DNfourteen Magazine Issue No.128 November 2020

Supporting Local Business Delivered to over 17,000 homes and businesses

ISSUE 128 November 2020

Health & Wellbeing

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Welcome to DNfourteen Welcome to our November 2020 edition of the magazine.

I hope that all our readers are keeping well and I hope that we can all continue moving forward to some kind of normality. I’m just hoping that we stay in one of the lower tiers of the regional coronavirus measures as moving up to tier 3 or, heaven forbid; a circuit breaker or national lockdown before Christmas would not be ideal for local businesses and workers in the area. Please support our advertisers through these difficult times by using local people as much as possible - it does make a difference to our local economy.

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We have some interesting articles in this months edition ranging from our pick of new books to read, ideas on what you can do with British apples that are still in season, sex tips for making your sex life longer lasting and more fulfilling. We look at the top 10 beaches in Yorkshire and we look at the implications of working from home.

We also have our regular gardening slot which looks at succulents and lawn care, and as always we finish off with Fiona’s Food for Thought.

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Until next month stay safe and I hope you all enjoy the magazine.

Jane Editor Please note that whilst we take care to be accurate, no liability will be accepted under any circumstances should any of the content of this magazine be incorrect. The views expressed in the articles are not necessarily those of the publisher. All rights reserved.

Published by DNfourteen Magazine. Printed by DaltonSpire Ltd.

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Local News

Goole Museum’s 7th Annual Open Art 2020 Goole Museum’s 7th Annual Open Art 2020 is up and running, but this year things are a little different. Instead of the usual dropping off days and independent judges, this year everyone’s work will be included (although there will be limitations on what can be shown, and no explicit content will be allowed).

Goole Museum curator Debbie Hardy explained: “We have had a lots of entries into the exhibition during our first month, but there is still plenty of space for you to share your work with us.

“This year’s ongoing submission dates mean you have until November to enter your work, so what are you waiting for? Whether you are a painter, photographer, sculptor or crafter, we would love to see what you have been creating.

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“Just to remind you there are three ways to get involved: For those who are happy to visit the

Jessica Basoldea, one of the younger entrants, with her entry ‘Colour Block!’

museum there are two choices. You can deliver your work and leave the display decisions to us; or you can bring in your artistic creations and work alongside us to decide where or how to display it. (Social distancing and maximum occupancy rules will of course be adhered to.)

“If an actual visit to our site is not for you, then you can send us a digital version of your work. These will be screened in a slideshow within the museum and also included in the online gallery and our website.

“Why not take this opportunity to have your work seen by a wider audience? Being creative has helped so many get through these difficult times, and it seems even more important this year to celebrate anything positive and uplifting.”

Open Art will run to the end of the year. The team at Goole Museum are really keen for new art to be regularly added to the exhibition, so entries can be submitted throughout this time.

For more information, visit Goole Museum; check out the webpage: www.eastridingmuseums.co.uk/museums-online/ open-art-goole/ or visit: www.facebook.com/EastRidingMuseums

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House & Home

These days most homeowners suffer from a lack of storage space. So many precious items that need to be kept – but where to store it all? That’s where Yorkshire Loft Ladders come in.

The company, based locally, offers homeowners the opportunity to maximise their storage space with a loft ladder, 50 sq ft of boarding and a light all fully fitted in less than a day from just £277 + VAT. But it’s not just the affordability of the package the company offers that makes Yorkshire Loft Ladders stand out as manager Warren Ingleson explains: ‘Our watchwords are Quality,

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Integrity and Value. Quality in the materials that we use for all our installations and the fact that all our loft packages are fitted by time served tradesmen so our customers are assured of the best job. Integrity in that we will turn up at the time we say and make sure the house is spotless when we leave, and Value in that we offer our services at a price people can afford. Our business relies on referrals and we got a huge amount of our calls from people who have been referred to us by our existing customers - that simply wouldn’t happen if we didn’t adhere to our overriding principles.

lead to more happy customers is true and we work hard to make that happen for every installation we carry out!’

So, if you want to make use of your loft space, however big or

small, call Warren on 0800 612 8359 and he’ll be happy to pop round and give you a no obligation quote so you too can make use of your loft!

At the end of the day the old adage that happy customers

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Food

Five things to do with apples . . .

November is abundant with British apples, so here are five of my favourite quick apple recipes for you to make and enjoy.

Apple and Cinnamon bars

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A simple and super quick, all-inone-bowl bake. Put 350g of plain flour, 1 tsp salt, and 150g butter into a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt, rub in the butter until it looks like breadcrumbs and then add 150g light soft brown sugar and mix in with a knife until well combined. Spread onto the base of a brownie or flapjack style baking tin, lined with non-stick baking paper. Peel and core two large cooking apples or 4 eating apples (or a mixture of both), thinly slice, and spread over the base and press down gently. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp of soft brown sugar mixed with 2 tsp of cinnamon and then chop 50g butter into little pieces and dollop them on top. Bake at 190 degrees for about 35 minutes. Leave to cool and firm up a little in the tin (this takes about 30 mins) then cut into slices

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Honey & Spice baked apples

12 small apples (cored) or windfalls quartered and cored 1 teaspoon of ground ginger 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon or mixed spice A drizzle of honey l Preheat the oven to 190 degrees. l Line a flat baking tray with nonstick baking paper and brush with melted butter. l Place the apples on the tray and sprinkle the spices on top and drizzle on honey. l Bake for about 30 minutes in the middle of the oven; they should be soft when you poke them with a sharp knife and the skins should be crispy.

Squash and Apple slaw

Peel and coarsely grate half a butternut squash, keeping the seeds. Coarsely grate two large carrots and add to the squash.

Wash the sticky sludge off the squash seeds and put them on a flat baking tray, drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with a pinch of chilli and mixed spice - bake at 180 degrees for about 10 mins (keep a close eye to check they don’t burn!).

Grate two eating apples and mix with the juice of half a lemon. Put 2 tbsps of rapeseed oil, 1 tbsp of cider vinegar and 2 tbsp of honey into a jar, season well and shake to combine (if you have an ice cube, add one to the dressing and shake again as this makes it thick and glossy).

Mix everything

together with your hands, sprinkle with fresh herbs and enjoy on its own, in wraps, with meat, or as a crunchy sandwich or burger filling.

Apple Pancakes

Its super easy to add coarsely grated apple straight to your pancake mix and this adds a great apple taste, as well as hidden secret fruit for fussier eaters. For an even more delicious autumnal breakfast, core and finely chop four eating apples into tiny chunks, pop a tablespoon of butter and a teaspoon of honey into a frying pan and gently cook the apples, add a pinch of cinnamon. Make a thick pancake mix, spoon into the pan and cook until bubbling on top, spoon on the cinnamon apple mix and press in, then flip to cook the other side. We also love to add a handful of sultanas to the apple and add to scotch pancake mix.

Apple and Vanilla jam

I can never really understand why we aren’t all more excited about apple jam. Gorgeous on toast, heavenly on scones, and completely moreish to replace raspberry jam in a Victoria sponge. Peel and core 2.5kg of cooking apples (or pears, or a mixture of both). Put the chopped apples into a large, thick bottomed pan, add the juice of 2 lemons and simmer gently, stir often and add a little water if it starts to stick. Then add into sterilised jars and seal immediately.

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Work & Employment

Turning your home into a business: What you need to know There are some vital points that you need to consider before you open your home to the public:

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1. Always check if there are any legal restrictions on using your home for business purposes – you can find this out by looking at the title to the property, which is held by the Land Registry, or by speaking to your mortgage provider or leaseholder.

2. Check and update your home insurance. If you are using the property in a different way to that detailed on your policy, it may be rendered invalid, or the business space may not be covered.

You might need to take out separate business insurance to cover your products and equipment, along with specialist personal liability insurance.

If you store stock for your business at your house, this could increase your premiums as your insurers might view you as being at increased risk of fire or theft.

3. Weigh up all of the costs carefully before you convert or extend

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your home to accommodate a business. Will the renovations be worth the expense? And are they likely to add to the value of your home if you decide to sell in future? Or could the changes make it less saleable?

Benefits of working from home: Increased productivity Employees generally appreciate a company that allows them to work from home and research has suggested that this could also boost productivity for the employer.

65% of workers said they would be more productive in a home office.

75% of workers say they will be more productive due to reduced distractions.

83% of employees feel they do not need an office to be productive.

Two-thirds of employers report increased productivity for remote workers compared to in-office workers.

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Gardening

The best succulents to grow in your garden, and how to keep them safe in winter Succulents: their very name is mouth-watering - unless, of course, you’re one of those gardeners who lumps them with cacti, their spiny cousins.

So, what is the difference between a cactus and a succulent? Well, all cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti. The succulents that have spines we call cacti; the ones without we just call… succulents.

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I purchased my first succulent - a single potted specimen of Bryophyllum pinnatum. It was a liver-spotted succulent with tiny little plantlets along the edges of its leaves at the age of eleven.

Brilliant!

I don’t grow Bryophyllum pinnatum (pictured above) now; my succulent affections have been transferred to those plants that gain sufficient stature to be stood outside on our sundrenched terrace in summer so that I can imagine - one day returning to the South of France or the Italian Riviera, of which climates they are more redolent.

The most popular - you might even say hackneyed - of these is Aeonium Zwartkop (pictured above) with deep-purple rosettes of spatula-shaped leaves that spring out from a central stem.

It needs to be repotted regularly to prevent it toppling over under the weight of its top growth. It propagates every bit as easily as the Bryophyllum - single rosettes will root in a matter of days in sandy compost.

Over the past few years, I have acquired more refined varieties, such as Aeonium Merry Maiden, which has pointedly cut rosettes of greater colour gradation than Schwartzkopf - green in the centre, burnishing to burgundy on the outer leaves - and Kiwi, which is smaller in stature and has pointed-leaf rosettes striped pale-green and yellow, edged with red. It sounds a bit lurid, but is refreshingly jolly.

The most spectacular (in spite of the fact that it’s mainly plain green) is Aeonium hierrense, the rosettes of which can be more than a foot across and will rise up higher and higher until they rivet all eyes. I have it in a pot with another aeonium and a monstrous specimen of Crassula Silver Shadow, the large, paddle-shaped pads of which are a frosted white; above them rise stalks that carry drooping, flagonshaped, orange flowers. This plant, too, grows really massive.

Our grandchildren need to be kept away from the spiky-ended leaves of Agave americana Mediopicta with its spiny, bluegreen fountains of leaves, which have a central, parchment-white stripe, and from the neater and brighter Agave lophantha Quadricolor, its inward-curving armed green rosettes edged with butter yellow. Placed where their form can be admired, the agaves make excellent punctuation marks in pots placed beside steps or at the end of a wall.

Our travel plans might have been curtailed by Covid19, but, by growing a range of succulents in pots, we can bring the world to our doorstep without the need for airport queues. I rather like that.

I keep them in my greenhouse during the winter and, provided it stays frost-free and the compost remains on the dry side, they’re perfectly happy until the warmer weather returns and they can have their summer holidays outside.

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House & Garden

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Gardening

A rested lawn will end winter in good shape Sally-Anne Fairburn, keen amateur gardener, cookery teacher and flower arranger, talks about lawns this month...

While autumn is one of the key seasons for feeding and treating our lawns, winter is the time when we let it rest. Minimal growth, saturated soil and freezing conditions make grass vulnerable to damage and unable to repair itself.

Walking over it or using the lawn as a venue to play football or exercise your pets when the ground is wet or frozen will quickly ensure it is churned up into a muddy mess.

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Once grass blades become damaged, they won’t regenerate until next spring, and the space they leave will be colonised by weeds and moss. Never try to feed your grass now in the hope things will improve, as any new growth encouraged by fertiliser will be too weak and tender to withstand winter.

The presence of unused chemicals on the soil and grass can also do more damage than good in winter. However, on days when the ground is dry and not frozen, there are things you can do to help your lawn. As grass will grow when the temperature is above 5°C, you can continue to mow as necessary with the blades on a high setting. If the blades are too low, they will gouge up the soil and damage the turf.

Treading carefully, remove perennial weeds with a puller and edge around borders to keep the garden looking tidy.

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Raking the leaves may seem a thankless task but on the plus side it lets you make lots of lovely leaf mould, which is one of the best soil conditioners available – and is so easy to make.

Simply rake up the leaves and either store them in an opentopped wire bin or, if space is in short supply, pile them into black bin liners.

Watch out for seasonal pests such as moles, that return to action in January and February, as well as wet weather diseases such as fusarium patch, red thread and fairy ring toadstools.

You can also safeguard against potential damage by laying a path of stepping stones across areas of grass that get the most footfall, such as leading to the washing line, shed or greenhouse, for instance.

This is a relatively quick and easy task to complete (see panel, right), but do make sure the laid stones lie flush with the surface of the soil to avoid wrecking mower blades or becoming a trip hazard once they have bedded in.

Stab a few holes in each bag and wet the leaves, then tie the top and store them somewhere out of the way for a couple of years.

The result is gorgeous, crumbly brown richness that can be used as a soil mulch and conditioner, or sieved and used as potting compost.

Alternatively, add the leaves to your compost heap for added richness.

Leaves on soil can be left to rot and feed the soil. They are also broken down and dragged under by worms.

One of the best ways of keeping your lawn healthy in winter is to keep it clear of fallen leaves.

If left on the grass, leaves take time to rot and will block light from the grass and keep it damp, which leads to a prevalence of pests and the potential for fungal problems and bare or mossy patches.

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Yorkshire

Top 10 Best Beaches In Yorkshire

The current most popular beach in Yorkshire is Spurn Point. Read below for the full list of the top 10 beaches in Yorkshire: 1. Spurn Point Beach A three mile stretch of sand and shingle beach that runs along a narrow spit of land at the mouth of the Humber Estuary. There are beaches either side of the spit so its easy to find a spot out of the wind. Care should be taken swimming.

2. Scarborough Beach (South Bay) Scarborough is one of the UK’s top seaside resorts and it’s easy to see why. Whatever your age, whatever your idea of what makes a good day out at the seaside, you’re going to find what you’re looking for in this vibrant Yorkshire town.

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3. Saltburn Beach Saltburn is a seaside resort with a rich heritage dating back to the Victorian heyday and beyond.

The town was developed off the back of the Industrial Revolution and the local iron industry in particular.

4. Whitby Beach Whitby has beaches on both sides of the River Esk. On the east side is the smaller Tate Hill, a sheltered sandy beach that allows dogs all year round. On the other side of West Pier is

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West Cliff, a larger sandy beach with colourful beach.

5. Mappleton Beach The wide sandy beach located in front of the East Riding village of Mappleton is ideal for dog walking. This section of North Sea coastline is known as Holderness and is situated around 3 miles (5 km) south of the seaside resort of Hornsea.

6. Sandsend Beach The tiny, picturesque village of Sandsend lies on Yorkshire’s heritage coastline, between Runswick Bay and Whitby. The clean, sandy beach here, with small rivers running into the sea on either side, is very appealing and makes an excellent destination for families.

7. Staithes Beach The eminently photographic fishing village of Staithes is reckoned by many to be the prettiest on the east coast.

Sitting within the shelter of the harbour and backed by the seafront is a small sandy beach.

8. Runswick Bay Runswick Bay, about 9 miles north of Whitby, is widely regarded as one of the prettiest

spots on the Yorkshire coast.

Come here in the summer months for sandcastles, beach games, rock pooling and maybe even a dip in the waters.

9. Filey Beach The traditional seaside resort of Filey is less commercial than some of its East-Coast neighbours and is an ideal seaside location for young families or anyone looking for a fine stretch of good sand for walks, playing in the sand, kiteflying etc.

10. Hornsea Beach Hornsea is a classic seaside resort with an extensive sand and shingle beach. A long promenade with newlylandscaped gardens, old wooden breakwaters, plenty of parking and easy access to town facilities.

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Health & Wellbeing

Ways To Future-Proof Your Sex Life Nothing stays the same as we age, and that includes our sex lives.

But how we approach intimate moments can mean the difference between satisfaction and disappointment.

Here Nicola Adams a leading psycho-sexologist explains where we might be going wrong….

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Understand The Orgasm Gap “The orgasm gap refers to the well-researched fact that when women and men have sex together, the rate at which women orgasm is significantly less than men. Men reliably orgasm 95% of the time during partnered sex and women just

65% of the time – there is a real assumption that the male orgasm is an ‘essential’ and the woman’s is ‘nice to have’. The orgasm gap widens further in casual sex, where women can expect to orgasm around 16% of the time compared to men’s 95%. The orgasm gap is the impact of patriarchy in action, with men’s needs and preferences for sex being privileged over women’s.”

Rework Your Idea of Sex “Social chat about sex tends to focus on how much sex people are having, or whether they went all the way (penetration), and very rarely how mutually pleasurable or even life expanding it was. This is important, as alongside making people who have infrequent but life-affirming sex feel like their sex life isn’t up to scratch, we know that frequent but unsatisfying sex is generally bad for desire.”

It’s All About the Clitoris “The majority of women can’t orgasm from vaginal stimulation without any additional direct or indirect stimulation of the clitoris – remember there’s more to sex than the penetrative.

All orgasms are related to the stimulation

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of the clitoral complex in some way or another, either externally through touch to the gland of the clitoris, or internally via internal stimulation of the clitoris through the vaginal wall, an area sometimes referred to as the ‘G spot’. How most women masturbate – through external touch to the clitoris – gives us a good idea of the usual routes to orgasm for women.”

Try Masturbation “Research tells us masturbation is good for sexual response and sexual satisfaction. While it’s not essential and plenty of people have a great sex life without it, it does provide a good opportunity for people to enjoy their sexuality outside of a relationship, connect with their sexuality, discover what works for them, and triggers arousal.”

Know That Age Is Irrelevant “Your age doesn’t necessarily affect your ability to orgasm.

Many people find that as they age they may need more physical stimulation to get turned on, and for some this may make the time it takes to get to orgasm longer. In contrast, many women express more sexual confidence and less anxiety about sex as they age, meaning orgasms can be easier to come by. Due to the complexity of the mind body interaction, the age and desire equation isn’t always set in stone.”

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Literature

New books for November Ghosts by Dolly Alderton Nina Dean has arrived at her early 30s as a successful food writer with loving friends and family, plus a new home and neighbourhood. When she meets Max, a romantic who tells her on date one that he’s going to marry her, it feels like all is going to plan. A new relationship couldn’t have come at a better time – her 30s have not been the liberating, uncomplicated experience she was sold. Everywhere she turns, she is reminded of time passing and opportunities dwindling. Friendships are fading, ex-boyfriends are moving on and, worse, everyone’s moving to the suburbs. There’s no solace to be found in her family, with a mum who’s caught in a baffling mid-life makeover and a beloved dad who is suffering from dementia. Dolly Alderton’s debut novel is funny and tender, filled with the smart observations about relationships and family.

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Earthlings by Sayaka Murata From the author of the bestselling Convenience Store Woman comes Earthlings. Natsuki isn’t like the

other girls. Together with her cousin Yuu, she spends her summers in the wild Nagano mountains, hoping a spaceship will take her home. When a terrible sequence of events threatens to part the cousins for ever, they make a promise: survive, no matter what. Now, Natsuki is grown. She lives quietly in an asexual marriage, pretending to be normal and hiding the horrors of her childhood from her family and friends. But dark shadows from Natsuki’s past are pursuing her. Fleeing the suburbs for the mountains of Nagano, Natsuki prepares herself for a reunion with Yuu. Will he still remember their promise? Will he help her keep it? Earthlings will leave you reeling.

Failosophy by Elizabeth Day In Failosophy Elizabeth Day brings together all the lessons she has learned, from conversations with the guests on her award-winning How to Fail podcast, from stories shared with her by readers and listeners, and from her own life, and distils them into seven principles of failure. Practical, reassuring and inspirational, these principles offer a guide through life’s rough patches – just what we need for 2020. From failed exams to romantic break-ups, from career setbacks to confidence crises, from navigating anxiety to surviving loss, Failosophy recognises and celebrates the fact that failure connects us all. With insights from Phoebe WallerBridge, Frankie Bridge, Emeli Sande, Fearne Cotton, Andrew Scott and many more, Failosophy is the essential handbook for turning failure into success.

Pandora’s Jar: Women in the Greek Myths by Natalie Haynes The Greek myths are among the world’s most important cultural building blocks and they have been retold many times, but rarely do they focus on the remarkable women at the heart of these ancient stories.

Stories of gods and monsters are the mainstay of epic poetry and Greek tragedy, from Homer to the Trojan War and Jason and the Argonauts. Today, a wealth of novels, plays and films still draw their inspiration from stories first told almost 3,000 years ago. Now, in Pandora’s Jar, Natalie Haynes – broadcaster, writer and passionate classicist – redresses this imbalance. Taking Pandora and her jar (the box came later) as the starting point, she puts the women of the Greek myths on equal footing with the menfolk.

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Fiona’s Word Fiona Dwyer, broadcast journalist, PR & media consultant, slave to 2 children and a husband.

Puppy research

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Over a third of people (34%) don’t do any research before buying their puppy.

Can you believe it? That’s according to a new study from The Dogs Trust. When we got our gorgeous springer spaniel, I read all about the breed, found out what information we should ask the breeder and why it was vital to see the puppy with its mother. We also found a reputable breeder through the Kennel Club.

As first-time dog owners, we were taking no chances - and it was all worth it. At just over 18 months old, she is absolutely amazing and we couldn’t have chosen better. She always makes us smile and she is excellent for cuddles too. We love that she has so much energy. We knew she’d need lots of exercise which was perfect for us. It means we have to go out for a walk whether we want to or not, come rain or shine (plus dark mornings and nights now that the clocks have gone back!). On top of all that, we’ve met loads of lovely dog owners we’d have never known if we hadn’t taken the plunge. So, if you’re considering getting a puppy - remember to do your homework first. And remember, a dog isn’t just for Christmas (or Covid), it’s for life.

Autumn telly!

pure entertainment! But if there’s a film everyone should watch, it’s David Attenborough’s “A Life on Our Planet.” Amazing images, but a stark warning about climate change and the damage we’ve done that’s quite emotional, to be honest. It’s a message we all need to heed.

When can we start playing Christmas music?

We often have discussions about when it’s OK to put up your Christmas decorations, but when can you start listening to Christmas music? I must confess we’ve had Eartha Kitt’s ‘Santa Baby’ playing recently. When my daughter asked if it was too soon (it had been going around in her head!) I just figured, why not, it’s been a very strange year - and continues to be so - let’s go for it! And it certainly cheered us up. Decorations can wait until December, but music - there’s real power in music to lift your mood, so just play what you feel - no-one needs to know!!!!!!

Well, Strictly has already started and we’re expecting And finally........stay safe, positive and remember to I’m a Celebrity to start this month at a remote Welsh socially distance, wash your hands and wear a mask. castle (although at the time of writing Wales is in lockdown, so we’re not sure what’s happening). I’m very excited about series 4 of The Crown and the 2nd series of His Dark Materials. Of course, these are just Twitter: @fionadwyer • Facebook: Fiona Dwyer PR

Fiona x

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