June online

Mansfield & Ashfield Express, June 2013 2

23 hectres of land at the former Welbeck Col-

liery site are set to be transformed into a re-

newable energy farm.

Mansfield District Council passed plans for the

development of a solar farm on the land close

to Meden Vale in February but the people be-

hind it are now looking to get approval for

minor amendments.

If they get the green light, just over 51,000

solar panels will be erected on the site with

the capability of generating up to 12.2

megawatts of power, enough to run in excess

of 3,000 homes. When up-and-running, it will

be one of only a handful of similar sites opera-

tional in the UK collecting and converting day-

light in to electricity.

Solar Farm Plan Changes Emerge

Nottinghamshire Police are urging anyone

who used a particular cash machine in Kirkby-

in-Ashfield to check their bank statement.

A skimming device fitted to a Lloyds TSB cash-

point there may have affected a number of

customers.

It was discovered on Wednesday 15th May

after being in place for two days at the bank

on Station Street in Kirkby-in-Ashfield.

Customers contacted the bank when their

cards were not returned after being inserted.

Police believe there may be other customers

affected as it is one of the town's busiest cash-

points. If you used the hole-in-the-wall be-

tween Monday 13th May and Wednesday 15th

May, ensure you check your records or, if you

saw anyone acting suspiciously around it, then

contact Notts Police on 101.

Cash Machine Users Urged

To Check Statements

read our publications online @ www.expressmediapublishingltd.co.uk

From the Editors Desk

In this month’s edition of the Mansfield &

Ashfield Express we have another excellent in-

terview with Councillor Philip Shields for our

Council in Focus page in which he discusses

our local environment. Also in store we take a

look at Mansfield brewery & its legacy, also a

brilliant music review for the latest bands and

artists on tour in the UK throughout June. Last

month the Express was also invited to some

excellent events such the brilliant Fun Day at

Fisher Lane Park which was graciously organ-

ised by the Friends of Fisher Lane Park group

which I am sure many of you attended. We

also have the excellent advice from the Beauty

Angels team for the girls on cosmetic tips and

tricks in the beauty section & a brilliant book

review from the guys at Page Turners cafe. We

also have more charitable news from Andy

Collins & Venus Sounds who has been busy

putting on entertainment in the name of char-

ity again, this time at the Intake Club. Thanks

again reader for picking up a copy of Mans-

field’s fastest growing good news community

newspaper, remember if you do use any of our

excellent advertisers make sure to mention

where you first saw the advert and help us to

keep going & growing. If you have any good

news stories, local heroes or events that you

think need recognition please feel free to

email us at – editorial@expressmediapublish-

ingltd.co.uk and let’s promote our fantastic

town!

An exciting new programme offering free sup-

port to women, who want to explore the possi-

bility of working for themselves, or develop a

new business idea, is being launched next

month (June).

The 'Women Who Do' programme gives

women access to a range of support, including

one to one mentoring, expert help with creat-

ing a personalised development plan and free

confidence building workshops delivered by

women for women.

The project launch takes place on Friday 14

June 2013 at the Summit Centre, Kirkby in

Ashfield, NG17 7LL from 10am to 1pm and in-

cludes lunch, networking opportunities and

inspiring speakers.

Portfolio Holder for Economic Regeneration at

Mansfield District Councillor Kate Allsop said:

"The Women Who Do programme aims to sup-

port women who have a business idea they

want to develop. It is a great opportunity for

women to explore new avenues and bring

about change in their lives.

"Using expert help, the project offers one to

one support to women to nurture and develop

their strengths and skills and to break down

barriers. I would urge any woman who is in-

terested in working for herself to come along

to the launch of this life changing programme.

All the support is absolutely free and in confi-

dence."

Ashfield District Council Portfolio Holder for

Regeneration, Cllr Warren Nuttall added: "It is

a pleasure to be able to work in partnership to

bring this fantastic opportunity to the women

of Ashfield and Mansfield. The project is a

great initiative aimed at encouraging entre-

preneurialism within the female community

and an opportunity not to be missed."

The 'Women Who Do' project is part of the En-

terprise Academy for Women, which is sup-

ported by the European Regional

Development Fund in conjunction with Ash-

field and Mansfield District Councils.

To find out more about the project and the

launch day, contact The Ashfield and Mans-

field Shared Regeneration Team on 01623 463

165 or email :

[email protected]

Women who Do

Mansfield & Ashfield Express, April 2013 3

of their time in High School (given the name

'Whitewall' for their performance), specifically

their time with Mr. Jeff Nixon, the new drama

teacher who ignites their passion for the stage

with his idealism and belief that all children

should be treated equally. The children men-

tion that the names of the characters have

been changed: Mr Nixon's real name is Mr

Harrison, mentioned at the beginning. At the

end of the play he leaves Whitewall High

School to teach at St George's, another school

with a much better reputation. "One of the

most innovative, audacious companies work-

ing in contemporary English theatre" The

Stage

"There is only one fitting description of Teech-

ers...winner" - Daily Telegraph

Teechers is at the Mansfield Palace Theatre on

Thursday 13 June/

Performed on Thursday 13 June at 7.30pm,

the comedy drama is sure to be enjoyed by all

those who loved and hated secondary school -

and that includes the teachers!

The timeless classroom comedy has perform-

ances at theatres throughout England and

Scotland this summer.

Fast-moving, inventive and highly entertain-

ing, Teechers is John Godber's brilliant take on

life at a modern Comprehensive. Through

their hilarious end-of-term play, three Year 11

students sketch the new drama teacher's

progress through two terms of unruly classes,

cynical colleagues and obstructive caretakers.

Brought to the stage by highly acclaimed

Blackeyed Theatre with high energy, break-

neck comedy and breathtaking ensemble per-

formances, Teechers is a modern classic with

something vital to say about education for the

Classic Godber Play 'Teechers' enjoyed by all those

who loved - and hated secondary school!

Broadband Boost For Mansfield And AshfieldBroadband Boost For Mansfield And Ashfield

Superfast broadband for almost every part of

Nottinghamshire is on its way and, thanks to a

cash boost from Europe, the service is going to

be even better than first thought.

Nottinghamshire County Council have secured

an extra £2.7m from the European Regional

Development Fund. That money will enable

them to provide even faster internet speeds

across the county and give more people the

opportunity to access it. Initially, it will be

used to target businesses that have little or no

access to broadband and forms part of over

£10m invested in bringing the scheme to over

90% of premises by the end of 2015. The

County Council says focusing on businesses

first in the roll out will help boost the econ-

omy and create jobs. Work on the scheme is

expected to start later this year and will

successfully be completed by 2015.

'haves' and 'have nots'.

Director Adrian McDougall said, "I can prom-

ise audiences a brilliant evening's entertain-

ment, lots of laughs as well as one or two

genuinely touching moments. Young or old, I

think audiences will recognise some if not all

the characters in the play from their own

school days."

It is a play within a play in which three stu-

dents put on a performance to their teachers.

Everything in the play is reduced to the bare

essentials, with very little set and the three ac-

tors playing twenty other parts. However, it

could also be performed with twenty different

actors. Godber also specified the use of con-

temporary chart music to keep the play cur-

rent.

Three school leavers, Salty, Hobby and Gail

Saunders perform to the audience an account


I worry about my dentures moving when I’m

talking, also I am limited to what I can eat, is

there a solution?

Yes, denture stabilisation is a simple but effec-

tive solution that makes the frustrations of

loose fitting dentures a thing of the past.

Even the most beautifully crafted dentures can

become loose fitting and cause real frustration

for their wearers, making them feel self-con-

scious about talking or smiling, and unable to

eat 'tricky' foods like apples or steak. Some

dentists offer dental stabilisation to tackle this

problem which can transform the lives of den-

ture wearers.

With denture stabilisation, two or more dental

implants are inserted securely into your jaw

using the very latest techniques. Your den-

tures are then locked on to these implants, an-

choring them securely at all times. With the

dentures unable to move, you are completely

free to live your life to the full with no food off

limits and no need to worry about moving

dentures when you talk or smile.

Denture stabilisation is a simple, effective and

affordable option for many denture wearers.

Ask your local dentist for more information.

Dr David Heath

BDS Sheff UK 1993 M.Med.Sci (Restorative

Dentistry) Sheff 1999 Dental Practitioner

GDC69531

Ask David: Denture Stablization


events like this it’s a really good opportunity

to talk to people about the wildlife in their

gardens, the RSPB is one of the biggest wildlife

charities in Europe & we inform people about

our reserves but the main aim of coming to an

local event like this is to really teach people

what they can do with their garden to support

wildlife. For example we are doing some sam-

ple activities like making bird feeders out of

apples and sunflower hearts today, really just

to attract some birds and butterflies into the

garden & if everyone did a little bit for the

wildlife in their garden, if we all put that little

bit of our gardens to one side for them that

would be a huge amount of land & would

make a massive difference to our local & na-

tional wildlife. Over the past ten or twenty

years species like Sparrows really suffer from

the loss of hedgerows as many homes are now

paving over their lawns for another car. Birds

The last bank holiday Monday was not only a

gorgeous summer day (we better start bank-

ing those) but yet another example of our

town’s indomitable spirit to keep the commu-

nity together. The friends of Fisher Lane Park

really put on a spectacle with everything rang-

ing from; a climbing wall, bouncy slide, dog

shows, children’s events (egg & spoon races

are so funny to watch) and a variety of local &

national services showing us their latest meth-

ods & skills in maintaining our pets & conser-

vation. I spoke with a few of these stall holders

to gauge the days success. A spokeswoman for

Nottingham Wildlife Trust had this to say “I

am here with Nottingham wildlife trust to pro-

mote what we do in terms of wildlife in the

area & in particular the wildlife watch group

which is for young children, we meet on the

first Saturday of the month in which we en-

courage wildlife activities such as

building dens, pond dipping and insect stud-

ies. Today it is about letting people know

about Nott’s wildlife trust & that it is possible

to have membership & participate in our activ-

ities, our wildlife watch group is actually free

for children from eight to thirteen to come

along too. We do ask for donations but the

main thing is for children to get to know about

the great outdoors & enjoy the environment

that is around us. We were very sorry to hear

about Party in the Park being cancelled be-

cause we enjoyed that event, we found it an

excellent method for getting folks out into the

park & alongside the river, but today is an ex-

ample of how to make your own event and

there should be more events like this just to

promote all the different organisations that

are supporting Mansfield”

James, 27 from the RSPB stall commented on

our gardens stating “We just love coming to such as Song thrushes had a hard time ten

years ago because of the slug pellets used to

control garden pests, these pellets have since

been improved but again this is not the solu-

tion. Overall today’s events have been a suc-

cess it may be a little breezy but people are

learning & having fun which is what I like to

see & here’s to more of these types of events

for Mansfield.“

From everyone I spoke to at the event & just

taking in the general atmosphere, it may have

been the sun or the kids laughing or just the

general fun like feeling but it seemed to me

that not only was this event a success but it

also proved that more of these are needed, es-

pecially at a time like this. I won’t reiterate

what has been mentioned in previous editori-

als but come on guys, just take a look at this

event & how successful it was & needed very

little involvement from MDC.

Fisher Park Lane Fun Day

There was lots to see & do at the Fun Day for all the family from egg & spoon

races to bird watching.

Mansfield & Ashfield Express, June 2013

Andy Collins of Venus Entertainments started

trading at 20 Market St Sutton - 30 years ago

in 1983 - under the old name of Venus Video,

renting video films out to customers who

joined as members and were then issued with

a membership card, paying £10 for life mem-

bership that would then enable them to rent

out video films at a cost of £2.50 per nights

rental.

In those days thousands of small video shops

sprung up in every town and village, VHS and

Betamax video films was the in trend for most

families .In 1987 all the big boys came along

and got onto the band waggon starting with

Video Magic opening on Portland Sq and

Video House on Outram St who were both

chains opening in every town and city. Andy

being only a small independent got very wor-

ried whether he could survive after seeing lots

of the smaller rental shops shutting because of

the strong competition from the chains.

In 1988 Andy invested in a large extension

onto the back of his shop making it 3 times

larger that enabled Andy to compete with the

big chains. The early 1990s saw the large

American conglomerate Blockbuster moving

in & taking over the then Ritz chain on Outram

St.

Later on in the 90s Video Magic went into ad-

ministration and closed down, Global Video

came and left after two years. Around the year

2000 DVD films came onto the scene & after a

good 20 years, video was on the decline, so

Andy started to rent DVD’s and go more into

the games market and changed the name of

his business to Venus Entertainments. By

2006 the internet & SKY started to make mas-

sive waves into the rental market and Andy

again had to diversify more into the games

market with buying and selling second hand

consoles and games accessories.

In 2008 Blockbuster closed down on Outram

St Sutton and nearly all of the rental shops had

disappeared from view when Love film & Net-

flix came onto the scene .In 2013 Andy is still

up against the supermarkets and game shop

chains but has again diversified and is expand-

ing his business, together with his son Dan

who is currently building a website for the

business to sell on-line and also offering a re-

pair service for laptops, PC’s and gaming con-

soles to the local area.

Some of the new wide range of services they

are offering consists of PC & Laptop repairs &

upgrades, game console repairs, custom built

PC’s, PC & Console modification, scratched

disc repairs plus much more.

Final comment from Andy is " trading condi-

tions are as bad as they have ever been for

small retailers in the area at the moment with

a lot of them only just getting by or having to

close. To succeed and stay in business & to

keep your overheads low, I have one part-time

staff Sue Bradley who has worked for me since

1991 - twenty-two years & my son Dan has

just entered the fold for the new venture, I

own the premises so have no rent to pay with

two flats above that I receive rent from. "Andy,

after 30 years in business is still alive and

kicking”. Good on him!

Venus Entertainments

Andy back in the day, 1983

Like father like son... Andy and Dan, present day


BeautyThis Month: Professionalskin care, top

tips on how to really look after your skinSo how do you get the most out of your skin care, and get the best

value for money? First of all, don’t buy the expensive treatments

and serums if you haven’t got a basic routine in place

There are so many skin care products on the

markets at the moment, it’s easy to get carried

away with impulse buys that lurk at the back

of the cupboard until they go out of date, and

get discarded. So how do you get the most out

of your skin care, and get the best value for

money? First of all, don’t buy the expensive

treatments and serums if you haven’t got a

basic routine in place, if you’re not doing the

basic cleanse tone and moisturise, you won’t

use the serums after the first few treatments –

and let’s be honest, they won’t work sat in the

back of your cupboard gathering dust. So

where to start, and borrowing from The Sound

of Music…. “When you read you begin with

ABC, when you sing you begin with do ray mi…

” well, for skin care – it’s cleanse tone and

moisturise. Remove your eye make-up with

eye make-up remover – sounds obvious, but

these are made to clean the skin without dam-

aging it, and the skin around and over the eye

is thinner than the rest of the face, so needs a

little extra care. When removing the product

with cotton wool, remember to move towards

the nose and avoid dragging the skin… this

will help reduce wrinkles later. Now cleanse

the rest of your face, and apply toner to re-

move every last bit of cleansing product, and

tighten the pores. If you want to make your

toner go further, use slightly dampened cotton

wool, and you need to use less. Then apply

moisturiser – and you’re all set. Now when

you’ve got this routine in place and have clean

beautiful skin every evening, it’s time to bring

in a morning routine. If you’re removing your

makeup every evening, your skin is regenerat-

ing overnight, and these old skin cells, need

removing before you’re ready to apply makeup

again in the morning. This means repeating

the cleanse, tone and moisturise, but you may

find it easier to use a facial wash, rather than a

cream cleanser, and leave it in the shower, so

that all you have to do is a quick wipe with

your favourite toner, before adding your mois-

turiser and make up and being ready to face

the world. So, now you have your bronze level

skin care in place, don’t be put off it if takes a

while to get this working as regular as clock-

work – it can take five weeks to establish a

new habit… and then you’re ready to move up

to silver level skin care. This is your chance

for a longer treatment. Once or twice a week,

take the time to add in a scrub and a mask to

really make your skin glow. So your routine

on this evening becomes, cleanse, tone, scrub,

mask and moisturise, just two more steps

twice a week, and your skin will really thank

you. Moving to gold status, is the chance to

use the serums, and specialist skin care, and

now you’re in the daily and weekly routines,

these become very easy to add in, and will

never hide in a cupboard again. These are very

individual – so you may want to apply an

overnight treatment to brighten the skin, add

in a deeply nourishing night cream, or target

any wrinkles with specialist tightening

serums, this is where you can really tailor your

routines. If you’ve never taken your skin to

this level, you may want to visit a salon for a

professional facial and skin care prescription,

to match the products that you use to your

skin type, so that you get the very best from

your home routine, and you feel like a medal

winner.

Dear Stacey, my boyfriend doesn’t like his

hairy back and decided to have it waxed for

the first time last week, and after he’d had it

done, his skin went really spotty and lumpy so

doesn’t want to have it done again….could you

tell me why this happened and is it likely to

happen again…?

Pimples, spots or redness after waxing is a

common side effect so your boyfriend should-

n’t worry about his treatment being done

wrong, or having an adverse reaction…

His skin may have been more sensitive due to

this being his first time, but I can say that most

people do build up a tolerance to waxing so

this may not happen as severely next time or if

he keeps up with regular appointments. Regu-

lar waxing helps to minimize hair growth and

the hair will progressively get thinner and

more sparse therefore will come out a lot

eas ier in future.

A few helpful tips to treat this are making sure

skin is thoroughly cleansed before having the

waxing done, avoid wearing tight clothing af-

terwards, don’t do anything that may make

you sweat as your pores will be open and this

could induce irritation, avoid sunbeds and

saunas for a few days afterwards and try to

stick to showers instead of baths, use an anti-

septic wash and light exfoliator such as some-

thing tea tree oil based as this will help to stop

any bacteria infecting the area, also if you get

pimples try not to squeeze or pop them as this

will also spread bacteria and may make things

worse.

The salon should also be using correct Health

& Safety methods such as not double dipping

their spatulas in the wax pots so please also

keep a look out for this.

Question & Answer, with Beauty

Angels Stacey Staniforth


Name this car, simply visit their website w.brideandvroomweddingcars/news

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Mansfield & Ashfield Express, April 2013

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arrive in comfort and style. Bride and Vroom

Wedding Cars have just the car for you. Their

long wheelbase Daimler and Jaguar Sover-

eigns will ensure that you travel in style and

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ahead. And now, they are pleased to announce

an addition to their fleet. Bride and Vroom

have acquired onto their fleet a 1964 Daimler

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Bride & Vroom Wedding Cars’ proprietor, Iain

Tennant, explains the ethos behind the com-

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13

of the 25-34 age group and eight per cent of

the 35-44 age group.

Northerners are most inclined to splash out

on weddings. Four per cent said spending over

£50,000 on their big day would be acceptable.

Couples in the southwest are the least likely to

pay over the odds, with 17 per cent consider-

ing less than £1,000 a reasonable amount.

When it comes to the honeymoon, more peo-

ple appear to be comfortable with the typical

costs involved. The average cost of a honey-

moon trip is estimated at £2,475. Nearly half

of those questioned agreed that between

£2,000 and £4,999 was a reasonable sum to

pay. One in five considered over £5,000 a more

suitable figure. Only three per cent thought it

would be more reasonable to spend under

£1,000.

Ian Corfield, head of Halifax Unsecured Per-

sonal Loans, says, Weddings seem to have

come back in fashion in recent years and we

have seen average costs increase dramatically.

However, our survey suggests that there may

be a change in opinion as to how much cou-

ples should spend. It may be that the costs

typically involved have reached a level that is

no longer considered reasonable.

In contrast, people seem generally more com-

fortable with average honeymoon costs and

do not see this level of expense as unreason-

able or over-inflated.�

The romance of getting married is quite often

marred by the worrying costs involved. The

consensus is that the average outlay is spi-

ralling ever upwards, but new research now

suggests that couples may be becoming more

restrained in their attitude to spending on

their big day.

The average cost of a wedding is now about

£16,000. A survey carried out by Halifax Per-

sonal Loans reveals that only nine per cent of

people think this is a reasonable amount to

pay. Over half of those questioned thought this

was too much to fork out on their nuptials, be-

lieving that £10,000 or less was a more appro-

priate figure. One quarter of people in the

survey would hope to cut costs even further

by spending between £1,000 and £5,000.

Singletons are the most likely to be dreaming

of an extravagant wedding, with a quarter of

this group prepared to consider spending

more than £15,000 when they get hitched.

Interestingly, people who are already married

or who had been married before were far less

likely to see the need to splash out over the

odds. Only 13 per cent and 15 per cent respec-

tively believed it was reasonable to spend

£15,000 or more.

Young love knows no financial bounds it

seems, with one in five of the 18-25 age group

considering £15,000 and over a reasonable

amount to pay. This compares with one in 10


This month’s council in focus page has

been bestowed upon our very own mav-

erick Councillor, Phillip Shields who is the

Portfolio holder for the environment.

Phillip does not like to be called Council-

lor Shields & certainly does not hold back

his punchy beliefs. He is definitely one of

the nicest men I have ever met & just lis-

tening to him talk politics reminds you

that there is sincerity within our council

and those who really do have the public’s

best interest at heart. I really do wish we

had more space to get all of his excellent

answers to the Express team’s questions

because he really is an individual of pur-

pose, honesty and integrity.

How did you first get involved local

politics? – Well it’s a long story; it must

run in the blood because my uncle was a

councillor up in the North East until he

passed on & my mother was a local coun-

cillor at Mansfield district council for

eight years previous to me taking up the

mantle should we say. I remember at the

elections & the thank you speeches the

one I took most pride in was the thank

you honouring my mother because she

was the one that prompted me & got me

in and started, so to answer your ques-

tion definitely one-hundred per cent it

was my mums fault!

What is your role within the council? –

I hold the position of portfolio holder for

environment & leisure which basically

means that most of the frontline services;

parks & open spaces, bins, leisure sites,

that sort of thing I make sure runs

smoothly and frontline services for these

facilities all fall under my remit. I have

delegated decisions to make on my port-

folio as I deem fit basically, having said

that I am one for ‘listening’ to peoples

comments, one of the things we don’t do

very well as councillors is listen to people.

As an ex-sales person I know that listen-

ing to people is the biggest ally you can

have, so I tend to use that as a means to

an end, listen to people who will tell you

what they want and then go ahead and do

it.

How long have you held this position?

– Since I was elected in May 2011 there

was a lot of kafuffle about portfolio posi-

tions, who should have what & why, I was

asked by the Mayor (Tony Egginton) if I

would be interested, well he actually

asked me before the elections that if I got

elected, would I be interested in a portfo-

lio position. At that point I think I told

him that I had no idea what he was talk-

ing about because I had never done any-

thing like this before so I did not

understand what it meant. He basically

said it was to help make decisions which I

thought sounded like a good idea, so he

he offered me the opportunity to hand in my

C.V. and an interview for the position. I did

this, went to the interview and was fortunate

enough to be asked to take the position which

I did.

Are there any policies you have personally

implemented, what were/are they & were

they a success? – The biggest one that came

through but was actually started before I took

the post, meaning the wheels were already in

motion was the outsourcing of the leisure fa-

cilities within Mansfield district council to

Serco. Just because of the implications that

were involved, it was the first project that we

had ever outsourced at the council & I ulti-

mately had to make the decision to select the

preferred partner, which is what I did. Since

that time all I hear on the streets & at the

leisure centres are positives, you get the odd

negative but mostly the conversations I have

with people & staff when I go around visiting

the leisure centres are positives. I visit a lot of

the leisure centres & I am a member of the

leisure trust and a frequent user of the water

meadows facilities and everyone who also

uses that facility, staff & the public seem to be

really happy with the move, you are always

going to get the odd one or two who are dis-

gruntled but overall I would say it has been a

massive success & a massive gain for Mans-

field as the facilities & infrastructure with the

money they had to invest far outweighs any-

thing we could as a council. I would even go as

far to say that water meadows & the Oak Tree

leisure centres are two of the best equipped

gyms in not just Mansfield but in the region,

just fantastic, clean and new facilities.

Party politics aside, how has the Council

been working together to better our com-

munity lately? – (Laughing) Party politics

aside… To be fair there is a lot of criticism over

party lines, people want to ‘dig the knife in’

from every political party, if we work together

there’s elements of the Council that do work

together down there & do work together re-

ally well. About that I mean not just the cabi-

net working as a cabinet really well, the select

commissions for example had an independent

review & one of the things they pointed out is

that we have very strong select commissions

which is great because every decision I ever

make I always want the select commission in-

volved, I always want councillor input or any

consultation that I can get. So I think there are

positives, there are also a lot of negatives but

the positives to me should outweigh, at the

end of the day the position is this is an execu-

tive Mayor with an executive cabinet so we are

able to make decisions, ok if it’s over a certain

amount it has to go to full council, but the way

I try to do it is we try to get a ‘buy in’ from

everyone before it actually goes to full council

so there’s nothing around the corner. Overall I

do think trying my hardest to put party poli-

tics aside that it works really well, there’s just

a small fraction of people, not naming any

names that don’t want to work with anybody.

But again that is something that you are al-

ways going to get, there are thirty-six of us

and we aren’t always going to agree to dis-

agree.

How can the public help improve council

services? – I do think that people have to talk

to councillors & I think there’s always a cer-

tain distrust because they feel that you are

politicians & that you are in it for yourselves &

your own means to an end. It couldn’t be fur-

ther removed from my mind in particularly as

I totally believe that there should be no such

thing as ‘politics’ at a local government level.

Yet you have your political backgrounds, I

have mine which no-one will ever take away

from me, nobody can squash that, but you

have got to be prepared to listen to the other

side. Recently I have been doing a lot of con-

sultation we have a parks & open space strat-

egy being done at the moment & one of the

things we have put together for the first time

ever I think at the council is parks offices, talk-

ing with planning officers about the way for-

ward for planning for our parks & that’s just

an example to me of people putting down the

barriers & talking to each other and that is at

officer level. As far as the people of the public

are concerned I would just say to them trust

your councillor we’re there to do what you

elected us to do despite the politics, take that

away from it, I don’t care if somebody comes

up to talk to me & they are a Tory or Lib Dem

or UKIP they are part of the constituency and

unless you talk to them & get their views, it’s

easy for me to put my views forward but it’s

not what I am here to do. Yes you are elected

to lead to a certain example because that’s the

job description, leaders make things happen &

that to me is key but the only way you can

make things happen is by talking more with

the constituents & folks for them to talk to us,

that’s the other thing it’s a double edged

sword it has to work both ways otherwise it

won’t work at all. Get the kids involved! I’ve

been down at the Manor with their citizenship

GCSE, it’s fantastic when you hear what they

got to say especially when we think that we

know best & you are talking to kids & you

come out thinking ‘well we know nothing at

all, it’s the kids who know best!’ And that was

just about the parks and what we could do

with their input, essentially this about getting

them involved, getting them to know us & get-

ting them to trust us as councillors not politi-

cians. They have no perception of what we do

& because of that they tell us straight.

How can the council help improve its pub-

lic opinion? – This is a difficult one, decisions

have to be made, I have a bit of a cliché from a

previous business partner he once said to me

and I believe it really strongly that ‘decisions

are sometimes made for you’. What I mean by

that is sometimes you don’t want to make a

decision but it’s already been made & I think

there is not much understanding from the

public that sometimes these things have to be

done because of pressures such as; money,

staff, budget, county level decisions. But again

I believe the only people who can make that

change happen is us, we have to be more pub-

lic, more realistic and get back to grass route

level of our constituents tell us what to do &

through that is what we should be doing. I re-

ally do believe that, I’m not just saying that as

rhetoric because I am sat here with you, it’s

something that I strongly believe and as men-

tioned I make sure I get all the consultation I

can acquire to help me in my decision making

process, I try to get all the help I can even for

example coming to your office and doing this

interview, it’s getting me out there as a person

not as a councillor.

Do we need any more car parks? – If I put

my environmental hat on, no. If I put my fi-

nance hat on, yes. But I don’t think we do re-

ally, I am not convinced of it and in regards to

the old bus station the car park there is a tem-

porary measure, obviously there is plans for

that which will take some time to come to

fruition so how do we best use the land at the

moment? Car parking seems to be the right

idea for it, the convenience of its location to

the town centre it kind of lends itself to it. I

would like to think if it was my choice whether

I am re-elected again in two years’ time if I

have anything to say on the matter, no I would

not personally like to see that space turned

into a car park. I would rather see the main

gateway into Mansfield’s town centre devel-

oped into something really nice again not

locked up as a car park.

Was the international clean up Mansfield

day a success? – That to me was one of the

best examples of community involvement that

I have seen for a long time at the council, we

did get some criticism for allowing the chil-

dren from the schools to help in the clean-up,

however the fact was the kids were volunteer-

ing & the teachers wanted the schools in-

volved. The council got involved, the

councillors got involved & the cabinet it,

seems everyone got involved at some level. We

went out and picked up - I think it was three of

us – picked up seven or eight bags between us

in the short space of time that we could put

into it. Overall it was a phenomenal amount of

litter that was collected on the day; I just think

it helps highlight the problems which we have

with litter & particularly dog fouling in which

we are just continually battling against.

Three words to describe yourself – Leader,

listener & doer.


Lauren Hood is an excellent Little

Voice, gawky and awkward as her

real self and blossoming under the

spotlight in her spangled gown

when she transforms into her

idols. Best among them are the

spunky Gracie Fields and contrast-

ing, spine-tingling Edith Piaf.

Helen Sheals shines as her un-

speakably ghastly mother, literally

throwing herself at Neil McCaul's

crafty Ray Say at every opportu-

nity.

Former Emmerdale favourite Lisa

Riley is Mari's friend Sadie: kind

and sweet, smelly and simple: the

butt of Mari's cruel fattist jibes.

No, it's not funny. It leaves a rather

bitter taste rather than the smiles

it promises well, it did for me any-

way. But it is a well put-together

production of a modern classic.

How Jim Cartwright's story of Lit-

tle Voice and her magnificent tal-

ent but sad life ever won best

comedy awards I do not know.

Not because it is not a good piece,

but because deep down it really

isn't funny.

It was premiered at the Royal Na-

tional Theatre in 1992 and later

went into the Aldwych with Jane

Horrocks in the title role and Ali-

son Steadman as her mum. The

show was nominated for six

Olivier awards and picked up two

best comedy gongs before being

made into a movie.

A West End revival a couple of

years ago featured X Factor finalist

Diana Vickers as its star turn.

Little Voice is a paralytically shy

girl who lives the life of a recluse

in her bedroom, her only company

being the old records left to her by

her dead father. Downstairs, her

neglectful, drink-sodden slut of a

mother (Mari) does her own thing

with blokes. Then everything

changes when one of the mother's

men friends (Ray Say) discovers

Little Voice's amazing gift for

singing and sounding just like the

divas she adores: Shirley Bassey,

Judy Garland, Lulu, Marilyn Mon-

roe; she can be them all in her own

little world.

Slimeball Ray Say sees his way to

making a fast buck and arranges

for a reluctant Little Voice to per-

form in the local nightclub. But

when she does, things will never

be the same again.

This is a story filled with pathos, a

reflection of what life is like in

homes across the country for

countless unlucky and unloved

kids.

There are laughs along the way,

but the comedy is dark and un-

pleasant and there are moments,

as when Mari kneels among the

ashes of her home, that the drama

echoes a Greek tragedy.

Theatre Review: Little Voice


Ask FredGot a problem? Why not ask our resident agony uncleFred. Don’t be fooled, Freds wealth of life experiences

make him the perfect man to offer quality advice and so-lutions to some of your biggest problems.

Dear Fred

My friend is 36. In the past she has been in re-

lationships with men who have been drug ad-

dicts and also suffered domestic abuse. In the

last 3 or 4 years she has turned her life around

and gained so much confidence she was a to-

tally different woman.

For about a year she had been seeing an ex

but about 4 weeks ago they spilt up. She al-

ways said recently that she does not want a

full on relationship but this split seemed to hit

her hard and kept talking about what he had

done/said etc.

Then about a week later she met up with a

friend she had met on the internet and from

about two weeks ago it seems to be a full

blown relationship with him more or less

moved in with her.

A few days ago she text me to say they had

been seeing a lot of each other and she would

be in touch and please don't text as he looks at

her texts!

It seems to me as if he has broken her down

emotionally and taken over he life. I am very

worried about her. What do You think?

Fred Says

Maybe she is on to a really good thing and

doesn't want to screw it up by explaining a

complicated past, something you have obvi-

ously been privy too.

This also might be the problem, you have been

a confident and now you seem to be shut out,

and yet after three weeks you seem to have

jumped to the assumption she is with some

sort of psycho...

Perils of being a friend is that sometimes

whatever your personal opinions you need to

be ready for her when she needs you, as she

might, but respect her request to let her get on

with this relationship.

The other option is to try and express your

concern and with you knowing so little you

may end up killing your friendship there and

then.

Dear Fred

I was bullied last year and it was awful. I'm

over all that now, but people still think they

can push me around. People always talk about

me behind my back, girls always make stupid

jokes to my face and laugh, including people

who I thought were my friends. I find it hard

to stand up to them. How can I be less of a

pushover?

Fred Says

It sounds like he reason you're prone to being

put down is that you have low-confidence and

let people walk all over you, which isn't fair.

Try talking to an adult at home and a sympa-

thetic teacher at school who can help stop this.

Meanwhile, you need to work on your confi-

dence and surround yourself with lovely peo-

ple who realize just just how great you are!

Remember- this is NEVER your fault and you

don't deserve to be treated like this.

Don't give up!

Send Fred Your problems to:

[email protected]

19

ACROSS

1 Special anniversary (7)

8 Axe (7)

9 Of a wedding (7)

10 "Loud" as opposed to "quiet",

for example (7)

11 Goes down (5)

13 Art of scent-making (9)

15 Earwig (9)

18 Decoration of a surface by in-

serting wood, stone or metal (5)

21 Artist's range of colours (7)

22 Excessively agitated (7)

23 Put back (7)

24 Vote back (7)

DOWN

1 King (I of England, VI of

Scotland) (5)

2 Lowest rank of British

nobility (5)

3 Cross-legged yoga attitude

(5,8)

4 A relic (anag) (6)

5 Roman official who autho-

rised Jesus' crucifixion (7,6)

6 Scrounge (6)

7 Dowdy (6)

12 Notion (4)

14 Indian prince (4)

15 Die (6)

16 Overnight case (6)

17 Kind of jacket (6)

19 Machine tool (5)

20 Sailing boat (5)

Scribble Pad

ACROSS

1 Obstructed editors going after troublemaker (7)

5 House records for believers in complex systems (7)

9 Attempts to capture queen and rooks, perhaps (5)

10 Record supporter during play, having run wildly into disorderly battle (9)

11 Spotting part of problem is hinge (10)

12 Thing of little value — copy many answers here without a break (4)

14 Comic annual is hit for some Europeans (11)

18 Practical, as one is prone to be, facing garden? (4,2,5)

21 General name for group of plants as fuel, we hear (4)

22 What young man may do in spring or autumn with

current novel's revision (4,2,4)

25 Sign pointing towards hotel not on? Absolutely (2,3,4)

26 Soundly beats it as a source of irritation (5)

27 Stops some who believe in creator taking son in (7)

28 Foreigner occupying street, striking (7)

DOWN

1 Consume minute fish that is put outside (6)

2 Queen holding up one drink or another (6)

3 Whisky, for instance, I even now put in fruit (10)

4 Partner speaking slangily in European language (5)

5 A lot of grim vexation about university lecturer who's

aggressive? (9)

6 Provides accommodation and reasons for reserving? (4)

7 Part of a reckoning, but a lot's going wrong (8)

8 Most pleasant minute in second trial (8)

13 Not appreciating multinational group taking a lot of fuel

around hospital (10)

15 Ways of treating broken heart with culinary treats (9)

16 Learned gold coin in river turned up (8)

17 Centuries for MCC, for example (8)

19 Stick together with male in centre (6)

20 County with indefinable quality in which one may live (6)

23 Neighbours of 14 or 6, say (5)

24 Busy people in great musical trio, so-called (4)

Scribble Pad

Scribble Pad

Cryptic Crossword

Quick CrosswordSolutions on page 29...

no cheating!


Don't limit your BBQs to boring

burgers and sorry-looking sausages

this summer - try our healthy recipes

and you can enjoy al-fresco eating

while being kind to your heart.

Have a heart

healthy BBQ this

summer


With the summer months approaching, what

better way to kick-start a healthy eating plan

than eating good food in the great outdoors?

You don't have to load up your barbeque with

fatty burgers and sausages - with our tips for

healthy grilling you can enjoy al-fresco eating

with family and friends and be kind to your

heart at the same time.

Keep the amount of saturated fat and salt to a

minimum by trying oily fish instead of meat -

salmon and sardines taste great grilled on the

BBQ and the Omega 3 oils are good for your

heart. Combine them with vegetable kebabs or

corn on the cob, which you can cook slowly on

the cooler part of the BBQ.

Make use of marinades! They're a great way to

add flavour to chicken or lean beef, and will

stop the meat drying out without adding fat or

salt. Try low-fat natural yoghurt mixed with

Indian spices to add a spicy theme to your

BBQ.

But if you just can't imagine a barbeque with-

out a burger or two, try making your own

using lean beef mince or turkey mince, and try

a colourful salad as an accompaniment instead

of an uninspiring burger bun.

Try some of our heart health inspired summer

BBQ recipes below and you can't go far wrong.

Home Made Burgers (makes 4)

540g/1lb 3oz lean minced beef

1 chopped onion

25g/1oz chopped coriander

1tbsp Dijon mustard

1tbsp olive oil

a little salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl

and stir until well combined. Shape into 4 pat-

ties, then grill on the BBQ, turning occasion-

ally until evenly cooked. Serve with a crunchy

salad, a wholemeal pitta or a Ciabatta bun.

Tandoori spiced chicken drumsticks

(Serves 6)

6 large chicken legs

4 tbsp lime or lemon juice

For the marinade:

265ml low fat natural yoghurt

3tbsp mustard oil

9 cloves of garlic, crushed,

2.5 teaspoons paprika

2.5 teaspoons ground coriander

2.5 teaspoons ground cumin

1.5 teaspoons ground ginger

0.5 teaspoons red, orange or yellow food

colouring

Remove the skin from the chicken and make

short slashes in the flesh. Rub the lemon or

lime juice into the flesh and set aside for half

an hour.

Mix all the other ingredients in a bowl until

thoroughly combined. Rub the mixture into

the chicken, then cover and leave to marinate

overnight in the fridge.

Grill the marinated chicken on the BBQ until

well cooked, turning occasionally. Baste with

any remaining marinade. Serve with salad and

a squeeze of fresh lemon.

Marinated Vegetable Kebabs (Makes 8)

For the kebabs:

8 bamboo skewers, soaked in water overnight

3 medium courgettes, cut diagonally into thick

slices

4 peppers, cut into large chunks

8 cherry tomatoes

4 red onions, cut into quarters

2 corn on the cobs, leaves removed and cut

into 2cm thick pieces

For the marinade:

12 tablespoon olive oil

Juice and zest from 1 lime

2 teaspoon of demerara sugar

3 teaspoon dried oregano

4 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Prepare the vegetables and spread them on a

non-metallic dish in a single layer. Mix the

marinade ingredients and pour over the veg-

etables, ensuring each piece is thoroughly

coated. Leave to marinate in the fridge for a

few hours before threading onto the soaked

bamboo skewers, ensuring each kebab has an

even mix of veg. Grill on the BBQ, turning reg-

ularly until the vegetables are softened and

evenly coloured.


most lacking the popular staples of ‘old

school’ style boozers – pool tables and dart

boards. But there are still many pubs proudly

displaying the iconic Mansfield Brewery logo –

the genuine article itself, taken from the now

demolished brewery, proudly hangs in the

Mansfield Museum and is available for all to

see for free. Mansfield Beers are still available

in all Marston public houses; if you’re too

young to have ever had a pint then get one

down your neck and be proud that all though

the Brewery has gone, the brand has survived.

Mansfield Beers

Mansfield Beers are a family of ales brewed

using traditional brewing methods to ensure

they are classic session ales for the ale

consumer.

This regional ale is a way of life in Mansfield

and the surrounding area, and increasingly

popular across the region.

Mansfield Smooth Creamy Ale is a 3.9% ABV

smooth creamy ale appealing to those new to

ale. The traditional Mansfield Original Bitter &

Cask Ale are 3.9% ABV beers designed for

drinkers that know their ale. Mansfield Dark

Smooth Ale is a 3.5% ABV darker beer, and

Mansfield Dark Mild is a 3.5% ABV rich, dark,

brewery conditioned mild with a roast malt

aroma.

Mansfield could once boast to being home to

the largest Independent Brewery in England.

Mansfield Brewery was one of the area’s

largest employers and Mansfield Bitter was

known throughout the country. The Brewery

established some excellent local beer brands

and an extensive estate of managed and ten-

anted pubs as well as valuable Free Trade

business in the East Midlands and South York-

shire areas. Indeed, even today, whatever the

town or county, nothing can quite match the

style, feel, and ambience of a typical ‘old

school’ style Mansfield boozer – that’s if the

management has kept it up to standard.

Sadly In 1999, the brewery was taken over by

Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries, now

known under the popular name of Marstons,

who changed beer production at Mansfield.

Production of Mansfield Bitter was moved to

Wolverhampton. There the water the beer was

produced with tasted quite different from the

taste Mansfield drinkers were used to, so the

demand for Mansfield bitter fell drastically in

the local area. The Mansfield beers are now

brewed by the Marstons Beer Company and

most Mansfield pubs have now been fully re-

furbished and revamped as Marston Public

Houses - many looking to cash in on the sales

of food and meals rather than alcohol, and

Some workers at the

Brewery secretly hid a

half-pint glass inside

their welly so they could

sneak the odd cratfty

tipple while at work. One

colourful character was

nick-named ‘Clink’

because he sneakily hid a

half pint glass in each

welly and would

therefore ‘clink’ when he

walked...’

Back in the Day:

Mansfield BreweryAs well as being an historic market and mining

town, Mansfield could once boast to being home

to the largest Independent Brewery in England.


Although the schools are yet to break up, sum-

mer is now well underway in the music busi-

ness. The first of three very big months, if two

words define the coming weeks they are

surely 'big' and 'outdoors'. Everyone from Bon

Jovi to Bruce Springsteen will be playing dates

between now and July, but we've shortlisted

some other recommendations that are also

well worth your time.

Chapel Club

Releasing their second album, Good Together ,

this month, London's synth pop-cum-post

punk outfit seem to be going from strength to

strength right now. As such, catching them on

this UK tour, which kicks off in celebration of

the new record, is probably a wise idea.

June 3rd-11th ; Birmingham HMV Institute,

Glasgow Art School, Leeds Cockpit 2, Brighton

The Haunt, London Cargo.

Frankie & The Heartstrings

Despite first impressions, there's a lot more

than nostalgia to this laddish indie rock troupe

who hail from Sunderland. The choruses are

big, the riffs catchy, and the pace often upbeat,

but the lyrics are also poignant and poetic, and

the arrangements truly accomplished. Not bad

at all.

June 5th-13th ; Leeds Brudenell Social Club,

Manchester Deaf Institute, Glasgow King Tut's

Wah Wah Hut, Hartlepool The Studio, Bristol

The Louisiana, Leicester 02 Academy, London

The Garage.

Joe Satriani

Anyone looking for a masterclass in guitar

Music

On Tour in

June 2013

Some of the biggest names in music.

such as Rihanna, will be on tour this

month - here is a selection of other

great bands as well who are well worth

going to hear.

playing this month probably already knows

about Satriani's forthcoming dates. Among the

most celebrated men to ever erupt into sta-

dium-sized solos, this is his first time in the

UK since 2010, so expect some memorable

shows.

June 8th-18th ; Manchester 02 Apollo, Glasgow

Royal Concert Hall, Newcastle City Hall, Liver-

pool Philharmonic Hall, Bristol Colston Hall,

Wolverhampton Civic Hall, Sheffield City Hall,

Portsmouth Guildhall, London Shepherd's Bush

Empire, London indig02.

Kings of Leon

It takes a monumentally-sized outfit to take up

residency in the country's biggest arenas, and

despite the remarkably intimate sound this

U.S. once-alternative now-mainstream rock

outfit have, it's safe to say they are definitely a

good fit. Tickets selling fast, so be quick.

June 12th- August 15th ; London 02 (four

dates), Manchester Arena (six dates), Birming-

ham LG Arena (four dates), Belfast Boucher

Playing Fields, Glasgow Bellahouston Park.

Rihanna

The UK leg of Rihanna's Diamonds World Tour

(her fourth time round the globe) began in

March, but hopefully she still has some energy

left for these British shows. Amongst pop's

best selling acts right now, if glossy stage sets

and showmanship are your thing then this will

be too.

June 10th- 16th; Cardiff Millennium Stadium,

Manchester Arena (two dates), London Twick-

enham Stadium (two dates).


Dejvu seems to becoming more of a familiar

feeling in cinema as the years go by. Of course

many art historians will explain that there are

a finite number of stories, meaning all variants

date back to the same seven. Still, there's no

denying a little originality can go a long way.

Gangster Squad , released May 27th on DVD

and Blu-ray, provides a good example, albeit

for the wrong reasons. What we have on paper

is a decent director (Ruben Fleischer) working

with a strong cast, great stylisation and the

kind of set design viewers are now demanding

as standard from modern period pieces. Un-

fortunately, it fails to do itself justice, largely

because we can't help but feel as though this is

somewhere that has been visited on screen

many times before.

In addition, previous outings, on occasion, did

it better. So well, in fact, that those success sto-

ries have dashed any hope of average fare

being seen in a favourable light, like some

poor debtor's head on the end of a Tommy

gun. So here, while the movie itself isn't in any

way bad, the competition makes us believe

that it is. Apart from the fact it's loosely com-

parable to any given flick involving organised

crime set at any point in U.S. history, we're

talking about the likes of L.A. Confidential ,

The Untouchables , and even Public Enemies .

In short, it's not Gangster Squad' s fault that it

doesn't stand up, as the bar has been set so

high already. So we'll stop putting you off, and

get on with some of the details. Taking place in

Los Angeles, circa 1949, a veritable war is

about to break out between the brutal police

force and the city's criminals, many of whom

have settled or are in the process of settling in,

after moving from the East Coast's crowded

underworld to the still-fledgling West. Mickey

Cohen (Sean Penn) is one of the lucky few

mobsters with an established reputation

around town, although this is also his undoing.

With a big name comes a lot of attention, here

in the shape of a specialist team of cops.

Known for their no-manure attitude, they have

taken it upon themselves to bring down the

self-appointed kingpin by any means neces-

sary. A promise kept, what follows is a cat-

and-mouse, tit-for-tat battle between the law

and those outside it, in which all sides look a

little unscrupulous. Meaning we're left asking

one ultimate question: at what point should a

line be drawn in terms of right and wrong? Far

from the worst tale told, with Josh Brolin,

Robert Patrick, Michael Pena, Anthony Mackie,

Giovanni Ribisi and Ryan Gosling all doing

well as the officers, just don't forget what we

first said - there are no fireworks here.

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This book is currently at number 10 in

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Harold Fry is a quiet, unassuming man who

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Some readers will undoubtedly find this book

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the characters who really do come to life as

you read more about them and each of their

emotional journeys as well as Harold’s physi-

cal one. The reader is not party to the full

story until close to the end of the book

Gangster Squad has a decent director (Ruben Fleischer) working with a strong cast,

great stylisation and the kind of set design viewers are now demanding as standard from

modern period pieces. Set in Los Angeles, circa 1949, war is about to break out between

the brutal police force and the city’s criminals

where the events are both tragic and uplifting.

Throughout the book there is sadness, touch-

ing moments and also gentle humour. This is

a story about all the things we leave unsaid,

all the regrets we want to forget but most of

all that there is always hope in difficult times.

This is a gentle, moving and rewarding tale

and a very accomplished debut novel for the

author. I would recommend it to anyone who

wants a relaxing, easy read but be prepared to

be touched by Harold’s story.

Available to buy or order from Pageturners

Books. Sarah Hollingsworth

Manager of Pageturners Books, Market Street,

Sutton-in-Ashfield


Even an occasional gardener will tell you that

a short spell spent pottering about among the

plants in the gentle afternoon sunshine does

wonders for your health - mental and physical.

An hour or two's light weeding or caring for

early seedlings in the greenhouse after a busy

day in the office is infinitely better for us than

flopping down in front of the TV for the night.

But now that serene environment has become

another backdrop for the age-old battle of the

sexes as partners fight it out for the right to

make the decisions about their own little

patch of paradise.

And it seems that women have won the first

round as a survey by Arthritis Research UK

has found that the fairer sex are in charge of

the nation's gardens. The survey into the hor-

ticultural habits of 2,000 couples by the lead-

ing medical research charity shows that 50%

of women say they make the decisions about

the garden because they have better taste in

plants, compared to a third of men. A quarter

of women say they don't have any truck with

their partner's preferences when it comes to

garden furniture because they don't trust their

judgement, compared to just 13% of men.

Women also claim to be the most knowledge-

able about plants and shrubs with 40% confi-

dent in their capabilities while only 28% of

men are assured of their ability. With women

in charge of choosing items for the garden,

men claim to do most of the work as well as

shouldering the heavier tasks such as digging -

75% - and mowing the lawn, 70%. Over two

thirds of women admit to sticking to lighter

work such as weeding or plotting plants. The

survey does paint a picture of contentment -

over a third of couples say they spend time

outside together and over 90% of men and

women say they never argue about the garden.

However, when they do it's the costs and deci-

sion-making that cause friction - unless of

course they defer to their female partner's in-

finitely superior knowledge! When it comes to

the health benefits, more than half of men and

women feel that gardening helps them to

relax, while 33% say it even helps them to get

a better night's sleep. And while more than

half of the couples questioned recognise that

gardening helps burn off calories and 23%

find that gardening increases flexibility, just

six per cent realise that it can help to

strengthen bones. Arthritis Research UK chief

executive Dr Liam O'Toole, says: It's great that

so many people are able to enjoy the benefits

of gardening, which can help keep joints

healthy and has also been shown to boost

mood. The results of this survey also show

that there are still clear roles for men and for

women in the garden.

Women Make The Rules In The Garden, OK?


needs. A regular boiler is actually more effi-

cient than a combi at producing hot water in

the first place but some heat is inevitably lost

while the water is stored in the cylinder, so a

combi may be more efficient overall.

Electric storage heaters which heat up

overnight using cheaper off-peak electricity,

giving out heat during the day are more com-

mon in flats, rented property and homes with-

out mains gas.

Well over half the money spent on fuel bills

goes towards providing heating and hot water

in a typical UK household.

So in these times of ever-increasing costs, hav-

ing an efficient and cost-effective heating sys-

tem is vital - and it's one of the main steps you

can take to reduce your carbon dioxide emis-

sions.

Some householders may be put off by the ini-

tial costs but can be assured they will soon re-

coup the outlay which will continue to pay

dividends in the future.

The Energy Saving Trust says the first step to

saving energy from heating is to understand

your system.

Nearly all homes have either a central heating

system - a boiler and radiators - or electric

storage heaters.

Central heating is the most common where a

boiler heats up water that is pumped through

pipes to radiators throughout the house, as

well as providing hot water to the kitchen and

bathroom taps.

Most boilers run on mains gas but in areas

where it's not available, the boiler can run on

oil, tank gas, coal or wood. Mains gas is usually

the cheapest and has the lowest carbon emis-

sions, apart from wood. Some boilers also

have an electric immersion heater as a back-

up.

Gas and oil boilers may be combination

(combi) boilers, in which case they heat the

hot water as it is needed and don't need to

store it. Otherwise, the boiler heats up water

and stores it in a cylinder that feeds the taps.

If you have this systems, the Trust advises a

number of energy-saving options:

* Replace your boiler with a newer, more effi-

cient model

* Fit better controls for your space and water

heating - and use them to make sure your

boiler only provides heat when you want it

* Switch to a cheaper or lower carbon fuel or

technology

* Make any insulation and draught-proofing

improvements that you can

* Use chemical inhibitors if you have an older

system

Nearly all gas boilers fitted in Britain since

2005 are condensing boilers which have are

able to recover more heat from the burning

gas, making them more efficient.

You can tell which one you have by checking

the flue - flues made of plastic are condensing

while metal ones aren't. Condensing boilers

also have a plastic pipe coming out of the bot-

tom, through the wall and into a drain.

Trust experts advise householders to consider

replacing your boiler with a newer, more effi-

cient model if they don't have a condensing

boiler.

Whether to opt for a combination or regular

boiler really depends on your lifestyle and

Make the Most of Your Fuel Finances


Do you love eBay but just wish you could see

things before you bid? Or maybe love the idea

of Ebay but find the thought of buying online a

bit too daunting to take the plunge...if you are

looking for furniture at a great price but want

to buy ‘in real life’ it might be that Ashfield

Auctions is just the place for you. Not only

could you bag a bargain, but you might have

some fun bidding.

Stock is updated daily and includes end of line

and ex-display items, catalogue returns and

brand new bits. As well as the being available

to bid on at the fortnightly auctions (every

other Saturday), you can ask for a buy-it-now

price on most of these things any day of the

week 10am till 4pm. Auctions also include

pre-loved furniture, antiques and collectables

– and remember, at Ashfield Auctions you can

sell things you no longer need as well as buy-

ing new stuff. The great news is that unlike at

many auction houses, you don’t have to hand

over a percentage of your takings to the auc-

tioneer. You pay a one-off fee of just £2 no

matter what price your goods fetch. Items

bought in the auction attract a 20 percent fee,

but if you buy-it-now this doesn’t apply.

Everyone is very approachable so why not

have a clear out and pop down to Ashfield

Auctions on Lowmoor Road in Kirkby? Maybe

with the money you make you could revamp

the bedroom – there’s a great new range of

wardrobes and drawers just coming in...

Any questions just give them a call on

01623 72 23 23.

Ashfield Auctions

30

Motoring

Consumers are often influenced to buy goods by their

eco-friendly credentials. Now there's a chance to factor

greenness into car buying, too.

Consumers are getting used to making greener choices for

the home, with 80 per cent of the British public saying that

they factor in greenness when weighing up brands.

However, the nation's car buying habits are distinctly lacking

when it comes to more eco-conscious cars.



Save with green wheels

Consumers are getting used to making

greener choices for the home, with 80 per cent

of the British public saying that they factor in

greenness when weighing up brands. How-

ever, the nation's car buying habits are dis-

tinctly lacking when it comes to more

eco-conscious cars.

One online reverse auction website, where the

car dealers bid to supply customers with their

specified vehicle at the lowest price, is hoping

to tempt environment-conscious Britons into

a greener choice of car. AutoeBid.com is offer-

ing to offset three tonnes of carbon dioxide for

every car bought through the greener motor-

ing section of its website, at no extra cost.

The offer marks the launch of the website's

new search facility, which allows car hunters

to view and sort cars by their environment-

friendliness rating. They can then create a

shortlist purely on the basis of CO2 emissions,

finding the greenest car for their needs.

The search facility allows users to selected

their choice of brand new UK-supplied green

car and configure it to their exact specification

before receiving a price, often discounted by

thousands of pounds.

AutoeBid managing director Amin Saleem

says,The government is struggling to influence

car buyers' habits and road transport CO2

emissions are expected to grow by eight per

cent between 2013 and 2015, despite substan-

tial increases in fuel efficiency over the past

decade.

AutoeBid's greener motoring section gives

buyers the opportunity to search for new cars

on the basis of their environmental impact

while offering huge savings through UK main

dealers. And we'll pay to neutralise their emis-

sions at the same time.

A new survey in June's Motor Trade Barome-

ter revealed that less than a quarter of dealer-

ships had considered stocking greener cars in

the past year, though 71 per cent were aware

of the green impact to their business over the

next two years.

The Society of Motoring Manufacturers and

Traders has revealed that while only 13 per

cent of new car buyers rate emissions as the

most important factor when buying a new car,

this equates to around 299,000 of new car

sales in the UK in a year. This figure may be

the signal to the motoring industry to embrace

a greener stance on car sales and emissions.

Saleem adds, Buying a greener car is just one

thing that people can do to reduce their car-

bon footprint. Buyers now have the added

bonus of offsetting three tonnes of CO2 emis-

sions on each purchase. Now there's no excuse

for buyers not to do their bit for the environ-

ment.�

June online

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Transcript of June online