December Leigh Oracle by Oracle Publications

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Leigh-on-Sea

December ‘11

ORACLE

Leigh at a glance

Est. Oct 2006. Circulation 5,500

Oracle Competition WIN! Sports Helmets by Hardnutz Total value £180

Local Issues

The True Cost of Local Bureaucracy

Recipe Freeze ahead Beef Bourgignon

Oracle Motoring Is your car ready for Winter?

Hair & Beauty

Men, Want to get the seX Factor?

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DECEMBER

2011

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% Leigh

OR ACLE

publisher’s letter

nother great competition this month! Especially for those outdoor lovers which has been kindly donated by Hardnutz. 1st Prize is a ski helmet plus goggles (£100), 2nd prize a Road helmet (£50) and 3rd prize a Street helmet (£30). The winners will also be able to choose the design of their helmets so check out Hardnutz website to see a varied selection of helmets. www.hardnutz.com To enter, simply send your contact details to: Oracle/Hardnutz Competition. 39 Alexandra Street, Southend. SS1 1BW. Closing date is Monday 19 December. Over the next few weeks, some days will become more hectic than others, however take time out to see what this month’s issue can offer as there are offers and ideas locally that may help you out. Judy has come up with a great recipe which can be planned ahead and used when there just isn’t enough time left in the day to cook a meal.

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Anyway, whatever you may be planning I wish you all a very happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year. # ##

Happy Christmas!

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Emma Wynne-Morgan Publisher

01702 393838

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Local Issues The True Cost of Local Bureaucracy By Ron Woodley Men,Want to get the seX Factor? Hair & Beauty by Craig Smith

Ensure your Pension Pot lasts Money Matters by Jacqui Moyies

Laughter at Lords Cultured Club by Abi Yates

Freeze ahead Beef Bourgignon Judy's Recipe Page

Is your car ready for Winter? Oracle Motoring by Stuart Winder

Do you dread walking any distance? Health & Beauty by Simon Headley

Sudoku

Diary Dates

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DECEMBER J U LY

2011 2010

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Local Issues

The True Cost of Local Bureaucracy? W

hen asked to write an article for this months Oracle, I thought it should be something that readers could talk about over the dinner table with friends and family.

There are a number of certainties in life birth, death and taxes to name a few. Well there is another certainty - the government says local government is costing far more than necessary. They seem to think the only way to increase efficiency is to cut funding. Councils across the country are now re-examining their budgets and the ways in which they deliver services to residents. The funding deficit for Southend Council from central government is £35m. We all want increased efficiency, but it is also important that in managing these budget reductions the Council does not compromise front line services to residents. In January 2010 Southend Council’s Audit Committee (whose terms of reference are to provide independent scrutiny of the council’s financial performance and oversee the financial reporting process) met and recommended the adoption of zero-basebudgeting. DECEMBER

2011

Many Government Departments and Councils across the country have already adopted the technique of zero-based budgeting to establish the true cost base of the organisation and then review the base line every 5 years. After a (lengthy and inexplicable) delay, the Audit Report was finally submitted to Southend’s Cabinet in September 2011. However, the Finance department recommended that zero-base-budgeting should not go ahead and therefore should not be accepted by the administration. There reasons were. n

Extremely more time-consuming than incremental budgeting; and required budget holders to be fully conversant and engaged with financial management of their budget areas.

However, the report ignored many of the key advantages:n

efficient allocation of resources (as it is based on needs and benefits rather than history);

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detects inflated budgets; helps to identify areas of wasteful expenditure; drives managers to find cost effective ways to improve operations; increases staff motivation by providing greater initiative and responsibility in decision–making; increases communication and coordination within the organisation; identifies and eliminates wasteful and obsolete functions; and forces budget holders to identify their relationship to business goals.

Personally, I do not believe that budget holders are not fully conversant or engaged in the financial management of their budgets. I also find it incredible that the advice of an Audit Committee is ignored, what other organisation either private or public would contemplate ignoring the advice of an audit committee?

The administration for whatever reason did not want to contemplate an alternative form of budgeting, which is their prerogative, but it is also every resident’s right to ask why, over the last four years, has the council’s employee costs risen by 16.3% to £72.9m and why in the last two years employee costs have exceeded their original budgets by £3.8m. What I believe is that we need to re-think the way this Council is structured. The torturous decision making process needs to go because we can no longer afford the luxury of both layers of management and consultants in the guise of interim managers, with the financial burden continually being borne by the local tax payer.

Yes, the cuts in funding by central government are both painful and also unavoidable.The administration knows what our funding levels will be in three years time and its management structure should be inline with that funding. Why not promote Given the way the Finance department’s employees from within and use their local comments, one is left wondering if senior knowledge and their enthusiasm instead of officers do not really want change or is the using interims. In doing this, employee’s situation one of financial naivety? Has the morale is improved rather than being Finance department by making this devastated by the continuing cuts. Also the recommendation identified weaknesses in Council can promote a real interest in the management structure and financial working for the benefit of the town and the impact on residents over the next two years systems that have not been apparent? would be minimal. Councillor Ron Woodley

Continually, this administration states that over the years they have made savings through efficiencies. Yet when I look at past trends of departmental budgets I find no evidence of this. What I do find is the continued increase in borrowings and the rise in interest payments which will be in excess of £10m this year. Given the pressure from Government one can only hope that this Council’s administration will listen to Councillors concerns and take the decisions that are now required.

Councillor Ron Woodley 10

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Oracle Hair & Beauty

Men, want to get the seX Factor? It’s time to make a clean Sweep

t’s a phenomenon we hairdressers normally only notice in our lady clients – women coming to the salon clutching pages torn from magazines and asking us to recreate the ‘Rachel ‘(Jennifer Aniston’s eponymous Friends hairdo) or Keira Knightly’s pixie crop. But something has changed in Southend. All of a sudden the men of our town seem to be taking a keen interest in their grooming – and it’s all thanks to a handsome chap who’s been lighting up our TV screens every Saturday and Sunday night.

age being picked out by the papers as one of the stylish men in the UK, he’s become something of a role model for men of a certain age who would look daft trying to dress like One Direction.” He added: “He also seems like a bloke you’d like to go down the pub for a beer with. If you did that with One Direction, you’d just feel like their dad.” As Miranda Hart would say, Gary Barlow clearly has ‘The allure.’

If I had a pound for every time in the past month a sheepish bloke with developing facial stubble has arrived in Grateful Heads and said - in the most macho way possible, of course - ‘Um, if you can sort of ... ahem .. sweep it over to the side at the front and cut it short at the sides....Cough ... a bit like Gary Barlow’ I would be as rich as the man himself.

Glamour Magazine recently published an article called ’30 Reasons Why we Love Gary Barlow’ which sheds some light on it. The article talks about his candid, firm but fair approach to judging. No one's critique is quite so cutting - but no one’s praise is quite so honest, meaningful and heartfelt, either. He is talented as a singer, songwriter and businessman, yet still lovely to his fans. And not forgetting the slightly sarcastic eyebrow

Yes, it seems there is a rather big bromance going on between the men of Essex and the Take That front man. So what is it about the 40-year old from Cheshire that has struck such a chord, and is making hairdressers everywhere refer to the ‘Barlow Sweep’?

But most importantly, like a fine wine or gourmet cheese, Gary Barlow has continued to improve with age – and that is something real men aspire too.

I asked my friend – 44-year old Adam – who’d himself recently become the proud owner of a ‘Barlow Sweep.’ He told me: “I think it’s the fact that he is the same age as me and is not afraid to have a sensible haircut and wear a beard – he dresses well and looks good. So much in the media we see about younger blokes and how they look, so to see someone of my

For all your hair and beauty issues write to beauty@oraclepublications.co.uk Sponsored by

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Understanding your past partnering your future

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Money Matters

Ensure your Pension Pot lasts as long as you do

nce in a blue moon your local newspaper salutes a local resident who has reached the grand-old age of 100. Yet by all accounts, local papers may soon have to devote an entire weekly page to people living to 100 because we are living much longer. It will lighten many moods to learn that nearly a fifth of people living in the UK today are expected to celebrate their 100th birthday. That’s around 10 million people.

(Source:http://www.dwp.gov.uk/newsroom/pressreleases/2010/dec-2010/dwp186-10-301210.shtml)

The figure is well up on the 11,800 people in the UK who are currently at least 100. (Source: Number of Future Centenarians, DWP, December 2010). But of course, people living longer will have an impact on our pensions and long term care systems and, perhaps more importantly, it will greatly affect your own plans. Many people may have an assortment of different pension schemes having worked for different employers, while many will have also made the most of their Pep, Tessa and Isa tax allowances over the years. They need to turn this non-pension money into an income stream that might be needed for another 30 to 40 years. There are also tax implications to consider. Investors need to ensure they are using all their

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available tax-free allowances and ensuring they are paying as little tax as they need. The traditional ways of planning for retirement are past their sell-by date. How lavish, comfortable or tough your retirement years will be is going to be down to you. You simply cannot afford to rely on the state or your employer any more - generous final salary schemes are fast disappearing. That’s why it is important to get planning early. Establish what your state pension entitlement is likely to be. Examine whether you are on track or whether you may have to consider making extra contributions. Many companies contribute far less now, putting the onus on the employee to boost their pension pot. It is great to think that we have a higher chance of living longer, but it means that we have to make our money work harder while we can – and the sooner you start the better. by Jacqui Moyies

To receive a complimentary guide covering Wealth Management Retirement Planning or Inheritance Tax Planning, contact: Jacqui on 01702 589553 Jacqui.moyies@sjpp.co.uk or visit www.sjpp.co.uk/jacquimoyies

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Cultured Club

Laughter at Lords By Abi Yates

n Sunday October 30th I excitedly headed over to Lords Golf and Country Club in Hullbridge near Rayleigh for a night of Laughter at Lords; Comedy and Curry Night.

comedian isn’t to your taste, then you can have the confidence in The Laughing Pod that another comedian will be.

This new comedy night is on every last Sunday of the month and is organised by Stephen Watson who founded The Laughing Pod, whose aim is to bring the best national comedians and the finest new talent to Essex.

As someone who hasn’t been to many comedy nights, I thoroughly enjoyed this intimate gig. It opened my eyes to enjoying comedian’s alternate personalities and what with a curry for dinner before the comedy started, washed down with a beer it was the perfect evening.

I had six acts to look forward to, as with every show, followed by a headliner who continuously appears in comedy tv shows. This time the audience was treated to Mike Gunn, who has The Michael McIntryre Comedy Roadshow and Harry Hills TV Burp among many television credits. We enjoyed some unique and diverse comedy acts such as Dan Mckee who took the mickey out of himself with incredible dignity , Mark Diamond who describes his act as ‘daft’ and had the audience in stitches with his description boards and Jon Williams who told hilarious stories about his son and their relationship.

The next Laughter at Lords is 15th December and headlining is Ben Norris, with Ray Guns Look Real Enough and Compere Al Cowie For tickets please visit www.thelaughingpod.com or contact Lords Golf and Country Club on 01702 232377. Sponsored by

Then came the piece de resistance, Mike Gunn.With his very dry English personality he had the whole audience nearly crying with laughter as the started his act with a list of what mattered to women and what men couldn’t care about. A simple but very effective routine. This new comedy night is varied, original and refreshing. With six acts to enjoy even, if one

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The Gallery - Unisex hair salon away from the hassle and bustle of the Broadway. Offering hair colouring,

COOK Award winning frozen food - Introducing Cook’s Festive Feast. All the dishes at COOK are prepared by hand and then blast frozen at -35C locking away those wonderful flavours ready for you just to defrost and cook. If you are looking for a stress free Christmas in the kitchen this year then look no further. For further details please call 01702 470 037 or www.cookfood.net

Loula Lingerie - If lingerie is your pleasure then look no further and visit the friendly ladies at Loula with your suggested wish list and then ladies, send your husbands in to purchase that ‘truly wanted’ Christmas gift. Loula stocks Passionate sleepwear, Eberjey loungewear, Elle Macpherson Intimates range plus full range of swim wear – cup sized, thermal camisoles, stocking fillers and much more. Now offering gift wrap service. Contact 01702 480 266

Mark James of Leigh - Fine clothing for the discerning gentleman. Offering labels such as John Smedley, Richard James (Savile Row), Grenson. Large selection of clothes ranging from men’s suits to Jeans. Call 01702 482 020 or www.markjamesofleigh.co.uk for further details.

lements Arcade is now open and offers a unique shopping experience for the Leigh shopper. Come along and see for yourself the wonderful new shops that now make up this recently modernised yet stylish building. Read on for a brief outline of the shops that are now up and running within the arcade:-

Shop in style

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Clements Arcade Broadyway, Leigh-on-Sea

Coming soon for 2012 a new Fitness Centre.

Cockadoodledoo – Lastly, take a break from shopping and chill out at the friendly Café offering everything from hot drinks, full English, sandwiches, burgers to Sunday roasts. Open 7 days a week 9 – 6.30 pm. Hog roast available every Sunday 12 – 6pm. Also offers a Take-away service plus a free Wifi service. Venue is for hire for Christmas parties etc. Please call 01702 715 625 for further information.

Forever Sweet - Fabulous old fashioned sweet shop which also offers party bags, wedding favours and many stocking filler ideas for Christmas. Too many different sweets to mention but well worth a visit as I am sure you will find some old favourites. Check out the website www.foreversweet.co.uk or call 01702 714 224 for more details.

Lemon Fox - Wonderful collection of Women’s and Men’s clothing. With brand names such as True Religion (jeans), Sand, Milly, Tibi, Halston, Alice Temperley, James Lakeland and much more. Also stockists for True Religion children’s wear. Call 01702 480 909

Pop Patisserie - Delicious hand made cakes of every variety including a range of Cup Cakes, Cake Pops, Christmas Puddings and much, much more. Also available, chocolate novelty products for Christmas. Please call 01702 719 292 or www.poppatisserie.co.uk for further information

The Gallery - Unisex hair salon away from the hassle and bustle of the Broadway. Offering hair colouring, styling, cut and blow dry plus the ever popular hair ups. Ideal for that special occasion this Christmas. For an appointment please call 01702 716 274

the kitchen this year then look no further. For further details please call 01702 470 037 or www.cookfood.net LEIGH ORACLE DEC 2011:Layout 1 25/11/2011 12:39 Page 23

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recipe of the month In the Kitchen with Judy Barden

Method 1. Tip the beef into a large bowl or container with the bay leaves, thyme, wine and some pepper. Cover and leave overnight in the fridge. 2. Heat the oven to 200c/fan 180/gas 6. Place a colander over another large bowl and strain the marinated meat, keeping the wine. Heat half the oil in a large frying pan and brown the meat in batches, transferring to a plate once browned. ( the trick is not to put too many pieces of meat in at a time otherwise it will stew). Once you have browned all the meat add a little wine to the pan to deglaze it and scrape up any bits. 3. Heat the rest of the oil and fry the carrots and

Freeze ahead Beef Bourgignon

ith the Christmas Holidays fast approaching it is a good idea to get some cooking done and put in the freezer to take the pressure off. If you have a large crowd to entertain a good beef bourgignon is a great standby and goes well with mashed potato or rice. It is nearly all wine so makes a lovely rich gravy and definitely benefits from marinating overnight.

Enjoy!

onions until just start to colour. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 min, then add the tomato puree. Add the beef and any juices from the pan and the rest of the red wine and all the thyme and bay leaves. Season, bring to a simmer and then transfer to the oven and bake for 2 hours until the meat is really tender. Cool and freeze at this stage in a Tupperware type of container.

4. To serve defrost completely overnight in the fridge then place in a med oven (170/150fan/gas4) until it is hot throughout. Meanwhile heat the butter and 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a frying pan and add the onions, fry for about 10 mins then add the bacon and fry for a further 10 mins until the bacon starts to crisp and the onions colour. Add the mushrooms, fry for a further 5 mins, then stir everything into the stew and heat through. Serve scattered with the chopped parsley.

Freeze ahead Beef Bourgignon Serves 6

Next month’s recipe:

1.5kg/3lb 6oz braising steak, cut into large chunks 3 bay leaves bunch of thyme 2 bottles of red wine 2 tbsp sunflower oil 3 large or 6 med carrots cut into chunks 2 onions roughly chopped 3 tbsp plain flour 1 tbsp tomato puree

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Oracle Motoring

Is your car ready for winter? By Stuart Winder ADI

he noticeable chill in the air of late, the early sunsets and misty mornings have turned my thoughts to the preparations for winter. So, along with collating the Christmas card list and searching for the ultimate mince pie, how can you ensure that your car is ready for winter?

ever use fog lights in thick fog (visibility below 100 metres). Always carry a scraper and de-icer to clear off fresh snow or ice, and don’t forget that air conditioning will clear your windscreen more effectively than the fan.

Be on a good footing

If out in the worst weather, or travelling a long way where conditions may change, carrying the following few essential items may prevent an inconvenience from becoming an emergency: Mobile phone AA/RAC etc breakdown number Warning triangle Reflective clothing Warm clothes and boots and/or blankets Food and water or a flask of tea or coffee Jump leads Tow rope and shovel First aid kit

As with a set of sturdy boots, reliable tyres are essential for the cold season. The minimum legal tread depth is 1.6mm, but for snow or ice, 3mm or more is recommended. Remember the change of temperature will affect your tyre pressures, so ensure you consult your owner’s manual and check that they are correct. Also, feel around the tyre for damage or foreign objects as well.

Fail to prepare to prepare to fail!

n n n n n n

Keep it cool

It’s also important to check the level and mixture of coolant in the radiator reservoir. For the coldest months, a ratio of 50/50 of water/anti-freeze is recommended, and the level should always be between the minimum and maximum marks. To do this properly, you may need to drain and re-fill the system with the above ‘winter mixture’. As it is essential to ensure that there is no air left in the system, you might want a professional to take care of this for you.

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Next month: Winter driving tips... Stuart Winder Planet Leasing

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10 Reasons to use an Independent Financial Adviser

1) To Protect your Family ʹ insurances for your life, income, mortgage, and health. 2) To help you plan your Saving ʹ to cover rainy days, and for long term wealth building.

3) To help you plan for Retirement ʹ know where your income will come from in retirement. 4) To Secure your Home ʹ mortgages are tricky ʹ get unbiased advice from an expert. 5) To help meet your Investment Goals ʹ we advise on and manage bespoke portfolios. 6) To find the right Combination of Assets ʹ investment is as much about reducing risk as it is about targeting maximum growth. Get the right combination for you.

7) To obtain an Objective, Impartial Assessment ʹ IFAs must give best advice based on the whole of the market. Let us talk you through the pros and cons of your existing contracts.

8) To Save Money ʹ are your products charge-laden, or are you paying too much tax? 9) To Keep you on track ʹ someone should keep an eye on things in case of changing markets. 10) For Peace of Mind ʹ let someone else (a good IFA) worry about your money for a change.

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Health & Beauty

Do you dread walking any distance? By Simon Headley

ulie sets off for the station every morning, a ten minute walk, no problem but she is dreading this weekend. Husband Dave has suggested a walk in the country. To all intents and purposes Julie is a fit healthy thirty year old. She has a good job in the city, a wonderful family and before she had this knee pain she used to enjoy their regular weekend walks. Julie hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t done any proper exercise since she had a child 5 years ago and is quite aware of the effects this is having on her fitness and flexibility. Several years ago she began to notice that her knees would become painful and swollen after a long walk, initially this was easily rectified by a short rest and a couple of pain killers. Lately her knees have been clicking as she walks up and down stairs.

What can often happen to people who have a sedentary occupation is the shortening of the anterior thigh muscles. This brings the knee cap into an elevated position which in turn alters the mechanics of the knee joint resulting in pain and clicking. A simple solution is to stretch the thigh muscles daily by drawing the heal towards the buttock. This can be done standing or lying on your side, it should be done slowly without bouncing or jerking for 30 seconds on each side. Taking a walk away from the desk during the day will help to maintain the new length achieved by stretching.

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If you are suffering clicking, locking and or swelling in the knee joint this may be associated with a cartilage injury. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be an athlete to experience a cartilage injury it can just be the result of wear and tear. This is a more serious problem and you should consult a medical professional for further advice. An Osteopath might also suggest treatment to relieve the symptoms and give advice about stretching, and exercise. Thirty minutes of acupuncture is often all that is needed to improve the range of movement at the knee and reduce the pain Simple things, but they can save Julie from the symptoms of knee pain that could seriously affect her mobility in the future.

Simon Headley is an osteopath and yoga teacher who offers treatments for most complaints using manipulation, acupuncture and massage together with general health advice. Sponsored by:

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ORACLE Diary Dates CAROLS ON STRAND WHARF AT OLD LEIGH-ON-SEA 10th Dec , 6-7 pm Carol singing by the community, accompanied by Belfairs School. A wonderful evening for all ages. SANTA PAWS Sat 17th Dec, Vanity Fur’s Stable Mews The Broadway, Leigh. 2-4pm Home made cake stall, Christmas gifts, raffle, grotto, stalls from local animal charities and more! 01702 475 533 MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING Thurs 8th Dec - Sat 10th Dec, Clifftown Theatre, Nelson Street, Southend. 7:30pm each evening with 2:30pm Saturday matinee A seasonal slapstick, screwball production of Shakespeare's popular comedy as the self-professed, eternal batchelors Beatrice and Benedick fight it out. Directed by Helen Leblique £8.00 / £5.00 Concession 01702 328335 CAROLS FOR CHRISTMAS AT SOUTHEND TOWN CENTRE Join Southend Radio for some festive cheer as Southend-on-Sea High Street comes to life with the sound of Christmas! This year we will be joined by the Salvation Army, Funky Voices and Southend Youth Arts plus many more! NATIVITY & CAROLS 18 Dec, Hadleigh Methodist Church, London Road, Hadleigh.3pm Practice 5pm start, Refreshments after Pam 01268 79 55 34 or Roger 07899 88 51 58 www.oraclepublications.co.uk www.twitter.com/oracle_essex

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