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February/March 2013
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Dear Readers It has been lovely to put together the lastest issue as my attention has been turned to all the great dates we have to look forward to and the celebrations that go with them. It is a very good time of year for chocolate! Please remember to let me know about any events you have going on at your school, club or charity. Keep in touch by following The Vine on facebook, where you can also enter the fantastic Mother’s day competition (details page 46). All the best Andrena P.S. How about supporting your local butchers in National Butcher’s Week, go on, buy a sausage.
Content
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10th February
Chinese New Year
12th February
Shrove Tuesday
14th February
Valentine’s Day
4th March
National Butchers week
10th March
Mother’s Day
13th March
No Smoking Day
17th March
St Patrick’s Day
29th March
Good Friday
31st March
Easter Sunday
copy deadline for our next issue is 18th March
6 Chinese New Year 8 Natural Health 10 Laptops 14 What is Love 16 Skin Deep 20 Wills 22 Resolutions 26 Save Up to £1000 28 Men say it with Flowers 30 When it comes to children 32 Book Review 34 Auto Biographies 36 Recipe 38 What’s On 40 Easter 44 A wriggly garden 46 MOTHER’S DAY competition twitter @thevineLB
Some Dates for your diary
Editors: Andrena Carden-White Advertising & Editorial The Vine Leighton Buzzard and The Vine Bletchley 0797 155 4604 info@thevinemagazine.com Advertising & Editorial Dunstable and Villages or Toddington & Villages edition Shelly Nesbitt 07852 453043/01525 222379 mailthevine@yahoo.co.uk Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the content of advertising and articles is published in this magazine are accurate, neither the publisher or its editorial contributors can accept and hereby disclaim any liability to any party to loss or damage caused by errors. Neither do they reflect the opinion of this publication. The Vine does not officially endorse any advertising material included within this publication. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission.
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St. Patrick’s Day ~ 17th March 2013 ~
Gung Hei Fat Choi (That’s Happy New Year!)
C
Chinese New Year is on 10th February 2013
hinese New Year is the biggest celebration of the year for Chinese people around the world. In China, the festival is marked by a three-day public holiday. Also called the Spring Festival, it is a special time for families to get together, and millions of people travel home from their places of work or study. Chinese people prepare for the New Year celebrations by cleaning their houses from top to bottom. The idea is to clear away any bad luck and make way for good luck in the year ahead. People also buy new clothes and have their hair cut. They decorate their homes with red and gold paper decorations and lights. Red is a lucky colour in China, while gold represents wealth. Debts must be paid off before the end of the year, otherwise it is said that you will be short of money in the following year. People also bring plants and fruit trees into their homes, especially kumquat plants and peach blossom. On New Year’s Eve, families gather together for a celebratory feast. They eat sticky rice dumplings to bring good luck and happiness. It is a time to be thankful for the year that is ending and to remember family members who have died. At midnight, the doors and windows of the house are opened to let the old year out and firecrackers are set off. The next day, friends and families exchange gifts of food, flowers and sweets. Children are given money in red paper envelopes. There are fireworks and elaborate lion and dragon dances featuring beautifully coloured costumes and puppets. People try to forget grudges and wish peace and happiness to everyone. The date of the New Year is calculated using the lunar calendar and can fall any time between late January and the middle of February. A complete cycle of the lunar calendar lasts 60 years and consists of five cycles of 12 years. Each of the 12 years is named after a different animal – rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. Legend has it that Buddha asked all the animals on earth to join him for a party. Only 12 turned up, and as a reward, he named a year after each one in the order they arrived. Each animal has certain characteristics which people born in that year are said to share. 2013 will be the Year of the Snake. People born in this year are said to be romantic, wise and charming. They are good at making and saving money, but can be stingy. Famous snakes include Audrey Hepburn, Bob Dylan and Brad Pitt!
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What are you doing on March 17th this year? You probably don’t have a clue, but if you are of Irish descent chances are that you will be donning green attire and tucking into a plateful of bacon and cabbage! The date is St Patrick’s Day, commemorating the death of Ireland’s patron saint on 17th March 461. Patrick was born in Roman Britain to a wealthy Christian family - his father was a deacon and his grandfather a priest. He was kidnapped and held captive by Irish raiders at the age of sixteen, but eventually escaped; following which he received a vision and calling to return to Ireland to preach Christianity to its heathen population. So it is that St Patrick is credited with taking Christianity to Ireland. Patrick used the three leaves of the native Irish shamrock to teach the doctrine of the Trinity. Nowadays, the shamrock and green clothing are customarily worn on St Patrick’s Day. Traditionally, Irish families mark the day by attending church in the morning and celebrating in the afternoon. The festival includes public parades, processions, concerts, outdoor theatre and fireworks – all designed to celebrate all things Irish! So, if you find yourself at a loose end on 17th March, why not look up your local Irish centre and join in the festivities?!
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Health
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natural Health natural H New Year... New You?
re you ready with your resolutions for this New Year? A change for the better, a transformation, a new you? Many of us hope for better things to come, feel motivated and see this special time of year as an opportunity for change. We may review the past year and wish we could have handled problems better, without getting upset, angry, resentful or worried about the issues. All these negative feelings stress us and can actually make us ill. We know that stress actually weakens the immune system. New Year is often associated with a dietary detox. Why not a mind detox to enable us to cope with problems in a more positive and calm way? Sandy Newbigging, author and therapist, says he accidently ‘invented’ the Mind Detox Method by establishing links between past emotional events and current physical conditions. As he helped his clients to acknowledge and then release the negative emotions associated with past traumas, he was amazed to discover that healing then began. By relaxing, meditating and taking time out we can be more in touch with our feelings and understand why we respond the way we do to certain people and situations. Walking close to nature in the fresh air relaxes the mind and can help us to gain new, creative ideas and insights as we become more aware of our intuition. Being organised will ensure we have this precious time for ourselves. Some find this easier than others. Apparently it’s to do with being right or left-brain dominant. I must be right-brain dominant because I hate throwing things away, so clutter keeps piling up! Clearing clutter, even if it’s hidden away in a cupboard, can lighten our load because disorganised equals denergised. So make charity shops happy with your cast-offs, whether clothes, books or unwanted gifts. ‘A place for everything and everything in its place’ will hopefully help de-clutter our minds. This New Year resolve to worry less about the
past or the future and enjoy the present more. Learn from past mistakes and, though not always easy, move on by forgiving ourselves and others. Shake off negativity by being optimistic, purposeful and creative, choosing activities that inspire and uplift you. Music can do this so I’ll finish with the words of this old Bing Crosby song, ‘ We’ve got to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, latch on to the affirmative,.......Spread joy up to the maximum and bring gloom to the minimum...’ Good luck with your resolutions!!
By Sue Blain
Naturopathic Practitioner
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TECHNOLOGY
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aptop computers can offer the power of a desktop with the flexibility and freedom to use them where you wish. There is an astonishing range of products available, ranging in price from a few hundred pounds up to two thousand. As with all technology purchases it’s essential to do your research first – work out what you need, what you’re willing to pay for, and what you can do without. The cheapest option is a netbook. They are smaller and lighter than laptops, but don’t have the same range of features. They are perfect if you want to browse the internet and send emails while you’re out and about. The keyboard and larger
screen can make them easier to use than a smartphone or tablet computer, such as an iPad. The next step up is a cheap laptop. These are suitable for everyday tasks such as word processing and web browsing, and are good for computer novices. They are portable, but may be bulky. You may have to pay more if you need to store more data on the computer (such as movies) or use it for more demanding tasks (such as gaming or editing video). Sleek and light designs also come at a premium. Use our quick guide to help you understand laptop lingo and work out which one is right for you.
Modern Love... Most couples meet in mundane ways that allow them to get to know each other over time through school, friends, work or hobbies for example - but if none of these methods are working for you, have you considered modern technology to help you find Mr. or Miss Right?! The internet offers dating sites (usually with a monthly subscription) where your profile, containing a photo and other biographical details, as well as a description of the kind of person you are hoping to meet, is made available for others to see. If someone is interested in you, they can contact you by email and start a conversation to find out if you would both like to take the relationship further. There are risks involved in this type
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of dating – so don’t give out personal identifying information and never fall for sob stories from poor men in far-away places who need you to give them money. When meeting, make it somewhere public and busy and consider taking a friend along, and use a cheap payas-you-go phone to make it easier to get rid of unwelcome admirers! Social media sites, such as facebook, are also good for getting to know new people, friends of friends often have similar interests - you already have one thing in common! They also make it easy to get reacquainted with old friends and ex-partners... You never know..! Modern dating methods may not be the ideal way to meet a new partner, but they do at least open up a world of possibilities!
OPERATING SYSTEM – Windows is the best-selling operating system. Macs are easy to use and good for graphics and publishing, but can cost two or three times as much. MEMORY – this has a big influence on how fast the laptop will run. Aim for at least 4 gigabytes (GB) of RAM. STORAGE – the hard drive is where programs, files, data and documents are stored. Look for 320 GB, or 500 GB if you want to store lots of videos, music or photographs. PROCESSOR – a dual core basic processor should come as standard. Processors are normally made by Intel or AMD. AMD is cheaper; Intel processors get more powerful as the model number increases. BATTERY LIFE – most laptop batteries will last for five or six hours. More expensive models may go for longer, but invest in a spare if you are often out for the day. SCREEN SIZE – a 15-inch display is fine for most users. Choose a larger screen for playing computer games or using design software. WEIGHT – hold it in your hands if you can! Remember, you’ll be carrying the laptop around, or sitting with it on your knee. CONTROLS – Make sure the keyboard and trackpad are comfortable to use and consider getting a separate mouse. DRIVES – some laptops don’t include CD/DVD drives and you may need to buy an external one.
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What is love anyway? With February and Valentine’s Day the focus on love and being loved is all around us. Some amongst us (mostly men) complain that it is an over commercialised excuse for card makers to print money, others (again mostly men) exclaim that they don’t need to be told when to say “I love you”. Sadly Valentine’s Day and it’s build up only stands to remind many of us of the lack of love in our lives, the keen pain of a recently broken heart or to highlight the burden of a damaging love they live with daily. There is nothing like the bliss of new love and nothing quite so debilitating as a broken heart; for centuries humankind has tried to express the intensity of love through music, sculpture, paintings and words. Shakespeare expressed how love endures against all odds in one of his sonnets Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove: O no! it is an ever-fixed mark That looks on tempests and is never shaken; It is the star to every wandering bark, Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken. Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks Within his bending sickle’s compass come: Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom. If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved Shakespeare, as many before him, attempts many times to put words to the feeling that is love.
Leading anthropologist, Helen Fisher, has made it her life’s work to understand what love is, she and a team of scientists took MRI scans of 37 people’s brains who purported to be madly in love. They found activity in a region of the brain called the ventral tegmental areas (VTA) and in particular A10 cells that make dopamine and distribute it to many areas of the brain. This part of the brain operates below your thinking
“
Romantic love is an addiction: a perfectly wonderful addiction when it’s going well, and a perfectly horrible addiction when it’s going poorly”(Helen Fisher) (cognitive) part of the brain, even below your emotions in what is sometimes referred to as your reptilian core. It is responsible for your focus, wanting, motivation and craving....the same region that becomes active with the rush of cocaine. Fisher was further curious to understand why unlike an addiction where there is a “coming down” romantic love is an obsession, where a person occupies every waking thought and this becomes even worse if we are rejected. Her study led her to carry out more scans, this time of people who had been dumped. They found the same region of intense romantic love was still active..... unfortunately when dumped this region just keeps you loving, rewarding you for finding a mate. They also found activity in the area responsible for calculating gains and losses the same region that makes you decide whether something is worth the risk..which could explain some of the risky and rather odd behaviour some people take when dumped. Lastly she found activity in the area responsible for deep attachment such as that between a mother and a baby. We may not know yet, why we fall in love with one person and not another but what we do know is that once we do, our brains do everything to keep us attached to that person.
So what is love? Does it really exist and why does it have such a profound effect on, not just our minds but our bodies too, so much so that for some, when their loved one dies, they follow shortly after. Watch the full talk
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http://www.ted.com/talks/helen_fisher_studies_the_brain_in_love.html
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They come to us all – wrinkles, laughter lines, crow’s feet. Whatever you call them, as we age, our faces age with us. But as 50 becomes the new 40 – or it is 30? Some of us don’t want to look the age we are, we want to look the age we feel! Until recently, the only option for a younger-looking face was a facelift. This meant expense, pain, a long recovery time and many potential side effects. Now, however, there is a non-surgical option that is gaining in popularity. A non-surgical facelift reduces wrinkles and tightens loose skin. It is a minimally invasive procedure that works by heating the deeper layers of skin – the dermis – using either infrared (laser) or radiofrequency energy to promote what is called a ‘healing response’. This stimulates production of new collagen and remodels the existing collagen. The effect is to contract the layers of skin above and make the face appear plumper and smoother. The treatment can also be used on the jaw line, neck, abdomen, bottom, upper arms and thighs. Some procedures use local anaesthetics or over-the-counter pain relief, but others need nothing at all. You will be given something to cool your skin during the procedure and you may experience some temporary swelling, redness or skin blanching. Unlike chemical peel and microdermabrasion techniques, no skin is removed and so
non-surgical facelifts are generally more suitable for people with darker skin. More serious side effects such as bumps, blisters, pigmentation changes or skin depressions are very rare. Because the treatment is non-invasive, there is normally no need to take time off work. An advantage of the non-surgical facelift is that it is significantly cheaper than a surgical procedure. Sometimes only one treatment is required, but often two or three treatments are given a month apart. The full results may not be seen until six months later. You should bear in mind though, that the effect will not be as dramatic as with a surgical facelift because the non-surgical procedure doesn’t actually remove excess skin or fat. Results will vary according to differences in skin thickness and texture, in healing response and in the person’s lifestyle. Non-surgical facelifts are most suited to younger people who are beginning to notice that their skin is ageing, but wish to delay more invasive procedures for a few years. They are also good for people who are unable to have surgery. If you decide to go ahead with a non-surgical facelift, make sure you research the experience and training of the person who will perform the procedure. Always ask for references and follow them up. Then lie back and watch the years melt away.
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Are Your Resolutions Resolute? by Roy Haynes By now New Year resolutions are either well under way or already forgotten. Are you benefiting from the new diet plan or exercise regime that will mean a new you this year or is the gym membership already looking expensive as the enthusiasm for exercise wears off? Here are a few ideas that I believe are key to losing some pounds and keeping generally fit and healthy: Food is nutrition and fuel, although most people need to reduce their calorie consumption, what is more critical is food quality. A good diet may contain lean meat, healthy fats, low starch vegetables, nuts, seeds, dairy, eggs, fish and fruit. Reduce processed foods and sugar to a minimum or better still eliminate them but going hungry on extremely low fat diets is a big mistake. Hydration is crucial and water very important; cut down on tea, coffee and soft drinks. Your hydration is easily monitored by noting urine colour – clear to pale straw is good but any darker means you are de-hydrated and need to drink more water.
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Muscle mass reduces as we get older so in order to combat this, people over their mid-thirties should consider adding weight training to their programme as this will combat the muscle loss, the more muscle mass we have the more fat will be burned. Sitting down too long can lead to crippling your posture and contributing to low fitness levels, weight gain, back pain, and joint problems. If your job means sitting at a desk for hours; ensure you stand up, stretch, squeeze your gluteal (bottom) muscles and rotate your shoulders backwards, squeezing your shoulder blades together at least every 30 minutes. When you sit, ensure your pelvis is tipped down slightly, this will help maintain the correct posture.
Appropriate exercise for your current fitness level is important and depending upon your goals you should be thinking of some kind of exercise 3 – 5 times per week. This could be a 30 minute walk up to a mixture of interval training, strength training, flexibility/mobility exercises and a limited amount of cardio vascular conditioning. Various clubs, gyms or a personal trainer can offer help, guidance or competitive activities, depending upon how intense you want to exercise.
Eat as early as possible in the evening to allow sufficient time for your food to fully digest before going to bed. Go light on the carbohydrate with your evening meal, this will aid fat loss, improve nutritional gains and sleep quality.
Total weight loss is not the only criteria for monitoring your diet plan. If you just diet and don’t exercise, your body will shed muscle as well as fat and that is really detrimental to health. It is fat loss that is important, so if the scales don’t show loss but the tape measure does, you’re losing fat.
Whatever you do in 2013, make time for good health and fitness, It is never too late to improve your future prospects for a better quality of life but the future starts NOW.
Sleep is vital to a healthy body, we are all different but our bodies need enough to ensure the restorative processes that happen when we sleep, are completed effectively.
Roy Haynes, Celebrate Personal Training www.celebratehf.co.uk
Celebrate Personal Training help people get back to enjoying life, becoming more mobile, fitter, leaner and toned. If you want to put the ‘mojo’ back in your life, we can find it for you! See our website at : www.celebratehf.co.uk call 01525 237501 / 07817 616935 roy.haynes@celebratehf.co.uk
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There are billions of pounds sitting in forgotten accounts – may be yours or a relative’s. For old bank accounts, savings and premium bonds, use the free www.mylostaccount.org. uk . For pensions, it’s The Pension Service, unit trusts the Investment Management Association, and investment trusts The Association of Investment Companies.
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Up to 400,000 homes in England and Scotland are in the wrong bands. If you successfully challenge it, you could be due big money. One of my site users did this in February, and cut her bill to £350 year with a £2,470 rebate from when she’d moved in. To check, first compare your band to neighbours’ in identical or similar properties to see if it’s higher. Then work out roughly what your house was worth back in 1991, as that’s what the bands depend on. It’s much easier to do than it sounds – full help & free tools at www.moneysavingexpert.com/council
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Research says over £40 million may be down the back of our sofas alone, never mind car seats, trouser pockets, old handbags, winter coats and more. So have a spring clean rummage and see what you find. If you are really lucky, there could be an old mobile, which you can flog it to the best payer by comparing mobile buying sites.
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Many lose or forget ‘em. But it’s now easy to claw back unused vouchers and only takes a couple of minutes. You’ll need to go to Tesco Clubcard online and enter your details to access your account. Click on ‘Your vouchers’ on the left-hand side column and you should see a table listing the vouchers you still have to spend. These can be printed off for used in-store or online. I’ve come across people who got back hundreds of pounds of vouchers.
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Train split ticketing gives massive legal savings on scores of routes, even though you travel on the SAME TRAIN at the SAME TIME. Eg, a Solihull to Reading single costs £47. Yet the train stops at Banbury, so instead buy Solihull to Banbury & Banbury to Reading tickets, and it costs just £23, saving £24. The problem’s been finding when this trick works ... until now. Download my new TicketySplit Lite iPhone app in the Apple App store or bookmark the http://splitticket.moneysavingexpert.com/ site on your mobile. Tell it your journey, and it tells you where to split and the saving. This first incarnation doesn’t cover advances or returns, only ‘today tickets’. Always check their prices too, as often they’re cheaper.
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Valentines Day 14th February
The Food of Love They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, so why not experiment with some tempting titbits this Valentine’s Day? In Japan feeling flirty can become – quite literally – a matter of life or death! Puffer fish is considered to be a great delicacy and an aphrodisiac, but it contains a poisonous gland that is deadly and must be removed before eating! A safer seafood option is the oyster. A favourite with the Romans some oysters are able to change sex repeatedly and so are said to give you the ability to experience the male and female sides of love. For a sophisticated saucy snack you can’t go wrong with asparagus. Served with hollandaise sauce and washed down with champagne it’s sure to pep things up. And do you know where the term ‘honeymoon’ comes from? In Medieval times newlyweds drank mead – a fermented drink made with honey – to sweeten their marriage. But I reckon the ultimate palate pleaser has got to be chocolate. Described by the Aztecs as ‘nourishment of the Gods’, it contains both a relaxing sedative that lowers inhibitions and a stimulant to perk you up. Even better is the news that it is more effective when combined with that other an- tioxidant, red wine – but don’t have too much, or your suitor may become a snorer!
Men, Say It With
Flowers
Lots of men will be heading off to florists this month but have you ever wondered why we give flowers? The Victorians were a rather coy bunch not given to brazen declarations of love, so a whole language sprang up around flowers and plants with special meanings attached to each variety. The language was called floriography. So flowers could be used to express almost any sentiment and in combination they could convey a whole range of emotions.
Try saying it with flowers this Valentine’s Day with our handy guide.
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A simple arrangement for
Mother’s Day Sunday 10th March
This arrangement is childproof, so give it a go! You will need a bunch or two of small flowers such as spray carnations or freesias. The flowers will only cost £3-£5 from a supermarket; a few stems of rosemary twigs (try the herb section in the supermarket) or similar foliage from the garden; enough ribbon to go around the neck of the jar and tie in a bow; some string or garden twine. Wash enough pretty, small shells or stones to quarter fill a clean clear glass jar. Select one of your flowers and cut it so the stem is about twice the height of the jar. The next flowers should be slightly shorter. Holding the long flower in one hand, make a ring of shorter flowers around it. Next, circle with foliage, cut slightly shorter. Repeat until you run out of flowers. Loop the twine a couple of times around the stems and tie a knot. Don’t squeeze the stems - they should be able to move a little. Trim the bottom of the stems with a diagonal cut (they last longer this way) so they are all the same length and place the arrangement in the jar. Jiggle, so the stems are held in place by the shells. Tie the ribbon in a bow around the neck of the jar. If the flowers came with a sachet of food, make this up following the instructions and fill the jam jar. Keep the rest of the water in a sealed container and use to top up the flowers every day. Several children? Use different sizes and shapes of jar and different flowers in each, or mix together. Display the jars in a group.
The Meaning Of Flowers
Red rose Passionate love White rose Eternal love or innocence Pink rose Perfect happiness or please believe me Orchid Love, beauty and refinement Apple Blossom Preference, good fortune Begonia Beware! Bluebell Humility Pink carnation I’ll never forget you Yellow carnation Disdain, rejection Iris Faith hope and wisdom Ivy Fidelity Primrose I can’t live without you or young love
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Legal
When it comes to children there are many areas that
can often be the subject of dispute. The permanent residence of the children, contact arrangements between parents and even parental responsibility are all areas upon which legal advice is frequently sought. The legal framework which applies in the U.K. in relation to any question concerning a child is the Children Act 1989. Section 1 of that Act makes it clear that the child’s welfare shall be the Court’s paramount consideration when determining any decisions. This sounds simple, but can be too easily forgotten by warring parents. The Act then goes further and provides a useful check list of specific factors which should also be considered before any decision is made, such as the wishes of the child, their physical, emotional and educational needs as well as the capability of each parent to meet those needs. No matter what the subject area of dispute, almost all parties are required to attend upon a trained mediator before any formal legal action is taken. This is now a pre-requisite in the U.K. before a Judge can be asked to make a decision, although there are one or two exceptions such as where there has been a history of domestic violence. If mediation is unsuccessful, then more stringent action will have to be taken. Looking at the issue of residence first of all, where parties cannot reach an agreement, a Residence Order will ultimately have to be applied for; which will expire once the child reaches the age of 16. Where there are any issues regarding the child’s welfare
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that have been raised or, for example issues regarding the capability of a parent, it is very common for CAFCASS (Child and Family Court Advisory and Support Service) to become involved. CAFCASS are informally known as the “Court’s eyes and ears” and Officers are deployed to investigate the circumstances surrounding each parent and will sometimes even interview the child in question, in order to provide a recommendation to the Court. Once the Court has gathered all of the information which it deems necessary to be able to make a decision, a final Residence Order will eventually be made. The area of contact arrangements has now unfortunately become a more common subject of dispute between parents and applications are usually made to either increase or obtain contact, or to restrict or suspend all contact. When looking at the issue of contact, again any decision will hinge upon whether or not it is in a child’s best interest to have contact with a given parent and again, if the Courts are involved all relevant information will be taken into account. Where serious allegations have been made, for example where substance abuse has been alleged, the Court has the power to order a party to undergo tests and have those results made available within the family Court. Sometimes, it will be necessary for a party to commence contact with their child in a supervised or supported setting, particularly where the parent’s capability is in question, although it is extremely unusual for contact to remain in such an environment in the long term. Where a Contact Order is made, it will contain a schedule of the contact in question, which can either be
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very specific in terms of dates and timings or more fluid. Lastly, it is not always every parent who has the legal right to make a decision concerning their child and this stems from whether or not they have parental responsibility. Parental responsibility can be a complicated issue and broadly speaking the birth mother of a child will automatically have it. Fathers however will not always automatically have parental responsibility and an unmarried father that is not named on their child’s birth certificate prior to December 2003 may not have automatic parental responsibility. This can be easily rectified by both parents entering into a Parental Responsibility Agreement. If there is a dispute, then the father will have to apply for a Parental Responsibility Order from the Court. Parental Responsibility can also be delegated, although all parents should have nominated a legal guardian for their child in their Will.
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From time to time, there are also certain specific issues that a parent may require legal advice on and although these are rare, applications can be made where for example, a parent wishes to relocate abroad and the other parent does not consent or there are disagreements as to the changing of a child’s name. It is important to note however that not all parents are in dispute concerning their children and sometimes legal advice is simply necessary to put into place or legalise certain agreements such as contact or even to simply change a child’s name together. Sheena Munraknah is of the Head of Family & Matrimonial Department at Osborne Morris & Morgan Solicitors who have offices in Mil-
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A Good Read For You Daughter of Smoke and Bone By Laini Taylor
For The Kids
Once upon a time,an angel and a devil fell in love. It did not end well. So begins this novel which really falls into the category young adult (YA) fantasy fiction yet manages to elevate itself through the sheer inventiveness of the plot. It begins in Prague and is the story of teenage art student Karou. She’s in college and has issues with her boyfriend. So far so YA. But this novel quickly develops into something strange and beautiful. Where does Karou go when she disappears from the city without warning, on strange ‘errands’? How can she speak so many languages? Why does her long, bright blue hair never seem to need dyeing? Karou is a girl who transcends two worlds; the real world, and the place she calls ‘Elsewhere’, where she was raised by chimaeras – strange hybrid creatures. But her secret world and all it contains is now threatened by deceptively beautiful interlopers. And Karou’s peculiar fate is to fall in love with one of them. There is a saying that there are no really new ideas in literature and Taylor’s novel bears similarities to Romeo and Juliet, not unlike the Twilight series, but it’s so much richer, more inventive and colourful. It will appeal to fans of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy. Karou is certainly as spirited as Lyra - and with an equally confused heritage. To whom should she remain loyal – her adoptive father or her murderous soul mate? Daughter of Smoke And Bone starts small and grows, taking you on an imaginative journey of forbidden love, intrigue and divided loyalty. Sometimes it’s worth taking a break from your regular genres and dipping into something new. With Valentine’s Day approaching this may just be one of those times…and it certainly makes a change from a clichéd ‘They sailed off into the sunset and lived happily ever after…’
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Skellig By David Almond Published in 1998, this unforgettable book achieved instant cult status and is now rightly recognised as a children’s classic. It is often taught in junior and secondary schools, but if you really want your child to live out the magic it offers, catch them early so they can read uninterrupted and absorbed. The story itself is simple. Shortly after the birth of his baby sister, and while her health hangs in the balance, Michael finds Skellig in the garage of the ramshackle old house that he and his parents have just moved into. But who – or what – is he? Slowly Michael begins to find out: with gifts of aspirin, beer, cod liver oil and Chinese takeaway, he discovers a friend. Almond’s prose is beautifully understated, and straightforward enough to capture the interest of the reader before leading into passages of lyrical and emotional intensity. Death is ever present, and dealt with sensitively enough for young readers to understand and relate to, whilst the message is all about life, and love, and hope. If you haven’t read it, buy it now.
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auto Biographies New Honda Civic 1.8 i-VTEC EX
With the exception of the high perf- ormance Type R model, the Honda Civic used to have a rather run-of-the-mill image. But the 2005 incarnation was radical and sexy enough to change that perception.
N
FAST FACTS Max speed: 134 mph 0-62 mph: 9.1 secs Combined mpg: 47.1 Engine: 1798 cc 4 cylinder 16 valve petrol Max. power (bhp): 140 at 6500 rpm Max. torque (lb/ft): 128 at 4300 rpm CO2: 143 g/km Price: £21,960 on the road PROS & CONS Good looking √ Comfortable √ Responsive √ Economical √ Spacious √ On the pricey side X
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ow the car has gone ‘under the knife’ again to achieve an even tighter, sharper appearance. The result is an aesthetically pleasing, sporty motor that drives as brilliantly as it looks. Inside, the fresh Civic has a more athletic cockpit layout, a redesigned small and chunky steering wheel, as well as cool, blue door lining illumination. The car’s lightweight six speed manual gearbox is slicker than ever, and the gear ratios have been optimised to give higher speed refinement and a more satisfying action. In fact, Honda’s 2012 Civic has moved general driving pleasure up a whole notch. The steering is more direct, thanks to a retuned electric power steering system, and cornering is more precise because of stiffer suspension. This hasn’t affected comfort though. Far from it; the car has improved refinement and a good, stable ride – especially at motorway speeds. Fuel economy is impressive with the 1.8 i-VTEC petrol powered Civic. It returns an average of 47.1 mpg and emits143 g/km of CO2. For maximum efficiency you can choose to press the green ECON switch on the dashboard. This clever device ensures a very smooth increase in torque (turning power) for a more relaxing drive and less fuel consumption. But of course an engine is at its cleanest when it’s not running at all - that’s why idle stop technology is also fitted. Honda makes cashsaving driving fun too - the Civic’s speedometer illumination changes, depending on how hard your right foot is down, or how long you hang
on to the gears. The lighting is blue when the car is idle and stays blue during sudden acceleration and deceleration. It turns to green if you drive it in an economical manner but, in between, blue-green lighting shows during gentle blips of the throttle. The Civic is generally aimed at the family market so, as you would imagine, space is no issue - especially with Honda’s ‘Magic Seat’ system. Flip up, fold down or recline - you can transform the cabin at the lift of a lever or the push of a button. For example, the rear seats can be folded down completely to give a flat load space which is large enough to carry three mountain bikes, three large cases or three big golf bags. This is possible even with the front seats in their rearmost position. In EX trim the Civic is a very pleasurable place to be ensconced - particularly if, like me, you spend long periods on the road. Equipment includes leather upholstery, climate control, automatic headlights, electric windows and mirrors, as well as navigation, Bluetooth and a six speaker stereo. The up-to-the-minute Civic is indeed a top motor. Made by a company with a legendary reputation for bullet-proof reliability and comfort, the hatchback, although not the most affordable in its class, is one of the best looking. And, on top of that, the car is built in Britain alongside its popular siblings, the CR-V and Jazz. You’ll just have to find nearly £22,000 to pay for it – or wait for the new Civic to come on to the used market.
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Recipe
Cashew Chicken
10th February
Celebrate Chinese New Year in style with this tasty dish
Ingredients
Prep time: 20 mins Cooking time: 10 mi ns plus 25 mins for the steamed ric e Serves: 4
For The Chicken
450g boneless chicken breasts, skinned 1 egg white 1 tsp salt 2 tsp corn flour 310ml groundnut (or peanut) oil or water 2 tsp groundnut (or peanut) oil 55g cashew nuts 1 tbsp shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry 1 tbsp light soy sauce 1 tbsp spring onions, finely chopped, for garnish
For The Vegetables
225g bean sprouts 1 red pepper 1 green pepper Red or green chilli 225g water chestnuts, peeled & rinsed 2 tbsp groundnut oil 1½ tbsp garlic, finely chopped 2 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped 6 spring onions, shredded 1 tsp salt ½ tsp freshly ground white pepper 2 tbsp light soy sauce 1 tbsp dark soy sauce 2 tsp whole yellow bean sauce 2 tbsp shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry 5 tbsp chicken stock or water
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Method
Cut the chicken into 1cm cubes. Mix with the egg white, salt and corn flour in a small bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Heat a wok or large frying pan until very hot. Add the oil and when it is very hot and slightly smoking remove the wok from the heat. Immediately add the chicken, stirring vigorously to prevent it from sticking. The chicken will turn white after a couple of minutes. Drain off the excess oil and reserve the chicken on a plate Wipe the wok or pan clean with kitchen roll. Heat it until it is very hot, add 2 tbsp oil and the cashew nuts and stir-fry them for 1 minute. Add the rest of the ingredients. Return the chicken to the wok and stir-fry the mixture for another 2 minutes. Reserve the chicken to a plate again. Make the vegetables: trim the bean sprouts at both ends. Chop the peppers into bit-size pieces and finely shred the chillies and the water chestnuts. Heat a wok or large frying pan until it is very hot. Add the oil and when it is very hot and slightly smoking, add the garlic, ginger and spring onions and stir fry for 15 seconds. Then add the bean sprouts, shredded chilli, peppers and shredded water chestnuts and stir fry for about 1 minute. Then add the rest of the ingredients and stir-fry for about 3 minutes until it is well mixed and heated through. Return the chicken to the pan for a final stir. Serve at once with some steamed rice, garnished with spring onions.
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Luton: 01582 380 750 Leighton Buzzard: 01525 888 250 e-mail: southbeds@furnitureclinic.co.uk Website: www.furnitureclinic.co.uk
WHAT’S ON February 4th Every Monday, learn Street Dancing at Vandyke Upper School, 6pm to 7pm 07743 417010
Brook End School. £5 adults £3 concessions, £10 Family. Contact: 01908 375226 http://www.mkmrs.org.uk
6th Business Briefing and Networking Mentmore Golf & Country Club 10am to 12pm. Details jennifers@clarkhowes. com
22nd Children’s Indoor Activity Day – Hounslow Hall Estate, Newton Longville. Activities include achery, segway, laser tag and 4x4 offroading. www. experiencethecountry.co.uk
9th 2:30pm CHILDREN’S PROM St Mary’s Church, Eaton Bray: featuring Aylesbury Concert Band. Featuring many Prom favourites. FREE TICKETS for accompanied children. Tickets for adults £7.50 from the Box Office - 01525 22228
March 3rd Concert and Cakes - a choral recital from the Linslade singers. 4pm St Barnabus Church, Linslade LU7 2NR. Choral Evensong will follow. Recital and tea £5 on the door Proceeds to Community Hall restoration
10th HULA Valentine’s Open Day Time: 1:00pm - 3:30pm See the rescued pets and farm animals, Delicious refreshments Glebe Farm, Salford Road, Aspley Guise MK17 8HZ Enquiries: (01908) 584000 Email: hularescue@tiscali.co.uk
6th Leighton-Linslade Town Mayor’s is hosting James Goff Big Band Charity Concert Wed 6 March 7:30pm at Leighton Buzzard Theatre. £11 adults, £10 Concessions. Tickets from LB Theatre or christine.barrow@ leightonlinslade-tc.gov.uk
11th 7:45-9:15pm A Talk on Education and Community on Blows Downs Nature Reserve Come and find out about the importance of education and community work and the differences it makes to Blows Downs. Indoor talk, Booking, Essential Audience: Adult,Cost: Donations gratefully accepted Venue: Priory Middle School, Britain St, Dunstable, LU5 4JA. Meet in the Dome. Contact: Ruth Sneath for further information Tel: 01525 874317 Email: ruth. sneath@wildlifebcn.org
9th Rocking for Macmillan An evening of great music featuring the Rock of Ages Choir performing Buddy Holly songs and “ The One night with Elvis Band” featuring Eugene O’Hara as vocalist. Enjoy a lively evening of retro music from these talented local musicians performing in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. Box Office 0300 300 8125 7.30pm Tickets £8 concs £7
12th Shrove Tuesday – Pancake day! Olney ladies pancake race. 16th MK Model Railway Society: Annual exhibition with over 30 layouts. Shenley
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9th Magic Dave for Macmillan with the Leighton Buzzard Children’s Theatre Award winning children’s entertainer, Magic Dave, will be joined by the talented Leighton Buzzard Children’s Theatre for an afternoon of magic and showstoppers from popular musicals, in aid of Macmillan
Cancer Support. March Sat 9 2.30pm Tickets: £6 Adult £3 children Family Ticket: £15 (2 adults + 2 children) 9/10th French Market in the High Street, LB 10th HULA Spring Open Day and Bunny Bonanza 1:00pm-3:30pm - Talk on “How to keep rabbits healthy” .Meet the Rabbit Welfare Association - Fun Rabbit Photo Competition - Children’s Rabbit Costume Competition age groups, 8-12years, 7 years and under - See the rescued RabbitsGlebe Farm, Salford Road, Aspley Guise MK17 8HZ Enquiries: (01908) 584000 Email: hularescue@tiscali.co.uk 12th Leighton Linslade Concert Band Oxjam Concert 8-9pm Trinity Methodist Church, North St, LB www.llcb.co.uk. FREE -collection for OXFAM 16th Real Arts and Crafts – 9:30am to 4pm Woburn Sands Memorial Hall. 07770 344914 23rd Choral Concert St John Passion Woburn Parish Church. An Easter concert performed by the Danesborough Chorus. Tickets 01908 583460 23rd - 1st April Easter Egghead Hunt Join us for an exciting egg hunt with our sponsors Cadburys. Complete our trail exploring the Downs and win a yummy Cadburys chocolate egg! There will be lots of family Easter fun happening too, all in the glorious surroundings of Dunstable Downs. More Information: Chilterns Gateway Centre Shop, 01582 500925, dunstabledowns@ nationaltrust.org.uk
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Easter An Egg-cellent Idea Whatever the weather, children of all ages will love an Easter egg hunt. Try one of these ideas and have a cracking good time! • For a simple hunt, put plastic eggs around the house or garden that children have to collect to win a prize, or hide small chocolate eggs them to collect in a basket.
C
hocolate comes from the Aztec word ‘xocolatl’, meaning bitter water. Originally it was consumed as a drink made from cacao beans, chillies, achiote and cornmeal. Emperor Montezuma drank 50 golden goblets every day!
H O
itchcock used chocolate syrup for
blood in the famous 45 second shower scene in his movie Psycho.
ver 66 percent of the world’s cacao is produced in Africa. The US consumes the most chocolate per year, but the Swiss consume the most per capita.
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• Add clues to make the search a bit harder. Alternatively, create a treasure map and mark each egg with an X. • Young children will enjoy following a trail of paper bunny footprints, or a long piece of string to reach their prize. • Add a fun educational twist using numbered cardboard egg shapes – children can collect odd or even numbers, or get the highest total to win a prize. You could also put the letters of an Easter-themed word on the shapes and challenge them to solve the anagram. • Set up an ‘obstacle’ hunt. To win each egg, children have to complete a challenge, such as doing ten star jumps, singing a nursery rhyme, or completing a craft activity. • If you have a mixed group of children, prepare individual checklists so they each find only what is on their list and no more – for example, two chocolate bunnies, three silver eggs and four fluffy chicks.
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Choccy Facts
C
olumbus brought the cocoa bean to Europe, but Cortez first realised its commercial value. With the addition of cane sugar the chocolate drink became very popular, but it wasn’t until 1842 that the first chocolate bar was produced by Cadbury.
O
ne unfortunate Bishop was poisoned by chocolate-addicted parishioners because he tried to ban its consumption during church services.
L
argest and longest records go to Nestle for creating the largest cup of hot chocolate (2,400 litres) in November 2010, and to Mirco Della Vecchia for producing the longest chocolate bar measuring 15.9m a year later.
A T E
phrodisiacal qualities are believed by many to be contained in chocolate.
horntons produced the world’s biggest chocolate bar (six tonnes of it!) in October 2011 to celebrate its 100th birthday.
nergy-seeking Napoleon always carried chocolate with him to use as a pick-meup whenever he needed a boost.
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In The Garden
By Sue Lovell
10 Facts You Always Wanted To Know!
Wriggle Wriggle
A new dance craze perhaps? Well maybe … if you’re a worm that is!
In my opinion, worms have to be the unsung heroes of the garden. They only eat what I don’t want, they tidy up leaves from the borders by dragging them down into the soil, and who else improves our soil structure by adding air holes, incorporating organic matter en route and even provides food for the birds (sorry worms!), all for free?
tato (I’ve heard that for worms these foods are like us eating oyster....they erm… put them in the mood for a little wriggle wriggle), cardboard and paper. My wormery is a multi- tray system. You start off feeding your food waste into the bottom tray. At the bottom of the trays above there are holes which allow the worms to transfer themselves to the next level and as each tray fills, the worms move upwards to the waste in the next tray, leaving compost behind. They are voracious As far as I’m aware, garden worms eaters and it’s not long before the don’t have their own ‘worm awareness week’, they just carry on doing next tray is needed. You can harvest the earth about every three months. what they do best, quietly making This can be quite messy, there will beautifully rich, dark brown garden always be some worms left when the goodness. You may be happy to leave the worms well alone, merrily rest have moved up to the next level, so rubber gloves are a good idea. munching away in the compost heap, but why not have a go at mak- The soil which is removed can be ing your own worm villa (known as mixed one part worm caste to three parts ordinary soil. a wormery), or buying a pre- made The bottom of the wormery has a version online? well for collecting the water (‘wee Most kids love worms so it’s a great tea’), it also has a tap, the liquid activity to do as a family, or indeed should be drained and diluted (at if you enjoy the idea of reducing 1:10 with water), and used as a very landfill and nourishing your garden concentrated liquid fertiliser, at the same time. There aren’t many problems with Keeping a wormery is very easy, they come in a variety of sizes to suit keeping a wormery the main ones I found were due to the wet and cold all households and budgets, it will weather. In wet weather I found that reduce kitchen waste and provide there was often more liquid than I, or very nutritious soil for the garden. Although they don’t make great pets the worms could cope with so I leave the tap open, before I did this I sadly their waste is a lot easier to handle had quite a few drowned worms, a and they save money on fertilisers and compost. I live in an area where folded newspaper also helps keep we have food waste recyling bins but the water from just running through I never have to use mine because the and also helps with keeping the worms warm. If the weather is cold worms manage all our food waste. the wormery can be stored in the Once you’ve bought the wormery garage or wrapped in bubble wrap (mine came with Tiger Worms) or agricultural fleece, If not they do setting it up requires the soil which freeze quite stiff, but do not cover the the worms arrive in and any left over vegetables, but not onions and air holes on the lid. If there is a problem with ants, a little garlic or citrus fruit as these are too acidic. They particularly like teabags, Vaseline on the legs of the wormery crushed egg shells, cold mashed po- will soon sort it out.
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About Worms
courtesy of wormery.co.uk
1 2
If you cut a worm in half it will probably die, one 'half' may survive and regrow but you will not get two worms. The only possibly reasonable negative or bad thing about a worm is that some humans don't like them- which is hardly the worms fault. Worms only eat dead organic matter. Nothing more and nothing less. This immediately puts them towards the very top of the list of beneficial and harmless life forms on the planet. We humans alas are towards the bottom. Enzymes produced in the gut of composing worms improves the nutrient content of the compost. Worm worked compost or worm casts are the most nutrient rich natural compost known. There are over 3000 species of worms worldwide 28 native to the UK and 3 particularly good at the rapid conversion of dead organic matter to well worked compost. Worms never over populate. They regulate their breeding actively in line with their environment, availability of food and space. If only we did likewise... Worms are hermaphroditic. They can change gender but can't be both at the same time so it still takes two to tango! The Tiger Worm, Eisenia fetida process and composts a higher percentage equivalent in waste of its own body weight than any other native or European species. The Tiger worm 100% Dendrobaena a still impressive 50%. Charles Darwin spent three years on his researches which lead to his great work, 'The origins of the Species' but 10 years on studying worms alone. There are billions more worms in the world than humans yet both would benefit from more of the former and less of the latter! Worms achieve sexual maturity after about 6 weeks and they reproduce by laying tiny capsules. Capsules can lay dormant in the soil for months and even years until conditions are propitious when between 2 and 10 small translucent pink worms will emerge.
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