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  • Laurence Llewelyn Bowen, his Home improvements and design ideas!

    Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen is the charismatic, flamboyant interior designer that just like Marmite, you either love him or hate him!  His sense of individual style can be outrageous and decadent but his popularity is huge and his room creations are certainly a talking point.  His unusual and quirky renovations have included Bespoke Glass Balustrades and led to many viewers asking, where his ideas come from?  His charismatic smile and quick, witty banter have charmed confused audiences and he has been known to have uttered the phrase “if you are a looking for a bespoke glass balustrade” in one of his more unusual responses.

    This self-styled British Interior Designing Guru was born on the eleventh of March 1965 and rose to fame on the BBC Television programme “Changing Rooms”.  He also presented the television documentary in which he went “In search of England’s green and Pleasant Land”.  He regularly features on two of the most popular BBC Television design series, “The Big Build, and DIY SOS”.  On the eleventh of February he entered the Celebrity version of “Who wants to be a Millionaire” with his wife Jackie and together they managed to win £500,000 for their chosen Charity, “Shooting Star Chase” a children’s Hospice.

    Whatever your personal opinion is of Lawrence he definitely has a unique style and a flair for the dramatic.  His designs are certainly “one of a kind” works of art and his inspirational ideas and creations are memorable to say the least.

  • The annoyance of garden pests

    Anyone with a garden will tell you there is nothing worse than finding that your prize growers have been attacked by pests. Slugs, snails, ants and aphids have decided to feast upon whatever it is you want to grow whilst seemingly avoiding all the weeds. What are the worst offenders and what can be done about them? At least you know that the lawn can be kept in check, especially if you give http://www.briggsbits.co.uk/ a visit when you need some Briggs and Stratton Parts.

    Snails and slugs are the worst. Even more so as they don’t seem to have any predators (they do). They just seem to engage in a slew of wanton destruction. The best way to beat them is to put out a large 500g yoghurt pot with beer in it. They cannot resist it. Don’t bother trying to grow Clematis and Hostas.

    Vine weevils.  Tiny little aphids that just suck the life out of the plant near the flower. Spraying the plant with soapy water will help for a bit. Otherwise just rub your fingers down the stem. Wear a glove as it can get messy.

    There are plenty of others, Pigeons after seeds, Foxes causing general mess. It’s enough to make you weep.

  • The rise of the face mask

    Face masks are big news right now. It has become the symbol of the era of a pandemic – a visual metaphor for the invisible enemy that can lurk in every corner. Some choose to wear scarves wrapped around their faces, others make do with t-shirts pulled over their mouths. Others create colourful homemade varieties and the lucky ones have access to surgical masks or, more rarely, N95 respirators.

    Just a short while ago, public mask wearing would have looked odd in places where this was not the norm, they are now a reminder of the strange times we live in. And as governments around the world began to lighten their lockdowns to allow their citizens to blend in the wider world, more and more people are choosing to wear a mask in public.

    A face mask can help to reduce transmission in the community, especially if used on public transport and inside areas where social distancing is impossible. For face masks, check out Respilon UK at a site like https://www.respitech.co.uk/

    Studies have been published recently to look at the effectiveness of face masks in preventing the spread of the virus from an infected person. They found the standard surgical face mask is enough to greatly reduce the amount of virus escaping in a breath and/or a cough from an infected person suffering from different respiratory viruses, including mild coronavirus, influenza and rhinovirus that causes the common cold.

  • What is in the Air?

    We all need air to breathe. Without it life on earth would not be possible. Have you ever wondered what is actually in the air that we breathe? What is the breakdown of what is in it. We take in air to our lungs. This then oxygenates our blood making our bodies work better. With air being all around us it might surprise you to know that we are being pressed by the air in the Earth’s atmosphere as if we were 34 feet below the seas. In most cases this would be fatal but the air pressure is distributed equally around as plus the water in our bodies pushes back against it meaning we do not get crushed.

    Air is made up of 3 factors. The largest is Nitrogen. This makes up the largest part at 78 percent. Oxygen, which people think air actually is, makes up 21 percent.

    The rest of it is carbon dioxide, which we breathe out, and then things like methane. We need the oxygen part to make a  flame. A Boiler Service Gloucester based firm like https://www.hprservicesltd.com/gloucester-boilers/boiler-service-gloucester/ will soon tell you that without a supply of air nothing is going to work.

  • The importance of community in older age

    As human beings we are predisposed to desiring connections with others, whether this is with our friends and family or with other people that we have things in common with. This dates back to when we were hunter gatherers and working in a community was essentially to our very existence. With more and more of us split from our friends and families across the globe as geographical restrictions are no longer such an issue the problem of isolation can occur.

    This can become more of a problem as we age and enter retirement as the natural community that we have based around our jobs ceases to exist. In order to counteract this Residential Park Homes such as http://www.parkhomelife.com/our-parks/orchard-park-homes-gloucester-gloucstershire/ cretae the perfect, ready made community for those who are looking to retire to be a part of.

    Whether it is finding neighbours that have worked in similar jobs as you or joining one of the social groups that often operate at these parks and finding new friendships, the ready-made communities that are a part of these age related settlements is incredibly important in helping to remove some of the barriers that can accuse isolation. Many people looking to retire in the near future will move into these parks at ages 50-55 so that the friendships that they develop there can help them to navigate through the sometimes difficult period of retirement.

  • Surely squirrels aren’t pests?

    You might not believe that squirrels can be pests. After all, aren’t they cute, furry animals? Not all the time. While they look cute running up trees and nibbling on nuts, they can cause damage if allowed to roam around in your attic space, for example.

    They are also old enemies of bird enthusiasts because they make a habit of stealing nuts, seeds and fruits that are left in the garden to attract wild birds. For squirrel problems, consider Pest Control Chelmsford at a site like https://www.stgeorgespestcontrolessex.co.uk/pest-control-essex-services/pest-control-chelmsford/

    Our native squirrels have seen decreased numbers over recent decades due to competition for food and an increase in natural predators. Their habitat has also been slowly eroded.

    Clear signs that they live nearby includes ‘dreys’ which is a large nest usually made in tree forks and hollow tree trunks. As a protected species, it is illegal to harm or capture the red squirrel or destroy, even partially, an area where they live.

    The grey squirrel is an invasive species which considerably outnumbers the native red squirrel. This type of squirrel is thought of as a pest in forests, as they can be pretty destructive in stripping the bark off the trees.

    All species of squirrels are capable of becoming a pest, especially when they get into the attic in the winter. They pose little danger to people though. Inside the house, squirrels can cause major damage to the heating and air conditioning systems if they get into the electrical equipment. Squirrels can make holes in the siding and cause damage to attic insulation.

    Outdoors, squirrels can cause considerable damage to the electrical and telephone cables. Squirrels also can chew holes in the siding. Squirrels should not be approached as they can bite.

  • What is colour? Where does it come from?

    We need colour. In fact, our ability to see colour is one of things that enable us to survive and continue to exist? For example, if we saw everything in neutrals (greys, white and black) we wouldn’t be able to tell when a traffic light was telling us to stop or to go, Snooker would be incredibly difficult to play and we couldn’t decide which shade of Farah Shirts we would like to wear. Luckily we can see colour and https://www.ejmenswear.com/men/farah/t-shirt have a great variety to choose from.

    Colour is light. How we see the light is defined by our eye interpretation of it. Not every mammal can do this. Dogs and Guinea Pigs, for example, cannot see certain colours and are effectively colourblind.

    The colour that we see is simply the wavelengths of light. White is a combination of all the colours  together. A famous example is the fast spinning of a multi color disc. At first the brain can register the colours. This then becomes a nondescript grey as the colours merge. Black is the absence of all colours. Therefore it is also the absence of all light.

  • Enjoy a Family day out at the Races

    Looking for a memorable, enjoyable, fun day out for all the family, then look no further than a day out at the Races.  A great adventure for anybody of any age, a family day out together enjoying the thrill and excitement of horses and jockeys racing against each other, hooves ponding and horses soaring over fences and landing safely on the other side.  Jockey’s standing up in their stirrups as they shout encouragement to their trusty steeds.

    There are over sixty-three race courses in the United Kingdom; from Aintree in Liverpool, Beverley in Yorkshire, Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, Kelso in Northumberland and Newbury in Berkshire you will find a racing venue close enough to home to attend easily.  While out and about in Berkshire enjoying your family day out at the races there why not make use of a function room in Newbury?  Function Rooms Newbury could provide somewhere for all your Family to eat, drink, be merry and re-tell all your wining exploits and close calls.

    Wherever you go to enjoy you Family day at the races make sure you wear appropriate clothing, it can be chilly towards the evening so a warm wrap and comfy shoes are essential.  If standing out in the hot sun make sure children are covered up with hats, sunglasses and skin protection.  Have a set budget to spend and stick to it, don’t forget extra expenses will be needed for food and drink throughout the day.

  • Repetitive Strain Injury – Prevention and Treatment

    Working in an office is certainly not the most hazardous job – it isn’t like being a tree surgeon, a deep-sea fisherman or a lion tamer for example! But it does come with potential health problems if you are not careful, and one of the most common of these is RPS or repetitive strain injury.

    Unfortunately, people working in an office don’t usually realise that they are causing a problem until the damage is done. The first signs that you have RPS are usually a pain or an ache, or a tingling or numb feeling. This is usually in the arm, hand or wrist, all the parts that you use regularly sat at a desk.

    One of the most important things to remember when it comes to preventing RPS is that your posture is very important. Make sure that you have a good chair, to get it sooner rather than later use a company that offers next day office furniture.

    It is also important that your workstation is set up correctly, for example you don’t want to be reaching across to much as this can cause problems, and remember to take regular breaks – try setting an alarm on your phone or computer to remind you to do this. It is much better to take short, regular breaks than one long one.

    If your doctor thinks you may have RSI, there are a few things that you can do. One thing is to stop doing the thing that is causing it or making it worse. You may be prescribed some painkilling medication if you are in pain and will also probably be referred to a physiotherapist. Steroid injections are also sometimes given to lower the inflammation, and surgery can be done if there are problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome.

  • Mythical trees

    Because of the importance of life-giving trees, they often become the subject of myths, legends and folklore throughout history. Their power, strength and vitality has inspired many stories of spiritual and magical power. Here are some famous mythical trees of folklore from across the world:

    The Kalpa Tree

    In Indian mythology, this is not just one specific tree but a whole spiritual concept. The symbol of the tree of hope, it is believed that the tree can connect you to the divine. The myth of the wishing tree even led Alexander the Great to go looking for them, to get all his worldly wishes granted!

    The Banyan Tree

    This is said to be the tree type that the Buddha sat under when he received enlightenment. Many people still believe in their magical powers and that the roots of the banyan tree never stop growing and reach the centre of the earth, making it an eternal tree. If you cut one down, it will sprout again from strong underground roots. If you’re dealing with root problems that are less than magical, contact a Tree Surgeon Essex at a site like Benchmark, a leading Tree Surgeon Essex.

    Yggdrasil

    It is an ancient tree of life of Norse mythology. It plays a major role in the tales of the god Odin. In the quest for deeper knowledge, Odin traveled horse, hanging himself from a tree Yggdrasil for nine days and nine nights and with a spear pierced his own body. He then gained the knowledge she sought from runes. The tree is a symbol of the sky, often represented by a serpent eagle on top and at the bottom.