Oracle on sea jan 2014 web

January 2014

Oracle-on-Sea

ORACLE Leigh, Chalkwell & Southend Conservation Area Est. Oct 2006. Circulation 6,700

Oracle Competition WIN!Two pairs of tickets to see ‘Ultimate tribute to ABBA’

Local Issues

Is this called Democracy?

Oracle IT

Speed up your PC by defrag

Hair & Beauty New Year, new you, new do!

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publisher’s letter

H

appy New Year! Christmas and the New Year celebrations are great whilst they last but by now I am ready to get back to the routine of everyday life again, looking to the year ahead and making plans.

If any of you are still undecided about your New Year Resolutions or just fancy doing something different, there may well be something that grabs you inside.

Judy has given us another mouth watering dish and Ray Snow guides us through defragging our computers, something I definitely wasn’t doing often enough.

Oracle’s competition kicks off this New Year with a pair of tickets to see the UK’s number 1 live concert tribute show to ABBA and the Bee Gees which will be featured at the Cliffs Pavilion on Saturday 8 February at 8 pm.

For further information please visit the website www.thecliffspavilion.co.uk To enter please send your contact details to: Oracle/ABBA Competition, 39 Alexandra Street, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS1 1BW or email info@oraclepublications.co.uk closing date Friday 24th January.

NOW OPEN Monday - Sunday 12 noon to 2.30pm and 6pm to 12 midnight

Good Luck!

Emma Wynne-Morgan Publisher

1350 London Road, Leigh On Sea, Essex SS9 2UH

01702 393838

39 Alexandra Street, Southend, Essex SS1 1BW

www.oraclepublications.co.uk info@oraclepublications.co.uk

www.twitter.com/oracle_essex www.facebook.com/oraclepublications

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ORACLE contents Local Issues Is this called Democracy?

by Peter Lovett

9/10

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Hair & Beauty by Craig Smith

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Speed up your PC by defrag Oracle IT by Ray Snow

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WORRIED ABOUT YOUR SELF ASSESSMENT?

Buy to Let Opportunity

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Don’t be....call Colin Taylor NOW!

Oracle Money by Paul Flavin

Smoked Salmon fishcakes and Fennel Salad

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Judy's Recipe Page

Want a flatter stomach for 2014?

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Oracle Health by Cris Ramis

Top tips for driving this Winter

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For help and advice with:

Self Assessment Tax Returns Accounts Bookkeeping VAT Payroll / RTI

Oracle Motoring by Danielle Wheeler

Useful Numbers

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TAYLORS CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS

Advertiser Index

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Local Issues

Is this called Democracy?

I

suppose everyone has been aware of different disputes with Southend Council recently, with the care homes, libraries, shared spaces, Museum, Café, schools and our beloved Pier, to name but a few. When I joined Friends of Shoebury Common, I had no idea it would involve a 12-hour day commitment and turn into a full time job! I really thought that if I filled in the missing jigsaw pieces, we would convince the Councillors to listen to their electorate and really think what a 5 metre wide heavy and ugly floodgate would look like in front of Uncle Toms, Shoebury Common. However, every time I asked a simple question, the answer received, created 10 more questions and so the jigsaw and the lack of transparency grew in size.

JANUARY 2014

With 93 similar flood projects being considered this year, only 15 involved coastal defences and it was lovely to hear that towns like Felixstowe had received green flag awards for public partnership, before any design even started. Even the Council accepted that the consultation meetings were “poor at best” and despite sensible questions being asked, answers given were misleading and in some cases even ignored.

Preferred option was £2m, now estimated £15m!

A detailed breakdown of our raised promenade was given back in April 2013, after they decided to add over £3m for items such as lighting, drain repairs, disabled access, soil, new beach huts just so the “preferred option” took centre stage.

Despite requesting a similar breakdown of costs for the councils “preferred option” in April 2013, we have never received this important information, just a lump sum, so we have nothing to compare or check against.

Remember we were told the preferred option was £2m in 2012 and now total costs are being estimated in excess of £15m!

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83% against preferred option We thought the Council meetings would be democratic, with any public questions being submitted 5 days in advance, but the agenda / reports were not posted until 2 days before, so we were refused. The committee were told Agency funding would be lost if not approved that day, when the Agency had not yet even approved funding, so how could it be lost? One conservative councillor said he would not sleep at night if they did not give urgent approval, despite all five options offering the same protection. With 83% against the preferred option, he also said “he would only support a scheme which had the least impact on this fantastic asset”, comparing a 22” raised promenade having a negative affect & looking into Lodwick’s gardens against a viewing gallery on top of their 7 foot high wall.

This unique Common and the 166 beach huts have been here for over 100 years, so it should not be destroyed just to dump 55,000 tons of soil or obtain £1m in exchange for planning permission to build yet more houses on a level 3 flood plain.

High tide at 2am Friday 6th Dec at Thorpe Bay Yacht Club slipway.

Beach and many huts completely flooded.

All the Southend and Essex Coastal Defence plans suggest and history confirms,“holding the existing line”, which would mean increasing the existing sea wall by 28”. No other UK seaside town can be found which has used a 2 metre high sea wall as a sensible design? After the 1953 floods, most of the existing sea walls were raised by 2 feet, from Shoebury Common to East of the Pier, so why are the crest levels all different now and they know we are not the lowest? Why is Shoebury Common a 1 in 200 year protection with a new 5.80 AOD crest wall and yet Southchurch is 1 in 500 year protection with a lower crest sea wall. With all Conservative Councillors so in favour of this poor design and with such a huge list of inconsistencies, it is no surprise residents are unhappy with the situation and the way they have been treated.

Non-attendance We thought we would get the answers at our debate meeting organised and paid for by FoSC on December 16th 2013 as they agreed to attend. However, when they received some of the questions we wanted on the agenda, they suddenly withdrew from attending!

By the time you all read this article, democracy, transparency and fair play may prevail or on the other hand all our hard and passionate work may be buried in the Shoebury Common under 55,000 tons of Southend's London Clay Soil. All I can ask is WHY?

by Peter Lovett Friends of Shoebury Common (Figures and information given at time of print and maybe subject to change.)

10

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Oracle Hair & Beauty

New Year, New You, New Do! T

he Quality Street tin is empty, the Bailey’s has been drunk and if anyone offers you another turkey-based snack, you’ll sock them!

But relax and breathe…2014 is here and I’m sure, if you’re anything like me, you are looking a little worse for wear! January is the perfect time to give yourself makeover – think New Year, New You! Well, hair-lo!

Drink as much water as you can, this will ensure that your skin is hydrated and plumped up from the inside out, and that dehydrated hair loses its dull and lifeless sheen. As well as water, your hair’s rehydration process needs a concentrated conditioning treatment once a week. This will put high moisture levels back into dry, partiedout locks, re-build structure and leave your tresses looking and feeling shiny and healthy.

Make a resolution to book regular hair cuts – and no excuses, even if you have long hair, it still needs regular trims to get rid of split ends and maintain tip-top condition. Make sure you book appointments every six weeks for short hair, and three months for long hair. You might not have a million bucks, but you’ll look it!

your own natural oils. As the condition of your skin improves, you can reduce the frequency of your exfoliations to twice a week. Tone your skin daily with soothing products containing rosewater, which is great for conditioning and priming the skin.

People keep products for far too long, so give your make-up bag a makeover in the New Year.

Pinks, peaches and soft red lipsticks are all coming back for spring/summer and they're an easy way to update your beauty look.

Wearing colour on your lips also helps brighten up your complexion during the ‘pale months’ – and you’ll have a more youthful glow.

Get some therapy!

To complete your New Year, New You makeover, open your wardrobe and get ready to be brutal. If you haven’t worn it for a year, put it in a bag and give it to charity! The sales are on and you’ll find some great bargains that’ll soon put Spring in your step.

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Oracle IT Support

Speed up your PC by defrag Tip 3

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Oracle Finance

Buy to Let opportunity D

ue to the massive influx of work into the Thames corridor I thought it would be a good idea to inform those of you interested in the “Buy to Let” market of the increased earning potential this is and will have on the area.

10% over this period, your total pre-tax gross profit would be £27000 from the rental income & £15000 from the increase in your equity.

Although this is a massively simplified view and doesn’t take into account management fees, repair costs, legal fees etc it does show the The hub of the expansion is based around DP mechanics of the operation.

World in Stanford-Le-Hope. The massive influx of predicted jobs this and the logistics centre But where does the deposit money feeding off the back of the port, has seen come from if you haven’t got demand for housing rocket. sufficient savings?

So how do you make the most of this opportunity?

With mortgage rates at an all time low and house prices now starting to increase there is Speaking with Wayne Mearns of Belvoir, he has now real opportunity to release the money from stated that, although Stanford-Le-Hope is still the equity in your own home. seeing a massive interest in rental demand, many of the potential workers looking to rent This simplified model works. I am not saying that are now considering Basildon & Chafford it doesn’t take more insight than this brief Hundred due to the facilities offered by both article has afforded but it really isn’t rocket places. Housing in Basildon still seems to be science. We are living in an area going through unaffected by surrounding developments so, a a massive expansion in jobs, with a commercial tidy three bed property can still be had for international airport, potentially the biggest £150000. This property would then rent for freight terminal and logistics park in Europe, expansion to retail parks and excellent links to about £850 per month.

London. Demand is outstripping supply in both Taking this as an example you would require a sales and rental of property.

25% deposit (£37500) to allow you to purchase by Paul Flavin the property, the remaining 75% (£112500) would be raised via an interest only “buy to let” mortgage, costing circa £400 per month. This would give you a pre-tax gross profit of £5400 per annum. Looking at this over the next five years and given a modest property increase of 01702 423901

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pastures new deserve a fresh look at mortgages

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recipe of the month Method:

In the Kitchen with Judy Barden

1. Place the salmon in a food processor and pulse to

finely chop. Add the chopped egg and pulse briefly to combine. Transfer to a bowl and mix with the mayonnaise, horseradish if using, mashed potato, chopped fennel fronds and half the lemon zest.

Season with salt and black pepper and then form into 12 evenly sized fish cakes.

2. Take 3 bowls and put the flour in one, beaten

eggs in another and the breadcrumbs in the last.

Firstly coat the fishcakes in the flour then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs. Try and remember to keep one hand for the egg and a dry hand for the breadcrumbs or you can get very messy ! Place on a tray lined with baking parchment and chill for at least 30 minutes.

3. To prepare the salad, thinly slice the fennel and

Smoked salmon fishcakes & fennel salad Makes about 12 fishcakes

W

hen the festivities are all over and you look in the fridge there are usually a few leftovers that need using up. These smoked salmon fishcakes are easy to make and you can turn them into a lovely light supper teamed with the fennel salad especially after the over-indulgence of Christmas. Try and but Panko Japanese breadcrumbs as they give a very good crisp crumb and you can buy them in most supermarkets.

Enjoy!

toss in a bowl with the watercress and the r emaining lemon zest. Add the olive oil, lemon juice and then season with a little sugar, salt and pepper, tossing well to combine.

4. Heat about 1 cm/ ½ inch sunflower oil in a frying

pan over a medium heat. Test if your oil is at the right temperature by frying a cube of bread. It should be crisp and golden in 30 seconds. Fry the fishcakes in batches for about 4 minutes each side or until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper and serve with the salad and a dollop of extra mayonnaise.

O

Next month’s recipe: Creamy Chicken Bake

Ingredients: 250g smoked salmon 2 large hard-boiled eggs peeled and chopped 2 tbsp good quality mayonnaise 1 tbsp horseradish, optional 500g cold mashed potato 1 small bulb of fennel, fronds reserved, finely chopped Zest of 1 lemon plus 1tbsp lemon juice 150g plain flour 2 large eggs, beaten 150g dried Panko breadcrumbs 50g watercress 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Sunflower or vegetable oil for shallow frying

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Health & Beauty

Want a Flatter Stomach for 2014?

Here’s how :-

A

fter the festive season binge you may be looking in the mirror, sighing at how tight your jeans now are and vowing to get fit.

Here are some ideas to help set you on the road to looking good and feeling great.

Avoid sugar, wheat and dairy - Food intolerances and allergies produce pain in your digestive organs leading to gut inflammation and distended abs. If your stomach and lower abdominal region resemble a circus tent, then avoid these foodstuffs for a fortnight and see what happens. Chances are you’ll feel better and have a flatter stomach.

Protect your gut Eat before you drink alcohol – As enjoyable as alcohol is to some folks, it’s a fact that it damages your stomach as much as it does everywhere else in your body. You’ll increase this damage by boozing on an empty stomach. Line it before drinking with quality, preferably organic, foods including those that are high in oils i.e. fish, meat, nuts and seeds, which will help protect the gut.

lower abs that lie over the top of your tum.

Use interval training instead of ‘steady-state’ training - High-intensity interval training burns more calories in the 48 hours following training as your metabolism becomes and remains elevated.

Flatten your abs Sort your posture out - The position of your pelvis can give the illusion that you look overweight when you’re not. Some people (e.g. those who wear high heels too often) walk around with their pelvis and lower abdomen tipped forward, which creates a ‘bulging’ tummy appearance. Getting your posture sorted and pelvis realigned will help you flatten your abs.

The old saying, ‘a little of what you fancy, does you no harm’ is largely true. It’s when the little creeps up to being a lot that you need to take action. Don’t forget I offer a free consultation, just give me a call on 07803 042 070 or visit www.ramis-hf.com

O

Drink more water - Studies show that an increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits.

Water naturally suppresses the appetite and helps the body metabolize stored fat.

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Train the right abs for the right look - Crunches target the upper abs, so even if you do manage to create a 6-pack doing them, you’ll still have the pot belly below it. You need to target the

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Oracle Motoring

Top tips for driving this winter.

A

s the months of freezing temperatures and overnight frost loom, British motorists are reminded to drive with caution to avoid any accidents. Adverse weather and longer periods of darkness in winter makes driving more hazardous than at other times of the year.We need to be prepared and adapt the way we drive to the ever changing weather conditions: • Prepare yourself - Make sure you have de-icing equipment, correct PPE (personal protective equipment), warm clothes, food and hot drinks for your journeys.

• Prepare your vehicle - Ensure it's in good working order with sufficient tread on the tyres.

Fluids need to be kept topped up and lights, windows and number plates need to be clean.

Avoid High Revs • Driving in snow or ice - Reduce your speed; avoid harsh braking, acceleration or sharp, steering movements. Make sure that your speed is correct. Drive too fast and you will lose control, but drive too slow and you will lose momentum. Avoid high revs and start gently from stationary. For better control you should stay in a higher gear and if slippery, in a manual car, move off in a higher gear.

In the event of a skid, take your feet off all pedals and steer. Try and plan your route to stay on main roads, as these will be gritted.

• Aquaplaning - Is caused by driving too fast into surface water causing the vehicle to float in a

34

ORACLE-ON-SEA

wedge of water. If this happens, ease off the accelerator and brakes until your speed drops sufficiently for the tyres to make contact with the road again.

• Fog - Is one of the most dangerous weather conditions. Keep a good distance from the vehicle in front of you and reduce your speed.

• Floods - Avoid deep water, which is normally near the kerb. Do not attempt to cross if the water is too deep.

• Rain - Reduces visibility and increases your braking distance, slow down.

• Low Sunshine - In winter the sun will often be low, so your visor may not help you, if blinded by the glare reduce your speed.

The AA is advising drivers to put their car through a ‘pre-winter check’ to flag up any potential problems. If you have to drive in adverse weather conditions, just remember to stay safe and drive carefully.

O

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useful numbers DIRECTORY ENQUIRIES BT (15p pm from landline, 40p connection) ORACLE PUBLICATIONS UK LTD www.oraclepublications.co.uk ORACLE WEBSITE SOLUTIONS

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ADVICE & HELPLINES Child Protection 534495 Citizens Advice 0844 4770 808 Crime Prevention 464199 Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 Cruse Bereavement Care 213843 Pier & Foreshore Inspectors 215620 Drugs, Alcohol & Substance Misuse 440400 HARP 615000 National Drugs Freephone 0800 776900 Samaritans 611911 Trading Standards 08454 040506 Victim Support Group 0845 4565995 CLUBS & ASSOCIATIONS Belfairs Golf Club 526911 Belfairs Mixed Bowling 475766 Charles Dicken’s Fellowship 588069 Cockleshell Clog Morris 479622 Essex Yacht Club 478404 Essex Handicrafts Association 479622 Essex Society for Family History 522992 Estuary Social Club 477022 Highlands Badminton Club 476009 Hoy & Anchor Folk Club 715111 I.C.C Saturday Club 437861 Leigh Afternoon Women’s Institute 710232 Leigh-on-Sea Cricket Club 712105 Leigh-on-Sea Lions Club 715111 Leigh Camera Club 478717 Leigh Film Society 07957 129309 Leigh Motor Boat Club 714858 Leigh Sailing Club 476788 Lower Thames Rowing Club 482205 Prittlewell Bowls Club 612476 Southend Athletics Club 472195 Southend Photographic Society 332491 Southend Rugby Club 546682 Southend West District Scouts (19 groups) 587647 The English Speaking Union 588069 Westcliff Rugby Club 541499 Woodside Bowling Club 525648 Southend Chess Club Steve Wedlock (Club Secretary) 345902 SEESS Scottish Country Dancing 585473

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ORACLE Index to advertisers

ACCOUNTANTS Taylor Edwards Chartered Accountants 4 Wilkins Kennedy 26 AIRPORT TRANSFER Air & Back 38 BEDDING Bridge Bedding 8 BUILDERS BKB Groundswork 33 CAR LEASING Planet Leasing 32 CARPETS Gainsborough Carpets 25 Trade Carpets 5 CERAMIC TILES IMPORTERS Kenbro 21 CLEANING Deep Cleen 33 Maid in Essex 29 COMMERCIAL & DOMESTIC PLUMBING & HEATING Essex Maintenance 29 COMPUTERS Res Info-tech 18 COUNSELLING Carl Adams Counselling 20 DECORATORS DB Decorators 8 DOG GROOMING PARLOUR Head 2 Paws 33 DOUBLE GLAZING Thermoshield 7 DOUBLE GLAZING REPAIR Cloudy 2 Clear 27 FIREPLACES Fireplaces & Design 32 GAT Fireplaces 31 FLOORING Athena Flooring 6

ORACLE GOLF CLUB Thorpe Hall Golf 13GUNS Alexandra Guns 8 GUTTERS & FASCIAS AC Solutions 37 HAIR & BEAUTY Grateful Heads 14 HEALTH & FITNESS Ramis Health & Fitness 28 Simply Stride 13 HYPNOTHERAPY TJL Hypnotherapy 20 JEWELLERY AV & BV Andrews 36 KITCHENS First Choice Kitchens & Bathrooms 16 KITCHEN INTERIORS Prittlewell Interiors 35 KNITTING SUPPLIES Knitting Emporium 41 INTERIOR DESIGN Morris Interiors 30 MAINTENANCE MAN Ken Sendall 39 MARBLE WORKTOP Abbey Marble 6 MARRIAGE COUNSELLING/MEDIATION Wynn Mediation 15 MEMOIRS BOOK Psst... Memoirs 20 MORTGAGES Zing Money 22/23 OVEN CLEANING Ovenclean 38 PHYSIOTHERAPY Hayley Rosewell 12 RESTAURANTS Affinity 1777 17 Elahee Tandoori 3

View the latest issues ONLINE Thorpe Bay

January 2014

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ORACLE ORACLE Thorpe Bay at a glance

Leigh, Chalkwell & Southend Conservation Area Est. Oct 2006. Circulation 6,700

Est. Sept 2005. Circulation 5,100

Oracle Competition WIN! Two pairs of tickets to see ‘Ultimate tribute to ABBA’

Local Issues

Is this called Democracy?

Hair & Beauty

Oracle Competition WIN!Two pairs of tickets to see ‘Ultimate tribute to ABBA’

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