LocalReach Burnham January 2023

Self-storage site is proving popular with locals

Big Bull Self Storage is in the middle of Isleport Business Park about 500 metres from Aldi and Costa. The site now provides a multitude of uses ranging from home owners to businesses and the self-employed. The owner Mike Palmer says, “the drive-up units have proven popular, and we have a lot of interest from self-employed people as well as house movers, people doing home refurbishments and de-cluttering”. The site has good access for large vehicles and there are a range of unit sizes (all with wide door access for bulky items). There are small 25 sq ft units (size of a garden shed) right up to 160 sq ft (would fit the contents of your home). If you are self-employed and need somewhere to store your tools, materials and goods for distribution, then this is the perfect choice for you. Mike continues “for businesses, they like the 24-hour access with drive-up units, 24-hour control centre monitored CCTV and a well illuminated site, for visibility all hours. The other important thing for businesses is the flexible terms we offer, meaning someone can use it for as short a time as one month whereas industrial units have much longer leases.”

The site now offers vehicle parking for lorries, cars, vans, trailers etc. With state-of-the-art security and a large site there has been interest in this.

Big Bull Self Storage is mindful of the environment and whilst the business has a very low carbon footprint with very low energy usage it will soon start a tree planting program. More information will be released in the coming weeks either via its website blog www.bigbullstorage.co.uk/blog or via its Facebook page www.facebook.com/bigbullselfstorage so do follow for more information

It is free to reserve a unit with Big Bull Self Storage, with no cancellation fee, no deposit and no reservation fee. You can reserve your unit online www.bigbullstorage.co.uk/sites/highbridgestorage-unit-prices-self-storage-units. Or call us for more information.

Driving our state-of-the-art coaches, you will be transporting the workforce from local areas to HPC (Hinkley Point C) - one of the largest construction projects in Europe. No tickets or fares to issue, no equipment/ luggage to handle. This is a 24/7 project, so we have shifts starting from as early as 3am through to twilight and night shifts. Full and Part Time positions available.

Think you can’t drive a bus? If you have great people and customer service skills, we can teach you the rest! Our expert trainers will be with you every step of the way providing ongoing support, development, and training.

We would love to hear from you if you:

• Have a full manual UK licence (held for min 12 months)

• Are aged 18 or over

• Have fantastic people skills

• Can be flexible with working hours

A summary of benefits:

• Earn £34k+ with 7 hrs overtime a week

• Pay £11.72 per hr increasing to £12.03 per hr after 6 months & £13.43 after 12 months

•

gym membership

SPS has been awarded the whole passenger transport contract for the HPC project until mid2027.

For full details and to apply visit our website at www.spsbus.co.uk or contact our Recruitment team at jobs@spsbus.co.uk

Garden View – Winter Scent

I love a garden planted for winter. There are so many plants with wonderful shape and interesting evergreen foliage. But the thing that draws me out into any garden is scent, and fragrance is particularly uplifting in the depths of winter.

Getting outdoors into natural daylight, even on a cold, dank day is a mood booster. If you need an excuse to don woolly hat and gloves then what better than winter-flowering shrubs. Chimonanthus praecox, known as Wintersweet is the type of shrub that looks rather unexciting in spring and summer, but in winter once established the bare branches erupt with lovely waxy yellow flowers which have an intense sweet and spicy scent.

For a little spot near the front or back door, think about Daphne bholua, a shade-loving, tiny, evergreen shrub which produces delicate pink or white blooms that look like they are made

from fondant icing. They have a rich floral, oldfashioned scent. If space is limited you also try Sarcococca hookeriana. This is also a shade-lover and produced a very powerful jasmine-like scent which carries well on the breeze.

If you have more space and would like something more robust then plant Viburnum x bodnantense. It produces pom-poms of flowers in pastel pink or white which smell of warm vanilla and lilac. It also has an extremely long flowering season, starting in mid-autumn and going right through until early spring.

All of the above flowers can be cut, and will last for several days in a vase in the house. But January is also the perfect time to enjoy gardening indoors. My teenage son collects cacti and was gifted a striking, ornamental cactus with funky foliage a couple of years ago, called Epiphyllum anguliger. The wavy-edge leaves which oscillate along the stem give rise to its more common name, the Fishbone Cactus. As well as looking handsome all year round it has the delightful bonus of producing large creamy white flowers in winter which emit a wonderful scent in the evening, just one bloom can fill a room with a sweet fragrance.

By Rachael Leverton

I Want a Divorce

It’s good to talk

A divorce will be quicker, cheaper and less destructive if both parties co-operate and behave with maturity. Even if you can’t agree everything, try to remain civil because if you fall out and the divorce become acrimonious and prolonged, savings and any equity in your house will get eaten up very quickly.

Discuss things like who will petition who for the divorce and what grounds they will cite e.g. infidelity, unreasonable behaviour, or separation. Having a clear, uncontested plan will keep costs down.

Christmas is often a time when problems already present within a marriage come to a head. January is often when people decide they want to make a break. Divorce is a scary word, but if approached correctly the outcome can be positive for both parties.

What do you want from your settlement?

Think about your children, the house, and any shared finances. Try to remove emotion from the equation and be clear and realistic. Courts are not interested in why a relationship broke down and will try to be fair to both parties regardless. The fact your partner cheated will not mean that you get more money.

Consider mediation

Mediation is not marriage counselling. It is there to help both parties agree on the key issues such as childcare arrangements, what happens to the house, what happens to savings, pensions and investments. If you can agree on these matters than all the lawyers really have to do is draw up the agreements. In this way and the need for an expensive court hearing is avoided.

Mediation works best if both parties commit to find a solution that works best for everyone. It is not always free, but it is much less expensive than legal fees.

By Louise Addison

Win While You Save

The history of Premium Bonds

November 1st 1956, Premium Savings Bonds went on sale. These didn’t earn interest, instead each £1 bond received a unique number and had an equal chance to win a prize in a monthly draw. £5 million worth of bonds were sold on the first day (about £121 million today).

So that each £1 bond had an equal chance of winning a prize, the draw needed to be truly random. Because of the complexity of the task, the Government used the team behind the Second World War code breaker, Colossus, to build a piece of Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipment, dubbed ERNIE. This machine generated bond numbers based on the signal noise created by gas neon diodes. The original ERNIE was the size of a van and took 10 days to complete a draw. Over the past several decades ERNIE has been through several iterations the current machine is ERNIE 5, which was introduced in 2019. ERNIE 5 is powered by quantum technology which uses light rather than thermal noise to generate random numbers and takes just 12 minutes to complete a draw.

Do you own any Premium Bonds? More than 21 million of us own at least one, and their history dates back to the 19th century.

By 1861 the British Empire was wealthy but ordinary citizens were not. They had little opportunity to save. A Huddersfield banker called Charles Sikes wanted to change this. He proposed a scheme to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, William Gladstone. Gladstone approved and decided there should be a savings bank within, “...an hour’s walk of every working man’s fireside.”.

The Post Office Savings Bank was established to provide cheap funding to the Government, and the Ordinary Savings Account was born. Because the funds were secured by the Government people felt it was a safe way to invest so the project was a success with 2500 branches opening within two years.

During the First World War, the Government needed to borrow more money, so in 1916 it launched War Savings Certificates in 1916 and followed those with National War Bonds in 1917. These raised £433m (around £24 billion based on today’s values).

During the Second World War there was a similar National Savings campaign and deposits rose from £509m to £1,982m between 1939 and 1946. After the war the Government wanted to encourage people to save again and on

Back in 1956 you had to own a bond for six months to be entered into the draw, now it’s one full calendar month. Initially you could only invest £500 maximum, and the biggest prize was £1000. In a time when the average weekly pay was £10 per week, and average house prices were just under £2000, it must have seemed like a huge sum.

Today, you can hold up to £50,000 worth of Premium Bonds, and the maximum prize is £1 million with two chances to win the jackpot each month. There are also many smaller prizes down to a modest £25. 82 billion bonds go into the draw each month so the odds of any individual bond winning a prize (no matter how small) is 24500 to 1. More than £350 000 of bonds from 1956 are still active today and eligible for entry into the monthly draw.

Believe it or not, even in the present economic climate there are currently over 1.6 million prizes worth more than £63 million which have not been claimed. Perhaps now might be a good time to check to see whether you have any old Premium Bonds in your name, which have been forgotten about. You might get lucky!

By Jamie Maxfield

NOTE: Before making any financial decisions you are advised to consult a professional. financial adviser.

Scottish plaid (6)

Entice, coax (6)

Shape with many sides (7)

Circulate, deliver (5)

Grovel (5)

Spiky plant (7)

Calendar, schedule (6)

Despot, bully (6)

Touchable (7)

Scrutinise (5)

Pretended (5)

Teeming, jammed (7)

Victim, prey (6)

Delicate, fragile (6)

Subject matter (5)

Let go (7)

Seraph, cherub (5)

Nimbleness (7)

Beginning (5)

Essential feature (7)

Coalesce (5)

Captivate, fascinate (7)

Ebb, fade (7)

Kept away from (7)

Instruct (5)

Provide for (5)

Leave bread to rise (5)

Sea-dwelling duck (5)

4 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely sliced

1 red pepper, diced

1 green pepper, diced

6 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tsp sweet paprika

½ tsp cumin seeds

½-1 tsp cayenne pepper

800g tinned tomatoes (use the best quality you can find)

2 tsp soft brown sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

4-8 eggs, depending on hunger

Small bunch of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Method:

Heat the oil in a large frying pan (with a lid) and add the onion. Fry gently until golden, then add the peppers and cook until they are soft. Stir in the garlic and spices and cook for another minute or two.

Pour in the tomatoes and mash roughly. Stir in the sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Taste and season. Add a little more cayenne if you like your dishes spicier.

Make 4-8 hollows in the sauce and break an eggs gently into each one. Season lightly, and turn the heat down as low as possible, cover the pan with the lid and cook for about 10 minutes until the eggs are just set. Sprinkle with coriander and serve with crusty bread.

Serves: 4 with bread

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30-40 minutes

Living with Teens

The teen years are a time of body changes, brain rewiring, social pressures and exam stress. Parenting a teen can be hard work.

Conflict - Conflict is completely normal. Teens have to learn to become independent. They are hard-wired for it. Try to remain calm, listen and choose your battles. Decide what is worth taking a stand on and what isn’t.

Boundaries – Teens will test boundaries which is a source of conflict (see above). Set out clear guidelines about what is acceptable. Tell your teenager where you’re going, who with and when you’ll be back. Explain that this is for your safety and so they don’t worry. Tell them you expect the same in return, so that they are safe, and you don’t worry. Boundaries show you care. You teen knows this even if they choose to argue over them.

Individuals – Your teen is not an extension of you. Don’t expect them to agree with everything

you say or believe. Teenagers should and will test opinions and people. Agree to differ. Your teenager is more likely to respect your views if you respect theirs.

Interest – Show an interest in your teen’s day, whether at home or at school. Offer support and guidance with homework or revision. But please note that genuine interest is neither pressure nor prying. Just keep channels of communication open so they know they can talk freely to you about anything.

Family time - Your relationship with your child will change as they progress through their teens. Makes sure you spend some time together doing everyday things…sweeping up the leaves in the garden, sorting laundry, preparing supper. Don’t assume they won’t appreciate a family outing to the cinema, bowling or mini-golf now and then, or even a country walk. They may approach the event ironically as though they are humouring you but if they come it’s because they want to be there.

The work you put in to your relationship with your teen will pay dividends as they get older.

By Heidi Leonard

How safe is your data?

We often get called out by customers who have a broken device in their hand, such as a phone or tablet. Often these devices were setup years ago and sometimes using an obscure email address that is not the customer’s main address. We found that certain large computer retailers tended to setup a new email account for computers, phones and tablets on behalf of their customers, and often this account email address and password gets lost over time. The problem arises once a fault occurs and the device cannot be turned back on, or even fixed. In particular for Android devices, we would recommend that you check that you have the Google (usually gmail) address and password that has been linked to the device, as this is needed to be entered in a new device in order to retrieve photos and so on, that is stored. Most of these devices use “the cloud” to store photos and without the username and password for the device, it can be hard or impossible to get the data back.

Computer data also needs to be considered – photos and documents going back years are often not stored anywhere else. Having a local backup drive is a good way of storing a copy of such important items, and often the process of backing up can be automated, so that this happens in the background without you having to worry.

Be prepared for “2FA” – 2 Factor authentication is coming to a variety of organisations, in particular when you buy something online. “2FA” means that you will have to receive a code by text message, sent by your bank, prior to completing your purchase online.

If you are concerned that your data may not be safe, please see our advert on this page. We come to you at your home or office and can make sure that everything is setup correctly to protect you in case of a faulty device.

Neil Buzzard, Director, Computer Problem Solutions Ltd. Tel: 07973 536299

2023 - Another year full of exciting events…

As we say goodbye to 2022 we think back to the great events we held over the year - the amazing jubilee celebrations for the Queen tops off our memories, what an unforgettable weekend.

Now 2023 is upon us, we are already planning another year full of exciting events…

Every Thursday we will be hosting a games afternoon, 1pm-3pm, everyone is welcome. There will be games such as crib, uno, chess, draughts, darts, pool and many more, if there are any games in particular you might want to play feel free to bring them along too.

On Friday 17th March, St Patrick’s day, we are holding a race night - come and cheer on your horse, have a flutter and help us in supporting the Monarchs Gymnastics Club as they head off to compete in Italy.

March 24th sees Basil, Sybil and Manuel turn up for a dining experience with a difference, as I’m sure there will be a few mishaps and chaos as the night unfolds. Tickets are available now.

Later in the year we will be celebrating the King’s coronation so keep an eye out for more information about that.

For any 007’s out there we will be having a Casino Royale evening, complete with roulette tables.

We will also be holding another Murder Mystery evening - always a popular event. After the great Country and Western weekend in 2022, we will be staging another one this year.

We have other events in the pipeline so please follow us on Facebook for updates. 01278 780367. Edithmead Leisure Park, Burnham-on-Sea TA9 4HE

Normal People

by Sally Rooney

While this is a book written for adults I think older teens will find a lot to relate to.

The book follows Marianne and Connell through their angsty, often quite pretentious adolescent years (and who among us wasn’t at least a bit pretentious or obnoxious in their teens?) into the complications of early adulthood.

Rooney treads a fine line between evoking irritation at two flawed, slightly unlikeable people, while making those flaws and the angst seem so raw and real that as a reader we begin to care about them.

The novel is one about relationships and how they are affected by both class and social status. Marianne is a smart girl from an affluent family, but this does not protect her from being

socially ostracized at school and emotionally abused at home. Connell on the other hand is from a working-class family and enjoys an easy popularity. Connell’s mother works as a cleaner for Marianne’s family, and the teens are drawn to each other and begin a secret sexual relationship, but it falls apart because Connell does not want his friends to find out.

By the time they meet again at university, Marianne is the popular one, and Connell is feeling increasingly depressed and isolated. They are once more drawn to each other as they navigate through a world filled with social expectations. Through Marianne and Connell, Rooney examines our need to impress and perform for others in a world that seems to grow ever more connected online, with so many things left unsaid face-to-face.

Rooney has created a weird, awkward, compelling novel about weird, awkward, compelling people, who find what they really need, and a lot they don’t, in each other. As Marianne spirals into selfdestruction and Connell looks for meaning in his life, how far will each of them go to save the other.

By Tash Donovan

How to Style it - The Black Skirt

Whether its maxi, knee length or mini; A line, flowy or slinky, most women possess at least one black skirt. If you’re anything like me, you mostly pass over this humble item of clothing when choosing what to wear. But when challenged to write a series on ‘how to style it…’ I thought it would be as good a starting point as any. My black skirt is a thick Ponte jersey and hits just above the knee but the following combinations can be adapted for any length or style of black skirt.

Black skirt + Black blazer

Channelling my inner Parisian I styled my black skirt with a camel-coloured top, my favourite black blazer, sheer tights, gold jewellery, red lipstick and high heeled nude court shoes.

Black skirt + Sweatshirt

I paired a faded slightly oversized wine-coloured sweatshirt with black opaque tights and chunky black boots, then swapped out the boots and tights for white trainers. Both looked good.

Black skirt + White blouse

It’s a classic combination but can look like waitress attire or school uniform. The trick is to choose a blouse in a luxe fabric like silk or satin, that’s embellished with a frill, or cut away shoulders or a low back, and pair it with nude, black or metallic heels and classy jewellery.

Black skirt + Denim jacket

This is a great casual look when paired with a white or grey T shirt and trainers. Logo T shirts

look particularly good, and if you’re more of a boot person, those chunky boots look great with this outfit.

I hope I’ve encouraged you to pull out your black skirt and get imaginative with styling.

By Lorna Chalmers

Local Business A – Z

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All Fees Fixed and Agreed in Advance Monthly Payment Options Contact : Tim Farley FCCA t: 01278 780677 e: hello@goffey.net w: www.goffey.net

All Fees Fixed and Agreed in Advance Monthly Payment Options

All Fees Fixed and Agreed in Advance Monthly Payment Options

Contact : Tim Farley FCCA t: 01278 780677 e: hello@goffey.net w: www.goffey.net

Contact : Tim Farley FCCA t: 01278 780677 e: hello@goffey.net w: www.goffey.net