The Suburb Circular - May 2015 by The Suburb Circular

www.thesuburbcircular.co.uk

6000 copies distributed door to door in Hampstead Garden Suburb

INSIDE

MAY 2015 | ISSUE 1

travel advice • Home & Garden • Education & politics • health & Fitness • finding inspiration

inside

Contents may 2015

Motoring & Travel

4 Airline Compensation Advice

Charity News

6 British Emunah’s ‘Walk The Wall’ Challenge

Home & Garden

11 Looking After your Artwork at Home 13 Displaying your Art 14 In the Garden with Sally Tierney

Property & Interior

16 Property Matters by Mike Freer MP

Education & Politics 18 Election Matters

Business & Finance

20 Pay Less to Get More by Martin Lewis 22 Business Matters by David Citron

Food & Nutrition

24 Naturally Good Recipes by Ryan Turner 23 Why do I need a Financial Adviser

Health & Fitness

26 Detox your Inbox 28 Finding Inspiration 34 Why your Diet is failing us!

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.

6 14 24 30

welcome

from the editor COMMUNITY SPIRIT

‘What’s this that’s just arrived through my letterbox?’, I hear you asking! So now is a good time to introduce myself, as well as the Publication itself. My name is Sarah Klein and I am the Editor of The Suburb Circular. I live in NW London and have been, and still am, the Editor of another local Magazine in an adjacent area. After many months of preparation we are proud to launch The Suburb Circular, a new local monthly Magazine which is hand-delivered door-to-door to homes and businesses within Hampstead Garden Suburb. Besides advertisements relating to local Businesses and Organisations, The Suburb Circular includes features and articles of local interest. In spite of all the technological advances that are part of our modern-day life, local communities and local businesses continue to underpin the make-up of our society. I sense that this is a result of British tenacity and a remarkable sense of local pride. Having many friends residing in Hampstead Garden Suburb I am aware of the strong feelings of loyalty and unity that are the hallmark of the neighbourhood. This is clearly reflected by the many local organisations which cater admirably for the needs of its residents. We are really excited and passionate about bringing you a friendly and informative local Magazine, and we hope you enjoy reading it. Preferences do vary though, so if you have any suggestions or comments regarding The Suburb Circular, please do be in touch via the contact details listed at the bottom of the adjacent page. Have a great month and take care,

Sarah The team EDITORIAL Editor Sarah Klein

Contributors David Citron Gita Joshi Jessica McGregor-Johnson

Kristin Jade Neuwirth Martin Lewis Mike Freer MP Ryan Turner Sally Tierney Tsviki Smith

ADVERTISING

Eli Cohen 020-3659-2399

DESIGN

James English Scott Cartwright

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Motoring & travel

AIRLINE COMPENSATION FOR DELAYED AND CANCELLED FLIGHTS

n October 2014 there were 2-landmark rulings by the Supreme Court in London which meant that all Airlines departing from an European Airport, and any EU Airline coming in or out of Europe would now have to pay compensation for ALL Delayed and cancelled flights unless the reason was due to bad weather or strike action which are classified as extraordinary reasons. Prior to the Court rulings, the Airlines were refusing to pay out to passengers when there were technical faults with the plane or whenever the claim was more then 2 years old. Once clarified by the Court, we are now able to achieve compensation for all technical faults as well as claim back as far as 6 years! Passengers are entitled to up to £470 (€600) compensation, depending on the length of the flight, plus expenses when their arrival is delayed by more than three hours and the cause of the disruption is within the carrier’s control. This even applies to children traveling as long as a seat was purchased for them. Lawyers representing two passengers in separate flight delay cases said the ruling on flights affected by technical faults would open the door to more than two million compensation claims every year in the UK, worth an estimated £876 million. The decision to allow claims to

the Suburb Circular • MAY 2015

first companies to act in this area, thereby giving us both experience and contacts with all of the airlines. We also have tie ups with solicitors whom we engage when necessary and when proceedings have to be issued against the airlines. Claiming4u work on a NO WIN NO FEE basis, so there are never any upfront fees or legal costs or risks to the passengers, and commission is only taken after a successful win and money has been paid out by the airlines to the customers.

be made up to six years after the event will also open airlines to historic claims from passengers dating back to 2008, which could be worth another £4 billion If you’ve previously submitted a claim to the airline but have been turned down on the grounds of a technical defect or because your claim is more than two years old, we recommend you resubmit your claim. Claiming4u has been representing clients for more then 2 years and was one of the ARRIVAL DELAY

DISTANCE

COSTS

COMPENSATION (I)

Under two hours

Any distance

2 hours - 2h 59mins

Any distance

Maybe (iii) No

All flights under 1,500km eg, London to Paris

Yes

€250 (£180)

All flights between 1,500km – 3,500km eg, Manchester to Malaga

Yes

€400 (£290)

Flights within the EU only, 1,500+ km

Yes

€400 (£290)

3-4 hours

Flights between an EU and non-EU airport, 3,500km+ eg, London to New York

€300 (£220)

4 hours+

Flights between an EU and non-EU airport, 3,500km+ eg, London to New York

Yes

€600 (£430)

3 hours+

REFUND OF FARE IF YOU DIDN’T TRAVEL (II) No No

Yes, if delayed over five hours

(i) You’re only entitled to compensation if you meet the eligibility criteria outlined in the guide. (ii) You’re entitled to a refund of your fare, regardless of what caused the delay. (iii) Depending on the length of the flight, this rule kicks in on delays of more than two-four hours. Sterling figures based on the mid-April 2015 exchange rate of €1.38 to £1. Rounded to the nearest £10.

Call us or email us with details of your claim and one of our specialists will contact you to verify and progress your claim:- Claiming4u. Tel: 0161 798 8586 Free : 0800 180 4019 E: info@claiming4u.Co.Uk ! !!

Claiming4u 40a Bury New Road Prestwich Manchester M25 OLD 0161-798-9163

! !! !

26th March 2014

MADE IN SWEDEN. TUNED IN BRITAIN. Volvo cars have been designed and built to weather the toughest Swedish climate, but cleverly adapted to perform on British roads. It is paramount to ensure that all of your Volvo’s components are maintained according to the manufacturer’s specifications in order for your Volvo to deliver optimum performance every time. Servicing your car at an Approved Volvo Centre ensures that your vehicle will remain 100% Volvo. It guarantees you a unique combination of Volvo Genuine Parts, Volvo-unique methods and the expertise of specially trained Volvo te technicians. The smartest way to trouble-free motoring. This is why we have created a special programme, Volvo Service Promise , designed around you and your Volvo’s needs and completely free with every service. Only at a true Volvo centre does added value always come as standard. ®

Volvo Service Promise

Free Software Upgrade Alternative Transport Free Health Check Washing and vacuuming Personal Contact 1 Year Roadside Assistance

If time is an issue, Volvo Personal Service might be the solution for you: Two technicians working on your car simultaneously means labour time is cut down by half and a regular service can be done in as quickly as an hour. So you can grab a drink and surf the web in our exclusive customer lounge while waiting. We are proud to be the pioneers of this innovative, time-saving concept. Reshaping the motoring industry... Again. Get a 10% discount on the total service cost as an introductory offer to new customers as well as free collection and delivery to the whole of the Hampstead Garden Suburb area. And if you are planning to upgrade to a new Volvo, check out the wide range of Volvo Selekt approved used cars in stock at our showroom. Contact Sentinel Volvo in North London today.

SENTINEL VOLVO 596 - 598 Seven Sisters Road London N15 6RH www.sentinelcars.co.uk T. 0208 800 2200

Volvo. For Life.

CHARITIES

British Emunah’s

‘Walk the Wall’ challenge B

ritish Emunah has taken Jewish 12TH- 15TH Princesses to July 2015 the desert, intrepid climbers up the peaks of the Scottish Highlands, Snowdonia and the Lake District and dedicated ramblers around the beautiful Irish countryside. Now we are inviting women from all over the country to join our sponsored 4 sponsorship money. day walk along Hadrian’s Wall in the picturesque Emunah is one of the Northumbrian most important social countryside. The Emunah welfare organisations in ‘Walk the Wall’ challenge Israel, caring for over will take place from 12th 10,000 children and their -15th July 2015, and raise families on a daily basis. vital funds for our social The aim of the Walk welfare programmes in is to help raise much Israel. needed funds to enable Emunah to continue Over the past few years to deliver and develop British Emunah has it’s critically needed raised over £250,000 services for Israel’s most through our sponsored walks and events and now desperate and vulnerable children. The funds will you have an opportunity be used in particular for to join us on what one vital extra-curricular past participant of our activities at Neve Landy, challenges described as our residential home ‘..the best four days of my in Even Shmuel. This life in the company of centre is a secure and some amazing women.’ nurturing refuge for Accommodation, food over 70 boys who have and travel is all taken suffered from abuse and care of, so all you have neglect and are some of to think about is getting yourself fit and raising the the most disturbed and

the Suburb Circular • MAY 2015

dysfunctional boys in Southern Israel. Extracurricular activities such as electronics and drama classes, swimming, camping, tiyulim and outings to the cinema and theatre, are an essential part of the rehabilitation of the youngsters in our care and are not funded by the state The Director of the Neve Landy Children’s Village Yosefa Ackler is particularly keen to plan an extensive summer programme of activities for the boys after last year’s summer break was traumatically disturbed by the Gaza War. Day and night the boys had just 30 seconds to reach their shelter when a siren sounded. They could not leave the relative security

of the home to take part in normal summer holiday activities because the surrounding areas were too dangerous to travel through. For an already traumatised child this was an additional unbearable burden. This year we need to give them a summer to remember for the right reasons and the funds raised by the Walk the Wall participants will enable us to do this. If you are interested in taking part in the walk please contact Alison on Alison@emunah.org.uk or 020 8203 6066.

gifts & events

the Suburb Circular â&#x20AC;˘ MAY 2015

HOME & GARDEN

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HOME & GARDEN

In the PICTURE

Looking after your artwork at home

Once you have art work at home you will want to get it up on the walls.

When thinking about the positioning of the art works in your home you should avoid placing paper based works such as prints or drawings, in areas of high humidity such as a bathroom as this can result in damage to the art works. Watercolours, gouache and pencil drawings should not be placed on walls with direct sunlight as this will cause the art works to fade over time and subsequently depreciate in value. So take a day or two to see how the natural light moves around your home before settling on a position for it. The optimum height to hang the art works is such that the centre of the framed piece is at eye level. In very general terms this is somewhere between 55 to 65 inches from

the floor, depending on how tall you are. If you are hanging several pieces of different sizes in a row you would want an imaginary line running horizontally through the centre of all of them. When hanging art works I prefer to use picture hooks. These are easy to use and readily available at all diy stores. These are very straightforward to use but if you would like a tutorial, there are plenty of videos on this subject to be found on Youtube. For hanging large works use two picture hooks to balance the weight of the frame, one at each side. On the back of the frame are D

rings with the cord running between them. I usually hang art works from the D ring rather than the cord, as this ensures stability and prevents the frame from moving on the hook. Once the art work is up on the wall you’ll want to look after it and keep it looking good. When cleaning your art works use an anti static cloth and if you need to use cleaning product on the glass, then spray the product onto the cloth and then apply the cloth to the picture glass. You should avoid spraying directly onto the frame as you risk the cleaning product dripping down and seeping between the frame and the glass. So there you have it, no more reason to be stacking art work on the floor, get it up on the walls and enjoy it! By Gita Joshi, AWAD. www.orsomajor.com

• H.G.S offer a comprehensive range of services for all of our clients. • We offer a wide range of manufacturing services which includes: stained glass, leaded lights, copper lights, renovation of metal casement windows, joinery and glazing for period windows and doors. • Our fully insured craftsmen offer a reliable fixing and glazing service.

HGS Joinery & Glazing. 1181 Finchley Road, London NW11 0AA Tel: +44 20 85360300 • E-mail: edgospel@aol.com

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home & garden

the Suburb Circular â&#x20AC;˘ MAY 2015

In the PICTURE

HOME & GARDEN

MOONDOG DISPOSAL

FULLY LICENCED, RELIABLE FIRM, FOR ALL TYPES OF RUBBISH DISPOSAL

By Gita Joshi, AWAD. www.orsomajor.com I’m often asked by clients how an artists prices rise and if the art work they are interested will rise in value. The first thing to remember is that art dealers are not financial advisors. However there are a few sure fire ways that make an artist collectable, raise their profile and in turn their prices, and here we look at three of them. When an artist has a solo show at a major museum or gallery, it is pretty certain that this will raise their profile as an artist, they will become more known and in turn their prices will rise. This can be the price of new art work released from the studio and available at galleries that represent them, as well as increasing their prices on the resale market such as at auctions. Looking over an artists CV and seeing where they have previously shown and asking about the plans they have for exhibiting will give you this information. A gallery or art dealer representing the artist will be able to tell you what you need to know so it’s worth asking the question about where they have showed or what they have coming up. Another way that artists prices generally rise is when a museum – the institutions that are cultural barometers – buy into an artist. Once art enters public collections it

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generally positions the artists as collectable. Having art as part of a museum’s permanent collection means that more people will see it, and the artist is recognized for producing relevant work. If you think about it, wouldn’t you love to own something that also forms part of a museum collection. Finally, when an artists work forms part of the collection of a major known buyer of art – this can be a high profile art collector, a celebrity or a corporate collection, can also affect the positioning of an artist as collectable. Collectors in this category are also often taste makers. They buy for investment as much as pleasure with the long game in mind. Asking the gallerist about this can give you the answers you need as it may not always be information in the public domain. So there you have it, three ways to check if the artist you are interested in is an investment. Buying art for investment is a long term strategy, and the best approach to buying art is to start with answering the question, do you love it, and do you want to live with it. After that, any rise in value is a bonus.

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HOME & GARDEN

Grass ROOTS

A fresh start By Sally Tierney, www.yorkshiregardendesigner.co.uk

ast weekend I looked at all the plants in the only border in my garden and decided to take the whole lot out. This decision has been a long time in coming to the tipping point but now that I have done so, I find that I am immensely relieved.

my own garden did not any more.

Relieved? You might think that this is a strange reaction to the clearing of a border in the garden but the truth of the matter is that the garden has become a burden because it no longer fitted into my lifestyle. The time I had to look after it when I first designed and planted it has been more and more encroached and eroded every year, as my business, Yorkshire Garden Designer, has grown.

• Work out exactly what I want to do or like to do when I’m outside. • Analyse the conditions of the garden so I can make sure that the plants I choose will do well there. • Work out and be very realistic about how much time I have to look after the garden.

The result has been twofold. Firstly, I cannot tell you how happy I feel to be free of that guilty feeling that I ‘ought’ to be out in the garden, weeding it and secondly I have (finally) taken and experienced my own advice! All the gardens that Yorkshire Garden Designer create and build are based round what I call ‘The Garden Equation’ which is a 3 step process which creates the foundations that ensures that each garden fits in beautifully with the lifestyle of the client. I spend so much time making sure that the gardens of my clients fit into their lifestyles that I failed to notice that

So the big question now is to work out what to do differently with this clean border. The first thing I shall do is to sit down at the weekend with a cup of tea and go through my own Garden Equation process. The points I will be answering are:-

These 3 steps will create the foundation on which the new design for my garden will be based on and it will take into account that I now have very little time to look after it, so here are some of the things I will be thinking about: • How can I cut down on the amount of weeding I need to do? • How can I cut down on the amount of watering required in the summer? • How can I avoid spending time on staking? • What will make mowing the lawn less time consuming? I’ll let you know what I do in the coming months.

In the past few months, I have been writing a book about how to apply the Garden Equation for fellow gardeners to follow and its title is , surprisingly, ‘The Garden Equation – how to have a garden you love that fits beautifully into your lifestyle’. It will soon be available on my website.

the Suburb Circular • MAY 2015

Plant of the Month Belonging to the mint family, lavender is a popular choice in many gardens as it provides a beautiful scent and splash of colour to many borders and rockeries alike. Many gardeners can’t resist the romance of lavender - blowing gently in the breeze or cut stems in vases make for a pretty picture. Lavenders will tolerate many growing conditions and thrives well in warm, welldrained soil and if you can encourage a chalky soil you’ll enhance the scent of the plant. Make sure you give them a good handful of compost when first planted and lots of water.

HOME & GARDEN

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property & interior

matters A MAN WITH A PLAN MIKE FREER MP, FINCHLEY & GOLDERS GREEN

he so called Mansion Tax is nothing more than a family homes tax. Many homes locally are not ‘mansions’ but family home bought through hard work. It’s a tax on aspiration. Why should anyone work hard to look after their family and buy a larger house? Why should residents be penalised for house price inflation? Ed Balls clearly is following on the Labour tradition of wanting to tax the ‘rich’ until the pips squeak. Unfortunately good politics for the Labour heartlands is bad economics for the rest of us because most of the people caught by this tax would be local families who have worked hard to buy their homes. Many will have bought years ago; are on fixed incomes but now face annual bills of between £3,000 and £17,000. The proposals are fundamentally flawed. No economist or housing commentator believe the tax will raise £2.3billion. Those on ‘low incomes’ less than

the Suburb Circular • MAY 2015

receipts will fall too. Ball’s ‘mansion tax’ is supposed to provide money for the NHS but the Leader of the Scottish Labour Party says he wants to use the tax to fund Scotland’s NHS to try and outflank the SNP.

£42,000 a year can defer until sale or death. So the £2.3b won’t be raised and Labour will have to borrow to plug the gap. Or Balls will have lower the threshold to raise the required amount. So more people taxed or more borrowing and more debt. Sound familiar? Then there is the problem of houses just on the threshold. Homeowners will have to pay for professional valuations to prove which side of the line they are on. If the ‘Revenue disagree, the homeowner will have to appeal via the Valuations Agency (already clogged with

Council Tax appeals). Those under the threshold might feel reassured by Balls saying the threshold will rise with house price inflation. Unfortunately he means national price inflation. London property rises much faster than nationally, many more local homes will be caught in a short space of time. Those who can’t afford the tax will try to sell, possibly causing property glut and freezing the homebuying chain as people won’t want to move up the chain. If prices drop to be get under the threshold, Stamp Duty

The fact is the Head of the NHS says the NHS will need an extra £8b over the next 5 years. So the Mansion Tax won’t plug the gap. Osborne, by growing the economy has provided an extra £12b over the last parliament and our track record of economic growth means we can provide the £8b the NHS needs. The irony is that this tax will destroy the vision that Henrietta Barnet had for Hampstead Garden Suburb. If implemented only those wealthy enough to afford to pay this family homes tax will be able to live in the ‘Suburb. Labour call this a progressive tax; there’s nothing socially progressive about driving out the asset rich and cash poor.

Education & politics

matters A MAN WITH A PLAN MIKE FREER MP, FINCHLEY & GOLDERS GREEN

ver the next couple of weeks until polling day, the economy will be front and centre of the general election campaign. ‘It’s the economy, stupid’ was reportedly US President Bill Clinton’s retort when asked what the key issue in an election is. If you want more money spent on the NHS, you need a strong economy. More help for pensioners, you need a strong economy. Childcare? Education? Jobs? A strong economy is essential; without one - there is no money. The UK economy has come a long way. When the coalition came into government in 2010, unemployment had rocketed. Labour left almost half a million more people unemployed than when they took office; meaning many families were looking to the future, scared and unsure of what was to come. Five years on, by working through our long-term economic plan and backing business with lower jobs taxes and better infrastructure, look at what we have achieved together: • 1.9 million more jobs - more people in work in our country than ever before. • More jobs created here than the rest of Europe combined. • More people with the security of a regular pay-packet, providing for themselves and their families.

the Suburb Circular • MAY 2015

Over the last five years we have created 1,000 jobs a day and if we are re-elected we will keep on creating 1,000 jobs a day – 2 million more jobs in the next five years. The choice is simple: we go back to square one and the days of big unemployment, or we allow David Cameron and the team finish what we have begun. We are the jobs party – and over the next months, we will be fighting for every man and woman who wants to work, earn a wage and look after their family This week saw the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders announce £1 billion of new investment in Britain’s car industry – Meaning thousands more jobs. This is a clear vote of confidence in this Government’s long-term economic plan with nine figure investments from companies as diverse as Honda, Jaguar Land Rover and the London Taxi Company. It means more cars coming off the production line, factories expanding and – most importantly - more people getting into work. This week saw 100 top businesses who, combined, employ half a million people say Cameron & Osborne’s economic plans are working. Those who create jobs are backing Cameron and his team. It shows that we need to stick the course and not throw it all away

with Ed Miliband incompetently managing our economy. Meanwhile, Miliband’s team still doesn’t believe they overspent. Miliband’s team still say they would borrow more. They crashed the economy before and will do it again. They have said that they will increase taxes on business which could cost 96,400 jobs by whacking up corporation tax in their first budget. This would be the first time corporation tax has risen in over 40 years and it would put people’s economic security at risk. David Cameron and the team are helping businesses small and large as part of our long-term economic plan. By cutting taxes on jobs and investing in infrastructure there are 760,000 more businesses in our country with 1.9 million more people in work than in 2010. Now is the time to keep on working through that plan – not throw it all away with the economic chaos that would ensue. Every working household will face a £3,028 tax rise if Ed Miliband becomes Prime Minister – because he is unable to take difficult decisions on spending. The economy is recovering, we mustn’t go back to spend and borrow. David Cameron has what it takes. Let’s stick to the plan and fix the economy.

Business & Finance

matters Pay less to get more BY Martin Lewis

hese cold dark days of winter leave many dreaming of summer. Yet don’t let travel lust destroy your wallet. Most people book holidays in the early months of the year, so if you’re jet set on tripping abroad this year, here’s my top tips on how to use the web to pay less to get more. Slash flight costs using the RIGHT comparison. Unlike package holidays with scheduled flights, leaving it until the last minute means prices rocket. So make sure you’re booking in advance and use the right site for the job. • Cheapest price on normal flights: Here, just use a flight comparison site. I like www. kayak.co.uk (for gizmos), www. skyscanner.net (for ease), and www.travelsupermarket.com (for breadth). • Check cheap charter flights comparisons too: If you’re flying to a traditional package holiday destination, like Majorca, you should also check for spare capacity being sold on tour operators’ own flights. The comparisons that include these ‘charter flights’ are www. travelsupermarket.com, www. avro.co.uk and www.flightsdirect. com. • Find the perfect time to book: Use the Flight Insight tab on comparison site www.momondo. co.uk, eg, on average 59 days ahead is the perfect time to book,

the Suburb Circular • MAY 2015

but it varies by destination, so worth a check. Flight booking - the clever stuff to cut costs. Once you’ve found the cheapest price via a comparison, if you want to push harder, you need to get clever. • Book the wrong date trick. Easyjet’s Flexifares let you switch dates by a few weeks without paying more. So bag cheap term-time flights, then swap for your chosen school holiday dates. One of my users saved £700 on her family’s break, yet there are pros and cons. Full step-by-step in www.mse.me/ easyjet. • The codeshare trick. Sometimes two or more airlines sell the same flights and booking via one partner is cheaper, eg, a United flight from Birmingham to New York can be cheaper via Lufthansa. • Ethnic travel agents trick. If you’re going somewhere with a big UK ethnic or immigrant community, check out niche travel agents catering to them. Eg, London’s Shepherd’s Bush has some Caribbean specialists, or the Jewish Chronicle advertises cheap flights to Israel. • The credit card flight freebie trick. You can get a ‘free’ Flybe flight anywhere or a BA European flight (you pay taxes) just by

signing up to a fee-free credit card, and doing normal spending on it. For a full list of freebies see www.mse.me/ccfreebies. Cut the price for your hotel room. Forget the star system. There’s no world standard and it’s often about facilities, not quality. To find the hotel you want to stay at read reviews on the ubiquitous www.tripadvisor.co.uk, but always ignore the best and worst 10%. Check comparison sites, both www.trivago.co.uk and www. travelsupermarket.com allow you to see who’s selling your hotel room for less. Then also be aware there are commonly promo codes available for the big hotel booking sites which can cut your costs by a further 15% for a full list of current ones see www.mse.me/ hotelsales. Tricks to uncover 5-star hotels at 3-star prices. If you’ve time to play and want the really big discounts, then there are two naughty (but legal) routes. • Uncover secret hotels. www.lastminute.com sells secret hotels at big discounts, where you know the star rating, description and rough location, but aren’t told the name till you’ve paid. Yet by cutting and pasting key words into google then matching up the ‘ratings’ you can uncover them

Business & Finance before you book – full step by step in www.mse.me/secrethotels. • HUGE discounts with the Priceline bidding loophole. www. priceline.com is a huge US booking site (it works for some European cities too). The trick is fiddly, but devastatingly lucrative as forumite 5*dealhunter found: “Got the 5* Renaissance Barcelona Hotel for £59 a night for 3 nights instead of £310 - a saving of 81%.” If you’ve got 30 minutes to try it see my instructions at www.mse.me/priceline. Package holidays can undercut DIY web bookings... especially for 7, 10 or 14 days in a traditional resort like Majorca, Mykonos or Malia (and some that don’t start with an M). In brief... When to book? Massive savings are possible in the late market, where deals are done within eight weeks

of travel, yet of course there’s restricted choice and you may need to be flexible. So if you need special facilities (eg, for families) you need to book now and try to cut prices down. How to cut prices? Remember tour operators make holidays, travel agents sell them. So one operator’s holiday may be on sale at many travel agents - the aim is to find who’ll sell it cheapest. Either scan for discounts, or often more lucratively, but more time consuming, is to haggle. To do this first find the trip you want, then write down all details, then take it to the travel agents who advertise on places like www. teletext.co.uk to see if they will sell you the same holiday for less. Go to a few to find the best price, but to be fair if one has spent a lot of time helping you, always give

them the last chance to match it. How to get package holiday protection. Package holidays have long been protected under the ATOL scheme, so if something goes wrong you get your money back (or help coming home). Yet book a flight plus separate hotel or car hire together (or within 24 hours) from the same travel (not airline) website, and since 2012 you’ve also got ATOL protection, just like with a package. So check if it’s not much more expensive compared to booking the cheapest flight and hotel separately. Also bear in mind www.expedia.co.uk, www. travelocity.co.uk, www.ebookers. com and www.lastminute.com often give extra discounts for flights and hotels booked together. @MoneySavingExpert

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Business & Investment

matters Pride Vs Progress BY DAVID CITRON

hen Mark Thompson got up to speak to a treasure of top Silicon Valley CEOs in April 2000 it was before ITunes had come out. He represented Rioport, a company responsible for popularising MP3 players and was showing off their latest product. Mark was fully invested emotionally and financially in the new MP3 Player - In fact he had just remortgaged his house to fund the move. When Steve Jobs came up to him after the presentation Mark was hoping to hear some words of encouragement from the seasoned techy – perhaps even an investment! Instead Steve commented ‘your gadget is a geeky piece of (let’s say garbage)’. In that moment Mark had two simultaneous feelings which could have propelled him in either of two directions. Firstly, like many would, he felt the need to whack Steve over the head with the microphone in anger at this completely disrespectful attack on his pride and joy.

the Suburb Circular • MAY 2015

He had everything wrapped up in this great product – how could Steve be so dismissive!!! Yet Mark experienced another feeling. One far more disturbing than the first. He felt the undeniable presence of truth in what Jobs was saying. This gadget really wasn’t elegant or easy to use. Swallowing his pride Mark had a series of dinners with Steve over the coming months. Steve shared his vision of how the digital world would play out over the next decade and Mark took stock - literally. He took his house money and placed it on Apple instead of Rioport (Rio-who?... exactly). Ipod, Iphone, Ipad, Istores lead Mark to cherish the day that he followed his heart feelings of truth rather than heady feelings of pride. This principal is a crucial one in business. Quite often people allow their ego to come between them and success. A great example of this is in learning new ideas. I know people

who have actually said to me - ‘you can never learn something from a book that can make you rich - that’s why I don’t read business books’. This is the sort of attitude that holds people back. I have personally stumbled across single concepts from mentors, books and videos which have made game changing differences to my life and the lives of the people I serve. Allow yourself the humility to learn from all sources to grow, develop and prosper. It is true, some sources are better than others. Just make sure that you are not making that decision based on pride but rather through assessing real evidence based factors such as past results. I’ll give you one more example and this is probably the biggest one. Failure. People want success without

failure. Why? Pride. You can’t have true success without failure. True success comes from trying and developing and perfecting through mistakes, muck-ups and rejections. Famed CEO Thomas Watson who brought IBM from weighing machines to become the Google of it’s day, said ‘If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate’. Now, if your ego is controlling your decisions you are going to be so caught up with looking good that you will never get to hone your skill, your craft, your product and yourself into something and someone of golden value to the world through the burning hot fiery furnace of failure. The guy who is afraid to look bad will be beaten every time. Challenge your pride, elevate your future.

David Citron, MA, is the Director of The UK Centre for Leadership (UKCL) and is a Business, Life and Leadership Coach. David has been invited to speak to executives from many well known corporations and institutions including Deutsche Bank,, The World Bank, General Electric, The Carbon Trust, Deloitte and S&P. He is passionate about supporting CEOs from all sized businesses whether small or large take themselves to the next level through dynamic personal and group coaching. David can be contacted on 07815 597 912. © David B. Citron 2015

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Food & Nutrition

Naturally good... Ryan Turner www.thefoodbible.com

Brown butter and beer braised kale with cranberries and pecans Ingredients for 4 • • • • •

2 bunches of kale 2 tbsp. unsalted butter 120ml beer of your choice 60ml chicken stock 1tbsp reduced sugar dried cranberries (this is optional) • 3 tbsp. roasted chopped pecans • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste I absolutely love kale. It’s packed with flavour and nutrients and it’s incredibly quick and easy to cook. Braising kale in beer and brown butter gives the finished dish a really nice nutty flavor and the quick method of cooking ensures that the kale retains its vibrant green colour. 1. First prepare the kale by washing it and then cutting out the stem. It is important to cut out the center stem because it

the Suburb Circular • MAY 2015

can be tough and chewy. Once you have removed the stems, quickly shred the kale by rolling up the leaves into a cylinder and roughly slicing them. Set to one side. 2. In a large frying pan or sauté pan place two tablespoons of butter and cook on a medium heat until starting to turn a light brown colour. At this stage quickly add the beer and chicken stock and turn up the heat to high. Bring to the boil and then add the kale. 3. Cook the kale for approximately 3 minutes until most of the moisture has evaporated and the kale is nicely glazed. Add the chopped pecans

and seasoning to taste. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with the dried cranberries.

Chef’s tip: Make sure that the liquid is boiling and the heat is on high before adding the kale, you don’t want to slow cook it because it can lose its vibrant green color if it is stewed for too long.

Ryan Turner real food and low-carb chef For more great recipes go to www.thefoodbible.com

Food & Nutrition

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HEALTH & FASHION

Health

We have key areas in our life that contribute to our overall health: Career, Relationships, Exercise, Diet and Spirituality (whether you are comfortable with the word or not – it’s a key part of our daily health). So who’s inspiring your health in these areas? Who inspires your daily diet, your loving relationship, inspires your career journey, gives you your exercise fix or is opening up your spiritual side? … the people who are hitting your inbox. I’m talking about the people you give time to in your daily life, the external people you follow and subscribe to, the people whose newsletters etc. that are hitting your inbox each week. Or, those that don’t and

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DETOX YOUR INBOX by Kristin Jade Neuwirth should be. These are the people who are influencing your daily life. You want to get clear on who you let into your daily life and make sure you have a clear positive person/business who is inspiring each of the key areas of a healthy life. Start by aligning to those you admire and aspire to. You want to crowd out the crowds and get specific on who you are letting into your daily life. Start questioning, are these people having a positive impact on my

day? If not you want to start unsubscribing, clearing out your inbox so new people who are aligned to your journey can enter. Focus in on those that will take you on the path you aspire to be on. If you’re wishing to change your life, this is the best starting advice I can offer. Who you choose to have in your daily life is one of your life choices. Get those you admire and aspire to into your life – daily, and leave the rest. So who’s on your path? Detox your inbox now.

Kristin is based in sunny Australia and is the creator of Health Boss and designer of Salad As The Main Meal. She shares her expertise on how you can become your own health boss whilst living a high-paced, time poor lifestyle. She is a firm believer that despite how successful you are, you will never truly feel it unless you have the health to match it. www.healthboss.me

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health & fitness

Remarkable RELATIONSHIPS BY Jessica McGregor-Johnson

inspiration T

here are some days when we simply effervesce inspiration, ideas flow into our minds so fast we cannot even capture them quickly enough. We write them down and hope that when we get around to taking action to bring the idea to life that we will be able to capture everything that was flowing around inside of us at that moment when the ideas hit.

Inspiration comes not from within us but from the greater part of us that is beyond the mind. We inspire ideas, that is we energetically breathe them in. We can only do that when we are a fertile place for the ideas to land. When we are a verdant space for ideas to grow in. When we remember that we are not the source of ideas but the recipient.

However there are some days when we are simply out of ideas altogether. We sit and look at a proverbial page blank page and nothing comes. We think that we are empty and that we will never find a solution to a problem or know what our next step is. This can be true in our work and in our personal lives. We all have days when we run dry.

So if you are having a day when you feel uninspired just know that this too shall pass. And there are things you can do to help it pass quicker.

Why is that? The clue is in the words. We run dry. If you keep on taking from a bank account without refilling it the bank account will one day be empty. We are the same. We need to refill, replenish our energetic bank account. We need to feel connected to life and not on a treadmill.

the Suburb Circular â&#x20AC;˘ MAY 2015

Walk Away When you are sitting facing the proverbial blank page stop looking at it. Get up and walk away. You are not going to change the status quo by trying. Trying is a doing verb whereas right now you want a being verb. Trying will not bring back your inspiration because it is not you that inspires in the first place. So walk away, stop trying to make it work. Go be something else. Go be a person who makes a

Change who you are being. Once you change who you are being you can begin to feel more like yourself cup of tea and has a chat with someone. Go be the person who takes themselves for a walk in the middle of a day. Go be the person who stops to meditate and reconnect with the larger part of who they truly are, even if only for 5 minutes. Go be the person who helps someone. Change who you are being. Once you change who you are being you can begin to feel more like yourself. Remember other times of inspiration Once you have walked away and been someone different for a while check in and see how you feel. Lighter? Easier? More like your true Self? If you can answer yes to all these things then the next

health & fitness step is remind yourself how you feel when you are truly inspired. We all have a cellular memory of our life experiences. So close your eyes and take yourself back in your mind to the time when the ideas were simply flowing out of you. How did it feel? Hone in on the feeling and let it spread throughout your whole body. Revel in that feeling for a while. Go do something fun Then go do something else something fun, something not at all related to what you have been thinking about and out of the blue when you are not looking for it the inspiration will hit and you won’t be able to capture it quick enough!

Jessica offers Life Guidance, connecting back to your spirit, the true heart of you. If you want to know more you can visit her website www.jessicamcgregorjohnson.com

www.thesuburbcircular.co.uk

health & fitness

THE LABORATORY Winner of the UK Health club of the Year Award in 2012 & again in 2014!

uxury, style, space and elegance create the perfect environment to escape the many pressures of a hectic London life. Relaxation is essential to both the body and mind and the Laboratory Spa and Health Club provides a gateway to undisputed tranquillity. The Laboratory boasts an effortless and peaceful ambience in drawing you in and leaving you wanting more. Winner of the UK Health Club of the Year award 2012/13 (National Fitness Awards) and Voted Best Private Health Club and Spa in London by Time Out; ‘the Club exudes an air of sophistication that strikes you the minute you walk through the feng-shui lobby. The Lab offers a unique atmosphere rarely enjoyed in other clubs’. Innovative, motivational and led by some of the UK’s finest and most-respected fitness professionals, the Lab offers an unrivalled and envied timetable of group exercise classes to cater for every age, interest, and schedule. Schwinn cycling, BodyPump, salsa, aquatics, yoga, pilates, qi gong and so much more! Regular courses are also held, from meditation to Zumba and hula hooping workouts, poledancing and motivational talks. The Juice Bar is the ideal place to enjoy fresh and healthy snacks, and catch up with other members

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of the Club. Freshly made juices, home-made light meals and refreshments made from the highest quality ingredients make for a scrumptious menu. In each Club there is a spectacular 25 metre swimming pool. These beautiful award winning pools are cleansed with the latest UV light technology, ensuring the highest possible standards of hygiene with minimal levels of chlorine. This enables members to bathe in comfort in the finest water possible. Whether it’s a few gentle lengths before a steam or serious lane swimming as part of your cardio-vascular workout, it’s heaven for anyone who enjoys a swim.Each pool area incorporates twin spa baths, a wonderful relaxation area, marble steam rooms and Scandinavian saunas to help completely unwind.

The newly-refurbished treatment rooms are the perfect backdrop for the exceptional team of highly-qualified spa therapists and holistic therapists to deliver a broad range of exceptional treatments including facials, massage, body care therapies , hot stone and reflexology, to name but a few. The Laboratory Spa & Health Clubs are one of the few remaining independent, privately owned Clubs in London. The original flag-ship site opened in 1995 with the impressive backdrop of Alexandra Palace in Muswell Hill. The Club is surrounded by its own luscious and secluded gardens where you can sun-bathe or chill out in private. For further information: Mill Hill: 1a Hall Lane, NW4 4TJ Telephone: 020 8457 3300 Muswell Hill: The Avenue, N10 2QE Telephone: 020 8482 3000 www.labspa.co.uk

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health & fitness

Optometry and You

our eyesight is precious. At David Hillel, we aim to safeguard your vision, maintaining visual comfort and efficiency and making the most of your eyes’ potential. The first step is to book a routine checkup appointment, available on the NHS for some people such as children and the over-60s. We can also go beyond the basic NHS service to cover special requirements. So if you, or somone you know, has particular concerns about their eyes or about seeing, call in or phone for an appointment, available from 8am on some days to 6.30pm on others. Of every ten people in the UK about three wear specs all or most of the time, another two wear

them just occasionally, and one wears contact lenses more often. Contact lenses can be worn all day in comfort by most people. When properly prescribed, wearing specs or contacts is a pleasure and the best way to see. The checkup usually takes about half an hour. It’s enjoyable and comfortable, even for children of any age – the ability to read letters is not necessary. The results are explained, advice is given on what to do to get the best from your eyes and sight, and the options are discussed. If you have been wearing specs or contacts, it’s helpful (but not essential) to bring them with you. ENJOY BETTER VISION!

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. Tel: 020 8444 2233

www.thesuburbcircular.co.uk

health & fitness

Why Your Diet TSVIKI SMITH

would explain the sky-rocketing numbers of obesity across the western hemisphere.

The reason why diets don’t work is because it doesn’t address the ultimate problem, it addresses the symptom. Fat is not the problem it is the lifestyles we lead and the habits we incurred throughout our lives that is the issue. That

The way you tackle the problem head-on is by changing the way we live. Now, I’m not talking about making a 180 degree turn-around in your life, that type of intervention won’t last for very long, I am talking about getting rid of our old bad habits by creating new and healthy ones. There are two major factors to know when creating habits. The first factor is focusing on one

any of us spend the majority of the time in a constant state of losing weight. Why are these so many of us trying to lose weight? Most importantly, why are we doing it all the time? Surly by now we would have found the perfect diet?

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thing at a time. Statistics have shown that when we set our minds to do one specific task, the success rate can be as high as 80%. As soon as we attempt to do 2 things and ‘multitask’, as we like to call it, our success rate drops to below 20%! So it is crucial to focus on the task at hand. The second factor to know about creating habits is that it takes 21 days of conscious effort to take on a task until the task at hand becomes automated. What this means is that for the first 21

health & fitness days you must set a reminder for yourself to do said task and consciously be aware of the change. I always recommend my clients to distribute sticky notes everywhere they go for the period that they are trying to create their new habit. Here are 5 habits you should adopt in your day-to-day life to start feeling fantastic about yourself!

Eat slowly and stop when you are 80% full.

As we lead busy lives, we don’t spend enough time on our meals as we should. This is the cause of many complications due to the fact that we don’t realise we are full and tend to eat more calories than needed. Be in-tunes to your body and listen! Try and spend 20 minutes on each meal.

Eat protein dense foods with each meal.

A portion of protein is visually about the size of the palm on your hand (20-30g). Women should try and get one portion per meal while man should try and aim to eat two portions per meal.

Eat vegetables with each meal.

Veggies are important as they contain all our multivitamins and are a great source of fibre. To make sure you get the most out of your vegetable intake, try and have a large variety of vegetables each day.

For fat loss ...

eat the majority of your carbohydrates intake after you exercise. Carbohydrates are important for our health and need to be included in our diet. The rule of thumb is: to eat carbs, you have to earn them!

Eat healthy fats daily.

Anywhere between 20-40% of your total calories should come from healthy fats (depending on your goal and body type). More importantly than the amount of fat you consume is the balance between saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

Remember, these are life changing habits we are trying to create so only focus on one habit at a time. Once you feel comfortable that the habit is secure, move on to the next one!