Discover Southampton West July/August 2013

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about us

Discover Live Local. Think Local. Buy Local.

Distribution - This edition of Discover is published every month and delivered by Royal Mail to two alternating areas. In odd months (Jan, Mar, May etc) it goes to every letterbox in SO40 postcode sectors 2 & 3. In the even months it goes to SO40 postcode sectors 7,8 & 9.

Total distribution is 16,000 over two months.

Advertising - We understand that the needs of a small business are quite different to those of a big company, and our advertising service is very much targeted at independent and local businesses. From advert design to general advice we are here to help you grow. For more details call Melanie 023 8026 6388 or email: melanie @discovermagazines.co.uk

Hello again Like many at this time of year, ours is a busy household, with a husband who travels as part of his job so we’re forever filling or emptying suitcases and two teenagers now old enough to Melanie Tinson look after themselves (when it suits them).

Working from home means I’m chief co-ordinator; who’s eating what and when and where they are going. These whirlwind of different agendas means spending quality time together is something that needs to be given more attention otherwise months go by when all you’ve done together is fold the laundry or watched tv in the do you use a smart phone? same room. I took my daughter to Brighton last To save our contact details weekend which I’d recommdirect to your smart phone, use end as it’s enough time in the I-nigma QR code reader App and scan for instant download. car to talk (permission to plug in to music on the way back!) and perfect for boutique shopping, lunch and beach. Walking the dog together is a good opportunity to catch up and it gets you out of the house.

The Hampshire Walk (p20) is a popular feature in the magazine (did you notice the design makeover and new features?) so why not go en famille and try it out? Throughout the magazine we feature local events in and around Southampton, some are free so if something interests you, set the date in your diary, book your daughter or son or partner in and as my father always says “make it happen”.

The driving force behind the magazine redesign was better focus on our advertisers who financially make this free magazine to our readers possible.

They rely on local people buying locally so we want to support them with our ethos of Live Local. Think Local. Buy Local.

Every month we feature the person behind a local business in Upfront & Personal which this month is Richard Cutler of Totton & Eling Tennis Centre (p7). And finally, if you contact an advertiser please remember to tell them you found them in Discover.

And if all that wasn’t enough, we’ve put all the local information on local clubs, societies and local events on our new Discover website for residents www.discovercommunity.co.uk

Melanie Romsey Chandlers Ford Southampton Southampton West Winchester Southampton East Hedge End Meon Valley

editorial enquiries

next issue : diary dates

Please visit www.discovercommunity.co.uk and use the Editorial Form under Contact Us Email: lauren@discovermagazines.co.uk Tel: 023 8026 6388

Editorial copy deadline: 12 August Advertisment copy deadline: 15 August Distributed: w/c 2 September

advertising enquiries

To be sure of your place in the next issue please contact Melanie on 023 8026 6388 visit www.discoveradvertising.co.uk or melanie@discovermagazines.co.uk

Tel: Melanie: 023 8026 6388 Email: melanie@discovermagazines.co.uk Web: www.discoveradvertising.co.uk

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upfront & personal

The People Behind Your Local Businesses Richard Cutler, Totton & Eling Tennis Centre With a background in international logistics, and an earlier career spent in Germany, it is perhaps surprising that I find myself celebrating my 10th year as Director of Serving Tennis and the Totton & Eling Tennis Centre!

What started out as a conceptual conversation amongst family members about how the landscape of community tennis could be changed, became reality in 2004 with the opening of an 8-court floodlit tennis facility and clubhouse. This was only possible due to the vision and support of Totton & Eling Town Council, who understood the positive impact that such a facility could have.

Almost a decade later, there are over 250 children and adults attending coaching groups each week, hundreds of people

regularly hiring courts, and more than 160 members. The backbone of the facility is the close relationship with around 20 local schools and the New Forest School-Sport Partnership. Every year more than 2,000 children receive curriculum tennis coaching, and each summer, around 220 children take part in the New Forest Inter-School Competition.

As a family business, we try to offer the best possible customer service, making our facility welcoming and professional. We like to think that we offer ‘big business service’ with the care and attention of a small business!

This has allowed us to tailor our offer for as many people as possible, and provide local residents with an individual and personalised service.

Our goal today is the same as it always has been - to remove all barriers to tennis participation.

We achieve this is many ways, e.g. courts cost only £4-6 per hour, including free equipment loan. We also offer new participants a free coaching taster session, and have a café that is open to the general public 7 days per week.

Community Tennis does not always make a commercially-

Richard Cutler

viable business, and the majority of our outreach work is either free, or highly subsidised. However, whilst there are inevitably sleepless nights regarding cashflow, ultimately seeing thousands of people in the local area accessing tennis in a welcoming environment, makes it all worthwhile. Whilst we are currently without a sponsor to support our outreach work, this is something that I am exploring.

I am also privileged to be the ‘Honorary Consul to Germany’, a role that involves providing support to local German citizens.

I cover Hampshire & IOW, Dorset and Wiltshire, and my consular duties are based at the tennis centre. This provides an interesting interlude to my working week, and as many would expect, I have convinced a number of my clients to take up tennis!

Totton has a lot to be proud of, and I know that local people greatly value the tennis centre and the surrounding Hanger Farm Park. Whilst there are still people who do not know we are here, we are working hard to raise our profile, and encourage as many people as possible to come and see us this summer!

Further information is available on www.servingtennis.net or 023 8066 7532.

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live local

Striding out with Friends Unlimited A Support Group for Diabetics All friends together

Friends Unlimited is Southampton’s Premier Dance and Social Group. Running for over 12 years, it has evolved into an active group for singles and couples, the mature side of 40, wanting to make new social contacts. In addition to regular dances, they also arrange walks, lunches, ten pin bowling, curry nights and a lot more. Their next event is lunch at Annie’s Kitchen Restaurant in Kimbridge on Sun 4th August.

023 8027 4120 or visit www.friends-unlimited.org. uk for other August events.

The Diabetes UK Southampton Group welcomes diabetics of all ages, and friends and family members. They meet every 6-8 weeks for talks by medical experts and the opportunity to meet fellow diabetics. There is no charge except for a small tea/coffee contribution. The next session, ‘Diabetes, a Consultant’s View’ is on Monday 2nd September at Christ the King Catholic Church Hall, Commercial Street, SO18 6AP from 7–9pm with Dr Mayank Patel. For details ring 023 8040 4881.

Sketch Group Join Hampshire Sketch Group for a regular get together to sketch, draw or paint around Hampshire.

It doesn't matter what level of experience you have, even if you've never drawn, painted or sketched before - all are welcome! Details on www.discover community.co.uk

Southampton Old Cemetery

Help for Older People Take a Walk on the Wild Side Community First New Forest is the new provider of the New Forest Community Support Service. Funded

by Hampshire Country Council, it supports over 300 people in the New Forest District and is keen to help more. Their trained support workers provide advice on benefits, housing/tenancy related needs and options, home safety checks, adaptations to your home, local social groups information and arranging community transport and can help arrange any care needs/home help. The service is free for the first 12 weeks after which there is an hourly rate unless you’re in receipt of a means tested benefit. Tel on 01425 478005 or visit www.cfnf.org.uk.

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Friends of Southampton Old Cemetery are hosting a series of regular walks this summer. Wildflower & Butterflies on the 1st Sunday of the month at 2pm and Hertigage Walks on the 1st Wednesday of the month at 11am. FoSoC aims to uphold the original purpose of the cemetery which is to be a place of reflection and remembrance of the people buried there and to support the ecological aims of the adjoining Southampton Common (a Site of Special Scientific Interest), and to treat it with the same care. Walks start from Main Gate on Cemetery Road.

Tel: 07538 888 655 Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm please.

Urban Jungle

Stampeed!!

In celebration of its 40th anniversary, Marwell Wildlife is bringing Go! Rhinos, a world class mass public art event, to the streets and parks of Southampton. For 10 weeks throughout this summer (13th July – 22nd September), rhino sculptures will inhabit the streets of Southampton, showcasing the wealth of artistic talent in the area, while highlighting the significant conservation threat facing wild rhinos and how the Southampton business community can make a difference.

NaFoF Newbie Night NaFoF stands for National Federation of Friends but despite its rather grand sounding name NaFoF is a great way to meet new people, make long term friends and make the most of life by taking part in the many activities on its calendar including quizzes, cinema nights, parties, mini holidays, sporting events and yes, pubbing and Clubbing.

Members are in their 30s and 40s and you can go along for 4 weeks before joining. Non members are welcome at their next welcome evening on Thursday 15 August from 8pm at Santo Lounge, 429 Shirley Road, SO15. For the weblink to their site go to www.discovercommunity.co.uk

The House at Pooh Corner : Family Fun On show for the first time in over a decade will be 36 beautiful hand-painted illustrations by E. H. Shepard for the classic children's books Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner. A fabulous family quest trail lets you follow in the footsteps of your favourite characters around Mottisfont's grounds, ticking off many of your '50 Things to do before you're 113/4' as you go.

Coinciding with the exhibition there will be great outdoor activities on several weekends.

20/21 July: Pooh-Stick Boats 10 August: Make Mottisfont's biggest daisy chain 17th/31st Aug, 1 Sep: Build a kite (small cost) There is also a fabulous family trail running all summer. More details at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ mottisfont.

Discover your National Park Day Enjoy a day of walks and activities in and around the New Forest Centre and historic Queen's House gardens on Thursday 15th August. Take part in craft activities, see the Verderers' Court, find out about the wildlife of the forest and much more. Tel 023 8028 3444

Summer Holiday Nature Detectives Lepe Country Park is hosting its popular hour long children’s activities throughout the summer. No need to book, but all children must be accompanied by an adult. 1pm outside the park office. £2 p/child.

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HEALTH

oils to a bite and sting lotion or cream: Burdock, Plaintain, Echinacea, Feverfew, Nettle, Yellow Doc and St John’s Wort.

Some oils can be used as a preventative by putting them in a lotion or water spray and applying to the skin. For example, Lavender, Rosemary, Tea Tree or Citronella.

Feeling the itch?

With the British summer finally here it’s not just us embracing the warmer weather - as we peel our winter layers off and take our arms and legs out of hibernation, summer bugs will also make their untimely appearance, Julia Faukles explains.

Over the past couple of years wet and warm summers have resulted in an explosion in mosquito and flea populations, which can only mean one thing – bites and more bites.

You’d like to think you would take it as a compliment that insects think you’re tasty enough to feast on, but it’s not much fun when you’re left with burning, red, swollen and itchy marks - not to mention the pain from stinging nettles after balmy walks in the countryside and picnics in the park.

On-the-spot treatments There are some simple ways you can help relieve any discomfort if you’ve been bitten or stung: wash the area with soap and water, use a cold compress or an ice pack (a bag 10

of frozen peas will do the trick) and try not to scratch to prevent infection.

You can also use a spray or cream that contains local anaesthetic, antihistamine or mild hydrocortisone to prevent itching and swelling, or take an antihistamine tablet (check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or worried about drowsiness or allergies to medication).

Alternative remedies • For stinging nettle rashes rub the affected area with dock leaves for some instant relief – they are normally found growing near nettles.

• Homeopathy is often used to treat bites and stings. For example, Apis and Ledum can help reducing swelling and relieve aching pains.

• Essential oils such as Tea Tree Oil and Lavender Oil (dabbed on neat) can be a useful addition to your first aid kit and provide on-the-spot relief as well as helping reduce the risk of infection. You can also add any of the following

Always seek medical advice if you have wheezing, difficulty breathing or swallowing, excess swelling around the bite or sting, or flu-like symptoms that appear to become worse rather than better.

If you’ve previously had a severe reaction you will normally be offered an adrenaline pen or be referred to an allergy clinic for further investigations.

Preventing stings and bites How can you prevent yourself from being stung in the first place?

• Use an insect repellent at times when you’re more likely to be stung and try and keep your skin covered.

• Keep an eye on your drinks to make sure that wasps or bees haven’t sneaked inside for a cheeky sip– they particularly like sweet drinks.

• Try not to panic when you see an insect that may sting – if you wave your arms around you are far more likely to be stung. Stand up slowly, walk away and it will usually buzz off.

• Use mosquito nets if you’re camping outdoors or put thin netting or door beads over doors to prevent insects from coming inside.

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YOUR HOME

Finding the perfect builder Mr Perfect?

If you’re considering home renovation, extension or even a self-build, Kate McLelland offers some wise words here, that might just save your costs from going through the roof

As I write, I am currently four and a half weeks into a ‘three week’ kitchen renovation project. A thin layer of dust covers everything I own and there is a dent in my new fridge. The workmen have lost their initial enthusiasm and are grumbling about the job, their boss and their working hours. The kitchen unit supplier and the builder are at loggerheads and the constant roar of power tools has begun to drive me crazy (not to mention an unending diet of microwavable meals).

Does the perfect builder exist?

If you have ever had building work carried out you might well shrug and say: “Nothing new there”, but in my case I thought – no, I really believed - I had found the Perfect Builder.

So, does the perfect builder exist and if so, how can you find this almost mythical creature?

Your search will be easier if you follow some basic guidelines.

The internet is currently awash with websites bearing such names as www.mytrusted builder.co.uk, but it’s best to take some of their customer comments with a pinch of salt. Unfortunately no review system is foolproof and it’s not impossible to fake feedback.

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Recommendation There’s no substitute for personal recommendation, so the first rule is to ask locally to see which tradesmen your neighbours would recommend (or not).

Looking here in your magazine is a great place to search of course, because the tradespeople are local and the editor is likely to have been forewarned of any true rogues. Look for their accreditation on their adverts e.g. TrustMark (www.trustmark.org.uk) is a not for profit organisation, licensed by the Government and supported by consumer protection groups, that aims to connect members of the public with trustworthy building professionals. Additionally, Hampshire’s Buy with Confidence Scheme is worth looking out for.

All the businesses on their scheme have been vetted and approved by Trading Standards to ensure that they operate in a legal, honest and fair way.

Watch out for those too-good-to-betrue reviews and compare quotes carefully when recruiting or checking your builder online.

Although the feedback is useful to read, membership of some of these organisations involves the barest minimum of checks and it can be fairly easy for a company to fake their credentials.

Once you have identified three or four companies to call, the next

stage will be to invite them to your house so they can quote for the work. Take a deep breath before you open the door to your chosen candidates, because you will almost certainly meet some colourful characters, each with a different approach to your job.

Do your home-work It’s useful to start with a list of the things that you want done, so make several copies and give one to each builder. That list will probably change as you discuss the work, but it’s still a good place to start.

Ask the builder to quote separately for each item on your list. If you accept a quote for a global amount - “To renovate and fit bathroom, £12,000+VAT” - he may come back to you later, claiming that certain items were not included in the original quote. With no written evidence to the contrary, you’ll have no basis for negotiation.

When I invited quotes for my

kitchen, one builder refused point blank to price up the job because “You never know what’s lurking behind them old kitchen units and tiles”.

I didn’t give him the job, but he had a fair point – an estimate can only be based on what is visible to the naked eye. You must always allow a contingency for hidden expenses, but no building firm should expect to start work without having provided at least some idea of their charges.

You should ask the same questions of each person who comes to quote: “How long will it take?”

“Do you have your own team of tradesmen, or do you subcontract?”

“Will you provide a contract for the work?” “Have you done any similar jobs locally and can I contact the householder for a reference?”

If your builder makes you feel that such questions are inappropriate or unnecessary, show them the door: a

reputable company should be happy to provide evidence of their work. Be aware that a few manipulative individuals may try to strike up a rapport with you, knowing that they’re more likely to pass off sub-standard work if they win your trust. The best builderclient relationships remain on a businesslike footing, so keep your eyes open and don’t be taken in by a charm offensive.

The tips described above may make choosing a builder seem straightforward, but in practice I’ve found it’s not that easy. I chose someone who arrived on time, made careful notes, gave positive answers to all my questions and provided an itemised estimate but even the best builder can’t avoid the inevitable disruption and mess. “Trust me, it’ll be worth it,” he persistently reminds me as I watch the project progress. Oh, the power of positive thinking!

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A SHORT STORY

Game, Set & Match Story by Jackie Brewster

Danny had spent all morning playing tennis on his own against the garage door. He had won nearly every game, and now felt confident enough to take on a real opponent.

His plimsolls stuck to the hot tarmac as he walked along the deserted avenue to his friend Alex’s house. The heat had sent everyone indoors. Even the birds had stopped singing.

He found Alex sitting on the edge of his pond, with feet dangling in the water.

“Want a game of tennis? Danny asked. “You’ll need your own bat”.

Alex grinned and nipped in the shed. He returned with a cobweb covered table tennis bat. It didn’t look at all like Danny’s racket, and he suspected that it might give his friend quite a large handicap, but decided not to say.

If Alex was happy, then he was happy.

Both boys agreed that Alex’s garden was perfect for tennis. It had the pond in the middle to act as a net, a shed on one side and patio doors on the other to act as goals.

They had a few practise shots while Danny explained the rules.

“If I hit the patio doors it’s a goal to me, and if you hit the shed it’s 18

a goal to you. If the ball goes in the pond then whoever hit it in has to get it out and they lose a point”.

Danny knew that when you start the game it’s called ‘Love All’, but didn’t mention this in case Alex thought it was a girl’s game and refused to play.

“It’s a draw if you get juice,” Danny said instead. Alex seemed both confused and impressed.

“Okay,” he bounced up and down. “Let’s play!”

In spite of the ping pong bat, Alex proved a more challenging opponent than the garage door; for one thing he argued over goals. For example, when Alex’s shot bounced off the shed roof, rolled along the guttering and disappeared down the drainpipe, Danny agreed that the shot was a work of genius, but didn’t think it was worth five goals. They compromised on two and a half.

Alex also hit the ball so that it seemed to magically fly straight through Danny’s racket. The ball would then disappear over the garden gate. Danny found that he was searching for the ball in the next door garden much more than he was hitting it. And he was getting hot.

Also, unlike the garage door, Alex constantly questioned the rules.

While Alex agreed that it didn’t matter how many times the ball bounced, he refused to believe that kicking it was okay.

Unfortunately this made quite a few of the goals that Danny scored disallowed.

Danny was starting to suspect that this game wasn’t going his way. He noticed that, in spite of all his morning’s practise, he was scooping more balls out of the pond than Alex, and hoped that his friend was not keeping too close an eye on the score.

Eventually, both boys, the shed and the patio doors were covered in dark splodges of pond water.

Danny was tired, thirsty and several goals behind. He couldn’t go on much longer, but desperately didn’t want to lose this game.

The patio doors slid open and Alex’s mum appeared, accompanied by the welcome sound of ice cubes tinkling in glass tumblers.

“I’ve made you boys a drink,” she called.

“Brilliant!” Alex threw down his bat. “Game over!”

“What’s the score?” she asked, as Alex slurped his drink.

“We’ve got juice,” Danny said, thinking fast. “So that mean’s it’s a draw”.

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Walk from Marwell around Owslebury

this walk is a very pleasant stroll without being too taxing; it covers a distance of approximately 4 miles, which should take around an hour and a half at a steady pace.

It starts at Marwell Zoo Car Park, Colden Common, Winchester, SO21 1JH where there is plenty of parking. The footpaths double as bridleways around most of the route as the local riding stables use these trails regularly for their exercise outings, so please give the horses the space they require as you pass them.

Exit the car park down the slope at the rear and head down into the woods.

After 150 metres the path joins another, where you turn right to pick up a main bridleway for a further 150 metres before meeting a T-junction with path finger posts.

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Turn left up the slope, keeping a big field on your left.

After a distance of 200 metres there are steps on both sides of the path – at this point you need to take the right hand option through a gate, into a wildlife woodland. In this section there are all manner of plants and many birds in the broadleaf woods.

At the far end of these woods pass through a gate opening into a bigger track and the trees fade away on both sides. There is a long but gentle climb between fields and a view across the valley to the right where the furthest enclosures in Marwell Zoo come into view.

Eventually the track meets a large gate which opens onto a shingle path with some large houses on the left and the outbuildings for Lower Farm on the right.

As you meet the road outside, turn left uphill towards Owslebury, taking care on this 400 metre section as there is no footpath for this short time.

At the top there is a small green and the pub, The Ship Inn, which marks the turning point. Turn left past the pub, down the hill for only a short distance. Where the road sweeps right go left down the waymarked path for 150 metres.

You will reach a point where there are three choices of route. Take

HISTORICAL nOTE...

In AD 964 land at Owslebury was granted to the Bishop of Winchester by King Edgar.

According to the Domesday Book the Manor of Owslebury was held by the Bishop before and after the Norman Conquest.

In the early days the manor was called Twyford with Marwell, but during the 14th century it became known as Marwell or Marwell Woodlock, although the parish was still called Owlesbury.

The Bishop of Winchester had a park at Marwell from the thirteenth century to the mid-seventeenth century where timber was cut, cattle were pastured and animals were hunted at various times.

Marwell Zoo was founded by John Knowles.

John originally bought a small 127 acre farm just before his 21st birthday, on which he developed a poultry production business. The sale of part of this allowed him to purchase the 414 acre Marwell Hall Estate and Marwell Zoo was opened in 1972. John has written about his founding of Marwell Zoological Park in “My Marwellous Life” which can be purchased online (e.g. Amazon).

the furthest left path, marked with a blue arrow and wide enough for several people. The underfoot surface is fine rolled grit and runs gently downhill for a just over a kilometre. There is an avenue of trees either side of this path providing shelter from any wind, which means that views across South Hampshire can only be snatched between the foliage as you travel.

At the first full junction of this path (there is a minor one half way down) turn left, continuing on another downhill stretch and soon passing the steps that set you off at the beginning.

You are now on the return section that was completed at the start so the last part is a reverse process – turn right at the T-signpost, 150 metres up turn left and in a final 150 metres you will be in the car park again.

A downloadable pdf of the walk and enlarged map is available online at www.discovercommunity.co.uk

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TECHNOLOGY

High tech holidays Some of the most useful travel gadgets are the simplest. The TanSafe is a great example: 1 it looks like a standard bottle of sun cream, but it's a secret safe that's big enough for your cash, cards, keys and even your mobile phone (but not a phone case).

It's even watertight, 2 so it can protect your phone from the odd splash. At £7.99 it's cheap too.

Some of our favourite technology solves problems we thought were with us forever such as creased shirts. For £34.99, the Shirt Shuttle1 MK2 is a hanger that you wrap your freshly ironed shirt or blouse around, folding it and clipping it shut to protect your shirt from creasing. How attractive it is depends on how much you hate ironing: a travel iron will set you back around £10, while a portable garment steamer such as Rowenta's DR5050 promises to unwrinkle anything for £30.

If you're travelling with children, there's no shortage of technology that can keep them amused on even the longest trip. Apple's iPad 22

Mini2 is ideal, providing all the fun of an iPad without the weight or price, but it's still quite expensive at £269; an iPod touch does much the same thing in a 3 smaller case for half the price, or a quarter of the price if you're buying used.

If you prefer Android tablets Google's Nexus is a good buy at £159. All of these devices can run apps, and you can copy video from your computer or buy or rent videos from wherever you can find an internet connection. We'd advise against 3G devices that connect to the mobile phone network: there are often very high charges for data roaming.

The problem with many travel-related gadgets is that they can be very large and very heavy - and that's terrible if you're trying to keep everything in a single suitcase that doesn't exceed the airline's weight limit.

For example, a wireless speaker such as the Supertooth Disco weighs a massive 1.1kg, and it's a hefty size too. When it comes to travel speakers, small can be beautiful: the £18 X-Mini II Capsule speaker3 weighs just 82g but it punches way above its weight. It doesn't sound as good as a top-end speaker system but it's a vast improvement on any

smartphone's speakers. If size really does matter, you can even cut the size of your plugs - but beware, because it can be pricey. The Mu Folding Plug4 is a 3-pin plug with a USB socket on the other side, and it folds down to a titchy 1.4cm but at around £25 for one, it's considerably more expensive than standard plugs.

Now that we're travelling with lots of gadgets, powering and/or recharging them can be a problem: it's not unusual to have a camera, an e-reader, a smartphone and a music player competing for the same plug socket as the TV or hairdryer.

Rather than packing multiple chargers or 4-way extension leads, it might be a better idea to invest in a 4-port worldwide travel charger, which comes with 4 USB ports in the top and a collection of interchangeable plugs that work almost anywhere in the world, all for around £10. Such chargers aren't powerful enough for iPads, which draw massive amounts of power, but 4 they're fine for smartphones, cameras and other popular bits of kit.

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YOUR GARDEN

Home grown herbs There’s a really reliable, easy, low-cost and loweffort way to add some zing to your meals; home-grown herbs. Many herbs are simple to raise from seed and if you start sowing now you should be able to have a plentiful supply of fresh, tasty herbs to add to salads, sandwiches, stews and stir-fries for months to come. All you need is a sunny window sill or balcony, or a well-drained, sunny spot in your garden, so why not sow a few pots and brighten up your cooking?

You can almost smell them?

First, find some good quality multi-purpose compost, your chosen herb seeds and some pots. Good-quality compost is well worth the little bit extra you need to pay. The style of pot is up to you – you may want to choose a classic Mediterranean feel with terracotta, or a stylish modern look, or perhaps a good-looking plastic planter for longevity and light-weight characteristics that make it better for a balcony and easier to move about too.

Whatever style you choose, bear in mind that plenty of drainage is essential, and that the smaller herbs do not need a deep root run, so there is no need for a very tall planter or pot. It is best to grow each type of herb in its own individual pot, so buy a selection of pots with a minimum diameter of 8cm.

Once you have your pot to hand, put a broken flower pot or other drainage material in the base and then fill with good quality compost to within 1cm of the rim of the pot and firm it down, not too aggressively, but enough to ensure that there’s no subsidence later on. With large seeds such as coriander, position the seeds

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Top herbs that grow well from seed A visit to your favourite local garden centre or a peruse of the seed catalogues is bound to fill you with inspiration as there are a lot of herbs which do very well in pots when sown from seed. Some of my favourites include Italian or Genovese basil, lemon basil, chervil, Coriander ‘Cilantro’ for leaves, flat-leaved parsley, Ainse, Thai basil, chervil, chives, fennel, garlic chives.

evenly on the compost surface.

Sprinkle smaller seed thinly. The seeds need to be covered with compost so use your finger or a dibber (an old ballpoint pen or pencil will do) to gently press the seed in to the very surface of the compost and then drizzle more compost on top to the depth stated on the packet of seed.

Water the compost thoroughly either carefully from above using a watering can with rose attached, or by standing the pot in a saucer of water for a few minutes until the compost surface is just moist. The advantage of watering from below is that you are less likely to disturb the seeds.

The seeds generally germinate quite quickly and often within just a week or two you’ll have lots of tiny herbs like this coriander.

For shorter-lived herbs, such as coriander and basil its worth sowing in succession. All this means is that you need to use a small pot full of seed every few weeks, rather than sowing the whole packet in one go. This will give you a near constant supply of herbs and if you look at the number of seeds per packet you will soon see what amazing value they are.

Once the herbs are up and growing strongly you can start to harvest them. Use sharp scissors or a sharp knife to cut off what you need; this way you’ll minimise damage to the growing plants and so help to keep them cropping for longer. As long as

you keep the pots adequately watered, ideally by watering from the base, they should last for several weeks or months but make sure that the compost is not too wet or else your herb pots won’t last long. These plants are mostly of Mediterranean origin and hate wet feet. If at any stage you find that you’re not eating them fast enough and have an excess of herby foliage, store some for later use. Ice cubes give you a really great fresh-herb taste off-season. Just half fill the sections in an ice-cube tray with water. Add chopped fresh herbs to each section and top up with water. Label the tray as chopped herbs in ice can be difficult to identify. The attractive herb-filled ice cubes can then be popped whole in to stews and casseroles as and when you need them.

Pippa Greenwood

Visit Pippa’s website www.pippagreenwood.com and sign up for Pippa’s free newsletter packed full of gardening hints, happenings, advice and offers and you will also receive a free ebook on organic gardening.

Don’t forget that you can buy nemaslug and other biological controls, anti-slug matting and tape, Enviromesh and signed books, vegetable packs and a hand-picked selection of garden products from the website too.

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SpOt the Difference

There are 10 dierences between the two images below. How many can you spot?

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33

34

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Every issue of Discover is full of interesting articles, useful information and fun stuff too, delivered through your door free of charge, made possible by the financial support of its advertisers.

Please support local businesses who promote themselves in Discover. They are ready to serve you and they want your business. We’d appreciate it if you’d mention Discover when contacting advertisers from this issue.

ACCOUNTANTS / BOOKKEEPING SVS

GARAGE DOORS

C. Brown Bookkeeping

33

FixQuick

London Wealth Management

13

GARDEN MACHINERY

AERIALS, TV SERVICES

33

New Forest Garden Machinery

Humphries Digital Aerials

32

DJ Satellites & Aerials

26

BATHROOMS

JL Tree Care

27

Mac’s Gardening Services

27 40

Aquatec

19

Sydenhams

TP Watts

25

KITCHENS

BEDROOMS Forest Fitted Bedrooms

Dream Doors

11

12

Re-Nu Kitchens

14

New Forest Stone

15

3

Space Kitchens

32

CHILD CARE Play Away Day Nursery CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES Marwell Outdoor Activity Centre

5

Wessex Swim School

5

CLEANING SERVICES Abbey Cleaning

23

new regular advertisers

COMPUTER REPAIR & SALES For-Matt

33

C Brown p33

Home Computer Help

33

Bookkeeping Services

Vuvumo

19

Widenet

35

Ampfield Electrical

26

MCT Electrical

12

FUNERAL SERVICES

36

Houseworx p32 Handyman Services

ELECTRICIANS

J Lawrence & Sons

27

GARDEN MAINTENANCE

34

Vuvomo p19 Computer Services

Buy Local . . .

LANDSCAPING inc FENCING, PAVING Colourfence

House Worx Handyman & Property Services 32 29

LOCKSMITH LockRight Security

19

MOTORING Belbins Garage

24

32

T. Brown Plastering

33

The Flat Pack People

33

Vision Property Management

17

5

PLUMBING & HEATING SERVICES

14

SPORTS CENTRES Totton & Eling Tennis Centre

6/7

Aquatec

19

TIMBER SUPPLIES

G James Plumbing Services

33

Totton Timber

Gair Gas Ltd

13

UPHOLSTERY & SOFT FURNISHINGS

GE Harding & Sons Ltd

34

Broadview Blinds

25

MLA Installations

32

Solent Blinds & Curtains

21

NHP (Romsey) Ltd

15

Waterside Blinds

35

TP Watts

25

VETERINARY SURGEONS

South Coast Plumbing & Heating

23

Unicorn Vets

PRINTING SERVICES Warwick Printing

2

12

WINDOWS & DOORS 26

PROPERTY MAINTENANCE

Blinded by the light?

SOLAR HEATING Solar Voltaics

OPTICIANS Hampson Opticians

Laundau Decorating Services

Britannia Windows

34

DTU Trade Windows

24

Brian Loades Builders

14

WINDOW REPAIRS

Different Strokes

33

Hampshire Window Surgeon

25

A good night’s sleep with Broadview Fed up with broken sleep because your room isn’t dark enough?

Kids waking up at the crack of dawn? Blackout blinds from Broadview are the answer. True Black Out means just that and Broadview has a range of roller cassette systems with side channels on offer that can challenge most window types and widths and don’t just ‘Dim Out’.

See their advert on page 25.

Unicorn Vets - Age sneaks up on animals too…

It’s difficult to spot early signs of ageing in your pet, particularly when you see them every day.

You may not realise your pet is ‘geriatric’ but, just like us, they are living longer due to advances in veterinary care and nutrition. Blood and urine testing can tell us if anything is wrong. Caught early, we may be able to slow down, or even temporarily halt, the progression of certain ageing processes. Unicorn Vets are currently offering ‘Wellness Screening’ for half price including an extended appointment for a full examination, blood and urine screening.

See their advert on page 12.

Wellness Screening is currently half price at Unicorn Vets

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Puzzle Page PICTOGRAMS Across 1 5 8 9 10 12 13 15 17 19 20 22 23

French castle (7) competed (5) Very alike (9) Poem (3) consumed (5) reects (7) Friendships (13) Immediate (7) In front (5) A pronoun (3) Emergency vehicle (9) concede (5) captivate (7)

down 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 11 13 14 16 18 21

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Illegal act (5) Beer (3) died out (7) Embarrassed (13) Person in power (5) Large reptile (9) Frocks (7) MagniďŹ es distant objects (9) Form of travel (7) Bright red (7) Prize (5) reside (5) And not (3)

S UDOKU

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1-9, with no repetition.

quick crossword

Local and Useful Numbers SCHOOLS TRANSPORT

Solent Blue Line Buses Bluestar Buses

023 8061 8233

Hospital Taxi

0845 602 4135

National Rail Helpline

0845 748 4950

Uni-Link

023 8059 5974

First Bus

0238 0224 854

023 8061 8233

MEDICAL SERVICES

NHS Direct NHS Blood Service Forest Gate Surgery

0845 4647 0845 7711711 023 8066 3839

345 Hampshire Dental Helpline 0845 0508 7222 023 8077 Southampton General 01962 863535 ty Coun Royal Winchester Royal South Hants

023 8063 4288

Princess Anne

023 8077 7222

Testvale Surgery Totton Dental Centre

023 8086 6990

Totton Health Centre

023 8086 5051

023 8087 1166

-8.00pm, Opening Hours: Monday & Tuesday 8.30am to Friday 8.30am-6.00pm (Closed Mondays 1pm to 2pm), Wednesday

LOCAL COUNCILS

Southampton City Hampshire County

023 8022 3855 01962 841841

5000 New Forest District Council 023 8028 3138 8086 023 cil Totton & Eling Town Coun CIVIL SERVICES Household Waste, SCC

Hampshire Constabulary Police non emergency

0800 5191919 0845 045 45 45 101 023 803 2603

Southampton Planning Trading Standards

01962 833620

DVLA

0870 2400009

JUnIOR & PRIMARY SCHOOLS 023 80863159 Abbotswood Junior Sch 8081 2173 023 Bartley C of E Jr Sch 023 8086 5994 Calmore Infant Sch 023 8086 5354 Calmore Junior Sch 023 8081 3340 t Infan Copythorne C of E 023 8086 2267 Eling Infant School 023 8029 2453 Foxhills Infant Sch Foxhills Junior Sch Hazel Wood Infant Sch

023 8029 2126 023 8066 6767

Lydlynch Infant Sch Oakfield Primary Sch

023 8086 3188 023 8086 2530

SECOnDARY SCHOOLS Applemore College Testwood Sports College Totton College

023 8084 8804 023 8086 2146 023 8087 4874

SPECIAL SCHOOLS Forest Park

023 8086 4949

MISCELLANEOUS 7683 Hangar Farms Arts Centre 023 8066 7929 8066 023 Testwood Lakes 08448 269686 Totton Citizen Advice EMERGENCY NUMBERS 023 8066 7683 Gas Emergencies 023 8066 7929 Wales : Southern Wales 86 Hampshire Fire & Rescue 08448 2696 023 8066 7683 British Transport Police 023 8066 7929 Childline 08448 269686 Crimestoppers

Samaritans Electric Power Cuts Floodline Domestic Violence

023 8066 7683 023 8066 7929 08448 269686 08448 269686

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