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Without a doubt, one of the most popular animals to have as a pet in the UK is a dog, but would you know what to think about when deciding which dog to choose, and would you know what equipment you need and how to care for it? Here are some of the things you need to consider. (more…)

Kent Traffic Police recently tweeted live updates as they cracked down on lorries tailgating their unmarked vehicles whilst patrolling the contraflow measures on the M20 which have been implemented to prepare for a No Deal Brexit. This led the fed up officers to begin pulling over the HGVs, with one disgruntled motorist even attempting to force the unmarked car out of the way.

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What happened?

On Saturday 13th April, Kent’s Roads Policing Unit warned followers on Twitter of impatient drivers tailgating them on the M20 as they patrolled the coast bound M20 contraflow. Officers went on to state that despite the 50mph speed limit, a vehicle drove extremely closely behind their unmarked car for a mile. Needless to say, the offending vehicle pulled back when the blue lights turned on.

Despite officers swiftly stopping the vehicle, they soon had to repeat their actions, tweeting to their followers that they stopped their third HGV for careless driving after the vehicle was seen tailgating three separate vehicles, whilst another car driver was reported due to lane hogging. Officers were keen to assure followers that the offending HGV drivers were not just foreign, stating that a local driver was also reported due to careless driving after attempting to force officer’s unmarked vehicle out of their way on the M26.

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For highway and motorway maintenance vehicles keen to avoid being tailgated like the Kent Police Force, Chevrons kits are an effective way of keeping any tailgaters at bay, thanks to their fluorescent colouring which ensures high visibility. There are chevrons kits available for a wide range of popular transit vehicle models and they can be easily applied, often using magnetic or self-adhesive stickers.

What is Operation Brock?

According to the BBC Operation Brock was designed to tackle disruption caused by delays at the border and acts as a safe, scalable response to disruption.

As well as tailgating drivers, officers also pulled over lane hoggers, as motorists attempted to deal with the chaos surrounding Operation Brock, which is concerned with implementing contraflow measures such as installing a steel barrier as a preparatory measure for the potential ramifications of a No Deal Brexit. Despite the operation ending earlier in April, a 50mph speed limit has remained in place on the M20.

Where would we be without our humble boilers? They sit in the kitchen or wherever happily gurgling away and doing their job without any cause for complaint. If there is a problem then you soon get to know about it. There is no hot water for washing and the central heating goes off which, if it’s the winter time is a very serious issue. The best thing to do would be to consult a Boiler repair Gloucester comapny like https://redbridgeandsons.co.uk/heating-systems-gloucestershire/boiler-repairs-gloucester/ but it can help if you can identify the problem before you ring. One thing that you should not do is touch the boiler or remove any panels. Only trained professionals can do this, especially as there is the presence of natural gas.

Bleeding the Radiators. The only thing that you can be done by yourself to ensure the system is working ok is to regularly bleed the radiators by letting out any pockets of air that might have formed. A special key is used to open up the valves. If any air is in the system it will be released and as soon as water starts to seep out then you’ve done your job and to need to tighten it back up again. When you find that you radiators are partly or totally cold then the air in the system is the likely answer if they haven’t been used for a while.

Sometimes listening to the boiler when it’s in full flight can help you diagnose the problems. You still should not attempt to fix it but if you can hear a banging or whistling noise there may well be air in the system, your water pump is failing or you are experiencing low water pressure. To relieve the knocking and banging you could try bleeding the radiators (see above). Pipes carrying hot water expand and contract naturally so there is no need to be too concerned but if you have any doubts contact a professional service to check. One of the most common is the sound of a kettle boiling. This is very common in hard water areas as it usually means there is a build-up of silt in the pipes restricting the water flow.

If you have any indication of low water pressure then it might be that you have a leak in the system somewhere. This may well be a valve has gone wrong and possibly been corroded. This sort of thing needs to be replaced and the services of a professional will be required.

 

You’ll have seen it time and time again. Those empty premises in town are suddenly a hive of activity, as workmen come and go, creating a new café, bar or restaurant – seemingly with no expense spared. Within a short space of time, trendy new décor is in place along with chic furniture and an impressively large menu is posted at the window. To a fanfare of publicity the new business is opened – only to close abruptly within the space of a few months. (more…)

You have just had a beautiful kitchen installed by a Kitchens Doncaster  company and want to invite your family and friends round for dinner but the summer weather has you puzzled as to what to serve. As an aside if like me you are looking for a new kitchen Go to Christies for kitchens in Doncaster. (more…)

The positive benefits of a certain amount of natural sunlight have now been documented for some time. Being able to let the right amount of natural sunlight into our homes and workplaces keeps us healthier and more productive. So, what are these benefits?

Sustainability

Natural light is provided by nature, so anything that reduces our need to rely on man-made power and the burning of fossil fuels must be a good thing. It’s better for us and for the environment. By increasing exposure to sunlight at the right times with modern energy efficient doors and windows makes a healthier, more sustainable and more comfortable home or workplace.

Good for us

Natural light is good for us, reducing the growth of bacteria and other organisms that might be happening in our homes. Sunlight is a natural disinfectant and also increases people’s uptake of vitamins B and D. Natural sunlight helps give a healthy complexion, has healing powers for skin, improves circulation and is said to improve digestion. Sunlight also boosts the number of red blood cells; white blood cell counts and the immune system.

Natural sunlight boosts the production of serotonin and endorphins and also helps people to sleep better. It helps to balance your hormones; boosts energy levels and makes organs stronger.

Economical

By increasing the amount of natural light entering your home or workplace, you should see a reduction in your fuel bill as you rely on artificial lighting a lot less. Doors and windows are also significantly more energy efficient than they used to be. Many workplaces choose to install brise soleil to make the most of beneficial sunlight but keeping it out when it gets too much or too hot. For more information on Brise Soleil, contact https://alusystems.uk

Mental benefits

There can be no denying that a sunny day boosts our mood. Sunlight encourages energy and can improve productivity. Studies have found that workers in natural lighting have improved short-term cognitive ability than those working in dimly lit environments. Workers bathed in natural sunlight have fewer sick days than others and have a generally improved productivity, energy and positive attitude.

How to increase the natural light in your home

Thankfully, there are some steps that you can take straight away to improve the natural lighting levels in your home or workplace. There are plenty of ore permanent steps you can take as well.

• Keep the curtains or blinds pulled back or open during the hours of daylight
• Try to avoid positioning any dark, heavy or thick furniture in front of or near the windows
• Decorate your interior with light colours and shades
• Have white trim around the doors and windows
• Place wall mirrors opposite windows to diffuse the sun’s rays throughout the room
• Change exterior doors from solid to ones with windows
• Install a new energy efficient window, especially on south-facing walls
• Change existing windows to newer, thermal windows if existing ones are outdated

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here in the UK we are a nation of animal lovers which is why pet businesses such as a Cheltenham Cattery or a pet food business are steadily increasing in their popularity over the years. Pets come in all shapes and sizes with cats and dogs appearing at the top of the list. There are many facts about both animals but here are some interesting items about cats that you may not be aware of.

It is thought that there are between 8 and 9 million cats living her in the UK and some reports suggest that cat ownership is increasing year on year and beginning to rival the number of people who are dog owners. In order for a cat to live a happy and healthy life as a domesticated pet it requires a number of items most of which link to the cats natural tendencies. These include:

• Food and water – the variety of food will depend very much on your breed of cat and their preference. But it is important to remember that unless advised by your Vet a cat should have a carnivorous diet. This can be made up of wet or dried food but a cat can not survive on a purely vegetarian diet.
• Litter trays – one for each cat that you have in the household
• Private spaces – this can be a cat tower that doubles up as a scratching post and a toy or simply a few boxes that are strategically located around your house
• Toys – boredom is not good for cats, especially as it tends to lead to mischief. THese toys should encourage your cats natural instincts to scratch and hunt.

Cats do not like change. This is why you will find your cat become stressed when you move some of your furniture items around. They prefer things to remain the same and this goes for their daily routine as well. A cat can become irritated if it does not have its evening meal at the same time. This is why routine is incredibly important for a cat.

A happy cat will rub their way around your furniture, your home and you. When a cat is happy they share their scent by rubbing the glands that are naturally found in their cheek areas. This releases oils and a scent that we can not pick up as humans but that you cat and other animals can. You will tend to find a cat rubbing their cheeks on doors and furniture items as well as on your hands, around your legs and even on the side of your face.

There is a tale about the Highwayman Dick Turpin, or possibly Swift Nick Nevenson, that they committed a robbery in London then rode all night long to get back to York so that they could be seen with the Mayor in the morning. No one would believe they could have done the London job if they were in York for a morning appointment. There are two problems with this firstly, there is no way the Horse would have made it and the other is that the “roads” in those days were little more than potholed rutted dirt tracks that would have seen the horse lose a shoe, at the least or at worst break a leg.  The Dandy Highwayman might have made it if he’d had the benefit of a tarmacadam road and a series of super powered Horses. If you need a Tarmac Contractors Yorkshire way then a visit to https://www.wrsroadsurfacing.co.uk/ should be a your first port of call.

As with many of the best inventions Tarmac came about purely by accident and by a lucky observation. Scotsman John Loudon Mcadam had been the originator of the process of improving the roads of the British Isles by the measurable inclusion of his famous Macadamisation process from 1820 onwards. The process involved a single layer of crushed stone that is squashed down flat with the dust from the stones sticking it together. This made it a lot easier for coaches and people in general to get about the country and especially between towns making trade and the movement of goods simple and with less chance of damages. The size of the stones used was the key and Mcadam gave specific instructions.

By the turn of the century the process was beginning to show its age. This was proved true by the slow introduction of the motor car and charabanc truck. The heavier traffic started to rut the roads, plus there was a large amount of dust being thrown up. Plus once the road crust was broken the elements could get in start to cause more damage. The cost of repairing the roads was becoming too great.

The Welshman Edgar Purnell Hooley was out and about on his morning constitutional when he saw a stretch of very smooth road. After a few inquiries he found out that a barrel of tar had been spilled on the road and some had thrown some slag out of the furnace to try and soak it up. Hooley observed that this accidental road surface was smooth and dust free plus it was rock hard so the chances of it rutting under pressure where reduced. Combining this with the Macadam road process then Tarmac was born.

When it comes to our daily weather it seems that people can become fixated on whether it is going to snow or rain or whether we are going to have a period of unseasonably high temperatures. There have been many studies undertaken about this natural phenomenon and we are lucky that we have developed in such a way that we can build shelters and adapt our internal environment temperatures to suit our needs. A simple call to a Cheltenham Boiler installation company such as http://www.combi-man.com/ will see you sorted with a nice new boiler to keep you and your family nice and warm whilst the snow is falling outside.

If you are interested there are some incredible facts about snowy weather below that you might want to take a look through.

Snow doesn’t just appear predominantly in the Northern Hemisphere, it is a weather pattern that can occur anywhere from Iceland right through to the tropical environment of Hawaii and even the Sahara Desert. If the conditions are right then snow can fall anywhere across our globe and even the driest place on Earth – the Atacama Desert which can be found in Chile has in 2011 received a total on 32 inches of snow. This was all due to a cold front that blew in from  Antarctica.

Snowflakes fall at around 1 to 6 feet each second which is why some snow storms appear to have a lot of force behind them whilst others see the snow drifting down at a slower rate. This will depend very much on the size and make up of the snowflake with those with a rounder and more ice like quality falling quicker. Snowflakes also vary dramatically in size and shape.

As well as snow, cold weather and winds can produce sleet and freezing rain. These are both produced by rain falling from the warm air layers in the sky passing through a layer of colder air. Depending on the size of these layers the result will either be sleet or freezing rain. Sleet is created when the rain falls through a thick layer of cold air and freezing rain is produced when it falls through a thinner layer of cold air. This is all due to the fact that the thicker layers slow down the rainfall long enough for it to freeze, whereas thinner layers allow for the rain to pass through quickly meaning it does not have a lot of tie to fully freeze.