Love Local Runcorn - Jan & Feb 2015

Unwidow

Our columnist returns with her pet hates!

What’s On?

Noticeboard with great upcoming local events

Runcorn

Our Local History

The past of our amazing rail bridge crossing the Mersey

Win £100 in our New Year Cash Competition!

Jan & Feb 2015

Plus loads more...

Reliably received by 10,000 homes in Runcorn, covering: Sandymoor, Norton, Beechwood, Higher Runcorn, Weston, Halton Village, Sutton Weaver & Preston Brook

• This issue is sponsored by Neil & Barker Jewellers •

Don’t forget...

CELEBRATE Specialist in YOUR Fine WatchesMOMENTS...

CHRISTMAS & Jewellery

Saturday 14th Feb!

1 Greenoaks, Widnes, WA8 6UD Neil & Barker Tel: 0151 424 3343 1 Greenoaks, Widnes Shop online: www.neilandbarker.co.uk

R FO !

EW 14 N 20

0151 424 3343

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Don’t forget Valentine’s Day on 14th February...

We stock a huge range of fabulous brands...

Why not treat someone special this year?

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1 Green Oaks Shopping Centre, Widnes, Cheshire WA8 6UD

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Also don’t miss our New Year Cash Competition where you can win £100.

All you have to do is find a hidden symbol in the magazine.

I really hope that you enjoy the magazine as much as we do. We have taken some time to make a few improvements this issue, so please do tell me what you think?

All the best for the new year!

Bye for now!

Jodyxx Magazines are published by Hawk Publications Ltd. Hawk Publications Ltd, R10 Frodsham Business Centre, Bridge Lane, Frodsham, WA6 7FZ. tel: 01928 739607 email: info@thelocalmags.co.uk web: www.thelocalmags.co.uk Whilst every care is taken to ensure accuracy, the publishers cannot accept responsibility for loss, damage or omission caused by error in the printing of an advert. All artwork is accepted on the strict condition that permission has been given for use in the publication. Adverts are accepted on the understanding that descriptions of goods and services are fair and accurate. Hawk Publications Ltd does not officially endorse any advertising material included within this publication. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form – electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise – without the prior consent of the publisher.

Page 40

GARDENING

Page 49

FINANCE

Page 44

Do you fancy getting paid to exercise? Sounds to good to be true but it sort of is. Due to a couple of recent retirers, we are looking for reliable distributors for this very magazine. Rounds vary in size and your own transport is very handy. If you’d like to learn more then please give me a ring and I can talk you through it.

RECIPE

‘As you go to your grave I truly believe you will ultimately measure your success in life, not on the tangible things you have amassed or the money you have accrued. I believe you will measure your success in life on the amount of fun and joy you personally experienced and bought to others during your time on the planet. Enjoy every day, it’s your ultimate measure of success’.

Page 37

A good friend of Love Local, Ian Dickson aka our Business Coach, wrote something on his FB page recently, which really resonated with me. It seems to sum up how we feel about 2014 and our thoughts for the coming year…

OUR HISTORY

Hello lovely readers and welcome to the latest edition of our magazine, the first one for 2015!

Advertise with us!

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le distributed to a total of 40,000 homes – the fou r editions of Love Local offer unrivalled cov erage of Widnes, Runcorn and Warrington as we reach more homes than ANY oth er local magazines.

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5

WIN £100 CASH! Huge congratulations to Charlie Dulson who won our Nov & Dec 2014 Cash Competition!

Why not enter our first competition of 2015?

FIND ME

WIN £100 CASH! Simply find this heart symbol somewhere in the magazine!

“I am so excited to have won, I have been entering the completion for about a year now! Its a wonderful thing to have happened at Christmas!”

To enter we require

Your Name, Postcode and Contact Number The advert that the symbol is hidden on!

You can enter online at www.thelocalmags.co.uk, via email at comp@thelocalmags.co.uk or call us on 01928 739607

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Ask about our purchase assistance schemes

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We pay your estate agents fees*

Illustration and photographs depict typical Bovis Homes. *The Help to Buy scheme has specific terms and conditions and is subject to affordability criteria as prescribed by the homes and communities Homes & Gardens agency. Not to be used in conjunction with another purchase assistance scheme. Purchase assistance schemes are subject to terms, conditions and availability, are not available in conjunction with any other offer and are on selected plots and developments. YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE. Please see sales advisor for further details.

7

Local News The latest from our area...

Father Christmas drops in with RAF Presents...

Father Christmas abandoned his sleigh and with some help from his friends from the Royal Air Force swooped in by RAF helicopter to collect gifts from Priestley College just before Christmas.

More than 120 students 120 students, many of them with their own goals of one day joining the RAF or Armed Forces, raised more than £2,000 throughout the year to spend on the presents.

They have worn fancy dress and sold cakes to raise the money and were even sponsored to cycle between the two hospitals to generate more funds.

“Working with the RAF on this kind of project has been a great opportunity for our students this year,” said Priestley College Tutor Chris Seaton. “They’ve worked hard to fundraise and are well aware of the difference they are making to the children.”

Never one to stay in one place for too long, he

“ Quality assured construction”

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fired up the chopper and set flight for Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, where he was once again welcomed by hospital staff before delivering presents to the wards.

Irene Axon from the Imagine Appeal at Alder Hey said “This visit is one of the highlights of the year as the children get so excited when Santa jumps out of the helicopter with a sack full of presents.”

is looking for Local Reporters!

Are you passionate about where you live? Do you enjoy writing?

As Love Local is delivered to over 40,000 local homes in total, it can be tricky to keep tabs on what’s going on locally.

Thats where we need your help!

We need local correspondents to send us short articles about what’s going on where you live. The roles are voluntary but a great way to get your voice heard by up to 100,000 local readers!

How to become a Local Reporter

Send us 250 words about where you live. What makes it special?

How long have you lived there and why do you like it?

Are you part of any community group or club that deserves a mention?

Do you think the area could be improved?

Email your piece to info@thelocalmags.co.uk or call our team on 01928 739607 for further info.

FULL ACCOUNTING & TAXATION SERVICE SMALL BUSINESS SPECIALIST Company Formations & Start Ups

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Valentines...

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10

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t he

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www.lesharrisjewellers.co.uk 90 Main Street, Frodsham, 01928 734223

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Homes & Gardens

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LANDLORDS Advertise your property on Rightmove for just including

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GRAEME LUMLEY

Latham Avenue Dental Practice Welcomes...

NEW NHS PATIENTS

NHS and Private work provided Newly refurbished surgery No 62 bus stops outside practice

88 Latham Avenue, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 5DU Tel 01928 572514 14

Homes & Gardens

For your

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Pin Board Essar Four Vil lages Half Marathon 18th January - 11am

, finish Start Helsby Community Sports Club Horns Mill School

Runc or n Linnets V S Nelson

24th January

– 3:00pm

played at The Millbank Li nnets Stadium

Loving Life t o t he Full

:30am -12:00pm

26th January – 10

in just 12 can change your life Find out how you ost your bo d an s yday problem hours - tackle ever ntre Ce ity un mm Co y wa wellbeing. Grange

e t he team at Lov om fr st e b e h t All

Local!

The One Direction & Kat y Per ry Exper ience 23rd January ley Only One Direction and Charlotte Hop orn Runc ley, Brind The acts. te tribu

Movies in Moore 6th February – 7.30pm

The film Belle screened at the Milner Institute. The cost is £3.50 which includes tea & biscuits

The G ould P iano Tr io

Pin your local event or share inspiring imag an e the Love Loca on l pin board for FRE E

25th February

Will play at Walton

Hall & Gardens.

Tickets cost just £1 1 each and can be purchased by callin g 01925 265146

Wood Craft & Sculpting 12th February – 2:00pm-3:30pm and wire Learn techniques to make wooden materials all and ed need e rienc expe no , creations y.

Prior on provided. Nort

Runc or n Linnets v s 1874 Nort hwich 28th Febuary

– 3:00pm

played at The Millbank Li nnets Stadium

An Evening with Carl Fogarty 21st March- 7:00pm

At the select Security Stadium, Widnes.

Tickets are £35 each.

Pixie & Dixie need rehoming fro Animal Welfare - cal l 01925m74Warringt on 8637

Email info@sportspeaker.co.uk for more information.

To add your event then please call us today on 01928 739607 or email us at info@thelocalmags.co.uk

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Health, Beauty & Lifestyle

Northern Chamber Orchestra

at The Brindley Runcorn WA7 1BG

Sunday 25 January 2015, 3pm

Classic Viennese Whirls & Waltzes Nicholas Ward, violin

All-time waltz and polka favourites from the Strauss family and other great composers from the‘Viennese dance era’.

Choose from a great selection of

Wedding Rings from your local

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Photo by Eric Richmond

J Strauss II Die Fledermaus Overture; Blue Danube Waltz; Perpetuum Mobile; Tritsch-Tratsch Polka Lehar Gold and Silver Waltz; Suppé Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna and many more classics…

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Mixed Emotions

Martin Roscoe, piano A concert full of contrasting emotions from four stylistically very different composers.

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Mozart Piano Concerto in A major K414 Janáček Suite for Strings Saint-Saëns Havanaise Haydn Symphony no 52 in C minor

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19

Stay warm for less this winter... ...with low cost window, door and conservatory repairs WindowGeeks is a national network of local window repair experts.

The company name says it all. But these ‘Geeks’ don’t just fix windows, they’re called out to mend doors and conservatories too. And at this time of year, with many homeowners battling draughts and rising energy bills, WindowGeeks finds its low-cost services are in high demand.

“Replacing misted up or broken glass is only a small part of what we do,” says Neil James, who owns the WindowGeeks franchise for the Runcorn area. “In the winter we fix a fair amount of draughty & leaking windows, helping our customers keep the warmth they’re paying for inside. And, with the cold weather

playing havoc with their hardware too, we’re kept busy freeing up lots of jammed door handles, windows and locks too.”

“We’ve worked on dozens of conservatories lately,” Neil adds. “And perhaps that’s unsurprising, considering they feature more glass, handles & hinges than any other room in the home.”

Saving money gets most people’s attention; whether it’s helping to reduce energy bills or providing a simple repair that saves thousands over new double gazing. “But”, says Neil, “it’s the company’s reputation that makes us stand out, and it’s why most of our new customers are introduced to us through referrals”.

“This is my business, and it’s one that’s based on trust,” he says. “We will only charge you for what actually needs doing, and we always deliver on our promises.

That’s good old-fashioned customer service – nothing more – but it spreads fast through word-of-mouth.”

WindowGeeks don’t employ salesmen and they provide free quotations with; • No call out charges, No minimum order values, No credit card charges • No deposits, 10 year manufacturer’s guarantee on all Glazed products • All quotes include VAT and Fitting.

NO HIDDEN EXTRAS

Call WindowGeeks on 0800 5 118 007 | 01928 450 017 or visit the new website at www.windowgeeks.co.uk

20

Homes & Gardens

Homes & Gardens

21

Think you need a new bathroom? We don’t! Simply restore its former glory!

Runcorn Electrical Domestic & Commercial Electrical Installation & Maintenance • Consumer units & upgrades • New lights • Electric shower repairs • Extra sockets fitted • Outside lights installed • General electrical faults • Inspecting & testing • Full or part rewires

We supply and fit: • uPVC ceilings • Quality flooring: vinyl, tile & uPVC • Shower cubicles & uPVC wet wall • Bath panels, taps & showers • Mouldy grout & silicone renewed to bright ice white “From the first visit when the job was priced up and advice given etc. right through to the end when the work was completed. I could not at any point fault any aspect of it. Quite simply brilliant!”

Mr Whiteside, (Widnes) June 2014

See more before & after photos at: www.TotalBathroomRestoration.co.uk

Call us for a free quote today on 0151 345 0362 or 0800 988 7779 RestoreMyBathroom

22

Homes & Gardens

@totalbathroom

Call Geoff today on:

01928 576576

Hey Bro’ what’s up!

By The Unwidow

Well then! Here we are fifteen years into a new Century and I don’t know about you, but I didn’t get any less perplexed!

I still complain about the state of the nation and the size of my gas bill, and still no-body listens (except my Mr. Postie, He loves a ‘good chunner’ too!).

There are, however, one or two very minor things that I would address, if I were in charge of 2015…

Blister Packs

Need a sink plug? Or just one screw? You can’t have just one! You must buy several, or in the case of screws and ‘wottyers’ several dozen, in a blister pack. Gaining entry into a blister pack is guaranteed to blister your fingers and the air around you as you wrestle to get at your multiple purchase. I am considering selling my surplus multiple buys on eBay for I have lots of sink plugs and screws, (of the wrong size) in destroyed Blister packs in a box under the stairs, and it’s in my way! (Note to Burglar: Please take)

Strange lavatory door signs

Pictures of odd shaped beings or objects of no, or sometimes scarily obvious gender confuse me!

What happened to signs that say ‘Ladies’ or ‘Gents’?

Simplicity negated any pervert’s excuse for being in the wrong one and protected the innocent from being arrested.

Energy Saving Light Bulbs

These things are a blatant contradiction in terms, and Trading Standards might feel justified in ruling that they contravene some legislation or other relating to the Trades Description Act and should be simply renamed ‘Dark Bulbs’! For that is what they are!

Teeny Weeny Instructions

It is nigh on impossible to read the instructions printed on most packaging! Even when the three or four ‘energy saving’ dark bulbs (which are necessary to see anything at all in the room) have reached their ‘warm up’ capacity, teeny weeny instructions (even

if they do happen to be in English) are still illegible and one must resort to guessing whether the stuff is for haemorrhoids or wrinkles! Of course, since I suffer neither, application issues aren’t a problem for me, but might be for you! So I protest! On your behalf.

The High Five

Somebody sticks their hand up as if they are going to clock you one, but they’re not! You must stick your hand up and bash their hand with yours! Then hug!

Then you say ‘Hey Bro’ what’s up!’ (Very cheerfully) No reply is necessary for it is not a question. But you’re not finished yet! Next comes… The Low Five! This open palmed gesture once meant somebody was asking for a tip for services rendered. Now, if you are smart, you can give the waiter with the outstretched palm, a ‘low five’ and go merrily on your way But not many waiters want to hug, they want 15% of your bill, so, if you are low fiving a waiter you need to be quick and very confident to pull this one off!

You just slap the outstretched Five, say ‘YAY!’ and the modern greeting protocol is satisfied.

Mail shots for Funeral Plans

One firm sent me a Birthday Card, enclosing details of their plan! (Honestly, they did!) I returned it, using their prepaid envelope slightly burnt at the edge with a message across the application form, in bright red ink, ‘Too Late! You can now reach her here, c/o OldNick@Hotmailunderworld.com She might need Fire Insurance though?!’

Maybe none of this really requires attention and you are content. If so…

Hey Bro’ Happy New Year!

(High five! And hug!)

If you’d like to get in touch with The Unwidow, then please email her at unwidow@thelocalmags.co.uk

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Homes & Gardens

505691

Book Reviews

Curiosity Bookshop in Runcorn review a handful of reads, all of which are available to buy at their lovely shop…

Which books were missing from your Christmas stocking? Were you lucky enough to receive National Book Tokens? If so, there are still lots of titles available at January prices. Here are just a few hard back collectables you might have missed out on so snap them up before they sell out!

The Narrow Road to the Deep North

Richard Flanagan Richard Flanagan’s Booker Prize winner “The Narrow Road to the Deep North” is a compelling story of love and death set in a Japanese prisoner of war camp and the construction of the Burma railway. Dorrigo Evans is a young surgeon desperate to save the men under his command from the horrors of cholera, starvation and the cruelty of their captors. But, haunted by memories of an illicit love affair, he receives a letter that will change his life for ever…

The Year I Met You Cecelia Ahern Following on from the success of P.S. I love you and her other ten novels comes the latest from Cecelia Ahern, “The Year I Met You.” It is New Year’s Eve. Two people’s paths collide. Unlikely as it seems in the beginning, throughout the year a friendship, unlooked and uncalled for, develops. A poignant tale of laughter and tears charts the progress of Jasmine and Matt as they separately and together, find that life is after all a garden of colour and scent, not the empty wasteland they had once envisaged.

Walking Home

Clare Balding Clare Balding never had time to walk, growing up in a world dominated by the “Flat” and the “National Hunt” A call out of the blue from a radio producer changed all that. Wanting a presenter of a new series she asked “Do you Walk?” Since then Clare has covered fifteen hundred miles of footpaths and now hopes to rope in family and friends to rediscover the glories of Britain and Ireland. A travel biography with a difference. Keep company with Clare as she goes “Walking Home”.

Valiant Boys Tony Blackman and Anthony Wright “Valiant Boys” by Tony Blackman and Anthony Wright is a collection of true stories from the operators of the UK’s first four jet-bomber. These personal accounts tell the story from the aircraft’s initial take- off from Vicker’s tiny airfield to its premature death from fatigue. Testing atom bombs in h Australian desert, dropping hydrogen bombs in the Pacific and attacking airfields in Egypt during the Suez Crisis are just some of the tales of the valiant boys and their aptly named plane.

The Lost Pre-Raphaelite Nigel Daly “The Lost Pre-Raphaelite”, subtitled The Secret Life & Loves of Robert Bateman, by Nigel Daly, describes the life of Bateman – a friend of Burne-Jones, Disraeli and Gladstone – who was about to marry the Earl of Carlisle’s granddaughter when he decided instead to become a recluse as she married the elderly local vicar. This is a deeply moving story of love and loss, art and politics and family secrets hidden but not completely obscured. It is also the story of human frailty and an intimate portrait of a significant artists whose life began and ended on the remote Staffordshire moorlands.

Business + Finance

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When is a gym not a gym?

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Many people find conventional gyms intimidating, and if you are not happy with your figure a conventional gym full of toned bodies is the last place you want to be. Slim’n’Trim is a small and cosy environment where you can exercise at your own pace and capabilities, while receiving personal attention and support from our professional and friendly exercise guides. A place where you can unwind and meet new friends.

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friendly 30-minute assisted exercise sessions can change your life and the way you look. Come see for yourself, please use this FREE trial pass and bring a friend if you wish.

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Sue Mykyta bought the Slim’n’Trim salon 15 years and in this time has built the business to the great place it is today. As well as a huge range of standard beauty treatments, they also offer the latest in facial toning and skin rejuvenation with their light therapy and ultrasound genesis machine.

You can view their website at www.slimntrimfrodsham.com for more information and a full range of services or find them on Facebook: “Slim ‘n’ Trim Frodsham” for their latest offers.

Sue regularly welcomes customers of all ages, from teens to retired so don’t be shy, why don’t you pop down to Frodsham and have a look at what she offers?

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To advertise, please email us at: info@thelocalmags.co.uk

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DirectFinancial Services(UK)Limited

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Railway Bridge

The railway bridge which runs alongside the Silver Jubilee bridge was built between 1864 and 1868 after some 25 years in the planning.

When it was completed, fascinatingly it was the longest bridge of its type in the world. Who knew we had such an amazing feat of engineering right on our doorstep?

Some 22 years before the bridge was complete, the Grand Junction Railway Company managed to obtain an Act of Parliament to build a bridge across the Runcorn Gap. However, there was a 7 year time limit imposed on the permission and due to a business merger and other engineering projects that were deemed more important, the window of opportunity passed them by.

It wasn’t until 1861 that approval was again sought and obtained, paving the way for the plans to come to fruition.

Designed by William Baker, a star engineer in the mid 19th Century for the London and North Western

KEY FACTS

• 75 feet clearance from the water to allow ships to pass beneath • 6 lattice girders • 4,200 tons of iron • 48,115 rivets

Railway Company (LNWR). LNWR went on to become the largest joint-stock company in the world and employed a huge workforce of 111,000 people (Morrison’s today employs roughly 130,000). The West Cost Main Line that uses the bridge today is essentially an ancestor of LNWR and now is responsible for transporting nearly half of all freight in the UK. There is technically no ‘official’ name for the bridge but the most common names banded about are Queen Ethelfleda Viaduct – this comes from the fact that Runcorn-side foundations are built on a site that originally housed the Saxon Queen’s fortress which was erected in 815. It’s from this connection that the castellated design of the railway bridge references.

Also widely referred to as the Britannia Bridge.

At this point there was also a ferry crossing for motorcars and horse and carts. Not long after the bridge was officially opened did motorcars become more and more popular, rendering the ferry service inadequate. Plans were soon put in place for the Widnes-Runcorn Transporter Bridge which many locals will still remember as it was only demolished after the Jubilee Bridge was opened in 1961.

With the new Mersey Gateway Bridge due to open in 2017 – nearly 150 years after the transporter opened, it’s fascinating to look how the problem of crossing the Runcorn Gap is still requiring huge investment and engineering nous.

Preparing For Warmer Weather

By Pippa Greenwood The combination of the poor weather in February and the very fact that gardens tend to be at their least appealing this month, means the chances are yours is receiving nothing much more than a fair helping of neglect at the moment. But spring isn’t far away so get your gardening gloves on for a bit of preparation.

Start by clearing up any remaining fallen leaves, broken twigs. Twigs and woody debris are best binned or burned or perhaps even heaped up in the corner of the garden to act as a sheltering spot for wildlife, but fallen leaves, and the top growth of herbaceous perennials, can be added to the compost heap.

When it comes to tackling herbaceous or flower borders, don’t make things look too clean and tidy, as you may well cut down on the protection that faded topgrowth can provide. I tend to leave most of the remains of herbaceous plants in place until spring, but the most ugly, straggly or unkempt bits could certainly be cleared up now. Keep a particular look out for slugs and snails and collect them up while they are snoozing!

It is too early in the year to cut your lawn and indeed you should try to keep off it as far as possible, but you can clear twigs and leaves and cut back any weeds which have grown faster than the grass itself.

You can use any pots or other containers which have been left around the garden to create spots of colour and interest by clearing them out, using fresh compost and then replanting them. If you choose temporary winter plantings such as winter flowering pansies or pompom

GARDEN MAINTENANCE GARDEN PROJECTS TREE REMOVAL FENCING FLAGGING CONSULTANCY TREE PRUNING BLOCK PAVING PLANTING PLANS

40

Homes & Gardens

winter daisies, then these can simply be removed when it is time to replant with summer bedding. Scrubbing down the outer surfaces of pots and containers will also help to clean them up again, because by now they have invariably accumulated a good helping of algae and soil and can look quite a mess.

Check fruit trees for signs of any dead shrivelled fruit still on the branches and cut these out, as they often harbour brown rot disease and can cause a lot of problems in the future. However these definitely shouldn’t be composted - bin or burn any you find.

Use a stiff brush to clear off surface debris from your terrace or patio and then once it is clear, if it still looks in need of a bit of a facelift, use the stiff brush or yard broom to scrub it over thoroughly. Provided freezing weather is not forecast, wash it over with a few buckets of water.

A trip to your local garden centre is bound to give you plenty of ideas for what’s looking good this month.

Some of my favourites include the small trees or shrubs which have a delicious fragrance during the winter months. These include winter sweet, hamamelis (witch hazel) and sarcococca. You can now buy pots of snowdrop bulbs which are not far from flowering so ‘cheat’ a little and pop a few of these into the ground.

Winter flowering heathers and winter flowering pansies can also be used to great effect right now.

Visit Pippa’s website www.pippagreenwood.com for ‘Grow Your Own with Pippa Greenwood’ veg growing system , biological controls, fleece, copper tape and lots more besides.

FRODSHAM GARDENS OA P LTD DIS

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• Regular garden maintenance • Spring tidy-ups • Lawn mowing • Hedge cutting & tree surgery • Gutter cleaning • Power washing Call Paul for a free, no obligation quote

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www.frodshamgardens.co.uk Fully insured family run business

Professional Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning at Affordable Prices

Multi-room discount available 10% discount for bookings in January an February

We specialise in Carpet and Upholstery cleaning, using Eco friendly products, transforming and revitalising the appearance of your home furnishings

Call 07434 231504 for a FREE quote www.twhcarpetcleaning.co.uk Homes & Gardens

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To advertise please call us on 01928 739607

Premier Professional Lawn Care

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Visit us online at www.premierlawncare.org.uk To advertise, please email us at: info@thelocalmags.co.uk

43

Plum & Almond Tart

Serves 6

Ready in 1 1/4 hours, plus chilling Served with thick cream, custard or ice cream, this tart makes a delicious warming winter pud. You can use other fruits if plums are not available –try chunks of apples or pears or Armagnac-soaked prunes for a special occasion.

175g self-raising flour 100g unsalted butter, chilled and diced 50g ground almonds 3 tbsp caster sugar 1 small egg, beaten d 50g natural marzipan, chilled and grate quartered 4 large plums, stones removed and ped 2 tbsp flaked almonds, roughly chop 2 tbsp Demerara sugar

1. Sift the flour into a bowl, add the diced butter and, using your fingertips, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the ground almonds. Remove Âź of the mixture and chill in the fridge.

2. Add the caster sugar and beaten egg to the remaining mixture and mix to a soft, slightly sticky dough. Using floured hands press the dough into the base and up the sides of a 28 x 10cm oblong loose-based flan tin (see tip).

Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 180C, 350F, Gas Mark 4. Scatter the grated marzipan in the chilled flan case and top with the plum quarters (skin side up). Stir the flaked almonds and Demerara sugar into the reserved breadcrumb mixture and scatter over the plums.

4. Bake the tart in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until crisp and deep golden brown. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Remove the tart from the tin and slice and serve.

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Homes & Gardens

45

Great HR Advice...

Over the last 6 months, Clearlink HR has gone from strength to strength helping local employers with staffing issues.

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Need to draft a tricky letter, start a difficult conversation, or ensure compliance with employment legislation? We can assist with your workforce issues.

Contact us today to arrange a FREE, no obligation consultation. t 01928 560281 e admin@clearlinkhr.co.uk

w w w. c l e a r l i n k h r. c o . u k

All business is delivered via people – and HR Consultant Catherine Lockett believes that a philosophy of ‘Quality. Practicality. Expertise’ is key to helping local business owners achieve good outcomes from difficult situations. Catherine believes that every organisation, no matter how small, deserves a relationship with a true ‘HR Business Partner’ to ensure compliance with employment legislation and, on a day-to-day basis, enable excellent practice in all areas of HR. So what is it that motivates Catherine to build relationships with small businesses around what can be sensitive and contentious issues? “I love the technical aspects of employment legislation,” says Catherine, “… but for me it’s about helping employers find a sensible way through all of that; keeping people on-side, and making sure everyone feels OK about moving on and doing a great job the next day. I truly have a passion for helping local businesses to be great employers”.

Catherine is happy to meet with business owners locally, and attend employers’ groups, to discuss their needs and explain how she can add value to their businesses.

Your local chartered accountants Free no obligation consultation, For all your accountancy needs AGP provide a full range of services for all business types and sizes.

Our services include: • Accounts • Bookkeeping • Registered auditor

• VAT returns • Payroll • Advising family companies

call: 01928 707 370 visit: www.agp-accountants.co.uk email: enquiries@agp-accountants.co.uk Sycamore House, Sutton Quays Business Park Sutton Weaver, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 3EH Offices also at Warrington and Chester

48

Business + Finance

• Tax returns & repayment claims • Tax planning and advice • Tax enquiries

Payment Protection Insurance Is It Still Worth Considering?

Payment Protection Insurance is intended to protect loan and credit card repayments should you be made redundant, have an accident or fall ill and can no longer work. On the face of it taking out such a policy seems like a good idea, but delve a little deeper and you’ll probably find endless exclusions and get-out clauses that severely limit the amounts paid out.

These policies have been seriously mis-sold in the past, with excessive charges being levied, buying pressure put on borrowers, and scant information provided at the time of sale. The irony is that these policies were unfit for purpose during a time of deep recession – a time when they were needed the most.

We take a look at the circumstances in which you might still choose a PPI policy, and help you decide whether they are even worth considering.

The Financial Ombudsman service has been inundated with PPI mis-selling cases. Around 200,000 claims have been made in recent years and to date, billions of pounds in repayments made to consumers.

In the wake of all this, is PPI still worth consideration?

The stress caused by being unable to work due to sickness or redundancy is all-consuming, and on the face of it, Payment Protection Insurance is a great concept. Why wouldn’t you want to protect large mortgage or loan repayments in this way?

This still holds true today, but as with any financial product you need to carry out due diligence as to its suitability for your particular circumstances.

Decide whether it is any better for you than Statutory Sick Pay, and if the exclusions/terms and conditions are too stringent.

Carry out your own due diligence

• Go over the small print in fine detail- particularly, eligibility for payouts and any exclusions. Check and double check anything ambiguous with a professional financial advisor that you trust, and don’t be pressured into buying it by anybody.

• Make sure there are no existing insurance policies in existence, or workplace benefits that would come into force in the event of being unable to work. Some life insurance policies have clauses that include this, and it’s easy to forget they are there.

• Don’t assume that the lender’s policy is the best one for you. It is in their interests to get you to sign up for a policy, but not necessarily in yours.

Carry out research on other providers who may offer a product more suited to your unique circumstances.

A PPI or similar policy can be full of exclusions - enough to make you wonder whether anyone actually receives any benefit. Common exclusions include self-employment, dismissal as opposed to redundancy, mental ill-health including stress, and being unable to work due to back pain.

As far as PPI is concerned, strict selling regulations now make it unlikely that you will be mis-sold in the same way, but you still need to focus on your actual need for this product in the first instance. If you decide to go ahead, ask for a copy of the policy, read through it again and keep it safely filed away.

Fees and charges for PPI can add a considerable amount to the loan, especially if you pay them upfront, as interest will be charged on the total.

You should be offered the facility to pay monthly, which may be a cheaper alternative in the long-run, but make sure the lender cannot increase these premiums once the policy is underway.

To advertise, please email us at: info@thelocalmags.co.uk

49

Mobile Motoring Madness

By James Baggott

Editor of Car Dealer Magazine (CarDealerMag.co.uk)

Next time you’re sitting in a traffic jam, or waiting at the lights, or on a motorway even, take a little look around you and – especially if it’s during a dark commute home – I’m willing to wager you’ll be surrounded by countless illuminated, bowed heads of motorists checking their phones.

You can spot them easily, like rule-breaking beacons.

With music streaming services like Spotify working through car audio systems, social media streams constantly pinging away with notifications, not to mention text messages and emails, the temptation to not touch the phone is too hard for most to resist.

Can you honestly say that you’ve never touched your phone while driving? I can’t.

British Car Auctions recently quizzed 445 motorists and 95 per cent of them said they’d seen another driver using a mobile phone. Some 82 per cent of them had seen someone texting or emailing too and 42 per cent admitted to doing it themselves.

The official advice is to turn it off, but the problem with that is phones have become intrinsically linked to our cars. Most modern models offer Bluetooth connectivity that lets you take calls at the wheel, stream music from your handset, while some even let you access the web from the car using your phone’s signal.

While I can’t deny all these features are handy, could it be the case that car manufacturers are sending out the wrong message? Are they condoning the use of a mobile phone behind the wheel by implementing all this technology?

A report from Canada found drivers talking on handsfree devices were ‘far more likely to make errors

on the road’. And, come on, admit it, when you’re having a conversation on handsfree are you REALLY paying attention properly?

I contacted the Association of Chief Police Officers to ask them what would happen to a driver who had an accident while talking, perfectly legally, on a handsfree kit.

A spokesman said the likelihood was that the driver would be prosecuted for driving without due care and attention or, in more extreme cases, for dangerous driving.

And it’s already happened. One case in 2008 involved lorry driver Mervyn Richmond, 49, who had been talking to his mother for 23 minutes using Bluetooth in his cab when he ran into back of a Transit van, killing its passenger. He was jailed for four-and-a-half years for dangerous driving.

Roger Vincent, of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, told The Daily Mail at the time: ‘When you are using any mobile while driving you are four times more likely to have an accident.’ FOUR times.

So here’s my idea. I think it’s time for a manufacturer to introduce a device that stops your phone working when the engine is on. A sort of enforced airplane mode that means no calls, texts, emails or data can be received, but music can still be played if it’s plugged in. It would take a brave manufacturer to make the move, but marketed correctly it could be a winner.

With mobile phone use behind the wheel increasing, despite the threats of points and fines, now has to be the time to take drastic measures. But is there a car maker brave enough to make the move first? Who knows…

What do you think? Tweet me @CarDealerEd and let me know.

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