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GLOUCESTERSHIREâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BIGGEST LOCAL MAGAZINE JANUARY 2021

STROUD DISTRICT HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OUR READERS AND ADVERTISERS!

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S Stroud troud D District: istrict: 41,000 41,000 copies copies G Gloucester: loucester: 446,000 6,000 ccopies opies C heltenham: 443,000 3,000 copies copies Cheltenham: C otswolds: 330,000 0,000 ccopies opies Cotswolds: N orth G loucestershire: 220,000 0,000 ccopies opies North Gloucestershire:

IInside nside tthis his month month ... ... D Delicious elicious D Dish ish

EEducation ducation & EEmployment mployment

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Parenting Guardianship P arenting & G uardianship

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Index, Index, Competitions, Competitions, S Solutions olutions 2266 U Unit nit H H,, C Churchill hurchill IIndustrial ndustrial EEstate, state, Churchill Road, C hurchill R oad, LLeckhampton, eckhampton, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL53 C heltenham, G loucestershire G L53 7EG 7EG

01242 510500 510500 Telephone T elephone 01242 info@thelocalanswer.co.uk info@thelocalanswer.co.uk @thelocalanswer @ thelocalanswer

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W elcome Welcome ttoo JJanuary anuary Happy New Year to you all! We hope you were able to enjoy a bit of a different Christmas and connect with family and friends in one way or another. January can be a tough month for many as we recover from the festivities of Christmas – and this year is even more strange as we continue to live with lockdown restrictions. Laura Nicklin has some great gadget suggestions to help you beat the January Blues, while this month’s Delicious Dish is a big serving of comfort food in the form of Snowdon Pudding. If you’ve been thinking about making some New Year’s Resolutions, why not make some eco-friendly ones this year? Both Gill Greenwell and Louise Williams have great ideas in their Interior Design and Save the Planet articles. Roberta Smart has dedicated her feature to finding fun in our ‘new normal’, while Holly Prince weighs up the pros and cons of working from home – another ‘new normal’ for many of us. Happy reading!

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Delicious Delicious Dish Dish with w ith H Helen elen K Kingscott ingscott

I llove ove a an no oldld ffashioned ashioned ssteamed teamed pudding, pudding, especially especially in in the the colder colder w winter inter months. months. T There here are are many many variations variations of of this this pudding, pudding, some some using using suet, suet, but but I like like this this one. one.

S Snowdon nowdon Pudding Pudding IIngredients: ngredients: 60ml/4tbsp marmalade; 50g/1¾ oz raisins (I used sultanas); 75g/2¾ oz caster sugar; 100g/3½ oz white breadcrumbs; 50g/1¾ oz cornflour; grated rind of 2 lemons; 3 medium eggs, beaten; 100g/3½ oz margarine, melted.

M Method: ethod: 1 Grease a 600ml/1 pint pudding basin. 2 Spoon 30ml/2 tbsp marmalade in the bottom (I added two more for luck!) Sprinkle over half the dried fruit. 3 Mix together all the dry ingredients, stir in the eggs, remaining marmalade, margarine and dried fruit.

4 Pour into the pudding basin then cover with a disc of greaseproof paper, then a piece of pleated foil. 5 Either place on an inverted heatproof plate inside a pan or, as I did, just use the steamer part of a saucepan set. 6 Add a little water to the pan, cover and steam for 1½ hours, topping up the water as necessary. 7 Carefully turn out and serve with custard, cream or ice cream. Tip: Tip: This freezes well so you could pop a couple of slices in the freezer for an easy pudding another week.

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E Education ducation & E Employment mployment w with ith H Holly olly P Prince rince

W Working orking from from home home Recent world events have led to an increase in the number of people having to work from home. This has advantages and disadvantages – for both the employee and the company they work for. One good thing about working from home is not having to commute – being able to get out of bed that little bit later, then not having to wait in queues for buses, the hassle of train delays, or frustrating traffic jams – plus saving money on petrol, which is good for the environment too.

Manage M anage y your our o own wn ttime ime Time-management becomes a personal remit – having lunch at a time that suits you, and not having to wait for a colleague to cover your break. You don’t have the boss breathing down your neck when you’re sat in the comfort of your own home. For the company, they may be able to save money on renting office space due to not needing as much as before, plus, making the most of

modern technology by having meetings via social media saves time and money. Disadvantages include the need to be self-motivated – you still need to get up at a reasonable hour and get your work done. There are still deadlines to meet and those boring-but-compulsory conference calls to be on time for. From a social point of view, there is no interpersonal contact with colleagues – and human contact is important for health and well-being, it is a social need. You may struggle without others to talk to and discuss things with – and it’s not so productive talking to the dog!

N No op peer eer ssocialising ocialising In addition, there’s no peer socialising – e.g. having coffee breaks and lunch together, and some people can find this demoralising and The Local Answer

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depressing, as it is an integral part of the work environment. Family interruptions may be something that needs contending with, especially if there are young children at home.

Higher H igher e energy nergy ccosts osts For both the individual and the employer, there may be a higher cost in terms of energy bills. For the staff member, being at home means using more electricity for laptops and lighting, and water for all those coffees. For the employer, if some staff are in, but not others, there may be the wasted costs of having to heat or light a whole building if they are unable to contain the energy consumption – and in the winter months there is a greater need than when the days are lighter and warmer. Home-working is a sign of the times – so many things are now able to be done online that work can be done remotely with no need for office space. This seems to be the direction the world is heading in. Page 

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P Parenting arenting & G Guardianship uardianship w with ith R Roberta oberta S Smart mart

Finding Finding ffun un iin n our our ‘new ‘new normal’ normal’ 2020 was, well, interesting wasn’t it? I wonder what 2021 has in store? Whatever it may bring one thing is for certain, family has never been more at the forefront of everybody’s minds than it is right now. And across this year I hope to bring you inspiration, comfort and uplifting ideas to help you navigate the ups and downs of family life in our ‘new normal’. January finds us in the depths of winter, looking yearningly at the horizon for any signs of spring; grabbing any bright sunny weekends with glee as a chance to go outdoors and feel free. Our children have had a lot to cope with over the past year and are probably feeling a certain amount of grief and sadness around the limitations we are all living under. So how can we make the days more special and memorable, in a good way? Finding fun is easier than you might imagine if you allow your own inner child to take the lead from time to time: think back to when you were a

kid – what did you love to do to get excited and let loose? Dancing maybe? What about having a regular dance party in the living room on a Friday night? You can all choose favourite songs to put on your Spotify account and push back the furniture to really have a wild time, get sweaty and laugh as you take turns to ‘Lead the dance’. Let little ones teach you how to floss, or simply jump around like a loon before collapsing in a heap on the sofa and having gigantic cuddles!

Get a Get artisitic rtisitic a and nd a adventurous! dventurous! Den building is always great fun and can keep young and older kids alike ent ert ai ned f or hours using furniture, blankets and accessories to create a house within a house! If they are feeling artistic they could create ‘Keep Out’ signs or other fun details like ‘This Way to the Castle’ or ‘Secret Dungeon’ for example. If The Local Answer

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you can share a fun adventure story around the den building you can all use your imaginations to build castles, forts, wizards lairs, fairy grottos – whatever your heart’s desire and it is all free! Togetherness has never been more important so letting your kids learn about what interests you, as well as you being willing to take an interest in their passions, can lead to some amazing adventures. Playing music together is such fun, from simple recorder tunes to full on band rehearsals depending on what you have handy. Instruments are available cheaply these days and there are so many online tutorials to help you learn together. Whatever you decide to do, do it together and make memories of closeness, love and laughter that will hopefully overshadow the difficulties we are all navigating these days. I wish you all a very happy new year and a wonderful January. Take care and stay safe! Page 

Quick Crossword ACROSS DOWN 1 Wily 1 Religious non-belief 5 Pen tips 2 Local vegetation 7 Lead-in 3 Extent 8 Brave man 4 Sloping typeface 9 On an occasion 5 Asian food items 10 Lazed 6 Tour de France vehicle 11 Have effect (on) 12 Wheel tooth 13 Scalp parasites 15 Astounding 14 Oversee 16 Respected 18 Dress ribbons 17 Pilot safety aid, ... 21 Tropical tree seat 22 More profound 19 Beer 24 Irritating to the skin 20 Long steps 25 Terrace level 22 Dutch sea walls 26 Cattle prod 23 Golfer’s two under 27 Run off to marry par 28 Old 29 Becomes faster, ... up

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Motoring M otoring w with ith T Toby oby A Aiken iken

Toyota T oyota Land Land Cruiser Cruiser – does does what what it it says says on on the the tin tin I’ve always loved big 4x4s. I grew up on Exmoor in Devon, so there were always a lot of them about – mainly Land Rovers to be fair, but as offerings from further afield became more affordable and developed a reputation for reliability, the traditional khaki, greens and dark blues were joined by some much brighter offerings. Back to the Land Cruiser. As robust 4x4s go, it’s right up there among the best. BBC documentary film crews in Africa and the support crews for most Top Gear style adventures use them because they are so solid and reliable; so what does that tell us? They are reliable and can hold a lot of stuff while travelling over some of the most challenging terrain the world has to throw at us. But we live in the UK. Challenging terrain isn’t everywhere you look, so to be worth the almost £40k price tag, the Land Cruiser has to work as a car too.

Comfortable, Comfortable, sspacious pacious a and nd ssupportive upportive I tested it both with my family, and with a work trip to London for a client meeting that meant motorways and city driving (pre-lockdown). While mod-cons aren’t all that evident, it’s comfortable enough. Good supportive seats, lots of space and a ride quality that, while robust, isn’t jarring or unfitted to motorways. Even navigating London and multi-storey car parks wasn’t that challenging. But there are many more luxThe Local Answer

urious cars that can manage off road – the Land Rover Discovery for example. But that starts at almost £10k more than the Land Cruiser; that’s a lot for some more leather and a few gadgets. You could argue that the badge adds some value, but in reality, if you’re looking for a work horse that can handle town driving too, does the badge matter that much? I’d suggest that it doesn’t. And even if, for you, reputation is important, the Land Cruiser is trusted by the most demanding film crews in the most challenging environments on the planet, so surely that counts for something. On to the equipment. It’s missing a couple of things I’d like: sat nav on the Utility model for example. The next model up has it as standard, but that’s another £3k on the price tag. It has bluetooth though, so you can always use your smartphone for navigation, battery permitting. It has all the usual bells and whistles you’d expect from a To advertise call 01242 510500

capable rugged off-road vehicle – and one or two that I’m still unsure of. There was one button in particular that stumped me. To this day I have no idea what it did, so I didn’t press it, just in case!

IItt works works well well off off the the beaten track track beaten So reasonably comfortable, very spacious, easy to drive and move around, just not that luxurious. But I think if you want something that works first and foremost off the beaten track, and can handle any urban duties you throw at it, then the Land Cruiser is probably a good bet for you. Between this version and a Discovery, I’d probably take the Land Rover. But up the spec level on this and I have a feeling my decision would be different. For a big beast of burden, the Land Cruiser’s looks are more convincing than those of the Discovery, and for that, I think I could be swayed the way of the Toyota. Perhaps. Page 11

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Beat Beat the the January Januar y blues blues Princess 33900 Princess 33900 Smart Smart Cordless C ordless R Robot obot Vacuum Vacuum

As we enter the New Year and try to move as far away from 2020 as possible, it’s feeling increasingly harder to ignore those dreaded January blues. You’d even be forgiven for leaving your Christmas lights out for longer, just to inject some much-needed holiday cheer into your home. But if you’re still in need of some helpful gizmos to perk you up, why not give one of these household gadgets a try?

IInstant nstant P Pot ot D Duo uo P Plus lus 6 M Multi-Use ulti-Use P Pressure ressure C Cooker ooker Lakeland: £89.99 If being in lockdown has done anything, it’s forced more of us to spend more time in the kitchen. So why not make your life easier and jazz up your kitchen space with this multitalented pressure cooker? The Instant Pot Duo Plus from Lakeland comes equipped with everything from a sous-vide setting to sterilising setting. Whether you’re whipping up rice, steaming vegetables or cooking up a tasty stew, this

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Argos: £199.99 Make hoovering a doddle with the Princess Smart Robot Vacuum from Argos. Suitable for laminate flooring, hard floors, carpets and rugs, this snazzy gizmo is the perfect little helper for any home. With its smart sensors, this little robot can get to work while you crack on with other chores, as it can find its own way around household obstacles like stairs or sharp corners.

gadget has it all, and it makes cooking simpler than ever, so even beginners can get involved. What better way to enjoy a cold winter evening than with a warm homemade meal?

The The V Velvetiser elvetiser Hotel Chocolat: £99.95 I have 3 words for you that will automatically cheer you up: hot chocolate maker. Instead of worrying about going out to get your chocolate fix, enjoy your fresh hot chocolatey beverage from the comfort of your home. The aptly-named Velvetiser from Hotel Chocolat is a sleek and stylish contraption that is perfectly suited for any chocolate lover. Instead of waiting impatiently by the microwave or heating your milk over the stove, simply plug in the Velvetiser to whip up some delicious baristastyle hot chocolate in just 2.5 minutes. This gizmo is easy to clean and the perfect piece of tech to perk up a chocolate lover’s winter.

Just use the Homewizard Cleaner app to set the robot’s schedule, so it can get cleaning even when you’re not home, and it sends you an alert when it’s finished. Your home will be glistening clean in no time.

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IIn n tthe he Garden Garden w with ith JJulia ulia S Smith mith

Grow G row shrubs shrubs for for ffree ree New Year resolutions are easily made and even easier broken, however if you used your enforced time at home in 2020 to start gardening I think one of your resolutions should be to carry on! Hopefully you will have got the bug properly now and benefitted so much from being outside and perhaps eating some home-grown produce for the first time.

Wonderful Wonderful p pink, ink, p purple urple a and nd v violet iolet ccolours olours To see the flowers of your Hellebores at their best in the coming weeks, cut away last year’s grotty leaves. If you haven’t got any this is a good time to buy them, as they are starting to flower and you can pick your favourite from all the wonderful range of pink, purple and violet colours. They like a nice rich soil and will thrive in semi-shade, and look so magical with snowdrops and evergreen ferns during the dark days of January and February.

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Mulch fruit trees , bushes and canes with organic matter, unless the soil is wate rlogged or frozen. This will give them a well-needed boost for the coming season.

Take T ake cuttings cuttings from from deciduous d eciduous sshrubs hrubs Why not grow some shrubs for free? Hardwood cuttings are taken from deciduous shrubs just after leaf fall or just before bud burst in spring. Think Buddleja (above), Cornus and Philadelphus. Choose strong, healthy shoots and cut stems about 20cm long of a pencil thickness. Trim the top with a slanting cut just above a bud (so you know which side is up!) and square cut the base just below a bud. Remove the leaves from the bottom two-thirds and cut remaining leaves in half. Remove a sliver of bark from the base and dip the To advertise call 01242 510500

cutting in hormone rooting powder to aid rooting. You can push them into open ground or use pots which you can put in a cold frame. They will be ready to move to a final location in autumn or pot on into containers.

S Sort ort o out ut y your our ffruit ruit a and nd v vegetable egetable p patch atch Tidy up your vegetable plot by clearing away the finished crops and putting them on the compost heap to reduce pests and diseases. If you cover the soil with black plastic this will warm the soil up ready for sowing seed later and keep weeds down. Try forcing some rhubarb. Cover the dormant buds with either straw or dry leaves inside a terracotta forcing pot or a large bucket to keep the light out. Tender pink stems will be produced in a few weeks’ time. Don’t do this to the same plant every year, as it will need to recover and build its reserves up. Page 1

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DYKES BUILDERS LOCAL • FRIENDLY • PROFESSIONAL

A family business delivering a quality service for your home

johndykes52@hotmail.com www.dykesbuilders.co.uk

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07813 774370

Family run business ~ 40 years’ experience All aspects of roofing – new installations, repairs, cleaning, chimney repointing, ridge tiles, gutters, fascias, soffits and flat roof work Re-pointing and general brick work and garden wall replacement and repairs NO JOB TOO obligation’ N OJ OB T OO SMALL SMALL – ffor or a ffree ree ‘‘no no o bligation’ estimate contact William e stimate please please c ontact W illiam ... ...

PPLEASE DIAL LEASE DIAL AAREA CODE REA CODE

01452 348760 • 07887 760801

w wbhomeimprovements427@gmail.com bhomeimprovements427@gmail.com

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Paving & Tarmac Specialists B Block lock Paving Paving • TTarmac armac • Landscaping Landscaping Driveways Fencing Fencing • Patios Patios • Driveways & Sons Ltd

Garden Walls Walls Garden

A ALSO LSO

All our work is G Guaranteed uaranteed ffor or 5 y years! ears! Guaranteed to beat any genuine quote

Resin esin Driveways, Driveways, P Patios atios & P Paths aths

aintenance • Low M Maintenance •C hoice ooff Colours Colours Choice •D urable & Long Long Durable LLasting asting •W eed Free Free Weed •P orous for for Drainage Drainage Porous

Rectory Rectory F Fields, ields, R Rudford, udford, G Gloucestershire loucestershire G GL2 L2 8 8DT DT

Tel: T el: 001452 1452 6668005 68005 / 001453 1453 2297010 97010 / 001285 1285 2238089 3 80 8 9

•R educes P uddles Reduces Puddles • FFirm, irm, attractive attractive Surfface Surface •C an bbee aapplied pplied oover ve r Can EExisting xisting S urface Surface •C ost Effective Effective Cost

w www.marshallsdriveways.co.uk ww.marshallsdriveways.co.uk

Company Company rregistration: egistration: 1 11415390 1415390

Kitchens & Bathrooms • Wet Floor Showers Property Refurbishment • All electrical work SSatisfying atisfying C Customers ustomers aacross cross Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ssince ince 1 1998 998

We are a local company with a proven track record of delivering excellent customer service, great value for money and the very highest levels of workmanship for every one of our customers.

C Contact ontact u uss tto o ssee ee h how ow w we e ccan an h help elp yyou... ou ... e info@nkscontractscentral.co.uk info@nkscontractscentral.co.uk t 01451 01451 861155 861155 w n nkscontractscentral.co.uk kscontractscentral.co.uk The Local Answer

To advertise call 01242 510500

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APPLECRUSH APPLECRU USH CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION

SSpecialising pecialising iin n aall ll aaspects spects ooff ggroundwork roundwork

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•D Driveways riveways • Patios • Footings • Drainage • Landscaping Concrete •C oncrete ffloors/bases loors/bases

F FULLY ULLY INSURED INSURED & LICENCED LICENCED ALL A LL WORK WORK GUARANTEED GUARANTEED OPERATING WITHIN O PERATING W ITHIN GOVERNMENT GOVERNMENT GUIDELINES GUIDELINES PROFESSIONAL P ROFESSIONAL & FRIENDLY FRIENDLY

C Contact ontact Matt Matt for for a quote ffree ree no no obligation obligation q uote

007894 7894 0017253 17253 aapplecrushconstruction@outlook.com pplecrushconstruction@outlook.com

@ @applecrushconstruction applecrushconstruction

A Applecrush pplecrush C Cottage, ottage, A Aston ston Ingham Ingham Road, Road, Kilcot, Kilcot, Newent, Newent, Gloucestershire Gloucestershire GL18 GL18 11NR NR Page 20

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IInterior nterior D Design esign w with ith G Gill ill G Greenwell reenwell

5 new new year year home home resolutions resolutions New Year is a good time to reflect on the past year and to look forward. This year it feels very different, as 2020 has been a year like no other. More than ever before we have been focusing on our homes, and looking for comfort and stability in our surroundings. Here are my reflections and predictions to help you refresh your living space and create a feelgood home for 2021.

1 1.. E Edit dit y your our p possessions ossessions We are all spending much more time in our homes and want to make maximum use of our living space. A clutter-free environment is a calming place to be, and if you plan your decluttering it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Our organised homes need to look good on Instagram too! Why not create a gallery wall for your pictures or collate a rainbow bookshelf? My daughter has re-arranged all

her books by colour – so easy on the eye on a Zoom call.

2. R 2. Refresh efresh w with ith bold b old ccolour olour A quick, easy, and cost-effective way to revamp a room is to paint a feature wall in a deep hue to create visual depth. Great for highlighting a particular feature in a room like a bedhead or fireplace, and also works for defining a different activity area, such as a dining area or workspace. Another easy fix is to change the colour of your kitchen units. Interiors influencer Lisa Dawson has just painted her units ontrend black – if you want a less dramatic look, forest green is looking to be a popular choice for 2021.

3. F 3. Focus ocus o on n ssustainability ustainability We all care so much more about sustainable living now. Think about repairing and repurposing what you have, search out second-hand or vintage items, upcycle and repaint old furniture. My bargain hunting sister-in-law has made an occasional table out of old leather suitcases, which is a real talking point. Make this the year you become a regular at your local car boot sale, vintage market or charity furniture shop – bargain hunting really can be fun.

4.. E 4 Embrace mbrace jjapandi apandi Catch up on the next interiors The Local Answer

Image: IKEA

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trend, japandi. Combining Japanese and Skandi influences, this look focuses on simplicity, natural elements and comfort – so in tune with our current search for stability and calmness in our homes. Look out for furniture and accessories made from natural materials like wood or bamboo, and soften the look with cosy warm textures for rugs and cushions.

5.. Treat 5 Treat yourself yourself For that extra touch of cosiness to get you through those last few dark months of winter, why not treat yourself in the sales to some bright new cushions or a textured rug in a contemporary design? A set of brand-new soft bedlinen will transform your bedroom into a cosy haven. Now you have your resolutions sorted you can look forward to a happy and healthy new year. Page 21

11st st Choice Choice

AAerial erial & Satellites & Satellites

Digital Aerial Digital Aerial IInstallations nstallations U pgrades Upgrades and Repairs Repairs and

Don’t replace the Frames ... just the Panes! Broken or Damaged g Windows? Faulty Faulty Hinges, Hinges, Handles Handles or or Locks? Locks? Want Want the the latest latest ‘A-rated’ ‘A-rated’ energy energy saving saving glass? glass? 10 double 10 year year guarantee guarantee on on new new d ouble glazing! glazing!

WINDOW W INDOW REPAIR R EPAIR SERVICE SERVICE G utter, Fascia Fascia & Cladding Gutter, Cladding C Cleaning leaning S Service ervice a also lso a available! vailable!

110% 0% o off ff with w ith this this advert advert Hawkes Mark M ark H awkes

TTel: el: 01453 01453 222181 222181

REGENCY REGENCY RAPID RAPID CLEAN

25%DISCOUNT during January 2021

… we make saving money perfectly clear! Call Paul on orr 07530 o 0 940610 p paul@mistytoclearglos.co.uk aul@mistytoclearglos.co.uk

01452 543158

NOW – FROM £135

NOW – FROM £165

Call 01242 279590 or 077 07754 754 417650 www.cheltenhamregencycleaners.co.uk w ww.cheltenhamregencycleaners.co.uk

S Save ave 2 20% 0% V VAT AT

to If If you you need need to to make make changes changes to or y our bathroom bathroom due due to to disability disability or your medical am edical ccondition, ondition, we we are are able able to to ssupply upply your your bathroom bathroom VAT VAT free, free, saving saving you you 20%. 20%.

Specialists Specialists in in bathroom bathroom safety safety and and design design PLEASE PLEASE ASK ASK FOR FOR DETAILS DETAILS

W alk in in showers showers • W et rooms Walk Wet rooms • Bathrooms Bathrooms iles • W all boards boards C loakrooms • T Cloakrooms Tiles Wall F ull bathroom bathroom design design service serrv vice Full

O Open pen ffor or business business through through lockdown lockdown ffor or free free h home ome visits visits in in accordance accordance with with COVID-19 COVID-19 guidelines guidelines

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C Contact ontact Rex Rex on on 0 7496 057281 057281 or 01453 01453 884167 884167 07496 o orr rrex@lifestylebathrooms.net ex@lifestylebathrooms.net ffor or a ffree ree h home ome v visit isit tto od discuss iscuss y your our n needs eeds

www.lifestylebathrooms.net www.lifestylebathrooms.net

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AFTER The Local Answer

S Save ave the the P Planet lanet with w ith L Louise ouise W Williams illiams

New N ew year, year, n new ew h habits abits This is the start of a brand new year. 2020 was a year unlike anything any of us have ever experienced and the focus quite rightly shifted from the environment to pure survival. Although we are not out of the woods yet, it is important to yet again think about the changes we can make or reimplement to be more environmentally aware. We really need to keep the environment in focus as well. Here are some ideas to get you thinking.

Plastic Plastic b bags ags Many supermarkets switched back to automatically delivering any food shops in plastic bags when they were leaving the shopping outside for us, which has resulted in an overflow of plastic bags in our house. We are making sure that we reuse them and any that are ripped or damaged in any way are taken to the special recycling box when I visit the supermarket. They also take things like bread bags, cereal box liners, bubble wrap, the plastic that keeps cans together, and frozen food bags like fruit, vegetables, chips, etc. As a general rule, any ‘stretchy’ plastic. Just make sure it is clean, dry and try to remove labels if it’s the ‘help yourself’ fruit and veg bags. It’s not for the home compostable, biodegradable bags though.

Face F ace m masks asks Masks can’t be recycled. There is a lot of talk about the socalled ‘eco’ or recyclable ones that claim to be able to go in your kerbside recycling, but this isn’t confirmed by councils yet and could contaminate the The Local Answer

rest of your recycling for obvious reasons. There are many, many options for fabric face coverings, which are of course reusable – just pop into the wash. But in some circumstances they aren’t enough, in which case make sure you dispose of your singleuse mask in an appropriate bin.

P Plastic lastic around around the the home home This is a huge one. Making some minor changes we can cut down on our plastic use and although it might seem small, if every household did it, we would see a huge improvement. Here are just a few things that you can swap out to more eco friendly alternatives: • Cotton buds • Washing up sponges • Face wipes • Sanitary products • Nappies • Bin bags – black plastic is the worst! • Toothbrushes • Cling film • Sandwich bags To advertise call 01242 510500

There are replacements for all of these things. Look for bamboo cotton buds and toothbrushes, a huge variety of sponge options, reusable fabric pads for removing make-up, period pants, reusable pads and menstrual cups, cloth nappies, beeswax wraps and lunchboxes. A few quick internet searches should find you an alternative and if money is tight, a lot of things you can have a go at making yourself if you have some scrap fabric. It’s worth remembering that eco-friendly options are usually an investment that will last a lot longer than their less sustainable counterparts.

B Buying uying ssecond econd h hand and Someone’s trash is another person’s treasure as they say! Charity shops are always well stocked after Christmas so if you are able to shop there safely, try that first, or look online at second-hand selling sites. You might get a bargain too! Page 2

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NEW YEAR’S DAY NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY RESOLUTION SINGING TOAST TRADITION

Installers of top quality windows, windows, doors and conserva tories. conservatories. For a free no obligation quotation call

01242 511384

Showroom – Units 40 & 41, Space Business Centre, Tewkesbury Road, Cheltenham, GL51 9FL

Don’t Don’t look look until until you’ve you’ve finished! finished! S Solutions olutions oon n ‘‘Index Index ooff A Advertisers’ dvertisers’ ppage. age. Page 24

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IIndex ndex o off A Advertisers dvertisers H HEALTH EALTH & BEAUTY BEAUTY

Home Care Roofing 16 8 Marshalls Driveways 19 NKS Contracts 19 IINFORMATION NFORMATION WB Home Improvements 18 NHS Gloucestershire 14-15 C LEANING S ERVICES CLEANING SERVICES H HOMES OMES & G GARDENS ARDENS Regency Rapid Clean 22 BATHROOMS B ATHROOMS FFURNISHING URNISHING & Lifestyle Bathrooms 22 A APPLIANCES PPLIANCES Severn Vale 8 & 28 Bella’s Interiors 20 Dream Doors 2 B UILDING S ERVICES BUILDING SERVICES 12 A1 Roofing 18 Quedgeley Carpets ARDEN S ERVICES GARDEN SERVICES Applecrush Construction 20 G 18 C&G Paving 16 Lawn Doc Dykes Builders 18 H ANDYMAN S ERVICES HANDYMAN SERVICES Glevum Cladding 16 Your Way Home Help 8 The 1:1 Diet

TTV V&A ERIAL AERIAL 1st Choice Aerials 22 U TILITIES UTILITIES Utility Warehouse 5 W INDOWS, D OORS & WINDOWS, DOORS CONSERVATORIES C ONSERVATORIES Albany Windows 24 & 27 Clearway Windows 25 Garolla 18 Misty to Clear 22

PROFESSIONAL PROFESSIONAL SERVICES S ERVICES CHARITIES CHARITIES 6 Care UK Let’s Be Clear Campaign 4

H OUSE C LEARANCE HOUSE CLEARANCE Yes to Mess 18 M MOTORING OTORING S SERVICES ERVICES Bridgend Garage 10 PUBLISHING P UBLISHING Lois Kingscott 8 REMOVAL REMOVAL SERVICES SERVICES 8 Littttle White Van Man Man With a Van 22 SKIP S KIP HIRE HIRE & RECYCLING RECYCLING Stevens Recycling 26 TToo advertise advertise please please call call

01242 01242 5 510500 10500

P Puzzle uzzle S Solutions olutions N O I T I D A R T A P U P S U S I F T L W U E U

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T E N R E E I S U N Y E I T B U F F E T G O H K

K D W F V V R L X U E Y D D D Q L I J V U S R X

L Q N Y I P H I O A A T G N I G N I S O S D U J

J O X T E B S X F R R R S F A O G Q Z I W N P J

C W I W Z A G X D Y S A L I Q B V Q L P T E E W

X E Z S M L R L W Z E P R J E K G A O Q G I U X

S I L D K L O S N I V J S Q N J W V I W Q R N D

M G S S P O P G D N E W Q T X I A V O K Q F A O

D E T O R O P P E A W G B Z G E T J J J D N E Q

Z J M H O N M T J D Y C A X N Q Z F B J C J N C

A S H O P S A R E S O L U T I O N I M I H H G O

V C I U R R J R Y U K C F Z Y Z H G N S F O A U

H I V Z B I W S N A I S H A L V Z G N T X E P R

C I G E Y O E T J S D W K I M Z C N U W F M M U

D L L G I H D S U Z O I Q R F I N R H R K A A C

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C Competition ompetition R Rules ules 1 Prizes are as stated and no cash or prize alternative will be offered. 2 Employees of The Local Answer and their families or households are not eligible to enter. 3 The first correct entry drawn at random after the closing date will win the prize as stated. 4 The winner will be notified by telephone after the closing date has passed. 5 The Editor’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. 6 Entrants must be over 18 years, unless stated. 7 Proof of posting is not regarded as

proof of receipt of entry. 8 The Local Answer accepts no responsibility for the provision of the prize, which remains at all times the full responsibility of the prize donor(s). 9 By entering any competition you agree to have your name published in the next issue of The Local Answer should you be drawn as a winner of the prize. 10 By entering any competition you agree to have your details passed to a third party. 11 One entry per household.

B BOOKING OOKING D DEADLINE EADLINE FFOR OR N NEXT EXT IISSUE SSUE – Friday Friday 88th th JJanuary anuary 22021 021

STEVE

ATTENTION A TTENTION! Let us lighten your load!

Domestic and Industrial Skips Ham Villa Road, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham GL52 6NB

01242 522647/529397 stevensrecycling584@gmail.com

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