visioniss23

VISIONC�y�� V�� & Av��

Novem

ber Issue 0023 2014

YOUR MUST HAVE

FREEMAGAZINE

Lets allSupport Movember

The written and visual contents of this magazine are protected by copyright. Excepting translations , you may not reproduce our articles online or in print without fi rst obtaining written permission. Please contact the author to obtain his or her written consent. Once you receive permission from the author, contact us to let us know where and when the article will be reprinted.

CONTENTS

GET IN THE PINK

MOVIEof the month8

7

BUSINESSDIRECTORY15

8

4

10

6

9

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend right? Well maybe but some women don’t actually wear or even like this sort of jewellery. So how do you get it right?

Welcome to our November edition of Vision, or should I say “Movember” issue.This month we take a look at the serious condition of school refusers.Next month sees us kicking off with our new fash-ion feature, as we head for Christmas.As always do keep us informed of any events you would like publicised P��i�

Please mention “The VISION” when responding to advertisementsThe VISION | issue 23

3

She says that to avoid the fear, children exhibit behaviour often called School Refusal. For her son the causes were

a sensation of feeling trapped and out of control in school and therefore feeling insecure and unsafe. He also suff ered from separation anxiety resulting from being apart and out of contact with those he cared about, and being fearful that something might happen to them. Kay feels it is important to raise awareness of the condition because it is commonly misunderstood, and often remains untreated. Many parents become distressed at fi nding themselves struggling with courts, schools and truancy issues. Last years Netmums and the TV programme This Morning carried out a poll of 1,054 parents. This suggested that one in fi ve British children suff er from School Phobia but only half of parents are aware of it. Children aged fi ve to six and 10 and 11 were the most frequent suff ers. Common

behaviours include faking illness to try to avoid school, or going for registration and then leaving. Many suff erers have temper tantrums and scream and kick if forced to attend. Forty six percent of those referred to in the study also became ill with genuine stress related conditions such as headaches and stomach aches. Many had diffi culty sleeping.

Whilst in some cases the factors were not related to specifi c instances at school, the parents of other suff erers felt the condition had been triggered by bullying, under-performance or a general sense of being overwhelmed by school expectations.

The study suggests that many parents struggled to get help; indeed some experts claim that parental behaviour has sometimes made cases worse. Some parents have been able to get their children medically diagnosed with School Phobia, and pupils in the UK have obtained places

at special units for anxious and school phobic children.

There remain diff erences of opinion on the best way to handle the condition. Some feel that getting the child into school is crucial even if it involves parental accompaniment and perhaps arranging special acclimatisation sessions. Some parents have found that moving their child to a more supportive school helped tremendously, while others believe that home schooling provides the solution.

Kay Mawson advises parents to research all of the available options and discuss them with their child and perhaps an educational psychologist. That way there is a consensus on the best way to move forward, though arrangements should be reviewed on a regular basis.

There seems to be growing evidence of a condition known as School Phobia. It was fi rst recorded in America around 1941, then gained further attention in the 1960’s, and has become more commonly diagnosed in recent years.

SchoolPhobia

Kay Mawson, the mother of suff erer Andrew, describes

School Phobia as the ‘fear of school,’

which brings on debilitating

symptoms.

To advertise in The VISION call 07957 358 355 or Email [email protected] VISION | issue 23

4 To advertise in The VISION call 07957 358 355 or Email [email protected] VISION | issue 23

4

It never once occurred to me that I was playing with ‘boy toys’ which is maybe why, when I became mother to four daughters, I happily bought them their

own sets of Lego along with other ‘boyish’ toys such as remote control cars, science sets and basketball nets (they had their fair share of dolls, prams and jewellery kits too!).

Like it or not, the society we live in stereotypes children according to their gender. Manufacturers infl uence their choice of toys with labels identifying items such as dolls and tea sets as ‘girl toys’ in their pretty pink packaging, and cars and construction sets as ‘boy toys’ in their predominantly blue wrappers.

There is evidence to suggest that girls and boys do naturally select diff erent types of toys. Experiments conducted on primates concluded that male monkeys were drawn to boy-toys like cars whilst female monkeys

preferred girl-toys like dolls.

There are various explanations about why boys and girls have diff erent toy preferences. One theory suggests it is due to testosterone levels, whilst another attributes it to the way the brains are ‘diff erently-wired’, and there’s no doubt that nurture and socialisation also play a part.

Regardless of the reason, the consensus of opinion is that if children are off ered a wide range of toys and experiences, they will develop into more rounded individuals with an expanded range of thinking and skills.

Just as playing with girl-toys like dolls and tea sets fosters the development of verbal and social skills that might be useful to the male population, playing with boy-toys like cars can help girls with the acquisition of spatial skills. Other ‘boy-toys’ like science

sets, Lego, Meccano and K’nex help develop STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) skills of which there is currently a shortage in the UK workforce - and why shouldn’t girls develop these just as much as their male counterparts?!

Some may argue – and I’m probably one of them – that at the end of the day whether male or female, children will be children and will naturally choose the toys that interest them the most. The important thing is to at least give them that choice!

My sister and I grew up with an older brother and

we thought nothing of spending Saturday afternoons sprawled on the living room carpet,

constructing items out of his beloved Lego.

His creations were always more ambitious and sophisticated than ours of course – windmills and tractors and mansions with masses of rooms compared with our rather mundane boxlike structures. Occasionally we would ditch the Lego for a session on his Scalextric racing set. We hadn’t a hope of winning, but we certainly enjoyed trying!

Toys For Boys


5

Congratulations to Watsons have been awarded South Lanarkshire’s prestigious “Buy With Confi dence” Approval Certifi cate

Many local authorities operate approved trader schemes - Buy with Confi dence is South Lanarkshire’sIt is the largest national approved trader scheme in the UK and aims to give consumers a reliable way of fi nding trustworthy local businesses which are subject to rigorous background checks and audits before they can be signed up.Watsons provide a full heating installation service. As well as looking after your heating systems, Watsons also carry out Bathroom Design and Installations. They are your One Stop Shop for all your plumbing needs including related electrical, tiling and joinery to complete your bathroom dream.

Congratulations to


6

Rule one - Look at the jewellery she wears every day. If she always wears a fi ne gold chain and locket and discrete earrings then she’s probably not going to want a chunky plastic bangle no matter how ‘current’ the style. Likewise if she always wears chunky cos-tume jewellery in bright colours it’s highly unlikely she’ll covet a dainty pearl bracelet.Rule two - Look at the colour palate she normally wears. The funky pink necklace might be the right style but if she usually wears browns and greens she might not have anything to wear it with so make sure colours tone with her wardrobe.If you want to buy precious jewellery look at her natural colouring. Silver haired women look great in silver, platinum or white gold, as do dark skinned women. Blondes look beautiful in warmer gold tones.Rule three - Consider her build. Petite women suit fi ne chains and tiny stones whereas those who are larger need a statement piece of jewellery which won’t accentuate their size.Choose carefully and she’ll be overwhelmed at your thoughtfulness. You’ll guarantee her a very happy Christmas indeed.Article sponsored by Peter Francis Jewellery

Buying her Jewellery? Diamonds are a girl’s best friend right? Well maybe but some women don’t actually wear or even like this sort of jewellery. So how do you get it right?


7

VISION GARDENING

Each of the stems (so technically not a fruit at all) which blushed with the colour of pink champagne or deep

raspberry sorbet depending on the variety, could easily be torn from the plant, topped and tailed and then either used immediately or blanched and frozen for later.

Rhubarb freezes very well, and lasts for around a year, in fact I made a crumble in April this year using last years frozen harvest. Chopped into 1cm pieces, it can be placed directly into freezer bags, but to retain its colour should be blanched for around 1 minute in boiling water. Allow to cool and dry before freezing. To revive, boil in a little fresh orange juice, a teaspoon of cinnamon powder and sugar to taste before allowing to cool. It’s a versatile crop and makes great jam, compote and crumble, and tastes delicious when made as above and served with crème fraîche.

Rhubarb originates from the colder parts of China and its popularity is fairly recent in historical terms, becoming more widely

eaten as sugar became less expensive. The leaves are toxic and so too are the stems later on in the year, because the toxic acids move down the stems from the leaves and into the crown as the winter temperatures cool.

October is the perfect time to plant rhubarb if you haven’t got any at the moment and would like a patch of your own. It’s quite un-fussy and will grow in sun or part shade as long as the soil is moisture retentive. Add well-rotted manure to the planting hole and mulch the plant with a ‘doughnut’ shape of manure about 50cm deep in spring. Give the plant a feed with ‘blood, fi sh and bone’ in March and watch it grow! It’s an easy perennial plant, which produces giant leaves and is pretty resistant to pests, although hungry mammals might feast on the crowns in early spring when food is scarce.

Early rhubarb can be ‘forced’ inside up-turned dust bins, but only do this with established plants. Place a black bin (or

terracotta rhubarb forcing jar if you’re a pro) over the plant in early spring, and then enjoy the small, tender and sweet stems as they develop and search for the light. Grown commercially in large dark sheds in the Yorkshire rhubarb triangle - between Wakefi eld, Leeds and Morley - this wonderful vegetable (classed as a fruit for tax reasons) can also be divided up this month if you have a large overgrown patch.

Cast your mind back to the fabulous sunny months of April, May and June, when the rhubarb plants were producing delicious stems of juicy fruit, perfectly ripe for crumble

Find out hoe to make this lovely crumble on page 10


8

review books screen

As Rankin says in his introduction, Dark Road was written in response to a query about why we see crime fiction dominating television and bestseller lists, but not on the stage. ‘It started,’ he says, ‘almost as a dare’.

Following a widely praised run at the Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh, the script has now been released in book form. Initially, there were some groans from die-hard fans who had hoped for, or expected, the inclusion of Rankin’s most famous creation, John Rebus. But whilst the characters here inhabit the same world, Rebus is not present even as a shadow, and the play works better for it.

Reading a script is different to reading a novel, and it is clear that Rankin found the process different too. Here the dialogue has to carry and develop the characters. The central character, Isobel MacArthur, is as successful on the page as reviews suggest she was on the stage. As she approaches retirement from a distinguished career, Scotland’s first female Chief Constable is drawn to revisit one of her earlier cases: that of Alfred Chalmers, convicted for the murders of four young women twenty five years previously. Chalmers has always protested his innocence, and the key evidence in the case has been conveniently lost…

The scenes between Isobel and Chalmers are tautly written and full of menace. As a counterpoint, the black humour of Frank Bowman and the tapes of the original interviews, which Isobel obsessively revisits, take us into familiar territory. Unfortunately, the relationship between Isobel and her daughter is less convincingly drawn, and this weakens the ending – perhaps here the gap between page and performance is most evident. Nevertheless, the script will stay with you, and there is certainly evidence that the dare has paid off. Here’s hoping it is not Rankin’s last foray into scriptwriting.

Dark Road Ian Rankin and Mark Thompson

Supertato – Sue Hendra

Sue Hendra will be familiar to parents everywhere as the creator of Barry, Keith and Norman – a fish, a cat and a slug respectively, all with rather odd features. Her latest creation is Supertato – a crime fighting superhero who just happens to be a spud. Strange? Not if you have already read about the fish with fingers!

As Hendra points out at the start, some vegetables are frozen for a good reason. The supermarket is thrown into chaos when a pea escapes from the freezer, intent on causing mayhem. Luckily Supertato is there to save the day, facing up bravely to the threat of the masher in order to ensure that the veggies can live safely again.

Be warned, though – some editions of the book come with stickers. Once they have finished laughing, your children may find them. And you may be summoned downstairs to a decorated kitchen with the words, ‘Mummy, there seems to be an escapee (geddit?) on the loose…’ To be honest, if they can get that absorbed in the book, it has to be a good thing!

The HomesmanRelease date: 21st November

Tommy Lee Jones wrote and directed this dark western, starring himself and the Academy Award winning Hilary Swank as the leads.

The Homesman revolves around a pioneer woman (Hilary Swank) who has to team up with a claim-jumping old rascal (Tommy Lee Jones) to guide three mad women from Nebraska to Iowa.

Lee Jones seems to have a penchant for the western. Out of the three films he’s directed, two belonged to said genre: the TV-movie The Good Old Boys and The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (the former also being co-written by the actor). The Homesman finds him in a triple-act as producer, sole screenwriter and director. It’s based on Glendon Swarthout’s eponymous novel.


9

The Movember Foundation is an Australian based, not for profi t, charitable organisation that implements the Movember event each year across the globe.

The Movember event creates awareness around men’s health issues and raises funds for carefully selected benefi ciary partners in each country that are also charitable organisations, with a focus on prostate cancer.

The Movember community has raised £346 million to date and funded over 800 programmes in 21 countries. This work is saving and improving the lives of men aff ected by prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health problems. Movember’s benefi ciary partner in the United Kingdom is The Prostate Cancer Charity, which was set up in 1996. In its relatively short life, the Charity has played a key

role in raising both public awareness of the disease and political debate about services and support. The Prostate Cancer Charity is the largest and most comprehensive of the charities in the UK focused specifi cally on prostate cancer. They aim to provide hope for tomorrow through the research that they fund – and practical support for today through their extensive – and growing information services.

All funds raised by Movember in the UK stay in the UK and go directly to The Prostate Cancer Charity.

uk.movember.com

MOVEMBER

About the Movember Foundation


10

IngredientsM

etho

d

Preparation time: 15 minsCooking time: 20-30 mins

For the rhubarb fi lling:2 cups of rhubarb, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces

2 tsp corn fl our1/3 cup white sugar

1 tsp ginger

For the Oat Topping:1 1/2 cup rolled oats, use gluten-free oats if you

desire4 oz melted butter

1/2 cup brown sugar1 tsp ginger

2 tsp cinnamon

Gently mix all of the ingredients into a bowl for the rhubarbs base, mix together until it is nice and crumbly.

Melt the butter in a large glass bowl, and then add the cinnamon, oats, brown sugar and ginger.

Grease an 8 inch x 8 inch glass baking tray and spread the rhubarb mixture into the bottom and top with the oat mixture.

Bake at 350F for around 20 to 30 minutes, until the oats are a nice golden brown color.

Rubarb Crumble


11

Puzzles to keep the brain fi t and active

Across2. Follower of Christ7. Division of a hospital8. Penetrating radiation9. Pet term for dog10. Person in the petroleum industry11. Large cave12. Posed14. Pier16. Tantalize18. Fastener21. Sign of Sagittarius23. Man who waits on tables24. Musical note25. German Mrs26. Combustible matter27. Ritual

Down1. Trumpet fl ourish2. Become confused3. Keyboard instruments4. Trial5. Burst violently6. Unit for measuring gold13. Affi rmative vote15. Having tact17. Knitted jacket18. Allow19. Person that gains20. Store that sells milk products22. Comfortable

Medium Hard


13


14

Solution corner

Get Your Business Seen

here£15 per month to

appear in thePINK DIRECTORY &

Online

SchoolsBraidwood Primary School 01555 770279

Carluke High School 01555 773680

Carluke Primary School 01555 771621

Crawforddyke Primary School 01555 771215

High Mill Primary School 01555 772580

Kirkton Primary School 01555 772466

Law Primary School 01698 350816

St Athanasius’ Primary School 01555 771418

Underbank Primary School 01555 860289

Victoria Park School 01555 750591

Lanark Grammar School 01555 662471

St Mary’s Primary School 01555 663480

New Lanark Primary 01555 663069

Robert Owen Primary 01555 662486

Ridge Park School 01555 662151

Kirkfi eldbank Primary 01555 662620

HospitalsMonklands Hospital 01236 748 748

Wishaw General Hospital 01698 361 100

Hairmyres Hospital 01355 585 000

EmergencyScottish Hydro 0800 300 999

ScottishPower 0800 092 9290

NHS24 08454 242424

Gas 0800 111999

Water & Sewage 0345 700800

House Repairs Out Of Hours 0800 242024

Local Police Offi ce 0141 532 2000

CouncilRefuse Collection 0303 1231020

Benefi ts & Council Tax 0303 1231011

Help LinesSocial Work 0303 1231008

Victim Support 0845 6039213

Pest Control 08457 406080

Cat Action Trust 01555 660 784

Clydesdale Citizens Advice Bureau 01555 664 301

FYIFor Your Information

Vision Pink BusinessDirectory

visioniss23

Documents

school phobia

school refusal

school expectations

school phobic children

half of parents

suff erers

fi ve british children

suff ered