THE ST. BOTOLPHNEWSLETTERIssue 3

Letter from the editors

In this issue

Festive funPage 3

Festive recipePage 4

Beating the winter bluesPage 5

Welcome to the third edition of The St. Botolph Newsletter.

With the holiday season fast approaching, we decided that this issue shouldbe packed full of information about Christmas in London and other parts ofthe world. See our articles on Christmas Markets in London, How Greekscelebrate their festive season and if you’re planning to travel take a look atour Xmas holiday ideas.

“Taking 2017 by the horns” is all about tips on making and sticking toresolutions for the year ahead. We’ll tell you how to stay healthy this winter,so any excuses for pulling a sickie had better be good.

In addition, we’ll keep you up to speed with participating partners in the StBotolph discount card scheme and will let you know of any changes orexciting updates. If you have not yet received your card speak with yourfacilities department to arrange one.

We hope that you enjoy the new look of the newsletter.

The editorial team would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and aprosperous 2017.

London Christmas Markets

Christmas in Leicester Square(Fri 11 Nov 2016 – Sun 8 Jan 2017, Leicester Square)

'The ‘square’ in Leicester Square will be home to a grotto,Traditional Christmas Market and a vintage Spiegeltent – avelvety, wooden venue home to a stocked programme ofChristmas shows brought to you from the Underbelly team,including Ursula Martinez, The English Gents, HamishMcCann’s pole act, Denis Lock’s bubble act and the worldfamous La Soirée circus. Entry to Christmas in LeicesterSquare is free, but tickets must be bought forselected events, including Santa's Grotto and La SoiréePerformances.

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland(Fri 18 Nov 2016 – Mon 2 Jan 2017, Hyde Park)

Entry to Winter Wonderland is free, and a wanderpast the fairground rides, around child-friendlySanta Land (including Santa's grotto) or throughthe Christmas markets is a real treat for anyonefeeling the spirit of the season.

Other attractions at Hyde Park's annual sparklyChristmassy addition include two circuses –'Zippos Christmas Circus' and 'Cirque Berserk'. WinterWonderland's ice rink, the biggest outdoor rink in the UK, surrounds theVictorian bandstand and is illuminated with more than 100,000 lights. 2016 also sees a newfamily-friendly 'Sooty Christmas Show' with Sweep, Soo and TV's Richard Cadell all making appearances.

This year the Magical Ice Kingdom presents an 'Arctic Adventure' complete with icebergs, shipwreck and apolar bear palace. Along with the 60-metre observation wheel, rollercoasters and fairground rides will keepthrill seekers happy. A good alternative for those who prefer to stay on solid ground are the selection ofthemed bars with real fires, except for the Ice Bar (for obvious structural reasons) where even the glasses youdrink from are made of ice.

Southbank Centre Winter Market(Fri 20 Nov – Thurs 24 Dec, Southbank)

Clustered along the riverbank, the market’s wooden chalets are filled with festive food, drinks, gifts and treats for the whole family. Enjoy mulled wine, quality edibles and handmade crafts while taking in the sights and sounds of London at Christmas time. The Winter Market forms only part of the larger winter festival at the Southbank. The Rekorderlig Winter Lodge will be back for 2016. Cosy up Scandi-style in this two-floor pop-up complete with fire pits and Swedish food as well as hot and cold cider cocktails.

Christmas in Leicester Square(Fri 11 Nov 2016 – Sun 8 Jan 2017, Leicester Square)'The ‘square’ in Leicester Square will be home to a grotto, traditional Christ-mas Market and a vintage Spiegeltent – a velvety, wooden venue home to astocked programme of Christmas shows brought to you from the Underbellyteam, including Ursula Martinez, The English Gents, Hamish McCann’s pole act,Denis Lock’s bubble act and the world famous La Soirée circus. Entry to Christ-mas in Leicester Square is free, but tickets must be bought for selected events,including Santa's Grotto and La Soirée Performances.

Tate Modern Christmas Market(Sat 19 Nov – Fri 23 Dec 2016, Tate Modern, Southbank)Xmas Markets Ltd. will be returning to this great location for the third year in a row. There will be a layout change so that we can also accommodate a wonder-ful Victorian Carousel for the little ones and the grown up little ones or you can hop onto our little kiddy ride if the carousel is too daring for you. There will be lots of stalls with gift ideas and Christmas decoration, alongside a vast selection of Christmas foods and hot drinks to keep you warm while you shop for presents.

Skating with Somerset House and Fortnum & Mason (17 Nov 2016 – 15 Jan 2017, Somerset House) The icing on the ‘Christmas’ cake, you’ll find us skating here in Somerset house ice rink (voted as the best by Londoners). Why not come and join us at the Fortnum & Mason rink side pop-up shop and enjoy some tea and truffles, or champagne and smoked salmon blinis. Tickets are available from ticketmaster.co.uk or somersethouse.org.uk

Christmas at Kew(Wed 23 Nov 2016 – Mon 2 Jan 2017, Kew Gardens)Now in its fourth year, Kew’s new 2016 winter trail isinspired by the Gardens themselves all playfully lit andaglow.

Enter between two giant Christmas trees festoonedwith ribbon and wander beneath unique tree cano-pies drenched in seasonal colour. Follow the pathbetween a carpet of light gently swaying like blos-som and stop for a moment of Reflection at thescented Fire Garden inspired by Five Gold Ringsfrom The Twelve Days of Christmas. Continue to-wards the glittering trees dripping with giant crystals and gazeat colour changing reeds rising high into the night sky.

This year, framed by sparkling hedges, the Palm House Pond springs to life with brightly coloured laserbeams, fans of light and flickering orbs that dance in time to music inspired by much-loved Christmas classics.For the younger ones, the playful atmosphere of white peaks will welcome you with a Victorian carousel,helter skelter and other family rides and don’t forget to look out for Santa and his elves at the North Polevillage along the way.

Why not complete your Christmas treat under the stars with spiced cider, mulled wine or hot chocolate whilethe aroma o roasting chestnuts fills the air?Tickets are available from www.kew.org

Festive Recipe

Baklava: Pistachio and Honey Slices

In Greece, Christmas is avery religious holiday. Onthe night of Christmas Eve,families go to midnightmass and hang sprigs ofbasil to keep away the evilspirits known as theKillantzaroi. It is also a dayof great family celebrationand togetherness.

This classic Greek dishtakes on even moreimportance during theholiday season–a dish thatincorporates the help of thewhole family captures thespirit of the holidays inGreece. The sweet flavoursmatched with the crunch ofthe filo dough makes this adessert right for anyChristmas table

Makes 8 small slices.

Filo Pastry1 tbsp Butter3 tbsp squeezable Honey1/3 cup Pistachio Butter (or chopped Pistachios)

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.2. Take a small baking dish, grease with butter and set aside.3. Layer the baklava straight into the dish in the following order; Filo pastry (no need to cut to

exactly fit just fold the edges over and tuck them in), brush with melted Butter, Filo, Butter, Filo, Squeeze Honey generously over, Filo, Nuts sprinkled over, Honey, Filo, Butter, Filo, Honey, Filo, Butter, Nuts, Honey, Filo, Butter, Filo, Butter, Honey etc. Continue until you run out of pastry or fill your dish, whichever comes first.

4. Baklava can be quite tricky to cut after baking so I pre-cut at this stage.5. Bake for 15 minutes or until richly golden and crisp.6. Sprinkle with remaining nuts and more honey over the top and eat hot.

Festive Recipe

Christopsomo

Christopsomo (Christ’s Bread) is a traditional Greek, anise flavoured Christmas bread.Baking a Christopsomo is considered a religious task in an Orthodox Greek household. The baker begins by crossing himself & asking for blessings for the household. The bread is baked on the Christmas eve and eaten on the day of Christmas. Only the best and the most expensive ingredients are used to bake this bread. Ropes of dough are used to adorn the bread with a cross. Unshelled walnuts are used for decorations too.

1 package active dry yeast1/4 cup warm water1/3 cup sugar1 tsp ground cardamom seeds (seeds removed from their husks)1/4 tsp salt1 egg1/4 cup milk1 tsp salt. 1/4 cup melted butter1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour1 cup all-purpose flour1/4 cup golden raisins1/4 cup chopped walnuts

For the glaze and garnish2 Tablespoons Honey 1 Tablespoons Lime JuiceSesame seeds

Grease an 8-inch circular cake pan. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and allow to stand for a few minutes. Combine the sugar, salt, egg, milk, cardamom and butter in a large bowl and mix well. Add the yeast mixture, both types of flour, raisins and the walnuts and mix well. If the dough is too moist, add a little all-purpose flour to make softer dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead by hand until it is smooth and elastic (for about 5 minutes). Shape into a round loaf. Place the dough into the cake pan, cover with a towel and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C. When risen, bake the loaf for 35 to 40 minutes or until brown and it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.Remove from oven, and cool on a rack for about 10 minutes.Whisk the honey and lime juice, & brush on to the loaf for the glaze. Sprinkle the sesame seeds.

Budget v Splurge

NUREMBERG, GERMANYChristkindlesmarkt(27 November – 24 December 2016)Although there are several contenders for thetitle of Germany’s most famous Christmasmarket, the Christkindlesmarkt in the medievalcity of Nuremberg can stake a pretty strongclaim. Dating back to 1628.

It epitomises all we have come to associate withthe more tasteful Teutonic take on the festiveseason. The main market, held in the city’slargest square (Hauptmarkt), positively humswith visitors enjoying the colours, sounds andquality of the handcrafted goods on sale (mass-produced goods are strictly verboten), whilebeating off the cold with glasses (or small boots)filled with Glühwein and munching on spicygrilled sausages and Nuremberg gingerbread. AChristmas Angel further lightens proceedings, asdoes a playful Children’s Christmas market onthe Hans-Sachs-Platz. Another speciality is thelittle men made out of dried prunes.

NEW YORK, USARockefeller Tree Lighting Ceremony(30 November 2016)The turning on of the lights of the RockefellerChristmas tree is a big happening in New Yorkand there is a real ceremony beforehand. It getsvery busy at Rockefeller Center during theceremony, everyone wants to catch a glimpse ofthe Christmas tree. The ceremony is broadcastlive on TV and watched by millions of Americans.A chance to see a famous singer perform isexpected. The Rockefeller Christmas tree isdecorated with more than 30,000 LED lights andthe electrical wiring is longer than 8 kilometres!.

Best Place for Christmas DinnerMomofuku Ko (8 Extra Place, off E 1st Street,Between Bowery and 2nd Avenue) If you want tosplash the cash, this exclusive 22 seaterrestaurant is the place to be. The 8 course feastcreated by Sean Gary will run you just over 2Franklins. Beverage pairing is available for andextra $175. Reserving a space is highlyrecommended.

Best Christmas ShowChristmas Spectacular starring the Radio CityRockettes (Radio City Music Hall) This is theevent that literally kicks off the holiday season inNew York City. Since 1933 the tap dancers, flyingSanta and of course the Rockettes have put onone of the city’s most classic Christmasspectacles. This year’s Christmas Spectacularstarts 11 November – 2 January, with ticketprices range from $45 - $250.

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Taking 2017 by the horns

It’s easy enough to make New Year’s resolutions for the year ahead. However, we all know that sticking tothe resolution is so much more difficult. This is probably because these resolutions are generally made in theheat of the moment, and more often than not with the assistance of a few glasses of Champagne. Followingthese tips below can help you to sticking to your goal.

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Don’t pick too manyWhittle down that list of 10 resolutions to one ortwo. Let’s be honest, the more you have to jugglethe more opportunities there are for otherresolutions to be dropped. Make sure theresolutions you choose are achievable and specific.Don’t pick a resolution that you never seem to keep,i.e. losing weight, instead go for something alongthe lines of 3 workouts a week.

Get CreativeWriting down your resolutions helps build a greaterconnection between your thinking self and yourdoing self. Having your resolution in black andwhite makes it more real. You could even write up acontract for yourself and make it official by signingit. Alternatively creating a vision board that you cansee each day can help to reinforce your resolutionand to help give that little push on your down days.

Don’t go cold turkeyIf one of your resolutions is to give up a bad habit,make sure you have something to replace it with.Don’t go all “Chuck Norris” with your resolution.Replacing old habits with new ones does take time,at the very least 21 days. Ween yourself off theolder habit so it slowly stops being a part of yourdaily regime. Going cold turkey will definitely haveyou thinking about what you are trying to give upand will more than likely end with you falling back into your old routine.

Baby StepsSo you’ve decided to go healthy? Good for you! You’re quitting smoking, losing weight, exercising and drinking more water. Wrong! Though your intentions are good, focus on one of these only. Remember not to take on too much and to manage your goals in bitesize chunks. As you progress with your resolution build on it. Exercising more may lead you to changing the way you eat or might get you to quit smoking.

Review your progressBy managing your resolution in smaller pieces it iseasier for you to track your progress. You can seewhat works well and where improvements can bemade. For instance if you had decided to go to thegym more frequently and have found that you’renot, perhaps you’ve been working to late, trygetting to the gym in the morning. A small changecan make a world of difference.

Make sure the resolutions youchoose are achievable andspecific. Don’t pick aresolution that you neverseem to keep.

Get supportTell someone you trust about your resolution.They can help to support you and give youencouragement should you feel you’re may belosing focus of your goal. You can also find supportgroups online or possibly through an app on yoursmartphone.

Be PositiveFocus on the positive aspects of your resolutionsrather than on the negatives. Instead of thinkingthat the gym is too busy in the morning. Thinkabout how great you feel with all that energy,before you’ve even got into work.

CELEBRATE!Don’t forget to celebrate the small achievements or the milestones on the way to reaching your goal. Just don’t celebrate in a way that jeopardises all the hard work you’ve put in. It’s a great way to maintain a positive mental attitude towards smashing your New Year’s resolution.

St Botolph Building Updates

AirSensa ProjectCBRE has signed a partnership to help launch a nationwide air quality monitoring network, the largestof it’s kind in the world. This project will see the roll out of 10,000 units across the city of Londonalone, to help monitor and map urban air quality. The St Botolph Building has had an AirSensa unitinstalled and it is already hard at work collecting data for the project.

Jonathan Steel of Change London said: “You can’t manage what you can’t measure.” The informationcollected from these units across London and the rest of the UK will, with time, be able to paint a real-time picture of the air quality of our urban centres. Data will soon be delivered to powerfulsmartphone apps, allowing individuals to plan “low pollution” journeys in to work. Long-term data onkey pollutants will assist local government as an input to future transport and housing planning as wellas policy creation.

Annual Waste and Recycling RoadshowThe Annual Waste and Recycling Roadshow for the St Botolph Building kicked

off on 6 October and was well attended by members of the tenants’ catering,housekeeping and management teams. The purpose of this meeting was to

raise waste/recycling awareness. A workshop was prepared for the atten-dees in relation to site waste procedures, our targets and “why we do, what

we do”, helping the teams at the St Botolph Building to maintain andimprove on our already award winning standards. The following day the East

reception hosted a recycling and waste awareness day open to all St Botolphemployees. Here information on site based waste stats and targets were displayed along with newwaste initiatives to help reduce waste produced in the building. There was even a chance for onemember of staff to win a “Roberts” solar powered DAB radio. The lucky person was Robert Colls ofJLT. Mihaela Biclea from Incentive QAS won a Kindle e-reader.

Waste and Recycling Data (12 months to September 2016)In the 12 months to September 2016, the St Botolph Building has collected a total of 434 tonnes ofwaste, all of which was either recycled or used in energy recovery, with nothing going to landfill.

0SenttoLandfill

%434tonnes

Recycled88.8%

Energy Recovery11.2%

10,000 AirSensa units across London and the rest of the UK will constantly measure atmospheric pollution levels to assist local government as an input for future transport and housing .

St Botolph Building Updates

The Green Apple AwardsThe St Botolph Building has been successful in winning a Green AppleAward for 2016. The award ceremony will be hosted in Parliament, inthe House of Commons later on in the month of November. The Green AppleEnvironments Awards was launched in 1994 and is held annually to reward, promoteand recognise environmental best practice around the world.

Open House 2016Saturday 17 September saw the St Botolph Building open its doors to the generalpublic as part of the London wide 2016 Open House Event. This is the third yearthat the St Botolph building has participated and was just one of 750 buildings totake in this annual festival of architecture and design. The building was quotedto be “the first major office building in the UK to use TWIN lift technology with16 lifts operating independently in eight shafts within the central atrium.”

Halloween Charity DriveThis year CBRE, Shelter and Lola’s Cupcakes have joined forces to collectmoney for the homeless charity. A charity raffle was held on 26 Octoberwith five prizes up for grabs.

The 1st Prize was a large Halloween themed hamper from Fortnum &Mason and was won by Bev Jackson of Clyde & Co.

Second prize was a medium sized Halloween hamper also from F&M and thiswas won by Maria Hogan of JLT.

Joint third Prize was Pippa Rudman of Lockton and David Granger of JLT. Eachreceived a mini hamper from F&M.

Abby Collier of CBRE was drawn for the fourth prize of Jack-the-Ripper walking tour tickets.

In total £206.45 was raised for Shelter and the funds collected fromthe raffles and proceeds made by Lola’s Cupcakes will be used to help

those less fortunate.

St Botolph Building Events

02 – 03 Nov The Book Peoplewww.thebookpeople.co.uk

09 Nov Ultimate Bikeswww.ultimatebikes.com

21 Nov The Gift Peoplewww.thegiftpeople.co.uk

7 Dec Children’s Choir

www.thebookpeople.co.ukwww.giftpeople.co.ukwww.ultimatebikes.com

Beating the winter blues

Get a Flu Shot: An influenza vaccination can reduce the risk of flu illness by 50 to 60% inthe general population and can decrease the severity and side effects if you get sick.Protects against 3 strains of the flu: A/H3N2, A/H1N1, and influenza B. There are 4 kindsof vaccine: the traditional flu shot, the intradermal shot, the nasal spray and the high-dosevaccine.

Boost your diet: Eating foods that are high in vitamin C will help keep your immunesystem strong, so include fruit and veggies such as lemons, kiwifruit, capsicum andbroccoli in your weekly shop. Look for vitamins with 100% of the recommended dailyvalues of vitamins A, B6, B12, C, and D and the minerals chromium, copper, folic acid,selenium, calcium, and zinc. Take your multi during a meal that contains a bit of fat so youcan absorb the nutrients better.

Exercise Regularly: It’s vital to keep your workout regimen up during winter, with a recentstudy showing that a moderate level of regular exercise has a long-term cumulative effecton immune response. UCLA researchers found that Tai Chi, the Chinese art of slowmovements, meditation and breathing helps decrease the release of catecholamine, aneurotransmitter that dampens the immune system: in one study, 3 sessions a week for 4months enhanced immune cell function by 45% in adults with shingles

Sleep well: Lack of sleep can have a serious effect on your immune system, making you

more vulnerable to catching colds. A study from Brazil found lack of sleep can result in a

substantial decrease in the white blood cells that help to fight infection in the body. So aim

for 8 hours of sleep every night to help your body repair and your brain to take a rest and

recharge.

Wash your hands – a lot: Researchers saw a decrease in respiratory illness of 45% from

the previous year among 45,000 recruits who had been instructed to wash their hands at

least 5 times a day (soap dispensers were installed, and the students were lectured

monthly on the importance of hand washing). They found that those who carried hand

sanitizer with them had 59% fewer cases of stomach bugs than nonusers. Keep it on your

desk or stash it in your bag and use it as needed.

Stay hydrated: Don’t forget to keep drinking water! As the weather cools down and our

thirst decreases it is easy to forget to drink enough water. You still need to aim for about

two litres/day of water during winter as it is essential for our body to function. If you

struggle with plain water (like we do sometimes) try herbal tea, add a dash of honey and

don’t forget the lemon for a vitamin C fix.

Wrap up: When you do head out into the outdoors this winter, make sure you

protect yourself from the elements. Dress in layers of sweat resistant materials, and

go for items which are easy to take on and off, so that you can adjust your body

temperature easily - and don't forget the importance of a good waterproof outer

layer to protect yourself from both wind and rain.

Promotional Card

One Sixty www.one-sixty.co.uk10% discount

Kenza www.kenza-restaurant.com15% off our a la carte menu when 2 courses are ordered (Mon – Thurs)

CRUSSH www.crush.com20% off your first order

Steam & Rye www.steamandrye.com20% discount

The Sterling www.thesterlingbar.co.ukBar 20% discount

The Drift Bar www.thedriftbar.co.uk15% discount

Walter & www.walterandmonty.comMonty 10% discount

Square Mile www.squaremiledentalcentre.co.ukDental Centre 50% discount off your first exam, then 10% off all treatments

We grill www.wegrill.co.uk20% discount

Secret Frog www.secretfrog.co.ukCoffee Co. 10% discount

The Alchemist www.thealchemist.uk.com25% discount

EAT www.eat.co.uk10% discount

For more offers and services please visit www.stbotolph.co.uk

REVOLUTION - AMERICA SQUARE

Set beneath the arches of Fenchurch Street Station, and a moment's walk fromTower Hill Station, Revolution America Square mixes opulent Manhattan designwith a twist of Soviet spirit.

The stunning white marble Deli Bar welcomes you to the venue and the VodkaStudio offers the perfect backdrop for premium Tsarist Dining, a cocktailmasterclass or meetings and conferences.

Specialising in vodka, food and partying, Revolution offers you a premiumbreakfast and lunch menu, a constantly evolving cocktail menu, premium spirits,wines and beer from around the world, as well as the best place to party in thesquare mile!

The popular cocktail masterclass is an expertly guided tourthrough the dazzling world of cocktails. You’ll learn. You’ll party. And you’ll never experience anything else like it.

Discover all the secrets to our expertly handcrafted cock-tails and learn about the premium spirits and fresh ingredi-ents we use to make them. But most importantly, let’s have a proper party. It starts as soon as you walk in the door, with some personalizedVodkaccinos served up by your dedicated cocktail-loving host. Then, get readyto learn all the tricks of the trade, from muddling and mixing to shaking andstirring as you get behind the bar to make a cocktail of your choice.

With the blue loyalty card shown on arrival, you can benefit from 50% off foodevery Monday, after work drinks package for £60 for 10 Bottles of Beer, 2bottles of wine, 1 bowl of nachos, complimentary reserved area perfect for upto 10 people, complimentary invitation to their Friday Local Club.

Contact them on 0203 355 7500 or email bookings-americasq@revolution-bars.co.uk.

Did you know that SKANSKA started morethan 125 years ago in a small fishing villageof southern Sweden? Today Skanska is nowone of the world’s leading projectdevelopment and construction companies,employing about 57,000 people.

Skanska has been recognised in 2016 for thefollowing

• Investors in People – Gold• New Civil Engineer Award• Ground Engineering (GE) Awards 2016• European Women in Construction and

Engineering Awards

Portico has recently undergone rebrandingand with update there have been changes tothe visions and values, new service habits, anew company website and a thank youscheme. Portico has even launched theirnew newsletter, Heartbeat.

Portico will be holding their Portico PeopleAward in November.

Daniela Colibaba was also announced theemployee of the quarter, congratulations toher.

We are pleased to announce that ChristopherOsei has been awarded the Incentive QASEmployee of the Year for the St Botolph Building.He is an excellent problem solver and hisflexibility and natural calmness under pressure iskey to the Experience de delivers to our clients.

We are also proud to announce that we havebeen awarded the Incentive QAS Contract of theYear. It was indeed an honour to be amongstthose receiving an Award. We have proved thata company’s success is a joint effort by a goodteam and not just a good leader. A lot of hardwork, a lot of effort… Well done to our team!

Did you know that CIS has been selected asa finalist in the Customer ExperienceCategory at this year’s BIFM Awards

CIS Security has also achieved its best everscore of 170 in an independent auditconducted on behalf of the SIA ApprovedContractor score Scheme for best Practice.

A big thank you needs to be given to RyanShiel and Tom Robinson who on 11 October,helped with the leak on the JLT and Locktonfloors.