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JUNE 2015 | ISSUE 2
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FOOD & NUTRITION • Home & Garden • Education & politics • health & Fitness • AND MUCH MORE...
inside
Contents JUNE 2015
Food & Nutrition
6 This Months Delicious Recipe 8 Gefitlefest Food Festival
Gifts & Events
10 Summer Party Tips by DezEvents.com 12 SERET 2015
Home & Garden
14 Household Tips 15 Plant of The Month 17 On Your Plot 18 In the Picture
24
26
Beauty & Fashion
20 Remarkable Relationships
Health & Fitness
23 Clear Vision 23 Remarkable Relationships Continued
Motoring & Travel
24 Servicing Advice from Sentinel Cars
Education & Politics 26 Judith Nemeth 28 Mike Freer MP
Business &Finance 31 MSE
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.
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The team EDITORIAL Editor Sarah Klein Contributors Laura Southern Deborah Granville Gita Joshi Tammy Becker Jessica McGregor Johnson David Burns Judith Nemeth Mike Freer MP Martin Lewis
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r o t i d e e h t m o fr HI ALL,
us amount of positive irst and foremost, the enormo many of you was very much from ived feedback that we rece for that! We welcome more appreciated – so thank you es. rs for our forthcoming Issu ette as/l ide feedback in the form of that r is in the air – which means June has arrived and summe to get ‘for ht mig r feve hay t hope tha pollen is too! Every year I ple cou a ’ ived ‘arr of it unfortunately turn up’, but the early signs e com to m see r the wea e r and nic of weeks ago. Still, hay feve ! nitely a welcome consolation ‘hand-in-hand’ so that’s defi British is synonymous with being Talking about the weather few months a Just . om fath to m ’t see which other nationalities can ut this abo me ed tinent, a local teas ago, when I was on the Con intain ma I ge. han exc our of s ute within the first couple of min how ’t appreciate is the extent of that what other nationals don ‘into’ be to l ura nat y onl it’s so, Being changeable our weather is. on’ essi ‘obs our at ers are surprised the weather. Perhaps foreign on the g bein as r the wea our e ceiv with the weather as they per y the sn’t bother me so much – onl poor-side. Cold weather doe copingve ecti eff an te qui red ove disc rain does. Although, I have is for re what the weather forecast mechanism; simply being awa w that kno I as g lon As . w’ blo the en the day ahead really does ‘soft e! som her bot so t isn’ 3pm – the rain the forecast is heavy rain at well as as , ent abs g bein ’ ent elem ck I suppose it’s due to the ‘sho n ing feeling that transpires whe the seemingly strange gratify ! pen hap to g goin was w something occurs that I kne really a ession’ with the weather is So after all, maybe our ‘obs ing‘cop this to n me, catching-o result of lots of people, like cast! fore the to ed glu us has mechanism’, which ultimately June (with lots of sunshine!), Wishing you all a pleasant
F
Sarah
FOOD & NUTRITION
Summer Time
Sugar Cleanse F
by Laura Southern
orget the January detox, summer is a much better time to give our bodies an internal cleanse. With the sun (sometimes) shining, our arms and legs are suddenly on show, and our thoughts turn to bearing it all on the beach. We want to feel confident in our flesh, and cleaning up your diet can really help with this. As a nutritionist and professional ‘sugar buster’ I advise people to ditch the white stuff to clear up skin and tone up tummies. High levels of sugar can have in an inflammatory effect on the body, exacerbating skin conditions such as eczema, dermatitis and acne. Inflammation is also a cause of the itchiness involved in hayfever, so cutting out sugar might help relieve symptoms. And we all know that sugar plays havoc on our waist lines. When sugar is detected in the blood stream the hormone insulin is released to carry it into the cells. Any excess (from high sugar diets) is stored as fat around our middle. Sugar can also make us bloat. Our guts are lined with bacteria and yeasts, and they should be beneficial, helping us digest and synthesise vitamins. These bugs
which can help beat the sugar cravings. Chromium, zinc and magnesium deficiencies are all thought to lead to sugar cravings. These are generally plentiful in whole grains, seeds, lots of dark green leafy veggies, and lean, unprocessed meat and fish.
can get out of balance, and too much sugar can feed the harmful ones, causing them to release gas as they digest, multiply and grow. So what are the best ways to ditch sugar? Firstly it’s really important to eat! When we go for long periods of time without eating then our blood sugar can dip low. This will lead to cravings for sugary snacks. So it’s important to eat three regular meals, and two small, little snacks. Focus on whole, unprocessed food, high in essential fats. Raw nuts and seeds, fresh coconut and avocado slices should be your go to snacks. Harmful gut bacteria can also cause cravings. Add fermented and live food to help rebalance. Sauerkraut, miso soup and natural, live yoghurt are great. There are also certain nutrients
In my regular ‘No Sugar Challenge’ workshops one area that people are most surprised about is that artificial sweeteners, such as those found in diet drinks, can actually increase sugar cravings. This is because the sweetness is so much more concentrated than sugar, so over time, they dull our taste-buds and nothing is ever ‘sweet enough’. It is essential for health to stay hydrated, so try switching diet drinks to sparkling water flavoured with lemon, lime and cucumber slices, or even natural coconut water. Laura Southern is a nutritional therapist working in Finchley Central. She sees private clients for many health conditions, and runs regular ‘No Sugar Challenge’ workshops for anyone keen to challenge themselves to give up sugar for a month. www.londonfoodtherapy.com www.facebook.com/ londonfoodtherapy 020 8346 9686
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FOOD & NUTRITION
FOODmatters
Chicken with lemon, garlic, herbs and potatoes
A midweek one-pan roast full of Mediterranean flavours. We use chicken thighs here to make it cheaper and tastier. Serves 4 Hands-on time 20 min, oven time 30- 40 min Easy INGREDIENTS • 300g waxy potatoes, such as charlotte • 1 garlic bulb • 1 large lemon • 2 fresh oregano sprigs • 2 fresh thyme sprigs • 20 pitted kalamata olives • 100ml dry white wine • 8 free-range chicken thighs • Olive oil for drizzling To serve • Small bunch fresh parsley METHOD 1.Heat the oven to 200°C/ fan180°C/gas 6. Chop the potatoes into chunks. Slice the garlic bulb horizontally. Slice the lemon and toss with the potatoes, oregano and thyme, garlic, olives and wine in a roasting tin large enough to fit everything in. 2.Heat a pan over a medium heat. Rub the chicken thighs with olive oil, season and fry, skin-side
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the Suburb Circular • June 2015
down, for 8-10 minutes until golden. Quickly brown on the other side, then transfer to the roasting tin. Drizzle with more olive oil. 3.Roast for 30-40 minutes or until the thighs are cooked (the juices will run clear when the thickest part of each thigh is pierced with a skewer). Remove from the oven and rest for 5 minutes, covered with foil. Chop the parsley, then toss through to serve.
Nutritional info per serving Calories
376kcals
Fat
18.1g (4.1g saturated)
Protein
35.1g
Carbohydrates
14g (1.5g sugars)
Fibre
2.4g
Salt
0.8g
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FOOD & NUTRITION
Gefiltefest The Gefiltefest Jewish Food Festival Invites Foodies From all Walks of Life To Enjoy Jewish Food Culture
A
re you smoked salmon or salt beef, shakshuka or schmaltz? Whatever your taste, the Gefiltefest Jewish Food Festival is a must for foodies everywhere. Come and be inspired to think differently about food. A day packed with celebrityled demonstrations, debates, interactive workshops, lectures and masterclasses will fill JW3 on Sunday June 28th 2015. Exploring Jewish culture through the medium of food, Gefiltefest, a play on words based on “Gefilte Fish” - a traditional Eastern European - or Ashkenazi sweetened fish cake – always attracts top personalities from the Jewish culinary world, and this year’s festival is no different. Featured speakers include Emma Spitzer, finalist of MasterChef 2015, Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer of Honey and Co, Moshe Basson, the slow food innovator renowned for rejuvenating biblical dishes in his Jerusalem restaurant, Eucalyptus. Plus doyenne of Jewish cuisine, Claudia Roden, Anne Shooter of The Mail Online, as well as a host of British and international chefs, food writers and educators. Programme highlights include a panel discussing the ‘Ashkenazi Fightback’ - how a new wave of Ashkenazi-inspired restauranteurs
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the Suburb Circular • June 2015
are making a noise on the London food scene - hear from the entrepreneurs behind Jago, The Good Egg and Monty’s Deli; a foraging expedition on Hampstead Heath, kosher beer brewing, urban seed planting, and a Literary Salon presenting the best of cookbooks and celebrity book signings. Learn about Jews and Chinese Food, and The Psychology of Jewish Food.
restaurant, Zest at JW3 will be presenting a special menu for the festival.
There’s also a full programme for kids aged over 5. They can take part in workshops designed especially for them – organisers suggest you arrive in good time to register, as places are limited in each workshop. There’s also a drop-in kids’ room with activities running all day.
Nicki Tiefenbrun, the new Director of Gefiltefest has put together a brand new programme for visitors old and new a-like:
Workshops for adults include artisanal bread making, pickling and raw food cooking. The Gefiltefest Food Market will showcase the best in contemporary kosher and contemporary ethnic pop ups, food brands and new products. Critically acclaimed
Gefiltefest’s mission is to bring people together to explore the relationship between Judaism and food, educating and enthusing them about all aspects of Jewish cuisine including Jewish culinary heritage, ethics, culture and traditions.
“Gefiltefest is a unique day out, and I’m excited to present a great line up of chefs, educators and stalls holders, exploring Jewish culinary heritage in all it’s diversity. Gefiltefest celebrates innovation in the world of contemporary Jewish food, alongside the preservation of our culinary traditions. I look forward to welcoming Gefiltefest stalwarts, alongside new audiences keen to find out why this year’s festival will be our best yet.”
London’s Jewish Food Festival, June 28th 2015. Doors open 10 am, festival runs 10.30am-5pm, JW3, 341-351 Finchley Road, London NW3 6ET www.gefiltefest.org Bookings online www.jw3.org.uk/gefiltefest or phone the JW3 box office on 0207 433 8988. Advance Tickets* £18 per adult, £12.50 children aged 5-15, Family ticket £55 *until midnight 27th June.
Business & Finance
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SummerParties
GIFTS & events
event planner Deborah of DezEvents.com 5 tips for a happy, safe and memorable event
W
ith the summer party season fast approaching, this is the time when the barbecue’s cobwebs are dusted off, the marquee is unpacked and the paddling pool blown up and put down in the garden in the hopeful expectation of a glorious summer. And summer is a wonderful time for celebrating, at home or
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the Suburb Circular • June 2015
in a designated venue, bringing together friends, family or work colleagues, and for networking and forging new friendships and‌but stop! Before you get carried away, there are some key things you need to consider when planning an event. So here are my top tips for a happy, memorable (for the right reasons) and safe event:
1
Consider how the event will flow through the day or evening. Run through how it will look and work, and consider timings, so that you feel confident that the event will look, feel and run the way you want it to.
2
Go from front of house to garden, checking how guests will move around, crowding in the kitchen or at the barbecue, dogs, children, music, and general mayhem and impact. Fireworks, pool, Chinese Lanterns - all lovely but potentially dangerous, so do a risk assessment.
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3
Have a weather contingency plan. You can come indoors, but you can’t bring the BBQ in with you! So make sure you’ve thought about how you will manage if you have to cook indoors, or if you’re using an external venue, what they have available for you to use in such circumstances.
It will either be warm or hot and dry, or wet, or both. So you’ll need some kit on hand to deal with any weather related issues. Find your First Aid box and check its contents. Sun cream, spare sun hats, and insect repellent and bite cream are also vital. If you’re using electrical cables outside, make sure you’ve got a tripping circuit breaker.
5
GIFTS & events
Check that you have public liability insurance included within your home contents insurance. Your guests are what is termed “lawful invitees”, and as such are entitled to be protected from any hazards which may be lurking in your home. So there you have it – my 5 top tips for a happy, safe and memorable summer party.
But if this all sounds too much like hard work, why not call in the professionals? I can do as little or as much as you want, from just being there on the day to organising the whole shebang from start to finish. So call me, Deborah Granville, of DezEventscom, on 07990 751857 or at deborah@dezevents.com, or visit my website at www.dezevents.com
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GIFTS & events
SERET 2015 THE LONDON ISRAELI FILM AND TELEVISION FESTIVAL – GETS BIGGER AND BOLDER FOR 2015 www.seret.org.uk for film information and ticket bookings
F
rom June 11-21, SERET 2015 - The London Israeli Film and Television Festival - will be showcasing an amazingly varied programme of feature films, shorts, documentaries and TV series, created by Israel’s most talented film and television makers, with many enjoying their UK premieres. Apples from
Kindergarten Teacher
the Desert
Over the last decade Israel has emerged as a surprising powerhouse in the foreign film industry with many awardwinning films and TV series. This year, SERET 2015 will be featuring a range of fascinating subjects from the darkness of incest to the dangers of spying; the complexities surrounding disabled dating to the depths of mental illness; from racism to the romance of lost loves, and stories of trading places to poetry. Another stand out element of this year’s festival is its focus on films and documentaries written, directed and produced by women. Keren Yedaya introduces her powerful and controversial film of incest ‘That Lovely Girl’; Yael Reuvneny’s documentary on a family split apart by the horrors of war in ‘Farewell Herr Schwartz’; Shira Gefen – her surreal black comedy entitled ‘Self Made’ explores identity and interracial relationships; Talia
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the Suburb Circular • June 2015
Lavie with her laugh-out loud comedy ‘Zero Motivation’ and Ronit Elkabetz who both stars and directs the internationally acclaimed ‘Gett’.
Next to Her
Along with SERET 2015’s existing elements on pushing boundaries, there are also two films made by ultraorthodox Jews from the Haredi community. ‘The Gift of Fire’ is an extraordinary feature film which will be shown at womenonly screenings. Created by Rechi Elias this is the story of a young religious woman fleeing from the Spanish Inquisition in the 15th century, and living under a false identity. ‘Sacred Sperm’ directed by Uri Gruder is
a documentary which gives us a glimpse into how a father finds out how to educate his young son to avoid spilling his sperm and breaking Jewish law. Dan Wolman, one of Israel’s most celebrated directors, has two films in the Festival, ‘The Director’s Angst’ - a young director makes his film debut, and Yolande An Unsung Heroine, a documentary on Israel’s ‘Mata Hari’. And Nir Bergman, multiaward winning film and television
GIFTS & events Hill Start’
Magic Men
director, brings ‘Yona’ to SERET 2015, the story of Israel’s finest poet, the late Yona Wallach. This year’s festival will also be showing episodes from the award-winning TV series ‘Very Important Person’. After huge success in Israel, this TV show is yet another example of the quality programming being created by Israeli talent. The semibiographical series follows the life of a major star, played by Yehuda Levi, hounded by the paparazzi after a very public break-up. This black-comedy by Shirly Moshaioff
is a realistic and honest tale about our heroes and the consequences of hero-worship. According to Festival cofounders, Odelia Haroush, Anat Koren and Patty Hochmann: “Israeli films are the eyes and ears of a new generation of filmmakers. They reflect a melting pot of cultures, religions and social backgrounds, encouraging
audiences to rethink their views. “SERET 2015 will make you laugh, fill you with wonder, provoke strong reactions and, of course, entertain.” Cinemas confirmed so far for the Festival in London are: Odeon Swiss Cottage, Cine Lumiere, Curzon Soho, JW3 and BAFTA.
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HOME & garden
Household tips Granite worktops
I
f you get stains on your lovely granite worktops then grab a lemon. Chop it in half and sprinkle it with table salt. Rub gently. For more stubborn stains leave the salt and lemon on the stain to soak and then rinse with clean water and pat dry.
Furniture Polish If you’ve got sliding patio doors, or wordrobe doors that have stopped sliding so well, then once you’ve given the tracks a good hoover, spray them with polish. The wax in the polish will reduce the friction and wont attract dirt.
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the Suburb Circular • June 2015
HOME & garden
Plant of THE MONTH Geranium
T
he leaves, covered in their unmistakable Geranium ‘fuzz’, may have a slightly odd smell about them but the burst of colour emitted from the flowers that shoot forth from these little plants more than make up for its shortcomings. These are pretty tough plants and usually grow through any of the odd problems they may get such as late summer mildew or vine weevil larvae. Make sure they are planted in good sunlight and protect from cold. Geraniums are happy both as indoor or outdoor plants and as they root easily from cuttings you can keep a good supply of plants on the go!
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HOME & garden
on your Plot Expand your horizons
E Jobs for June Summer, sunshine and strawberries, June is a truly wonderful month! In this time of plentiful growth we take a look at making the most of your waste clippings by turning them into lovely rich compost to use next year, and also how to make the most of every inch of your space. Take off the side shoots from tomato plants to avoid them becoming too bushy and overburdened with fruit. Water regularly. Garlic that was planted in the Autumn should be maturing now. Lift when the leaves start to shrivel and leave to dry in a warm spot. Keep planting - the moist soil, higher temperatures and long days are ideal growing conditions. French beans, courgettes and salad crops can all be sown now. Watch out for pests! Think about protecting brassicas before caterpillars start to become a problem.
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the Suburb Circular • June 2015
very year it amazes me how the plants respond so dramatically to the arrival of the warm weather. Anything sown or planted out in May seems to positively leap out of the ground and shoot skywards, in many cases quickly catching up with earlier sowings! Of course the lawn is no exception and if you don’t already have a composting system in place then why not set one up now and make use of some of those endless grass clippings? Ideally you want to have two (or even three) compost bins so that when one is ready to use for the garden you have another filling up and rotting down. You can buy allsorts of nifty looking, ready made, compost bins - some even have clever devices that make it easy to turn the whole bin to help the waste break down - but you don’t need anything fancy. You can just start a compost heap in an out of the way corner, enclosing it with old pallets, or wire mesh wrapped around four stakes if you want to keep it looking a little neater. So what should you compost? Well any dead organic matter will decompose naturally but you should aim for a good mix of ‘green’ and ‘brown’ ingredients. Lawn trimmings, veg leaves and peelings provide the green element and you should add a reasonable balance of brown items such as shredded paper, straw, eggshells and even the contents of your
vacuum cleaner bag. Turning the heap occasionally will accelerate the breakdown and covering with an old carpet when it is full will also help. Leave for several months and you should have some great compost! June is also the time of year when it is easy to start to run out of space on your plot. Everything puts on amazing growth spurts and you are suddenly left wondering where you are going to plant out those tomatoes that you’ve been nurturing in the greenhouse, or finding you’ve no room for the cabbages that you’d like to be eating later in the year. Time to expand your horizons and make full use of containers and of your borders. Look at the different varieties of lettuce and salad crops - many of these, along with cabbages, can add a splash of decorative, coloured foliage to your borders (and be eaten too!!!). Grow bags are wonderful for crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. They’ll be happy in a sunny spot on your patio but do remember to water and feed regularly. Larger pots can house courgettes and pumpkins, with the exotic looking flowers adding a bright splash of colour. Even hanging baskets can get in on the grow your own act! Look for suitable strawberries or tomatoes and you could be treated to a bumper crop of luscious fruit tumbling down from above.
HOME & garden
The Artists Proof By Gita Joshi, AWAD, www.orsomajor.com
I
’m often asked at the gallery about the difference between a print and the artist proof. It’s a great question and the answer is pretty straightforward.
as the alignment of different colours over one another (known as registration), and other details before proceeding to print the rest of the edition.
Printmaking entered the world of fine art when many artists discovered they could get their work in front of more collectors by producing multiples of the same image. And then in an effort to control the numbers of these reproductions, the Limited Edition print was born.
In the first few prints, the artist is checking that everything is to their liking before continuing with the production of the rest of the limited edition. This might mean that for screen prints, the screens are not registered, or the colours are not as the artist would ideally like, and similarly in the case of linocuts.
Printmakers produce Artists Proofs (which are also known as APs) when they start on a limited edition print. In these early prints, that are known as Artists Proofs, the artist is able to test the colour of the inks and the quality of the printing such
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the Suburb Circular • June 2015
The popularity of the Artist Proof goes back to the early days of printing. In the case of lithographs, the stone from which the print was pulled would eventually wear down, and the early prints were crisper in detail,
Similarly for screen prints, the screens would eventually wear out and the early prints were more sought after hence their desirability. Similarly for screen prints, the screens would eventually wear out and the early prints were more sought after. These days, the materials for the screens are more robust and of course they can always be reproduced. Some collectors of prints are
home & garden
particularly keen on Artists Proofs and the reasons are manifold. The fact that there are fewer of these in existence can make them more appealing. For some collectors, knowing the artist worked on them rather than passing them over to the studio assistants makes the AP more desirable. For others the appeal is because the AP does in fact appear a little different to the editioned prints; for example the AP may have discrepancies that don’t appear on the prints from the actual edition itself. How rare are APs? This can vary across different regions and printing types but traditionally
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and artist will produce less than 10% of the number of the edition. So for an edition of 150 there would be up to 15 Artists Proofs. The AP is usually signed ‘AP’ or ‘A/P’ alongside the signature of the artist and many artists often set the price for the AP higher price than the editioned print. In my experience the editioned prints are always available for sale first and once that sells out then the AP is made available. However if you particularly want to buy the AP, then it is worth asking the gallerist or art dealer if the AP is available, though you should expect to pay a little more for it.
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Beauty & fashion
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Remarkable RELATIONSHIPS Learning to let go by Jessica McGregor Johnson
L
etting go allows life to flow better, to be able to see what is before us and move through it rather than holding on to things from the past that no longer serve us. For so many years I went through my life totally attached to the outcome. It was almost like I had the whole of my life mapped out in my mind and all I had to do was get to the end.
can get to retirement and then enjoy life. However they realise that that means they will miss out on most of their life and then commit to change.
I woke up the day an old friend asked me if I liked my life and did I want to be living it when I was sixty? The answer was no.
And that’s great, if you see it and decide you want the magic. Trouble is if you do not make that change and continue to ‘stick at it’ you do not fully live for over two thirds of your life. And by the time you get to that last third (if you’re lucky!) you are so exhausted from the slog of life with no magic that it all feels too late.
I realised that I could endure life and get to the end or I could live it, moment to moment. I think many people endure life and miss out on the magic. I often work with people who have for many years just stuck at what they hate so that they
For me since leaving behind the life I did not like my life has been very much like a roller coaster. And that is the magic. I am alive to both the ecstatic joys and the black times of sadness. And to enjoy the magic you need both. Sure you can go through life
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the Suburb Circular • June 2015
on a flat-line – no highs no lows but that is rather like a living death. Life is supposed to have both highs and lows, without a low you would not even know the highs when they came along. Personally, for me the roller coaster is an odd analogy because I actually hate them. Many years ago we were at an amusement park in Spain and a friend went on the corkscrew rollercoaster. She came off with the biggest smile on her face saying “You have to ride it – it is wonderful!”. For some reason in that moment I forgot (caught up by her enthusiasm) that I actually hated roller coasters and gaily got strapped into the ride. It was awful!
Continued on page 23
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Health & Fitness Continued from page 20
“Did you let go?” “Let go, let go?” I replied, ‘Are you crazy?” “Nope” she said. “The magic of the roller coaster is to let go and allow yourself to go with the ride. If you hold on you are bumped around all over the place, when you let go – that’s when the fun starts”. That’s when the ah-ha happened. I suddenly saw that
The magic of the roller coaster is to let go and allow yourself to go with the ride
We
s..
I had been trying to ensure a ‘safe passage’. But when we do this either on the roller coaster or in life we stop the magic. Because if we only have one way of getting to the end, getting to the result, we do not even see what else life has to offer us. We get tunnel visioned and the best of the fun
and opportunity – the magic might be just beside us and we walk straight by.
Clear Vision by David Hillel Burns
We need to be open to what comes, to allow it to give us even more than we have set our intention for. We can have a ‘this or something better’ attitude. In the Passion Test we say there are three steps to living a passionate life:
1
Intention – being clear on what you are passionate about and setting an intention to go for it
2
Attention – putting your attention on your intention, both by taking action – action engages attention – and energetically focusing on it too. But the magic is the third key:
3
No Tension – simply knowing that once you have done all you can, putting your full attention on your passion, that you can now let go. Let it go with the feeling of it is done – this or something better. Now that’s magic!
Jessica McGregor Johnson, an international, guide & mentor and author of “The Right T-Shirt, Write Your Own Rules”. She helps people, who are at a crossroads in their life who know that there must be more meaning than they currently feel, discover themselves anew, identify their true passions, and live them, whether it be in their work or personal life. You can read the first two chapters of her book here www.jessicamcgregorjohnson.com
EYE BY DAVE MEIER
But - and this is the big but, it taught me a huge lesson. Because after I got off and complained loudly how awful it was she asked:
M
ost of us see colours the same but one man in about twelve (and one woman in about a hundred) sees them differently. They are mostly not “colour blind” and they have little trouble from seeing colours differently, but certain jobs are barred from them and there may be interesting conversations at the snooker table. Colour vision rarely changes and cannot be altered but can sometimes be helped. At David Hillel, colour vision – and indeed other aspects of eyesight - can be analysed and explained, so that each person can be advised individually. Does eye colour matter? Not really, though people with blue or green eyes are a little more likely to use sunglasses. It is of course possible to alter eye colour with contact lenses, for a natural or exciting effect. A few eye conditions can change the colour, sometimes in only one eye. Rarely - one in fifty thousand - a person has naturally different colour eyes, perhaps one blue and one green or one hazel and one brown. That can be quite striking, giving an unfair advantage in certain situations.... Book your checkup. 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 020 8444 2233
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Motoring & travel
Trouble-Free Car Servicing O wning a car has many benefits, be it convenience, necessity or pure pleasure. Keeping the vehicle’s good health is an important habit, but easily neglected. This quick guide is aimed to help owners make an informed decision when choosing a suitable garage. Plan and budget ahead This is key. Plan the service schedule for the year ahead, avoiding patching along as it goes as it always ends up costing more
time and money. Estimate the approximate costs and budget for it through the year. • Keep track of the service history (log book) and plan the dates for future garage visits • Have a complete service once a year • Combining MOT with the yearly service is a good way to save • It is advisable to have Vehicle Health Checks/seasonal checks in between big services, for example, prior to road trips
during summer holidays or winter checks for anti-freeze fluids and appropriate tyres Find the right garage • Online research, reviews and word of mouth are the best way to find a qualified garage • Check if the garage is a member of a motor code of conduct association • Get a quote including labour, parts and warranty cover discount (if applicable) before signing up to avoid any surprises
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Motoring & travel
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education & politics
It’s Parents That Need The Lessons! By Mrs Judith Nemeth CERT ED MBA What is Al Pi Darko? Al Pi Darko – APD – is the most powerful and liberating course on understanding behaviour and learning around. Using the foundations of the latest in psychology and brain-based learning, you embark on an interactive journey which empowers you to find the ALL solutions for YOUR family dynamics. How does it work? During the course of 8 x 2 hour sessions (which are never boring!) using power point and video, we educate you with effective, tried and tested tools to show you how to understand the messages your child’s behaviour is imparting and how to rectify anything inappropriate. With regard to learning, we distinguish between learning difference and learning disability and show you – whether a parent or a teacher – can find the route to successful learning whether your child is an able under-achiever or even gifted and talented. . What topics do you cover? Here are just some of them….. • How to get your child to do what you want him to do, when you want him to! • How to build your child’s self esteem (without damaging
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the Suburb Circular • June 2015
anyone else’s) • Why did my child do that?! YOU find the answer! • How to be a happy, calm parent – yes really! • How to build respect in a world without respect • How to control the use of technology – without arguments! • How to discipline effectively • How do I know what kind of learner my child is? • What is the best way to help with homework? How is Al Pi Darko different from other parenting courses? We don’t tell you what to do – we show you how to interpret and deal effectively You learn at different levels – through the group and you also have a weekly personal connection with the trainer via email. Once you have done the course, you have all the answers – you don’t need to keep coming back with more questions because you have the tools to deal with every situation. Every course is peppered with many real-life stories and delivered with a huge dose of humour and humanity!
Which age group of children does APD target? Tots, tens and teens. You can come to a course specifically targeting one age group or, if you have a family and are interested in how APD is relevant for every age group you would choose our “for families” groups. How large are the groups and where do you hold the sessions? The groups are normally 15 – 20. You can form your own group if you wish and make it smaller if you prefer. We hold larger groups in local halls and smaller groups in private homes. Where does APD come from? APD was devised by Mrs Judith Nemeth 15 years ago. Mrs Nemeth Cert Ed, MBA is an experienced educator with over 30 years’ experience in education, having held many senior posts in education during that time. She has worked in primary, secondary and tertiary education (as well as bringing up a large family) and is currently completing a very exciting project setting up the first Al Pi Darko school in the North
education Business&&politics Finance meet the increasing demand for courses.
commented on how much calmer things are in my house!”
What do people say about Al Pi Darko? Miriam, “I cannot believe that after the very first session I could come home and start putting things into practice straight away – and it worked!”
How does APD work in an established school? APD sets up The Learning Centre in each school – a virtual centre where learning is the focus and which aims to empower the pupils to know – and work in – their own learning style.
Judy, “I know this sounds too much – but you have changed my life! How can I ever thank you enough?” Jonny, “The most intelligent parenting course anyone could ever attend.” Julie, “My mother-in-law East. Her courses are a sell-out. Now she has trained a further 4 trainers to deliver the course to the highest standard she has set for any APD course so APD can
For more background information, visit our website www.alpidarko.co.uk To arrange a taster session for you and your friends, set up a course, find out costs and any other information about any of our services, contact Hana on admin@alpidarko.co.uk or 07943 598 144
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What else does Al Pi Darko do? Original, empowering INSETs for teachers; inspiring leadership and management training for current and aspiring school leaders; sound, experienced advice to governors; empathetic couple parenting counselling.
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Parents:
ate er a e r ren nee P ar ne er est n r arentn a a n ea ers: ant t n erstan e a r an earn n n t st ntn e t e str e ea tea ers: n r an a en ass n n erstan n e a ana e ent an earn n rse r r sta
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Call Hana NOWon07943 598 144 or email www.alpidarko.co.uk
The e is n t ne a ent in the unt y h u d n t ene it m ette in mati n and su t n a entin ” Steve Hilton, The Sunday Times May 24th 2015 Al Pi Darko © Devised and Created by Judith Nemeth
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Education & politics
matters Getting On With The Job MIKE FREER MP, FINCHLEY & GOLDERS GREEN
N
ow that the General Election is over, my work as the local MP, picks up where we left off ! Luckily as a re-elected MP, I immediately have an office and a team of staff, so we can get working straight away. New MPs often have to wait several weeks for an office and have to recruit staff from scratch. Yet the emails and post start immediately. The next event is the Queen’s Speech; this outlines the legislation and priorities of the Government for the coming year. There is a whole raft of legislation but some of the key Bills coming forward, that will impact Finchley & Golders Green, include initiatives to deal with housing shortages, combatting extremism and the EU referendum. On housing - the Bill will seek to extend Right to Buy to housing association tenants and require local authorities to dispose of high-value vacant council homes to fund the extended RTB discounts. Under the previous scheme, introduced by Mrs Thatcher, only 50% of the proceeds went to build new homes. Now it will be 100%. Disposal of high value homes (in Barnet the Council has some houses worth nearly £1m and when they become empty they
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will be sold and the Council can then use the money to buy other, less expensive properties and so increase the housing stock). The Housing Bill will also increase the supply of new Starter Homes (to be offered to young first-time buyers at 20% below market value), it will help people to build their own homes through the right to build, introduce a statutory register of brownfield land, speed up and simplify the neighbourhood planning system, and implement other changes to housing and planning legislation to boost house building. This means that there will be more homes available which will help slow house price inflation. The Government remains committed to combatting extremism and a Bill will be introduced to strengthen powers needed to tackle extremism, directly targeting groups and individuals exhibiting behaviour that falls below the threshold in counter-terrorism legislation. The Home Secretary will be granted the power to distribute Banning Orders to ban extremist groups. Law enforcement powers will be enhanced to deliver Extremism Disruption Orders to prevent individuals engaging in extremist behaviour. Closure Orders will be granted for law enforcement and local authorities, enabling
the closure of premises used to support extremism. The Communications Act 2003 will be amended to extend powers to Ofcom, including “tough measures” directed at channels that broadcast extremist content. Those that seek to harm us adapt quickly and our laws and powers need to adapt equally fast. Importantly there will be a bill that seeks to enable a referendum to allow you to have an in-out vote on the UK’s membership of the EU before the end of 2017. The Bill will make clear that the franchise for the referendum will be based on the General Election franchise. Many people are frustrated that the EU has changed beyond what the original vote envisaged and it is time that the public had a chance to say yes or no, to staying in the EU. There are many other Bills, many will cause heated debate but the next twelve months will be hectic, but exciting. Mr Mike Freer is the Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of Finchley and Golders Green. Readers are invited to submit questions/concerns to The Suburb Circular (info@thesuburbcircular.co.uk), regarding Central Government matters, where Mr Freer has kindly agreed to respond to them via this column.
The Institute
OPEN DAY Join us for our biggest and best Open Day
Saturday 4 July 10am - 2pm At our newly renovated building, Masons House The Art Foundation Show Dance and Music Performances Course Advice and Guidance Displays of Students’ Work Entertainment and Fun
Loyalty Discount 10% off for all existing students who follow us to Kingsbury, when you sign up for an 11 week course in the Autumn term The Institute – Masons House 1-3 Valley Drive, Kingsbury, London NW9 9NG
T 020 8829 4229 . E office@hgsi.ac.uk
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Business & Finance
matters Private Pension Changes By Martin Lewis @moneysavingexpert
E
aster Monday saw the most radical changes to private pensions for a generation. The political spin is it’s ‘freedom and choice in pensions’. Yet more choice means it’s far easier to get it wrong, so here’s what everyone needs to know in 5 minutes… Pension freedom sounds like something from Braveheart – what’s actually happening? I suspect George Osborne does picture himself as a financial freedom fighter. Yet only time will tell whether these reforms will paint him as the man who liberated older savers, or who exposed them to huge risk. This is all about how you use your pension savings. As always you can take a quarter of it as a tax-free lump sum. Yet for decades most people have effectively needed to use the remainder of the money to buy an annuity – a product that pays you an income each year until you die. Now anyone aged 55 and over can take the whole amount as a lump sum, paying no tax on the first 25% and the rest taxed as if it were a salary at their income tax rate. Does it apply to all types of pension? No, we’re only really talking private pensions where you and/or your employer saved up a pot of cash for retirement. Technically these are known as
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‘defined contribution’ or ‘money purchase’ pensions.
www.mse.me/taxcalc to see the various levels.
It doesn’t apply to the state pension, nor in the main part does it apply to pensions where what you’re paid is a proportion of your final salary – known technically as ‘defined benefit’ pensions.
If I don’t want to take it all out what can I do? There are many options, some of them can be combined, here’s the main ones.
There are ways to convert these final salary pensions into a pot of cash (be very careful of scammers), but don’t do it without genuine independent financial advice Is it worth taking out my pot as soon as I can? Usually not. If you’re in your 50s or early 60s you’re probably still working towards retirement and should be focusing on putting yourself in a position to have enough income when you do retire – so you want your pension to keep growing. Plus by accessing your funds earlier than needed you can reduce your ability to make future contributions. Yet you’re saying if I want to, I can just take out all the cash? If you choose to yes, but remember only 25% of it is tax-free. The rest is taxed at your current income tax rate like salary, and if you take a huge whack, just like if you earn more, some of it will push you into the higher tax bracket. See the income tax calculator at
Option 1: Leave it in your pension for when you need it. Then each time you withdraw, 25% of that amount is tax free. Eg, if you had £100,000 and took £20,000 out you’d get £5,000 of it tax-free, the rest would be taxed at your current rate. Option 2: Take 25% tax free, then buy a flexible income drawdown product. This is a product you buy to keep the rest invested so it can still hopefully grow, but you can also use it to take income when needed. Here you get the first 25% you withdraw tax free and then the rest is taxed when you take it – possibly useful if you’re likely to be in a lower-tax bracket once you’re older. Option 3: Take 25% tax free, then buy an annuity. This gives you a guaranteed income each year for the rest of your life. There are different charges on all of these, and it’s important to check them out and always compare different providers. Eh, I thought annuities were as dead as a dodo’s granny? Actually annuities are a decent concept, you get the security of knowing
Business & Finance exactly how much you can spend each year, and that it’ll last for the rest of your life. The problem is the rates have been crap, and 60% of people just got them from their pension provider rather than checking for better deals, especially people with poor health who could’ve got much better rates. Yet done right, with some of your pension, it can be a useful option for security of income for life. How do I know how much cash I should take out? That depends on when you’ll die. I’m not being a smart arse (well maybe a little), but truly that’s the only way to know. Yet the Office of National Statistics mortality stats do show likely odds. The typical life span for a man who hits 65 in the UK
is another 18 years, a woman 21. Add a little on that for safety and it means unless you’ve bad health you probably want to spend around 4-5% of what you’ve got a year. What’s this ‘huge risk’ you talked about – let me guess you’ll warn me not to buy a Ferrari? I don’t think I need to. If you choose to do that you know you’re probably either rather rich already, know you’re being foolish, or that you ain’t got long left. Actually, I’m far more concerned many will be nervous about releasing the cash in case they’re left with none in old age and will therefore sit on it, never spending it, depriving themselves of the benefit and living a worse life than necessary. We’re not an investing nation and are relatively risk averse, so I see this as being
a real potential problem. There’s also the worry that there’s a lot of scammers about trying to tap people for cash too. OK so it’s complex, but hasn’t the Government set up a free advice service? No. It has set up a free guidance service called www. pensionwise.gov.uk. This isn’t just a semantic difference – this system will tell you what you can do, not what you should do. It won’t include help on your benefits, nor on what product to get. If you’ve a sizable pension pot it’s worth spending the £300 to £1,000 it’ll cost to get an independent financial adviser who can tell you what to do (get quotes from a few first). You can find a local one through www.vouchedfor.co.uk or www.unbiased.co.uk.
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