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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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May’s winning cover photo: Dave Stening

W elcome Welcome ttoo M ay May With two long bank holiday weekends this month, you’ll have plenty of time to catch up on jobs around your home! Hopefully the weather will be beautiful so you’ll be able to follow Julia Smith’s May gardening tips, or why not spruce up your outside space with Gill Greenwell’s design advice?

If you’re hosting a gathering in your garden to catch up with friends or family, have a go at making this month’s Delicious Dish and impress your guests (whilst adhering to government guidelines!).

We are looking for distributors for various locations across the Stroud District. If you or someone you know is 13 years of age or older and would be interested in delivering our magazines, please see inside for more details and get in touch if your location is listed.

We are running a fantastic advertising discount for businesses based in the Stroud District. To take advantage of this amazing offer, see the centre spread for more details or email info@thelocalanswer.co.uk.

If you use the services of any of our advertisers, please tell them you found them in The Local Answer!

Contacts C ontacts DIRECTOR MANAGING MANAGING DIRECTOR Dave Kingscott dave@thelocalanswer.co.uk MARKETING & EDITORIAL EDITORIAL MARKETING Lois Kingscott lois@thelocalanswer.co.uk ACCOUNTS ACCOUNTS Rob Kingscott (01242 541071) accounts@thelocalanswer.co.uk ADVERTISING ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES: ENQUIRIES: info@thelocalanswer.co.uk LEAFLET LEAFLET DISTRIBUTION DISTRIBUTION ENQUIRIES: ENQUIRIES: leaflets@thelocalanswer.co.uk DISTRIBUTION DISTRIBUTION ENQUIRIES: ENQUIRIES: distribution@thelocalanswer.co.uk Page 3

Money Money Matters Matters w with ith R Roger oger D Downes ownes o off A Andorran ndorran

Royal Royal ttax ax planning planning

Sudoku Fill the grids so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9.

Let me start by paying my respects publicly to the Royal Family on the recent sad passing of the Duke of Edinburgh. Whilst there are many conversations taking place across the country regarding different aspects of Prince Philip’s passing, Money Matters’ attention drifted to the question of what happens to inheritance tax in this case.

We all know that the Prince’s funeral was restricted to thirty people under Covid laws, so are there special rules for the Royal Family or are they subject to the same taxes as the rest of us?

Well, the answer is both. At a basic level, the Duke of Edinburgh’s estate is subject to the same rules as anyone else’s, but then there are ‘special conditions’ to preserve the wealth of the sovereign. Whether we ever learn how much Prince Philip was ‘worth’ remains to be seen and most of his ‘wealth’ will be tied up in his wife’s position, of course. But various reports have the estate at £10 million plus, and maybe even double that – enough to create tax planning issues, that’s for sure.

S Straightforward traightforward a and nd e effective ffective The first step in that tax planning is simple and as available to you and me as it is to a senior member of the Royal Family. He leaves it all to his wife and there is no tax payable at all. That’s probably what will happen as it is straightforward and effective from a tax point of view, it creates no public outrage as it’s not favourable treatment, and it ‘keeps it in the family’.

Could the Prince have done anything else and, if so, what would the tax impact be? He could leave money to charity tax efficiently. Prince Philip was a keen supporter of many charities and maybe he would’ve had problems deciding which ones to support, but, with a few detailed limitations, money left to charity is exempt from inheritance tax. You should always take professional advice if you are thinking of doing so.

Money left directly in his will to other members of the family is not tax-effective, save for his lifetime allowance of £325,000, which p r o b a b l y o n l y s c r a t c h e s t h e s u rf a c e o f h i s n e t worth. It is unlikely he’s done that, partly for reasons of tax and tradition, but also maybe because he wouldn’t then have to decide who gets it and who doesn’t.

But TV interviews are one of those ‘other conversations taking place across the country’ and are not the domain of Money Matters.

Rest in peace, Your Royal Highness.

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

F Fresh resh cherry cherr y Bakewell Bakewell dessert dessert

Fresh Fresh cherry cherry sseason eason is is rroughly oughly M May ay tto oA August, ugust, so so iit’s t’s a good good time time to to make make this this flavourful flavourful d dessert. essert.

IIngredients: ngredients: 800g fresh cherries, pitted; 5 tbsp red cherry jam or red berry/cherry; 2 tbsp flaked almonds to scatter on the top; 200g softened butter; 200g ground almonds; 4 large eggs; 175g caster sugar; zest of 1 lemon.

M Method: ethod: 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C/gas 4).

2 Remove the stones from the cherries and put them in a bowl. Add the jam and stir to coat. Tip this into a 14’’ fairly deep ovenproof baking dish.

3 In a bowl, add the softt butter, sugar, ground almonds, lemon zest and lightly beaten eggs. Whisk this all together for about two minutes.

4 Spoon on top of the cherries and smooth all over, sprinkling the flaked almonds on the top.

5 Bake for 35-40 minutes until risen and set.

Keep an eye on the dessert and make sure it doesn’t colour too much on top – you may need to pop some foil on to stop it burning.

6 Serve warm with ice cream or cream.

We care care about about We environment the the environment

Precision P recision C Colour olour Printing Printing Ltd Ltd (our (our printer) printer) are are proud proud tto o be be a Forest Forest Stewardship Stewardship Council® Council® (FSC®) (FSC®) certificate certificate holder, holder, and and The The Local Local Answer Answer is is proud proud to to have have this this publication publication printed printed on on paper paper certified certified to to F FSC® SC® standards standards which which helps helps to to protect protect the the World’s Wo orld’s forests. forests.

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To advertise call 01242 510500

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

P Post-lockdown ost-lockdown llavender avender Eager bees and butterflies flit around us. High overhead in the cerulean firmament, a classic de Havilland Dragon Rapide biplane murmurs lazily toward the horizon.

I catch myself humming a nur sery rhyme remembered from halcyon childhood summers far too many years ago.

And because it would have been perfect for the morning’s drive, I mentally kick myself for not bringing Marillion’s ‘Misplaced Childhood’ CD with us.

S Sensory ensory ssplendour plendour You see, today is about lavender in all its sensory splendour. Are we in France’s Luberon, Southern California’s Cherry Valley or among the stunning displays curving over Hokk aido’s gently rolling hillsides? No! Gi ven that we are newly released from 2020’s first lockdown, we’re much closer to home. In fact, we’re enjoying early summer ’s heat and lavender ’s unmistak able earthyfloral scent in the Cotswolds.

Now we can do it again!

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O Over ver 40 40 varieties varieties Snowshill’s lavender fields were a revelation last year – another place on the Cotswolds map that I can’ t believe I’ve missed during all my years in Gl oucester shi re. M ak e sure you arri ve early to mak e the most of your visit and explore the half-million plants, 140 miles of rows and over 40 lavender varieties before the crowds arrive.

Bring a summer picnic or – make that ‘and’ – treat yourself to delicious local ice-cream and a coffee. Then, having checked out the serried mauve ranks and on-site gifftt shop, find a shady corner in the peaceful adjacent meadows and daydream your self deep into that amazing sk y.

As we discovered, the lavender typically flowers mid-June before peaking in July. But timings can vary, so it’s worth checking before travelling. And remember that harvesting and To advertise call 01242 510500

distilling, which usually begin late July or early August, are snap decisions based on the weather ’s daily vagaries. Come harvest time, 24 hour s really can mak e the difference between seeing – or not seeing – this horticultural jewel. Just saying!

You’ll Y ou’ll be be relaxed relaxed as as can can be be Later, afftter your happy hours among the lavender, what could be better than visiting another local North Cotswold destination? How about the National Trust’s sublime Snowshill Manor? It’s only minutes away.

Or pretty Broadway, just down the hill? Meanwhile, to the east, the many charms of Moretonin-Marsh and Stow-on-the-Wold are easily accessible too.

Lavender may be ‘blue, dilly dilly’, but you’ll be enthralled and relaxed as can be after visiting Cotswold Lavender at Snowshill. We’ll be going back; see you there this summer!

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Promote your business in Gloucestershire’s largest magazine!

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

Spring Spring lloaded oaded This spring has been the most emotional ‘changing of the seasons’ in my life to date. The success of the vaccine roll-out, coupled with the easing of lockdown restrictions and warmer weather, have been a welcome panacea after 2020 aka Annus Horribilis.

Spring always feels great in terms of new beginnings and, for obvious reasons, this one feels more so than many before it. But there is one blemish on the start of spring every year for many of us – we come out of winter with a ‘hibernating’ body and struggle with the mental, emotional and physical strain of getting our summer bodies and fitness regimes back on track!

Today I’ll let you in on an uncomfortable truth... summer bodies are built in winter!

T The he b best est ttime ime tto o sstart tart iiss n now! ow!

But all is not lost – the best time to start anything is now! If you are currently unfit, carrying a little extra weight, haven’t put together that proposal, posted your application or whatever it is you need to do, it’s time to take the first step.

While none of us have been living the life of our dreams over the past year, it has little to do with a lack of skill, discipline, clarity of purpose, intelligence or motivation. The major reason most people feel they are failing to live a life they absolutely love is because they’ve been afraid.

Fear is the number one paralyser – it limits our perspectives and weighs down our mindset; it keeps people from taking (‘good’) risks and starting or doing things they know are The Local Answer

good for them or important for their health, happiness and career/business development.

If we’re not careful, fear can hold us back from achieving the things in life that we’re truly capable of. The good news is that fear, doubt and procrastination can be overcome – real growth happens if you take the first step and make every moment count.

Many of us have tried countless strategies to create results in our lives, to varying degrees of success, but more than any other success strategy, I have found there is one powerful way to transform your life with greater consistency and far less stress than you could do on your own.

Accountability Accountability p partners artners Having an accountability partner or mentor – someone you respect, who encourages and supports you, and will hold your feet to the flames, keeping you on the right path – is an absolute game changer to your wellbeing. And by extension, being a mentor or accountability buddy for someone else

is hugely rewarding too!

With the stresses the pandemic has brought, exercise can be a great break from the realities of daily life, as well as releasing those all important endorphins and improving our mood.

K Kick-start ick-start y your our sspring pring ffitness itness rregime egime Here is a home-based workout to kick-start your spring fitness regime. Set your stopwatch to five minutes and do the following five exercises in a row, then repeat for as many rounds as you can do before your five minutes is up.

Note the variations for different fitness and strength levels, and avoiding possible injury concerns.

• Squat jumps (or squats/30second wall squat) • ‘Clap’ push ups (or T push ups/regular push ups) • Burpees (or squat thrusts) • Sit ups • Jumping Jacks So this spring, get up, get fit, have fun and commit to finding an accountability partner! You will thank me later!

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D Distributors istributors R Required equired To join our waiting list for various locations in the Stroud District including:

Berkeley • Bisley • Brimscombe • Cashes Green • Frampton France Lynch • Kings Stanley • Kingswood • Leonard Stanley Minchinhampton • Painswick • Stroud Centre • Uplands Woodchester • Woodmancote • Wotton-under-Edge Please email d distribution@thelocalanswer.co.uk istribution@thelocalanswer.co.uk with your name, postal address, telephone number and date of birth. A member of our team will respond with more information. Please do not call the offfice – our staff are only T The he L Loc oca al l returning to work part-time, so may not always be AN A NSW S W ER ER available to take your call.

GLOUCESTERSHI G LOUCESTERSHIR RE’S E’S BIGGEST B IGGEST LLOCAL OCAL MAGAZINE M AGAZINE M MAY AY 22021 021

Each round is made up of 150-400 copies per month. The rate of pay is 6 pence/copy. Depending on property types, our current team of people average between 100-150 copies/hour (equivalent to £6-£9/hour).

Magazines are delivered to Distributors’ homes towards the end of each month and we expect deliveries to be completed within four days between the hours of 7am and 9pm.

You must be 13+ years old, flexible, reliable and sufficiently physically fit to perform the duties.

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STROU STROUD DISTR DISTRICT ICT WWW.THELOC WWW.THELOCALANSWER.CO ALANSWER.CO.UK .UK

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Flowers F lowers AZALEA ANEMONE BEGONIA BLUEBELL CORNFLOWER CROCUS DAFFODIL DOGWOOD FREESIA

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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.

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

Z Zoom oom g gloom loom Zoom, Skype and other video conferencing tools have been essential for many of us to stay connected during this year of change. One of the side effects however, is that lots of ‘zoomers’ are not happy with their intense close ups and extra scrutiny of their faces.

Cosmetic surgeons and beauticians have apparently been inundated with calls for appointments to rectify these issues, and many are fully booked for the foreseeable future.

I thi nk l ots of us a re pe rha ps too self-critical, seeing things which bother us that no one else even notices. Before you rush into any dramatic invasive and expensive procedures, why not consider other noninvasive ideas that might just give you a little tweak.

Retinoids R etinoids Retinol, which comes from the retinoid family, is derived from Vitamin A and are great for helping clear acne, fade dark spots and soften wrinkles. Skin experts agree that the correct use of retinols can certainly make the skin appear fresher, clearer and smoother; not bad for a topical product.

Of course, the strength in the retinol also plays a big part. 2% is t he h ig hes t c on tent in prod ucts – anything higher will need a prescription – and the most potent is retinoic acid, which is sold as prescription only.

There are many great products you can purchase which will give the sam e result s, but just take a bit longer to achieve, which is not such a bad thing. I advise the first week you try your chosen product on clean, dry skin, perhaps twice or three times. You will soon see if your skin adapts to the product.

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Expect some flaky skin initially, which will stop once your skin adapts. If you find it particularly drying you can add moisturiser over the top once the retinol is fully absorbed. Retinol can be used on the face, neck and the back of hands which, after all the extra hand washing, are probably a bit worse for wear.

Here is a sample of the many products out there, starting with one of the more expensive.

Medik8 is well-respected in the cosmetic industry and has a complete range. At £135, Medik8 r-Retinoate® is gentler than retinol, yet claims to give eight times the results and can be used twice daily.

One of my favourite ranges is Murad, created by worldrenowned dermatologist Dr. Howard Murad. The Retinol Youth Renewal Serum at £78 is a real treat. A more familiar name, Olay has its Regenerist Retinol24 Night Face moisturiser, which is fragrance free and does not feel greasy.

It’s important to note that any use of retinols leaves your skin more sensitive to the sun, so high factor sun screen is essential during the day when you use one of these products.

To advertise call 01242 510500

M Morpheus8 orpheus8 This is a non-surgical procedure, which Judy Murray recently underwent; frankly the results were astounding. It’s great that Judy was honest about having the treatment, unlike many celebrities who try to hide that they’ve had procedures.

The non-surgical face lift costs approximately £4,500. For Judy it required three appointments of thirty to forty minutes taken over seven months, and is supposedly pain free after the application of numbing cream.

The micro-needles inject radio frequency energy into the skin with a series of tiny needles, which stimulates the production of collagen and elastin. Radio frequency heat shrink wraps and tightens the skin. This procedure can be used on the face, neck and body, and the full effect takes a few weeks.

Whatever you decide to do about products or procedures, make sure you proceed with caution and take the time to do your own research. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and only you should make decisions about altering the way you look.

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

Love Love aatt aarm’s rm’s llength ength Like most of us, our family have been separated for a lot of the past year – babies have been born to nieces and nephews that we cannot visit, grandparents are getting older and we are missing out on special time with them, and even our adult kids are now no longer able to pop in and get a hearty hug the way they used to.

For those with younger children, we see how the past year has isolated so many of them, affecting friendship groups and personal development, which they are now grappling with as they return to school.

And still so much is in flux.

Let L et y your our ffriends riends k know now tthey hey a are re m missed issed But there is always something we can do – even at arm’s length to ensure that our loved ones know they are loved, that friends know they are missed, treasured and valued, and we can feel we are not completely letting our social world disintegrate under the pressure of outside forces.

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Firstly: keep talking. Whether by phone or video call, email or old fashioned snail mail, keep talking to each other, and be willing to have difficult conversations. One thing I have valued so much is the ability of friends to ‘get real’ and be able to talk about how hard they find things without fear of upsetting the other. It is so much easier to process fear and loneliness when you are able to name it and bring it into the open.

Secondly: don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. When you are in contact, encourage others to ask for what they want. Do they value little gifts?

Would they prefer alone time with you talking one on one, or are they desperate for a group gathering filled with jokes and nonsense? And make sure you are asking for what you want too. People are not mind readers and do not know your own love language – so help them to be better friends and family by letting them know!

Thirdly: hiding away, avoiding To advertise call 01242 510500

everyone just because you don’t want to be a burden or to trouble anyone with your needs is not helping! People love you and they worry about you and they really, really want to help you feel as happy as you can.

Keeping in touch, even just by text, means such a lot, whether you are giving support or receiving it – because let’s face it, everything circles around and where you may be asking for support today, you can be sure you will be giving it someday soon.

Family Family and and friends friends are are treasures treasures tto o be be n nurtured urtured If there is one thing this last year has taught us it is that friends and family are treasures to be nurtured and cared for.

They deserve honesty, respect and all the love we can muster, and so do we, every single day.

You, dear reader, are an amazing human and are continually shining a light for the world to enjoy. And for that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

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A 9 hole hole pay pay & play play course course in in the the heart heart of of the the Cotswolds Cotswolds

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The Raven & The Crow

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

GR GR is is for for grunt grunt I recently test-drove a Toyota Yaris GR and the model on test is currently on the market for £34,080.

Okay, first thing’s first, that’s not a miss-print. This really is a £34k Toyota Yaris, more than double the £16k entry price for the small sub compact that’s popular with new-drivers and older people alike.

But this hasn’t been built for them. It’s not a city-shopper, or a frugal, low-powered first car.

It has a 3-cylinder 1.6 litre engine that on paper sounds suited to new drivers or those who just want to nip to the shops. But that engine is fitted with a turbo and four-wheel drive system that delivers 257bhp to all four wheels. This then, is a hot hatch. And then some.

Toyota has designed this car because they want to challenge for the World Rally Championship (WRC) again, and to do that, there are certain rules that have to be met. Along with the aerodynamics (a little more on that later), essentially to be eligible for entry for the WRC, homologation rules mean that 25,000 production cars need to be made and offered for sale – good news for fans of hot hatches!

M More ore tthan han a llittle ittle b bit it d different ifferent From the outside, it clearly looks different to a ‘normal’ Yaris, and when you start it up, it’s even more abundantly clear that this is more than a little bit different!

The styling has changed, improving aerodynamics and power balance, but the aero The Local Answer

changes to make this a rally contender go further than that.

Again, looking at the rules, WRC states that there can be no aerodynamic aids on the rear doors of the car. Toyota has bypassed this by only making this available as a three door – so no rear doors!

Personally, I think the hot hatch bar is currently set by the Fiesta ST – something I reviewed just before the first lockdown and a car that I loved driving. So this has a lot to live up to in order to take that crown.

T The he rroar oar iiss a an ne early arly indication indication of of the the p pocketocketrocket rocket you’ve you’ve started started u up p But the GR is actually on another level. From the second you get in and hit the starter, the roar is an early indication of the pocket-rocket you’ve just started up. That level of power to all four wheels is potent to say the least. It’s fast, agile and sounds incredible…

I have to be honest, of all the cars I’ve reviewed recently, this To advertise call 01242 510500

one drew the most attention.

Not surprising it’s won such affection from petrol-heads and the trade press alike – Toyota really has done an incredible job with this car and I think they will be a serious contender for the WRC this year.

Not N ot your your everyday everyday car car But sadly, I don’t see the point. I loved driving this – it’s an absolute blast. But it isn’t useable as an everyday car, and for me, that’s a box the Fiesta ST ticks adequately. The Ford probably isn’t as fast, as agile, or as noisy, but it’s a great balance of power and practicality, while this Yaris is all about the power.

In fairness, I’m over 40. I’m not the target audience for a hot hatch, so maybe this is an unfair review. I loved it, but would take the Fiesta ST. Yes, it’s about 60bhp less, but it’s also £10k cheaper for a specced up, 5-door Fiesta ST-3.

And for me that, and the added practicality, is a deal breaker.

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

Make the Make the most most of of the the M ay bank bank holidays holidays May At last, here we are in May, such a beautiful month in the garden! With two lots of Bank Holidays, there is plenty of time to get down and dirty in your garden.

If the weather is mild, give your shiny leaved houseplants a little spring clean in the shower with tepid water and then bring them outside for a few hours in the middle of the day. Warning – don’t stand them in full sun thinking they will like it as it will scorch the leaves!

You can shine the leaves with special cleaning wipes from the garden centre, or you can use the inside of old banana skins, which seem to work just as well and will probably transfer a few nutrients at the same time.

Feed your tomatoes regularly with high-potash fertiliser once there are three or four clusters of flowers. If you do it before

the flowers have arrived you might just end up with lots and lots of healthy leaves and no fruit!

Place clean straw or little mats around strawberry plants to protect the fruit from soil splashes and to help keep the soil moist.

S Separate eparate cclusters lusters o off h herbs erbs ffor or a g good ood y yield ield If you don’t have the time or patience to sow your own herbs you can use the crowded plastic pots you buy in the supermarket. Carefully separate them and replant in fresh compost in small pots, putting two or three plants in each pot.

Keep watered.

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steam lightly for a delicious vegetable.

If your pond is getting full of blanket weed just twirl a rough stout stick in the water and it will wrap the weed round it like a green candyfloss. I wouldn’t advise eating it though!

Give box hedges and topiaries their first trim in early May. Use sharp shears or hedge-trimmers on long runs of hedging. Keep a look out for Box blight or the signs of the Box Moth caterpillar – both a real problem last year.

Dead-head the spent flowers on any early plants like roses or irises. This ensures all the vigour goes back into the plant.

Once you’ve spent a long, hard day working in the garden, the next thing to do is pour one of your favourite cool drinks and enjoy the late evening sunshine with a welldeserved rest!

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

Let’s L et’s eat eat outside outside We’re nearing the end of Lockdown 3.0, spring is here and summer is on its way, but we still can’t plan holidays and we are spending more time in our gardens than ever before.

It’s time to take a fresh look outside. Here are my ideas for creating a stylish outdoor space so you can really enjoy being in your garden.

1.

1. A room room o outisde utisde Plan to give your eating area an enclosed feel, near a hedge or wall, or erect a trellis or screen.

I have created a cosy area on my terrace with olive and bay trees in lovely big pots. Invest in outdoor furniture that lasts – there are lots of sustainable options available in wood or rattan.

Refresh your existing furniture with exterior paint, or go vintage and re-purpose old pieces – paint chairs in different colours for a chic French look. If you have a balcony or small outside area, a bistro table and a couple of chairs in a bright colour looks stylish.

Image: Bungalow

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Image: Weaver Green

2.

2. Staying Staying warm warm

4 4.. P Plan lan y your our ttablescape ablescape

Sadly, we don’t live in a Mediterranean climate (yet) so it’s important to think about how to stay warm once the sun goes in. I love a firepit for creating warmth and interest in the garden at night – they are the current must-have garden accessory so hurry if you want one. Take a look at Garden Trading’s website or check out Dunelm’s Outdoor Log Burner.

3.

3. Create Create an an atmosphere atmosphere

When setting your outdoor table take your lead from nature.

Look for floral-patterned tablecloths, wicker tablemats and napkins in organic fabrics. Use bright coloured glassware – green tones work especially well with the colours of the garden. Casually arrange herbs and seasonal flowers in jam jars, and light lots of tealights in glass containers when the light fades.

Garden lighting sets the mood and it can transform an ordinary patio into somewhere magical.

Solar lights create a soft glow, while strings of twinkly string lights and lanterns set a dreamy mood.

There are so many choices of lighting now, I have even seen some in the shape of monkeys – hang them in a tree for a tropical jungle effect. If you want to highlight a particular feature, go for LED Spiked lights or uplights. My neighbours have installed lighting to illuminate a beautiful old wall – it looks stunning.

Create a cosy ambiance with an on-trend outdoor rug. Check out Weaver Green for some lovely designs. Swap out your cushions for new ones in a bright Ikat pattern for a boho vibe, or a botanical print for a tropical feel. Don’t forget to have lots of blankets on hand for when it starts to feel chilly.

Now just pour yourself a G&T and enjoy your outside space, whether sharing a meal with family and friends or simply relaxing over cocktails and nibbles.

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Food F ood for for thought thought I recently discovered a new holiday – International No Diet Day (yes, this is a real thing!).

Apparently, 6th May is the date where you can relax your dietary restrictions and celebrate some body positivity.

So, in honour of this important day – which I am definitely marking in the calendar – check out some of these nifty gadgets that can cook up some tasty treats to celebrate!

t s y o s e y s a manual option. The fryer also includes some useful safety features such as overheat protection and auto-shut off, so all you need to do is wait for the beep to let you know your food’s done.

churning to create a nice ripple design. You could also try your hand at making sorbets or frozen yoghurt.

S Sage age T The he N No oM Mess ess W Waffle affle Maker Maker Argos: £99.99

Are you craving deliciously Cuisinart Cuisinart IIce ce C Cream ream M Maker aker g olden waffles filled with fluffy John Lewis: £79.99

D Digital igital C Compact ompact A Air ir Fryer Fryer Lakeland: £59.99 If you can’t be bothered to go to the chippy, worry not: with this gizmo, you can make delicious homemade chips with ease! This air fryer from Lakeland is ideal if you’re in need of something compact and easy to use.

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With the sunny weather afoot, what better sweet treat is there than a nice, cold ice cream?

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goodness? Hint: the answer to that should always be yes.

We’ve seen them many times on American TV shows, where the mum always has stacks of freshly made waffles ready and waiting at the breakfast table, usually accompanied with bacon and syrup.

If you’re bored of cereal and toast, shake things up a bit with this non-splatter waffle maker from Argos. As its name suggests, The No Mess Waffle Maker is here to make your breakfast time simpler. Instead of excess batter getting everywhere, this gadget ret ains the batter to make sure everything gets cooked.

You can adjust the settings to ensure you get your waffles how you like them, whether that’s lightly golden brown or nice and crispy.

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

renewed will renewed impact will What What impact planet? the planet? on the have on travel travel have We have all started to tentatively hope for a future where we might soon be able to travel freely again, to return to a life where we can hop on a plane to visit friends and family, or just have a week somewhere more exotic than our back garden. While this is an exciting prospect, what does that mean from an ecological standpoint?

Putting aside the enormous environmental impact of air travel, there are many other things to consider when looking at the impact of humans travelling extensively again.

Be Be a m more ore cconsiderate onsiderate ttraveller raveller It’s not the case that you need to totally ditch your holiday plans and stay home, but just have a little more awareness and be a more considerate traveller. There are small measures you can look into while you’re away and also a few things you can prepare before you go.

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If you’ve ever been swimming in the sea at a popular beach you will probably have noticed the slick on the surface caused by chemicals in sun cream.

You can help lesson this by choosing a sun cream with natural ingredients.

Activities like hiring jet skis, speed boats or having banana boat rides might be fun, but they are best avoided as they can cause so many issues for marine life, not only from the pollution of the engines but due to the fact that there are so many creatures injured by the propellers, often fatally.

Another simple step is to follow the guidance about putting your used paper in the bin instead of in the toilet, as some countries have issues with sanitation and their systems can’t cope with an enormous influx of tourists.

It’s very easy to put all of our eco-friendly habits on hold when on holiday, but To advertise call 01242 510500

with a little thought and preplanning you can carry on making the good changes you started at home when you’re away.

S Small mall tthings hings make make a put d difference ifference iiff we we all all put iin n tthe he e effort ffort Little things like taking a reusable bag so you don’t need a plastic one when you go to the shops, packing your cloth face wipes so you don’t need disposable ones, taking the same cruelty free brands you normally use in small refillable bottles, and trying to support small local businesses.

These can all make a difference if everyone puts in the effort!

Trying to limit your environmental impact will make for a much better holiday all round.

Many countries rely heavily on our visits but there are a lot of ways that we can still support their economies, enjoy their beautiful weather and sights, have fun and enjoy ourselves, while still being eco-conscious.

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Index of Advertisers HEALTH & BEAUTY

Marshalls Driveways 21 22 Be Well Gloucestershire 8 RS Cladding WB Home Improvements 22 SPORT CLEANING SERVICES Shipton Golf Course 16 Earthclean 26 HOMES & GARDENS Extra Level Pro Cleaning 21 BATHROOMS Regency Cleaners 26 AHM Installations 26 FURNISHING & Lifestyle Bathrooms 28 APPLIANCES Severn Vale 4 & 35 Bella’s Interiors 26 Dream Doors 30 BUILDING SERVICES A1 Roofing 22 GARDEN SERVICES 24 Arco Renovations 21 Lawn Doc 2 C&G Paving 20 MPL Wrought Iron Dykes Builders 21 We Do Garden Rooms 24 Glevum Cladding 20 HANDYMAN SERVICES Home Care Roofing 20 Your Way Home Help 26

HEATING & PLUMBING M.J. Harris Domestic Repairs 29 PAINTING & DECORATING Jacob’s Painting 26 TV & AERIAL 1st Choice Aerials 21 WINDOWS, DOORS & CONSERVATORIES Albany Windows 12 & 36 Clearway Windows 32 Garolla 23 Misty to Clear 28

FUNERAL SERVICES Family Tree Funerals 10-11 HOUSE CLEARANCE Yes to Mess 22 MOTORING SERVICES Bridgend Garage 16 PUBLISHING Guy Sheppard 16 Lois Kingscott 14 REMOVAL SERVICES Little White Van Man 26 SKIP HIRE & RECYCLING Stevens Recycling 22

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CARE SERVICES Scarlet House Care Home 6

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01242 510500

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