The Southbourne
Link
The independent directory of local businesses serving the residents of Southbourne, Tuckton and Hengistbury Head
Delivered FREE around the area In this issue: Win a winter tea for two at the Cliff House Hotel Web pages for Dorset veterans launched Local Business Directory It’s nearly panto time again! Dorset Wildlife Trust: Welcome wildlife in winter Vintage Brass: Beating her own drum Adventures of Nellie
October/November 2015
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Give your feet a treat! 102 Watcombe Road, Southbourne, Bournemouth, BH6 5LP
Examples of how we can help: • Simple Nail Cutting & Nail care • Ingrowing Toe Nails and Surgery • Corns and Callus • Fungal Infections and Athlete’s Foot • Neurological and Vascular Assessment • Disabled Access
HOME and REST HOME VISITS AVAILABLE Telephone: 01202 246811 or 07775 911415 ALL TREATMENTS AVAILABLE AT REASONABLE RATES SPECIALIST TREATMENT for DIABETES and ARTHRITIS www.watcombefootclinic.co.uk Julie Anne Smith D.Pod.M., M.Ch.S. HCPC Registered Chiropodist/Podiatrist Email: enquiries@watcombefootclinic.co.uk
The Southbourne Link
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The Southbourne Link Welcome...
Edition 75
Published by:
Stephen & Debbie Corney at Dorset Publications
Telephone:
01202 894397
Email:
info@southbournelink.co.uk
Copy deadline for the December 2015 edition: 20th November 2015
Disclaimer: Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that data in this publication is accurate, the publisher cannot accept any liability to any party to loss or damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accident or any other cause. The Southbourne Link does not officially endorse any advertising material included within the publication. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval systems or transmitted in any form, without prior permission of the publisher.
Dear Southbourne, Tuckton & Hengsitbury Head! Autumn already! Boy it has been a fast year... I must slow the clock down or add another day to each week. Wouldn’t that be good. Well this month Nellie, the Dorset Publications Campervan, took us to Wimborne Market and we became traders for the day! You can read all about it on pages 28-29. In case you didn’t know, we have expanded, and The Southbourne Link now reaches a total readership of 20,000! As always we are here to bring you news articles, puzzles and competitions as well as our very loyal advertisers who would love to hear from you. Please grab a cuppa, have a read and do mention The Southbourne Link when making any calls and bookings. This makes a huge difference and makes all our work worth while. We have chiropractors, chiropodists, dentist and denture services, education, pet services, property maintenance, hearing aid specialists, restaurants and hotels, carpets and flooring, hot tubs, estate agents, garage services, blinds and shutters, solicitors, windows, doors and conservatories and much more! The index at the back tells you all you can find inside. The prize wordsearch winner of the eco friendly products was Mr D A Bayne. Well done to you! Who will be the winner of the Yuletide cream tea for two at the Cliff House Hotel this month? If you know of any clubs or societies needing help in advertising, or have a local story to tell, please let us know as we provide this service for FREE! If you have a business and would like to promote, we would love to help you too, please give one of us a call. Wishing you all a great month of October and November. All the Best,
Debbie & Stephen Corney Useful Numbers
Local Police Southern Electricity Transco Gas Emergency Bournemouth. Hospital
101 08457 708090 0800 111999 01202 303626
Train Enquires Bournemouth Council Sembcorp Water Southbourne Library
08457 484950 01202 451451 01202 590059 01202 428784
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The Southbourne Link
Community News
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Blindfold Run for Charity The Dorset Blind Association hosted their 6th Annual Run from Boscombe Pier along the promenade on Sunday 27th September. Participants walked, jogged and sprinted their 5 or 10k to help raise money to help support blind and partially sighted people to live full and happy lives. So far the event has raised £1,750.65 for the charity. On Sunday, a group of generous charity supporters ran along Boscombe Promenade to raise money to help support blind and partially sighted people living in Dorset. Runners were given the option of a 5k or 10k distance, as well as being offered the opportunity to run without vision in the ‘Blindfold Challenge’. Local runners of all experience levels and ages joined the 6th Annual Run along Boscombe Promenade, hosted by Dorset Blind Association. In the beautiful sunshine on Sunday morning, at 10:00am, the participants swapped their relaxing Sunday to do something great to help partially sighted and blind people living in Dorset. Four participants including Liz and Neil Dyble from Westbourne Running Club, even took part in the unique twist offered in this race - the ‘Blindfold Challenge’. In this, the participants ran in pairs, taking it in turns to wear a blindfold while the other guided them along the route. The aim of the challenge was to give sighted people a chance to experience the difficulties of living with a visual impairment.
Among the runners were some blind and partially sighted people running with guides. Dorset Blind Association make their events open to all people, whatever their level of sight because they believe that sight loss shouldn’t mean missing out. Katy Goodship, Event Fundraiser for the charity, said, “It was great to hear that the participants enjoyed the race. We were so lucky with the sunshine, the beautiful location, and our wonderful volunteers who helped on the day. We aim to make all of our events enjoyable and accessible for everyone.” So far the participants have managed to raise £1,750.65 between them, through their entry fees, online sponsorship pages, and sponsorship they brought with them on the day. The Dorset Blind Association relies on fundraising to help 1,000 blind or partially sighted people living in Dorset each month. It costs £325 a year to support each of the Dorset Blind Association members with vital services such as such as a community support worker, social and activity clubs and home visiting volunteers. As well as helping with simple, everyday tasks, the association also gives support through friendship and regular contact. If you would like to help raise money for the Dorset Blind Association, or would like information of our other exciting events, please contact the events team on events@dorsetblind.org.uk or 01202 712864.
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TOTAL STOCK DISPOSAL
OTAL-
GRAND SALE!
£975,000 STOCK FOR IMMEDIATE DISPOSAL Alstons, Actona, Alfrank, Ashwood, Baker Bedford, Call Salotti, Celebrity, Charlton, Corndell, Fine Bedding Co., G Plan, Himolla, Kingstown, Marinelli, Morris, Nathan, Parker Knoll, Sherborne, Stuart Jones, Sutcliffe, Rauch, Dorma, Dreamworks, Harrison, Myers, Relyon, Salus, Sealy, Staples, Axminster, Cormar, Ulster, Christy, Denby, Fogarty, Judge, Kenwood, Morphy Richards, Philips, Prestige, Russell Hobbs, Salter, Stellar, Swan, Tefal, Vax etc..
MASSIVE 3 DAY PUBLIC SALE! STARTS FRIDAY 9th OCTOBER at 9.30 AM At our Winton & Wimborne Stores
It has been our privilege to serve many special customers since our family business was founded almost 110 years ago. Now, to clear excess stock and improve the showrooms for the future, we will proceed with a massive clearing and remerchandising project at our Winton and Wimborne stores. We must clear both stores without delay, so that this major work may commence. The stores are presently closed while we reduce prices & prepare the displays for the launch of our £975,000 STOCK DISPOSAL GRAND FURNITURE & HOMEWARES SALE. EVERY SINGLE PRICE WILL BE DRASTICALLY REDUCED! THIS WILL BE OUR BIGGEST EVER SALE! We must urgently sell all our furniture and accessories including: Suites (fabric & leather), sofas, sofa beds, armchairs, recliners (classic & modern), dining tables & chairs, wall units, bookcases, sideboards, coffee tables, beds, bedframes, mattresses, wardrobes, dressing tables, chests, carpets, rugs, curtains, blinds, towels, bedding, small electrical appliances, cookware, glassware, tableware, cutlery, china, lighting, mirrors, pictures etc. Absolutely Everything Must Be Sold Out a.s.a.p!
426 - 434 Wimborne Rd., 20 East Street, WINTON BH9 2EZ WIMBORNE BH21 1DT © G R 2015
The Southbourne Link
Community News
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Web pages for Dorset armed forces veterans’ launched Dorset authorities and the military have unveiled new web pages which aim to make life easier for ex-service personnel and their families. The pages, which can be found at www. dorsetforyou.com/veterans-support offer a wealth of information for armed forces veterans. Housing, employment, health, pensions and welfare are just some of the issues that organisations across Dorset can help with. The pages have been prepared by members of the Dorset Military Civilian Integration Sponsor Group (DMCISG) which comprises local councils, organisations and the military. John Yerbury, a former Commando Engineer, War Pensioner and member of the Veterans Advisory & Pensions Committee and a member of the DMCISG, initiated the project. He said: “The transition back to civilian life isn’t always easy for veterans and, although there is plenty of information available on the web, it can involve hours of searching. “Whether it’s learning a new skill, obtaining childcare support, receiving housing assistance or finding out where to go for financial guidance, our aim is for the pages to be a ‘one-stop-shop’ for the needs of all veterans and their families.” Lt Col (Retd) Stewart Burman MBE from the DMCISG said: “We hope that, by bringing links to the information together on the Dorsetforyou.com website, the transition into civilian life
can be more straightforward for exservice personnel in the county.” The DMCISG supports the principles of the Dorset Armed Forces Community Covenant, which is a voluntary statement of mutual support between a civilian community and its local Armed Forces community. Debbie Ward, Chief Executive of Dorset County Council, said: “Through the Armed Forces Community Covenant, the group is working together to maximise the economic and social benefits of the Armed Forces’ presence in the county. “The Community Covenant presents an opportunity for the organisations to combine knowledge, experience and expertise for the benefit of our Armed Forces members, past and present.” Debbie continued: “These web pages underline our commitment to meeting the aims of the Covenant and the veterans who make up an important part of Dorset’s community.” Visit the pages at www.dorsetforyou. com/veterans-support
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01202 422149
The Southbourne Link
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Professional Lady Decorator • Painting & Decorating • Wallpapering a speciality • • • •
Decking & Fencing Patios & Block Paving Turfing Hedge Cutting
• • • •
Kitchens Bathrooms Tiling Carpentry
Honest & Reliable Team Call Julia on Est. for over 20 yrs FREE QUOTES AVAILABLE Fully insured E-mail: freedom12313@msn.com E-mail: juliachubb1@yahoo.co.uk Call Rob on
01202 422370 07776 204959
The Southbourne Link
01202 396685 07773 558898
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Early detection of mouth cancer saves lives In the UK, more than 6,700 people were diagnosed with mouth cancer last year. The disease has grown by a third in the last decade – and remains one of very few cancers that are predicted to increase further in the coming years. Although there are risk factors heavily linked to the disease, mouth cancer can affect anybody – that’s why it’s so important that we all know what to look out for. Take action - Don’t leave that ulcer unattended for more than three weeks. Don’t ignore that unusual lump or swelling or red and white patches in your mouth. Early detection could save your life. At Beechwood Dental in Bournemouth we routinely screen existing patients for mouth cancer and every new patient receives a thorough mouth cancer examination as standard.
During Mouth Cancer Action Month in November Beechwood Dental is offering free mouth cancer examinations - please visit www.beechwooddental.co.uk for details. (Booking is essential.)
Wrinkle reducing treatments from £150 for 3 areas Botox & filler clinics on Friday afternoons
Early diagnosis saves lives, improving survival chances from half of cases to more than 90%. Know the risk factors • Smoking - One in five people in the UK smoke and the habit is still considered the leading cause of mouth cancer. • Alcohol - Drinking to excess can increase mouth cancer risks by four times. As alcohol aids the absorption of tobacco into the mouth, those who smoke and drink to excess are up to 30 times more likely to develop the disease. • HPV virus - The human papillomavirus, transmitted via oral sex, is increasingly being linked to mouth cancer. • Poor diet - Around half of cases are thought to be linked to an unhealthy diet. • Chewing or smokeless tobacco This type of tobacco is more dangerous than smoking.
For more information, please visit www.mouthcancer.org or www.mouthcancerfoundation.org
Love your smile
Call us now to book
Beechwood Dental 8 Beechwood Avenue, Boscombe Manor, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH5 1LX
Dazzle this Christmas whitening now £195! (was £295) Gift vouchers available Offer ends 31.01.16
01202 397 074 www.beechwooddental.co.uk
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Think shutters can’t have character?
www.headstartsltd.co.uk
01202 280430
info@headstartsltd.co.uk !" #" $ % & ' &$ " &
5 Harcourt Road Bournemouth, BH5 2JG
think again.
Open 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, 51 weeks per year
On your marks, get set, grow!
01202 240769
www.justshutters.co.uk for our inspirational brochure
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The Southbourne Link
25/09/2015 11:55
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Wildlife News
Talking about Wildlife...
Making wildlife welcome in the winter As the evenings draw in and the temperatures get cooler, the last thing you may be thinking about is spending some time in the garden. However, now is the time to think about helping out wildlife, as they will need a bit of extra care in the colder months! The most obvious step is making sure the birds have enough food to get them through the cold days and nights. Food with lots of fat content are best, so you may like to invest in some ‘fat balls’, some good quality bird food and perhaps even plant some berry-rich plants for them to feast upon. Water is really important too – you can often get bird feeders with space for food and drink – or just leave out a shallow dish for them. Beware if you have cats and are leaving food and drink at ground level! Hibernating animals will also be looking for somewhere to stay for the winter, so leaving your garden a bit ‘messy’ can provide the perfect home for hedgehogs. Piles of dead leaves and twigs are ideal. Wintering insects also use hedgerows for protection and a source of food – for example, self-clinging ivy provides both these elements for a safe and healthy winter. Even if you have a small outside space, there’s
something you can do. Make the most of a balcony or a windowsill by placing water and seeds on it, and many a passing bird will be grateful! Enjoy some colour in your garden all year by planting winter and spring bulbs and plants such as English Bluebells (Hyancynthiodes non-scripta) or Primroses (Primula vulgaris) for a burst of colour before next summer. To celebrate Wild About Gardens Week this year from 26th October – 1st November, Dorset Wildlife Trust will be at RSPB Arne Reserve on Saturday 31st October from 10am – 4pm, giving free gardening advice and showing you ways to encourage a range of wildlife (including hedgehogs!) into your garden. Find out more online at: www.wildaboutgardensweek.org.uk By Sally Welbourn Robin on a feeder Photo: Terry Fisher
ADVERTISEMENT 15
Cloudy2Clear Windows – Service With A Smile! It’s been a crazy few months for Cloudy2Clear Windows. The company which specialises in repairing windows which are steamed up, broken or damaged by replacing the panes – not the frames has grown rapidly as homeowners take advantage of their services. Manager Mike Bath feels that it’s all about service. ‘Our product is simple. If your double glazing is misted up we can replace the glass at a fraction of the cost of a new window, in any type of frame, and with a new 5 year guarantee. But it’s not just about saving people money, although that obviously helps.
Many tradespeople have struggled since last year and I honestly feel that during the good times a minority perhaps didn’t focus on customer care as much as they should have done. We make sure we turn up when we say we will, do the job the customer requires and leave their house as clean as a whistle. I often get comments back from customers on how they really didn’t expect that sort of service which, in a way, is very sad for the service industry as a whole.’ Cloudy2Clear service Southbourne and the surrounding area & 0LNH LV ÀQGLQJ WKDW KLV approach is a major factor in his success. ‘The truth
is that it’s not just the personal satisfaction that I get from doing a good job but also it makes good business sense. I get a huge amount of business from friends and family of people I’ve done work for, which just
goes to show how much a little bit of effort is appreciated.’ So, if your windows are steamed up, broken or damaged give Mike a call for a free quotation on 0800 61 21 118 and he’ll be happy to help!
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Community News
It’s not Panto time is it?
Oh yes it is!
I was lucky enough to be invited to the launch of this year’s Pavilion pantomime, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. After a damp start to the morning, I was worried about the photo call with the cast, but Bournemouth brought out the sun in style. After the photos in the gardens, I managed to catch up with some of the stars. Noel Brodie, who plays Muddles, is excited to be back again: “Playing Smee required working on the audience to win them over as his role changes through the show, whereas Muddles is much more of an extension of the audience right from the start. My father owned a fish and chip shop in Parkstone and having been in the area a lot I feel I can bring local knowledge in to influence the script.” He went on to say that working with the same production company and director really helps to bring things together. Having previously also starred as The Fairy Godmother in the past, I asked Gillian Wright, who plays The Wicked Queen, which type of role she preferred. “I love panto because it has such a history as a genre. We are lucky... not every country has this style of production. I do rather like playing the baddie though.”
The full cast for this year’s panto, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
With Snow White herself, Olivia Birchenough from Channel 5’s Milkshake When I got a moment to chat to Olivia Birchenough of Channel 5’s Milkshake, who plays Snow White, I just had to ask her how she managed to be so bright and enthusiastic at that time in the morning. “An early night and a good cup of tea. I just love entertaining children and although we do not have a live audience at that time, the tour show and the reactions of kids that we meet makes it all worthwhile.” So make sure you get your tickets for this year’s production. It is sure to be very popular! Stephen Corney
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Electrical Contractor Established 1984
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Mobile: 07831 273167
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The Southbourne Link
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Lucy’s recipe corner Yummy banana bread
Get the oven on first so that it heats up to 350°F (175°C) and grease up or line a small oblong loaf tin.
INGREDIENTS
WANTED
DISTRIBUTORS WANTED
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2 or 3 ripe, peeled bananas 1/3 cup of melted butter 1 beaten egg 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 1 teaspoon of baking soda A pinch of salt 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour ½ a cup of sugar
Mash up the bananas in a mixing bowl and stir in the butter once smooth. Mix in the baking soda, salt, sugar, beaten egg and vanilla. Mix in the flour. Pour the mixture into your loaf tin and bake for around an hour. You can tell if it’s cooked by sliding a knife or skewer into the middle and if it comes out clean you’re done. Let the loaf cool on a rack and serve when slightly warm. Perfect with some custard!
Boscombe & Southbourne Probus Club
Have you recently moved into the area? We are a club of retired & semi-retired gentlemen who meet on the second Thursday of each month with a speaker followed by lunch. We also have various outings. The.November.talk.is.enti.tled.‘Wild.Time.in. Zimbawbe’.by.Brian.Petti ..t. Our meetings are held at The Liston Hotel, 5 Wollstonecraft Road, Boscombe. We also have regular outings, coffee mornings, theatre trips and dinner dances. If you are interested in joining, please contact our Honorary Secretary Chris Freeman by phone on 01202 430265 or by email at chrisnfreeman@gmail.com. www.boscombeandsouthbourneprobusclub.co.uk
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The Southbourne Link
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Vida T here for your pet...
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Carpet & Rug Cleaning Dry in 30 minutes with Dry Fusion Upholstery & Leather Cleaning Tile & Grout Cleaning Stone Floors Cleaned & Polished See videos on website
Whether you need Suggestions for a Suitable Diet… Information about Appropriate Training… or Guidance tailoring a practical Grooming Regime for you and your pet… …we’re here to help
We Offer a Full Range of Grooming Services AND ARE LOCAL STOCKISTS FOR BRANDS INCLUDING
Natural Instinct, Canagan, Lily’s Kitchen, Fish4, Burns and Arden Grange We also have a wide variety of Wild Bird Food and Supplies in addition to those for your Pet. Vida T… also here for your Garden Birds!
132 TUCKTON RD, TUCKTON, BH6 3JX
01202 423547
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Awarded British Dental Association’s (BDA) Good Practice Scheme for the last ten years - a very rare national achievement and we’re extremely proud of it! Contact us for your FREE Implant consultation Family & general dentistry | Dental Phobia Clinic 0% interest & monthly payment plans | Cosmetic dentistry Teeth whitening & air polishing | Free on-site parking Hoburne Dental Practice, 104 Saffron Drive, Christchurch, Dorset BH23 4TG.
Tel: 01425 277245 or www.hoburne-dental.co.uk Not just dental care, but caring dental. Come and see for yourselves.
Boilers, Radiators & Central Heating Bathroom Design & Installation Power Flushing Service & Maintenance Leaking Taps, Etc. Solar Hot Water Friendly, Expert Advice 301918
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T: 01202 280487 M: 07779 246417 26 Crescent Court, 33 Chine Crescent, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 5LA
The Southbourne Link
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Money Saving Tips
Martin
LEWIS &UHGLW 6FRULQJ Dean Martin may have crooned, “You’re nobody till somebody loves you”, but in today’s financial world, you’re nobody till somebody scores you. The more creditworthy you are, the better deals you can get, whether it be mortgages, contract mobile phones, bank accounts, monthly car insurance or even how you pay for your energy bill. So it’s time to add ‘manage my credit file’ to your to-do list especially if you’re about to make a big application. To help, here are 8 things you need to know about credit scoring. 1. You don’t have a universal credit rating - there’s no blacklist. Each lender scores you differently and secretly to see if you meet its requirements as a profitable customer. Those whose history shows they’re unlikely to repay are unlikely to be profitable, but good risks can be rejected too, if the lender thinks you won’t make it money. 2. Boosting your credit score’s like going on Tinder You can try a host of things to make yourself more attractive to lenders, but there’s no universal fix. Say two women both use dating app Tinder - one might always swipe no to men with beards, the other might love them. Equally, different lenders look for different things. Yet most people like someone who doesn’t smell, so here are some simple cosmetic changes that work for most: a) Evidence of stability’s good. Put a landline, not mobile, on applications. b) Don’t withdraw cash on credit cards or get payday loans. They’re expensive and evidence of poor money management. c) Never miss or be late on repayments. Use a direct debit, even if just for the minimum (then repay more on top). d) Check for address errors. An old active but unused mobile registered to an old address could cause a mortgage rejection. e) Time it right. Major problems like CCJs, defaults or bankruptcy stay on your file for six years. Applications for products stay on for one year. If they’ll soon lapse, consider waiting to apply. 3. Find out for free what cards and loans you’ll be accepted for. Most of the credit score boosting techniques take time to filter through. If you need credit now, instead the key is to find which provider is most likely to accept you. My free loan and credit card eligibility calculators at moneysavingexpert.com/eligibility show your % odds of acceptance (and unlike applying don’t impact your creditworthiness), so you can home in on the right card or loan, minimising applications. They can be hugely powerful. Kelly messaged me to say: “Used the balance transfer eligibility calc and got 35mths 0%, shifted £11,500 from up to 29.9% APR” - saving £4,600 interest.
4. Get on the electoral roll. Register at www.gov.uk. Don’t worry about getting lots of junk mail you can opt out of the ‘open register’ element, which stops this. 5. Check your file. Even small errors on your files at the three credit reference agencies - Experian, Equifax and Callcredit - kibosh applications. Check them all line by line at least once a year - you’ve a legal right for £2. Yet to check them all for free, use noddle.co.uk for Callcredit and sign up to both Experian.co.uk and equifax.co.uk for free month long trials of their outrageously expensive credit monitoring services – then once you’ve got your file, cancel asap. And don’t feel the need to pay to ‘find your credit score’. These are just a loose indication at best. Each lender scores differently and uses far more info than just your credit file. 6. Avoid lots of applications in a short space of time. Almost every card or loan application leaves a file footprint. Too many of these, especially close together, hurt future applications. The system’s anti-shopping around, as if you’re offered a worse rate than that advertised, you’ll want to apply elsewhere. So space out and prioritise applications. Due a new mortgage? Don’t apply for minor things like cashback credit cards a week before. 7. Get unfair defaults removed. If there’s a default on your file that isn’t fair, for example, if you didn’t pay a catalogue loan as it failed to deliver the goods, it’s important to get it removed. First complain to the lender and if that fails, write to the credit reference agency to ask it to add a short Notice of Correction to your credit file. For example, “It was for a swimsuit from a catalogue firm and it never arrived.” This will slow down applications, as most credit companies will review these manually, but a slow yes is better than a “no”. Finally, complain to www.financial–ombudsman.org.uk. 8. Use a bizarre trick to (re)build your creditworthiness. Rejection’s likely if your history makes you look a bad credit citizen, yet lenders can reject those who’ve never had credit due to lack of data. The answer’s to get a credit card, just to do about £50 a month of normal spending on it (never withdraw cash), then repay IN FULL by direct debit each month so there’s no interest. After six months to a year, you’ll start to look a better credit citizen. The catch 22 is ‘how do you get a credit card if you’ve poor credit?’ The answer’s specialist credit rebuild cards - I’ve a full list of cards and help to find which you’re most likely to be accepted for at www.mse.me/creditrebuild.
@MoneySavingExpert
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...groups...walkers...cyclists...families...birdwatchers...gardeners...archaeologists...
Join us at the Visitor Centre for Christmas Craft Shop and Events TMHPTD FHES HCD@R SG@S @QD KNB@K RODBH@K @MC QDRONMRHAKX RNTQBDC
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www.visithengistburyhead.co.uk
Southbourne, BH6 4EN. Tel 01202 451618 The Southbourne Link
A frank and honest piece on our estate agency fees and service Estate agency is on the face of things a very simple business, so why do fees differ so much when we’re all the same? I’m going to be very honest on what our costs are, where our time is spent and hopefully if you read this, you’ll be better placed to choose an estate agent based on what value you wish to receive. As with everything, you simply don’t get something for nothing. The key for a would-be seller is working out where that value is and which parts you as a customer would most benefit from. Have you ever seen the below saying?
This is incredibly apt for estate agency. Or any service. To try and help you understand what goes in to a house sale, I’ve decided to simply tell you. No sales waffle, just an article on what we do and why and how much it costs. There are only so many hours in the day and every hour costs. So what goes in to a free valuation? It’s free for a customer, but it costs every business to deliver. Although the house-value is a part of a valuation, the appointment is really more about how to maximise that individuals circumstance financially, stress-wise and risk-wise within their time-scale. So what goes in to being able to give that advice? If you’ve seen our newspaper you’ll know we study the local market incredibly thoroughly. This is done on a daily/weekly/monthly/quarterly/ and annual basis. I apportion 8 hours a week specifically to learning. I set my colleagues a target of 2.5 per week. This learning ranges across what is impacting price on specific property types, local market figures for instructions, sales and prices; business, linked property market conditions, marketing stats, mortgage criteria, rates, our own success/failures, property portals, new legislation, lease updates, buyer mentality, current news, psychology of moving, buying, what’s affecting solicitors speed and the list goes on and on. This learning forms the back-bone of our ability to give advice at each step. Aside from the combined hours of research to keep up to date, it’s likely a further hour goes in to research specifically about a property and competition it will face if it comes to market. Factor in say an hour for travelling to, carrying out and coming back from the appointment. There’s another 30 minutes of work on research (once you know the property exactly) on the back of the appointment and then 30 minutes ish (depending on the type of sale) in order to form the most effective marketing plan.
No, this part is not a cost you wish to think about as a customer but no matter the agent, to carry out a valuation with all the valuable knowledge behind it is time consuming and a cost. For some agents, approximately half will result in a property going to market (it’s as low as 30% for some corporate agents), so the true cost is realistically very high. It’s expensive to become and stay an expert. My view on my learning is that if I’m not an expert at what I do, is what I’m telling people actually advice and what value does it have? So valuation is over, what happens when you’ve chosen your estate agent? Now it’s time for a bit more research if time has passed between valuation and instruction. Have things changed? Even if it’s only a week, I will spend half an hour re-assessing the competition that property is going to face and see if it impacts our marketing plan. You know the energy performance certificate you need doing? We have a chap we use for our vendors and he charges £50. Some estate agents will charge circa £100 (or more) for this as it’s a way to claw back some of their costs. I find £50 is reasonable for the provider and the client, but some estate agents have deals with providers where they’re doing it for £30 and the cost to the client is £100. Not every agent will look to make a profit at this stage. The quality of marketing your property receives will have a direct impact on every aspect of your sale from here on in. Not a small impact but thousands of £’s worth of impact. I’m not going to keep banging on about learning, but to understand property marketing is not a two second job. So what are our costs? I’ll attend a mark-up with the photographer to ensure we get the right pictures. I work very closely with Richard to get exactly what we need. We’ll set each room to ensure it’s spot on and it will take circa 1-2 hours for photos alone. To get the right standards of photographer we’re looking at circa £100. I could send the photographer alone without my guidance, but the result is never the same and this part is so serious. Any corners cut at this stage are straight out of the owners pocket. Once we’ve got beautiful photos we then need beautiful brochures to show that property off. There’s some important psychology to using high quality brochures when selling property. Again, it’s circa £100 for us and it’s an upfront cost. It’s also about 30 minutes to an hour to write a description of the property. Then changes. Then final sign off. So we’re at about 7 hours of time and £200 in cold hard cash to get your house on the market and that’s at the bare bones. Can we do things cheaper than the above? Of course, but only with compromise to our clients and their pockets. From here it’s all about selling the property as effectively as possible. We’ve got a plan and we put that plan in motion. We run a list of 300 to 700 buyers at any one time. In order to sell a property as quickly and effectively as possible, we spend many hours maintaining frequent contact with this database so that the second we’re instructed, we’re speaking to buyers that are in a position to buy. Bad database = nobody to sell property to and it doesn’t keep itself up to date.
This process is combined with what the marketing of the property drives to us. We advertise on our own site, along with Rightmove and Zoopla, the two main property portals. Both are very expensive, Rightmove far more so than Zoopla, but both are necessary to give the greatest possible coverage. We then promote traffic to our site via social media and other methods. For ease of simplicity, let’s assume there are two routes your sale goes down: Route one, everything is going swimmingly and the marketing and our database have generated high quality interest. We filter out all the time-wasters and book 20 viewings with the best quality of buyers. It’s 15-30 minutes per viewing depending on property size excluding travel. After 20 viewings we’ve got 5 that wish to do second viewings. We organise these and carry them out. At every single step of the way with a sale we have to ensure we’re getting good quality feedback about how the market is taking to the property. It’s imperative in giving best advice throughout the negotiation phase. We carry out the five second viewings and offers start coming in. You don’t want to be turning down an offer you should really be taking and likewise you don’t want to be taking an offer you should be pressing higher. I see our work as part guaranteeing the highest price but also as an insurance policy to make sure no mistakes are made that could be costly. Route number two. The initial marketing doesn’t work as well as expected and buyers aren’t taking to what they see. With us phoning everyone we know the reasons why and this starts being logged. We book say 3 viewings and carry these out. None of the 3 wish to proceed with purchasing the property but we have solid feedback from them. So what do we do now? We work out where we stand, what is happening and rectify it. 3 days in to a sale we start getting feedback from property portals in relation to marketing stats. I know these stats like the back of my hand so get really good information from them. This combined with feedback from our database puts us in a great position to correct what is happening. Having experienced these situations many, many times in my career and subsequently sorted them out, I know the options and how to determine the best way forward. We discuss this all with our client. It’s an open and honest discussion. There are many, many reasons as to why a property doesn’t fly off the shelf in the first 3 days. Identifying these things early is the single most important factor in ensuring that client still achieves the highest price possible. Most estate agents don’t review the marketing, but many estate agents simply can’t afford to make it part of their service. If you’re left on the shelf to go stale, you’ll lose any hope of the top price. After altering the marketing and making a few adjustments to the physical property, enquiries start converting to viewings and offers come in. Again, we’re perfectly placed to negotiate these offers in the best manner as we’ve so much information on how the sale is going. You want high quality advice at this stage? It only comes on the back of knowing the facts and knowing who you’re negotiating with. Offer checking. We check everything from the buyers position and the entire chain behind them, their mortgage situation etc. On the back of all the hard-work, we want the sale to go ahead. Sale agreed! Woohoo. You want a recommendation to a decent solicitor at a fair price? You got it. Again, this stage is often used as a money-making exercise in
the same way the EPC situation is by estate agents. The choice of solicitor is very important. I’ve seen sales fall apart due to poor quality solicitors. Imagine your purchase or sale falling apart after you’ve paid out £XXX’s on surveys etc. Why risk it? Once a sale is agreed we put in more hours of office work than at any other point. It’s behind the scenes and we don’t generally shout about it too much, but it takes a LOT of hours to ensure a sale goes through as quickly as possible. We’ll liaise, chase, harry and update everyone along the way. We could save money and not do that, but then we’d be putting our sales at far greater risk. I’d rather do the work and ensure we get paid on one hand, but it’s a service that is so important to the people moving. Where we’ll add huge value in this phase is if there is a problem. To varying degrees, 80% of our sales will have issues that need our intervention to resolve. This could be a buyer taking to a survey badly, a mortgage issue, a time-scale issue, a chain issue, a deposit issue and on and on and on. From my experience, solicitors aren’t always the most positive influence on a sale. I’ve seen all sorts of very minor issues be formally communicated between solicitors that have caused near blazing rows. We’re there on hand to resolve these, take the work from the solicitor and get things rectified before they put a sale at risk. We have an incredibly high completion rate for the sales we agree. There are many, many ways in which we could save our costs throughout this stage but none of them are things that I see as being a compromise I would risk. If our client is buying somewhere and they want our help finding and negotiating that purchase? They’ve got it. In order to be an expert at selling property, by nature you need to be an expert at buying. We’ve got loads of tips, advice and methods of ensuring you get a property for the best price possible. I’ve visited properties with our vendors to give my perspective. The fee you pay an agent will not guarantee the service you will receive. Just because they’re expensive it doesn’t mean they carry out the above. Estate agents are sales people. By very nature it’s their job to persuade you that they’re the best company to act in selling your home for you. I know estate agents that charge a lot and cut near every corner they can. The one thing I can guarantee is that you can’t do the above for less than £3000 (in our area) per sale over any length of period and remain in business. I honestly do wish it was cheaper for people to move, but the only way is to cut something from the above that will cost you more in your sale price. Or at the very best make it far riskier. If you’ve got any questions about the above, I’m always more than happy to have a very open and honest discussion on it. You can call me on 01202 387718, email me at simon@ mrgreenhomes.co.uk or call in to our offices in Tuckton. Simon Ward, Simon Ward - Owner, Founder Mr Green Estate Agents
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Community News
Vintage Brass - Beating her own drum! Janice Miller, percussionist with Vintage Brass, lives in, rehearses and performs in Southbourne… playing too in Bournemouth, Christchurch, New Milton and Wimborne! Besides ‘her own drum’ she tackles a whole range of percussion instruments and stands out as the only female percussionist (so far) in Vintage Brass. She’s superbly well qualified to do so: first banging a drum at six years’ old, starting piano at age nine, singing in the Bournemouth Festival at ten and going on to play treble recorder and violin – proving her dedication by paying a shilling a week to buy her first, £4,10.00 violin. Teaching music took Janice to an Army School in Germany, and back in the UK, she ran the Souhampton Schools’ Music Festival, managing eight school choirs. Joining Vintage Brass in 2012, she responded to a call for new percussion players, and with her wealth of musical experience, quickly got to grips with the many instruments in what’s known irreverently as ‘The Concussion Section’ or ‘The Kitchen’, nicknames deriving from the domestic items like sandpaper blocks or boiler tubes used by players
to make the unusual sounds sometimes demanded by a piece of music. Since moving back to Southbourne, Janice has extended her musical activity to hand bells and to bell ringing for Christchurch Priory on Monday nights – following a long afternoon’s rehearsal with Vintage Brass. (Regular sea swimming on Southbourne Beach may give the clue to her energy and stamina!) A regular attendee at BSO concerts, she takes a seat behind the orchestra to pick up tips from the timpanist and other percussionists. She has a special love of brass band music, and having given a solo performance of ‘Sleigh Bells’ on the xylophone at her first Christmas concert, she hasn’t looked back.
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The Southbourne Link
Adventures of Nellie
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The Adventures of Nellie The Dorset Publications Camper Van Nellie took us to Wimborne Market! Not very adventurous I hear you say... Well, when you have a bedroom full of boys’ toys, books, DVDs, teddy bears, electronics etc etc etc, Wimborne Market can become very exciting for an eleven year old, and Nellie was not going to disappoint him. Hayden has wanted to “sell” his old belongings for quite some time. Being a bit cautious and one of those Mums that say, “Oh you can’t sell that – Grandma bought you it!” I thought it was time to let Hayden do what he wanted with his belongings, after all, they are his, not mine. So, I would help him try and sell some of them, then he could buy a game for his computer that he so wanted... and same ME some money! In fact it turned out to be me that paid for the stall. Stephen had said he would, but suddenly when it was time to pay on the day, Stephen didn’t have any cash with him. Has that ever happened to you? I’ve never really been to Wimborne Market before. It was all a bit nerve racking. Would we sell anything? Stephen had booked a stall inside, just in case it rained but we could easily have been outside as it was a beautiful day and Nellie could really
One of the packed market halls
Hayden manning his “stall” have been part of the day at the car boot section. She would have loved that! Still, we took the boxes and set up our ‘delightful’ stand. It was pretty basic actually with no table cloth or anything but “stuff” and a few home made labels stating 50p, £1 and £2, carefully placed on the right items that Hayden had worked out. So, we were ready! Being in the marketing kind of trade I told Hayden that our target market would be Grandparents who wanted toys at their house ready for the grandchildren when they visited. I couldn’t have been more right! Of course that is always the case... Having been all nervous with an ‘out of place’ sort of feeling, we soon got into the swing of things. The first item to go was an Action Man sat on a motor bike. When the lady snapped our hand off and couldn’t get the money out quick enough to pay Hayden his £2, I knew we had under charged! Later when I looked on the internet (something we should have done BEFORE going to the market) we saw a very similar Action Man and bike for £60! This one was in good condition too. You know you can get some real bargains at Wimborne Market - I know that now!
29 29 We met some wonderful people. One man of over 80 told us his life story and I am hoping we cheered him up and he did have a good time at his son’s house in London the following day. Another lady found a book of the Gruffalo and very happily bought it for her 32 year old son who loves the story! She did ask if we had any others and at the time we couldn’t see any. Half an hour later Stephen found another Gruffalo book at the bottom of the box. Hayden and I set off to see if we could find her again. Now for those who don’t know, Wimborne Market is big! There’s everything there from bric-a-brac and antiques, to pet food, scented candles, furniture, records, jewellery, clothes, carpets, plants, fruit and veg… absolutely everything. I didn’t think we had a chance of finding her, but suddenly Hayden shouted, “There she is Mummy!” It was only at this point I realised we were doing something not very British. After all, you don’t chase people in the street to sell them something do you? Not even if it is only 50p! But, when it comes to your children you find yourself doing things, that otherwise you wouldn’t dream of. We did say “Hello” again to the lady who looked a bit shocked, but did buy the 50p book. Do you think we could we be ‘done’ for harassment? Anyway Hayden was 50p better off...and a book lighter. I do hope the 32 year old son appreciates the books!
Nellie smiling at leaving a little lighter...
The Southbourne Link
Plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables on offer Something else that was funny, or should I say embarrassing. I ordered a sausage sandwich and was given a number to present when it was ready. Number 98. I waited, went back and the lady shouted out “86!”, with a sausage sandwich clutched in her hand. I stood there patiently looking at her and all the people around. “86!” she shouted loudly again, looking impatient. I smiled. Noone came. I then suggested, as I had 98, that I could take that one, and then when my number came up, they could have that sausage sandwich. “98?!” the woman cooking at the back quizzed .... “That’s 86, Love!” she declared. I smiled again, took the sandwich and walked away with my head held in the air trying to not look too humiliated. I won’t make that mistake again! Classic. The morning was actually a great success. Hayden gained £27 and we were two empty boxes better off. Result. DVDs, toys and books all gone to good homes where they can be enjoyed. We definitely want to go again. This time we will do a bit more research first, but to be honest, it was a great morning and the real purpose was to move “stuff” out of the house and give Hayden a bit of money to get his new games with. I was more than happy and Nellie left with a big smile on her bonnet. Where will Nellie go next…? By Debbie Corney
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Seeing is not always believing Local hearing specialist offers the world’s first undetectable hearing aid A Dorset hearing practice is one of a select group of UK dispensers to offer a device that offers a completely new way to treat hearing loss. Placed deep in the ear canal, the small hearing aid - just 12mm in length - cannot be seen and is designed to be worn 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, for months at a time. Clarity Hearing Solutions, Verwood is offering Lyric, labeled ‘the contact lens for your ears’, which can even be worn while sleeping, in the shower or during exercise. Developed by Phonak, the world’s leading manufacturer of hearing instruments, the device allows users to effectively ‘forget’ they are wearing it, providing a convenient and hassle free way for people to take control of their hearing loss. Unlike any other hearing device on the market, Lyric is inserted just four millimeters from the ear drum providing exceptionally natural sound quality and a clean, undistorted signal. It is placed in the ear canal by a specially trained hearing aid audiologist, in a procedure that takes just a matter of minutes, with no surgery or anesthesia. Heather Cowell from Clarity Hearing says, “Lyric is a major advancement in hearing aid development and ensures people, previously conscious about wearing a hearing device, now have the freedom to go about their daily lives without thinking about their hearing loss. Combining its tiny size with the latest micro-technology, Lyric provides the user with the opportunity to get the very best from their hearing.”
Approximately 12 million people (one in five adults) in Britain currently experience hearing difficulties and this figure is expected to rise to one in three by 20251. Lyric is suitable for mild to moderate hearing loss and will help meet a growing demand from the baby boomer generation, the young at heart consumers in their 50s and 60s who want to boost their hearing to stay at their best but don’t want to draw attention to a problem typically associated with ageing. According to experts, people currently struggle for 15 years on average before seeking advice. There are no batteries to change, no maintenance needed and no daily insertion or removal is required. Users need only visit their audiologist every few months, whereupon Lyric is quickly and easily replaced with a new device. Using a magnetic adjustment tool, users can adjust the volume themselves and turn the device on and off. Lyric is available on a subscription basis from Clarity Hearing Solutions in Christchurch, Dorset. Visit www.claritysolutions.com for further information or call Clarity Hearing on 01202 478881.
1 Davis A. Audiovestibular Symptoms, Including Tinnitus, in the Ageing Population, ENT & Audiology news, 2009: 18(4):85-88
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Traditional & Contemporary Solutions
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For a free consultation please contact us: Tel :
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Community News
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Southbourne Friendship Club
TROMPES TEMPLES TEAROOM
The Southbourne Friendship Club commenced it’s 56th season on September 2nd. We offer 33 weeks of musical entertainments, speakers and quizzes etc. We meet each Wednesday at 2:15pm in the Immanuel Church Hall Southbourne. Membership is open to all persons over 60yrs. There is a joining fee of £8 and £1 per week to include tea and biscuits. DRIVERS BEWARE: Thieves Want Your Valuables!
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SECURE YOUR VEHICLE
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www.dorset.police.uk A5 Vehicle crime car leaflet FINAL.indd 2
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• Personal training • Holistic massage • Deep tissue massage “Angela is a tremendous force of nature. For me, she does the impossible, by making exercise fun. I always have a fantastic work out and a massive laugh. She is more of a friend than a trainer, I cannot recommend her highly enough!” Claudia Tuohy
The Southbourne Link
Contact Angela now:
T: 07813 805541 E: angela@bodytherapy.fitness
www.bodytherapy.fitness
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MEMORABLE, ELEGANT CHRISTMAS FESTIVITIES AT
FROM FRIDAY 27TH NOVEMBER 2015 UNTIL SUNDAY 20TH DECEMBER 2015
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YULE TIDE AFTERNOON CREAM TEA - £18 FOR TWO
FINE WINE & FESTIVE CHEESE PLATTER - £16 FOR TWO
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Take a couple of hours out to just stop, relax and share an indulgent treat with a friend.
WHITE CHRISTMAS FESTIVE MENU PRICES ;I\]ZLIa IVL ;]VLIa T]VKP ;]VLIa \W <P]Z[LIa LQVVMZ · 3 course £21.95 .ZQLIa IVL ;I\]ZLIa LQVVMZ · 3 course £24.95 5WVLIa \W .ZQLIa T]VKP · 2 course £15.95 / 3 course £17.95
WHITE CHRISTMAS PARTY NIGHTS ,WV¼\ UQ[[ W]\ KPWW[M aW]Z LI\M IVL JWWS aW]Z \IJTM [ \WLIa [W aW] KIV TWWS NWZ_IZL \W I +PZQ[\UI[ XIZ\a \W ZMUMUJMZ _Q\P NWWL LIVKQVO IVL NM[\Q^M N]V NWZ R][\ £34 per person FRIDAY 4TH DECEMBER / FRIDAY 11TH DECEMBER / FRIDAY 18TH DECEMBER
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D Z U F Y X I O U S T R N Y W
O H E K S N H P Y E Z O T T R
X J L H X S Q Z R P O O T U Y
U L L U O H G I W M C D S Q D
P G F Q I S F O E A A E V C V
F T Y P G N R Q N W R U N R V
J A L A O T A B S I G L R G O
K X X B T R E A T T K X O F O
J P W L V R T X C C O P U C C
L G K X V U P V S H W H M W K
E H B T M F B N E Z Z L D U G
A R K S B R O O M S T I C K P
E F C X W J J T N K C I R T M
T I F G Y M F G A Q A G Q Q B
A P R N D B X G N C F V Q B K
MOON GHOUL BONFIRE WITCH BAT TREAT WARLOCK PUMPKIN TRICK BROOMSTICK
This month, the prize is a yuletide cream tea for two at the Cliff House Hotel in Southbourne, so please complete this page by 25th November and send to: Oct/Nov Prize Wordsearch Name: ______________________ The Southbourne Link, Address: ______________________ 1 Moorlands Rise, ______________________ West Moors, ______________________ Ferndown, BH22 0JR Telephone: ______________________
The Southbourne Link
Prize Wordsearch
The Southbourne Link Prize Wordsearch
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Gardening Tips
on your
PLOT
Benefits of Garlic As the days get shorter and the weather gets cooler the focus on your vegetable plot starts to turn from growing and harvesting, into clearing and tidying. Time spent on clearing and preparing your beds now will pay dividends next year. Make the most of the autumn sunshine to get compost dug into bare beds and you’ll have saved yourself hours of work on those chilly Spring days. Jobs for October:Make sure that plenty of sun can get to your pumpkins in order to get them ripe in time for Halloween. Plant garlic, shallots Japanese onions.
and
Leaving dead seed heads etc. on your flower borders will provide valuable food and shelter for garden wildlife over winter, as will leaving an undisturbed log or two. Build a rough shelter in a quiet corner and you might get a hedgehog move in! If you get lots of fallen leaves on your plot don’t waste them. Make a bin from chicken wire attached to 4 posts. Fill this with the leaves and they will rot down to give you sweet-smelling black leaf mould in one to two years time.
October is a good month for taking stock of how things have gone this year and starting to make plans for what you will grow in the future. Removing spent crops exposes slugs and other such pests to birds and other garden friendly wildlife. It also gives you the chance to look after your soil and assess how the space will be used next. Crop rotation is important so if the space is to remain bare over winter it may be wise to make notes about what grew where this season. Add matter from your compost heap to newly cleared areas, either digging it in, or leaving a layer on the top where the worms will gradually incorporate it into the deeper soil over winter. If the soil is heavy leaving it bare will enable frosts to help break it up. Our soil is lighter and benefits from being covered over - we use flattened cardboard boxes which protect from the rain and also help keep the weeds at bay. You may think that it’s all too late in the year to be planting, but there are some crops that definitely need to be thought of now, and others that, given an early start now, will benefit next Spring. If you’ve not grown garlic before, then do try it - it’s easy to grow, can help protect other crops from pests,
and with just a small amount of space you can grow enough to see you through the whole year! Now is definitely the time to order your garlic bulbs and they can be planted anytime between now and Christmas, but preferably not when the soil is too wet. Rather than planting all the garlic together it may pay to spread it around the plot as the strong smell can be an aid in keeping pests such as the carrot root fly away from other crops. Each garlic bulb should be separated into individual cloves and the cloves are planted with the pointed end uppermost, just below the surface, leaving about 4 inches between each one. They like well drained soil and you’ll be pleasantly surprised in the long winter days to see their green tips creeping upwards. Each clove matures into a whole new bulb. The traditional time for harvesting garlic is in June, on the longest day of the year and if properly dried and stored it will keep right through the winter. Would you like some fresh, tender, young, peas early in the Spring next year? Look out for hardy varieties that can be planted now. They can be overwintered and are able to withstand the frosts, though protection with a cloche will be appreciated. We will be starting ours in pots to keep in the polytunnel over winter ready for early planting next season.
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Consumer Tips
James
WALKER 7UDLQ WLFNHWV RYHUFKDUJLQJ DQG ZKDW \RX FDQ GR DERXW LW A Channel 4 documentary earlier this year highlighted just how confusing and complex the UK’s train ticket pricing structure is – and how many passengers are routinely overcharged. Of course, any system that mixes regulated and unregulated pricing schemes, combined with a complex network of competing operators will be a breeding ground for confusion, and a potential opportunity for the unscrupulous to make a quick quid. So what can you do if you feel you’ve paid too much for your ticket, and who can you complain to? Not getting the cheapest fare? The convoluted system of ticket rules and different rail operators means that the ‘cheapest’ ticket you are offered either online or at the station ticket kiosk may not actually be the lowest possible price for that journey. One way around this is by splitting your fare up into separate parts, which can be cheaper than buying just one ticket for the whole journey. Our partners at MoneySavingExpert.com offer a ticket-splitting tool called Tickety Split. This allows you to work out whether or not your planned journey would be cheaper being broken up into more than one purchase. Paying when you don’t have to Another issue I’ve discovered is when we at resolver.co.uk looked into rail fares you end up paying when you don’t have to. For example, Children under 10 can travel free within Greater London, yet when you buy a child’s ticket from a station outside zone 6, they will often give the option of ‘bundling’ in a travelcard for an extra cost – extra cost for travel that ought to be free. In our example, we found that a child’s return ticket from Winchester into Waterloo cost an extra £2.35 when you added a one-day travelcard. Train companies do not make you aware of this loophole, and are happy instead to sell you a ticket. And it’s not just an issue that’s limited to travel in and around London – we found several examples of such unnecessary charges around other cities around the UK, too. The official rules and what sort of redress you’re entitled to When you take a train, you purchase a ticket under the National Rail Conditions of Carriage and these are referenced on the ticket. It is important to realise our information covers your basic rights. Some train companies (also known as TOCs) may offer you improved compensation. If your train is more than an hour late then you are definitely entitled to compensation. As a minimum you are entitled to a refund of 20% of your single ticket and 10% of your return ticket.
However, you can find the compensation can actually be as high as 50% for more than a 30-minute delay. If something does go wrong always remember to ask. The bad news is your compensation will be in the form of National Rail vouchers, so you will be back on the trains again! You can choose any train company to use these with but they cannot be used for online train ticket purchases. Keep persisting and some companies will change these vouchers to a cheque refund. If you are not satisfied If you are not satisfied with the resolution then you have the right to escalate your case to Travel Focus (covering outside of London) or London Travelwatch (for London). What about incidental costs? If your train is delayed and you cannot get to your final destination, you can claim for hotel or taxi costs. However, you should make the stationmaster or train conductor aware of the situation. Be sure to take down their name in case you need to prove you gave them advanced warning. Season tickets The majority of customer journeys are with season tickets and the refunds are calculated based on the delay. For a weekly ticket if the delay is greater than 1 hour you are entitled to 20% of the ticket price divided by 7. For monthly tickets it depends on the train company. If they operate the Passenger Charter scheme then your discount will be applied when you repurchase a ticket, if they fail to meet their charter levels. The alternative is the “delay and repay” scheme where you receive compensation every time the train is more than 30 minutes late. However, you need to make a claim. Get out of jail free (for train companies) There are certain situations where compensation is not due. Train companies can avoid paying any compensation under the following circumstances: • Vandalism, suicide or trespassers on the line • Line closure by Police of fire services • Exceptional weather conditions • Unused train tickets If you don’t use the train ticket Advance tickets are not refundable unless the train was delayed Season tickets of more than one month you can get a refund on a pro-rata basis Consumer Champion – the man who helps you resolve your consumer complaints! www.resolver.co.uk/
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Auto Biographies Motoring
Volvo V60 Hybrid
By Tim Barnes-Clay, www.carwriteups.co.uk This ‘green’ Swede estate offers a tremendously comfortable ride. That is no surprise though, Volvos are known for their plush, supportive seats. Unlike some Volvos, the V60 isn’t supposed to be a‘wardrobeon-wheels’ like many models of the past. That’s why the Scandinavian car maker markets it as a Sports Wagon. On the car’s tailgate there’s a D6 badge. The reason is that the combined performance of the five-cylinder turbo diesel and electric motor puts the car firmly within the same brake horsepower range as the petrol powered, speedy, T6. The front wheels of the V60 Plug-in Hybrid are powered by a 2.4-litre oil-burner, producing 212bhp and a maximum torque of 324lb.ft. The rear axle is powered by an electric motor, producing 69bhp. This is supplied with power from an 11.2 kWh lithium-ion battery pack installed under the floor of the load compartment. The car has a syrupy smooth six-speed automatic transmission too. On the road, the V60 has three driving characteristics: Pure, Hybrid or Power. In Pure mode the car is powered solely by its electric motor as much as possible. If the battery pack has been recharged with electricity from renewable sources, its range is up to 32 miles with no carbon dioxide emissions from the tailpipe. Hybrid is the standard setting whenever the Volvo is started. The diesel engine and electric motor cooperate to ensure optimal balance between driving pleasure and environmental footprint, and it has a total range of up to 621 miles. Finally, in Power mode, the technology is optimised to give the V60 the maximum possible clout. The diesel engine and electric motor have a total power output of 212 + 69 brake horsepower and maximum torque of 324lb.ft +147lb.ft. The
electric motor’s lightning-quick torque delivery contributes to the car’s acceleration from 0 to 62mph in just 6.0 seconds. You can choose to save battery power in order to drive on pure electricity later on; for instance in an urban green zone or in the heart of a city. When Save is activated, the on-board system ensures there is always enough battery power to last for 12.5 miles of driving on electricity alone – sufficient to get you to a fuel station or charging point in most areas. The V60 Plug-in Hybrid can be recharged from a normal power outlet (230V/6A, 10A or 16A) at home or in a car park. Recharging time varies with amperage. A full charge with 10A takes 4.5 hours. This is cut to 3.5 hours with 16A, while a 6A charge takes 7.5 hours. Furthermore, pressing the V60’s AWD button activates the electrical four-wheel drive. This distributes power between the diesel-driven front wheels and the electrically-driven rear axle. The system has been designed to provide better grip when starting and when driving on slippery roads, for instance in snow or mud. All in all, Volvo’s eco offering is an attractive alternative to green German executive estate rivals. It is expensive at over £45,000, but it offers more kit than the average BMW or Audi. So if you are considering a change from your usual ‘prestige’ motor, you could do a lot worse than visiting a Volvo dealership and going for the very accomplished and ultra-economical V60 Hybrid. Pros ‘n’ Cons • Power √ • Handling √ • Equipment √ • Efficiency √ • Comfort √ • Expensive X
Fast Facts (Review Car) • Max speed: 143mph • 0-62 mph: 6.0 secs • Combined mpg: 156.9 • Engine: 2400cc 5 cyl 20 valve diesel hybrid • Price: £45,175
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Community News
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Fireworks to light up the Bournemouth sky! Bournemouth’s biggest and best-loved fireworks party is set for Saturday, November 7 at the Littledown Centre. With three top quality displays, including the famous White Knuckle – the South’s loudest and latest fireworks show – the stage is set for Bournemouth Fireworks to go with a bang. “With three displays for the price of one we’ll make sure this year’s event is the biggest and best yet,” says event director Phil Watkins. “It’s a proper night out for all the family.” As well as the three fireworks displays and free entry indoor Family Zone, with the Get Set Go Karting, Crazy Creatures, taekwondo display and Avonbourne Gymnastic Club, there’s a Heart 102.3 Roadshow with Rich and
Zoe live on stage, full funfair, a licensed bar and other refreshments. Gates open at 5.30pm with fireworks displays at 7pm, 8pm and 9pm. A limited number of family tickets are available until 1 November at the special Early Bird discount price of £20. Event tickets will be on sale until 1 November priced £7 (under 16 £5, under 3 free) from Littledown Centre, BIC/Pavilion box office and Daily Echo head office in Bournemouth. Also from www.daysoutwithkids.co.uk. BOURNEMOUTH FIREWORKS
Saturday, November 7, 2015 Littledown Centre, Bournemouth Firework displays at 7.00, 8.00, 9.00 Ticket Hotline 0844 576 3000
www.bournemouthfireworks.com
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Community News
Egypt closes Tutankhamun’s Tomb For many visitors to Egypt, it is one of the must see visits; to venture to Luxor’s famous Valley of the Kings and witness one of the greatest Archaeological discoveries of the 20th Century – The Tomb of Tutankhamun. However, Egyptian authorities have taken the decision to close the tomb, one of Egypt’s most important archaeological sites, to the public from October 1st for restoration, with no scheduled date for reopening. At the same time Tutankhamun’s famous funerary mask is being taken off display in the Archaeological Museum in Cairo to undergo restoration work. Consequently the role of the Tutankhamun Exhibition in Dorchester takes on even greater significance, as it now becomes a unique place where visitors can experience the wonders of Tutankhamun’s Tomb and Treasures, without leaving the country. Tim Batty from the Exhibition said “Now is a particularly auspicious time to visit the Tutankhamun Exhibition, in Dorchester. It is the beginning of the traditional archaeological ‘season’ in Egypt, where 93 years ago Howard Carter resumed his search for Tutankhamun’s tomb.” Within a matter of days of resuming this search, on the 4th November 1922, Carter found the first step of the entrance of a tomb. By the end of that month Carter had established that this actually was the lost tomb of the boy king Tutankhamun and unlike many other tombs it had lain largely undisturbed and not been pilfered by tomb robbers. The discovery was labelled as one of the greatest discoveries of the 20th Century.
The Tutankhamun Exhibition accurately recreates this momentous discovery, complete with a reconstruction of the moment of break in, the Antechamber filled with golden treasures and also the burial chamber where Howard Carter can be seen raising the golden coffins. Complete with all the tomb furniture, treasures, and ‘smells’ of the tomb, the exhibition makes it possible to experience the wonder of discovery and enter the tomb just as Howard Carter did in 1922. Meticulously recreated, wherever possible, in their original materials, The Exhibition features some superb facsimiles of Tutankhamun’s greatest treasures including the gold Funerary Mask, the Harpooner and Anubis. An exact anatomical recreation of Tutankhamun’s Mummy is also featured, which took over two years of research and experimentation to recreate, following x-rays and measurements of Tutankhamun’s mummy. The Tutankhamun Exhibition is open every day of the week all year round from 10am to 4pm. For more information go to www.tutankhamunexhibition.co.uk
Experiencing the Tutankhamun Exhibition
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Index of advertisers
Your quick guide to everyone and everything in your Directory... Bedrooms Flair Interiors............................37
Denture Services Dorset Denture Clinic................21
Jobs Distributors Wanted.................18
Blinds & Shutters Ashley Blinds............................. 3 Just Shutters.............................13 Tuscany Blinds..........................31
Domestic Cleaning Services Time for You.............................. 5
Letting Agents Slades....................................... 1
Drainage Services All Drains Cleared..................... 5
Lofts Loft Services..............................33
Education Highcliffe Sixth Form.................47
Oven Cleaners Oven King.................................20
Electricians D Lowrey...................................17 Savage Electrical......................43
Painters & Decorators Swans Decorating.....................33
Builders & Carpenters Ian Jones...................................43 Love to Build.............................20 Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Cleaning Doctor........................20 Carpets & Flooring Andy Newman Flooring............43 Chimney Sweeps Oliver Chimney Sweeps.............45 Chiropodists Karen Lewis-Fry........................39 Watcombe Foot Clinic............... 3 Chiropractors Paul Harris................................45 Community News Adventures of Nellie.................28 Boscombe & S’bourne Probus....18 Bournemouth Fireworks...........42 Consumer Tips: Train prices......38 Dorset Blind Annual Run........... 6 Dorset Police: Vehicle crime......32 Dorset Wildlife Trust.................14 Egypt closes Tutenkhamen’s tomb....44 Lucy’s Recipe: Yummy Banana Cake....18 Martin Lewis: Credit Scoring.....22 Motoring: Volvo V60 Hybrid.....40 On your plot: Benefits of garlic....36 Panto time in Bournemouth.....16 Southbourne Friendship Club....32 Vintage Brass: Beating her own drum....26 Web pages for veterans launched.... 8 Day Nurseries Head Starts Day Nursery..........13 Dentists Beechwood Dental Practice......12 Hoburne Dental Practice..........21
Estate Agents Mr Green..................................25 Powis........................................ 5 Richard Godsell.........................19 Slades....................................... 1 Fire Alarms & Security Services Dorset Fire & Security...............33 Furniture Sturtons & Tappers................... 7 Garage Doors Skandoor...................................37 Garage Services Kimberley Garage.....................41 Garden Services David Burgess Garden Design....45 Rob Young Garden Services......11 Health, Fitness & Care Body Therapy............................33 Bournemouth Careline.............41 Slim for Life...............................48 Hearing Aids Clarity Hearing Solutions..........31 Hotels & Restaurants Cliff House Hotel.......................34 Hot Tub Hire Party Tub Hire...........................45
Parks & Outdoor Activites Hengistbury Head Visitor Centre....23 Pet Services “Muddy”ford Mutts..................39 Vida T.......................................20 Wagging Tails...........................43 Plumbing & Heating Services Bournemouth Plumbing Solutions....21 Gas BoilerCare.......................... 9 J C Gas......................................17 Property Maintenance Ian Jones Property Maintenance....12 Love to Build.............................20 Phil’s Handyman Services.........39 Rob Young Property Services....11 Puzzles & Competitions Kids Page..................................10 Prize Wordsearch......................35 Sudoku......................................30 Roofing PR Smith Roofing......................39 Solicitors Robert Wrynne......................... 2 Windows, Doors & Conservatories Allglaze.....................................11 Cloudy2Clear Windows.............15 Comfort Rooms.........................27
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Thursday 12th November
Friday 27th November
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