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GLOUCESTERSHIRE’S GLOUCESTERSHIRE’S BIGGEST LLOCAL OCAL BIGGEST M AGAZINE MAGAZINE JJULY ULY 2021 2021

STROUD S TROUD D DISTRICT ISTRICT PLEASE PLEASE SUPPORT SUPPORT LLOCAL OCAL G GLOUCESTERSHIRE LOUCESTERSHIRE B BUSINESSES USINESSES

QUALITY KITCHEN Q UALITY K ITCHEN MAKEOVERS M AKEOVERS b byy ssimply imply rreplacing eplacing tthe he d doors oors a and nd w worktops orktops

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S troud D istrict: 41,000 41,000 copies copies Stroud District: G loucester: 46,000 46,000 ccopies opies Gloucester: C heltenham: 443,000 3,000 copies copies Cheltenham: C otswolds: 330,000 0,000 ccopies opies Cotswolds: N orth G loucestershire: 20,000 20,000 ccopies opies North Gloucestershire:

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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 JJuly uly Summer is well and truly here so if you’re looking to freshen up your wardrobe, check out Val Starr’s Mirror Mirror on the Wall feature – gingham and polka dots are back in fashion! If you’ve got young children, hot weather can be a challenge. Roberta Smart shares some advice on handling a heatwave in her Parenting & Guardianship article, including activities for hot days and how to help your children sleep in the heat. We may not be able to visit Tokyo for the Olympics this year, but Al Hidden gives us a taster of what we could enjoy once travel is back on the cards – read more in his Holidays & Travel feature. For those of you who have chosen not to book a holiday this year, why not invest in your home and create a boutique hotel look? Gill Greenwell has some great tips for adding a little luxury to your bedroom in her Interior Design article. Whatever you get up to this summer, have a safe and happy one – and don’t forget your sun cream!

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

Strawberry Strawberr y panna panna cotta cotta A ssimple imple ssummer ummer d essert o dessert orr d ress iitt up up ffor or a d inner p arty dress dinner party

IIngredients: ngredients: 500g strawberries 150ml full cream milk 250ml double cream 1tsp vanilla bean extract 3 sheets of leaf gelatine 2tbsp caster sugar 3tbsp strawberry jam 4 sprigs of mint

M Method: ethod: 1 Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for 12 minutes until soft. 2 Hull the strawberries (save four to garnish the dessert) then chop the rest and blend them in a food processor until smooth. Push through a fine sieve into a bowl, discarding the seeds. 3 In a medium saucepan add the cream, milk, vanilla and sugar and bring to a gentle simmer. 4 Squeeze the water out of the gelatine leaves and add them to the cream mixture. Remove the pan from the

mixture and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about six minutes until you have a thick syrup. Ta ake off the heat and leave to cool completely. 8 To serve, turn the panna cottas out on to a serving plate, spoon some of the sauce over or around it and decorate with the reserved strawberries and mint.

heat and stir until the gelatine has dissolved. 5 Stir in 100ml of the sieved strawberries, reserving the rest. 6 Pour the cream mixture into four dishes or ramekins and set aside to cool. Place in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight. 7 In a saucepan, add the jam to the remaining strawberry

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Mirror Mirror Mirror Mirror on on tthe he Wall Wall w with ith V Val al S Starr tarr

Sizzling S izzling ssummer ummer sstyle tyle This summer seems a long time in coming with all the lockdowns, resitrictions and travel disruptions; I think we have all run the gamut of upheavals to our lifestyle. Tired of the ultra-casual stayat-home look, many of us cannot wait to get dressed up, enjoy being able to go out to mix with friends and family, and have a good ‘stylish’ time. Leisure wear is on the back burner for now; the shops are full of stylish clothes to make us all feel a little special, even if worn in our own gardens for a little while longer.

G Gingham ingham This is a hugely popular look for summer. Forget tablecloths – gingham clothing is back in fashion. 2021 gingham is different in so many ways, from fabric to size of the checks, and super colours –

there is a gingham for everyone, even in men’s shirts. Monsoon have a really versatile green and cream gingham mid-length dress, and the sleeves come just above the elbow – a very flattering length with cute ties. This item could easily be dressed up for a wedding with heels, or equally it would be perfect for a BBQ or garden party. For £60 you will certainly get a lot of wear – and compliments! Not to be outdone, Next offer a chocolate gingham mutton sleeve dress at £45. If you like puffy sleeves, they also have a pretty navy gingham cami for £25, which you can wear alone or pop under a jacket. You will see lots of emphasis on sleeves in various shapes and sizes this summer – great if you are self-conscious of your upper arms. Zara has a Chanel-style fringed jacket in gorgeous pink and white check with gold buttons that looks a lot more than £49! Match with pale jeans for a casual look.

Polka P olka D Dots ots If gingham is not for you, how about spots? There are so many new varieties of spots in wond erf ul shapes and colour configurations. Marks & Spencer’s new Ghost range has a dreamy mid-length ivory spotted dress with super floaty sleeves at £69. This dress will The Local Answer

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Image: Monsoon

take you to so many occasions and will last for many seasons to come – a true classic. As before, dress up or down to your preference.

Supermarkets S upermarkets Surprisingly, supermarkets now offer some very stylish clothes at extraordinary value. These giant stores copy upmarket designs without the killer price tags. Asda has a very pretty ruffle sleeve wrap dress for only £18. Tesco’s F&F range has a wonderful leopard blouse (never out of fashion) made from 100% cotton for just £16. There is also a denim midi tiered ruffle dress for £25, which would be great for summer and long into the autumn. It’s nice to think we can get our weekly groceries in and indulge in some pretty great fashion without breaking the bank! Enjoy dressing up again. Page 

Looking Looking Good, Good, F Feeling eeling Great Great with w ith W Will ill M Mbanga banga

The The importance importance o off protein protein for for recovery recover y and and nutrition nutrition planning planning Whatever your desired outcome or performance goals, what you eat, even on recovery days, has an impact on progress. The key to reaching these goals is to ‘begin with the end in mind’. What are you hoping to achieve? Having said that, I must address the elephant in the room – what about ‘cheat meals’? My main piece of advice when it comes to diet and nutrition, is that you need to let go of guilt, otherwise you will always be unhappy. Of course, the ideal is to have the discipline to eat ‘clean’ forever, but if the thought of never eating another piece of cake, pizza or whatever your weakness is makes you break out in a cold sweat – relax! While it is important to use rest days as a time for physiological recovery and repair, depriving yourself of the odd ‘naughty’ snack can make your wellness journey much less enjoyable. Life’s too short! Once you understand your body’s nutritional needs in line

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with your goals and training intensity, the next step is understanding what you need to eat to address your energy and recovery needs. An holistic nutrition plan will take into account intake of the three main macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates and fat. If your goal is to build muscle, get stronger or improve athletic performance, protein intake is an essential focus area in your grams per kilogram of bodyweight is more beneficial. nutrition plan. Outside of nutrition, there are Are A re p protein rotein some other key elements you ssupplements upplements b beneficial eneficial can include in your overall ffor or a active ctive rrecovery? ecovery? training strategy to help support If you’re only exercising a few muscle recovery and repair. days a week, protein is best These include: Recovery: learn your sourced from your regular diet. • Recovery: Many of these shakes can be biorhythms and plan your high in calories and sugar training to allow for maximal which, if not accounted for, can recovery, as this is where your lead to exceeding your dietary all-important ‘gains’ take place. As a general rule, the requirement. Where you might have trouble higher the intensity, the longer reaching your recommended the recovery period required. elf M yofascial R elease Self Myofascial Release protein level or if you have a • S SMR): – foam rolling very intense training schedule, ((SMR): a protein shake can ensure that increases mobility and muscle protein levels are loosens muscle tissue. where they need to be. •S leep: good quality and a Sleep: Because protein is so impor- good amount of sleep is an tant to muscle growth and important part of recovery, as repair, you should consume the glycogen stores are replenished same amount as on training during sleep, fueling muscle days. For muscle growth, this growth and repair. equates to 2.2 grams of protein • H Hydration: ydration: adequate water per kilogram of bodyweight. levels are critical to reducing For athletic people wanting to muscle soreness, lubricating build muscle and lose fat, the joints and transporting research suggests that a slightly nutrients to recovering muscle higher protein intake of 2.3 tissue.

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GUY SHEPPARD

The Raven & The Crow

Jaimie can’t breathe. Jaimie can t speak. i m. Other patients are sick. Other patients can’t help h coming’.’. coming s is i l i v e devil d e h t ‘the ‘ s y a says s o h who w n e v a raven r a s t u r t struts s t s e h chest c s i his h n On O the Intensive Care n i s k e e w g n i d n e p s r e t f a l a n o i Doctors insist he is delus urvived Covid-19. Unit of his local Gloucestershire hospital, having s m as k ke mask beak-like and beak-li PE and ull PPPE ressed iinn ffull omeonnee ddresse ees ssomeo ight hhee ssees ext nnight NNext te… opposite… bed opposi the bed in the Ivona in alled Ivona oman ccalled oung wwoman ttack a yyoung aattack earch the wards, she When Detective Sergeant Alison Ellis arrives to s s talk of crime and ou i t i t s r e p u s s ’ e i m i a J y l e r u S . r finds no violent intrude r who lives in a care folklore is as confused as her own elderly fathe ho me? ll.’ row wwillill kkillill uuss aall.’ The CCrow ut ‘‘The ries oout vona ccries ying IIvona he ddying xcept tthe EExcep he crow-man t f o y r e t s y m e h t e v l o s p l e h o t d r i b l a e r Can Ellis enlist a ? s e i d before anybody else e? etectivve? lay ddetecti ver pplay aven eever an a rraven CCan

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

H Handling andling a h heatwave eatwave In preparation for a long, hot summer (we can always be optimistic, right?) I wanted to focus on helping little ones stay happy and sleep well during the hot summer months. Here are a few activities for playtime and some top tips for getting tinies off to sleep on those oh so sweaty nights. I hope a few of them are helpful for you. When summer comes, the f i r s t th i n g al l ch i l d r e n c r a v e i s water play, and whether you are pulling out the paddling pool or taking a trip to the lido, it’s the one thing guaranteed to satisfy those adventurous little hearts. Remember to always keep delicate skin covered – a loose t-shirt and a hat wherever possible is a must. Plus, of course, keep slathering on the sunscreen and don’t forget yourself. So many times I’ve returned home with happy, healthy kids and a severe attack of sunstroke because I forgot to care for myself whilst out and about!

If you are in the garden, water sponge bombs are cheap and fun, and offer endless scope for made up games, fun and laughter. Best of all, it only takes a towel and the sun to clear up all the mess. Painting with water is great fun, as it dries so quickly on pavements or walls, but do remember to have drinks available all day so they are not tempted to drink the painting water (yes I speak from experience!). Lunches of fruit kebabs and other buffet-style items they can graze on are always welc ome , a s ki ds pre fe r to ni bbl e through the day rather than sit down to a full meal. And remember, they are always hungry but never want dinner, so healthy snacks are the way to go in the summer holidays.

H Hot ot n nights ights are are always always a cchallenge hallenge Once the day is done, it’s bedtime, and hot nights are always a challenge. My top tip for a really hot day is to try to keep bedrooms dark in the The Local Answer

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daytime to limit the sun heat in the room. Use blackout blinds where possible, close the curtains and open the doors to keep air circulating. Try a nice cool bath before bedtime. You could even do storytime in the bath, or play some soothing music to help them relax and unwind after an exciting day. Even in the hottest days the littlies will still want to be cuddly and snuggly, so a damp flannel in a pot near the bed is great for mopping warm brows after mummy cuddles, and it feels super soothing too! If bedtime is just too hot, making beds on the floor is a real winner, as it really is the coolest place in the room. A nest of their own making is fun and gives them the chance to create their own environment. My daughter spent months sleeping on the floor in her ‘camp’ and eventually preferred it to her bed long after summer had gone! Have a fabulous summer and remember to keep your cool! Page 1

Quick Crossword 2

ACROSS 1 Male voice 5 Out of harm’s way 7 Shaving cut 8 Flying around (planet) 9 Pacify 12 New experience 15 More verdant 19 Numb 21 Supplied funds for 22 Mellow 23 Dip into drink 24 Surgeons’ workplaces DOWN 1 Expel from country

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Holidays H olidays & Travel Travel w with ith A All H Hidden idden

Tokyo’s T okyo’s Olympic Olympic taster taster If there is something Japan prides itself on alongside quality, it’s punctuality. The kind that consistently sees Shink ansen bullet trains – fir st introduced for 1964’s Tok yo Olympics – arrive bang on time. Occasionally, however, even uber-punctual Japan faces an unprecedented timing challenge, as with the Olympics rescheduled for this month – a year later than planned and probably with near-empty venues. It’s a shame. As many of us know from London 2012, attending the Olympics is unforgettable. At least Tok yo’s will still be accessible to billions of TV viewers. And with that you can count on a taste of Japan’s magical visitor experience. If you’ve been there, you’ll know what I mean; if not, take the opportunity presented by the Olympics to savour a taster. I’ll wager that scene-setting Olympic coverage will highlight the sensory overload that bombards you from the moment you reach Tok yo Eki station – Japan’s busiest. Experiencing Tok yo really is as intense as the impression gained from watching ‘Lost in Translation’ or ‘Akira’, Katsuhiro Otomo’s classic manga anima-

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tion – itself set just before a fictional Tok yo Olympics.

Reality R eality ttrumps rumps expectation e xpectation From iconic Shibuya Crossing to Akihabara’ss electronics stores, the sensory assault, unfamiliar language and sheer volume of people, traffic and impressions is inimitable. Like Marrakech’s chaotic souks, or your first taxi ride into Havana on a stiflingly hot Cuban night, reality trumps expectation. However, as silence before sporrtting moments complements applause, so calm balances Tok yo’s 24/7 freneticism. Imagine mystic Mt Fuji glimpsed from a city sk yscraper and autumn breathtaking colour s around the city’s Imperial Palace. Or quiet contemplation in Asakusa’s Sensō-ji temple – painstakingly rebuilt to symbolise rebirth and peace after WW2’s devastation. From sublime to sometimes ridiculous, all life is present when exploring

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Tok yo, deciphering its signage, stroking Hachikō’s bronze nose outside Shibuya station or amusing friendly – and very patient – Tok yoites with your first jet-lagged Gaijin Japanese. The Olympics may be massive, but never forget Japan’s fondness for miniaturisation and cuteness (kawaaii). You’re in the land of Pokémon, Hello Kitty and J-Pop girl bands, in a city where sightseeing options include utterly bonk er s (and unofficial) costumed ‘Mario Kart’ convoys through Roppongi Hills and buzzing Harajuku.

Trust T rust the the Olympics Olympics for for your y our Tokyo Tokyo ttaster aster Even if you’re not into sport, I’d recommend the Olympic scene-setting for a remote Tok yo introduction. Last time Japan welcomed the games it wowed the world. Something tells me that, coronavirus or not, 2021’s coverage will tempt a new generation of visitors to visit Tok yo. Trust me – lik e the Olympics, there’s nothing quite like being there!

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

C Ceed: eed: iit’s t’s not not you, you, it’s it’s me me Usually when I sit down to write a review, the theme comes to me quite quickly. More often than not it’ll occur to me while I’m driving, and usually in the first 48-72 hours of a test drive. But this time, I was coming up dry. In fact, I’ve been struggling with this review for a while but today, I finally realised why. It’s not the car, it’s me. Let me take you back a few steps and give you a quick recap on the Kia Ceed. When it launched in the UK, the Cee’d (the facelift also lost the apostrophe) was picked by Top Gear as its replacement for a reasonably priced car, and it certainly is that.

A sspacious pacious ffamily amily h hatchback atchback The near-top spec model I tested was around the £25k mark, which for a spacious family hatchback isn’t unreasThe Local Answer

onable. It’s not cheap, no, but an equivalent spec’d Ford Focus for example would set you back around at least £27k before you’ve added any bells and whistles. And the Ceed has them as standard.

Comfy C omfy b but ut p practical ractical So a tick for the Ceed’s level of spec and, on balance, I have to say the interior finish is perfectly okay. It doesn’t ooze luxury but it’s not meant to. It appears comfy but practical while still looking pretty good. It’s also a good car to drive. It feels okay on the road, doesn’t wallow round the corners and has all the features you’d hope for – heated seats, good media player and a truly amazing reversing camera. The lane keeping aid is a little militant and the Sat Nav is not the most intuitive, with a map and set of turn directions that flow from the bottom of the list upwards, but I guess you’d get To advertise call 01242 510500

used to that. The boot is good, it looks better than Kia’s early models did and seats a family of four in comfort. The engine seems efficient yet relatively pokey if you want to push it, but... And that’s the issue, right there. There’s a but… something almost intangible until it suddenly struck me. I didn’t really connect with this car, despite not really finding anything that I didn’t like. I fought with this review for five days before realising what the problem was. It was me.

IIt’s t’s missing missing character character and a nd sspirit pirit I like a car that has a bit of character, some spirit or soul. And that’s what the Ceed, for me, was missing. For someone who isn’t a petrol head but has a family, this is probably a great choice of car. It’s just not for me. Page 1

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e email: mail: rs.cladding.roofing@live.co.uk rs.cladding.roofing@live.co.uk - 105/107 105/107 Bath Bath Road, Road, Cheltenham, Cheltenham, Glos. Glos. G GL53 L53 7LE 7LE RS CLADDING R S CLADDING L LTD TD ARE ARE P PROUD ROUD S SPONSORS PONSORS O OF FG GLOUCESTER LOUCESTER R RUGBY UGBY

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Bisley • Cashes Green • Frampton • France Lynch Stroud Centre • Uplands • Woodchester • Woodmancote P Please lease o only nly a apply pply ffor or tthe he a areas reas llisted isted a above. bove. Please email distribution@thelocalanswer.co.uk distribution@thelocalanswer.co.uk with your name, postal address, telephone number and date of birth. A member of our team will The T h e Loc Lo c al al respond with more information. Please do not call the office – A NSW AN S W ER our staff are only returning to work part-time, so may not ER always be available to take your call.

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

Visit Visit some some local local gardens gardens July in your garden, what a joy! Hopefully all your hard work is paying off and you can sit in your lounger, sipping a Pimm’s and reflect on your beautiful handiwork! Having said that, the weather has been so unpredictable that the poor plants haven’t known whether to grow or curl up and die! Obviously I write this column in advance and we have had truly horrible cold, windy, wet weather – perhaps by the time you read this it will all be forgotten in the balmy days of summer. Here’s hoping!

Aw wonderful onderful d day ay o out ut Take the time this month to do a bit of garden visiting – the National Garden Schemes are open again and are a wonderful day out, particularly when a whole village takes part. It is lovely to saunter around someone else’s garden and get ideas on planting partners – and hopefully a lovely bit of homemade cake! Check on www.ngs.org.uk to see where and what is available in the local area.

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Understandably, with the current climate still a bit unpredictable, pre-booking is necessary for some gardens. Make sure you check on the website for up-to-date details.

July J uly gardening gardening ttasks asks Now for your tasks to do this month. If you have grown early potatoes they should be ready to lift now. Keep sowing ‘cut and come again’ varieties of lettuce in small batches in old mushroom boxes, etc. They need to be placed out of the hot sun and kept moist but not soaking. If you notice little metallic beetles on your rosemary you should pick them off and destroy them. You could put some newspaper underneath the plant and shake the branches to make them drop off. The Rosemary beetle can do lots of damage To advertise call 01242 510500

to the plant if they are in large numbers so keep removing them. Now is a good time to prune early summer flowering shrubs like Deutzia, Rubus, Wiegela and Philadelphus, as they have finished flowering. Pruning will encourage new shoots to spring up from the base, and if you cut out about 1 in 3 of the thickest old branches at the bottom, these new ones will take their place and ensure the flowering doesn’t decrease.

Give G ive shrubs shrubs a boost boost As with all shrubs when you have pruned, lightly fork in some chicken manure pellets or balanced fertiliser like Gromore around the base. Water well and mulch with some compost or well-rotted manure to give the plant a real boost (don’t touch the stems with the mulch or they could start to rot). I hope you manage to enjoy the sunshine! Page 25

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

Give your Give your bedroom bedroom a boutique hotel b outique h otel llook ook It’s looking like we won’t be travelling to the Mediterranean sunshine anytime soon, so why not create a holiday vibe in your own home? I always feel there is something special about waking up in a hote l be dr oom – maybe it’s the clutter free space, well thought out décor or perhaps those little luxury touches. 2021 is the year of the bedroom – the perfect time to upgrade your bedroom décor.

Create C reate a ccalm alm sspace pace Your dream bedroom should feel like a calm sanctuary you can retreat to, but all too offtten it ends up being a messy space full of piles of clothes. Time to de-clutter your wardrobe and focus on your bedroom storage. For a sleek hotel look, built-in storage always works best. It’s worth investing in some stylish storage with enough space for all your clothes. A client has a wall of deep teal shaker style wardrobes from Neville Daniel – they make a real style statement.

D Décor écor w with ith a lluxury uxury ffeel eel Set the scene with a sophisticated colour scheme. Go for soft, easy, neutral colours to create a cocooning feel. I love tranquil blues or soft greys in a bedroom. Use the wall behind the bed to anchor the space with a paint colour or wallpaper that brings you joy. I recently used Little Green’s Royal Navy for a client’s masculine style bedroom, accessorised with a mustard easy chair, cushions and throws – he loves it!

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Ab bed ed tto od dream ream in in Naturally, the most important element in a bedroom is a comfortable bed so buy the best you can afford. A beautifully upholstered oversized headboard will add that all important wow factor. Swap out your sheets for some with a soft and luxurious feel – opt for pure cotton with a high thread count. It doesn’t have to be all pristine white, I’ve just sourced some new grey bed linen from specialist online brand Loom and Last. Style up with plenty of cushions and a luxurious throw in contrasting and toning colours for maximum luxury hotel look.

Time T ime tto o rrelax elax Create a room you can escape to. Find space for a comfortable chair to curl up in. Matching

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bedside tables and statement lamps scream boutique hotel. If you love to read at night, always ensure you have a good light to read by – retro style wall sconces with plug-in flexes are a cinch to install. Why not go ‘all out’ with your boutique hotel bedroom? Friends of mine have installed a bath in their bedroom to take advantage of their stunning Cotswold view.

Add A dd ssome ome 5 5-star -star ttreats reats For those all-important finishing touches think back to your last holiday. What did you remember when you got home? Was it the lavender scented pillows, the fluffy towels, or the interesting books in the bookcase? Splurge on some little extra luxuries and you really will feel like you are on holiday – at home!

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We W e don’t don’t pride pride ourselves ourselves on on being being tthe he biggest biggest independent shop we pride independent flooring flooring s hop iin n Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, w ep ride ourselves ourselves on on being being tthe he best. best. W e believe believe the the smallest smallest things things make make the the biggest biggest impact. impact. We Firstly Firstly we we focus focus on on providing providing extraordinary extraordinary customer customer service. For example, unlike service. F or e xample, u nlike our our competitors competitors our our expert expert ffitting itting team team can can – • Move • Remove Move your your furniture furniture Remove your your flooring flooring Uplift Ease doors • U plift yyour our fflooring looring • E ase yyour our d oors before we … And And even even vvacuum acuum up up b efore w e lleave! eave! Selecting be easier! Our salesmen couldn’t b ee asier! O ur s alesmen Selecting your your flooring flooring couldn’t do our so we we can can ensure ensure o ur do not not work work on on commission, commission, so customers getting product he rright ight p roduct ffor or tthe he rright ight customers are are g etting tthe price. p rice. can’t get shop don’t offer hop tthen hen d on’t worry. worry. We eo IIff yyou ou c an’t g et tto o tthe he s ffer a measuring, estimating and service. ffree r ee m easuring, e stimating a nd home home selection selection s ervice. Finally, speak F inally, reviews reviews s peak for for themselves, themselves, check ours out we are above c heck o urs o ut … w ea re # a bove tthe he rrest! est!

Unit Unit 1, 1, Stanley Stanley C Court, ourt, T Telford elford W Way, ay, Q Quedgeley, uedgeley, Gloucester Gloucester GL2 GL2 2AE 2 AE info@quedgeleycarpets.co.uk info@quedgeleycarpets.co.uk

G Gadgets adgets & G Gizmos izmos w with ith L Laura aura N Nicklin icklin

Time T ime to to g get et B BBQ-ing BQ-ing Barbecue season is now in full flow, meaning you can get out the lounge chairs, paddling pools and – most importantly – the grill that has been long forgotten in the garden shed. In order to get the best out of your barbecue, check out some of these snazzy gizmos that will help you enjoy those long summer days even more.

mustard yellow, pictu well as playing in your you can also plug in yo headphones if you’ rather enjoy some solo time with your tunes.

Weber GoWeber GoAnywhere A nywhere Charcoal C harcoal BBQ BBQ John Lewis: £85 The great thing abou this gizmo is that, eve if it is on the smalle side, it still cooks u delicious barbecue fo suit any summer’s day portable. So, whether you’re visiting friends, having a gettogether at the park, or going away on holiday, the Weber Go-Anywhere Charcoal BBQ is a great accompaniment. With its triple-plated cooking grate, you can fire it up to cook tasty burgers, hotdogs and more! Its folding legs and glassreinforced handle make it easy to pick up and go, so you can

S Spectrum pectrum S Solo olo P Portable ortable D DAB+/FM AB+/FM D Digital igital R Radio adio John Lewis: £40 The perfect addition to a successful barbecue session is some quality music, so to make sure your barbecue is a hit, equip yourself with this stylish radio from John Lewis. The Spectrum Solo gives you access to thousands of stations, so you can tune in to your favourite as you get grilling. T h i s l i t t l e r a d i o i s o nl y 3 5 0 g , so it’s nice and light, and also comes in an array of colours (including this very summery The Local Answer

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be sure to cook up a feast even when you’re on the move.

F Fizzics izzics DraftPour DraftPour Beer Beer D Dispenser ispenser Menkind.co.uk: £149 It’s hard to explain why, but sometimes draught beer just tastes nicer than bottled beer! If you want to recreate that feeling of going to the pub at home, the Fizzics DraftPour Beer Dispenser is the perfect gift to treat yourself with this summer. Whether you have canned or bottled beer taking up space in the fridge, this useful gadget will give your beverage a freshly-pulled-pint taste that you just can’t beat. With its clever Micro-Foam technology, the Fizzics Dispenser manages to give beer that extra bit of vava-voom, making you feel as though you’re sunbathing in a beer garden. You can power your portable dispenser either by USB or AA batteries, making it easy to use whenever you crave a draught beer. Page 2

Take T ake advantage advantage of of our our Summer Summer Savings Savings with with

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Falling F alling standards standards There was a loud shriek from the lady who occupies the desk next to mine as she was opening the incoming post the other day. “Oh no”, she yelled, and the whole office fell silent, waiting on and wondering what was coming next. What would have provoked such a reaction out of nowhere? “Oh no, they’ve taken my George (not his real name) away.” Explain please! We had received a letter from our bankers telling us that we were no longer entitled to a dedicated bank manager. I won’t name the bank, but it’s the same one that closed the branch near our office at the start of the year.

Relying Relying on on call call centres centres to to give give the the same same service ass a d dedicated account manager service a edicated a ccount m anager

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Instead of a nominated person responsible for providing a service to us, we now have to ring into a call centre and hope that we will be met with someone who can learn enough about our business in thirty seconds flat to provide us with a standard of service that a long standing customer might expect. In many ways, we are no ordinary customer. On relevant occasions, we introduce our clients to them and, until now, we have spoken highly of the standard of service that George provided. We operate multiple bank accounts in providing our own service to clients, often needing prompt assistance with opening or amending accounts or handling queries on transactions. We won’t be able to do any of that in the future and will face a risk that our own service standards, in which we take great pride, will suffer as a result of the bank’s falling service standards. It’s bad enough that we no longer have access to counter services following the branch closure. It’s downright unhelpful to lose our dedicated manager. The lady in our office was right with her exclamation. It’s yet another example of big business putting the demands of their shareholders in front of service to customers.

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