pin, because no matter where your business is based, we will be bringing you all the business network and resource information you will ever need for your area soon.
ℹ www.base4business.biz
Local Network Magazine Issue 30 2016 | p27
GO
the extra mile (or 26.2)
I Deciding to apply for the London Marathon and run 26.2 miles at the age of 41 came as a bit of shock to my family
have always tried to keep reasonably fit by making time for visits to the gym (albeit intermittently) and short jogs around Bishop’s Stortford so deciding to apply for the London Marathon and run 26.2 miles at the age of 41 came as a bit of shock to my family – and to me if I’m honest! I took the training, leading up to the London Marathon, very seriously and kept to a programme which would give me every chance of completing this massive challenge that lay ahead of me. The basis of this training programme was put together by my brother Marc who is a personal trainer with over 15 years’ experience in the fitness industry; he currently runs bootcamps in Herts & Essex and one to one personal training sessions. His expertise in building my core strength and overall fitness
made me feel confident that I could complete the course in under 4 hours as he has lots of experience in distance running. In the weeks leading up to the Marathon, he also put together a nutritional plan for me which showed me how to balance my protein and carbohydrate intake. As a result, I managed to achieve a very pleasing time of 3hrs 51 (not bad for my first Marathon) but undoubtedly without his guidance and encouragement I would never have been able to achieve this. Now that I’ve done it I don’t think I would rush to do this kind of distance again, but with Marc’s help I will continue to keep fit and eat healthily (most of the time…)
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E: marc@essexbootcamp.co.uk M: 07799 476 420
p28 | Local Network Magazine Issue 30 2016
Word Search List Archery Athletics Badminton Basketball Boxing Diving Dressage Eventing Fencing Football Golf Gymnastics Handball Hockey Judo Jumping Rowing Rugby Sailing Shooting Swimming Table Tennis Track Cycling Volleyball Water Polo Answers on our website: www.localnetworkmag.co.uk
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The value of a good
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T
he 2015/16 tax year ended on 5 April 2016 and this month many of you will receive your P60 detailing your total salaried income from your employer at the same time as you receive your April 2016 payslip. In addition, you may also receive details of interest paid to you in 2015/16 on any bank or building society accounts, either by way of a separate interest certificate or as a note on this month’s statement and possibly some consolidated dividend vouchers showing any dividends paid to you in 2015/16. These days it is also quite likely that you will not receive any of these documents in paper form but will be able to obtain this information directly from your own online account log in details. If you are employed and receive benefits in kind or, in some cases reimbursement of business expenses, then you should also receive a Form P11D from your employer by 6 July 2016. If you are not registered for Self Assessment and have to notify H M Revenue & Customs that you are liable to Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax in 2015/16, then the deadline for doing this is 5 October 2016 or otherwise you are likely to incur late notification penalties. An accountant can assist you in registering or the relevant forms can be downloaded from HMRC’s website if you prefer. If you intend to submit a paper Tax Return for 2015/16 then this needs to be received by HMRC by 31 October 2016 as after this date they will simply send the paper Return back to you and advise that you have missed the filing deadline for using this method. The deadline for submitting your 2015/16 Tax Return online and also for paying any outstanding tax (plus a 1st payment on account for 2016/17 where applicable) is 31 January 2017 and again penalties apply if the Return is filed late or the tax isn’t paid on time. If you owe less than £3,000 and already pay tax via PAYE it may also possible to pay any tax owed for 2015/16 through your 2017/18 PAYE tax code which has the advantage that not only does it delay paying the tax but also allows you to spread payments across 12 months as it is deducted from your monthly pay. However, to be able to take advantage of this, you need to ensure that a paper Return is submitted by 31 October or an online Return by 30 (not 31) December. When preparing your Tax Return as well as noting all income, interest received, dividends and capital gains for the year, remember to include details of pension contributions paid or donations made under gift aid to ensure that you take advantage of all tax reliefs available. If either partner has income of £50,000 or more and you are in receipt of Child Benefit, then this also needs to be included on the Tax Return.
Next month – Expenses and Benefits
Local Network Magazine Issue 30 2016 | p31
p32 | Local Network Magazine Issue 30 2016