contents

contacts

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Paul Oakley Editor and Chief07875 475540 / 01543 302748paul@lichfieldgazette.co.uk

Caz Jones Sub Editor 01543 302748

Steve Brown Advertising 07740 166497steve@lichfieldgazette.co.uk

Vic Mc Clure Advertising 07872 165695vic@lichfieldgazette.co.uk

Rebecca Hill Advertising 07535 634794rebecca.lichfieldgazette@gmail.com

Helen Smith Creative Designer 07967 154187pebblesdesignagency@hotmail.co.uk

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Caz Jones

Win £50worth ofHigh StreetVouchers

Help is required by sharp-eyed readers to help us findthe editor's doggy. While we have been working awaywe took our eye off this little mischief maker and nowSpot has got lost amongst the pages of this month'smagazine. Help us find him and you could be the winnerof £50 worth of High Street vouchers. When youhave found him (he looks like the image on this page)simple tell us which page you have spotted him on.Write the page number on a card or an envelope alongwith your name and address and send it to us no laterthan September 15 to "Spot The Dog Competition", POBox 5414, Lichfield WS14 4EZ. The Editor will draw thewinning entry and announce it in the next edition ofGazette Woman. Good Luck!

04 gazettewoman

Spot the Dog

Think Local 4 Business Show promises to be biggerand better than ever before.??This year, they have aspecial guest speaker - Entrepreneur Business

Woman, Ruth Badger - Star of the Apprentice and her own TVShow, Badger or Bust. Ruth will share her experiences and besure to increase the number of visitors this year.

The 8th Annual Think Local 4 Business Show event (previouslyknown as 'The Business Generator') is the perfect opportunityto promote your business locally. The event has been put onby Think Local 4 Business, which is an initiative by EastStaffordshire Borough Council, Tamworth Borough Counciland Lichfield District Council.

This year, the event will be held on Wednesday 21stSeptember at the Meadowside Leisure Centre in Burton onTrent.?Over £700,000 of business has been won by companiesas a result of exhibiting at this event. To reserve a stand anddiscuss stand availability, call Jeana Parmar on 02476 236 290or email jeana@btob.co.uk ??

Business showis the business

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Yoshiko and the Gift of Charms by Julia Suzuki

JULIA SUZUKI, a 37 year-old former model is asuccessful businesswoman and single mum who liveswith her nine year old son Elliot.

Julia grew up with her two brothers in Fazeley, Tamworthlistening to the magical sounds of fair rides and animalsfrom Drayton Manor Park across the stream at the bottomof her garden. She had a love of reading, nature andoutdoors which fed her colourful imagination.

After working with a Disney Licensing company she setup her own business. And for the last six years she hasworked with tennis ace turned entrepreneur David Lloyd,helping to run his burgeoning overseas property and resortempire.

She always cherished an ambition to write a novel, andher experiences, combined with a

keen interest in personal development, inspired her tobecome an author.

In Yoshiko and the Gift of Charms, the first title in herLand of Dragor series, she incorporates the magical andcreative vision of her mind with the rich material she hasdrawn from philosophies she has studied.

Julia has a simple belief: “Everyone in life has a specialgift and when we find it and use it, then young or old, we

find that happy place in our hearts.”This epic novel – aimed primarily at the eight to twelve

year-old age group – transports the reader to the magicalLand of Dragor, where seven dragon clans live hidden fromman.

Their great war is over and the dragons live peacefullyamong the smoking mud pools and around The Fire WhichMust Never Go Out. But there is unease in the air of theirmist-filled valley, and the coming of a strange egg heraldsa new era.

Will the new dragon, Yoshiko, bring a blessing to theclans, or a curse? Could Dragor be about to meet itssaviour, or its destroyer?

The book contains a powerful secret, and as the storyunfolds Julia explores a myriad of themes, which will strikea chord with children the world over – and their parents!The prime message is that everyone has a special gift, andwhen we find that unique talent within us we can use it toachieve happiness and success.

The first edition of Yoshiko and the Gift of Charms isavailable at www.landofdragor.com and all good bookshops. It can also be purchased via Amazon RRP £12.99

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“The message went around the worldand colleagues, friends, and evenrelatives across the world saw theseheadlines. I had people I knew phone meafter seeing it in the New York Times andSidney Morning Herald.” Deb Klemperertold Gazette Woman. Deb Klemperer isChair of the Research Advisory Panel ofthe Staffordshire Hoard exhibition, whichis at Tamworth Castle August 27 -September 18, 2011

Archaeologists, anthropologists andhistorians who participated in theStaffordshire dig, or who have studied thefinds at the Birmingham museum,competed in the superlatives they used indescribing the treasure. “My first view ofthe hoard brought tears to my eyes; theDark Ages in Staffordshire have neverlooked so bright nor so beautiful,”

As a local history collections officerDeb Klemperer is a specialist in Saxo-Norman Staffordshire pottery. She said: “Ihave been involved in archaeology for 34years, the last 20 at The PotteriesMuseum & Art Gallery – one of the largestlocal authority museums. My first view ofthe hoard brought tears to my eyes – theDark Ages in Staffordshire have neverlooked so bright, nor so beautiful. Thisincredible find will sit alongsidenumerous collections of archaeological

remains which are interpreted within thecontext of the geological, natural andsocial history of our area.”

Deb’s husband is Bill Klemperer, anInspector of Ancient Monuments from theBirmingham English Heritage office. Billformerly worked at Stoke-on-TrentMuseum before a spell withStaffordshire’s County Council. He said:“When I was asked to walk thefew hundred metres from myoffice to Birmingham Museum& Art Gallery to see someamazing finds, the exquisitecratfsmanship and quality ofthe artefacts made it clear thiswas a find of real importancefor the nation. Over the nextcouple of days the team builtup, and I worked withcolleagues in the PortableAntiquities Scheme andStaffordshire County Councilto agree the best approachand manage the dig. We willlearn more about thismysterious period whenEngland was divided intosometimes warring nations.This is what English Heritageexists to achieve.”

Staffordshire Hoard atTamworth Castle Tamworth,the ancient capital of Merciawas the centre of military ruleand, as the royal seat, it washome to the King of Mercia’spalace. Tamworth’s history iscrammed with stories of intrigue andwarfare. Military power was the key toTamworth’s existence, and themagnificent sword fittings within thehoard may well be part of the royaltreasure store of the Mercian Kings,buried to hide it from invaders.

Don’t miss the free Anglo-Saxonfestival on August 27, 28, 29 featuring a

complete Saxon encampment, showingSaxon life, including the battles, theblows and the bloodshed. See King Offain all his glory.

How to book your ticket to see theHoard in Tamworth

Free timed entry tours will take placeMonday – Saturday, 10am – 4.00pm,

during the course of the exhibition. Tobook your free ticket, call the Tamworthbox office on 01827 709 581 / 01827709618, Monday – Saturday, or visit thebox office, situated in Tamworth’s goldaward winning tourist information centre.You can also buy online atwww.ticketweb.co.uk or emailtic@tamworth.gov.uk

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STAFFORDSHIRE HOARD VISITS TAMWORTH

“Treasure trovebrings tears toan expert's eye”

September 25, 2009 – New York Times

Dr David Symons, Curator of Antiquities andNumismatics, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery,

Canon Dr. Pete Wilcox, Chancellor of LichfieldCathedral and Deb Klemperer, Head of Collections,

Potteries Museum and Art Gallery

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netherstowe

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Older and disabled people struggling withswitchover in the Staffordshire area arebeing reminded that they can still get help

with switching to digital TV.

The Switchover Help Scheme has been especiallydesigned around the needs of older and disabledpeople and can make switching to digital TV easierfor them. If someone is eligible for help, the HelpScheme will have already written to them at theirhome address. But did you know:

• People can still take up the offer of help noweven if they contacted the Help Scheme to opt out earlier thisyear

• The Help Scheme can convert a second TV set in yourhome even if you already have digital on your main TV set.

• The Help Scheme will set up and install everything youneed to make the switch to digital.

• All installers are approved and no one will call without anappointment

• A free 12 month aftercare line is provided which offershelp with retuning.

People are eligible for help if:- Aged 75 or over, or- Have lived in a care home for six months or more, or

- Get (or could get):• Disability Living Allowance (DLA), or • Attendance or Constant Attendance Allowance, or • Mobility supplement, or

- Are registered blind or partially sighted

Most people will be asked to pay £40 towards the standardoption of help. For eligible people who are also on pensioncredit, income support, income-based jobseeker's allowanceor income-related employment and support allowance, it’sfree.

Eligible people need to respond to get the help. To makeit easier to get help by switchover we are urging people to callthe Help Scheme free on 0800 40 85 900

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ARE YOU OK FOR SWITCHOVER? IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO GET HELP

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First things first, the minimum licence requirement to ride ascooter up to 125cc on 'L plates' is a CBT (compulsory BikeTraining - a single days 'proficiency' course providing the basic

of riding a powered two-wheeler on the road). There are someexceptions to this rule, if youpassed your car test before acertain date you can ride a 50ccmoped without L plates, butlets not over complicate it.

This is where the 'Get On'campaign comes in. This is afacility provided by themotorcycle Industry, to givepeople a chance to trymotorcycling before they makeany commitments. They cantake a free one-hour samplersession with a local trainingcentre and if they like it, theycan go on and book furthertraining. This is offered all overthe UK in conjunction with anylocal motorcycle-trainingcentre. www.geton.co.uk formore info.

As a mode of transport,scooters currently offer one of,if not THE most cost effective

Yamaha C-MaxYamaha Giggle(50cc)

Daily commuter? Get on a scooter

mode of transport available. With annual road taxon a 125cc scooter only £15 and fuel economyfigures of over 100mpg, for the daily commute,scooters can be a saving thousands of pounds ayear. You can drive away a new scooter from under£2,000 with warranty etc.

On top of that, from a social/lifestyleperspective, using a scooter means that you willavoid getting stuck in traffic jams, saving you timethat can be spent at home with the family, insteadof sitting in a queue of cars for hours on end.There a range of different models depending onthe distance and type of roads (i.e. B-roads, fastA-roads, dual carriageway) that the scooters willbe used on.

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Sutton Coldfield’s Mrs Edna Douce received a BA(Hons) English Literature with Humanities. Shecollected her degree at Birmingham's Symphony Hall,

which was buzzing with the spectacle of hundreds ofpeople magnificent in their graduation robes supported byfriends and family.

Open University Presiding Officer Will Swann told theaudience and graduates who filled the Symphony Hall, "Toundertake a degree at 89 and finish at 93 is nothing short ofa triumph of the human spirit". The crowd erupted intodeafening applause and many people took to their feet toclap and shout encouragement as the lady stood in front ofthem holding her certificate.

After Edna's husband Les died, she decided toundertake study at degree level. One of the first andbiggest challenges was mastery of the computer having noprior knowledge of one. Edna took lessons in computerskills at the same time as embarking on her degree course.As the OU has a huge amount of resources online and is adistance-learning organisation, the computer and Internetuse were vital.

Edna was pleased to learn a variety of new things butrates her newfound ability to reason academically amongthe highlights of the course. She has gone on to join theUniversity's Women's Group and attends a variety oflectures and its book club. She is taking a break fromstudying for the moment but plans to start a Masters coursein English in 2013. Without doubt, Edna's story was one ofthe most inspirational of the day.

Sutton Ladybecomes

BA (Hons) at 93

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DraytonManorHotel

Hotel management team ready for opening

The senior management team that will run the new 4-star150-bedroom Drayton Manor Hotel, at Drayton ManorTheme Park, has been appointed and is all set for the

opening on Monday 15th August.The team consists of Martin Wright, General Manager;

Michelle Dean, Revenue Manager; Julia Freeman, Sales andMarketing Manager; Toni Higginbottom, Finance Manager;Stephanie Tandy, Human Resources Manager; Alan Bell, HeadChef; and Gerry Ross, Food and Beverage OperationsManager.

The hotel will have 11 Thomas & Friends™ themed familyrooms, each one featuring Thomas & Friends decor andspecially designed Thomas the Tank Engine bunk beds.

Guests will also be able to enjoy the two restaurants,

Parklands Restaurant and Parklands Brassiere, as well as thetwo bars. Meanwhile, younger guests will love the indoorThomas & Friends themed playroom.

Martin Wright, said: “I’m confident that we have a strongand capable management team, which will provide a first-classservice from day one of the hotel’s opening.

“The Drayton Manor Hotel is a major multi-million poundinvestment for Drayton Manor Theme Park. The managementteam and I plan to ensure that this investment helps transformthe park from a popular day out venue into a family holidayresort.

“The hotel will also be a venue for corporate hospitalityevents and private functions, which will complement DraytonManor’s existing facilities.”

Swinfen HallHosts Fashion

Shows

diary

Bridal Fayre, 18th September, 1 – 4pmEntry to the September Bridal Fayre is

completely free and will feature exhibitionsfrom photographers, florists,videographers, cake companies and muchmore. There will be two fashion showscourtesy of Anne Morris of Leek and BridalCouture by Josephine, featuring bothoutfits for mother of the bride/groom andthe latest in bridal designs. The hotel staffwill be on hand to help you with bookingyour wedding and there will berefreshments available throughout theafternoon.

Ladies Lunch & House of FraserFashion Show 19th September, £26.50per person

Swinfen Hall Hotel welcomes House ofFraser to give a guided tour of the Autumnand Christmas fashion trends. Tea andcoffee will be served from 11.30am with thepresentation following at 12 noon. A light 3-course lunch will be served at 1.00pm.

Call 01543 481494 to reserve a place.

Miniatura - The International Dolls'House Modelling Show 24 - 25September 2011

Some childhood fascinations neverleave you. One of those is dolls housesand all the tiny things that go in them tomake the perfect miniature home.Whether you are 6 or 60, creating yourown small world is both enthralling andsatisfying. With so many dolls house and miniature makers in the UK, andaround the world, the choices are endless! Miniatura is one of the biggestminiature events in the world and is renowned for showcasing the mostvaried and best quality miniaturists under one roof. The show is held from24 – 25 Sept, NEC, Birmingham!

Style Birmingham Live 23-25 September

Birmingham's three day fashion, beauty andshopping event is set to be the biggest and bestyet with the city's top retailers and designers. Newfor this year, the show production is being led byone of Europe's top catwalk production companies, with a stunning newline-up of models cast from international model agencies includingStorm, Premier and Models One. Also, tickets to this “unmissable” eventof the autumn winter fashion season will be valid for all three days.

Featuring a catwalk show at Birmingham's Town Hall hosted by GeorgeLamb, showcasing the latest collection and trends for Autumn/Winter2011, followed by a fashion themed audience 'Q&A', hosted by Georgeand celebrity stylist Bradley Taylor. Access to in-store fashion & beautyevents in participating city centre stores and centres, including House ofFraser, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, M&S plus Bullring, The Mailbox andPavilions.

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WISHESXX

Tudor Row, Wade Street, Lichfield WS13 6HHTel: 01543 256741

SUMMER SALESome items upto 50% off

and new items still arriving

Why does yourback hurt?It’s estimated that four out of five people will get back pain in

their lifetime and more often than not it will be as a result ofsimple sprains and strains. These soon improve with a

combination of rest and gentle exercise (with sufferers making amental note not to try and lift more than their body weight ofdamp laundry or try to hang curtains on a high window withoutstep ladders in future).

The problem is that a lot of back related pain isgender specific. In other words women are morecursed than men with reasons ranging from simpleperiod pain to chronic period pain, fibroids,endometriosis, pregnancy and all the othergynaecological related complaints that men neednever worry about.

However, a lot of back pain is to a certainextent self inflicted with poor posture and lifestyleto blame. Some of the most common causes are:

• Having little or no physical exercise• Overdoing things (binge exercising!) • Poor quality mattress• Slumping in chairs• Slouching at the driving wheel• Standing badly• Lifting incorrectly

Work related causesAny prolonged inactivity, repetitive activity or

simply maintaining poor posture whilst sitting orstanding can be an occupational hazard.Sedentary work at a desk or computer or as acashier in a supermarket with a chair unsuitable forthe purpose or standing all day in a salon whereyour clients chair cannot be adjusted can be hugerisk factors and are magnified for older woman orthose who smoke or are overweight.

For any other physically strenuous work youmust be provided with the correct tools orequipment to do the job and there are laws whichsafeguard people in the workplace.

On top of everything else stressful jobs,inappropriate working environments and generalanxiety or depression can cause lack of sleep.This is a dreadful combination as it can increasemuscle tension and make all your problems worseby causing back ache.

When to seek medical adviceSometimes though, back pain becomes

persistent (chronic) or has a more complex cause.

Most back pain gradually improves with hometreatments and self-care. But you need to see yourGP if the pain:

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• is constant, intense, severe, (especially at night or when you lie down)

• spreads down one or both legs and particularly if it extends below the knee

• causes weakness, numbness or tingling in one or both legs

• causes new bowel or bladder symptoms • occurs following a fall, injury or blow to the back.• is sudden and accompanied with excessive weight

loss or gain.

Conditions like osteoarthritis of the spine, fibromyalgia,osteoporosis (more common in women after themenopause), pinched nerves, ligament damage, spinalinfection and degenerative changes to the spinal columncan be diagnosed and more often than not be treated byyour GP.

Treatment and PreventionMedications including non-steroidal anti inflammatory

drugs like ibuprofen can be prescribed as well as musclerelaxants, anti-depressants, physical therapy and exercises,and in certain cases surgery to correct a problem.

Your GP may need to run tests and look at your medicalhistory to get a diagnosis. This may involve a physical orgynaecological examination with X-rays, MagneticResonance Imaging (MRI) scan, Computerised Tomography(CT) scan, Electromyography (EMG) (a technique forevaluating and recording the electrical activity produced byskeletal muscles), or bone scan for osteoporosis.

But some of the best prevention is down to you: regularexercises and aerobic activities like walking, swimming,building muscle strength and flexibility; abdominal andback muscle strengthening exercises. Obviously youshould stop smoking and maintain a healthy weight anddiet.

At work you should use proper body mechanics whilestanding, sitting, lifting and don't be afraid to have a wordwith your supervisor or boss about that chair. Youremployer doesn't want you off work either!

Alternative therapiesWhen you get that at all too painful "knotty" discomfort

in the neck, shoulders and lumber regions it cansometimes be relieved by a good old fashioned soak in thebath so that you can completely relax and unwind. And ifthat doesn’t work there are other options.

Chiropractor You can get a referral from your doctor orarrange a session privately. Chiropractors use spinalmanipulation to restore joint mobility which is believed torelieve pain and muscle tightness and encourage healing.

Acupuncture is another route you can take which israpidly gaining in popularity. It releases natural pain-relieving opioids, sends signals that calm the sympatheticnervous system, and releases neurochemicals andhormones.

Yoga classes can help to create balance in the bodythrough various poses that develop flexibility and strength.

Alexander Technique teaches people to improve theirposture and eliminate bad habits such as slouching, whichcan lead to pain, muscle tension, and decreased mobility.

Massage can sometimes be beneficial for mild tomoderate back aches and is offered by a number of spasand salons along with other relaxation and pamperingtreatments.

For each of these therapies I would go by reputationand recommendation.

Otherwise it could end up being a pain, if you knowwhat I mean.

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As likely as not, men who start toread this article won’t have a

clue what it’s going to be about butmost of the ladies of Lichfield willbe way ahead of them.

And those women who arehoned and toned, tautened andtightened will be as much in thedark, in terms of understanding themisery that Bingo Wings can cause,as men will be.

According to one definition,“Bingo wings – (slang term)describes the build-up of fatand/or extra skin that hangs fromthe underside of the upper arms. Itoccurs most frequently in elderlyladies and overweight people. Theproblem may also occur aftersignificant weight loss, with flaps ofloose skin remaining. The termapparently originated from thebingo hall custom of raising one'sarm aloft and bellowing "House!”

This ties in due to bingo longbeing the entertainment of choicefor large numbers of elderly ladies,especially in the United Kingdom.”

Not quite patronising enough isit? The implication that women inthe UK spend all their time playingbingo and don’t have busy,productive and successful lives.

Anthropometry of the upper arm(for that is its’ proper name) even

has its’ own equation involvingmeasurements of upper arm length(UAL), the triceps skin fold (TSF),the (mid) upper arm circumference((M)UAC), the (mid) upper armmuscle area ((M)UAMA) and ofcourse the (mid) upper arm fat area((M)UAFA). It’s obvious when youthink about it, but that’s enough ofthe science bit.

Bingo Wings, a term popularisedin comedy shows and in the media

in recent years is an afflictionsuffered by many but conqueredby few.

For instance you would not beinclined to wave goodbye to yournearest and dearest whilstsleeveless. At some point yourbrain may tell your hand to stopwaving but your upper arminvariably won’t get the message!

As summer ends, strappy vestsand sleeveless clothes will bereplaced by evening wear andparty dresses in the shops, in factthere will be very little else tochoose from. Just as a matter ofinterest when was the last time,summer or winter, you saw awedding or evening dress withsleeves instead of the obligatoryshrug, bolero top or shawl?

There must be a solution or cure,possibly even prevention for thosenot yet stricken with this curse.

I found a website promising 10ways to beat bingo wings.Hallelujah, I thought. But on closerinspection 7 of the optionsinvolved exercise (stretching,wearing wrist weights, swingingdumb bells, press ups, triceps dips,walking briskly with arms swingingand using rowing machine) and theremaining 3 suggestions were toexfoliate (to improve sluggishcirculation) eat less or cover up!

It looks as though no pain - nogain, especially in the case ofwomen who have a surgicaltechnique called a brachioplasty orarm lift. It involves an incision fromthe elbow to the arm pit, theremoval of loose skin and fattytissue (by cutting and/orliposuction) and hundreds ofstitches. Oh and the final resultlooks hideous too. The scars arelong and ugly and although they’llfade in time you’ll still spend muchof the first 6 months with your armsfirmly by your sides so that the telltales signs aren’t visible. Which isprobably what you were doingbefore the surgery so why bother?You’d be saving £5 - £6 thousandpounds into the bargain.

NB The lack of dumb bells is apoor excuse not to exercise. Whyelse was tinned food invented!

Wave goodbyeto Bingo Wings!

Step away from themake-up-bag- it could go off any minute!

When a woman is required to dash from aburning building one of the most likelypossessions they would grab, apart from the

obvious things like spouse, children and pets, is theirmake-up bag, or as researchers like to call it – the tickingtime-bomb!

A study has suggested that a woman’s treasuredsupply of cosmetics could actually be doing untolddamage. The average make-up bag is a breedingground for bacteria with many of the contents likely toabout 4 years out of date.

Apparently we keep our make-up for far too longbecause we aren’t aware of its’ ‘PAO’ (Period AfterOpening) status and we are wantonly disregarding rulesbrought in by the European Union 5 years ago.

Most of us probably know someone (perhaps it’s evenyou?) who wouldn’t dream of answering the front doorbell without whipping out a mascara wand or applying adash of lippy, but it turns out that women who wearmake-up on a daily basis are in less danger of falling foulof an infection time-bomb because they regularlyreplenish their supplies.

Although we wouldn’t normally consider buying orusing food that had gone past its’ ‘Best Before’ date,most of us might take a chance once in a while if the

product in question passed the ‘nose’ test. If it doesn’tsmell off it’s probably OK to use, but researchers havefound that we don’t apply the same standards to beautyproducts which, like food, does not last forever.

Over time they can be infiltrated by bacteria thatwhen applied to the skin can cause irritation orinflammation.

Some women who took part in a Debenhams surveyadmitted clinging on to favourite products for up to 15years taking it well beyond recommended use-by dates. • Old mascara wands can breed bacteria that lead toconjunctivitis, which causes redness, itching and swellingso they shouldn’t be used 6 months after opening. Theaverage ‘keep’ time is 12 months. • Eye shadow and blusher are often kept for 15 years –that’s 13 years too long. • Expired lipsticks can cause lips to become dry, irritatedand blistered. The average ‘keep’ time is ten years.• Dirty application brushes and sponges are a breedingground for micro-organisms that can cause herpes,ringworm and impetigo, an infectious disease resultingin blisters. Shamefully, 72% of us never wash our makeup brushes.• 68% of women only replace cosmetic products whenthey run out; no matter how long that takes.

• Perfume that should be used within 3 years is oftenretained for 8 years.

Following the EU ruling 5 years ago, allcosmetics are required to carry advice

about when they expire. Althoughmany manufacturers include ‘PeriodAfter Opening’ information it seemsthat 89% of us don’t understand thesymbols or simply can’t read theteeny tiny print.

Apparently “Beauty is timeless,but unfortunately products are not.”

Hmm. That may be true but I reallyreally love the lipstick I only ever wearon special occasions, even though it’sover 10 years old. And I can’t replaceit because they don’t make it anymore.

Caz Jones

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