Recipe: Free Rhubarb & Ginger Mousse

Ingredients (makes 6):

About 15 sticks rhubarb (depending on how thick)

150g creme fraiche

150g plain yoghurt (or cream, or a mixture)

100g sugar or agave nectar

100ml water or apple juice (in which case, reduce sugar)

2cm piece root ginger, peeled and finely diced

Method:  Wash and de-leaf the rhubarb and cut into 2cm lengths. Put in a microwave-proof bowl with water/juice, ginger and sugar. Microwave on full for about 10 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the rhubarb is soft. Meanwhile, add the gelatine powder to half a cup of boiled water (never the other way round!) and stir until the granules have dissolved. Add the gelatine mix to the fruit and stir. Leave to cool a little, then add the creme fraiche and yogurt or cream. Mix well and pour into ramekin dishes or pretty glasses. Refrigerate till set (a few hours). Serve as they are or with piped/squeezy cream or crystalised ginger, diced. Or some crystalised rose petals would look Spring-like, or crystalised violets, which you can buy. 

A word on root ginger: Whenever I buy this I peel it and cut it into matchsticks (or very fine dice) and freeze it. It keeps for months/years. It freezes well and you’ll always have it there when you need it for stir fries, desserts and jams that need a little kick.

Recipe: Roasted Asparagus with Chorizo

Ingredients: (serves 4)

1 bunch fresh asparagus

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

few flakes dried chilli (optional)

200g chorizo slices, julienned

100g shaved parmesan/mature cheddar or similar

Method:  Cut off about the bottom inch of the asparagus (or do the cheffy thing of bending it and seeing where it breaks – this is the bit that’s too woody to eat). Stand upright in a small saucepan of cold water and bring to the boil. Once it’s boiling, give it 2 minutes then drain.  Spread out on a baking tray you’ve already scattered with the oil, salt and pepper and chilli, if using. Pop under a hot grill for 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile julienne (or cut into matchsticks) the chorizo (or other spicy salami) and scatter over. Grill again for another 2 minutes till the chorizo is crispy, slightly charred and has given up its oil onto the asparagus. Scatter with the cheese either on the tray, and serve. Or let everyone add their own, as I did. To make this go further using mostly storecupboard ingredients (Ocado is coming tonight but the cupboard is a bit bare till then): drain a tin of cannellini beans, add a few chopped/torn salad leaves (I had rocket) and quartered cherry tomatoes (or sundried tomatoes). Make a dressing out of:

1 tsp mustard

1 tsp pesto

1 tsp chutney

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp vinegar (I used white wine vinegar)

Mix around and serve with the asparagus. Mmm. Even the kids wolfed it. Followed by my experiemental Rhubarb Mousse using rhubarb grown by my own fair hand! Recipe next time.

Whilst we haven’t made any doughnuts at the Student Money Saver HQ, we do have access to other baked good recipes that may tickle your fancy.

We know that most students are currently facing exams and deadlines, so we figure a little sugary treat is not a bad thing.

Students in the news

This may not entirely be about students, or about the United Kingdom for that matter, but I found it extremely interesting to hear that the president of the United States and essentially the leader of the world only managed to finish paying off his student debt eight years ago. I have never claimed to be a mathematician, but I can only assume that he had stable finances in order to be able to campaign for presidency, and if it took him that long, it can only mean that us mere humans can look forward to lifetime of debt. Hurrah!

After this news, we figured it would be an appropriate time to educate the student masses on the various means of gaining access to funding and scholarships.

That’s all for now guys. Happy saving!

This is the second video from the FSA on how to recognise and avoid the most popular scams (the first one, on share fraud, can be found here).

• The Diamond Jubilee
  Our special Jubilee competition!
• The Cultural Olympiad
• World Shakespeare Festival
• Olympic Torch Relay
• Chelsea Flower Show
• The Olympics
• The Proms
• Wimbledon
• Make Money in 2012

The Diamond Jubilee

2012 sees the Queen celebrating 60 years as a Monarch, and the whole country is getting involved.

The celebrations will mainly take place over the bank holiday weekend from the 2 – 5 June, but before the big weekend takes place here are other events that you can take part in:

The Diamond Jubilee Pageant

Every evening from the 10 – 13 May the Diamond Jubilee Pageant will take place in the private grounds of Windsor Castle. There will be dancers, musicians, and military and equestrian displays taking place each night of the Pageant with a special performance on Sunday 13 May in front of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh.

Cost: Ticket prices range from £30 to £100 and allow access to The Jubilee Royal Windsor Horse Show which takes place during the day. This is a not-for-profit event with all surplus going to charity.

Watch for free: coverage from the event will be broadcast on ITV.

For more information make sure you check out the Diamond Jubilee Pageant website.

Parade and Muster in Windsor

On Saturday 19 May you can  head up to Windsor where nearly 2,500 troops from the Royal Navy, the Army and the RAF are going to be parading through Windsor Castle and the town before The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh. Find out more.

The Central Weekend

There are some great events taking place from the 2nd – 5th June across London and the rest of the UK and there are loads of different ways you can get involved.

The planned Jubilee celebrations include the Epsom Derby, The Thames River Pageant with over 1000  boats taking to the Thames, a concert at Buckingham Palace, a carriage procession to Buckingham Palace and more.

Get involved

There are loads of ways you can get involved with the Jubilee celebrations. If you head up to London for the bank holiday weekend you’ll be able to watch the River Pageant and the carriage procession to Buckingham Palace without spending a penny on tickets and fees. And while you can no longer buy tickets for the BBC concert it will be broadcast live on BBC one and Radio 4.

On Saturday 3 June The Big Lunch will be taking place for the fourth year in a row. This idea originated from the Eden Project with the simple aim of encouraging people to get to know their neighbours by having lunch with them!

The Big Lunch can range from inviting a few neighbours round for a BBQ in your garden, to having a full blown street party! It’s a lovely way to get to know the community you live in and a great way to celebrate the bank holiday weekend. Order your free starting pack today to find out how you can get involved.

Competition!

What better way to get your street party started than with this colourful, patriotic collection from Lakeland. Complete with a gorgeous 2-tier cake stand, food flags, 90 cake cases, exclusive regal cookie cutters and more. All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning is just follow @Moneymagpie on Twitter and retweet this Tweet. You have until the 28th May to enter this competition so start tweeting!

Win a Fortnum and Mason Jubilee hamper

Time is running out on your chance to win this fantastic Jubilee hamper from Fortnum and Mason. It’s packed full of delicious delights including Majestic Marmalade, Jubilee Tea & Coffe and chocolate-dipped clotted cream digestives, all decorated with special Jubilee design.

The Cultural Olympiad

The Cultural Olympiad started in 2008 and is a four-year programme of cultural activities including art, music and film projects. Find out more about what the Cultural Olympiad involves.

London 2012 festival

The Cultural Olympiad culminates in the London 2012 festival that takes place from the 21st June – 9th September, the final day of the Paralympic games. The name of the festival is quite misleading as there are hundreds of events taking place across the whole of the UK, not just the capital.

On the 21st June a series of big events will take place to mark the start of the festival, including Les Commandos Percu – a concert and pyrotechnic display at Lake Windermere in the Lake District. This is just one of many events that’s completely free! Check out Lakes Alive for more info.

For loads more free events in your area simply type in your postcode to find fab festival events near you. There are 10 million free tickets available across the UK.

World Shakespeare Festival

The Shakespeare festival began on the 23rd April, Shakespeare’s (assumed) birthday, and is going on for the next three months. The main cities taking part in this event are London, Stratford-upon-Avon and Newacstle, and involves thousands of performers coming together to perform 70 different productions. There are over a million tickets on sale and performances will be in a wide variety of languages including Swahili, Polish, Catalan as well as English! Discover what’s on!

Olympic Torch Relay

The Olympic torch is lit in Greece and comes over to the UK on the 19 May starting in Lands End. The selected torch bearers will take the flame to 1,019 communities and aim to go within 10 miles of 95% of the population. Find out when the flame will be arriving near you. An evening celebration will also take place at the end of almost every day of the relay, so find out where your nearest celebration will be!

The Paralympic torch relay is taking place from the 24 – 29 August with four flames being lit in London, Greater Belfast , Cardiff and Edinburgh before all coming together in Stoke Mandeville, home of the Paralympic games on the 29th August.

RHS Chelsea Flower Show

The Chelsea Flower Show is taking place this year from the 22nd to the 26th May. This annual event is always hugely popular with the wide displays of gardens and designs. Tickets are currently sold out but they do get returns so check back to the website from the 3rd May to see if any are available!

Proms 2012

The Proms take place from the 13 July to the 8 September. Proclaimed as the world’s greatest classical music festival, the Proms is in it’s 118th year, and is a celebration of classical music. The venues for this years proms include the Royal Albert Hall, Cadogan Hall and the Royal College of Music. Ticket prices range from £7.50 to £90 and you can arrange your prom planner online now so that you’re ready to book when the 12th May comes round.

If you find you’ve left it too late don’t panic! You can still get tickets by ‘promming’ where you pay £5 to stand and watch the performances. You can book in advance but a certain amount of £5 tickets will always be available on the door, so this is a great option if you don’t mind standing for the whole performance!

The last night of the Proms is always the most popular and as such the majority of tickets will be allocated by ballot to customers who have bought tickets to five performances or more, and a further 200 tickets will be allocated by the open ballot. Find more on booking tickets for the last night.

The Olympics

The Olympics are drawing ever nearer. The games begin on the 27 July and end on the 8 August, and the paralympic games begin on the 29 August and end on the 7 September. Both will be broadcast on the BBC, so if like the Moneymagpies you haven’t nabbed any tickets you’ll be able to enjoy the whole thing from the comfort of your own home.

If the thought of the Olympics is enough to drive you crazy then why not get away for those few weeks and make some extra cash. How? Well, we’ve put an article together on renting during the Olympics.

Wimbledon

2012 is a big year for sport, and it wouldn’t be summer without strawberries and cream at Wimbledon. While the majority of tickets have already been allocated you can still queue up to buy tickets on the day with prices starting from just £5. Find out more about attending Wimbledon.

 Make Money from 2012

There’s going to be a huge influx of visitors to the UK this year and if you really don’t want to be a part of it all then why not make some cash on the side?

Rent out your house

If you really don’t want to stick around in the UK this year then there’s plenty of money to be made from renting your house out this summer, especially if you live close to any of the Olympic venues, or Jubilee events. To find out more about how much money you can expect to earn from renting your house out (over £8,000 per week in some places) then find out how you can make money renting during the Olympics, and discover more about house swapping during the Jubilee.

Rent out your driveway

If you don’t particularly fancy renting out your house this summer, don’t fret! If you’ve got a driveway, garage or parking space then why not rent that out to people who need somewhere to park their car for the day? This is a particularly good idea if you live close to a train station or venue like Wimbledon, Wembley or the new Olympic stadium. You can try London Garages, ParkAtMyHouse and ParkLet, to find out how much you should be charging for the area you live in.

Hampers

Hampers are suprisingly popular, Harrods and M&S do a great trade in them, for birthdays, Christmas and special occasions. The cost of making your own hamper is actually very little, and goodies to go inside can be bought in bulk to reduce costs, and as you can set how much you want to sell it for this can be a nice little earner.

To tie in with the Jubilee why not give your hampers a theme? Co-ordinate the colours to be red, white and blue, or brand your hampers as being ‘Fit for a Queen’. We’ve got a step-by-step guide on how to make hampers to sell, check it out for more information.

If you like this article you might also like:

• Make money renting during the Olympics
• House swapping during the Jubilee
• Make money from sporting events
• Rent a room for tax-free cash
• 10 ways to make quick cash
• Make and save money from renting

• Energy Spring Clean
• What needs doing in your home?
• Shop around for good deals
• Negotiate a good deal with workmen
• Get covered
• Keep a close eye

Energy Spring Clean

Research by British Gas has found that 97% of British households no longer do an annual spring clean. This means that thousands of you are missing out on a great opportunity to de-clutter your house and make money from any unwanted items.

While you’re at it you should also conduct an Energy Spring Clean which could save you over £1000 a year on energy bills. British Gas is giving you a helping hand with their fantastic Boiler Scrappage Scheme, ditch the old, inefficient boiler and save £400 on the cost of a new boiler plus make savings of 30% on your energy bills!

If that’s not enough you can also take advantage of their FREE loft insulation which could save you a whopping £175 a year, and their FREE cavity wall insulation which could save you £135 each year.

Read on to discover more energy quick fixes!

Step 1: What needs doing around your house?

Preparing your house for winter in spring might seem strange, but it’s actually the best time to do it, as there are some great deals around at the moment that can save you money. Here is our list of the most important things to get fixed this summer:

Have your boiler serviced or replaced

Get it checked now. It’s just not worth the risk – if you don’t have it serviced before winter it might break just when you need it the most. If it claps out during the Christmas holidays you could find yourself having to go for over a week without any heating or hot water.

If your boiler is over 10 years old then you should think about replacing it anyway. While this is usually quite an expensive task, as boilers account for up to 60% of your annual energy bill a new, efficient boiler can make a huge difference to your finances.

Plus to help you on your way if you arrange an appointment to trade in your old boiler with British Gas’s Scrappage Scheme before the 30th June then you’ll get a £400 discount on any boiler installed by them.

Keep in mind that although this is a good deal, you might be able to find a local plumber who can do the job for less. Get recommendations from friends and neighbours of CORGI registered local plumbers and ask them to give you a quote.

Now is a good time to look into insuring your boiler too, if you have an old boiler that you don’t quite trust. There are various boiler (and other appliance) insurance products but many are overpriced. Check out our article on boiler insurance to see what the best deals are and whether it is worth it for you.

Insulation

Insulation is absolutely essential for all homes, particularly in the winter. Proper insulation keeps your house warmer, it saves energy and it saves you money as well.

The energy saving trust has worked out that if you increase you insulation in the loft from 0 or 50 mm to 270mm it would normally cost about £250 to install, but that could save you up to £145 per year on your heating bill. To help you with the cost of this British Gas are offering FREE loft insulation and FREE cavity wall insulation to both new and existing British Gas customers.

There are many things you should insulate in your home including pipes, the walls and, of course, your loft. For more information read our article on how to save money by insulating your house.

Clean the gutters

Frost and snow reek havoc with your gutters. Frozen autumn leaves add significant weight to the gutters which can result in cracks – damaging your gutters. If you don’t unblock your gutters it can send rain water trickling down the side of your house, which can lead to damp, rot and rust spreading throughout your house.

It’s much easier to clear your gutters before the start of winter, so take a look at them while the weather’s good and check them again in Autumn once the leavses have fallen. And while you’re up there it’s a good idea to check for any damaged tiles and slates on the roof.

To help prevent your gutters getting blocked, try these gutter guards from Wickes which prevent anything, except water from blocking up your gutters, you can get 4 metres for £8.79 and you simply clip the guards to the top of the drains – this one fits both square and rounded guttering.

Double glaze the windows

If your house is feeling a bit drafty then it may be worth while investing in double glazing. It acts just like loft insulation, it’s made of two panes of glass with a gap in the middle which helps keep the heat in rather than letting it escape. Although it might be expensive to install according to the Energy Saving Tust it could save you a whopping £135 off your annual heating bill.

You must be very cautious when it comes to installation though. Make sure you shop around, double-glazing companies are notorious for hard selling so make sure you only go with companies you know to be trustworthy.

Plumbing

If you don’t look after your pipes properly, then your pipes won’t look after you. If your pipes freeze in the cold weather they could burst and flood your home. This can be prevented by insulating your pipes so that they don’t get cold enough to freeze up.  You should also locate where the main water tap is in your house, so if by chance your pipes do burst, you at least know where to turn the water off.

You can apply pipe insulation to your pipes without calling in help. B&Q are offering 2 metres of 25mm thickness insulation for only £3.98, or 2 metres 12mm thick for £2.78.

Path and driveway cracks

If you already have small cracks appearing in your driveway, it’s worth filling them in now. When the cold weather hits, the frost and snow will expand and shrink the tarmac, which means that by the end of winter the once small cracks have now become serious problems.

If the cracks are small you can fill them in yourself, B&Q have concrete sealant for £14.98. Simply remove debris from the crack, apply the sealant, wipe off the excess and leave to dry.

Check the Chimneys

If you intend to use your chimney this year – for something other than a way for Father Christmas to enter your home – it is worth having them swept. Birds regularly build nests in chimneys which can lead to blockages, which inturn, can lead to chimney fires. Repeated freezing and thawing, as well as general wear and tear, can also lead to cracks and deterioration of the brick work.

You should have your chimney checked at least once a year if you have a coal fire, and always have a chimney swept if it has been unused for some time. You still need to have your chimney swept if you have a gas fire, as an obstruction in your chimney could cause harmful carbon monoxide to be trapped and re-enter your home. Having your chimney swept can cost around £40.

Step 2: Shop around for workers

When you have decided what needs doing then start looking for workers do it. Ask friends and family for recommendations and check out websites like ratedpeople.com and trustatrader.com for workers that others have vetted. All you have to do is select the kind of work you need and type in your postcode to find all the local businesses that have been recommended by satisfied customers.

Any work with gas supplies has to be done by a fitter registered with CORGI (the Council for Registered Gas Installers) so make sure you check credentials.

Finding the right company

There are lots of ways to find reliable and satisfactory companies in your area:

• Phone the local council and find out who they use.
• Ask them to come round and talk you through it so you can build up some knowledge and understanding. Also ask them for phone numbers of recent customers so you can call them for references. Consumer group Which? goes one step further and recommends you visit a home the company has previously worked on to avoid getting falsified references.
• If you find a great plumber, he might know a great roofer. Ask people you’ve hired before if they know other good companies that offer services they don’t.
• Don’t be sucked in by too low a price. If it seems too good to be true – it probably is.
• Check with your local Office of Fair Trading or Consumer Direct if you need help drawing up a contract with your new worker.

Signs you should look out for:

• Anyone reluctant to produce or sign a contract
• Any documents that look too informal – either handwritten or lacking proper detail
• Anyone asking for money upfront or offering discounts for cash
• Anyone reluctant to stick to plan or provide references and examples of previous work

Step 3: Negotiate a good deal with builders and plumbers

As there are a lot of builders, plumbers and other workers looking around for jobs right now, you are in a good position to negotiate. You’re doing this work now because it’s cheaper so make sure you get the best deal possible.

Get some estimates and compare prices. Always get at least three quotes. If you need more than one thing doing and the company you are looking at could do it all, then ask for a discount. If they aren’t busy they should be able to offer more competitive prices because they’ll want your business.

If you ask, you should be able to ge the builder to guaranteed his or her work for a period of time, such as 12 months. It’s vital to get this guarantee in writing, make sure they’ll come back and do any necessary remedial work or check whether you would have the choice of getting someone else to do it.

Step 4: Get covered

When you seal the deal, ask to see a copy of the insurance certificate and ensure that it won’t expire during the time they are working on your project. If a builder doesn’t offer their own insurance you can purchase insurance yourself. According to Which? there are three things that you need:

• Public liability insurance in case someone gets hurt on your site
• Cover in case there is damage to the rest of your property, so they re-do the work or are insured to pay others, such as decorators
• Cover should the builder go bust or have an accident, so you can pay someone else to finish the job. If a builder doesn’t offer all of this in his or her insurance, you can purchase insurance yourself.

Step 5: Keep a close eye

It’s all very well hiring somebody, but what happens when it’s finished and you discover it’s already falling to pieces? Make sure you keep an eye on what they’re doing and ask for regular updates on progress, that way you can put right any mistakes and clear up any miscommunications. Contact Consumer Direct if you can’t resolve it yourself. Also speak to your local Citizens Advice Bureau.

Never pay for all the work up front just in case something goes wrong. Make sure that you draw up with the builder a schedule of payment for each stage of the work. Ideally, you should agree to release money only when each stage of the work is finished, to the specification provided and to your satisfaction, that will encourage them not to drag their feet. If you do this you won’t pay for something to be done wrong or late.

Useful links

• Ratedpeople
• Trustatrader
• Office of Fair Trading
• Advice Guide
• Citizens Advice Bureau

Dinner started in the bar with pineapple juice for me and ‘Brooklyn lager’ for him, plus complimentary seasoned popcorn. Perusing the wine list, husb said, “It’s difficult to get excited about the wines if you don’t know the vintages. But Krug at £100 is very good value – a mark-up of only 50% , I guess”.

Foodwise, I went for Smoked Beetroot and Goats [cheese?] salad, Toasted Walnuts (£6.50) because I was intrigued by the smoked beetroot. It was lovely, not too smoky, the flavours all worked well, especially the fresh, piped goats cheese and nothing overpowered anything else. It was arranged in little piles i.e. mouthfuls, which was thoughtful. Husb had Trealy Farm Bacon Olives, Broad Beans and Peas Salad (£6.50) which was, he said, “a bit more sausagey than expected. It all works. Definitely pub portions – it’s huge!”

For mains I had “Abbots Ale” Battered Cod, Marrowfat Pea Mayo, Chips (£12) because I was curious about the mayo, which was perfect, not too mealy or mushy-peasy, interesting and a great foil to both the perfectly fried, crisp square of fish and the chips. I also asked for ketchup to dunk the chips in (as I usually do) and got a ‘tomato confit’ which was actually better than Heinz, so I was happy. Sides are all £2.75 so I had a green salad, which was nicely cut/torn to size and flawlessly seasoned/dressed. Husb had Hereford Beef Rip Eye Steak, Red Wine Sauce (in a little pot) Horseradish, Chips (£21).  ”Here, I am getting a sensation I don’t normally get,” he said. “Everything’s gelling, all the flavours are working. The meat is grilled to perfection and it’s good. The chips are nice and crispy, with a scent of goose fat?” Plus it came on a wooden board, which was a nice, masculine touch.

The South African (?) Maitre d, Daniel, was bouncy like a puppy and enthusiastic over the wine list. He recommended a glass each of Sicilian Frappato Nerello Mascalese, and The Spee-Wah of Murray Darling Crooked Mick Cabernet Petit Verdot (2011, £9 per 250ml glass) which was the only wine husb had “ever seen with crocodiles on the label”. They were both very drinkable.

One niggle: the forks are a mistake. I almost gave myself RSI trying to make it stay upright. The handles are round, not flattish, so they just spin round in your hand. Husb didn’t have a problem, so maybe it’s just me, but I had the same issue at breakfast too. I’m just saying.

On to puds: I had determined beforehand that I was having the Sweet Treats, BOTH the  Salted Toffee Truffles and the Chocolate Peanut Popcorn (both £2.50). I imagine most people would have these with coffee/liqueurs, but I wanted them instead of pud. The toffee was crunchy (I was expecting chewy) and the chocolate dark and delicious. The whole combination was to die for. The popcorn was unusual, I imagine a bit fiddly to make, but an interesting variation on popcorn (incidentally we were also brought popcorn with our starters, so I think it’s a bit of a theme).

Husb had the Jaffa Cake, Hot Chocolate Sauce (which I polished off) & Clotted Cream. It was an orangey sponge with a candied slice of orange on top. He said it was superb and went well with the glass of dessert wine, a French Grenache that he was (easily)  persuaded to have. We left, taking our half-undrunk bottle of mineral water with us, and we weren’t made to feel like cheapskates for doing so.

We stayed overnight in a City Double Room for £99. We were ridiculously impressed by a central section of the mirror in the bathroom that didn’t steam up when we had a shower because it was heated. Never seen that before – a nice touch. Plus I was delighted by free WiFi that you didn’t need to remember a password for (always very mealy mouthed, I think , when companies like Starbucks say you can only use the WiFi with the password printed on your receipt).

Breakfast the next morning: they didn’t have rooibos tea, but I had brought my own teabag so made my own. Husb ploughed into the Bircher Muesli, juices, baby muffins (including an unusual orange and gingerbread one, he said) and baby pastries. He had freshly-made scrambled egg (not powdered – his test of a good hotel), 2 sausages and bacon. You can toast your own bread, which is good, because often they bring it too soon when you are still eating your cereal and then it goes cold. A good selection of jams and honey in Kilner jars.  He called it “a good-quality business-hotel breakfast, no complaints” which I think may have been damning it with faint praise. It was great. BUT my order for porridge with fruit and nuts went astray and I didn’t get any food for 19 minutes! Then my bacon and beans were brought and had to be sent back, because I wanted the porridge first. Also, it came with dried fruit and nuts, which I think the should make clear, as I was expecting fresh fruit. It was excellent though, when it came.  The fry-up was nice and savoury (and hot), and the beans were in a little dish (good idea, as they can look a bit transport caff if they’re spread all over the plate.

All in all, it’s a very good bargain for £99 a night and SO much better then the usual Travelodge/Premier Inn type hotels that I am usually put in for business, and not that much more in price. A world away from them, in fact (should I even mention them in the same sentence?!). Very good for a city break too, if there are sights you want to see in central Birmingham.

Hotel La Tour, Albert Street, Birmingham, B5 5JT, Tel: 0121 718 8000 www.hotel-latour.co.uk

Strange huh? It’s something that we just assume people do and practically no one does it now.

It’s a shame because it’s a really good idea to have a session clearing everything out, de-cluttering, airing the bedding properly, dusting all those bits that never seem to get dusted (the backs of bookshelves, the tops of cupboards, light fittings etc) and even doing some repairs that have been hanging around for a while.

Thinking about it, though, I don’t do it. I should, and I’d like to, but I always seem to have other things on my plate (like running Moneymagpie!)

Well, if we can’t get round to giving the house a good spring clean, at least we can spring clean our energy usage at this time of year. It’s a good time to take a look at all those things around the house that can go wrong expensively in the middle of winter. As we show in this article about doing winter jobs now, it can be a lot cheaper to get pipes, cracks, insulation and boilers fixed now rather than waiting until they go wrong in December!

Now is a particularly good time to do the work too because British Gas has a couple of offers up for grabs.

• Firstly there’s the Boiler Scrappage Scheme – not the government one but a special one from British Gas itself. They’re offering £400 if you trade in your old boiler for one of their new ones. You have to get in before June 30th but it’s good to have a deadline to work to anyway because, if you’re anything like me, it means you will actually do it!
• Then there’s their offer of free loft and cavity wall insulation for their customers. If you apply by 31st July they’ll send round an engineer for free to assess your home and get the insulation done. Insulation is a no-brainer I think. You can save up to £135 a year with cavity wall insulation and up to £175 a year on wall insulation. Do it now and it will save you money and shivers in the winter!

While you’re at it, have a go at those cupboards too. This is definitely on my list. I’ve got all sorts of junk that needs to go on eBay or over to the charity shop. I’m sick of seeing it. In fact, I’ll let you know when I do…that will give me a deadline!

I was attracted by the British tapas (very patriotic in the year of the Olympics AND the Queen’s Jubilee)  so my husband and I went for 4 tapas between two of us, for starters (2 for £7.90, then £3.50 for each additional one). Cockle and Caper Popcorn was the taste of the seaside,  crunchy, salty and light. Smoked Haddock Scotch Egg was fine, but perhaps only 2mm of fish around the egg was a bit parsimonious?! Goats Cheese, Broad Beans & Peas were good, but I was expecting the cheese to be a bit more goaty. Husb pointed out it would overwhelm the frisee, and he had a point. I had to try the Breaded Skate Cheeks with Lemon Salad Cream just for the salad cream! It was a bit subtle compared to Heinz, but maybe that’s not a bad thing, and it grew on me till I was spooning it straight from the pot.

For mains, we could have gone for A Pie and a Pint (that’s a pint of beer or wine – chardonnay or claret). I LOVE the idea of a pint of wine, and the pies came in the fish or chicken variety. But in the end I went for  Middle White Pork Chop, Apple Sauce and Crackling (£13.20). Plus Chips with Rock Salt and Fin Herbs [sic, but perhaps deliberately spelled that way for the British angle?]. All sides are £2.70. The chop was huge, good value, the sauce appley and sweet and perfect. The crackling was a bit of a tooth-cracking challenge, but tasty. The waiter asked if I wanted ketchup with my chips, and I did. I don’t care how fancy a restaurant is, I like ketchup with my fries.

Husb ordered 10oz Scotch [sic] Rib-eye Steak from the Cairngorm National Park with Bearnaise sauce (£23.90). He said, “4 out of 5, ticks the box, steak is steak, flavoursome.” I asked, “How was the Bearnaise?”  he replied, “Fattening”.

Sides at  £2.70 each were a bargain. Broccoli with chilli and garlic was roasted or perhaps chargrilled, and it worked, as broccoli can be a bit nothingy. Spring greens were buttery and mixed with peas, broad beans and leeks – lovely.

Let’s get to the puddings! We both went for Pistachio Sundae, a towering confection of ice cream, real piped cream (not squirty cream) plus chocolate sauce and some kind of pistachio torrone or nougat, and those cigarillo choc wafers. My only complaint – you needed a smaller spoon to get the dregs up from the bottom of the glass!

Wine-wise, husb went for a half bottle of Chateau Tour Pibran Pauillac 2008 Bordeaux, “Quite nice, £22 well spent.” And a glass of Riesling (£11) “fine”. The Chateau Boyd Cantenac 1997, £65 (from the owner’s friend’s vineyard, I am told) is, “a very good subsidised price. A 15 year-old Margaux, what’s not to like?” And generally the wine list contained, “a good range of 1/2 bottles and wines by the glass. Amazing to have a bottle of Laurent Perrier NV Brut champagne for £49.50! In the West End it’d usually be £60-70.” Plus there are several English wines (patriotic – yay).

Service was friendly, professional and prompt. Oh, and there’s even lychee juice in the bar, which is unusual and delicious. A nice touch and I’d recommend it above the usual cranberry, pineapple or orange juices. All in all,  a nice venue if you are in the area, and the bar looked like a good place for a more casual, lively catch-up with friends (where you can also have the same menu).

Finally, Lucien Guillemet, the winemaker from Chateau Boyd Cantenac, will be hosting a wine dinner at Boyds on 22nd May, where  he’ll pair wines with each course and talk about them in between courses. Book soon if you fancy it.

Boyds Brasserie Restaurant and Bar, 8 Northumberland Avenue, London, WC2N 5BY. Tel: 020 7808 3344

There has been reports of residents within the Pembridge ward area receiving phone calls purporting to be from their banks. The person calling will say that they believe the persons Debit or credit card has been cloned and used in another part of London or Country. The caller then asks if the person still has the card, and if so, to read out the card account numbers etc. 

This is a common ruse used by criminal gangs to glean information for various fraudulent activities. Please remember that your bank will NEVER ask for account numbers or card details over the phone. Many banks have systems designed where passwords and other memorable information known only to you and them are in place. If you receive such a call and feel uneasy, put the phone down and report the incident to your local SNT or local police station.

We are still experiencing incidents of distraction theft at cash point machines. Please be aware of who is around you while using a machine, if you feel uneasy, go to another one. The most common trick is that a person , usually behind you will point to some money ( or item of jewellery ) on the floor  to distract you, then either attempt to take your card or the cash being dispensed from the machine. Where practical, always use the cash machines inside the banks. If you see anything suspicious, please inform the bank staff, if the bank is open or call the police in the usual way.

So, as they say, beware of strangers phoning you and asking for your credit card details or bank details. These fraudsters are getting cleverer and cleverer so we have to keep one step ahead of them!