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With lots of the restrictions regarding Covid 19 now reviewed and relaxed, we at Locals Magazine are like you, hoping we are begining to see a new dawn for us all. Like our front page we hope that this new dawn will bring sunshine into all our lives and the past few months while never forgotten will serve to remind us all to stay safe and be careful in the future. We at the magazines really value the loyalty of you, our readership, our contributors and our advertisers without whom it would not have been possible to publish the magazine online. Thankfully at this time we are back publishing the print version and we hope if we are all careful and the outlets stay open we will continue to do so. The days and months ahead will be crucial to the survival of each and every one of us. Crucial to all of us workers and business owners and the survival of those of us who have health problems and those children who have their whole lives ahead of them. In other words all of you our readership. During the worst of this pandemic we were constantly reminded of the indomitable spirit of our people and with some experts predicting a second phase we must all continue to grasp this new era and continue to pull together. This means supporting our local businesses, supporting our carers and HSE frontline staff and supporting each other and all in our locality who need our help. Let us all stay safe, obey the regulations and enjoy the sunshine and remember shop local!

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Your Community News DONABATE LOCAL-JULY 2020

Local News

Active Age For All Donabate – Portrane

We have quite a number of cocooners – and these are the very people who would normally be out there leading the effort to support our community. It has been a joy to us all to see so many of the local community of noncocooners coming out and supporting us. Thank you to all. One of our many activities during lockdown was the distribution of the Age Friendly Ireland publications. There is a huge amount of information that is age specific and very useful. This can be accessed at this link https://agefriendlyireland.ie/ and go to latest news. During lockdown, AAfA contributed to a World Health Organization survey on what was felt to be the most important supports in our experience of this pandemic. The results of this were to be compiled and distributed to countries that had yet to experience the virus. This is now complete. Out of 190 responses from groups throughout Europe, 90 came from Ireland. This

was probably due to the enormous planning done by our Councils AND the emergence of such a sense of volunteering from within our communities. We are now technically on summer holidays so we will be sending out our information emails every fortnight or so – unless something specific appears for quick dissemination. As for classes starting in September, we will be dependant on the processes put in place by Donabate Portrane Community and Leisure Centre. During the summer, we will be working together so see how we may adapt what we can offer when the guidelines become clearer. Finally, one of our members who likes to write (and perform) has taken this time to put pento paper in response to Covid. She was one of the first in our community to start Active Age For All. She appears on YouTube as ‘Rose from Fingal’. We know her just as Peig. These performances are worth having a look if you are not already aware of them.

Community Council calls for action on power outages

An urgent solution to repeated power outages on the Donabate peninsula is being sought by the Community Council in the area.A letter has been sent by Donabate Portrane Community Council to ESB boss Pat O’Doherty seeking a meeting to find out why there are so many power outages on the peninsula.There have been a number of outages in the last two years.These are particularly problematic at the moment with so 4

DONABATE LOCAL-JULY 2020

many people required to work from home during the pandemic. The timing and duration of these outages is random, and can last up to around two hours. In the letter, the ESB chief executive is told the population of the area has grown steadily in the last 20 years and is expected to double in the next decade.The letter states: “General infrastructural shortcomings have very much been a hot topic here, but the deteriorating reliability of our electrical supply has now become a major concern to all, particularly if this is exacerbated by further growth in the area.” Donabate Portrane Community Council said in its letter it has a high regard for the ESB, especially for the way it responds to nationwide power outages in times of extreme weather. However, the letter says the increasing frequency of the recurring outages, the sheer disruption and inconvenience these cause has

become intolerable. “We have received many complaints from members of our community and indeed our entire committee knows first-hand what these difficulties are through experience,” the letter says.The community council called on the network operator to immediately investigate why there are so many power outages.The meeting also calls for the ESB to agree to meet the community council. The meeting could be conducted online to ensure social distancing. Donabate Portrane Community Council said the constant electricity outages were one of the reasons it has repeatedly called for a temporary halt to new planning permissions until the infrastructure in the area is upgraded so it can cope with new developments. It called on Fingal County Council and An Bord Pleanála to give strong consideration to the chronic infrastructure deficits in the area when considering planning applications. Contact us: communitylocalseditor@gmail.com

Local News

Henchy welcomes Donabate Distributor Road official opening Cllr Adrian Henchy has welcomed the opening of the Donabate Distributor Road. “While it was a very positive occasion on Wednesday afternoon to finally have the official opening of the new Donabate Distributor Road by my colleague Councillor Eoghan O’Brien it was tinged a little bit with disappointment that due to Covid 19 restrictions this very special occasion could only have in attendance the Mayor, Fingal County Council Chief Executive AnnMarie Farrelly and the Director of Planning and Strategic Infrastructure Matthew McAleese. There are still a number of outstanding works and improvements on the road to be carried out and these will be addressed in the coming months with the easing of the Covid 19 restrictions.This new road was a key pillar of both the Donabate Local Area Plan which was adapted by Fingal County Council in 2016 and the County Development Plan Objectives 2017 for Donabate Portrane. Both my colleague on the peninsula Cllr Mulville and I on behalf of our local community campaigned and fought hard over the last six years for this long overdue but vital piece of critical infrastructure within the council chamber and this

work received broad political support from all parties and independents. This new road which includes a new bridge crossing Dublin Belfast train line will create better access to parts of Donabate including Balcarrick, Corballis and all of Portrane which includes the St Ita’s Hospital Campus and the new National Forensic Mental Hospital which became operational during the pandemic and will continue to gradually open over the coming months as it relocates its services from Dundrum to Portrane.My thanks to our local community for the extraordinary patience and understanding as we lived through the building and significant disruptions of this major infrastructural project in tandem with the building of the new National Forensic Mental Hospital over the last 3 years. While the new road is very important and a positive development this will only be true as long as the other serious issues like; Coastal Erosion and Flooding Transport , the current road and footpath network , Policing , Tourism & Heritage and Sport & recreation are also addressed in order to ensure that Donabate and Portrane continue to be a great place to live work, visit and raise a family.

Granny (77) raises thousands for healthcare workers Joan O’Callaghan is 77 years old, lives in Donabate and is a cancer survivor. However this story is not about cancer but about her determined effort to raise money for frontline healthcare workers during this Covid crisis. The mother of three and grandmother of two had been trying to keep fit since three operations on her back and shoulder last year. Joan said “In an effort to keep fit I had been going up and down 24 stairs in my apartment block daily. Having read what Captain Tom did in the U.K. I realised I could probably raise some funds for our frontline healthcare workers here. I liked what Tom Keogh from Keogh Crisps and www.irelandthanksyou.ie was doing to say thank you to our wonderful frontline health careworkers so I contacted him.To date with my “one woman challenge” I have gone up and down 29,464 stairs and have raised € 4300.” Joan says she now has a link on that site and can gauge who has donated because all such people have to do is put the word steps after there name ie: joebloggssteps, then she can see how much has been donated because of her efforts. Meantime the former principal of St Andrews School in Malahide will continue to walk up and down the steps in her apartment block to raise money for those who are putting themselves at risk every day to ensure the health and well being of us all. Well done Jane, keep up the good work and remember go to www. irelandthanksyou.ie and give what you can in support of Jane’s efforts for those who are caring for us all. 6

DONABATE LOCAL-JULY 2020

History

Donabate man - World War Two hero remembered

John Maxwell’s grave in Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore

By Ian Chambers. John Maxwell, was the son of Arthur Henry Maxwell (a very successful racehorse breeder who lived at Newtown in Corduff where he ran a stud farm) and Vereana Estelle Beresford Maxwell (Nee Cobbe, one of the Newbridge House Cobbes). He had joined the Royal Marines in September 1932 and had in the meantime risen to the rank of Major. He was among those who had volunteered for the Special Operations Group (SOG), which was commanded by Colonel H.T. Tollemache R.M., to carry out operations behind enemy lines during World War 2. Tough training in the UK in silent killing, handling explosives, clearing and laying mines etc. whittled the volunteers down to the operational numbers they required. In March 1945 an SOG party led by Major Maxwell (Operation Copyright) were taken by submarine to the island of Phuket on the West Coast of Thailand, where after reaching the island by canoe they were to try and get information on the two Japanese Airfields on the Island, details of the beach gradient and if possible prisoners. However, when they landed they were met with a fire fight by the Japanese, Sgt. Major. Ernest Smith was badly wounded, Major Maxwell stayed with him and they became separated 8

DONABATE LOCAL-JULY 2020

from the remainder of the group and were subsequently captured by the Japanese, (The remainder of the group were later captured by Thai Troops and kept as POWs for the remainder of the war, and treated within the terms of the Geneva Convention). Major Maxwell and Sgt. Major Smith were eventually taken to Singapore and at some time were joined by a Sub Lieutenant Tomlinson, a Navel pilot who had been captured when he was forced to ditch in the sea. After refusing to give their captors any more than the basic information required by the Geneva Convention they were, following several months of interrogation and torture, taken to a hill north of Pasir Panjang on Singapore and beheaded. According to their executioners the men had given an impressive display of light banter as they said their farewells to each other. On 28 December, 1945, at Rengam, Malaysia, three Japanese intelligence officers killed themselves in circumstances described as “amende honorable” after confessing that they had personally tortured and then beheaded three British POWs, Major Maxwell, Sgt. Major Smith and Sub Lieutenant Tomlinson in July 1945, apparently they had feared that an investigation that was taking place would unearth the crime and bring discredit to their Senior Officers.

John Maxwell’s family grave in Donabate

Local News

Tributes paid to former Mayor Mags Murray It is with deep regret that we learned of the recent death of the former Mayor of Fingal, Margaret (Mags) Murray (née O’Keeffe) (Clonsilla, Dublin 15 and formerly of Cregane, Charlevile, Co. Cork .Mags passed away peacefully on June 13th 2020 in the loving care of the staff at St. Francis Hospice, Blanchardstown. She was the beloved wife of Gary and dear mother of Niall, Aoife and Amy and is sadly missed by her loving husband, son, daughters, grandson Alex, father Connie, brother Neilus, sisters Ita and Noreen, Niall’s partner Natalie, Amy’s partner Bruno, nephews, nieces, relatives and a large circle of friends. Due to Government advice regarding public gatherings, a private family funeral took place in St Mochtas Church Porterstown Road Clonsilla , Dublint on Tuesday 16th. June with many sympathisers watching the service on webcam. In keeping with her caring nature Mags family requested that there should be family flowers only, with donations, if desired, to St. Francis Hospice, Blanchardstown. The current Mayor of Fingal Cllr Eoghan O’Brien led the tributes to his former colleague Mags, saying “I am greatly saddened to hear of the untimely passing of my former colleague and party member Mags Murray. She was an outstanding public representative who worked tirelessly on behalf of her constituents. Mags was a wonderful Ambassador for the County during her term as Mayor. She made an enormous contribution during her time as an elected representative and she will be greatly missed. Mags had a deep love of her community and a great deal of respect for local government. She was a proud Corkonian and an accomplished sportsperson, holding All Ireland medals for Camogie and Gaelic football. On behalf of myself, my fellow Councillors, party members and Fingal County Council, I would like to express my sincere condolences to Mags’ family, relatives and friends at this difficult time.” Fingal Council Chief Executive AnnMarie Farrelly said: “Mags was a deeply committed public representative who served her constituents in the Castleknock area with dedication and commitment during her time on Fingal County Council. She was unwavering in her dedication to serve the people she represented, and she made a significant and telling contribution to the lives of many.” Mags was first elected as a Fingal County Councillor in the Castleknock Local Electoral Area at the 2004 elections as a member of the Progressive Democrats. She was subsequently an unsuccessful candidate for the party in the 2007 General election in the Dublin West constituency. As the Progressive Democrats became defunct she joined Fianna Fáil in February 2008. In June 2014 Mags was elected Mayor of Fingal County Council due to the support of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Labour and a number of Independents.. She served until 2015 and in 2015 she hosted the Annual Mayor’s Conference. She was also the Chairperson of LAMA, the Local Authority Members Association.during her term on the Council. She lost her seat in the 2019 local elections.A digital book of condolences was opened following the death of the long-standing former Mayor and Councillor who gave so much to this community and who will be sorely missed but long remembered by those who knew her.

www.facebook.com/DonabatePortraneLocal www.facebook.com/BalbrigganLocal

DONABATE LOCAL-JULY 2020

Finance

Increased awareness of mortality and morbidity due to COVID-19 By Dave Kavanagh Understandably, during these restrictive times when new deaths are a daily feature on the news, as well as much talk about access to regular hospital services, people have given more consideration to the impact that serious illness or a fatality would have on their financial security. The sudden impact that many experienced just by suddenly being off work and having their income impacted, certainly gave food for thought. The most common plans that people can commence to protect against some of these events, are life cover, serious illness cover and income protection. Life cover can pay out a lump sum (or the option of regular payments) to cover the financial loss suffered from a fatality, This may include protecting a mortgage and also having personal cover. Serious illness cover (aka critical illness cover or specified illness cover) also pays out a tax free lump sum on diagnosis of any of the specified illnesses. While there are a multitude of illnesses covered, 5 account for about 95% of claims - Cancer, Heart Disease, Stroke, Multiple Sclerosis and Loss of Independence. In Ireland there are approximately 40,000 new cancer cases

every year. Income protection will pay a portion of someone’s income if they cannot work due to illness or injury after a short deferred period. We often see that people may have their home and contents insured, their pets insured, their mobile phones insured, their travel plans insured and their laptops insured, without giving proper consideration to how appropriately they insure themselves. As with any important decisions (that may not be considered “fun” activities!) it is crucial that you make the time to consider the properly. Dave Kavanagh QFA has been advising people financially for over 25 years. For quotes or information (with no cost or obligation) he can be contacted by emailing info@financialcompanion.ie or use the contact form on www.financialcompanion.ie or phone 087-6414570. Combined with his previous role of gym/nutrition adviser, he regularly gives talks and workshops at seminars and events for groups, companies and government departments on financial wellbeing, positivity and motivation. As heard on RTE 2FM and TV3.

Guide Dogs planning for the future after Covid The Balbriggan\North County Dublin branch of Irish guide dogs for the blind hope to be back fundraising and doing our normal awareness talks when it is safe to do so and cleared by government for us to do.In the meantime small things you can do for us is hold onto your used postage stamps, old Irish-sterling or foreign coins and notes. All of these we can turn into real money in time.Drop us an email or a text to say you have some and we will arrange to get them from you when it suits everybody.Over the past couple of months as well guide and assistance dogs would not be working in the normal daily way they used to be so down time was had by some guide dogs at least. I am attaching a picture of my guide dog Gatsby who had more than one day off this past couple of months and you can see the joy in his face.During lock down a number of ladies offered to walk our two guide dogs and without hesitation we took up the offer. So thanks to the two Gillian’s, Peggy and to Maebh and her daughter Ruby. Ladies wooffee wooffee on behalf of Gatsby and Qeb.Thank you from Tom and Breege Guide dog owners. Details below on how to contact us and we will be back as we need the money to train more guide dogs for blind people and more assistance dogs for family’s who have a child with Autism. To contact the Balbriggan\ncd branch of guide dogs Tel 085 7663107, email:guidedogsbalbriggan@gmail.com

DONABATE LOCAL-JULY 2020

Local News

Council elects new Mayor and Deputy Mayor

L-R: New Deputy Mayor Cllr Robert O’Donoghue. and new Mayor of Fingal, Cllr David Healy .

Councillor David Healy of the Green Party was elected as Mayor of Fingal at the annual meeting of Fingal County Council which was held today at the National Show Centre in Cloghran. Cllr Robert O’Donoghue of the Labour Party was elected as Deputy Mayor. Cllr Healy defeated Cllr Joan Hopkins (Social Democrats) and Cllr Punam Rane (Fine Gael) in the election for Mayor while Cllr O’Donoghue defeated Cllr Natalie Treacy (Sinn Fein) and Cllr Rane in the election for Deputy Mayor. Cllr Healy, who represents the Howth-Malahide Electoral Area, was first elected as a councillor in 1991. Based in Howth, he works as a climate change policy researcher.Cllr O’Donoghue, who

represents the Rush-Lusk Electoral Area, has been an elected member since 2018 when he was co-opted to replace retiring councillor, Ken Farrell.Tributes were paid to the outgoing Mayor, Cllr Eoghan O’Brien by councillors and Fingal County Council Chief Executive AnnMarie Farrelly who also presented Cllr O’Brien with a Commemorative Medal and a Photograph Album recording his year in office. Cllr O’Brien thanked Cllr Tom Kitt for his support as Deputy Mayor during the year and paid tribute to everybody who had contributed to making his year in office a success.A minute’s silence was observed before the Annual General Meeting for former Mayor

and councillor Mags Murray who passed away last Saturday. Cllr O’Donoghue was also elected as Chairman of the Balbriggan / Rush-Lusk / Swords Area Committee defeating Cllr Dean Mulligan (Independents4Change).Cllr Brian McDonagh (Labour) was elected as Chairman of the Howth Malahide Area Committee defeating Cllr Joan Hopkins (Social Democrats).Cllr John Walsh (Labour) was elected as Chairman of the Blanchardstown / Mulhuddart / Castleknock / Ongar Area Committee after defeating Cllr Tania Doyle (Independent).Cllrs O’Donoghue, McDonagh and Walsh will take up their positions in September.

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Local News

Managing school fees without bankruptcy or stress

by Siobhán O’Neill White On top of the stress of Covid-19, parents now have the pressure of hefty back to school costs to deal with. For years, politicians have promised parents that crested uniforms would be done away with but, as the new term approaches - and despite the financial strain on many families right now - parents are still being forced to fork out big money for bad quality, crested polyester uniforms. As well as expensive uniforms, parents have to buy books, PE kits, school recommended shoes and school fees. For secondary school, many children now use ipads, which can cost between €400-€900. As if parents have not been wrung out to dry enough by this stage, many schools ask for a voluntary contribution, which averages around €250 per family.So, as a parent, how can you manage all this without going bankrupt and causing yourself untold stress? First off, you do not have to go to the ‘recommended’ school supplier. We have shopped around and found a 100% polyester crested jumper from a school ‘recommended 16

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supplier’ at €40, whereas Schoolbox.ie has the same jumper (in better quality with a wool/ poly mix) for €29. For crested tracksuits you can save more than €10 by shopping around. Bestwear shop in Drogheda are very competitively priced and have become so popular with parents that they now supply uniforms for schools in Dublin, Louth & Meath. To make the whole experience of school shopping easier and more cost effective, Schoolbox.ie have a box of school supplies, including crested uniform, schoolbag, shoes, stationery etc in one box for a competitive price. It cuts down on expense and is less stressful than shopping in lots of different places for school essentials. With social distancing rules, this is a safe way to shop now. We got one of these boxes for our daughter for secondary school last year and it was excellent – even her locker lock was included! If you are worried about school costs, you can apply for the Back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA) from Welfare. ie and there are money saving tips on www. mams.ie too. Contact us: communitylocalseditor@gmail.com

Open for yo u busin r ess Here at Robertson Estate Agents we hope you all have been keeping well and safe during these difficult times. Like most we have been operating remotely but there is only so much that can be done. We are happy to answer any queries you may have remotely but as and from June 8th we hope to resume viewings. All viewings will be carried out in accordance within the strict guidelines laid down by the H.S.E. and the Government. In order to comply with current regulations all viewings will be carried out strictly on an appointment only basis. We will have sanitising stations at the front door which we would encourage you to use plus all our viewing properties will be fully ventilated.. All internal doors will remain open and each property will be thoroughly sanitised before and after each viewing. All paperwork can be handled remotely and we will ensure that all negotiations carried out on your behalf will be conducted to our usual very high standards. Our aim is to make the transition to your new home as streamlined as possible. We have adapted all our internal procedures to meet the demands of this very difficult time. By doing this we can ensure you receive the service and professionalism you would expect from our company. If you require sales, rental, probate or valuations for legal purposes you can email me on doug@robertsonestates.ie or contact the office on 01 8085540.

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Healt

Home Cook Recipes

Niamh’s Luscious Nutella Cheesecake Although most of my recipes take more of a healthy approach, it is important to understand thattreats can be part of a healthy diet, just once they don’t become too often! I had a lot of chocolatey fun making this recipe with my niece and nephews as a treat! Quite simple but involves biscuit bashing, melting, stirring, mixing, spooning, patience and sticky chocolatey fingers and faces! I hope you enjoy as much as we did making it!

Ingredients: • • • •

300g dark chocolate digestive biscuits 120g butter 250g mascarpone 400g nutella

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You can use a greased/non-stick springform based tin or simply a plate.

Method: 1.Place the biscuits in a strong bag that can be tied and can withstand the force of a rolling pin!(I use an empty breakfast cereal bag). Bash the biscuits using a rolling pin or other utensils until they form fine crumbs.Alternatively you could blitz the biscuits in a food processor/ blender. 2.Melt the butter in a saucepan. Take off the heat and stir in the biscuit crumbs until well mixed. 3.Tip the biscuit mixture into the tin and press down firmly with the back of a spoon to make a smooth and even surface.

Place in the fridge to chill while making the filling. 4.Place the nutella and mascarpone in a mixing bowl and combine well together. It helps if the nutella has been heated gently beforehand. 5. Spoon the nutella/mascarpone mixture on top of the biscuit base and place back in the fridge to chill for a 2-3hours or overnight. 6. Eat as it is or decorate as you like! In the past while I have been keeping busy doing online nutrition and healthy eating webinars. If interested please email: niamh@biabites.

net See my ‘Fun food’ and ‘Recipes’ albums on

‘Biabites’Facebook for other food ideas.Niamh Arthurs BSc, Msc, Registered Dietitian

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Local Sports

St Pats making grounds improvements for the future

St Pats grounds resplendid in the sun

The pace of life in Pats is speeding up again. From training solo at home, their members are now returning to training at Ballymastone in small controlled groups with their eyes firming on the prize of returning to matches. It’s been a frustrating lay off for such a sport-focused club as theirs and the excitement in the parish is palpable.To keep everyone entertained during the break, they’ve been running a series of interviews with Pats People of all ages involved in playing, supporting, coaching & managing the Club. The interviews - which appear on their StPatsGAA Facebook page daily at noon - have proved to be a big hit with interesting insights on

topics ranging from favourite sporting events to top 3 films & songs.While the match & training action may have ceased, work has continued on their grounds with improvements to their car park and water connection along with pitch maintenance & development. The club’s grounds at Ballymastone look impressive even on a cold wet winter’s day but there really is something special about the place on a sunny summer day. Hat tip to Ian Maher for this fabulous shot of Pats grounds at Ballymastone with Ireland’s Eye in the background.

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WIN €50 !!! WIN €50 !!! WIN €50 !!! WIN €50 !!! This is easy… we are offering you the chance to win €50. All you have to do is correctly fill in the crossword and discover the name of an area in Fingal spelt out in the coloured squares. Then send the completed crossword and your answer by email, with your name, address and telephone number to communitylocals@gmail.com before 5pm on July 16. The first correct entry to be drawnwill win €50..Good luck

22 DONABATE LOCAL-JULY 2020

Down

1. People who act for others. (6) 5. A person’s partner in marriage. (6) 10. American state, capital is Montgomery. (7) 11. Prescribed identical clothing for a group. (7) 12. Hard or exhausting work. (4) 13. The subject or theme of a speech. (5) 15. Human outer covering. (4) 17. Doctor? (3) 19. A building whose components are made off-site. (6) 21. Passages between rows of seats or shelves. (6) 22. Cut up for examination. (7) 23. Keep possession of. (6) 25. Relating to race or culture. (6) 28. Something done, a deed. (3) 30. Polish and in the nude. (4) 31. Excessively sentimental. (5) 32. Propel oneself in water naturally. (4) 35. Bomber obsessed with secrecy. (7) 36. Set apart from others. (7) 37. Barged into the beast. (6) 38. What you aim at. (6)

2. Hard rock. (7) 3. Either of the two tides at the first or last quarter of the moon. (4) 4. It’s always with you and shortest at noon. (6) 5. Work room for an artist. (6) 6. Leave out. (4) 7. Device for breathing while face down in the water. (7) 8. Portable computer. (6) 9. Improves, corrects. (6) 14. The science of matter and energy and their interactions. (7) 16. The lowest point of anything. (5) 18. Hollow type of Middle Eastern bread. (5) 20. Receptacle for rubbish. (3) 21. Playing card with one spot. (3) 23. Strong in constitution, hardy. (6) 24. A crisp smooth lustrous fabric. (7) 26. A style of rock music popular in the 1970s. (3,4) 27. Make someone do something. (6) 28. A writer of books. (6) 29. The practice of being careful with money. (6) 33. Online journal. (4) 34. Severe, stern, or sullenly obstinate. (4)

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