Focus Magazines

Check out the progress at The Moody Cow opening in the old Farm Shop building on Whitsbury Road later this month. With a bar serving beers, ales and cocktails, alongside Moody Cow's creamy gelato. Cosy indoor seating, extensive outside seating and a children's play area, it is the perfect place to spend your summer ☀😎 #fordingbridgebusiness #whattodoinfordingbridge #themoodycow #themoodycowuk #themoodycowfordingbridge #fordingbridge #ringwood

Wouldn't it be great to have a 'safe' place to share subjects we all need to face? Subjects like resilience, sleep, connection and collaboration. From the comfort of your sofa an a Saturday, you can find a place where other people share what you are going through - facing the same challenges. Your host, is Sarah - hence the title of the sessions, "Sarah's Saturday Sofa Session." Sarah has been advertising with us for many months now, and, like so many of our advertisers, she is multi-talented. That's why we met up with her to focus on just one of her valued services: supporting people like you and me. (In fact, you can always find where she is in the magazine but going to the inside-back page and looking under 'Business and Professional'. Find a friend in Sarah. Here are her contact details. Sarah's YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV3Q... Sarah's Website https://sbbusinesssupport.co.uk And her page for the Saturday Sofa Sessions https://www.facebook.com/sbbusiness.uk #businesssupportservices #encouragement #advertisers

If Not You, Who? Here at Focus Magazines we’ve got Trusted advertisers who cover these areas: Accounting Auto Repairs Bathrooms Beauty Bedrooms Beds Bookkeeping Business and Professional Services Care Homes Care Providers Carpets Cinema Composting Computers – that is help with! Design Disability Services Dog Training Electrical Services Entertainment Estate Agents Festivals Financial Advisors Fitness Food Garden Services and Improvements Graphic Design Hair Health Holiday Accommodation Home Improvements Kitchens Office Space Photography Print Private Medical Insurance Radio Recipes Recruitment Retail Solicitors Wealth Management Web Services And Wellbeing If people are looking for products or services But cannot see you, read about you, or hear about you In the very magazines your competitors advertise in They will see, read about, and hear These businesses because they are Out in public sharing their message For all to see. Hence my question: If they don’t know about you, who will they become aware of? If not you, who? Advertising is not just about getting sales, It’s about standing up and being counted, It’s about being seen, known, and trusted. It’s about being there, being present, being consistent. If not you, who? If you don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to be seen, be heard, and be trusted by your customers, talk to Lizzy, today, on 01425 333 165 Or check out our full range of activities and services at www.focus-magazines.co.uk Your audience awaits you…

PRINT ADVERTISING TECHNIQUES - a post for our business readers. Q. How can you design print adverts that generate repeat business and attract new customers? For our "Focus on Business" we're doing "Marketing on Monday!" Today's focus is on making the most of any print advert through better design. Key points in this training video include the three key questions: Firstly, Q. Does your HEADLINE grab the attention of the right people? This means that the headline must identify the target customer and offer a clear benefit. Secondly, Q. Does the IMAGE amplify that attention, capturing their interest? Thirdly, Q. Does your copy create a clear and urgent call-to-action – i.e., a reason and desire to take action today? If there is no clear invitation to take action, there is almost no chance that the reader will take action under their own initiative - they are too busy. You’ve got their attention, built their interest, and may even have created a desire to engage, but if they don’t know exactly what to do, you’ve lost control of the vehicle that is your print ad. Maintain control and steer them towards your intended destination – the action you want them to take that’s in their genuine interest. And so we invite you to come closer with that dangerous word, ‘free’. Yes, for a limited time, (‘for a limited time’) you can have a free assessment of your proposed advert. A free assessment of your proposed advert! One of the marketing team will give you suggestions on how to get your print advert working harder for you and your business. All free. I know, it’s crazy. Of course, if you’d prefer to pay, we have a paid-for service where we work with you to build a marketing campaign that will work for you in-print and on-line. Give us a call and we can chat through the level of support that would suit you best. Lizzy and the Marketing Team on 01425 333 165 That’s call today on 01425 333 165 #advertising #marketing #printdesign

Focus on Recipes Sage and Pancetta Roast Chicken Serves: 4 Ready in: 2 hours 30 minutes • 1.3kg oven-ready chicken (preferably free range) • 55g butter, softened • Approx. 20 fresh sage leaves • Salt and freshly ground black pepper • 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped • 85g smoked pancetta slices • 115g fresh white breadcrumbs • 1 medium egg, beaten • Fresh sage leaves, to garnish Tip To make light gravy to serve with the roast chicken, drain off any excess fat from the roasting tin then heat the pan juices until sizzling. Add a splash of dry white wine or sherry then stir in a little plain flour and 1 tsp wholegrain mustard. Cook for 1 minute then gradually pour in 400ml hot chicken or vegetable stock and slowly bring to the boil, stirring all the time. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until just thickened. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper. Give classic roast chicken a tasty makeover with a handful of fresh sage and some delicious smoky flavoured Italian bacon called pancetta. Look out for thin rashers of pancetta in the deli section of your supermarket or buy it freshly sliced from an Italian deli. Serve with roasted baby new potatoes and lightly steamed vegetables for a wonderful summer Sunday lunch. 1. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas mark 5. Place the chicken in a foil-lined roasting tin. Smear half of the softened butter over the chicken breast, legs and wings and scatter over half the sage leaves. Season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover the chicken loosely with foil and roast in the preheated oven for 1 hour 10 minutes. Uncover and baste the chicken with any juices twice during cooking. 2. Meanwhile, melt the rest of the butter in a frying pan, add the chopped onion and fry gently for 5 minutes. Chop half the pancetta and add to the pan, frying for a further 5 minutes until the onion is softened and golden. Remove from the heat. Finely chop the rest of the sage and add to the pan with the breadcrumbs

🍅 🍆 🌽 🥕Focus on Vegetable Growing 🍅 🍆 🌽🥕 As lovely as this time of year is, there is no doubt that your vegetable growing will be close to peaking and perhaps in some areas be on the decline. Rather than leaving the fun of growing your own until next year, it’s time to add to what you already have and start some crops from fresh. Even if you’ve missed the boat totally and never actually planted anything this year, there’s still time to grow some tasty home-grown vegetables and herbs. Ruby Chard These brightly coloured plants create an attractive display as well as tasty food. ‘Bright Lights’ is the wackiest, with bright yellow, orange, red, pink and purple stems. It can be sown successfully into August and can be used as ‘baby leaves’ for salads or as an alternative to spinach. Mizuna Several of the oriental vegetables respond especially well to later sowing, Mizuna being a favourite. With its pretty divided leaves and ability to grow very fast, it can be sown from now and into September. A covering of fleece helps to keep the flea beetle away. Spring Onions These grow rapidly and although it is getting late, a prompt sowing now should still give you a crop of tiny spring onions in October. Sow enough to leave some in the soil, so you can then harvest full-sized versions in March. Chinese Cabbage Another late-season stalwart, it is one of the fastest growers and perfect for anyone who wants a delicate steamed vegetable or a wonderfully tasty and crunchy addition to a Chinese-style meal. Also known as Chinese Leaves, if you sow promptly you should be harvesting in late October. Carrots 🥕 Some varieties of ‘maincrop’ carrot including ‘Ideal’ can still be sown until early August. Sow within the week and you’ll be cropping from autumn to Christmas time. Choose a light soil, free from stones, or grow in a deep container. French Beans Grown at home, these are so much better than the supermarket’s offerings. A sp

Focus on Friday: Perfect Picnics After months of only being able to meet up outdoors, we’re now into the summer and outside is exactly where we want to be! Let’s make the most of it then with good planning and some fun accessories. Create some evening atmosphere with Outdoor TruGlow® Candles, £26.99 for 3 from lights4fun.co.uk With compartments for dippy sauce & sections so the peas don’t touch the carrots this little car is perfect for turning fussy eaters into foodies. £32.99 at bluebrontide.com Giant picnic blanket for your outdoor group of 30! £59.95 annabeljames.co.uk This pirate-themed kit allows children to build their very own pirate’s hideaway. £45 at thedenkitco.com HERE ARE SOME TIPS • Research your perfect picnic spot carefully. How far is it from the car park and is there a charge for parking? Are there toilets? Can you bring your dog? Is there somewhere to shelter if it’s too hot or there’s a sudden shower? • Pack everything you need for the day: water, sunscreen, a lightweight waterproof (just in case), warmer layers and the all-important face mask and hand-santiser. A plastic bag for your rubbish will be handy too. • Decorate your picnic area with battery-powered fairy lights, lanterns and some bunting. Get comfy with camping chairs or deck chairs, using your picnic basket as a handy side table. Music adds atmosphere so take a Bluetooth speaker. • Bring along games that all the family can play. Rounders and croquet are great, or organise a treasure hunt, play hide-and-seek, or set up an old-school egg-and-spoon or sack race. • The best picnic food? Anything you can eat with your fingers. Sandwiches, mini pies, kebabs, chopped vegetables with dips, plus fruit and something sweet, for example. View this article online at: https://focus-magazines.co.uk ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND!

HAPPY JULY! Here - in just shy of a minute - is a Speed Reader's review of this month's edition of "The Fordingbridge Focus." DIARY Events for your diary include... The Poole Harbour Festival 2021 (30th July to the 1st August at Baiter Park) and if you fancy an enchanting and entertaining experience, here's what's on at The Regal Cinema, 35 Shaftesbury Street, Fordingbridge, SP6 1JF Sat 3rd, 7pm Michael Ball & Alfie Boe: Back Together Mon 5th, 7pm "Misbehaviour" (2020) Wed 7th, 7pm "The Gentlemen" (2020) 10th, 12th, 7pm "Nomadland" (2021) Sat 17th, 7pm "Love Child" Listing can change so check out: http://www.theregalcinema.org/whats-on/ - where you can also book tickets. CLUBS AND GROUPS Page 16 of The Fordingbridge Focus also lists clubs and groups such as the local Table Tennis Group, The New Forest Jazz Workshop, The Ringwood Chess Club, Fordingbridge Flower Club, and the all women community singing group that meets at The Victoria Rooms in Fordingbridge. We are truly a community magazine so if you've got an event that's of benefit to the community, do let us know well in advance! THE LIBRARY If you'd like access to online courses, you can sign up for more information at https://www.hants.gov.uk/shop/home.php?cat=369 See page 31 of the magazine. Courses include: Zumba Gold (2nd, 9th, and 16th) Personal Resilience (2nd) Clothing Repairs and Alterations (1st, 8th and 15th) Watercolours for Wellbeing (8th, 22nd July; 5th Aug) Introduction to the Ukulele (12th, 19th, 25th) Enjoy the magazine and look out for videos each Wednesday and Friday this month, with a few other surprise posts to come! Lizzy Amos Publisher

FOCUS ON HISTORY: RUFUS STONE Hampshire and Dorset are rich in people, places, and products. Here's at Focus Magazines we like occasionally to focus on a bit of history and great places for our readers to visit. "Rufus Stone" is a place name often seen as folks travel the A31 across The New Forest. But is it worth a detour to visit? Roving cameraman, Lex McKee, may have been 'underwhelmed' by Rufus Stone - after all, there's not much to this historical artefact - but he was enchanted by the surrounding walks in The New Forest. Worth the trip to see the memorial? No! Worth a visit as a great day out? Yes! So what's the controversy? Some scholars think William II's death was far from accidental. He was not loved, nor did he love the English. Was there a conspiracy to kill the king? Here's the link to the Wikipedia article for you to make your own mind up! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_II_of_England The most important thing is that this is a great starting place to explore The New Forest (the bits that have trees!) Wear waterproof shoes as much of it is marshy, even in Summer. Lex has been telling us, "I don't always drink beer..." but he's clearly at the Real Ale again as he jumps over the border to Dorset on the way back. Wayland’s Sixpenny Brewery is most definitely worth a visit - not just for the excellent Ale but also for the imagination and humour that has gone into the bar and the experience. Lex recommends their 'Gold' brews - including the Summer special "Rushmore Gold." Treat yourself to a great day out in The New Forest - and to a great free magazine: Focus Magazines (covering Fordingbridge, Verwood, and Ringwood.) #travel #history #hampshire

“It Won’t Happen to Me” [Advertorial] Imagine how your family would cope financially if you were not around to provide for them and to what extent they could be exposed to financial distress and hardship. Financial security and peace of mind for those you most care about could cost just a few pounds a month and may be less than you think. Pets, cars, appliances and mobile devices are insured yet the greatest risk of losing a family breadwinner’s income is often overlooked or ignored! Some premiums may even qualify for tax relief. Most personal life insurance premiums are paid from net income however tax savings may apply to a “Relevant Life” insurance policy. To qualify for this particular policy, you need to be an employee, this includes salaried company directors, with the employer willing to pay the premiums. For professional advice, please contact Sarah Butler at Bark Financial Ltd. https://lnkd.in/eM9JbjG 01425 461764 or [email protected]. www.barkfinancial.com Bark Financial Ltd Financial Planning Wealth Management Retirement Choices Equity Release With a no-obligation initial consultation. FOCUS ON ADVERTISERS This video and post is an example of the two advertisers who were gifted individual attention this month by creating and promoting a bespoke video. We hope this is a good example of how we are constantly seeking to promote and add value to those who advertise with us. #retirement #financialplanning #retirementplanning

Cute Kittens and Playful Puppies... what's not to love? Here's an article on feeding your pet (from The Verwood Focus page 33; The Ringwood Focus page 36 - June editions.) However, video of pet food isn't nearly as enchanting as watching three minutes of kittens and puppies, is it? Thus, if you need a break from business today, brew a cuppa and escape to smilesville with these lovely pets. Of course, we think the article has tons of valuable content but Lex McKee has used it as an excuse to use footage of puppies and kittens... as if we needed an excuse. Thank fluffy-pets, it's Friday! 🐕 🐩 🐈 🐇 Our YouTube version has the text as 'closed captions' and there's a blog on our site. 🎬 https://youtu.be/gTSB4juziiY 🌍 https://focus-magazines.co.uk and you can subscribe to our YouTube Channel to find all of our videos in one convenient place: https://bit.ly/SubscribeFocusMagazines #puppies #kittens #petfood

Focus on Fun Happy Father’s Day! For some reason Dads are supposed to be good at DIY, run a “Bank of Mum and Dad,” and have a reputation for telling (terrible) jokes. Well, to help today, here are some treasures to keep in the bank of “Jokes for Dads” – and, as a bonus, they are suitable for all ages! Thanks to Country Living for the inspiration and the source of these jokes - here researched and recorded by Lex McKee... who is to blame! Q. What’s your favourite joke that we can share with all those Dads who like telling jokes? #jokes #fathersday #fathersday2021

Focus on Wellness Each month Jules Whale Life Coaching and Lex McKee share our special feature page: Focus on Wellness. Lex also writes and records for Moodscope.com - a wellness site. As a bonus, we've decided to share some extra content today that isn't featured in the magazines. This video explores how Edward de Bono's "Six Thinking Hats" could help us direct our thinking and thus influence our feelings. With #wellness and #wellbeing so high on the agenda in these current times, we hope this message will bring you some strong #encouragement If you like extra content like this, do let Lizzy Amos know and we'll commission more.

⛺️ WE ALL NEED A HOLIDAY! ⛺️ Unique to June's "The Verwood Focus" (page 14) we turned our focus onto, "Camping on a Budget." ⛺️ As the article begins..."Overseas holidays are looking limited at best this year, and many people are unable to afford to go anyway. However, it doesn’t mean you have to go without a break completely because camping can be great fun and very affordable." To be most effective, rest and play are as important as work. In fact, we'd argue that rest and play fuel your effectiveness at work. Thus give your business a boost by taking a break. #camping #recreation #holidayherethisyear

Here's a shout out for one of our advertisers - Paul of Roof Fix Dorset. We thought we'd write a little poem about him and make a video to let more people know about his work. Here's the Poem! Roof Fix Dorset Paul’s the chap to call If your roof’s about to fall. He can do all the jobs Whether big or still just small Flat roofs, slates, or tiles His work will make you smile Sorting flashing, repointing, and leaks Roof fix Dorset gets your roof back at its peak With each job done well with ease He’ll have strong tea… …with two sugars please. Call Paul on 07518 887646 You can email him too [email protected]

Focus on Verwood... for just a minute! Here's a rapid flick through June's Verwood Edition of Focus Magazine. If you'd like to flick through at your own pace, check out the interactive version online at: https://lnkd.in/eiPehkY Check out page 16 to discover what's on in the Verwood area. (Hints... Table Tennis, New Forest Jazz Workshop, Ringwood Chess Club, Fordingbridge Flower Club, and the opportunity to sing together!) If you'd like your business to be at the forefront of people's minds in Verwood, message me for an obligation-free chat. #verwood #communitymagazine #businesspromotion