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30/09/2015
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OCTOBER 2015 | ISSUE 5
the experts in your area
INSIDE
FOOD & NUTRITION • Home & Garden • Education & politics • health & Fitness • AND MUCH MORE...
inside
Contents october 2015
Food & Nutrition
4 Damson and Apple Cheese 5 Sam Stoller Discount Coupon!
Education & Politics
6 FunTech – Achieving the Necessary Grades 8 Politics Matters with Jonathan Davies
Gifts & Events
10 In Support of ‘Combat Stress’ 11 Party In The Park 12 Part 1 – TIPS for choosing a new Dinner Service
29
Health & Fitness
20 Accommodation in East Finchley
Home & Garden
18 Is Your Garden Doing Autumn This Year?
24
By Sally Tierney
20 Household Tips 22 On Your Plot 23 Plant of the Month
Beauty & Fashion
24 Online Dating by Sophie Personne
Motoring & Travel
29 The New Skoda Superb
Business &Finance
30 Brand You by Darren Strom
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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.
The team EDITORIAL Editor Sarah Klein Contributors Sheineez Barber, Jonathan Davies La Belle Table, David Hillel Burns Sally Tierny, Sophie Personne Tim Barnes-Clay, Darren Strom
ADVERTISING Eli Cohen 020-3659-2399
DESIGN & PRODUCTION Scott Cartwright
www.thesuburbcircular.co.uk
26th October -
3 0 t h O c t o b e r 2015
from the editor
I
f you’ve ever met anyone who’s obsessed with loyalty programmes and the like then think of me! In my earlier years the ‘addiction’ was more severe. From air miles, to Tesco Clubcard points to Marriot rewards - it was all ‘a game’ with no real target in sight. The day when my attitude towards it became much less intense and more relaxed was a sudden realisation that I had ‘gone too far’; it was a particular shopping trip where I had literally spent extra money, for things that I didn’t need, just to reach a threshold which would result in being awarded bonus points. I suddenly realised, soon after leaving the shop, that the opportunity cost outweighed the benefits. I realised that on many previous occasions too I had probably been guilty of this without even realising! I learnt a lesson that day! I’m still a mug for loyalty programmes nowadays, but I am much more conscious as to whether it logically makes sense before I proceed to make the ‘discounted purchase’. Most of the time I behave!
Two-day Half-Term Camp (Ages6-9) Two-day 7 Plus Essential Preparation Course (ageappropriate) One-day 10 + and 11 + Preparation/Interview Technique Please refer to our website for all the details.
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That being said, one voucher which seems to be a winner all-round is one that we’ve secured in the Magazine this Month! It’s an exclusive 15% Discount Coupon on a purchase made at Sam Stoller’s Fishmonger, situated on the Temple Fortune Parade (See Page 5). I certainly rate this one as being one for the kitty! Take Care,
Sarah
FOOD & NUTRITION
DAMSON AND APPLE CHEESE Makes 18 squares Take 2 and a quarter hours to make, plus 12 hours’ setting Easy
NUTRITIONAL INFO PER SERVING Red Warning Light - Mike FREER 212kcals Calories Fat Protein Carbohydrates Salt
MP for Finchley & Golders Green
0.2g (trace saturated) 0.4g 55.8g (55.8g sugar) trace
INGREDIENTS
spoon to help it through. Discard the • 1kg damsons (or small plums) pips, skin, peel and • 500g cooking apples stones. Scrape the • 1 vanilla pod (optional) seeds from the • 800g granulated or preserving vanilla pod sugar into the sieved fruit, if using, and discard • Oil, for greasing the pod. • Caster sugar, to dust
METHOD
1. Damsons are a nightmare to stone so just wash them (or the plums) and pop into a large pan. Quarter the apples (don’t peel or remove the pips) and add to the pan with the vanilla pod, split in half, if using. Half-cover the fruit with 600ml water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook, partially covered, for 30 minutes.
2. Pass the fruit through
a sieve, in batches, into a large bowl. Stir the pulp with a wooden 4
the Suburb Circular • October 2015
3. Measure the fruit
purée in a jug – you should have about 1.2 litres. Add the sugar (or 100g sugar for every 150ml purée) and heat very gently until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 11/4 hours, stirring regularly. This burns easily, so don’t go away. It’s ready when a wooden spoon leaves a clear wake. Take off the heat.
4. Oil a deep baking tray,
about 26 x 17cm, and line with baking paper. Pour in the purée, cool, then chill for 12 hours or until set.
5. Cut into 18 squares. To
store, dust with caster sugar, leave to dry, then layer up between baking paper in an airtight container. Store in a cool place for up to 6 months.
Call 0161 877 9500
Tips For Practical No-Nonsense
Debt Advice Or email: warren@wolfsonlaw.co.uk Wonderful served with goat’s or sheep’s milk cheeses, as is traditional, but also with roast lamb or game dishes.
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education & politics
HOW TO ENSURE HAMPSTEAD STUDENTS SHEINEEZ BARBER - WWW.FUNTECHSUMMERCAMPS.com
W
e asked Sheineez Barber, Managing Partner at FunTech, who repeatedly deliver outstanding results in both GCSE and A Level Computing to share her thoughts on the importance of GCSEs and how to prepare students to succeed. GCSEs are the first large scale exams that many children take. They’re also very important: if universities have to choose between candidates with the same A level grades to offer a place to, they’ll often look at their GCSE grades to make the decision. Most universities only require 7 GCSEs (it used to be 5 GCSEs) and this number continues to grow and put more pressure on children. I personally believe it’s much better to get 10 solid grade GCSEs, at a minimum of Grade A, rather than 13 at average grades.
Which GCSE subjects are important and why?
English, Maths and Triple Science, Geography, History and one Language (if not a
language then an Arts subject). These subjects allow students to progress and study any other subject at A Level and provide them with a solid learning foundation.
long period of time, interjected with texting, snacks, Facebook etc. isn’t efficient and explain that their social time will suffer because work will be lingering in the background.
Where does computing fit into all of this?
2. Get them focused
Computing offers excellent tools that enable children to study all other subjects. For example, FunTech’s two courses ‘CreativeTech’ and ‘TechPro’ which cover, Graphics, Animation, Website Design, Advanced Work Processing, Spreadsheet, and Database give children an excellent grounding and the tools they need to produce outstanding coursework and homework. If they need to produce statistical analysis they will do it correctly and efficiently using a spreadsheet; for data analysis they will use a database, maps and other image based work including course graphics.
SEPTEMBER 2015 the Suburb Circular • OCtober 2015
3. Protect their time for social
activities FunTech puts a working schedule together, starting with the social activities students would like to ring-fence. We block this time out of the schedule. Children feel empowered that that their ‘fun’ time is not disappearing.
4. Create rest days and ‘down
Your child has just started their GCSE year: how can you help them succeed? Here are FunTech’s top tips:
time’ We block out Fridays after school and Sundays as rest days. We block out everything after 8.30pm as down time but reiterate they need to focus fully up until 8.30pm. Offering the prospect of time to just chill before bed will inspire them to work more efficiently.
1. Create a balance between
5. Assign time for learning
How to get your child organised to work efficiently
study and social time Help your child understand that spreading their work over a
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Help them understand why GCSEs are important and how they will impact their future study and career prospects. Then arm them with a methodology for success.
review For each GCSE subject studied during the day FunTech assigns
education & politics
30 minutes to review their notes and prepare questions for their teacher on concepts they don’t fully understand. This should be done before tackling homework.
6. Schedule homework time
We place great emphasis on completing homework done on the day it was assigned, but if that’s not possible, as soon as they can afterwards. All homework should be finished by 12 noon on Saturday. This reinforces a positive habit of completing work promptly and allows them to appreciate the value of guiltfree time off.
ed time to review their week’s work and fully understand what they have been taught. 3.30pm to 5.30pm (after a 30 minute break) is time to research what’s going to be taught in their GCSE subjects next week.
8. Take Sundays off
If all this can be fitted in, then Sunday is a day off. Encourage your child to make most of the decisions and drive their schedule of work. If they can see you are trying to maximise their down time and social activities, you will find they are very open to this.
7. Review this week and plan for 9. Review progress next week Saturday 1pm to 3pm is suggest-
Plan in time to review the schedule every week to make sure
that everything’s been achieved, and be open to tweaking it as necessary. If your child is able to do their work during term time and keep focused, you’ll see an enormous transformation in their approach to work. Always remember to reward, praise and encourage. I hope this helps parents out there who are experiencing GCSEs for the first time with their children.
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TotalT
A Le
Education & politics
matters Jonathan Davies, 2015 Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Finchley & Golders Green
A lot has happened since May
F
ormer Suburb Resident Harold Wilson famously said “a week is a long time in politics”. And the five months since the General Election feels like an eternity. It would be idle to pretend that the result of the General Election wasn’t a disappointment. But within days more than 20,000 new members had joined the Liberal Democrats. Most were inspired by Nick Clegg’s resignation speech: “We cannot and will not allow decent liberal values to be extinguished overnight. Fear and grievance have won, liberalism has lost. But it is more precious than ever and we must keep fighting for it.” Since May the Conservative Government, freed from the shackles of a coalition with the Liberal Democrats, has threatened the Human Rights Act, demonised refugees, penalised working families and abandoned green energy. The death in July of Hampstead born Sir Nicholas Winton, who organized the rescue of 669 children, most of them Jewish, from Czechoslovakia on the eve of the Second World War in an operation later known as the Czech Kindertransport,
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the Suburb Circular • OCtober 2015
reminded us of Britain’s proud record in providing refuge for those fleeing persecution abroad. Britain is a world leader in green industries: renewable energy, low-carbon transport and green finance – a sector which grew at more than 7% a year from 2010 to 2013, compared with less than 2% for the UK economy as a whole. These industries are making products and technologies which a decarbonised world will want to buy which will bring jobs, exports and prosperity and at same time reduce emissions and tackle climate change. But the Conservative Government is dismantling every policy Liberal Democrat ministers put in place to support green industries. Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party ignores Britain’s economic deficit, the legacy of Gordon Brown’s stoked up boom, leaving the next generation to clear up the mess, and leading to more austerity, not less. Never has there been more need for Liberal Democrats committed to a stronger economy, a fairer society and opportunity for everyone. As property prices continue to spiral out of control, the housing crisis is one of the biggest issues now facing Britain and especially London. Families will be torn apart as children are
unable to buy or even rent houses. Our public services will suffer when teachers and nurses cannot afford housing. Liberal Democrats have a target of building 300,000 homes a year. We will give councils the freedom and power to borrow so they can start building again. Recalling Henrietta and Samuel Barnett’s original aim for Hampstead Garden Suburb to cater for all classes of people and all income groups, we will create 10 new garden cities with the infrastructure they need to thrive. We will create a housing investment bank to bring in much more cash and give the industry the support and the security it needs. And we will lead the opposition to the forced sell-off of housing association properties. These policies to address our housing crisis will be top of the agenda next May when Caroline Pidgeon leads the Liberal Democrat campaign in the elections for the Mayor of London and London Assembly.
Education & politics
Tashbar Primary School Mowbray Road Edgware Middlesex HA8 8JL Tel: 020 8958 5162 Interim Menahel: Rabbi E Patcas Headteacher: Mr A Wolfson B.Ed(Hons); MA; M.Ed; NPQH
Tashbar Primary School is at an exciting phase in its development. As well as a newly constituted Senior Leadership Team from September 2015 the school has just completed the first phase of its building redevelopment programme. The school was inspected in June 2014 and judged as good by Ofsted in all areas. Our highly successful and expanding school is seeking to recruit a part time (20 hours a week approx.) for as soon as possible. Hours and days are negotiable.
Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) Th e SEN CO w ill: • Understand the ethos of the school and know how to guide staff in supporting children to realise their full potential in Kodesh and Chol. • Be accountable to the Head Teacher and the Menahel for the progress of SEN pupils and the effectiveness of SEN programmes in the school • Be able to manage our SEN support team and offer guidance to staff on 1:1 or group support where needed. • Have an excellent knowledge of support provision available within the Jewish and wider community. • Keep up to date with current SEN practice and be willing to network with others to share best practice. • Work with a range of professionals to plan and review SEN provision for pupils. • Have excellent organisational, communication and interpersonal skills. • Act with due regard to confidentiality, sensitivity and discretion in all matters. We w ill of fer yo u: • A warm professional environment in which to work • Professional development opportunities • A school with a highly supportive Leadership Team and Governing Body. • Friendly, responsive and respectful children and parent body who have a desire to succeed. The SENCO is a key player in our school and if you feel you have the right experience and would like to join our team, we want to hear from you. For an informal chat or to arrange a visit to the school, please contact the Headteacher through the school office or by email: s e cr e t a r y @ t a s h b a r.co .u k Letters of application outlining your suitability to the post along with a CV and details of professional referees should be returned as soon as possible to the Headteacher as above. The school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and we expect all staff and volunteers to share in this commitment. This post requires an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Check.
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Business Finance GIFTS &&events
PART 1 Charity no. 206002
Held as near as possible to Remembrance Sunday, this year’s HGS Winter Fair in support of Combat Stress will be held on Saturday 31 October at the Free Church Hall, Northway, NW11 6PB from 11am-4.00pm. The fair has now built up a reputation as a vibrant regular fixture in the festive season fundraising calendar, becoming bigger and better and offering more varied stalls and activities each time. With crafts,
home-made cakes and produce, collectables, jewellery, Combat Stress cards and T-shirts, festive season items, all day lunches and teas and much much more, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Entry costs £2.00, children go free. Local resident Martin Bell has been invited to open the fair and this year we are also hoping for a visit from Barnet’s Mayor. As the fair falls on Halloween, there will be a ‘Happy Pumpkin’ competition, where the kids can bring along the pumpkins they are going to display that evening to be judged for the pumpkin with the happiest face. There will also be mystery ‘arty’ postcards for sale, some by famous people and others by talented local people.
Started in someone’s kitchen in Hampstead Garden Suburb seven years ago, raising just a few pounds, nowadays a group of Suburb friends and neighbours meets regularly as the HGS Combat Stress Winter Fair Committee to promote and organise a local winter fair that in 2014 raised over £5,000 to help fund the outreach programmes of Combat Stress, a national charity that has provided for the mental health needs of veterans returning from armed service for their country since 1919. Held as near as possible to Remembrance Sunday, this year’s HGS Winter Fair in support of Combat Stress will be held on Saturday 31 October at the Free Church Hall, Northway, NW11 6PB from 11am-4.00pm. The fair has now built up a reputation as a vibrant regular fixture in the festive season fundraising calendar, becoming st bigger and better and offering Saturday 31 October more varied stalls and activities 11.00am-4.00pm each time. With crafts, home-made cakes and produce, To be opened by Martin Bell collectables, jewellery, Combat Stress cards and T-shirts, festive Free Church Hall, Northway, season items, all day lunches and Hampstead Garden Suburb, NW11 6PB teas and much much more, there Handmade Crafts, Pottery, Sculpture & Gifts, Collectables, Vintage is something for everyone to enjoy. Items, Entry costs £2.00, Jewellery, Cakes & Home Produce, Plants, Christmas Cards, children go free.season Local resident Festive Items, Tombola, Raffle, Something on a postcard sale Martin Bell has been invited to (arty postcards open the fair and this year weby famous and not-s-famous people), Kids' Happiest are also hoping for a visitFace from Pumpkin Competition and lots more... Barnet’s Mayor. Home-made Lunches & Teas all day Free As the fair falls on Hallowe’ en, parking! Entry £1.00 (children free) Reg. Charity No. 206002 there will be a ‘Happy Pumpkin’ competition, where the kids can 10 bring the Suburb Circular • OCtober 2015 along the pumpkins they are going to display that evening
Winter Fair
Business Finance GIFTS & &events
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11
Business Finance GIFTS & &events
La Belle Table BRANDED KITCHENWARE & BEAUTIFUL GIFTS
Part 1
CHOOSING THE SHAPE OF THE PLATES
Plates are divided into rim or coupe shapes. To make the right decision regarding the shape, simulate a full table setting in the store.
Wedgewood - Palladian
R i m -s h a p e d plates originated in Europe. In the West, food portions are cut into bite-size pieces at the table, and the rim-shaped plate is made with a well that collects the juices that flow from the food. C o u p e -s h a p e d plates have no rim and accommodate the way food is cooked and served in the East. In the East food is cut into bite-size pieces in the kitchen and cooked quickly over high heat. To allow space for the courses on one plate, the diameter of the coupe-shaped
dinner plate is approximately 1 inch larger than that of the rim-shaped dinner plate.
Villeroy & Boch - Urban Nature
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SEPTEMBER 2015 the Suburb Circular • OCtober 2015
FOOD & NUTRITION
CONSIDERING
ALIYAH?
Nefesh B’Nefesh invites you to events in your area to help you plan a successful Aliyah, covering: • • • •
Approval Process Rights & Benefits Communities throughout Israel Education/ Higher Education
SEMINARS LONDON Sunday 18th October MANCHESTER Wednesday 21st October
To register for seminars & meetings in your area:
www.nbn.org.il/uk
• • • •
Career Opportunities National Service Healthcare Post Aliyah Support
1-1 MEETINGS LONDON 19 , 20th & 25th October th
MANCHESTER 21st October LEEDS 22 October nd
0800-075-7200 In cooperation with:
Ministry of Immigrant Absorption
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EXCLUSIVE SHABBAT UK PROGRAMME FOR COUPLES People in communities all over the world are coming together to unite in an inspiring global Shabbat experience. On October 23rd and 24th, connect with other young Jewish couples and celebrate life.
SCHEDULE FRIDAY NIGHT: •
Young couples hosting other young couples for a meal
SATURDAY MORNING: • •
Spiritual and Uplifting Shul Service Kiddush
SHABBAT AFTERNOON: • • • •
Lunch Relationship classes and learning Board games & More!
For more info and to RSVP please email: kaela@tikun.co.uk
HEALTH & FITNESS
Accommodation in East Finchley BY DAVID HILLEL BURNS I’m doing research with a London university’s health department. The research is into how the eye’s focus changes (”accommodation”). Accommodation happens subconsciously so that we see things clearly at different distances, far away or close up. Kids can accommodate best, so they can of course see the tiniest things held very near. Gradually, as we grow up, accommodation gets less. It is all gone well before retirement age. Growing up is just one of many factors that affect accommodation. The research project is to measure accommodation. Although accommodation has been measured for centuries,
the measurement may not have been as precise as it should be. New and better ways are needed. I’m looking for people, aged between 18 and 43, to take part in the project. It’s unpaid, but volunteers go into a prize draw for an iPad Mini and classic RayBan sunspecs. Volunteering just involves coming in for two sessions of about half an hour. It is completely comfortable, enjoyable, and the results will help people to see. There’s full information at www.davidhillel.co.uk/research or phone or pop in to ask about it. I hope you can join in, and please tell anyone else who might be interested.
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For a better version of you. 16
the Suburb Circular • OCTOBER 2015
HOME & GARDEN
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17
HOME & GARDEN
Grassroots
By Sally Tierney, www.yorkshiregardendesigner.co.uk
Is your garden doing autumn this year
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. I’ve found that one of the re-occurring problems my company, Yorkshire Garden Designer, comes across in the gardens we are asked to help with is that they are very much focused on the flowers of Spring and Summer and by the time autumn comes around, there is not much of interest going on. The flowers are all gone, leaving behind only ragged leaves and a bare border. What a shame and what a missed opportunity! Autumn is just as colourful and interesting as Spring so if you think your garden is a bit bare or boring at the moment, don’t worry because I shall give you 4 ways to extend the colour and interest in your garden for next year.
Late flowering perennials Put in late flowering perennials such as Rudbeckias, Asters, Sedums, Persicaria, Echinacea,
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the Suburb Circular • October 2015
Crocosmia, Achillea, Anemone x hybrida and many more. Depending on how the weather has been during the year, these plants will start flowering at the end of July/beginning of August and carry on until either the wind or the frost gets them, which sometimes only happens in October.
Berries Put in plants that have berries.
Well known examples are Pyracantha, roses, hollies and cotoneastesr but there are also many plants that are not so well known that have wonderful berries in the autumn if you do a little research. My personal favourites are Euonymus europaeus ‘Red Cascade’ which has a red seed capsule which opens to reveal a vivid orange seed and Viburnum opulus ‘Xanthocarpum’ which has an almost translucent orange berry which lasts on the bush well into the winter. Sorbus cashmiriana has white berries tinged with pink and Clerodendrum trichotomum var. fargesii which has startling blue berries backed with pinkish magenta lobes so there is quite a range to choose from.
Seedheads
Plants such as grasses are also great value in the autumn garden
as their seed heads last well into the winter even after the rest of the plant has died back. Other plants with good seed heads include Phlomis ruselliana (Turkish sage), Acanthus mollis (Bears breeches), Sedum specatbile (Ice plant), fennel, teasels and poppies. By leaving the seed heads on the plant you create interest for yourself in 2 ways because not only is the actual seed head itself of structural interest and attractive to look at, especially if it has a glitter of frost on it, but it is an excellent food source for wild life and that is always interesting to watch too.
Foliage Finally you can have plants
that have good autumn colour in their foliage. All deciduous plants go through the same ‘end of season’ process but some do it in a more flamboyant way than others. Acers, Amelanchier, Cercidiphylum, Euonymus alatus, Quercus rubra (red oak) give spectacular displays. The great news is that most of the plants I’ve mentioned above have other attributes earlier in the year so it is really easy to extend the interest and colour in your garden with a little forethought and patience. So this year, make a note of the plants that are looking good now, so that you can extend the ‘wow’ factor in your garden next year.
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
Household tips Potatoes If you don’t get through potatoes very quickly there are ways that you can make them last longer. As well as keeping them in a dry bag, pop an apple inside which will prevent them from budding.
Tennis balls
If you still have the luxury of parking your car in a garage, hang a tennis ball from a piece of rope so that it touches your back window at the spot where you should stop your car. Save your bumpers from any more scratches!
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the Suburb Circular • OCtober 2015
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HOME & GARDEN
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21
HOME & GARDEN
on your Plot FEELING FRUITY Few flavours compare with that of fruit freshly picked from the garden. Much of the fruit available in the shops (particularly the supermarkets) has been grown for its ability to travel well rather than its flavour and may have been picked well before its arrival on the shelf. If you fancy apples from your own tree, or a bowl of raspberries fresh from the garden, now is the time to act. If you are anything like me you will spend ages drooling over pictures of bushes dripping with blackcurrants or gooseberries, trees laden with apples, or bowls full of luscious raspberries but struggle to get to grips with the realities of production on your own plot! Patience is a virtue that is definitely required for growing your own, and this is particularly so with fruit trees and bushes. I have to confess to having an inclination to move on with anything that requires more than a few months to give a decent crop, but with most fruit you just have to force yourself to take the long term view and now being the proud owner of a 2 year old gooseberry bush and raspberry canes I can assure you that the waiting is worthwhile! Think carefully about where you will grow your fruit. Trees require lots of space (but are a wonderfully attractive addition to your plot) while bushes may be incorporated in your borders, but will probably need some
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protection if you aren’t going to lose a lot of fruit to the birds. Late autumn is an ideal time to add fruit to your plot as trees and bushes will be entering their dormant period. It is important to buy healthy plants and to ensure that they are dormant as they will transplant more successfully. If you are ordering from a reputable mail order nursery they are likely to arrange delivery to coincide with the best time for planting. You should also get instruction on how to plant and care for your new tree or bush. Trees such as apple or plum may be grafted onto a variety of different rootstocks - this sounds complicated but all you really need to know is what effect this will have on the final size of the tree. If you have limited space it is possible to buy dwarf varieties some of which can even be suitable for container growing. Pollination is also an important consideration, some varieties are self-fertile and do not need a pollinator, while others may require another variety planted close by to act as a pollinator. When planting your tree out it may benefit from staking and protection around the base. One ‘fruit’ that is a little different and very easy to grow is Rhubarb. Rhubarb is actually classified as a vegetable, but certainly tastes good used like a fruit in crumbles and pies. November is the perfect
Jobs for October Start to harvest parsnips after the first frosts. Tidy up your greenhouse or polytunnel, wash out pots and seed trays before storing ready for the Spring. Sow hardy peas or broad beans ready for an early crop next year. Use netting or chicken wire to protect your broccoli and cabbages from hungry pigeons. If you haven’t already done so, plant garlic and shallots. If your rhubarb is taking over, lift and divide the crowns before replanting. time to plant out dormant crowns. Although these can be bought from nurseries Rhubarb tends to spread well when established and needs to be divided every few years so it is often possible to obtain surplus crowns from friends or neighbours. Plant your crown with the buds just above the soil and water well the first year. Once the plants have become established you can look forward to harvesting a good crop of delicious pink stems from Spring onwards - very welcome as the first ‘fruit’ of the year.
HOME & GARDEN
Plant of the Month
Lilcac
The common lilac (Syringa vulgaris) is part of the olive family Oleacea and is native to the Balkans, growing happily on rocky hills. This tall plant, which can grow up to 6-7 metres, is a popular plant in gardens and parks because of the pretty, intensely sweet-smelling flowers which, with careful deadheading will result in a bumper crop every other year. Flowers can range in colour from pink to purple and even white and yellow varieties are available. They prefer good drainage and a sunny spot in the afternoon.
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23
BEAUTY & FASHION
SUCCESSFUL Online Dating
By Sophie Personne www.successful-dating.com
1
5 to 20 years ago, online dating was frowned upon. It existed, it was secretly popular but it was also a scary world. How could you possibly trust all these weird people that were probably mass-murderers or just after your money? There was quite a lot of social stigma attached with meeting online and we would certainly not freely admit to it...how many hundreds ‘met in the supermarket’?
Nowadays, it is pretty much the norm and totally accepted across all age groups. It is a necessary evil, a little bit like having to put your CV online when we are looking for a job as well as telling everyone we know to make us aware of any opportunities. Online dating is here and most probably here to stay. It is far from perfect but definitely has its place and many couples have met through it. However, it needs 24
the Suburb Circular • OCTOBER 2015
to come with some warnings as it can very easily get us down so it is important to remember not to take anything personally. Online sites give us access to hundreds of single people who are looking to meet someone special. We can hide behind the computer screen if we are a bit shy and can feel safe from the comfort of their own homes. We can look at people’s pictures, see what they have written about themselves on their profiles, what they like and dislike as well as communicate with them in a safe environment to see if we would like to know more without actually having to give any of our details out. And whilst that’s great, we need to know that a lot of people will
not reply to our messages. They will look at our profile then not respond, which can leave us wondering what on earth is wrong with us... But we must remember that it happens to everyone, we all have different tastes and we don’t always reply ourselves either (especially after a while). Another thing is to always listen to our gut instinct. If we feel something doesn’t add up or it’s just that we can’t put our finger on it, we are probably right and should back off. It is easy to create an online persona and not everyone on online dating sites is as honest as us or has good intentions.
Continued on Page 26…
HOME & GARDEN
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BEAUTY & FASHION
Continued from Page 24… The main warning though is that email communication can lead to the perception of a quick romantic attachment. When we meet someone in the flesh and then enter into a regular contact through email or text, we already know the person. We will have picked up whether there is some chemistry or not and will know a little more about them. Therefore, any attachment formed as a result is probably likely to be ‘real’ as we already have a rough idea of what the person is about.
rapidly feel that we know the person and can easily develop feelings for them. It is important to pay particular attention to this, as we are more likely to feel disappointed or let down when we eventually meet them in the flesh. It won’t always be the case but most of the time it is.
The secret to online dating is to take it with a pinch of salt. It is a great way to meet single people but you should know and expect it to be trial and error.
PR O PR OF OO F When we have never met and enter into an intense email communication, we
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HOME & GARDEN
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MOTORING & TRAVEL
AUTO-BIOGRAPHIEs
New Skoda Superb By Tim Barnes-Clay, www.carwriteups.co.uk Twitter @carwriteups The all-new Skoda Superb really is utterly brilliant. You thought I was going to say ‘superb’ didn’t you? Well, that’s been done a hundred times before – but, jokes apart, it truly is. Underneath, the Skoda has similarities to Volkswagen’s Passat. Available as an estate or hatchback, with the former making up the majority of sales in Great Britain, the all-new Superb has always been a major steal. Suffice it to say, the Czech motor manufacturer, under the parental guidance of VW, offers a lot of car for your cash. The vehicle has rear seat legroom many executive limousines can’t keep pace with - and thrifty running costs too. When all is said and done, it’s a genuine work of genius by the Pilsen based automaker. It is a massive machine. Indeed, it’s bigger than before, and anyone who encountered the preceding incarnations of the Superb will tell you just how large they were.
Stats-wise, the fresh Skoda has a 625-litre boot (30 litres more than the departing car) in the hatchback, which expands to 1,760 litres when the rear seats are folded flat. It features a whole bunch of safety systems too, including nine airbags, automatic crash preparation technology, an automatic braking system, and even gadgetry to warn you if a vehicle is going to crash into the back of you. Into the bargain, the 2015 Superb contains a rear-view camera, three-zone air-conditioning, adaptive cruise control and even an automatic parking system. It can also be hooked-up to a smart-phone for the first time and selected apps can be activated from the infotainment system’s screen. This is one avant-garde Skoda. You also get Skoda’s ‘Simply Clever’ features such as an ice scraper in the fuel flap and cargo netting in the boot and cabin. And talking about brand physiognomies, the umbrella in the rear door of the old Superb has been traded for a pair of them in this model - one in each front door. The Skoda badge shouldn’t put anyone off this car in this day and age, although die hard BMW aficionados won’t be interested. I’d say they’re
going to miss out, because this handsome new Superb is a top company car choice and, for private buyers, it looks like it will hold on to its value well.traded for a pair of them in this model one in each front door.
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BUSINESS & Finance FINANCE Business
BRAND By Darren Strom
Y
ou have a brand name, a logo, a well-designed website and are attracting interest in your product or service. So far so good, as long as you remember that the marketing and branding is not only about what you are offering but also includes you and your employees. Nothing is more important than the people your clients interact with namely you and your staff People buy from people and this is something that is very often overlooked. Be selective who you take on as employees, as the staff will set the tone of your business. You can have a great business but if people think you are difficult to deal with, for example, even with the best product in the world they could be driven to go elsewhere Very often when starting a business a small business owner will wear a few hats, that of the accountant, salesman and manager but at some point in order to grow, one has to be able to delegate tasks and that means taking on new staff. People sometimes resist taking on more staff because they worry that they won’t do a particular task as good as they could. If that is really the case and it is important then keep that element in your own role and give out other jobs. As an example – let say you need more business, so you take steps theSuburb SuburbCircular Circular ••SEPTEMBER OCtober 2015 3630 the 2015
to employ a salesman? Have you considered that just maybe you are most suited to do the sales? It is you who really knows the product or service and you would be the most enthusiastic about it. Yes, there are people who are natural salesman. They are the type of people who can “sell ice to Eskimos”, these people just have the touch, they are what people call “born salesmen”… and maybe you feel you don’t have it in you. Let me tell you a secret – you can learn to be salesman. Being enthusiastic about your product is possibly the first key to being a salesman. And if you are outgoing or at least not an introvert then you might be the person best suited for the job.
Nothing is more important than the people your clients interact with namely you and your staff
A good salesman can be outgoing but it is not about being pushy. I once came across someone in a networking event who wanted to sell me Aloe Vera health products. He was gushing about the product. It came across as pushy and did not inspire me to buy. Guess what, his tactics did not seem to have got him clients as the next time I met him he had abandoned the first company who he had claimed was so fantastic ( or they had dropped him) and was actually trying selling me another health product range. So if being pushy will not help sell, what will? The answer in short is “honesty”, if you are not pushy but positive, confident and can fill a real need that the client has, then you can sell, but the client has to trust you. That is a key thing to look for in an employee too: honesty and trust,
Business BUSINESS & Finance FINANCE
namely; Is he genuine?
with values similar to their own.
One just has to look at the recent fiasco with Volkswagen. The German car brands they are collectively the strongest Brands in the automotive industry.
Another thing to look for in an employee is, is he looking for a job or a career. Does he just want a job as means to make money or does he have an affinity for the business market that you are in.
Well this week Volkswagen lied about emissions, or as they would like us to believe, their employee lied. The issue was not so much about the emissions but the broken trust. As a result not only did Volkswagen suffer large losses but the share prices of all the German car brands dropped. Trust means more and more to customers nowadays as they are attuned to buying from companies
Last and but not least; a happy disposition can go a long way to bring you business. I was involved in branding a new local Bakery café and as much as people love the design they are even more encouraged to shop there because of the friendliness of proprietor, greeting his customers with a warm smile and making them feel like a valued customer.
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
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