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SEPTEMBER 2015 | ISSUE 4
BUSINESS C O A C H I N G
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FOOD & NUTRITION • Home & Garden • Education & politics • health & Fitness • AND MUCH MORE...
inside
Contents SEPTEMBER 2015
Food & Nutrition
6 Food Matters with Laura Southern 8 Feta and Red Peper Croütes 9 Victoria Plum Preserve
Gifts & Events
10 FunTech 12 Tips for choosing a new Dinner Service
Education & Politics
16 Education Matters with Judith Nemeth 18 Politics Matters with Andrew Dismore 19 ‘5 Minutes’ with The Garden Suburb Community Library
Health & Fitness
9
29
20 Remarkable Relationships 23 The Long and Short of it
Home & Garden
24 Feeling Good Outside? By Sally Tierney 26 On Your Plot 29 Household Tips
Beauty & Fashion 32 Successful Dating
Motoring & Travel
35 The New Volvo V60 Hybrid
Business &Finance
36 What has Marketing to do with me?
Wine & Beverages
38 Wine Matters By Jay Bucsbaum
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.
35
The team EDITORIAL Editor Sarah Klein Contributors Laura Southern Gareth Cook Judith Nemeth Andrew Dismore Jessica McGregor Johnson David Hillel Burn Sally Tierney Sophie Personne Tim Barnes-Clay Darren Strom and Jay Bucsbaum
ADVERTISING
Eli Cohen 020-3659-2399
DESIGN & PRODUC TION James English Scott Cartwright www.thesuburbcircular.co.uk
r o t i d e e h t m fro
I
Dear Readers
refreshing August! hope you had a pleasant and during seemed to be that relevant The risk of sunburn hadn’t a that’s what I’d thought! It was this past Summer…at least und for the gone to Lords Cricket Gro few Sundays ago that I had . It’s an between Middlesex & Sussex day, a County Cricket Match season. and achieve at least once per experience that I usually try – so I had clear, although not too hot The forecast was sunny and ng I was! was necessary. Oh how wro assumed no sun protection but it e learned my lesson by now One would think I would hav so. Instead reminder every 5 years or seems that I require a stark this time pener at a cricket match – of rain usually being the dam n going k! The feeling that I had whe it was my poor arms and nec realising was the kind one has after to bed the next few nights, e! But, that coffee so close to bedtim that they shouldn’t have had t a tan t all is ok now…except tha you’ll be relieved to hear tha the ‘icing was t tha ss gue I rn. sun-bu didn’t appear in place of the punishment! on the cake’ as regards my ture with s an interesting Interview Fea This month’s Issue contain e Issu 4th our , is, believe it or not the local HGS Library. This of ber num a te qui at feedback from and, although we’ve had gre you t wha ing ard more from you reg residents, we’d love to hear contact not featured!) – feel free to (or d ure would like to see feat e. pag this of ails at the bottom the Team via the contact det ! Until next month…take care
Sarah
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the Suburb Circular • SEPTEMBER 2015
FOOD & NUTRITION
FOODmatters BY Laura Southern
T
here’s a famous quote by food writer Michael Pollen, “Eat food. Less often. More plants.” As we move into Autumn I believe this is sound advice to live by. Eat food Sounds obvious, right? Well the next time you eat something, have a look at what it is, what it’s made from, what’s in it. If it’s from a packet, read the ingredients, if there’s anything in the list you don’t recognise, then it’s probably not food! There are about 4000 different additives which are permitted to be added to our food. ‘Everyday’ additives like aspartame, found in diet drinks, sodium nitrates, found in processed meats, and MSG, in crisps flavouring are often consumed daily. These additives are regulated, and classed ‘safe’ for human consumption. As a Nutritional Therapist, my clients come to me with an array of health conditions, and often just the act of removing all these additives from their diet can make an enormous difference. Studies show that sweeteners can be harmful for people with diabetes. Nitrates and MSG can cause allergies, and certain food dyes have implications on children’s behaviour. My advice is, if your grandma wouldn’t recognise what’s on the label, it has no business being in your body!
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the Suburb Circular • SEPTEMBER 2015
Less of it This can be a tricky one! For many religions, September is a season full of festivals, and festivals generally mean food! I believe it is really important to celebrate, enjoy and have fun. However in the UK we have a major problem with our expanding waist lines. According to the 2014 Public Health England survey over 55% of Barnet residents are overweight or obese. This weight gain has major implications for our health - diabetes, stroke, heart disease, certain cancers are all risk factors. Reducing our food intake will dramatically help. It can be difficult to eat less, however there are some simple tips to try. Ensure you leave at least 3 hours between eating to stop grazing. Chew your food
slowly, and put down your cutlery after each mouthful, to allow your tummy to recognise it’s full. More plants The end of summer is the time of year to embrace vegetables. These really need to be the main constituent of your diet, high in fibre, vitamins and minerals, and able to lower our disease risk. There are about 125,000 edible plants in the world. The Western diet favours just 14! Go to a nearby ‘pick your own’ farm (Parkside in Enfield is great) and pick the seasonal squash, onions, courgettes, beetroots. They’re so easy to prepare. You can simply chop and slow cook in a casserole dish, or lightly griddle with a little oil and seasoning. Add one more vegetable to each meal, and see how you feel!
Laura Southern is a Finchley based Nutritional Therapist who treats all manner of health conditions. She also runs the popular ‘No Sugar Challenge’Workshops. For more info see www.londonfoodtherapy.com or call 020 8346 9686
FOOD & NUTRITION
Feta and Red Pepper Croûtes This feta and red pepper croûtes recipe make an excellent seasonal canapé. Serve in the garden with some cocktails. Serves 6-8; makes about 24 Hands on time 30 mins, plus 12 mins cooking time Easy INGREDIENTS • 375g sheet ready-rolled allbutter puff pastry • Plain flour for dusting • 1 medium egg, beaten, for glazing • 100g ready-roasted red peppers, drained and finely diced • ½ celery stick, finely diced • Juice of ½ lime and a little zest • Small pinch of sugar • 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil • Small handful of fresh flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped • 50g feta, crumbled
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METHOD ➊ Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Open out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a slightly larger rectangle. Put on a baking sheet, prick all over with a fork, then brush with the beaten egg. Bake for 1012 minutes until crisp, risen and golden brown. ➋ Remove the pastry from the oven and put a second baking sheet on top of it, pressing down firmly to flatten the pastry. Leave to cool. ➌ Put the red peppers and celery in a bowl, stir in the lime juice and zest, a pinch
of sugar and some seasoning. Drizzle over the oil and set aside for 10 minutes for the flavours to mingle. ➍ Cut the pastry into 4cm squares and put on a serving platter. Toss the red pepper salsa with the parsley and feta, then use to top the croûtes. Serve immediately with the cocktail.
FOOD & NUTRITION
Victoria Plum Preserve When plums are barely ripe, they’re high in pectin and natural acid so you don’t need to add lemon juice or jam sugar to help the jam set. Use this jam, along with whipped cream, to fill a classic Victoria sponge cakes. Makes 3 x 400g pots Takes 10 minutes to make, 50 minutes to cook, plus standing Easy INGREDIENTS • 1kg firm, barely ripe Victoria plums or damsons • 1kg preserving or granulated sugar METHOD ➊ Halve the plums or damsons, remove the stones (reserving a handful), then place the plums in a preserving pan with 150ml water. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for 40 minutes until the plums have broken down. Use a longhandled wooden spoon to help break down the plum flesh.
➋ Meanwhile, using a nut cracker, crack open the reserved stones to extract the kernels. Blanch the kernels for 1 minute in a pan of boiling water. Drain. ➌ Remove the pan from the heat, then stir in the sugar and blanched kernels. Return to a low heat until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to the boil and bubble for 10 minutes before testing whether it has set or the thermometer reaches 105°C – if you don’t have one, try the set test. Skim any scum from the surface, then allow to stand for 10 minutes. ➍ Pour into warm, sterilised jars. Seal immediately with waxed discs. Secure each jar with cellophane covers and elastic bands, then add fabric covers and labels, if you like.
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9
GIFTS & events
ICT pupils in Hampstead get term-time Gareth Cook - WWW.FUNTECHSUMMERCAMPS.com
R
ecent research suggests that ICT is the most important school subject for children today, ahead of the traditional reading, writing and arithmetic prioritised by previous generations. A survey by crucial. com, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of memory and flash storage, revealed that over two thirds (68%) of UK adults believe that learning how to use computers effectively is more important and valuable for the next generation than Maths (59%) and English (46%). According to the same survey, 81% of people think it is important for children to learn ICT skills at school and over three quarters of those asked believe it will help children to get a job later in life. Unsurprisingly, ICT is now a wellestablished part of the curriculum in the majority of UK schools and a lot of time, resources and expertise is devoted to equipping the next generation with skills that will be increasingly important in a society and economy
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the Suburb Circular • SEPTEMBER 2015
that is built on technology. However, one of the challenges faced by educators is that the emphasis placed on teaching children how to code and learn various programming languages, means that not enough time is being spent on giving them the basic tools that are vital for using computers quickly and efficiently. The emphasis on coding, which is a result of the Government’s educational strategy rather than any failing on the part of schools themselves means that children are not being taught ICT skills within the wider context of how to effectively use hardware, software and the internet. Consequently, they often emerge into the workplace with little understanding of how to use commercial software applications that their older colleagues take for granted and know inside out. One fundamental skill that is often overlooked is touch typing. “When children are learning to code using hunt and peck typing with two fingers, they are at a huge disadvantage,” says Sheineez Barber, Managing Partner at FunTech. “Not only are they at risk of developing RSI or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, but this method results in a high
level of inaccuracy – around 50%. Children have to use backspace and retype so frequently that they end up spending much more time at the computer than necessary.” Frequent re-typing also interrupts the thinking process, whereas children who can touch type enjoy a clearer thinking path and produce higher quality output as a result. Touch typing is one of the key components of FunTech’s ‘TechStarter’ term-time course, one of several designed to supplement the teaching children get in school and support their progress by offering expert tuition on these ICT building blocks. The course also covers hardware and software and the primary aspects of working online, electronic communication and how the internet works. The company offers a range of courses that fit together into a development programme that culminates in an international GCSE in ICT. FunTech’s term-time courses lay the foundations for children to perform better in their ICT
lessons at school and supplement that learning with enjoyable sessions that combine best practice methodology with fun. Courses run for a term or school year, depending on age and ability and involve a session of between an hour to an hour and a half per week, with homework of the same duration. Other courses offered include ‘TotalTech’ which focuses on teaching movie making, game coding and digital music; ‘CreativeTech’ which covers graphics, animation and web design and ‘TechPro’ that teaches children how to get the most from business applications such as word processing, spreadsheets and databases – details can be found on www.funtech.co.uk There are many benefits of this supplementary teaching, which is carried out in small class sizes with expert tuition. “Our courses give younger children
a real confidence boost about using technology that stands them in good stead when they are introduced to ICT in school,” says Barber. “Older children are learning how to use really high-end tools that will help them to complete their school work more quickly and to a higher standard. When our youngsters leave us they’re typing at 70 words per minute and working more accurately.” Almost half of the people responding to crucial.com’s survey believed that ICT skills will help budding entrepreneurs start their own businesses, and there is no doubt that future generations will rely even more on their ability to use technology, whether they
work within the IT sector or more traditional business sectors. In the long term, the ability to touch type may prove to be as valuable to our children as literacy has been for current and past generations.
For more information please see FunTech’s website: www.funtechsummercamps.com
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GIFTS & events
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• One should consider which style of Dinnerware you would like to view. There are many different styles to look at, from Classic Round Floral Patterns to Modern Square and Rectangular. Some people like to replace their old Service with a similar
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• A question that we are often asked is ‘how many settings should I purchase’? As families grow, more settings of your Dinnerware are required thus we usually advise our clients to purchase slightly more than necessary. If the Dinner Service is going to be used regularly it is also best to take into account
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GIFTS & events > Continued from page 12 possible breakages, as well as extra guests! We can also advise you on when the Pattern was first produced and how popular it is, so that we can estimate to our best knowledge as to how likely it is to remain current. When a Pattern is likely to be discontinued, we advise our clients to purchase a few extra settings, as once the Pattern ceases it is hard, and expensive, to source replacements. • A point to be aware of is that when there is limited cupboard space, it is best to check the measurements of the pieces prior to purchasing them. This is to ensure that everything will fit accordingly. • At La Belle Table, we pride ourselves on being completely
■ Villeroy & Boch - Ivoire flexible with Dinner Services. Every brand that we represent can be bought by the piece, thus ensuring that you won’t need to purchase pieces that you do not require.
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La Belle Table is a China and Glassware retailer based at 3 Russell Parade, Golders Green. You can contact us on 020 8458 1331 or labelle.table@yahoo.co.uk Feel free to pop in to discuss your Tableware needs.
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the Suburb Circular • SEPTEMBER 2015
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education & politics
By Mrs Judith Nemeth CERT ED MBA
MATTERS
Q: Back to School! What are the best approaches I can adopt in order that my child achieves his/her full potential?
A: Great question; how long have you got?!
A
lthough you are not there by the side of your child during his school day, there is so much you can do to ensure he can get the most out of school, pick up all the lessons and return home fulfilled and happy. The most important approach to have is to let you know you are there for your child. This is the best foundation in life that your child can have, and there are a number of ways you can do this. Let’s start with the mornings: what are they like? Well, maybe don’t answer that….but use the adage “fail to plan, plan to fail….”. Now’s the time to start to plan how your child can go off every (or most) mornings feeling secure, happy and confident. All it takes is for you to prepare the night before and ensure his uniform is ready, and breakfast is ready to go. Then he can go off in the morning with his bag packed, sandwiches made, forms signed, homework done etc. And maybe, if you can, a little note tucked into his lunchbox or school bag sending love and wishing him a
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the Suburb Circular • SEPTEMBER 2015
Building your child’s self-esteem during your contact times gives your child the confidence to forge ahead and succeed
home he has to fight for his place to get a word in edgeways or that he will have his space to talk to you and share his day? Will he come home to in inviting supper and also have a quiet space to do his homework? Again, it’s those little things that count.
great day! It’s these little things that count.
Building your child’s self-esteem during your contact times gives your child the confidence to forge ahead and succeed. How does this happen?
And what messages does your child take with you through the day? These are the messages that you have imparted during the holidays or during the last year. Does he feel that Mummy will support him when he comes home from school or criticise him for not being the top? Does he feel that as soon as he comes
Imagine an empty glass. This is the glass that holds self-esteem. What you are aiming to do is to fill this glass with your child’s successes by building on his strengths and giving him opportunities to perform what he does best – whether this is in the arts, helping around the home or indeed anything he is good at.
education & politics
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Giving children opportunities to succeed on their inborn talents fills up that cup. When that cup is full the process continues – but now your child has the confidence to push himself outside his comfort zone – try those harder maths questions, volunteer to speak in public, offer himself as a monitor. Once the cup is full, he will not only be willing to try something new but will also flourish in social circles – and even be able to withstand the bully should one creep into his environment. And now it’s hometime. It’s great if you’re able to be home for them every day, but even if you’re not, leave a note or a little treat just to show that you wish you were there……
When you do see your child, for sure you can ask the question “and how was school today….?” But don’t always expect an answer, or certainly not immediately. Asking the question leaves the door open for your child to share if he wants to. However what he really want to do is just be home, play, chill and not be interrogated about his day. And what does he really need? Plenty of encouragement, catching him being good and doing the right thing and commenting on this.
Now home is a haven. Home is a break from school. Home is a place when I can “grumble the most, but am treated the best.” And if your child does complain about something in school – the tool you need is empathy. Show that you hear and understand his viewpoint but remember his teacher needs your support as well so your child knows that he needs to respect and honour his teacher at all times – and that will be the biggest key to his success. May everyone have a great school year ahead!
For information about courses for parents and teachers on managing behaviour and understanding learning, starting THIS autumn - and also how to set up your own course, contact Hannah on 07943 598 144
www.thesuburbcircular.co.uk
17
Education & politics
matters Andrew Dismore, London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden
The Chancellor’s Autumn Statement
T
he Chancellor’s Autumn statement will soon set out the cuts he is imposing, including those on the Metropolitan Police. Under Mayor Boris Johnson since 2010, we’ve already lost 1,700 officers, London wide. In Barnet we’ve lost 69 officers, a cut of 11%; and 112 PCSOs, a cut of 65%. Golders Green and Whetstone police stations closed. Of the 539 officers left in Barnet, we lose an average of over 80 officer shifts per week when they are taken away for other duties. Bearing in mind shift patterns, leave and so on it means about a fifth of officers are on duty at any one time, which shows how thinly stretched the blue line is. We’ve seen the end of the popular ward-based Safer Neighbourhood Teams. Overall crime statistics are flat-lining, emergency call response time targets are not met, only 3% of burglaries result in prosecution and violent crime is up more than a third. There is increasing demand on the police as other public services make cuts too. While the NHS struggles to cope, police time is spent responding to emergency calls due to pressures on the
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the Suburb Circular • SEPTEMBER 2015
ambulance service, and dealing with people with mental health issues. It didn’t need to be this bad. The Mayor cut his share of council tax by an average of 1p per day. Labour’s alternative budget would have cancelled this 1p saving and used the money to provide 1,000 extra officers, 30 per borough. A small amount like this when aggregated across the capital produces millions. When I challenged Mayor Johnson about this, he repeatedly refused to answer whether he thought Londoners would prefer 1p a day off their council tax, or 1,000 extra police. I think the answer is obvious! The Met. now expects further cuts of £800 million. On top of the £600 million cut so far, London’s police budget will have been cut by over a third, at a time when our population continues to grow. I’m a member of City Hall’s Police Committee, and we recently questioned the Mayor and Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan Howe about the consequences of cuts on this scale.
Police buildings would be reduced to about a third of their remaining properties, with just one police station per borough left. As most of their budget goes on pay, we will see the end of PCSOs, and very likely further reductions in warranted officers In 2012, the Mayor set the target of improving public confidence in the Met. by 20%, by 2016. Yet confidence has hardly budged since then, increasing by a mere 1%, from 62% to 63%. The Met. also lags behind other major urban police forces for victim satisfaction, too. May 2016 will see GLA elections for London’s next Mayor and Assembly. With cuts on this scale, how we can support the police will be a major issue in the campaign. I will do all I can to ensure we get the best possible deal for the police service, so important for us all.
Education & politics
5
minutes with...
So tell me how the library became a community library? The HGS Residents Association and many members of the local community in 2011 campaigned to prevent the closure by the London Borough of Barnet of the little Hampstead Garden Suburb Library in the Market Place. The campaign was successful, and within just a few days of the borough librarians being redeployed to other libraries in April 2012, Garden Suburb Community Library opened its doors to readers again, this time in the hands of about 30 volunteers who have been trained to run it. It has now been open for over four years and has been a great community success story.
the books we lend are to children and our book stock covers all age ranges from the very young to a well-stocked teenage section, and many families just pop by to read in the dedicated children’s area.
So what does the library offer the community now? We have over 1800 registered users including many families and children. Obviously our main activity is lending books and we have well stocked adults and children’s sections. About 50% of
On Tuesday we run Story / Song Time from 10:15 to 10:45am. We welcome toddlers and their carers into a warm, friendly group. We provide rhythm and rhyme making activities alongside both new and familiar songs, and an introduction into the world of exciting and boundless stories beyond home provision.
And are there any other activities for children? On Thursdays we run two sessions of Sing Song Time, 10 10:30am and 10:45 to 11:15am. Sing Song Time is a first library activity for under-threes and their carers. The aim is for the children to join in the singing, as well as have fun. We sing familiar songs every week and the children are encouraged to join in both the music and movement, gradually building up their confidence.
And any other activities? We also have a monthly adult
book club that usually meets on the first Friday of the month, occasional author talks and oneoff children’s events. We also have two user computers which are in constant use and a printer which can also scan and copy. Do you buy new books and do you accept donations? Books are constantly replenished and a team of volunteers has £5,000 to spend annually on adult and children’s books. We don’t normally accept book donations because there is no space in the library to store them. However if users are willing to donate very recently published adult fiction or children’s books that are in good condition we are happy to talk to them about accepting these. Are you looking for additional volunteers? We are always looking for additional volunteers to join the team that runs the library on a day to day basis and also children’s events leaders. Everyone enjoys their shifts - full training given! Contact us and we will invite you in for a starter shift so that you can see what we do.
The library is open Tuesday to Saturday 10.00am - 5.00pm we are at the start of Hill Rise in Market Place, our website is http://www.gardensuburblibrary.org.uk/ and you can email us at: mail@gardensuburblibrary.org.uk
www.thesuburbcircular.co.uk
19
HEALTH & FITNESS
Remarkable
RELATIONSHIPS
Relationships and Money. Oil and Water? By Jessica McGregor Johnson
M
oney can be a key problem of communication in relationships. It brings to mind the problem of oil and water – they simply do not mix. However you can shake them up and the oil will be held in suspension - which is a way of mixing the two together. Equally you can mix relationships and money – you just need a particular way to do it.
Six key points to remember:
1
Make decisions ahead of time. This may sound like a no brainer but, for many, the opportunity to have ‘that’ conversation passes and then neither wants to bring it up so it goes unmentioned until you hit a problem. Better to have the conversation before you get to that point.
3
2
Make the decision – joint or separate money. This is a key question and one to be discussed openly and honestly. And openly and honestly is the magic ingredient here. If one side has a strong opinion and does not listen to the other then further down the road you will find resentment creeping in. I have had both in my current relationship – in the beginning we had joint money, but when we started to have our businesses in different countries we split it up. It was only then that I realised what a stress having joint money was. It wasn’t that either of us were spendthrifts – we weren’t. But we did have different priorities. By being individually responsible for our money it made it easier. This was not about both earning equally – we have and do subsidise each other. But once that money is in our individual accounts it is our responsibility how it is used.
Have a joint account for joint expenses. This makes life so much easier – especially if you do not agree totally with each other how money is used. By having a separate account for joint expenses that is paid into by both parties, if both are earning, you both know that the ‘survival’ level of money is taken care of. The amounts you pay in may be equal or may be pro rata depending on the level of earnings. It is an agreement between you both.
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the Suburb Circular • SEPTEMBER 2015
4
Always talk about any debt you want to take on. Ensure that both of you are on the same page. By agreeing all debt up front, and who is responsible for paying it back, you avoid arguments. This is also true for credit cards. Talk about how you want to manage credit cards – do you want them paid back at the end of each month or are you both ok with having a certain balance on your cards? If you are ok with a balance on your credit cards, how much? At what monetary level does a purchase need to be discussed beforehand? This will help you build trust around debt.
5
What kind of savings do you want to have? Firstly decide what saving you want to be doing. Is it just long term, as in pension, or do you want a fun savings account for those lovely holidays or new car? How are these accounts managed? If you have separate accounts are your savings separate too? Think about what you want to do with that money ahead of time.
HEALTH & FITNESS
6
Acknowledge that you may have different ideas about money. That does not make either one of you wrong but it is important so that you can work out the best way to work together. I have seen in these kinds of relationships that individual accounts often work better. Have a joint account for joint expenses, an agreement how you manage the debt, the savings etc. and then an agreement that with what’s left over it is up to the individual what they do with it. The saver may want to save the spender may want to spend – and that’s fine. Neither is right or wrong – it’s up to the individual. We all have different ways of looking at things and money is a very emotive issue for many. By talking about things up front and honestly you stop a lot of grief before it can even get going. Follow the key points above and you will be going a long way to getting rid of one of the most contentious part of relationships – and you get to live even more happily together. Jessica McGregor Johnson is an international speaker, guide & mentor and author of “The Right T-Shirt, Write Your Own Rules and Live the Life You Want”. She helps people who are at a crossroads in their life discover themselves anew and identify the kind of person they want to be whilst living the life they chose. You can read the first two chapters of her book here http://www. jessicamcgregorjohnson.com
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HEALTH & FITNESS
The Long and by David Hillel Burns
M
ost people are “longsighted”. Longsightedness, also known as hypermetropia or hyperopia, means that the eye can concentrate best on detail that’s further away – say, beyond arm’s length.
U
L E 0
This is not a problem for many longsighted people because it’s often slight, and the eye can subconsciously work overtime to overcome the blurriness that long-sightedness would otherwise cause.
L J 0
That extra effort is often easy, especially in childhood. However, with growing up,
the eye becomes less able to overcome long-sightedness so that it can gradually start to cause trouble. So, uncorrected long-sightedness normal for a ten-year-old may cause headaches, or difficulty with concentrated reading, for someone in their thirties, and enough indistinctness to prevent car-driving for someone in their fifties. The near vision tends to be more affected than the distance vision in long-sightedness. Long-sightedness may not be a problem for primitive huntergatherers but, in civilisation, good vision that’s comfortable
and reliable often needs some help and support. This is usually done by simply putting on a pair of specs. Wearing them can be a great relief and, if they are properly prescribed and dispensed, causes no problem at all, while some people prefer the option of wearing contact lenses. See you next month! David is always happy to answer questions from local people about eyesight. You can email him on David@ Davidhillel.co.uk 119 East Finchley High Road 020 8444 2233
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23
HOME & GARDEN
Grassroots
By Sally Tierney, www.yorkshiregardendesigner.co.uk
Feeling good outside?
beautiful reminder to actually enjoy what is around me rather than worry about all the other stuff. I’ve noticed that experiencing the fluctuations of natural light at different parts of the day, seems to play an important part in helping me sleep, eat normally and generally function in something approaching a regular way and if I’m getting enough sleep, the world seems to be so much easier to make sense of.
I
’m not a doctor, and my contact with the medical profession is as brief as I can make it, so any comments in this article are my musings and observations but I’ll bet that you already agree with me, without any supporting research. Now, of course I’m not saying that there is no need for research into things that can improve our health, but do you not think that it is just plain old common sense to say that we all feel better as a result of being outside? I appreciate that not everyone is as lucky as me in that when I’m not designing gardens in the office, I’m outside planting them, so I spend a lot of time outside but whatever time you manage to spend outdoors, however little, you surely feel better for being there? There are all sorts of welldocumented benefits to our bodies, depending on what you do, whether it is walking, playing sports, gardening or just enjoying the wild life and the natural elements but the real advantage to being outdoors, I think, comes from the boost it gives to our mental health. For all that my company,
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the Suburb Circular • SEPTEMBER 2015
Yorkshire Garden Designer, design gardens that bring great joy to their owners, I still have all the usual stresses and strains in my life to deal with, like everyone else. So to go out into the garden of an evening, with or without a cold glass of white wine, is a real delight. I now have something else to think about, something that knows not nor cares about the things that I consider to be stressful or about my worries. Apart from the fact that the evening light eventually fades, time is not a factor either. If you could ask a tree what time it is, it would reply ‘It is now’. What a great answer! Those 3 words pop into my head every time I look at the damson tree in my garden and it serves as a
I think that there is also something very grounding about being in touch with the elements. If you listen to the radio, many of the presenters berate the presence of rain, yet apart from it being essential to the growth of food and keeping us in drinking water, it also acts as a foil to the sunny days which, in a funny kind of way, makes those rainy days enjoyable too. If you know what I’m talking about, then I’m speaking to the converted but if not, before the winter months bring us low light levels, get out there into the brightness and colours of autumn and see for yourself. You never know, there might be something in it – and it’s free!
For more info about this sort of thing, download the first chapter, FREE, of my forthcoming book ‘The Garden Equation. How to have a garden you love that fits beautifully into your lifestyle’ at www.yorkshiregardendesigner.co.uk
HOME & GARDEN
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HOME & GARDEN
on your Plot Herbs
Most activity on your plot is tied to the seasons, but this month we take a look at one project that can be started off at almost any time of the year - herb gardens. Recipe books are abound in our kitchen and they all have one thing in common - the use of herbs, and what a variety of them there is! Whether you’re looking for a sprig of fresh mint, a handful of rosemary, or some chopped chives what could be better than
being able to choose and harvest them right outside your own back door? Choosing the right site for your herb garden is important, and outside your back door is often a good place to start! Planting near the kitchen makes it easy to pop out for a few fresh leaves when you are cooking, and many of us have a patio which can easily become home to a variety of container grown herbs. Herbs can make an attractive, fragrant and tasty addition to your borders, or you may prefer to opt for a permanent herb bed.
If this is the case you will need to give some consideration to containing the growth of some of the more vigorous varieties. This can be done by dividing the bed (a cartwheel design made with bricks is very attractive), or by using pots sunk into the ground. Herbs comprise of both annual plants, that germinate, grow, flower and die within the year, and perennials that will grow on from one year to the next. Whatever you plant, you will need to find out which type it is and the conditions that it favours. The
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the Suburb Circular • SEPTEMBER 2015
HOME & GARDEN
more hardy perennial types such as thyme, rosemary or mint may be happy outside all year round. One of the advantages of using containers is that tender varieties can be moved under cover during the worst of the winter and even tender annuals like basil can have their season extended by lifting plants to pot up and keep on the kitchen windowsill as autumn approaches. Most types of herb can be raised from seed, but for a quicker start browse the farmers market, garden centre, or even car boot sales for plants that are ready to go. One of the great things about an herb garden is that it can be continually evolving. Look upon it as just the start of a collection,
Jobs for September
Herbs can make an attractive, fragrant and tasty addition to your borders
If you are growing pumpkins for Halloween, you need to support the fruit as it swells and raise it up to keep it off the wet ground and deter slugs. Restrict each plant to no more than three fruits.
that will grow with time. Adding a new variety can be as simple as picking up a plant that takes your fancy on a trip out and adding a new pot to your collection.
Clear up finished crops, clean and store any supports or netting for future use.
As well as using herbs fresh from the garden, you can dry leaves by hanging in bunches and then storing in an airtight container, or use ice cube trays to freeze chopped up leaves with a drop of water. Store the cubes in polythene bags, great for adding to a stew in the middle of winter!
Keep planting winter lettuces for a supply of fresh leaves right through autumn. Fancy fresh strawberries next year? Now is a good time to get new plants established. Add support to Brussels sprouts by drawing up earth around the stems, or using canes.
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HOME & GARDEN
Household tips Get rid of pet hair DUVET Sets
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BEAUTY & FASHION
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BEAUTY & FASHION
SUCCESSFUL
The 3 main reasons why dating can be a Struggle By Sophie Personne www.successful-dating.com
N
ot dealing with the past and emotional baggage properly. We often think that we know why a relationship has finished and generally the other party will take the blame. Unfortunately, this is the seed of why we then either attract a certain type of person or just cannot meet anyone. Analysing the real reasons behind a separation is key. Let’s be realistic, we don’t go from really happy to really dissatisfied overnight. Sometimes, people have been unhappy for weeks, months or even years - it is important to establish what really happened, look at the signs that we
could have picked up on and how both parties handled themselves. Not being happy with who they are as a single person. This is absolutely key as the signals that one gives out will determine the responses they will get. We should look for someone to enhance our life and not to fill a void that we can or don’t want to fill ourselves. So it is crucial to learn how to enjoy our own company and do what makes us happy before starting to look for a partner.
too quick to judge on looks and to just entertain what we see as eye candy. Talking to people for who they are and just enjoying their company is what we should do. After all, the average person knows approx. 300 people. If we get on with them, it’s because we have something in common so it is likely you will like and get on with their friends, who in turn also have friends... which opens us up to a huge network of opportunities. Let’s not forget that feelings often grow from getting to know somebody!
PR O PR OF OO F Not being open to opportunities or recognising them. We are often
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MOTORING & TRAVEL
AUTO-BIOGRAPHIES Volvo V60 Hybrid By Tim Barnes-Clay, Motoring Journalist Twitter: @carwriteups
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35
Business & Finance
What Has Marketing By Darren Strom
C
ontrary to some people’s perception, marketing is not what you do to persuade unwilling people to buy, rather it is all about meeting the consumer’s needs and communicating with them through design, words and strategy. An organisation’s most powerful tool is marketing and if used effectively it can be the difference between a business being successful or failing. David Ogilvy, a British advertising executive who was widely hailed as “The Father of Advertising” once said: “In the modern world of business, it is useless to be a creative, original thinker unless you can also sell what you create”.
We, like the fish vendor in the market, also need to shout above the “noise”, but in a figurative sense; the “noise” being the wealth of other marketing messages that people are being bombarded with from all different angles
Marketing is something that most business people ignore because they are either too scared to deal with it, do not know how to go about it, or worse still they have attempted but have failed.
So let’s assume you are ready to take the plunge - For starters you have to define your target market. If you don’t understand who wants or needs your products or services, how will you know where to find these people, and what to say to appeal to them?
Just mentioning the words marketing strategy, target audience or lead generation, is enough to make most business people break out in a cold sweat. It is much more comfortable to wait for “word of mouth” to do the work for you, and that is more often than not a futile approach, unless of course you have done some proactive marketing to start with in order to actually create the word of mouth referrals. Historically, marketing was shouting your wares in a market, and the one that shouted the loudest sold the most fish! Nowadays one has to be much more savvy with one’s marketing.
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the Suburb Circular • SEPTEMBER 2015
Many business owners have the mindset that if they focus their attention on targeting their marketing, they will lose opportunities. The strange thing is that the exact opposite is true. You will gain a whole lot more
The starting point to define your target market is to understand the challenges that you need to address
opportunities than you will lose. The starting point to define your target market is to understand the challenges that you need to address. Once you have a good idea what these are, you can start to work out who is most likely to benefit from your product and how it or your service meets their needs. Ask yourself: What are their needs? What are their obstacles? What do they need in order to be successful in their business? Something else you can do to refine your target marketing is to see who has already bought your product or service. You can gain valuable insights by releasing the product in a trial phase Thirdly look at your competition. I am not suggesting you copy ideas or the marketing approach of your closest or largest competitors,
Business & Finance
but evaluating the competition’s marketing strategy can help you create your own strategy. Bear in mind though, you have to find a way of differentiating and what your offering as unique or better still, approach the marketing message from a completely different angle to your competitors, bearing in mind what added value you have to offer the consumer. Are you assuming that you know your market? Rather than make the assumption that most people will need your service or product, reach out to groups of potential customers to get a more realistic composition
of your audience and narrow your marketing efforts. You can also conduct surveys, do man-on-thestreet type interviews, or organise small focus groups. Focus groups can save you time and money by identifying successful ideas and even more importantly eliminating the disasters. Don’t try to be “all things to all people”, rather if you sense that you may miss out on another market sector try to target a few separate niches with different marketing. There is nothing wrong with using a process of trial and error if you are not sure who will best receive what you are offering.
Darren Strom is CEO of VMAL Ltd a North West London based Branding, Marketing and Web Design company and can be reached by email at darren@vmal.co.uk or on 0208 133 3527. Alexander House, 1117e Finchley Road, London NW11 0QB
www.thesuburbcircular.co.uk
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WINE & BEVERAGES
WINE matters By Jay Bucsbaum, Director of RWC Wine Education
A
time, temperature or food. A nice alternative is a light red… one that can even be slightly chilled. These wines go great with Salmon, tuna, chicken and other meals that might not include big roasted meats.
s the festive season approaches I encourage my friends to do a semi-annual wine shopping leading up to the various upcoming festivities. The sale prices now, and leading up to Passover/Easter, are the best of the year. As such and without further ado I will jump into some of the new wines I am recommending friends check out this holiday season, as well as old favorites worth revisiting. Some of the upcoming holidays start very early this year, which means that there is a good chance the weather will be quite warm. Naturally when the weather is warmer we tend to eat lighter foods. And with lighter foods, go lighter wines (though most important is of course to drink whatever you like). And when I think of light wine I think of crisp white, rose or sparkling wines. Goose Bay Sauvignon Blanc is a longtime favorite; one that I enjoy even more since moving to a screwcap closure which I think preserves the citrus fruit flavors even better than the cork tops used to. Carmel’s “Kayoumi” White Riesling is considered to be “semi-dry” but it has a terrific bracing acidity that hides the mild sweetness and makes for an incredibly refreshing and easy-topair wine.
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the Suburb Circular • SEPTEMBER 2015
Speaking of boutique Israeli wineries, Flam winery has exploded onto the market with their amazing reserve wines (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot & Syrah). While these are all great red wine options, winemaker Golan Flam also crafts a delicious white (a blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc). Sparkling wines are some of my favorite wines and should really be enjoyed on more than just special occasions. If we could all afford it I would suggest drinking premium Champagne such as Drappier every day. I also recommend the Bartenura Prosecco, a dry (but not too dry) sparkling wine from Italy. Most of us love a big bold wine such as Castel’s Grand Vin or a Herzog Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, but sometimes a big bold red is just too big for the
When it comes to big red wines I think no introduction is necessary. They are robust, go great with roasts and are usually the centerpiece of a special meal. Old favorites such as the aforementioned Castel Grand Vin & Herzog Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa or Alexander Valley) are classics. Yatir Forest & the Cave are also great trophy wines. But among the things that make wine special are trying new wines and unearthing new favorites. Check out Elvi’s Herenza Reserva or Clos Mesorah from Spain. Wines from Israel include Or Haganuz and Tabor – each with great Cabs, Syrahs and Merlots. And as great as new wines are, there are still old time producers making awesome wines such as Teal Lake with their new 2012 Reserve Shiraz or Carmel with their flagship Limited Edition – one of my favorite Israeli wines. Whatever you drink, white or red, new or a classic, enhance your festive meals with wines this month and remember, a wine is only good if it is a wine YOU ENJOY! “To your good health!”
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