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SM local 1 &2
Issue 11 May 2010
Your independent community magazine delivered FREE to homes and businesses
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SM local
Editor’s Words
1&2
Dear Readers,
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
May 2010
Spring Beauties Smile Week Beauty Update Sutton Sports Property May Gardening Sutton Fostering Warrenders Expolre Learning Kitchen Solutions Jigsaw4u Community News
4 8 10 12 20 22 26 28 34 40 44 58
Rebecca SM1 & 2 Local is distributed to homes and businesses around Sutton, Cheam and Belmont. You can also pick up your copy at Sutton and Cheam Library, Morrison’s, Cup Cake Coffee shop on the top floor of St Nicholas Centre. Home Coffee Bar at the top of the High St in Sutton and Brandts the Please recycle this magazine.SM1 & 2 Local is printed using vegetable based inks and is printed on paper manufactured at an FSC certified paper mill. Any waste ink or paper is sent for recycling All material appearing in this publication is reproduced as supplied. The Publishers, printers and their agents accept no liability whatsoever for the content. Inclusion of advertisements does not imply endorsement by the publisher, printers, or their agents. The Publishers reserve the right to refuse.
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Health and Beauty
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Spruce up your Kitchen After the worst winter for thirty years, spring has arrived at last and one s fancy turns to‌ a kitchen facelift! You spend a lot of time in the kitchen, so what better way to lift your spirits. Rather than spending loads of money on new worktops, here is a great alternative - and a stylish one at that. Take a tired old worktop and overlay it with a smooth, youthful and highly desirable Granite Transformations surface. It s like botox for your kitchen! This material bonds directly onto your existing worktops, creating an instant makeover. Made from natural raw materials blended with high performance polymers, to produce heat, stain and knock resistant surfaces that will grace any kitchen. The nice people from Granite Transformations will come to your home, measure up and discuss finishes, then go away and make up pre-formed worktops, which are then usually fitted in just one day. What s more, there s no demolition and no waste to dispose of - just beautiful new worktops.
Call Granite Transformations on 01372 722272 157, High Street, Epsom, Surrey. KT19 8EW.
www.granitetransformations.co.uk
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How Sexy is your Smile?
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Health and Beauty
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Beauty Update
Now that spring has arrived and the gloves are off, it s time to give your hands and nails some pampering. It s not easy giving yourself the perfect home manicure, which is why so many of us turn to the experts. At Kudos Nail & Tanning Salon in Cheam, you ll get more than just a simple toe polish. They offer a luxurious collection of treats, including French manicures, acrylic nail enhancements and for the more adventurous, nail art with Rhinestones. Great for brides to be with a different look! Yes, they have it nailed in this very stylish and inviting salon. And the very Image: Marks & Spencers good news about Kudos is, they don t use electric files. Complete your look with a top to toe beauty pamper as they also offer facials, massage, waxing and for the lucky ones getting ready for their hols, a lovely pre-holiday treatment. Kudos 42, High Street, Cheam, Surrey, SM3 8RW. Tel 020 8661 7373. Meet the beauty marvel that can enhance your eyes, brows and lips with a soft, natural finish that looks like perfectly applied makeup, but with a difference – it stays. Semi-permanent makeup is becoming more and more popular, it can help create a well-groomed brow or enhance the shape and colour of your lips. Just imagine, no more struggling with your eyebrow pencil in the morning! Beauty Defined Director, Julie Adams is an expert in this business, has many years experience and most importantly, is fully licensed ensuring that your safety is put above all else. To make an appointment call Julie on 07932 687 870. Please mention
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What is plantar fasciitis?
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Making the most of your Conservatory
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Home and Garden
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Home and Garden
Free Fitting
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Home and Garden
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20 Party politics failing to stall market growth Julia Green, branch manager for Barnard Marcus in Sutton explains why the election won’t dampen our love affair with home ownership. Politics certainly play a key role in the state of the housing market, both in terms of legislation and the confidence that politicians instil in buyers and sellers. The upcoming General Election is creating much excitement and anticipation across the UK and Sutton is no exception. But contrary to the belief that May’s Election is set to stall housing market recovery, we at Barnard Marcus are seeing a marked improvement in conditions as the year goes on. Indeed, in the first three months of 2010, Barnard Marcus as part of the Sequence national network of estate agents, recorded a seven per cent increase in would-be buyers registering an interest to move home, a 25 per cent increase in homes coming onto the market and a 70 per cent increase in the number of first-time buyers looking to get on the property ladder in 2010. These figures show very clearly that the housing market is anything but stalling. The pre-election jitters so widely documented are certainly not having an impact in and around Sutton. Good news and growth There are a number of reasons why the housing market is doing well despite a continued degree of uncertainly created by the election. Greater availability of mortgage finance has been instrumental to housing market recovery. We at Barnard Marcus have seen a six per cent increase in the volume of mortgage applications and, of those applications, the value of the loan was up 17 per cent. Lending criteria is still fairly stringent but we have certainly turned a corner in the mortgage market and banks and building societies are lending again. The chancellor’s recent decision to offer Stamp Duty relief for first-time buyers on properties up £250,000 will also help stimulate the local housing market from the bottom up. It is also likely the new threshold will prompt those upsizing to get their properties on the market as soon as possible. There is likely to be an influx of firsttime buyers entering the market so people with a property under £250,000 who are looking to upsize would be wise to take advantage of increased demand for their property. And finally, we should also not underestimate the continued British love affair with home ownership. Pent up demand to move last year is starting to generate activity in the local housing market in Sutton. Despite elections and recessions, we still want the security and comfort of our own home. Please mention
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May Gardening Tips
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Home and Garden
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Make a Will and Protect Your Assets
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Home and Garden
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Sutton needs more foster carers as numbers of looked after children rise Last year the number of looked after children in Sutton rose by 20%. This means that there is real need for more foster carers. Having foster carers within the borough ensures that children can be kept closer to their schools, families and friends.
Paul and Kathy have just celebrated their first anniversary as foster carers for London Borough of Sutton. Paul was made redundant two years ago so they had to sit down and reassess their lives. Paul thought about what he was good at what he enjoyed and came to the conclusion that raising his daughters was the best thing in his life. Paul is now a full time carer and Kathy has continued her job. They are both thoroughly enjoying their role as foster carers. “We are helping others and giving back to the community. We are providing the opportunities as well as the boundaries and discipline that most children get from their birth families. We are teaching morals and standards and providing stability, reassurance and understanding. Routine is very important as is being honest with them about their situation in a way that they can understand” Paul’s advice to people who find themselves in his situation, or just to those considering fostering, is that everyone has skills from their life and work experiences – time management, communication, people skills – that can be transferred to the fostering role. He says “the main attribute you need to be a foster carer is the ability to keep the child safe, happy, nurtured and prepared for the next step in their life.” Fostering for Sutton means that you would become part of a professional team with the best interests of the children at heart. Being a local authority rather than an independent agency, the children all come from the borough therefore all meetings and contact sessions will be local to you. Sutton especially needs foster carers who can be stay at home carers; work with troubled teenagers or have the space in their home for sibling groups. To hear more about Paul and Kathy’s story or for more information on fostering please contact us today. Tel: 020 8770 4250 Web: www.suttonfostering.org.uk Please mention
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Happy 40th Birthday
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Grow your own - May madness
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Home and Garden
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