Clare Macnaughton's Blog, page 35

Aysgarth Falls – A Magical Holiday Spot in the Yorkshire Dales

We have been looking at UK holiday destinations to take the kids for a staycation. When I was a 11 years old, I went on holiday with my aunty and uncle, staying in a static caravan, in the Yorkshire Dales, very close to Aysgarth Falls. The memories of this holiday have never left me. A river ran through our campsite; it was here that I would go fishing for Bullheads.

Armed with a thin, green net attached to a bamboo pole I would paddle with my skirt tucked in my knickers and scoop up Bullheads all day, collecting them in my bucket, ready to be chucked back in the river when the day was done. Such simple memories of very happy times.

We would go for long walks up to Aysgarth Falls.

Aysgarth Falls are a triple flight of waterfalls, amidst tree and fields, carved out by the River Ure over an almost a one-mile stretch on its way down to mid-Wensleydale, near the village of Aysgarth, in the Yorkshire Dales. The falls are quite spectacular during wet weather, as thousands of gallons of water cascade over the series of broad limestone steps. The noise is spectacular as the water thunders past. It was a magical place to be, struck by the beauty but yet  at the same time, in awe of the power of the water.

I am not alone. I am in good company. Aysgarth Falls have attracted visitors for over 200 years; Ruskin, Turner and Wordsworth have been, all enthused about the falls’ outstanding beauty. The upper and middle fall was also featured in the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

Around the falls, there are walks which loiter through the wooded valley, offering scenic views of the river and falls. Wild flowers adorn the walkways in the spring and summer, and wild birds, squirrels and deer may also be seen.

One of the seven wonders of the North

We went into the village of Aysgarth to have a Yorkshire Tea. The teacakes were as big as the side-plates. I had never seen such monstrously proportioned toasted, current filled bread buns. They were the best teacakes ever. Warm, toasted perfectly and dripping with luscious melted butter, all washed down with a piping hot cup of Yorkshire tea. The memories of this holiday have stayed with me forever so I am thinking about taking my kids up to the Yorkshire Dales next summer so they can share in the magic too.

 

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Are you paying too much to retire?

I overheard a chat at a wedding this weekend, it went something like this.

“Do you know what we pay those *^~#%*^$¥€ing bankers for our pensions?”

“No, but it sucks.”

“Yeah.”

Ok, so I paraphrased a little. But they wouldn’t be far from the truth – the OFT has just published a damning report of pensions which charge too much. Modern pensions are (generally) fine, but there are thousands of older contracts out there, taken out by well meaning people, which are seen as nothing more than cash cows by the providers.  And that bugs me.

I am an Independent Financial Adviser, so I am obliged to choose from pensions from across the entire market and I see how much things have improved.  But the unfairness of the years which preceded my career in financial services and which prevails still bugs me.  Usually, it affects those in their 30s and 40s who have pension pots which are for all intents and purposes, dormant but still expensive.  And cost I’m afraid, unless you take it to task, never sleeps.

Strange then, that I’m going to say something that is probably controversial in light of all the negative press that pensions seem to be getting right now. Here goes. There is no such thing as a bad pension, just a badly managed pension (avoids incoming).

Sure, many people are in pensions that are plain unsuitable for them, they might be in pensions that are old and offer too much or too little functionality, or the pensions may be just simply old and therefore, likely to be too expensive. The funds might be inappropriate and there might be no strategy (would you like to plan to be retiring the week after the markets go pop and still be exposed to equities? Nope, me neither).  But the idea of planning ahead for retirement is something that should form the core of most clients future financial planning these days.  The state isn’t going to make life any easier, thats for sure.. we’ll never wake up to hear that George Osborne is going to reduce the State retirement age for instance.

So, when was the last time you gave your pension some TLC?  HSBC has just released details of a survey which claims that almost 20% of Brits see themselves as working indefinitely.  How sad is that? The problem is even worse within the military community where military partners move every 2-3 years and never get the chance to lay down professional roots and establish a pattern of occupational pension savings.

Pensions aren’t for everyone (always take properly qualified advice that you trust).  But by (seeming) default, why should military spouses in particular miss out on all that beautiful and juicy tax relief because they support those who protect the system that actually allows those in civvy street a better chance than them to retire?  “Military covenant”? Sure.

If you don’t start to consider your retirement and empower yourself, you’re going to run out of time.  Every day matters, and the prospect of retirement doesn’t sleep.  It doesn’t matter who you speak to about it.. your IFA, the guy in the bank or someone who has taken that first step.

But do something.

www.echelonwealthcare.co.uk

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Trick or Treating: great tradition or greedy kids?

Whether you favoured the witch, ghost or vampire look, many of us have fond memories of knocking on neighbours’ doors and stuffing ourselves with sweets. These days, however, it’s not the costumes that have people scared, but the thought that this treasured tradition might encourage anti-social behaviour in children and an unhealthy relationship with sugary treats.

In the wake of the 2011 London riots, a survey showed that one in five people in England would support a ban on trick-or-treating as they believe it encourages hooliganism. In one study, 58% of adults admitted to hiding in the dark to avoid trick-or-treaters, while on the other side of the discussion, many parents are now scared to let their children go knocking on strangers’ doors.

In terms of the impact on children, there is a growing concern that Halloween encourages gluttony, and that trick-or-treating rewards belligerent behaviour. When American chat show host Jimmy Kimmel asked parents to send in videos of themselves telling their children that they’d already eaten all their Halloween sweets, the children’s outraged responses revealed a funny but also disturbing attachment to unhealthy foods – and a serious sense of entitlement.

However, despite some choosing to focus on the potential problems with trick-or-treating, most would agree that Halloween is more about fun than real fear. Adult supervision is crucial in achieving this, particularly when it comes to younger children. With the appropriate planning and attention, trick-or-treating can be used to teach children how to interact with others and the importance of connecting with the people around them.

A recent survey revealed that a quarter of Brits don’t know our neighbours, and half of us don’t trust them, meaning that children are growing up without a sense of community. Far from being a mean-spirited and hostile tradition, trick-or-treating allows children to meet the people living near them in a playful way, and under the gaze of an adult. In order to protect the interests of everyone, police actively encourage residents who do not wish to be disturbed by trick-or-treaters to put up posters stating that they are opting out of the tradition.

While dentists might shudder at the thought of all those Halloween sweets, the labelling of them as ‘treats’ serves to emphasise that this is not an everyday food, and that they should be gratefully received, not demanded. Again, it’s up to parents to monitor their child’s behaviour, and to dictate how many sweets are consumed. For all our good intentions, we’ve all fallen prey to the tantalising call of a chocolate bar at some point, so it’s unfair to expect children to be in charge of their own diets and nutrition.

The mischievous and magical atmosphere that characterises Halloween can be a concern to people who feel it permits lawlessness and bratty behaviour among children. However, if the authorities and parents can combine common sense with a playful attitude, this tradition can be a useful and enjoyable way to educate children – while also having some fun.

 

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#BreakingNews #AudioBook #Amazon #iTunes release date 10th October A Modern Military Mother – Tales from the Domestic Frontline

Coming Soon: 10th October

Available via Amazon and i-Tunes

Read and written by Me

Watch this space for more details!

Cover design: http://www.kificreative.co.uk

Available from 10th October
- Amazon
- iTunes

 

 

 

 

 

The post #BreakingNews #AudioBook #Amazon #iTunes release date 10th October A Modern Military Mother – Tales from the Domestic Frontline appeared first on Modern Military Mother .

A quick introduction..

.. Clare has kindly asked me if I’d like to post the occasional blog.

I won’t be posting about weekends away (although this Saturday, I will be spending a couple of days here with my girl), making jam or choosing trendy wellies.. or like Clare seems to do; casually hanging out with the rich and famous.  But I do hope to be sharing financial planning information with you.  Why?  Because for most of the time you traipse around the globe, Hampshire or Lincs - you’ll be isolated geographically, physically, metaphorically from ‘normal’ society.  And even if you live out and have a semblance of normality about your life, the chances are your partner who might be serving, won’t be as lucky.  Such is the side effect of the pace of operational tempo these days.

I know from personal experience that the non serving ‘wives/husbands of’ are the oft unrecognised heroes and heroines, organising work services and march outs, taking the kids to school, replacing light bulbs, keeping the fridge full and balancing the books.  Often done too, while your other half is in a different time zone.  How do I know this?  Because I know what life is like on your side of the wire.  I joined up in the early 80s and spent 20 years as a ‘rockape‘, serving in the RAF Regiment (does anyone recognise my favourite home for the best part of 4 years?).   I know that I didn’t give a second thought to what my retirement would look like, what the military pension would give me, how much protection I’d need and how to save or invest properly for my future, or my children’s education.  I was just always too busy and the only people I chatted with were people in the same boat as me, and invariably in some area of conflict where the pros and cons of tax efficient investing weren’t always on the tips of our tongues.

I won’t be offering financial advice here, but I hope to at least awaken some thinking.   I can do it from a position of credibility though; I read, listened, learned, revised and sweated ink at night to become a stockbroker before eventually earning my qualification as an Independent Financial Adviser.  I decided to start a business (just as the credit crunch hit, great planning huh?) and it has evolved to the extent that these days, practically all of my clients are serving military officers and their families.  I hope you find my posts useful, helpful, stimulating and to an extent, worrying.  If you need information, if I can offer it then just jot down some questions here, or better still, like the page in case you know someone else who might benefit.  If you need a more direct exchange, then this is Echelon Wealthcare, my company.

Anyway, that’s it for now.  I have 4 life insurance policies to get on risk this morning, invest some money for someone and work out the cost of Flying Pay Protection for a client.  And all before lunch - the boiler is getting serviced this afternoon and I want the place all cushty before tonight’s 80′s night on Channel 4.  Bring on the Keo and JP Chenet!

Nice meeting you.

 

www.echelonwealthcare.co.uk

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Family friendly Scotland: Our 5 favourite attractions

There’s just something about Scotland that keeps us coming back year after year. Even when the weather is dreich, as Hagar, A Modern Military Mother’s Scottish husband would say, it’s a green and gorgeous country steeped in history and soaked in not just rain, but atmosphere. And, with adventure and attractions galore for all the family, we don’t need much encouragement to head north across cross the border. Here are just five of our favourite Scottish family destinations:

Loch Ness

An obvious first choice, we know, but Loch Ness is simply a must. It’s less than an hour away from where we recently stayed in a Scottish lodge in Nairn Lochloy, so we spend the day hunting for Nessie.

There’s sonar imaging equipment on the cruise boat we’re on. Unfortunately, we don’t see any sign of the legendary creature, but we do pass by the dramatic ruins of Urquhart Castle and our little ones are able to have their photographs taken at the wheel.

 

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/conner395/2314395176/

 

Cawdor Castle

If there’s one thing Scotland does well, it’s castles. There are big ones, small ones, ruined ones, and supposedly-haunted ones. But, for sheer romance, you can’t beat Cawdor Castle. Linked with Shakespeare’s Macbeth, this 14th century castle is a fairytale of a place that wouldn’t look out of place in Disneyland. Our little ones loved exploring The Big Wood, where we were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of red deer.

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/skeglovitz/141020151/

Glasgow

While big cities and children don’t always go hand in hand, Glasgow is one of the exceptions. The Glasgow Science Centre on the banks of the River Clyde is delightfully hands-on, while the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum houses a weird and wonderful collection, with everything from dinosaurs and a Spitfire hung from the ceiling to Sir Roger the stuffed Asian elephant.

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bruce89/362643527/

Southerness

For traditional bucket-and-spade brigade fun, Southerness is not to be missed. A vast expanse of sand stretches either side of Southerness point, meaning you’re sure to find a perfect, peaceful spot to build your sandcastles. And Mabie Farm Park is just nearby, where you can feed the animals and your children can have a donkey ride. Our favourite attraction though was the Choo Choo Express where a mini road train pulled by a quad bike splashes you through puddles around the farm.

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/terry_wha/1293045421/

Fair Isle

Named one of the top five islands in the world by National Geographic, Fair Isle is the place to head to truly get away from it all with only your nearest and dearest. Sitting between Orkney and Shetland, it’s one of the most remote, yet still inhabited, islands in Britain. Our little ones loved the adventure of travelling on the Good Shepherd ferry to get there and found the different way of life fascinating. You can see locals hard at work spinning, weaving and knitting the traditional Fair Isle pattern. Norse settlers called the island Fridarey, which translates as “the island of peace”. We have to agree – there can be few better places to leave the stresses of the daily routine behind.

 

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/islandsofthemind/4904191475/

Katie is the newbie cake and travel addicted blogger behind delightso.me. you can keep up with her adventures on twitter @delightsomeblog

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JUST EAT Order Takeaway Service Review

Most of us do our best to keep our children healthily fed while sticking to a budget. We obsess over making sure that they’re eating their five-a-day rather than gorging on sweets, we try to establish routines about mealtimes (a good meal schedule helps cut down on eating between meals) and we do our best to keep their diet varied.

Oh, and while we’re at it, we tie on our capes and fly off to save the world.

As much as we’d all like to think that every meal is going to be a nutritious, lovingly-prepared, home-cooked feast there are times when it just isn’t possible. You’ve been running late all day, the children are screaming, everyone’s tired and the only thing in the refrigerator is an old jar of mayonnaise and some pickles. It’s at times like these that even the most devoted domestic goddess throws up her hands, admits that the universe has won this round and gets a takeaway.

The traditional takeaway method has always been to sort through a drawer full of those menus that people put through your door until you find one that looks appealing, but this method has some drawbacks. If you don’t have cash on you, paying by card over the phone can often involve a lot of repeating things very loudly – a takeaway kitchen isn’t exactly the best place to differentiate between “nine” and “five” over the phone. It’s also a law of the universe that you never have the precise takeaway menu you want in the drawer; that Chinese restaurant that always looked so appealing is now somehow missing, and all you have are three identical looking kebab places.

Of course, it being the 21st century, you can now order your food online, which is handy. The big name in the field is, of course, JUST EAT. You’ve seen the ads, of course, but if you haven’t tried it you might be missing out on an easy way to handle your takeout-ordering needs. The great thing about takeaway is that it doesn’t always have to be unhealthy too, like most people would assume. 

Basically, in order to order from JUST EAT, you set up an account on the website and search for the kind of restaurant you want. You enter your postcode, then select the type of food you’re looking for. If you want to find that Chinese takeaway restaurant, just click on the box and scroll down to “Chinese”. Once you’ve done this, the site lists restaurants of that type in your postcode. You click on the one you want, which brings up its menu. Add items to your order, then check out. The process is pretty straightforward.

There are a few features here that are very useful. For instance, you can actually place an order before the restaurant even opens or set a time for the order to be delivered. This means that you can send the order while you’re out during the day so that it’ll be delivered when you get home. You can also download their JUST EAT app from Google Play so that you can even do it from your phone.

The site isn’t perfect. For one thing, it’s a good idea to set up your account before your first order. Ordering out is something you’re usually going to be doing in a hurry, so spending extra time on it is less than ideal. Still, it’s very convenient to have all your choices in one place, and the area search means you might find restaurants you didn’t even know about. Overall, the site is definitely a worthy addition to a busy mum’s toolkit.

 

 

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You For Coffee?

Are you a coffee or a tea drinker? I hail originally for Yorkshire and part of my constitution is tea. I have to start the day with a cup of tea, ideally, Yorkshire, hot, medium strength, skimmed milk, no sugar. However, I am also a coffee lover so after I have enjoyed my first tea drink of the day I like to follow it with a cup of coffee. Once upon a time I would have drunk instant coffee but now I prefer freshly ground coffee with hot frothy milk. It has in itself become an institution in my life and a cup of instant just doesn’t cut it. Now that I have moved back to the shire of rural Wiltshire with my urban sensibilities for decent coffee I was pleased when in my small town two coffee houses opened their doors. Seriously, I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to get a decent cup of coffee in the shire.

Recently, I invited a friend in for a coffee and she said “I will but only if it’s filter coffee I just can’t bear instant coffee anymore”. Fortunately, I was able to cater to her needs. Coffee snobbery is becoming more prevalent and I can completely understand where she is coming from. Hagar just purchased for his room in the mess a brand new coffee machine. A Nespresso, with little capsules of coffee delight. It makes the most wonderful coffee. It’s almost worth the hassle of the car pass and the faff to visit him just for the coffee he creates.

Although, the English are more famous for drinking tea I have definitely noticed a rise in coffee drinking amongst my friends and peers. I think also as boozing throughout the day becomes less and less de rigeur, the rise in coffee popularity will continue to grow.

The history of coffee spans as far back as the thirteenth century with various myths surrounding its first use. The original native population of coffee may have come from Ethiopia, Sudan or Kenya, and it was cultivated by Arabs from the 14th century. Early credible evidence of drinking coffee or information of the coffee tree can be seen in the middle of the fifteenth century, in the Sufi monasteries of Yemen. By the 16th century, it spread further into the Middle East, Persia, Turkey and northern Africa. Coffee then appeared in the Balkans, Italy and to the rest of Europe, to Indonesia and then to the Americas.

Largely as a result of the efforts of the British East India Company and the Dutch East India Company, coffee became available in England no later than the 16th century according to an account written by Leonhard Rauwolf in 1583. The first coffeehouse in England opened in St. Michael’s Alley in Cornhill. The proprietor called Pasqua Rosée,  was the servant of Daniel Edwards, a trader in Turkish goods. Edwards imported the coffee and assisted Rosée in setting up. Oxford’s Queen’s Lane Coffee House, began in 1654, still exist today.

There were more than 3,000 coffeehouses throughout England by 1675.  But the progressive movement of coffeehouses between the 1660s and 1670′s was often contested.  These coffee houses in England became places for deep discussion of beliefs during the enlightenment, about religious and political issues of the time. This practice of religious and political discussion became so common that Charles II made an attempt to ban coffee houses in 1675.

The banning of women from coffeehouses was commonplace in Europe. In Germany women frequented them, but in England they were prohibited.

This new commodity proved controversial for instance, the anonymous 1674 “Women’s Petition Against Coffee” declared:

the Excessive Use of that Newfangled, Abominable, Heathenish Liquor called COFFEE …has…Eunucht our Husbands, and Crippled our more kind Gallants, that they are become as Impotent, as Age.

Coffee with a great head of milk

Many believed coffee to have several medicinal properties in this period. For example, a 1661 tract entitled “A character of coffee and coffee-houses”, written by one “M.P.”, listed the benefits:

‘Tis extolled for drying up the Crudities of the Stomack, and for expelling Fumes out of the Head. Excellent Berry! which can cleanse the English-man’s Stomak of Flegm, and expel Giddinesse out of his Head.

Over 400 years later and coffee consumption is still growing strong!! You for coffee?

 

 

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Support The Soldiers Charity 25th Sept at Tedworth House Tidworth

A Message from The Soldiers’ Charity:            

We are The Soldiers’ Charity. We give lifetime support to soldiers, veterans and their families. They risk so much for us, but for them, it’s just doing their job”

We are delighted to invite you and your friends to enjoy a day’s shopping at the Early, Early Christmas Fair, held in the grounds of Tedworth House on Wednesday 25th September 2013 from 9am – 4.30pm.  Admission only £5 – (discounted to £3.50 after 2pm) and parking is FREE.

Early Christmas Fair at Tedworth House

This year we have carefully handpicked over 90 stalls selling a variety of food, drink, clothes for men, women and children, gifts for the house and garden, linen, books, silverware, gifts, stocking fillers, stationery and beauty products.  We hope you enjoy this unique shopping experience and take the opportunity to have lunch, meet friends, try your luck on the tombola or raffle and leave contented with bags full of truly fabulous gifts and treats.

Our aim is to raise much needed funds for The Soldiers’ Charity, which exists to help our soldiers, veterans and their families in times of greatest need, offering them a ‘hand up’ rather than a ‘hand out’.

More details on www.eecfair.org.uk

 

 

 

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A Room for Living In

The living room is just that, a room for living in. In a household with children I think it’s important to strike the balance between style, comfort and functionality. It is after all, the room that the family spends the majority of their time together in, both adults and children alike. In my home, we share the space with toys, living room furniture and of course, the hallowed TV over which we all battle for supremacy. The living room is a place in which we all congregate and it has many personalities depending on the time of day and who is occupying it.

A room for living in

I like the chaos of the room and have dressed it with lots of shelves to harbour the ever amassing assembly of toys, books, X box games and DVDs. I have a comfy sofa, with big, soft cushions upon which, once a week, every week, we all snuggle for our Friday family film night.

A place for toys, books, DVDs and games

With winter around the corner this is our sacred family treat with bowls of hot, salty popcorn and all of us squished together on the settee, coated in blankets while the fire burns in the grate.

The coffee table sits as the centerpiece in the room and acts as footrest, a place for the kids to occasionally have tea whilst watching TV, somewhere to scribble and draw, or even a platform where great battles are played out by small, plasticine, hand crafted elite soldiers. Sometimes we sit around the coffee table and play loud card games such as, “SNAP!” and board games together. It is the focal point of the room.

The centre of the room

On the floor, there are rugs to hide the stains of spilt drinks created by over zealous children and a big beanbag to jump all over, sink into or for the children to share with friends, crammed like peas in a pod, whilst creating new worlds in the addictive Minecraft console game. Then for me, there are some choice pieces of furniture, like my wooden corner cabinet to provide a sense of a grown up space for when the children have gone to bed and the toys are back on the shelves. Then the living room becomes a space for me to relax in, and read, or watch what I want on TV, in peace, of an evening, with a glass of wine, whilst a scented candle burns gently on the mantelpiece. My living room is exactly that a room perfectly designed for living in together as a family.

 

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