Issuu

ABC ED

IVER

DEL

E RETHLY

FBI-MON

WA N S B E C K E D I T I O N | J U N E / J U LY 2 0 2 0

Established

2008

www.yourabc.co.uk

LET’S MAKE CARING VISIBLE Carer's Northumberland aims to help carers get the support they need

LUXURY LIVING

Executive bungalow development to commence in Stannington

NOT SO SWEET The real effect of sugar on your teeth

9 COVID-1 zine

This maga red in has been delive the h accordance wit social s nt’ me UK Goven tructions and ins g cin tan dis nd gla En h Public Healt arding guidelines reg s Coronaviru

STEP INTO THE LIMELIGHT

Theatre school offers scholarship opportunity

A S H I N G T O N | S TA K E F O R D | P E G SW O O D | & S U R R O U N D I N G A R E A S 1

WE CAN CLEAR.

GUTTER CLEANING SPECIALISTS

We use a powerful vacuum to reach up and clear debris & even grass from your gutters. BEFORE

WE CAN CLEAN.

From the ground we clean your guttering & fascia boards to remove unsightly staining. AFTER

WE CAN ALSO CLEAN Conservatories and conservatory roofs. HOW MUCH IS IT?

We can quote instantly. No visit required. We just need to know how many bedrooms you have & your postcode.

Hello, I’m Larry

I own & operate GutterPRO across Cramlington, Bedlington, Stakeford, Ashington, Morpeth and the surrounding areas. Because its’s my business , you’ll get a personal service and be certain we’ll clear up thoroughly after the job.

GET A QUOTE & BOOK ONLINE

GutterPRO.co.uk gutterpronortheast Call

0191 654 0035 mobile: 07813 306711 Fully Insured Uniformed Staff Before & After Photos Cards Accepted

HOLIDAY DEALS TO

KEEP YOU SMILING DECEMBER 2020

JANUARY 2021

4 * BANGKOK & HUA HIN

5* AJMAN, UAE • Return flights from London Stansted to Dubai • 5 Nights at Ajman Saray, A Luxury Collection Resort • Deluxe Creek View, Bed and Breakfast • Regional departures are also available From • Travel: 7 December 2020 £

699pp

NOVEMBER 2020

• Return indirect flights from Manchester to Bangkok • 2 Nights at the 4*Best Western Plus At 20 Sukhumvit • 7 Nights at the 4* G Hua Hin • Regional departures are also available From £ • Travel 31 January 2021

869pp

FEBRUARY 2021

4* LAS VEGAS

4* MAURITIUS

• Return flights from London Heathrow to Las Vegas • 4 Nights at the 4*, Luxor Hotel And Casino • Double Room, Room Only From • Regional departures are also available £ • 8 November 2020

495pp

• Return flights from London Gatwick to Mauriti us • 7 Nights at the 4*, The Address Boutique Hotel • Double Room, Bed and Breakfast From • Regional departures are also available £ • Travel: 1 February 2021

1,059pp

WE ARE A BOOKING CENTRE FOR JET2 HOLIDAYS OFFERING BETTER PRICES THAN JET2 ONLINE

We work DIRECT with Jet2 Holidays, Olympic Holidays and TUI etc., to get the BEST prices DON'T GO DIRECT - CONTACT ME TODAY

Call us on 0191 406 6289

holiday@notjusttravel.com Not Just Travel Newcastle

Not Just Travel (Agency) Ltd is a division (or trading name) of Hays Travel Ltd. 25 Vine Place, Sunderland. Company Reg 1990682. Agents for ATOL Holders. Members of ABTA - Number K9413 Prices are correct at the time of going to print and are subject to change

@njtnewcastle

WELCOME TO ABC MAGAZINE Due to these unprecedented circumstances, many of our local businesses and venues have temporarily closed. As a result, this is a slightly different edition of ABC Magazine. We have decided to focus on a selection of the fantastic small businesses in the area, and tell you a little bit more about them. We all hope this uncertain time passes quickly and, when things do return to normal, it is vital to the area that we support our small businesses and help keep the local economy going after all, these businesses are the lifeblood of the local area. Stay safe and best wishes. Publisher: R Wilson Advertising, PO Box 225, Bedlington, NE63 3FL www.yourabc.co.uk Email: info@yourabc.co.uk Facebook: @yourabc Twitter: @abcmagazines Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that the data in this publication is accurate, neither the publisher nor the editorial contributors can accept, and hereby disclaim, any liability to any party to loss or damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accident or any other clause. R Wilson Advertising does not officially endorse any advertising material included within this publication. All Rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission of the publisher.

PODIATRY PODIATRY

@ @

HE HE QUAY QUAY

BLYTH

Family friendly accessible clinic for all aspects of footcare

We offer a wide range of treatments including:

Nail Care • Nail Surgery • Ingrowing Nails Verrucas • Athletes Foot • Painful Feet & Heels Hard Skin & Corn Removal • Diabetic Assessments Biomechanical Assessments Ask about our Warm Wax Therapy

Helps circulation, pain, arthritis and dry skin conditions Footcare Products Footwear & Socks available

Suffering from Fungal Toenails? We offer Clearanail Treatment

Before

After 14 weeks

Painless, Fast & Effective - Call for details

Arms Evertyne House, Quay Road, Blyth, NE24 2AS

01670 432 131 www.podiatryatthequay.co.uk

A D V E RT I S I N G F E AT U R E

Theatre School Offers Scholarship Opportunity Razzamataz Theatre School continues to support talented youngsters with hundreds of pounds worth of training

espite the closure of schools across the UK, a Dragonsâ€™ Den backed theatre school wanted to continue offering incredible opportunities to young people with a passion for the performing arts. Razzamataz Newcastle is part of a network that has been working with children for the last twenty years and has offered in excess of one million pounds in scholarships and grants to help children participate in the theatre arts. Even during this lockdown period, Razzamataz Newcastle are digging deep to give children with the drive and determination to make it in the world of performing arts, a chance to achieve their dreams by attending professional performing arts training. Razzamataz Newcastle has joined forces with The Stage newspaper to offer scholarships to

Image: © Alex Brenner

children and young people to attend the school free of charge for one year, worth up to £700. The scholarship audition process has been taken completely online to adhere to social distancing measures. The deadline for entries is 19th June 2020, so there is still time to get involved. “We were the first part-time theatre school to work with The Stage newspaper to offer these scholarships and we have seen the amazing results across the UK,” says Kayleigh Redford, principal of Razzamataz Newcastle. “Now, more than ever, we want to continue to be there for our families and young people in our communities and give them something to look forward to. The pandemic has taken away such a lot for children and teenagers so we were determined to keep this exciting partnership for them.” When schools closed, Razzamataz laid out a very thorough plan to keep offering performing arts training online. Not only has the school been able to continue to support families with regular classes, there have also been a host of special guest workshops and interviews. Over the last few weeks, Razzamataz students have been able to participate in interviews with West End stars Kerry Ellis (Wicked) and Jennifer Tierney (Come From Away) as well as join in commercial classes with Lizzie Gough (Strictly Come Dancing). There have also been special interviews on social media so students can learn more about the industry with Felicity French (casting agent with Cameron Mackintosh) and actress Danielle Fiamanya (&Juliet). To ensure as many youngsters as possible can enter The Stage scholarships, Razzamataz has created a system that is easily accessible to all. The competition is open to current and non Razzamataz students aged 6-18. Videos do not need to be professionally filmed and can be emailed, sent via dropbox or uploaded via wetransfer.com to the child’s local Principal. They will simply need to create a short demo of no more

“Razzamataz Newcastle has joined forces with The Stage newspaper to offer scholarships to children and young people to attend the school free of charge for one year, worth up to £700. “ than two minutes long showing them performing either a musical theatre song and dance, commercial dance (hip hop or street), pop song, drama improvisation or scripted drama piece. Applicants will also complete a short application form detailing why they would like to take this opportunity. Many former Razzamataz students have gone on to work professionally in West End shows including Hamilton, &Juliet, Matilda, School of Rock and many TV shows as well as a major film franchise. Past winners include Leah Marshall (2019) who has been offered a place to study performing arts at Newcastle college and Jessica Emms (2016) who has performed in short movies and recently played the lead ‘Elle Woods’ at Tyne Theatre and Opera House in an excerpt of hit musical ‘Legally Blonde.’ Jessica and Leahs’ story echoes what many past scholarship winners say as Kayleigh explains: “Many of our past scholarship winners have told us that winning gave them a boost of confidence and the belief that they could achieve if they set their mind to it. Offering children these life opportunities are part of the Razzamataz ethos and makes us all proud to be part of the network. Even during these very challenging times, we wanted to send out a very clear message to our students and their families that we are there for them, supporting and encouraging them to never give up on their dreams.”

To enter the scholarship or find out more about the online classes contact Kayleigh Redford by emailing newcastle@razzamataz.co.uk, calling or texting 07772577855 or visiting www.razzamataz.co.uk/what-we-do/the-stagescholarship/stage-scholarship-application-form/

OUR FAMILY RUN BUSINESS, WITH OVER 40 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, CAN HELP YOU FURNISH A BEAUTIFUL HOME

VISIT US TO VIEW OUR WIDE RANGE OF: READYMADE CURTAINS s VOILES s NETS TIEBACKS s CURTAIN POLES s CUSHION COVERS Our bespoke curtain making service offers a wide range of designs including chenilles, damasks and printed designs to finish your windows beautifully. 42 High St West, Wallsend, NE28 8HX Tel: 0191 263 8424 Grainger Market, Newcastle, NE1 5AW Tel: 0191 230 3796 Find us on Amazon, Ebay & Facebook • www.mapletextiles.co.uk

Tile North East Ltd NEED INSPIRATION?

Visit our showroom to pick up a new brochure

Unit 3, Hubbway Business Centre, Cramlington, NE23 8AD WEʼRE OPPOSITE AZURE GARDEN CENTRE NEXT TO TJʼS JUNGLE

Tel: 01670 716 767 Email: info@tilenortheast.com www.tilenortheast.com

www.thermosroof.co.uk ★★★★★

Check out our 5 star reviews on Facebook @thermosroof

Is your conservatory: Too cold in the winter? & too hot in the summer?

Does it have problems with: Too much sun glare? Condensation build-up? Noise from heavy rain? An unsightly dirty roof?

We can fix ALL of these issues with a Thermos Roof insulation system

Prices from

£799

Full install in a single day, leaving zero mess and instant results.

Call Steve on 01670 828 695 or 07901 506 645 During these unprecedented times, to ensure your safety and ours, all our staff and fitters wear PPE where suitable and, upon completion of each job, your Conservatory will be fully disinfected.

A D V E RT I S I N G F E AT U R E

LUXURY LIVING IN STANNINGTON

EXECUTIVE BUNGALOW DEVELOPMENT DUE TO COMMENCE IN JULY

usband and wife team Alan and Victoria, of Altoria Development, are returning to Stannington Station to build more of their stunning, executive bungalows. The couple began their development venture in 2016 with a passion to build bespoke bungalows in the North-East. From Morpeth themselves, they found their first development in Stannington Station and obtained planning permission for fourteen bungalows at Furrow Grove, all of which were snapped up and sold off-plan. Since then they have expanded their portfolio to Oakfield Grove, Blyth, an intimate development of four bungalows. Alan said “We are delighted to be returning to Stannington Station to build a sister site to Furrow Grove. Ridge Grove will maintain the high quality and executive specification that is expected of Altoria Development. This development has three different bungalow types and are all three-bedroom homes; each home is fully adaptable and provides all of the benefits of onestorey living.”

“Ridge Grove will be a gated development and offer luxury before you even step into one of the exceptional homes. " Ridge Grove offers each buyer the opportunity to design their new home without the responsibility of managing a self-build. With bespoke Kitchens including choice of stone worktop, co-ordinated cabinetry and all integrated appliances included as standard. Villeroy and Boch bathroom and ensuite both fully tiled. Flooring is included throughout and there is a choice of internal oak doors and finishings. Farrow and Ball colours throughout and all offering double garages with electric doors. Victoria explained “Ridge Grove will be a gated private development and offer luxury before you even step into one of our exceptional homes. The bungalow’s have been designed to compliment the nearby surroundings of the Northumberland countryside and has been placed delicately into the heart of the wonderful community

that is Stannington Station.” Stannington Station has the luxury of a wonderful Farm Shop and cafe with facilities for young children to play, garage and convenience store all a few minutes walk from Ridge Grove. Slightly further afield is the village of Stannington with a quaint pub and village hall. The historic market town of Morpeth is only a few miles away which provides an abundance of shops, boutiques, excellent schools, doctors and dentists. Alan and Victoria are looking to begin the construction of what will become a beautiful development in July 2020 with completions taking place from early 2021. Prices from £445,000 onwards. To request the sales literature please contact Altoria Development on 01670 432603 alternatively email info@ altoriadevelopment.co.uk

of e g n ra ade to e g u h lity m nds qua sure bli meatorised blidndaswnings • Mo opies an n • Ca fect ﬁt r e • P tters u h S n • netia e V • d e t a • Ple ler l o R l • rtica e V • od • Wo el n a •P man • Ro x lu • Ve

ke o p s be ains curt

Unit

LOCAL NEWS

LET’S MAKE CARING VISIBLE Carer's Northumberland aims to help carers get the information and support they need from services and the wider public

arers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, it highlights the challenges unpaid carers face and recognises the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK. There are over 36000 unpaid carers living in Northumberland, Carers Northumberland is a charity dedicated to recognising these carers so they can improve their lives by responding to their needs. Informing them of their rights and entitlements, supporting them to access help for the person they care for, reducing their feelings of social isolation and empowering them to have a voice. The theme for this year’s Carers Week 8th – 14th June is “Making Caring Visible” Caring can be a hugely rewarding experience, but carers often find it challenging to take care of their own wellbeing whilst caring. They also find that their contribution to society is not recognised and celebrated. Carers UK estimate that carers save the UK economy £132 billion per year, an average of £19,336 per carer demonstrating the vital role carers play in our community. Caring impacts on all aspects of life, from relationships and health to finances and work, it should not be underestimated. Caring without the right information and support can be tough. That is why, this Carers Week, we are focusing on 'Making Caring Visible' to ensure that carers get the information and support they need from services and the wider public. We have arranged several events and competitions to coincide with this year’s Carers Week. Details of all the events we have planned can be found on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/CarersNland/ and on our newsletter www. carersnorthumberland.org.uk/newsevents/newsletters/ We would also love carers and their supporters to use the #icare on

8th – 14th June

"Caring impacts on all aspects of life, from relationships and health to finances and work, it should not be underestimated." any social media posts and photos during Carers Week, helping us to make carers visible. You can send your photos to us at info@carersnorthumberland.org.uk or share them on social media and tag us in it. We will put together all the images we receive to create a picture of carers in Northumberland. Please note, sharing your images with us you consent to us using them on our social media pages and future publications.

ARE YOU, OR IS SOMEONE YOU KNOW AN UNPAID CARER? You can register with Carers Northumberland by calling us on 01670 320025 or visit www.carersnorthumberland.org.uk/ registration Carers Northumberland’s Information service offers a single point of contact for any enquiry linked to your caring responsibilities.

We work closely with specialist agencies across Northumberland and beyond, to ensure we can find the most appropriate information and advice for your situation. We can offer information and support on the following: • Carers Rights • Carers Assessments • Carers Support Fund • Support Groups and Events • Training & Workshops • Carers Emergency Card Scheme • Information and Advice • Finances and Benefits • Returning to Work If you would like more information about Carers week or would like to find out more about carers information can be found here: www.carersweek.org and www.carersuk.org www.carersnorthumberland.org.uk

Carers Northumberland is supported by Northumberland County Council, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Northumberland Clinical Comminisiong Group

TUTOR BUREAU

ESTABLISHED 1990

Private tuition in your own home with experienced, professional tutors All tutors are DBS checked Suitable for Key Stage 1, 2 and 3 GCSE and A Level

Also, tuition for university students & adults SATs preparation and homework help • • • •

ONLINE TUITION ALSO ACROSS NORTH EAST ALL SUBJECTS ALL AGES NEW TUTORS WELCOME

Call (0191) 252 6271 enquiries@tutorbureau.co.uk www.tutorbureau.co.uk

G E U

GEU DECORATING QUALITY INTERIOR & EXTERIOR PAINTING

PAPER HANGING

FREE ESTIMATES & ADVICE

DISCOUNTS FOR BOOKINGS THROUGH MAY & JUNE

CALL GARY USHER TODAY ON CRAMLINGTON 01670 733563 OR 07942 601181 FOR YOUR NO OBLIGATION ESTIMATE OR ADVICE 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE - TIME SERVED TRADESMAN 13

The

3D Cakery

Leading Nursery Brands at Everyday

LOW

Cakes made for all occasions

Prices!

Let us create that special cake for that special occassion Birthdays, Weddings, Christenings etc.

Exclusive ABC

Special Of fer

Place an order

with Babythingz

and we’ll give

Cake Decorating Equipment & Consumables. Cake Boards, Cake Boxes, Icing, Food Colouring etc.

you a Gift Vouche

worth 10%

of your order value For example, place an order for £600 and receive a Babythingz gift voucher worth £60. Terms and Conditions apply. Please mention offer at time of purchase.

Unit 8D, North Tyne Industrial Estate, Whitley Road

The 3D Cakery

Benton, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, NE12 9SZ We’re opposite Asda Benton

PramsNewcastle

Tel: 0191 266 1190 www.babythingz.com

Hirst Yard, Viewlands, Ashington, Northumberland, NE63 9AF

Tel: 01670 812852

www.the3dcakery.co.uk

margaret@the3dcakery.co.uk

STYLISTI" Everything you need to look amazing under one roof!

Stylistix's welcomes back Lindsay

10% OFF APPOINTMENTS WITH LINDSEY

Bring this advert to redeem offer 160 STATION ROAD, ASHINGTON, NE63 8HG

For an appointment please call

01670 813 013

Opening Times : Mon & Wed 9am-5pm, Thurs 10am-8pm, Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-5pm

LOCAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

SCHOOLS OUT BUT TUTOR BUREAU IS STILL OPEN FOR ONLINE TUITION Tutor Bureau, based in Whitley Bay, is celebrating 40 years of tutoring in 2020. The home tuition business began in 1980 to meet requests from students and parents. Formerly based in Kenton, Newcastle, and run by a Headteacher’s wife, it grew through personal recommendation, with tutors spreading across the North East. The present owner, Susan McGarry of Whitley Bay, has been running the business for 12 years. A former Middle School teacher, she began tutoring herself and enjoyed working one- to -one to enable students to reach their potential. Susan still tutors, remaining with most families from the early years right through to GCSEs. “Tutor Bureau has scores of qualified teachers for any subject in any area of the North East, from Northumberland to Teesside, and I am sure the business will continue to grow”, said Susan. Covid 19 has shut schools and many children are learning from home over the extended break. Although face to face lessons have stopped, there is demand for online sessions and tutors are still able to tutor safely in an interactive way. More teachers, now with some spare time, have decided to become tutors. Adults have

Garage Conversions & Extensions

From Plans to completion

we are with you every step of the way. Free quotation | No salesman

enquired about learning a language. Some pupils are looking to have a head start on Year 10 and 11 and have begun the GCSE course now with a familiar face on screen and prepared materials.w For more information contact Susan McGarry of Tutor Bureau on 0191 2526271or email enquiries@tutorbureau.co.uk www.tutorbureau.co.uk

Find us on Call us today to discuss your vision T: 0191 234 5269 M: 07973 957 481 Visit us online:

www.newspaceservices.co.uk 15

LOCAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

YOU CAN BE HAPPY AT HOME

Introducing ‘Happy at Home’, a service which provides dedicated home support & friendship

appy at Home specialises in providing a safe, dedicated home support & friendship service. Our lovely team of ‘Happy Pals’ as we like to call them, are hand selected to ensure that our service is delivered in an exceptional way. It’s really important that our Happy Pals are dedicated professionals who are friendly, presentable, reliable, punctual, caring and hard-working, because what we want most of all we is for your dedicated Happy Pal to become your trusted friend.

Much more than a friendly face Your dedicated Happy Pal will visit you as often as you like to offer support and friendship. A friendly face and companion to support you with daily activities is often what is required to enhance your life and wellbeing. Happy Pals very often become trusted friends with our clients, someone that they can easily chat to, discuss things and share thing with, both at home and when out and about. Your dedicated Happy Pal will be someone who is genuinely able to share your interests, from card 16

and puzzle games through to sport, cookery, knitting, shopping and much more besides. Spending time with someone who understands you and is genuinely interested in your life, hobbies, interests and other things that are special to you, is most important.

Flexible one to one support Our service can be tailored to deliver exactly what you want it to, be that a relatively short visit every day, weekly trips for community activities, concentrated care for a short holiday, or a one-off whilst your usual carer has to have a break. We are here to Help Here are just a few of the typical activities that our Happy Pals can do with you: ·· Go to the shops for you to buy essentials such as food ·· Visit the bank ·· Household chores ·· Walk the dog ·· Food and clothes shopping ·· Crafts & hobbies ·· Visiting the coffee shop or pub ·· Transport and company to

·· ··

go to medical and dental appointments Visits to the gym or leisure centre Help with paperwork, emails and TV controls

Peace of Mind Your Happy Pal will be dedicated to you, meaning that you see the same happy face on each and every visit. Every member of the team has a clean enhanced DBS, three excellent references from previous employers and is fully ID checked, to ensure peace of mind. We also monitor the teams’ phones using a unique phone app to ensure that your Happy Pal is with you at the correct time and you are both safe. Call to talk with one of our friendly team on 0191 233 63 48 www.wearehappyathome.co.uk hello@wearehappyathome.co.uk

HOME ORGANISATION

Lockdown De-cluttering Cath Hindle, professional decluttering and organising expert offers her advice on ditching the clutter in your home Decluttering over the last couple of months has been difficult as the majority of the usual places (charity shops, pass it on sites) haven’t been operating. Thankfully some avenues have now opened up including my favourite The Community School Clothing Scheme who support families in crisis across the area and Facebook’s Pass it On Groups. Additionally, the online sites such as Music Magpie for CDs, games and books and Vintage Cash Cow for jewellery and other specialist items have remained open and pay you for your unwanted stuff. With this in mind and the fact that many of us have spent / are spending much more time at home at the moment, here’s a few tips to ensure decluttering success during this tricky period:

➊ William Morris said: “Have

keep it (good old William Morris. Once you’ve decided on your no pile, make the effort to get rid of or pass on the items so they aren’t cluttering up your home.

➋ Don’t overwhelm yourself with

➍ Use the boxes, baskets, drawers and cupboards that you already have in your home. Very few of my clients ever need additional storage. Don’t waste money on storage boxes – they just add to the clutter!

➌ When faced with an area or pile of things to declutter, divide them into 3 piles called yes, no and maybe. Spend the most time on your maybe pile and ask yourself if you love or use an item to decide whether to

➎ Here’s few a things you could have a go at getting rid of today: • Items you “should” use but don’t – exercise equipment, smoothie makers etc. • Things that cost a lot but you still don’t use. This is often clothes and kitchen equipment such as bread makers. • Anything broken or inoperable that you are planning on fixing but haven’t (lamps) • Heirlooms or gifts that you don’t love. • Anything uncomfortable (see expensive clothes point) • Magazines and books you’ve never got round to reading (even

nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” In other words – if you don’t love it or use it; lose it! Follow this rule and you won’t go far wrong. a huge project to start with. I often ease clients into decluttering by starting off with that drawer in the kitchen – you know, the one with flyers, sellotape, a few elastic bands, the odd screwdriver, an old fuse, phone charger and perhaps some cutlery. By starting off with a small space or area (coat rack, spice drawer, Tupperware) you quickly get to see and feel the satisfaction of clearing and organising.

during lockdown) • Old electronics especially cables. Now is the perfect opportunity to match your electronics to their respective cables and throw away anything that doesn’t match or work. It’s a time consuming but very satisfying job. • Out of date paperwork. Think about how many of your files and information can be found online – bank statements, insurance documentation, instruction books etc. Some financial records do need to be kept for seven years but the majority of it can be recycled, shredded (note: most local authorities don’t recycle shredded paper). If you have a lot, some local shredding companies are operating again and can collect or accept drop offs. However you choose to pass on your decluttered items, make sure you adhere to social distancing measures, stay safe and wash your hands (although I think the last one has always been excellent advice!) www.clear-the-clutter.co.uk 07982044639 Cath@clear-the-clutter.co.uk

Morpeth Plumbing & Heating Our engineers are fully qualified and experienced in all types of domestic plumbing & heating · BOILER INSTALLATIONS · BOILER SERVICING & REPAIR · CP12 LANDLORD CERTIFICATES · AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMPS · FULL CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS · BURST PIPES & LEAKS · GENERAL PLUMBING WORKS · BATHROOMS

Tel: 01670 515 817

PUZZLES

Dingbats

Say-what-you-see with these rebus puzzles. They are often well known phrases or sayings, everyday objects or titles.

SOLUTION: 1. Pain in the neck 2. Water mark 3. Musical Chairs 4. Wide Awake 5. Rainbow Trout 6. Double Dutch

SUDOKU

There is just one simple rule in Sudoku. Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9, and so must each 3 x 3 box. Solution below.

LOCAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

CHOIR LOOKS FOR NEW START

Ashington & District Male Voice Choir was We’ve all been experiencing difficulties over recent weeks with many of our regular activities coming formed around the to a standstill and Ashington & District Male Voice Choir suffering like so many organisations. time this picture of Rehearsals and concerts were suspended when the country went into lockdown and this included the High Market was taken cancellation of the 2020 Annual Concert scheduled for 6th June, the first time that this happened for at when gents looking for something different after the c1916. least 40 years. shut down to give choral singing a go. ADMVC is a AllThe the members are itching toa getlong started again community choir offering the gents to meet socially, Choir has and Neil Morton, the Musical Director and Derek Brett enjoy singing whilst also bringing enjoyment to have been proud helping to sustain interest through the use many looking in many parts of Northumberland…it and heritage and is now for more really is of Facebook. Neil has had daily lunchtime interludes enjoyable. Rehearsals are weekly on a Thursday at bringing tunes of to songs requested by viewers 7-00pm in Bomarsund Welfareat and there singers rehearse andwhilst perform aStakeford new &repertoire Derek has made the tunes of many of the choir’s will be publicity when we can go back into action. repertoire available so that members canthe use them. Furthermore it’s worth remembering that there are venues throughout County. These initiatives have been great but nothing is like no auditions, no requirements to read music, just a the real thing. wish to give us a try. Just look us up on Facebook All ages and abilities will be made welcome, there’s noor Ideas are now being considered for a new start www.ashingtonmalevoicechoir.org. Details are in the which we hope will not be tooyou far away. It’s also time below. to read music. audition, and don’t needadvertisement to be able

âœ

nk Yo u

Cut out and display in your window to show your thanks!

T ha

NHS & all Keyworkers!

MAGAZINES

ABC

LOCAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

Sugar

& YOUR TEETH

Joanne Duggan, principal dental surgeon at Bedlingtonshire Dental Practice, explains the real impact of indulging in sugar

hat we eat and drink is really important for our general health but also the health of our teeth. Sugar in particular will rot or decay teeth. You know when you have a packet of sweets that they are bad for your teeth, however with clever marketing there are also a host of other food and drinks that contain sugar without you realising; for example an advert can display a product as low fat, or to be a healthy option due to added vitamins and minerals, or no added sugar, when in fact they contain a lot of sugar. I find this very frustrating as a dentist as many people are caught out by eating hidden sugars and are not aware of the damaging potential on their health. The main message is to reduce both the amount and frequency of foods and drinks that contain free sugars. Free sugars are those added to foods and drinks as well as sugars naturally present in honey, syrups and fruit juices. It does not include sugars found naturally in whole fresh fruit and vegetables or those naturally present in milk and milk products. Most free sugars in the diet are contained in processed and manufactured foods and drinks. When we cook our own food at home we know exactly what ingredients we have added, but many processed and manufactured foods have sugar added, therefore be sure to check the label for the sugar content. 23

What is dental decay and how is sugar involved? Dental decay is the same as dental caries, and happens when bacteria in the plaque on our teeth react with sugars from food and drink to create acid which softens the enamel and dentine. This softening of the teeth will eventually lead to a hole or cavity which could cause you pain, and the need for dental treatment. What happens to your teeth if you have repeated attacks of sugar during the day? When you have something sugary, your teeth are attacked by the acid produced. When you have finished eating or drinking, your teeth recover from this acid attack after about an hour; they will remineralise (harden again.) Saliva in your mouth helps to neutralise the acid, (which also happens more quickly if there is fluoride which is found in toothpastes or fluoride mouthwash.) The safest time to have anything containing sugar is with a meal. Eating and drinking sugar at meal times only is the best as your teeth are attacked on fewer occasions. Saliva production is also stimulated at mealtimes which has the added benefit of neutralising any damaging acid. Having sugary snacks and drinks in between meals can increase the risk of decay, because your teeth come under repeated attacks and do not have time to recover; the time between attacks is not long enough for the tooth to recover properly and harden, so the tooth becomes permanently damaged. Reduce the frequency of sugar during the day It is therefore important not to keep having sugary snacks or 24

sipping sugary drinks throughout the day. When sugar intake is restricted to meal times there is the opportunity and time for our teeth to recover and harden before the next attack of sugar and acid. If you need to have a snack in between meals then some alternative suggestions are whole fruit and vegetables, bread sticks, plain rice cakes, nuts, toast with butter/margarine, and to drink plain water, milk or tea/coffee with no sugar in. Do not eat or drink anything sugary an hour before bed It is very important not to have anything sweet to eat or drink within an hour before bed. Even

Eating and drinking sugar at meal times only is the best as your teeth are attacked on fewer occasions.

if we brush our teeth before bed there may still be harmful sugars left on our teeth. As our mouths dry up when we are asleep at night there is less saliva to protect our teeth. Never take a sugary drink to bed, only sip water during the night as the damage from any sugary drink will be much worse in a dry mouth at night. Newton’s third law of motion: “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” I used to like to explain to patients the theory of Newton’s third law of motion sort of applied to eating and drinking sweet food and the damage it caused to teeth. This is because for every lovely chocolate bar or sweet thing you ate or drank (nice enjoyable action), then there is an equal and opposite horrible reaction to your teeth: caries that could cause pain and require dental treatment. However with further thought this is not the case! In fact the opposite reaction to sugar is not at all equal to our enjoyment of it, but is far, far worse (yes of course the

Bedlingtonshire

Dental Practice

law of motion does not apply to our teeth and diet but this explanation makes sense to my science influenced brain!) In fact for every sweet food or beverage we consume, and I may add enjoy, the damaging effect on our dental health and general health far outweighs the momentary enjoyment. The detrimental effects of sustained excessive sugar intake not only include rotting our teeth, but also other health problems such as weight gain and obesity which can lead to increasing the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. The scales are tipped heavily towards the damaging long lasting impact of sugar outweighing the brief enjoyment of taste. (Newton’s law most definitely does not apply!) So, we all need to think about reducing the amount of sugar we consume and make healthier choices. I am not saying don’t eat sugar at all; as a dentist I too like chocolate and cake, but I always consume in moderation, as part of a balanced diet, and only at mealtimes. To limit damage to our teeth, science has proven the safest time to eat or drink something sweet is with a meal. Ultimately none of us want to have holes in our teeth, and we definitely don’t want any dental treatment, so reducing our sugar intake and preventing dental decay should be everyone’s goal.

Obvious foods that contain sugars which will rot our teeth • Fizzy pop and soft drinks • Sweets and chocolate • Cakes and biscuits • Sponges, puddings and custard • Sugar we put in tea or coffee • Breakfast cereals • Jams, honey • Ice cream and sorbets • Fruit juices and smoothies • Milk shakes • Sugar-containing alcoholic drinks And some less obvious ones • Dried fruit, for example raisins (the fruit being dried concentrates the sugars but they will stick to teeth and rot them) • Tomato, brown and barbeque sauces • Chutneys • Crisps • Yoghurts • Savoury tomato pasta sauces • Porridge with flavourings • Cereal bars • Flavoured rice cakes.

Bedlingtonshire Dental Practice 30 Front Street East, Bedlington, NE22 5AA Tel: 01670 828402 www.bedlingtonshiredental.co.uk References:

www.dentalhealth.org/tell-me-about/topic/mouth-conditions/dental-decay Delivering better oral health: an evidence-based toolkit for prevention. Department of Health. Public Health England. 2017

bedlingtonshire dental practice AFFORDABLE, HIGH QUALITY PRIVATE DENTISTRY

We offer a wide range of treatments including: • Crown and Bridgework

• Smile Makeovers

• Preventive Dentistry

• Denture Services

• Sedation for Anxious Patients • Bleaching • Cosmetic Dentistry

• Implants

• Children’s Dentistry

• Invisalign®

• Quick Straight Teeth

• Emergency Cover

• Late night appointments available 3 days a week • Easy access with ground ﬂoor facilities

• Guaranteed registration with the practice • Daily emergency appointments • 24 hour helpline for dental emergencies at home and abroad, for practice plan members

If you’re unhappy with your smile or would like a routine check up, then please call us to arrange an appointment

30 Front Street East, Bedlington, Northumberland, NE22 5AA

01670 828402

www.bedlingtonshiredental.co.uk

LEARN FRENCH with Lingua Forme! French Classes for Adults We can help you to learn French at a level that is suitable for you. You may have a basic knowledge or you may simply want to perfect your grammar skills – contact us for more information on how we can help you achieve your goals.

ALL CLASSES NOW ARE ONLINE VIA ZOOM UNTIL SEPTEMBER 2020

ONLINE CLASS TIMETABLE INTERMEDIATE CLASSES

Mondays 10am - 11am Wednesdays 6.30pm - 7.30pm

IMPROVERS CLASSES

Mondays 1pm - 2pm Wednesdays 10am - 11am Wednesdays 1pm - 2pm

POST BEGINNERS CLASS

Thursdays

10am - 11am

ADVANCED CLASS

Thursdays

1pm - 2pm

PRICE £11 PER SESSION

For more information contact Barbara on 07946 115 256 or visit www.linguaforme.co.uk

REC I P E

This tart – drizzled Theveg-rich kippers from with spinach pesto, is well the Northumberland worth the effort, and makes village of Craster are the perfect dinner said to be the best in Britain. However, this is contested by folk living just up the coast in Seahouses, who were the first to create oak-smoked kippers in England, and the early 19th century smoke houses can still be seen around the harbour. Kedgeree is of Indian origin and was much enjoyed by the Victorians as a breakfast dish. It can be made with any smoked fish, but it works really well with kippers.

a tasty dish

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

2 smoked, undyed kippers

➊ Place the kippers in a dish and pour over the boiling water. Leave for 5 minutes then drain. Remove the skin and bones carefully from the kippers.

450ml boiling water 25g butter 1 onion, finely chopped 1 teaspoon mild curry paste 225g long grain rice, cooked Salt and ground black pepper 4 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and quartered 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped 28

➋ In a large heavy-based frying pan or casserole, fry the onion gently in the butter for 5 minutes. ➌ Add the curry paste and cook for a minute, then add

the rice and seasoning and heat right through. ➍ Add the flaked kippers and arrange the mixture in a serving dish with the hardboiled egg quarters on top and a scattering of parsley. Recipe from 'Flavours of England' by Gilli Davies. Available from www.graffeg.com and all good bookshops.

Image: © Huw Jones

CRASTER KIPPER KEDGEREE

ashianna Bangladesh & Indian Cuisine

SUN AY TO THURDSD AY

3 COURS E TAKEAWA YD £9.95 EAL Selected rry, Rice & NCu an

OPEN AS TAKEAWAY AND COLLECTIONS ONLY

Balti Munchie Box....£13.95 Shashlik Munchie Box....£11.95 Nan Pizza....£7.95 Tikka Nan Wraps....£4.95 46-48 Front Street West, Bedlington, NE22 5UB

TEL: 01670 820 222

www.ashianna.co.uk Opening Hours: Tuesday - Sunday 5pm - 10.30pm Monday CLOSED (Except Bank Holidays)

www.babythingz.com Prams • Pushchairs • Car Seats • Nursery

Furniture • Changing Bags • Raincovers Mattresses • High Chairs & Lots More

10% RESERVES

ANY ITEM Unit 8D, North Tyne Ind. Estate, Whitley Road, Benton, Newcastle-upon Tyne, NE12 9SZ Opposite ASDA Benton Tel: 0191 266 1190 Open Tue-Sat 9am - 5.30pm

PramsNewcastle

LOCAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

KEEPING MOTIVATED WITH CURVES Keep on top of your health and mental wellbeing with Curves Fitness Manager, Sarah Howe.

Sleep well! Physical exercise daily will help you sleep better, woth a better quality of rest.

Lockdown can be a difficult and complex time as nobody is used to isolation. Therefore it is essential to maintain a positive attitude, focusing on here and now, and what motivates you to keep moving forward in your day-to-day life. These are the challenges that define us as people. Since Covid-19 everyone values their health and fitness more than ever. Lockdown has and will have, a massive impact on mental, emotional and physical well being. However Curves Fitness Centres in Cullercoats, Cramlington and Ashington will be there for you to get your fitness routine back on track once it is safe for us to re-open. Until then were are here to help now by bringing the Curves Community to you! Curves manager Sarah

(a.k.a. buffymammy) is coaching a live workout on Facebook and Instagram at 11am every morning. For those of you who can’t make that time no worries, they are recorded and you will find them on the sites listed bellow:

Live Workouts

11am on Facebook: Buffmammy or Isolation Help Northumberland 11am on Instagram: @Buffmammy

Saved Workouts

Can be found on the following Facebook pages: · Buffmammy · Curves Ashington · Curves Cramlington · Curves Cullercoats Full recorded workouts will be available on Youtube, so you can do them on your TV. Search for ‘Buffmammy’

Exercise helps your mind! Physical exercise helps to improve cognitive performance. Increases the levels of oxygen in the blood that are transmitted to the brain. It can also reduce the chances of suffering from depression and anxiety!

Sarah Howe is a fitness trainer for women, Director of 3 Curves fitness facility’s in the North East and a mother of two. Follow Sarah on instagram @buffmammy

For more information on Curves visit www.curves.eu/uk 30

Curves Ashington

Unit 12, Merchant Court, Ashington NE63 0YH 01670 522760 Curves Ashington

@buffmammy 31 31

LOCAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

KEEP YOUR HOME AND WORKPLACE HEALTHY ZeroDryTime explain how they can help combat coronavirus COVID-19 with their high quality atmospheric and surface sanitation service

e’re currently experiencing some extremely worrying times - because it's a new threat, we still don’t know exactly how the coronavirus COVID-19 spreads from person to person. Similar viruses spread in cough droplets and from contaminated surfaces, so we believe COVID-19 can spread in this same manner. Zerodrytime can help for peace of mind as a precautionary measure, or because you’ve had a suspected case in your home or around your workplace. We’re the UK’s largest and leading dry carpet, upholstery and hard floor cleaners. We provide deep cleaning for your carpets and upholstery, plus we have the capability to offer highly effective sanitation and decontamination cleaning services for homes and businesses in recent light of the Coronavirus or COVID 19. We are able to provide a professional clean to help remove

the risk from surfaces, carpets, upholstery and furniture of any germs, bacteria and viruses. Our Deep Sanitising Cleaning Services includes sanitising all touch points, surfaces, equipment, floors and is tailored to your requirements. We can also carry out a room fogging service that will kill airborne and surface germs and viruses, including COVID-19. Our decontamination products conform to and exceed UK Government requirements for effective removal of COVID-19 virus. Plus, sanitised and cleaned areas can be used in as little as 60 minutes. Our Precautionary Coronavirus sanitising service offers you a professional virus control clean that will provide you with peace of mind that you are doing everything you can to combat COVID-19 and

keep yourself, staff, visitors and families as safe as possible. Call us today for a quote to clean your home or business premises. Tel: 0800 180 4471 www.zerodrytime.com

NewSpace Loft Storage We create space so everything has a place

LOFT STORAGE SPACE PACKAGE

WE ARE SPECIALISTS IN CREATING HOBBY ROOMS

Add storage space in your property with our special loft package which includes:

Our hobby/play rooms are a fantastic alternative to a full loft conversion and at a fraction of the price, they provide valuable space for a variety of uses.

• Loft Ladder • New hatch • Light with Switch • Flooring SUPPLIED & INSTALLED

FOR ONLY £495

Includes: • Independent Floor • Timber Ladder • Lights & Sockets • Plaster Boarded • Velux Window

CALL US FOR FURTHER DETAILS

Call us today for friendly advice and an estimate 07973 957 481 or 07931 801 472 info@newspaceloftstorage.co.uk

www.newspaceloftstorage.co.uk

LOCAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

GIVE SOMEONE POWER OF ATTORNEY… BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE Lasting Powers of Attorney are invaluable documents as part of the overall planning of your estate as managing your financial affairs can become more difficult as you get older. If a person is unable to manage their affairs due to mental incapacity and they have not made a valid Enduring or Lasting Power of Attorney, their assets will be frozen as no one (including their spouse and children) has the authority to deal with them. At this point someone will need to apply to the Court of Protection to be appointed as the person’s Deputy. The Court will then authorize the Deputy to deal with the person’s affairs in a certain manner. This is a very time consuming (around 6 months) and expensive (in the region of £1,750) process. This situation can be simply avoided through the making of a Lasting Power of Attorney. By making a Lasting Power of Attorney you can decide whom you would like to manage your affairs in the event that you are unable to do so either due to physical or mental incapacity. There are two types of Lasting Power of Attorney that can be made, one dealing with your property and financial affairs and the other dealing with your personal welfare.

Personal Welfare

This power gives your attorney the authority to make decisions regarding your healthcare and medical treatment.

Property and Affairs

This power enables your attorney to deal with your bank accounts and your property. This includes decisions in relation to selling or renting your property, paying your bills, applying for benefits you are entitled to and all aspects of dealing with your bank accounts, savings and investments. 34

All work we undertake is at fixed fees: Single Property and Affairs Lasting Power of Attorney: £300 inclusive of VAT Double Property and Affairs Lasting Power of Attorney (suitable for couples): £420 inclusive of VAT Single Will: £120 inclusive of VAT Mirror Will: £180 inclusive of VAT It is imperative that specialist advice is taken in order to ensure that the power given accurately reflects your wishes. Call Crichton Wills Trusts & Probate on 01670 514772 and speak to a specialist adviser today who will be happy to discuss any concerns you may have and offers a free no obligation appointment in the comfort of your own home.

55 Beaumont Court, Pegswood, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 1BF

Price of Family Trust ÂŁ1,740 (inc. VAT)

CHILDREN

THE ART OF HOME-SCHOOL By Debra Grant

ost children love to draw or paint. While so many of us are stuck at home it’s a great way to keep them occupied too. A few friends wondered if they should be encouraging more ‘mind-improving’ activities such as maths and English worksheets. Art tends to be viewed as a ‘bolt-on’ extra in school. But art is so much more, and along with music should be given a much more prominent role within education. Drawing, painting and sculpting help mental, social, and emotional development. Creating art boosts our ability to analyse and problemsolve. As a conscript teacher in the ‘school of mum and dad’ it’s easy to fall into the trap of ’right and wrong’ when we would be better to remember that art should be about the process rather than the product. As children manipulate a paintbrush or pencil, their fine motor skills improve. As they mix colours they learn about proportions, and when they experiment with different media they dabble in science. Most importantly if a child feels good about being able to experiment while creating art, it boosts their self-confidence. Children who feel able to try things and make mistakes develop more creative ways to think which extend beyond their artwork. Lots of parents don’t feel comfortable with art, because unlike maths there isn’t a ‘correct’ way to do it’, or they feel they have to intervene to make things look ’right’. So, I’ve put together a list of art websites that offer tutorials aimed at the children themselves rather than at their parents. They all use real world art equipment, not digital platforms and have all been tested by my own 10-year-old artist-in-residence.

www.artforkidshub.com This is a lovely art website for kids. It has hundreds of tutorials, mostly for drawing, but some painting and origami too. Mr Hub does the drawings in a slightly speeded up time scale, but the instructions are clear and easy to follow. artprojectsforkids.org This site is run by an art teacher who has put together lots of fun art projects for kids. There are drawing lessons and craft projects. stepbysteppainting.net A great site packed with online step-by-step canvas painting tutorials, suitable for all the family, with a complete section dedicated to kids. Older kids who are keen artists will love the more grown-up painting tutorials too. thepaintrepublic.com on Facebook This is our favourite site by a country mile. Lindsay teaches live sessions on Facebook a couple of times per week. The tutorials then stay on the page so that children can access them at

any time. She’s an encouraging, enthusiastic teacher and paints along with her sons, who are funny, lively and very normal, and this is the big bonus for my own son, who is missing his friends and the banter of the classroom. The silly incidents and funny anecdotes our children bring home are woven into the tapestry of their day-today existence, and at the moment that part of their lives is on hold. Lindsay and her boys are a breath of fresh air in our house. The art is great, and she also leads adult classes for when the kids are in bed. Cannot recommend this one highly enough. If your children would like real life hands-on tuition, Turpentyne, based in Gosforth, offer Fine Art and Drawing classes. They are currently taking bookings for July and August summer workshops. They are monitoring the guidelines with regards covid-19 and updates will follow on both their website www.turpentyne.com and their facebook page www.facebook. com/turpentyne

D Y E LL TE FU AN AR U G

Get your car in shape for Summer

AS SEEN ON

ÂŁ15 OFF *

A L L R E PA I R S

Bumper Scuffs

Paintwork Scratches

Alloy Wheels

Minor Dents

Get ready for Summer now with a free no obligation estimate call 0800 028 7878 or 07851 384 044 or visit chipsaway.co.uk 38

*Offer only valid when booking with Stuart Yorston. Customer must produce this advert at time of booking.

Dawn Lang Funeral Services YOUR LOCAL INDEPENDENT FUNERAL DIRECTOR • 24 HOUR SERVICE

Covering Ashington, Morpeth and Bedlington areas You can tailor any of our funeral packages. You can also pre-pay for peace of mind. Either pay now or in 12 monthly instalments with no additional instalment costs. Longer terms are available. POPULAR CHOICE FUNERAL

£2,295

• Professional Fees • Doctors Fees • Care of Deceased • Hearse • Crematorium Fees • Humanist • Classic Coffin & Nameplate • Pall Bearers • Ashes Tube or Casket Limousine can be added for an additional £150

Also available: Direct to Crematorium package £1,495

TRADITIONAL FUNERAL

£2,895

• Professional fees • Doctors Fees • Care of Deceased • Chapel of Rest • Crematorium Fees • Pall Bearers • Traditional Coffin & Nameplate • Humanist/Minister • Order of Service • Hearse & 1 x Limousine

Also available: Horse Drawn Hearse package £3,595 We provide

£100 DISCOUNT ON ALL FUNERALS if accounts are settled prior to the funeral

prepaid Funeral Plans

Call 01670 457 575 for help or advice at any time 73 Station Road, Ashington, NE63 8RS www.dawnlangfuneralservices.co.uk

• Fires & Fireplaces • Fire Surrounds • Gas Fires • Gas Stoves • Electric Fires • Multifuel Stoves • Heating Packages

COME HOME TO A LIVING FIRE 7 Market Place, Bedlington, Northumberland, NE22 5TN

Dimplex Opti-Myst

Display & Demonstrate Approved Showroom

Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 10am - 4pm Saturday 10am - 3pm

Tel: 01670 632717 Sunday Closed

PUZZLES

CROSSWORD

Across 1 Covered furniture with fabric and padding (11) 9 To make a choice (3) 10 Express the same phrase in another language (9) 11 Seers, forecasters (8) 12 Part of a cowboy boot (4) 14 Track for storing spare trains (6) 16 Capital city of Greece (6) 18 Massive (4) 19 Leave in a will (8) 22 Visiting, being present at. (9) 23 Stain, tint (3) Down 2 Paved outdoor seating area (5) 3 Transcend, perform better than (8) 4 Disorganised, forgetful (6) 5 Requires little effort (4) 6 Typical specimen (7) 7 Pile of rotting plant matter (7,4) 8 Large revolving fairground ride (6,5) 13 Skirmish, grapple (8) 15 Computerised numerical display (7) 17 Observing, watching (6) 20 Assistants, attendants (5)

WORDSEARCH Can you find all of the waterfalls hidden in the grid?

Angel Cauldron Snout Dawson Della Gavarnie Gocta Guaira Inglis Kalambo Keyhole Livingstone Mandraka Moss Force

Rainbow Rjukanfossen Shannon Styggforsen Sutherland Svartifoss Swabi Thomsonâ€™s Trummelbach Tugela Victoria Virginia Yosemite

SOLUTIONS - Turn upside down to view

NOW R C EATING YOUR E P RFECT BEDROOM

KITCHEN • BATHROOM • TILE

Brilliantly Simple...Simply Brilliant Signature Kitchens, Bathrooms & Tiles have been providing customers with quality kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, flooring and tiles for over ten years.

Offering a unique combination of superb products, expertise and unmatched customer service, we bring you the home of your dreams, whilst making the transformation a painless process. For every project, we have an experienced team and a generation of experience; this successful formula shows in the results. ● FAMILY RUN BUSINESS ● FREE 3D PLANNING & DESIGN ● TILING, ELECTRICS & PLASTERING ● SUPPLY OR INSTALLATION ● FULL PROJECT MANAGEMENT OF YOUR DREAM KITCHEN OR BATHROOM

1a Burnside Road, Whitley Bay, NE25 8PW Tel: 0191 253 5111 www.signaturekitchensbathroomsandtiles.co.uk SHOWROOM OPEN: Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm & Saturday 10am - 4pm

FOOD

WHAT CAN I USE INSTEAD OF…?

Empty supermarket shelves require some kitchen creativity

By Sarah Davey

It’s frustrating when you want to bake but don’t have some of the ingredients. You don’t want to make an unnecessary trip out to the supermarket at the moment, and you’re not sure they’ll have what you need when you get there anyway! Or maybe you’re in the supermarket and they don’t have exactly what’s on your shopping list. Here are some substitutions you might be able to make. Buttermilk – You can substitute plain yoghurt. If you only have thick yoghurt you can think it with a little milk, or water. If you don’t have yoghurt you can use 240mls (1 cup) of milk mixed well with a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar. Butter – If your cake calls for butter and there is none, use coconut oil or vegetable oil instead. Dark brown sugar – Use ¼ cup of treacle to 1 cup of granulated sugar, or 1 tablespoon of treacle to 1 cup of light brown sugar. Double Cream – Evaporated milk can be substituted 1:1, or use 120mls milk + 80mls melted butter. Caster sugar – If you have granulated sugar you can blend it in a mini-blender, but it’s best reserved for muffins and coarser textured cakes rather than fine sponges. Eggs – amazingly you can get away without eggs in some cakes. Try substituting ¼ cup of mashed banana or ¼ cup 42

vegetable oil. If substituting two eggs I would mix the banana option with the vegetable oil option. You can also use 1 tablespoon of ground or milled linseed /flax seed to three tablespoons of water to replace one egg. Mix together and leave to stand for a few minutes. This is a well-known vegan substitute for eggs which can come in useful if you keep a pack of ground linseed on standby.

Baking powder – mix ¼ teaspoon baking soda with ½ teaspoon cream of tartar to make 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Vinegar – replace the vinegar with the same amount of lemon or lime juice, or double the amount of white wine. Yoghurt – sour cream and buttermilk are interchangeable when baking.

Northumbria

Flooring & Furniture

www.northumbriaflooring.co.uk

01670 368811

e st fre intereance fin ble availa ly app T&C’s

FREE MEASURING & ADVICE · EXPERT IN HOUSE FITTING SERVICE

Winner of Flooring Retailer of the Year 2019 North East Division

GARDEN VIEW

Gardening from scraps! By Rachael Leverton

t’s a difficult time right now and lots of gardeners are taking solace in their plot. But we’re seeing a whole new group of people coming to gardening by an unusual route. With more people quarantined at home right now, trips out to garden centres falling under ‘unnecessary journeys’, and empty shelves at the supermarket, people are wondering if there’s anything they can grow easily at home with limited specialist supplies. The answer is yes, and it’s possible with minimal equipment to set up some home-grown produce on a windowsill or balcony. It’s something fun to with the kids too. You don’t need flowerpots; yogurt pots and ice-cream tubs will do. For something deeper chop the tops of 2 litre milk cartons. Be as creative as you like – just punch a couple of drainage holes in the bases. Garlic – If you can spare a couple of cloves of garlic you can plant them and grow your own garlic bulbs! Put the pots of planted garlic in full sun. They will sprout and send up a stalk. Chop this off and the bulb will then put all of its energy into growing large bulbs.

Potatoes - Cut about one-inch of a chunk from a potato that includes 1-2 eyes. Let it dry out for a day or two then plant with the eyes facing upwards. Pumpkins and squashes – these grow fairly easily from seeds found in the centre of the gourd. Scallions / Spring onions - Cut off the last couple of centimetres of each onion leaving the bulb and roots. Plant in a pot, leaving a portion of each stem sticking out above the soil. Water regularly, and the onions will start growing. Harvest the green portion of the plant, and it will continue to regrow more greens. You can do this 2-3 times before needing to plant more bulbs. Carrots – Carrot tops can be placed in shallow water in a saucer and will sprout tasty greens. You can use these to make a carrot-top green pesto. You can also regrow the plant by cutting a couple of centimetres from the top of a carrot. Stick a toothpick into either side of the carrot stump and balance it on top of a small glass. Fill the glass with water so that the liquid barely touches the bottom edge of the stump. Set this glass on a windowsill out of direct sunlight. Add water as it evaporates, and roots will sprout from the carrot edge. Plant it out in a pot. Romaine – This lettuce has narrow leaves that form a tall head. Cut off a couple of centimetres from the bottom of the romaine stalk, place it in water and after a week or so roots will form. When they are slightly longer than the leaves growing from the top you and plant it out. To harvest, pick the outer leaves leaving the inner leaves. It should keep producing for months. Happy scrappy gardening!

Tel: 0191 251 0439 Mob: 07976 644251

Email: info@hills-landscapes.com

ARE YOU TIRED OF GETTING COMPOST OR PLANTERS HOME? Why not let Hills Landscapes deliver colourful planters or hanging baskets and compost free to your door. We can even collect your favourite planter for re-planting.

Greenleaf Organic Compost 3 for £12 Bespoke planters from £15

www.hills-landscapes.com

HILLS GARDEN MACHINERY

REPAIRS We can service or repair petrol-powered garden machinery including lawn mowers and hedge trimmers. Cylinder grinding also available.

FREE LOCAL PICK UP AND RETURN SERVICE

Tel: 0191 251 0439 info@hills-landscapes.com

THE NORTH EAST’S PREMIER FURNITURE STOCKIST

huge choice of exceptional quality furniture

at outlet prices Stylish Sofas

Corner Sofas

£299

£799

Quality Dining Sets

Comfy Beds

from

£249

£199

Solid Oak Furniture

Beautiful Bedroom Sets

from

£129

from

£199

0% FINANCE AVAILABLE • FREE LOCAL DELIVERY

Furniture you desire Furniture you deserve

0191 258 2163 Royal Quays Outlet Centre, Coble Dene, North Shields, NE29 6DW

46 OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK • FREE PARKING • FIND US ON FACEBOOK

NORTH EAST DIRECT

KITCHENS & BATHROOMS

TRADE PRICES

Savings of up to 50% OFF Retail Prices FREE UPGRADE TO RIGID UNITS

SUPPLY ONLY OR FULL FITTING SERVICE AVAILABLE

FAMILY RUN BUSINESS OVER 25 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

SHOWROOM NOW OPEN TO THE PUBLIC WHERE QUALITY COSTS LESS

Tel 01670 528 424

FREE PLANNING & 3D COMPUTER DESIGN www.northeastdirect.co.uk Unit 5, Lintonville Ent. Park, Ashington NE63 9JZ Next to