Thorpe bay feb 2015 web

Thorpe Bay

February 2015

ORACLE Thorpe Bay at a glance Est. Sept 2005. Circulation 5,100

Oracle Competition

WIN! A garden design package worth £1400 with Earth Designs

Local Issues

Budget for 2015/2016

Recipe Page

Spicy Fish Tacos

Council News

Plans for 2015

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Publisher’s letter

A

fter many months of searching and all the hassle that goes with moving, Oracle has finally settled in its new office.Although it isn’t something I would want to do again in a hurry, it has kicked off our 10th year of trading in a great way. I plan to have a number of different occasions to mark this special year for Oracle.

To kick off, this month’s competition is valued at £1400, so don’t delay, make sure you enter ASAP as you never know you could be the lucky winner of the following brilliant prize:Earth Designs is a successful garden design and build company that was formed in 2003. It recently moved to Leigh-on-Sea from London and to mark the occasion it is offering one lucky winner a free garden design package worth £1400.The prize includes an initial consultation, site survey, mood boards, scale plan, planting plan, 3D visuals and supporting document including a detailed no-obligation quote for Earth Designs to construct the garden. Valid for one domestic garden in the South-Essex area. For further information about Earth Designs go to www.earthdesigns.co.uk or call them on 01702 597 587.

To enter simply send your contact details to: Oracle/Earth Designs Competition, Oracle House, 11 Clarence Road, Southend-on-Sea, Essex SS1 1AN or email info@oraclepublications.co.uk. Closing date Friday, 27 February 2015.

Good luck and Happy Valentine’s!

B

Brian Lacey

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ORACLE PLUMBING & HEATING

Garden design by Earth Designs

contents Local Issues Budget for 2015/2016

by Cllr Ron Woodley

9/10

REPAIR OR REPLACE

Scents and Sensibility Hair & Beauty by Craig Smith

16

Fancy trying something new this year?

Oracle Sport by Nick Faux

22

Plans for 2015 Council News by Cllr Ron Woodley

26

Spicy Fish Tacos Judy's Recipe Page

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Local Issues

Budget for 2015/2016 T

his month’s local issues will be a small briefing on the Councils Budget for 2015/16; the initial funding gap equalled £16.3million and although this has been reduced by looking closely at the Councils finances and level of borrowing, this still left a saving to be found of £12.4million. To safeguard front line services and local jobs, the budget proposals identify £10.5million of savings and the use of £1.9million of ear-marked reserves to avoid unnecessary short term cuts. The reserves will be replenished in 2016/17 and 2017/18.

Difficult decisions There is no doubt that some incredibly difficult decisions need to be made to balance our books and I have taken them. It is inevitable that as central Government funding reduces every year, with £33million over the next 3 years, the decisions get tougher and tougher.

However, I am also very clear that we must remain a forward thinking and ambitious authority, and that is why we will continue to seek external funding to deliver capital projects that improve the Borough, and also encourage private investment into the town.

Attract external funding We cannot and will not just batten down the hatches and rein in our ambitions. That would be no good for local people, local businesses or the future economic prosperity of Southend-on-Sea. Our multi-million pound capital programme demonstrates how we can attract significant amounts of external funding to deliver major projects, whilst containing the need for borrowing.

It is no longer possible to just keep making efficiencies here and there. Very stark choices about cost savings, services or charges to generate income have to be made. This must be done against a backdrop of increased demand for services, such as social care and changing demographics which mean we are all living longer and have more elderly people in the Borough that must be looked after. That is why it is imperative that we look at innovative proposals for how we deliver adult social care in the future, both effectively and efficiently.

FEBRUARY 2015

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Therefore, I have little choice but to propose a council tax rise of 1.95%, or 42 pence a week for a Band D property. I do not propose this lightly and accept that local people have also been impacted by the austerity measures. Unfortunately it is unrealistic for this authority to keep taking crippling Government funding cuts, without at some stage having to raise council tax by a small amount. In my view if we keep on accepting the Government’s freeze grant year on year, our council tax base shrinks as it has done by £2million in the last 5 years. This is not sustainable and only stores up bigger problems and the likelihood of bigger tax increases in the years ahead. This is the only sensible and responsible thing to do if we are to maintain our crucial services for local people.

Free evening parking

In consultation with sea-front businesses, car parking charges have also been increased to allow for free all year evening parking after 6pm, to encourage a more robust evening economy and help sea-front businesses.

If we do not do the things suggested in these proposals above, then we will be looking at the possibility of stopping a number of services that residents value and rely on. Whilst I accept that there are elements of this budget that will not be popular, it delivers the major savings required, whilst maintaining, and even investing in, core front line services that will keep our streets clean, look after our most vulnerable people and ensure that we remain a competitive and popular tourist and business destination.

The positive element of the budget is that ÂŁ3million will be invested into front line services, plus proposals that will keep Priory House care Free evening parking after 6pm

home open whilst plans are being developed for an adult social care campus on the Priory site, including a 60 bed dedicated specialist residential dementia care home, extra care housing and a day care centre for up to 45 people suffering with extreme disabilities and learning difficulties.

Balancing act This budget is a balance of a number of things. We are continuing to redesign our services to ensure they remain right for residents, reviewing and renegotiating contracts with suppliers and contractors, finding new income streams and savings, where necessary small increases to fees and charges and prudentially using reserves where there is good reason to do so.

Wherever possible I want to minimise the impact on residents and also our staff. Wholesale redundancies would be counter-productive to both the local economy and also staff morale, which in turn has an impact on services to residents. These budget proposals deliver the necessary savings imposed by Central Government, whilst protecting the most vulnerable members of our community and showing that Southend-on-Sea is ambitious, open for business and serious about its economic future.

Cllr Ron Woodley Leader of Southend Council

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Design, service & quality

Beautifully bespoke kitchens DK2 Kitchens of Leigh-on-Sea can help you design, update and improve your kitchen, by providing ideas, inspiration and advice to guide products and designs available today. And, once youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve settled on a kitchen design thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right for your home or project, we will supply and install your made to measure kitchen at a price you will be delighted with.

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Oracle Hair & Beauty

Scents and Sensibility: If music be the food of love, smother me in Marmite and throw me at Gary Barlow!

I

n spite of the continued winter gloom, Valentine’s Day is always an event at Grateful Heads. Being the beautiful people, our customers, of course, want to make sure they look absolutely tickety-boo on this most romantic of days.

Wowing the one you love never goes out of style, so here are few of my sexiest hints and tips to help you look like a fairytale princess. Or prince…

Pucker Up My three golden rules for the ultimate in kissable lips are; 1. Exfoliate: Slather on a lip balm with a touch of alphy hydroxy acid, 2. Moisturize: Apply a creamy balm containing petrolatum, shea butter or ceramides and 3. Add color: Try a tinted balm.

Go with the glow Exfoliate once or twice a week. Doing this will help your skin to look fresher, smoother and younger. But don’t expect overnight miracles. Start your regime now.

In Delicto fragrante Applying perfume isn’t an art form but there is definitely a right way to do it. Spritz fragrance on your pulse points, which give off heat and release the scent: your wrists, inner elbows, temples, neck hollow, behind the ears, and behind the knees. Apply no more than two drops of perfume, three sprays of eau de parfum, and four hits of eau de toilette.

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Smooth Operator There’s nothing worse than playing footsie under the table and rubbing your foot down a stubbly leg.

Trust me, I know, I’m a cyclist. Rule 1 - Legs: Start above the ankle and work upward in six-inch sections. Rinse your razor between each stroke. To get your knees and ankles, pull the skin taut with one hand and glide the razor with the other. Rule 2 - Underarms: Shave at different angles, since the hair grows every which way. Move the blade upward, then down, then across, rinsing it clean and relathering between strokes. Rule 3 - Bikini line: Avoid irritation by angling the blade in the direction of hair growth and gently shaving with the grain.

Some body to love For smooth, glowing skin all over, try using lightly fragranced body oil, rather than your usual body lotion.

Now you’re Valentine won’t be able to take their eyes – and possibly their hands - off you. Enjoy!

O

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Oracle Sport

Fancy trying something new this year?

Why not try Gig Rowing with Lower Thames Rowing Club

P

eople often associate the word ‘Rowing’ with Olympians clad in lycra, the Oxford and Cambridge boat race and, to the other extreme, having a gentle paddle on a village lake. Gig rowing sits somewhere between all of them....it’s a mixture of social rowing, racing and tours/holidays. The elitist stigma attached to the sport does not exist in Gig rowing, it is open to people of all ages and ability. It’s something for the whole community.

So what is Gig Rowing?

Well, the boats you see our Olympians row are called Fine Boats. They are very light, have sliding seats and designed for speed on calm water. Gigs have fixed seats, much heavier and capable of being rowed in rough and calm conditions. Gig designs can vary – some are made from wood with 6 oarsmen, others are fibreglass with 4 oars. Regardless of the build, Gigs have a coxswain as somebody needs to keep them pointing in the right direction!

LTRC was founded in 2002 with a view to promote and grow coastal Gig rowing in the region. Since 2002 the club has grown to around 80 members, has a fleet of 4 Gigs, 2 Skiffs and a number of smaller boats. We are based in Leigh-on-Sea with some boats in the Old Town and others on Two Tree Island where we enjoy unrivalled, permanent access to the water. A typical year will see us attend various races across the South East and arrange various adventure rows/tours in the UK or abroad.

Why would I want to try Gig Rowing?

Well, aside from being a fantastic way to get fit, it’s great fun, lots to offer and very social. Our boats are out on the water almost every weekend throughout the year, with additional rows during the week and evenings throughout the summer.

So, does this sound like something you may be interested in? If so, we offer a free monthly Learn to Row course and safety talk after which you will be entitled to 2 free rows before deciding if you wish to formally join.

More information For more information please contact: Nick.Faux@lowerthamesrowingclub.com or visit www.lowerthamesrowingclub.com

O

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Council News

Plans for 2015 E

arlier in this edition of Oracle you would have read about the budget for 2015/16 and the need to increase council tax and parking charges. In this article, I would like to stress the positives that are happening over the next few years, and the increase in confidence that the Government and private investors have in your Council’s administration, and Southendon-Sea generally.

Further improvements along the A127 at the Kent Elms and Bell Junctions will take place, with £17.5million to be invested. Additionally there will be further investments into bridge and highway maintenance.

Pier development As mentioned in last month’s edition £2.65million will be invested for condition works on the Pier.

There is also £5.8million being invested into a new waste transfer station and to upgrade the Short Street site for cleansing operations and salt storage.

which will, with private investment into regeneration and redevelopment, bring an estimated £1billion over the next 10years.

Ambitious Budget Despite the tough economic challenges, we absolutely must remain a forward thinking council and this is an ambitious budget in austere times. I know that residents and businesses alike will be delighted that finally investments into the Bell and Kent Elms Junctions are available and are looking forward to improved traffic flow in those areas.

I am committed to reducing the council’s reliance on borrowing, and this budget shows that by committing just a small amount of council funding, we can lever into the town up to 6 times as much in external funding and will be nearly £38million less into our borrowing levels than planned by the previous Conservative administration, and saving nearly £2million in financing costs.

Approximately £1.3million is to be invested into further remedial work on the cliff slip, the Cliffs Pavilion, suitable storage facilities for the Prittlewell Prince’s artefacts’, and work to refurbish the toilet block at Thorpe Hall Avenue. Also £32million will continue the completion of the Decent Homes programme on council houses.

Despite the difficult times this gives Southendon-Sea an impressive capital budget to make a difference to important local facilities, job creation and infrastructure and shows that the town is open for business and here to do the very best for local people and local businesses.

Including these new projects this means that over the next 4 years £157million will be invested and spent on capital projects within the Borough

Cllr Ron Woodley

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Leader of Southend-on-Sea Borough Council

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FEBRUARY 2015

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Advertorial

Shoebury High shows ‘Hard Work’ pays off!!

S

hoeburyness High School has a fantastic reputation for its annual musical productions and this year’s Fame was certainly no exception.The cast and crew set up camp in the school’s hall (complete with orchestra pit, raked seating and scaffolding) for five nights of outstanding entertainment playing to packed audiences.

Fame follows a group of students embarking on their four-year journey at the New York Performing Arts School. We see them coming to terms with life and relationships, those who persevere, who are resilient - and those who are not. Above all, we see them perceiving the need to strive for excellence.

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T H O R P E B AY O R A C L E

The show was reviewed by Tessa Davies from the National Operatic & Dramatic Society (NODA). The production has since been nominated for ‘Best Youth Production’; the school will find out in May if we were successful in winning the title so fingers crossed! The production has also already been awarded‘Best Chorus’ by NODA and will receive a trophy in May when the awards ceremony takes place.

Tessa said of the show, “The energy and high standard of performance demonstrated by all of them was simply outstanding. Another brilliant production - well done”.

The set and costumes were a stunning feature of artistic design with light boards helping to indicate scenes, tasteful, colourful and effective costumes and large pyrotechnics which had the audience jumping! The ever-reliable technical crew of Alex Baldwin and Simon Hughes kept the light and sound perfect throughout. I must confess that as I embarked on directing this production I never quite realised how challenging it would be to stage due to the amount of varying scenes between characters, the set changes and the many dance routines.

This production included large-scale musical numbers with lead roles, plus all chorus and

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FEBRUARY 2015

main dancers, meaning that around 70 performers would be performing in the routine at the same time! Musically the show was outstanding: the 14 piece show band (many of them students at the school) gave a rendition of the score in a professional and extremely lively manner.

A cast of 70 Students However all the professional production values of the West End are as nothing without the performers and I’m so pleased to say that once again the school has proved itself to be overflowing with talent. A cast of 70 students worked tirelessly to win the audience over with some gutsy and great performances, belting out all numbers with remarkable energy and musicality.The acting was a joy too, moving from fine comic timing to moments of real emotive drama. For many of the students this was their first year playing a lead role. The dance routines by all the cast were slick and professionally executed with outstanding energy.There was so much talent in fact that two casts were used across the five nights, with actors swapping main roles and no performance suffering as a result.

Outstanding work The show was put together in only 12 weeks and rehearsals were extremely hard going and demanding on all performers; however, the entire cast rose magnificently to the occasion.

The show was absolutely outstanding and all credit should be given to both casts who were wonderful and extremely professional throughout all rehearsals and shows! The entire crew, cast, band and production team all worked incredibly well together and should all be extremely proud of what they achieved in such a short space of time. Here’s looking forward to Shoeburyness High School’s production in 2015!

Sarah Oddy CPDL Expressive Arts

We have our Year 9 Options evening on the 5th March in the Singleton Centre at 7pm. All l parents of year 9 students in the schoo at offer on is what out find should attend to Key Stage 4.

O Shoeburyness High School 01702 292286 schooloffice@shoeburyness.southend.sch.uk www.shoeburynesshigh.co.uk

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recipe of the month

For the chutney:

In the Kitchen with Judy Barden

80g fresh coriander 2 ripe avocados chopped 1 garlic clove halved 7-8 tbsp water 2-3 tsp lemon juice 1-2 green chillis halved

For the warm slaw:

1 tsp vegetable oil 2/3 tsp brown mustard seeds 2/3 tsp nigella seeds ( onion seeds) 160g finely shredded red cabbage 80g carrots, shredded 1 small red onion finely sliced

1. Mix the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and season well. Add the fish and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.

2. Pre heat the grill to high. Whizz the ingredients

Spicy Fish Tacos

T

his is a really tasty light lunch or supper dish. The creaminess that’s usually provided by sour cream or mayo comes from the healthier avocado and coriander chutney with a little low fat Greek yoghurt. The flavours are herby, spicy, tangy and creamy with every mouthful having a little crunch.

The recipe may look long but it can be made in about 15 mins once the marinating is done and you have chopped and shredded. Enjoy!

for the chutney in a food processor, taste and season. Put the fish on an oiled baking tray and grill for 8-10 minutes until just cooked and springy to the touch .

3. Meanwhile make the slaw by heating 1 tbsp oil in a non stick frying pan, add the seeds and once they have popped add the sliced vegetables and season.

Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring once or twice then remove from the heat.

4. Warm the tortillas wrapped in foil in the oven for the last 3-4 mins of the fish cooking time.

5. Spread each tortilla with 1 tbsp of the chutney

Spicy Fish Tacos - Serves 4

across the centre. Put a quarter of the slaw and a quarter of the fish on top.

Ingredients:

6. Dollop over 1 tbsp of yoghurt then roll. Repeat

350g white fish such as cod or haddock from the thick loin end cut into 5cm pieces Vegetable oil 4 flour tortillas 4tbsp low-fat Greek yoghurt

with the remaining tortillas and serve immediately.

Next month’s recipe: Half-fat Chocolate Cupcakes

For the marinade:

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2 tsp vegetable oil 100g natural yoghurt 2 garlic cloves grated to a paste 12g fresh ginger, grated 4 tsp lemon juice 1 ½ tsp ground cumin ½ tsp ground turmeric ½ tsp chilli powder 1 tsp garam masala 1 tsp tomato puree

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Clean it up Winter weather leaves driveways drab and dirty.

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Flower power There’s nothing more appealing than a hanging basket or window box spilling with foliage. Perennials are an obvious choice, as they don’t have to be replaced every year.

Selling a home is always stressful. Make sure you give yourself the best chance of a sale by creating and maintaining an impressive entrance.

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Garden design by Earth Designs

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Saturday February 7 10am – 12pm Leigh Community Centre, 71-73 Elm Road New and nearly new baby and children's fair. Stalls selling new and secondhand goods including clothing toys and much more. 07891 163376

TREE IDENTIFICATION WALK

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Tickets £11.50 - £12.50 Advance booking 01702 232683 Box office 01702 351135

CREATIVE CRAFTS SHOW

12-14th February Five Lakes Crowne Plaza near Colchester You'll find all the hottest crafts and hobbies at Five Lakes and all the materials and supplies you'll ever need plus there'll be workshops, Make & Takes and FREE demonstrations to enjoy. Tickets: Adults £8.00, concessions £7.00 01822 614671

3 MODERN NOH PLAYS

Three short plays by Yukio Mishima, based on classical Japanese Noh dramas, performed as a collection integrating masks, movement and music to tell tales of malevolent spirits, dream-travel and adultery. www.clifftowntheatre.co.uk Wed 25 Feb 2015 - 19:30, Fri 27 - Sat 28 Feb 2015 -19:30 2:30pm (Friday matinee). Tickets: £10 / £6 concession

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GENERAL PHYSIOTHERAPY SPORTS INJURIES NECK AND BACK PROBLEMS SPRAINS AND STRAINS WHIPLASH INJURY ARTHRITIS

For advice and free, no-obligation quotations please telephone : F U LL A SSE S SM E N T U N DE R T AK E N

01702 582489 or 07984 924916

R E G IST E R E D W IT H A LL M AJ O R IN S U R AN C E C O MP AN IE S

83-1#,*./#,3)9#.4::3%9#$",$1%#.'2*;'-#+.*2#%3)' $0-#$#+.3'0-"15#&.*+'%%3*0$"#%'.;3('#64$.$0)''-<

MAINTENANCE MAN All Garden Work Shed Roofs Renewed Fencing & Repairs Guttering & Cleaning Carpentry Work Painting Etc Crazy Paving Re-pointing & Power Cleaning ANY OTHER WORK CONSIDERED! PHONE KEN:

01702 781140 FEBRUARY 2015

Specialising in:

CERAMIC PORCELAIN STONE MOSAIC for over 20 Years

01702 612602 / 07729 550909 Please find our work on Facebook : Gary Perks Wall & Floor Tiling Visit our gallery www.gperks-tiling.co.uk

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BrooksPaving

BLOCK PAVING 5 O %

whe n yo u ORA mentio CLE n th e

Established 1993

FF

Over 100 driveways completed in the Thorpe Bay and North Shoebury areas

HIGHER TEC IN BUILDING : VAT REGISTERED COMPANY

For a

FREE ESTIMATE

please call:

01702 535335 Mob: 07976 204016

Air&Back

! Airport Transfer Specialists Air & Back, the airport-transfer specialists, provide an efficient and friendly door-to-door transfer to and from your airport. seaport or ferry terminal, at a reasonable cost.

Get your holiday or business trip off to a comfortable start with an effortless transfer from Air & Back.

! ! ! !

!

Polite, experienced and wellpresented drivers Full comprehensive insurance including Hire and Reward Drivers and vehicles licensed by the local authority.

Detailed confirmation to you the day before departure

Call today for a competitive quote Air & Back, 75 Mayfield Avenue, Southend-on-Sea Essex SS2 6NR

Tel/Fax: 01702 435722 Mobile 07903 301086

CITY ★ STANSTED ★ GATWICK ★ LUTON ★ HEATHROW 54

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Re-upholstery & Antique Restoration by experienced local craftsmen High-quality craftsmanship :FREE ! Specialists in Young Bros. and Coopers Estimates ! 3-Piece Suites made to your specifications ! Extensive library of fabrics including:Voyage,Villa Nova, Ross, Linwood etc. ! Very competitive rates

All work carried out in the Poynters Lane Workshop

PETER J. WEDDELL Upholstery . Antique Restoration

Middle Barn, New House Farm, Poynters Lane SS3 9TS

01702 216638 . 07787 133359

FEBRUARY 2015

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Thorpe Bay

ORACLE

ORACLE View the latest issues

Index to advertisers ACCOUNTANTS Taylors Chartered Accountants 44 ADVERTISING Oracle publications uk LTD 39 60 Wilkins Kennedy AERIALS & SATELLITES 1st South East Aerials 52 38 Essex Digital Services AIRPORT TRANSFER Air & Back 54 BATHROOMS First Choice Bathrooms 1 BLINDS & SHUTTERS Creative Shutters & Blinds 27 Worth & Co Blinds 40 BLOCK PAVING Brooks Paving 54 BUILDERS Kontor Construction 13 BUILDING SUPPLIES St. Ann's 49 CARPENTRY John Sorrell 53 CARPETS Loom 19 Trade Carpets 5 CARPET & OVEN CLEANING Gates Services 51 CLEANING Maid in Essex 12 COMMERCIAL/DOMESTIC PLUMBING & HEATING Essex Maintenance 23 COMPUTER SERVICES Computopia 48 DANCE CLASS Shoebury High School 33 DECORATOR Adrian Rayfield 13 GMH Renovations 46 Keith Gibson 55 MK Decor 45 Stuart Wylie 18 DOUBLE GLAZING REPAIR Cloudy 2 Clear 34 ELDERLY CARE SERVICES Brooks Care 13 ELECTRIC DMB Electric 33 FIREPLACES Fireplace & Design 6 GAT Fireplaces 25 FLOORING Daniel James Flooring 59 FUNERAL SERVICES AR Adams Funeral Services 57

FURNITURE RESTORERS TS Baskett 52 GARAGE RS Automotives 29 Service Garage 24 GARDEN CENTRE Morley's Garden Centre 47 GLASS MERCHANT Colin's Glass 23 GRANITE Granite Transformations 18 GUTTERS & FASCIAS AC Solutions 20 GUTTER CLEANING New Look Outdoor Cleaning 38 HAIR & BEAUTY Grateful Heads 16 Headhunters 51 HANDYMAN Piper Construction 50 HEALTH & BEAUTY Cliff House Clinic 41 Le Salon Chic 36 HEATING & PLUMBING Sonray Heating 44 HOME CARE Doris Jones 11 INSURANCE Carroll Insurance 15 INTERIOR DESIGNERS Janet Williamson 27 Morris Interiors 32 Ultimate Interiors 2 JEWELLERY AV & BV Andrews 49 KITCHENS Apollo Kitchens 17 DK2 Kitchens 14 Kitchen Base 39 KITCHEN INTERIORS Prittlewell Interiors 18 LANDSCAPING James Dalton Landscaping 42 Grassroots Landscaping 43 LIFESTYLE ASSISTANT Greta 12 MAINTENANCE MAN Ken Sendall 53 MARBLE WORKTOP Abbey Marble 43 MOBILE BEAUTY/SHELLAC SERVICES Chic Cheeks 12 OPTICAL CC Optical 48

ONLINE

THORPE BAY - FEB 2015_Layout 1 23/01/2015 14:13 Page 1

Thorpe Bay

February 2015

Oracle-on-Sea

February 2015

ORACLE ORACLE Thorpe Bay at a glance

Leigh, Chalkwell & Southend Conservation Area Est. Oct 2006. Circulation 6,700

Est. Sept 2005. Circulation 5,100

Oracle Competition

Oracle Competition

WIN! A garden design package worth £1400 with Earth Designs

WIN! A garden design package worth £1400 with Earth Designs

Local Issues

Local Issues

Budget for 2015/2016

Budget for 2015/2016

Recipe Page

Recipe Page

Spicy Fish Tacos

Spicy Fish Tacos

Council News

Council News

Plans for 2015

Plans for 2015

First Choice

Come and see the largest display of Villeroy & Boch products in Southend!

Bathrooms

Open Mon-Fri 9-5:30pm • Sat 9-5pm • (1pm Wednesdays)

33-35 Spa Road, Hockley, Essex, SS5 4AZ

The complete Bathroom Solution from Design to Completion FINALIST: BATHROOM RETAILER OF THE YEAR 2015

01702 204907

Open Day

Saturday 7th March from 10am until 12 noon

www.firstchoicebathrooms.com • www.facebook.com/pages/first-choice-bathrooms

Front cover image by www.earthdesigns.co.uk

Front cover image by www.earthdesigns.co.uk

To advertise in ORACLE call

01702 393838

OVEN CLEANING Ovenclean PHYSIOTHERAPIST Physio Answers Susan White PLUMBING & HEATING Brian Lacey Hammond & Sons M Walker RESTAURANTS Café Masala Trattoria Verde ROOFING Estuary Roofing SCHOOLS Shoebury High School St. Michael's School SKIP HIRE Leigh Skip Hire SOLICITORS White & Co SOUTH INDIAN RESTAURANT Red Chilliezs TILING Battlesbridge Tiling G Perks Tiling MCG Tiling TREE SERVICES Mike's Tree Services Treefella Tree-King UPHOLSTERY Peter Weddell VIDEO & TV SERVICES HB Electrical WINDOW CLEANING BC Windows

55 8 53 3 43 4 38 35 45 30/31 7 50 21 8 55 53 27 52 45 33 57 28 46

ORACLE - the smart little glossy mags for Southend

Reach over 30,000 readership in Leigh, Chalkwell, Southend Conservation Area & Thorpe Bay hungry for your business Call for a Media Pack or visit www.oraclepublications.co.uk To advertise in ORACLE call 01702 393838 All rights reserved. No part of Oracle Publications UK Ltd. may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means either wholly or in part without prior permission of the publisher. Oracle Publications UK Ltd. is editorially autonomous and the opinions expressed are not those of the publisher unless expressly stated.

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U U U U U

Come for a free initial consultation over a coffee

To see how we can help, please contact our Southend office on T: 01702 348646 E: southend@wilkinskennedy.com www.wilkinskennedy.com www.wilkinskennedy www .wilkinskennedy.com .wilkinskennedy .com