Palmers Green & Southgate LIFE Dec 2014

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Palmers Green

Southgate

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December 2014 Edition Issue 22

Charity at Christmas • Volunteering

Broomfield Park • Remembrance Service

Past Times • Lone Star

Image supplied by Geoffrey Ambridge: Lone Star Cowboy Steve Larrabee and 10 year old Christopher East who won “Be a Cowboy for a day” competition in August 1954, standing outside what is now Chris & Sons

welcome During November our team have been busy providing market appraisals and advice for those looking to put their homes onto the market in the coming months. House prices in our area appear to have stabilised and homes marketed at the right price are selling quickly as demand is still very high. If you are considering moving in the New Year please call us for a free no obligation valuation, you may be surprised to know how much your home is worth. Please join me in welcoming our two new members Kat Georgiou and Robert Hicks to our team.

On Tuesday 11th November I attended the World War 1 Remembrance Service at Broomfield Park. Thank you to Susan Younger from the Friends of Broomfield Park for her article covering the event on page 5. I would also like to thank Reg Hart, a local journalist, who was also in attendance at the service. Reg has kindly shared one of his stories with us on page 3, Lone Star & Father Christmas, we really hope you enjoy reading it.

Tony and Dan from the Creative Exchange

It was a pleasure once again for Anthony Webb to support the successful Designer Arts and Crafts Fair on Sunday 16th November at St Monica’s Parish Centre. The event was well supported by the community and gave local artists a unique opportunity to showcase their wares. Please see page 28 for more details.

Anthony Webb could also be found handing out free mince pies at the official “switching on” of the Palmers Green Christmas lights on Thursday 13th November. The children from Hazelwood School entertained the audience with traditional carols before MP David Burrowes turned on the lights. I look forward to Hazelwood Schools Christmas Bazaar on Sunday 7th December sponsored by Anthony Webb and wish them every success with their fundraising.

I feel passionately about supporting community events, schools and projects.

Our magazine extends a platform to local community groups to connect with local residents. In Steve Kelly’s article on page 13 you will find more information on local charities that are looking for volunteers this Christmas and Councillor Bambos Charalambous also looks at the important issue of loneliness at this time of year in his article on page 6.

Tony Ourris Director / Editor at Large tonyourris@anthonywebb.co.uk

Martin McKelvey Office Manager martin@anthonywebb.co.uk

Jonathan Hicks Senior Sales and Lettings Negotiator jonathan@anthonywebb.co.uk

Susan Babaie Senior Sales and Lettings Negotiator susan@anthonywebb.co.uk

Nick Fitzsimons Senior Sales and Lettings Negotiator nick@anthonywebb.co.uk

Panayiota Kyriakides Administrator

John Constantine Property Management lettings@anthonywebb.co.uk

Kat Georgiou Property Management lettings@anthonywebb.co.uk

Anthony Georgiou Administrator Assistant

Robert Hicks Administrator Assistant

The team at Anthony Webb wish you all a very happy festive season and a successful and healthy 2015.

Tony

Tony Ourris Director Anthony Webb Estate Agents

If you are interested in advertising a local service or business please get in touch or if you have a local story or article that you would like featured in our magazine please contact ellie@palmersgreenlife.co.uk

Ellie Sales Magazine Editor

Contents Lone Star & Father Christmas by Reg Hart .........3 FOR SALE – Belmont Avenue.............................4 Broomfield Park – Remembrance Service

by Susan Younger ...............................................5 Councillor's Corner

by Bambos Charalambous ..................................6 Parliamentary Comment

by David Burrowes..............................................6 FOR SALE – Connaught Gardens.......................7 Love Your Doorstep by Emma Rigby ...................8 Children's International Voices of Enfield

by Dr June Keyte .................................................8 FOR SALE – Crawford Gardens..........................9 FOR SALE – Green Lanes.................................10 Wealth Management by Jan Thompson ............11 St Monica’s School

by Michael Ross, Deputy Headteacher ..............12 Hazelwood School by Steve Kelly .....................12 Charity at Christmas time .................................13 Anthony Webb Testimonials..............................14

Security at Christmas by George Louca ............15 TO LET – Hazeltree Lodge ................................16 Baskervilles blog by Diane ................................17 Savour the Season by Christiana Lambrou....... 17 Jewel in the North by Susanne Beard ...............18 Fabulous Hair Company by Kiri .........................19 Christmas is almost here

by Alexia Charalambous ...................................19 CCS Nursery by Christiana Charalambous ........20 Advice from Local Family Law Specialists

by Martha Koumbas .........................................21 What’s on – Local Events..................................22 Talkies Community Cinema...............................22 Palmers Green Tales by Jenny Bourke ...............23 Drape Masters by Julia Sondack .......................24 Property Matters by Newman Webb .................25 Charity in the Community ‘Little Heroes’ ..........26 Your Legal Questions Answered by Fariz Uvais ...27 Creative Exchange Network .............................28

Anthony Webb supporting local schools, charities and local action groups to enrich our community

348 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, N13 5TJ

Lone Star and Father Christmas by local resident, and journalist Reg Hart reghart@hotmail.co.uk

Warning - this story is not intended for the little children of today. It exposes the place where, once upon a time, Father Christmas used to get some of his toys for the good little boys and girls that have now grown up to be fifty or more years of age.

I am not going to name a toy shop, a place near the North Pole nor some other far off mystery hide out. It was somewhere quite near to where I live that had some sort of code letters – DCMT. This was a factory not too far away from Southgate town hall that produced many toys that went into Santa’s sack and on Christmas morning were to put glows of happiness into children’s lives.

The build up to this story is like a fairy tale because a one man business that started off in a large lock up garage by the petrol filling station forecourt of ‘The Bridge Garage’, 122 Green Lanes [now a concourse used for second hand car sales] making parts for hand grenades in 1939, was to become one of the biggest toy manufacturers in the United Kingdom.

Aubrey Robert “Bob” Mills (pictured left) sold his first die casting machine for one hundred pounds and then took on partner Sidney James Ambridge to form the company DCMT being Die Casting Machine Tools Ltd. Die-casting is a process by which a material like molten zinc alloy is introduced into a mould.

The duo acquired an office above a nearby shop at 132 Green Lanes and in 1947 moved the factory into a building known as River Works, 152, Green Lanes right alongside the flowing New River.

They used various brand names but things really took off when they chose ‘Lone Star’ because of its connections with the wild west craze of the time and following a huge demand for their western cowboy products especially die cast metal toy pistols, rifles and cap guns. Many DCMT die cast toys and models had some plastic parts.

This was the time in my life when I was running around the streets of Palmers Green playing Cowboys and Indians with my mates and our Lone Star guns voicing “bang-bang you’re dead but you can become alive again in five minutes.”

Lone Star Gun

That was because we saw a cowboy shot in last weeks film at the cinema only for him [the same actor] to reappear alive and well in his next role.

Of course my cinema idol of the time – was the masked Lone Ranger [a role normally played by Clayton Moore] with his faithful North American Indian companion Tonto [Jay Silverheals].

As a promotional gimmick, DCMT had their own cowboy.

They sent staff member Roy Green (pictured left) out to California to “learn and perfect cowboy skills”. He then led the expensive Lone Star Roadshow in the early fifties under the name of Steve Larrabee.

These days there should be no place on the streets for guns, whether the real things, toys or replicas. But those ‘deadly weapons’ were only part of the company’s range of toys. They produced little model tractors, cars, vans, buses and toy soldiers depicting troops from around the world In 1959 the company brought out ‘Treble-OLectric’ trains competing against the established trade names ‘Hornby’ and ‘Triang’. But the arrival of the road racing ‘Scalectric’ caused a nose dive in the sale of toy trains. Other Lone Star products remained in great demand so an additional factory at Hatfield, Hertfordshire was purpose built and a company at Welham Green was also acquired. In New York City the DCMT Sales Corporation was established and other companies in the group included International Junior Aero Club, Eaglet Industries, Angelino Arts and, believe it or not, the Father Christmas Workshop.

Weekly I continued to pass by the Palmers Green factory. The small forecourt always had a couple

of the company’s vehicles being loaded up with boxes of their products either on their way to an airport for overseas sales or stockists the length and breadth of the British Isles.

But the time was to come when children wanted more sophisticated play things. In 1983 the group went into receivership but before then the Palmers Green factory had been sold off. In 1981 the premises were taken over by Chris and Sons a hairdressing and beauty products company.

They are still there today, but strolling by with the festive season approaching; I imagine seeing vans being loaded up with toys rather than cosmetics.

The Lone Star range of toys is far from being forgotten. Many, in mint condition, together with their original packaging are collector’s items.

There have been various exhibitions with hundreds of sample products on display. Local events have been held at Whitewebbs Museum of Transport.

I would love to hear from any readers that worked at the Green Lanes factory. I am sure that they would have a lot to add to my story.

Meanwhile, I am up into my loft to play with my dusty toys.

Happy Christmas everybody: and keep up the good work Santa for all of us still young at heart.

“Bang Bang”

Die Cast Toys

© Hans Hammarskiold

On the last Sunday of each September an annual Lone Star toy and model collector's exhibition is held at Whitewebbs Museum of Transport www.whitewebbsmuseum.co.uk Whitewebbs Road, Enfield, En2 9HW For more information on Lone Star please visit www.lone-star-diecast-bk.com/book.html Thank you to John Hough for his assistance in re-touching our front cover image

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Friends of Broomfield Park The Centenary Remembrance Service held on Armistice Day in Broomfield Park

by Susan Younger

On November 11th around 200 people gathered together at the war memorial in Broomfield Park with groups of children from Hazelwood and Bowes primary schools and Broomfield Secondary School for a service to commemorate the lives lost by those who served in the First World War (and later wars).

History of the Armistice Day service in Broomfield Park The first Armistice Day service in Broomfield Park took place in 1929 after the erection of the Garden of Remembrance and its war memorial. The original World War 1 memorial was composed of 4 plaques listing 525 names of local men in the armed forces who died fighting in World War 1 and a cairn of stones was built with the inscription ‘Each stone represents a life laid down’. After the Second World War the memorial was extended to include those men and women who died in that war (two large outer plaques which list 573 names of both civilians and armed forces) and the annual Armistice Day service continued to be held until the end of the century. However, the service had lapsed by the start of the 21st century. When the Friends of Broomfield Park were formed in 2008 it was decided to reinstate the service and Derek Honnor and Henrietta Burton from the Friends group made the arrangements for the first service.

The Centenary Armistice Day Service The Rev. Hazel Miall from Christ Church, Southgate conducted the service this year and began by explaining that it was intended for people of all faiths as well as those with no faith. It took the form of a Christian service as that was how it would have originally been

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conducted and was appropriate in this centenary year (and 75th anniversary of the opening of the Garden of Remembrance).

During the service poems of remembrance were read out by: • Charlie Gavriel from Broomfield School who composed his own poem ‘It’s hard, I can’t see’. He was chosen as a representative of his school who visited the battlefields in Flanders last year and brought back soil for the new memorial garden at Wellington Barracks which was opened by the Queen.

• Derek Honnor and Roger Blows who read ‘Naming of Parts’ by Henry Read.

• Tony Elliott and Freddie Burton (aged 7, from Hazelwood School) read the famous excerpt ‘They shall grow not old….. we will remember them’ from For the Fallen by Lawrence Binyon.

• The Kohima Epitaph ‘When you go home tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow we gave our today.’ was read out by the President of the British Legion.

Laying of wreaths After the two minutes silence a bugler played the ‘Last Post’ and wreaths were laid at the base of the cairn. The Mayor of Enfield, Cllr Ali Bakir, David Burrowes, MP for Enfield

Southgate, The British Legion and the Friends of Broomfield Park laid wreaths as did children from Bowes, Broomfield and Hazelwood schools.

The service began and ended with a medley of songs dating from the time of the First World War sung by the three classes of Year 6 children from Hazelwood School accompanied by their music teacher, Cathy Halpern.

At the end of the service David Burrowes thanked everyone for attending and, in particular, Henrietta and Tim Burton for organising the event and arranging the sound system respectively. Tony Elliott also thanked the gardening staff in the park for their hard work maintaining the Garden to a high standard.

Finally, everyone was invited to visit the new Palmers Greenery café which was selling ‘wartime’ cakes, raising £200 for the British Legion. I can recommend the ‘trench’ cake which, although I had been slightly worried about what its ingredients might be, tasted delicious. The Conservatory was also opened after the service so that everyone could get warm and look at the wonderful array of plants. This year the Conservatory has been awarded a bronze medal in the Enfield in Bloom competition.

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Councillorʼs Corner by Cllr. Bambos Charalambous Tackling Loneliness this Christmas Cllr.bambos.charalambous@enfield.gov.uk Tel: 020 8351 1362 The festive period is always a special time for many people as they take advantage of the extended few days holiday to spend time together with family, friends and loved ones. But having just watched a Christmas television advert by a major retail chain store featuring a cute but lonely penguin I was reminded of the fact that for some people it is a time of sadness and loneliness.

It’s very easy to under estimate the effects of loneliness but some health studies have compared it to being the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes a day. There are also huge issues concerning isolation and depression brought on by loneliness too.

At the last Census Enfield had 12,108 adults over 65 recorded as living alone and nationally for people aged over 75 the figure is above 50%. A recent report (The Emerging Crisis For Older Men) published jointly by Independent Age and the International Longevity Centre predicts that by 2030 there will be over 1.5 million men over 50

years of age living alone in the UK. The study further suggests that loneliness affects more older men than women because women tend to spend more time with their children as they get older whereas with older men it tends to be much less.

The stark reality of loneliness was brought home to me some years ago, on Christmas day 1996 to be precise, which I had the misfortune of spending in hospital at St Mary’s in Paddington.

On that Christmas day I was lucky enough to have friends and family visit but it was noticeable that other patients on the ward had no one. It then struck me that even though those patients were at their most vulnerable, some having had major surgery, that on such a significant day of the year that there was no one there coming to see them, to take an interest in them, to comfort and listen to them, to share their hopes and fears and bring them news of friends and family. The late Mother Theresa expressed it perfectly when she said “The most terrible poverty is loneliness

and the feeling of being unloved”.

There are a number of charities and campaigns that are attempting to tackle loneliness in older people including the ‘Campaign to End Loneliness’ and we are lucky to have the Ruth Winston Centre in Palmers Green that provides so many wonderful activities for the over 50’s ranging from scrabble, Italian conversation and knitting right up to zumba and yoga classes.

Enfield’s over 50’s forum also provides a number of social events for older people too.

We also have a role to play especially at this time of year as we reflect and remember others whether via sending Christmas cards, phoning people we haven’t spoken to for a while or else buying presents. Perhaps we should also try to remember our neighbours who may be living alone in our street and whom we may not have spoken to in a while. You could be making a big difference just be spending a little time with them; after all, isn’t this time of year about giving?

Parliamentary Comment by David Burrowes MP Community Asset Register Keeping the public informed of local development plans david@davidburrowes.com Constituency: 020 8360 0234 What buildings or land do we value in our local area? Maybe it's the park or library or perhaps a pub. The problem comes when there are plans to sell and the public are the last to hear about it usually only when a planning application has been submitted. Under the Localism Act 2011 there is a 'community asset register' which allows groups like residents associations to apply to the Council for a building or land to be registered.

You will probably not have heard about this register because until I prompted Enfield Council last year there was no process published on their website. In fact there are no community assets registered across the whole borough. This needs to change so that the community is told first about the sale of much loved buildings or land, and has a right to bid. It does not need to be owned by the council but can't be a residential property. You just need to demonstrate that the land or building is much loved by the community

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www.davidburrowes.com Westminster: 020 7219 5414

and has a social value. Once the asset is registered the nominating group will be notified as soon as there is a plan to sell. Residents would then have 6 months to come up with an alternative plan.

Already ideas are coming forward such as The Palmers Green Triangle , the Minchenden site at Southgate College and The Fox Pub. Let me know which you think should be registered as community assets.

Another valued community asset is of course our local hospital. I saw that for myself when last month I had a planned operation to my hand at North Mid. I had a similar operation 7 years ago but the hospital has now been transformed through the new building. Where orthopaedics was previously in a portacabin it's now in modern facilities.

Chase Farm Hospital can also now look to a brighter future with the redevelopment due to start in January. £29 million of the £120 million is being spent from next month to get all existing services in modern buildings. There will also be a new school and housing on the surplus land, with the proceeds of sale being ploughed back into the hospital and primary care. After years of empty promises, it's good that due to our long term economic plan the Government has been able to invest in both our Enfield hospitals to secure their future.

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Love Your DoorStep by Emma Rigby LYDS Ball in aid of Art Smart www.loveyourdoorstep.co.uk

Visit us on facebook

Christmas is fast approaching and everyone is getting in the party mood – including Love Your Doorstep!

This year’s annual Charity Ball was held at Capel Manor in aid of Art Start. Art Start is a local charity situated in a listed building in Edmonton, which has been delivering community arts projects to children and young people for over 15 years. It provides a wide variety of activities in all forms of art, and Debbie Dean, the founder, is still responsible for the day to day running of Art Start.

I would like to pay special thanks to Tia Talula photographer, The Estrella Trio, Platinum Performing Arts, Capel Manor and Paul Everitt for making the night so special!

Art Start members beautifully decorated the ball marquee and they transformed it into a magical winter wonderland. Each table had a unique centrepiece and every chair was decorated with a different wreath. Everything made by Art Start was for sale after the event.

An ever-flowing drinks reception awaited the guests as they arrived and, upon entering the marquee a marvellous choir sang. Just before everyone took

their seats and dinner was served, the charismatic MC, Mr Paul Everitt, of Millfield Theatre and the Dugdale fame opened the ball and introduced a group of dancers to start off the evening’s entertainment. While a delicious three-course meal was served, Paul returned to the floor to introduce the Estrellas, a female trio that sang songs of the 60's in their stunning red sparkling full-length dresses.

The extensive list of raffle prizes, which had so generously been donated by various LYDS business members, was incredible. There was something suitable for everyone and all proceeds went to Art Start. To date we have raised nearly £2,000.

After the raffle Paul introduced George Michael (aka

Rob Lamberti), much to everyone’s delight. The dance floor was immediately full, as everyone danced and sang along! After a couple of encores, ‘George’ left the stage and the Estrellas were back.

They sang and the guests danced on, no one wanted the evening to end. There was an amazing atmosphere throughout the whole evening. A thoroughly enjoyable evening for a fantastic cause.

Before we all start going out to do our Christmas shopping, let me remind you once more of Shop Local Saturday, 6th December. It will be helpful to you to get to know your local shopkeepers, and at the same time it will help local retailers and the local economy. Merry Christmas! We’ll be back next year!

Childrenʼs International Voices of Enfield

by Dr. June Keyte Registered Charity Number - 1158828

Six Choirs for Children & Young People ages 4 – 24 www.childrensinternationalvoices.co.uk Our Patron Dr John Rutter CBE Dr. June Keyte MBE founded Children’s International Voices of Enfield some 23 years ago with just 8 or 9 singers aged 8-10. We now we have over 100 choristers as well as 25 who have all graduated in Music at University or Conservatoire or are current undergraduates! Our children and young people, aged 4 to 24+ represent over 45 different Nations. We rehearse fortnightly on a Sunday afternoon in the Burford Centre, of the Palmers Green United Reformed Church, Fox Lane, N13 4AL. There is no audition and if you love singing please give us a call on 020 8882 7404 to tell us a little about yourself and find out the times our 6 different choirs rehearse.

We have made 10 CDs, with a further recording planned this Christmas of our RutterFest Music which we will be performing in our Christmas concerts. Dr. John Rutter CBE, the internationally renowned Composer, is the Patron of our choir. He has kindly agreed again to donate his time, expertise and recording equipment to produce this CD. What a wonderful opportunity for our choristers to work with such an eminent composer!

We have toured abroad to the Czech Republic, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Wales, Switzerland, Italy and Germany.

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We are currently planning our next tour to Norway which we hope will take place in the Autumn of 2015.

Every alternate year, we have a Residential Weekend at the Pro Corda Centre at Leiston Abbey, a beautiful, specialist Music Centre in Suffolk. On many occasions we study the works of a single composer, including, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies CH CBE, Dr John Rutter CBE and Alexander L’ Estrange. We have prepared works by Benjamin Britten in honour of the 100th Anniversary year of his Birth. We returned in May 2014 for the most wonderful Study Weekend with specialist singing classes by Vetta Wise from Cape Town. Our concert on the Sunday afternoon was in aid of St. Elizabeth’s Hospice based in Suffolk.

On Christmas Day 2011 and 2012 we sang, at the invitation of Dr. John Rutter CBE, in his BBC 2 Television Programme “A Musical Nativity with John Rutter”. We recorded in the beautiful 16th Century Dorchester Abbey near Oxford with the International Canadian Baritone Soloist Gerald Finley and the young professional Aurora Orchestra of London.

In January 2014 we were invited to sing the World Premier of Give me Wings, a work written by Dr. John Rutter for the Education World Forum held in

Dr. John Rutter CBE conducting the World Premiere of Give me Wings

Westminster Central Hall, London. The then Minister of Education Mr. Michael Gove spoke enthusiastically about Children’s International Voices of Enfield...

‘May I first of all thank both John Rutter and the Young Enfield Singers from whom we heard just a few moments ago; it was an inspirational few minutes’ he went on to say ‘I hope that over the course of the next few days, the image and the sound of those young people, working together, to produce something beautiful, will inspire us to ensure we live up to the high standards that they, as children, have set for us as adults.’

Join us at our 2014 Christmas Concert – RutterFest Saturday 6th December at 7pm & Sunday 7th December at 3pm and 7pm The Dugdale Theatre 39 London Road, Enfield Tickets 020 8807 6680 Adults £12 Children £5

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Flexible friends

by Jan Thompson Contact Jan on 07568 321207 or email jan.thompson@sjpp.co.uk www.jananthompsonwealthmanagment.co.uk Jan Thompson Partner of St James’s Place Wealth Management, is based locally and is inviting local residents to discover the simple yet highly effective steps you can take to preserve and protect your wealth. Preserving and protecting your wealth surgeries are being held locally by appointment on 7th & 8th January 2015 from 10-5pm. All surgeries last appox 40mins and are held in the strictest confidence and without obligation.

Chancellor George Osborne sprung a welcome surprise on investors and savers in his Budget in March, with the most far-reaching changes to the tax-free Individual Savings Accounts (ISA) since its launch in 1999. From 1 July, the ISA annual allowance was raised to £15,000 and the previous restrictions on cash holdings within the tax-free wrapper were lifted.

The new rules coincide with the biggest review of the pension system since 1908, when the reforming Liberal government of the day laid down legislation to help to provide for Britons in old age. More than 100 years later, the Coalition is championing individual investors who wish to plan for long-term wealth and retirement, with choice and flexibility the watchwords of their 21st-century reforms.

The changes in the Chancellor’s ‘Budget for savers’ make ISAs look even more attractive for the 2014/15 tax year and beyond - and confirm their central place in Britain’s increasingly liberalised personal finance landscape. The new ISA allowance represents an increase of more than a quarter from the £11,880 limit introduced at the start of the tax year in April. Whether an individual has invested the previous maximum in this tax year and now can put away a further £3,120 or now has £15,000 to shelter from further tax, the new rules represent a sizeable increase in the individual tax-efficient saving allowance by any measure. For couples, the Budget changes present the opportunity to pool as much as £30,000 in ISA wrappers in this tax year – a tidy sum to set aside towards a couple’s long-term financial plan.

From the start of July, the old limit on the amount of cash that could be deposited in an ISA each year – which in April was £5,940 – has been scrapped, and the new limit of £15,000 applies to both cash and stocks and shares holdings.

Essentially, ISA savings can now be held in any combination of stocks and shares or cash that an individual wishes, offering choice and flexibility to build a portfolio and to reflect people’s differing, and changing, appetites for risk.

Although new subscriptions from the beginning of July can be split in any proportion between Cash and Stocks & Shares ISAs, individuals will still only be able to pay into a maximum of one Cash ISA and one Stocks & Shares ISA each year.

The fundamental benefits of the ISA as a vehicle to create future wealth have received a longoverdue boost from the changes. Rightly, the government believes the rise in the allowance and its decision to scrap the cash limits will make

the system neater and less confusing.

Whether an individual wants to build an investment portfolio for retirement, to pay for school or university fees for children or grandchildren, to cover the cost of care for elderly parents or relations, or for other financial goals, the rule changes have added to the flexibility of ISAs and will further enhance their popularity among British investors and savers.

Since the Budget announcement, public attention has focused on the increase in the amount of cash that can be held in an ISA. Certainly the new £15,000 allowance and rule changes mean an increase of two and half times in the amount of cash that can now be held in an ISA. However, as Britain’s long-suffering savers are all too aware, cash deposits have offered dire returns over the five years that the Bank of England has held the base rate at 0.5%. Although Mark Carney, the Bank’s governor, indicated at his recent Mansion House speech that rate rises could happen “sooner than markets expect” – which, for now, has been broadly translated to mean this year rather than next – he has emphasised that any increases will be “gradual and limited”.

The reality of a slow and incremental increase in the base rate is that returns from cash deposits are likely to remain negligible. Since the start of the new tax year, Britain’s lenders have been locked in a competitive spiral of rate cuts that have squeezed deposits even further, to stem a rush into their best-buy products. Furthermore, the present level of returns on the majority of cash savings is not sufficient to protect their value from inflation. Barely half of the Cash ISAs on the market currently achieve this goal (source: Moneyfacts – June 2014); not what savers might expect from the most tax-advantaged home for their cash.

effectively re-fitted the Stocks & Shares ISA into an even more versatile investment vehicle, providing individuals with a safer haven to ease concerns about short-term market volatility.

Certainly, the previous restriction on the ability to shift money out of investments and into cash was a disincentive to lock into the potentially higher long-term returns offered by the stocks and shares element of ISAs. But savers who shied away from Stocks & Shares ISAs can now take advantage of exposure to stock market returns, and the potential to maximise the long-term benefits of the allowance by utilising all of the tax reliefs on offer, in the knowledge they have the freedom to transfer at any point.

Alongside the changes to UK pensions from April 2015, the new ISA rules broaden the planning opportunities available for Britain’s savers and investors. Admirably, the coalition government has reinforced flexibility and choice for ISA investors and savers; although the giveaway comes at little initial cost to the Treasury in the run up to the 2015 general election, as the parlous returns from Cash ISAs mean the tax savings are marginal. Cleverly, long-suffering cash savers have been appeased without, for now, the prospect of any real gain as interest rates linger at sub-inflation levels. The July changes will give many a welcome opportunity to top up their taxadvantaged investments, or reconsider how they put aside money for the creation of long-term wealth.

Remember that the favourable tax treatment given to ISAs is subject to changes in legislation and many not be maintained in future.

However, the new flexibility to hold cash has

To receive a complimentary guide covering wealth management, retirement planning or Inheritance Tax planning, produced by St. James’s Place Wealth Management, contact Jan Thompson of St. James’s Place Wealth Management on 07568 321207 or email jan.thompson@sjpp.co.uk

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St Monica's Catholic Primary School Celebrates its 60th Birthday

by Michael Ross, Deputy Headteacher St Monica's Catholic Primary School Cannon Road, Southgate, N14 7HE heard from the Cardinal how important it was to continue to welcome Jesus into their hearts. After Mass, invited guests and staff were joined by the Cardinal for afternoon tea and representatives from the school’s past 60 years were able to share their experiences and memories of St Monica’s School.

On Wednesday 17th September, Cardinal Vincent Nichols visited St. Monica’s Catholic Primary School, Southgate to celebrate Mass, as part of the school’s 60th anniversary festivities. Mass was concelebrated

by Canon Shaun Lennard (Parish Priest), Fr Paulo Bagini, Fr Andrew Gallagher, Fr Philip Dyer-Perry, Fr John O’Leary and Fr John Moffat sj, nephew of the school’s first Head Teacher. As well as the current and fourth Head teacher Mrs Baptiste, the school's previous Head, Ted Getley, was represented by his wife and son. Amongst invited guests, including governors and past staff, was Bernard Moger who was part of the Knight of St Columba committee who were instrumental in getting the council to agree to build the school and Pat Bolger, the school’s first pupil.

Children from Year 1 to 6 were at the Mass and

Festivities continued with an open day on Saturday 27th September, 1-4pm. Lots of visitors with a past connection to the school, parishioners and local residents had the opportunity to look around and see how much has changed over the years. There was a great deal of conversation between past pupils of different eras, comparing memories and adventures. Many visitors were surprised by how much building work had taken place to develop the school premises, both inside and out, and some past pupils were jealous of the playground facilities that the current pupils have in comparison to their time.

One of the most popular visitors on the day was Mrs Matthews (nee Borrett), who was Head teacher from 1971 to 1995. Lots of past pupils were delighted to be able to say hello and pose for a photo.

School staff were on hand to demonstrate some of the current activities that children enjoy as part of their school day. There was a dance class in the Infant Hall, computing activities in the ICT suite,

painting, musical instruments and dressing up in various classrooms.

What came across to many who visited was that despite a number of changes in lay-out and decoration, the same warm, friendly and caring ethos was clearly evident in and around the school building. This was further supported by the generosity of visitors as the school provided drinks and cakes in return for a donation to Macmillan. The cakes had been donated by current families at the school and the school was able to raise over £1000.

Thursday 13th November marked the official 60th birthday of the school. To celebrate the occasion, the school organised a balloon launch, raising over £400 for Macmillan. A prize was on offer for both the sponsor and the finder of the balloon that travels the furthest. Everyone is waiting to see if their balloon is the one that keeps on flying.

“It is very exciting to be celebrating our 60th year and we have thoroughly enjoyed these two special events. We have lots more activities planned for the children to enjoy,” said Mrs Baptiste, the current Head teacher. “I am really proud to be part of this special community and look forward to many more successful years.”

Hazelwood School and the lead up to Christmas

By Steve Kelly & Nathalie Muller Joint PTA Chairs at Hazelwood School Primary School Hazelwood Lane, Palmers Green, London, N13 5HE Our next community event is our Christmas Bazaar on Sunday 7th December, 12-4pm. Please join us for what promises to be an action packed afternoon.

Visit Father Christmas in his Grotto, dare to ride our 30 foot toboggan slide, or play one of our many festive games. A great selection of hot food will be available and why not try our homemade Mulled Wine or Guinness Rum Punch. All proceeds from the event go directly to Hazelwood School.

Festivities have already started at Hazelwood School leading up to our Christmas Bazaar on Sunday 7th December. Our School choir attended the recent ‘switching on’ of the Palmers Green Christmas lights and despite the cold weather the children sang Christmas carols before the lights were officially switched on by local MP David Burrowes. In the same week 90 of our year 6 children were invited to attend the World War 1 Remembrance Service in Broomfield Park. The children entertained the crowds singing poignant songs and playing their musical instruments before laying a wreath.

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We would like to thank the community for its support, local business for their kind donations, Starbucks, Yasar Halim and Papa Johns for their continued support. A special thank you to Anthony Webb for sponsoring this event, their contribution to our fundraising effort throughout the year is appreciated by all.

The climax to our year is our popular school panto “The Lion, The Witch and the flat packed wardrobe” for more information on tickets please e-mail hpsa@hotmail.co.uk Don’t forget if your child was 4 before 31st August 2014 you need to apply for your reception place by 15th January 2015. Application can be made online here www.eadmissions.org.uk. Good luck!

92 Aldermans Hill, Palmers Green, N13 4PP

Volunteering locally this festive season

by Steve Kelly When people talk about where to live the phrase location, location, location is commonly used. The one thing I truly like about the location I live (Southgate and Palmers Green) is the sense of community with so many people willing to give up their time and energy to make this a great area for people to enjoy their lives.

For example my youngest child attends a playgroup twice a week that is run solely by volunteers with all the profits going to support local charities. His older brother goes to Hazelwood School, which is amazingly supported by parents of the school who run fundraising events, activity clubs, escort the children on trips and keep the gardens maintained. Our area is spoilt for choice by the parks and we spend a lot of time on facilities supported by volunteers in Friends’ Groups at Arnos, Hazelwood, Grovelands and Broomfield parks.

However, I have also benefited from more profound activities in our area. My daughter was born with a life threatening medical condition that meant we became her carers 24 hours a day. We were and still are, after her death, supported by our local children’s hospice Noah’s Ark. They run a volunteer network that supports families on days out and more importantly for us they came into our home on a regular basis and provided assistance with keeping my son busy so I could focus more on my daughter’s health needs at more difficult times. The volunteers were all local people who felt they had an hour a week or more to offer from their lives that could significantly add more to someone else’s life.

We are always indebted to these volunteers and champion their participation.

As a result I have felt more open to volunteering myself

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and one day my neighbour let me know of a voluntary organisation he helps run that tries to support the elderly in the community called Operation Fish.

Recently I was asked by them if I had an hour or two a week I could spare to take a chair bound person for a walk as they have been housebound for a year with illness and a lack of support in order to have someone push them in their chair. I firstly checked I could commit to the time and when I found I could I took the opportunity and have sincerely enjoyed being able to help in the small way that I can because, as someone who enjoys being out and about, I can only hope someday someone would return the act for me.

As Christmas and the end of the year approaches we all in different ways take time to reflect on ourselves and those around us. And so I asked Anthony Webb who themselves are a key supporter of community activities in our area if I could write an article on what volunteering opportunities are available to you in your local area particularly at this time of year.

• St Monica’s Church are facilitating a homeless shelter in partnership with a local charity called All People All Places 020 8001 9207 www.allpeopleallplaces.org • North Enfield Foodbank need donations, stock

sorted and distributed 020 8804 0990 www.northenfield.foodbank.org.uk • Ruth Winston Centre, a community space for the over 50’s need to cover eg. office duties, DIY, gardening, cooking 020 8886 5346 www.ruthwinstoncentre.com • Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice need help on fair stalls, Asda bag packing, collecting at carol services 020 8449 8877 www.noahsarkhospice.org.uk • Operation Fish support the elderly in our area with the provision of for example lifts to the doctor, the shop or befriending 020 8881 1831 • Casserole Club shares extra portions of home cooked food with others in your area who are not able to cook for themselves www.casseroleclub.com If these opportunities are not the ones you are after or it’s not the right time please visit www.do-it.org.uk where you can search for volunteering opportunities by your interest or area. If you have a child at school, helping out in the PTA can also be a great way to start.

Good luck it’s a rewarding experience for all involved

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Anthony Webb’s Testimonials

We strive for the highest standards and the happiest clients, hear what they have to say about us!

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348 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, N13 5TJ

Top Tips to Beat the Burglar this Christmas & New Year

by George Louca at The Master Locksmith 132 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, London, N13 5UN 020 8886 6546 www.themasterlocksmith.com The weeks leading up to Christmas are the biggest shopping weeks of the year and for many retailers often accounts for 70% of their annual revenue. Stocking our homes with the latest electronic gadgets, computers, i-pads, jewellery and must-have accessories is commonplace, unfortunately though it provides thieves with the perfect incentive to commit burglaries.

Deterring would-be criminals is one of the most effective forms of crime prevention. Invest in a motion sensor flood-light or even some outdoor Christmas lights to highlight your home's exterior. This will hopefully make approaching your home too conspicuous for a burglar.

• Festive lighting - be secure. A common mistake of many festive decorators is to feed extension cables through partially open windows, criminals know to look for this vulnerability. When it comes to outdoor lighting, opt for solar or battery operated lights or install outdoor electrical outlets.

• Dispose of gift packaging carefully. Refuse collections over the Christmas and New Year period are normally at different times. If you can't take packaging to a recycling point, make sure you only put your rubbish out just before the collection and do your best to break apart boxes so that they do not advertise your new contents of your home to thieves!

• Be careful not to advertise your home to burglars on social media! According to one recent study, social media is a commonly used tool for scouting potential targets. Social media savvy families have a tendency to publish their whereabouts during the holiday season, including any

vacation plans. This lets burglars know when your house is going to be empty. Uploaded photos of pricey Christmas gifts can also be a problem as it basically allows burglars to go shopping just by viewing your Facebook profile.

• Check doors and windows for weak spots. Government statistics show that 30% of burglaries happen through windows. Installing a few dead-bolts and new window locks could increase the security of your home..

• Keep your curtains, drapes and window blinds closed at night, making sure valuable items are out of sight.

When going out for the evening make use of inexpensive timers to give the illusion of occupancy.

• Away over Christmas? - plan ahead. If you're going away at Christmas be sure to cancel any newspaper or milk subscriptions. Arrange for a neighbour to park on the driveway to help create the impression someone is home. Do not to leave descriptive telephone answering machine messages and again make use of light timers.

• Secure garages & sheds. Make sure that garden tools or ladders that could be used to force entry into your home are not left lying around or accessible from an unlocked garden

shed. Garages are often targets for burglars looking for tools, bikes and gardening equipment - make sure your garage is secure and your possessions are secured too in the case of bikes and tools.

• Don't hide keys outside & use alarms if you have them.

Burglars know to look for hidden door keys so don't hide spare keys under rocks, in flowerpots, or above door ledges.

Instead give the spare key to family or trusted neighbour.

Many houses these days have alarms, many though are rarely set, make sure yours is on and protecting your home.

• Car keys. Keep your car keys in a draw or cupboard away from your front door and away from windows. Car theft is on the rise and keys left visible during the night are perfect for thieves to get their hands on your keys and drive away with your car. Very often keys are fished out through letter boxes. Letter box protection plates are a simple but very effective security upgrade.

We hope this advice helps keep your home safe this time of year and if anyone would like some more information or prices to upgrade the security please get in touch. We have a great range of products and locks. We also offer a professional and affordable fitting service.

The Master Locksmith also provides 24 hour locksmith Services, Key cutting, Lock Upgrades, Car Key & Remote Programming, Van Security, and household safes. We are specialists in car keys, if you are considering buying a spare key for your car try us first for the best possible price.

We beat all main dealer prices often up to 50% cheaper and most keys we have in stock for a same day service.

Please visit our website for more information on how we can help you and the services we offer www.themasterlocksmith.com

Christmas Give Away Spot 7 differences for your chance to win a Nikon Coolpix Camera.

Please post your entry back to either of our offices by January 6th and the winner will be drawn on Wednesday 7th January.

Camera model may vary from image shown

Name ........................................... .....................................................

Age (Optional).................................

Address ....................................... ..................................................... ..................................................... .....................................................

Contact No...................................

Good Luck and Happy Christmas!

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LE T TO

O

ffered to let is this stunning, two double bedroom apartment located on the ground floor of this modern purpose built block. The property is five minutes' walk to Palmers Green's shops, restaurants and mainline station (Moorgate). Benefits include a spacious living/dining room with real wood flooring, a fitted kitchen with integrated appliances and granite work surfaces, a contemporary bathroom with a Jacuzzi bath, a modern en-suite shower room, a private terrace, double glazing, communal gardens, a secure gated parking space and video entry phone system. The apartment is offered unfurnished and is available from 6th December 2014.

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Hazeltree Lodge Palmers Green, N13 2 bedrooms, kichen, living room bathroom, shower room

ÂŁ1,400 per month

92 Aldermans Hill, Palmers Green, N13 4PP

Baskervilles Tea Shop Blog

by Diane Baskervilles Tea Shop, 66 Aldermans Hill, N13 4PP 020 8351 1673 baskervillesteashop@gmail.com www.baskervillesteashop.co.uk Mon-Sat 9.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Sundays and Bank Holidays 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.

Gingerbread Gingerbread is a seasonal speciality and I remember eating it as a child at Christmas. The word gingerbread covers a whole variety of recipes using ginger from the rich dark cake to ginger biscuits used for making the traditional gingerbread man, and woman. For Christmas however it has got to be this rich, sticky cake recipe made with syrup and treacle. This is a recipe I have been using for many years however I have doubled the amount of ginger to give it that extra punch. You can also replace the golden syrup with runny honey to give the flavour extra depth.

This recipe makes about 15 pieces and the cake is best if left for a couple of days wrapped in greaseproof paper and foil. It will keep for a couple of weeks – right through to New Year.

Ingredients:

1. Grease & line a 30 x 23 cm tin.

• • • • • • • • •

2. Put the flour, ginger and bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl. Heat the margarine, sugar, syrup, and treacle in a saucepan until it has melted and the sugar has dissolved.

275g plain flour 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 100g margarine 225g golden syrup 100g black treacle 100g soft brown sugar 4 tsp ground ginger 2 eggs beaten 150ml hot water

3. Pour the mixture into a well in the centre of the dry mixture and mix well.

4. Add the eggs and hot water and mix until you have a smooth batter and pour into the prepared tin.

5. Bake at 180°C for 45 minutes until the cake springs back when pressed with the fingers.

Correction in November's magazine: The Chocolate Tiffin recipe should have read 400g ginger nut biscuits.

Savour the Season

by Christiana Lambrou

A Family Favourite – Coconut Cake Coming from a large family we always enjoy meeting up for a BBQ during the weekends and, being the baker in family, I am the one always designated to bring the cakes. I have always had a passion for baking from a young age, always the girl looking in the cake shop windows admiring the beautiful patisseries hoping that, one day, I could make them myself. I was taught how to make this cake by my mother, who made it for my family. As there were 6 brothers and sisters, cakes didn't last very long in our house. It was when my brother asked recently if I knew a good recipe for a coconut cake that I remembered this cake from my childhood days. I am now sweet talked into making it most Sundays for the whole family to enjoy. It’s a great cake to cook over the festive season as it’s a light sponge, not too heavy after a big meal, there is a touch of syrup which keeps the cake nice and moist, and it tastes even better the next day with a cup of tea.

INGREDIENTS Syrup • 2 glasses of water • 1 glass of sugar • 1 tablespoon of rose water • 1/4 of a Cinnamon stick (optional)

Cake Mix • 4 medium size eggs • 1 glass of sugar • 1 tsp of vanilla extract/ or vanilla sugar • 1 glass of sunflower oil • 1 glass of milk • 1 200g packet of desiccated Coconut (reserve a table spoon for decoration) • 2 glasses and 2 tablespoons of self raising flour • 2 tsp of baking powder This is a 1 cup recipe the good thing about this cake is that there is no need for measuring , I would recommend you use a medium size glass for all the ingredients, as long as you use the same glass you can't go wrong.

Method Start by making the syrup first as once the cake is cooked you need to add cold syrup to a hot cake. Put all the ingredients in a saucepan apart from the rose water and bring to the boil, once boiling leave for another 10 minutes then switch off. Add the rose water and allow to cool.

Then in another bowl beat the eggs for 4 minutes with a electric mixer until they become pale in colour.

Add a glass of sugar and continue to beat for another 2 mins. Then followed with the oil and beat for a further 2 minutes, then add the milk, then the coconut. Continue to beat for another 2 minutes, add the flour, once combined switch off the mixer and fold in with a metal spoon your baking powder. Oil your cake tin so that the mixture doesn't stick when you are baking the cake.

As seen in the picture I used a bundt tin, or you can use a standard 12 inch cake tin.

Pour the cake mix into the oiled tin and bake in a preheat over glass mark 5 / 180C. Bake in centre of oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or once it has reached a golden brown colour.

Take out of the oven and pour the cold syrup evenly over the hot cake, then to finish sprinkle with the remaining coconut.

Allow to cool before removing from the tin.

Do you have a family recipe to share? Please contact us at ellie@palmersgreenlife.co.uk

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How the ghost of Geoffrey de Mandeville was de-moated Suzanne Beard of Palmers Green Jewel in the North uncovers Christmas tale of spooky goings on in the woods

tasteful opulence. Before many months had passed, Sassoon’s team had started to dig.

If you are thinking of a winter’s Sunday walk, you could do worse than spend a few moments on the tube to Cockfosters, and take a wander around the beautiful undulating and Repton designed grounds of Trent Park, once part of the Royal Hunting Forests of Enfield Chase. Head past the café on the path that goes north of the lake and you will eventually come to the mysterious green waters of Camlet Moat, a scheduled ancient monument.

It may be centuries old but the C shaped enclosure, full of ancient trees, has a kind of unknowable life of its own, with letters carved into trees, charms and tokens wedged and tied into the branches, and tinsel and streamers laid over the limbs of the ancient trees. Druids say that it’s a spiritual place, where one can experience the earth’s energy. It’s certainly eerie as the low winter sun slowly sinks and the shadows grow longer, a place where anything might happen.

But our story begins, not in Enfield, but in Egypt in 1923 when manicured socialite Sir Philip Sassoon was invited

by Lord Carnarvon and Harold Carter to witness the opening of the tomb of Tutankhamun. Returning home, unaffected by the famous curse of King Tut but excited by the prospect of hidden treasure, Sassoon’s thoughts turned to the ancient monument on his own property, Trent Park, where he regularly entertained the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Rex Whistler, and George Bernard Shaw in

Camlet had for some centuries been reputed to have been the home of Sir Geoffrey Mandeville, the first Earl of Essex and Constable of the Tower of London, though some say it was first the home of King Arthur. In ancient times it was right at the centre of the Royal Forest: the moat made it capable of defence, and so Camlet was ideally placed to manage and police the forest. The earliest records show that permission was granted to crenelated an existing house on the site in 1347, but that the house was demolished 100 years later so that the materials could be sold to pay for renovations to Hertford Castle.

And so, Sassoon drained the moat while the locals watched and waited.

Within a little while, the remains of a huge drawbridge were found, and a long wall, in some places 5 feet thick, plus Roman sandals, ancient daggers and horseshoes. Remarkable though these finds were, press reports soon began to focus not so much on the finds, but of the risk of disturbing the ghost of Sir Geoffrey Mandeville, who, as legend had variously described it, had buried treasure under the paved bottom of a well on the site to keep it from his many enemies or alternatively had fallen in with his treasure and drowned, his spirit lingering to ensure its eternal protection. The remains of an ancient well were indeed found, in the north east corner of the area enclosed by the moat.

Well might they have worried. There were no sightings during this excavations, but this may have been because Geoffrey had apparently forgotten about his treasure – perhaps his hard currency was no good in the spirit world – and flounced off. According to a local writer calling himself the Philanderer,

he had moved to East Barnet, first to a stable, which was unfortunately then pulled down by the council, and then to the house of Nora O Callahan and her sister, where he set to terrorising them by knocking on the door, thumping around, rattling their letterbox and generally terrifying their normally fearless dog. Nest, he was seen by persons unrecorded, in full regalia of red cloak and spurs.

The national press descended, and by all accounts, Barnet became a place of ghost hunting bedlam and police had to be brought in to regulate the traffic.

One William Stutters complained of the racket that Sir Geoffrey was making and warned that local building work was waking the dead. Paranormal activity was now also bedevilling the building which is today the Prince of Wales pub. Curiously though, by 1930 the Philanderer was saying that Sir Geoffrey was back stalking around Cockfosters at Christmas time though in December 1932 he was seen in full armour in East Barnet by the members of the local psychic research society, which was lucky, because they just happened to be staking the place out at midnight. By this time, it was being said that Sir Geoffrey made an appearance on Christmas every six years.

Sightings of Sir Geoffrey have continued intermittently, though they haven’t occurred at 6 year intervals as specified or even in the same place – he has been spotted in Hadley Woods and at East Barnet church. If the legend is correct, he is next due to appear in 2016. Who knows where he will have moved to by then?

If your interest is piqued by the story of Sir Geoffrey, do read Jennie Lee Cobban’s brilliant, hilarious and entertaining Geoffrey de Mandeville and London’s Camelot.

For more about Palmers Green history and people, visit www.palmersgreenn13.com or ‘like’ us on Facebook. And if you have any Palmers Green stories, please get in touch.

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348 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, N13 5TJ

Festive hairstyles for Christmas

by Kiri from Fabulous Hair Company Fabulous Hair Company 382 Green Lanes, N13 5PD Tel:020 8886 7070 With Christmas and New Year only a few weeks away, it’s time to start thinking about party hair. Is it really Christmas already? How quick has the year flown by? This has been a year filled with hard work and a lot of fun. The salon has been busier than ever and I would like to take a moment to thank my team for being brilliant and consistent all year. On a personal note I have been fortunate enough to have travelled around the UK and Europe, doing the one thing I am passionate about, education in hairdressing.

This month, let’s have a look at party hair. I recently worked back stage for a fashion event hosted by Company House magazine and the specified look was a simple pony tail, but with a slight update. Party hair doesn't have to be complicated or time consuming.

So let's start with a ponytail. They’re simple and quick to do and have made it onto the red carpet and worn by celebrities like Jessica Alba and Victoria Beckham. A pony tail can transform your look into something sophisticated, or can be worn loosely for something more natural.

What about a simple classic up-do? You can never go wrong with an up-do for glamorous party hair. With so many variations from, oversized stylish buns to tousled loose hair ups. Give

yourself a chic up-do for a glamorous night out.

Curls and waves are fabulous for a night out; not only are they versatile and stylish, they can also be adapted to suit almost any hair type or length courtesy of Paul Mitchell and with the right tools are easy to do. Ask your stylist for their recommendation.

Braids and plaits have been all the rage this year. Why not mix up the look of your hair with a combination of different techniques and ideas?

This Christmas hair is loose and undone with a feeling of a more lived in look.

And for you guys, beards are here to stay, sported with a heavy fisherman’s sweater. Hair will get longer and, dare I say an update to the male pony tail. If you have any questions that need answering, please email me at kc@fabuloushaircompany.com and I’ll get back to you soon as I can. If you enjoyed my article let us know, Like us on Facebook and we’ll enter you in our monthly competition for a chance of winning one of ten Paul Mitchell insalon Awapuhi Wild Ginger Keratin treatments worth £25. Just go to our website, www.fabuloushaircompany.com and click the Facebook icon to Like.

Alexia says… Christmas is almost here!

by Alexia Charalambous Ho ho ho! I love this time of year, don’t you? The twinkly lights, the smell of pine, the sounds of bells...

This may sound idyllic but in reality, Christmas can take its toll on people from all walks of life. The homeless, the elderly, stressed out mums, the unemployed – it’s not all about presents and good food as glossily shown on the TV adverts. This month’s article gives a few ideas on how to have a stress-free Christmas whatever your financial situation.

Gift buying If you come from a large family, it may be an idea to do a Secret Santa for each other. Put all names in a hat and try to get everyone together to pull names out.

Alternatively, the website www.elfster.com can help out if family members are distant. You get one name so therefore one gift. You can also agree on a maximum budget to spend.

Gift making It is so easy nowadays to make your own gift for someone you know, and you don’t have to be an arts and crafts specialist. Home-made jam, personalised cushions, jewellery and body scrubs are very easy to put together, it just takes a bit of rummaging around vintage shops, craft fairs and some imagination. Try www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com for ideas.

Food saving Most hosts will want to put on a plentiful spread, but it's easy to overestimate the amount that people will tuck away. If you don't want to waste food – or the money you've spent buying it – look at www.lovefoodhatewaste.com, which has a portion calculator. If you're catering for a party that's going to last two hours, it calculates that you'll need seven party food nibbles per person. It gives examples too, which means you'll be able to jot down the ingredients on your shopping list easily.

Drinks saving Alcohol often flows freely over the festive period and costs can quickly mount up. Try this comparison website for wine deals www.quaffersoffers.co.uk where you can search for the current offers at supermarkets and wine sellers throughout the country.

Majestic Wine, 70-76 London Rd, Enfield, have a great selection of wine to suit any budget. Their staff are well informed and they have offers when buying as few as two bottles. For larger orders they also offer sale or return and free glass hire.

Make money whilst shopping If you can't buy what you're looking for locally most of us enjoy the ease of online shopping but did you know you can earn cashback from your online purchases?

Cashback websites quidco.com or topcashback.co.uk are very easy to use: just create an account and use the site to access high street and online retailers. You receive a percentage of the value of our shopping and the cashback goes straight into your account.

Postage savings How much is the price of a first class stamp, I hear you cry?! It’s enough to want us to quit Christmas forever but fear not, there are savings to be made. Did you know that discount couriers can be cheaper than Royal Mail, particularly for larger or heavier items?. They also pick up directly from home so no waiting at those long queues. Interparcel.com will be your next favourite site.

Christmas should be a fun time spent with friends and family and thankfully, there are deals and offers out there that one should take full advantage of…even if it means getting ready for next year!

Happy Christmas! Alexia

Alexia says is a lifestyle blog for women. Please visit www.alexiasays.co.uk for more information. @alexiasayslove email:hello@alexiasays.co.uk

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CC's Nursery - A home away from home

by Christiana Charalambous St Michael at Bowes Church, Palmerston Road, London N22 8QX 020 8881 3339 ccsnursery@hotmail.co.uk www.ccsnursery.co.uk and lasting foundations on which to build on later in life. Therefore we believe it is essential that the first experiences at CC’s Nursery are both enjoyable and of the highest quality.

Our setting has been carefully designed to ensure that the children's needs are met, in a safe, secure, and comfortable environment, with a positive creative atmosphere. We ensure children have fun whilst learning.

I would like to take this opportunity to tell you a bit about CC’s Nursery.

Enrolling your child at a nursery / pre-school can be a stressful experience. We all want the best for our children and we want to know that they are in a safe environment, where not only will they be happy, but where they will also thrive and reach their full potential.

The nursery has been designed to replicate the wonderful, home from home environment which, in our experience helps young children to thrive and achieve. We find that parents often like the care of a home based environment, which larger

nurseries cannot always provide. This allows us to cater for children and parents on a more personal basis.

Our secure and spacious garden also ensures that our activities can be extended into the outdoor environment all year round.

If you want to find out more about CC’s Nursery, please call us – we would love to show you around the nursery.

We are close to Palmers Green station, Bowes Park station, Bounds Green station and Wood Green station. We also have a car park for your convenience.

CC’s Nursery is a small Ofsted registered nursery / pre-school situated at St Michael at Bowes church hall on Palmerston Road. We cater for children from 3 months to 5 years old.

Here at CC’s Nursery, we believe that what children experience in nursery can create strong

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92 Aldermans Hill, Palmers Green, N13 4PP

Your Local Family Law Specialists Setting Up Home Together

by Martha Koumbas Hi there, my name is Martha Koumbas and I’m a Trainee Solicitor here at Chapman Pieri Solicitors. I joined the firm in September 2013 and en-route to qualification as a Solicitor in March 2016.

For my first article I thought I’d write about the legal rights of unmarried couples on relationship breakdown as it is an area of family law which is highly misunderstood.

More and more couples are choosing not to marry but to live together and raise a family in the same way that a married couple would. Whilst you may not need a piece of paper to prove your commitment to one another, the legal consequences should your relationship come to an end are significantly different if you are unmarried. Many have the misconception that a ‘common law marriage’ exists. This is a myth as Matrimonial Law offers no such rights to unmarried couples. It is therefore essential that you plan for the future and ensure that you have as much financial security as possible. Unless there is a valid Cohabitation Agreement setting out what is to happen upon separation, the law is not favourable to unmarried couples when it comes to financial redress.

What rights do you have on relationship breakdown if you are an unmarried couple?

Maintenance: On separation, you cannot claim maintenance from one another. However, if there are any children of the family and they are living with you, you can claim financial support from your ex-partner either through the Child Maintenance Service or the Courts in limited circumstances.

The Family Home: Property held in joint names Where the family home is held in joint names, you can both make an application to the Court for the property to be sold and for the sale proceeds to be divided if a sale cannot be agreed directly between the two of you. The position is easier when the family home is jointly owned as you both have a legal entitlement to the property.

Property not held in joint names: Where the family home is held in the sole name of one of you, the position is more complicated and the property will usually be retained by the person who owns it. However, even if you are not the legal owner of the property, you are able to make an application to the Court for the property to be sold and for you to acquire a share of the sale proceeds.

This can be difficult as you must prove that you have a beneficial interest in the property by producing evidence that, for example, you contributed towards the purchase price or that the property was intended to be owned

jointly by the two of you.

So if you are buying a property together but buying in unequal shares then you should seek advice from your conveyancing solicitor who can advise you about a Declaration of Trust. This is a legally binding document setting out what share you have in the property in the event of separation.

Joint bank accounts, joint savings accounts or joint investments: Any accounts or investments held in joint names should be divided equally by agreement.

If an agreement cannot be reached, then an application to the Court can be made for the Court to make a decision as to ownership.

Generally, any assets in your sole names will be kept by the person in whose name they are in. However, if there are children of the family and they are living with you, the Court can make a provision of housing for them and order a transfer of capital or property in your favour for that purpose, usually until the children reach 18 years old.

Here at Chapman Pieri Solicitors, we can advise you on all aspects of relationship breakdown whether you are married or unmarried. Please call 020 8882 9850 to book in an initial consultation for just £75 plus VAT.

Should you require any further information, please give us a call here at Chapman Pieri Solicitors on 020 8882 9850 to set up an Initial Consultation or alternatively you can email us at: info@cpfamilylaw.co.uk. Please have a look at our website where you will find a lot of helpful information: www.cpfamilylaw.co.uk.

Address: Southgate Office Village, Block C, Ground & First Floors, 284B Chase Road, Southgate, London, N14 6HF.

8882 7888

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Local Events Whatʼs going on locally in Palmers Green & Southgate If you have an activity to list here please get in touch at ellie@palmersgreenlife.co.uk Adoramus Christmas Concert 'Baroque-ing Around the Christmas Tree' 7.30pm 6th December 2014 St Stephen's Church, Village Road, Bush Hill Park EN1 2ET. Come and hear Baroque favourites performed by the Adoramus Choir and String Orchestra, and join in with some of your best-loved Christmas Carols. Featuring Eastfield Primary School Choir.

Hazelwood’s School Christmas Bazaar Sponsored by Anthony Webb Estate Agents.

Sunday 7th December Hazelwood School, Hazelwood Lane, N13 5HE A day full of fun for the family from 12-4pm Visit our 30 foot toboggan slide and Santa.

Adult Entry £1, kids go free Welcome to the best ever Scout Pantomime - Beauty & the Beast From 4th to 13th December Intimate Theatre Palmers Green, N13 4DH Loads of talented Scouts supported by volunteer adult leaders will be performing their own unique version of Beauty & the Beast.

Tickets on 07972 404187 or direct via the new Panto website www.thelondonpantomimers.org.uk

N21 The St Nicholas Fair Saturday 13th December 11am-7pm Held on The Green, Winchmore Hill. Visit the local stalls, enjoy the food and drink on offer as well as attractions for the whole family.

ST HARMONICAS DECEMBER 2014 AND JANUARY 2015 LINE UP 6 Cannon Hill, London Southgate N14 7HG From 8pm Friday December 12th The Vintage Christmas Blues Jam. We do six of these each year. Players and singers turn up before 9.00pm and put your name down or email thevintage@crorose.eclipse.co.uk in advance. We put the bands together on the night. Great fun, anything could happen and it is sometimes magnificent!

Friday December 19th The Christmas Special with the Haunting AD. North London Legends John and Caroline Hoare lead this seasonal offering.

Friday January 2nd The Right Reverend Swifty LeZarre and The Smokers.

A great way to start 2015. The Right Reverend Swifty LeZarre has updated some of the best classic Rhythm & Blues from both pre and post war Blues and brought a hard driving edge to supplement his stellar Dobro playing

David Williamson Tickets available at Anthony Webb's offices Buy your tickets early before they run out!

Christmas Presence It’s been a great autumn season at Talkies with some amazing highlights. Thank you all for your continued support!

We have more great films for you in December celebrating the human spirit, manifested in quite different ways.

Our Dugdale Centre film commemorates an incident on Christmas Eve only a few months after the outbreak of the First World War. The second stars local actor Jeremy Swift in a mid-life crisis special.

THURS 4 DEC 7.45 DUGDALE CENTRE, ENFIELD

JOYEUX NOEL

On Christmas Eve in 1914, the Germans, French, and Scottish fraternize and get to know the men who live on the opposite side of a brutal war, in what became a true lesson of humanity.

Four Old Friends, 192 miles, what could possibly go wrong?

WED 10 DEC Four old school friends reunite to attempt the THE FOX, PALMERS GREEN epic coast-to-coast walk, across the United Doors and bar 7.00 Main feature 7.45

Check out the website to see what’s coming up in 2015.

MID-LIFE CRISIS SPECIAL

ALL TICKETS £5 www.talkies.org.uk

a road movie, on foot

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Marking the centenary of the First World War, this film is about a true event of a moment of comradeship between enemies in a devastating conflict that would have a lasting impact on European Society.

DOWNHILL

Kingdom. As their journey unfolds, this comically incompatible foursome walks full tilt into their mid-life crises.

Following the success last Christmas with 'Dead Cat’ we bring you another great independent production, with a cast that includes local actor Jeremy Swift, who will introduce the film and answer Q&A afterwards.

348 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, N13 5TJ

Palmers Green Tales

by Jenny Bourke www.palmersgreentales.com www.facebook.com/groups/331208790354294/ or just go to Facebook and look for Palmers Green Tales and ask to join the group @PGTales Email us at palmersgreentales@gmail.com Please take a look at our website to view our latest film, a great interview with Doris Degaute. Doris had some wonderful photos and was able to talk about a time before Green Lanes existed. I had no idea that aspects of what we now know as Green Lanes were renamed between the two World Wars, so that the same road now runs from Stoke Newington to Winchmore Hill. The house Doris lived in as a child was near the current Ruth Winston Centre and from the photo looks very similar in style, its address was Old Park Villas and she remembers the address changing to Green Lanes when she was quite young.

I really enjoyed the article in last month’s Palmers Green & Southgate Life magazine about Broomfield Park by Tony Elliott, one of our first interviewees was Mike Barnard who spoke about his childhood living at the back of the park and using it as his playground. He remembers being part of the celebration for the present queen’s coronation, as you can see he had a very important role.

Our next interview will be with some younger members of our community talking about growing up in Palmers Green and Southgate.

Unplugged Sundays are going well, Sunday evenings at St Monica’s parish Centre Cannon Hill, 8pm for a chilled evening.

We hope you have enjoyed reading our articles and watching our interviews on film and wish you all a lovely Christmas and Happy New Year, see you all in 2015.

8882 7888

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House Warming with Style...

by Julia Sondack, Drapemasters Interior Furnishers Julia@drapemasters.co.uk www.drapemasters.co.uk Did you know standard double glazed windows allow 10 times more heat to flow through them? Imagine what the figures might be for more traditional forms of glazing. These 'energy holes' can leak up to 50% of your home's heating. Windows not only loose our heat they also permit radiant energy to enter the home in the summer, significantly increasing the temperature within. By reducing heat loss and limiting the amount of radiant energy entering we contribute to the reduction of CO2 as well as make notable savings of up to 50% on our utility bills.

What's the solution?

Gone are the days where we cannot enter a room which is uncomfortably cold or hot for there are several options to resolve this

situation and all can achieve a stylish look in keeping with your home:Curtains & Roman Blinds Good quality curtains or blinds can help retain 30% of heat which roughly equates to a shave of 20% off your annual utility bill.

Not only are they effective thermal insulators they will prevent light from streaming in on those bright sunny mornings.

Specialist Linings for Curtains and Blinds Through new technological advancements we now have a unique energy saving thermal interlining available for use in curtains and soft blinds. Specially selected recycled fibres in this lining reduce heat loss and offer up to 50% increase in thermal retention thus reducing energy costs. Unlike

some traditional interlining this product is lightweight, luxurious and flexible so ideal for making up our hand sewn curtains and blinds. They both look and feel good whilst giving you a good return on your investment.

Specialist Blind Products Manufacturers have worked hard on reducing heat loss and radiation and now have some great products available in roller, vertical and pleated blinds with insulation properties and control of solar heat by reflection. Blinds have the additional advantage of giving us greater command of the amount of light entering a room. These are well worth considering for conservatories and garden rooms allowing you further all year round use of these rooms.

Drapemasters offer advice on all these products and flawless fitting, safeguarding manufacturers’ warranties.

We come to you, measure your windows, show you samples and recommend the best solution for your situation.

We ensure your curtains or blinds realise their full beauty and potential allowing you to sit back and enjoy the atmosphere created by them and the energy savings achieved!

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020 8360 3082 • info@drapemasters.co.uk • www.drapemasters.co.uk 24 |

92 Aldermans Hill, Palmers Green, N13 4PP

Property Matters by Obi Chianumba Do you really own your home?

Newman Webb Chartered Surveyors and Property Consultants, 6 Champa Close, London N17 6RB Tel: 020 8945 5474 Email: obic@newmanwebb.co.uk Website: www.newmanwebb.co.uk We have all heard the saying that an Englishman’s home is his castle. The statement is based on the principle that a home owner could do whatever they wished with their house because they owned the freehold of their property indefinitely.

The facts are that there are more leasehold flats being built than freehold houses. With leasehold ownership, you do not own the building, but merely the right for to live in property for period of years. Leases are usually granted for a term of 99 years, 125 years or 999 years. As the number of leasehold properties in the UK increases, the idea that an Englishman’s home is his castle sounds more wishful thinking than reality.

As leasehold ownership becomes commonplace, the chances are that at least 1 in 3 of us will at some time own a leasehold flat. With this in mind, here are a few factors to consider when buying a leasehold flat: 1. Length of lease – a lease is a wasting asset and with the efflux of time the lease becomes less valuable. When buying leasehold property always make enquiries as to the unexpired term of the

lease. A lease with a term of 80 plus years expired is generally accepted to be a long lease.

2. Ground rent – you will have to pay an annual ground rent to the freeholder when you own a leasehold flat. On older leasehold flats these can be in the region of £50 to £150 per annum but on modern leasehold flats ground rents will usually be around £300 - £500 per annum. This will become particularly problematic in later years as the ground rents will often increase periodically throughout the term of the lease adding an additional financial burden to the already growing cost associated with home ownership.

3. Service charge – the freeholder will often be responsible for the maintaining the common parts and external parts of the building including the roof. The cost of doing so will be paid from the monies collected under the service charge which all leaseholder will have to contribute towards.

4. Management fees – the freeholder will likely employ a managing agent to manage issues such

as ground rent and service charge collection, maintaining the communal parts of the building such as staircases, roofs and gardens, and ensure leaseholders stick to the lease's terms. The management agents fees will be payable by the leaseholders via the service charge.

5. Alterations – If you wish to carry out alterations to your leasehold flat, for instance adding a balcony or extending your flat, you will need to seek the freeholder’s written consent. In most instances consent is often be granted by the Landlord, but a leaseholder can be inconvenienced by the time taken for the freeholder to grant consent. Also the freeholder may require that you pay their surveyors and legal fees to document the consent by way of a Licence for Alterations.

This article does not seek to discourage buyers from buying leasehold flats, but should serve as food for thought when considering buying a leasehold flat.

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6 Champ Champa Close, London, N17 6RB w ww.new www.newmanwebb.co.uk t 020 8945 5474

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North London Stand-up Comedian raises funds for Little Heroes

by Sophie Kyriakides www.littleheroes.org.uk www.chrismarcok.com Little Heroes Cancer Trust (LHCT) was set up in 2009 by parents of children with cancer and is dedicated to helping and supporting children affected by cancer and their families. In 2007 Little Heroes CEO Colin Nesbitt’s little boy Reece was diagnosed with cancer aged 2 and the charity was borne out of firsthand experience of the trauma of watching a small child undergo treatment for cancer. LHCT’s aim is to put smiles on the faces of children with cancer and to give families a taste of ‘normal life’ at a very difficult time. It does this through providing gifts and toys to children in hospital, providing toys to hospitals, producing activity books to explain cancer in a child-friendly way and providing free caravan holidays. Most of LHCT’s funding comes from donations and it raises money by holding sponsored fire walking events run by its sister company Unite and Ignite. The West Yorkshirebased charity is a small local organisation providing a nationwide service working with children’s hospitals all over the UK. For more information ring 01274 288188 or visit www.littleheroes.org.uk

Chris Marco K performed his first one man show “The man that can’t be moved” at the Arts Depot theatre in North Finchley in September 2014. Reporters stated that it was a full house with an audience of 150, it was an eventful night with much laughter as the 26 year old comedian gave an amazing performance that left the crowd in stitches.

comedy. The show raised funds for the Little Heroes Charity Chris explained, “The charity helps put the smile back on children’s faces by giving them toys and gifts and sending families on holidays to enable them to rebuild their lives.”

Don’t miss Chris Marco K's next performance on the 31st January 2015 at the DugDale Centre in Enfield town. Book early or buy tickets for Christmas presents and start the New Year with a great laugh, the Parikiaki newspaper highly recommended the show. For more information visit www.chrismarcok.com

The show reflects on the comedians Greek Cypriot heritage and growing up amongst a huge family with his outrageous adventures and refers to real life scenarios affecting youth of today turning them into hilarious tales that all age groups can relate to. Chris has great energy and it was a brilliant night with cleverly written

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348 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, N13 5TJ

Your Legal Questions Answered by Fariz Uvais Fariz Uvais is a consultant in the law firm Harper & Odell. Write in and ask your legal questions. Fariz will try and answer your questions in Palmers Green LIFE each month. Send your questions to Harper & Odell, 61-63 St John Street, London EC1M 4AN or by email to farizu@yahoo.com.

I have a tenant who has been living in my property. The current Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) runs from December 2013 to Dec 2014. I do not want to issue him with a 6 month or annual AST for personal reasons, can I issue a 3 months AST if possible?

If a tenant continues to occupy the property beyond the expiry of the fixed term stated in the AST, the tenancy will not terminate. Instead, the tenancy will become a statutory periodic AST. The length of the period depends on the facts of the case. As a general rule the period is determined by when the rent had to be paid under the original fixed term agreement. For example, if the rent had to be paid on the first day of each month, the tenancy will be a monthly periodic tenancy where each period commences on the first day of every month. The Housing Act 1988 provides that a landlord may terminate an AST by serving a Section 8 Notice or by serving a Notice under Section 21 of the Act. This notice is commonly known as a Section 21 Notice.

In the case of a statutory periodic tenancy, the date of possession has to be at least two months after the date the Section 21 Notice is served.

So in your case, you could wait until January 2015 and serve the tenant with a Section 21 Notice requiring him to leave after the expiry of two months and if he fails to do so, you can issue accelerated possession proceedings in Court to force an eviction. You should however be aware that the Court proceedings are likely to take a further 8 to 12 weeks.

One final note of caution: if you have taken a deposit from the tenant, you must have placed it in a TDS scheme at the start of the original tenancy and given the tenant the requisite statutory notice of the deposit scheme within 30 days of having taken the deposit. However, due to recent changes in the law, you must again serve the statutory information relating to the deposit on the tenant within 30 days of the tenancy becoming a new statutory periodic tenancy. If you fail to do so, you will not only lose your ability to use the Section 21 procedure to evict the tenant (unless you refund the deposit in full to the tenant before serving the Section 21 Notice), but you will also become liable for payment of up to 3 times the deposit as a penalty to the tenant.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article should not be construed as legal advice and the information is offered for information purposes only.

You should always seek advice from an appropriately qualified solicitor on any specific legal enquiry.

Blitz Kleen

GC

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Harper & Odell Solicitors Property and Litigation Solicitors Established 1948

Specialist affordable property advice is only a phone call away.

We act for clients across London on all types of property matters.

Our focus at all times is to keep the client updated by communicating regularly via email and by telephone and we aim to achieve the best possible results at a reasonable cost.

Tel: 020 7490 0500 Fax: 020 7490 8040 61-63 St John Street, London EC1M 4AN law@harperandodell.co.uk

www.harperandodell.co.uk

8882 7888

Chartered Certified Accountants & Registered Auditors

Services provided:-

• • • • • •

Financial accounts & audit Landlords rental accounts & tax Landlords capital gains tax Inheritance tax Business consultancy Company formations Georgiades Charalambou & Co LLP

Chartered Certified Accountants & Registered Auditors 283-285 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, London N13 4XS Tel 020 8886 3672 Fax 020 8882 2713 Email info@gcaccountants.com

www.gcaccountants.com

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Creative Exchange News Designer Craft & Art Fair rounds off the year with a flourish!

It’s been an incredible year for Creative Exchange since its launch in October 2013. December saw new members making connections at our Christmas get-together in Baskervilles and in January we launched the ‘Art on the High Street’ initiative with a programme of monthly exhibitions at Anthony Webb’s offices. We had two safari events in February and September – at the studios of ceramist Mary Marmery, and stained glass artist Cheryl Powling – and both were a great chance to gain insights into the working practices of fellow designer.

In April and July, we hosted two Business Support talks. Dan Maier shared her expertise on the art and science of creating displays to increase sales. And international designer Ella Doran presented “Working with Retailers”, in which she shared her knowledge to help designers get their products into stores. Such is our appeal that people came from all over London to hear our speakers.

"So that's how you do it!"

Members help each other

We also hosted a pop-up exhibition at the former Blockbuster store at Southgate tube station for six months, giving fantastic exposure for members working in all disciplines. The Summer Art Trail brought art and design to the high street with free workshops for all and the Autumn Fair brought work often only seen in central London locations to our doorstep under one roof.

Creative Exchange is delighted to have put Southgate & Palmers Green on the map as an arts destination and brought so many people together who share a common interest. Through the network, folk have discovered neighbours they’ve never met with a huge amount in common.

Friendships and professional collaborations are forming and the artistic community is flourishing.

We look forward to welcoming new members and the public to our talks and events next year.

Creative Exchange is open to individuals who are professional designer and artists and those starting out. To come to our New Year Party, to join or receive info on talks,

Art Trail exhibitor briefing at Extraordinary Design

email: membership@creativeexchange.uk.com

“Great local event for world-class work”

The Designer Craft & Art Fair is recognised…

Ceramic wall light by Leonora Richardson

“We are thrilled with the response – over 1,000 people flocked to our door,” said organiser Dan Maier. “Visitors loved meeting the creators of beautiful and unusual work and hearing about how things are made. A great deal of care is taken in curating our events to ensure there is a high calibre of work from both established designers and emerging makers and there were 28 specially selected exhibitors showing a wide range of contemporary craft and fine art. We had several first-time exhibitors debuting at the show, including Anneka Baptista, who launched her new brand Ingredimates; illustrator Harriet Stansall and photographer James Birwistle. All were very happy with their first outing. The fair is now seen as a great Christmas shopping opportunity and we’ve had overwhelmingly positive feedback.”

Here’s what visitors said: “We came here to shop instead of Harrods!”

“I was amazed at how many talented people there were under one roof” “Really good selection of pieces, very high standard – loved it! Thank you.”

“Great! Bought lots of my Christmas presents… so much better than relying on the high street.”

“I came along to treat myself” “I feel inspired” And here’s what exhibitors said: “Full on but very enjoyable – I will be smiling for weeks to come!”

“Excellent platform to launch new products” “Best craft show we have ever taken part in, and we’ve been in business for 30 years!”

If you’d like to take part in future events or join our mailing list, email: info@openstudios.uk.com Many thanks to Andrew Prod for photographing our event: www.andrewprod.com

Anneka Baptista launches her brand

Great conversations about design