Essex Central The Loop - August 15 - Issue 13

DELIVERED TO THE ESSEX TOWNS OF THE CENTRAL LINE AND BEYOND

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CENTRAL

THE LOCAL MAGAZINE FOR LOCAL PEOPLE - ISSUE 13, AUGUST 2015

OUR 1ST ANNIVERSARY Happy Birthday To Essex Central The Loop Magazine

COASTAL ESSEX Seaside Escapes For Sunny Days

LOCAL LANDMARK The History Of Copped Hall

WHAT’S ON Fun Events For All The Family

WIN!

...a Luxury Pamper Afternoon at...

New Barkingside branch NOW OPEN!!

Our Promise

Let us look after the health of your eyes As clinically focused independent optometrists, the health of your eyes is very important to us. Our experienced optometrists will perform a no rush full eye examination and advise you about the health of your eyes and suitable products if needed.

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We are your local opticians and provide exceptional service and aftercare When you buy spectacles from us we help you to look after them. All minor repairs and adjustments are free of charge until your next eye test.

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Kodak and the Kodak trade dress are trademarks of Kodak used under license. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

0208 518 3387

Abel Care is a private, limited company, based in Essex. We specialise in providing domiciliary care services, better known as home care services, to older people and younger adults so that they can continue to enjoy living in the comfort of their own home.

Abel Care offers housing and care (extra care) services primarily to older adults, although we can also offer services to adults with mental health issues, learning disabilities and physical disabilities. Housing and Care is an excellent alternative to residential care for people who are able to live independently but who need a few hours of care and support each week. The model of service typically offers: • Self-contained accommodation (often typically apartments)

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Provision of care and support in the individual’s own home if required.

Meals available.24-hour care and domestic support available and an alarm system.Specialist assisted technologies.

Extensive communal facilities.On site staff team.

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meet needs of more frail or disabled residents such as assisted bathing.

• Social activities on site and/or arranged.

People who live in extra care apartments can apply for support via local adult social care services or can pay for their support themselves. The apartments are developed in partnership with a Housing Association who act as Landlord whilst Abel Care provides all the required care and support.

Phone: 0208 518 3387 Abel Care Limited 126a Cranbrook Road, Ilford, Essex, IG1 4LZ.

ON THE COVER 14 Coastal Essex 18 Local Landmark 43 What’s On 45 Competition Win an Afternoon Pamper Session

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18 FASHION & BEAUTY 20 Modern Military 23 DIY Salon Hairstyles 25 Perfect Stay Put Eyeliner e

HEALTH & FITNESS 29 Bikram Yoga Essex HOME & GARDEN 30 Schema Studio 35 August Gardening Guide COMMUNITY 6 Your Comments 8 Local News 41 Redbridge Music Lounge Charity feature Editor: Darren Perry Email: Darren@essexcentralmagazine.co.uk Tel: 01279 319 318 Advertising: advertising@essexcentral magazine.co.uk Features Editor: Victoria Grace Journalist: Devon-Elizabeth Tabersham Design: Sharon Butler-Felby @SketchDesign, Lauren Brown.

Contributors: Victoria Robertson, Becky Elliott, Amanda Anastasiou, Elizabeth Abrahams, Ben Sneath.

Publishers: 3 Blue Worldwide Ltd Facebook: EssexCentralMag Twitter: @EssexCentralMag 46,000 copies distributed to homes, businesses and station locations, along the Essex section of the Central Line and surrounding areas: South Woodford, Woodford, Buckhurst Hill, Chigwell, Loughton, Debden, Abridge, Theydon Bois, Epping, North Weald, Ongar, Wanstead, Redbridge, Ilford, Gants Hill, Newbury Park, Barkingside, Fairlop, Hainault, Grange Hill.

Although every care has been taken to ensure accuracy, 3 Blue Worldwide Ltd take no responsibility for any errors, or the advertisements within this magazine.

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TRAVEL 36 A Taste of Madeira FUN & GAMES 44 Puzzle Corner 48 Dad’s Diary PARENTING 46 Old Wives’ Tales SPORT 50 Redbridge & Ilford Hockey Club

Hello,

Welcome to the August issue, which we are very pleased to say marks one year since we started the magazine! I would like to thank everyone who has supported us this past year, both our advertisers and readers alike. We receive wonderful feedback every month and hope that for this coming year we can continue to bring you interesting and exciting information about the local area and businesses who make it a great place to live.

This issue we highlight some of the enticing places to visit on the Essex coast, which should hopefully give you some inspiration for the bank holiday weekend.

We also delve into the history books of the Copped Hall Estate in our Local Landmark feature and bring you some un-missable events in our What’s On pages that will round off your summer nicely.

Darren Perry Editor/Owner

COMMUNITY

E

YOUR COMMENTS We love hearing from you!

ach month we trawl through our mailbox and social media sites to see what you are thinking. Here are a few of our favourite messages that we have received recently. Keep your comments coming in for a chance to win £20 if we pick you as our ‘Star Comment’ and £10 for the ‘Reader’s Photo’.

READER’S PHOTO

STAR Dear Darren, ust wanted to say what a pleasure it is to receive your magazine every month. We have just had the July one delivered and yet again it is another great read and full of interesting articles about the local area.

Our little boy absolutely loves the Gruffalo story books and we had no idea about the Gruffalo Trail in Brentwood until now so we will be taking him there next week. He cannot wait so thank you for bringing this to our attention!

Looking forward to the next instalment.

Belinda Stevenson

J

rk’ es Pa in t n d le s, Ilfor r in Va e e v d a n e r e v G ‘La Fiona

Thank you Darren! I look forward to connecting with you very soon. Sending you lots and lots of #GoodWishes @MagicalJulian It’s a fantastic magazine, very well put together. Harvey Sharpe It was nice to meet you and your wife on your last visit. I would like to

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Congratulations to Stephen Russell (right) from Chingford who was the winner of our London Theatre Break competition.

t

Thanks to our friends @ Essex Central Magazine, we are getting enquiries from budding students of Spanish. Golden Goose Languages

thank you for the lovely review you wrote about us (Cucina Italiana), many people have already commented how beautifully written it was and we already had some response. Again, I cannot thank you enough. Giuseppe Russo and team.

CONTACT US Address: Essex Central Magazine, Brickfield Business Centre, High Road, Thornwood, Epping, Essex CM16 6TH @EssexCentralMag EssexCentralMag editor@essexcentral magazine.co.uk

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LOCAL NEWS

A short roundup of what’s been going on

The Jive Aces

Swing Museum

THE JIVE ACES TO PERFORM IN FUNDRAISING CONCERT FOR THE NATIONAL JAZZ ARCHIVE

The Jive Aces are set to appear at the biggest UK music festivals this summer, and have just released their 8th studio album ‘Spread a Little Happiness’. They have established themselves as the UK’s top jive and swing band, and on Friday 18th September play at Chingford in support of the National Jazz Archive.

The Jive Aces are renowned for their high energy Jump Jive music (the exciting sound where Swing meets Rock ’n’ Roll) and spectacular stage show. They combine a mixture of fresh arrangements of swing/jive/R&B classics - songs made famous by such greats as Louis Prima, Cab Calloway, Bobby Darin, Louis Armstrong, Dean Martin, Big Joe Turner and Sammy Davis Jr. - along with a selection of superb swinging originals taken from their studio albums.

Appearing alongside the Jive Aces are special guests Swing Museum. Inspired by

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the ‘Hot Club of France’, Swing Museum is a well-known instrumental Jazz Manouche quartet, playing a delightfully authentic version of this sophisticated and refined music from the 1930s and 1940s. By combining the innovative styling of Stéphane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt with their own foot-tapping original compositions, they make each of their sets unique.

This concert is on Friday 18th September 2015, and is one of a series during the year to raise funds to support the work of the National Jazz Archive. It starts at 7.30pm and tickets cost £17.

The venue is Chingford Assembly Hall, Station Road, Chingford, London, E4 7EN (500 m from Chingford Station), with parking close by, and good access by bus.

For more information visit www.nationaljazzarchive.org.uk/ events, phone 020 8502 4701 or email events@nationaljazzarchive.org.uk.

New luxury location for Body Beautiful

RELOCATION, RELOCATION, RELOCATION

Moving premises is never easy, but businesses in Loughton who have moved into Grangewood House, a recently redeveloped factory, next to Oakwood Hill Industrial Estate with 2 floors of luxurious, modern and uber-chic serviced suites, seem all smiles.

Body Beautiful, are one of the delighted new tenants in Grangewood House. Eda Iannone, Business Owner of the Cosmedic Skin & Body Clinic is “absolutely thrilled to bits”. She said, “Our clients love the new space, and new ones are so impressed.

Its slick, bright and airy, everything its brand new and painted white so it has that clinical feel - it was the best decision for us and has taken the business up a notch”.

Body Beautiful offer Award Winning treatments from 3D Lipo and Dermalux LED giving outstanding results for anti-ageing and collagen tightening, problem skin conditions as well as fat and cellulite reduction and tightening for the body.

You can read more about these aesthetic solutions at www. bodybeautifulloughton. com

LOCAL YOGA TEACHER RUNS 100 PRIZE GIVE AWAY Amy Bramble

Photography: Giddy Aunt Photos

Local yoga teacher Amy Bramble is celebrating the success of her yoga blog and classes by running a 100 prize give away this summer as a thank you to everyone who attends her sessions. She has managed to secure an incredible selection of prizes including several items of luxury, organic yoga clothing for men and women, natural beauty products, snacks, teas, treatments from local massage therapists and a beautician, scented candles and lots more.

From Monday 20th July through to Saturday 29th August, any adult who attends one of her classes (there are 10 per week) will receive an entry ticket to the prize draw and prize draw party on Friday 4th September at Epping Golf Club.

Everyone is free to attend and enter as many times as they like and with 100 prizes on offer, the chances of taking one home are pretty high.

Amy will also be collecting on behalf of St Clare Hospice throughout the evening. Amy says, “I’ve been so fortunate to have such incredible support since I began teaching in Epping 3 years ago and I wanted to offer a big thank all those people who’ve been a part of it. I also love organising events and get-togethers and this was a great chance to arrange a fun night out for all my students. I’ve been fortunate enough to arrange some incredible prizes from some very generous yoga companies and other organisations and I’m hoping that the fun spirit of the evening will mean people are more than happy to dig into their pockets and donate to our wonderful local hospice at the same time”. amybrambleyoga.blogspot.co.uk

Selection of prizes

mer’s Roadshow

Eleanor Laing at Alzhei

EPPING FOREST MP ELEANOR LAING SUPPORTS ALZHEIMER’S SOCIETY COMMUNITY ROADSHOW Epping Forest MP Eleanor Laing recently attended the

Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Community Roadshow at St Margaret’s Hospital, Epping.

The roadshow aims to increase awareness of dementia and to provide information about the disease to the people of Epping Forest. It began touring the country in 2011 and has reached more than 143,000 people in that time.

Almost 2,000 people in the Epping Forest area have dementia and anyone with concerns about their own memory or a family members’ memory were encouraged to drop by with no appointment necessary.

Mrs Laing said: “We know that getting a timely diagnosis and accessing post-diagnosis support is key to ensuring that people with dementia, their families and carers have the best life possible with this terrible disease.

“I thank the Alzheimer’s Society for the important work they do in educating people about dementia and giving advice and support to sufferers and their families. They make a real difference to people’s lives.”

For more information about the Dementia Roadshow visit www.alzheimers.org.uk/roadshow

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, MONTAGUES CELEBRATE 20 YEARS IN BUSINESS Montagues is celebrating 20 years in the estate agency business this year. It is still going strong because of the experienced and passionate team who are experts in sales and lettings.

Wayne Flegg, the sole director, was born and bred in Epping and still lives locally with his wife and three small children and therefore has a wealth of local knowledge enabling him to confidently assist buyers and tenants moving to the area.

Montagues specialised in lettings for 18 years and due to its success decided to move in to property sales two years ago.

Wayne says this was a “natural progression” as the company had already established a large portfolio of rental properties.

With all this success Montagues moved from their first floor offices to a prominent shop on Epping High Street. Meanwhile, the team has also seen growth and as well as the long standing members of staff, Wayne has invested in fresh local talent to continue to drive the company forward.

So, despite the company reaching its 20th anniversary, Wayne says there’s “no time to celebrate as they are too busy working and developing the business.”

They may not have time to celebrate, but Montagues has bold ambitions for the future and Wayne is looking for a second office to expand into.

So watch this space…

Wayne Flegg Tel: 01992 571 175, info@montaguesepping.com, montaguesepping.com

ELITE VISION OPENS BARKINGSIDE BRANCH Elite Vision Opticians is celebrating the opening of another high street branch in Barkingside having nearly 15 years of success behind them.

The company is proud of its other community serving practices located on the high streets in neighbouring Ilford and East Ham. Having 15 years of experience, Clinical Optometrist Eileen Senthan had the inspiration to open up an opticians in Barkingside for the local community.

Elite Vision offers all the services you would expect from a modern opticians - private and NHS eye tests, contact lenses and an extensive range of glasses. Luxury brands including Chloe, Versace, Valentino, Gucci to name a few are stocked as are bespoke custom-made frames by Tom Davies whereby customers can even choose the colour and shapes themselves!

Elite Vision was and still is a practice of clinical excellence where it always invests in the latest opticians’ technology. Being at the forefront of clinical care in addition to a fundus camera having an advanced OCT scanner enables images of deep retinal layers to be obtained so that any abnormalities found can be detected at an early stage. This has been so vital in saving vision.

At Elite Vision custom made digital lenses are made for patients using a digital Kodak Intelligent Dispensing System (IDS). This has been done for the last five

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years, while the huge Specsavers has only just taken it on board.

As a small company can offer a more personal approach, Elite Vision has grown from strength to strength through recommendations by its patients coming from all over London and Essex. New patients can be confident that they will always be seen by very experienced resident optometrists in all Elite Vision branches.

Tel: 0208 5550 1117, elitevision.co.uk

LOCAL NEWS

REHABILITATION WITH A SMILE AT 1NE

1NE is still offering unrivalled rehabilitation services to drug and alcohol addicts after 28 years in business.

It offers non-residential therapy programmes that have a 70% success rate. It achieves this by being non-residential and offering counselling programmes that fit in with the working lives of its clients.

It was set up to provide rehabilitation services in north east London and is still based in Redbridge.

While being non-residential most of 1NE’s clients come from the local area so it really is an Essex company.

The counselling programmes range from evening and weekend sessions for those who work full-time, to two-week assessment periods for those who can take time off, then, depending on their needs they will continue.

One of the unique things that 1NE also offers is counselling for the addicts’ relatives and children.

There are flexible group or individual sessions, but 1NE prides itself on it being sociable too and recently took family members on a day trip to Kew Gardens.

So it’s rehabilitation with a smile at 1NE and even MP Iain Duncan Smith has called it “One of the best treatment centres in the country.”

Business manager and Founder of 1NE Fiona Dunwoodie feels that, “As an independent, 1NE can offer this kind of personal treatment to clients, but the rehab industry is being overrun by these big and faceless providers”. Her hopes for the future are that 1NE keeps doing its good work.

For more information see www.1ne.org.uk

ESSEX BEAUTY WINS SEXIEST VEGAN COMPETITION Ilford-based Anna Solaiman has won the women’s category of the ‘Sexiest Vegan’ competition she entered through People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

Anna said, “I entered the competition to raise the profile of veganism and that it’s an ethical as well as healthy lifestyle. I was looking for a platform to raise the profile of veganism, and the competition got the attention of national newspaper The Sun.” Since going vegan she feels a lot better in herself and has a lot of more energy for work now. She regularly does exercise and even finished the London Marathon recently. Meanwhile, Anna says her skin and hair are also improved since going vegan.

Before that she had been a vegetarian for a little while, but after much research on the PETA website and watching Youtube.com videos all her preconceived ideas of a vegetarian lifestyle crashed down on her. She was outraged by how the animals are treated in the production of meat and dairy products.

Now as a vegan she feels happy in herself.

As a make-up artist she was also enlightened about how many of her products she used had been tested on animals. So Anna now only uses ethical ones that are listed by PETA and tells her clients about the importance of buying cruelty free products.

She’s a successful mobile make-up artist but her next step will be a vegan pop-up restaurant offering delicious meals. With so much awareness starting to build around animal cruelty and healthy eating, it’s bound to be a huge success.

Tel: 07908 704494, www.annajahan.com

Anna Solaiman

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COASTAL

ESSEX G

Rum coves, salty old sea dogs and enough blue to make a sailor’s trousers

olden beaches, remote inlets and shimmering mudflats - the Essex coast is 350 miles of sheer pleasure just waiting to be (re)discovered.

Ironically, it was the buttoned-up Victorians who were the first to truly embrace the idea of heading out to the beach for a spot of fun and relaxation and their legacy survives in the form of towns like Clacton, Frinton and Walton on the Naze.

Indeed, the ‘Sunshine Coast’ boasts two of the finest beaches in the country. West Beach at Clacton is every inch a traditional sandy beach with a pier. It is perfect for families with young children, as it has gently shelving sand that runs down to the water’s edge. Nearby, is the Pavilion Fun Park and an excellent choice of bars, cafes and restaurants. Parents will also be assured by the town’s child-safety wristband scheme for those who get lost on the beach.

Walton enjoys some three miles of sandy beaches and the Naze itself, red sandstone cliffs formed in the Ice Age, is a fossil-hunters paradise.

The iconic Naze Tower was built in the 1720’s as a navigational aid for passing ships but today is an art gallery and café. According to Trip Advisor, Walton’s beach ranks as excellent. With the pier (Britain’s second-longest) and the pretty beach huts adding to the ambience.

Compared by one visitor as Monaco to Clacton’s Nice, Frinton is a very different proposition. The esplanade is bare, save for a fine, sandy beach and Victorian-style beach huts. This is the legacy of Sir Richard Powell Cooper who - one hundred years ago - oversaw Frinton’s development. His vision starkly contrasted with those of the burghers of neighbouring towns and to this day, Frinton offers a far more serene seaside experience.

Couples also enjoy the town’s

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LEIGH ON SEA

SOUTHEND

High Street, which is jam-packed with delightful boutiques, delis and cafes. Famously, there is just the one pub, which in keeping with the rest of the town, is delightful.

Mersea Island has beaches that will delight everyone. West Mersea’s beach is a mixture of sand and pebbles that is popular with day-trippers and locals alike.

The water quality is excellent - just

ask seventh-generation oyster fisherman Richard Haward, who’s family also own and run the Company Shed restaurant on the island - and there are other facilities to make this a great destination for a brilliant day out.

Of course, no guide to the county’s beaches is complete without mention of Southend-on-Sea. Upmarket Leigh on Sea’s Bell

CLACTON FRINTON

MERSEA

Wharf beach is located in its characterful old town. The cobbled main street, traditional weatherboarded houses and cockle sheds all add to old Leigh’s charm. It also has some great pubs and restaurants, plus a gallery and up the steep, winding lanes of the cliffs, Leigh itself is a bustling, cosmopolitan town.

Though small, Bell Wharf beach is

clean with golden, soft sand. You can enjoy a lazy day here, watching the little fishing boats come and go, or the super ships gliding by on the estuary.

Southend-on-Sea possesses a staggering six miles of beaches. The closest one to Southend’s iconic pier is Three Shells Beach. Compact but kept scrupulously clean and well-presented, it is a magnet to holidaymakers during the summer. It

WALTON has a tidal pool and is close to all the delights this famous seaside town has to offer; Adventure Island, the legendary pier (the world’s longest pleasure pier), the High Street and cafes, shops and amusements. It’s the perfect spot for anyone who wants to swim or paddle.

A Southend ritual, especially on fine, sunny days, is ‘Having a Rossi’ or brunch in one of the cafes overlooking the seafront in Westcliff.

The former is the name of the local ice cream producer which gives its name to an almost unchanged 1950’s ice cream parlour come coffee bar nestling below the Cliffs Pavilion theatre. The terrace of cafes, collectively known as ‘The Arches’, tempts customers in with a wide range of classic, British food. Over the road, Westcliff’s beaches are clean and expansive and the water is so clean that oysters have returned.

If you head down the Eastern Esplanade, you’ll have the choice of the superb beaches in Thorpe Bay and Shoeburyness. The latter is a Blue Flag-winning beach consisting of sand, shingle and mud. The promenade is lined with colourful beach huts behind and there are large grassed areas that can be used for a picnic, or to walk your pooch.

Famous for its water sports, this area is very popular for sailing, jet skiing, windsurfing and kitesurfing.

In Shoebury, you’ll find East Beach.

A combination of a huge expanse of grass, complete with barbecue stations, and a sandy beach. The area is perfect for those who want to spread out and enjoy a sense of space around them and adrenaline junkies, as East Beach is also home to the Essex Kitesurf School.

For more information about all the places mentioned and much more about the Essex coastline, go to www.visitessex.com

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LOCAL LANDMARK COPPED HALL

By Devon-Elizabeth Tabersham.

S

Copped Hall has a rich past which is deeply embedded in the history of England.

ituated in Upshire, the Copped Hall estate and mansion has changed hands many times since its beginning and has ties to King Henry VIII and William Shakespeare.

Copped Hall’s earliest recorded history dates back to the 12th century when the Fitzaucher family owned the sizeable estate. In 1337, Sir John Shadwell held Copped Hall, which he exchanged with the Abbots of Waltham for other lands. The Abbots described it as “a mansion of pleasure and privacy” and in 1374 they were granted permission

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by King Edward III to extend the grounds a further 120 acres.

In 1537, during King Henry VIII’s reign, the Abbot gave Copped Hall to the King in a bid to save Waltham Abbey from Dissolution.

King Henry “valued Waltham as a place to escape the cares of state and enjoy hunting and discussion with the Abbot.” However, this wasn’t enough to save Waltham and it was the last monastery to be dissolved in 1540.

The estate was later used in 1548, King Edward VI allowed the Catholic future Queen Mary to live at Copped Hall “where she

remained -to a large degree- a prisoner.” In 1564, Queen Elizabeth I bestowed Copped Hall to confidante, Sir Thomas Heneage who rebuilt the mansion while

“In 1917 a fire burnt out a large part of the mansion”

incorporating certain components of its previous form. Heneage most notably added a long gallery which took up the entire first floor of the east wing. Upon completion of

COMMUNITY Elizabethan mansion were turned into rock garden and fragments of the former house remained.

A four-acre walled garden was constructed to grow flowers, fruit and vegetables, lodges were then built in 1775.

Further improvements were not made to Copped Hall until 1893 under Ernest Wythes’ direction. The First World War had a devastating effect on it; one Sunday morning in 1917 a fire burnt out a large part of the mansion and the Wythes family moved into Wood House, another house on the estate. After the

“The Copped Hall Trust was created in 1993.”

the work in 1568, Queen Elizabeth would stay at Copped Hall.

After the death of his first wife, Sir Thomas Heneage married the Countess of Southampton in 1594. As part of their marital celebrations it is widely understood that Copped Hall held the first performance of William Shakespeare’s play, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. According to history, the performance took place in the aforementioned long gallery of the Elizabethan house and was received by many high-seated members of society.

Throughout the next century Copped Hall was passed down

until it was held by Sir Thomas Webster, who allowed the mansion to become dilapidated. After this Copped Hall was largely ruined due to hurricane damage. In 1746, artist George Lambert painted two depictions of Copped Hall in landscape which are currently on show in Tate Britain.

In 1748 John Conyers demolished the building and rebuilt a more contemporary and expressive Palladian mansion on a different site of the grounds. This was designed by John Sanderson, Sir Roger Newdigate and Thomas Prowse. The cellars of the

death of Wythes and his wife, the estate was sold in 1952, as were all remaining interiors, staircases and garden stonework and statuary.

After the M25 was built through one corner of the park, Alan Cox among others felt compelled to save the mansion grounds from becoming a developer’s dream.

After a long campaign, the Copped Hall Trust was created in 1993 and then the Trust bought the mansion and gardens in 1995. It’s a Grade II listed property - including the mansion, parkland and garden pavilions – and it is the aim of the Trust to “permanently protect the site, to carefully restore Copped Hall and its gardens for educational and community benefit.”

Much carefully researched restoration has been carried out in the past 20 years and a lot of fundraising is required in order to make this restoration possible.

Enriching and diverse activities include guided tours, pudding tastings, drawing classes and an antique furniture restoration course amongst others. In September the acclaimed Fitzwilliam Quartet will be returning for a performance that is not to be missed.

For more information and events details, please visit coppedhalltrust.org.uk.

Sources: walthamabbeychurch. co.uk, tate.org.uk, eppingforest dc.gov.uk, coppedhalltrust.org.uk, cityoflondon.gov.uk

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Shirt Dres s £25 JD W illiams

Stella Fitted Dress £70 People Tree

Khaki Fedora Hat £25 Miss Selfridge

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Subtly incorporate the khaki trend into your accessories this season with Accessorize’s Station Stone bangles.

Its gold-tone exterior decorated with khakigreen stones exudes understated glamour and will instantly amp up any look. Style the bangles with a khaki-green jumpsuit and strappy heels for the perfect evening look.

Khaki Wide-Leg Trousers £39 Miss Selfridge

Autograph Pleated

Skirt £39.

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Update your accessories with Dorothy Perkins’ Khaki-green suede tote. A luxe-take on the classic tote, it has a spacious interior for your essentials. It will add flair and sophistication to any ensemble.

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Celebrity clientele Stacey Solomon, Abigail Clarke & Jasmin Walia 020 8550 7747 120 Barkingside High St, Ilford Essex, IG6 2DU www.studiomghair.com

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DIY

&

FASHION BEAUTY t

Doughnut ring from £2.99 Finesse Hair & Beauty

SALON HAIRSTYLES Are you bored of the same

tSleep In Rollers Set £20 Finesse Hair & Beauty

hairstyle every day? I’ve got some hair inspiration that will refresh your everyday look.

Take a look at my quick and easy DIY styles...

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3 Back Combing Brush £4.99 Finesse Hair & Beauty

t 4

‘I WOKE UP LIKE THIS’ BOUNCY BLOW DRY

5

THE HIGH BUN

A doughnut ring, also called a hair Used by the cast of TOWIE, Sleep In doughnut or sponge, is a styling device Rollers are essential if you want to wake that helps create a full, fashionable bun. up glamorous. The idea behind Sleep In It comes in different colors to match Rollers, just for those of you who haven’t various hair shades. Using a doughnut heard of them, is that you put them in ring is really simple if you know how. before bed, go to sleep, and wake up to STEP 1 Put your hair in a ponytail. Bear a head full of bouncy, voluminous hair. in mind that where you position this will The kit comes with 20 Sleep-In Rollers, determine your bun’s final position. a drawstring bag, pouch of clips, DVD STEP 2 Thread your ponytail through the tutorial, conditioner, shampoo and a free middle of the doughnut. backcombing brush.

STEP 3 Start using your hair to cover the STEP 1 For best results use on clean, doughnut, working from the inside out. dry hair.

STEP 4 With one hand on the center of STEP 2 Section your hair as the DVD your bun (to keep the main shape in place), shows you. slowly start to wind the end STEP 3 Roll your hair in the direction of your hair in a circular of the desired effect, for big bouncy motion round the doughnut. hair roll clockwise, for the flicked STEP 5 Use Kirby grips to effect roll anti-clockwise, always roll secure the hair in place. the crown of your hair clockwise.

By Amanda Anastasiou STEP 4 Secure your rollers with If you would like to have hair clips. your Hair or Nails done STEP 5 Relax and have a great

by Amanda, please visit Amanda night’s sleep. www.finessesalon.co.uk Anastasiou

THE TEASE AND TIE

This look is achieved by one simple styling tool the back combing brush.

STEP 1 Section off the hairline (front sides) and the crown (top part) of your hair. Keep the sides down and separate the crown.

STEP 2 Pick up small parts of the crown section and backcomb/tease the hair to create height.

STEP 3 Pick up the hairline sections and twist or plait your hair back.

STEP 4 Use Kirby grips to secure the 2 twists or plaits together.

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All treatments provide a smudge free solution for your make-up needs. Ideal for the holiday season so your eyes can look perfect regardless of the sun, sea and sand. Also this procedure is ideal for hay fever sufferers as when your eyes start streaming your eyeliner stays put. Contact lens wearers are welcome too and can really benefit from this procedure also.

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Also if you have sensitive eyes you will benefit from not having to apply ink everyday around your delicate eye contour. Speaking of the delicate eye area, anaesthetics are used throughout to make the procedure as comfortable After as possible for the client. The no eyelashes, if you have difficulty procedure normally takes roughly applying eyeliner; or if you just feel 2 hours. Pain management is a you’ve lost the intensity of your priority and the anaesthetic is eyes because of the aging process. regularly re-applied for optimum Once she has completed the client comfort. procedure the client is given full Catherine will offer you a full eye after care advice and a date is enhancement which consists of a arranged for the client to have an thorough consultation where she opportunity to book in for a refill/top can discuss and decide the perfect look for you. Catherine can create a up 4 to 6 weeks later. This top up choice of looks – from a subtle lash is included in the introductory offer price of just £150. definer to an ultra thick liner.

If you have any questions please The effect makes a real do not hesitate to call Catherine difference if you’ve got sparse or

on 07931 216554, who is currently based in Gants Hill, Essex.

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Free 30 min taster sessions to the first 5 customers and £2 off any sessions booked afterwards

H E A LT H FITNESS

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BIKRAM YOGA ESSEX

B

ikram Yoga Essex is a luxury facility offering the original beginners hot yoga classes.

Bikram Yoga is a series of 26 Hatha yoga postures and breathing exercises performed in a room heated to 40°C with an average humidity of 40%. Classes are taught

by Billi Mucklow, former star of ITV series ‘The Only Way is Essex’, along with a team of dedicated and knowledgeable instructors.

The heat warms up your body allowing you to stretch deeply into each posture. The humidity also promotes sweating which in turn flushes toxins from the body. During the 90 minute session each posture systematically and progressively works out every muscle, tendon, joint, ligament, organ and gland, whilst sending oxygenated blood around the whole of the body. In addition, the series of postures combine skills of concentration, patience, determination which increases mental clarity and reduces stress. You will leave each

The original hot yoga class class feeling cleansed, refreshed and energised.

Since opening in June 2013, the team have developed an inviting, family-run studio in which clients can develop their yoga practice while immersed in an atmosphere of luxury. The highly-personable environment has attracted a loyal following and created a community of devoted clients which extends beyond the studio doors.

The studio is the only one of it’s kind in the area, with the only other Bikram facilities located further into central London. The team wanted to make a positive contribution to the local community by bringing an option for Bikram Yoga to Loughton. Bikram Yoga Essex is easily accessible from Loughton station on the Central Line, with plenty of car-parking facilities available in the local area.

All classes are suitable for beginners, with the format remaining the same whether it is your first class or you have been practising for many

years. You will receive high quality teaching from the experienced and passionate instructors. All teachers have completed a rigorous and intense training programme directly under Bikram Choudhury himself.

They come from all walks of life, but share a passion for the benefits of the yoga and enjoy encouraging students to reach their full potential. Bikram Yoga Essex also offer regular workshops and hands-on corrective posture clinics to further enhance your practice.

Bikram Yoga Essex’s Introductory Offer is the perfect way to begin your yoga practice- for just £35 you are entitled to take an unlimited number of classes in a 30 day period. It can take some time to adjust to the heat and the postures, so it is recommended to attend classes as often as possible.

Bikram Yoga Essex 228c High Road, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET Tel: 0208 508 0376 www.bikramyogaessex.com

dio

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LIVE, WORK, ...AND RELAX R

with Schema Studio

egardless of project type or size, Schema Studio’s clients are always assured a professional team, seamless delivery and creative solutions that excel, while meeting all project aspirations, goals and objectives.

Schema Studio’s core team are trained to large firm standards, while offering the friendly and personal service of a boutique practice. Senior level hands on service and attention to detail is offered through all stages of a project, expanding the project team with a talented offering of sub-consultants as requirements dictate. Styles range from contemporary, through transitional to traditional. Whatever one’s heritage or vision, Schema Studio will provide a well-executed custom fitted solution.

LIVE

Moving house is a daunting and increasingly expensive proposition. Soaring property values and limited supply have boosted the ‘don’t move - improve’ trend.

Finding that additional space through extensions, loft conversions, basement digs or simply creative, open planning can add a new lease of life to one’s home.

When it comes to the home, Schema Studio can help, whatever the task. Residential Architecture and Interior Design projects range from large to small, modern to historic, renovation or new build. Extending the living space from interior to exterior, Garden Design delivers a fully integrated design concept, extending the living environment beyond the house. Drawing on North American experience, the design team is particularly experienced in pushing the limits of open plan living spaces. From simply a bathroom or kitchen refit, to an extension or a completely new home, creative design will maximise the potential of even the smallest home and offer the maximum return on investment.

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WORK

The ‘job for life’ is gone. Now the ‘desk for life’ is becoming a thing of the past. This is a golden age for the business entrepreneur with a millennial work force that is mobile, both between employers and within the office. High demand is placed on employing the latest technologies in flexible and varied work environments.

Such cutting edge work environments often play a key role in staff retention, thus maximising an employer’s highest value resource – their employees. Schema Studio excels at creating meaningful and efficient commercial Office Interiors, employing this notion of the ‘agile workspace’. Coordinating a Change Management process assists in behavioural changes helping staff adapt to their new flexible and highly functional work environment.

, LEARN

LEARN

From Day Nurseries to Hi-Tech School environments and Corporate Learning Centres, educational facilities have become more and more important.

Development opportunities need to be offered on many levels. Whether the need is to create a stimulating setting for the very young, a multi-media high tech experience for the Millennials, an upscale bespoke environment to suit a group of corporate executives or anything in between, the driving factor is without doubt appropriate technology and how it can be incorporated into the facility. Face to face interaction with an instructor is often being replaced by online selflearning opportunities or one to one video conferencing such as Skype. As with anything so heavily reliant on technology, flexibility must be carefully planned in order to future proof the investment. Schema Studio have all the necessary skills and resources at their disposal to ensure these interactive environments are successful in their mission and ongoing operations.

HOME GARDEN

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RELAX

‘Down time’ is one of the most precious commodities in our ‘connected’ lives. As the value of such time soars so does the demand for exemplary environments to pursue leisure activities. One might shop in a minimalist super-chic boutique, where the interior design suitably compliments the wares while projecting them to the fore. Drinks and dinner in an awe-inspiring space can create a memorable experience. A stay in a luxuriously appointed boutique hotel will enhance a weekend getaway and could include not only accommodation but dining, spa treatments and shopping opportunities. Thought provoking, creative exhibition design, effectively communicates a brand or message making a cultural experience fulfilling. Schema Studio’s services cross this broad spectrum of leisure environments.

Contact Schema Studio for an initial FREE consultation to discuss any project requirements you may have to enhance your property investment by optimising its value and appeal through smart and innovative solutions.

Tel: 020 7405 4000, www.schemastudio.co.uk

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HOME GARDEN

&

WILDLIFE WATCH

Hoverflies sometimes called flower flies are often seen hovering or feeding, mainly on nectar and pollen of flowers. The size of hoverflies varies depending on the species. Some are small and slender, while others, are large, hairy, and yellow and black. Hoverflies are being recognised more as important natural enemies of pests.

on Victoria Roberts

GARDENING WITH VICTORIA ROBERTSON

A seasonal guide to help you get the most out of your garden.

H

appy gardening month of August!

Let’s hope the best of the summer weather is still yet to come so we can continue to enjoy being outside appreciating all the floral scents and admiring all the vibrant colourful flowers as they continue to keep on growing.

Lily of the Nile (Agapanthus) is a bulbous plant that looks great this time of year. It will create more of an impact in your garden when grown on its own in tubs or flower beds. It can reach a height of 2-3 ft. Penstemon (campanulatus) is also looking great this month.

It has foxglove-like flowers on evergreen foliage.

An ideal plant for mixed borders that grows to a height of 1-2 ft.

JOBS FOR AUGUST

_ Keep deadheading your flowers, watering and feeding your hanging baskets, containers and pots as this will prolong their beauty.

_ If you are growing tomatoes encourage the fruit to swell and ripen.

Do this by cutting off the growing tip so the plant’s energy is not diverted into foliage from the fruit.

Keep your tomato side shoots in check too, you want just tomatoes not masses of foliage.

_ Prune English lavender by cutting it back by two thirds this month.

Don‘t be frightened to cut them back to just 22cm (9in) immediately after flowering as they will love it! New shoots will quickly appear at the base of the bush and these will have enough time to grow and harden up before the winter comes. This pruning regime will keep the plant nice and compact for many years. A well-pruned plant can last for twenty years or more without becoming woody.

By amenity horticulturalist & gardening committee member of Copped Hall and Epping Horticultural Society Victoria Robertson

PESTS AND DISEASE

Spider mites can feed on at least 200 different plants, including many common flowers, fruits and vegetables. They feed on the content of plant leaf cells by piercing them with their mouthparts. This results in a yellowing and fine brown speckling effect on leaves where the cells have died. Inspect plants every week and deal with the first signs of infestation immediately by removing infested leaves and buds because this will help reduce numbers.

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A TASTE OF

MADEIRA Few places rival Madeira’s wealth of natural gifts and beauty, and you won’t have to travel far to prove it.

M

adeira is the closest subtropical island to northern Europe, west of Morocco and under four hours flying time from the UK. Abbotts Travel have a great partnership with Classic Collection Holidays, specialist tour operators with decades of award-winning service dedicated to a single goal: creating the perfect holiday.

Which shouldn’t be too hard with Madeira’s climate: welcoming and warm. The blossoming orchids, bougainvillea, birds of paradise and jacaranda compete with flowering trees to add spectacular bursts of colour to a landscape where windswept mountain peaks, soaring cliffs and emerald valleys are framed by stunning coastal views.

Madeira’s mild climate gives a

36

high chance of good weather, but on mountainous terrain you can expect occasional rain. In the south of the island the weather is warm and pleasant all year round. Spring and early summer is a good time to see the island in bloom. Autumn is a good time to escape chilly northern Europe. During Christmas and New Year the climate is warm and Funchal is lit up quite spectacularly with lights and fireworks.

Upon arrival you will realise there’s so much to see and do.

Whether your taste runs to gentle walks or more serious hiking, walkers of all ages and abilities can enjoy some of the finest countryside in the world. Youthful and adventurous travellers might like to choose between climbing, diving and horse-riding.

The sporting can play a round of golf, indulge a passion for surfing or deep-sea fishing. Those whose idea of a perfect holiday is to relax, unwind and enjoy the best of life might prefer a selection of spa treatments, an elegant afternoon tea, a black tie dinner and all the fine wining and dining that the island’s world-class hotels can offer.

With a ready supply of superb fish, locally grown vegetables and no end of tasty fresh fruit, it’s easy to eat healthily and heartily in Madeira.

The most popular fish is the locally caught espada, or scabbard fish. The white, soft and succulent flesh served with banana or lemon is an inescapable feature of island cuisine. For dessert it has to be the local bolo de mel, Madeira honey

TRAVEL MADEIRA

Quinta Das Vistas poolside

WHERE TO STAY:

Abbotts’ recommended hotels show the many different ways to enjoy this sensational island.

5* QUINTA DAS VISTAS course - a superb 18-hole, par 72 PALACE GARDENS Championship layout - and offers Carved from a manor house, privileged access to guests staying this swish hotel is positioned at Casa Velha. The hotel’s Sports on the brow of a hill with Fishing yacht ‘Balancal’ lying in the fabulous panoramic views over Funchal marina is available for deep the mountains, the ocean and sea fishing and coastal excursions.

Funchal’s city centre.

Surrounded by centenary 5* QUINTA DA SERRA gardens featuring fountains, a pond with swans, a pavilion and a minigolf course, this elegant Quinta is setting new standards, and reflects the luxury and elegance of life in Madeira in the old days.

5* CASA VELHA DO PALHEIRO Funchal Port at sunset

cake, made from molasses, which is dark and delicious.

And, of course, one of the great treats of eating in Madeira is the chance to sample some fine wines.

There are four types of Madeira, each named after the grape that gives each wine its flavour.

The island’s enduring appeal is an absence of man-made attractions and an abundance of natural ones.

It is the perfect holiday destination for those seeking recreation or relaxation.

For further details on any of the recommended accommodation or the island itself, please contact Abbotts Travel.

Abbotts Travel, 134 George Lane, South Woodford, E18 1BA. Tel: 0208 989 9445 www.abbottstravel.com

A celebrated five-star country house hotel of exceptional character and year-round appeal, formerly a hunting lodge built by the 1st Count of Carvalhal in 1801 as a summer residence.

It has 32 rooms and five suites, gourmet restaurant, spa, and all-weather tennis court. The hotel borders the famous Palheiro Gardens and the Palheiro Golf

This is an exquisite setting in communion with nature, inviting you to rest and renew energy.

Along the leafy gardens there is an indoor heated saltwater pool, jacuzzi, spa, gym and sauna.

The rooms are equipped with air conditioning, cable TV, minibar and private bathroom. All rooms offer sea or garden views from their balconies.

Book it! 2 nd September Prices from £846 per person.

Includes a free night offer Saving £128 per couple.

Based on 2 people sharing on a bed and breakfast basis for 7 nights at Quinta Da Serra. Price includes flights from Gatwick, accommodation and transfers.

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COMMUNITY

THE REDBRIDGE

MUSIC LOUNGE Make music, enjoy life!

By Ben Sneath

“Members are encouraged to get involved in the music whatever their abilities”

C

hris Wyatt founded The Redbridge Music Lounge (RML) in 2009 to be a nonprofit making local community organisation that promotes, maintains, improves and advances the education and appreciation of the public in the art of music.

Before he set it up Chris had been an art teacher for many years, but he also loved playing music in rock bands. On his retiring he wanted to spend more time doing what he was passionate about: music.

There wasn’t a music-related organisation for the older generation in Redbridge at that time, so he joined the Green Fair Music Club. Then he decided to go it alone and establish the RML. The RML was registered as a charity in 2012 and now uses any monies received or donated for expenses and re-investing back into the organisation to purchase musical equipment and services,

for the benefit of the organisation and its members.

The charity raises its money through grants offered by the government or by donations. At each session or event there will be donation boxes, and members are encouraged to make donations when they book their membership online, while RML welcomes any other donations to help with the good work it does.

Each month the club has had its playing sessions at the Ilford Sports Club, but the good news is that RML will be moving to bigger and better location after buying the old Cranbrook Bowls Club site in Ilford.

The club is very sociable and at the sessions members are encouraged to get involved in the music whatever their abilities. Some are learning to play an instrument for the first time and there’s a supply of instruments for them to use.

Those good enough can play in the RML Players, who regularly perform

at different public locations and charity events locally. The Players can play pop, rock, classical and blues, so depending on the audience they can change what kind of music they play.

The events tend to be run in conjunction with other charities, or with the support of local authorities or companies, and range from a ‘Dementia Party in the Park’ where people with dementia and their carers can get involved and play with the band, to a ‘Contact Elderly’ event where the elderly meet up, socialise and dance to the music.

The charity’s plans for the future include moving into its new premises when the building work finishes, and making sure that it keeps growing the membership numbers and the expanding event calendar.

To keep up to date with news and see a calendar of events please visit the website www.rmluk.org or for enquiries contact criswyatt@aol.com.

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WHAT’S O N

ESSEX GET OUT AND ABOUT IN

WHEN: Every Thursday, 10am -11am WHAT: Family Aerobics - Aerobics sessions for children 0-5 years old and their parents, bought to you by Healthy Lifestyles. £2.50 for 1 adult and 1 child.

WHERE: Forest Children’s Centre, Hainault WHEN: Saturday 8th - Sunday 9th August WHAT: Peppa Pig Visit - Peppa Pig will be making personal appearances at intervals throughout the day. Plus other fun activities for children! For more information or to book tickets visit www.eorailway.co.uk.

WHERE: Epping Ongar Railway WHEN: Saturday 8th August, 1.30pm-3pm WHAT: Butterfly House Making - Discover which butterflies you can find in Ray Park. Make your own caterpillar house and take some caterpillars home so you can care for them until they turn into beautiful butterflies. Ages 5+, £3 per child. Booking essential on 020 8559 2316.

WHERE: Ray Park

WHEN: Sunday 9th August, 11am-3pm WHAT: Best of Music Fest - Enjoy a delightful selection of acoustic music performances in a beautiful setting. Arrive early to get the best spot! Picnics are welcomed but please bring your own seating or ground covers as chairs and blankets are not provided. Hosted

by the Redbridge Green Fair Music Club and the Redbridge Music Lounge. Free entry for all ages.

WHERE: Valentines Mansion & Gardens, Ilford IG1 4XA

WHEN: Wednesday 19th August, 10am-3pm WHAT: Graffiti in a Day - Working with professional artists you will learn how to create your own stencils and spray paint your own graffiti artwork onto canvas. For children aged 11 and over. Cost £30. To book or for more information ring Zinc Arts on 01277 365626 or email info@ zincarts. org.uk.

WHERE: Zinc Arts Centre, Great Stony, High Street, Ongar WHEN: Friday 21st August, 1pm-5pm WHAT: Community Swap Shop - Do you have something useful that you no longer need? Bring it along and swap it for something else - for FREE. We cannot accept infant car-seats, bulky items (such as furniture) or electrical items.

Donations can be made up to 3pm WHERE: Redbridge Central Library WHEN: Friday 21st August, 2pm WHAT: Essex Police Street Meet A chance to meet your local Police Community Support Officer and discuss any community issues or problems.

WHERE: Theydon Bois Village Hall, Coppice Row, Theydon Bois

August, 10am-12.30pm WHAT: Holiday Club - Suitable for four to 12-year-olds. Cost £20 per child for the week. To book and for more information, ring 020 8559 0222.

WHERE: Buckhurst Hill Baptist Church, Palmerston Road, Buckhurst Hill

WHEN: Saturday 29th August, 12.30pm WHAT: Epping Horticultural Society Annual Show - Enter your vegetables, flowers and cakes (exhibits must be in the church by 10am). Refreshments will be served. There will also be raffles and stalls. Entry £1. For more details, ring the secretary on 01992 890591 or email show@eppinghorticultral.org.uk.

WHERE: St Johns Church, St Johns Road, Epping WHEN: Saturday 29th August, 11am-5pm WHAT: Angels, Hearts & Creative Crafts Fayre - Come & enjoy an inspiring atmosphere. Enjoy coffee and delicious home-made food with friends old and new! Browse through unique gifts, unusual hand crafted items as well as sparkling crystals, Angel cards, candles, organic skin products, art and more! Charity Raffle tickets available with a percentage of the proceeds go to Haven House. £3/£2 concessions.

WHERE: Wanstead United Reformed Church, Nightingale Lane E11 2HD

WHEN: Tuesday 25th - Friday 28th

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Established for 30 years, you could say Finesse is a landmark in Chingford. The owners Chris and Bobbie run the salon together with their fantastic team of Stylists and Beauty Therapists. You’ll be spoilt for choice with all the latest hair products and services they offer and feel totally welcome and comfortable in the newly renovated modern salon. The staff are highly attentive, friendly and professional.

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PARENTING

OLD WIVES’

TALES Once you decide to announce your pregnancy to family and friends the fun begins. People cannot resist sharing with you their birth stories, be that good or bad, along with countless ‘Old Wives’ Tales’ and superstitions but is there any truth in them? We talk to Bababoom’s resident midwife, Becky Elliott, to get to the bottom of one of the most common.

W

ell as morning sickness is usually the first perk of pregnancy you encounter that seems a good place to start.

Over the years I have heard countless remedies for morning sickness but by far the most common is ginger. While there is some scientific evidence in the use of ginger, for most women the cause behind the morning sickness is a drop in blood sugar levels. Imagine getting out of bed in the morning and going about your days work without any food in your tummy, yep you’d feel sick. Babies are incredible creatures and their development process in the early days uses up a vast amount of energy, your energy. We are all so used to not eating after 7pm but babies don’t stop taking from our fuel stash overnight just because we are sleeping, they still need to develop. We then wake in the morning with our blood sugar levels depleted as they have been robbed while we were sleeping and then feel sick, as we feel sick we don’t want to eat so the levels get lower and eventually

46

we are sick. There are some really easy ways to help combat this. Now that you understand the reason why you can plan to eat more carbohydrates later in the evening, I don’t mean a plate of chips but some nice brown rice or brown pasta with your meal will take longer for your body, or your baby, to use up. Simple things like a banana just before bed or dried figs by the bed to munch on while having that 3am loo call are all simple measures you can take to help your blood sugar level normalise and help you feel better.

For fear of sounding an utter bore, what you eat will really impact on your pregnancy, how you feel and your babies development, so whilst you don’t have to watch your waist line anymore, ensuring you have a good balanced diet with plenty of wholesome natural foods and a good water intake, by this I mean in excess of 2 litres a day, lots of the pregnancy symptoms your friends have warned you about you should escape.

But for some, even heading this advice, they will still encounter the wonders of morning sickness and for those

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For those of you enduring the wonders of public transport, remember to take a bottle of cold water with you, some boiled sweets (you can by some great raw cane sugar or brown rice ones which are slow energy releasing) and remember to get your ‘Bump on Board’ badge on early as when you are not obviously pregnant people will not offer you a seat and sitting down sipping cold water will make your journey so much easier.

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DAD’S DIARY

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ENTERING FATHERHOOD

WITHOUT A MAP

Q

uite a few things have happened this month! He’s learnt the worst word a child could learn, he’s failed miserably at the rules of hide and seek, and he’s somehow taken on the role of a whip cracking personal trainer, but I begin this month’s update with his new breakfast requests...

The warm weather has been kind to us, and the long sunshine days have meant trips out, games in the garden, and ice lollies, or as they’ve come to be known in our home “I-slol-leees”.

He wants them morning noon and night, upon waking he used to say, “Good morning Daddy” now it’s simply “I-slol-leey??”... it’s the same when picking him up from nursery, or after any meal. We’re trying to gently phase it out (like we did with Peppa Pig) and expect the colder weather to help us with this. Although knowing him he’d be gladly shoving them into his face whilst standing in the snow on Christmas day.

Which brings me on to diet, I’ve recently tried to improve mine, and have also been doing a little exercise, so whilst in the garden I told the little fella to hop onto my back whilst I did some press ups.

Heavier than expected (I blame all the ‘I-slol-lees’ he’s been eating) I got to 10 and collapsed to the floor under his weight. It was at this point he bent his head down directly into my face and said, “Come on Daddy...100!?!” One hundred?

Where on earth had he learnt that word? He can barely count to 15 and he’s pulling 100 out the bag?!

“Noooo!” I replied with eyes wide open in shock, to which he fell off my back laughing hysterically. This has now become a regular game, he counts me up to 10 then pokes his head round with his magic ‘100’ words and cracks up when I give him the same shocked response of “Noooo!”. What he hasn’t grasped

48

however is that this joke has a time and a place, simply running up to me every 5 minutes yelling “One hundred Daddy!” is making my cheery smile wear a little thin.

I decided the next time we were in the garden I’d leave the press ups and try to play a little hide and seek with him. I thought it best not to let him hide himself as I could picture a scenario where I’m still searching for him after midnight and I didn’t find it too safe or appealing, so I decided to

“I got to 10 and collapsed to the floor under his weight.”

hide a couple of blue plastic butterflies instead. “Ok boy, look at these, Daddy is going to hide them and you have to find them, ok?” he nodded gleefully and replied “100 Daddy?!” “No, just the two of them”. I told him to face the slide and I would tell him when I was ready, I then placed them in the garden. He turned round and after some very strong clues, “It’s on the chair, no not that one, this one... look what my finger is pointing at!” he finally found them.

It was now his turn to hide them, I explained I would stand by the slide and count whilst he did so. After a long count I slowly turned around and lowered my palm from my eyes, only to reveal a surprising sight, about half a foot behind me was the boy, eyes clenched shut and arms outstretched, in each fist I could make out a crumpled plastic butterfly. “That’s not quite right Son, YOU need to HIDE them” “Ok Daddy”, I felt like he may grasp it this time, I turned to face the slide and started counting. It was at this moment I felt a small human brush past my leg, and place two plastic butterflies at the top of the slide, about

6 inches from my face, he then gave me a beaming smile and pronounced he was “Redeeey!”. I tried to feign confusion and began walking away from the slide “Is it under the chair?” I asked, trying to hopelessly add some tension to forgone conclusion...“No Daddy, the slide!” he was dragging me now, by the arm, quite forcefully. I tried stretching the game a nano second longer as we passed the trampoline, “Is it under here maybe?”, “No Daddy!!

The sliiiddde!!!!” he was almost angry that I wasn’t listening to him. I leant forward to get them but he beat me to it, grabbing them and handing them to me “Did it!” Yes, well done, not quite correct but I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.

Finally, I have to report some sad news, terrible in fact. It regards a word he has learnt and its making life hell, why you ask?... and so does he. Yes, the word is “WHY”. The first time he said it really threw me, I spoke to him early morning and asked “Did you have a nice sleep?”... “WHY?” Wow, that’s a bit harsh, I’m only asking, “Erm, just making conversation”... again, “why?” I decided to drop it, wasn’t even sure what else I could say and decided we should just go and clean our teeth. Again it cropped up “why??” luckily I could answer this one, “Because you need to keep your teeth nice and strong and clean.

Otherwise you will break them on all the ice lollies you’ve been eating”.

Ok, I didn’t say the last bit but I was certainly tempted. The problem with “why?” is it can be asked after practically anything, and it’s certainly being used as such. Again I hope this is a phase, like Peppa Pig and ice lollies, but if not then I can picture myself very soon knelt in the garden after midnight, fists clenched looking up to the stars yelling …. “WHHHHYYYY!?!?!” ...TO BE CONTINUED

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CLUB FOCUS

REDBRIDGE & ILFORD

HOCKEY CLUB R

Words and pictures by Graham Hodges

edbridge & Ilford Hockey Club is a well established club based on the borders of East London and Essex, playing their home games at Redbridge Sports Centre, which is located next to Fairlop Tube station on the Central Line and within easy reach of the A406, A12 and M11.

It all started on 11th September 1906, at an AGM held at the ‘Afternoon Tea Company’s Rooms’, where it was decided to form a hockey club, to be called Ilford Hockey Club. The home ground was to be Valentines Park. In 1982, at the AGM, the members agreed to amalgamate with Redbridge Ladies under the name of Redbridge and Ilford Hockey club. In 2006, the club celebrated 100 years of Ilford Men’s, 50th anniversary of Redbridge Ladies and the Silver Jubilee of Redbridge and Ilford Hockey Club.

During its history, the Club has had four boys who have represented England at Under 18 level, two England mixed players and a Mixed team in the National finals. In 1920, keeper Harry Haslam was part of Great Britain’s gold medal winning team at the Antwerp Olympics.

Recent achievements are the Ladies 1s winning the Essex Premier League title in 2014 and gaining promotion to the East Leagues, the Men’s 1s reaching the semi-final of the NOW: Pensions Men’s Vase and the Ladies Vets narrowly losing the final of the

50

Investec Women’s Masters Over 35s Shield, the latter being played at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre, the home of GB/England Hockey.

The Club has recently returned from Kortrijk in Belgium having taken a touring party there for the past ten years, enjoying not only competitive games, but also the social side of hockey.

The Club runs 4 Men’s, 3 Ladies, 2 Indoor and Mixed teams. The Men play in the East Leagues with the Ladies playing in the East and Essex Leagues.

They have a thriving youth section with coaching for children aged five years upwards, entering teams in the Essex mini leagues. They also run ‘Back to Hockey’ sessions for those wishing to get back into the sport again after a break. As a club, they are always looking for new members and whatever your level, they have a team for you. Training sessions take place on Wednesday evenings and will re-start in August ahead of the forthcoming season.

Club members are kept up to date with weekly match reports, game day photographs and news articles via their website. Always looking at ways to expand, the club offers various sponsorship packages with the main shirt sponsor being up for grabs.

If you fancy playing hockey on new sand based pitches with a sociable bunch of people, message them via their website and one of their officials will make contact with you. Go on…you know you want to! www.pitchero.com/clubs/ redbridgeandilford/

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