Vision Clyde & Avon Valley

June / July 2014 issue 0019

VISION

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Stay Safe In The SUN MOVIE

Your Must Have

FREE Magazine

Any One Planning AWedding

of the month

if you go to see one movie make it this one

June 15 A Good Read This Month’s Book Reviews

Don’t Break Down Simple car checks to keep you moving

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Puzzle page to keep the brain fit

Features Inside

Father’s Day

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GET IN THE PINK

r a s y a d i Hol .. . g n i m o c

Going away, Staycation at home be safe in the Sun page 12 page

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CONTENTS

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15

10 MOVIE

of the month

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Any One Planning A Wedding?

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Most dads will receive a Fathers’ Day card on June 15th, but how many of them know just how important their role in the family is?

Scientists are increasingly realizing just how much dads matter.

Kids who feel loved by their father tend to have a greater sense of well-being, happiness and life satisfaction, than those who feel loved by their mother alone.

Dads may also be responsible for endowing their child with the “stick-with-it-ness” that will serve them well throughout their life. University researchers found that a dad’s parenting style is more closely linked to whether teens will exhibit persistence than mum’s parenting.

A persistent personality, in turn, was related to less delinquency and more engagement in school over time.

Fathers who are most effective at this are those who listen to their children, have a close relationship, set appropriate rules, but also grant appropriate freedoms.

Father’s Day June 15th

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Quality time with dad is really important too. It doesn’t have to be an expensive holiday or day trip - simply playing in the back garden or watching a film together is fine. What’s important is that dad is there and fully engaged. So dads, why not use this Fathers’ day to get out, take the kids to the park and just enjoy being with your family.

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DON’T BREAK DOWN Shortly after taking delivery of a new-tome car, I absentmindedly started filling the fuel tank with petrol, until I suddenly remembered it took diesel!

Fortunately, I immediately stopped refuelling and phoned for breakdown services who flushed the tank clean, thus avoiding serious engine damage and expensive repair bills.

or the clamps loose. Regular maintenance and servicing can eliminate problems like this, but as we are all human and make mistakes from time to time, keep a set of jump leads in the car ‘just in case’! Also, if you tend to make only short journeys in your car, give it a good run every week or two to give the battery chance to recharge itself.

Flat or damaged tyres are another common problem. Check your handbook to keep tyres at the correct pressure and be careful to avoid hitting the kerb, as the impact can damage tyre sidewalls and rims. A good practice is to check tyre pressure and tread every time you fill up, watching out for nails or glass in the tyres and paying special attention to the tread depth. If it is uneven, the tyres may be misaligned.

Does your vehicle have a second set of keys? Keeping a spare bunch in a safe place will prevent big headaches should you ever lock yourself out of your car, or worse still lose your keys. Most modern cars now have a ‘transponder’ key which combines a conventional mechanical key with an encrypted electronic chip to prevent theft. Replacement is often available only through an authorised dealer and could take several days. Much better to keep a spare!

Remember Check Fuel Battery Tyres Spare Keys

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Fuel-related problems are one of the major causes of car breakdowns, with running out of fuel ranked in Green Flag’s top five.

But many breakdowns can be avoided with a little forethought. For example, make a commitment to never let your car run on less than a quarter full, and you should never face the embarrassment of an empty tank!

Most of us have had a flat battery. Sometime this occurs due to a genuine fault, but more often happens after leaving the lights or radio on, or because the terminals are dirty,

Finally, there are a number of mechanical and electrical faults that might cause a breakdown, such as the starter motor or spark plugs. At the first signs of any problems (like difficulty starting the engine for example), get your car checked over by a garage to avoid further problems.

Owning a vehicle is an essential part of life for the majority of us these days. Let’s keep them breakdown-free by carrying out good, regular maintenance, and by using a bit of common sense!

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A Good Read

Wolf Hall – Hilary Mantel This is a book that I took some time ‘getting round to’, not being sure that historical fiction was what I felt like reading. However, from the moment I did get round to it, I was hooked.

Mantel deserves the praise and awards heaped on this volume and its sequel, Bring Up the Bodies: it is truly a remarkable book.

The central character, introduced in Wolf Hall, is Thomas Cromwell – clerk to Cardinal Wolsey at the time of Henry VIII’s attempts to divorce his first wife. The fact that Cromwell stands out against the figures of Wolsey, Thomas More and Henry himself is testament to Mantel’s storytelling power. He is a compelling character – complex, brutal at times and yet always sympathetic: a far cry from other fictionalised accounts, and yet somehow definitive.

The novel traces the rise of Cromwell, as first Wolsey and then More fall, seeing him become Henry’s chief adviser at the same time as the Boleyn family come to dominate the court.

Anne and her sister Mary are probably the central female characters, each deeply involved in the life of the king

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and both fascinating in their own right. The historical and political intrigues surrounding these events are well known to many, and Mantel uses them to structure the novel as she concentrates on her characters and the ways in which their lives are affected. Cromwell’s own family tragedies and triumphs are offset against events at court, developing the human side which makes this depiction so different.

This isn’t an easy book, and at over 600 pages it is a substantial read.

But the minute I put it down, I picked up the sequel – and that fact speaks volumes.

There’s A Dinosaur in My Bathtub – Catalina Echeverri

start to fall – but surely, he will be back?

Pierre is a dinosaur. He comes from France (you can tell by his name, and the moustache is a bit of a giveaway, too). And he lives in Amelia’s house – sometimes in the bathtub, but he can hide behind the shower curtains too.

You see, no-one else knows he is there.

This is a charming picture book which does what all the best picture books do, telling one story with words and another with images.

Destined to become a bedtime favourite – oui?

Amelia and Pierre have wonderful adventures together – often involving marshmallows, ice cream and, of course, stinky cheese (remember, Pierre is French!). Each adventure is beautifully illustrated, with lots of little details and a smattering of French phrases just for fun.

Sadly, by the end, Pierre has to go away when the autumn leaves

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How Low Can You Grow ?

Mention the word ‘alpine’ to a garden designer and (in general) you’ll be given the same facial expression as a child who’s just bitten into an unwaxed lemon! Insignificant leaf growth with tiny flowers what’s to love? Associated with badly designed 60’s rockeries, these low growing perennials really do get a raw deal. In the main, the poor little things can’t climb very far, can’t extend their roots to escape from water logged soil, and have not adapted to elongating their stems to reach the sunlight (because a naughty gardener planted the pot-bought specimen under the shade of a tree).

Alpines, like other successful species, have adapted themselves to their native habitats, often found clung to the side of a windy rock face way above sea level. When you observe them in the wild, you easily understand why they are so small. The exposed sites would quickly dry out large leaves, so many are small in size such as those of Hypericum olympicum, and others often silver in colour such as the very cute

Artemisia schmidtiana ‘Nana’. Rather a mouthful to say and often not the most romantic sounding names either, take Pulsatilla vulgaris (the pasque flower) as an example. It might not win any prizes in the largest plant competition, but its ability to grow on nearly solid limestone rock is pretty impressive. So too are its beautiful flowers, delicate dissected foliage and crazy seed heads.

Until I saw a glasshouse full of alpine plants all in bloom at the same time I wasn’t a huge fan either, but seeing them up close and personal when displayed at waist height, you realise how wonderful these tiny creations are.

Over recent years, alpines have really been appreciated for their versatility and employed in new applications. Take the humble Sempervivum ‘Othello’, famous for thriving on hot dry tiled roofs and now widely used on green roof schemes where it can adapt to the very shallow free draining soils. It’s quite a vigorous semp., with beautiful red tints in winter. Grow in shallow containers in full sun where it will

quickly spread to around 30cm in width.

If you are looking for a plant to cover an old dry stonewall or soften the corner of a raised bed, look no further than Campanula poscharskyana ‘Stella’. If happy, it does have a tendency to walk, but with its long flowering season and pretty purple flowers I’m sure your neighbours won’t mind if it starts appearing in their crevices too. June is a busy month in the garden, and as well as a good time to plant alpines, other jobs include: Sowing salad leaves every 2 weeks for a continuous crop Plant grasses Tie up climbers Earth up potatoes

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MOVIE of the Month

Release Date 6th June After making their way through high school (twice), big changes are in store for officers Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) when they go deep undercover at a local college. But when Jenko meets a kindred spirit on an athletic team, and Schmidt infiltrates the bohemian art major scene, they begin to question their partnership. Now they don’t have to just crack the case - they have to figure out if they can have a mature relationship. If these two overgrown adolescents can grow from freshmen into real men, college might be the best thing that ever happened to them.

SUN

Be Safe In The I have had a couple of holidays ruined after suffering from the effects of too much sun. To keep your holidays burn, blister and misery free, follow these ten top sun protection tips!

Reapply sunscreen after being in the water, or if you sweat a lot!

Do not stay in the sun longer than you would if not wearing sunscreen.

It should not be used as an excuse Cover up! Simple as it may sound, for staying out longer. clothing offers the best protection Wear a hat with a wide brim or peak around.

Avoid being in the sun between to protect your face and head.

11am and 3pm when its rays are the Wear glasses to protect your eyes. most damaging.

Use sunscreen with a Sun Protection Look for ones with a UV 400 label or that offer 100% block out of UVA Factor (SPF) of at least 15.

Go for broad-spectrum sunscreens and UVB rays. that protect against both UVA and UVB rays.

With these measures in place, you Make sure your sunscreen is not past should enjoy happy, problem free its expiry date. Most have a shelf life sunshine and, on a more serious note, reduce the risk of developing of 2-3 years. skin cancer later in life.

Apply sunscreen evenly, thickly and regularly.

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Healthy Asian Chicken Wings Makes about 8-16 chicken wings depending on size.

Preparation time: 10 minutes plus 30 minutes marinating time Cooking time: 45 minutes Ingredients 1 kg/2 pounds chicken wings 2.5cm/1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and sliced 4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped 8 tablespoons soy sauce 3 tablespoons sake or dry sherry 2 tablespoons sugar 225g/8oz plain all purpose flour

Method

First make the marinade. Mix the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sugar and sake or cooking sherry in a bowl. Marinate the chicken wings in this sauce for at least 30 minutes. Make sure all wings are coated and turn a couple of times during the marinating process.

Preheat oven to 200C / Gas Mark 6. Cover a large tray with baking parchment. Place the flour into a shallow bowl then drain the wings of the marinade. Dip each wing carefully into the flour, shake off any excess then place the wings on the prepared tray.

Bake skin side up for 15 minutes. Then turn the wings over so that the skin side is down and bake for another 15 minutes. Finally turn skin side up again and bake for a final 15 minutes to make sure they are crispy.

Serve with salad on a bed of lettuce leaves.

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