DNfourteen Magazine Issue No.155 February 2023

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Welcome to our February 2023 edition of the DNfourteen magazine - I hope that you are all well and that those of you with children are looking forward to Half Term.

I am already noticing that the evenings are starting to draw out as we move ever closer to Spring. It has been very mild of late too - let’s hope that we don’t get any snow or bad weather.

We have some interesting articles and features in this months edition ranging from a very interesting article in the House & Home section about listed properties - I can only read and dream! We have a super recipe for American Style Pancakes which I will cook for a change instead of the traditional ones I usually do.

We have a great selection of books to read this month too. The Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner also provides us with an update of what is happening. As usual we finish off with Fiona Dwyer’s column.

If you have not advertised in the magazine before and are considering it - please give me a call as we have some great new offers for 2023. The magazine is full of local advertisers from Decorators to Window Cleaners - So please use them and keep our local economy strong. Until next month please stay safe.

Jane Editor

Please note that whilst we take care to be accurate, no liability will be accepted under any circumstances should any of the content of this magazine be incorrect. The views expressed in the articles are not necessarily those of the publisher. All rights reserved.

Published by DNfourteen Magazine. Printed by DaltonSpire Ltd.

Listed Homes

We look at the pros and cons...

There’s a special kind of allure to a listed building. Rare and unique properties of historical or architectural importance, they have been placed on a national register with strict rules in place designed to protect and maintain their fabric for future generations. There are three categories of listing. Grade II means the property is of special interest. Grade II* means it is considered important and of more than special interest. And Grade I means the property is of ‘exceptional interest’.

‘Listed buildings offer something different to home buyers. Not only are they a piece of history, they are often unique in terms of design and build,’

explains Marc Headley Grreaves, managing director of Bounds & Greaves estate agency. ‘This, coupled with the fact that stock levels are limited, makes them incredibly rare, and so increases their desirability further.

They are essentially an investment class of their own, much like gold or antique furniture, which can also make them impervious if there’s a dip in property values across the wider market.’

RULES TO CONSIDER

The fabric of a listed building is protected by law, which means owners need to apply for both

listed building consent and planning permission when proposing any changes.

‘Regular maintenance and likefor-like repair is often permitted but if these renovations involve alterations to the fabric or features of the home, you will need consent,’ says Marc.

Getting approval for a larger project, such as an extension or loft conversion, may be slow or difficult to obtain.

‘The most common obstacle is failing to seek advice from a heritage consultantduring the initial stages of any renovation project,’ Marc advises.

Continued on page 6

Should you invest in a listed building, or will the regulations turn your dream home into a house of horrors?

These days most homeowners suffer from a lack of storage space. So many precious items that need to be kept – but where to store it all? That’s where Yorkshire Loft Ladders come in.

The company, based locally, offers homeowners the opportunity to maximise their storage space with a loft ladder, 50 sq ft of boarding and a light all fully fitted in less than a day from just £277 + VAT. But it’s not just the affordability of the package the company offers that makes Yorkshire Loft Ladders stand out as manager Warren Ingleson explains:

‘Our watchwords are Quality,

Integrity and Value. Quality in the materials that we use for all our installations and the fact that all our loft packages are fitted by time served tradesmen so our customers are assured of the best job. Integrity in that we will turn up at the time we say and make sure the house is spotless when we leave, and Value in that we offer our services at a price people can afford. Our business relies on referrals and we got a huge amount of our calls from people who have been referred to us by our existing customers - that simply wouldn’t happen if we didn’t adhere to our overriding principles.

At the end of the day the old adage that happy customers

small, call Warren on 0800 612 8359 and he’ll be happy to pop round and give you a no obligation quote so you too can make use of your loft!

‘Beyond that, it’s the changes themselves that can cause issues, either because they are prohibited or they haven’t been carried out to the necessary standards.’

CHECK BEFORE YOU INVEST

‘It’s of vital importance that you invest in a full structural Listed Building Survey or Historic Building Survey. This will reveal any existing or potential problems and give an idea of what they might cost to remedy,’ suggests Marc.

‘A specialist survey for a gradelisted home will cost between £800 and £1,500, versus a cost of between £300 and £500 for a regular home.’

You’ll also need to check that planning permission was in place for any past work on the property. If not, it may be you –not the previous owner – who is responsible for returning the property to its previous condition.

OTHER COSTS AND CONSIDERATIONS

‘You will require specialist insurance as the rebuild cost of a listed building is higher than a traditional home,’ says Marc. ‘The average insurance premium

tends to be about 40 per cent above an ordinary home insurance policy.

‘Any maintenance or repair work is likely to cost considerably more than average property building work, as it will require specialist tradespeople and specific materials. There are government grants available via Historic England so it’s well worth checking with them to see if your property is eligible.’

HIGH PRICE, HIGH RETURNS

‘The average asking price for a grade-listed home sits at £750,000, which is 131 per cent higher than the national average house price,’ explains Marc.

‘With limited stock available, demand for grade-listed homes can be high, meaning they attract immediate attention when entering the market for sale. However, they don’t suit everyone and require a certain kind of buyer with a certain level of budget.’

A LEGACY HOME

We talk about finding our ‘forever home’, but when you buy a listed home, you are truly creating a legacy for generations to come. ‘As the owner of a grade-listed home, you’re a guardian of that unique piece of history and heritage until you pass the baton on,’ Marc says.

Recipe

American Style Pancakes

American style pancakes are light, fluffy and perfect for an indulgent breakfast or as a dessert to celebrate Pancake Day. Whip them up in 10 minutes, stack them and serve with syrup or fresh fruits.

What’s the main difference between British and American pancakes?

The difference between British and American pancakes is a raising agent. The British-style pancakes don’t use one, whereas the Americanstyle pancakes do – typically baking powder, or whipped egg white, or both. We’ve used both in our recipe below.

Ingredients

225g Plain White Flour

4 tsp Baking powder

2 tsp Unrefined Golden Caster Sugar

1 tsp Salt

2 Egg(s) (free range)

300ml Milk (whole)

50g Butter (unsalted)

Drizzle Maple syrup

Method

Step 1: Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl and stir in the sugar and salt.

Step 2: Make a well in the centre and add the eggs and milk. Whisk to a smooth batter and ideally leave for 30 minutes.

Step 3: Lightly grease a pan with butter and spoon the mixture on to the hot pan. Cook on each side for a couple of minutes.

Step 4: Transfer to a plate and keep warm while you cook the remaining batter. Use the remaining butter in between to re-grease the pan.

Step 5: Enjoy drizzled with syrup or stack and serve with fresh fruits.

Pancakes and Shrove Tuesday

In Christian traditions, the 40 days before Easter are known as Lent, and they mark the time that Jesus spent fasting in the desert. Traditionally, Christians would mark the period with prayers and fasting, abstaining from a whole range of foods, including meat, eggs, fish, fats and milk. The word ‘shrove’ comes from the old Roman Catholic practice of being ‘shriven’ – meaning to confess one’s sins. The shriving bell would be rung on Shrove Tuesday to call people to church to confess.

Before Lent could begin in earnest, all edible temptations needed to be removed. This took place over a period of days known as ‘Shrovetide’. Meat such as bacon would be eaten up on ‘Collop Monday’ (a collop is a thin slice of meat). And on Shrove Tuesday eggs, butter and stocks of fat would be used up. One of the easiest ways to dispose of these items was to turn them into pancakes or fritters, a custom which continued long after the Church of England separated from the Roman Catholic Church in the 16th century.

Pancake Day: February 21st, 2023

YOUR POLICE AND CRIME COMMISSIONER JONATHAN EVISON

I’m pleased to bring you the latest update from my office on the work we are doing to improve community safety in Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire.

There was some very positive news last November when Humberside Police were given an outstanding grading by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary. This is the police equivalent of an Ofsted report in schools which takes months to complete and the inspectors scrutinise every aspect of the force’s operations and how they deal with crime, find and arrest those who commit crime and how they respond to public calls for service and support those impacted by the offence. It was one of the best results achieved by any force in the country and for me, whose job is to hold the police to account on behalf of the public, it’s a sure sign that the improvements put in place by Chief Constable Lee Freeman and his team over recent years and the hard work of all his officers and staff, have made a positive difference and we now have a police force to be proud of.

BUILDING ON SUCCESS

Of course, not everyone will feel that difference and there are still improvements to be made but Humberside Police has made great strides forward, I was particularly pleased to see the Force Control Room being praised in this report. It is now answering calls more quickly than ever before and the force was the first in the country to offer a call back service for the non-emergency 101 number so that people don’t have to wait on the line during busy periods.

The influx of new police officers continues with more to join in 2023 and also more staff being recruited in the Control Room as call handlers and dispatchers. December saw the largest ever intake of new police officers with 78 student officers taking the oath of constable.

Over the coming months they will complete their training and be on the streets across all areas of our region.

We now have the highest number of police officers for over a decade, that means a better response to your calls, more neighbourhood officers embedded in the community and more deployed into specialist areas of crime. For example we now have a team dedicated to rural crime based in Driffield, more officers dedicated to protecting vulnerable members of society from crime and exploitation, and more officers to deal with serious offences such as domestic abuse, violent crime and sexual offences.

78 new police officers joined Humberside Police in December

WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES

It’s that time of year when your annual council tax bill is issued and you will see a small increase, equivalent to a few pence per week, in the portion of your Council Tax that helps to fund your police service. We are living through tough times economically and as the person responsible for setting the police budget this is not lost on me. Any increase, no matter how small, is something I take seriously, so my finance team work hard to forecast our budget not just for this year, but for the next five years ahead based on what we expect to happen and what we’d like to happen to benefit our communities, otherwise we would stand still and see no further improvement. As a resident and tax payer myself, I want to know what I’m getting for my money so I asked the Chief Constable to outline what extra service he would commit to if I increased the budget. One important aspect for me was to see neighbourhood police teams based back at police stations which had previously been lost. We have already seen neighbourhood police teams either maintained or re-established in Hull, Beverley, Bridlington, Withernsea, Pocklington, Goole and Hedon. This year will see the return of a 24-hour response team based in Driffield and the programme will continue to expand.

INVESTING IN YOUR COMMUNITY

Last year I launched my Community Safety Fund to offer grants to community organisations for local projects that will cut crime and anti-social behaviour and improve feelings of safety. My office received a large number of applications and projects from the first round of applications are now receiving funding. I intend to visit as many projects as I can to see the work that is happening to make our communities safer places. Some of the successful projects in Hull and the East Riding include:

£4,000 for new CCTV to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour at St Margaret’s Play Park in Driffield

£35,000 for the Preston Road Women’s Centre in Hull to support women recovering from domestic abuse.

£29,000 to support women in Bridlington through the Together Women project

£33,000 for Youth engagement projects to be delivered by Hull Beats Bus.

There will be many more to come as we work through the applications from the latest rounds of funding. If you are involved with a community group, non-profit organisation, Town or Parish Council and have an idea or project to cut crime, anti-social behaviour or improve safety where you live, visit the community section of my website to find out more. Grants are available from £500 up to £35,000 and each funding round will be advertised on my website and through My Community Alert so ensure you are registered to receive the latest news.

The number of PCSOs dedicated to communities will be maintained and the roads policing team will be strengthened to tackle dangerous driving, illegal and uninsured drivers and driving that is leading to death and serious injury across the whole region. There will also be more detectives in CID to investigate more crimes and bring offenders to justice.

It is vital that trust and confidence in the police is maintained and improved, you have my assurance that I will continue to monitor progress and report back to you throughout the coming year.

Last year we also received funding from the Home Office to set up the Humber Violence Prevention Partnership with other local agencies to examine the root causes of all forms of violence and deliver projects to prevent it. This work is now starting to gather momentum and you can find out more at www.humbervpp.org

To keep in touch with announcements and the latest news by email, sign up to My Community Alert at www.mycommunityalert.co.uk

For more information visit my website www.humberside-pcc.gov.uk or follow Humberside PCC on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Jonathan meeting with Kirk Ella Parish Council

Jonathan with Councillors and police officers in west Hull

New Books To Read This Winter

If you’re after a new read, we’ve rounded up the best books out there – from highly anticipated debuts to thrilling sequels. Plus, we’ve included a handful of top reader recommendations from our readers.

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

American-Israeli author Leigh Bardugo’s rollercoaster ride of a follow up to Ninth House ups the ante on sinister intrigue and atmospheric chills as Yale’s staff members start turning up very dead, very frequently. Galaxy ‘Alex’ Stern is determined to break Darlington out of hell –even if it costs her a future at Lethe and at Yale. But Alex is playing with forces far beyond her control, and as the staff members die one by one, she knows these aren’t just accidents. Something deadly is at work in New Haven, and if Alex is going to survive, she’ll have to reckon with the monsters. The ideal read if you’re in the mood for something fantasy based.

The Garnett Girls by Georgina Moore

This debut is a powerful tale of sisterhood and home. Margo and Richard’s love affair was the stuff legends are made of – forbidden, passionate, all encompassing, but ultimately doomed. When Richard walked out, Margo shut herself away from the world, leaving her three daughters, Rachel, Imogen and Sasha, to run wild. Having finally put the past behind her, charismatic Margo holds court in her cottage on the Isle of Wight, refusing to ever speak of Richard. But her silence is keeping each of the Garnett girls from finding true happiness. The eldest, Rachel, is desperate to return to London, but is held hostage by responsibility for Sandcove, their beloved but crumbling family

home. Imogen, the dreamy middle child, feels the pressure to marry her kind, considerate fiancé, even when her life takes an unexpected turn. And wild Sasha, trapped between her increasingly alienated family and her controlling husband, has unearthed the secret behind Richard’s departure – and when she reveals it, the effects are devastating.

In Ascension by Martin MacInnes

Leigh grew up in Rotterdam, drawn to the waterfront as a refuge from her unhappy home life and volatile father. Enchanted by the marine world of her childhood, she excels in postgraduate research on ancient algae. When an unfathomable vent appears in the mid-Atlantic floor, Leigh joins the investigating team – and what she finds there will change her life forever. Around the same time, a trio of engineers, unknown to each other, make a seismic breakthrough in rocket propulsion, announcing an almost limitless era of space exploration. Billions of dollars are poured into projects, and Leigh’s classified research on the ocean vent sees her recruited to develop an experimental food source for off-world travel. From her base in the Mojave Desert, she’s drawn further into the space agency’s work. Soon, Leigh embarks on a journey that will take her across the breadth of the cosmos and the fullness of a single human life..

Age of Vice

by Deepti Kapoor

New Delhi, 3am. A speeding Mercedes jumps the kerb, and in the blink of an eye five people are dead. It’s a rich man’s car, but when the dust settles there is no rich man at all, just a shell-shocked servant who cannot explain the strange series of events that led to this crime. Nor can he foresee the dark drama that is about to unfold. Deftly shifting through time and perspective in contemporary India, Age of Vice is an action-packed story propelled by the seductive wealth, startling corruption, and bloodthirsty

violence of the Wadia family. In the shadow of lavish estates, extravagant parties, predatory business deals, and calculated political influence, three lives become dangerously intertwined: Ajay is the watchful servant, born into poverty, who rises through the family’s ranks. Sunny is the playboy heir who dreams of outshining his father, whatever the cost. And Neda is the curious journalist caught between morality and desire. Equal parts crime thriller and family saga, Age of Vice is an intoxicating novel of gangsters and lovers, false friendships, forbidden romance and the consequences of corruption.

The Witches of Vardo

by Anya Bergman

Norway in 1662 is a dangerous time to be a woman, when even dancing can lead to accusations of witchcraft. After recently widowed Zigri’s affair with a local merchant is discovered, she is sent to the fortress at Vardo to be tried as a witch. Zigri’s daughter Ingeborg sets off into the wilderness to try to bring her mother back home. Accompanying her on this quest is Maren – herself the daughter of a witch – whose wild nature and unconquerable spirit gives Ingeborg the courage to venture into the unknown, and to risk everything to save her family. Also captive in the fortress is Anna Rhodius, once the King of Denmark’s mistress, who has been sent in disgrace to the island of Vardo. What will she do – and who will she betray – to return to her privileged life at court? In an age weighted against them, these women refuse to be victims. They will have their justice – all they need do is show their power.

Really Good, Actually

by Monica Heisey

This is one of the most hotly anticipated debut novels of 2023, from Schitt’s Creek screenwriter Monica Heisey. Maggie’s marriage has ended just 608 days after it started, but she’s fine – she’s doing really good, actually. Yes, she’s alone for the first time in her life, can’t afford her rent and her obscure PhD is going nowhere, but at the age of 29,

Maggie is determined to embrace her new status as a ‘Surprisingly Young Divorcee’. Soon she’s taking up ‘sadness hobbies’ and getting back out there, sex wise, oversharing in the group chat and drinking with her high-intensity new divorced friend Amy. As Maggie throws herself headlong into the chaos of her first year of divorce, she finds herself questioning everything. Laugh-outloud funny, sharp and painfully relatable, Really Good, Actually is an irresistible novel about the uncertainties of modern love, friendship and happiness.

FEBRUARY CLEANSE!

Did you know that ‘February’ comes from the Latin word ‘februa’ which means “to cleanse”? The month was named after the Roman Februalia, a month-long festival of purification and atonement that took place at this time of year. Basically, it was all about praying, meditating and spring cleaning. When you think about it, it all makes sense. We’re gradually coming out of Winter, Lent begins on February 22nd and we’re getting ready for Spring and Easter. This is when we clear our heads, declutter our homes and look forward to brighter times and new life.

SPRING IS ON ITS WAY!

Talking of new life, I was so excited when I spotted snowdrops in the woods where I walk my dogs. It means Spring is definitely on the way – and I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait. Spring is such a boost for the soul. The sun is rising and setting a little later every week so the dark and dreary

days of winter are coming to an end. Woohoo! Anyway, here’s to longer, lighter and warmer days, waking to a dawn chorus and seeing lots of colourful daffodils, tulips and other Spring flowers. In the meantime, there’s still a nip to the air so make sure you keep your gloves in your pocket!

SHOULD YOU SEND ROSES TO YOUR VALENTINE?

The language of flowers is absolutely fascinating! I know it’s traditional to send roses to your loved one for Valentine’s Day, but what other options do you have that are equally if not more symbolic of your feelings and might not cost a fortune? Here are a few ideas! Violets represent watchfulness, loyalty and fidelity, so by giving a violet to someone, you’re telling them that you will always be there for them. Meanwhile, primroses let them know that you can’t live without them. You could also try red carnations, which signify love, pride and admiration. Gardenias stand for purity and sweetness and can indicate a secret love or crush, telling the other person you think they are lovely! Have a brilliant February everyone!

Fiona x

Fiona Dwyer, broadcast journalist, PR & media consultant, slave to 2 children and a husband.

Twitter: @fionadwyer • Facebook: Fiona Dwyer PR