All posts by jedski

Health Matters

How to Manage Stress

Tired all the time; problems getting up in the mornings; sugar cravings; mood swings; dizziness; anger; short temper?

These are some of the symptoms of adrenals working overtime. Adrenals sit on top of the kidneys and produce a variety of hormones, including stress hormones. When we feel stressed, we opt for stimulants like coffee which does not disperse stress overload but only adds to it, by causing an imbalance of stress hormones. High or low levels of cortisol (stress hormone) can affect brain function and deplete vital nutrients from our body. This imbalance can also cause negative reactions in your body and, over time, can lead to a complete cessation of cortisol production. Continue reading How to Manage Stress →

Money Matters

Over My Shoulder . . .

Welcome back to the fabulous world of Whistler finance in this shiny new decade. I am minded to have a quick peep at the past and, given that I wrote my first piece for The Whistler in 1999, a little of what has happened since then. Those of you who have suffered this column for any length of time will know my penchant for investing little and often and spending time in the markets, rather than making an attempt at timing the market. So, what better than a quick look at the performance of one of my favourite investment vehicles – the Investment Trust (IT) – since the beginning of the century? Let’s take a look at some of the top-performing ITs of the century so far. While we should all know that the past is not necessarily a guide to the future, the New Year allows us a glance over the shoulder at the past and get, maybe, some insight to the future. Continue reading Over My Shoulder . . . →

Brighton Life, Environment

Jims Gowans’ West Hill Watch, Feb 20

Overflowing Bins

Residents do not need reminding of Brighton’s problems with on-street waste collection, especially after the Christmas period. Although Cityclean, the Council’s in-house waste and recycling collection service, must bear most of the responsibility, some residents might well reflect on their own irresponsible behaviour in dumping rubbish and items for recycling on the street next to the bins rather than in a safer and more appropriate place. It is surely not unreasonable, for example, to take glass to the glass collection bin rather than to leave it on the pavement next to the bin for paper etc. And if you have a piece of furniture to give away, leave it in front of your own front door or, better still, advertise it online for collection; it costs nothing to do this, after all. Continue reading Jims Gowans’ West Hill Watch, Feb 20 →

Environment, Features

Strange Days Indeed

Justin Simpson’s Letter from Australia 

IT  HAS BEEN a little hazy, rather smoky around Sydney of late – at times significantly more polluted than even Delhi or Beijing so, as the natives say, only the ‘firies’ can save us!

The various rescue and firefighting services that do fabulous work in saving human and animal lives, buildings and often complete town centres, are well lauded throughout this state and wide brown land where droughts have lasted years in some instances. It felt fantastical to read of the frequent rain and floods back in the UK – as unreal as Australia must sound to you cold, wet Poms. Brrr! Even recent daytimes in Sydney feature very dark skies with ash raining down, or a blood red sun glaring down from another overcast hot sky; but never any rain here . . . Continue reading Strange Days Indeed →

Andrew Polmear

L’Atelier du Vin

Andrew Polmear writes for the love of wine . . .

I’VE ALWAYS THOUGHT of wine bars as being like the iPad. There we were, happy with our laptops and our smart phones, unaware that we needed anything in between. Then we saw what a lovely piece of kit the iPad was and we made it part of our daily lives. So it is with wine bars. We had pubs, some of which served decent wine; we had cafés and restaurants; so where was there room for something else? Step into L’Atelier du Vin on Dyke Road, just south of the Seven Dials, and you’ll find out. You are immediately cocooned in a warm, old-fashioned atmosphere of good taste, where armchairs have cushions, shelves have books on them, and Charlie attends to your needs as though he has all day just to talk about the wines on offer. Continue reading L’Atelier du Vin →

Editorial

The Whistler – December 2019

Mantel clock early nineteenth century
Time to Welcome The New Decade
Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

The entire East Wing at Buckingham Palace, home to some of the most splendid objects commissioned by George IV and once displayed at the Royal Pavilion, has been decanted of original furniture and decorative objects to make way for essential construction work, giving the opportunity for 123 of these items to be lent by the Queen to the residence for which most were originally acquired. For the next two years, the Royal Pavilion will look more magnificent than it has ever done since the reign of George IV. The image on above shows a clock designed by Robert Jones and made by BL Vulliamy, with gilding by Fricker & Henderson, c 1819. Worth a visit before the end of the loan period in September 2021.

In between writing copy for this edition of The Whistler, the editors have been sourcing and buying sustainable, biodegradable partyware for the West Hill Social on 14 December. Even the balloons will be compostable!  Tickets are selling fast but if you have not ordered yours yet, there are still a few left at Bright News. Do come and join us for a great evening of catching up with old friends and making new ones from the neighbourhood.

The local history talk on ‘Notorious Women of Brighton’ given by Louise Peskett at the Hall in October was a great success. If you know of a speaker, or you are one yourself with an interesting take on Brighton, please get in touch with Clare Cochrane at westhillhall@gmail.com as she is planning next year’s talks in May and October.

In September a well-attended sung mass of requiem was held in the church of St Michael’s and All Angels for Father Raymonde Robinson SSC who, in his retirement, was a popular resident of West Hill Street. Fr Raymonde, an Anglican priest in the Anglo-Catholic tradition, was an unmistakable figure often seen wearing a black cassock and biretta whilst making his way to assist in services at St Michael’s.

There’s a great sense of community in West Hill and it is important to preserve it as we say goodbye to the 2010s decade, and look forward (perhaps with some trepidation) to the next decade and all that it holds.

Brighton Life, Environment

The Advent of Non-Disabled Parking Bays

HAVING BEEN CALLED a ‘Miserable Old Git’ by a local trader who had their white transit van in a Dyke Road disabled bay (because I legally requested he move for me to use it) I have taken photos and note that ‘disabled’ means not a jot to a huge Co-op lorries, Post Office vans, scaffolding lorries, trader vans and other members of the public. If challenged, the invariable reply is, “I am only here for 2 minutes.” Is a disabled driver supposed to disappear whilst that driver completes his shopping or whatever? Unfortunately, we do need more cameras to cover these bays. The fines and points on illegally parked drivers’ licences are high but few get caught!

Written by a Fed-up Old Git, BE of West Hill