Big Voice in Gosport March 2015 by Big Voice Directories

March 2015 | Issue 3 | Priceless

Puzzl uzzles! es!

mitsubishi outlander

Grass Roots EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

Have you got happy feet?

We are looking for people who enjoy walking, come rain or shine, and who fancy earning some extra money by delivering the Big Voice Bigazine to their local community.

If thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s you then give us a call on 01329 630630 ASAP and you might get first dibs on a round close to your home!

THIS MONTH..

, ealth h , y t u ni omm nd more c , s a pe Reci operties r p

11 15 20 18

FOOD AND DRINK

CHILDREN, PETS & EDUCATION

Apricot and passion fruit...

...flan de queso with spiced, roasted pears. A perfect dish to complete a meal on a cold, frosty Sunday!

Sensei Says

Some interesting philosophies from Sensei Rob Wood about what makes a good dojo for both adults and children alike.

HOUSE AND GARDENS

HEALTH, BEAUTY & LIFESTYLE

Ginger

Planning Matters

Fancy one of these springing up in your garden? Up to 8 foot tall we bet you didn’t know they looked like this!

Check out this months round up of planning applications in and around Gosport.

MOTORING 15

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

Another fabulous review by Tim Barnes-Clay on a great family car that’s worth a read up on

Brush that body

Detoxify, clean and stimulate with our lovely Kristin from the Health Boss.

BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL 7

Car Insurance

Some canny advice from Mr Lewis as he shows us how to get cheaper car insurance.

COMMUNITY 29

Gosport Rugby Club

Get your kids involved too!

march issue 2015

BVD Publishing 01329 630630

Joint Editors Coralie Todd & Sean Middleton editor@bigvoicedirectories.co.uk

Advertising Sales sales@bigvoicedirectories.co.uk

Regular Contributors Martin Lewis, Rob Wood, Tim Barnes-Clay, Anne Wilson

Distribution This Big Voice Bigazine is delivered to residents and businesses in Gosport, Elson and surrounding areas. For distribution enquiries please give us a call and speak to Sean. Four other editions are also published in Alverstoke, Stubbington & Hill Head, Lee on Solent and Whiteley, Titchfield Park and Burridge. Whilst Big Voice Directories aim to provide a quality publication for local reference, it cannot be held responsible for the services, reputation or cost of any of the advertisers, and content of adverts or editorial herein. Readers must make their own enquiries to establish the credentials of each entry. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without prior written permission from the Publishers. The magazines are produced on paper sourced from FSC approved paper mills and printed using vegetable based inks. They love being recycled but please pass to a friend first! Magazine, adverts, design, layout and content © Copyright BVD Publishing.

“I

Smalalltalk Sm ltalk t’s snowing still... … said Eeyore gloomily

“and freezing”. But what’s not to love about the snow? Sean and I got super excited because, on the day of the Big Cover Selection for the magazines (which is always a fun day in the office because I always pick the covers and Sean has to agree with them) it started snowing. So we grabbed the camera, woolly hats and boots and after we dropped the kids off at school started our mission to get a fabulous snowy picture. First stop was Whiteley. What a beautiful blanket of white, strewn across the fields, the golf course and even settling on the roads so you couldn’t see that nasty streak of black spoiling our pictures. Then we dashed back to Stubbington to get the next batch of shots. Well, we might as well have popped to another country because where was all the snow? There was a rather miserable smattering on the grass in the village which by this time resembled a load of tissue that had gone through the washing machine in one of our kids pockets and not a lot else to show for the wintry skies that morning. So then we dashed to Priddy’s Hard in the hope that there may be a smattering of something…. But no. So instead we have resorted to a rather pleasant, albeit unsnowy picture of a route we take every quite often on our bikes. Hopefully you’ll all recognise it and if not, take a walk out to find the bridge and look out for the signs for the Millenium Walkway! Until next month, much love

Coralie and Sean x

Advertise with us! Reliably delivered by our local teams, reaching over 25000 homes each issue, five editions of Big Voice provide exceptional monthly coverage of our area every single month. Call our friendly team now on 01329 630630, jump on our website and have a chat or link up with us on Facebook. Visit our Facebook page Big Voice Directories

Visit our website www.bigvoicedirectories.co.uk

Car Insurance

Martin Lewis @MoneySavingExpert

Car insurance prices have fallen 40% over the past two years, according to the AA. But with a rise in fraudulent claims, its latest index predicts an increase of up to 8% in 2015; others think 10% is possible. So to help you drive down costs, let me answer your most common questions…

cover the same insurers, so combining a number of sites is the best way to really make a meaningful saving. My current top picks for a typical driver are www.moneysupermarket.com, www.confused.com, and www.comparethemarket.com Check insurers that comparisons miss. Q. Is this only something you can do if Comparison sites let you compare 100s of you’re at renewal? insurers quickly but they don’t capture A. No, everyone should be checking their the entire market. The biggies, including price right now, even if you only signed up Aviva, www.directline.com and to a new deal a few months ago. Unless www.zurich.co.uk only offer their you’ve claimed, you can usually cancel a products directly. policy for a fee of around £50 and get a More than one car at home? Comparison refund for the rest of the year (though sites can only cope with one car at once you won’t earn no claims for that so don’t include multi-car year). It’s worth checking if it’s worth it. discounts. Therefore you should always manually check those that offer it. The big Q. My renewal’s only six weeks away, one is www.admiral.com multi-car, but should I just wait? www.churchill.com, www.directline.com A. It’s likely if you did try and cancel and and www.privilege.com also offer it. I’m get a new policy now, the cancellation fee not saying they’ll win, but that you should will diminish any savings – so that’s a bit check. futile. Yet there is another trick – Difficult to insure? Use a broker. If you’ve www.aviva.co.uk, www.postoffice.co.uk difficult circumstances (eg, past bans or and www.lv.com quotes last 60 days, so big accidents) that make getting insurance why not grab them now and you’re difficult, a comparison site is less likely to effectively locking in those prices in case help as these are mainly focused on they rise in the meantime. ‘normal’ policies. You may be better off finding a local Q. Are the savings that great? Can’t you broker - see the British Insurance Brokers’ just auto-renew? Association website (www.biba.org.uk), as A. Never just auto-renew without these can sometimes find a cheaper deal checking elsewhere, often it just lets for you. insurers smack a price rise on you, as it knows apathy means many will keep Q. So it’s all pretty paying more and more. straightforward? I’m not saying auto-renewing will never A. Ah if only. Common-sense be your cheapest option just that it should doesn't always do the job… never be done without checking and - Third party's not always comparing elsewhere first. cheapest. Merely selecting Q. So it’s just a question of getting on a comprehensive makes some comparison site? insurers see you as a lower risk. A. That’s the route many use, but there So always check both. are steps to really kick it up. It’s important - Adding a responsible second to understand that there’s no one driver can cut your costs. This cheapest provider, so it’s a case of can bring down your risk following a system. average and price ― of course, it must be someone who may Never just do one comparison, you need a drive your car. As Mazzyb5 benchmark of a few comparisons to find tweeted: "Took your advice and out where’s cheapest. There’s a system to added mum ― saved £500." follow fully explained at www.mse.me/ - Tweaking your job description carinsurance. In a nutshell… can cut costs. I'm not saying lap Combine comparison sites. They don’t all dancers should call themselves

cabinet ministers (or vice versa, heaven forbid). But these days many people have such specific job descriptions car insurers don't list them, as Fabsternation tweeted: "Thanks. Changing from creative director to marketing manager saved £300." See my fun car insurance job picker tool www.mse.me/jobpicker. - Beware paying monthly. A monthly payment plan for your insurance is essentially a high-interest loan. For example, if your premium is £1,000 but you’re paying an APR of 25%, your insurance will actually cost £1,140 once you factor in the interest. So either pay in full, or if you can't afford it, use a credit card with a lower APR or better still, a 0% credit card for spending, ensuring your repayments are big enough to clear it within a year. Q. And any special tips for young drivers? A. With the average premium for a 17-22year-old at an eye-watering £1,194 per year, young car drivers can be priced out ― all the techniques above will help, but if you’re not getting there, check ‘pay how you drive’ (telematics) this involves a device being fitted inside your car that monitors your actions behind the wheel. Full info in www.mse.me/youngdrivers.

Crossword Across 1 Satiny (6) 4 Agricultural (8) 10 Discharge (9) 11 Rounded subdivisions of an organ (5) 12 River deposits (5) 13 Permissible (9) 14 Put in place (7) 16 Anglo-Saxon slave (4) 19 Partly open (4) 21 South African mongoose-like animal (7) 24 Astonished (9) 25 Disrobe (5) 26 Follow up on (2 words) (5) 27 Truce (9) 28 Genetic endowment (8) 29 Lines up (6)

Down 1 Skid (8) 2 Showing no enthusiasm (8) 3 Poems of heroism (5) 5 A region in northern Israel (7) 6 A weekly gift of money to your children (9) 7 Drink (6) 8 Imbedded (6) 9 Attack (6) 15 Ended a meeting (9) 17 Making a shrill sound (as in bagpipes) (8) 18 Machines used to fasten papers together (8) 20 Glowing (7) 21 Women of refinement (6) 22 A tomb or shrine (6) 23 Stationary part of a motor (6) 25 A plant used to make rope (5)

Health Boss DRY SKIN BRUSHING THE FAST EFFECTIVE MORNING DETOX This is nothing new. The Japanese and Scandinavians have been doing it for decades and it’s a well know Ayurvedic cleansing philosophy. A simple, fast, and uber effective daily detoxification technique, that helps the body inside and out. Dry skin brushing is the perfect start to your busy day.

3. Cleans the pores of the skin so they can absorb more oxygen and essential nutrients Strengthens the Immune system… under stress? You need this. 4. It stimulates nerve endings in the skin to revive out nervous system

How to incorporate it into your daily life: If you only get 5 minutes to yourself, Select a natural fiber body brush. this is the best way to spend it. Prior to your morning cleanse i.e. bath, shower, steam, sauna brush Top 5 health benefits: your whole body using long stroking 1. Stimulates the skin to increase movements in the direction of your blood circulation and rejuvenate heart. You want to follow the cells, for better muscle tone and pathway of the lymphatic system. distribution of fat deposits Work left to right, lower body to 2. Detoxifies the body by stimulating upper body, feet, legs, hands, arms, the lymphatic system to eliminate back, stomach (use a clockwise toxins circular motion here to follow the

movement of your digestive system), chest, then neck. Pay particular attention to the areas of the major lymph nodes: groin, under arms, base of neck. Use light pressure in more sensitive areas and avoid broken or sensitive skin areas. After 3-5 minutes follow with a bath or shower. It is now the perfect time to moisturize. For a super immune boost brush twice a day and for longer intervals. Don’t under estimate your skins role in daily detoxification. Kristin is based in sunny Australia and is the creator of Health Boss and designer of Salad As The Main Meal. She shares her expertise on how you can become your own health boss whilst living a high-paced, time poor lifestyle. She is a firm believer that despite how successful you are, you will never truly feel it unless you have the health to match it.

The Tanning & Beauty Lounge Hair and Beauty A fabulous, new salon in Gosport offering a wide range of hair and beauty treatments from highly trained, friendly staff.

Lou Quinton Young Nails Over 10 years experience and now qualified to teach, Lou can transform your nails from plain to fabulous, whatever look you desire

We also offer many methods of hair extensions and kerastraight treatments to transform your locks from frizzy to silky smooth. Don’t forget our sunbeds are the cheapest in town too, with many packages to suit you! Come in for a free consultation and price list and let us look after you

• training courses avaliable • complete nail tech acrylic • mani-q • manicure & pedicure • electric file training • acrylic brand conversion • all courses accredited and certified

Facial Rejuvenation- Hair by Treatments Lauren Butler Free consultation worth £50 £80 for one area £195 for 3 areas A non-surgical procedure that smooth the deep lines between eyes (frown lines), forehead lines and crows feet. Fast, simple and minimally invasive, with no down time or recovery. The effects last 3-6 months For more information or to book in for a free consultation with the wonderful Andrew please call the salon TODAY!

02392 178 338

Lauren our award winning stylist (previously from Nikki Froud Hairdressing) is offering 10% off when you bring this advert in on all hair services.

74-76 San Diego Road | Gosport | PO12 4QT

ABSOLUTE RUNNING

We are delighted to introduce you to a new feature each month written by a local company, Absolute Running, based in Stoke Road. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be covering all aspects of this increasingly popular sport and for any of you who have been into their shop youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll know that as well as being hugely knowledgeable about sport, they are very proactive in the community. Sponsoring local talent wherever possible and providing kit to young Sam Jeram who represents Team GB in archery is a really important part of their work. Indeed they are still on the look out for young talent who thinks they may be the next Seb Coe or Paula Radcliffe and work with local running clubs in establishing training and coaching facilities for younger local runners so that talent can be identified and encouraged. Absolute Running were founded in July 2012 when Father & Son team Nick & Harry Carter bought the business from Nobes Sports, a general sports shop in Stoke Road that had been selling toys and sports equipment to Gosport residents since before the 2nd world war. Harry had been a Saucony sponsored middle distance runner aiming for a Team GB athletics vest when injury brought that dream to an end whilst Nick had been a lifelong sportsman who had always enjoyed running. Both believed that Gosport had long needed an outlet for running enthusiasts and have set out on a journey that has seen the business win several awards since their doors opened. In April 2014, customers and supporters voted them the best Small Independant sport retailer in the UK whilst the they also

picked up a national trades award as the 'business to watch.' The business also picked up a bronze award for their inaugural Gosport Golden Mile promenade race which has become an annual event on Stokes Bay promenade. Nick said ' we worried initially that there may not be enough demand particularly as the country was in the midst of a recession but Gosport's sporting community have rallied round and shown that they want their own sport shop'. Nick and Harry both understand that money is still in short supply and that the Internet provides stiff competition but their ethos is very much focussed on community and they both enjoy seeing and talking to their customers over a coffee at the Stoke Road shop which is currently undergoing a major refurbishment. Nick said ' we very much want a long term relationship with our customers and want them to be part of our journey. Although running specialists, we listen to what our customers say and use them as our advisors'. Gosport's Golden Mile sees its third outing this year on Sunday May 31st and is sure to be a great family occasion with potential for the elite runners to get close to a sub 4 minute course record and if anyone wants to have a go they can enter via our race event team at www.nice-work.org.uk or by popping into Absolute Running for an entry form.

Whate ateve ver r you do...Follo do...Follow w the the shoe. shoe. Becau ecause se we we lo love ve running 2 #FTS

Auto biographies Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV charge, a 2.0-litre petrol engine kicks in to life. It acts as a generator to help the PHEV accomplish a total driving range of approximately 500 miles on a full tank.

clarity in the quiet cabin. The Outlander PHEV isn’t rapid from a standing start, but tremendous pulling power makes up for it once you get going. Initial acceleration suffers simply because of the heavy jumble of battery and electric motors that the standard Outlander doesn’t possess.

The Outlander PHEV is also the most fuel efficient four-wheel drive. That’s astounding for a family-size car that tips the scales at a bulky 1810kg, and seats five. When you need to recharge on the move, all you need to do is hit the As a global first, the Outlander ‘Charge’ switch behind the joystick, PHEV also has no direct which fires up the four-cylinder FAST FACTS PROS ‘N’ CONS engine to replenish the battery. A Cheap to run √ adversary. The closest is the Lexus RX450h, though it can’t be single charge via a powerpoint takes  Max speed: 106mph Pulling power √ recharged via a powerpoint and five hours, which could cost you next  0-62 mph: 11 secs to nothing depending on the hours Lots of kit √ cannot run on electricity alone.  Combined mpg: 148.7 you choose to plug in to the grid.  Engine: 2.0 litre petrol plus two Safe √ Befitting its first-class status in electric motors Inside, it’s pretty much standard  Max. power (bhp): 119 at 4500 rpm Initial acceleration X the Outlander range, the PHEV is very well stacked with kit. It Outlander layout apart from the  Max. torque (Ib/ft): 140 at 4500 rpm has 18 inch alloy wheels, duskjoystick-style gearstick and electric sensing auto headlamps, touch- charging buttons. The tachometer  CO2: 44 g/km screen with satellite navigation has also been replaced by a power  Price: £40,054 on the road and reversing camera, climate meter, which shows when you’re control, parking sensors and charging-up the battery, using the seven airbags. battery, or running the engine. The Mitsubishi PHEV may look like a normal Outlander, but hiding behind The flagship GX4hs was driven for Behind the wheel, body control is the mask is the most technologically this review and the model comes good for an SUV of this weight as the advanced Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) with additional features such as Outlander PHEV profits from on the car market. adaptive cruise control and lane Mitsubishi’s Super All-Wheel Control departure warning. The latter squeals (S-AWC). This is a system that ‘PHEV’ stands for Plug-in Hybrid at you if it detects you’ve drifted ensures maximum stability when Electric Vehicle. It means the SUV can across the road’s white dividing lines. cornering. be fed by electricity from a domestic socket to power electric motors that If you’re used to a standard car, it’s Indeed, for its green, yet powerful are supported by a petrol engine. going to be a peculiar experience the talents, Mitsubishi’s PHEV is an SUV first time you gently push the that many British families will take to Two electric motors drive the front gearstick over to the right into ‘D’ their hearts. and rear axle separately while and drive off in silence. Even sharp batteries allow electricity-only driving jabs of the throttle produce the same at up to 75mph. Beyond that pace, or amount of hush, though that has its should the battery pack rewards – the audio unit is only drain to less than 30 per cent of its average, so at least there’s plenty of

By Tim Barnes-Clay, Motoring Writer

www.carwriteups.co.uk

@carwriteups

Ginger

Growing up to 8 feet tall, the Alpinia Zerumbet (best humid atmosphere. known as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;shell gingerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;) produces tropical looking flowers once into its second year which resemble sea shells. The fragrance of these plants is wonderful and together with the striking form and colour make for an amazing They are best grown in rich, medium-wet soil that is well plant - as long as you get some sunshine! drained in full sunshine or partial shade. You can also keep them indoors but they need to be in a bright and

Fraudsters are targeting people to list items on their behalf on popular online auction sites. The scam involves a job offer to sell desirable items at below market value and receive money from any potential buyers. The ‘work from home’ job will usually require retaining 10% of the money received as a “salary” and fraudsters will ask that the remaining funds are sent to them via bank transfer or money transfer. In these cases the proposed items being sold do not exist and are therefore not dispatched to the proposed buyers. This will usually result in the buyer making a complaint concerning the individual who has listed the items. This can result in your bank account being closed by the bank for suspected fraud or money laundering and being held accountable for reimbursing the potential buyers. To find out more www.actionfraudalert.co.uk Don’t forget Gosport Community Safety Day on Saturday 14th March in the High Street, Gosport between 11 am - 2 pm Get your bike security coded for free. Cycle D Locks will be on sale. Come along and meet Gosport NHW and Gosport SNT

Don’t forget to follow us on

www.gosportnhw.co.uk Tel: 023 92583637 To contact the Police phone 101 or in an emergency 999

P lanning Matters GOSPORT COUNCIL REF

LOCATION

2014

PROPOSAL

STATUS

14/00590 35 High Street /FULL Gosport Hampshire PO12 1DF

Conversion of storeroom and erection of first floor rear Pending extension to provide 1 no. Two bedroom flat Consideration (conservation area)

15/00021 107 High Street /ADVT Gosport Hampshire PO12 1DS

Erection and display of 2 no. Internally illuminated fascia signs and 1 no. Internally illuminated projecting sign (conservation area)

Pending Consideration

15/00014 1 Stone Lane /P3JGDO Gosport Hampshire PO12 1SQ

Gpdo Part 3 Notification - Change Of Use From Office (Class b1a) To 2 No. Two Bedroom Flats (Class C3)

Pending Consideration

Grass Roots

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED My company, Yorkshire Garden Designer, designs gardens in many different situations throughout the large and diverse county of Yorkshire (UK). The 3,500 square miles of Yorkshire, with its 5.3 million inhabitants, includes the North York Moors, the Yorkshire Dales, the Wolds and the coast line, all very varied, beautiful and distinct places, which means there are quite a few different garden design situations to have to deal with. An experienced garden designer will take into account the aspect and the orientation of each garden, the amount of wind it is exposed to, the quantity of rain and, of course the soil type. In addition to that, there is also the impact of the garden’s previous usage, as not all gardens start off as such. Whilst I consider and accommodate every aspect as carefully as possible in advance it is inevitable that, in the 17 years I’ve been running Yorkshire Garden Designer, the unexpected crops up, usually when the garden is being built or in the months after construction. The funny thing is, that once I mentioned the particular issue that has arisen, how many other people have had the same experience so I thought I would talk through several of these cases over the next few months as each one has something I’m sure could be useful to fellow gardeners.

Last year, I got a call from a lovely lady whose garden I had designed when she had moved into a smaller property when she found she couldn’t manage the family home. “Sally”, she said, “My lawn is moving!” This I had to see and went round to have a look. What she meant was that when she walked on the grass to get to her washing line, her feet sunk into the lawn up to her ankles. She was not breaking through the turf, so the experience was very similar to walking on a water bed or an air mattress, which felt very bizarre. I dug a hole to have a look what was happening underneath the turf. The soil was undeniably saturated, so in effect, my client was indeed walking on a water bed so the question was, why had this happened? I dug a lot further down, to approx. 2ft (60cm) and found what is known as a ‘pan’ within the soil profile. A pan is a layer of soil that has become so impacted that it is impervious to water. Some of them can be so hard, it takes the full force of a pick axe to break them up. In the case of my client, the pan was preventing the rain from draining away so the water accumulated in the soil, with nowhere to go, until the whole lawn started to behave like a water bed. Eventually the turf itself would have become submerged if I hadn’t taken immediate remedial action to

improve the drainage by punching holes through the pan with a spade which allowed the water to gradually disperse. Although this was an extreme case, if you have an area that is a bit boggy or filled with moss, it is always wise to dig a hole to see if you can find out the cause before applying the chemicals or additional soil. You might be surprised how easy and straightforward the solution is.

Written by Sally Tierney MSGD BSc (Hons),. She specializes in making the most of the space in small to medium sized gardens through the use of good design and the right plants. She passionately believes that no garden should become a burden on its owners and so she goes to great lengths to design a garden that fits in with the client’s life style, not the other way round. You can see pictures of successful gardens on her website here www.yorkshiregardendesigner.co.uk

In the Picture

they can communicate exactly what it is that you would like in the new art work. They By Gita Joshi, AWAD. www.orsomajor.com would do this by looking at the artists portfolio and If you thought that commissioning a seeing what it is you as a client, are bespoke piece of art work was only for particularly drawn to. the wealthy then think again. In most cases the art work made specifically for Then, by understanding the space that you would cost the same as it would at you are planning to hang the art work at the gallery. So, if you have seen a piece home or work, your budget, as well as of art work at a gallery that was sold or any time constraints, they are in a not the right size for your walls then position to brief the artist and keep you commissioning could be the answer. updated with progress on the If you are looking for an artwork similar to commission. something you have seen, then the artist will most likely be open to producing Often an art dealer will something for you. Keep it in mind it also be able to arrange wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be identical, but it could be very a studio visit for you to similar. How similar depends on how well meet the artist and you brief the artist and for that reason it see their works in is a good idea to have the art dealer or progress. This would gallerist on board. be another opportunity for you to The art dealer is working for you, and talk about exactly making sure you have exactly what you what it is you would want is a priority for them. And as they like from your bespoke also have the relationship with the artist, piece of art.

Throughout the commissioning process you should expect regular updates from the artist or gallerist with images of the work in progress, until finally, you are the proud owner of a piece of original commissioned art. It really is no more trouble or expense than buying from a gallery but with all the excitement of knowing that the art work was made specifically with you in mind.

Bespoke artwork 23

Book Review Infinite Sky is a powerful and moving story aimed at older teenagers. When Iris’s mothers leaves, her father struggles to keep the household together. Iris’s brother Sam falls out with his best friend and gets involved with a group of wayward teenagers. When a family of travellers set up camp in the paddock next to the farmhouse where they live, Iris becomes friends with Trick the teenage boy. Iris and Trick develop a strong bond despite warnings from both their families. Gradually family relationships break down and as Iris’s father tries to get the travellers evicted events spiral out of control and lead to a series of shocking and tragic events. Infinite Sky is beautifully written. The character of Iris is very strong and as a reader I was immediately drawn to her. You care about what happens and empathise with her situation. The subjects and events are thought provoking and challenge our sense of right and wrong. This isn’t a story with a

Infinite Sky happy ending but it will provide plenty to think about and challenge for older readers. It won the Branford Boase Award 2014 which is a prize for a debut novel not only for the author but for the editor as well. The role of the editor is essential in nurturing a new writer and this is the only award that recognises this. It is named for Henrietta Branford and her editor Wendy Boase who both died from cancer in 1999.

Sensei Says I’ve been asked on many occasions what people should look for when thinking of enrolling their child or indeed themselves into a karate club for the first time. Although I don’t have much insight into the way all other clubs are run, I do have some philosophies that I’ve always adopted in my teaching career that I think are morally correct and proven. Let’s start by saying that I believe a dojo must be run with discipline and respect throughout otherwise the whole ethos of the activity dies in the very first instance. I’m not saying that it should be run with an iron fist but it has to be a welcoming environment where all students are treated equally whist retaining the traditional dojo mentality. A friendly atmosphere is always going to be a better place to encourage and nurture students to fulfil their potential whereas a dojo that has a clique mentality does nothing but segregate the willingness to learn. Some dojos I have trained at whilst a lower grade were horrendous! Black belts refusing to talk to beginners, expecting “newbies” to carry out tasks they felt were above them was simply unacceptable (then and now). Way back then, although I always imagined running a dojo (probably as a pipe-dream) it was something I swore I’d never let happen in MY club. Respect is something that’s earned in my world and just because an individual wears a coloured band around their waist does not immediately make it a given.

Sensei Rob Wood is a Fourth Dan in Goju-Ryu Karate and has taught children and adults for over 20 years in his dojo in the UK South Coast.

“try-out” lesson first to see if it’s an activity that suits the individual, after all, karate is not for everyone but if it was the world would be a lovely place! A first lesson will absolutely install confidence in knowing if the instructor can actually teach. There are no laws, qualifications or licenses governing who can teach and let’s face it, not everyone is a born leader, Managing Director or indeed Karate Instructor. In my opinion, you can either teach or you can’t and being instructed first hand rather than observing a class will display their qualities as a teacher (if they have any of course). If they can’t teach clearly, safely and practically then find someone who can and don’t settle just for convenience sake.

Classes need to be tailored to suit the age of the students. Infants need to have an exciting and enjoyable time if we are to keep their interest. These kids are the future of all dojos and retaining them is difficult enough what with all the other activities out there for them to do, so an enjoyable class where the total focus may not be entirely set on Martial Arts per se is essential . To add clarity, infants of between 4 years – 8 years approximately, still require elements in physical development that they essentially need for Karate fundamentals. Hand/eye coordination, balance etc are skills we take for granted as they get older but for little ones these can be difficult at times. Adopting exercises, karate “games” that increase their awareness and proficiency Occasionally I do see a small divide in of these motor skills allows me to students where grades become insular in relatively quickly get the Karate basics their groups. It’s not an intentional one installed and allow them to progress and and in fairness, can be caused by long graduate into the Junior class whilst periods of training hard and little room for knowing they won’t get awestruck or left social interaction with a partner. All the behind in the process. same, if I notice it then it needs correcting. Solution when this happens? Juniors and Cadets are a different The syllabus is set aside for the week and audience all together. The age group can be quite vast (sometimes 7 years to 15 the focus is on ensuring all students are years) so classes need to be structured in introduced to one another with a forfeit for those not being able to name a way that keeps them all fired up and keen. Giving older students roles that everyone in class. This absolutely breaks down barriers that students have relating allows for their personal development can often lead to the respect I spoke of earlier to grade. After all, young students have immense respect for older black belts so becoming evident. Additionally it also why destroy perceptions with ignorance?! offers a chance for those born leaders to shine. I look back on the students that have become excellent Sempai (Assistant Other advice I offer is to go and have a

Instructor) and ALL of them have that special something that makes them exceptionally great Instructors in their own right. I like to give all students an opportunity to be a Sempai in the dojo but in my experience, there are those that can teach and those that it doesn’t fit quite as well with. Seniors are like sponges! They recall almost everything that’s taught albeit they need repetitive training for it to become second nature but all the same, classes need to be physically demanding but also technically challenging. Unfortunately many adults do not want to get a sweat on these days and many new comers have a trial lesson, complain that they ache like crazy in the following couple of days and never return. I completely understand that levels of fitness are a personal challenge but working students to their maximum in class is part of my job. Over time, physical development levels improve and as a byproduct, their mental states mind changes from one that screams “I CAN’T do this” to one that says “ I WILL do this”. It’s an excellent philosophy to have in life, knowing that challenges are always there but with a positive mental attitude and physical ability – almost anything can be achieved. So what makes a good dojo? Lots of things… a disciplined, safe & enjoyable class, a good Instructor that can teach, a dojo with no barriers amongst its students and most of all, a Sensei that has an awareness of all his students and their development needs.

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P uzzle Answers Answers

CROSSWORD

HONEYCOMB

March 2015

WORDSEARCH KIDS PAGE

SUDOKU SCRAMBLE

Naturally good.. Apricot and passion fruit â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;flan de Quesoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; with spiced roasted pears

Ingredients for 4-6 servings: For the flan 120ml full fat milk 240ml double cream 100g full fat cream cheese 2 free range eggs 8 large moist dried apricots 1 tbsp honey One passion fruit 2 tbsp lemon juice

For the roasted pears 2 pears Pinch ground cinnamon Pinch ground ginger 1 tbsp unsalted butter

1. Preheat the oven to 300F/150c. 2. Place the milk and dried apricots into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Then remove from the heat and leave to rest for 20 minutes to let the apricots soak up some moisture and become plump. 3. Prepare the passion fruit by scraping out the seeds into a sieve above a bowl, use a metal spoon to scrape the seeds against the sieve to remove as much of the juice as possible, discard the seeds and add the juice to the mixture. 4. Place all of the ingredients for the flan into a blender and blitz on full speed for 2 minutes until all of the ingredients are well combined and smooth, pass this mixture through a sieve into a jug and then use this to fill 4 ramekins (or 6 ramekins if you want smaller portions). 5. Place the ramekins into a large roasting tray and pour in enough hot, but not boiling, water to come halfway up their outsides. (This is called a bain-marie or water bath). 6. Place the bain-marie onto the center shelf of the oven being careful not to spill any water into the ramekins which will ruin the flans (a tip to make life easier is to place the baking dish with the ramekins halfway into the oven before adding the water to the dish). 7. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the custards are just set but still a bit wobbly in the middle. Remove the ramekins from the water and set aside to cool to room temperature. Chill until needed for at least 3 hours but preferably overnight. 8. When you are ready to serve the flans, prepare the roasted pears. Peel, core and slice the pears and place onto a baking sheet. Sprinkle the pears with the ground ginger and cinnamon and add the butter. Place into a preheated oven at 350F/180c for approximately 20 minutes until the pears are soft and the edges are turning golden brown and caramelized.

Ryan Turner, real food and low-carb chef - www.thefoodbible.com

9. Spoon the roasted pears on top of the flans and serve.