Losman

May Cottage is located close to the centre of Bowness-on-Windermere making it the perfect base to explore all the Southern Lakes. Just one road from the edge of Lake Windermere, an easy stroll to the boat rides, quaint shops and a variety of Bistros, Restaurants and Wine & Tapas Bars. The climatic end to the famous Dalesway Walk – Wonderful, never ending, breathtaking scenic walks and drives. Leisure facilities offer relaxing sauna, steam, jacuzzi, swim & gym areas, with snooker, café & bar with Sky T.V. lounge section.

Here is just a small sample of the excellent reviews May Cottage B&B Lake Windermere have received on TripAdvisor:

“Great B&B accomodation close to the centre of Bowness”
5 of 5 stars
Date of review: 4 Apr 2011

Most pleasant welcome received from Sue – the accomodation was ideal for our three night stay – with a very comfortable bed room and fine ensuite. The excellent full English breakfast ,accompanied by Sue’s little talk on the locality and its history, set us up for the day’s walking . The B&B is just a few minutes walk to the centre of Bowness and the pubs and restaurants.
For Rugby League fans, a must is a chat with Len Casey , Sue’s husband and breakfast chef, who can relate anecdotes about his playing career for Great Britain ( some as captain) and England and both Hull clubs.

“A gem of a B&B”

Date of review: 1 Apr 2011
Our first trip to the lakes and first visit to a B&B. We recently married and decided to stay away for a couple of nights.

Sue and Len are great value, warm and welcoming. Place is a gem, you ll be lucky to get availability as the repeat business is a sign of how popular this place is.

Would love to stay again!
“SIMPLY THE BEST”
5 of 5 stars
1 more review of May Cottage by Sallyberisford:

Date of review: 23 Mar 2011

We returned to May Cottage, & yet again received a warm, friendly welcome. Sue goes out of her way to make you feel at ease & welcome. She has stories to tell you & her knowledge of the area is outstanding. She has a brillant sense of humour, ALL the rooms are lovely & clean.
If you stay here it is only a very short walk into Bowness & all the shops, pubs etc.
I mustn’t forget Len, who doe’s a wonderful breakfast each morning, Len to is a chirpy chappy.
Throughly recommed you to stay here.
We felt like part of Sue & Lens extended family. Will definately return.
THANKS BOTH

Close to the city centre and within easy reach of the road-rail network, Hedley House Hotel is one of the best Hotels in York, with modern comfortable surroundings, great food and outstanding personal service.

Built in 1845 in the heart of the Victorian city, many of our rooms still include the original fireplace features. Combined with en-suite facilities, hospitality trays and digital widescreen TVs, our rooms are a subtle blend of contemporary modern and historic.

Their intimate award-winning licensed restaurant is a great place to spend an evening or start the night. The restaurant serves a range of home cooked healthy meals, snacks and light bites, all freshly cooked using only award-winning ingredients.

Knowle House is a large Victorian terrace house situated off Bootham on the North side  of the city of York.  York Minster is within a six to eight minute walk.  It is also next door to and under the same ownership as Hedley House Hotel. These York self catering apartments are self-contained, fully furnished and contain all necessary linen, crockery and cutlery.  All have central heating, colour television, electric cooker and fridge.  Wireless internet is available. All but one of the apartments have direct dial telephone.

In a city where car parking space is limited, Hedley House Hotel and Apartments have 19 allotted parking spaces. When these spaces are full there is room for 8 more vehicles in the middle of the car park, the keys to these must be left at reception in case of emergency. The car park operates on a “first come first served” basis.  If this is unacceptable there is a large public car park (chargeable) 2 minutes walk from the hotel.

Dates for training courses, seminars & workshops have been announce by Precision Polymer Engineering Ltd.

PPE conducts a range of professional development training courses, seminars and workshops throughout the year but they are pleased to announce two forthcoming course dates:

26 Oct 2011 - Elastomer technology and seal design for critical sealing applications.
Venue: Balmoral Suite, Norwood Hall Hotel, Garthdee Road, Cults, Aberdeen, AB15 9FX
23 Nov 2011 - Elastomer technology and seal design for critical sealing applications.  More info.
Venue: PPE, Greenbank Road, Blackburn, BB1 3EA

These educational events are designed to increase the delegate’s awareness of the important aspects of elastomer technology. The content of each course/seminar/workshop is industry specific and tailored to the attendees’ requirements.

Events are held at PPE’s purpose built training centre in England, at delegates’ own business premises (subject to a minimum group size) or at strategically located convention venues throughout Europe and the USA.

PPE training events are delivered by leading experts in the elastomer industry, ensuring that delegates receive the benefit of many years experience as well as the very latest technical know-how.

Current training courses include:

•    An introduction to elastomer materials and how O rings are made (1 day or ½ day)
•    Elastomer technology and seal design for critical sealing applications (1 day)
•    Elastomer technology and seal design for diesel engines (1 day)
•    Elastomer technology and seal design for the semiconductor industry (1 or 2 days)
•    Elastomer technology and seal design for the pharmaceutical industry (coming soon)

New courses are constantly being added in response to customer demand.

Founded in 1974, PPE has over 35 years specialized sealing expertise, offering an unrivalled range of products from over 170 elastomer materials. Precision Polymer Engineering (PPE) Ltd is a unit of IDEX Corp, and operates as a business within IDEX’s Health and Science Technologies segment. PPE is a world leading designer and manufacturer of high performance rubber seals and rubber gaskets solutions. The company’s elastomers product range is used in many demanding manufacturing environments around the world. Applications as varied as semi-conductor manufacturing, food processing, pharmaceuticals, marine engineering and power generation benefit from PPE’s innovative, robust and reliable rubber sealing and o rings solutions.

If you wish to attend a future training on o ring seals technology or elastomer technology and rubber seals design courses please visit http://www.prepol.com.

Dublin, such a popular destination with groups whether it be for sporting events, sight seeing, stag and hen parties or university tours.

When thinking of a destination that caters for just about all tastes then Dublin is hard to beat. From the extensive arts and culture, to sporting events and music festivals, Dublin has it all. For group travel, it really is the destination of choice.

Universities, schools, brides and grooms to be, family and friends are all feeling the effects of the economic downturn. These groups are having to be more aware of costs for group travel.

You don’t need to spend a fortune to have a great time in Dublin and Cork - there are lots of things to do, see and experience and we can help you to plan and book the best of them at the cheapest group prices. Many of Dublins top attractions are located within easy access of a large selection of hostels in Dublin.
Read the rest of this entry »

Week off work…check, beautiful vistas required, the English Lake District…check, want to see as much as possible, camper van…check!

With such vast, varied and breathtaking scenery as in the Lake District, it is far too difficult a task choosing one destination for a holiday or short break. Great driving roads+breathtaking scenery=the perfect recipe for camper vans.

Camper vans give you:
The opportunity to visit and experience numerous locations in one trip.
Give you the freedom to stop off when and where you like and for what duration.
No need to worry about there not being a hotel or guest house available in the area.
You are protected from the elements unlike camping.

You’ll never tire of driving on the roads in the Lake District and Cumbria which has some of the most scenic roads in England. In particular, Hartside Pass which The AA and Top Gear list in their top 10 driving roads in England. Other great driving roads include the Kirkstone Pass, the A591 which passes through Ambleside, Grasmere and onto Keswick and not for the faint hearted Hardnott and Wrynose passes.
VW camper vans are particularly suited to the roads in the Lake District. They are compact and allow you to drive on the stunning, narrow roads which other, larger camper van and mobile homes would not be able to.

Camper vans have seen a renaissance in recent years both in terms of new camper vans and mobile homes but especially the popularity of the classic VW camper van. Their iconic status continues to grow and excite young and old. Driving around in the VW camper van is guaranteed to turn heads and makes a holiday even more special.

A mobile holiday is the ultimate in economical holidaying. The cost of parking up on a camping or caravanning site is nominal and sometimes areas can be found that are free. You can self cater as much of the meals as you wish although the Lake District has some fantastic eating houses that really should be visited.

Many people simply can’t justify purchasing a VW camper van for themselves due to lack of annual leave and other commitments. A camper van has to be used regularly both for economy and for the wellbeing of the van. The perfect solution is in the form of hiring. VW camper hire is now available in the Lake District and enables those who want to experience a camper van holiday but that do not want to purchase one. Volkswagen camper van hire is also great for those thinking of purchasing a van to gain knowledge of driving one. Camper van hire in the UK, sorted.

Dee began her career as a graphic designer working in design studios for over 10 years. She began printmaking 3 years ago and is now a full time print maker hand printing all her own work from her small printmaking studio in the Peak District Derbyshire.

Many things including nature, animals and plant forms inspire her work. She also loves the pattern and colour of vintage Scandinavian folk art that is often reflected in her work.

At the moment most of her prints are produced on a Japanese Print Gocco. Print Gocco is small self-contained tabletop screen-printing machine first produced in Japan in the 1970s. The process is very similar to screen-printing and at one time a Print Gocco was found in most Japanese homes.

Dee has exhibited in a small selection of UK galleries and currently has a selection of her prints published on note cards by Attic Art Publishing London.

Design Supremo supply limited edition prints, art prints, art posters, wall art and screen prints.

From 2012, changes to pensions law will affect all employers with at least one worker in the UK. This document is a summary of these changes, including what employers must do and how they might set about getting ready.

We have published a series of guidance that explains the new employer duties in detail and how they should be implemented. The guidance is available for download from our website: www.tpr.gov.uk/pensions-reform

The changes in a nutshell

Employers will need to:
• Automatically enrol certain workers into a pension scheme
• Make contributions on their workers’ behalf
• Register with The Pensions Regulator (‘the regulator’)
• Provide workers with certain information about

When are the changes happening?
The new employer duties will be introduced in stages over 4 years, starting in 2012. Each employer will be allocated a date from when the duties will first apply to them, known as their ‘staging date.’
This date is based on the number of people in an employer’s PAYE scheme. Employers with the largest numbers of workers in their PAYE schemes will have the earliest staging date.
Employers can check their provisional staging date on our website: www.tpr.gov.uk/staging
To allow some flexibility, employers can choose to bring forward their staging date, provided the regulator is informed. However, employers cannot choose a later date than the one they are allocated.
Finding out when the staging date is likely to be is the first thing an employer should do, so they can plan what they need to do to be ready in good time.

What will employers need to do?
• Assess their workforce
• Identify who to automAtically enrol
• Choose a pension scheme - i.e. National Employment Savings Trust - NEST Pensions
• Register with the regulator
• Make contributions
• Process any opt-out notices
• Process opt-in or joining requests
• Avoid inducements and prohibited activity
• Keep accurate records
• Provide workers with information about changes

What should employers do now?

Employers should:
• Look up their provisional staging date at www.tpr.gov.uk/staging
• Plan for when they might need their pension scheme in place and take action if necessary – including planning when and how they will assess their workforce
• Budget for these changes
• Look out for further information and guidance from the regulator. This can be done by signing up to the regulator’s free news-by-email service www.tpr.gov.uk/news

Formed in 1991, Electrical Testers are one of the leading companies in the UK. Offering full National Coverage they also regularly cover Northern Ireland, Eire and Central Europe. Their electrical services include PAT testing, fire alarm testing, emergency lighting testing and fixed wire testing.

Directly employing only fully qualified electricians, they offer a level of technical capability and service which is unparalleled in the Industry.

With continued growth over the last decade, the company is rated as an exceptional performer by industry analysts.

Electrical Testers have the culture, people and systems to provide the ultimate service.

UK Health & Safety legislation is extensive and requires that whatever your activity, you must provide a safe environment for your staff and your customers.

The services provided by Electrical Testers Ltd are designed to comply with a variety of legislation, regulations and British Standards.

Although not exhaustive, most of the relevant regulations and standards are listed below:

Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 PAT Testing

BS5839:Pt1:2002 - Fire Alarm Inspection & Testing
BS5266:Pt1:1999 - Emergency Lighting Inspection & Testing
BS7671:2008 - Periodic Inspection of Fixed Installations
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 - Fire Risk Assessments

PiciScan, based in Kendal is an independent negative, photo and slide scanning service, working for customers throughout the UK.

Do you have a large number of photographs, tucked away in cupboards, the loft or just piled up somewhere? Do you have slides that you barely look at any more? Perhaps you have negatives tidied away in envelopes that you’re no longer sure what they are. Or maybe you have precious memories kept on home videos that are beginning to show signs of wear.

PiciScan can help! We scan all sizes of photograph up to A4 and all sizes of mounted slide and photographic negative. We also convert a variety of different video formats to DVD, including transfer VHS to DVD.

Just call 01539 741418 or visit our online scanning service shop to order your scanning directly.

What you can expect from PiciScan:

* Personal, friendly and helpful service.
* High resolution scans carried out by hand with colour correction.
* Free return delivery on all orders to mainland UK.
* Free secure courier, home collection service on all orders over £45.
* Every order comes with a DVD, personalised with your choice of text and image.

Preserve your memories today.

We now hear quite frequently about the need to support and encourage native breeds of wildlife and also native and traditional breeds of livestock but we all should also be paying this same attention to garden plants.

Garden plants, trees and shrubs are as important as those in the wider landscape and we can all do our bit to support native plants. Hedgerows are synonymous with the UK’s landscape but they are as important for their use as barriers and for privacy as they are for the many species of wildlife that inhabit them.

The last few decades have seen the demise of many thousands of miles of established hedgerows and their associated wildlife. To help redress this balance, hedging nurseries can now be seen offering carefully selected mixtures of native species, which will grow together to form a dense rustic hedge that will be stock proof and encourage a wide variety of wildlife. These mixes can be trimmed at any time from August onwards but ideally in winter. These well balanced mixes are a more economical and convenient way of planting native species which enable gardeners and homeowners with a limited budget to have native hedging.

Native hedging mixes are now available which are both economical and easy to look after. For example, a mix comprising of approximately 70% Quickthorn and Blackthorn to knit the hedge together, the balance is selected from Common Alder, Common Dogwood, Dog Rose, Field Maple, Hazel and Spindle. These native hedge mixes are suitable for a range of situations including coastal areas, windy and exposed areas and wet sites. They are thorny and attract wildlife to boot.

Many gardeners ask hedging nurseries for ‘Evergreen’ mix native hedging plants. Evergreen hedging needs little explanation as to its popularity and is very easy to maintain. Unfortunately there are very few suitable native or indigenous plants that are true evergreens so leaf retaining Beech and Hornbeam for more variety have to be used instead. This mixture gives as good a degree of year round privacy as is possible without using more ‘suburban’ evergreen plants. An example mixture comprises 50% Quickthorn and Blackthorn to knit the hedge together, 10% Green Holly, 10% Evergreen Oak, 10% Green Beech, 10% Hornbeam and 10% Wild Rose, Spindle, Guelder Rose and Wayfaring Tree. These are usually available as 2-3ft and 3-4ft transplant although Holly and Evergreen Oak are usually supplied pot grown at the same height. It should be noted that if this mixture is to be planted on a cold exposed inland site, it is a recommendation that Green Holly is substituted for the Evergreen Oak hedging which will not succeed in these conditions.

Set right on the mouth of the River Wear next to a beautiful coastline and surrounded by easily accessible countryside.

Sunderland is a city with a difference – a modern, bustling centre that is balanced with a relaxing green environment, stunning coastal scenery and a refreshing attitude to life. Citypadz provide a number of apartments to rent in Sunderland, and are one of the premier Sunderland letting agents.

Shopping
The retail heart of the city is focused around The Bridges Shopping Centre, where over 100 top name high street stores jostle for position along the bright and airy walkways. New investment is bringing life back into the fine Victorian streets of the city centre, where independent shops and boutiques offer everything from designer labels to trendy interiors. Eye-catching pieces of jewellery, glassware and ceramics are also a Sunderland speciality, with craft and gift shops at the museums and galleries featuring the works of up and coming designer-makers.

Heritage and culture
The Sunniside Cultural Quarter in Sunderland city centre situated mid-way between the River Wear and the Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens is home to a host of top cultural Sunderland arts centres including the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Arts and The Place, a cutting edge new arts and business centre with art exhibitions.

On the northern banks of the River Wear you will find the spectacular Sunderland Stadium of Light football stadium, St Peter’s historic church, one of the oldest churches in Britain, and the National Glass Centre.

The city’s Empire Theatre is also the only theatre between Leeds and Edinburgh large enough to host major West End shows. Opened in 1907, it boasts splendid examples of Edwardian architecture.

Sports and leisure
Sunderland’s green spaces and magnificent coastline also make an ideal stage for a number of exhilarating outdoor festivals and events. From the adrenaline rush of the Red Arrows at the Sunderland International Airshow and the world’s best kite flyers at the Sunderland International Friendship Festival, to traditional ox roasting and fireworks at Houghton Feast, there is always something going on in Sunderland to suit all tastes.

For the energetic types, the Sunderland Wall and Silksworth Sports Complex offer climbing, skiing and snowboarding while Adventure Sunderland and the North East Diving Academy, both located on the beautiful coastline of Roker, boasts facilities for windsurfers, kayakers and divers.

Eating out and nightlife
Sunderland is a city that knows how to enjoy itself, and with a host of new bars and restaurants opening to join the established favourites there is no shortage of places to have a good time. Sunderland city centre features an array of contemporary and traditional bars, clubs and pubs and many near Sunderland renting properties.

The new underground music scene, which has recently evolved in Sunderland, has been voted the best by NME. Various venues throughout the Sunderland city play host to regular live music nights, featuring up and coming talent of the city.

Cypher Digital Imaging Ltd is pleased to announce the launch of their latest service, digital wallpaper.

Ideal for restaurants, attractions, hotels, residential, holiday lets, service areas and retail, Cypher’s digital wallpaper is prepasted so needs no additional adhesive. It is so simple to use that the customer can fit it themselves or a commercial decorator can fit it. The digital wallpaper is PVC free and is printed using HP’s environmentally friendly Latex inks. Unlike solvent inks these are not harmful to the environment and have no odour, making it safe for any domestic or commercial applications. The ultra smooth finish and the latex base of the inks provide vivid colour graphics with high-definition detail.

The benefits of this new digital wallpaper compared with the older PVC based substrates are vast.  As well as the environmental benefits of this new digital wallpaper, it also meets commercial wall covering standards and for indoor use, has a permanence of 10 years+. Should that length of permanence not be required, the digital wallpaper comes with a manufacturers warranty for clean removal. In terms of safety, the digital wallpaper is flame retardant so meets health and safety guidelines.

It was a colourful start to 2011 at the new Furmanite IT & Training Centre in Kendal. Furmanite commissioned a full colour digital wallpaper graphic for the new centre from Cypher. The graphic which is a very colourful montage of Furmanite workers undertaking various tasks is a huge 9.5m wide and just under 2.5m high. It was printed on the latest HP PVC-free wall paper using environmentally friendly 1.5m wide HP latex printer.

For more information on digital wallpaper and to obtain quotes, visit http://www.cypherdigital.co.uk/new05/printed-wallpaper.html

We should all be doing our “bit” to save energy and in turn save the environment.

Household attitudes to energy conservation and the environment vary considerably. Whether it’s due to people purely not caring, not having enough time, being miss informed or through laziness that they don’t recycle or do not do not conserve energy resources for example.

Saving energy and conserving water in the home are very easy practices but with plentiful water and electricity on demand, we often forget these are not sustainable resources and do cost money.

The economic downturn has hit just about everyone. Of course is varying amounts but what each and every one of us are noticing is the rise in fuel bills especially during the last two harsh Winters experienced in the United Kingdom. Monthly bills can be seen, the rising costs month on month felt.

Whatever way a household conserves and saves energy and water is good and for whatever reason. If the honest reason is not due to environmental reasons then that isn’t all bad, resources are still being saved at the end of the day. For example, replacing an inefficient shower head with a high flow rate to a water efficient one could save a family of four in the region of £50 off their gas bills and around £75 off their water bills each year. That is a quite considerable saving of both resources and money. And why waste time waiting for a full kettle of water to boil when only a cup full is required. Only filling the kettle with the amount of water required saves electricity, water and time.

An easy way to monitor and save electricity, gas and water is by installing meters. Gas, electricity and water meter installations are on the rise with households and businesses wanting to monitor consumption which in turn, helps achieve lower bills. Electricity usage can be tracked to find out when and with what products use the most energy. These pieces of equipment or appliances could be used in a different way to lower energy consumption or may be even replaced with more energy efficient items.
Read the rest of this entry »

Choose Clean Around the Bend for Septic Tank cleaning using Biobug SEP, the environmentally friendly Septic Treatment additive.
All of their products are made with environmentally friendly and naturally occurring biological microbes.
They are designed to help you clean your home and keep it smelling fresh.
If you have a touring caravan, a motor home, a mobile home, a boat or a second home Clean around the Bend can help you keep them fresh and clean too.
There are products to keep your drains clean and running freely; to maintain your septic tank; and to improve your compost heap.
And products for Hotels, Cafes, and B&B’s including grease trap cleaner products.
It’s not just drains that cause funny smells in the home, so do some pets. Clean around the Ben have products to help with those too.

Industrial Air Power Ltd is the authorised distributor for Ingersoll Rand Industrial Technologies products throughout Wales and the South West of England. The two companies have made a dramatic shift from being suppliers of equipment to providers of solutions. We are fully conversant with all aspects of air generation and equipped to carry out energy audits on any installed system, regardless of size or manufacturer.

A full system audit includes leak detection, measurement of energy consumption, and flow measurement including pressure, temperature and final air quality.

As utility rates continue to rise and firms continue to look to green initiatives, energy consumption has become a growing concern for manufacturers.

One of the largest energy users within a plant is the compressed air system. Energy recovery provides a cost-effective way for manufacturers to reduce their energy bills while simultaneously benefiting the environment by capturing the thermal energy created through the compression process and putting it to work. Where the heat produced from a compressor can be fully utilised, simple payback periods of less than two years are frequently achieved.

Having already worked with Carbon Trust on a variety of projects, Terram called on its expertise when faced with rising energy costs. The specialist manufacturer of geosynthetic materials, employing 95 staff at its manufacturing plant near Pontypool, worked with Industrial Air Power to eliminate energy inefficiencies and redesign and install a new air compressor system. The result was an industry best in terms of energy usage and savings of £202,000 per annum. It also produced:

* Energy savings of approximately 11.25 million kWh over five years
* Cost savings of approximately £1m in five years
* Emission savings of 7,390 tonnes CO2 in the same period
* Payback of approximately 24 months

David Roberts, control engineer at Terram Ltd, said: “The savings we are seeing now are unbelievable but just as important is the fact that we are reducing our carbon emissions and therefore benefiting the environment.”

Although Terram had already started to investigate the costs for new compressed air systems, it hadn’t looked at where, when, how much air was being used. Carbon Trust helped it identify this and used Industrial Air Power to design a system to meet its needs.

Having a tailor-made system installed in turn allowed Terram to capitalise on secondary savings such as heat recovery and compressed air leak reduction.

Ongoing monitoring of the fully automated system allows the savings to be quantified. Monitoring also ensures that the focus on savings is maintained and remains a high priority for Terram.

The new compressor system was located into the steam boiler house. This enabled Terram to recover the waste heat generated by the compressors and use this to raise the temperature of the water in the hot well, which feeds the boiler. Increased water temperature in turn reduces the amount of gas needed to generate steam.

The aggregated savings from the installation of the new system and implementation of the measures identified represented an 11.8 per cent reduction in the site’s energy consumption and overall a 38.7 per cent reduction in the electrical energy consumption directly associated with the generation of the compressed air.

An annual CO2 saving of 1,214 tonnes has been achieved plus an additional 264 tonnes from a reduction in gas usage due to the heat recovery process.

From monitoring the system, it was calculated that Terram was using on average 85m3/min of compressed air with an efficiency of 8kW/m/min, which equated to 7.2 million kWh per annum. By installing a new compressor set supplied by Industrial Air Power, it was calculated that the efficiency could be improved to 6kW/m3/min. Post-installation monitoring has proved that the new machinery provides an average efficiency of 5.8kW/m3/min – delivering significant savings. The gas savings are on top of this.

The benefits to Terram have been fourfold: a significant reduction in energy costs, the ability to protect plant integrity, reduced maintenance cost and the added benefit of reduced gas consumption from the increased water temperature in the steam boiler hot well.

Installing new Ingersoll Rand two stage fixed speed air compressors along with a Nirvana two stage trim compressor, fully automated via a control system provided Terram with primary energy savings. Secondary savings came as a result of the heat recovery process, lower maintenance costs and the leak reduction programme.

The exercise has been successful in achieving reductions of CO2 emissions and the overall costs of supplying the service of compressed air to the business.

A Carbon Trust Wales consultant worked together with Industrial Air Power and Terram engineers providing impartial, independent advice enabling the company to make an informed decision and deliver value for money. Carbon Trust independently validated the energy savings and confirmed that they exceeded Industrial Air Power’s initial projections.

Through our experience in carrying out hundreds of compressed air audits we have identified the majority of existing compressed air systems include one or more of these deadly sins. This will have and adverse affect on your reliability, productivity and energy consumption.

* System over-pressurisation resulting in increased artificial demand
* Excessive waste through air leakage
* False loading of compressors due to lack of system automation and volume
* Inefficiency caused by cycling fixed output compressors
* Excessive pressure drop

If you would like advice on calculating your savings potential and increasing your company’s profitability contact Industrial Air Power on 01656 658961, email sales@airpower.co.uk

Do I really need to get my meter or tester calibrated?

There are companies who will sell you a Check Box and tell you that there is no need to send your meter away for calibration. Simply check it periodically yourself using the Check Box. To help you decide whether this is good advice you need to consider what you get for the money you spend on having the meter calibrated.

Proper meter calibration carried out periodically by a UKAS accredited electrical calibration laboratory, where the accuracy of the meter under test is compared with a standard of known accuracy, under repeatable controlled conditions will give you peace of mind and in depth knowledge about the performance of your meter across its full operating range. You’ll get a UKAS calibration certificate detailing the full measured results and a quantified statement of the uncertainty of those results.

A quick comparison with a check box “in the field” will not deliver the same level of confidence. Check boxes do however have their place. They are very useful for carrying out quick in-service checking of the major functions of a meter between calibrations. Especially useful when you are on-site, if the meter has been dropped or subjected to overload. Proper UKAS meter calibration is however the only way you can be absolutely sure that the measurements made with the meter are of known accuracy and can be relied upon.

Would you buy a second hand car without an MOT? Probably not. The risks and dangers are obvious. Similarly, the risks and dangers of relying on electrical measurements made using an un-calibrated meter should be equally obvious. To sum up then, check boxes have their place, but their use should not be considered an acceptable alternative to a proper calibration by a UKAS accredited laboratory.

Specialising in functional solid wood furniture for the home, colourful and child friendly children’s furniture including toy storage products such as childrens toy boxes. Our home furniture product range includes breadboards, wooden platters, pegboard and footstool products, tables and ottoman products. In addition to our stylish product range Childs and Co also commission and produce one off pieces tailored to your personal needs and taste.

Using predominantly local materials, Childs and Co furniture and products are renowned for their clean lines, durability and sustainability. In traditional or contemporary styles, Childs and Co furniture and accessories are designed for you and your home.

Choose from the existing product line or call for a bespoke solution, and be comfortable in the knowledge a Childs and Co piece will add a statement to your home.

The way in which we shop has changed considerably in recent years. The internet is now where many of us shop for groceries right through to larger purchases that require more thought such as furniture.

Due to the ability to shop online, it is now easier and more enjoyable to buy gifts and items for the home. The internet has enabled us to be able to choose from a far wider choice of merchandise than on the high street even if you live in a large city. For those living in smaller towns or rural locations, online shopping has become not just a convenience but a life line.

The United Kingdom is home mad, interiors mad with no home being too small for a makeover. In the last 10 to 15 years, with the help of home makeover shows on the television, the nation is obsessed with recreating a show stopping interior.

Furnishings are a very personal statement and can say a lot about you and your home. Couple that with the longing to make a house look different and the need to look further afield than a furniture chain store is a further must.

Finding the right furniture for a home is often a head ache. The choice in many large furniture stores on the retail parks around the UK is bland, replicated in every home already and not in any way exciting. Buying furniture online allows a broader choice of styles from different shops including boutique and individual retailers. The internet has also helped the retailer by giving them the chance to search all over the world for stock. Now that it is possible to source products that at one time would have been seen as specialist or exclusive due to their location, retailers are able through extensive networks of contacts to offer an impressively wide choice to customers.

Ethical furniture shopping is another change and consumers are now wanting to know where materials such as wood have been sourced from. Wooden furniture such as oak bookcases, shoe cupboards and oak coffee tables should be from sustainable and managed plantation sources. The ethical practices of manufacturers and the retailers are other ways in which people are making purchasing decisions. So to gain the best choice, the best price and the best look, online furniture shopping is the answer.

Even though mail and parcel forwarding has been available in the United Kingdom for some years, most notably offered by Royal Mail, for business and domestic use in the form of “Mail Redirection”. With more and more businesses either moving premises or having operations in other countries, mail forwarding is now offered by other companies and to suit more specific requirements.

Mail forwarding is used for many different purposes but it is the onset of internet that has created the need for more mail forwarding options. Internet based businesses for example who wish to have a valid postal address but who do not have business premises and that do not wish to have a PO Box address. Purchasing goods online from abroad is another reason why both business and domestic consumers would require a mail forwarding address. A parcel forwarding company will set up an address, in the United States for example, where goods purchased will get sent to you and then they will organise the shipping of the goods back to the United Kingdom. By ordering goods in such a way, shipping costs can be greatly cut down.

The latest in mail forwarding in the UK is an international mail and parcel forwarding service offering consumers and businesses the advantage of a hassle free UK postal address from which they can ship anywhere in the world. A UK mail forwarding address also enables overseas businesses to have a presence in the United Kingdom. A mail and parcel forwarding service streamlines businesses and enables even more efficiency when carrying out operations overseas and internationally.

Mail forwarding how it works

Sign Up to a mail forwarding service to get a UK address.
This typically involves following quick and simple steps to register. Choose the right account to suit your need parcel forwarding needs. Click here to compare our parcel forwarding membership options. Once you’ve decided on which service account is right for you, you’ll be given a unique and genuine UK street address.

Make sure your goods are legally importable to the country of delivery
Its your responsibility to make sure that your goods are legally importable to the country of delivery. The forwarding service company will have a list of excluded items to make sure your package isn’t among them.

Get a quote
Find out how much it will cost to get your parcel to the destination country.

Order you goods
Get shopping and place your order. Make sure you enter your mail forwarding UK address when prompted to fill in the shipping address.

The packing forwarding company will receive your parcel
The company will let you know as soon as we receive delivery of your parcel. When you sign in to the online mail forwarding account, you’ll be able to track the status of your parcel as it is prepared for shipment.

The parcel will be prepared for shipment
The mail forwarding company will sort out all the paperwork for you and make sure your parcel is securely packaged.

Your parcel arrives at your doorstep
You can typically expect to receive delivery of your parcel within 5 days of the date of dispatch from the warehouse.

In today’s harsh economic times, effective and dependable fire suppression within business critical areas such as data rooms remains essential, but securing it at the right price can be difficult. Ian Bartle examines some of the key challenges involved and explains what can be done to alleviate the pressure on those critical budgets.

It’s understandable that in all businesses, continuous examination of operating costs are routinely made. Within this, the cost of fire suppression is often considered to be a relatively high but necessary cost. However, there can be very few applications where the absolute reliability of operation of the automatic fire suppression equipment is more business critical than in a data room.

For instance, data rooms of any size will have an air conditioning system in place to control the temperature because of the tremendous amount of heat that’s generated on a continuous basis. Failure of the air conditioning system to function may lead to overheat situations placing stress on the equipment and components. This could cause an outbreak of fire with a resultant and devastating loss of all data within minutes. And don’t forget, we’re potentially talking here of data that’s taken many years to build.

So no question, data rooms need to be protected by a dependable automatic fire suppression system, but does the cost of the system have to give the financial director sleepless nights? The answer is a resounding no.

One thing that we all know is that high volumes of water and computers don’t sit happily together. That’s why for years now, chemical gaseous agents such as FM 200, Inert gas systems and now water mist have been employed to do the job of fire protection. They have performed the task of suppressing fires by physical cooling of the affected area or by decreasing the oxygen in the atmosphere to a level that no longer supports combustion. All utilise a system of high pressure pipework and nozzles to deliver the suppression medium into the risk area.

However, recent world wide shortages of raw materials have prompted dramatic increases in the cost of chemical gases, FM 200 in particular. This in turn has affected the cost of new fire system installations and that of recharge and service where gas needs to be replaced  (up to 40% in some cases), making them far less competitive on price. This fact has forced buyers of fire suppression systems to widen their search for equally reliable but more cost effective alternatives.

As already described, Data Rooms need the optimum in automatic fire suppression and extinguishers as do other special areas such as network infrastructures, art galleries, museums, antique centres, and power generation plants to name just a few. The objective is always to save lives and property. But innovative fire protection can now do a whole lot more. Today it combines science and economics and matches these qualities to total effectiveness and reliability.

In the case of Data Room protection there is now a system that not only beats the performance of chemical and Inert gases, it also provides a superior, environmentally friendly fire suppression. Not only that, the system known as Stat-X allows easier and more cost-effective installations for all these types of challenging applications.