December 2014/January 2015 Summertown Scene · PDF fileThe festive season is nearly upon us and ... into the loft and will help prevent pipes ... Most of overindulge during the festive

Summertown Scene December 2014/January 2015

Free magazine and serv ices guide for Summertown res idents

WISHING YOU ALL A SPARKLING CHRISTMAS

If you decide over Christmas that your house is too big or too small and 2015 is the year for you to move. Give us a call.

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Dear All,

The festive season is nearly upon us and many of us are making preparations to welcome friends and family into our homes, while others are looking forward to making trips away. In either case our Summertown Scene advertisers have offers and advice to see us through the holiday period.

Whether we have a white Christmas, or just a cold one, Richard of Rb Gas Solutions tells those of us who’ll be away what steps to take to ensure we don’t come home to a burst pipe. (See pages 4- 5)

If your carpets don’t look quite as bright and welcoming as your Christmas tree, then call in MD Carpet Cleaning who’ll have them thoroughly spruced up! If Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that data in this publication is accurate, neither the publisher not its editorial contributors can accept any liability to any party for loss or damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accident or any other cause. All artwork is accepted on the strict condition that permission has been given for use in the publication. Adverts are accepted under the understanding that the description of the goods and services are fair and accurate. Summertown Scene Magazine does not officially endorse any advertising material included within this publication. Content of articles does not necessarily reflect the views of the editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form without prior permission of the publisher. Copyright Summertown Scene Magazine 2014, Printed by Newman Thomson

Editor’s Letteryou get them cleaned before the big day, then you’ll get a complimentary gift voucher to attend a wine tasting event at St Peter’s college – cheers! (See page 21)

Meanwhile Ideal Eyes Opticians point out what we can do to keep our peepers protected and in their prime through the party season. (See pages 10-11)

Finally, thanks to all our readers and advertisers for your support and contributions throughout the year. We’ll be back in 2014 with our February issue. In the meantime, have a cracker of a Christmas and a corker of a New Year! Fiona Broster, 07721 410176

[email protected]

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In a series of sponsored articles, Richard Bailey, of rbGas Solutions shares his knowledge and experience of plumbing and heating. He provides hot tips on the products and technology which will offer the best solutions for your home or office and explains cool ways in which you can save energy and money.

According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI) at the height of the abnormally cold spell last winter, insurers dealt with around 3,500 claims for burst pipe damage every day. The typical cost of household damage caused by burst pipes last winter averaged up to £7,000, but costs can be much more. While home insurance normally covers the often considerable damage caused by burst pipes, it cannot compensate for the misery and inconvenience that they bring. So if you are planning to leave your property empty - even just overnight - during winter, here are the take steps you can take to reduce the risk of the trauma and expense of a burst pipe.

Make sure that you know where your stopcock is, and that it works so that you can turn off the water supply if needed.

If it is very cold, leaving the access to your loft open will allow warm air from other parts of the house to circulate into the loft and will help prevent pipes freezing. Check that loft insulation is laid over, and not under, pipes in the loft.

Set your thermostat so that your heating comes on for an hour, ideally for during the early hours of the morning when outside temperatures are coldest. In severe weather, or if severe weather is forecast, you should leave your heating on day and night at a low temperature setting. The cost of heating will be far less than the potential costs involved following a burst pipe.

This will mean that, if you do suffer a burst pipe, it will be detected as soon as possible. Make sure that you tell them where the stopcock is located.

If the worst happens – here are the steps to take in the event of a burst pipe:

It is imperative you do this to turn off the water supply and minimise further damage.

If you have a water tank, drain the system by turning on all your taps.

Most home insurers provide 24 hour emergency helplines that can arrange for repairs to be carried out as soon as possible.

But don’t touch the mains if they are wet! Call an electrician if in doubt.

Winter is here and while many of us are looking forward to trips away to enjoy seasonal celebrations with friends and family, jetting off to warmer climes or sloping off on skiing holidays. But one thing that is guaranteed to ruin our fun is returning home to a burst pipe.

PEARLS PLUMBING WISDOMof

rbGas Solutions LtdUnit 6, Chiltern Business Park, Cowley, Oxford, OX4 6NG T: 01865 774722 E: [email protected]

FOUR STEPS TO TAKE TO PREVENT A BURST PIPE

TWO STEPS TO TAKE IF A PIPE IS FROZEN AND NOT YET BURST

FOUR STEPS TO TAKE IF A PIPE BURSTS

AND FINALLY…..FROM ALL OF US AT rbGAS…

TWO STEPS TO ENSURE YOU HAVE A TROUBLE FREE FESTIVE SEASON AND A

WARM, COSY NEW YEAR

1. Leave your heating on for at least an hour a day while you are away from home

2. Open your loft hatch

3. Locate your stopcock

4. Ask a friend or relative to visit your home every day while you are away.

1. Turn off the stopcock

2. Turn off the electrical supply

3. Drain the system

4. Contact your home insurance provider for advice and help

1. Follow our advice on preventing burst pipes and relax and enjoy the holidays.

2. Remember rbGas are here to help you with any of your plumbing and heating needs to ensure your home keeps you and your family safe and snug through the winter months!.

1. Thaw out the pipe using gentle heat like a hairdryer or towels soaked in warm water.

2. Move furniture and carpet (where practical) away from the frozen pipe to minimise damage if

5.4.

[email protected]: 01865 376976

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7. 6.

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8. 9.

The North Oxford

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EYES RIGHT! Ideal Eyes Opticians offer insights and advice on eye health.

The Christmas and New Year celebrations can play havoc with your eyes so Ideal Eyes is bringing some hints and tips to help keep those peepers sparkly and bright

throughout the party season.

Smoke Gets in your EyesSmokey atmospheres, late nights and drinking alcohol can all place stress on our eyes and they can often become dull, red, puffy, tired or irritated. While there is nothing physically wrong with your eyes, you may not be pleased with how they look. A quick fix for relieving your eyes from any discomfort is to place a cold compress made from a wet tea bag or a slice of cucumber over each eye then lie back and relax for 5-10 minutes. Afterwards your eyes should feel soothed and revived. The best way, however, to put the sparkle back into your eyes is to get a good night’s sleep!

Popping CorksEvery year at least half a dozen people are admitted to Moorfields Eye Hospital in London with injuries sustained from cracking open the bubbly. A champagne cork is about the size of an eye socket and

can be extremely painful and damaging. Iain Anderson, Chairman of the Eyecare Trust* advises: “Although the effect is less dramatic ALWAYS place a cloth over the cork and gently twist it out of the bottle.”

Christmas trees also pose an unlikely danger to your eyes. If you get a poke in the eye from a Christmas tree branch, immediately rinse the eye out with water. If it is still sore after 12 hours then visit your nearest A&E department.

Glamour EyesThere’s a growing trend towards wearing coloured contact lenses among regular wearers and non-wearers alike. So, if you want to make an impact with this fashion accessory but don’t want to damage your eyes - always ensure that you have your lenses fitted by a qualified optometrist. Carefully follow their advice wearing and caring for your lenses.

If you wear false eyelashes, never sleep in them as there is a danger that the glands in your eyelids may become blocked and cause an infection. Always remove them before going to bed and gently wash your eyelids with some clean water.

Be PreparedContact lens wearers should always make sure that they carry a back-up pair of glasses - if you lose a lens over Christmas it may take some time to replace. If you remove a contact lens never put it back into your eye without cleaning it first and never use tap water. If you are going to a party always take your lens case and travel size bottles of solution.

Great mince pies – all year!Most of overindulge during the festive season – but to keep those ‘mince pies’ looking healthy and bright year round,

Come and browse our extensive range of luxury brands, including Chanel.

eat a healthy low fat diet with lots of fruit and vegetables; make sure that eyes are protected from the sun by wearing sunglasses with maximum ultraviolet protection; wear proper eye safety equipment when partaking in eye hazardous work or sport; and take periodic rest breaks from your computer or other close work to relax your eyes.

A happy and healthy Christmas and New Year to all of you from all of us at Ideal Eyes!

*Content used in this article courtesy of the Eyecare Trust. The Trust is a registered charity that exists to raise awareness of all aspects of eye health and the importance of regular eyecare.

A guide to looking after your eyes during the festive season!

10. 11.


12. 13.

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carterjonas.co.ukOffices throughout the UK

PROPERTIES LIKE YOURS ARE SELLING WELL IN OX1 AND OX2.We have keen buyers looking for similar properties now. If you are considering selling your property, please call Mark Charter for a complimentary market appraisal:

T: 01865 511444 E: [email protected]

carterjonas.co.ukOffices throughout the UK

OUR ADVICE: GO EARLY

SELLING IN THE NEW YEAR?If you are thinking of selling in the New Year, our advice is: go early. Why? Because there is pent up demand in Oxford and you will gain from being ahead of the General Election build up and attracting those people who have had their school places confirmed and are looking to enter the market during January to March.

Oxford’s property market has been, and still is strong up to the £2 million plus price bracket. Indeed, we have buyers queuing up for the right house to become available in OX1 and OX2, not just from across the county but from our 11 London offices and internationally.

Recent figures on household borrowing and active buyer enquiries both indicate that the UK housing market is cooling. Land Registry figures released in November highlighted a 0.2% fall in monthly house prices, with reductions recorded in seven out of the ten UK regions, including London and the South East which saw values drop by 0.7% and 0.2% in October respectively. That said house prices have risen by 7.2% over the last year to October, with London witnessing an impressive 18.4% increase.

Our statistics indicate that momentum has slowed since September, with the early part of the year delivering price rises beyond a level which could be sustained which has meant that prices have rebalanced. Interested parties continue to monitor the market carefully, particularly within the prime market of Oxford, which remains such an attractive place to live, and also the same

goes for Winchester, Cambridge, Bath and Harrogate.

No evidence of prices actually falling is apparent across our network of 31 residential offices throughout London and the UK.

Looking ahead at the Spring 2015 market, there remains the limited volume of stock, and while there is talk of rising interest rates and the General Election which might impact activity levels, we anticipate achieved house prices in North Oxford to hold firm over the next six months. The pent up buyer demand, which also comes from those who are renting in anticipation for the right OX1 or OX2 house to come to the market, will remain and that demand will only increase between January and March once their school places have been confirmed, so selling in the New Year, will mean that you’re in front when it comes to your buyers.

We have many buyers looking for properties across OX1 & OX2. If you are considering selling your property, we can help and make everything as smooth as possible.

For a complimentary market appraisal of your home, please get in touch:

Mark Charter, Head of Oxford at Carter JonasT: 01865 511444 E: [email protected]

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Care in the comfort of your own home

Contact us on 01865 481407 Email: [email protected] www.cedarwoodcare.co.uk

Cedarwood Care is registered with, and regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the government body which registers, inspects and reports on all social care services in England. Cedarwood Care is a member of the UK Home Care Association (UKHCA) which represents providers

of personal care at home throughout the UK. We aim to live up to the UKHCA code of practice at all times. All our staff undergo an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check before they come to your home.

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A Good Read

Our reviewer, Linda Glover, is a retired

English teacher with a love of literature and

a special talent for giving great résumés

of her recent good reads.

This month, Linda reviews - The

Cuckoo’s Calling and The Silkworm

by Robert Galbraith, published by Sphere

Book Review

“The Cuckoo’s Calling” and “The Silkworm” by Robert Galbraith – published by Sphere When JK Rowling embarked on an adult detective

novel she wanted to do so anonymously. Unfortunately her secret was leaked, but not before she had garnered some very good reviews under her pseudonym. Of course, once her identity had been revealed the sales went stratospheric which to struggling first time authors must have been irritating but I couldn’t resist giving them a try; detective fiction is a favourite of mine and the whole family grew up with the Harry Potters so I knew she could tell a good story. I was not disappointed. Her private detective, Cormoran Strike, is an excellent creation. Seriously injured and invalided out of the army, with a rock star father

who barely acknowledges him and a dead groupie mother, he has plenty of backstory and hang-ups to keep us interested. Rather like the Harry Potter series, it looks as if these will get better and better. There is a fair bit of scene setting and establishing of characters like his disturbed aristocratic ex-girlfriend and bright new secretary/sidekick who are developed through the two books. This does not slow down the action however and both plots come to a satisfying conclusion. The author draws on the celebrity and media world she has encountered over the last few years and there are plenty of sly and humorous digs at the worst excesses but this never tips over into parody or viciousness. It is testament to the atmosphere she creates that you never once want to skip the descriptive passages which sometimes slow up less accomplished crime fiction. Most of the characters are three dimensional and we do care about them, particularly Strike and his secretary - not least because we see the action from their points of view, usually alternating as they are still quite wary of each other and not in each other’s confidence. There are more books planned in the series and it will be interesting to see how the relationship develops. An additional endorsement is that hubby, who as a rule dislikes detectives, could not put these down and there were some tense moments when we disagreed about who had first call on the two books, resulting in my reading the second one first. It made no difference- I was gripped by them both and hopes you will be too.

19.18.

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We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who voted for us to win the Build IT Award for Highly Commended Best Self Build Architect 2014. This award was dependant on a public vote and we were amazed with the response we had from all of our current and past clients. The winning project is a well-insulated new-build

house that is attractive, cosy and cheap to run. It is exciting to see the house performing so well from an aesthetic, lifestyle and comfort perspective for our client. Let us help you with your project for 2015. We would love to meet you and discuss how we could be involved. We offer a free one-hour consultation, where we meet with you at your property to understand more about your ideas and aspirations. Before the winter really descends give us a call; and we will wrap up warm and pop out to visit you.

lapd architects work with you to consider the appropriate way to make your home work for you. With you, we will consider ways to improve your existing home, or design a house from scratch - tailoring a solution that is right for you and the way you live; and we’ll be there to help you make the right choices.

Lapd architects awards: 2014 ‘Build It’ Highly Commended Best Self Build Architect, 2012 ‘Build It’ Best Self Build Architect, 2011 RICS South East Award Sustainability, 2010 LABC Awards best overall project, 2009 RIBA Downland Prize, sustainability.

Lapd architects are regular experts at the National Self Build + Regeneration Centre Homebuilding & Renovating Show and Grand Designs Live

01865 407722, [email protected]

or find out more at www.lapdarchitects.co.uk

Lapd architects would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

23.22.

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CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR

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With the shortage of affordable overnight accommodation during the week for commuters and visitors to Oxford, it’s never been a better time to become a B&B host.

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24. 25.

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Ask the Expert

Q: When I started drawdown from my pension some years ago I seem to remember being told that there might be a 35% tax charge on the fund when I died. I was then told it had increased to 55% but am I right in thinking that now there would be no tax at all?

A: In 2006 when the Government introduced the concept of Unsecured Pensions, the death benefit for someone in drawdown under 75 was taxed at 35% if paid as a lump sum. This tax charge was then increased to 55% when the Government removed

the requirement to buy an annuity at age 75, as the quid pro quo for reducing the tax charge on a lump sum death benefit for those over 75 to 55% from an effective 82%.

With the latest changes announced, for those under the age of 75, payment of a lump sum after death even if they have drawn their pension will no longer be subject to tax. This applies to any payments made from 6th April 2015.

For those over age 75, their pension can be passed to any beneficiary to then draw an income on which they will pay income tax at normal rates. If the death benefit is paid as a lump sum however, there will be a 45% tax charge. The Government has indicated that from 6th April 2016 it wants this 45% rate to be removed and instead have the lump sum treated as additional income paid to the recipient and taxed at income tax rates.

So the answer to your question is: “it depends”. It depends on whether you are under or over 75 and whether any payment on death is before 6th April 2015, between 6th April 2015 and 5th April 2016 or from 6th April 2016. Remember also that, separate from this tax issue, death can trigger a test against the Lifetime Allowance and if the death benefits exceed the Lifetime Allowance, there can still be a tax charge to pay.

Our Head of Financial Services, Ed Gibson explains the differences in tax charges on pensions

For a free initial consultation to discuss your tax or financial planning queries:• Visit our Saturday Surgeries – our next events will take place on 6th December & 10th January 10am-2pm• Wealth Management Wednesdays – drop by on Wednesday afternoons 12-2pm; or • Send your questions to: Kate Healey, Shaw Gibbs Ltd, 264 Banbury Road, Summertown OX2 7DY or email

[email protected]. For further information please visit www.shawgibbs.com

Shaw Gibbs Financial Services Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The guidance and/or advice contained on this page is subject to UK regulatory regime and is therefore restricted to consumers based in the UK. Company No. 3490497 registered at companies House, Cardiff. Registered office: 264 Banbury Road, Oxford. OX2 7DY

Web: www.shawgibbs.com | Tel: 01865 292200

Independent financial advice from David Rickwood, Head of Personal Tax and Ed Gibson, Head of Financial Services

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26. 27.

“Wallers of Oxford is an independent and family run Estate Agency dedicated to delivering the personal and thoughtful service that property sellers want, with a local focus… a local independent Estate Agent with a national market. I am a local chap —you will often see my family and I out and about in Summertown’s shops and boutiques or enjoying our great variety of cafes, restaurants and bars. We love being local, and we really love helping local people.

With a decade of Estate Agency experience behind me, I know what works, what matters, and how to get results. If you are thinking of selling, please call us here at Wallers of Oxford to arrange a free and no obligation market appraisal of your property. We’d love to help.”

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December 2014/January 2015 Summertown Scene · PDF fileThe festive season is nearly upon us and ... into the loft and will help prevent pipes ... Most of overindulge during the festive

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