The Suburb Circular - April 2016 by The Suburb Circular

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APRIL 2016 | ISSUE 11

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INSIDE

FOOD & NUTRITION • Home & Garden • Education & politics • health & Fitness • AND MUCH MORE...

inside

Contents APRIL 2016

Food & Wine

4 World Class Wineries

Education & Politics

8 Politics Matters with Mike Freer

Health & Fitness 11 Spectacle lenses

Beauty & Fashion

12 Remarkable Relationships By Jessica McGregor Johnson

Gifts & Events

16 It’s all Child’s Play By Sue Gascoyne 18 Happiness & Clarity in Life

Home & Garden

20 Perfect Plants by Steve Law 23 Plant of the Month 24 On your Plot - Courgettes

Motoring & Travel

26 Auto-Biographies by TimBarnes-Clay

Business &Finance

28 Student Loan by Martin Lewis

020-3659-2399  info@thesuburbcircular.co.uk www.thesuburbcircular.co.uk No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the prior permission of the publishers. While every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the editorial content no responsibility can be taken for errors and omissions. The views expressed in the magazine are not those necessary those of the publishers. Readers are strongly advised to check information published with individual advertisers and take legal advise where appropriate, before entering any transactions.

From the editor

The team EDITORIAL Editor Sarah Klein Contributors Mike Freer David Hillel Burns Jessica Mcgregor Johnson Sue Gascoyne Tim Barnes-Clay Martin Lewis Gabriel Getter Steve Law

ADVERTISING Arie Kiselstein 020-3659-2399

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Kerrie Callard www.thesuburbcircular.co.uk

Dear Readers

m I the only one who feels that when we changed the clocks just now it must have changed more than just GMT? The weather has since really perked up!

It has been 100 years since Britain started changing the clocks. We’ve mostly stuck to that routine ever since 1916, when the Summertime Act was passed. I dislike the day following moving the clocks forward. That ‘lost’ hour really hits me and I tend to be quite lethargic the day after, and sometimes for some days after too. I suppose it can’t be helped unless the clocks were to change gradually e.g. 1 week - 30min, the next week - 30min. That would be fun! Actually, there is a place that changes their clocks by half an hour – Lord Howe Island in Australia. The Lord Howe Standard Time (LHST) is 10.5 hours ahead of GMT. It’s handy that most computers and phones automatically change our clocks nowadays, but this has caused a dangerous complacency which results in forgetting about the ‘not so clever’ clocks around the house! There’s always that one clock which takes a while to get right. Anyway, I’ve got to keep my eye on the time and so I better be off! Until next time,

Sarah

FOOD & WINE

TO RELEASE NEW WINES FOR PASSOVER By GABRIEL GELLER

t is not news that wine aficionados who keep kosher are becoming increasingly interested in expanding their horizons. Fortunately, the great world of kosher wine offers a diverse selection of varieties and styles for them to explore. Israeli wineries are releasing new blends and varietals on a regular basis, making Israeli wines more popular than ever. Parlez-vous français? No worries, you do not need to speak French to appreciate the elegance of the wines produced in Bordeaux. Kosher wine lovers are also getting more and more interested in the classic offerings coming out of the many grape growing regions of France. They will not be disappointed with the many new and exciting wines from Israel, France, Italy, and Spain which are being released these days. Let’s explore some wines that consumers should be on the lookout for over the next couple months. Capçanes is a winery in Spain, which, over the past 20 years, has acquired the reputation of making some of the best kosher wines out there. The Flor del Flor Samso 2013 is the latest addition to their portfolio. It is made from Carignan grapes that grow on very old vines, resulting

the Suburb Circular • APRIL 2016

in a robust yet refined wine that should improve for many years to come. The UVA Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2013 makes also its debut. This supple, juicy wine is delightful and provides very good value for money, retailing under £20. France has been producing some of the world’s finest wines for centuries. Each region showcases its own unique varieties and styles of wines. Domaine Val de Brun 2011 is a Cabernet Franc from the Saumur-Champigny appellation, which is part of the Loire valley. It is a light to mediumbodied, dry red wine with a mild spiciness to it. It is a very different style of this variety than

what we are used to from Israel or California. Some of the most intriguing new wines come from the Bordeaux and Champagne regions. These two regions are famous and among the world’s most famous in the wine world. Champagne is the region where the best sparkling wines in the world come from. The Rothschild family is famous for producing great wines in France, in Argentina and in Chile as well. All three branches of the family have joined their skills and knowledge in the making of Champagne des Barons Rothschild, an elegant and mineral-driven sparkling wine. Last but not least, Château Piada 2013 from Sauternes, where some of the world’s best dessert wines are produced. Piada has not released a kosher run since the 2006 vintage and this 2013 is especially worthy of attention considering the high quality of the vintage for the appellation of Sauternes. The kosher wine market is growing and many intriguing wines are expected for release over the coming months, wine lovers and collectors should be on the lookout as many of those wines will be available in very limited quantities. Cheers!

THE BEST WINE UNDER THE (SPANISH) SUN.

Education & politics

OR REAL HELP? MIKE FREER MP FOR FINCHLEY & GOLDERS GREEN

f we spend more and more on welfare we must have a compassionate society? True or false? It’s probably both. A factor in a compassionate society is the support we provide the most vulnerable, the unemployed, the disabled, the sick. By any measure this Government is ensuring that happens. But it has to be targeted. Blanket spending on benefits is the easy way out. Consigning people to a life of dependency is wrong. Getting people into work, helping people live as fulfilled a life as they can is essential. The Labour Party have opposed every welfare reform this Government has undertaken. For many Labour MPs poverty is a concept; for me it was my childhood. My background is blue collar.

The first house I remember as a child was a two up two down. No bathroom, no central heating, an outside toilet and no bathroom. In fact one of the fondest childhood memories is having a bath with my father in a tin bath in front of the fire, clichéd, I know. But I was the first in my family to go to a grammar school and the first to go to university. On a daily basis I saw how my parents went without to make sure I had the school uniform. I saw them sacrifice holidays to ensure I didn’t go without. So that’s why I know how important it is that there is a safety net and how important working age benefits are. But I also know how important those extra hours overtime were, those extra few pounds made all the difference. That’s why measures such as raising the tax free allowance are important. It puts money in the pay packet and food on the table. It has taken 3 million of the lowest paid out of paying tax altogether. That’s why the new national Living Wage will help the lowest paid. These days jobs for

the Suburb Circular • APRIL 2016

ON A DAILY BASIS I SAW HOW MY PARENTS WENT WITHOUT TO MAKE SURE I HAD A SCHOOL UNIFORM. I SAW THEM SACRIFICE HOLIDAYS TO ENSURE I DIDN’T GO WITHOUT life are a thing of the past. Most can expect to change jobs many times in their working life. So it is important that when someone loses their job we ensure we help people reskill, write a CV and improve their interview skills. Then there are those who get ill and may have been ill for some time. Or they may have a disability. Thankfully we have come a long way since we shunned the disabled and condemned them to a life of dependency. Many of the disabled I’ve met through local organisations have skills and, importantly, they have a drive to work. Recently I got to know two

men, both in their thirties, both severally disabled. One had taught himself to walk over a mile for the charity that supports him, the other did a sky dive for the same charity, despite being wheelchair bound for most of their lives. Yet both volunteer for the charity that helps them. Both have excellent keyboard skills. With support and in the right environment who knows what they could accomplish. We need to see past the disability and see the person, that’s why the reforms that target help to those who could work is more compassionate than simply writing people off. Of course

those that are not able to work continue to get the very best support we can give. Recent headlines on planed changes to disability support don’t tell the full story. Because we have turned the economy round, because we have more people in work than ever before, we have the money to spend more on welfare and support. Despite the headlines, we continue to spend record amounts. Compassion is about doing the right thing not the popular thing, as the Chancellor can testify!

WE NEED TO SEE PAST THE DISABILITY AND SEE THE PERSON, THAT’S WHY THE REFORMS THAT TARGET HELP TO THOSE WHO COULD WORK IS MORE COMPASSIONATE THAN SIMPLY WRITING PEOPLE OFF AS SEEN ON

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spectacle LENSES

HEALTH & FITNESS

By DAVID HILLEL BURNS

e were hunter-gatherers. Then, so the story goes, along came civilisation. Literacy became normal. Life extended, indoors, under artificial light. Telly and deskwork and driving arrived. People were using their eyes in ways in which nature never intended. On top of all that, some of those changes, in diet as well as lifestyle, may have caused shortsightedness. The jury’s still out on that one. However, it all adds up to One Big Thing.

Vision, adapted to civilisation, needs some help and support. That’s why over half of the UK population uses specs. It doesn›t really show, because many don›t wear them all the time and some wear contacts. Are you one of them? If you are, or if you might be, there’s good news. It’s about lens materials and technology. In days gone by, well, glasses were glass. Now, lenses are lighter, safer, neater and thinner. There are now so many different ways to turn a spectacle prescription

into gorgeous specs for each individual to enjoy wearing. Spectacle dispensing has become a Big Thing. So, are yours comfy and clear? It’s about more than the specs, for the eyes and vision, and that’s our mission. Talk to the optician!

David is always happy to answer questions from local people about eyesight. David@Davidhillel.co.uk 119 East Finchley High Road 020 8444 2233

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BEAUTY & FASHION

By JESSICA MCGREGOR JOHNSON

True love

know Valentine’s day was a few months ago but love is a True unconditional love has no rules, no contracts, no great theme any time the agreements and no payoffs. Trueat unconditional love isof totally free; it costs nothing to give and nothing to receive. It is year –You why limit it people to one day? limited to no one. can love as many as you want; you can feel that deep heart connection with one or a We spend a large part of our lives hundred people. The choice is yours. focused on love. Songs are sung This, of course, brings up the question of fidelity and jealousy. it and So oftenabout we are brought up toplays think thatand we canmovies only love one person, that one special person, that soul mate. If we love areone,constantly more than we are unfaithful centered and it threatensaround our primary relationship. I believe these are two completely it. Dreams are dreamt about love, different and separate situations. fantasies are indulged in and I love my partner, deeply and as unconditional as I can from momentall to moment. mean thatare she doesn't do kindsThat ofdoesn't illusions spun. things that drive me nuts as much as I know that I do things Romance takes a huge partI of that drive her nuts too. I just love toup the best of my ability. also love many other people. Friends who I have known for ourI lives istime it truly love? years, people meet forbut the first and love instantly, those who I have known for lifetimes. I choose only one as my partner. I choose to give exclusivity - not of my love - but sharing of my person, my focus, my commitment, my support, my desire to share of myself at a deep level, one to one. We can't give love; we can only be in our love and allow them a space to be in their love. In this way we are love.

So, what is love? We carry love within us; our essential nascent state is love. We do not have to gohowanywhere, dowould anything or be Just think different our world be if we all chose unconditional love. Nice idea huh? with anyone to receive love or to Jessica offers Life Guidance and and she sees her love. experience it. Coaching, We already are job as helping you remove all the blocks and limitations out of your life,Love so together you can peel the We layers and find is who weback are. forget your truth within. This then points to a clear way forward to the everyday that achieve when your heart’s desire. If you want tostuff know more, yourules can visit her website our lives gets in the way we don’t http://www.jessicamcgregorjohnson.com experience love.

WE DO NOT HAVE TO GO ANYWHERE, DO ANYTHING OR BE WITH ANYONE TO RECIEVE LOVE OR TO EXPERIENCE IT. WE ALREADY ARE LOVE. LOVE IS WHO WE ARE.

RELATIONSHIPS

the Suburb Circular • APRIL 2016

If our essence is love how come so many people feel unloved or unlovable? Why is it that to some love seems such an unobtainable thing? Some expect others to give them love and only experience love when they do. Others create expectations of love and feel cheated and rejected when they don’t materialise. On the other hand, some feel trapped when someone says ‘I love you’ and put a whole load of nonspoken, non-written expectations and ‘commitment’ on this one sentence. If someone truly expresses their heart without conditions and says, “I love you” what they are saying is I am connected to you and feel one with you. ‘I love you’ is the only way we know to express this connection. The true love we can feel for each other can only be unconditional. By this I mean that it can have no caveats attached to it. No ‘I love you if….’, just ‘I love you’. I realised a few years ago that I was acting out a huge ‘I love you if...” all the while thinking I was being incredibly unconditional. Ah the trickery of the ego! My version of unconditional love was “I love and you can do anything you want as long as you never leave me”. This of course is the largest condition of all!

Once this is seen for what it is it helps set the scene for real unconditional love to flourish. The love of the soul saying, ‘I see you, I am you and whatever you do in your life is ok’. ‘If you choose to live your life with me that’s great. If you choose to do something that challenges me I will deal with this and not try to change you. I will take responsibly both for my life and love in my life. I will share this experience of love with you.’

Jessica offers Life Guidance and Coaching, and she sees her job as helping you remove all the blocks and limitations out of your life, so together we can peel back the layers and find your truth within. This then points to a clear way forward to achieve your heart’s desire. If you want to know more you can visit her website jessicamcgregorjohnson.com

True unconditional love has no rules, no contracts, no agreements and no payoffs. True unconditional love is totally free; it costs nothing to give and nothing to receive. It is limited to no one. You can love as many people as you want; you can feel that deep heart connection with one or a hundred people. The choice is yours. This, of course, brings up the question of fidelity and jealousy. So often we are brought up to think that we can only love one person, that one special person, that soul mate. If we love more than one, we are unfaithful and it threatens our primary relationship. I believe these are two completely different and

separate situations. I love my partner, deeply and as unconditional as I can from moment to moment. That doesn’t mean that she doesn’t do things that drive me nuts as much as I know that I do things that drive her nuts too. I just love to the best of my ability. I also love many other people. Friends who I have known for years, people I meet for the first time and love instantly, those who I have known for lifetimes. I choose only one as my partner. I choose to give exclusivity - not of my love - but sharing of my person, my focus, my commitment, my support, my desire to share of myself at a deep level, one to one. We can’t give love; we can only be in our love

You can love as many people as you want; you can feel that deep heart connection with one or a hundred people. the choice is yours. and allow them a space to be in their love. In this way we are love. Just think how different our world would be if we all chose unconditional love. Nice idea huh?

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GIFTS & events

IT’S ALL

By SUE GASCOYNE sue@playtoz.co.uk

Spring is in the air

pring is a time for change. For many the appearance of green shoots heralds the welcome end to Winter and beginning of a noisier, busier, more colourful time of year. Just as tree sap rises like a natural barometer, so too our energy levels seem to effortlessly swell as the weather warms so that everyone, not just the kids, are keen to go outdoors! Spring is a time of new beginnings. Just as we attack spring cleaning or a restoration project with relish, birds busy themselves collecting materials and building nests with the skill and care of an artisan weaver. The scarcity of Winter and precious speckled eggs give way to birdsong as hungry fledglings wait wide mouthed for food, much like our dwindling New Year resolve!

If Winter’s colour palette is shades of grey, then Spring would surely be fresh greens, baby pinks and yellows. As buds and shoots force their way out of the chilled ground, dabs of bright colour dot the landscape like splodges of oil paint on a canvas. The seasoned may be immune to the changes afoot but excited children notice changes everywhere. It’s no coincidence that children are fascinated by detail and novelty since the infant’s brain is genetically programmed to spot and learn from change. Spring and its wealth of sensory attractions offers plenty to

the Suburb Circular • APRIL 2016

captivate growing minds and occupy little fingers and the ever changing weather makes every day outdoors feel novel and fresh. If it’s too wet and cold outdoors why not try these fun ways of bringing Springtime into the home? Given good quality paints and brushes, large paper, freedom to be creative and time to really explore on a regular basis and you may be surprised at the quality and sophistication of young children’s creations and mastery of technique. Help nurture this competence and feed their bond with nature by picking a flower, sprouting twig or collection of fruit for a weekly still life painting session. Not only will children enjoy the opportunity to express themselves creatively but nature’s healing qualities will provide a calming experience, great for escaping the stresses and strains of 21st century life.

HELP NURTURE THIS COMPETENCE AND FEED THEIR BOND WITH NATURE BY PICKING A FLOWER, SPROUTING TWIG OR COLLECTION OF FRUIT FOR A WEEKLY STILL LIFE SESSION.

No doubt you’ve heard stories of children who started preschool geniuses creating surreal Picasso-esque creations and quickly discovered that in order to please, the sky should always be blue and grass green! Hopefully we’re getting better at appreciating their untapped wonders of creativity but for some children (and adults) this doesn’t come naturally. Ample opportunities to experiment and do things in unexpected ways can help nurture children’s natural creativity and what better way of sparking this than inviting them to collect and create their own art supplies? This is where Nature’s store cupboard amply provides, as catkins, tree buds, moss, leaves and flowers make wonderful paintbrushes for some inspirational art effects. A foraging walk combines exercise and exploration and may even yield natural plant dyes for paints. Children will love the satisfaction of selecting, making and using their unique ‘brushes’ and you can foster this by creating an area of the house that doubles up as a gallery for proudly showcasing their creations. Children strive to be active and gardening with child-sized tools

is a great way of developing motor strength and skills outside in the fresh air. With the TV and computer games programming young minds to expect instant gratification, pick a fast growing option like salad leaves to maintain interest. Perfect for sowing in a sheltered bed or pot, salad leaves are satisfyingly easy to grow and great for adding colour, taste and interest to a salad. If you don’t have a garden why not experiment with sprouting pulses instead? Mung beans are quick and easy to grow. All you need is a jar, piece of baking paper (pierced with holes) and elastic band for a lid together with water and a handful of washed mung beans and you can expect a crop of tender shoots within 5 days. Satisfyingly easy to grow and great in stir fries or nibbling

as a healthy snack, children will find these slender white shoots fascinating to watch spout as their green leaves unfurl. Planting cress seeds is another favourite and equipped only with some seeds, damp kitchen towel and a margarine lid you too can enjoy the visual spectacle of growing and harvesting peppery cress. If you want to ring the changes why not use the discarded shell of a hardboiled egg instead? Simply fill with some damp cotton wool or kitchen towel, add a funny face and watch the wacky hair do take shape! We’ve become accustomed to

year-round produce, enjoying the convenience of seasonal fare from strawberries to nectarines, Brussel sprouts to broccoli, 365 days of the year. For young children it is more important than ever to offer opportunities to experiment with textures and flavours and ‘eat the seasons’. With new food and tastes an adventure, why not develop a connection with nature by making a game of guessing mystery ingredients? Or you could make Spring the month to treat yourselves to an exotic like Star fruit, Persimmon or Yam. Simply look up recipes, experiment and enjoy the taste of Spring!

Sue is a published author, trainer, educational consultant and therapeutic play practitioner. She is the founder and Creative Director of Play to Z Ltd, specialist providers of award winning Sensory Play resources. For more fun sensory play activities, Sue’s latest research, resources and training go to www.playtoz.co.uk.

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GIFTS & events

HAPPINESS AND CLARITY

t is something we all want yet struggle to obtain. However, the missing piece preventing us from finding inner health and happiness is not as difficult to achieve as we might think. “Most people are living in a simple misunderstanding about how they operate” says Julian Fraser a practitioner at the Innate Health Centre, a Temple Fortune based charity. “Once someone realises and understands how they function psychologically; peace of mind, happiness and clarity is a natural outcome.”

The understanding behind this approach is known as the Three Principles and points to the fact that all our struggles in life whilst they may be happening physically, affect us psychologically through our thoughts. Understanding the Three Principles allows someone to become less attached to their feelings and more able to access their innate wellbeing and health.

Fraser says their biggest, must attend event of the year is the annual three day 3PUK conference taking place 15th - 17th May, at Allianz Park in Hendon. “Over 600 people attended from over 20 countries last year. Every one of them coming to learn more about this understanding. We see people experiencing difficulties with a range of problems, from stress, overwhelm, problematic personal and working relationships, to mental health, depression and addiction issues. The conference simply gives them a fresh understanding of how the ‘Human Operating system’ works. There are no techniques, tools or affirmations, we see that an understanding is all they need to live in a more settled way with greater ease and wellbeing. This year they are expanding the conference to also cater for teenagers. “In line with national trends we’ve unfortunately seen an increase in demand for mental health, stress, and other issues in Teens as well, so we’ve decided to allow an attending parent to bring their teenage children to attend the special Teen workshop on Sunday for free. “ One such beneficiary of this understanding is

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“JB” a middle aged Managing Director of a City Sales firm. “I have struggled with severe clinical depression for most of my life. Since I was a teenager I tried countless treatments and medication for depression. Every one of them well intentioned, yet all ultimately left me in a deep black hole. My life was somehow functional, with my business and family, but there were times when I felt so low. I couldn’t see the wood for the trees and I would crash. It was in one of these helpless moments that a friend recommended the 3 Principles. It seemed utterly ridiculous at first, but slowly it started making sense. My life is different now, much easier and I enjoy it. Everything has improved and there is no going back.” Julian Fraser says that the experience of JB is not unusual, with the conference proving to be their most impactful and effective programme. “We see many people who for a variety of reasons are looking for peace of mind and they find it. I would urge anyone interested to come along. The solution is available.” Details and tickets to be found at www.3puk.org 0208 912 1215

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HOME & GARDEN

PERFECT By STEVE LAW, http://brightonplants.blogspot.co.uk/

Dry Shade

lants for dry shade is probably the thing I get most queries about. Here in south-east England it’s a problem because, surprisingly, our average rainfall is comparable with Beirut, and in summer any moisture gets sucked up by trees. The woodland floor in August can be a cracked and crusty place and almost everything is dormant. Only ferns and ivy are still green and almost nothing is in flower.

they say ‘nothing will grow on my soil’ I point out that, if their soil was somewhere in the wild, something would be growing on it. This theory breaks a bit in dry shade. If you have big hungry trees your options are reduced dramatically. There is very little that will grow under a dense evergreen canopy although if the sun can get in underneath from the south it can make a big difference.

The catch-all term ‘shade-loving plants’ hardly helps. Many come from damp leafy soils in regions where summer rainfall is high, like western China and The Appalachians. Here they’ll probably get mildew and slugs – symptoms not of damp but of chronic drought stress.

The obvious choices are bulbs and tubers (Cyclamen, Erythronium, Anemones) which grow and flower before the trees have their leaves, but these won’t help you through the summer. What we’re after is some plants that will look presentable, exclude weeds and maybe even flower when the ground is at its least hospitable.

I always say gardeners should take their lead from nature. When

THERE IS LITTLE THAT WILL GROW UNDER A DENSE EVERGREEN CANOPY ALTHOUGH IF THE SUN CAN GET IN UNDERNEATH FROM THE SOUTH IT CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE. 20

the Suburb Circular • APRIL 2016

A few suggestions:n EPIMEDIUM – the Chinese types like moisture but the Eurasian hybrids rubrum, versicolor and perralchicum are ideal. Pretty flowers and new foliage in spring/early summer. n HELLEBORUS – the big evergreen argutifolius and foetidus and their hybrids are among the best foliage plants for dry shade. The green flowers are a bonus. n DIGITALIS – lots of summer flowering perennials and biennials to choose from here. I recommend D.laevigata, parviflora and lutea.

n HEDERA – don’t dismiss ivy – it doesn’t have to look dreary and dusty. There are some great foliage forms. n DAPHNE – I recommend our handsome native spurge-laurel (D.laureola) - spring flowering but a neat shrub with orange berries. Creeping fragrant D.blagayana might also work and is extremely choice. n EUONYMUS – everyone’s tired of that dreary seaside hedge E.japonicus but there are good forms of fortunei and related species with good foliage and fruits. In E.nanus the flowers are tiny but deep red. n STROBILANTHES – at last a true late flowering dry shade plant! Extremely tough and flowering summer into autumn. Most, like wallichii, have purple flowers but nutans has hop-like white inflorescences. n SAXIFRAGA – the London Pride types, derived from S.umbrosa and S.x urbium, include some interesting forms that will put up with almost any amount of shade and starvation. n GERANIUM – several species do well in dry shade and flower over a long period. G. phaeum, macrorhizum and sylvaticum are all useful. n MELITTIS MELISSOPHYLLUM ...– a well-behaved native deadnettle with large pink and/or white flowers. n CAMPANULA – several weedy species are best avoided but persicifolia, alliarifolia and Sarastro are well-behaved.

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the Suburb Circular â&#x20AC;˘ MARCH 2016

HOME & GARDEN

Plant of the month

PULMONARIA

othing says “Spring” more than a bright, vibrant, colourful flower and you can find all these qualities in the Pulmonaria plant. More commonly referred to as ‘Lungwort’, the Pulmonaria are wonderful as they can act as both foliage and flower. Their ever changing leaves can be found in shades of plain green, silver or with splashes of white. Their flowers also come in a variety of beautiful shades of blue, pink, white and red.

Nothin vibran these

They are native to Europe and thrive in British gardens and are well known for being woodland plants. Pulmonarias hate dry conditions but are relatively easy to grow and can be grown under shrubs or trees.

More the P as bo chan plain Their beau

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THEIR FLOWERS ALSO COME IN A VARIETY OF BEAUTIFUL SHADES OF BLUE, PINK, WHITE AND RED.

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HOME & GARDEN

ON YOUR

Courgettes

here are not many vegetables that are as rewarding, and easy to grow, as courgettes. Now is a great time to get them started, they’ll pop up quickly and soon be supplying you with more tasty courgettes than you know what to do with!

Jobs for April l Keep on earthling up your

potatoes to prevent the tubers from turning green. l If you’ve planted peas don’t

forget that they’ll need some support from sticks or netting that they can climb up. l With snow in April you’ll

probably need to catch up with sowing crops that it was too cold for last month. l As the risk of frost passes, tender

crops such as tomatoes or peppers can either be planted out, or on into grow bags. l Start winter greens such as

cabbages, sprouting broccoli and Brussels sprouts in a seedbed for transplanting to their final positions later.

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If you’ve lost seedlings or had trouble getting them started with all the cold weather don’t forget that you can always buy plants that have already been started. Buying young plants in is a great way to experiment with different varieties too - with so many types of tomato available it’s more fun to have several plants, each of different kinds, than half a dozen all the same. April is the time to start off that wonderfully easy vegetable - the courgette. If you’ve never grown courgettes before then I can highly recommend it as they give such a high yield from even just a couple of plants. In fact that would be my main advice - don’t be tempted to grow too many or you’ll be inundated! Plant the seeds undercover or on a windowsill from the beginning of the month. Put two seeds to a pot, laying them on their sides and covering with about 1” of compost. They usually germinate in a week to ten days and grow pretty rapidly. Remove the weaker of the seedlings (I always feel guilty when I do this! If it looks good I re-pot it). When the seedlings have four to 6 leaves start to harden off by placing outside during the day. Plant out after all risk of frost has passed. You can also start courgettes outside, directly into the bed in which they’ll grow but I’d wait until later in the month when the soil is a bit warmer. The plants will grow quickly,

IF YOU’VE NEVER GROWN COURGETTES BEFORE THEN I CAN HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT AS THEY GIVE SUCH A HIGH YIELD FROM EVEN JUST A COUPLE PLANTS producing exotic looking yellow flowers (look out for recipes for the flowers too). For maximum yields the plants should be harvested regularly. Tiny courgettes are very tasty, and don’t be tempted too turn your back on the plants for too long as they grow large at an amazing rate! Be careful with watering when seedlings as the stems can rot, but they’ll need plenty of water once they have grown. If you’re short of space courgettes can be grown in grow bags, planting two to a bag. With summer in mind, don’t forget to keep planting your salad crops. As well as the traditional lettuce there are a host of other salad leaves that can be grown, and it’s usually possible to buy packets of mixed salad seeds. Get in the habit of planting some at least once a fortnight - use some of the leaves to cut and come again for tasty fresh salad, transplanting some lettuces outside and allowing them to grow on to full size. Fancy your own, home grown, Brussels sprouts with Christmas dinner? They need quite a long growing time, so think about starting them around now.

HOUSEHOLD tips

COLOUR CODED KEYS

If you find that in your household you

have a lot of keys that you tend to mix up, why not colour code them? With a bit of paint or even nail varnish, you can paint the top of the key so you can locate the right one quicker. Another bonus is that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cheaper than buying already coloured ones.

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MOTORING & TRAVEL

AUTO-BIOGRAPHIES New MINI COOPER S CLUBMAN AUTO. TESTED: BILBAO, SPAIN By Tim Barnes-Clay, Motoring Journalist www.carwriteups.co.uk Twitter: @carwriteups

he old Mini Clubman was no oil-painting, but this one could easily earn its place on the podium at Legs 11. It’s a looker alright. The brand new Mini Clubman must have been breast fed at birth, because it’s far bigger than its siblings. That doesn’t mean it’s fat – no way. This car is well formed and its proportions are just right. And because it’s not exactly a shrinking violet, the Clubman is likely to win over quirkier types who might otherwise have gone for mid-size family car choices, such as the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus. The story hasn’t always been good for the Clubman, though. The first generation had a useless, single rear door that meant UK passengers were forced to step

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FAST FACTS Max speed: 142 mph 0-62 mph: 7.1 secs Combined mpg: 48.7 Engine: 1998 cc, 4 cylinder, 16 valve turbo petrol Max. power (bhp): 189 Max. torque (lb.ft) : 221 CO2: 134 g/km Price: £24,445 on the road into the road. This didn’t help sales and the Clubman therefore wasn’t exactly the rock star that BMW, Mini’s owner, was expecting. But the Germans have seen the light and the previous

rear-hinged ‘clubdoor’, has been kicked to the kerb in favour of two ‘normal’ back doors. They make it far easier for passengers to get in and out of the car. Then there’s the barn-door boot. You’ll remember that from the last model. Well, that stays put, but now the doors can be released manually, or if you ticked the hands-free tailgate option, a sassy little kick under the rear bumper will open them up. As the Clubman is the largest of the current Mini litter, it has, predictably, the most capacious

THE CLUBMAN NOW HAS MORE DOORS, BETTER SPACE, GOOD LOOKS, AND IT REALLY IS EXCITING TO DRIVE. THE COOPER S VERSION IS ESPECIALLY GUARANTEED TO BRING A GRIN TO THE FACE OF ANYONE WHO SLIPS BEHIND ITS WHEEL.

cabin. To be frank, with a big load area too, the word ‘mini’ seems rather outmoded. The whole motor is 270mm longer than the five-door Hatchback, allowing for oodles of room in the front and respectable space for two adults in the rear. The boot is about the same as a VW Golf ’s, so you’ll get the family shopping in – and a toddler’s buggy.

The state-of-the-art 2015 Mini is a gargantuan step-up from its forerunner, and it puts right pretty much everything that was awry. The Clubman now has more doors, better space, good looks, and it really is exciting to drive. The Cooper S version is especially guaranteed to bring a grin to the face of anyone who slips behind its wheel.

Pros ‘n’ Cons PLEASURABLE√ EYE-CATCHING √ ROOMY √ REAL-WORLD √ SOME BODY-ROLL X

189bhp can be squeezed from the S’ 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder lump, and with the eight speed auto box, a zero to 62mph sprint in 7.1 seconds is easily achievable, finishing up with a top speed of 142mph. Even though these figures might make the car sound insatiable for fuel – it’s not. With the superb automatic gearbox you can officially get an average of 48.7mpg out of the Clubman - and the CO2 emissions are 134g/km, meaning road tax is a trifling £130 per annum. www.thesuburbcircular.co.uk

Business & Finance

Student LOAN By MARTIN LEWIS @MONEYSAVINGEXPERT

here’s been a furor in Parliament about the scrapping of student grants. And every time politicians get airy over such issues, the news focuses on the scrap and the real truth of what’s actually happening gets lost.

£21,000 (eg, earn £31,000 and, as it’s £10,000 above the threshold, you repay £900 a year).

I’ve been swamped with panicked questions about student grants from students, future students, graduates and their parents, so I want to myth bust what’s really happening. In many ways people are panicking unnecessarily about the grant changes, but missing the really damaging change, which is a retrospective hike in student loans.

haven’t cleared what you owe within 30 years, the debt is wiped.

STUDENT FINANCE THE BASICS

When you go to university, if you’re a first time UK undergraduate you don’t need to pay upfront. The Student Loans Company pays your tuition fees for you and gives you money for living, then you owe it. l You only start repaying when

you leave university and, even then, only if you earn over £21,000. If you don’t earn over that you don’t repay.

l The amount you repay is

proportionate to earnings. You repay 9% of everything above

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l If you

l If you never earn over

£21,000, you never repay. In many ways, financially it’s a no win no fee education. An easy way to think of it is a bit like an extra income tax, with the one difference that once you have repaid what you borrowed (plus interest) it stops. For far more help on this, see my full 20 student loan mythbusters guide at www.mse.me/studentloan. I’m going to use examples for English students studying in England. For students from Wales, whether you go to university in Wales or elsewhere in the UK, the amount you borrow tends to be less, but the way you repay is the same. I’m going to focus on the situation for students who started in or after 2012 in England, for elsewhere in the UK the loans tend to be smaller.

Q. SO WHAT’S HAPPENING TO STUDENT GRANTS? A: Until now, students from lower income families (roughly below £43,000 income) had some of their loan replaced by a non-repayable grant for up to £3,400.

This only applies for new starters starting from 2016. Those already at university and getting grants will keep getting them.

This doesn’t mean they’ll have less money coming in. New 2016 starters will get a bigger loan to replace what they would’ve got in grants. In fact, the loan figures for new starters (not continuing students) have been upped by a chunk. This is useful, as often the big issue that hits students isn’t the size of the loan, it’s that they don’t have enough money to live on day-to-day. Rents alone eat up much of this.

A: You may be surprised that I’m going to say no. In many ways the big problem is the confusion and psychological deterrent, not the practical finances. For most students it makes no practical difference. The replacement of a grant with a loan will ONLY cost more for those who leave university and have long-term very high earnings.

That’s because if you compare the current and new system, the fact it’s a loan and not a grant would only cost you more if you would’ve repaid your entire tuition fees, remaining maintenance loan after the grant, and interest in the 30 years before the debt wipes anyway. Most students won’t, so there’s no cost to them. In fact, my calculations estimate only those on STARTING salaries of £35,000 and up, and then above inflation pay rises would actually pay more. So

if the system remains as it is now, it’s only those from poor backgrounds who go on to be big earners who this is negative for. However, the big question is ‘will the system remain unchanged?’

STUDENT LOAN continues on page 30

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▼

Q. Isn’t this likely to really hit poor students hard?

IN MANY WAYS PEOPLE ARE PANICKING UNNECESSARILY ABOUT THE GRANT CHANGES, BUT MISSING THE REALLY DAMAGING CHANGE, WHICH IS A RETROSPECTIVE HIKE IN STUDENT LOANS

Business & Finance ▼

STUDENT LOAN continued

By MARTIN LEWIS @MONEYSAVINGEXPERT Q. What’s this retrospective hike to student repayments? A: As I explained earlier, since 2012, graduates only repay 9% of what they earn over £21,000. The government had said this threshold was due to rise each year from April 2017 in line with average earnings.

Yet the Government has now decided to freeze it for at least five years, meaning many low- and middle-earning graduates will pay thousands more back than they thought they would when they signed up. After all, if we go back to thinking of it like a tax, if you were to pay 9% of everything earned above £22,000, but now repay everything above £21,000, that’s a hike.

It’s received little publicity though, as it doesn’t immediately seem such a big problem. Here I need to declare an interest: I was head of the Independent Taskforce on Student Finance Information in 2012 when the system changed. The Government repeatedly told me the threshold would rise, and I, of course, told people, and used it in all my cost calculations. Well I refuse to missell these loans in hindsight. So I am actively campaigning on it – I’ve written an open letter to the Prime Minister and have personally hired lawyers to see if it can be challenged (read it at www.mse.me/studentloanhike). The big problem, even more important than the additional cost, is the message this sends. The Government is not just

THE GOVERMENT IS NOT JUST FREEZING IT GOING FORWARD, IT’S FREEZING IT FOR EVERYONE WHO SIGNED UP SINCE 2012 EFFECTIVELY CHANGING THE CONTRACT AFTER PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED UP. freezing it going forward, it’s freezing it for everyone who signed up since 2012 - effectively changing the contract after people have signed up. The regulator would not allow any commercial lender to change its terms this way. This could destroy any trust current and future generations can have in the student finance system, and perhaps, even more widely, in the political system as a whole. I said above that the impact of replacing grants with loans isn’t actually as bad as many think under the current terms. Yet the real concern is, as the Government has shown it’s willing to change loan terms even after you’ve got them, who knows what may happen in the future.

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