Summer issue of Palmers Green and Southagte LIFE

&

Palmers Green

Southgate

LIFE Summer 2018 Edition Issue 41

• London's age-old fascination with Gin and our very own Palmers Green distillery • Firs Farm Festival, Saturday, 14 July • The Met Police and London's knife crime • The importance of a professional inventory for Landlords

Bowes Road Parade, a short distance from the once illicit gin distillery, circa 1900's

today Pymmes Mews

welcome I really enjoy this time of year in Palmers Green. It highlights how lucky we are to have so many fantastic community groups that organise events for everyone to enjoy. Anthony Webb had the pleasure of sponsoring two such events in June.

The Hazelwood Primary School fete was a record breaker raising over £10,000 profit and the local Greek school also raised a very impressive £4,000, well done to all involved. Find out more about the Firs Farm Festival this July as well as the renowned Palmers Green Festival in Broomfield Park on Sunday 2nd September on page 11.

The property market has seen an uplift this spring with the number of valuations and instructions increasing. According to a Rightmove report Anthony Webb were leading the way for agreed sales locally throughout May and June in Palmers Green. We have plenty of buyers registered waiting to view new instructions, from first time buyers to families looking to move into larger homes. Summer is also a time when families look to move in and out of catchment areas in preparation for the next year. If you are considering selling or renting your home this summer please contact us for a free valuation.

The property market is not the only thing blooming in Anthony Webb.

Thanks to Vanessa, our Head of Property Management, what was once a small unloved courtyard has become a beautiful garden where our staff can now enjoy an alfresco lunch during the summer months!

Thank you to all our columnists and local businesses, without their support we would be unable to continue producing the only free community magazine in Palmers Green. If you know of anyone that would benefit from advertising or has a local story to tell please do not hesitate to put them in touch.

MEET THE TEAM

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

Martin McKelvey

Umar Hegarty

Office Manager martin@anthonywebb.co.uk

Senior Sales and Lettings Negotiator umar@anthonywebb.co.uk

Elliott Brown

Vanessa Gills

Sales and Lettings Negotiator elliott@anthonywebb.co.uk

Head of Property Management lettings@anthonywebb.co.uk

Kat Georgiou

Panayiota Kyriakides

Property Manager kat@anthonywebb.co.uk

Administrator

Leo Morales-Joannou Administration Assistant

Ellie Sales

Have a lovely summer.

Tony

Director Anthony Webb Estate Agents

If you've got a local business why not tell people about it in our magazine.

It's distributed to 12,000 local homes and places of interest.

Quarter page £70 Half page £120 Full page £220 Double page spread £350 Contact us about your artwork requirements and discounts for repeat advertising at ads@palmersgreenlife.co.uk

Magazine Editor ellie@palmersgreenlife.co.uk

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

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348 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, N13 5TJ

A view from City Hall

by Joanne McCartney AM

Rail Delays and the Mayor's 'No Nights Sleeping Rough Taskforce' E: joanne.mccartney@london.gov.uk www.joannemccartney.com Tel: 020 7983 5524 Many of us are fed up with the delays and cancellation of trains on the Great Northern line, especially with the recent and on-going (as I write this) timetable debacle. The new timetable was meant to deliver more trains and greater capacity, not chaos. I have written to the CEO of Govia Thameslink Railway outlining our frustration and asking that this chaos be remedied urgently. As a member of the London Assembly Transport Committee I will be questioning them on these problems at our next meeting.

I have been calling for our local train line to be devolved to TfL and become part of London Overground for some years now, and I am pleased that the Mayor of London is in support of this too. TfL have a track record of improving services, facilities and customer satisfaction.

Last year the Secretary of State for Transport commissioned an independent review of train services which recommended the Great Northern line should be devolved to TfL. I

wrote then to the Minister urging him act on this and have written again with the same plea. Let’s hope we get some positive news this time.

Sleeping Rough in London It is scandalous that in one of the wealthiest cities in the world the number of people sleeping rough on our streets has more than doubled over the past 6 years, the latest figures show that there are over 8,000 homeless people sleeping rough in London.

City Hall now invests £9m a year in a range of pan-London services for rough sleepers and the Mayor of London has established a ‘No Nights Sleeping Rough Taskforce’ - last year over 1,600 people were supported off the streets and Mayoral policy changed to ensure that cold-weather shelters were open for more nights.

If you are concerned about the welfare of a rough sleeper you can let homelessness services know about and connect with rough sleepers through a simple app, ‘StreetLink’,

which has been promoted by the Mayor as part of his ‘No one needs to sleep rough in London campaign’. Since the start of the campaign, Londoners have made 8,516 referrals through StreetLink – the highest level on record, up almost 45 per cent from 5,892 referrals over the equivalent period last year.

The Mayor is also providing funding from his affordable homes budget for accommodation for people ready to move on from hostel accommodation and support their independent living to ensure that they don’t return to live on the streets. However, there is no easy solution to this issue and the Government must step-up and give our City the resources we need to help rough sleepers, and to address the root causes of homelessness. *Joanne is the London Assembly Member for Enfield & Haringey is the statutory Deputy Mayor of London.

Introducing local artist Laura Arnold I am a local artist/illustrator producing prints, cards, textile items and commissions. I studied Art and Design at Barnet College.

I’ve always created things. It started early, with plasticine models, then moved on to angst-ridden teenage musings that wound their way into stories. I had a brief dalliance with clay and, in more recent years, I’ve discovered the delights of textiles. But the one constant amongst this ever-changing backdrop is drawing.

My life just doesn’t feel right if I don’t have a pencil in my hand. As an artist I’m drawn to the joy of the ordinary and the details of life that we take for granted. We’re so busy capturing the minutia of our lives on mobile phones that we forget to really look at the things around us. I’m particularly fond of drawing houses and take a possibly unhealthy amount of pleasure in reproducing brickwork! I tend to work on small pieces using fine liners and marker pens but I’m also excited by the results that can be achieved digitally.

I’m constantly inspired by my two children

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and those I work with as a teaching assistant at Hazelwood School. Their wonderment at the world is contagious and was the inspiration behind my book, What Happens Underground, a collection of illustrations and ponderings about the slivers of life that are hidden from everyday view.

I enjoy being a city dweller but an intermittent craving for space often takes me to Bexhill, St Leonards-on-Sea and Hastings. A brisk walk along the promenade never fails to inspire me and much of my artwork celebrates the great British seaside. I’m particularly drawn to the rugged, beautiful fishing huts found in Hastings Old Town. My work is sold in several outlets along the East Sussex coast including the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill-on-Sea. The prints on display at Anthony Webb are a snapshot of the work I produce.

To see more, or to commission artwork please visit www.lauraarnold.co.uk or email me at lauraarnold.illustrations@gmail.com Visit Laura's exhibition at Anthony Webb throughout July, August and September

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POP UP BAR Centuries old Gin Distillery reopens in Palmers Green.

Visit us from 7pm on the last Saturday of every month.

WINNER OF

Best UK GIN – The Gin Society Best New Gin – The Gin Guide 4|

Old Bakery Gin Limited The Old Grain Store 4 Pymmes Mews London N13 4PF 0208 829 8241

348 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, N13 5TJ

Past Times...Gin anyone? by Ellie Sales Just off the North Circular Road in Palmers Green you will find Pymmes Road.

Ordnance survey maps suggest that the road was built between 1898 and 1914 and consists today, of mainly two-up two-down terraced cottages.

Located adjacent to an old fashioned telephone box on the same road you will find Pymmes Mews.

In 2013 local resident and business owner Ian Puddick purchased, as a home for his leak detection company, a number of run down properties on the small cobbled mews. Namely The Old Stables, The Old Bakery complete with 140 foot London brick built chimney (subsequently removed over safety concerns) and The Old Grain Store.

Pymmes Mews today

Little did Ian know that within a matter of months he would uncover a 100 year old illicit gin distillery. Intrigued by the history of his newly purchased property and being a gin lover himself Ian and his team of plumbers decided to resurrect the once illicit gin stills. He tracked down the descendants of the distillery company who gave him a vague recipe using only 4 botanicals, juniper in particular (most gins have between 12 and 50 botanicals) which he has since refined to produce his very own dry London gin.

Some five years later Ian’s gin has won two tasting excellence awards and is stocked in Harrods, Fortnum and Mason and Selfridges.

Today, the Gin Distillery is open Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm to visit and buy Gin, they also sell online via their website www.oldbakerygin.com.

The Gin Distillery opens up on the last Saturday evening of every month as Pop Up Bar, Gin Palace in Palmers Green, pop along to try it for yourself.

London’s fascination with Gin goes back much further than Ian’s distillery…

In the mid-eighteenth century Gin started out as a medicine – it was thought it could be a cure for gout and indigestion, but most attractive of all, it was cheap.

In London alone, there were more than 7,000 ‘dram shops’, and 10 million gallons of gin were being distilled annually in the

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New gin stills at the Old Bakery Gin

capital. Gin was hawked by barbers, pedlars, and grocers and even sold on market-stalls.

It become the poor man’s drink, and some workers were given gin as part of their wages. Duty paid on gin was 2 pence a gallon, as opposed to 4 shillings and nine pence on strong beer.

Gin rendered men impotent, and women sterile (Gin was known as mother's ruin due to the effects of gin on the family) and was a major reason why the birth rate in London at this time was exceeded by the death rate.

The government became alarmed when it was found that the average Londoner drank 14 gallons of spirit each year! They decided that the tax must be raised on gin, but this put many reputable sellers out of business.

Overnight, gin sales went underground.

Dealers, pushers and runners sold their illegal ‘hooch’ in what became a Black Market. Much of the gin was drunk by women, consequently the children were neglected and daughters sold into prostitution. It led Londoner’s to the debtors’ prison or the gallows, ruined them, drove them to madness, suicide and death, but it kept them warm in winter, and allayed the terrible hunger pangs of the poorest.

Gin Lane by William Hogarth depicting the sorry state of London's Gin addiction

distillers, grocers, chandlers, jails and workhouses from selling gin. Consumption fell dramatically through the rest of the eighteenth century. In 1830 the Duke of Wellington‘s administration passed the Sale of Beer Act, which removed all taxes on beer, and permitted anyone to open a Beer Shop on payment of a two-guinea fee.

This Bill virtually ended the traffic in gin smuggling. By the end of 1830 there were 24,000 beer shops in England and Wales, and six years later there were 46,000 and 56,000 Public Houses.

In 1736 a Gin Act was passed which forbade anyone to sell ‘Distilled spirituous liquor’ without first taking out a licence costing £50. In the seven years following 1736, only three £50 licences were taken out, yet the gallons of gin kept coming.

The horror of the situation in London was portrayed in a print by Hogarth called ‘Gin Lane’. This shows a drunken woman with ulcerated legs, taking snuff as her baby falls into the gin-vault below.

Ian pictured with Gin lover Micheal Portillo

Once again the government was forced into action. A new ‘Gin Act’ was passed which raised the duty on drink and forbade the

Credit: www.historic-uk.com Mother’s Ruin

by Ellen Castelow

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Parliamentary Comment

by Bambos Charalambous MP

Palliative Care and Support for Carers bambos.charalambous.mp@parliament.uk Parliament: 020 7219 3460 Constituency Office: 020 8882 0088 One of the best things about being your Member of Parliament is that I get to visit many local community groups, charities and other organisations and see the amazing contribution that they are making locally. One such group is North London Hospice.

Earlier this year I attended the launch of North London Hospice’s Health and Well Being Centre on Barrowell Green and was given a tour of the excellent facilities that they have for people with life limiting conditions and their carers.

These include a gym, a room for massage, a room for art therapy, a café, a reading room and some rooms for counselling and advice. At the launch itself, I met with staff, volunteers, users of the facilities and also carers and I was very impressed by how much they valued the services provided by the Health and Well Being Centre. I was deeply moved by one of the speeches given by one of the users with a life limiting condition.

Following on from the launch I decided to look further into the services provided by the hospices and for palliative care generally. I was shocked to discover that most hospices are

reliant on donations to survive and that any central funding that they receive from the Clinical Commissioning Groups ranges from between 1% to 50% of running costs according to which area you live in. I was also surprised to learn how disjointed the connection is between hospitals, care providers, local authorities and the hospices in provided what is needed by the person with the life limiting condition.

Another part of the puzzle when looking at end of life care is the role of carers. Carers provide an invaluable service estimated to be worth approximately £132 billion per year which is roughly the same as the entire National Health Service budget. Carers are usually partners, friends or family of the person with the life limiting condition and they will often be forced to give up work and devote their time and energy in looking after their loved one. Caring can be very stressful both emotionally and physically and yet support for carers is woefully short. Financial support for carers is also inadequate.

On further research from Marie Curie, Hospice

UK, MacMillan and the Motor Neurone Disease Association and in discussions North London Hospice staff and users I decided to try to do something about this unsatisfactory situation.

On 23 May 2018 I introduced my own private members bill on the floor of the House as a ten minute rule motion. My bill is called the Terminal Illness (Provision of Palliative Care and Support for Carers) Bill which received cross party support and having passed its first reading is now due its second reading on Friday 23 November 2018. The bill aims to address the issue of funding for palliative care, ensure a more co-ordinated service with other organisations so that the needs of the person with the life limiting condition are looked at holistically and seeks to ensure that carers are better remunerated in recognition for the work they do in tending to the needs of their loved one.

I will be meeting with North London Hospice staff and users again soon and representatives from the other organisations to help draft my bill ready for its second reading. I very much hope the issues raised in my bill get the support they deserve.

Ultra Low Emission Zone

by Councillor Joanne Laban email Cllr.Joanne.Laban@enfield.gov.uk Conservative Member for Highlands Ward The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) will be introduced in central London from 8 April 2019 and follows the boundaries of the Congestion Charge Zone. This means that vehicles will need to meet the new, tighter exhaust emission standards or pay a £12.50 daily charge to travel within the area of the ULEZ. You are probably thinking how does this affect Enfield exactly? Well, the Mayor of London has announced he will extend the ULEZ boundary in 2021 to the North Circular Road. The extension of the ULEZ means that part of our borough will be within the zone and a large part will not be. Residents who live within the zone will be charged £12.50 for using their cars if they are not compliant.

For those residents who live outside of the zone who must cross the North Circular every day for work, shopping or dropping their children off to school, they will be subjected

to the £12.50 daily charge if their cars are non-compliant.

The Mayor’s plan to make the North Circular Road the ULEZ boundary is well-intentioned as it is to improve air quality and cleaning up our air is something that has cross party agreement. However, the ULEZ extension policy has everyday consequences for Enfield residents if they need to visit the North Middlesex Hospital. The location of North Middlesex Hospital means that to access it you must cross the North Circular Road. As a result of this policy residents who need to visit the hospital whose cars are not compliant will be charged £12.50.

There seems to be a general expectation at the moment that residents will just buy newer cleaner vehicles by 2021 thereby lessening any impact the expansion might cause but it is not always that easy. Families on low or fixed incomes might not be able to

afford to upgrade their vehicles and it will be those families who will likely be financially impacted the most when they cross the North Circular Road to access vital services.

Enfield Council has a role to play by speaking loudly about the consequences of the ULEZ extension. The carving up of our borough into those areas within the zone and out of it is not good for Enfield. Enfield Council should lobby for improvements so that we have low emission bus routes on our worst roads for air quality and more zero emission hydrogen buses on other routes faster. Buses cause a third of vehicle emissions so a cleaner fleet on the streets of Enfield would have a real impact on improving our air quality. We also need to get involved with schemes that will deliver more electric charging points so it will make it more attractive to buy electric vehicles.

Residents need to know about the ULEZ extension and how it affects them.

Find out more about the plans on London.gov.uk

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348 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, N13 5TJ

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Keeping our streets safe

by Chief Inspector Neil Billany Unfortunately since the last edition the horrible spate of knife crime in London has affected this area, with the well-publicised stabbing that occurred in Broomfield Park on the 7th May. This involved a young man who was preparing for his GCSE exams being attacked following an incident with another man. Thankfully he is making a recovery, however the effects of this incident will long live with him and his family.

Following this I attended a Public Meeting in Southgate, which was very well attended by the community, with MP Bambos Charalambous also a key speaker. While it was sad to have a meeting in these circumstances I was impressed and encouraged with the level of community support and took away a lot of issues to work through with the Neighbourhoods teams working across Southgate and Palmers Green.

In other news, we have a flasher who is active in Broomfield Park. The ward team are regularly in and around the area looking for him, however as yet he remains at large. If you do see anything untoward, or are victim to a like offence

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yourself, please contact the police. I appreciate sometimes there is a feeling of embarrassment in coming forward, however we do not take chances with this type of offence and the sooner we can get someone in front of a Court the better.

Also worth mentioning is a recent spate of cars being broken into in Southgate.

The team have worked some night shifts in an attempt to catch people in the act, however we weren’t lucky this time round. What the team did find was a number of unlocked cars, which only makes things easier for prospective thieves. Please try and help us to help you by locking your car when you leave it.

And finally, despite all the above, Southgate and Palmers Green are safe and pleasant areas to live in and reported crime here is much lower than neighbouring areas. This is not me putting a spin on things, crime data is readily available online for you to review.

We also have ‘Local Life’ pages which give you a feel for what your local police teams are up to. If you head to www.met.police.uk, put your postcode in and your teams page will come up. This will not only tell you who they are and what they are doing, but also gives you an opportunity to tell us what your concerns are and when you can meet the team face to face.

348 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, N13 5TJ

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Nappies and Chemo: A baby battling cancer Pamela has lived in the Palmers Green area since 2007. With her husband of ten years, she has three wonderful children: one five year old and twins aged 20 months. The twins were born in autumn 2016, and are named Jasmine and Daya.

Jasmine was born deaf and disabled, and requires additional care. Pamela said, “As parents, we are determined to give Jasmine all that she needs to flourish, including the practice of Sign Language.”

Things took a turn for the worse in late August 2017, when Jasmine’s twin, Daya, was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer named neuroblastoma. Daya had a huge mass in her abdomen and the cancer had quickly spread to her lymphatic system and bones. Generally, survival rates for neuroblastoma are around the 50% mark.

Pamela said, “seeing your child with cancer and the suffering of chemo is amongst a parent’s worst nightmares”.

Since diagnosis, Daya has been under the expert care of the cancer department at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), and has completed eight rounds of chemotherapy. In between each round of chemo, Daya would need intravenous antibiotics at North Middlesex Hospital.

Daya’s parents said, “The NHS has been fantastic from the point of diagnosis.

Whether at GOSH or our local North Mid, the

doctors and nurses have been real heroes for us.”

Daya is currently undergoing high dose chemotherapy at Great Ormond Street as an in-patient for six weeks. Given the risk of infection after chemotherapy, which works by poisoning the body with toxins and lowering the immune system, Daya, who is still only a toddler of 20 months, must be kept in isolation in one room for that entire period of six weeks.

Neuroblastoma is relatively rare amongst the childhood cancers. Options to treat it can become limited and families may face accessing treatment overseas which is not available on the NHS. So, Daya’s parents have started raising funds for the charity Solving Kids’ Cancer, which lobbies for better clinical options within the UK, and supports families if they decide to access potentially life saving specialist treatments overseas.

Thanks to their wonderful friends and family, Daya’s parents are organising a number of fundraising events, including several in the Palmers Green area.

F SA OR LE

For details of those events and to follow their story, please see the JustGiving site at https://www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/solvingkidscancer/daya-amole

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HAIN FREE EDWARDIAN PERIOD PROPERTY WITH GARAGE TO SIDE. This spacious three bedroom end of terrace house requiring modernisation is within a few minutes walk to Palmers Greens high road. The ground floor consists of an original front door to hallway, a bright and spacious through lounge and a morning room opening to a galley kitchen. The first floor offers two double bedrooms, a good size single bedroom, a wet room and access to loft space with potential to convert. Off street parking, garage to side and rear garden.

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New River Crescent Palmers Green, N13

£700,000 Freehold

348 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, N13 5TJ

Palmers Green Festival and High Street traders unite to help start-ups In a show of unity acknowledging the difficulties faced by small start-up businesses and the adverse forces affecting our high streets, the Palmers Green Festival, sponsored by Winkworth Estate agents, is working with local traders and the Green Lanes Business Association to help both situations.

Brian Lewis, owner of Palmers Green café and entertainment venue My Time explained the background, “a market is one proven way to bring footfall into an area so we thought why not spread a pop-up market of local start-ups and micro businesses across several shops in Palmers Green.” Essentially home or small based local craft businesses will be able to display free and sell in participating shops for a few hours.

Brian already displays and sells products from several such businesses through

My Time, most often of arts and crafts in nature but also products such as honey and even beers and gin.

With the festival always seeking ways to assist local businesses, a joint approach was formed whereby high street shops would host pop-ups on Saturday, 1 September while the same pop ups would be offered a place in the festivals Arts and Craft zone the following day.

“This coming together offers immense marketing exposure over a single weekend for micro businesses, as well as

helping our high street traders”, said Philip Chard, festival director.

The Green Lanes Business Association already has Anthony Webb, Vaprorium Cafe, JoJo and Flo, Winkworth, Swirlz and My Time offering space on the 1st September. There are music, art, craft, health and well-being micro businesses already on board. The association would like to get other businesses offering their premises from Aldermans Hill, through Palmers Green High St up to Bourne Hill.

Interested businesses both home/small craft and High Street shops should contact Brian at My Time in the first instance.

Further details:- Brian Lewis, My Time, www.mytimefare.co.uk 0208 886 6994 Karl Brown, Palmers Green Festival 07768 460 266

Save the date for the Firs Farm Festival!

by Toni Guiver (07956 537 974) Firs Lane, Winchmore Hill, London N21 2PJ Chair, Friends of Firs Farm Park, Registered Charity 1177069.

Firs Farm Wetland’s Festival is taking place on Saturday 14th July 2018. Our inaugural Festival in 2016 saw some 3,000 people attended and enjoy our amazing wetlands! We thank our sponsors, the Lottery Fund who generously donated £10,000 and all the local businesses’ like Target Tuition and Homecare Preferred that have helped to make this event possible.

At the festival you can expect to listen to musicians, young and old across a range of genres, watch dogs putting on a show, enjoy the funfair rides featuring zorb water balls, bumper cars, cup and saucer rides, to name a few. And, if doing all this leaves you a bit hungry, don’t worry, there is plenty of food and drink to suit all tastes as well as an open air pub!

In other news The Friends of Firs Farm, with the backing of the London Borough of Enfield (LBE) and Thames Water, are coming together to create a community café and hub. The Community Hub will be designed as an educational, recreation and social space, which can be used by schools and the wider community.

Since 2014, an underused playing field has been transformed into a national award winning natural environment. 30,000 tonnes of soil have been moved; more than four hundred trees planted, as well as shrubs, bulbs, marginal water plants and wildflower meadows have been seeded, creating one of Europe’s largest Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDs) schemes. Can YOUR BUSINESS help to write the next chapter of this environmental success story? Promises are already starting to come in to help us build the community café from all over London, but more business support is still needed.

Look out for our new tennis courts coming this summer too!

Wild flower meadow

For more information on how you can get involved, please contact: Friends of Firs Farm: friendsoffirsfarm@gmail.com

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Cub e 20th Southgate Congratulations to Th gh various methods, ou Scout group who, thr es including; £387 for al chariti raised money for loc Animal for the Wood Green Operation Fish, £250 Cancer ale ng hti Nig the for 0 to Shelter and nearly £6 de ma o als re we tions Support Centre. Dona lina Children’s Eve the d an UK r nce Prostate Ca just was raised in total by Hospital. Nearly £800 ne! do ll We 11 Cubs.

Moonwalk 2018 We ll done to Liz, Clare and Kathleen who betwe en them raised over £2,800 for Breast Cancer!

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Congratulations to Pal me pupil Eloise, who com rs Green High Year 5 pleted the Great No rth Swim in Lake Winderm ere. Comprising a sw im of 250m, Eloise came an amazing 15th out of girls in the 8-19 yea 250 rs category. Well done Eloise!

t mers Green mums tha Hats off to 10 local Pal ddy 5K Run' at Trent Mu y ett 'Pr completed the ay, r Research on Saturd Park in aid of Cance 0! ,00 £4 r ove sed 9 June. They rai

348 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, N13 5TJ

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Seven habits of highly effective language learners

by Laura Scaramella of Parla Italiano In language learning, no matter where you start from, you can achieve your goal if you believe you can.

Looking at what the most successful learners do can be inspirational.

Learning a language is complex and the time that it will take you to achieve a level that you are happy with varies greatly from one person to the next. It depends on a variety of elements and in order to speed up the process it is useful to look at the best language learners to understand and try to replicate what they do differently. I have observed students for more than a decade and these are seven elements that effective learners have in common: are proactive. This is very much 1To beThey true for anything one wishes to achieve. proactive means to take ownership of ones' own learning. The best language students are all independent students. They don't expect to simply follow the teacher's

direction but have their own strategy for learning. They pick up tips for learning, look for ideas everywhere and develop their own strategy alongside the work they do in class.

by speaking it. They find opportunities and make the most of them.

seek exposure. Highly effective 2theThey students understand that exposure to language is one of the most important

are not afraid of making mistakes. They know it is part of the process of learning.

elements. So they read and listen a great deal more than the average student.

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They use a variety of tools. The very best students work online, interact in groups, on pages, use website, apps etc. to help them develop their vocabulary and language skills.

4

They are not afraid to speak.

Speaking a language can only be learnt

are not perfectionists.

5They Abandon perfectionism, the best learners

are patient. Highly effective 6They learners know that learning is not a linear process. The secret is to keep going and practise, practise, practise.

don’t give up. Last but not least, 7They when the game gets tough they don’t abandon it but they keep going, knowing that it will get easier. They trust themselves and the process.

Parla Italiano is a school of Italian language for adults and children. We are second language specialists. Our new courses start soon, for information please email: laura@parlaitaliano.co.uk or phone 07941 092593 or visit: www.parlaitaliano.co.uk

In the Garden with Paul Knight The Secret Garden Contact Paul on 07957 942728 info@outside-designs.co.uk That notion of secrecy, mystery and enclosure is still, for me, a vital ingredient of my ideal garden.

In larger gardens it is relatively easy to create an air of intrigue, with curving paths leading off at angles or diving behind hedges to emerge at a secret summerhouse, shaded seat or secluded glade of trees. But even a smaller space can have a quiet corner tucked away; somewhere to sit with a glass of wine on a summer's evening, or a scented enclosure filled with flowers.

The key is not to give away all your garden's secrets at first glance. Gardens that are instantly "readable" can easily become boring, while the suggestion of something hidden invites exploration. In a long, narrow town garden, there's scope to divide the space into a series of smaller, square "rooms", which are not only easier to design and plant, but can each have a different character.

But even in a tiny plot, screening one corner with a hedge or, if you're too impatient to wait for box or yew to grow, a panel of woven willow or trellis with climbers scrambling up it, can

create that crucial feeling of enclosure. You can enhance the feeling by framing the opening with a metal or trellis arch, and place an attractive seat inside; you could even commission a simple bench from a local artist or craftsman, perhaps with your initials or a fragment of a poem inscribed on the back.

If space really is at a premium, there are a few more tricks guaranteed to conjure up an air of mystery. Mirrors work instant magic, their reflections suggesting hidden worlds beyond, and are especially effective when framed by something resembling a doorway. False doors work a similar spell, maybe with a small window, glazed with mirror, at the top - any old skip-find, painted up and framed in wood, will do.

These are simple tricks, but gloriously effective: the first visitor to my London garden after I'd installed a large mirror, its edges obscured by climbers, on the back wall, asked, "Gosh is that another part of the garden through there?" So perhaps I got my own secret garden in the end, even if it was only through artifice.

Call us for all your garden needs; Garden design • Planting design • Landscape construction • Irrigation. Follow us on Twitter outsidedesigns1

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348 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, N13 5TJ

HMRC tightening on undeclared income

by Alex Chrysostomou Alexander Associates, your local accountant 24A Aldermans Hill, Palmers Green, London N13 4PN Tel: 020 8882 6611 Fax: 020 8882 6621 Email: alex@alexassociates.co.uk Website: www.alexandersandco.com In the past I have written articles relating to undeclared income and how best to bring your tax affairs up to date with HMRC. We have recently seen an increase in the amount of activity from HMRC where they are using their powers to uncover undeclared income.

We have recently worked with a client who owned a rental property for several years and never declared to HMRC. In 2015 they sold this property and moved abroad. For three years they believed that they avoided their tax responsibilities until recently they received a letter from HMRC asking them about this property and why they hadn’t declared the income to HMRC, giving them 30 days to respond.

This scenario is quite common and proves that you’re never safe from HMRC! We have dealt with many scenarios over the

years. In most cases HMRC will fine and charge interest on any overdue tax owed, once you catch up with overdue tax returns.

We can work on limiting the penalties if we use the Let Property Campaign, which HMRC have created in order to give you the opportunity to bring your tax affairs up to date if you’ve been letting out a residential property (or indeed receiving any other type of income). By going down the Let Property Campaign route, you are likely to get the best possible terms from HMRC to pay the tax that you owe, given that you have made a voluntary disclosure.

My advice is to contact HMRC and make the voluntary disclosure before they track you down. I’ve seen on many occasions, where HMRC have contacted individuals about tax owed on undeclared income. For example, a

common way that HMRC aim to clamp down on undeclared rental income is by circulating a demand to the letting agents up and down the country for them to provide a list of all their landlords and the gross rents received, they tally this up with the information at HMRC and contact you if there are any discrepancies.

Finally, if you decide to voluntarily bring your affairs up to date, the penalties will be far less severe than if you receive the dreaded letter. A recent case we dealt with, where the client voluntarily brought their tax affairs up to date, incurred penalties of approximately £10k and these would have been well over £20k had HMRC instigated the investigation.

If you have an accounting question for Alex please e-mail him directly he will be happy to assist you, alternatively Alexander Associates offer an initial free consultation, please contact them to find out more.

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 accountant on any specific accountancy enquiry.

Now is the best time of year to paint the exterior of your home

by Mick Lawton your local Palmers Green DIY Doctor Fresh paint can completely change the look of your home and add all important value. In fact, it’s one of the most cost-effective remodelling jobs you can do, as long as you choose a professional to do the job right!

Wait for warm weather Ideally summer is the best time to paint the exterior of your property as you are more likely to get a consistent spell of warm weather.

Since most exterior paint requires an ambient temperature to dry, painting contractors risk poor paint application if they paint during the winter or in wet periods. Holding off until summer produces the best results. It’s important to paint at a time when

weather conditions are consistent and temperatures don’t vary significantly overnight or from day to day.

Don’t skimp on quality A typical exterior house painting job should last for at least five years, but quality hand painting can last for up to 15 years.

Preparation prior to painting is key to ensure you get the best longevity and value for money from your exterior decoration.

If you want to freshen up the exterior of your property please do not hesitate to contact me for a no obligation quote. Visit my website to see examples of my work www.micklawton.com, or contact me on 07985 412 599

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modern built (circa 1989) four bedroom semidetached house located in a quiet residential turning within easy reach of both Palmers Green and Southgate's amenities and transport facilities. The property offers a spacious living room, a dining room with doors to garden, a fitted kitchen, a ground floor cloakroom, a master bedroom with en-suite shower room, a further double bedroom, two single bedrooms, a family bathroom and loft space. Further benefits include detached garage with drive, front and rear gardens.

EAUTIFUL EDWARDIAN GARDEN FLAT WITH SHARE OF FREEHOLD. A well presented one bedroom period conversion located on the ground floor of this substantial Edwardian building. The flat consists of a bright and spacious living room with feature fireplace and high ceilings with original cornice, a double bedroom with a fitted wardrobe, modern bathroom, modern kitchen with door to garden, access to cellar storage space, communal parking facilities, 900+lease and half share of a well maintained rear garden.

£650,000 Freehold

£350,000 Leasehold F SA OR LE

Palmerston Crescent Palmers Green, N13

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Crothall Close Palmers Green, N13

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HAIN FREE. A spacious four bedroom terrace house located in a quiet residential turning close to Hedge Lane. The property benefits from a spacious through lounge, extended kitchen/diner, ground floor shower room, first floor bath/shower room, two double bedrooms and a single bedroom on the first floor and a converted loft bedroom on the second floor. Further benefits include off street parking and garden to rear.

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HAIN FREE, SHARE OF FREEHOLD AND REAR GARDEN. A spacious ground floor two bedroom converted flat ideally located for both Palmers Green and Winchmore Hill stations (Moorgate). This WELL PRESENTED property consists of a bright spacious living room with under floor storage, a modern kitchen/diner, modern bathroom, two good size bedrooms, gas central heating, double glazing, own front door and sole use of 50ft rear garden with views over the New River.

Ashley Gardens Palmers Green, N13

River Avenue Palmers Green, N13

£575,000 Freehold

£425,000 Freehold

348 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, N13 5TJ

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348 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, N13 5TJ

Why a professional inventory offers you and your property the best protection

by Vanessa Gills Head of Property Management at Anthony Webb

Independent inventories are essential when letting your property, they help to avoid disputes with tenants at the end of the tenancy. Gone are the days, where a two page list of goods will suffice! Having a professional inventory in place, will prevent end of tenancy disputes as there is a detailed record of the condition of the property, when the tenancy commenced. At Anthony Webb, we advise our clients to have a professional inventory carried out, to ensure peace of mind for our landlords and tenants.

The importance of an independent inventory When carrying out an inventory by a qualified independent inventory clerk there can be no question of bias, which will ensure you and your tenants interests are fully protected, whilst ensuring the condition of your property is detailed in full.

In addition if tenants are aware you have a record of the condition of the property and its contents, they’ll be conscious any damages will be highlighted and noted in the inventory checkout. Therefore they’re more likely to take good care of the property and report any problems as they arise.

Within the inventory there is a written explanation of each item and photographic evidence to support this. The condition of everything is listed, walls, carpets, door frames, windows, light switches etc. As well as supplied furniture, beds, sofas and also fitted furniture such as kitchen cupboards, bathroom and suites. Adjudicators look for clearly defined glossary of terms and guidelines, which is always

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included in an independent Inventory. In the checkout report they look for a clearly laid out report, with a full list of the dilapidations. Condition and cleanliness can often be subjective, which is why the adjudicators are looking for a glossary of terms, particularly as disputes arising from cleaning are the most common.

Unfortunately, from time to time landlords do need to deduct charges from their tenant's deposit. The inventory and check out report will form the bedrock of evidence. If matters spiral into a dispute, then the onus is upon you the landlord, not the tenant, to provide evidence to the Deposit Protection Dispute Service to justify your claim. An inventory is essential evidence of the condition of the property when they moved in. This enables the adjudicators to make a full assessment and to avoid any doubt of the condition and therefore any doubt with your claim.

put things right when things go wrong. We also recommend regular inspections throughout your tenancy to ensure that you do not encounter any surprises at the end of the term.

Find out more about the letting service at Anthony Webb If you would like to see an example of our professional inventories please pop into the office, we will be happy to show you. We offer a range of letting services for landlords to ensure that we find the right level of service to suit you. Please contact me on 020 8882 7888 if you need any advice or would like to get a current valuation on your rental property.

The cost of having a professional inventory compiled will far outweigh the cost of having to

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348 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, N13 5TJ

Advertisement

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348 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, N13 5TJ

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PACIOUS FLAT IN GREAT LOCATION. A well presented two bedroom flat located a few minutes' walk to Palmers Green's shops, restaurants, bus routes and mainline station (Moorgate). This character flat is situated on the first floor of this 30s built mansion block and retains the original wood block parquet flooring.

The property also falls within the ever popular Hazelwood school catchment area. The flat is offered with FLEXIBLE FURNISHINGS and is available from 1st August.

ERIOD HOUSE CLOSE TO WINCHMORE HILL GREEN AND STATION. A three bedroom end of terrace house located within easy walking distance of Winchmore Hill Green and Mainline station into Moorgate. The property benefits on the ground floor from a good size living room with feature fireplace, a dining room opening to a modern kitchen. The first floor comprises two decent double bedrooms, a single bedroom and a bathroom. Further benefits include gas central heating, off street parking and rear garden.

Hoppers Road Winchmore Hill, N21

£1,250 per calendar month

£1,850 per calendar month

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ffered to let, a two bedroom purpose built apartment situated on the ground floor of this secure gated modern development. Benefits include a spacious living room with wood floor, fitted kitchen, modern bathroom and further en-suite shower room, one double bedroom and one single bedroom, double glazing, gas central heating, secure entry phone system and allocated parking. The property is offered unfurnished and is available from beginning of August.

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single person required to let a first floor studio flat situated within walking distance of Palmers Green's shops, restaurants and mainline station (15 minutes to Finsbury Park, 30 minutes to Moorgate). The property consists of living/sleeping area, kitchen with appliances, shower room, double glazing and gas central heating.

The water bill is included in the monthly rent. The flat is offered furnished and is available from the 23rd July.

Hazelwood Lane Palmers Green, N13

Park Avenue Palmers Green, N13

£1,400 per calendar month

£800 per calendar month

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348 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, N13 5TJ

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UXURY APARTMENT IN PRIVATE GATED DEVELOPMENT. Located close to Palmers Greens shops, restaurants and mainline station into Moorgate.

This CHAIN FREE property consists of two good size bedrooms with built in wardrobes, a spacious living room with doors to own private garden, a modern fitted kitchen with appliances, a modern bathroom, an ensuite modern shower room to master bedroom, an allocated parking space, own rear garden and views over the New River.

PACIOUS SPLIT LEVEL FLAT OFF FOX LANE. A four bedroom converted flat offering over a 1000 sq ft of floor space of the first and second floors of this Edwardian building. The first floor comprises of a spacious living room with feature fireplace, a fitted kitchen, a double bedroom, a good size single bedroom and modern bathroom. The second floor offers two further bedrooms (one with restricted head height and eves storage space) and a modern shower room.

Bayswater Close Palmers Green, N13

Caversham Avenue Palmers Green, N13

ÂŁ425,000 Leasehold

ÂŁ520,000 Leasehold

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348 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, N13 5TJ

Grange Park Prep School

Grange Park Prep School is becoming Co-educational 13 The Chine, Grange Park, London N21 2EA Tel 020 8360 1469 Email: office@gpps.org.uk www.gpps.org.uk Head teacher: Miss Flavia Rizzo BSc PGCE MA

It is with great pleasure that we can now share with you the exciting plans for the future of Grange Park Prep School.

Since the introduction of the co-educational nursery in 2015, we have had increased interest of boys attending the nursery. Parents of these children were so delighted with the nursery, they would have liked their boys to continue at GPPS for their prep education and the question that keeps reoccurring is; would we ever revert to a coeducation school?

In 1924 the school opened as a co-educational school, and it was in the early 1980s that it became a single sex school. The early pictures of the school all show boys and girls being educated together.

Following extensive research and evaluation, the Governors and teachers have decided to introduce co-education from September 2018. This means the new Reception intake will be a mixed class.

Therefore in September 2018 we will have a co-educational setting starting with Key Stage 1 - Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. This will enable us to now offer a mixed education, making us the only Prep School in N21 offering a top private education for boys and girls through to 11+.

The move will be phased in gradually over four years and every year group will have both boys and girls by September 2024.

Research has shown that there is growing interest in co-education locally, as indeed reflected nationally. The Governors recognise that parents are increasingly seeking a school that can serve both their sons and their daughters and we are delighted to be in a position to enable more families to benefit from a Grange Park Prep School education.

The move to co-education will strengthen the School’s offer for current and future pupils. The academic, social and developmental benefits of a co-educational environment will bring a more diverse and challenging curriculum; extracurricular opportunities and experiences will be enhanced by the presence of both girls and boys and all pupils will leave the school better prepared for secondary school - and life.

We would of course be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding the change.

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Could your child experience summer learning loss?

by Angela Evanglou SUMMER LEARNING LOSS is the loss of academic skills and knowledge over the course of the summer holidays.

SUMMER LEARNING LOSS STATISTICS: • 2.6 months of Maths skills are lost • 2 months of reading skills are lost • the first 6 weeks of the new academic year are spent re- learning old material to make up for summer learning loss • summer learning loss can be recognised as early as Year 1 • by the end of Year 6, students who have experienced summer learning loss over the years are an average of 2 years behind their peers FOUR WAYS TO PREVENT SUMMER LEARING LOSS 1. Be a bookworm – studies have shown that reading a book a week over the summer offers a great opportunity for students to preserve and strengthen their reading skills. Fifteen to thirty minutes per day is all it takes. Your summer activities should include taking your children to the local public library to check out books of interest.

Most libraries run summer reading groups and this offers students a great opportunity to preserve and strengthen their reading skillS. 2. Be a diarist – encouraging your child to keep a diary is a great way to improve their written language skills. A paragraph is all that is needed. You can help them by choosing a "topic" to write about.

For example: a family holiday, a special outing or even a ‘project’ on a topic that interests them. Encouraging your child to use a thesaurus or dictionary and to change several common words to more interesting words (‘wow’ words) will make their writing more interesting. At the same time, they will be increasing their vocabulary,

and practising their grammar, punctuation and grammar skills.

3. Be a numberphile - working on a few math problems per day during the summer can prevent students' mathematical skills from getting rusty. Parents can purchase a maths workbook, at the appropriate level, from various shops. Working on just four to five problems daily (or more, if your child enjoys maths) can help students of all ages close the gaps in their maths skills, preserve what they had learned during the previous school year, and prepare them for the next school year.

4. Get physical – encouraging physical activity over the summer will help keep your child in peak mental form, as studies have shown that physical health enhances academic performance.

By practicing the above tips, students will see a strengthening and improvement in academic skills and knowledge and avoid digressing two to three months of learning. © ANGELA EVANGLOU, JUNE 2018

WINDSOR ROAD TUITION CENTRE Subjects offered: 11plus, English, Maths, Science, French, Piano Lessons • Enrolling now for our 11plus 3-week intensive August Bootcamp • Enrolling now for September 2018 - Free trial lesson for every student For further details and to discuss your requirements, please contact Angela on 07849 110193.

The North London Organic Gardeners celebrate 25 years!

by Sue Davies

The North London Organic Gardeners recently celebrated 25 years of promoting organic gardening, alongside meeting socially to enjoy swapping gardening advice and encouragement.

Jeremy Pearce (second from the left) was our founder and it was with great enthusiasm that he, helped by a band of willing members, set up the group named North London Organic Gardeners as a local branch of HDRA (the Henry Doubleday Research Association) which later became Garden Organic. Historically we met at Capel Manor for many years but more recently have moved to the Winchmore Hill Baptist Church, Compton Road N21 3PA. We host talks by specialists and try to keep up with the latest ideas and trends.

Speakers have come from Garden Organic, Capel Manor College, Permaculture, Sustain, RSPB, and Butterfly Conservation

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among many others. We also enjoy sharing ideas and expertise among ourselves which we willingly share with newcomers – especially about compost making and the virtues of comfrey! We have always enjoyed a good social get-together and outings where we are on the lookout for tips and ideas that we can take home to our own plots and private gardens.

In recent years our outings have included; Ryton Gardens (Garden Organic’s headquarters), Barnsdale, the garden of the late Geoff Hamilton who was one of the first to promote Organics on the television and in June we visited Wakehurst Place the home of the Millennium Seed Bank and beautiful gardens. We also have local visits to other members gardens or to nearby places of interest.

The annual Plant Sale in May is always a high light of our calendar, well known locally as it has now been going for 23 years!

Anyone interested in joining us should contact Sue Campbell suecampbell462@gmail.com 020 8363 3643 (on the left of the picture).

We meet in the small church hall in Compton Road on the first Wednesday of the month starting September 5th 2018 from 8pm to 10pm. Look out for adverts on the Palmers Green Community website. All new visitors are welcome.

348 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, N13 5TJ

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I’ve forgotten all my German!

by Gabriele Trinczek

I hear this quite often from students of German who studied it up to GCSE or even ‘A’ level but never used it much.

There is often a hint of regret in their voices because it took quite an effort to achieve their qualification; or even a feeling of regret in missed career opportunities, considering Germany’s success as the largest economy in Europe, or frustration in not being able to communicate with friends or family in German speaking countries.

You could be part of all the current happenings again, learn more about traditions and folklore, like the “Nürnberger Trichter”, a funnel which pours knowledge into your head (wishful thinking indeed!) and regain your confidence in speaking a foreign language.

I run a small speaking class with students

who have either attended classes or lived in a German speaking country for a short period and feel they need more oral practice. We go through aspects which are not covered by the official curriculum, like everyday expressions “Da schlackern einem die Ohren” (my ears are flapping), which means being perplexed. Yes, there is a funny side to German and we always find an opportunity to find it or at least to be astonished. We can also cover some grammatical aspects which are confusing, but I adjust to my students’ needs. The classes are structured, a theme is set and as an experienced teacher I make sure everyone has equal say and opportunity to speak.

If, however, you are a complete beginner you might consider starting the ‘First Steps’ class in September, where we follow a popular teaching book. This is supported by lots of my own materials since learners have individual needs. A book is only as good as its teacher and I make sure that my learners get the most out of their lessons. I believe communication in a foreign language should be the main goal of each lesson and for that you need vocabulary. So, put away your scrabble board this September and instead collect new words in German to build up your conversation.

My new German classes for adults start in September 2018. For details please visit: www.startgerman.co.uk, info@startgerman.co.uk, or call me on 07930 923435.

Over 40? Like playing football? The Wrecks of the Rec are now recruiting… by Andrew Gelling Mostly made up of dads of Hazelwood School, the Wrecks have been playing friendly games in our local Hazelwood Recreation Ground; the Rec, on Sunday mornings for nearly ten years.

We are a friendly, community oriented and non-discriminatory (except the age limit due to the nature of activity) group whose ethos is based on sportspersonship, geniality, cordiality and mutual respect. We like to enjoy the company of the likeminded local players every week. The game size varies; from 4 to 10 a-side, depending on the week. Although some competitiveness is essential to spice up our game, this should not compromise players’ physical and mental wellbeing and not contravene the ethos of the team.

ESSENTIAL: AGE BRACKET: • You must be 40+, sorry.

ATTITUDE: • Demonstrable sportspersonship, geniality, cordiality and mutual respect

• Demonstrable non-discriminatory behaviour • Proactive contribution to our team in the form of washing bibs on a rota, helping with setting up and clearing, transporting/storing the equipment.

DESIRABLE: FOOTBALL SKILLS: • Would be good if you bring some, but you won’t be judged on that. Hopefully we’ll develop you for the better.

FITNESS: • Would be good if you have some, but you won’t be judged on that. Hopefully we’ll develop you for the better.

HUMOUR: • Would be good if you have some, but you won’t be judged on that.

Hopefully, we’ll develop you for the better.

SUPPORTED TEAM: • Ideally you should be a Gunner, but we embrace all team supporters in the spectrum, even the Spurs!

OTHER DETAILS: Place: The Rec Day/time: Sundays between 8:30 and 10:30am Weather: We are an allweather team; snow, ice, rain, mud, midges, bring them on.

Training: Optional, but highly recommended. Roughly every quarter in Alfred Herring!

If interested and would like to see us in action, pop into the Rec on a Sunday morning and have a chat with one of the members of the organising committee. Alternatively, email us at mcwrecks@gmail.com

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348 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, N13 5TJ

Fabulous Hair Company, a sustainable salon

by Kiri from Fabulous Hair Company Fabulous Hair Company 382 Green Lanes, N13 5PD Tel: 020 8886 7070

I want to start by saying thank you to everyone who contacted me in support of our last article Cruelty Free Hairdressing, if you missed this article please email me for a copy.

With the U.K planned ban on plastic straws and other single use plastics I thought this would be a good time to discuss what we do & what you can do to protect the environment, especially our oceans & rivers against plastic waste plus how we as a small business work towards offsetting our carbon footprint.

Firstly, staff training, nothing can be more wasteful than the team that work with you!

Educate your team in meetings discussing the benefits of becoming a sustainable salon, ask for their input on what you can do to reduce single

use plastic and minimise your salons carbon footprint. At Fabulous Hair we now no longer use disposable plastic capes, aprons or caps for colours but use washable & reusable ones. Plastic carrier bags used for salon product purchases are being replaced with biodegradable paper bags.

We encourage customers to change the way they purchase products asking them to consider buying bigger bottles of shampoo/ conditioner helping to reduce monthly plastic waste. We are currently working on a refill bar where clients can return their empty bottles of shampoo and we

refill at a reduced cost again saving on plastic waste. Unfortunately, not all single use plastics can be eliminated, but we are constantly looking for alternatives and hope manufactures will offer business alternatives soon. With the help of Paul Mitchell, we support No Animal Testing, Reforest Action and Waterkeeper Alliance all of this can be found on our website. Our next article we will look more in depth on what hair salons can do to reduce their carbon footprint and how we work with a company committed to planting over 750,000 trees by end of 2019.

If you have any questions that need answering quickly, please email me at kc@fabuloushaircompany.com and I will get back to you soon as I can. If you enjoyed my article let us know, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram and we will enter you in our monthly competition for a chance of winning a Paul Mitchell in-salon Lavender Mint Mineral Mask treatment worth £25.

Just go to our website www.fabuloushaircompany.com, and click the Facebook/ Instagram icon to follow and a chance to win an AWG treatment.

What is an Amatsu session like?

by Nicola Forward, your local Amatsu Practitioner This is often the first question I am asked…and this is fair enough as very few people have come across Amatsu and committing to a session can be a bit of a “leap of faith” if you don’t know what is involved. So this gives a flavour of your first Amatsu session: About you: We have about an hour together and you remain fully clothed, although I may ask to look at specific areas of concern if you are experiencing swelling or inflammation.

We begin with a thorough conversation about your current concerns and spend some time discussing your longer term health history, previous injuries, accidents or operations, current health conditions, medications and lifestyle. All this is completely confidential, but essential as Amatsu does not replace your current health care, but rather works alongside it to give you the best possible support.

About your body: For the rest of our session you lie on my treatment couch and initially I will gently touch your body and move your limbs. I may have some further questions for you, but you can use this time to begin to relax and let go.

Using orthopaedic tests and muscle reflex tests I fully assess the restrictions and tensions in your body so that I can work out exactly what your body needs to restore it to natural balance and optimal health.

Your Amatsu Balance: Every session is different and can involve touch, gentle pressure and natural body movement.

There is no cracking, twisting, pushing or pulling and you can ask to stop at any point. By gently squeezing key points in spasmed tissue and moving your joints through natural patterns your body realigns and settles.

A new you: It is not unusual for you to feel different straight away, although some people feel the changes over the following few days as their body is adjusting.

Amatsu is often the “therapy of last resort”

when people feel as if they’ve exhausted everything else so I’ll leave the last word to Amatsu client Mary, a trained nurse, “I highly recommend Amatsu and this is high praise coming from a sceptic who used to sneer at alternative therapies. Nicola is professional, thoughtful and calm and I always look forward to my sessions.”

Mobile: 07720 81 01 01 Email: nicolaforward@aol.com www.amatsutherapyintl.com So if you are ready to take a “leap of faith” call me for an informal chat and you could take advantage of my Special “3 for 2” Introductory Offer.

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Care

Live life how you want to

in your own home

H

ome Care Preferred is not only one of the most awarded care agencies but also provides as little as one-hour support per week through to full time live-in care. We are dedicated to providing a quality service to older people and adults over 18 years old.

For further information contact a member of our friendly team Home Care Preferred T: 020 8364 3670 E: info@homecarepreferred.com www.homecarepreferred.com

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348 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, N13 5TJ

What clients are saying about Home Care Preferred “Jayme demonstrated to me her ability to adapt to different situations and needs.

Thank you for your dedication and continued excellent levels of support” “I am so happy with the service and the continuity of care is much appreciated” “We are so pleased to see your company grow and are very proud that we were your first clients in 2012” “Thank you for all your help. I wish there was more people like you and your team in the health care sector” “Can I take this opportunity to tell you that we are impressed by exceptional level of professionalism demonstrated by the support assistants that Home Care Preferred provided for my Dad” “I just want to say that you guys have been fantastic from the start and I would like to say that Felicity was so amazing with mum when she had to go to hospital”

www.homecarepreferred.com 8882 7888

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David Williamson

THURS JULY 5 THE DUGDALE CENTRE

FRI JULY 13 BOUNDS GREEN CLUB

NOCTURNAL ANIMALS

BATTLE OF THE SEXES

A wealthy art gallery owner can’t put down her exhusband's new novel.

THURS AUG 2 THE DUGDALE CENTRE

OUR LITTLE SISTER

The true story of the 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs.

After the death of their estranged father, three siblings invite their half sister to live with them.

SATURDAY AUGUST 31 BOWLING GREEN, BROOMFIELD PARK

TALKIES’ PICNIC IN THE DARK

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL Talkies’ tradition of an annual picnic in the park in the dark again on the last Friday of the school holidays. Bring your picnic blanket and hamper and treat all the family to a great end to the school holidays.

Make it a pirates’ night to remember! Ah-harrrrrr me hearties… let’s see those spotty hankies, eye patches and parrots!

FOR MORE DETAILS AND TICKET BOOKING, VISIT

www.talkies.org.uk

Licencing Advert Date: 25th June 2018 NOTICE IS GIVEN THAT Risteard Hardwicke of CHI CHI’S COFFEE HOUSE, 604 GREEN LANES, N13 5RY has applied to the London Borough of Enfield for a new premises licence, licensable activities as follows: • To serve a limited selection of alcoholic drinks at the coffee shop • To play films, recorded and live music inside the premises • Normal operating hours will be 08.00 -17.30 Mon-Sat and 10.00-17.00 on Sundays • Licenced opening hours 08.00-22.00 to cover any one-off late openings Any person who wishes to make a representation in relation to this application must give notice in writing stating the grounds of making said representation to: Licensing Team, PO Box 57, Civic Centre, Silver Street, Enfield EN1 3XH, or by emailing licensing@enfield.gov.uk WITHIN TWENTY EIGHT DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS NOTICE. The public register where applications are available to be viewed by members of the public can be accessed online by visiting www.enfield.gov.uk/services/business-andlicensing and following the link to the Licensing Register. The application can be inspected upon request to licensing@enfield.gov.uk within the 28 days from the date of this notice.

It is an offence, under section 158 of the Licensing Act 2003, to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with an application for a premises licence. A person guilty of an offence is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level five on the standard scale.

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348 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, N13 5TJ

8882 7888

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Wild Woodcroft Update Woodcroft Wildspace is a natural habitat on our doorstep in N21 where you can discover nature - insects, birds, small mammals, pond life, plants and trees. Everyone is invited to come along to visit or volunteer to help us maintain this hidden gem.

These can now be seen entering full leaf and coming into flower. Tulip trees, cherry, Whitebeam, Rowan and Mulberry, to name a few can be found in our orchard.

Woodcroft Wildspace started life in 2003 with the formation of the Friends of Woodcroft comprising of a dozen volunteers, in 2018 we have grown to over 1000 and encourage more locals to enjoy this unique space.

We’ve also been busy with more rainwater conservation by lining another reservoir.

This will secure not only water for the Organic Sensory Garden but also ensure that we can keep the ponds topped up for pond dipping throughout the summer.

News 2018 saw with the opening of our new entrance on Downes Court. With the volunteers hard work and the aid of a grant from Greggs the bakers, we have designed new floral arches supporting Honeysuckle, Clematis and Jasmine to provide intense colours and perfumes in the spring and summer.

school visits this year. If you would like to find out more about the opportunities we have on offer for local schools please email education@woodcroft.org.uk

We are pleased to report that over 900 local pupils have enjoyed visiting Woodcroft on

During the spring volunteers planted 35 trees donated by The Conservation Trust.

By the time this gets published the Open Garden Squares weekend, 9th and 10th June will be over and we will be looking forwards to supporting the Firs Farm Festival on 14th July where you can come and see us and talk to the volunteers.

Interested in volunteering? Visit Woodcroft from 10 o’clock every Saturday morning, there’s always plenty to do. All enquiries – enquiries@woodcroft.org.uk Address: Woodcroft Wildspace Downes Court, London N21 3PT

Palmers Green Tales by Jenny Bourke www.palmersgreentales.com Find us on Facebook and look for Palmers Green Tales and ask to join the group.

Our twitter address is @PGTales Susan Mehmet and myself have made a film about Rodwins the fabulous craft, toy and dance supply shop in Southgate. We had seen Josie, the owner’s, picture at the wonderful exhibition entitled, ‘Made in Enfield’, which was on at the Dugdale Centre for several months.

It celebrated all the wonderful toys and games which were made in Enfield in the past.

Perhaps we could do with some start up games

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manufacturers at the moment? Anyway we hope the exhibition gave some people ideas.

Josie started Rodwins nearly 60 years ago and the shop has sold lots of different things over the years.

The shop started out as a toyshop and included children’s bicycles in its stock.

Josie herself was a very keen cyclist and knew Tom Maysh, the subject of our last film. The shop has expanded to supply art and craft materials, including knitting wools and dance shoes.

It also has a thriving trade in fancy dress, ideal for schoolbook days. At one time

Josie had 2 shops in Southgate but now has only one, which is a veritable Aladdin’s cave.

The shop is a very special place for local school children and Josie went in to Osidge school to tell them about going to the school during the second world war and we saw the wonderful birthday card the children made for Josie’s 80th birthday.

Our next 2 films will be about 2 local authors, one was a TV journalist and the other a well known children’s author. We can’t wait to share the finished films and hope you will enjoy them as well.

348 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, N13 5TJ

Your Legal Questions Answered

by Fariz Uvais

Fariz Uvais is a Consultant Solicitor at Fahri LLP based in Whetstone North London.

Write in and ask your legal questions. Fariz will try and answer your questions in Palmers Green LIFE each month. Send your questions to Fahri LLP, 1268a High Road Whetstone, London N20 9HH or by email to fariz@fahrillp.com. Tel: 0203 813 8457

My downstairs neighbour is complaining about my playing the piano. She says that the noise is disturbing her from watching her television. What are my options for dealing with these complaints?

Clearly, the best solution is to speak with your neighbour and come to a workable arrangement by agreeing times that you can play the piano. Perhaps, there are certain programs that she watches regularly and as long as you avoid those periods, she may agree to you playing at other times.

There is, however, a decision by a District Jude at the Westminster Magistrates’ Court in 2016, which gives guidance on this issue. The case arose from complaints from neighbours in Kensington, West London, where some very serious complaints were made, with the neighbours claiming that: “It was torture”, the repetition of piano playing, day after day, again and again; that it was a “tremendous imposition” on them and that they could not use the hallway or their study without the “deafening sound of piano”.

In that case, the District Judge ruled that the right to play the piano is “absolutely an entitlement unless its extent makes it a nuisance.” The Judge went on to place the following restrictions so as to prevent a nuisance from occurring: “piano playing was allowed up to five hours per day on Mondays through to Saturdays between the hours of 9am and 9pm, with three hours on Sundays ending by 5pm. However, the Judge also allowed for up to six days per year when the playing could continue until 10.30pm in order to hold 'family concerts' for friends and relatives.

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.

Fahri LLP L

Specialist affordable af fordable e property property

Law L aw Firm aw Firm advice is only a pho phone one call away

We act for clients We s across London on C Us Call all types of property property matters. Our focus at all times is to keep the client 0203 3 813 8450 updated by communicating comm municating regularly FFax ax Us: via email and by y telephone telephone and we 0203 3 745 7370 aim to achieve the best possible results at a re easonable cost. reasonable

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Hello from all of us at Chapman Pieri Solicitors. I hope that you are enjoying the World Cup - our TV only seems to have football channels available these days! Hope that you are enjoying the summer too. I am writing this article on a bright sunny day with my cat Stavros lounging in the garden but who knows what the weather will be like in July?!

Workwise, we have had an exceptionally busy 6 months so have used the weekends to catch up on work whilst trying to keep our family and friends entertained at the same time.

In terms of family law, there is quite a bit going on in relation to a couple of specific areas; no fault divorce (which I am all for) and whether or not a divorcing party should be entitled to spousal maintenance for a set period of time or for life. In this edition, I write about Spousal Maintenance (a sum of money one party pays the other upon divorce) and whether it should continue…

FOREVER AND A DAY? by Christina Pieri There is a very interesting case in the Supreme Court in relation to spousal maintenance upon divorce. Over the recent years, the Courts have tended to favour a fixed term as opposed to spousal maintenance continuing by way of joint lives.

There have been cases taken to court by the paying spouse (more usually the husband) to vary such orders and seeking for the joint live order to end and/or seek for the sum paid each month to be varied downwards. This type of application is known as a variation application.

In the case of Mills v Mills, the Court of Appeal seemingly bucked the trend and not only refused to limit the duration of the spousal maintenance order but also increased the monthly amount payable which unsurprising didn’t please the paying husband or his new family especially as this was some 15 years after he divorced.

Facts of the Case After a 13year marriage, Mr and Mrs Mills divorced in 2002. They reached an agreement as to the settlement of the financial claims. Mr Mills agreed to pay Mrs Mills the majority of the liquid capital from the marriage, comprising a lump sum of £230,000, together with spousal maintenance of £1,100 p.c.m. on a joint lives basis (i.e. until she remarried, one or the other died or until further order of the court). In addition, Mr Mills was to pay child maintenance at the rate of £300 p.c.m. for the benefit of their only son until he reached the age of 18 or finished university education.

Cue, 12 years down the line, in 2014, Mr Mills applied to vary the part of the order relating to spousal maintenance. He specifically sought to reduce the payment of £1,100 p.c.m. from a joint lives order to a fixed term order so that there was an end date in sight for him. However, Mrs Mills took the opportunity and in fact cross-applied for an increase in the level of maintenance that she was receiving. She claimed that her needs were not met at the current level of maintenance and wanted more money! Interestingly, both parties also applied for any maintenance payable to be capitalised. This means that instead of paying/receiving a fixed amount each month, it should

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instead be paid in one lump sum. This would then allow Mr Mills to achieve a financial clean break from Mrs Mills so that he was no longer financial tied to Mrs Mills.

The Judge dismissed both applications. Instead, the Judge left the original spousal maintenance order unaltered in terms of the duration and amount.

Neither party were satisfied with the outcome so went on to apply for permission to appeal that decision.

Appeal Mr Mills’ application for permission to appeal was refused on paper and, even though he attempted to renew his appeal for various reasons (including that guidance was required from the Court of Appeal as to the test to be applied for making a fixed term order), he remained unsuccessful in obtaining permission. The Court of Appeal disagreed that guidance was required, as they considered the current law was clear. In other words, an application for a fixed term order is to be determined by the party’s needs and there was no public interest in revisiting this issue.

However, Mrs Mills was granted permission to appeal but only on the ground that the Judge’s refusal to increase her maintenance left her unable to meet her basic needs. The Judge at first instance considered the facts; Mrs Mills net income after tax was £1,541 p.c.m. and that her basic needs were £2,982 p.c.m. leaving a shortfall of £1,441. He ordered that spousal maintenance should remain at the same rate of £1,100 p.c.m. thereby leaving Mrs Mills short of £341 per month.

Mr Mills contended that Mrs Mills had already received the lion share of the capital on divorce which she had lost as a result of a gross mismanagement of her finances, and that his maintenance obligation had already extended beyond the length of the marriage. Moreover, in the absence of a fixed term order of more than a couple of years, maintenance would continue beyond the university education of the parties’ son. Mr Mills felt that he should be allowed to move on with his life 15 years after the parties’ divorce. And who could blame him?

348 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, N13 5TJ

Chapman Pieri Solicitors Tel: 0208 882 9850 www.cpfamilylaw.co.uk

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Mr Mills’ team alleged that Mrs Mills deliberately mismanaged her finances which she denied. She claimed that she had been unable to rehouse mortgage free in the area nearby their son’s school and due to a number of health issues requiring surgery, her income had been affected and she had taken on borrowing, which she could not repay.

The Judge at first instance noted that Mrs Mills had unwisely invested in a series of properties, each time moving upmarket with an increased mortgage with the eventual consequence that she exhausted her capital. However, the Judge made no findings of financial mismanagement and said that she had not been “wanton or profligate”. The Judge decided that Mrs Mills would not be able to move to independence, i.e. adjust her expenditure to live within her means.

The Court of Appeal found that the Judge at first instance had made an error in principle in deciding that Mrs Mills could not meet her needs but that she would have to adjust her expenditure to reduce those needs, particularly in the light of the fact that the husband could afford to pay increased spousal maintenance whilst supporting his new family. The Judge at first instance had failed to (i) justify why he had ordered the status quo of £1,100 to continue, (ii) provide an explanation of how Mrs Mills could meet her basic needs and (iii) explain why she should have to live below the budget that he had accepted.

Consequently, Mrs Mills appeal was allowed and the Court of Appeal ordered that the spousal maintenance be increased to £1,331 per month to meet the deficit of £341 for Mrs Mills’ basic needs.

Conclusion of the Court Appeal Decision At first glance, it seems a little surprising in the light of recent case law which has increasingly seen the courts encourage parties to move towards financial independence by limiting the number of years for which spousal maintenance is payable. Lots of us involved in this area of law were taken aback as to why the Judge would decide to increase the Mrs Mills monthly maintenance given the facts. It cannot be denied that spousal maintenance is a complex area of law and the ‘rules’ vary considerably from case to case. Although this case may be the exception to the recent trend of decisions, it emphasises the wide discretion available to the court and that a party’s needs trumps all other factors.

P

Professional Personable Pro-Active Passionate

Supreme Court Tin August 2017, the highest Court in the land had granted permission to appeal this decision on one single ground; whether, provision having already been made Mrs Mills housing costs in the capital settlement, the Court of Appeal erred in taking these into account when raising her periodical payments.

The Supreme Court will have to consider that Mrs Mills had already had a capital settlement which taken into account her housing and other needs so should the Court of Appeal have to look at those needs again when granting her more maintenance especially after a significant period of time has passed. Do Mrs Mills needs justify an increase in maintenance from her former husband because, essentially, she has perhaps made poor financial decisions since their divorce.

Is it right that Mrs Mills should have a second bite at the cherry? I for one do not and I don’t say that lightly as I act for just as many women as I do for husbands. I am going to stick my neck out here and say that I think that it would be fairer to all if joint live maintenance was ordered by the Courts in only exceptional cases. And just to add some food for thought, had Mrs Mills made better financial decisions in terms of invested in property that made her a lot of money, would she have applied to the Court to end the maintenance or have it dismissed altogether? I think not.

Let’s wait and see the outcome of this case which may well set a precedent for us family lawyers.

Chapman and Pieri Solicitors are here when all avenues have been exhausted and you need professional support to help you navigate what may be a very emotionally challenging time ahead. We have a team of experienced family lawyers chosen for their warm approach to help you through your journey.

If you want to speak to a solicitor please call on 020 8882 9850.

We offer a no obligation initial consultation for £75 plus vat.

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