Monthly Archive for July, 2008

Who needs Sat-Nav when there’s Stuart

Published
by
admin
on July 24, 2008
in News
. 0 Comments

Loros Lottery - Stuart HookAs LOROS Lottery Representative Stuart Hook of Blaby prepares for a well-deserved retirement, staff at the LOROS Lottery office are getting used to consulting their A-to-Z maps instead of asking “human sat-nav” Stuart for directions!

Stuart’s ** years as a LOROS Lottery Representative have seen him target towns and villages around the county, knocking on doors and recruiting more than 10,000 members.  Stuart’s work has been instrumental in the success of the LOROS Lottery and in raising vital funds for the hospice on Groby Road.

LOROS Lottery Manager Liz Singleton says “finding new members is essential because LOROS has to raise £6 million each year to run the many services provided for our patients and their families and Stuart’s contribution has been incredible.  His dedication and enthusiasm are an inspiration and we’re really going to miss him.  My priority now has to be to find a new representative, either full or part time, to fill the gap left by Stuart’s retirement”.

Joining the LOROS Lottery costs from £1 a week and offers 350 cash prizes – including a first prize of £2,000.  Members of the LOROS Lottery also have a chance to win £10,000 in a special Bumper Draw every Christmas.  There’s a 1-in-60 chance of winning a weekly prize and LOROS Lottery players know that their subscriptions stay in the county to pay for the day-to-day care of terminally- ill patients and their families.

Summing up his time as a Representative, Stuart said “I have really enjoyed working for such a wonderful organization as LOROS.  I have met lots of people and I really got a buzz when someone agreed to join.  I also loved to hear that someone I signed up had subsequently won.  I wouldn’t have missed it for the world!”

For more information about becoming a LOROS Lottery representative or to join the LOROS Lottery telephone 0116 2318430 and speak to Liz Singleton.

www.loros.co.uk

Rockingham Castle Steam & Country Show 8th - 10th August 2008

Published
by
admin
on July 23, 2008
in Events
. 0 Comments

Rockingham Castle Steam & Country ShowThe Steam & Country Show at award-winning Rockingham Castle is now in its fourth year. The show is bigger than ever with even more for visitors to see and do. Extending over the beautiful Great Park at Rockingham a range of events will be taking place over the three days in three event arenas with programmes running throughout each day.

The vintage heavy haulage vehicles will have their own arena and transport display area. The size of the working tractor display increases this year along with a ploughing demonstration area. Complementing the full size working steam engines is the largest collection yet of miniature and stationary engines.

The Peak Vale Tractor Pulling Team are increasing in numbers and Rockingham will be one of the largest tractor pulling events in the country which will include, for the first time this year, mini tractor pulling.

Also supporting the show this year is Land Rover Experience, East of England, now becoming part of the show with a new event for off road enthusiasts. Displaying a range of Land Rovers and having experienced staff on hand to take the adventurous on an exciting ‘off road’ driving experiences on the Castles 4×4 course.

Castle Operations Manager said “This is a terrific show which combines a wonderful range of activities combining the countryside and the world of steam engines. Every year the show has grown, attracting more enthusiasts and more diverse attractions ranging from the remarkable Wilf and his Dancing Digger at one end of the spectrum to Dog Mania at the other”.

Rockingham Castle Steam & Country ShowThe Rockingham Dog Mania Dog Show returns with a great selection of fun events for dog owners and admirers. With all entries on the day there will be competitions ranging from agility & obedience classes, companion dog show and family pet show, best-looking dog to terrier and lurcher racing. This year for the first time there will be a ‘Flyball’ event. ‘Flyball’ is one of the most exciting events in the canine world – it has to be seen to be believed; requiring speed, agility and a competitive spirit. It’s a real crowd pleaser!

The show ground will be full of activity, to name a few: steam fair organs, an old tyme fun fair, side stalls, over 100 trade stands, craft marquee, motor cycle display team, falconry display, heavy haulage & military recovery display arena, Land Rover Club display, ferret racing and the Wild Bunch Cowboy show and helicopter rides.

And finally; for children of all ages the remarkable Pedro’s Travelling Circus Workshops where expert tuition is given on all the tricks of the clown’s trade, providing hours of entertainment.

Adults £5, Senior Citizens £4 & Children £2. 10am to 5pm each day
Information & trade booking forms available at www.davehoyles.co.uk

Opening 2008. From Easter (23rd March) to the end of June. Sundays & Bank Holiday Mondays
July to September. Tuesdays, Sundays & Bank Holiday Mondays
Open 12 noon – 5pm. Grounds open at 12 noon. Castle opens at 1pm.

Enquiries: 01536 770240 and estateoffice@rockinghamcastle.com
Web: www.rockinghamcastle.com

The first website dedicated to women in their prime!

Published
by
admin
on July 22, 2008
in Online
. 0 Comments

allaboutyou.com is a brand new lifestyle website offering women aged 35 - 60 a wealth of inspiration, expert advice and a multitude of practical answers to their everyday queries. As the partner website for Good Housekeeping, Prima, SHE, Country Living, Coast and House Beautiful magazines, allaboutyou.com will have a strong homes, food and UK focus and provide an indispensable directory of information.

allaboutyou.com - lifestyle website

The new site will be home to a vibrant and honest community of smart, like-minded women. They will be given the opportunity to join the debate on hot topics, such as the rising cost of food prices, as well as exchanging top tips on everything from turning existing recipes into signature dishes to sharing each other’s skincare secrets.

Highlights on allaboutyou.com include:

Food
Site visitors will be able to search thousands of diverse and exciting recipes, which will be added to each month. Interviews with top chefs and food experts will enlighten and delight those with a passion for cooking.

Art and Craft
An archive of knitting patterns from Prima magazine and other suppliers will have knitters jumping for joy. From doggy jumpers to stripy sweaters, there will be something for everyone.

Homes
allaboutyou.com users will be able to browse real life interiors taken from the pages of House Beautiful and Country Living magazines. Plus they can also access expert advice for the garden. Making a house a home has never been easier!

Countryside
allaboutyou.com will be the place to visit for the best of UK travel and country lifestyle. Top city breaks and travel specials on worldwide destinations will inspire readers looking to get away.

Looking after its’ audience from head to toe, allaboutyou.com will also have a dedicated area for Diet & Wellbeing and Hair & Beauty. Here, women will be able to access the latest industry news, top product recommendations and tailored advice to meet their specific needs.

Bernadette Fallon, Editor of allaboutyou.com says; “Although older women are savvy users of the internet, there are few sites tailored to their age group and lifestyle needs. These women have busy lives and we know that allaboutyou.com will offer them everything they are looking for in one place, becoming a trusted friend and an essential resource.”

Rachel Galley - Jewellery Designer

Published
by
admin
on July 20, 2008
in Fashion
. 0 Comments

Rachel Galley – Jewellery DesignerRachel Galley, 26, graduated from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 2004 with a First Class Honours Degree in Jewellery Design and has since worked for some of the most prestigious brands in the luxury market, before setting up her own business two years ago

Operating from a Studio in the much sought after Cockpits Arts, in Holborn, London, Rachel specialises in designs using contrasting colours and textures and incorporating hidden compartments or containers, enabling the wearer to actively interact with their jewellery. Working in gold and silver and using semi-precious stones, this talented young designer accepts private commissions and creates collections of stunning jewellery that has a wide appeal. Worn by models and celebrities as well as sophisticated career women and trend-setting youngsters, her innovative pieces are for day wear, special occasions, or made as keepsakes to celebrate precious memories.

Rachel has undertaken a number of private commissions and has had work featured in a photo shoot for fashion designer, Aimee McWilliams’ 2006 Collection; used for upcoming all-girl rock band; ‘The Mescalitas’ album photo shoot; a bespoke pendant worn by Lily Allen at the London Astoria; most recently, Jennifer Sanders was featured on the front cover of Woman & Home magazine wearing her popular Memento Globe pendant.

Her formative years were spent in Marple, Cheshire, and her work experience has included the post of creative assistant at Links of London and design assistant for Stephen Webster before taking up a design placement at Boodles.

Rachel was one of a select few, to be awarded a prestigious Goldsmiths’ bursary to attend the 25th Anniversary fair in 2007. She has exhibited her work at exhibitions across the country and in Europe.

Her pieces are inspired by every day objects, intricate carvings, bronze historic treasures and natural textures.

“I like to emphasise beauty in the pieces in unlikely places,”she says.

www.rachelgalley.com

1 in 5 rooms is “highly contaminated” with hidden mould

Published
by
admin
on July 19, 2008
in Health & Beauty
. 0 Comments

Surely your bathroom is fungus-free once you’ve wiped the mould off the tiles? Not according to a study by French scientists. They report that almost one in five rooms studied with no visible mould was in fact highly contaminated by fungus which could aggravate conditions such as asthma.

The study also found that bedrooms and living rooms were no less contaminated than bathrooms and kitchens — hidden fungus was not only airborne but found in carpets and soft furnishings, and behind wallpaper, and was often colourless and odourless.

Mould in the home is not just unsightly and indicative of poor hygiene standards; it is known to aggravate a range of medical conditions, such as asthma, rhinitis and hypersensitivity pneumonitis. This study set out to establish if more could be done to identify fungus as exacerbating these complaints.

Surprisingly, the study found that factors commonly held to increase mould contamination had relatively little effect. The age of the building, presence of pets and even outdoor and indoor temperature had little bearing on fungus concentration.

As for airborne fungi, it made little or no difference if the room was regularly used to dry clothes, or contained indoor plants — factors that public health inspectors had previously highlighted as key issues.

The researchers found that significant factors in levels of contamination were structure, such as lack of ventilation or a ground floor apartment, or accidental damage, such as water damage.

Portraits from Chequers

Published
by
admin
on July 6, 2008
in Events and Gallery
. 0 Comments

Kings, Queens and Revolutionaries Compton Verney, Warwickshire 7 June – 14 December 2008

Portraits from Chequers presents a rare opportunity to view a select group of historically significant works from the official country residence of Prime Ministers since 1921. The portraits, which have not been seen in public for almost a century, are displayed within the British Portraits Gallery, alongside Compton Verney’s paintings of Edward VI, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.

Included in the display at Compton Verney are Charles I and Henrietta Maria both by Anthony Van Dyck; The Children of Charles I after Van Dyck; Lord and Lady Lee at Chequers by Philip Alexius de László; John Pym, a miniature by Samuel Cooper; Lady Mary Grey attributed to Hans Eworth; Elizabeth Claypole, Daughter of Oliver Cromwell by Jacob Huysmans; Mary I after Antonis Mor; Oliver Cromwell attributed to Robert Walker; Queen Elizabeth’s Locket Ring, containing portraits of herself and her mother, Anne Boleyn; Lady Margaret Beaufort and James I both by unknown artists.

Chequers is one of Britain’s most famous houses, yet as the country seat of the Prime Minister, it is not open to the public. It has an important collection of paintings, furniture and decorative arts. The house, which was built in the sixteenthcentury, remained in the ownership of a single family, passing through the female line. It was eventually taken on a long lease by Sir Arthur Lee, later Lord Lee of Fareham, who was seeking a country retreat, and he finally purchased the property in 1917.

The post World War 1 era brought about a new breed of politician; one who did not possess the country houses of previous prime ministers to entertain foreign dignitaries or relax from the affairs of state. Following discussions with the then Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, Chequers was given to the nation as a country retreat for the serving Prime Minister, as a result of the Chequers Estate Act of 1917, initiated by Lord and Lady Lee who had extensively restored the property. Since then, Chequers has become pivotal in the public and private lives of British Prime Ministers’, and has become the setting for many significant moments in political history.

Portraits from Chequers provides rare public access to a number of key works normally only on private display, and also signals the start of a series of interventions within Compton Verney’s six permanent collections.

Contact: Ina Cole, Communications Manager, Compton Verney, Warwickshire, CV35 9HZ

Tel: 01926 645540; Email: ina.cole@comptonverney.org.uk

No stopping star-studded Stafford!

Published
by
admin
on July 5, 2008
in Motoring
. 0 Comments

The 28th International Classic MotorCycle Show attracted a record-breaking 30,000 visitors to Stafford County Showground.

International Classic MotorCycle ShowWith Giacomo Agostini, the Italian multi-time world champion and Grand Prix ace Kork Ballington in attendance, the event sponsored by Carole Nash and Central Wheel Components on 26-27 April, was always going to be bigger and better than ever. Glorious sunshine on the Saturday and an eclectic array of motorcycles topped a fantastic weekend.

Agostini formally opened the show wowing the crowds with stories of his 122 Grand Prix and 15 World Championship title victories. Visitors flocked to hear this motorcycling icon’s tales and never has the show seen a more popular star guest.

The return of the Classic Racer Grand Prix Paddock, sponsored by Footman James was another huge success. The impressive and diverse line-up of race ware on display was not only a striking spectacle but it brought all the sights, sounds and smells of road racing to life at the show. A new addition for 2008 was the Classic Competition Hall, again sponsored by Footman James. Full of competition clubs, both road racing and off-road and with the many traders all very busy its debut was one of the highlights of the show.

Stafford Classic MotorCycle ShowAs usual, a focal point to the weekend was the club stand competition, in which clubs vote for one another as they try to win one of the many coveted awards and with it a cash prize. Competition was fierce to see who would take this year’s £1000 star prize but it was the Rudge Enthusiasts who scooped the award in the end, closely followed by the Malmesbury Motorcycle Club and in third place the Gold Star Owners Club.

With the record breaking event now over for another year, a tired but delighted Show Manager Nick Mowbray said: “I am absolutely overwhelmed with the achievements of the 28th International Classic MotorCycle Show. With Ago and Kork Ballington as our guests of honour the crowd attendance was just unbelievable and traders are already re-booking for next year; all of the classic bike shows team are exhausted but very, very happy.”

The first garden celebrating sound comes to Hampton court palace flower show

Published
by
admin
on July 4, 2008
in Events and Gardening
. 0 Comments

‘The Widex Hearing Garden - celebrating sound’ will be the first garden created at the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show to be designed around enjoying the sounds found in gardens. The Hearing Garden is designed by Selina Botham, sponsored by Danish hearing aid manufacturer Widex and supported by the Association of Independent Hearing Healthcare Professionals.

Widex Hearing GardenThe Widex Hearing Garden also includes some key features including another first for Hampton Court - an interactive ‘Listening Wall’ - where visitors will be able to listen to garden sounds. Its purpose is to help visitors understand their hearing ability and to celebrate the pleasure it brings them. The garden will also include a water feature and sound sculptures.

This garden explores the important contribution sound makes to our natural environment and the enjoyment people get from their hearing sense. It also highlights how gardens can be experienced on another sensory level by being attuned to the ’sound-scape’ all around.

As people’s hearing diminishes some lose the auditory richness and texture this ’sound-scape’ provides. However, many

hearing impaired people describe enjoying nature’s sounds again - birdsong, leaves rustling in the wind - when they first wear the latest digital hearing aids.

The design will represent a typical sub-urban courtyard garden and provide an al fresco retreat in which the rhythms of the garden can be enjoyed. The atmosphere of the garden is intended to be relaxing and happy.

Garden designer Selina Botham, of Designs for All Seasons, says she was inspired by the fact that people do not always appreciate the sounds around them. “Being in a garden, immersed in a full sensory experience is one of the great pleasures of life,” she said. “I hope my design will help people to appreciate and celebrate those every day sounds that are so important in our enjoyment of the world around us.”

Hampton Court Palace Flower Show runs from 8 - 13 July 2008.
Further information about the show can be found at www.rhs.org.uk/hamptoncourt

To find your nearest Widex hearing aid dispenser or any further information on hearing aids please
Freephone 0800 093 0947 or visit www.widex.co.uk.
For further information on the Association of Independent Hearing Healthcare Professionals visit www.aihhp.org