Mannleys - May 2020

LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

PROPERTY NEWS

MANNLEYS

MAY 2020

HOME-WORKING?

TURN YOUR SPARE ROOM INTO AN OFFICE SPACE ARE YOU READY? GET YOUR PROPERTY MARKET-READY – NOW!

GET CRAFTY IDEAS TO HELP KEEP THE KIDS ENTERTAINED

HEALTH FOCUS UTILISE ONLINE SUPPORT TO KEEP FIT

BOOK RELEASES THE HOTTEST NEW RELEASES TO CATCH UP ON

CONTENTS COVER STORY

4

Working from home?

Turn your spare room into an office!

PROPERTY

2 16 20

Want to make a move?

There’s still plenty you can do to get your property market-ready during lockdown restrictions Our latest instructions Take a look at a selection of our latest properties on the market About us Get to know us a little better and see why we are your agent of choice

FOOD

9

Flour-less brownies No flour? No problem! Try these yummy brownies for all the family to enjoy

LIFESTYLE

6

8 12 15

The dark side of life Social media has turned to the meme to spread a little light relief Thank you Frontline workers have given their all during the pandemic.

Here we say, thank you Destination home Crafts to keep the kids entertained at home Our kind of happy Humour has been much welcomed, here are some of our favourite memes

HEALTH

10

Fitness online Home workouts: we look at what’s available online?

BOOKS

14

Recent & upcoming releases Now is the perfect time to catch up on the latest book releases

WELCOME TO THE MAY ISSUE!

A

ll of us here hope that you are keeping well and safe.

With many of us spending more time at home, there is still plenty you can do to get your property market-ready during lockdown restrictions. In this issue we detail the range of DIY jobs that you can do to help add value to your property; as well as doing those little jobs that will help you to prepare for valuations and photographs.

And although our office is currently closed due to government advice, we are still operational from home, so please continue to call or email, and we’ll be more than happy to help.

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PROPERTY NEWS

There is also plenty more inside to keep you reading, such as how to utilise the internet for keeping fit at home, as well as fun things to do wo keep the kids entertained too!

All of us would also like to take this opportunity to say thank you to you, our clients, for your patience and understanding during this time. We are also in awe of the incredible work and support of all front-line workers who are working hard to ensure a better future for us all.

Until next time, take care and stay safe. #StayHomeSaveLives Linda McKeown Editor

GET YOUR PROPERTY It may feel like the UK’s property market is at a standstill, but there is still plenty you can do to get your property market-ready during lockdown restrictions

With many of us spending more time at home, there are a range of DIY jobs you can do to help add value to your property; as well as doing those little jobs that will help you to prepare for valuations and photographs. By starting your home moving prep now, you will be fully prepared to get the ball moving, when it comes to making your move.

Not only will doing these jobs potentially add value to your property, but they will make you feel better after spending so much time at home. Now, more than ever, it’s important to keep active and busy. DIY and cleaning are great as both are a mental and physical workout which will also give you a sense of achievement during this time.

TIDY THE GARDEN

The garden is a huge selling point for most properties on the market. With the warmer weather arriving, now is the perfect time to get into your garden to complete quick and simple jobs to make your property more sellable and aesthetically pleasing in photos.

Simply mowing your lawn and trimming your hedges makes a huge difference for when our valuer pops round to take photos. Also, why not plant some spring flowers in your borders to make these easier on the eye too? A lot of garden nurseries are delivering flowers and plants, and tools are available for delivery online.

MARKET-READY If you have any damaged fencing, leftover bricks from previous projects or a rickety, old, shed, try to remove or fix these to get them out of the way for both viewings and your photos. A lick of fresh paint on fence panels can instantly transform your garden – and you can still order paint online to carry out the work.

DIY JOBS INDOORS

On the occasional rainy day, you can get inside and finish jobs that you

your property look better straight away; just remember to use the same paint as the walls already are!

DEEP CLEANING

Nothing helps get a property market-ready better than a thorough deep clean.

Work through each room to get the property as sparkling as possible. In the bathroom, don’t forget to go round the edges of the taps and the bath to remove any gunk, and buff and shine the taps to make them look really impressive.

In the kitchen, clean and buff any metallic or windowed appliances, especially the front window of the oven. If you have any carpet in the living room, use carpet shampoo before hoovering, to get them back to looking their best.

There are a range of DIY jobs you can do to help add value to your property; as well as doing those little jobs that will help you to prepare for valuations and photographs haven’t gotten around to just yet.

Maybe you have those leftover tiles for the kitchen, or that roll of carpet waiting to be laid. This could be the perfect time to tackle these jobs yourself.

YouTube has thousands of videos to offer you guidance and advice from everything from tiling a kitchen, to fitting a dado rail.

And, with a lot of DIY companies still offering delivery, you can get everything you need, and fast.

Holes in your walls? These are a simple fix with some ready mixed multi-purpose filler and will make

Upstairs, put away all clothes into wardrobes and make sure these close fully.

Make the bed with fresh sheets, and remove excess pillows, pet toys and toiletries. Throughout the house, be sure to clean and polish all windows, inside and

out, to make them shine as bright as possible. Don’t forget to clean all doors and window ledges too!

Nothing helps get a property market-ready better than a thorough deep clean Lockdown is a tough time for everyone, but it will end, and we will come out the other side. And when we do, life will return to the ‘new normal’.

We have been given a chance to spend more time in our homes which has made us all stop and take stock of the things we once took for granted. It gives many of us the chance to do those odd jobs we’ve never gotten around to doing or put off for too long.

As your local estate agent, we are here for you whenever you need us. Visit us online today, for more information about marketing your property.

LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

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Working from home boasts many advantages, and there are many fantastic ways to keep your working life productive, satisfying and healthy

CREATING

IN-HOME OFFICE SPACE

TIPS FOR MAINTAINING GOOD MENTAL HEALTH In these times, mental health has never been so important, so ensure you keep your mental health healthy.

Keep the room you are working in well ventilated During the times you’re not on a call or in a meeting, play some background music to help you focus and ‘disappear’ into your work Ensure natural light flows into your workspace; it can make a surprising amount of difference If you’re facing a wall, hang a nice painting or backdrop of landscape or nature which keeps you in that happy, peaceful place

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PROPERTY NEWS

T

hat journey you take every day to and from work, those lunchtimes socialising with your colleagues, and that constant, fundamental feeling of being a part of your team with everyone around you striving to achieve a shared goal. For the time being, those aspects of your working life are on hold due to the current pandemic and consequent lockdown taking place throughout Britain.

filing crate, printer or scanner, you’re good to go. Creating a workspace using a dividing wall in a living area, the space underneath your stairs, or even a well-positioned storage cupboard, are all viable options. Note: if your workstation ends up being in an area laid with carpet, then investing in a chair pad might be a good idea if you don’t want your carpet getting worn down and damaged by a rolling office chair.

But fear not! Working from home boasts many advantages, and there are many fantastic ways to keep your working life productive, satisfying and healthy. If you have a spare room, this can easily be transformed into an office or workspace. And if you’re going to do it, you should do it right.

YOU HAVE THE POWER, SO STAY CONNECTED

DESK? WHAT DESK?

Many desks on the market can be expensive but, touch wood, you should be able to find an affordable and suitable desk.

Try and stick to a work schedule to help you keep focus

Fortunately, a full-on, ready-made desk isn’t the only option. A piece of wood, large enough to accommodate your work, will suffice. It could be the desk surface part which someone has gifted to you, but if it’s wood in its rawest form, you could spend a little time sanding it down, smoothing off the edges, and making sure the surface is level and neat. All you need now are two small chest of drawers for the wood to sit upon, such as those plastic stackable drawers. Because they’re stackable, you can freely determine how high or low the desk will ultimately be for you, allowing you that creative freedom to create your perfect workstation.

IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A SPARE ROOM

As long as you ensure there’s enough room for all the essentials you need, such as a

With many currently working from home, Wi-Fi understandably might become a little congested at times. So, wherever you end up working, it’s important Working from home boasts to ensure you are close many advantages, and enough to your Wi-Fi there are many fantastic router for a consistent ways to keep your working and reliable internet life productive, satisfying connection. However, and healthy if you are struggling with connection, a wired connection using an Ethernet cable should do the trick. You should also make sure there are enough power sockets nearby to keep all your electrical equipment plugged in. If there aren’t enough plug sockets on the walls, use a multiple socket extension lead to increase the number of sockets available.

AVOID CABIN FEVER

Cabin fever is a common problem when working from home. It can become isolating, lonely and boring if you’re by yourself for long periods of time. Similarly, if you have family around you for much of the time while you’re trying to be productive at work, that can also create a distraction.

Taking regular breaks is a must. If you have a garden, great! If not, make use of your daily exercise allowance and take a stroll around the neighbourhood to breathe in that all-important, revitalising fresh air and (hopefully) sunshine. It’s also important to try and stick to a work schedule to help you keep focus.

LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

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THE DARK SIDE OF LIFE As medical science battled to prevent Coronavirus enveloping the world in a shroud of fear and gloom, social media turned to the meme to spread a little light relief

Y

ou know the bit. That f inal

of World War I or the prisoner of war

sequence in Monty Python’s Life

camps in World War II – helped to bolster

of Brian, where all the prisoners

spirits among the working classes, the

have been tethered to their crosses for

blending of farce and low comedy did

crucif ixion, the People’s Front of Judea

not earn a label until the 1960s when

have congratulated Brian of Nazareth

Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 was published

on his forthcoming martyrdom, and the

and Stanley Kubrick’s Dr Strangelove hit

Judean People’s Front have made their

the cinemas.

f inal act of def iance.

Since then, lampooning taboo subjects And then, just as he is about to

has been seen for what it is: an injection

succumb to the inevitable, a fellow

of much-needed humour to lighten

prisoner urges our tragic, wrongly

desperate situations and ease mental

identif ied hero to, “always look on the

stress, proving once and for all that

bright side of life”.

laughter is the best medicine.

It is a classic example of what is often

So, when Coronavirus unleashed

termed gallows humour, the ability to

unprecedented chaos across the world,

look for a laugh in the bleakest, the

social media stuck up its collective hand

most hopeless of situations.

and said: hold our beer, we’ve got this…

Lampooning taboo subjects has been seen for what it is: an injection of much-needed humour to lighten desperate situations and ease mental stress

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PROPERTY NEWS

Along with its cousins, black comedy and

At first the memes were straightforward

dark humour, this strain of comedy has

and came largely f rom the ‘get a grip’

become entwined into the very fabric of

camp. For example, when lockdown was

Britishness, and goes some way to

announced, overlaid on a solemn picture

explaining why the Bright Side of Life and

of a soldier, standing head bowed, was

Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb are

the message: “Your grandparents were

among the most requested music at

asked to go to war. You are being asked

funerals.

to sit on a couch. You can do this.”

Although prevalent in times of war, when

However, the initial indication the stiff

the mix of morbid and ghastly themes to

upper lip was starting to break into a

underscore the futility and senselessness

smirk came with the American church

of a situation – think life in the trenches

style billboard: “Whoever said one

person can’t change the world never ate

times. Then I got tired, so I picked up

since COVID-19’s relentless advance,

an undercooked bat.”

the block and put it back in the toy box.”

anything to do with masks invariably

And then the big guns came out,

And the f railties of families cooped up in

illustrates mankind’s stupidity,

reacting to every development with a

quarantine was ably coupled with the

particularly regarding the Government’s

pun and a quip. “Day 4 of social

salute to our f rontline health heroes:

‘stay at home’ warning, than a photo of

distancing. Struck up a conversation

“Quarantine survival tip #463: Empty

our ‘dumb’ animals.

with a spider today. Seems nice. He’s a

your glass bottles into the recycling bin

web designer.”

at 8pm on a Thursday so the NHS

However, nothing sums up social

clapping drowns out the sound of your

media’s attempt to lift the fear and

household’s descent into alcoholism.”

gloom over the pandemic better than

involves Darth Vader – while nothing

“Got to that stage of lockdown where

this riposte to criticism f rom Word

Jolene can come and take my man.”

Similarly, there was a boozy response to

Porn, the internet’s purveyor of the

“Why haven’t the Government classed

the news that craft distilleries were

pithy and prophetic: “Friendly reminder

seagulls as quay workers?”

stepping in to f ill the gaps as hand

that in times of adversity and stress,

sanitizers became as rare as unicorns on

people use humour as a coping

No-one was safe. In response to the Joe

a night out. Across a picture of a

mechanism for the sake of their mental

Wicks home workout phenomenon,

relaxing Victorian maid was the speech

health. It doesn’t mean that the current

came the Facebook post: “Got up this

bubble: “I’ve been trying to make hand

events are not being taken seriously.”

morning and ran round the block 5

sanitizer but it’s come out as rum and coke again…”

“The blending of farce and low comedy did not earn a label until the 1960s”

Amen to that.

Of course, the images that really work are stills f rom blockbuster movies –

*All images featured here were sourced f rom Facebook

LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

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THANK YOU Frontline workers have given their all during the coronavirus pandemic – helping those dealing with the virus, as well as those self-isolating at home. Here we say, thank you On Tuesday 28th April, a minute’s silence was held across the UK to commemorate the key workers who have died with coronavirus during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who had only just returned to work at Number 10 after recovering from coronavirus himself, joined the tribute which was held at 11am BST. In a show of continuing support, every Thursday at 8pm the nation also continues to clap on their doorsteps and from windows, for the NHS. And special thanks and appreciation for all frontline staff was also paid by the Queen last month, when she made a televised speech paying tribute to the tremendous work being carried out: “I want to thank everyone on the NHS front line, as well as care workers and those carrying out essential roles, who selflessly continue their day-to-day duties outside the

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PROPERTY NEWS

home in support of us all.

“I am sure the nation will join me in assuring you that what you do is appreciated and every hour of your hard work brings us closer to a return to more normal times.

“We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return: we will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again.”

Indeed, better times will come. But until then, we must remain unified in our approach to ensure that, together, we beat this virus.

Government advice is to continue to wash your hands regularly for at least 20 seconds and to only go out as and when needed for essentials such as groceries, medicinal needs or your daily exercise.

But most of all, please stay home and stay safe.

Every Thursday at 8pm the nation continues to clap on their doorsteps and from windows, for the NHS

LIFE ASSURANCE SCHEME FOR NHS AND SOCIAL CARE FRONT LINE Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced that families of health and care workers on the frontline in England will benefit from a new life assurance scheme during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“Families of staff who die from coronavirus in the course of their essential front line work will receive a £60,000 payment,” he said: “Of course nothing replaces the loss of a loved one but we want to do everything that we can to support families that are dealing with this grief.”

The scheme will cover frontline staff in England, but the devolved administrations will receive funding through the Barnett formula. Wales is implementing the same scheme and arrangements are being considered in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

NO-FLOUR BROWNIES

Chocolate Gingerbread Brownie READY IN: 55 Mins Nutrition: 553 kcal per bar

INGREDIENTS 400g dark chocolate, broken into chunks 25g cocoa powder 250g golden caster sugar 250g butter 1 tbsp ground ginger 140g ground almond 6 large eggs (separate yolks from egg whites)

FOR THE ICING 100g butter, cubed 50g dark chocolate broken into pieces, or use chips 50g cocoa 200g icing sugar, sifted 2 tbsp ground ginger few chunks crystallised ginger, chopped into small pieces

No flour? No problem! Get baking these flourless yummy chocolate gingerbread brownies‌ heavenly!

METHOD 1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease a 20 x 30cm cake tin, and line the base and sides with baking parchment.

Melt the chocolate, cocoa, sugar and butter together in a

saucepan over a very low heat. Once the chocolate and

butter have melted and sugar dissolved, remove from the

heat and stir in the ginger and almonds, followed by the egg yolks, one at a time.

2. Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. Using a metal spoon, stir a couple of spoonfuls of the egg whites into the chocolate

mixture to loosen before very gently folding in the rest.

3. Gently scrape the mixture into the tin. Bake for 30-35 mins until the top looks set and the centre doesn’t wobble

too much. Sit the cake tin on a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

4. Once cool, make the icing. Put the butter, chocolate, cocoa, icing sugar, ground ginger and 4 tbsp water in a pan. Gently heat, stirring, until you have a smooth icing. Pour over the

cake (still in its tin), leave for 1-2 mins to cool slightly, then

scatter over the ginger. Cool completely (you can also store in the fridge if you bring out to room temperature about 20 mins before serving) before cutting into bars.

You can find this recipe and more at https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/chocolate-gingerbread-brownie-bars-fudgy-icing

Image for illustrative purposes only

LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

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How we exercise has changed and going to the gym or exercise class is no longer routine. This, instead, has been replaced with home workouts. But just what is available to you?

MAKE THE MOST OF

FITNESS ONLINE

F

or obvious reasons, exercising at home has become the norm; whether you are working out with the kids or partaking in a yoga class to help rebalance your inner self, there is literally something for everyone online.

Iepure to create free online classes for both adults and kids during the coronavirus pandemic.

The professional dancers have focused on creating a positive virtual experience for everyone self-isolating. “We’re so grateful, it’s gone exceptionally well,” said Oti when she spoke to the Metro.co.uk. “It’s actually exceeded what we actually thought it would do.”

One of the most recognisable names is that of body coach, Joe Wicks. He is still offering free daily workout sessions for kids – and adults alike – on his You may not be YouTube channel youtube. able to get out to com/thebodycoach.

your local gym

Frozen, Trolls and The Greatest Showman are just some of the hit routines uploaded, providing a half an hour dance lesson in viewers’ homes.

but for many, you With over 500,000 people regularly tuning in live don’t have to! daily, Joe’s workouts remain one of the most popular online. Simply tune in to PE with Joe at 9am each YOGA weekday to join in live for his Doing yoga on a regular basis can aid 30-minute sessions. flexibility, helping to boost your strength

KEEP DANCING

If dancing is more your thing and you want to learn some dance routines along the way, then Strictly Come Dancing’s Oti Mabuse’s YouTube channel could be for you youtube.com/otimabuseofficial. She has teamed up with her husband Marius

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PROPERTY NEWS

and improve overall fitness.

London studio Fly Ldn is offering everything from Friday night yin yoga to candlelit hip hop yoga as live streams on their Instagram channel www.instagram. com/fly_ldn/, while they also save the videos on YouTube afterwards.

Exercising at home has become the norm

The free sessions last for 45 minutes and are ran daily with the yoga studio posting a class timetable on Instagram for the following day.

HIIT

Famed for pushing its participants to the physical limit, fitness studio Barry’s UK has brought their intense workouts to Instagram live.

On the studio’s Instagram account www. instagram.com/barrys/, it’s sharing details of the classes it is offering online, which include sessions that use your entire bodyweight as well as other workouts that focus on different areas of the body.

BOOTCAMPS AND MORE!

STAY LOCAL

You may not be able to get out to your local gym but for many, you don’t have to!

Several fitness providers have launched ‘at home’ classes via Facebook live or on their own YouTube channel. A simple website search should show you what’s available in your area; so, you can go potty over pilates or hyper over a HIIT workout!

GET INSPIRED Here we list just some of the fitness classes/channels available so you can get your fitness fix in the comfort of your own home!

Transform any home space into your own fitness studio with a single-user membership for your phone, tablet, TV or web browser from Peloton.

PE with Joe Wicks youtube.com/thebodycoach

For £12.99 a month, it boasts a variety of different options, including classes that focus on strength, putting you through your paces on bootcamps and much more.

Fly Ldn https://www.instagram.com/fly_ldn/

In addition to offering strength classes, also on offer are cardio classes that focus on running and cycling.

Peloton www.onepeloton.co.uk/membership

Dancing with Oti Mabuse youtube.com/otimabuseofficial

Barry’s UK www.instagram.com/barrys/

LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

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DESTINATION

One way to cast aside the monotony of the day is to get the board games out!

HOME You may not be able to enjoy days out with the kids right now, but there’s still plenty of fun that can be had at home!

BAKING

Cooking and baking are great activities for children of all ages. Of course, depending on the age of the child, they will be able to undertake different cooking activities. You know your children best, so use your own judgement as to what tasks they can undertake or help you with.

The key thing to ensure is safety. Ensure all hazards are away from little hands such as hot food and liquids.

For very young children, they will enjoy a range of activities such as washing and cleaning vegetables, mashing food, spooning ingredients into mixing bowls and most certainly, decorating cupcakes.

Most of all, stay safe and have fun!

BOARD GAMES

OK, so you may be thinking of just what you can do to relieve the lockdown boredom. One way to cast aside the monotony of the day is to get the board games out! It’s the perfect way to unite the family for a fun afternoon.

And not only are they good for spending quality time together, they also help to get your competitive juices flowing! Whether it’s a game of luck or one that involves real logic, there literally is something out there for every family.

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PROPERTY NEWS

Here is Amazon’s Top 10 best selling* board games 1. TOMY Pop Up Pirate

£9.99 2. M.Y Traditional Bingo Game

£11.99 3. Cheatwell Games Tension: The Top 10

Naming Game

£17.49 4. Z-Man Games Pandemic Board Game

£29.99 5. The Yes! No! Game

£8.80 6. Orchard Toys Little Bus Lotto Mini Game

£4.99 7. OK Play: Multi-Award Winning Board Game

For Kids And Adults

£19.99 8. Cluedo Junior The Case of The Broken Toy

Board Game

£16.99 9. Winning Moves Friends Trivial Pursuit

Quiz Game – Bitesize Edition

£10.23 10. Goliath Games Sequence the addictive

card game

£20

DRAWING

Now, when we say drawing, it’s not about creating masterpieces or beating yourself up that you can’t quite capture what you want on paper; the main benefit of drawing is that it relaxes the mind and allows your creativity to really shine through.

So, whether you are a novice or accomplished at drawing, get out your paper and pencils and let your creativity free.

To encourage creativity with the little ones, why not play a game of drawing inspiration. Basically, you draw a random scribble or marking on the paper and the other person has to change this into an object of some kind – whether that be a person, animal or household object. It’s a perfect way to get creativity flowing and can create lots of laughs too!

ORIGAMI

Another task involving paper is the art of origami.

The name origami means the art of paper-folding and derives from Japanese words ori (folding) and kami (paper).

Traditional origami consists of folding a single sheet of square paper into a sculpture – but without cutting, gluing, taping, or even marking it!

It can sometime seem a bit fiddly but, with a little time and patience, it’s amazing the masterpieces that can be created! Take a look here for some easy inspiration www.easypeasyandfun.com/easyorigami-for-kids/

The main benefit of drawing is that it relaxes the mind and allows your creativity to really shine through

CREATE A MASTERPIECE

Now, you don’t need fancy crafting materials to make a masterpiece. With more of us at home, recycling waste has increased so why not check out the dry recycling and let the kids create their own special projects. It’s the perfect way to pass the time.

* Top ten listing and prices correct at time of going to print

Use toilet rolls and cereal boxes to make robots, or utilise the likes of YouTube to find a host of how-to videos on crafting projects using recyclable materials. The possibilities are endless!

LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

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RECENT AND UPCOMING

BOOK RELEASES

W

hether you are looking for romance, fantasy, crime or horror, we have compiled a list of the hottest new releases by some great authors, available online from bookstores and as eBooks.

IF IT BLEEDS – STEPHEN KING RELEASED: 28TH APRIL 2020

Stephen King, the best-selling author of IT, The Shawshank Redemption and Carrie, releases a brand-new collection of four stories including a stand-alone sequel to The Outsider which has recently been adapted into a TV series on Sky. ‘If it Bleeds,’ contains three other stories showboating the unique story-telling ability of one of the world’s most-loved writers.

THE PRIORY – JONATHAN WHEATLEY RELEASED: 6TH APRIL 2020

British debut novelist, Jonathan Wheatley, released his much-anticipated novel, ‘The Priory,’ on the 6th of April.

Having already broken into the Top 100 of British Horror on Amazon, we can’t wait to read part one of ‘The Westford Chronicles.’ Wheatley has created a twisted tale set in a richly detailed rural English town featuring a group of teenagers following a cryptic message; a man searching for his own body and a mother with special powers.

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PROPERTY NEWS

MEMOIRS AND MISINFORMATION – JIM CARREY & DANA VACHON RELEASE DATE: 5TH MAY 2020

Beloved Hollywood star, Jim Carrey, and Dana Vachon bring us a fearless semi-autobiographical novel. Carrey and Vachon have creates a story about acting, agents, privilege, celebrity, addiction, romance and a cataclysmic ending of the world. For those of you who love the zany world of Jim Carrey, this book is a must read.

Now is the perfect time to catch up on the latest book releases

SUPERMAN SMASHES THE KLAN – GENE LUEN YANG RELEASE DATE: 12TH MAY 2020 In this graphic novel set in 1946, the Lee family has moved from Chinatown to Metropolis. Excited to be close to Superman, Roberta and Tommy are adapting to life in the big city befriending Jimmy Olsen. While the Lee family tries to adjust to their new lives, a new evil stirs in Metropolis: The

With us all spending more time at home, now is the perfect time to catch up on the latest book releases…

Ku KLUX Klan. With Tommy kidnapped, Roberta teams up with Superman to fight the Klan and expose those who support them.

THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES – SUZANNE COLLINS RELEASE DAY: 19TH MAY 2020

In this prequel to the original Hunger Games novels, we follow Coriolanus Snow, last seen in the movies as the tyrannical dictator of Panem, as he prepares for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the tenth annual Hunger Games. Having been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, their fates are now intertwined, with his every choice leading to favour or failure. This promises to be one of the biggest young adult novels of the year as we get to know the previous books’ most-hated characters.

LAUGHTER PROVIDING LIGHT RELIEF In her televised speech to the nation, the Queen said that “the attributes of self-discipline, of quiet good-humoured resolve and of fellow-feeling still characterise this country.” And she wasn’t wrong. In a world of uncertainty, humour has been much welcomed, with social media providing some ingenious memes!

DAY 6 IN QUARANTINE, FOUND A DEAD FLY

HAVE YOU MIS-SOLD BEEN PPE? ED’S NOTE: All memes featured here were sourced from Facebook

BOSS: DURING THIS TIME WE ASK ALL EMPOLYEES TO WEAR A MASK TO WORK. ME:

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO CAN’T WORK OUT SOCIAL DISTANCING... THIS IS TWO METERS APART!!!

LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

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MANNLEYS

PROPERTY FOCUS

EARLS KEEP Internal inspection is essential for these new build detached homes Mannleys are selling. They are located in the popular village location of High Ercall. The village has great amenities including a Junior School, Village store shop, tennis club, village hall, playing fields and the location is convenient for both Telford and Shrewsbury.

The Standen ÂŁ345,000 4 The Standen offers well planned and balanced modern living, the ground floor comprises entrance hallway, sitting room with French doors to the gardens, superb open plan kitchen/dining/family room, contemporary modern kitchen fitted with a range of quality integrated appliances, utility, dining room, useful storage cupboard and a ground floor wc.

The first floor features a master bedroom with en-suite shower, three further bedrooms and a family bathroom. The property benefits from driveway parking, garage and gardens.

The Blackwell ÂŁ384,950

The Blackwell offers well planned and balanced modern living, the ground floor comprises entrance hallway, sitting room with French doors to 4 the gardens, superb kitchen/dining/ family room, contemporary modern kitchen fitted with a range of quality integrated appliances, study, useful storage cupboard and a ground floor wc. The first floor features a master bedroom with en-suite shower, three further bedrooms and a family bathroom. The property benefits from driveway parking, double garage and gardens.

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The Camberwell ÂŁ459,950 5

The Camberwell offers well planned and balanced modern living, the ground floor comprises entrance hallway, sitting room, superb open plan kitchen/dining/family room with bi-fold doors to the gardens, contemporary modern kitchen fitted with a range of quality integrated appliances, utility room, study, useful storage cupboard and a ground floor wc. The first floor features a master bedroom with fitted wardrobes and en-suite shower, second bedroom with ensuite shower, three further bedrooms and a family bathroom. The property benefits from driveway parking, double garage and gardens.

The Willow ÂŁ279,995 4

The Willow offers well planned and balanced modern living, the ground floor comprises entrance hallway, sitting room, superb open plan kitchen/dining/family room with French doors to the gardens, contemporary modern kitchen fitted with a range of quality integrated appliances, entrance hallway, useful storage cupboard and a ground floor wc. The first floor features a master bedroom with fitted wardrobes and en-suite shower, three further bedrooms and a family bathroom. The property benefits from driveway parking, garage and gardens.

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MANNLEYS

Woodhall Close, Shawbirch, TF5 0PA

ÂŁ315,000 5

Superbly presented and much improved extended five bedroom detached house in this highly sought after location with good local amenities and it offers fantastic flexible family accommodation. The ground floor comprises entrance hallway, sitting room, dining room, family room, refitted breakfast kitchen, utility and a ground floor wc. The first floor has a master bedroom with en-suite shower, refitted family bathroom, four further bedrooms and a feature landing with contemporary glass and oak balustrade. The property occupies a fantastic sized plot with extensive resin bonded driveway, gardens to the side and rear, gas central heating, double glazing and has great potential and space for further extension.

Barley Bank Meadow, Leegomery, TF1 6PB

ÂŁ157,500 2

Internal inspection is essential for this superbly spacious two double bedroom end terraced house that occupies a good sized tucked away end plot and is located in this popular residential location. The property offers well planned modern living, the ground floor comprises entrance hallway, ground floor wc, stunning open plan kitchen/dining/sitting room, the kitchen fitted with integrated appliances and the sitting room has sliding patio doors to the garden area. The first floor has master bedroom with en-suite shower and a guest bedroom with en-suite shower. The property benefits from ample car parking, enclosed rear gardens, gas central heating and double glazing. EPC - B.

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Blacksmiths Drive, Ketley Bank

NEW INSTRUCTION

£98,000 2

This modern two bedroom ground floor apartment located in this popular residential location and is ideal for first time buyers or a great rental investment with rental potential of £550pcm. The apartment offers well planned and flexible accommodation this comprises 18ft lounge/dining room, bedroom with patio doors to the garden, kitchen, further bedroom and a bathroom. The property benefits from allocated parking, enclosed gardens, gas central heating, double glazing and has no upward chain.

Swan Gate, Shawbirch

£255,000 4

NEW INSTRUCTION

Superbly spacious four bedroom detached house that occupies a great sized plot and is need of refurbishment. The property offers excellent flexible family accommodation, the ground floor comprises entrance hallway, sitting room, dining room, conservatory, snug, breakfast kitchen, utility and a ground floor wc. The first floor features a master bedroom with en-suite shower, three further good sized bedrooms and a family bathroom. The property benefits from detached double garage with driveway parking, good sized gardens, gas central heating, double glazing and has no upward chain.

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MANNLEYS

ANTHONY LOWE - BUYER I was satisfied in every way with the service I received, it’s a lovely bright airy office with a good frontage onto Market Street so just from the window it was a pleasure to look to see what properties were coming onto the market day-by-day. I would frequently walk in and engage with different members of staff, all of which were equally friendly. I would recommend Mannleys to family and friends as they offer a full service.

MR & MRS REYNOLDS - SELLER They were all very professional and pleasant and a pleasure to deal with.

LI ZHOU - LANDLORD I found them very helpful, they helped me from day 1 after I had bought my properties and again when they gave me advice on how to make my properties stand out and again very good rental return.

LIAM KING - LANDLORD Their main USP is they’re very young, very dynamic, very hard working, they work 24/7 their marketing is superb, their logo and their colours make them stand out from all the others.

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WHAT OUR CLIENTS HAVE TO SAY

RICHARD BAILEY - LANDLORD They say they’ll do everything and they do it, they follow it up well the staff have enough initiative to chase a problem up and then come back to you.

DAVE MORRIS - LANDLORD They’re big enough to deal with any day-today problems, but small enough to care.

BILL STONE - LANDLORD I think they differ from the rest because they’re more professional but they’re down to earth as well they’re straightforward guys that I can get along with.

STUART ELLIS - SELLER I’d use Mannleys again without question due to them being trustworthy, reliable and the affordability of it.

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MANNLEYS

AARON MANLEY - DIRECTOR Since leaving school and heading for a career on the building site Aaron (AJ) had two weeks work experience in a local estate agent and never returned to mixing cement. In fact he went on to pass his industry exams and has now been involved in the property sector for 20 years.

AJ gained a wealth of knowledge working his way up from tea boy to running his own office, and in 2008 set up his own lettings and management business in the local area. After 8 successful years, the opportunity to expand and grow came along and the business re-formed into Mannleys Estate Agents where he is one of the Directors.

AJ loves all aspects of sport and enjoys a round of golf, watching football and has the occasional tip for the geegee’s.

SIMON O’TOOLE - DIRECTOR Simon is a very entrepreneurial character who has been in business in the Telford area for a number of years. Previously having his own builders merchants “Wrekin Building Supplies” supplying builders across the county and beyond with materials, Simon is now a Director with Mannleys on the land and new homes side of the business. Very well-known with an amazing portfolio of contacts, he has a special gift in business with a proven track record. Simon is very well-connected, has a soft spot for hot food, and enjoys all sports including, football, boxing, horseracing and is involved in a horse racing syndicate.

CHRIS MANN - DIRECTOR With over 24 years in estate agency, Chris’ journey began in 1995 as a trainee, soon progressing after only two years to office manager. He enjoys all aspects of the property market and through his time has gained a great insight into the Shropshire property market. This has given Chris excellent knowledge of the property world and has enabled him to offer clients professional advice. The creation of Mannleys began in 2016 and setting up Mannleys with such a great team was an amazing journey and Chris is proud of what they have already achieved. In what spare time he gets, Chris spends time with his family and friends, enjoying plenty of travel. He also loves cooking, especially with his kids, and also enjoys most sport – particularly football and cricket.

DANIELLE RICHARDS - SALES NEGOTIATOR Danielle started working as an apprentice Sales Negotiator in 2014 at an agents in Telford before joining Mannleys in 2017. She has a keen interest in property after growing up watching her father and uncles build and renovate different properties. Danielle has just completed her first renovation project of her own and is hoping to find her next very soon! In her spare time she enjoys socialising with friends, watching reality TV, shopping and Hinching! She has expanded her knowledge within lettings since working at Mannleys and is currently working towards completing the NAEA Technical Award.

LYDIA MOORE - SALES NEGOTIATOR Lydia joined Mannleys Sales and Lettings in 2018, having previously worked for two other agents where she started off as a trainee Lettings Negotiator.

In the last six years Lydia had gained experience in residential sales and lettings. Lydia enjoys the fast pace work environment at Mannleys and seeing the whole process throughout whether that be moving a tenant in or a sale completing.

At the moment Lydia is currently working towards the NAEA Technical Award in residential sales and lettings which she is due to take later this year.

In her spare time she enjoys horse riding and is a keen cook!

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MEET OUR TEAM

JACK O’TOOLE - MARKETING Jack has been working with Mannleys since it opened in 2016. Always smart and looking the part, Jack was a shy and nervous young man. Three years on he has worked his way up to be a young, confident and charismatic individual who has completed his apprenticeship within Mannleys. He has now taken on an important role within the business as Marketing Manager which involves property photography and drawing floorplans. He is already deep into his college photography night course and is working towards becoming EPC qualified. Jack tends to be an active individual whose main interests involve the gym, computers and he is one hell of a dancer!

CHERYL WEYMOUTH - PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Cheryl never even thought of being an Estate Agent, but after coming back from London as a Nanny, way back then…. she saw an advert and thought ‘why not’ and has now been in the Industry since 1987!

Starting in Wellngton, Cheryl has worked all around Shropshire and now back full circle. Most of her career has been in the Sales department, so it’s a new challenge working in Lettings.

Cheryl’s main passion is travelling and she had the privilege of taking 3 months off from work going to Australia and America. When she retires, she may become a bit of a nomad and travel the world; but until then, she loves what she does!

HELEN MITCHELL-GOUGH - PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Helen started with the company in 2017, initially taken on in the Lettings department part time, to help out with maintenance, that soon changed! With the business growing so rapidly so have the hours, but but Helen loves it!

Previously, life for Helen was mostly in Retail Management but she left to have a career break whilst nurturing her 2 sons and helping her husband’s new founded business, Q Financial, which now also works in conjunction with Mannleys.

Helen loves socialising and eating out in nice restaurants and has a passion for collecting different Gins.

SARAH CHARD - PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Sarah came to Mannleys in 2019 with many years of PA, HR and operational management experience.

She is very involved in Wellington and project managed the building of Wellington Orbit before coming to us. She works in our lettings department 2 days a week and works the rest of the week for other local small businesses.

Out of work Sarah loves to travel, and spend time with her dog, her 2 grown up children and husband (in that order!)

ROSIE CURRAN - APPRENTICE Joining Mannleys in July 2019 as an Apprentice, Rosie has been introduced to the team as a Sales and Lettings Administrator Apprentice. She has ambition to become a fully qualified member of the team to fulfil her career aspirations in estate agency. Rosie wants to complete additional training within estate agency so she can gain more skills in the area. She enjoys different aspects of sales and lettings and hopes to achieve a successful career with Mannleys. She is determined, has a strong desire to succeed and is delightful to have round the workplace. During her free time, she likes to spend time with family and friends, travelling, going shopping and walking her dog Harvey!

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