ISSUE 18 | PRICELESS
MOTORING
hEALTH ENERGY ROUND-UP FOR BURY ST EDMUNDS
food & drink
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You’re Invited! More than a one stop caravan shop this Christmas Celebrate Christmas as it used to be, with traditional roasted chestnuts, mince pies and warming mulled wine. Bring your children and friends along to meet Santa in his grotto and take a ride on our 1932 Steam Bus. Enjoy a wonderful range of local arts, crafts and entertainment.
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Issue 18 2013
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Issue 18 2013
Bury st edmunds
www.burystedmundsonline.com
Ixworth House WIN Channel 4’s ‘Four in a Bed’ Ixworth House had been one of Suffolk’s best kept secrets until last week, when the nation saw inside its doors on Channel 4’s show ‘Four in a Bed’ Owners John & Sharyn Snell bought the house 4 years ago and have undertaken extensive renovations to the point where they opened to the public as a luxury bed and breakfast 18 months ago. Since then they have been awarded the AA five star Gold Award (May 2013), been listed in The Daily Mail’s ‘AA Britain’s Best B&B’ supplement, and were announced as winners of ‘Four in a Bed’ Series 7 last Friday. “The show approached us about being involved and we thought it could be a great opportunity to meet some other people running bed and breakfasts and learn from them. There were some real characters, and we all had a lot of fun, which we think came across in the program. We had to keep our win a secret until
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the show aired last Friday, it’s great to finally be able to tell people! We’ve been inundated with calls and emails, and had thousands of hits on our website since then, so I guess Ixworth House is now well and truly on the map!” The episodes of ‘Four in a Bed’ featuring Ixworth House are available to watch online through Channel 4’s catch up service 4OD. The Ixworth House episode (Tuesday 19th November) features a dinner at Wyken Vineyard’s Leaping Hare Restaurant and a Backstage Tour of the Theatre Royal complete with mini costume drama! For further information, photo opportunities and interviews please contact Sharyn Snell on 01359 230639 or by email sharyn@ixworthhouse.co.uk
Empire Printing & Embroidery Professional Clothing Printing & Embroidery across the UK Empire Printing and Embroidery is run by an enthusiastic team with a passion for graphics and design. We are a fresh energetic company focused on providing you with a high quality printing and embroidery service.
web site. One of our most popular items are the leavers Hoodies which are available in over 45 colours and 10 different styles. Each one can be individually personalised and is a great keepsake for your time at College or University.
Our key services include Printing, embroidery and “sublimation” printing for mugs etc. We guarantee a quick turnaround and cater for and welcome any size order. We provide premium quality t-shirts, polo shirts, hoodies, work wear, safety wear and corporate and hospitality clothing. We also have the ability to supply “budget garments” for those items only destined to be worn once. Examples of these include one offs for your hen/stag parties, pub quizzes, charity events etc.
Our print process also allows us to print a photograph onto a garment, this is a great idea for a birthday, anniversary or for your Stag & Hen Nights etc. Our turnaround time is 7-10 working days from order acknowledgement to despatch, but we can do express delivery turnarounds for a small extra price.
We also offer bar wear, aprons, shirts, trousers etc this range will be available to order over a long period of time so enabling the customer to ‘TOP UP’ their stock when needed. For a full list of the items we can supply please click on the catalogue on our
Contact us for a no obligation quote, we will design your garment decoration and e- mail you a sample presentation for you to approve or alter. Our aim is to put you the customer in control of the final product so to make your custom garments the ideal solution for your uniform, leisure wear, Stag/hen parties, 18th/21st birthdays or just a fun night out.
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bury st edmunds
An Opportunity... A Quick Story which just might help you and your business! Back in 2005 I bought a small traditional business and set about turning it around and growing it. For 6 years, the business was pure aggravation, full of constant problems, negativity, staff difficulties, out sourcing dilemmas, accounts issues etc. Almost every day I wonder why I was putting so much effort in, when it was just aggravation that I was getting back. This appears to be the case with most small businesses today. 2 years ago, I was introduced to an opportunity via a businessman who became a very close friend. An opportunity which changed my life, my outlook and also my small business, which I have now gown and expanded. The businessman asked me: Jonathan how much extra money per month would make a difference to you right now?
and implemented the feedback I was given that I absolutely would earn £200.00 per month starting that very month, AND as the opportunity was residual income based, if I duplicated what I did every month the £200.00 per month would turn into £400.00 per month then £600 per month and so on! I was staggered! I’d never seriously considered what a Residual income was. But here I was, sat with someone who’d been there and done it and he was 100% certain that I could do it too. At the time I had no experience whatsoever, but I had a passion for personal development and a hunger to learn and develop my skills. I figured, if I could master the art and learn from someone who had already cracked it, then one day Id be able to repeat what my friend was showing me.
£200.00 per month I answered. He then went on to explain that if I followed his instructions, worked hard,
In the 12 months that followed, during my spare time, I achieved my original goal and some!
And it was all possible thanks to the incredible amount of high-quality training and support I was given for FREE! The decision to take the opportunity has changed my life forever, and the massive amount of training and personal development has also enabled me to build my original business which used to be pure aggravation. Today I have managed to grow and expand it far and beyond what I thought was possible. Now, 2 years later, Im looking to pay it forward and give another person the very same opportunity I was given. As part of the rapid growth of my business Iím looking to recruit a couple of people (yes, we actually have too many highquality leads for one person to manage on their own, and we’re losing money because we can’t cope with the demand!) These people will work closely alongside me and my team in the coming months and get what I believe is the very best training available when it comes to
growing a business in our industry. Now, I’ll tell you up front this is going to be hard work! But, I GUARENTEE the right person WILL easily earn £200.00 per month (and probably more). So, do you know anyone who might be interested? Ideally I’m looking for someone who gets our industry. They don’t need any experience (remember I had zero when I started out) but they do need to be hungry, keen to learn, and willing to work hard! If you know anyone who might be a good fit (or indeed you think you might be!) please send an up to date CV via email to jon@thanhorswell.com and weíll be in touch. Contact: Jonathan Email: Jon@thanHorswell.com Tel: 07802 690589
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Bury st edmunds
www.burystedmundsonline.com
Enery Price Round-Up Energy prices have soared as the big energy companies have push up annual gas and electricity bills to more than £1,500 for the first time, piling fresh misery on hard-up customers. Experts predictions were correct that power firms would raise bills by up to 10 per cent, more than three times the rate of inflation. It comes as figures from regulator Ofgem show that the six biggest suppliers have seen profit margins per customer almost double. British Gas, Scottish and Southern Energy, Eon, nPower, EDF and Scottish Power now make £65 a year per household, compared to £35 last autumn. Average bills are now £1,420 a year and further rises could push them up to £1,562. Labour shadow energy secretary Caroline Flint said: “When times are tough energy companies should be helping their customers, not clobbering them with even more price rises to boost their profits.” Mark Todd, of the Energy Helpline. com, said: “Turning on the heating is
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fast becoming like emptying the entire contents of your wallet into the hands of your energy company. If this winter is cold it will be incredibly tough for working families to afford extra heating costs. On really cold days you could be spending almost £20 a day on gas and electricity.” Energy firms have blamed rising bills on factors outside their control, such as green taxes and wholesale gas prices, and Ofgem has warned that increased reliance on foreign gas could further drive up bills. Millions of people are already in ìfuel poverty, where they spend more than a tenth of their income on gas and electricity. Charities and consumer groups have demanded that energy firms freeze prices to help families keep warm this winter.
BT to hit millions with New Year price rise of up to 6.5pc Millions of BT customers will see the price of their phone and broadband packages rise by up to 6.5 per cent in January to help pay for the telecom giant’s £1bn investment in sports TV broadcasting. BT is also increasing the “termination fees” on customers looking to leave mid-contract by as much as 30 per cent, and will also start charging for BT Answer 1571 for the first time. Even the cost of calling Timeline, the old Speaking Clock, is going up from 34.4p per minute to 36.6p per minute, a rise of 6.3 per cent. Line rental is going up by 3.5 per cent. The increases will also trigger concerns that BT’s ten million customers are having to foot the bill for its unprecedented investment in sports broadcasting.
A BT spokesman justified the increases by explaining that BT was investing in “sport and superfast broadband”. He added: “They are not the only things. We have shareholders and dividends to pay.” BT has spent around £1bn in picking up the rights for live Premiership football and rugby games for its flagship BT Sport venture, designed to rival Sky. The group has signed up star presenters and pundits such as Clare Balding and Rio Ferdinand. BT insisted earlier this summer that BT Sport would be “free or charge” to existing BT broadband customers. So far around a million have opted to receive the sports channels. BT 1571 will now cost £1.75 a month, while the price of other ‘Calling Features’ will rise by 6.5 per cent. Anonymous Call Reject, used by households to combat nuisance or cold calls, will also go up to £4.75 a month.
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The price changes detailed by BT revealed that its standard line rental charge will rise and customers on its unlimited anytime plus, unlimited anytime and mobile, and unlimited anytime plan will suffer increases of up to 6.4 per cent.
The Utility Warehouse is an independent company with around 600,000 customers. It is a discount club owned by Telecom Plus PLC a FTSE250 company, which does not advertise but relies on customer recommendations instead.
It should also be noted that complaints about BT’s broadband and TV service were on the rise. Ofcom said that BT broadband “generated complaints in excess” of the industry average, at 0.28 for every 1,000 customers.
Besides gas and electricity, Utility Warehouse offers other services including home phone, broadband and mobile phones, all on one monthly bill. Utility Warehouse promises to keep its prices competitive with the big six energy suppliers.
The Answer. . .
When Which? asked Utility Warehouse customers what they thought of their supplier, here are some of the things they told us:
The Prime Minister is encouraging people to switch their utility provider and to shop around for the best deal. Consumer magazine WHICH? regarded by many as the bible when it comes to recommendations, recently reviewed energy company Utility Warehouse.
bury st edmunds
“We chose them for their reputation with customer service, and have found that they are also very good value and cheaper than all the others.” Utility Warehouse scored a top fivestar rating in Which?’s tariff test which compared Utility Warehouse’s tariffs to our best practice criteria in. Utility Warehouse also scored highly overall in our customer satisfaction survey. They offer competitive prices on gas and electricity, home phone, broadband and mobile.
The local Utility Warehouse distributor in Attleborough, Bury St Edmunds, Dereham, Diss, Watton, Wymondham and the surrounding area and villages can be contacted on: 07802 690589 Via a 10 minute FREE utility assessment, you’ll be surprised how just how much money you can reduce your monthly utility bills by. Visit our website for more information: www.Utility-Bills.co.uk
“I love the one bill, I can pick up the bill and within a very short time have all of the information that I need in front of me. Colourful and easy to understand and all services visible on the front page.”
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A big bang
y Locall
BUY 2 FOR ÂŁ4.50 The Taste of Suffolk Sausages Pork & Honey/Pork & Apple 6s
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Dairy Crest Rural Action Award Winner
Valid at Co-op Supermarkets, Foodstores and Co-op Daily until 29th November 2013. Offers subject to availability and change without prior notice. Product may be stocked in larger stores only, excludes Norwich station store. Information correct at the time of going to print.
East of England Co-op
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FOOD & DRINK
The Perfect Mince Pie
The Best Mulled Wine
These luxurious treats, courtesy of the 2014 Dairy Diary, are guaranteed to wow your guests over the festive season.
Here we bring you the best mulled wine recipe for a tight festive budget
Makes 24 Time 35 mins Calories 196 Fat 10g of which 4.7g is saturated You will need: • 225g (8oz) plain flour • 50g (2oz) ground almonds • 75g (3oz) icing sugar • 175g (6oz) butter, diced • 1 medium Egg yolk • 450g (1lb) homemade mincemeat • 150g (5oz) natural marzipan • Sifted icing sugar to serve 1. Tip all ingredients except mincemeat and marzipan into a processor and blend to make a smooth pastry dough. Divide dough in half and roll out each batch on a lightly floured surface. Using an 8cm (3in) cutter, stamp out 24 rounds and use to line mince pie tins. Chill in fridge while rolling out topping. 2. Roll out marzipan on a lightly floured surface and cut out 24 small stars measuring about 5cm (2in) in diameter.
3. Preheat oven to 180C/Gas 4. Pop a spoonful of mincemeat into each pastry case, top with a marzipan star and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden and cooked. 4. Remove from tins and serve warm, dusted with a little sifted icing sugar. The 2014 Dairy Diary, published by Eaglemoss Consumer Publications, features over 40 delicious recipes to suit all occasions and tastes, from quick and simple salads and snacks, to hearty winter staples. To order a copy, priced at £7.25, visit www.dairydiary.co.uk or call 0845 0948 128. If you have a milkman, simply put a note out with your empties.
The great thing about mulled wine is that thanks to all the tasty fruit and spices that you add to the mix, it doesn’t even matter if you use a cheap bottle of red wine that would give you change from a fiver (if such a thing still exists). You will need: • 4 Oranges • 1 Lemon • 250g Caster sugar • 12 Cloves • 2 Cinnamon Sticks • 2 Bottles of red wine 1. Grate the zest of one of the oranges into a saucepan and squeeze the juice into a cup.
4. Add the cinnamon sticks to the pan. 5. Pour both bottles of red wine and the orange and lemon juice into the pan and heat gently at around 60°C - do NOT let the mixture boil. Add the sugar to taste, stirring it to ensure that it has all dissolved. 6. As your mulled wine simmers away it will be enfused with the flavours of the fruit and spices - so keep it going on a low heat and serve as and when you need it; At a Christmas party, When friends unexpectedly drop by or when you’re bored and home alone. Every day is a mulled wine day.
2. Grate the zest of the lemon into the saucepan and squeeze the juice into the cup. 3. Stick four cloves into each of the remaining three oranges and place them in the pan.
Issue 18 2013
10 Homes & gardens
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Eagle New Energy Eagle New Energy Ltd is a specialist renewable energy business With a head office based in Mildenhall, Suffolk, and a showroom in Old Buckenham, Norfolk, we are ideally placed to install solar panels throughout East Anglia. Eagle New Energy installed a 3.78kWp ground-mounted solar PV array for Mrs Lewis in North Norfolk at the end of the summer in 2011. The system comprised 18 210w Schueco modules and we estimated the annual yield at 3245kWh. We recently visited Mrs Lewis to find out how the PV system was performing and she gave us the following comment: “This solar array was installed two years ago. It is performing even better than anticipated giving almost 12% per annum return on capital. From my initial enquiry to completion of the system installation, Eagle New Energy handled everything in a
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professional and competent manner. I would not hesitate to recommend them.” Mrs Lewis is generating her own electricity on site – reducing the amount of electricity she has to buy from the grid and minimising the impact of increasing electricity rates. Mrs Lewis also receives an income via the Feed-in Tariff for every unit of electricity that her solar array generates – regardless of whether she uses the power herself or whether it is exported to the grid; This income is tax free. As an approved MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) company operating within the strict guidelines of the Renewable Energy Association (REAL), you can be assured of a fully compliant installation entitling you to the generous “feed-in tariffs” available.
This scheme obliges the electricity companies to purchase the electricity you generate, at a rate of 14.90p per kWh. Stop to think about this for a moment – not only are you receiving the electricity you generate free of charge, but you are actually being paid for the privilege! This is in the form of a quarterly payment, paid back to you by your electricity supplier. The commitment to this tariff being index linked has already been demonstrated, by the increase in the tariff of 4.8% for the year commencing 1st April 2011, 4.8% in 2012, and a further 3.1% from 1st April 2013. As a part of the Architectural Glazing Ltd Group of companies which includes a large construction industry sub-contractor and a specialist niche manufacturer, our senior management have 25
years’ experience in multi-million pound complex cladding and façade installations, experience which we can bring to your installation however large or small. Our sister companies provide technical support, and being part of a large group of companies provides financial strength and stability. We won’t quote figures or array output levels over the net or on the phone as no two properties are the same and therefore there is the potential to over-quote the output your array will actually achieve. However, we will undertake a without obligation detailed feasibility survey of your property by one of our specialist technicians. Call us on 01638 582111 to find out how your business or home can benefit in the same way or visit our website: www.eaglenewenergy.co.uk.
Plan for the future, today...
t en ym pa e pr r ...with ou funeral plans... Give us a call on our funeral plan advice line 0800 0744 361* to find out more eastofengland.coop/plans * Free from a landline, mobile charges can vary. Lines open Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm.
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HEALTH & WELLBEING 13
Christmas and Hearing Loss Written by Karen Finch RHAD FSHAA FRSA, Audiologist and Managing Director of The Hearing Care Centre Ltd. You will be forgiven for wondering what hearing loss has to do with Christmas, but infact untreated hearing loss has a lot to do with it. I always associate the festive season with family get-togethers and while on the surface that’s supposed to mean happiness and joy, it creates serious challenges for those with hearing loss. When you are unable to hear as clearly as everyone else in the family,
this time can often bring great frustration, misunderstandings and tension.
• Ask for the TV to be turned up louder than others? • Complain that people mumble?
Take this scenario for example: Grandma sits staring blankly during Christmas dinner, not joining in the conversation and not responding when she’s spoken to. Could it be she has a hearing loss? Grandma cannot understand all of what is being said, so she shuts herself off from the conversation! A hearing problem can cause a person to appear unsociable, when they wish to interact but instead feel isolated. Someone who experiences hearing loss may not even be aware of it, or may not admit to it for fear of embarrassment. It’s worth keeping an eye out for some tell-tale signs. Does the person; • Ask for words to be repeated?
• Not join in the conversation? • Do they have difficulty hearing someone calling from behind or from another room? • Seem quiet and reserved? In the UK, hearing impairment affects over 10 million people and it is estimated that three quarters of adults with a hearing loss never obtain a hearing aid and those who eventually do put up with declining hearing for approximately 15 years before seeking help. As an audiologist I urge those with hearing loss to seek help. If you have a loved one that is struggling to hear, don’t be afraid to discuss this them, as Christmas is a time which should be enjoyed by all.
A huge range of hearing aids are available to suit all budgets, so book a hearing test today and improve your or your loved one’s hearing. For more information or to book an appointment please visit www.hearingcarecentre.co.uk or Freephone - 0800 096 2637
Issue 18 2013
14 MOTORING REVIEW
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Viva España....
Tweet Tim @carwriteups | www.carwriteups.co.uk
Motoring Journalist Tim Barnes-Clay gets up close and personal with two fresh Spanish models... New SEAT Leon FR 2.0 TDI 150 PS SEAT enjoyed a record-breaking year for sales in the UK in 2012 – its best since the brand was introduced into the country in 1985. And the Spanish automaker’s popularity is likely to continue, if the all-new Leon is anything to go by. Indeed, the hatchback which was first launched in 1999, is unquestionably one of SEAT’s most significant cars ever. I drove SEAT’s athletic version of the Leon - the FR. Those letters stand for Formula Racing, so, predictably, the car comes with ‘sporty’ features. These include 17-inch alloy wheels, dark tinted rear windows, and front sports seats. The driver’s seat is set lower than that of the previous Leon, but has a broad range of movement, as does the steering wheel. This provides a confident driver set-up – and a fun one, especially when you hit the road after selecting ‘Sport’ from the SEAT Drive Profile. This is a menu of driving modes which allows you to change the character of the Leon. On the list of options you can also choose Normal, Eco or Individual set-up. It’s a cool bit of gadgetry and is accessed at the touch of a button. The Leon FR 2.0 TDI 150 will sprint from 0-62mph in 8.4 seconds and on to 134mph. The SEAT hugs the corners as though super-glued to the road. In fact body roll is virtually non-existent – it feels a million miles away from a standard, efficient, family hatch. But it’s not that far from one as far as fuel savings go. In fact, fuel economy is
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New SEAT Toledo startlingly efficient with the oil-burner averaging 68.9 mpg. The newest Leon comes in a package that’s enormously practical too. The SEAT is a full five-seater with a 380-litre boot. The luggage compartment has increased by 39 litres, its rear knee room by 14 mm, and headroom by the same amount. It’s among the most voluminous motors in the family hatchback class. But, most importantly, the Leon has been awarded the maximum five-star rating by Euro NCAP in its safety tests. It scored 94 percent and 92 percent for the adult occupant and child occupant elements respectively. What more could you ask for? Not a lot. And if I had £21,385, I’d be buying a Leon FR now. FAST FACTS • Max speed: 134 mph • 0-62 mph: 8.4 secs • Combined mpg: 68.9 • Engine: 1968 cc 4 cylinder 16 valve turbo diesel • Max. power (bhp): 148 at 3500 - 4000 rpm • Max. torque (lb/ft): 236 at 1750 - 3000 rpm • CO2: 106 g/km • Price: £21,385 on the road
On the road, the new Toledo is no speeddemon, but it always has enough ‘get up and go’ to prevent accusations of sluggishness. Its 1598cc, 16 valve, four cylinder turbo diesel engine produces 103bhp – and that’s enough to get you from 0-62mph in 10.4 seconds. Top speed is a more-thanrespectable118mph and CO2 emissions are low at only 106g/km. That means the Toledo is not only eco-friendly, the small amount of carbon dioxide it releases into the atmosphere also brings it into cheap annual road tax territory. The SEAT embraces corners and soaks up lumps and bumps without difficulty. The switchgear is nicely damped and the steering is direct. The well-weighted wheel also gives you good feedback – thoroughly communicating what the road surface is like beneath the four rubber corners. Looks-wise, the latest Toledo is peculiar. It has the appearance of a saloon but actually it’s a hatchback. The front looks modern, with aggressively shaped headlights, but the further back you go,
SEAT’s designers have lost their way. The rear-end is the visual equivalent of a song that’s been ‘faded-out’ because the guys in the recording studio didn’t have a clear-cut way to finish the track. My test car, in SE 1.6 TDI Ecomotive 105 PS guise, produced 70.6mpg. That’s pretty staggering. The tank is big too – with a potential range of around 600 miles. The standard safety package for all SEAT Toledos includes driver and passenger airbags, front side, head and thorax airbags. The car is available from as little as £12,500 on the road, but the flagship form I test drove comes with a price-tag of over five grand more at £17,840. FAST FACTS • Max speed: 118 mph • 0-62 mph: 10.4 secs • Combined mpg: 70.6 • Engine: 1598 cc 4 cylinder 16 valve turbo diesel • Max. power (bhp): 103 at 4400 rpm • Max. torque (lb/ft): 184 at 1500 rpm • CO2: 106 g/km • Price: £17,840
Tweet Tim Barnes-Clay @carwriteups www.carwriteups.co.uk
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DISPATCH BUSINESS DIRECTORY 15
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Issue 18 2013