Power Articles

Afternoon tea has been around for many years and continues to grow in popularity as people look for a new way to treat themselves.

So it’s about time to find out where afternoon tea originates from and how it compares to afternoon tea these days.

Afternoon tea is thought to have originated in England in the 1840’s. At that time, the different classes of people had a divergence of eating habits with the upper classes eating lunch at midday and dinner at 8pm or later. The lower classes ate lunch at about 11am and then a light supper at 7pm. Afternoon tea therefore filled the gap in between those two meals. It proved popular and soon spread throughout the British Empire.

This tradition became less popular as changes in social customs and working hours meant that people didn’t have time to stop for afternoon tea or simply took smaller snacks in the afternoon instead.

Tea was traditionally brewed as loose tea leaves in a teapot and served with milk and sugar. This provided a welcome pick-me-up for the hard-working lower classes that needed the sugar and caffeine to get them through the day. A small sandwich or scone was often eaten too, especially by labourers. This was often prepared for them in the mornings before they headed off to work.

For the more privileged, afternoon tea included sandwiches with fillings such as cucumber, egg and cress, fish paste, ham or smoked salmon, as well as scones with jam and cream, cakes and pastries such as Battenberg, fruit cake or Victoria sponge.

There aren’t many better locations to take afternoon tea than the Lake District. The quintessential experience of afternoon tea in the Lake District can be enjoyed is various stunning Lake District Hotels throughout the county.

The relaxing atmosphere in Lake District hotels makes them the perfect place to enjoy afternoon tea. Choose from the cosy atmosphere of the lounges with their roaring fires where it is a wonderful spot to indulge in a luxury afternoon tea during the winter months. Or in the warmer months Lake District hotels with conservatory’s or gardens are a bright alternative with beautiful surroundings to look at whilst you are eating.

In today’s environment cycling to the workplace or school is a healthier way of travelling. Providing bike shelters in a commercial or educational establishment not only assists with healthy living but also gives the added benefit of helping the environment.

The physical and mental benefits of cycling daily for the individual are widely recognised. Some of the positive effects of regular cycling include a stronger immune system, increased physical fitness and improved ability to cope with stress – all of these lead to a healthier, happier workforce or student population, which of course in turn benefits schools and workplaces.

Some benefits for businesses
It is fantastic that a company can have a fit and healthy workforce which provides its own benefits to the company but there are also benefits from a business point of view. A few examples of this are:
•    Freeing-up Space: More people cycling to work means they will need less space than car drivers. This will save you space and money.
•    Happy Cyclists: Providing good facilities to those that are already cycling to working could reduce staff turn-over therefore reducing recruitment costs.
•    Corporate Image: Encouraging people to cycle will also improve your corporate image and may help you obtain ISO 14,001 status for its environmental management system.

What you need to know about cycle shelters. When looking to add cycle parking to business premises here is a mini guide to help you understand what works.

Bike shelters should:

Be highly visible and signposted if necessary. Rather than hiding it away in the corner it should be something that you are proud of and want to promote to everyone.
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Treeby & Bolton of Keswick, Cumbria are please to announce a special Moorcroft event is being held in their store in June.

On Saturday June 23 2012 between 12noon and 3pm, Kerry Goodwin a Moorcroft Pottery designer will be introducing her special Treeby & Bolton Moorcroft piece Home Town.

Home Town – 99/8 will be retailing at £360 and available from Treeby & Bolton of Keswick.

Hand made in Enlgand, Moorcroft pottery is a delight for collectors or purely as a special gift. Stunning designs, bright and vibrant glazes makes Moorcroft a popular choice amongst pottery lovers. Treeby & Bolton stock a wide range of Moorcroft pottery vases and Moorcroft lamps.

Windermere in the English Lake District is a destination for many foodies. The rich landscape and plethora of artisan produces and suppliers makes for the perfect combination for those wishing to combine a scenic holiday with fine dining.

The beautiful scenery doesn’t just entice guests but also high quality chefs. With chefs working in Windermere hotels that have worked under some of the best chefs in the United Kingdom and in some of most high profile restaurants, it isn’t hard to imagine how good some of the food is in the Lake District.

Many hotels in Windermere with restaurants are combining the latest culinary techniques with locally sourced produce to create show stopping dishes that guests from all over the world are impressed by. For guests from further afield, the ability to experience local produce to the Lake District area, whether that be cheese, air dried ham to rival any prosciutto or Cumberland sausage is a real treat.

In terms of meat production, the Lake District has some of the best quality beef and lamb found anywhere in the UK. For chefs in Lake District hotels it is heaven and why some of the best restaurants in the Good Food Guide and have been for many years.
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The construction industry could become a much safer place if it learnt lessons from the preparations for the 2012 Olympic Games.

The Olympic Games project had shown how setting targets from the beginning and fostering an understanding of the importance of good practice can help ensure the safety of thousands of construction workers. Because the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) made clear its commitment to health and safety from the outset, Slade said, this helped create a positive Health and Safety culture, and therefore a safe working environment. As a result, the HSE found just 114 injuries and eight dangerous occurrences out of the 66 million hours of work that had been carried out.

Slade said he agreed with the HSE that the construction industry had for many years been one of the most dangerous sectors in which to work and that London 2012 had proved that it didn’t have to be that way.

“The London 2012 construction project has shown that completing building projects on time and within budget does not mean compromising on the health and safety of workers,” Slade said. “So no matter what size of organisation, or size of project, it’s clear that small changes in the way a company operates can have a huge impact on the health and safety of its employees.”

Slade also praised the ‘no scapegoating’ approach to managing risks that the ODA had used and said this should be embraced by any project – irrespective of resources.

He concluded “A key feature behind this success was that workers were encouraged to raise any concerns without fear of reprisal. This is exactly how Health and Safety advisors urge all business leaders to adopt a similar approach”.

A UKAS pressure calibration laboratory is well equipped with a wide range of standards from precision digital barometers to primary sources such as pressure balances. We can generate and accurately measure pressures from about 0.001mbar right up to 4,000bar with low uncertainties.

This puts the calibration of most types of pressure instrument within our scope, including instruments with an electrical, frequency or charge output.

Low and Medium Gas Pressure Instrument Calibration (Gauge, Differential and Absolute Mode)

Suitable for the UKAS Calibration of…
•    Air data test set
•    Blood pressure monitor
•    Manometer or micro-manometer (incl. magnehelic)
•    Pressure gauge or transducer
•    Pressure calibrator
•    Switch
•    Transmitter
•    Vacuum gauge or transducer
Ranges covered…
Gauge or Differential Pressure: 2Pa to 2MPa
Absolute Pressure: 0.001mbar to 20bar

Typical UKAS Pressure Calibration Uncertainties…
Gauge or Differential:
±0.06Pa at 10Pa
±0.2Pa at 100Pa
±0.5Pa at 1000Pa
±0.0085% from 7kPa to 2MPa
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Healthcare interiors whether within nursing homes, care homes or just waiting rooms should be carefully thought out and furnished.

Using a company that specialises in this very specific sector of interior design is a must. The healthcare industry is demanding and it is vitally important that the correct products are selected to suit your project needs be they Care Home, Nursing Home, Village, Hospice or Hospitals.

The interiors of nursing and care homes require a varied range of furnishings, interior design styles and thought. Nursing home furniture can come in the form of as small a detail as occasional tables right through to sofas, suites and beds.

A healthcare furniture specialist will have to create interiors, supply and fit the furniture in all the rooms of the nursing or care home facility. That will start with the reception through to dining areas, lounges and other communal areas, bedrooms, cleaning and laundry areas and even office and meetings rooms for staff and managers.
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There isn’t a better way in which to explore the Cotswolds than on foot. For walkers or amblers, the Cotswolds has some of the most beautiful scenery in England. The rolling hills, historical buildings including castles, manors and abbeys are interspersed with quintessentially English villages and hamlets. Having been given the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty status way back in 1966, this area has been a haven for lovers of the outdoors for decades.

Its location makes an ideal getaway destination with excellent transport links due to its position north of Bath and west of Oxford. Popular with visitors from London but equally those further north, the Cotswolds are such a world away in terms of pace of life and character. Even though it is the slower pace of life visitors are after when staying in the Cotswolds, they want to be able to get there as quickly as possible!

It is a typically English so overseas visitors flock to experience a slice of this culture. This area has such a high concentration of quaint villages and architecture which is unique to the Cotswolds, even the British feel like it is a step back in time. For food lovers, the fertile landscape makes for fantastic produce such as cider, cheese, meat and honey. The Cotswolds really is at teh forefront of British regional cuisine.

With staycations on the rise and people lives overloaded, a complete getaway for a holiday or even just a short break is now more important than ever. For the ultimate in getting away from it then Cotswolds holiday homes are hard to beat. From thatched cottages to grade ll listed Georgian houses, the choice of high quality luxury Cotswold cottages is now better than ever. Many of these holiday cottages have a wealth of character such as wooden beams, flagstone floors, exposed walls and fireplaces but combined with all the modern conveniences expected and required by guests.

For everyone, a holiday is an extremely happy and special occasion but holiday cottages in the Cotswolds offer that bit more. The experience of staying in a property that many could only dream of owning and located amongst the rolling hills of the Wolds.

Stowford South Wales are proud to announce that they will be supplying the Approach, the brand new Bailey motorhome.

Bailey Caravans have been developed using over sixty years of experience in caravan design and are manufactured in a state-of-the-art production facility to provide the very best in touring home quality and value. The company will now look to bring this same level of expertise to the Motorhome market with the introduction of the new Approach SE range.

Bailey motorhomes are coach-built using the same high performance Alu-Tech construction system used in our existing touring caravan ranges.

The result of one of the most comprehensive product design programmes the industry has ever known, the Alu-Tech construction system is seen by many as one of the most significant developments in leisure vehicle production technology for over thirty years.

Over the past twelve months Bailey has been working on modifying the Alu-Tech system using the latest 3-D modelling computer software to specifically suit the needs of a motorhome. The resulting vehicles have then been subjected to a series of accelerated life and structural tests as well as being given a thorough examination in a climate control chamber at the internationally renowned Millbrook Proving Ground to ensure that every aspect of the new designs have been thoroughly evaluated.

The result is a vehicle that is a triumph of engineering and technological advancement that offers real advantages of ownership in terms of performance and longevity. Most notably these include:-

GRADE III THERMAL CLASSIFICATION

Thicker body shell panels featuring superior grade polystyrene, plus additional localised insulation in traditional cold spot areas have greatly enhanced the thermal properties of the motorhome. As a result all motorhomes built using the Alu-Tech construction system have achieved the Grade III Classification of Thermal Insulation for EN1646-I*, keeping you warm in winter and cool in summer, as well as making your vehicle more economical to own.

TEN YEAR BODY SHELL INTEGRITY GUARANTEE

Engineered to ensure it remains weatherproof and structurally sound, the Alu-Tech body shell sets new standards in durability. Starting with an interlocking aluminium framework that cuts the number of external joints and fixing points by 90%, every conceivable effort has been made to reduce the number of potential water access points and thus improve the overall integrity of the protective shell. While timber free body shell panels featuring a composite plastic internal skeleton offers a second line of defence, limiting the impact any possible ingress may cause.

PiciScan announce Christmas gift ideas in the form of slide show DVD’s and stretched canvas prints.

Christmas is worryingly approaching fast. Time is running out and so are finances. The team at PiciScan fully understand extra special gifts can be expensive, hard to find and often impersonal. Let PiciScan come to the rescue with two personal, affordable and personalised gift ideas this Christmas.

Whether it’s those old photographs, slides or negatives PiciScan will digitise these and produce an image on stretched artist quality canvas. Available in various sizes with a mortise jointed, 36mm wooden frame, satin sealed and with a 200 year ink guarantee.

With PiciScan’s high resolution scans (1200 dpi from photographs and 2400 dpi from slides and negatives) the canvas prints produced retain their original look and will take pride of place in any living space.

Enjoy your memories on your DVD player with Gift idea 2. From as little as £6.00, PiciScan will scan in photographs, slides or negatives of your choice and create a DVD with optional background music and a personalised DVD and inlay design.

PiciScan based in Kendal, Cumbria but offering a nationwide service scan all sizes of photograph for up to A4 and all sizes of mounted slide and photographic negative.

They also convert a variety of different video formats to DVD, including the transfer VHS to DVD.

For all the details on how to order any of the gift ideas and scanning service options, visit http://piciscan.co.uk