Blackburn & burnley issue 47

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W W W. 5 0 P L U S M A G A Z I N E . C O . U K FEBRUARY - APRIL 2016

BLACKBURN & BURNLEY EDITION 47

WIN A HOLIDAY FOR TWO WITH ROBINSONS HOLIDAYS

SEE PAGES 4 & 5 FOR GUIDANCE ON YOUR PENSION...

James Martin THE RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

55+

Pensions Guidance...

The Government has launched a FREE GUIDANCE service to help you make important decisions about your pension. The service is called ‘Pension Wise’ and you can see someone at your local Citizens Advice if: 1. You are aged 50 years or older 2. You have a Defined Contribution (DC) pot

3. You have not had a Pension Wise appointment already

Please call in at your local Pension Wise on...

0800 011 9029 For more information visit Pension Wise online...

www.pensionwise.gov.uk

Your Money.

Your Choice...

Q. What is Pension Wise?

A. How people access their pensions changed on 6th April 2015. If you are 50 or over and have a Defined Contribution (DC) pension arrangement (a pension based on how much has been paid into your pot), it is your decision how you take the money. Pension Wise has been set up by the UK Government as a free and impartial service to help you understand what your choices are and how they work. You will be able to get guidance on what you can do with your pension pot; different pension types and how they work; what is tax-free and what is not. It is an impartial service so you will not be given advice or recommendations for specific products or providers.

Q. How can I access the service?

A. Face to Face – through your local Citizens Advice Telephone – through The Pensions Advisory Service Online - through the Pension Wise website

Q. What sort of information will this service provide?

A. Pension Wise is a brand new service to help/empower

people who have access to the new pension flexibilities to decide what to do with their pension savings. The guidance provided will enable people to better understand their options and ensure they know what questions to ask before they commit to decisions about their pension. It will also signpost them to any next steps they might want to take before making any choices. It is a free and impartial service and therefore will not recommend specific products or providers.

Q. Where can I access face-to-face guidance?

A. Pension Wise appointments are delivered via telephone by The Pensions Advisory Service and Citizens Advice, operating out of 500+ locations. Local arrangements can also be made for people in remote locations, including home visits for those with special requirements. To make an appointment, please contact Pension Wise on 0800 0119 029.

www.50plusmagazine.co.uk

Q. Does it matter if I access the guidance online, on the phone, or face to face?

A. No. The guidance offered will be of the same high quality whether people go to their local Citizens Advice for face to face guidance, The Pensions Advisory Service for telephone guidance, or want to go online through the Pension Wise website.

Q. What should I do to prepare for a guidance session?

A. In order to get the best out of the session, it will be beneficial to get some information in advance of your session.

The following is a list of useful details to get: State Pension Statement (by sending off a BR19 form or telephoning the Department of Works & Pensions (DWP) on 0345 3000 168).

Current value of your existing pension pot(s) from your pension provider(s) including details of what options they are offering; details of costs/charges/penalties and any special features/benefits the plan may have (especially for older pension plans).

Think about your personal and financial circumstances particularly your plans for retirement / use of pension funds / other sources of income available before and at retirement (salary; savings; benefits and investments) / debts / retirement age / whether looking for a fixed or flexible income / dependents / health and beneficiaries.

Q. Are there any other important things that the session will cover?

A. Yes. The session will also discuss the importance of

considering the tax implications of taking your pension benefits under the new pension access rules; the changes to the way pensions are treated upon death and also cover the important area of pension scams and what to look out for and what to do if you suspect anything. As the Pension Wise logo states, “Your Money, Your Choice”, so there is no requirement at all to make an uninformed and rushed decision with your pension pot(s). The main purpose of the session is to provide the correct information, guidance and assistance in order to help you make the best informed choice for your needs and circumstances. Deciding how best to use any pension pot(s) is down to each individual, but taking your time before making any decision is probably the most important ‘guidance’ signpost of all.

5

CONTENTS Are you still unaware of the benefits of lifetime mortgages?

By Alison Martin, The Right Equity Release

INSIDE...

12-13

8-9

let’s amble rather than ramble John Carter takes a look at various tantalising destinations

12-13 JAMES MARTIN

Plates, Mates and Automobiles The Tour!

16-17 sweet treats

Desserts to delight 34-37 Out and about

Places to visit 44

Learning about dementia Stage by stage.

To read more titles of the magazine, enter our competitions or to subscribe to our regular newsletter visit our new look website:

www.50plusmagazine.co.uk

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If you have experience and would like to sell into this prestigious magazine, please give us a call on 01204 860 194 or email CV to john@mcgrathmedia.co.uk

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6

Over the many years I’ve worked

the amount you borrow is based

in financial services there are

not on your income, but on the

still the incorrect perceptions

value of your property which

of, ‘I will lose my home’ or ‘my

needs to be at least £60,000 and

house will no longer be mine’ but

your age, as you need to be 55+.

there have been huge improve-

An added benefit of a lifetime

ments and safeguards added to

mortgage is that you retain the

protect clients. With increasing

full ownership of your home and

house prices, competitive fixed

are free to live in it for as long

interest rates and increased

as you wish. Lifetime mortgages

popularity, perhaps now is an

are heavily regulated and there

ideal opportunity to take a look

are many safeguards in place

at how a lifetime mortgage could

to protect those who take out a

benefit you.

plan. The Right Equity Release is

There are various reasons why

a member of the Equity Release

clients take out these plans rang-

Council, a trade body that sets

ing from paying off credit card

and maintains standards for

debt or mortgages, to carrying

equity release lenders. It is also

out much needed home improve-

regulated by the Financial Con-

ments. As we live longer, many

duct Authority (FCA).

people are finding it difficult to ‘just survive’ and having consid-

FIND OUT MORE

ered and discounted alternatives

For more information & to

such as moving home, they

find out if you’re eligible please

are struggling to find a long-

contact me, Alison Martin, your

term solution to their financial

local Equity Release adviser on

difficulties. One of the main

0800 088 6051 or visit

advantages of these plans is that

www.equityreleasenorthwest.com

Over 55? Looking for a mortgage alternative?

Equity release may be the answer.

Whatever the reason for boosting your finances in retirement, an equity release plan allows you to release a tax-free lump sum from the equity tied up in your home.

Plus, you are free to use the money in any way you choose.

Start enjoying your retirement now. Call your local Equity Release Adviser, Alison Martin on: 0800 088 6051 or visit www.equityreleasenorthwest.com for more info.

This is a lifetime mortgage. It may affect your entitlement to state benefits and will reduce the value of your estate. Think carefully before securing other debts against your home. To understand the features and risks, ask for a personalised illustration.

The Right Equity Release does not charge any up front fees. A fixed fee is only charged on completion of an Equity Release Plan. Typically, this is 1.5% of the total facility or £995 whichever is the greater. The Right Equity Release Ltd is authorised & regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England 07166676.

www.50plusmagazine.co.uk

Twittering On with Graham Smith “He just won’t leave me and so we go everywhere together,” Hayman said.

“I’ve not trained him to follow me.

He just seems to like it and he is one fantastic duck.

Love a duck A bow-tie wearing duck has been injured in a drunken pub brawl with a local dog in Chulmleigh, Devon.

“He loves to come to the pub, where everyone loves him. He is such a personality and attracts so much attention.”

Chicken feed An Australian Thai restaurant has trained a live chicken to run its Twitter account.

The booze-loving bird, affectionately named Star, was enjoying a pint in The Old Courthouse Inn with his handler, Barrie Hayman, when Hayman’s canine Meggie sparked a bar brawl.

Apparently the chicken pecks out the messages on the keyboard with its beak.

Woe betide it if anything untoward appears there or I see a whole new meaning to chicken fried twice!

Star was left with injuries to his beak after the fight.

Mighty pens!

“Star pushed his luck too far and Meggie snapped - splitting Star’s bottom beak right down the middle,” Hayman, 69, told the Cheddar Valley Gazette.

A Zimbabwean pastor has reportedly convinced his congregates his holy pens can make students pass their exams and the more you pay for one, the better grades you’ll get.

“He gave her a stare, then promptly stood on her back. It was not pretty and not nice. We were so scared we would lose Star.

“He had to be rushed to the vets and go under anaesthetic, which is always risky and could go either way with ducks and other small animals.

“Thankfully our Star is a tough cookie and it looks like he came out okay.”

Hayman has cared for Star ever since he was a chick, carrying him around in his pocket. Once the duckling grew up, he developed a taste for real ale and started following his owner to the pub.

Prophet Sham Hungwe of House of Grace International Church in Harare is selling the pens, which cost from $1 up to $20.

According to News24Zim, the prophet told his congregation those sitting exams only needed faith and one of the special pens to pass.

“They are anointed and I declare passes when your children sit for exams. They are said to work for anyone who is sitting for any test,” he said.

According to Nigerian Watch, one parishioner testified: “My son is not very

bright and I think this will help him. With the knowledge he has acquired and this pen from the man of God, I think it is going to work.”

Graham Smith

One student said he scored highly in his A-levels last year after using the pen he was given by the prophet.

Note the pastor’s Christian name…. they’re not all locked up are they?

Good baahaviour!

A sheep has been promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal in the British Army for good baa-haviour.

Private Derby XXX was promoted to the rank at an event in Chester, marking eight years of being in the Mercian Regiment.

The ram was awarded his honor by the Colonel of the regiment, Brigadier Andrew Williams.

The Swaledale sheep is officially classed as a soldier and he is the 30th in a line of mascot rams running back to the Indian Mutiny War in the mid-19th Century.

Formerly known as Private Derby 30th, his promotion now entitles him to wear a single stripe on his uniform.

The Mercian Regiment celebrated his success on its Facebook page, writing: “He was resplendent in his scarlet coat with Lincoln green and gold facings, emblazoned with the Regiment’s main Battle Honours.”

During his career, Lance Corporal Derby XXX helped switch on the Christmas lights in Ashbourne and met Prince William at the unveiling of a memorial commemorating the 1914 Christmas Truce.

WIN A SELF DRIVE HOLIDAY FOR TWO... ...with Robinsons Holidays to either the Abbey Lawn Hotel in Torquay, the Imperial Hotel in Eastbourne or the Ocean View Hotel on the Isle of Wight. (See page 10 & 11 for hotel details) Prize is for any Monday to Friday 4 nights’ stay and includes dinner, bed and breakfast in a standard twin or double room.

Closing date for competition is 30th April 2016.

Full terms & conditions on the website.

www.50plusmagazine.co.uk

GO TO WWW.50PLUSMAGAZINE.CO.UK TO ENTER! 7

50 Plus Travel

sponsored by

Let’s Amble rather than Ramble

By John Carter

There is much of interest in that somewhat neglected south eastern region of Sicily - the world heritage site of Ragusa, Syracuse, the Baroque town of Noto and the cave systems of the Cava Ispica gorge. Including locations featured in the television programmes adds a little fun to the mix. As does a three-course lunch and wine-tasting at Noto.

As I mentioned earlier, I have a soft spot for Adagio and think it provides an ideal holiday for anyone who has enjoyed more active breaks in the past but who - for all sorts of reasons prefers to take life at a slightly slower pace. You’ll find yourself with likeminded folk who will, more often than not, share memories of past holidays and destinations with which you are already familiar.

John Carter, patron of Silver Travel Advisor and long-time presenter of TV’s ‘Wish You Were Here’ and “The Holiday Programme” and seasoned globetrotter now enjoys a little ambling rather than rambling to various tantalising destinations.

We encountered no British holidaymakers when, in 1972, we went to Aghios Nikolaos on the north coast of Crete. Two years later, the resort was packed with them.

A BBC television drama “The Lotus Eaters”, had been filmed there, and fans were eager to follow the footsteps of their heroes and heroines. The harbour cafes sported handwritten notices - in that style of bad English the Greeks do so well - informing us that this or that place was the very establishment where the stars had eaten (“Shrims in Clay Pot” being a favoured dish).

Why recall that ancient memory?

8

Because of Inspector Montalbano.

The stories by Andrea Camilleri were adapted for television in Italy, found their way to BBC Four and recently enjoyed considerable popularity in that channel’s Saturday evening “Subtitle Slot”. So much so that a holiday dedicated to the Sicilian hero appears in the latest Adagio brochure.

I have a soft spot for Adagio as I was in at the birth of the idea. It comes to all of us as the years take their toll - the stiffening of the joints, the thickening of the waist and the realisation that, though the spirit is more than willing to tackle the roughest of rambling trails, the flesh is weaker.

The ideal solution is to take holidays with folk with whom we can share our memories, knowing that those memories are likely to be mutual. And also knowing that the holidays will enable us to take a little gentle exercise - if only to prove that we can still do it.

In this context, I was a little concerned to see they’ve introduced something called Adagio Plus to the 2016 programme - offering “more challenging walking opportunities”.

From what I gather, it is a way of combining the occasional morning on the hoof with some afternoon sightseeing - which doesn’t seem to be too taxing. Just as long as they don’t get carried away.

Some of these holidays are, literally, mouthwatering. One is based in Bologna, Italy’s gastronomic capital.

Instead of dwelling on the sights to be seen, I found myself thinking of the food - mortadella, parma ham, parmesan cheese and the like. I ate and drank very well indeed when I was last in Bologna. I even did some sightseeing, but not much. The city’s nickname “la grassa” (the fat one) is well earned, and this holiday enables you to visit, in addition, historic locations such as Ravenna and Modena.

Adagio is a collection of holidays from Ramblers Worldwide aimed at those who nowadays prefer to amble rather than ramble. And “Montalbano’s Sicily” fits the bill as perfectly as the inspector’s sharp suits fit the frame of actor Luca Zingaretti.

www.50plusmagazine.co.uk

TRAVEL

REEVES COACH HOLIDAYS Scottish Snowdrops

TEL: 0125415th830545 - 19th February

Angus Hotel, Blairgowrie www.reevescoachholidays.com info@reevescoachholidays.com £289.00

Turkey and

Another destination which recently surprised me by the range and high quality of its cuisine is the Istrian peninsula of Croatia. My far more knowledgeable companion took me to several restaurants and small hotels during the course of a week, where we ate extremely well. I was introduced to the “slow food” movement - which began as a protest against American-style fast food, but which took on a wonderful life of its own.

It is quite remarkable how well one can now eat in Croatia, and for that matter in other parts of former Yugoslavia. Those of us old enough to remember when it was not “former” will know all too well how limited in scope and style its cuisine used to be. Nowadays, in restaurants throughout Istria, you can discuss with the waiter the merits of the various olive oils on offer before going on to discuss the wine list.

I’m pleased to see that the ancient town of Rovinj features in this holiday. I think it is a gem. It still shows evidence (specifically carvings of the winged lion of St. Mark) of its link with the Venetian empire, but before the Venetians, there was Illyria, the Roman and the Byzantine eras.

France, Portugal and the Azores are also in this latest programme, along with holidays to Estonia and Latvia as well as the island of Jersey. A winning mixture of comfortable hotels, leisurely (and, of course, optional) walking, the pleasant company of like-minded folk, and some first class food and wine. Switzerland is featured, too. One holiday to Zermatt and the Matterhorn features the cable cars and alpine railways of the region, which are used to carry you to fine walking country.

But, as I said, the walking has to be regarded as the cherry on the cake with these holidays, aimed as they are at people who have chosen to take holidays, and life, at a slower pace.

Factbox: Silver Travel Advisor recommends Adagio Holidays. For more information, visit adagio.co.uk or contact info@adagio.co.uk or call 01707 386700

4 Continents - 5 days ..

Tinsel Break Isle of Wight Special Trouville Hotel, 7th - 11th March Bournemouth Bourne Hall 17th-21st November Country House Hotel

£259.00 £339.00

Easter in the Shires 25th - 29th March Walton Hotel, Wellesbourne

£419.00

Worcester Victorian Crieff Hydro - Singles Christmas Fair and Special the Good Food Show - 18th March at 14th the NEC Crieff Hydro Hotel 29th-30th November

£349.00 £139.00

More Holidays...

Ludlow Spectacular 3rd - 7th April

RELAXING SCOTLAND

Feathers Hotel, Ludlow

2nd-6th February 2015, Crieff Hydro Hotel ..............................£299

£379.00

NEWQUAY SPECIAL

9th-13th February 2015, Fistral Beach Hotel ...........................£289

CYCLAMEN AND SNOWDROPS 20th-23rd Februaryin2015, Hotel .................£279 Springtime the Cheltenham ThePark English Riviera in TrossachsSPECIAL) Springtime KENT (SINGLES 2nd-6th March 2015, Mercury Hythe Imperial Hotel ..............£339 11th - 15th April 24th - 28th April Winnock Hotel, Drymen Livermead Cliff Hotel, Torquay

European £359.00 Escapes...

APRIL IN ITALY...LAKE GARDA

£379.00

10th-19th April 2015, Liberty Hotel ..........................................£699

KILLARNEY and the Peninsulas 25th-30th May 2015, Rhine Hotel .............................................£559

R E E V E S 2015 HOLIDAY DEAL

SPRINGTIME ON THE RHINE

29th May - 3rd June Killarney Towers Hotel

£499.00 COACH HOLIDAYS

£10 off UK holidays and £20 off Tel: Freephone 0800holidays...

9172862 European and Irish TEL: 01254 830545 or 01254 830545 www.reevescoachholidays.com www.reevescoachholidays.com info@reevescoachholidays.com info@reevescoachholidays.com

When you book and pay your deposit before 24 December 2014 Visit www.reevescoachholidays.com for more information

www.50plusmagazine.co.uk

Turkey and Tinsel Break

Offering Great Value Holidays For Over 90 Years

from only

£129 Sunny Sussex Eastbourne

Located on the south coast within the historic county of Sussex, lies the elegant seaside resort of Eastbourne. Renowned for its top sunshine records and award winning beaches, Eastbourne is understandably a popular holiday destination for all.

With a sprinkling of high street shops, centrally located, a Victorian pier and a rich history boasting a variety of castles, museums and galleries, Eastbourne is sure to cater for your every need.

Imperial Hotel Located just a stone’s throw away from the promenade and band stand, this grand Victorian hotel is full of character and home to a number of spacious, comfortable bedrooms, all accessible via lifts.

Guests are able to unwind in the relaxing lounge area before an evening meal in the Majestic Restaurant, offering hearty, home cooked food.

Hotel facilities l All rooms are en-suite with telephone, television and hairdryer l Free WiFi in Public areas l Premier rooms available* l Complimentary tea and coffee in all rooms l Waiter service l Traditional English breakfast l Lunch snacks available daily l Table d’hôte menu l Optional a la carte menu available l Live entertainment most evenings l Ballroom/Dance floor l Two lifts serving all floors l Porterage.

The Garden Isle Isle of Wight

Take a short boat ride across the Solent and discover the Isle of Wight, an island of astounding natural beauty with a variety of attractions to suit all ages.

Located on the south east coast of the island, the traditional seaside resort of Shanklin is home to golden sandy beaches and a quaint collection of shops housed in traditional thatched cottages. It is understandably one of the most popular resorts on the island with plenty to entertain.

Ocean View Hotel Situated in a premier location with an idyllic seaside position, the charming, well-appointed Ocean View Hotel boasts uninterrupted panoramic views across Sandown Bay. The hotel also offers a large sprung dance floor and provides live entertainment most evenings.

Hotel facilities l All rooms are en-suite with telephone, television and hairdryer l Free WiFi in Public areas l Premier and sea views rooms available* l Complimentary tea and coffee in all rooms l Waiter service l Traditional English breakfast l Lunch snacks available daily l Licensed bar l Table d’hôte menu l Optional a la carte menu available l Live entertainment most evenings l Ballroom/Dance floor l Heated indoor swimming pool l Indoor bowling green, table tennis and snooker room l Lift serving all floors l Porterage.

Please note that on each floor of the hotel, some steps may need to be negotiated.

Delightful Devon Torquay

Located in the heart of the English Riviera, Torquay is renowned for its mild climate, award winning sandy beaches and secluded coves and has been a popular holiday destination since the early 19th century.

With its distinctive European atmosphere, sophisticated environment and beautifully varied scenery, Torquay remains a popular holiday destination.

Abbey Lawn Hotel If you’re looking to unwind in style, this elegant Georgian hotel is the place to stay. Located in the grounds of the former Torre Abbey with stunning views of the bay, the Abbey Lawn hotel offers an exceptional standard of comfort throughout.

The hotel comprises superb facilities, including a heated indoor swimming pool and a conservatory lounge overlooking the bay, where guests can relax and enjoy a drink.

Hotel facilities l All rooms are en-suite with telephone, television and hairdryer l Free WiFi in Public areas l Premier and front facing rooms available* l Complimentary tea and coffee in all rooms l Waiter service l Traditional English breakfast l Lunch snacks available daily l Licensed bar l Table d’hôte menu l Optional a la carte menu available l Live entertainment most evenings l Ballroom/Dance floor l Heated indoor pool l Lift serving all floors l Porterage.

The Robinsons Difference Local joining points l No single supplements* l High standard of accommodation l Great choice of menus l Executive coaches with extra legroom l Includes excursions l Friendly staff l Own hotels in great locations l Peace of mind security l Payment in instalments * Robinsons own hotels l

9 Day Tours 2016

8 nts dinner, bed & breakfast IMPERIAL OCEAN VIEW 30 Apr 07 May 14 May 21 May 28 May 04 Jun 11 Jun 18 Jun 25 Jun 02 Jul 09 Jul 16 Jul 23 Jul 30 Jul 06 Aug 13 Aug 20 Aug 27 Aug 03 Sept 10 Sept 17 Sept 24 Sept 01 Oct 15 Oct 29 Oct 06 Nov 26 Nov

£395 £409 £419 £429 £429 £439 £439 £439 £439 £439 £439 £439 £439 £439 £439 £439 £439 £439 £419 £409 £399 £389 £309 £299 £289 £309 £309

£395 £409 £419 £429 £429 £439 £439 £439 £439 £439 £439 £439 £439 £439 £439 £439 £439 £439 £419 £409 £399 £389 £309 £299 £289 £309 £309

ABBEY LAWN £395 £409 £419 £429 £429 £439 £439 £439 £439 £439 £439 £439 £439 £439 £439 £439 £439 £439 £419 £409 £399 £389 £309 £299 £289 £309 £309

Only standard rooms available on 9 Day Tours

8 Day Tours 2016

7 nts dinner, bed & breakfast IMPERIAL OCEAN VIEW 30 Apr 01 May 07 May 08 May 14 May 15 May 21 May 22 May 28 May 29 May 04 Jun 05 Jun 11 Jun 12 Jun 18 Jun 19 Jun 25 Jun 26 Jun 02 Jul 03 Jul 09 Jul 10 Jul 16 Jul 17 Jul 23 Jul 24 Jul 30 Jul 31 Jul 06 Aug 07 Aug 13 Aug 14 Aug 20 Aug 21 Aug 27 Aug 28 Aug 03 Sept 04 Sept 10 Sept 11 Sept 17 Sept 18 Sept 24 Sept 25 Sept

£349 £349 £359 £359 £369 £369 £379 £379 £389 £389 £399 £399 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £389 £389 £379 £379 £369 £369 £359 £359

£349 £349 £359 £359 £369 £369 £379 £379 £389 £389 £399 £399 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £389 £389 £379 £379 £369 £369 £359 £359

7 Day Tours 2016

6 nts dinner, bed & breakfast

ABBEY LAWN £349 £349 £359 £359 £369 £369 £379 £379 £389 £389 £399 £399 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £409 £389 £389 £379 £379 £369 £369 £359 £359

Imperial Hotel Supplements per person: Premier Room - £35 Abbey Lawn Hotel Supplements per person: Premier Room - £50 Front Facing Room - £15 Ocean View Hotel Supplements per person: Premier Room - £50 Sea View Room - £15

IMPERIAL OCEAN VIEW 27 Mar 03 Apr 10 Apr 17 Apr 24 Apr 01 May 08 May 15 May 22 May 29 May 05 Jun 12 Jun 19 Jun 26 Jun 03 Jul 10 Jul 17 Jul 24 Jul 31 Jul 07 Aug 14 Aug 21 Aug 28 Aug 04 Sept 11 Sept 18 Sept 25 Sept 09 Oct 23 Oct 06 Nov 20 Nov

£219 £229 £249 £259 £269 £299 £315 £325 £335 £345 £355 £379 £379 £379 £379 £379 £379 £379 £379 £379 £379 £379 £379 £369 £369 £359 £329 £249 £239 £259 £259

£219 £229 £249 £259 £269 £299 £315 £325 £335 £345 £355 £379 £379 £379 £379 £379 £379 £379 £379 £379 £379 £379 £379 £369 £369 £359 £329 £249 £239 £259 £259

ABBEY LAWN £219 £229 £249 £259 £269 £299 £315 £325 £335 £345 £355 £379 £379 £379 £379 £379 £379 £379 £379 £379 £379 £379 £379 £369 £369 £359 £329 £249 £239 £259 £259

Only standard rooms available on 7 Day Tours

We offer you ...

3 4/6/7/8 nights dinner, bed & breakfast 3 2 included excursions 3 Local pick-up points 3 Service of driver courier

Your Groups’ Specialist for coach holidays in the UK and Europe

We can tailor make tours to your specific requirements, if you want more information then contact our groups department on 0800 7851025 or email groups@robinsons-holidays.co.uk

With over 90 years of experience in tailor making holidays, we at Robinsons offer a personal service. Whether you need help with part or all of your groups holidays we can lend a hand in organising, booking and everything in-between.

We are flexible in our approach and can offer destinations found in this brochure or we can tailor make to your specification, whether in the UK or Europe. We offer all of our group’s excellent benefits: • 1 FREE place for every 10 paying passengers • Special interest and activity groups catered for • Complete financial security-BCH Bonded

5 Day Tours 2016

4 nts dinner, bed & breakfast IMPERIAL OCEAN VIEW 08 Feb £129 15 Feb £139 22 Feb £139 29 Feb £139 07 Mar £155 14 Mar £159 21 Mar £165 25 Mar £175 30 Mar £169 04 Apr £175 11 Apr £179 18 Apr £185 25 Apr £189 02 May £199 06 May £205 10 May £209 16 May £215 20 May £219 24 May £225 30 May £229 03 Jun £239 07 Jun £239 13 Jun £239 17 Jun £239 21 Jun £239 27 Jun £239 01 Jul £239 05 Jul £239 11 Jul £239 15 Jul £239 19 Jul £239 25 Jul £239 29 Jul £239 02 Aug £239 08 Aug £239 12 Aug £239 16 Aug £239 22 Aug £239 26 Aug £239 30 Aug £239 05 Sept £239 09 Sept £235 13 Sept £229 19 Sept £225 23 Sept £219 27 Sept £215 01 Oct £209 05 Oct £205 09 Oct £199 15 Oct £195 19 Oct £189 23 Oct £185 29 Oct £179 02 Nov £189 06 Nov £189 12 Nov £185 16 Nov £185 20 Nov £179 26 Nov £179 30 Nov £179 * 05 Dec £169 * 12 Dec £159 † 23 Dec £399  29 Dec £349

£129 £139 £139 £139 £155 £159 £165 £175 £169 £175 £179 £185 £189 £199 £205 £209 £215 £219 £225 £229 £239 £239 £239 £239 £239 £239 £239 £239 £239 £239 £239 £239 £239 £239 £239 £239 £239 £239 £239 £239 £239 £235 £229 £225 £219 £215 £209 £205 £199 £195 £189 £185 £179 £189 £189 £185 £185 £179 £179 £179 £169 £159 £399 £349

ABBEY LAWN £129 £139 £139 £139 £155 £159 £165 £175 £169 £175 £179 £185 £189 £209 £205 £199 £195 £189 £185 £179 £189 £189 £185 £185 £179 £179 £179 £169 £159 £399 £349

Imperial Hotel: Supplements per person: Premier Room £20 Ocean View: Supplements per person: Premier Room £30 Front Facing Room: £10 Abbey Lawn : Supplements per person: Premier Room £30 Front Facing Room: £10 Turkey & Tinsel; * Unlimited single rooms; † Christmas Tour includes 3 resort lunches & 1 mystery excursion -  New Year Tour includes 3 resort lunches & 1 mystery excursion

Robinsons Holidays, Park Garage, Great Harwood, Blackburn BB6 7SP

James Martin

Plates, Mates and Automobiles: The Tour!

JAMES Martin – the chef who has made Saturday morning TV a must for millions of viewers – was about to embark on a 25-venue nationwide tour when we chatted and had made a vow: this would be his first, and last, tour.

“I’ve always said I wouldn’t tour because I’ve always felt I didn’t have the right support team in place, but I have now,” he explains. “I’m not doing another, though – there won’t be a second tour!”

Castle Howard estate where his father was a catering manager. Plainly, this influenced him because at 16 he started formal catering training in college which resulted in him being Student of the Year three years running.

The friendly but very decided Yorkshireman had spoken, and that was that. So his fans – of which there are many up and down the country as pre-ticket sales of 30,000 and sold-out venues happily proved– will just have to accept that.

After catering college, he worked for a variety of top chefs in leading restaurants including for famous names Antony Worrall Thompson and Marco Pierre White.

They have, though, accepted the 44 year-old Martin and how he wanted to structure his career from the first moment he stepped onto our screens in November, 1996.

The pleasant and obviously talented young chef immediately impressed, but insisted on doing things his way. And that’s how it has been ever since.

He toured France, working in chateaux kitchens and gaining top-level experience before coming back to England and kickstarting his own career. He was plainly ambitious and in 1994, just before his 22nd birthday, he opened his own hotel and bistro in Winchester. Since, he has opened other hotels including one in Manchester.

Fortunately – both for James and for us viewers – his cookery skills and onscreen charisma have created exactly the right recipe for enduring success.

From his first TV appearance, James quickly engaged with a public which both appreciated his sociable approach to cookery and also his no-nonsense way with food. Youth and natural charm did the rest and when Saturday Kitchen launched in 2006, he was first choice to front the enjoyable and informative programme.

It would have been hard to forecast the level of success, however, when he was a young lad growing up on the

The formula paid off as it became hugely popular, regularly attracting more than 3.5 million viewers and remains part of

12

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CELEBRITY NEWS written 15 best-selling and award-winning cookery books as well as his autobiography, Driven.

The title doesn’t only refer to his ambitions but also to his love of cars and speed; he also has a pilot’s licence.

The tour – entitled Plates, Mates and Automobiles – provided a unique challenge for the chef who takes most things in his stride because he wanted to get the formula just right.

“I didn’t just want to have two ovens on stage, give a bit of chat and have questions planted with the audience,” he states. “So we made it more interesting with interactive elements and various surprises.”

So, importantly, what will he eat on this tour? “Good question,” he ruminates. “Probably the usual chef’s diet of takeaways! Actually, several of my mates who have restaurants around the country have already told me to come and see them when I’m touring so I’ll probably get to eat there.”

All of which sounds like a possible theme for a further TV series, I suggest. “Yes,” he laughs. “You might be right.”

What you won’t find James Martin doing work-wise is Celebrity Big Brother or any other reality TV show. True, he did take part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2006 but you get the impression he just fancied the challenge.

the staple weekend entertainment diet. James also became a regular on Ready Steady Cook on BBC2 and for a variety of other cookery shows across the channels.

In 2013, James was honoured with The Craft Guild of Chefs Special Award for outstanding contribution to the industry.

In March, 2014, his series Food Map of Britain was voted Best Daytime and Early Peak Programme by the Royal Televison Society, and in 2015 he was named TV Personality of the Year at the Fortnum & Mason Awards.

He also makes regular appearances around the world including the BBC Good Food Show and Good Food and Wine Show South Africa and Gourmet Abu Dhabi to name just a few.

He has his own range of small electricals with Wahl Cookware, knives and kitchen textiles with Stellar/ Horwoods and serverware with Denby. James has also launched his own range of bread and cake mixes and hampers, was a consultant with P & O Cruises on the restaurants and menus for their Ocean Village cruise ships for many years and is also consultant to Thomas Cook, creating in-flight meals for the airline.

Somehow in between all his achievements and a work schedule that would make a hummingbird dizzy, he has

He’s a genuine advocate of the best of British food, but then he says he believes in the best of food wherever it comes from – “whether that means Spanish ham or British produce.

Personally, his favourite meal is a Sunday roast round at his mum’s house – although he did hint that he would be looking for the best region for fish and chips when touring, which is bound to prove controversial.

He’s very proud of Saturday Kitchen’s success over the past 10 years, strives to get the programme balance just right, but “thoroughly enjoys it all.”

As for his career in 2016, as well as working on his house in the New Forest for which he’s now got planning permission, he’s going to be looking at a variety of options “but the main thing is just working hard.”

He doesn’t have any special TV ambitions, doesn’t embrace the celebrity lifestyle with red carpet events and insists that “if it all finished tomorrow I’d be happy just cooking.”

And being James Martin, you know that this is exactly what he feels, like it or lump it.

For more information go to www.jamesmartinchef.co.uk

Tickets for James Matin’s tour, ‘Plates, Mates and Automobiles’ are on sale now. Visit Livenation.co.uk’ www.50plusmagazine.co.uk

13

GET THE LATEST GERMAN KITCHEN LOOK

Come to Taurus Interiors to start your bespoke design project. We’ll provide you with stunning handmade items which will become a beautiful centrepiece for your room and a talking point for your visitors.

Whether it’s for your new home or that you need to replace your existing kitchen a new kitchen is an important decision and represents a considerable expenditure. Obviously price and quality are important factors but kitchens have other important aspects. It is important that it is easy to work in and that the storage is well planned for easy access and organisation. A lot of time will be spent in the kitchen therefore it is important that it is a pleasant room to work in. In more recent times housing has got more open-planned and it is seen by many as a key entertaining room for guests as well as family.

Because you don’t buy a kitchen every day it is important that you take some time to choose what make of furniture to buy and who you trust to do your job. We believe that we are your best choice to balance functional planning, attractive design and quality within a reasonable budget.

Our quality stands up well against our German rivals and exceeds that of many domestic manufacturers. We use the same hardware, drawer systems and accessories as do the top end German companies such as Leitch, Poggenpohl and Siematic and a better system than that used by Nolte and Hacker.

Not only do you enjoy the same quality as the better German products you cut out the middleman thus getting much better value for money.

We have complete control over design – other firms do ‘specials’ at inflated prices. ‘Specials’ is our bread and butter. We consider them as normal and we make no excess charge for making units to non-standard dimensions. We will design into the awkward spaces where other companies fear to tread. We design special arrangements for larders and laundries, under stairs and in the slope of a roof.

Workshop & Showroom: Valley Mills, Wenning St Nelson, BB9 0LE enquiries@taurusinteriors.co.uk

T: 07960 264 722

Showroom: 115-117 Burnley Road, Padiham, BB12 8BA

T: 01282 691 300

www.taurusinteriors.co.uk

HOME

CHANGING THE MOOD OF YOUR HOME

BY A N G E L A K E L LY

CHANGING the mood of your home is a definite way to alter and improve your lifestyle in 2016.

The wonderful thing about this positive decision is that it can cost as much – or as little – as you want it to, involving differences to your home that are radical or merely minor.

“It really all depends on your budget and how much change you want, your circumstances and your surrounding space,” explains interior designer Allyson Houghton from Ideas Interior.

She has noticed that a major trend in improving homes today involves glass and letting in plenty of natural light through glass walls and roofs. “This is a natural improver of your mood and helps bring the outside in,” she adds.

extension to provide more rooms or an extra bathroom.

Select your builder carefully, preferably on recommendation, and see for

Chris Bull from Taurus Interiors believes that light is crucial to improving living areas. “In bathrooms and kitchens you generally want brighter lights, with softer lighting in the lounge and bedrooms,” he states.

Try panels on the walls that reflect light. “LED lighting is so far advanced now that you can change the mood whenever you want,” he adds. “There is even a switch with eight different settings in one.”

If you are planning major changes to alter the whole mood and atmosphere of your property and way of living, it may well be worth investing in an

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yourself the kind of work he has already carried out. Look at the planning permission or building control approval you might need first by checking on the Government website www.planningportal.gov.uk “Conservatories and orangeries are also very popular these days,” says Allyson, ”and you can often finally achieve the lifestyle you dreamed of by having this improvement in light and space.”

Allyson Houghton Ideas Interiors is an established Interior Design Studio based in the heart of Lancashire, and their client geographic stretches from The Highlands to London and further afield in Europe.

There are many varying styles of both available and, again, choose your supplier carefully. Go online and study the styles that would both complement your own home and will provide the changes you want or visit local showrooms.

“Sometimes, just painting your home, improving the garden or patio and adding colourful pots of plants and

15

flowers can change the whole look of your home and lift your mood, too,” states Allyson.

Take a look at your existing front-door: does it need sprucing up with a lick of paint or do you need a new one? A modern front-door, often with smart glass panels, can make quite a difference to your hallway – “and this area is the gateway to your home as it’s the first thing visitors see so it really needs to give a good impression,” says Allyson.

Lighting around your home is a major improver of mood and feelings. Allyson advises investing in dimmer switches to change the lighting as your own mood changes, and use good-quality candles around the home. “These not only give out a lovely light but can also scent your home – and the senses need soothing in this way so they are a definite mood-changer.”

If you’re buying new light fittings, while it’s useful to see what is available by going online, it’s always best to go into shops and stores and see light fittings for yourself and the effect they have on an area.

Be careful about choosing wall colours and décor throughout your property.

Bold colours like reds and greens can be harsh but if you want a more relaxing ambience, neutral shades and gentler colours like blues and lilacs can soothe and improve how you feel as soon as you step through the door.

Colour is vital in your home. Introducing colour will change a room, and different rooms need different colours which

16

send out different messages, so it’s important to get it right.

If you’ve definitely got a generous budget for changes, investing in a new lounge suite that offers a more comfortable way to relax is worth the effort.

But, Allyson advises that if you have a really good suite or sofa that’s more than 15 years-old but looking the worse for wear these days, consider having it re-upholstered instead. “Older furniture can be particularly well-made and some good suites are certainly worth keeping – I never advise throwing away one like that,” she says. “Find a good upholsterer to give your suite or sofa a more modern look and you’ll be amazed at the difference this makes.

And if you can’t afford re-upholstering, invest in a couple of attractive throws to alter the way they look.”

Changing a room’s colourscheme by getting the help of a recommended painter and decorator – or simply doing it yourself – can bring a main room like a lounge into the 21st century.

Use a central colour, adds Allyson, and

accentuate this with toning cushions and other soft furnishings and you’ll be surprised at how fresh your home is starting to look.

New curtains and drapes that frame windows beautifully can also open up a room, adding to that lovely new décor.

This new style can be repeated around the home in varying ways. Having a new kitchen is a welcome, major addition to your property and certainly worth the investment if yours is looking jaded and old-fashioned.

“Or adding new unit doors and work surfaces can also re-vamp a kitchen,” states Allyson. “Smart new flooring, a new sink and taps can really cheer up your kitchen and make it look modern.”

Floor coverings generally can alter the look and mood of your home – and you don’t need to spend a fortune to make rooms smarter and feel so much more comfortable, which improves your quality of living.

www.50plusmagazine.co.uk

HOME A new bathroom might be your dream – and a great place for relaxing. Baths are a real style item today and it’s worth having a look around for just the right shape and style. The same goes for your bathroom tiling and décor – “but sometimes just having candles lit in your bathroom can make a difference,” insists Allyson.

Your bedroom is definitely a place that needs to reflect a relaxing mood, so does it need a revamp?

New units completely change this room, and improve your lifestyle by having a place for everything.

On a simpler level, new bedding, cushions and a new carpet can make this room into a wonderfully restive place – and investing in a new bed is definitely an ongoing mood-changer that gives you the right level of sleep, every night.

• For more information go to: www.ideasinterior.co.uk www.taurusinteriors.co.uk

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17

A PERFECT LIVING SPACE…

H

aving lived in their five-bedroom family home in Old Langho for almost 10 years, Nigel and Rachael Stones decided the time had come to extend their Ribble Valley property and create a bright new modern living space for themselves and their three teenage children.

The extension stretched across the whole of the rear of the property and by knocking through it provided a blank canvas for what was going to be a new family kitchen, dining area, utility and living space.

As the extension got underway the couple began their quest to find a kitchen company that could find a design that suited them and their busy family life.

“I certainly did a lot of research as quite a few of our friends had recently had new kitchens,” recalls Rachael.

“We narrowed it down to two companies, one of which was BetterHaus in Clitheroe.

When I went to see Joanna I couldn’t fail to be impressed as she came up with some great original design ideas which no-one else had suggested.”

As Rachael explains: “My sights were originally set on an all-white kitchen but

Using a contemporary monochrome colour palette and splashes of colour courtesy of acclaimed US artist Todd White, a busy Ribble Valley family have created their perfect living space.

Photography: TVPAV.com

homesinsideout when I discussed this with Joanna, she thankfully persuaded me that it would look when I discussed this with Joanna, she too stark and too clinical.” thankfully that itpale would look Rachael persuaded opted for me beautiful grey when Iunits discussed with manufacturer Joanna, she too stark and toothis clinical.” gloss from German thankfully persuaded thatblack it would look Rachael opted forme beautiful pale grey Schuller with a matt Lava island unit too stark and too clinical.” gloss units from German manufacturer and white quartz worktops with a touch of Rachael opteda matt for beautiful paleisland grey unit Schuller with Lava black added sparkle! gloss manufacturer and units white from quartzGerman worktops with a touch of Schuller with aoVERALL matt Lava black island unit EFFECT added THE sparkle! and white IS quartz worktops with a touch of FANTASTIC AS IT added sparkle!

THE oVERALL CombINES THREE EFFECT dIFFERENT

homesinsideout

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HOME tbc

IS FANTASTIC AS IN IT dEFINEd SPACES THE oVERALL EFFECT CombINES THREE dIFFERENT AN oPEN ARCHITECTuRE IS FANTASTIC AS ITIN dEFINEd SPACES ENVIRoNmENT CombINES THREE dIFFERENT AN oPEN ARCHITECTuRE dEFINEd SPACES INtook less Installation of the new kitchen ENVIRoNmENT timeAN thanoPEN expectedARCHITECTuRE with very little disruption of the new kitchen took less andInstallation few issues.

ENVIRoNmENT

time expected very little “Wethan thought thatwith extraction for disruption the hob Installation of the kitchen took less and few issues. would be an issue butnew this was quickly resolved time“We thanthought expectedthat withextraction very littlefor disruption the hob and fewbeissues. would an issue but this was quickly resolved oven, combination microwave, warming drawer, dishwasher and full height fridge, “We thought that extraction for the hob oven, combination microwave, all

by Siemens, while a Quookerwarming boiling would be an issue but this was quickly resolved drawer, full“I height fridge, tap is the dishwasher star of the and show: love it!” says oven, microwave, warming all bycombination Siemens, Quooker boiling Rachael.

“As soonwhile as wea decided we were drawer, dishwasher full my height tap is the star theand “I love it!” undertaking theofwork Ishow: had heartfridge, set says on all

by Siemens, while “As soon as aweQuooker decided boiling we were aRachael. boiling tap!” tap is the star of the love it!” set sayson undertaking the work I had“Imy heart Joanna Jackson of show: BetterHaus adds: Rachael.

“As sooncame as we we she were a boiling tap!”

“When Rachael to decided BetterHaus had undertaking the I BetterHaus had was my heart setfor. on Joanna adds: a good ideaJackson of work the of design looking aWe boiling tap!”

“When had wereRachael able tocame cometoupBetterHaus with a fewsheideas Jackson of design BetterHaus adds: aJoanna good of the for. that the idea couple really liked.was Thelooking extractor “When Rachael came to well BetterHaus she ideas had We were to come up with worked outable particularly as it ais few virtually aflush goodthe ofceiling thereally design waswere looking for. that couple The extractor toidea the andliked. we able to We were ableparticularly to come with few ideas worked out as aitwith is virtually ‘hide’ a protruding wallupwell which, the that the really liked.

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by Joanna. We had chosen to raise the steel some additional you valuable were three told. combines differentstorage. definedYou spaces work to provide us with a higher ceiling wouldn’t know it was there unless “The even overall effect is fantastic as it

by Joanna. had wish chosento tospoil raisethis thewith steel you level but weWe didn’t were told. combines three different defined spaces work to provide with a from highertheceiling an extractor which us protruded ceiling.

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We didn’t had chosen to raise steel level but we wish spoil this with combines three different defined spaces Joanna immediately suggested onethe which work tobetween provide us protruded with higher ceiling an extractor which from the ceiling. fitted the joistsa and provided the level but we didn’t to spoil this which with Joanna immediately suggested ideal solution.

It’s wish brilliant and one provides anthe extractor which protruded from theseeking ceiling. fitted between the joistsweand provided the perfect appearance were Joanna immediately oneprovides which ideal solution.

It’s suggested brilliant and to achieve.” fitted between the the joistskitchen and were provided the the appearance we Toperfect incorporate and seeking living ideal solution.

It’s brilliant to achieve.” space, BetterHaus designedand andprovides custom the perfect appearance we were seeking To incorporate thedining kitchen and made an eight-seater table, aliving coffee totable achieve.” space, designed custom andBetterHaus two side tables in theand same surface To theisland kitchen and living an eight-seater dining table, a coffee asmade wasincorporate used for the unit. space, BetterHaus andsame custom table and two the side designed tables in the surface In addition utility room benefits made an eight-seater table, as was used for shoe the dining island from a bespoke storageunit. bencha coffee unit to table twotidy side in the same surface Inand addition the utility benefits keep things intables what is room an extraordinarily asbusy washousehold! for the island unit.bench unit to from aused bespoke shoe storage InAppliances addition the benefits keep things tidy inutility whatanroom is induction an extraordinarily included hob, from bespoke shoe storage bench unit to busya household! keepAppliances things tidy included in what isananinduction extraordinarily hob, busy household!

Appliances included an induction hob, www.50plusmagazine.co.uk

in an open architecture environment. The complementing colour scheme, the splashes in colour an openfrom architecture environment.

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The ofancolour from the various and thearchitecture environment theypictures were seeking complementing colour the provides splashes matching builtscheme, furniture, to achieve.custom ofexactly colourthe from the variousthey pictures environment were and seeking matching custom built furniture, provides RACHEL oPTEd FoR to achieve. exactly environment were seeking PALEthe GREy GLoSSthey uNITS wITH to achieve.

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PALE GREy GLoSS wITH uNITS ANd wHITEuNITS quARTz RACHEL oPTEd FoR mATT LAVA bLACk ISLANd woRkToPS wITH A TouCH oF PALE GREy GLoSS uNITS wITH uNITS ANd wHITE quARTz AddEd SPARkLE! mATT LAVA bLACk ISLANd woRkToPS wITH A TouCH oF uNITS ANd wHITE “FriendsAddEd have already saidquARTz it’s a great SPARkLE! party space,” sayswITH Rachael.

Asked whether woRkToPS A TouCH oF have already said it’s a great they“Friends might be entertaining over Christmas AddEd SPARkLE!

party space,” Rachael. Asked whether her reply was:says “Absolutely!”

“Friends have already it’s aChristmas great they befamily entertaining over Themight Stones aresaid delighted with party space,” says“Absolutely!”

Rachael.

Asked her was: the reply end result: “We hardly use whether any of they might be entertaining over Christmas Stones family aresays delighted with theThe other rooms now!”

Rachael. her reply was: “Absolutely!” result: “We hardly useteam any of “Itthe is end absolutely fantastic and the at Theother Stones family are delighted with the rooms now!” says and Rachael.

BetterHaus have been amazing couldn’t the result: “We hardly of at “It isend absolutely fantastic theany team n anduse have done anymore.” the other rooms says Rachael.

BetterHaus have now!” been amazing and couldn’t To see the range from BetterHaus and discuss “It is absolutely fantasticnand the team at have done anymore.” your own ideas visit the showroom or website: BetterHaus have been amazing and couldn’t www.betterhaus.co.uk or call 01200and 422193 To see the range from BetterHaus discuss have done anymore.” n your own ideas visit the showroom or website: or call 01200 Towww.betterhaus.co.uk see the range from BetterHaus and 422193 discuss your own ideas visit the showroom or website: www.betterhaus.co.uk or call 01200 422193

BetterHaus Units 8 & 9, Hawthorne Business Park Lincoln Way BetterHaus Clitheroe 1QD Units 8 &BB7 9, Hawthorne Business Park Lincoln Way BetterHaus Clitheroe 1QD Units 8 & 9,BB7 Hawthorne Business Park Lincoln Way Clitheroe BB7 1QD 19

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Awe hosthave of options and fillings blends, createdthat and fillings blends, weindividual’s have created respond perfectly to an perfectly to collections anadjustable individual’s shape suite of bed which include the classic sprung edge abase, a wirelessly base,size, aoffer unique a suite of bed collections which offer shape and weight. varying comfort preferences and ensure and weight. slatted base and a supremely size, stylish upholstered bedstead range, varying comfort preferences and perfectly to an individual’s the comfort and aesthetic stylerespond can be tailored just for you. respond perfectly to an individual’s Relyon Beds factory Relyon now Relyon Bedsand factory Relyon now size, shape weight. employs nearly 500 people andis is size, shape and weight. employs nearly 500 people in in and With over thirty luxury fabrics, five leg designs and seven headboards firmly established as one ofleading the your leading Relyon Beds factory styles to select from, your perfect haven can beasRelyon designed to suit firmly established one ofnow the UK manufacturers.

Relyon Beds factory Relyon employs nearly 500 people in now and is individual decorative taste. UK bedbed manufacturers. firmly established as 500 one ofpeople the leading employs nearly in and is UKfirmly bed manufacturers. established as one of the leading UK bed manufacturers.

Blackburn • Burnley • 01254 681082 www.prestigebeds.co.uk

STORE INFORMATION STORE INFORMATION

PrestonINFORMATION • 01772 886666 STORE www.boldstreetbeds.co.uk Family businesses since 1955 *not to be used in conjunction with any other offer.

How This Man Can Help You Gain Up To A Third More Space In Your Home Space is critical in every home. Think of the number of times you’ve thought “it would be good to keep this, the problem is where?” Well, how about your loft? In the average home it accounts for between a quarter to onethird of the space.

That’s a huge area that can add so many uses and benefits to family life. Perhaps it’s difficult to get into?

Not floored for storage or use? Local company Access4lofts solve all these problems simply. They specialise in developing lofts for storage. Hundreds of local house owners now benefit from this added space.

Safe access to your loft... The majority of properties have an access hatch to the loft space. By installing a good quality, fold away loft ladder, with a 5 year guarantee and an enlarged hatch, if needed, the area instantly becomes easily accessible as a valuable storage space. “If the access hatch is in a difficult place, then don’t worry, the chances are it can be moved to a more convenient location” explains Gary from Access4lofts.

Prices are remarkably low, For the price of a small garden shed, you can have the convenience of useful storage indoors.

Access4Lofts can supply and install a new loft hatch and ladder of your choice in your home in just one day!

That means that your dark and dismal roof space suddenly becomes a useful storage area for all that family clutter.

“My experience enables fitting the ladder and converting the access hatch, in double-quick time the space is accessible and I leave no mess behind” explains Gary.

Floored, useful and light.... This gives you somewhere to store the suitcases, winter/summer clothes, family air looms and kids toys. As soon as you have this

additional space the improvement it makes to everyday family life will amaze you.

Don’t forget that garage loft too, all pitched garages have all that wasted space, you could clear the floor of the garage, and get the car in for a change!

Added property value exceeds fitting cost... With the problems of moving house today, not to mention all the stress of the move, this is a simple solution which adds value to your property. With a safe ladder giving access to the roof, everybody can store their goodies away from the living area.

And, if you are planning to sell your home, easy access to the loft space could give your home the advantage over other houses your buyer might be looking at.

So, to find out how Access4Lofts can solve your storage problems, please contact Gary at Access4Lofts on 01254 897085 or visit www. access4lofts-blackburn.co.uk to find out more.

Need more storage space? Fed up with clutter?

Access4Lofts can install a loft hatch, ladder & boarding to create an easily accessible & incredibly useful storage space in your home.

Why Choose Access4Lofts? n

You don’t have to stay in all day waiting for us to arrive - we arrive when we say we will.

our ladders are guaranteed for a minimum of 5 years. n

All

Mess! All our installations are carried out by a fully house trained professional who is a dab hand with a hoover! n

Book to Have a Loft Hatch & Ladder Installed & I’l l install 2 Sqm of Boardi ng on Your Existing Joists Absolutley free!

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For your FREE loft survey & quote please call Gary on 01254 897085 or visit www.access4lofts.co.uk 22

www.50plusmagazine.co.uk

One stop shop, tiles and flooring available, everything under one roof • Massive choice of traditional or modern • Fabulous showroom with 60 displays open 7 days

See our ns s in tallatio r u o n o site

• Owned by JJO Furniture Manufacturers offering very keen prices and a quick turnaround.

Financially solid.

• Project-managed installation. All aspects covered • Established over 150 years with four experienced designers plus CAD designer for outstanding visual aids.

• 'Buy Now, Pay Later' subject to status

Bacup - 352-358 Newchurch Road, Stacksteads, Bacup. OL13 OLD Tel: 01706 252122 Oswaldtwistle - Oswaldtwistle Mills, Colliers Street, Oswaldtwistle. BB5 3DE Tel: 01254 304068 Ulverston - Kitchen House, Brogden/Market Street, Ulverston. LA12 7AH Tel: 01229 581028 Pendle Village Mill - Hollin Bank, Brierfield, Nelson. Lancashire BB9 5NG Tel: 01282 442424

www.rossendaleinteriors.com

Transforming Smiles As an implant centre of excellence, Douglas Lee Dental Associates recently carried out its 150th ‘Fast and Fixed’ same- day implant procedure, a technique that has transformed the smiles, and the lives, of many patients...

BEFORE

Leading the way in UK implant technology is Lancashire-based Douglas Lee, who was one of the first dentists in the country to adopt the highly successful pioneering ‘Fast and Fixed’ technique.

The ‘Fast and Fixed’ implant procedure has made Douglas Lee Dental Associates a flagship practice and teaching surgery for the Germanpioneered technique, Testament to their skills, the team at Douglas Lee Dental were the first in the UK to carry out a full set of upper and lower jaw implants in the same day.

24

The team were absolutely wonderful, they are so attentive and it’s a very caring practice

After reading about the procedure, sales consultant Jacqueline Shonn called Douglas Lee Dental and arranged for a consultation: “I am 55 but I am not an old 55 and I had to wear dentures on either side of my lower teeth, which I hated with a vengeance!

They made me feel old!

care she received: “The team were absolutely wonderful, they are so attentive and it’s a very caring practice.”

“I had been thinking about implants for a while and after talking to Dougie I decided I definitely wanted to go ahead.’’

Jacqueline, who lives in Manchester, was amazed at the

Having experience in many aspects of dentistry and now a respected expert in implants, Dougie comments: “No-one wants to lose their teeth but sometimes, despite everyone’s best efforts, teeth fail and

After undergoing the sameday implants Jacqueline was delighted with the results: “It has improved my confidence a million per cent! I am thrilled.”

we previously had to resort to prosthetics like removable dentures. Dental implants are a wonderful improvement on these.”

Jackie had lost a number of her teeth and with several failing teeth still in place, she also needed work on her gums.

Sedated, Jackie was then painlessly fitted with her lower implants.

During their years of experience, the team at Douglas Lee Dental Associates have refined the ‘Fast and Fixed’ procedure and have state-of-the-art in-house technology at their fingertips.

In addition to the Helbo laser

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PULL QUOTES “The team were absolutely wonderful, they are so attentive and it’s a very caring practice” “I had been thinking about implants for a while and after talking to Dougie I decided I definitely wanted to go ahead”

which eradicates over 99 per cent of harmful bacteria, there is a Cone beam CT scanner and an on-site dental lab with experienced technicians, who are able to custom make the implants on the same day.

Sedation ensures that no pain is felt and the patient remains relaxed throughout the experience.

“To be honest before the procedure I felt quite wary but, it was amazing, I felt no pain or discomfort. I also had four teeth removed and it was still better than going to the dentist for a filling!” says Jackie.

I had been thinking about implants for a while and after talking to Dougie I decided I definitely wanted to go ahead

Preparation is the key to the success and the team of dental nurses, dental technicians, cosmetic dentist Usman Riaz and Dougie himself, all play their part on the day. ‘’No two smiles are the same, so there is no ‘one-size-fits all’ when it comes to this level of cosmetic dentistry, ’’ says Usman.

“Carrying out our 150th procedure was quite a milestone for us and like all the

www.50plusmagazine.co.uk

other patients, the implants have completely changed Jackie’s smile,” adds Usman.

“Implants can transform people – they gain confidence and restore self-esteem. It may sound a cliché but this procedure really does change their lives.”

Douglas Lee

A S S O C I A T E S Douglas Lee Dental Associates

115 Whalley Road Accrington BB5 1BX 01254 237517 hello@douglasleedental.co.uk 25

FOOD & DRINK

S W E E T TR E AT S The secret to a perfect panna cotta lies in having a slight sharpness – here from buttermilk – to balance the sweetness. The consistency is also important: too much gelatine will give you something you could bounce off the kitchen wall; you want to use just enough for the panna cotta to hold its shape when unmoulded. Combined with raspberry jelly, raspberries and warm, sugar-dusted doughnuts, this is a really delicious dessert on the plate. The remaining doughnuts are great with coffee.

B U T T E R M I L K PA N N A C O T TA W I T H D O U G H N U T S A N D R A S P B E R RY J E L LY For the doughnuts 1 quantity enriched yeast dough, made to the end of the first prove vegetable oil, for deep-frying caster sugar, for dusting For the mascarpone cream 100g mascarpone cheese 25g caster sugar 50ml double cream 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped First make the panna cotta. Place the double cream in a small pan with the vanilla pod and seeds, bring to the boil, then remove from the heat. Add the drained, squeezed gelatine and whisk through until dissolved.

Set aside to cool, then add the buttermilk and whisk gently to combine.

Carefully pour into 8 small pudding basins or ramekins, making sure you distribute the vanilla seeds equally.

Refrigerate for 4 hours, or until set.

Serves 8 250g raspberries, plus 100g for garnish 1 tbsp water 1–2 tsp icing sugar 6 mint sprigs For the panna cotta 300ml double cream 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped 5 gelatine leaves, soaked in cold water for 5 minutes 450ml buttermilk For the raspberry jelly 50g caster sugar 100ml water 300g raspberries 4 gelatine leaves, soaked in cold water for 5 minutes 26

For the sauce, place the 250g raspberries, the water and icing sugar in a blender and blitz to a purée. Pass through a fine sieve into a bowl and add more icing sugar if necessary. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

For the jelly, bring the sugar and water to a boil in a pan. Add the raspberries and heat until they just start to break down. Remove from the heat and pass through a fine sieve. Don’t press, just let the juice drip through.

Measure 300ml juice and return to the saucepan to warm through. Add the drained, squeezed gelatine and stir until completely dissolved. Remove from the

heat. Line a shallow baking tray (20cm x 15cm) with clingfilm and pour the jelly over it to a depth of about 3mm. Chill in the fridge until set.

For the doughnuts, divide the dough into 40 equal portions and roll into balls. Line a tray with silicone paper and space the balls evenly across it. Cover with a tea towel. Set aside at room temperature to prove for 20 minutes.

When the dough has proved, heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 150°C/320°F. Alternatively, heat the oil in a deep, heavy-based saucepan until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns brown immediately when dropped in.

CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous.

Never leave unattended.

Carefully lower the dough balls into the hot oil in batches and deep-fry for 3–4 minutes, until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on kitchen paper to drain. Transfer to a plate and dust generously with the sugar.

For the mascarpone cream, whisk the mascarpone, sugar, cream and vanilla seeds together in a bowl until smooth.

To serve, cut the jelly into squares (about 2.5cm). Briefly dip each panna cotta mould in hot water, then turn out onto a large plate. Place two spoonfuls of the cream on each plate and top with a jelly square. Place two doughnuts on each plate and scatter the remaining raspberries and the mint around. Finish with a drizzle of raspberry sauce.

www.50plusmagazine.co.uk

I first came across really good palmiers when I was working on the pastry section in a restaurant in the south of France. The trick is to get an even dusting of sugar, so that as the palmiers cook it caramelises to a nice glaze.

Palmiers are often offered as a petit four to end a meal, but sandwiched with raspberries and cream, they’re hard to beat for afternoon tea. These are best served at room temperature – once they go into the fridge, the butter in the pastry solidifies, making them less pleasant to eat.

BUTTERFLY PALMIERS WITH RASPBERRIES AND CREAM

Your perfect recipe needs top quality ingredients...

Serves 6 650g puff pastry or good-quality, bought all-butter puff pastry flour, for dusting 60g caster sugar 100ml stock syrup glaze (optional) For the filling 300ml double cream, softly whipped 200g raspberries Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.

Line 2 large baking sheets with silicone paper.

Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle 25cm x 40cm and about 3mm thick, with the long side facing you, like a landscape picture.

Dust the pastry rectangle with 20g of the caster sugar then fold one long side of the pastry into the centre.

Repeat with the other long side to meet it, so you now have a piece half the width.

Dust with another 20g of the caster sugar, then repeat, folding each side into the centre, leaving a 5mm gap in the centre. Dust once more with the remaining sugar and repeat – you should now have three folds on each side with plenty of sugar sandwiched in between. Fold both sides together gently as you would close an open book, then transfer to a tray and place in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up.

Bury Market, winner of BBC Radio 4’s Food and Farming Awards (Best Food Market) really has it all.

Remove the roll and cut into 12 x 1cm-thick slices. Lay on a lined baking tray, spacing them so that they are at least 6cm apart.

Bake for 12–15 minutes until golden and crispy.

Bury Market

With over 350 stalls open every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday you will find our friendly traders sell everything you need for making delicious home-cooked meals.

Great quality produce at great value prices, brought fresh to market every day!

Remove the palmiers from the oven, turn them straight over, place back on the tray and brush them with a little stock syrup glaze, if liked. The palmiers are best eaten on the day you make them.

Tel: 0161 253 6520

When cold, spoon the whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm nozzle and pipe the cream over half the palmiers.

Top with some lightly crushed raspberries and another palmier.

Serve immediately.

Web: www.burymarket.com

www.50plusmagazine.co.uk

: @BuryMarket

Email: burymarkets@bury.gov.uk

27

FOOD & DRINK I love this simple little dessert that one of my chefs came up with – cherries and chocolate are a great combination.

As with any tart, it’s vital to make sure the pastry is nice and thin, so you get plenty of filling and not too much pastry. Otherwise it can be more like eating a biscuit!

C H O C O L AT E A N D C H E R R Y TA R T WITH CRÈME FRAÎCHE SORBET Serves 8–10 butter, for greasing 1 quantity pâte sucrée 1 egg yolk, for blind-baking flour, for dusting 400g tin cherries in syrup 400g dark chocolate (minimum 60% cocoa solids), roughly chopped 250ml double cream 100g caster sugar 2 tbsp crushed Hazelnut Praline and edible flowers 1 quantity Crème Fraîche Sorbet Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6. Butter a 23cm x 4cm loose-bottomed tart tin.

Roll the pâte sucrée out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 3mm and use to line the tin. Blind bake the pastry.

While the pastry case is baking, drain the cherries through a sieve into a saucepan and place the syrup over a medium heat. Cook the syrup until thick and sticky, and reduced by half. Chop the cherries in half, then add to the pan with the reduced syrup and allow to cool.

Put the chocolate into a large, heatproof bowl. Heat the double cream and sugar together in a saucepan until just simmering then pour over the chocolate and whisk continuously until smooth.

Spread the cherries and their syrup over the base of the tart case, then pour the chocolate filling over the top. Glaze with a blow torch or place under a hot grill until bubbling, then chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to set. Remove and leave at room temperature until ready to serve. Place a line of the crushed praline and edible flowers on each plate, then slice the tart and serve with a scoop of Crème Fraîche Sorbet.

Sweet by James Martin (Quadrille £20) Photography: Peter Cassidy

28

www.50plusmagazine.co.uk

HEALTH

TOP TIPS FOR STAYING YOUNG FOR LONGER 1. Avoid and reduce stress as much as possible. Stress is one of the most

common causes of premature ageing, so take time to relax and have a

little humour in your life.

2. Oxygen is vital for keeping your body healthy. Make sure you get

plenty of fresh air and ensure you have plenty of plants around you at

home and at work.

3.

Whilst keeping active can help fight the loss of stamina, muscle strength, balance and bone density associated with ageing. Exercising your mind is equally important to exercising your body. A healthy and active mind will help you feel younger. Try learning something new to keep your brain stimulated.

4. Having the right amount of sleep is essential to staying young. Taking

a short nap can make a huge difference to thinking clearly and feeling

happy, but make sure it’s just after lunch so that night sleeping is not disrupted.

5. Laughter releases endorphins thus relieving pain, reduces stress

hormones and boosts the immunity system. So put on those comedy

DVDs and laugh a lot!

6. The facial feedback hypothesis suggests that facial expressions

influence our emotions. So smile and feel better. It’s the greatest

facelift in the world!

7. Stand tall. Good posture can make us look 10 years younger and

much more confidant.

8. A suntan makes us look healthy and vibrant, but in the long run it’s

terribly ageing. A little colour with the protection of sunscreen is the answer.

AP Smilecare offers more than just dentistry. Our skincare clinic has grown over the past 6 years to deliver a comprehensive range of treatments to rejuvenate and revitalise your skin.

Our treatment menu offers: • Tailored chemical peels to treat problem skin such as acne and rejuvenate.

• EDerma –roller collagen stimulation for long term hydrated and smoother skin.

• Antiwrinkle injections to erase crow’s feet and forehead lines.

• Dermal fillers to volumise cheeks and lip pouts.

• Perspiration treatments, perfect to prevent underarm patches.

• Non – surgical ‘Face lifts’ that use antiwrinkle treatments and filler in combination to turn back years on your face.

Our health background means we focus on care that is best for you. Dr Prasad is here daily for appointments and all our clients have a 24 hour number for advice. Our initial consultations give you the time to discuss what outcomes you want to achieve and we can then create tailor made solutions within your budget.

Our range of skincare delivers proven results to reduce pigmentation, acne and in helping promote younger skin stimulation.

REJUVENATE YOUR FACE

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29

THE NORTH'S LARGEST

E-BIKE STORE

know what we are doing, having trained mechanics, tools, spares and above all the knowledge and backing of all the leading brands.

In Europe pedal assist cycle sales commonly known as e-bikes are massive and now here in the UK sales are growing at an un-believable rate now that the quality and choice has finely arrived.

HERE IS A SIMPLE GUIDE TO COVER THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS...

MOTOR AND BATTERY

There are two main types of motor, hub drive and crank drive. Hub drive has a motor either in the front or rear wheel supplied with power from a battery this will either pull you from the front wheel or push you from the rear wheel. Crank drive is where the motor is mounted on the frame where the pedals are attached, there are many advantages to this it has a smaller lighter battery, better balanced and less surge as the torque is supplied more evenly throughout the range. The big boys have got behind the crank system with Bosch, Yamaha and Shimano leading the way in technology they cost a little more than the hub system but are our choice of system as they are more reliable have more of a natural feel and perform much better up the hills. As for batteries again the big boys are now involved with Sony and Panasonic leading the way with the lithium cells, there lighter than Ni-cad and generally last longer.

MAINTENANCE

Don't be put off with the motor and electrical bits of kit as most motors and batteries are sealed and need very little maintenance, it will not require much more than a normal bike and we offer free servicing to all our customers for a year. Obviously if you look after it, it will look after you.

TEST RIDES

NOW the most important and fun part, don't just ride it for a few metres we are lucky to have at both our stores flat, bumpy,twisty and dare I say it bloody steep hills, you can try the gears, brakes, position and the different power levels of assist in fact we recommend you try a few. If you want to take bikes out for a few hours we offer accompanied rides free or the chance to hire one for a day or two.

MAKING THAT PURCHASE

After your test rides you should know which bike suites you and your budget, we offer interest free finance, payment by credit, debit and good old cash we will also take any bike as part exchange the choice is yours.

STYLE OF BIKE

Think of any conventional cycle be it Road, Mountain, Commuter, Trekking, Folding and even the three wheel Trike we stock them all plus the equivalent in an electric model. In a nutshell we will have a bike that will meet your needs and aspirations.

SUPPORT & BACKUP

It is essential that once you have purchased your e-bike you have the backup and service, having sold e-bikes for the last twenty years we

AUTHORISED DEALERS FOR...

HAIBIKE | SCOTT | RALEIGH | TREK GIANT | CUBE | AXCESS | FREEGO

ÂŁ40 WORTH OF ACCESSORIES FREE WITH ANY BIKE PURCHASED. PRESENT THIS ADVERT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS OFFER. 30

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THE HEALTH BENEFITS Cycling has always been a popular way to enjoy the countryside whilst staying fit. However, the electric bike has opened it up to a new section of cyclists. Some people may argue that a conventional cycle will keep you fitter.

A recent Australian study shows that on an electric bike a rider maintains a heart rate intensity that is mainly in the target range where cardio vascular benefit is gained, fats are burned in producing energy and no lactic acid build up occurs. Riding a conventional cycle provides the strongest cardio vascular and fitness workout.

The intensity, however, is often so high that carbohydrates would be used for energy along with lactic acid build up.

A study of 20 healthy but sedentary subjects (10 male and 10 female) showed improvement to general health condition, stating: “The conclusion remains that the electric assisted bike can help overcome the barrier to physical activity.”

WITH TWO STORES TO CHOOSE FROM WHY NOT TRY THE NEXT BIG THING AND TEST RIDE ONE TODAY!

GRAB YOURSELF A BARGAIN!

2015 MODELS REDUCED. WHEN THEY'RE GONE THEY'RE GONE RALEIGH VELO XC £1000 £699 RALEIGH VELO TRAIL £1350 £799 AXCESS HUNTER £945 £845 AXCESS MUSTANG £945 £845 RALEIGH DOVER £1699 £999 GIANT TWIST £1695 £1045 RALEIGH STOW E-WAY £1300 £1099 RALEIGH MOTUS (A COUPLE OF LIGHT SCUFFS ON FRAME) £2000 £1599 HAIBIKE HARDSEVEN SL £1850 £1599 SCOTT EVENTURE 30 £2399 £1749 TREK POWERFLY 5 £2000 £1799 SCOTT E-SPORTSTER £2599 £1899 HAIBIKE FULLSEVEN £3400 £2599 HAIBIKE ALL MOUNTAIN RC £3700 £2799 HAIBIKE XDURO ALL MOUNTAIN RX £4400 £3499 HAIBIKE XDURO ALL MOUNTAIN PRO £5500 £4299 P/X BARGAIN - GIANT TWIST £1699 £499

WA N T E D : Q U A L I T Y P R E - O W N E D E L E C T R I C B I K E S

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01282 438855 01254 662440

BURNLEY STORE

OFF QUEENS LANCASHIRE WAY, BURNLEY BB11 1AT

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WHALLEY NEW ROAD, BLACKBURN BB1 9AU

WWW.ONYERBIKEONLINE.COM

We offer offer aawide widerange rangeofofservices services aimed at the over five sites aimed at the over 50s 50s fromfrom five sites and outreach venues andseveral several outreach venues Advice and Information – free confidential and impartial advice on all issues facing older

Advice Information – freeLibrary confidential and impartial peopleand based in Blackburn and Darwen Townadvice Hall on all issues facing older people based in Blackburn Library and Darwen Town Hall

Ageing Well – a range of physical and other social activities to

Ageing Well – a range of physical and other social activities to improve improve health and wellbeing health and wellbeing

Befriending – friendship and support for older people through

Befriending – friendship and support for older people through visiting, visiting, telephone calls and support get out to activities telephone calls and support to get out toto activities

DayCare Care Hopwood Court day centre – personal care, Day at at Hopwood Court day centre – personal care, support andsupport and activities for physically mentally olderfrail people those with dementia activities forand physically andfrail mentally olderincluding people including those with dementia Digital programme – a range of IT tuition and other digital activities

Digital programme – a range of IT tuition and other digital activities

Foot Care – toe nail cutting and foot care treatment at a number of

Foot Care – toe nail and foot care treatment at a number of venues venues across the cutting borough across the borough

Hopwood Court – offers a range of social and community activities

Hopwood Court offers a range of social and community activities and and courses to –the general public courses to the general public

Insurance products – Insurance and other products and services from

Insurance products – Insurance and other products and services from Darwen Town Hall and our 4 King Street office Darwen Town Hall and our 4 King Street office

CharityShop Shop Darwen – selling a large of quality second Charity inin Darwen – selling a large rangerange of quality second hand hand goods.Donations Donations always needed goods. always needed Volunteering a range of opportunities available to support our work Volunteering – a–range of opportunities available to support our work ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

For more more information contact us us For informationplease please contact Telephone: 01254 266620

Telephone: 01254 266620

Address:4 4King KingStreet, Street, Blackburn, BB2 2DH Address: Blackburn, BB2 2DH Email:enquiries@ageukbwd.org.uk enquiries@ageukbwd.org.uk Email: Website: Website:www.ageukbwd.org.uk www.ageukbwd.org.uk

Age UK Blackburn with Darwen registered charity number 1143809.

CompanyAge number 07728630.

Registered office: 4 King Street, Blackburn, UK Blackburn with Darwen registered charity number 1143809.BB2 2DH Company number 07728630. Registered office: 4 King Street, Blackburn, BB2 2DH

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Come home to 5 Star home insurance 10% of new customers paid £142 or less*

Pop in for a quote at: Age UK Blackburn with Darwen Trading Ltd 4 King Street Blackburn, BB2 2DH Open Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri 10am to 3.30pm, Thurs 10am to 1pm You can also call your local Age UK office:

0800 032 0438

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Buying Age UK Home Insurance supports Age UK’s charitable work

Age UK Home Insurance is provided by Ageas Insurance Limited *10% of all new customers buying a new Age UK Home Insurance Buildings & Contents policy between April and September 2015 paid £142 or less. The premium you pay will depend on individual circumstances, the cover chosen and optional extras selected. † If you call the 0800 number and your local office is not available, your call will be answered by Age UK Enterprises or Ageas Insurance Limited.

Age UK Enterprises Limited is a commercial services arm of Age UK (registered charity number 1128267) and donates its net profits to Age UK. Age UK Enterprises Limited is registered in England and Wales no.3156159. Registered address: Tavis House, 1-6 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9NA. H5214V2NOV15-KR016507_16

OUT AND ABOUT

30th May

Bury Market has a well deserved reputation for friendly service, fantastic produce and great value.

Located off J2 of the M66 and with over 350 stalls open every Full Market Day it’s easy to find and even easier to enjoy!

Bury Town Centre is also home to the Fusilier Museum, East Lancashire Railway, Bury Transport Museum and Bury Art Gallery.

Music Hall Tavern 27th March @ 7:30 pm Back by popular demand for its 3rd successful tour of the UK and Ireland, join the “girls” from Music Hall Tavern for a truly magnificent night of dazzling costumes, side splitting laughter and a cast of unique characters singing and dancing all night long.

Tickets £21.50 to £26.50 Concessions £2 off BOX OFFICE Telephone 01253 290190 www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk The Grand Theatre Blackpool 33 Church Street, Blackpool, FY1 1HT

Great British Food Festival 8 April 2016 - 10 Apr 2016

Bury Market Hall: Open every day except Sunday Full Markets Open: Wednesdays, Fridays & Saturdays “Winner National Coach Tourism Awards” Coach Friendly Shopping Destination of the Year “Winner NABMA’s” Best Market Attraction

Bury Market Management: Tel: 0161 253 6520 Email: burymarkets@bury.gov.uk Web: www.burymarket.com : @BuryMarket

34

The Great British Food Festival returns to Stonyhurst College over 80 top local producers, a big serving of stunning hot food, real ale and wine bars, add a dash of craft and gift stalls, lots of activities for the kids and top chef demos.

Stonyhurst College Hurst Green, Clitheroe BB7 9PZ Tel: 01925 479 140

We’ll Meet Again 10th April 2016 @ 2pm

featuring a tribute to the Armed Forces of the past and the present. Sing-along to all the great songs of music hall of the war years. This is pure nostalgia that leaves everyone with a warm and sentimental glow. Performance starts at 2:30pm Ticket Tariff Concession £10.50 per ticket Adult Ticket £12.50 per ticket The Mechanics Theatre Manchester Road, Burnley BB11 1BH Tel: 01282 664400

Katherine Ryan 15 April 2016 @8pm Star of 8 out of 10 Cats, Mock the Week and QI, the razor sharp and hilariously funny Canadian comes to Burnley with a highly anticipated new show. Hot on the heels of a complete sell-out UK and Australian tour, Katherine hits the road with another terrific comedy show. Put this at the top of your ‘must see’ list for this year’s comedy diary. ‘Thoughtful, funny and just twisted enough’ - The Times Tickets £18.00 per ticket Note: Prices are a guide only and may change on a daily basis.

The Mechanics Theatre Manchester Road, Burnley BB11 1BH Tel: 01282 664400

With live music from the Martyn St James band, an afternoon of real variety

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23rd April

Johnny Cash Roadshow 17th April 2016 Welcome back the Johnny Cash Roadshow featuring respected singer/ songwriter Clive John.

The only show to be endorsed by the Cash family!

An even bigger show than ever, introducing the Carter Sisters and brass section the JC Horns accompanied by emotive screen visuals.

This is simply the best celebration of Johnny Cash in the world.

Tickets £21.50 Concessions £19.50 Child £10.75 Under 26s £12.50 (first 50 tickets, weekdays only; subject to availability)

All Tickets £18.50 per ticket Note: Prices are a guide only and may change on a daily basis.

Ribble Valley Jazz and Blues 28 Apr 2016 - 2 May 2016 The 7th Annual Jazz Festival is a 5 Day Festival with over 40 bands, 350 musicians, a blues stage, A soul stage, lots of free music in pubs, a picnic in the park and a Saturday Street Party!

Various Locations In Clitheroe And The Ribble Valley

Friday 29th April 2016 BBC New Generation soloist Elena Urioste joins The Hallé for Sibelius’ Violin Concerto.

The Grand Theatre Blackpool 33 Church Street, Blackpool, FY1 1HT

King George’s Hall. Northgate.

Blackburn. BB2 1AA. www.ticketmaster.co.uk

23rd April 2016. 7pm to 10pm ‘The Greatest Rock & Roll Band In The World’ is a bold statement but Showaddywaddy has lived up to that title as they recently celebrated their 40th anniversary. Formed in the 1970s in Leicester from several local bands, they have sold more than 20 million records and have toured the world. Their live show is dynamic and uplifting featuring all of their biggest hits, many of which reached number one in the pop charts of Europe. ‘Under The Moon of Love’, ‘Three Steps to Heaven’, ‘Hey Rock & Roll’, ‘When’, ‘Blue Moon’, ‘Pretty Little Angel Eyes’ and many, many more. So come and join the ‘Dancing Party’ ‘You’ve Got What It Takes’!

www.50plusmagazine.co.uk

PAUL

BLACKBURN CLASSICS THE HALLE

BOX OFFICE Telephone 01253 290190 www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk

Showaddywaddy

STARRING LYN

SARAH MILLICAN

2016 5TH-9TH APRIL E NOW! L

TICKETS ON SA

Saturday 21st May 2016 In the past when you put Sarah Millican outside, she asked things like: ‘Why? Where is the taxi? Do I need a cardie?’ and said things like: ‘There’ll be wasps.

I’ve nothing to sit on. Is that poo? Can we go home?’

King George’s Hall. Northgate.

Blackburn. BB2 1AA. www.ticketmaster.co.uk

The Chicago Blues Brothers

wintergardensblackpool.co.uk

30th May 2016 The legendary Chicago Blues Brothers are back on their brand new Jailbreak Tour!

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OUT AND ABOUT Celebrating over 30 years of the Blues Brothers phenomenon, this non-stop revue is packed with over two hours of the very best Blues, Motown and Soul music from both of The Blues Brothers’ movies including Everybody Needs Somebody, Soul Man, Respect and Shake a Tail Feather – plus plenty of laughs too!

With an elaborate new stage production including a ninepiece live band, the show also features classics from James Brown, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Otis Reading and many more!

Join us for an unforgettable evening of rip roaring entertainment… and don’t forget your pork pie hats and sunglasses!!

Tickets £23.50 Concessions £2 off Under 26s £12.50 (first 50 tickets, weekdays only; subject to availability) Tickets £23.50 Concessions £2 off Under 26s £12.50 (first 50 tickets, weekdays only; subject to availability) BOX OFFICE Telephone 01253 290190 www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk The Grand Theatre Blackpool 33 Church Street, Blackpool, FY1 1HT

Southport Food & Drink Festival 3rd -5th June Set in the beautiful Victoria Park, there will be entertainment from local bands throughout the day so once you have chosen what to eat you can sit on the grass and chill out. www.visitsouthport.com

THE BLACKPOOL INTERNATIONAL SOUL FESTIVAL 17 June 2016 - 19 June 2016 Featuring top acts from across the globe Coming over from the States exclusively to appear with unique “by request” sets are : BETTY LAVETTE, DEE DEE SHARP, BOBBY HUTTON & GERRI GRANGER Musical direction will be from SNAKE DAVIS and the Suspicions, Plus enjoy 6 rooms of music and incredible events.

For more information visit the Soul Festival website blackpoolsoulfestival.co.uk Winter Gardens Blackpool c/o 97 Church Street, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY1 1HL. By telephone - 01253 625252.

BLACKBURN CLASSICS - R.L.P.O Sunday 19th June 2016 Blackburn Classics - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.

John Williams: Celebrating the Music of a Hollywood Legend.

King George’s Hall. Northgate. Blackburn. BB2 1AA. www.ticketmaster.co.uk

Summer Days Festival 6th, 8th & 9th July 2016. 1pm to 10pm A NEW big-name, three-day music festival will be held in the grounds of Clitheroe Castle in summer 2016.

Simply Red have been revealed as the first of the headliners for the Summer Days Festival.

Summer Days promises to be a three-day boutique music and food festival in one of the North’s most beautiful and unique locations.

With two live stages featuring more than 30 artists, a locally sourced gourmet food village and a dedicated real ale area there is much, much more still to be announced.

It’s going be a quintessentially English summer event - great food and drink, a fun, friendly atmosphere and some seriously good music!

Clitheroe Castle. Tickets from £55.00 per ticket www.summerdaysfestival.com * Each day the gates will open at 1pm, the first artist will play at 2pm and the event will finish at 10pm.

£9.00 -

Ramsbottom Food Festival September 16-18 The Ramsbottom Festival is an award-winning weekend featuring over fifty artists and musicians - including international acts, emerging UK talent and local heroes.

Ramsbottom Cricket Club, Acre Bottom, Ramsbottom, Lancashire, BL0 0BS Tel: 0161 761 7107, www.ramsbottomfestival.com

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www.50plusmagazine.co.uk

The De Morgan Foundation announces a new national touring exhibition for 2016 Sublime Symmetry: The mathematics behind William De Morgan’s ceramicdesigns

March to June 2016 at Towneley Hall, Burnley The Sublime Symmetry exhibition showcases the work of William De Morgan, the celebrated Victorian Arts and Crafts designer. The exhibition presents over 80 magnificent works, including ceramics from the De Morgan Collection and his designs on paper on loan from the V&A. The pieces have all been chosen to demonstrate the mathematical concepts which are the basis for his beautiful and colourful ceramic designs.

Children and whole families will be able to explore the patterns, shapes and symmetry in De Morgan’s elaborately decorated tiles and pots.

Making learning maths fun, there will be interactive games and a family trail that can be enjoyed by budding mathematicians young and old. The exhibition is supported by an exciting schools programme and teacher information pack aimed at Key Stage 2.

Entry to the family friendly exhibition is either free or included within the standard admission price.

The De Morgan Foundation is grateful to the Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund, the London Mathematical Society and The Art Fund: Jonathan Ruffer Curatorial Grant, who have made the touring exhibition possible with their generous support. Visit www.demorgan.org.uk

Who remembers tin baths, Beatlemania, Dixon of Dock Green, crystal radio sets, Saturday matinees?

Outline Productions wants to hear ordinary Britons’ memories for a new C4 history series The Great British Public is set to star in a new Channel 4 prime time documentary series called ‘Born On’. The 4x1 hour series will tell the shared history of Britain through the individual stories of its people.

Each programme will feature three different people from contrasting backgrounds who were all born on a single day. Through interviews, photos, archive film and music, each programme will tell their life stories in the context of the big events of the day - from post-war austerity to the Swinging Sixties.

The programme producers, Outline Productions, are seeking people born on the following three dates:

26th September 1939 7th March 1944 29th December 1946 www.50plusmagazine.co.uk

Series Producer Mary Crisp says ‘the people born on this day will have fascinating memories. They will have experienced rationing, danced to Bill Haley and Elvis, lived through the Cold War. So if anyone out there shares one of these birthdates, or perhaps they have have a dad, an auntie or grandma who does, then we’d like to hear from them.’

Anyone born on one of these days, whatever their personal story and whether they were born in the UK or not, is being asked to contact the Born On team by calling 0207 424 7643 (leaving a name and number); or emailing bornon@outlineproductions.co.uk.

These initial conversations will be for research purposes only, and at this stage there’s no commitment to take part in the programme.

The series, due to air in 2016, has been commissioned by Rob Coldsteam, C4 Commissioner for Specialist Factual. It is based on the series ‘Datoen’, which has been a smash hit in Norway, Germany, Denmark and Sweden. Outline Productions’ MD Laura Mansfield says ‘we fell in love with the format when we first saw it, and so did Channel 4.

We think it’s going to be must-see viewing for British audiences.’

Executive Producer Bridget Boseley adds, ‘we’ve seen lots of history series in recent years, but Born On is a bit different. It puts ordinary people at its heart, and allows them to tell their own stories.’

37

HEALTH

Quality dentures mean a quality lifestyle The Importance of Dentures The eyes, nose and teeth are the focal points of every face; they give the first impressions of your personality.

Natural teeth grow in proportion and in harmony with your facial features and your dentures should be made accordingly.

Your teeth, or your dentures, have many important functions: to support your facial muscles, to help formulate your speech, and most importantly to chew your food and start the digestive process.

It is very important to chew food properly, as poorly chewed food will take longer to digest, especially for the elderly who could risk problems in the digestive system.

Choice of Dentures There are four main quality standards in denture materials.

The denture base (gum coloured on which the denture teeth sit).

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• • • • •

Standard Quality High Impact Acrylics (much stronger) Injection Pressure Formed (Premium Denture Base) Flexible (Partial Dentures) Metal Denture

The Denture Teeth • • • •

2 Layer Acrylic (economy) 3 Layer Acrylic (harder wearing) 4 Layer Reinforced (hard wearing, natural look) N.F.C. (Nano filled composite) premium teeth.

Of course, the materials alone will not make a good denture. In the hands of a skilful and experienced Clinical Dental Technician the best results are achieved.

Dentures Need Regular Servicing Dentures are in constant use almost 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They are also in a pretty hostile environment in the mouth, being attacked by strong acid, bacteria, hot, cold and spicy food.

Denture material absorbs liquids and food odour.

Daily cleaning is essential as well as professional ultrasonic cleaning in a dental laboratory at least once a year. Due to constant bone resorbtion dentures will become loose sooner or later.

Loose dentures will increase damage to the gums and bone structure, and increase the risk of breakage. Have them re-lined as soon as possible to get a good fit. It only takes a day or two.

Have your dentures inspected by a Clinical Dental Technician at least every two years, or more frequently if necessary.

Your Dentures need Attention 1. When they become loose.

2. When teeth or denture base discolours.

3. When tooth surfaces become flat.

4. When denture base does not fit around natural teeth (in partial dentures).

5. When you develop deep lines around your mouth.

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6. When your chin sticks out, and the corners of your lips are constantly wet, developing sores.

7. When you stop smiling and feel embarrassed.

Should I have a spare set of Dentures made?

My Dentures have become loose!

Yes, it is very important to have a spare set of dentures for emergencies in case of breakage.

This is easily remedied by a procedure know as Re-lining. A new layer of Denture base is added to your existing Denture, improving the fit and restoring confidence.

Dentures with worn down teeth Teeth excessively worn, require a new set of dentures.

Dentures on Implants This type of Denture is constructed in conjunction with the Dental Implant Surgeon. This is a very good procedure when the patient has limited control and retention of their Dentures. The finished Dentures ‘click’ into position offering the ultimate in Denture Retention.

Major improvements in Facial Features Padding dentures to reduce lines and fill up sunken cheeks will require a new set

At the same time we have to use our technical expertise in order to make the denture stable and functional. Denture construction is more art than science.

of dentures. It is advisable to have a new set of dentures made every 5 to 10 years.

What is a Clinical Dental Technician?

Professional Clinical Dental Technicians are members of the Dental Health Care Team. They have undergone specific training and education in the skills and knowledge necessary to provide a removable appliance service directly to the community.

No Spare Set? “Denture in a day” Lost or misplaced your dentures? With planning, we can provide you with a new set in 24 hours!

Equipped with solid technical training as a Dental Technician - plus post-technician training in sciences, clinical skills, and interpersonal skills - the Clinical Dental Technician can design, create, construct and modify (repair and rebase) removable appliances to ensure optimal fit, maximum comfort and general wellbeing of patients.

Difficulties in Constructing a Good Set of Dentures Constructing a functional and aesthetically pleasing set of dentures is the most difficult task in dentistry. We are not only replacing lost teeth, but also lost tissue matter and bone. In other words, we have to re-create your facial features as they were before the loss of your natural teeth.

These skills enable the Clinical Dental Technician, whilst remaining a member of the Dental Health Care Team, to work independently of other Dental Health Care providers.

In most cases we do not know what your teeth looked like, what size they were or what position they were in originally.

We have a few indications but mostly we have to rely on our visual and artistic judgement.

www.albertroaddenturecentre.co.uk

ALBERT ROAD DENTURE CENTRE

smile w i th co nf i de nce

Douglas Heaysman is a Clinical Dental Technician with over 40 years of experience and study. Doug creates bespoke hand crafted dentures using state of the art materials and techniques for an optimum fit and maximum comfort.

Visit us for a free of charge 20 minute consultation for new dentures, implants or any denture related problems to discuss your concerns and to find out how we can help you.

We can also provide you with a new set of dentures within 24 hours!

We now offer Dental Implants in conjunction with an Implant Specialist.

These stabilise troublesome dentures and can truly change lives.

Home visits are available, where we come to you for all consultations and fittings.

Quality, Convenience and Professionalism are our watchwords and our dedicated team will be with you every step of the way, with a personal, understanding and caring service.

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FREE CONSULTATION

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Douglas Heaysman Dip CDT RCS (Eng) RDT Clinical Dental Technician, Denture Provider Registered with the General Dental Council (no 112441)

71 Albert Road, Colne BB8 0BP | T: 01282 862823 2B Petre Court, Petre Road, Clayton-le-Moors BB5 5HY | T: 01254 388333 Fisher Medical Centre, Millfields, Coach Street, Skipton BD23 1EU | T: 01756 799622 www.50plusmagazine.co.uk

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Your legacy of love is priceless to East Lancashire Hospice

By leaving a legacy to the hospice in your Will, you can enable people like Jackie from Darwen to access complementary therapy which supports her physical, psychological and emotional wellbeing.

www.alegacyoflove.org.uk To find out more visit the website or call 01254 287010

104 King Street Blackburn BB2 2DT

THE CARING COMPANY Choice Mobility was founded in 2008 by Leon and Neil to offer quality products at competitive prices and a service that is second to none. Our massive showroom is located just outside Blackburn town centre on King Street, and has its own car park, easy access and disabled toilets. We have a large range of mobility scooters both new and used, rise and recliner chairs, powerchairs, wheelchairs, stairlifts, plus many accessories and daily living aids.

The Caring Company

We are Motability Approved, which enables our customers who receive the higher rate of disability living allowance (or personal independence payments) to lease a mobility scooter or powerchair through the Motability scheme. All the costs for servicing, breakdown, insurance etc are taken care of to give the user 3 years of worry free motoring.

We are passionate about our customer service and always aim to go the extra mile to ensure customers are treated with the utmost care and respect. We have an unhurried approach to sales, taking time to match the correct product to the customer.

We are always there to offer the best advice to help people lead a safe independent life.

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We need more volunteers to join our hospice shops. If you have a few hours to spare each week and think you could help, then please pop into one of the shops for an informal chat or call Dawn on 01254 287010. To find your nearest hospice shop, please visit our website.

www.eastlancshospice.org.uk

ORION

THE DAZZLING HUNTER WITH THE GLOWING SWORD Brian Jones Visible high above the southern horizon during winter evenings, Orion is arguably the most beautiful constellation in the sky. Its conspicuous and unmistakable pattern of bright stars becomes ever more prominent as winter progresses and, once seen, is unlikely to be forgotten.

Greek mythology tells of the mighty hunter Orion who boasted far and wide of his prowess and who declared himself a match even for the gods.

This angered Diana, the Goddess of the Hunt, who challenged Orion to a hunting match, a challenge which Orion gladly accepted. He and Diana spent many days in the chase, but in the end there was nothing to choose between them, and the contest was declared a draw. Once more Orion

bragged and, in a fit of anger, Diana commanded a scorpion to crawl out of the ground and kill him. She then placed the mighty hunter among the stars where he can be seen to this day.

One of the most conspicuous stars in Orion is the red giant Betelgeuse.

This is one of the largest stars known to astronomers and, if Betelgeuse occupied the position of our Sun, its outer surface would extend beyond the orbit of Mars. The ruddy glow of Betelgeuse contrasts sharply with the brilliant white of Rigel, another giant star which is so far away that the light we are seeing from it set off towards us only a few years after the Domesday Book was compiled.

Along with Betelgeuse and Rigel, the two stars Bellatrix and Saiph complete

the main outline of the constellation, central to which are the three stars Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka that form the Belt of Orion. The easternmost of these is Alnitak, the area immediately surrounding which is rich in stars and well worth a closer look through binoculars.

The trio of stars forming the Belt of Orion have been given other names in the past, Australian natives referring to them as ‘Young Men’, Greenlanders calling them ‘The Seal Hunters’ and mariners identifying them as ‘The Golden Yardarm’.

Perhaps the silliest episode relating to the naming of these three stars took place in 1807 when the University of Leipzig christened them ‘Napoleon’, whereupon an irate Englishman promptly retaliated with the title ‘Nelson’. Needless to say, neither name found its way on to star maps!

Just below the Belt of Orion is a line of faint stars, within which can be found the magnificent Orion Nebula.

Visible as a glowing patch of diffuse light, this is one of the most famous and eye-catching objects in the entire sky. Shining because of the energy from hot stars embedded within it, the Orion Nebula is clearly visible to the naked eye on dark, clear moonless nights. The wide field of view of a pair of binoculars brings it out well, and the sight leaves the observer with a sense of wonder when it is realised that inside this glowing cloud stars are actually being formed.

It may be winter, and the nights are predictably cold.

However, don’t let that stop you checking out what the impressive Orion has to offer.

Happy stargazing!

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43

CARE

Learning about Dementia Each person experiences dementia differently so it’s helpful to sort the condition into stages to help detect the symptoms earlier. This will let you know whether you need to look for care and support for a loved one. Dementia is a progressive illness affecting a person’s mental capacity, their memory and communication will gradually decline and will require support to carry out daily living routines.

Stages of Dementia Early stage The early stages of dementia are very minor changes in a person’s behaviour and can often be mistaken for normal ageing attributes. Loss of memory for most recent events is an early sign that someone may have dementia. Be on the lookout for these signs: • The person becomes slower at understanding new ideas • They repeat themselves • They lose interest in other people and activities • They blame others for taking their misplaced stuff • They’re forgetful about recent events or conversations • They find it hard to make decisions • They’re unwilling to try out new things In these situations it’s tempting to support them to help them cope, but in order to retain their independence and self-esteem, they should have the chance to do activities for themselves, with a little support if necessary They’re likely to become agitated and distressed in this condition, so be ready to provide emotional support and reassurance to boost their confidence.

Middle stage As dementia progresses, the changes in the person become more noticeable. They need support to help manage their daily living, with frequent reminders to eat, use the toilet, wash and dress. Being forgetful of people’s names and repeating the same phrase several times are signs of decline in their memory.

During the Middle stage they may lose their confidence and become clingy.

You may also notice some other signs, be careful of: •

•

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Confusion about where they are and becoming lost after walking off Waking up at night because they’re mixing up night and day

• Putting themselves and others at risk - by forgetting to light the gas on the cooker for example • Hallucinations and difficulty in perceiving events Late stage During this time, they’ll be totally dependent on others to help care for them. Their loss of memory will become paramount, being unable to recognise objects, surroundings and their closest friends and family members.

You’ll notice that they’ll become increasingly frail at this point, showing difficulty in walking and eventually they’ll be confined to a bed or wheelchair.

Other symptoms are: • Difficulty in eating and swallowing • Considerable difference in weight, some people may lose weight and others may eat too much • Loss of their bladder control and sometimes their bowels • Loss of speech, repeating a few words or crying out from time to time Support to stay in your own home If you want to live as independently as possible, you may need support to stay in your own home. The health and social care trust in your area can provide services to help you.

Health and social care assessments A range of support is available. For example, you might need help with cleaning, or you may find it useful if you had a bath rail fitted. You may be entitled to financial help to maintain your own home.

To find out what sort of help you could get, your local trust will assess your health and social care needs. It is important to tell the health and social care trust what will make your everyday life easier.

You may also be entitled to ‘direct payments’. These are trust payments available for anyone who has been assessed as needing social care, and who would like to buy services instead of receiving the trust’s services. For example, direct payments could be used to pay a home help.

Care in your own home Care in your own home is offered to people who require help with personal care like washing or dressing, or help with other daily domestic tasks such as cooking and cleaning, or help in managing finances.

Direct payments - arranging your own care and services Direct payments are local Health and Social Care (HSC) Trust payments for people who have been assessed as needing help from social services, and who would like to arrange and pay for their own care and support services instead of receiving them directly from the local trust.

A person must be able to give their consent to receiving direct payments and be able to manage them even if they need help to do this on a day-to-day basis.

Who is eligible?

If you already receive social services Your local trust is obliged to offer you the option of direct payments in place of the services you currently receive. There are some limited circumstances where you are not given this choice and your local trust will be able to tell you about these.

If you’re not receiving social services To get direct payments you’ll need to contact your local trust to ask them to assess your needs. Direct payments are normally available if you: • have a disability and are aged 16 or over • are a carer aged 16 or over, including people with parental responsibility for a child with disabilities • are an older person How much do you get?

The amount you receive will depend on the assessment your local trust makes of your needs.

How it’s paid Direct payments are made directly into your bank, building society, Post Office or National Savings’ account. If you need someone who cares for you to collect your money, or you are registered blind, payment can be made by sending a cheque which can be cashed at the Post Office.

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BACKHOUSE INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL SERVICES –

THE RETIREMENT AND LATER LIFE SPECIALISTS

As a family-owned business for over 40 years, we have been around since times when retirement meant a lifestyle very different to what it does today.

A couple of generations ago, many people went from full-time work one day to retirement the next, living off their occupational pension to meet ‘quiet’ retirements when average life expectancy was below 80.

How different things look today.

Decades of service with a single employer offering a final salary pension is rare. Changes of employer and indeed career are common, with an increasing number branching out on their own in their 50s or later.

Retirement is now less likely to be a cliff edge, with ongoing part-time work a feature. And while better health and longer life often allows an actionpacked retirement of holidays and hobbies, many of us will eventually require some form of care. On top of this, the uncertain times leave many parents keen to help out children or grandchildren, be it with house deposits or education costs.

Why we are different • We specialise in later life advice and have the qualifications to do so – our experienced team includes a Chartered Financial Planner who is also one of the few advisers in the North West accredited by The Society of Later Life Advisers. We even undertake training in dementia awareness for when this is a factor in our care fees planning work.

• We are one of very few firms who specialise in Care Fees Planning. At difficult times, we are here as a trusted adviser to guide you through providing a family member with their preferred and sustainable care, while preserving as much of the estate as possible.

• We are Pension Experts and will help you tailor how you can take your benefits to your intended lifestyle – from traditional methods like annuities to the recent pension freedoms, which open up many new possibilities (for example for those starting their own business in later life). Our service includes transferring and consolidating pensions from previous employments where appropriate. We use Lifetime Cashflow Planning software to give a realistic picture of how your financial future may look in any number of scenarios, so that you can make informed decisions.

• We do not rely on selling products to run our business. We give pure and holistic advice, whether this involves a suitable product or not. Our fees are transparent and disclosed in advance.

We can provide one-off advice, but often act on an ongoing basis for clients, who receive regular face-toface meetings and written investment review reports to keep them upto-date. We also work with trusted solicitors to ensure a joined-up solution for your financial and legal needs.

How we can help you We cover the cost of an initial meeting or telephone consultation (without obligation) to find out about you and whether we may be able to help you.

Here are some typical enquiries: • How can a family member pay for long-term care?

• What are the options for taking my pension benefits?

• What age can I retire at and how much income may I receive?

• How can we generate more income in retirement from savings, investments or our home?

• Do we have an Inheritance Tax liability and what can we do if we have?

Now is the perfect time to take action and put your mind at rest, so please get in touch with Graham Tracey (07802 716398) or Martin Edwards (07894 825359) or call 01282 677 776 or email advice@backhouseifs.co.uk.

You can find out more about us at www.backhouseifs.co.uk, www.unbiased.co.uk, www.societyoflaterlifeadvisers and www.symponia.co.uk.

Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Backhouse Independent Financial Services Ltd Oakmount House 9 Carrside Lomeshaye Business Park Nelson BB9 6RX T: 01282 677776 F: 01282 677770 www.backhouseifs.co.uk

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It’s not a call we hope you ever have to make, but in the sad event of a loved ones passing we are here to help you at anytime.

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Dozens of scooters on display £300 - £5000 Lightweight & powered wheelchairs & rollators

Bath Lifts

Stairlifts professionally installed

from only

£399 £999

from

£199

from

HOME VISITS A PLEASURE

Memory Foam Adjustable Beds

£699

Riser Recliners Chairs

Double size & Kingsize Available Overnight delivery

from £499

Small medium & large sizes or made to measure in a choice of beautiful /re 2 clin e n er chairs Ju colours

er Ris

Single from

£99

01 5

from

We are also clearing brand new mini fold up scooters from £699*, medium size ‘Shopper’ scooters at only £999*.

All come with a full warranty, FREE insurance and FREE service.

Call Justin, Steve, Jennie or Sophie for friendly helpful advice.

Just telephone and we come to you.*** Shop open daily 10am-5pm. PART EXCHANGE INCLUDED* Head Office...

20 Cambridge Arcade SOUTHPORT PR8 1AS

Telephone Freephone: 0800 980 9822

www.mobilityworldsouthport.co.uk SOUTHPORT • BLACKPOOL • BURY • LLANDUDNO

1145302

***Try before you buy. FREE home demonstration. FREE delivery. All Merseyside, Lancashire, Fylde & Cheshire areas covered.