Andover Gazette - July 2023

In this issue...

Councillor’s Column

Funding secured for Town Centre Study

England Expects... at Women’s World Cup

Celebrity Interview: Michelle Yeoh

Top tips for a sustainable summer

Green ngers: Alan Titchmarsh Column

Recipe: Rachel Khoo’s Ice Box Cake

Welcome...

Dear Residents,

It is with great pleasure that we deliver your July issue of Andover Gazette. As always, we have reliable trades people and businesses that would love to hear from you. We are here for you to connect with your local business owners and help the local economy thrive. Helping each other has been an intention of mine from a very early age and I love what we do here at Modern Magazines. There are editorials and articles for you to read which we hope you enjoy, all in the comfort of your own home. We also have a Facebook page, and this magazine can be viewed online at:

www.modernmagazines.co.uk

In addition to that we now have a fully interactive Hampshire E-Magazine (only online) and if that is of interest, please email me at: debbie@modernmagazines.co.uk and I will add your details for a free subscription to that magazine which has online games, competitions, local trades and much more.

With the summer holidays about to begin we wish you the best of summers with time to spend outside with family and friends.

Debbie, Stephen & all the team at Modern Magazines

Council Secures Funding for Andover Town Centre

Heat Feasibility Study

To ensure that Andover town centre reaches its heat decarbonisation potential, Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC) have secured funding to carry out a heat feasibility study.

It means that a review can be carried out to see whether there is potential for a centrally sourced heat network in the town centre.

Heat networks distribute heat or cooling from a central source, and deliver it to a variety of different buildings, which would mean the need for individual boilers or electric heaters in every building would be avoided.

Heat networks are also uniquely able to use local sources of low carbon heat, from places like factories, the ground or even from rivers, which would otherwise go to waste.

This would help with reducing carbon emissions and ensuring the project aligns with the council’s Corporate Plan and ambition of being carbon neutral as soon as possible.

To carry out this study, TVBC has secured £97,220 from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, while the council has also committed £18,100 in match funding.

The study is critical to the Andover town centre redevelopment

programme. It will provide TVBC with an opportunity to shape the masterplan to understand the viable opportunities within the town for the decarbonisation of heat and will help inform a heat strategy going forward.

The plan is for TVBC to work with the University of Southampton Future Towns Innovation Hub to use the regeneration of Andover as a live case study to ensure sustainable development and low carbon technologies are incorporated into the regeneration project.

Councillor Phil North, Leader of Test Valley Borough Council, said:

“A Heat Feasibility Study will be a vital part in making sure we are reaching our full potential in reducing carbon emissions when the redevelopment plans are carried out. Andover has a number of heat focus areas which potentially make it suitable for a heat network, so it will be very interesting to see the results of the study.”

England Expects

After winning the 2022 European Championships – the first major-tournament win in the Three Lions’ history, England go into the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand with confidence, unity and a weight of expectation.

England’s women are on a high. Their sensational Euros success has driven a new wave of British Bulldog belief, and it would be a mistake not to believe our Three Lions can repeat the incredible successes from 2022 and, in the process, continue to inspire a nation of female footballers.

Plus, with England’s Dutch coach Sarina Wiegman recording an 81% win ratio –her team scoring 138 goals in just 31 matches, with only one single defeat in that time, against Australia in a friendly in April – optimism is at an alltime high.

Wiegman’s players will commence their campaign by facing minnows Haiti in Brisbane on July 22nd, with the games against the other sides in Group D seeing them encounter Denmark on July 28th in Sydney and Asian

champions China in Adelaide on August 1st.

Winning Group D, as they should, may well land England a toughlooking second-round game against Canada, who ended Wiegman’s long winning run on a cold night in January 2022, in a 1-1 draw at the Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough. Beyond that, Germany looks the likely opposition in the quarter-finals.

While the majority of the personnel from the Euros triumph is set to go Down Under, Ellen White and Jill Scott retired on a high after the Euros win, so new heroes will be sought, particularly as the squad will be missing captain Leah Williamson, who was ruled out with an ACL injury in April.

Thankfully, there is much competition for

Williamson’s centre-back berth, and considerable versatility elsewhere with players able to adapt to new positions, something typical of Wiegman’s Dutch ‘Total Football’ roots.

Millie Bright and Lucy Bronze are mainstays, with Maya Le Tissier’s addition to the England fold a huge bonus due to her ability in playing right across the back line. Lotte WubbenMoy is another utility player, as are Lucy Parker, Jess Carter, Esme Morgan and Niamh Charles.

Keira Walsh and Georgia

Stanway look to have cemented their places in midfield, while Jordan Nobbs and Ella Toone are sure to be on the plane. The rest of that part of England’s squad is harder to call.

Alessia Rousso is looking more and more like the number nine, and with Beth England and Ebony Salmon pushing into contention, the squad looks competitive and should go close to that elusive World crown.

Puzzle Page Quick Crossword

2. Inn (3)

5. Relating to nature (6)

7. Associate (6)

9. Situation (11)

10. Scramble (6)

11. Comfortable position (6)

13. Take off (6)

Down Clues:

1. Frédéric (6)

2. Upper part of a woman’s dress (6)

3. Recover (6)

4. Relating to a state (6)

6. Writing in shorthand (11)

8. Not necessary (11)

16. Republic in Central America (6)

18. Rich country controls others (11)

19. Colour again (6)

20. Empty (6)

21. Humid (3)

10. Large Australian bird (3)

12. Seventh letter in the Greek alphabet (3)

14. Unpleasant sound (6)

15. Die (6)

16. Small nuts, under the ground (6)

17. Animals (6)

Word Ladder

Make

History Quiz

1. What year was the Battle of Hastings?

2. In which year did World War 2 start?

3. When was the Great Pyramid built?

4. What year was the Declaration of American Independence?

5. When was the formation of the League of Nations?

6. In which year was the Twin Towers attack?

7. What year was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ?

8. In what year did the Black Death outbreak start?

9. What year was the invention of the phone?

10. When did the Coronavirus pandemic occur?

Everything, Everywhere...but not all at once

Even at the age of 60, the 2023 Academy Award win may be the start of something big for Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh.

Multiverse sci-fi brain-wrecker Everything Everywhere, All At Once, starring Academy Award-winner Michelle Yeoh – who scooped the coveted Best Actress gong – is a movie that’s divided opinion. There are those who enjoyed it for what it is and how it was intended… a far-reaching film about love and acceptance, fun, creative, hilarious and unique; while others found it difficult to locate that necessary suspension of disbelief required for such a complex piece of theatre.

Either way, the main star of the mindbender, Michelle Yeoh, gave a virtuoso performance, deservedly won her nominated category (one of seven awards the film scooped at the prestigious event), in the process becoming the first Asian and only the second woman of colour to do so.

“When I was young back home in Malaysia, I never ever dreamt of being where I am today,” says the actress, who is now in her fifth decade of performing.

“There wasn’t a huge movie industry there and when I looked up at the screen to see stars mainly from the Western Hemisphere up there, shining

bright and looking so amazing, it was never

in my mind to think I could emulate them or.

“I appeared in an advert with Jackie Chan for Guy Laroche watches, but even then I thought that was the furthest I would venture, and that my life and my career was destined to remain back at home.”

Quickly though, Yeoh began to realise she had much more in common with the martial arts legend Chan than a simple timepiece, given she performed most of her own stunts in films such as Yes, Madam and Magnificent Warriors, as her career began to blossom.

she soon

The actress worked hard at refining the way she went about acting, and soon global acclaim arrived when she appeared alongside Pierce Brosnan in the Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies.

Big projects arrived in the form of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, then a slew of Hollywood projects, including Memoirs of a Geisha, Reign of Assassins, The Lady and Last Christmas.

“My biggest piece of advice is to listen to everyone and anyone!” she laughs. “It’s sometimes very easy to be precious about who you are and to what extent you want to bend and flip for the industry.

“We all go in with ideas of people loving us for being us, where really we are all products of everyone else’s influence, and we should be proud of that. You can never stop taking in the enrichment of others, no matter where you are in your career.”

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Councillor’s Column

Congratulations to Cllr Phil Lashbrook and Cllr Linda Lashbrook who were elected the new Mayor and Mayoress of Test Valley at our Annual Council meeting recently. A busy year lies ahead for them, attending various events and good causes as well as chairing our council meetings. I’d also like to use this column to thank Cllr Alan Dowden and Cllr Celia Dowden for serving the borough as Mayor and Mayoress for the last 12 months. Although we represent different political parties, they’ve both done a superb job, attending hundreds of community events. Thanks too to my fellow councillors for formally re-electing me as Leader of Test Valley. It’s a huge honour to lead the council and I will continue to work relentlessly for local residents. My first job following Annual Council was to visit our Environmental Services depot to record a video about our recent switch from diesel to hydrotreated vegetable oil in our bin lorries. Reducing the council’s carbon emissions generated from our fleet vehicles by 95%. Using this biofuel does not require expensive vehicle changes and is completely fossilfree, fulfilling one of the pledges we made in our Climate Emergency action plan.

Sticking with the environmental theme, the council has also been taking part in a national campaign to support pollinators by leaving stretches of land to grow wild. Creating essential habitats for bees and butterflies. Not only great for the environment but making our parks, verges and the edges of our recreation spaces look even more attractive. This year this includes 30 hectares of urban meadowland, which have been blooming with wildflowers.

Finally, I’m pleased to report that thanks to our prudent investments, the council brought in another £2.23M in additional income during the 2022/23 financial year. Enabling us to maintain frontline services and fund our generous community grants programme, whilst also ensuring Test Valley’s portion of the council tax remains £40 lower than the average for the rest of England.

Cllr. Phil North

Leader of the Test Valley Borough Council

Whitchurch’s Silk Mill: Preserving Industrial Heritage

Set in the idyllic Hampshire town of Whitchurch, the Silk Mill, built in 1813, is a gem of industrial heritage, located on the River Test.

A Silk merchant, William Maddick purchased the Mill in 1817, and began extensive alterations. Today your visit helps our charity to ensure that we can continue to teach the endangered Silk weaving skills to future generations.

Visitors can rest a while in our riverside café and gift shop and learn about the intriguing process of silk weaving as you explore the fascinating museum building.

Throughout this summer our ‘Whitchurch Play Town’ will be located on the 1 st Floor, where you will find imaginative role play areas such as vets, doctors, shop, café plus a willow den and play activities outside.

• Working Silk Weaving museum

• Riverside café & gift shop

• Events & workshop

50%

OFF

One annual ticket with voucher Valid until 3rd September 2023 whitchurchsilkmill.org.uk

A Design for Life… e Kevin McCloud Column

Designer, writer and television presenter, Kevin McCloud leapt into our consciousness with his vastly successful Grand Designs show on Channel 4. This month, the affable architectural business owner talks about getting back to the basic elements of how a home should make us feel.

I was in conversation with someone the other day and they asked me what sort of feeling I thought they should give to a new home interiors project of theirs.

What I found interesting about the question is the fact it’s an almost impossible one to answer, for the main reason that you can’t force anyone to feel any way about something that they don’t naturally, instinctively, unintentionally feel themselves.

If a person dislikes something with a passion, it’s very likely

there is no positive slant you can put on things that will encourage them to change their mind. This is just who we are.

My answer was instead to think about stimulating positive feelings in the way the house was designed. In essence, to realise the things we want to feel, then style and create in order to fulfil those emotions. So, for example, it’s always important to create a sense of place and belonging in our homes. These homes are not just physical structures, but also repositories of our memories, emotions and personal identities, and should be designed to reflect our values, personalities and lifestyles.

Most people know I am a big fan of authenticity in home

design, so that comes into it; and I also believe in the importance of creating space that is functional and practical, rather than simply beautiful, perhaps with references given to the environment or sustainability.

Mostly though, above all those things, a home should be a place that feels safe, comfortable, and happy. Only then will it feel ’right’, and it may take several failed attempts along the way to finally get to that place where you are content.

And then prepare for the point a decade down the line when your evolving tastes talk you into ripping it all up and starting again!

Prodec Decorators

Decorating & Property Maintenance Services

Welcome to Prodec decorators and property maintenance we are a local Andover-based family business with 45+ years of experience in aspects of internal & external decorating, wallpapering & stripping carried out, we will cater to all budgets and aim to keep costs to a minimum at all times, we pride ourselves on a vast knowledge of interior colours and designs to enable your choice when making your final decision.

We carry out all jobs around the house from putting up a shelf to full refurbishments

Our rates are very competitive, and our estimates are free with free advice

We are fully vetted and fully insured certificates available upon request

We carry id cards for peace of mind at all times

We guarantee our work to high-end finish at all times

We clean up at the end of each day's work

We have a large customer-based portfolio backed up with fantastic reviews which can be viewed on our Trustatrader site.

Whatever your inquiry we are a phone call away and can attend normally, on the same day so book early!

07831 678966 prodec2000@yahoo.com

We look forward to hearing from you the Prodec Team.

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Making Exercise Bearable

Keen to find an enjoyable route to fitness? All it takes is a little creativity, a change in perspective, and patience.

Realism

One reason people find exercise unbearable is because they set themselves goals that are unattainable.

Instead, break down your goals into smaller milestones - this will help you stay motivated and focused on your progress.

Enjoyment

To make exercise more bearable, choose activities that you genuinely enjoy. This could be a sport, a dance class, or even that aforementioned brisk walk. Not all fitness has to be boring, or difficult.

Sharing

Perhaps you can match up with someone of equal ability and goals, and use each other as a motivational force to carry on.

Even if you haven’t got someone who wants to be on your fitness journey, confide in

them and ensure they don’t let you off the hook when the temptation of a quick pint or glass of wine arises.

Motivation and tracking

Music can play a significant role in making exercise more enjoyable. Create a playlist of your favourite upbeat songs that energise and inspire you.

At the same time monitor your progress, as this will serve as a powerful motivator.

Positivity

Finally, remember to reward yourself for meeting your exercise goals. This could be something as simple as treating yourself to a healthy snack, enjoying a relaxing bath, or taking some time to unwind with your favourite show.

Either way, making it more enjoyable in the long-run, means it’s more bearable in the short-run!

Top tips for a sustainable summer from the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust

From barbecues to ball games, every outdoor summer activity can impact the environment in some way. Here are some easy ways from the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust to help you, help nature this summer.

Using reusable or recyclable plates and cutlery

Everyone loves a good picnic or barbecue –little brings more joy than a delicious meal accompanied by the sounds and sights of nature. Disposable plates and cutlery are an attractive option compared to lugging your entire dinner set to your desired dining spot. However, these items are often designed for single usage, a fact which does not do the environment justice given the contribution of trees and fossil fuels to their manufacture. Instead, try using reusable, lightweight alternatives such as travel-friendly cutlery and bamboo plates. These last much longer than their disposable counterparts, meaning you save money and the environment!

Eco-friendly cooking

Whether big or small, barbecues are what make summer great. However, some outdoor cooking methods can release harmful pollutants into the fresh surrounding air and damage nearby wildlife. Charcoal, though seemingly a natural and sustainable fuel for barbecues, is often made from hardwood of tropical rainforests which are already vanishing at an alarming rate. The solution? British lumpwood charcoal from sustainable sources such as coppiced trees or managed forests.

Reduce your electricity consumption

Summer days are brighter, hence we can use less electricity for lighting. Not only will this reduce our reliance on unsustainable fossil

fuels, you can also save a great deal on your energy bills! You can also save energy by opening windows to ventilate your house or workplace instead of blasting the air conditioners at full power. Window shutters or blinds also help block strong sunbeams from blazing through windows and intensifying the summer heat.

Ditch the car

With summer comes sunshine. This means that travelling between places offers the perfect opportunity to get some vitamin D and muchneeded fresh air by walking or cycling. It’s been proven that exercise and being outside can both boost physical and mental wellbeing. On top of that, walking and cycling are safer for wildlife and have a much less detrimental effect on the environment than cars.

There’s a plethora of simple actions we can take to reduce our impact on the environment. While reducing waste production and saving energy are important throughout the year, our connection with nature through summer walks, seaside visits, or evenings lounging in the garden is particularly evident during summer, strengthening the motivation to do everything we can to protect the irreplaceable beauty of nature.

Photo: Go green with eco-friendly and re-usable alternatives on your next summer picnic © John Hawkins - Surrey Hills Photography

Green ngers… the Alan Titchmarsh column

He’s a brilliant presenter, accomplished gardener, talented novelist, and all-round horticultural inspiration. This month, Alan Titchmarsh discusses the holy grail of ensuring flowers and plants flourish to their full potential – soil quality!

I get asked a lot what the best way to bolster soil quality is, and the truth is there are a variety of methods. Naturally, keeping soil well-watered is important, but not overwatered. Instead, water deeply and less frequently than you would expect. To water deeply you need to keep the soil light and uncompacted too. I’ve even gone to the extent of walking on wood planks if I need to cross over soil, as this spreads the weight and avoids interrupting good soil structure with big clumsy boots.

To actually enrich the soil, I try to regularly add organic matter. Compost, obviously, is key, with well-rotted manure. This helps with boosting drainage, adding fertility, and encouraging beneficial microorganisms.

In a similar way, if you’re looking to capitalise on what’s already in the soil, consider the benefit of crop rotation, and the fact that plants or flowers can feed o the nutrients left behind from whatever was present before.

Changing the location of specific plant families each year also helps to prevent the build-up of pests and diseases, and maintains soil fertility. Finally, it’s always worth applying a layer of mulch – such as wood chips or straw – around plants. It helps to conserve moisture, suppress weeds, regulates soil temperature, and adds organic matter to the soil. It also looks good!

To determine how good your soil is, or isn’t, why not invest in a soil-testing kit? This will help you determine the soil’s pH and nutrient levels, and with that information you can construct an accurate plan for amendments to improvements to your soil quality.

Ultimately, don’t expect change overnight, as good things come to those who wait; but do take comfort in the fact you are doing all you can to move forward the health of your garden.

The Adventures of Daichi The Modern Magazines Camper

Making the most of where we live…. Young, old, history, contemporary. Daichi loves them all. Wherever we look around us there is history alongside new, contemporary and sometimes controversial. Have you ever taken a look to see where new meets old and bygone days live next to the future, where you live? Are you a philosopher who prefers the distant past and long-lost customs, or are you a person of state-of-theart décor and new ways?

For Daichi, living here in Weymouth, a seaside town dating back to the 12th Century, it is easy to see the many shifts in time. Punch and Judy came back to our beach this year. Apparently, the original shows first appeared in Italy in the 16th Century where the characters were marionettes. Then in 1662 on May 9th the very first performance in England was enacted. It is a more modern feature of the

Van

show today, that the audience is encouraged to shout out and warn the characters in the ‘box’ of the dangers. Certainly, watching the excited children on the beach recently, the eager spectators really enjoyed screaming out, “he’s there!” at the top of their voices. What fun. Some characters like the ghost, the hangman (probably a blessing) and Pretty Polly may have disappeared, but the show remains to entertain its guests, centuries after it began.

A few weeks ago, “El Galeon”, a replica of a 17th century Spanish Galleon glided into our waters here on the Jurassic coast and opened its decks to the general public, for around a week on Weymouth Harbour. These Galleons were used to transport cargo from America, Spain and the Phillipines between the 16th and 18th Centuries. Walking on board now I almost felt the rocking of the ship and the huge waves sweeping over the high ship sides. I could almost feel sea-sick… and we were in very flat waters! Impressive indeed is this

Debbie & Stephen by El Galeon

Traditional Punch & Judy on the beach

ocean sailing vessel. Built between 2009 and 2010 it has now sailed to hundreds of ports worldwide and had thousands and thousands of visitor gaze in awe at its miles of rope, and its magnificent decks. Daichi loves history, and imagining sailing across massive expanses of sea surrounded by scores of people, some running up and down all of those extremely high poles, was quite an experience. In the 1600’s many did not make the journey, with scurvy and other untreatable diseases in abundance due to the lack of hygiene. There were less bottles of hand sanitizer in those days! It would have been very different to any cruises we sail on today.

That brings me to the subject of seaweed which has attracted so much attention and controversy recently. Our Blue Flag Beach with its wonderful fine sand has been encroached in certain parts, by sea kelp driven in by storms and heavy winds. Daichi’s first reaction was indeed one of “Oh No! Our beautiful beach has been destroyed…” However, he has had a change of heart. Our ecosystem on this planet has had much interference from us, the ‘intelligent species’ on this planet, and we may not have always got it right. Nature has a profound way of correcting itself, and in fact creating certain situations in order to survive. So, we

have continued to go to the beach, lie on the gorgeous fine sand of which there is a huge abundance and swim in our amazing ocean. Rubber shoes protect the feet if needed, but there is a lot of space and much enjoyment to be had, despite a little natural interruption. One of Daichi’s bug bears is the press and its sensationalism.

So, what about what’s new? We live in a ‘coffee culture’ where having a coffee and cake (or even a waffle and ice-cream…) have become part of our daily lives. Daichi loves this and will go for a coffee at the drop of a hat, especially with a friend for a good old chat. The Theatre is also still popular, centuries later and we believe we should make more of this. The atmosphere is great, the entertainment can lift the soul and we get to go out with family and friends. Similarly, the cinema. What great block busters there are! “Top Gun” with Tom Cruise was a must for us. Hayden loves ‘Dungeons and Dragons’, so we all went to see “Honour Amongst Thieves” recently with Hugh Grant, Chris Pine and John Francis Daley. Myself, being of the older generation and Hayden being nearly forty years younger, yet we all enjoyed it and had a great evening out!

So, whether it is an old tradition, history to soak in, or a coffee and waffle with a friend, there is so much to do right on our doorsteps. Daichi would love to know what you like best about your area. You can write to him at:

daichi@modernmagaiznes.co.uk

By Debbie Corney

Weymouth’s beautiful beach, winner of both the Blue Flag and Seaside Award

Family & friends having a “waffle”

Driven to Distraction

Here’s a

rundown

of the most common driving faux pas you need to steer clear of if you’re to retain a clean licence.

Not adhering to the speed limit

The biggest cause of accidents on the road is, of course, excessive speed. One in five drivers admits to speeding, though the overall figure is much higher, and if convicted, can lead to a hefty fine, points on your licence and a ban.

It’s not just about going too fast, either. Not keeping up with the speed of the road causes impatience in other drivers, which can also lead to accidents.

Distracted driving

Driving distractions include use of a phone, eating or drinking, adjusting dashboard controls, being engaged in conversation or even having music too loud.

While using a handheld phone is the only illegal act on the list – something that will land you a £200 fine and six points on your licence – the others still carry a points penalty if it’s found

they have played a part in an accident or infringement.

Tailgating

Tailgating occurs when following the vehicle in front too closely, something that significantly increases the risk of accidents – notably shunts and rear-end collisions.

Tailgating also strays into the field of aggressive driving behaviour, which opens up the possibility of road rage incidents.

Running a red light

Many drivers have seen the opportunity to accelerate through an amber light so as to save valuable time at a traffic junction, yet the practice is dangerous.

In the past few years local councils have installed thousands of cameras at traffic lights in order to catch drivers keen to accelerate through rather than bring their vehicle to a halt.

Failing to indicate and improper lane changes

Sensible use of indicators and respectful lane changes relative to other traffic on

the road are some of the first things drivers will learn… and then subsequently one of the first things dropped when they become overly comfortable on the roads.

Intoxication

As far as having a tipple goes, the recommendation now is that a driver should remain entirely alcohol free, rather than subscribe to the long-time rule of being allowed a single drink.

Stimulants and suppressants, even in small quantities, can impair a driver’s judgment and reaction time, so while drink and drug convictions have fallen over recent years, the threat to safe driving is as prevalent as it’s ever been.

Council Slashing Carbon Fuel Emissions by up to 95% by Switching Vehicles to Diesel Alternative

Test Valley Borough Council’s (TVBC) fleet of vehicles have now all switched from using diesel fuel to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), cutting carbon dioxide fuel emissions by up to 95%.

HVO is a drop-in diesel alternative that benefits from an instant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions without the need for changes to engine infrastructure or machinery.

It’s also made from 100% renewable raw materials, biodegradable and is odourless.

The entire fleet, from waste collection vehicles to plant machinery, is now using HVO, after council leaders approved plans earlier this year.

In 2019, TVBC declared a climate emergency, and this is another step towards the ambition of becoming carbon neutral as soon as possible.

Leader of Test Valley Borough Council, Cllr Phil North, said:

“Switching all of our vehicles from diesel to HVO is a huge step in the right direction as we cut our carbon emissions generated from our fleet vehicles by 95%.”

“Using this biofuel does not require expensive vehicle changes and is completely fossil-free, fulfilling one of the pledges we made in our cross-party Climate Emergency action plan.”

tax and help protect their share from care fees

The Property Protection Trust Will package is based around how you hold the ownership of your home. All good estate planning nowadays considers the difference between owning your home as joint tenants or as tenants in common.

If you own your home as Joint Tenants; when one of you dies the ownership of the home passes by the Law of Survivorship and not by your Will. Therefore, the surviving partner will automatically own 100% of the property. This sounds right to most people. BUT should the surviving partner need care in the future, the Local Authority can take everything they own (including their home) to pay for the care fees, leaving just £14,250 to be inherited by children and grandchildren.

There is an alternative.

Nowadays many couples choose to own their home as Tenants in Common where each partner will own 50% of the family home. This provides for many benefits.

Firstly, it allows you to legally leave your share of the property in your Will to whoever you wish. A properly written Will can ensure that your half of your house will eventually pass to your children even if your widow re-marries.

Unmarried cohabiting couples or relatives living together can also use this means of ownership as a way of minimising their Inheritance Tax exposure.

It can also help with long-term care costs. If one of you is still living in your home the Local Authority can’t include its value in the means test if one of you has to go in to long-term care. This also applies if the husband or wife still living at home dies while the other is in care as their share will go into the trust.

Dorset and Wight are your local experts in Property Protection Trust Wills.

Increasing numbers of homeowners are choosing to hold their properties as tenants in common to reduce inheritance

SILENT WATERS

By L.V. Matthews

14th September 2023 | Welbeck | £8.99 | Paperback Original

For fans of Gillian McAllister and Lisa Jewell, a powerful haunting novel exploring family bonds, dark secrets and murder featuring a female police diver – a woman in a man’s world. At 5am one summer morning, police diver Jen Harper wakes to find herself submerged in the silt of a river with no memory of how she got there. Forty-eight hours later, she’s called to dive in the same river to search for a missing woman, Claudia Franklin. But for Jen, this is no ordinary job. She and Claudia were childhood friends and their families were entangled for decades. But Jen hasn’t seen Claudia for twelve years. Or has she?

Praise for Silent Waters

“A thrillingly murky tale of tainted love and betrayal, an edge-of-the-jetty read. I dare you to jump in!”

Janice Hallett, author of The Twyford Code

“Terrific, memorable suspense writing that draws you in. Silent Waters is a real up-all-night thriller.” BP Walter, author of The Dinner Guest

“Silent Waters is a brilliant, beautifully written thriller with an unusual premise and shocking twists. I loved it! Her best yet!”

Claire Douglas, author of The Couple at Number 9

“Brilliantly plotted, utterly compelling and where nothing is as it seems. Add to that some whip-smart dialogue and you have everything you could possibly want in a thriller.”

John Marrs, author of The Marriage Act

About the Author

L.V. Matthews was born in rural Essex but now lives in Winchester. She is the author of The Prank and The Twins, a Richard & Judy Book Club pick (Spring 2022.) Before pursuing a career in writing she worked in domestic and international sales for major UK publishing houses. As research for the book, she undertook extensive research into the little-known world of police divers.

General Knowledge

Across Clues:

5. Changing to a new situation (11)

9. Indiscernable (9)

10. Speed (5)

11. Creativity (3)

12. Prize or certificate (5)

13. Small brown animal (5)

15. A nuclide that exhibits isomerism (6)

17. The upper surface (6)

19. Idea (5)

20. Stove producing strong heat (5)

21. A poem (3)

23. Finding pleasure (5)

24. Unaware (9)

26. Disruption (11)

Down Clues:

1. Strong fabric, used for upholstery (5)

2. Simple needlework (9)

3. Pigsty (3)

4. Grey material that does not burn (8)

6. Large flat teeth (6)

7. Final version of a legal document (11)

8. Obsolete form of brilliant (11)

14. Teams fighting against each other (9)

16. Tree with pink, yellow or purple flowers (8)

18. Middle Eastern language (6)

22. Trained to fly (5)

25. Bombard (3)

8. Splendidous, 14. Duellists, 16. Magnolia, 18. Arabic, 22. Pilot, 25. Ply.

Down: 1. Scrim, 2. Plainwork, 3. Sty, 4. Asbestos, 6. Molars, 7. Engrossment,

24. Oblivious, 26. Dislocation.

13. Otter, 15. Isomer, 17. Upside, 19. Image, 20. Grill, 21. Ode, 23. Enjoy,

Across: 5. Acclimatise, 9. Invisible, 10. Tempo, 11. Art, 12. Award,

Answers:

STAR GAZING

WRITTEN BY KATE EARL kateearlastro@gmail.com

Welcome to the July Stargazing Page. Highlights this month include seeing Venus at its brightest before it moves to our morning skies, and the hunt for noctilucent clouds.

International Space Station

The ISS is visible daily until the 28th, with overhead passes starting in the early morning, gradually switching to the late evening by month end. To establish exact timings please refer to www.heavens-above.com or a similar webpage for up-to-date information, remembering to set the location to your observing area.

Events

The Earth is furthest from the Sun on the 6th, a distance of 152,000,000 km away. This is called aphelion (Greek for ‘from the Sun’).

Mercury

The innermost planet can be seen low in the southwest just after sunset from the 15th, but it will be really tough to spot in the evening twilight.

Venus

Venus is dazzling away low in the west, and although at its brightest, it will rapidly drop out of our evening skies, only to return as the ‘morning star’ in late August. If you have a small telescope it is worth taking a look at Venus this month, as it will appear as a beautiful, tiny crescent. Another challenge is to try and spot your shadow by Venusian light. You need a really dark sky with no moon or light pollution. Use a sheet or white card to help see the shadow cast, as the planet is too faint a source of light to be able to easily detect your shadow on the ground. It’ll be tough, but worth it if you manage it!

Mars

Mars continues to get dimmer each night. During July it moves towards and then passes Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation of Leo the Lion (see figure). It is now quite far away from the Earth, a consequence of which is that it has become very faint, and its red colour is hard to distinguish.

Jupiter & Saturn

Jupiter is visible from around 1am low in the east, but is dazzlingly bright and for early risers it cannot be mistaken for anything else. Saturn appears earlier, around 11pm.

Moon

July’s full moon occurs on the 3rd.

Try to spot...

The early summer months are the best time to try and spot a rare and beautiful cloudtype: noctilucent clouds. If conditions are favourable, these blue-white illuminated clouds are visible an hour or so after sunset in our northern skies (if you’re up early, they can sometimes be seen an hour or so before sunrise, too). Although the exact cause of their formation is unknown, we know they are composed of tiny water-ice crystals and form about 80km up in the atmosphere.

Noctilucent clouds

Rachel Khoo’s Ice Box Cake

When summer comes around, it feels somewhat incongruous to be putting the oven on; yet baking isn’t all about putting up the heat and expecting something to prove or rise. And who in this weather wants to build up a sweat in the kitchen?! Instead, why not whip up this delicious ice box cake with just a stove top and a freezer. This decadent dessert with a crunchy hazelnut praline rippled through it makes a crowd-pleasing finale.

Ingredients

(10 to 12 servings)

• 35g dark chocolate, cut into small pieces

• 50g unsalted butter

• 100g digestive biscuits, crushed to crumbs

• 3 medium eggs

• 2 medium egg yolks

• 1 tsp vanilla essence

• 180g sugar

• 500ml double cream

• Hazelnut praline

• 50g blanched hazelnuts

• 75g sugar

• 2 tbsp water

Method

1. Prepare a 20cm cake tin by lining with baking paper.

2. To make the praline, line a baking tray with baking paper. Toast the hazelnuts in a dry saucepan until they are golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.

3. Put the sugar and water in the pan and heat gently

until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to high (avoid the temptation to stir it). When the caramel begins to turn a dark golden brown, remove from the heat and quickly stir in the hazelnuts. Pour immediately on to the lined baking tray and spread out evenly. Leave to cool. Once the caramel is cool and hard, blitz to a fine powder in a food processor.

4. Make the biscuit base by melting the butter and chocolate together in a medium heatproof bowl over a pan of just-simmering water. Add the crushed biscuits and stir to combine. Press into the prepared cake tin to form a crust and place in the freezer.

5. Place the eggs, extra yolks, vanilla and sugar in a large heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. You want the bowl to just be resting over the

saucepan – don’t let the bowl touch the water. Whisk the mixture continuously for six to eight minutes or until it becomes thick and pale. If you have a handheld electric whisk, opt for that. When the whisk leaves a ribbony trail in the mixture when you lift it up, it is ready. Remove from the heat and allow mixture to cool slightly.

6. Whip the cream in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Gently fold through the cooled egg mixture until well combined.

7. Stir two-thirds of the praline into the ice-cream mixture and pour into the cake tin over the crumb base. Scatter the top with the remaining praline and leave to chill until frozen (at least four hours). Slice and serve.