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Trying to get pregnant for a while and initial tests via your GP seem to suggest that there is nothing glaringly wrong with your reproductive health? There is often little that the NHS will suggest you do, other than to just keep trying. If months or years follow, still with no success, most couples assume that there is no alternative open to them but to go for assisted fertility treatment of some kind, usually IVF. In our experience, some couples are rushed into having assisted fertility treatments (particularly IVF) prematurely, when a proper programme of tests and investigations and/or some fertility coaching may well have enabled them to conceive naturally and/or ensure better results with assisted conception.
Fertility Planning
If you are not entirely sure about what the most sensible next step is, a fertility planning consultation with Jacqueline Hurst is really worthwhile. Based on your answers to her comprehensive fertility questionnaire, plus her years of experience in working with many couples in similar circumstances to your own, she can look to identify even the smallest area of potential weakness in you or your partner's fertility status. She can then propose a step by step action plan as to how this might be addressed. For some this might involve additional tests or screens to help confirm or remove potential underlying problem areas, many of which, though critically important, can so easily get overlooked. For others it may simply require a planned approach to modifying aspects of your diet, work or lifestyle (such as alcohol, smoking or stress) or addressing aspects of your weight or fitness, or your emotional / psychological health. Of course, for some, our consultation may simply confirm that IVF or another form of assisted fertility treatment is the most sensible step forward – we can help prepare you for the journey into assisted conception and hold your hand every step of the way:
- Acupuncture during Fertility Treatment
- AMH Fertility Testing
- Blood Work e.g. for Overseas Treatment
- Donor Conception Planning, Support & Counselling
- Endometrial Scratch
- Fertility Treatment Abroad
- Implications Counselling
- IVF / ICSI – Planning, Support & Counselling
- Monitored Cycles & Follicle Tracking
Latest Assisted Conception Testimonials:
I honestly can't recommend Jacqui enough to anyone facing any type of fertility issue, she is so passionate and knowledgeable, and shows such compassion and understanding with what you are going through. Jacqui has provided me with advice on a wealth of aspects to improve chances conceiving from acupuncture, nutritional and vitamin advice and increasing […]MORE
Contact us: If you'd like to book an appointment or get in touch with us by 'phone, please call: 07857421488


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The Healthy Office aims to reduce sickness, sick building syndrome and allergies at work.
The result of poor indoor air quality is that allergies and office sickness is at an all time high. Recirculating the air dramatically increases the chance of cross-contamination. When one person sneezes, the germs can infect a room for over one hour.
How does the rest of the team feel if one person has a cold?
Speaking recently to our web designer, he said that when someone comes in with a cold the rest of the team does its best to get that person to go home before it spreads to the rest of the office. Most of us are familiar with this scenario and the issue arises for the person with the cold when he or she feels well enough to work but does not want to spread germs to colleagues. We know from our own experience that colds can spread like wildfire through the office. Since installing a Radic8 last year, we have had no incidence of cross contamination from one person's cold to a colleague. A brilliant solution!
Radic8 is the proactive solution to tackling the problem of cross contamination.
Radic8 uses technology developed for use on the international space station in order to purify the air. Radic8's advanced photo-catalytric oxidation technology uses ultra violet light as an energy source for the titanium dioxide catalyst in order to create super oxidants and disperse them into the air stream.
- Radic8 pro-actively fills the air space it services with super oxidants and eradicates airborne pollutants such as bacteria and viruses, as well as VOCs, mould and mildew and allergens
- Radic8 creates super oxidants that pro-actively seek and destroy odours

subset: commoncrawl


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I read this week a survey which asked 2000 women what they would most like to change in 2010 the overall answer was saddening, there response was that "men should become the main breadwinners again" what a state this country is in, if you go the school playgrounds at 3.30 you will see how many fathers are their collecting the children, five years ago fathers were in the minority. I do think in someways this is good for the fathers to share this time with the children but not at the cost of basic family stability in which many women are having to go out to work to keep paying the mortgage, they feel they are failing as mothers often having to leave sick children at home with ill equipped fathers, for many women they enjoy the role of mother and home builder is this not the core of family life. That is not to say there is also a place for the woman that wishes to have a career but I feel that should be down to choice and not pressure.
Recently in my own village I have been talking to men who have worked for 30years plus suddenly finding themselves without work and their wives having to go out to work to meet the bills, yet the government are telling us that recession is over, but what are we seeing, the highest fuel prices ever, food costs rising steadily, utility bills out of control and the unemployment figure cleverly manipulated to look as though they are not rising .to quickly. We have the city's top adviser's telling the government that they must cut spending yet they say they that they cannot as it would hit us too hard, yet they think nothing of waisting over £1 million on a recent government survey, well it is time to stop spending our money on stupid projects and start listing to the people, I almost feel it is time to invite the guys at Barclay's to take seats in government, they at least have a proven track record of making money and also some very savvy stakeholders to answer too.
My greatest fear is that this is backward recession in which the gap between rich and poor get so wide we find ourselves in a situation when only rich kids get to University, only the rich own their homes and eventually the poor will be told how many children they can have we will then no longer be a free state, these are the thing we must all fight against.


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By Jim Harding
On June 22, 2013, the Fort Qu'Appelle KAIROS group hosted a regional forum on water quality. Over one hundred people came – scientists, indigenous and settler residents, cottagers, municipal and provincial officials, watershed protection volunteers and many others came to hear talks, music and carry on conversations during the barbeque. The event was moderated by local United Church Minister Sharron Bodnaryk.
The gathering was welcomed to Treaty 4 Territory by Edmund Bellegarde from the File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council (FHQTC). He reaffirmed the theme that water is sacred, that water is life, drawing an analogy with how the blood flowing through our bodies maintains our life, with waterways being the "veins of mother earth". He expressed FHQTC's concerns about both quality and quantity of water in the Qu'Appelle River system, highlighting increasing demands for water from industry, and called for collaboration to address these matters.
The keynote speaker was Dr. Marley Waiser, retired water scientist from Environment Canada. She outlined the findings of her 2005-07 study on the impacts of Regina's sewage on Wascana Creek, which flows into the Qu'Appelle system. She focused on pharmaceutics as well as the nitrogen nutrients that lead to toxic algae, mentioning other research showing heavy metal contamination in the waterway.
More sensitive detection shows "widespread presence" of residues from pharmaceutical and personal care products flushed into Regina's and Moose Jaw's sewage systems upstream, including everything from antibiotics to anti-infective hand soaps to birth control drugs. Past sewage treatment plants weren't designed to remove these and there is now scientific concern that "chronic exposure of low concentrations" may alter the aquatic food chain. Studies have shown that some contaminants lead to sex changes within fish.
The research site 105 km downstream from Regina detected contaminants. Waiser noted that you can't depend on dilution from high water flows to flush the system; sometimes effluent from Regina can be "100% of the flow in Wascana Creek".
Waiser advocated stringent monitoring while noting that there aren't water quality objectives for pharmaceutics. She noted the importance of the Experimental Lakes Project which Harper's government has cut, in doing pioneering research on threats to Canada's water quality. During questions she expressed concern about the "politicization of Environment Canada" under Harper, and noted that 80% of its water monitoring budget is now for Alberta's oil sands, leaving little for the rest of the country. Science shouldn't be used to manage political perception.
The first panelist, Chief Todd Peigan from Pasqua First Nations raised the warning about increasing demands for water from the potash industry. He noted that other than the Western mine near Milestone, which wants to use Regina's waste water, all proposed mines plan to get water from Buffalo Pound. Buffalo Pound is the source of water for both Regina and Moose Jaw.
In March 2012 a FHQTC Summit on water and industry noted that the province's new mines are around Moose Jaw, Regina and Melville. The Summit estimated that, excluding some "Mosaic requirements", existing and proposed potash mines could use over "62 million cubic meters of water annually".
The province proposes a new channel from Lake Diefenbaker to Buffalo Pound, which the FHQTC Summit said would increase the flow from 17 to 25 cubic meters a second. There's also talk about creating an irrigated agro-business corridor along this channel. Chief Peigan continually raised the question of "availability"; "where was all this water to come from?"
Lake Diefenbaker provides water for nearly one-half of Saskatchewan's residents. It already provides water for several potash mines and irrigation projects and was even considered as the location for a nuclear plant. The vast majority of its water comes from Alberta. Yet researchers from the University of Saskatchewan's Global Institute for Water Security recently raised concerns about the levels of phosphorous coming along with that water. Also global warming has already reduced by one-fifth the Alberta glaciers that help replenish Saskatchewan waterways and there are bound to be periods of future drought. Serious questions about upstream water quality and quantity remain.
Ken Hutchinson, chair of the Calling Lakes District Planning Commission (CLDPC), spoke of the negative impact of degraded lake water on the recreational economy. The CLDPC is a regional planning body in the making and includes Fort Qu'Appelle, Lebret, Fort San, B-Say-Tah, Katepwa and the regional Rural Municipality, as well as several Associates, including Lipton and the Treaty Four Tribal Council.
Hutchinson has raised regional concerns about poor water quality with both levels of government. The federal government says it has "bigger problems", such as raw sewage from big cities still going into oceans. Because of the impact on the valuable commercial fishery the federal government is however concerned about the serious state of algae, fish-toxicity in Lake Winnipeg, and this ultimately relates to what's happening in the upstream watershed, including the Qu'Appelle lake chain. There are no shortcuts to restoring eco-system health.
Hutchinson expressed concern that there was "no government leadership" and called on government and First Nations to quickly resolve outstanding issues over control structures. He also raised concern that the non-governmental group established through the WSA, the Lower Qu'Appelle Watershed Stewards (LQWS) had set as its water quality objective only "to prevent a decline in quality from current levels", which would mean accepting the high toxic algae that Pasqua residents experience in late summer. He also noted that in correspondence from the provincial Minister about "how priorities (were) established" in drought years, the Commission was told "Licensed users are accorded fist priority to water". The Minister also said in "extreme drought years, lakes within the Qu'Appelle basin will fall below their desirable operating range for recreation", which presumably means because industry will get first dibs. Water may still be seen as a property right, which does not abide by the United Nations' view of water as a human right.
John Mark Davies, researcher with the Water Security Agency (WSA) which monitors these lakes, reported that though nutrients in the system had "come down since the 1970s and 1980s", they were "still high". He said the WSA was starting to model the Qu'Appelle lakes to gain better predictive understanding to help manage the system. He acknowledged that Regina is a major source of nutrients but did not respond directly to questions raised earlier about the implications of growing industrial demand for water or about the need to seriously target lower levels of contamination. Along with keynote speaker Wasier, Davies advocated careful monitoring and setting achievable targets as one means to enhance water quality.
The other panelist, Duane Mohn, who has worked with wetlands protection, reminded us that water was excluded from the NAFTA agreement with the U.S. and that there were still water diversion plans "on the table". He raised concerns about agricultural practices that degrade waterways, noting that he knew examples where property rights ("my land") was used as an excuse to dump leftover farm chemicals into local sloughs. Mohn called for a "buffer zone" to protect Saskatchewan waterways and noted the importance of the Indian Head tree nursery, which Harper had also cut, for reducing erosion and enhancing biodiversity, which protects water quality. He also called for public access strips along shorelines, such as exist elsewhere, to help protect lake fronts from overdevelopment.
The last panelist, Jessica Gordon arrived late from a long trip and a workshop was organized to discuss how Idle No More activities relate to the protection of water. Event organizers failed to get a spokesperson from the newly formed LQWS, but people attended from the Saskatchewan Associations of Watersheds (SAW), Saskatchewan Environmental Society (SES) and the Regina group organizing to keep water treatment in public hands. This was likely one of the most diverse gatherings on protecting water quality yet to be held in rural Saskatchewan. The Fort Qu'Appelle KAIROS plans to coordinate some follow-up.


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Purple Roses, Mums, Erica and Cordyline
Today I made a centerpiece that could be used for conferences and meetings. Usually the centerpiece should take up about one third of the table or whatever surface it is placed on. The height should not be too high so that the people around the table would not be distracted by the centre piece.
This is one of my favourite floral arrangements to date mostly because of the pretty colours! I love that the roses and the mums are different shades of purple which look so harmonious together. The erica flowers connect the middle section with the longer ends as they are seen to extend outwards on top of the cordyline.
I also like the texture of the erica flowers against the smoothness of the roses and mums. The colours are just so pretty especially the roses! The purple-pink colour is so romantic and I find it more special than the usual pink and red.


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This eye-opening media collection of dynamic talks and panel discussions from the Bioneers Conference archive offers an expansive view of the power of sacred vision-inducing and consciousness-altering plants and other "psychedelic" ("mind manifesting") substances. Since the 1991 Bioneers Conference, many of the luminaries in this field have explored this controversial area: the mysteries of plant intelligence and of consciousness itself. We'll be expanding this online collection ongoing with new material regularly.
At this moment of a historic renaissance of serious research into the science and healing powers of psychedelics – a time when the popular use of psychedelics in the U.S. today is as big as it was during its '60s heyday – this collection features many of the leading figures in the field: the late Terence McKenna, Dr. Andrew Weil, Michael Pollan, Wade Davis, Paul Stamets, Frances Huxley, Jeffrey Bronfman, Katsi Cook and Kat Harrison. They are ethnobotanists, anthropologists, medical researchers, activists, writers, gardeners, artists, and cultural and spiritual figures.
These remarkable talks cover a wide spectrum: the emerging science, the use of psychedelics as healing agents, and their socio-cultural impacts in the modern West. Others focus on the use of sacred plants in certain traditional First Nations' cultures and the links between Indigenous worldviews and contemporary ecological consciousness, where people often report deep biophilic experiences of the natural world and nature's intelligence.
These substances have had a powerful and long-lasting influence on our culture's music, literature, art, fashions and technology (the cyber revolution's origins are awash in LSD). However, these influences aren't uniformly positive or free of risks, excess, and folly, and these experiences need to be approached with respect, caution, guidance and care.
At this moment of dramatically renewed interest in the curative potential of psychedelics and promising clinical trials and research projects, the release of this treasure trove from our archives is especially timely. We hope you find this material as inspiring and provocative as we do.


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summer sale
Way back last year when narlaka was born, we started with four gorgeous matching sets, all made in India. Each set is made up of a halterneck crop top and stretchy cotton shorts, perfect for the festival season! They come in the trible aztec print, the pink peacock and blue peacock print, and the lush orange and pink Indian print. Nab yours for only £25 and rock the #narlakavibes this summer!


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Site Map for the Letter C
Industrial Supplies and Services begining with C
|Cam Followers
Cam Followers are bearings with a stud incorporating needle rollers in a thick walled outer ring.
|Can Manufacture Chain
Standard and hollow bearing pin transmission chain fitted with plastic tipped extended bearing pins used for transporting freshly painted cans
|Canning and Beverage Chain
Authorised national distributors for Uni-Chains world leader in innovation and manufacture of conveyor chains to the canning and beverage industries
|Car Conveyor Chain
Deep link chain fitted with Nylatron wear pads carries car bodies through assembly and paint spray lines.
|Catalogues And Brochures
Industrial Products Catalogues and Brochures from ERIKS Industrial Services Ireland
|Centrifugal Pumps
Centrifugal Pumps or Rotodynamic Pumps make up the largest population of fluid movers in Industry. ERIKS Pumps work with the leading suppliers
|Chain Drives and Conveyors Lubrication
For the lubrication of chain and drive systems not fitted with automatic lubrication systems.
|Chain Rollers
In general the use of chain incorporating rollers is recommended but bush chain i.e. chain without rollers can be used on certain applications
ERIKS Roller Chain technology has evolved over the centuries. During this time new design features and production processes have been introduced.
|Cleaning Lubricants - Electrical
Ideal for electrical and electronic fine parts. Removes light greases oils dirt and organic soils.
|Cleaning Lubricants - Industrial
Rocol Cleaning General Lubricants. Available from ERIKS Industrial Services Ireland
|Clearance and Temperature Considerations
SRB bearings are manufactured to give an ISO CN clearance as standard. At specific customer request bearings may be produced with any clearance
|Cogged Raw Edge Belt
CRE Plus excels in the high ratio applications used in todays compact drive envelopes, by combining flexibility with structural stability
|Combined Type Needle Roller Bearing
Combined Type Needle Roller Bearings are combinations of a radial bearing and a thrust bearing. They are compact and very economical
|Continuity of supply
Securing the integrity of your supply chain to minimize or eliminate production interruptions in the event of incidents occurring
|Conveyor Chain
Our Conveyor Chains are designed and used in a number of applications. We have categorised each section from Hollow Bearing Pin Chain
|Cookie Policy and Terms
This website eriks.ie uses cookies. These are small text files that we store on your computer so that we are able to recognise you when you return.
|Cooper Split Roller Bearing
The Cooper split roller bearings available through ERIKS UK is completely split to the shaft. This feature provides rapid product replacement
|Cooper Split Roller Bearing Assemblies
Cooper assemblies are available with a variety of different sealing solutions efficient and reliable bearing performance
|Cooper Split Roller Bearing Sealing Solutions
The Cooper bearing is housed in a seal carrier the outside diameter has a spherical form which mates with the spherical seating
|Cooper Split Roller Bearing Types
Shaft assemblies are normally supported by one retained Cooper split bearing and one or more expansion Cooper split bearing.
|Corrosion Protection Lubricant
Corrosion Protection Lubricant are available from ERIKS in a number of types Cold Galvanising Spray Heavy Duty Rust Shield
Couplings are used to connect prime movers to driven items i.e. motors to gearboxes or driven items
|Crank Link Chain
Crank link chian is known as gull wing chain its heavy duty characteristics allow it to cope with the arduous operating conditions
|Cranked Link Bakery Chain
Matched in pairs all round parts coated in maganese phosphate for conveying bread through provers ovens and coolers.
|Cylindrical Roller Bearings
Cylindrical roller bearings are available in many designs dimension series and sizes. The majority are single row bearings with a cage.


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There are a lot of occasions coming up where the temptation to eat something unhealthy will strike: Halloween, Bonfire Night, Christmas, Friday nights… Chocolate is something that I find super hard to resist. Luckily I discovered something magical – cacao powder. I have used it in lots of my recipes before – like my raw chocolates and my overnight chocolate porridge. It really is amazing, it has a fuller flavour than cocoa. It also contains lots of nutrients and is a good source of antioxidants. It isn't heat-treated during the processing part of its production, so this means it retains all the goodness of the cacao beans! Eating chocolate AND getting healthy? Er – yes please!!!
Tag: Food
Pumpkin & Cinnamon Swirl Buns
Autumn may be my favourite season. I love everything about it. I love the beautiful, crunchy red and orange leaves. The pumpkin carving, the pumpkin eating, the chai vanilla lattes and the chilly autumn evenings. I love the excuse to snuggle. Oooh who doesn't love a good snuggle? Autumn is a very snuggly month. Snuggles with your significant other, or your pet, snuggles with your favourite warm jumper, or scarf. Or bed – yeah autumn makes me realise how much I love my bed. Beds always feel so much better in the cooler months!
Summer Ratatouille
Ratatouille is a great way to get loads of delicious vegetables into your diet. It is also the perfect dish to put together if you are short on time. It's basically a chop and bake deal, which allows you to get on with other things! Man, I love these kinds of recipes!
Raw Chocolate Caramel Slices
I am under no illusion that this recipe is super healthy. But it is healthier than its traditional sister tray bake – Millionaires' Shortbread. How I hear you say? Well, first of all, this is made from raw cacao, which is sweetened only with honey! The health benefits of raw cacao are vast and in my opinion, it tastes better than normal chocolate! There is basically less sugar in this, and the ingredients used maintain most of their original nutrients – unlike the really processed stuff you get in shop. Continue reading "Raw Chocolate Caramel Slices"
Overnight chocolate and raspberry oats
So things have been pretty hectic around these here parts recently! I've just passed my driving test (yay!) and so have been pretty busy in the lead up to that! What has really saved me is recipes like this one. A great on-the-go breakfast recipe! The kind of recipe where you splodge a load of tasty ingredients in a pot and hope for the best!
Golden Porridge with Mulberries, Berries and Coconut Sugar
Life can get pretty hectic, and so for me sometimes it is the small things that really make me appreciate the weekend. This weekend, it was having time to have a lazy breakfast in bed. I normally grab something on the go, but this Saturday I pootled around in the kitchen and made this amazing porridge, and then took it back to bed and snarfled it.
Continue reading "Golden Porridge with Mulberries, Berries and Coconut Sugar"
Aubergine Parmigiana
This is quite possibly one of my favourite recipes. Like my Butternut Squash and Kale Risotto, this recipe really showed me that I just don't need to eat meat. It is SO easy to make and it tastes delicious. It really is just a matter of assembling, as opposed to laborious cooking.
Sunday Brunch: Courgette & Sweetcorn Fritters
Sunday brunch must be one of my favourite things. Ever. I love nothing more than waking up late, bumbling around the kitchen and cooking delicious food for a bunch of my favourite people. These courgette and sweet corn fritters make an amazing addition to brunch. They take no time at all to put together and taste seriously amazing with poached eggs and grilled asparagus. Continue reading "Sunday Brunch: Courgette & Sweetcorn Fritters "
Raw Chocolate and Hazelnut Tart
One of my aims in life is to create recipes that taste amazing and help you feel amazing! Believe me, this chocolate tart does exactly that. It is raw, dairy-free and oh-so delicious. The only sweetness comes from fresh dates and honey. The base tastes similar to ferrero rocher, whilst the filling tastes like chocolate pudding! In my earlier post, I talked about why cacao powder was so amazing – it works really well in this recipe as it provides the rich chocolatey flavour in both the filling and the crust.
Springtime Snack Inspiration
I love Spring. Honestly, I think it may be my favourite season! I love that the weather gets warmer and the dreary winter skies turn a brilliant blue. I also love the abundance of fresh fruit and berries that come with this time of year. I don't know why, but I tend to crave cheese and stodgy food in winter. But in the spring I crave strawberries, grapes, blueberries, apples, melon and yoghurt. I thought I would post some snack inspiration today. I have recently discovered apple and almond butter – I am obsessed with this snack and can't believe I never had it before!


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Powder Peak Hakuba is a 9 room ski lodge, close to the restaurant, bar and shopping scene of Echoland. It's a 3 minute walk to the bus stop at Hotel Cultured where free shuttles service all the main Hakuba Valley ski slopes. To give you some bearings on the Hakuba tourist map, Powder Peak Lodge is in the Misorano area, close to the highly rated Mon Pigeon bakery, Traumerie French restaurant and the Cherry Pub.
Within the lodge you have a comfy lounge with a large projection screen and free massage chair, along with an in-house bar and dining area which serves up a tasty selection of drinks and traditional Japanese snacks.
All nine refurbished rooms at Powder Peak Hakuba come with ensuite, 32-inch flat screen TV with Apple TV on demand, free linen and toiletries, and complimentary pick-up service on request. After a day on the slopes you can relax on the couch, grab a drink, watch ski movies on the projection screen, chat to guests from around the world, soothe your muscles on the free massage chair, or simply retire to your room and kick back and watch a movie or two.
Powder Peak Lodge offer a free pick up service from either Hakuba Information Centre/Bus Terminal, or Hakuba train station. Furthermore, your hosts can organise discount lift tickets, ski hire, ski lessons, tours, restaurant bookings plus so much more.
Powder Peak Lodge offers ideal group accommodation close to Echoland, Hakuba.
Choose from the following room types:
Lodge facilities feature:
Powder Peak Dining: Continental Breakfast is served daily in the lodge dining room. Powder Peak Bar offers apres ski drinks in the lounge and your hosts can assist with restaurant recommendations and bookings to the many restaurants in the Misorano/Echoland area of Hakuba. The recommendations below are all easy walking distance from Powder Peak Lodge.
Mon Pigeon: Cafe / Pizza / Cakes
Opens for brunch at 10am. They have beautiful cakes and great quality coffee.
Reica: Japanese
Home-style hot meals which are reasonably priced. Their set meals will satisfy you after a big day on the mountain.
Garlic: Italian
Their gourmet pizza will put a smile on your face. Various dishes available.
Prairie: Japanese
Run by a young family. They source their produce locally. Suitable for couples and families. Enjoy their dessert as well as their wine.
Hanairo: Gelato Ice-cream
One of the must-go place in Hakuba. Busy all year around.
Sly Cafe: Cafe / Bar
Locals favorite cafe! Little cosy cafe by Hiromi. Their brekky sandwich is superb. Grab a caffee and a sandwich on the way to the slope. For apres drinks, enjoy their whisky selection!
Traumerei: Exclusive French Restaurant
Fine dining experience if you are looking to impress.
Cherry Pub: A full-fledged Country Western style bar & restaurant
The Cherry Pub offers over 70 kinds of cocktails, draft beer, wine, bourbon, scotch, cognac and many other beverages. Signature meals include original BBQ back ribs, New York cut steak, buffalo wings, pizza baked in their stone kiln. Upstairs there are 2 rooms suitable for a karaoke party.


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Picture: The Palace Theater marquee with a sign reading 'Jackson 5 Tonight' with letters missing, in the hometown of Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5...
HARRY CONNICK, JR. reprimanded the host of a live Australian variety show on Wednesday (09Oct09) when he found himself judging a talent contest featuring six dancing white men dressed up like the Jackson 5.
The singer was outraged when confronted with performers the Jackson Jive on a reunion special for long-running TV show Hey Hey It's Saturday, insisting there was no way he would have agreed to be a part of the show if he knew he's be part of a skit featuring the 'blackfaced' performers.
Host Daryl Somers apologised to Connick, Jr. prompting the American to state, "l know it was done humorously, but we've spent so much time trying to not make black people look like buffoons, that when we see something like that, we take it really to heart.
"I know it was in good fun, and the last thing I want to do is take this show to a down level - because you know how much I love this show and this country - but I feel like I'm at home here, and, if I knew that was going to be part of the show, I definitely wouldn't have done it."
Connick, Jr. has been a regular on the variety show. The Jackson Jive dancers were reportedly a big hit on the programme in the 1980s.


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>What an evening the Equality Weekend Gala Dinner turned out to be. I was able to spend a minute or so with Congressman John Lewis and thanked him for all he has done for our country, and for our community.
There were several hundred people at the event, which featured a silent auction, awards presentation, performances by the Magic City Choral Society, a scrumptious meal and dessert and of course, the address by Congressman Lewis.
Seated at our table were Birmingham School Board candidate Elisa Burns-Macon and her partner Donna, congressional candidate Terry Sewell and two of her campaign staff members, Alabama Stonewall Democrats president John Smallwood and Congressman Lewis's driver. Pretty good company, huh?
Decor was provided by Confero Productions. Thank you Christopher.
You can view the video of Congressman Lewis's speech here. The speech is about 18 minutes long. Thanks Pam for sharing this.
He began the speech by reflecting on raising chickens as a child, and how he used to practice preaching to the chickens. Some would bow their heads, he said, some would shake their heads, but they never quite said "Amen."
"But I am convinced that some of those chickens that I preached to in the 40's and the 50's tended to listen to me much better than some of my colleagues listen to me today in Congress. As a matter of fact, some of those chickens were a little more productive."
He want on to recount some of his experiences as a Freedom Rider and his thoughts as he sat and watched Barack Obama's inauguration. John Lewis was the first person Obama greeted as he came out of the Capitol that day, and he asked for Lewis's prayers. Lewis assured him.
He urged the LGBT community, just as Martin Luther King urged the black community in 1963, that "You cannot wait, you cannot be patient. You want your freedom and you want it now."
"Discrimination is discrimination. No government, be it federal or state, should tell a person who they can marry or who they cannot marry. People have a right to fall in love and get married."
"I do not understand. Two men, two women, fall in love and get married. Whose marriage is being threatened?"
He compared the fight for same sex marriage to the fight for interracial marriage.
Some day we will look back and laugh at ourselves, he said. "The stars didn't fall over Alabama because people fell in love and got married."
Thanks, Equality Alabama, for hosting this event. Like the congressman said, we will change the south, we will change America, and the country will be a better country.


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Aly Raisman may've confirmed her retirement, but that doesn't mean she'll be absent from the 2020 Summer Olympics.
On Thursday morning, the two-time Olympian revealed on Pop of the Morning that she will be in Tokyo this summer to take in the games.
"I'm planning on being in Tokyo. I'm super excited," Raisman confirmed to POTM co-hosts Lilliana Vazquez, Scott Tweedie and guest co-host Lance Bass.
In what capacity? Unfortunately, Raisman—who visited Pop of the Morning alongside fellow #AerieREAL Role Model Lana Condor—stayed coy about her upcoming involvement at the summer games.
"Things are in the works maybe, but I can't say anything yet. But, I'm excited. I hope I'll be involved in some way," the retired gymnast relayed. "I'm definitely going to be the loudest one cheering, I'm so excited. Because, when I was competing, we didn't get to watch the other sports. I'm excited to watch the soccer, the swimming, track and field, everything."


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Get to Know: Mandy Bingham
We first discovered Mandy when she supported Bap Kennedy in the Belfast Barge in December 2013, and we were impressed then. You can usually find her performing alongside her husband Graham, and in the last few years she has developed, gained confidence, and rightfully earned many fans sparking the release of her album 'Bury Me Deep'.
She has taken part in two live BBC radio concerts with Ralph McLean, supported Diana Jones and featured in the Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival.
Mandy Bingham
Where I'm From? Ballycastle, County Antrim.
Digital music, CDs or vinyl? VINYL ALL THE WAY! Love the presence of it and the commitment of listening and making the effort to turn it over.
Biggest musical influence? My parents' vinyl collection!!
What are you listening to right now: St Vincent, Nadia Reid, Marie Courtney Andrews, Malojian, David Corley.
Favourite venue: Belfast Empire.
Last gig you attended: St Vincent.
Favourite album of all time? Janis Ian – Between The Lines.
Musician you'd like to collaborate with: Leonard Cohen (too late!)
Superstitions: None that I can think of!
Last thing I do before going on stage: Eat a Fisherman's Friend and take a few deep breaths!
Mandy Bingham will play in the Sunflower Bar, Belfast on Wednesday 7th February supporting Edelle McMahon. Buy tickets here.


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I have been looking for this quote from Nietzsche for a while:
' As is often seen, Nietzsche proposes a notion of self that is synonymous with action, disavowing any suppositions of an autonomous entity. "No such agent exists," he writes in the first essay of The Genealogy of Morals. "There is no 'being' behind the doing, acting, becoming … the doing is everything" '
From this source.
This relates to an idea I published on this blog some years ago here.
I wrote then:
In mass today, I was thinking about the co-eternity of the Son according to orthodox Christian belief. That is, the Son is eternal like the Father and the Holy Spirit. The belief that the Son was created by the Father is the heresy of Arianism.
The Son, of course, took flesh as man as well as God to redeem the Fall of Humanity. This raises an interesting question – to what extent was the story of the Fall and the Son's place in it foreordained? It is almost as if the Son has always existed so that He could have a role in the redemption of Mankind. That is, it is almost as if the story of the Fall is part of the essential nature of God. The Son has always existed as a person of the Trinity – but his particular role is as it were to take part in the story of man.
In Catholic teaching, the role of Mary the Mother of God is also part of an eternal plan:
"The divine plan of salvation — which was fully revealed to us with the coming of Christ — is eternal. And according to the teaching contained in the Letter just quoted and in other Pauline Letters (cf. Col 1:12-14; Rom 3:24; Gal 3:13; 2 Cor 5:18-29), it is also eternally linked to Christ. It includes everyone, but it reserves a special place for the "woman" who is the Mother of him to whom the Father has entrusted the work of salvation." [Redemptoris Mater.]
All of this raises the question – how can a plan, such as the plan of salvation including the Son of God and his earthly mother, be eternal? It is like saying that a work of art is eternal. This is where Nietzsche comes in. As indicated in the quote above, he argued that there may be action without a subject. In fact there is no subject, only action. So Nietzsche might argue that a work of art need not require an artist. Action does not imply a subject.
In a similar way, it is as if God's eternal plan of salvation can be eternal if we argue like Nietzsche (although to a very different end) that action does not imply a sole actor, a play does not require a playwright, a work of art does not imply an artist. Likewise, the story of salvation does not require an author. Rather, the story has always been and is eternal.
Julian O'Dea


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Nassief Lifetime Powertrain Protection
Nassief Honda's Lifetime Powertrain Protection covers you from Point A to Point B! Secure your vehicle's value and preserve your peace of mind with Nassief Honda's Lifetime Powertrain Protection Loyalty Program.
Nassief Honda offers an exclusive lifetime Powertrain Protection Plan that covers you for an unlimited time and unlimited miles - for as long as you own the vehicle! It comes at no additional charge when you purchase your vehicle after September 1, 2018
Powertrain coverage is valid on vehicles that are 9 years and newer with 90,000 miles or less.
have your vehicle serviced at our service center at the recommended
intervals we've got you covered. Ask your Sales Representative for details.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a Powertrain?
The powertrain includes the engine, transmission, drive shafts, transfer case, differentials, and drive axle of a vehicle. It generates power and sends the power to the wheels of the car.
- What is covered under the lifetime powertrain plan?
All internal lubricated components of the engine, transmission, drive axle, and transfer case.
- How long does the powertrain warranty really last?
Nassief Honda's lifetime powertrain protection plan lasts for unlimited time and unlimited miles, as long as the original owner owns the vehicle!
- How much does it cost?
The Nassief Honda Lifetime Powertrain Protection Plan is included with all qualified vehicle purchases at no charge. (valid on vehicles 9 years and newer with 90,000 miles or less)


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|Welcome to Gossip Rocks!
Click here for more ringtones!
In 2001, she released her first single titled "Never". "Never" became Perez's first charting single of her career, peaking at #79 on the Billboard Hot 100. In April 2002, she released her first album titled Where You At?, headed by Los Angeles radio DJ and A&R music producer Mike Quinn under the label Powerhouse Records. Quinn also directed and produced 4 music videos for Perez. The videos made MTV and charted Perez on TRL. The album was a hit in the United States, and made her a celebrity in her hometown, inking a deal with Universal Records. It also summoned the attention of other major record companies.


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There's just nothing better than a BIG slice of carrot cake! We LOVE this moist scratch Carrot Cake recipe for it's winning combination of flavors.
This recipe has it all: carrots, spices, pecans, coconut & pineapple! With that amazing roundup of ingredients, how could you go wrong?
Carrot Cake is a year-round favorite. A thick coat of cream cheese frosting with moist and flavorful carrot cake layers is a heavenly combination. I've experimented with and tried so many carrot cake recipes over the years, but this recipe is our absolute favorite!
This has been one of our most popular cake recipes over the years. We hope that you enjoy it!
*I think that carrot cakes are best with cream cheese frosting! You can find our cream cheese buttercream frosting listed in our recipe below, or you may also like our Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting if you prefer a thicker consistency! Either recipe tastes fantastic with carrot cake!
I love this close-up shot. Look at all of that goodness!
Carrot Cake from Scratch
This scratch Carrot Cake is my FAVORITE cake, and one of our most popular recipes on the site! Carrot cake with crushed pineapple, pecans, coconut, and spices!
For the Carrot Cake
- 2 1/2 cups (325g.) all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups ( 400g ) sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil (218g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (180g) grated (small pieces) carrots (do not use packaged pre-shredded carrots, they are too dry)
- 3/4 cup (92 g) chopped pecans
- 3/4 cup (50g) coconut (optional)( we used Baker's Angel Flake sweetened coconut)
- 1 (8oz.) can crushed pineapple, put in a strainer and let the liquid drain off….I press with a fork to remove not all, but a bit more liquid.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting (this recipe can be easily doubled if you plan to do a lot of piping)
- 2 sticks ,1 cup, (226g) unsalted butter, slightly softened
- 2 (8oz) packages cream cheese (total weight 452g) I use full fat cream cheese. Using reduced fat or the spreadable cream cheese will cause the frosting to be too soft. Soften very slightly.
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (2g) optional - it will cut the sweetness, popcorn salt is best to use because it is fine and dissolves faster
- 6 to 6 1/2 cups (690g to 747g) powdered sugar
For the Carrot Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Line the bottoms of 3 (8 inch) or 2 (9 inch) round pans with wax or parchment paper, grease with shortening and flour the paper and pans for easy release when turning out……carrot cake has a tendency to stick so be sure to use the paper.
- Whisk together for 30 seconds the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set Aside.
- In the bowl of your mixer, add 2 cups sugar , 4 eggs, 1 cup oil and 1 tsp. vanilla. Mix 2 to 3 minutes at medium speed until well blended and light colored.
- With a spoon stir in the flour until moistened, then add the carrots, pecans crushed pineapple and coconut.
- Bake 35 minutes at 350 degrees or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Refrain from opening the oven door or touching the center of the cake to test for doneness until very near the end of baking time or it could cause the cake to sink slightly in the center.
- Makes 6 1/2 cups batter
- Cool cake layers in pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack then turn out. Cool completely before frosting.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cut the butter into slices and add to the bowl of your mixer. Beat on low to medium speed until the butter is softened and smooth.
- Cut the cold cream cheese into pieces and add to the butter, beating at low to medium speed until incorporated. If you are using a hand mixer you may need to soften the cream cheese a bit more.
- Add the vanilla. Gradually add the powdered sugar beating on low speed until blended. Cover the bowl with a towel to keep down the cloud of powdered sugar.
- Increase mixing speed and beat until fluffy. Don't over beat or it will become too soft. If it becomes too soft, just refrigerate a short while to firm it up a bit.
- This frosting will pipe best if used while still chilled. You can make it in advance, refrigerate and when ready to use let it soften slightly (do not microwave) and remix.
- Will frost a 3 layer 8 inch cake
Did you know that we have a doctored cake mix version for Carrot Cake? Scratch Carrot Cake cake is my favorite but if you prefer to work with doctored cake mixes, this doctored cake mix version is a great one (and much better than a Carrot Cake box mix!) Doctored Carrot Cake Recipe
Don't miss our full listing of favorite Cake Recipes in our Cake Recipes section! Thanks for stopping by!


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With its compact easy to handle frame, its Bosch motor equipped with the new integrated 500Wh PowerTube battery, its120mm of travel front and rear, its 27.5+ wheels, its 12 speed drivetrain and its powerful Shimano brakes, the Samedi 27 Wide 2 will enable more people to discover or rediscover the fun of riding with a smile up to their ears ;-{D
The new Moustache range will be arriving in NZ late December 2020. To secure yours, you can pre-order now, or contact us for more information.
Your new e-bike will be fully prepared and check by our workshop technicians. You can be sure that everything has been dialled in for optimum performance. All our electric bikes come with a user manual, keys, charger & a free check-up service after approx 200km and within 3 months.
All our electric bikes include a 5yr warranty on the frame, 2yr warranty on motor & battery & 1yr warranty on components. In the event of a problem, we deal with all warranty claims in-house. We also offer free Bosch and Shimano updates and diagnostics.
* E-bike range is dependant on many factors inc rider weight, wind, hills, terrain etc. For a better estimate of your bike's range, please see our e-bike range page.
Good Rotations is an independent bicycle shop, locally owned and operated since 2013. Our aim is encourage the use of bicycles for everyday journeys and further adventures and to grow and expand the cycling culture where we live. We want you to love your bike!
Find us at 34 Anderson Road, Wanaka or email us: firstname.lastname@example.com
Collections: Electric, Moustache, Pre-Order
Type: Electric Bicycles
Category: 2020, Electric MTB, Full Suspension, Off-Road


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Stone tile installation work requires good skill, proper tools, approved products and most importantly understanding the material being used. Natural stone floor tile installation for example requires the tiler to be skilled enough to hide inconsistent tiles, maneuver tiles with different tonalities, keep the weak and strong veins apart, etc.. Tiling with natural stone is challenging and complicated unlike using consistent porcelain or ceramic tiles for floor tile installation.
Installing marble as wall and floor covering is not a new thing. It's been going on for more that a 100 years with churches and cathedrals for example been beautified by master stonemasons whose craftsmanship is seen till this very day. Installing marble today has very little similarities compared to the way older master stonemasons worked back then. Having both limited resources and tools, it was indeed a huge challenge to overcome back then but not so much in today's day and age.
As for now, we have made stone tile installation much easier for the professional as well as for DIY tilers having made available all the necessary installation tools, installation products, resin glues, stone waxes and even neutral cure silicones. Check out our lippage free tile leveling system, all new epoxy grout system or perhaps try out our neutral cure silicone from Germany.
Our other categories of products are:
Tiling tools * circular saw blades * electric paddle mixer* core drill bits * tile saw * handheld power tools * marble resin glues * adhesives * cementitious grout * waterproofing * stone waxes
Having all the right tools and materials set in place, stone tile installation projects is now able to take a new dimension. Installing marble completely lippage free was once impossible even to the most experienced master stonemason but today everything has been made easy for the DIY tiler to produce close to perfect lippage free installations.
Floor tile installation today goes on a rapid pace having all the assisted tools and devices covering more square meters per day like never before. Installation products from top brands like MAPEI & ARDEX keep producing higher yielding products including quickset adhesives and quick setting grout.
As we continue to serve our existing clients consisting of tilers, stonemasons, builders and DIY homeowners, Stone Doctor Australia has now more stone care consultants to work with you and can serve and service more clients across Australia. Our aim is to help any individual or company who wishes to work with stone to manage their projects well using approved products, quality tools and to follow the correct installation procedures we have set in place to achieve great outcomes.
Sold Out
Ultra Thin Cutting Blade for Porcelain
Sold Out
105 mm / 4" Blade For Cutting Porcelain & Ceramic Tiles
125mm / 5" Diamond Blade. Used For Cutting Engineered Stones
125mm / 5" Premium Quality Diamond Blade. Used For Cutting Engineered Stone.
125mm / 5" Diamond Blade.Used For Cutting Engineered Stones
125mm / 5" Premium Quality Diamond Blade. Used For Cutting Granite & Other Hard Stone
125mm / 5" Diamond Blade. Used For Cutting Granite / Hard Stones
125mm / 5" Diamond Blade. Used For Dry Cutting (General - All Stone Types)
125mm / 5" Diamond Blade. Used For Dry Cutting Marble & Soft Ceramics
Micro Sponge
Removes grout haze and makes an easy job of grout clean up
Useful in aligning and holding tiles during application
Useful in aligning and holding tiles during application
Useful in aligning and holding tiles during application
Precision tools for accurate shaping and cutting of tiles


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I want to import a properties file from my com.al.common.email.templates package structure. Currently, I able to run my code in a server container but I don't want that as it creates a dependency. Since I work with JUnit test cases, can someone guide me, how can I write a code that executes with both?
In case your class is present within your com.al.common.email.templates package, you can try using the below code:
Properties myProp = new Properties();
InputStream inStr = getClass().getResourceAsStream("demo.properties");
inStr.close(); //Along with necessary exception handling
InputStream inStr =
Providing the path in getResource() will help in searching for the resource in the relative directory.
If you're looking for an alternative that ...READ MORE
public void saveUrl(final String filename, final String ...READ MORE
Hey there!
It is not necessary for the ...READ MORE
You can use Java Runtime.exec() to run python script, ...READ MORE
Servlet - it's java server side layer.
Here, we are going to create the ...READ MORE
When you are using HTTP GET requests ...READ MORE
Very simple. You will find Deployment Descriptor ...READ MORE
@RequestMapping(value = "/files/{file_name}", method = RequestMethod.GET)
public void ...READ MORE
By using prepared statements, you can't retrieve the query ...READ MORE
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Xerotex digital advertising and marketing. Xerotex has provided creative advertising solutions in the digital domain since 2014. Backed by ten years of experience in the field, Xerotex joined dnaunion as a frit-class team with al already established track record.
Through the use of digital tools and services, Xerotex are able to advance or establish communication strategies, shape corporate identity, as well as plan and implement marketing communications programs.
By providing comprehensive advertising services, from ideation and establishing strategy to technical services and coding/programming, Xerotex have become known as an innovative full-service company in the digital marketing arena.
As a part of dnaunion's service portfolio Xerotex provides its clients with:
Website :www.xerotexagency.com


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Description: Susie is a beautiful puppy with a snow white coat and stunning dark eyes. She has a very sweet domineer and a gentle temperament which is why she would be perfect as a family dog or companion. Susie has an exciting, warm personality and loves to have fun and play but when its time to settle down she can't wait to curl up on your lap for a snuggle. As with all puppies offered through Puppy Steps Training, this puppy comes from a high quality breeder, both parents have documented health clearances and was carefully selected and hand-picked by us. Call or text Brad Phillips at 208-339-0032, leave a message through this website or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com to reserve this puppy today!
Female White Lab Puppy Susies Q- Placed
Gender: Female
Registered: Yes – AKC
Breed: Labrador Retriever
Expected Date Available: 06/13/2015


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Dec. 11, 2019 01:51PM EST
Walshy Fire Photo: RAHIM FORTUNE
Interview: Walshy Fire On Reconnecting Africa and the Caribbean through The Sound Of Rum
A conversation with the Jamaican born DJ/Producer and Bacardi Sound Of Rum curator who's worked with Mr Eazi, Vanessa Mdee, Ice Prince and Runtown.
Sponsored content from Bacardi
"If we aren't talking about growth, positivity and good energy in the opportunities that we have, then we're wasting our opportunities" Walshy Fire says. "It's about helping move the culture forward - which is what I want to do". The artist, born Leighton Paul Walsh, recently released his Afrobeats and dancehall-fusing debut solo album, ABENG, after achieving global success as one third of supergroup Major Lazer and producing standout hits such as Koffee's "Toast".
Keep reading... Show less


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Honest John's Motoring Agony Column 13-04-2019 Part 1
Answers about flatspotted tyres, Ingenium diesel, Suzuki Baleno, hydrogen fuel cell and, in part 2, assisted hill start, Hyundai Santa Fe, Peugeot 2008, Vauxhall Mokka X and more.
As usual, emails to Honest John should be addressed to: email@example.com Please try to keep them as short as possible.
Saving Energy
I have a 2013 Mercedes B180 auto with 72,000miles and have been delighted with the car. I have always used Michelin tyres: 205/55/16 Energy Saver, as originally fitted. I had 2 new tyres on the front in 2015 and recently went back for re-balancing because the front of the car appeared to be oscillating, particularly at low speeds. On spinning the wheels on the balancing machine both tyres appear to have gone oval. There is still 5mm of tread left on both so plenty of life left. Do you have any idea of the possible cause? Have you heard of this problem previously and do you think I have any comeback on Michelin?
DC, Retford
Possibly from being parked for a long time in the same place with no movement and with insufficient pressure in the tyres. Don't blame Michelin. I took a set of 11-year-old Energy Savers off a car this month and they were still round with plenty of tread, just a bit hard. (The reason for taking them off was to test a set of Continental AllSeason Contacts.)
Emission accomplished
I see you warned a correspondent off Jaguar diesels until they have sorted their engines out. I thought that the 2016 models onwards met the latest EU pollution specs? My 2017 XF 2.0D is a great car to drive, and you would hardly know it is a diesel. I get 50mpg on longish runs, better than my partner's 1.0 Fiesta and I would no doubt beat that with a lighter right foot. Surely pollution should take into account the way diesels sip fuel. You are lucky to get 30mpg from a 2-litre petrol engine. Petrol engines can be gas-guzzlers.
CL, Woodford
Check the good/bad sections here and you will soon see what I am on about: /carbycar/land-rover#used/ Transverse Ingenium diesels are particularly bad. Longitudinal Ingeniums (as in your XF) much better because the DPFs can be close coupled. V6 diesels are starting to give trouble. JLR 2016-2018 Ingenium diesels were recalled by the VCA over emissions in March.
Enough is enough
I currently drive a Suzuki S Cross CVT and have been very pleased with it since purchase new 3.5 years ago. When visiting a Suzuki showroom recently I looked at a Baleno CVT model that seemed to have a good finish and many extras included in the price. Not having seen this vehicle on the road or ever having seen it mentioned in your column I write to ask your thoughts on this car. It was listed as having a 1.0 litre petrol engine with a turbo, whereas my present S-Cross is a 1.6. Is the Baleno engine powerful enough?
JS, via email
Unlike your S Cross, the Baleno is not a CVT. Has a 6-speed torque converter auto. Tested here: /road-tests/suzuki/suzuki-baleno-2016-road-test/ The Swift auto is even better: /road-tests/suzuki/suzuki-swift-10-boosterjet-automatic-2017-road-test/ (The S Cross had a Very confusing history of automatic transmissions: CVT from 2013 to 2015; Dual Clutch Transmission from 2015 to 2016; then 6-speed torque converter from September 2016.
Hydro electric
I've never been convinced about battery powered cars for all the reasons you stated in your answer headed 'Fossil Fools'. I've heard the Japanese are rolling out Hydrogen cell cars which don't require huge packs of batteries, don't need recharging, have the same range as petrol/diesel cars following a refill and the Hydrogen cell bi-product is water vapour. So why are manufacturers building battery cars and factories to manufacture batteries with all the associated problems?
CT, via email
Technically, hydrogen fuel cell cars are more complex and more expensive to make. And then, of course, there is the problem of producing the hydrogen fuel. Here's one: /carbycar/hyundai/nexo/ Here's another: /road-tests/toyota/toyota-mirai-2015-road-test/ And here might be the answer to distributing the fuel: /news/miscellaneous/2019-04/toyota-comes-up-with-a-compact-self-contained-hydrogen-fuel-station/
Disco sorted?
I'm considering purchasing a Land Rover Discovery Sport diesel, but in your response to a letter last week you said that "you wouldn't get involved with any JLR diesels until the company has sorted them out". What did you mean by that and what is your recommended alternative power unit for this vehicle?
HC, via email
See the land rover entries in http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/ Ingenium diesels now subject of an emissions recall. Until the complaints stop rolling in, my recommendation is to go for a Honda CR-V hybrid: /road-tests/honda/honda-cr-v-hybrid-2019-road-test/
Can you advise on a replacement car for us later this year? We have driven a succession of Range Rovers and currently have a Vogue SE with the diesel 4.4 engine. The car is lovely and my wife adores its comfort, although I am dreading the depreciation when we come to trade it in later this year. We need an AWD SUV with the same comfort as the Range Rover and a big enough boot for our two large dogs. We do about 10k miles a year. A hybrid car may be acceptable. We change our cars every 3 years.
MC, via email
Lexus RX450h: /road-tests/lexus/lexus-rx450h-and-rx200t-2016-road-test/
Oil SLK
I have owned a Mercedes 230SLK for over 15 years. The car is more than 19 years old, first registered in September 1999. Over the last 18 months I have noticed the engine is using more oil with the warning light coming on and, when checking, found the dipstick to register the minimum. There were no tell-tale leaks on the garage floor; no oil in the water and no noticeable smoke coming from the exhaust and so for 6 months I just topped the oil up and, at the annual service in August, mentioned it to my garage. They found minor leaks, which they fixed but could offer no other explanation. They asked me to note the next time the oil light came on and how much oil it took to top it back up and they would compare the oil use against the mileage covered and check with the Mercedes manual. In October the light came on and it took 2.3 litres of oil to top it up. The car had done just over 1,000 miles during this period. They advised me that this was excessive but still could not supply me with an alternative explanation. Some weeks later I had a chance conversation with an RAC man after having a problem starting the car. He felt that the rings were gone and that it would be extremely costly to repair as it involved an engine rebuild. Since that time I have continued to top up the oil but have now noticed that the warning light comes on following high revs driving, e.g. accelerating up a hill, and then goes off when the revs drop back down. When I have checked the oil level it is well above minimum and closer to maximum. It seems that the oil level in the sump drops prompting the light to come on and then recovers later almost as if there was a blockage in the system which clears itself. I would appreciate your opinion and, as importantly, what I can do about it.
HD, Cardiff
That indicates to me that the valve stem oil seals are failing. Might be possible to get them replaced without removing the head.
My 2013 VW Polo would not start last Wednesday. I thought it was a flat battery. Green Flag recovery towed it to Windrush Volkswagen in Maidenhead where I bought the car new and have serviced it there regularly. The dealer phoned me on Wednesday morning telling me that it would cost £99 to do diagnostic tests to check what was wrong. On Friday they sent me a message saying the problem was low compression in the engine caused by inlet valves not sealing properly. I have absolutely no idea what they were talking about. They said it would cost me another £504 to make further tests and would let me know on Monday. I phoned them this morning and they said they would phone me back before lunch. My car has done less than 24,000 miles in almost six years, serviced by the dealer garage every year. Do you think it could be wear and tear? Or a defect in the car engine? I am very concerned about the cost. I have used this dealer for the last 14 years and I had bought 4 cars from him. I supposed they know that I am a widow and I know nothing about cars. Your advice will be greatly appreciated.
PF, via email
The inlet valve not sealing properly could be caused by carbon build-up in a direct injection petrol engine, possibly the result of repeated short runs from cold starts using supermarket petrol. This can sometimes be cleaned up by the Terraclean process. It does not necessarily mean that the engine has to be dismantled. Ask the dealer what precisely the £504 is for? If might be to Terraclean the valves.
Comfort sprung
Way back in the early 1970s I had a Citroen GS with the Oleo-Pneumatic suspension system. It proved to be the most comfortable car I have ever owned. Your early 2018 review of Citroen's updated C4 Cactus with the new "comfort" suspension looked very promising and I am wondering what your readers are saying with nearly a year of experience? My wife and I are now in our early 80s and, for her
particularly, comfort in a car is especially important as every little road imperfection attacks her aching back. For the past 30 years or so our family car has been a string of Renault Meganes and Clios, with which we have been very satisfied, but now we need to concentrate on comfort, despite our relatively short journeys. Is the Cactus really as comfortable as Citroen portrays? And, do you know when the C3 will be offered with the new suspension?
PG, via email
The Citroen Advanced Comfort system is a combination of a new type of progressive hydraulic damping that allows for softer springs and also a new type of seats. Obviously, they work better with smaller wheel sizes and deeper profile tyres: /news/new-cars/2017-10/citroen-c4-cactus-advanced-comfort/
Burns night
I would appreciate your comments on my 14-month old MINI Cooper petrol model with 18,000 miles. This is my 4th MINI, purchased from the same supplier. I had not had any problems with the car and had arranged to have it serviced as part of my purchase agreement. The day before it was going in for the service, I had a round trip of 40 miles. On the return part of the trip I could sense that something was not right with the clutch/gearbox area. Also, a warning note flashed onto the dashboard indicating that the clutch/gearbox was getting hot. On travelling slowly home I was within 400 metres of our home when it stopped. No matter which gear we put the car in it would not move. I arranged to have it taken to the dealer where, over the next few days, the main service was completed, except they informed me that I needed a new clutch, etc. This, they then said, was due to me driving with my foot on the clutch pedal. I don't, but they refused to repair the car unless I paid for a new clutch, etc., as it would not be under the guarantee. I have driven cars of all types for over 60years , both in UK and abroad. I had to pay £2,500 to get my car back after renewing the problem area. I would appreciate your comments on the reliability of this area on present cars, plus I will probably get my solicitor involved.
SS, North Lincs
This is not a regular problem with the F56 MINI. A manufacturer rarely warrants a clutch beyond 6 months because a determined driver could if he wished destroy it in 15 minutes.
Fluid situation
I own a 2014 Ford Kuga 2.0 TDCi 180. I took it to Ford for its annual service in 2017 with the odometer reading 30,205 miles. Ford carried out a 37,500-mile service. They also suggested "Powershift gearbox change oil and filter", which I declined. Last year's annual service was carried out by an independent garage. I asked about the oil and filter change and was told that it wasn't necessary until 100,000 miles. Last week I read with interest your note saying "the clutch pack and transmission share the same fluid so the unit requires fresh fluid and a filter every three years or 38,000 miles)". Is the fluid and filter that you say needs changing, the same as that previously suggested by Ford and was the independent garage incorrect in their advice?
IP, via email
Yes. Failure to change the wet clutch Powershift fluid and filter because owners resent paying for the job is the main cause of wet clutch Powershift failures.
High maintenance
In March last year part-exchanged my much-loved VW Tiguan (95k trouble-free motoring) for a June 2012 Ford Kuga Titanium 4x4 TDCi Powershift auto with 32k miles on the clock. It pulls my caravan well with more stability on the road than the Tiguan, but the transmission is not as smooth from take-off. I have covered 14k miles since purchase. I see in the service book that the gearbox oil and filter were changed at 18k miles. Have there been problems with this gearbox? Secondly, do you think I should have timing belt, tensioner and pump changed prior to the recommended mileage due to hitherto low annual mileage?
RW, vi email
This is a 6-speed wet clutch Powershift and it require fresh fluid and filter every 3 years or every 38,000 miles whichever comes first, so, particularly after towing that can burn the fluid, I would get this changed again. I think it's also overdue a timing belt, tensioner, waterpump and aux belt replacement.
Right charger
We have a 2016 MINI Cooper S All4 with 13,000 miles. The car is now covering only 900 miles a year, is used infrequently, with mainly short journeys up to 15 miles round trip with the auto stop/start disabled. A battery warning light came up recently, which according to the handbook, means 'severely discharged'. On taking the car to our local garage, it still had 55% charge and they successfully re-charged to 100%. I believe it would make sense to keep the battery charged whilst the vehicle is parked in the garage. Can you please recommend a suitable type of battery charger.
SP, via email
I have a similarly little used car. But what I do is make a point of taking it on a 20 - 30 mile run at least once a month. That keeps the battery nicely charged. Readers recommend Accumate battery conditioning float chargers. (https://accumate.co.uk/accumate.htm) A couple of other brands are CTEK and Ring, from Halfords.
The story unfolds
At the beginning of December I took delivery of a new car. It turned out to be not as described in the literature from which I chose the level of trim. It is not fitted with the electric folding and heated door mirrors that should be on that model. The dealer did not tell me of the deficiency until handover and in accordance with the Consumer Rights Act I gave him the opportunity to rectify the omission. After six weeks the dealer told me that a remedy is not possible. A replacement car to the manufacturer's full specification is not available until an uncertain delivery date when, to supply it, the dealer wants an additional payment of £2,400. Having minimised my new car's use since delivery to 700 miles, I have rejected the car and claimed a refund. The dealer is entitled to make a deduction from a full refund for use of the vehicle but under guidance from the Department for Business, Innovations and Skills (BIS) a deduction based upon the consumer's use of a motor vehicle is not the same as the shortfall between the purchase price and the second-hand market value of the vehicle. In these circumstances, can you please suggest how a reasonable deduction from a full refund should be calculated for using the vehicle, assuming that the car has not suffered any damage and is 'as new' apart from its low mileage?
DL, Market Drayton
If you take this to court you might find that a deviation from a brochure description is not sufficient grounds to reject a car. There was a case in the 1990s: Johnson v Hersham and Walton Motors concerning an Aston Martin where such a ruling was made. But this was merely a County Court case. If you attempt to assert your "right" under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 you would probably be setting a case precedent and you might find yourself pitted against considerable opposition. What you have is a 2018/68 registered car and it is now 2019. Your car is second-hand, not new. So it is only worth the value that the market puts upon it, whatever that value is. You might be able to price it using: /used-prices/
Coatings of many colours
I just bought a new Volvo XC60. Lovely car (saw you weren't that keen). But I have the usual problem of sales pitches asking a fortune to put special coating over the paint. In the good old days I used a product called Liquid Diamond (Polymer sealant, forget the company, possibly Simoniz?) and it was brilliant. We used to use it for all our motorbikes and cars (I was a traffic policeman); my own bikes and cars as well and, after a few coats, the vehicles were protected from the salt and road dirt, etc., only needing a quick wash or a hose at home to bring back to a nice condition. I now live next to the sea in wet Donegal, Ireland and use a few coats of Autoglym, but it's not the same. Any suggestions and other good products to produce those same results as can't find anything to match ?
PG, via email
Autoglym Lifeshine is a ceramic coating that really needs to be professionally applied. Autoglym High Def Wax, you can apply yourself. I received a few accolades recently for the Diamondbrite ceramic coating, that might be the same basic stuff you mention.
Agassed at the price
Yesterday, my trouble-free 2016 petrol Honda Civic Tourer (the one you recommended 3 years ago! had its 3-year service (£260 for oil, filter, brake fluid change). This was for a '37,500-mile' service, though it has done less than 10k. It had earlier passed its 1st MoT with flying colours. Just before announcing it 'ready', I was offered an aircon service for £65 (not mentioned when the service was booked, nor when I checked it in), so I demurred for the time being, as it seemed to be OK. I remember reading your past advice to blast the cold air through every month or so for a few minutes, (and have also recently read that one should then blast some hot air though likewise), and have been doing that.
MB, via email
£65 is cheap for an aircon regas these days. The reason is that the EC imposed a new refrigerant on the European car industry that costs 5 times as much and seems only to be available from a single supplier (Competition Commission fails again). But this fact is pushing up the price of the old refrigerant (in your car) so if you leave the job for a year it could cost you a lot more.
Mild to wild
I am looking to replace my 2010 Octavia 1.6TDi with something more dynamic, fun and up to around £20k (with trade-in). I have seen a 2007 E63 with 120k for £11,280 and am tempted. Are these reliable enough for long-term use? This will be complimented with a second car that will be our daily runabout - the big estate will be used for continental holidays and for long trips to see the far-flung family in the UK, I also have three dogs so need the space. Annual mileage will be low, circa 3-5k - is there anything else to consider? I keep my cars well maintained and want a chain over belt drive.
MH, via email
A W211 E63 is a mind-blowing car but also a potential wallet buster. A new engine alone is £20k + because they are hand built. More sensible to think along the lines of a Focus ST estate (that has a chain cam 250HP motor).
Click to Honest John's Motoring Agony Column 13-04-2019 Part 2
Captain-Cretin on 12 April 2019Agassed at the price
Amazed more people arent complaining about the regularity they need the system re-gassed; my Mitsubishi is 11 years old and still on the original gas - and it still works!!!
In fact it works a damned sight better than my step fathers similar aged Mercedes E220, which has supposedly been re-gassed twice.
Engineer Andy on 12 April 2019
As HJ says, it depends upon how you use it - if you leave it off a lot or only use the cooling function (whether on auto or manual) rarely, the seals on the system dry up and the refrigerant leaks out, losing pressure and perfeormance, eventually not working any more.
The same goes for getting rid of any moisture/bacteria in the ventilation ductwork via putting it on full heat to burn it off. Do that, and a well-designed system should work without problems for many years - mine has (13 years and counting).
Captain-Cretin on 12 April 2019
But I dont really do any of that; it basically goes on when it is wet to demist the windows.
In the unlikely event of a hot summer, I tends to just wind the windows down; it only goes on cold on the rare occasion I use the motorway on a day with lots of sunlight, and SWMBO isnt along for the ride (anything below 30 and she complains it is cold).
Engineer Andy on 12 April 2019
But I dont really do any of that; it basically goes on when it is wet to demist the windows.
In the unlikely event of a hot summer, I tends to just wind the windows down; it only goes on cold on the rare occasion I use the motorway on a day with lots of sunlight, and SWMBO isnt along for the ride (anything below 30 and she complains it is cold).
Then how do you know it's still working fine if you don't use the A/C on cooling mode or to cool the car interior to about 20-23degC? As I said, losing some refrigerant doesn't mean it won't work entirely, but less efficiently and thus won't be able to cool the car down adequately when it's really hot out.
Captain-Cretin on 13 April 2019
Over the average summer I will use AC to chill the car perhaps 2 or 3 times; on a hot summer perhaps once a week.
It doesnt ice up the window, but it gets plenty cold.
When working for Vauxhall Fleet, the early AC system on the Zafira was very random, some wouldnt cool as much as my Mitsi does now; others could get ice crystals to form on the windscreen when it was 30 Celsius outside.
Marcus T. on 24 April 2019
Agree. My wife and I run our A/C all the time in our vehicles. Not had any problems with any of them including a now, 11 year old Mazda. It still works in my Sisters 12 year old CRV.
glidermania on 12 April 2019There's nothing 'technically' about the difficulties of a hydrogen fueled car, it is fact! HJ continues to denegrate (although not in this particular column) EVs. I dont know where he gets his information about EV drivers being quoted thousands to replace battery packs and more importantly, the actual number of EV owners HAVING to have the batteries replaced.
The simple fact is EVs hardly lose any battery capacity over a 10 year period and examples of Teslas with over 200,000 miles on original battery packs abound in the US.
As for this nonesense that there isnt enough capacity in the National Grid to charge millions of EV, oh please, stop the rethoric. Everyone will not be charging overnight nor at the same time.
Scot5 on 12 April 2019"It turned out to be not as described in the literature from which I chose the level of trim."
There's a very easy answer. If questioner read the literature in full, they would have come across a disclaimer, which reads something like:
"Specifications correct at time of publication, please check with your local retailer for current specifications".
If the order form or salesperson said the car had electric folding mirrors then you have a case, however if the sales brochure said the model came with folding mirrors... Should have read the small print.
Lee Power on 13 April 2019Another thing about electric cars being this so called wonder future for everyone, the fact is there are plenty of people out there where an electric car is NOT an option.
There are many people like myself who cannot install a charger at home due to the way the housing was designed many years ago & where the car parking is located related to the house.
An electric car is totally pointless if you cant charge the thing up at home.
Chris James on 13 April 2019
I reckon Electric Cars will become a Marmite choice in the future, a bit like LPG turned out. Suitable and praiseworthy for some, but completely impractical for many others. Street parking makes up about 80% of the households around here, and so having Electric Cars will either mean extension leads trailing across the footpaths or Street Charging points, and given our Council can't even fix pot holes and keep the existing street lights working i'm wondering how they or the Highways dept are going to fit, maintain and annually safety test thousands of lamp-post mounted public chargers?.
I also wonder about the infrastructure, after all at least two large bus companies are already having to hire in and run Diesel generators to charge up their Buses overnight as the local supply can't cope with the demand, so how will it cope with several million new Electric Cars?.
When you consider a 100kw fast charger uses as much current as a medium sized factory, and conventional large petrol station forecourts will need 12 of these on one site if they replace petrol pumps like for like, then each petrol station will require the supply of an industrial estate!, so when are the power stations going to be built in every large town and city to supply this kind of demand? because the current substations and incomers will not be able to cope with the 120,000kw required by a single petrol station with 12 fast chargers in use, which will occur consistently during a Weekend, or bank holiday or when the Schools break up in summer for the big holiday get-away!.
GingerTom on 13 April 2019The chap with the Mini must be around 80 and I feel sorry for him because as his senses dull he is probably unaware that he is wearing the clutch out with excessive revs and slipping the clutch too much. I suggest he goes out with a younger experienced driver to assess his driving and look out for any bad habits. It may prevent another failure.
Captain-Cretin on 13 April 2019
A bit ageist !!
Yes, there are plenty of elderly people who shouldnt be driving, but that is true of all age ranges. Assuming it is his fault and not an issue with the car is EXACTLY the excuse VW/Ford etc are using to cover up the fact their auto boxes/clutches are crap.
Another erosion of the principle of "Innocent before being proven guilty"; some people do doughnuts and burn the clutch out, so blame every driver when a clutch fails.
Or do you never read this website?
GingerTom on 13 April 2019
Or do you never read this website?
What are you bleating on about? I simply said the poor chap may be wearing it out and giving some sound advice. Or are you one of those new age professionally offended? And if you bothered to read HJs reply you will see that HJ said failures of this type on Minis are extremely rare lending weight to my perfectly polite and reasonable suggestions.
groaver on 13 April 2019
What are you bleating on about? I simply said the poor chap may be wearing it out and giving some sound advice.
"The chap with the Mini must be around 80"
You said must not may. Subtle but big difference.
mmmmm on 14 April 2019
Or do you never read this website?
What are you bleating on about? I simply said the poor chap may be wearing it out and giving some sound advice. Or are you one of those new age professionally offended? And if you bothered to read HJs reply you will see that HJ said failures of this type on Minis are extremely rare lending weight to my perfectly polite and reasonable suggestions.
Respondent not "bleating" as you put it...in fact you could easily be described as "defensive" given your attitude. "Senses dull" and you believe that language is appropriate and considerate?. Nothing to do with modern thinking, simply good manners not to behave as you have done and tried to defend. "Poor chap", there you go yet again AND HJ opining that "failures of this type..." is in NO WAY connected to your stupidity and rudeness, that passes in your terms for "polite" comments
Captain-Cretin on 16 April 2019
Thanks to you and to Groaver.
Yes the OP Did describe the guy as a MUST; and that his age meant he was incapable of driving any longer.
Back when we first looked at buying a Mk1 Toyota Previa, a local 40-something Taxis driver running one warned us that the gear selectors would wear out every 120K or so, and would need replacing
As it turned out*, this "professional driver" bimbled around town with his hand resting on the gear knob, pushing the shaft down slightly and prematurely wearing out the selector bushes.
We ended up buying FIVE of these cars, and even when the original reached 255,000 miles, we still had no issues with the gear selectors.
Age aint everything.
* As told by the guy doing the repairs.
Christhepostie on 13 April 2019I bought a used golf tdi from Windrush maidenhead 4 years ago. A few weeks after collecting it an ominous sound was coming from the front wheels: the bearings. Despite being a wear n tear part they replaced them for free, a goodwill gesture. They also did the cam belt and water pump, when I pointed out they needed doing shortly. For free. Since then I have bought a golf tsi, and just this February a polo gti (both from the Slough branch). I've found Windrush to be good, honest dealers. Speak to the actual technicians, rather than the customer service people. Ask for their own opinions. They'll more than likely be right, and it may well save you a good amount of cash.
Honestjohn on 14 April 2019
In response to Christhepostle. That's outstanding service. Please add your experience to: https://good-garage-guide.honestjohn.co.uk/ Windrush deserves as many customers as this can bring them.
Chris James on 13 April 2019Aldi sell a smart battery charger with Trickle Charge and Battery Regeneration functions for under £15, its called the AutoXS and seems to work just as good as the more expensive Cteck etc.
jchinuk on 14 April 2019Re : Hydro electric, The biggest problem, if that is the right word, would be the infrastructure. Adding charging points for even 30% of the population driving electric would be expensive, but quite achievable. Adding hydrogen refuelling 'pumps' would be considerable in comparision. A garage near us (on the A127) was one of the fuelling stations for the trial of hydrogen powered buses in London around twenty years ago. It was quite a distance from any of the routes used from the trials, but no one wanted a hydrogen tank near homes (the newreel of the Hindenberg crash come to people's minds when you mention hydrogen). In reality only a third of the people aboard were killed in that crash.
jchinuk on 14 April 2019Re Saving Energy
I think the Government are 'consulting' on banning the use of tyres over 10 years old, I saw a piece on the news, though very little detail was given.
VINCENT MILLARD on 16 April 2019Re energy saving tyres, My Oct 2015 MG6 DTi has energy saving tyres fitted as part of it's Euro Cap6 emissions system and I've had no problem with instability, but they are Chinese Tyres. By the way Note I said Oct 2015, where as 2016 is mentioned everywhere. This Car was at least assembled in UK and the Engine, Gearbox and emissions control were all fully made in the UK, along with most of the Electrics.


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The Blue Swan Daily brings you a round up of some of the latest hotel news from across Europe, Middle East and Africa.
- H Hospitality Collection to make its debut in Saudi Arabia
- LRC Group expands its portfolio with UK Doubletree by Hilton properties
- Hotels.com: International destinations need to do more to prepare for Chinese travellers
- Moscow Vnukovo Airport opens small capsule hotel in terminal
- Ethiopian Airlines Group study share sale for its hotel business
H Hospitality Collection to make its debut in Saudi Arabia
Jabal Omar Development Company (JODC), a leading real estate development company in Saudi Arabia has selected H Hospitality Collection, the hotel management company of Abu Dhabi Capital Group, to manage its new 5-star hotel development in the Holy City of Makkah. The agreement is a significant milestone for H Hospitality Collection as the new hotel marks its first venture in the Kingdom. The 650-room hotel is part of the prestigious Jabal Omar mega-development, with a total built-up area of over 2 million square metres, featuring residences, hotels, malls, retail amenities, prayer areas and other facilities. The hotel is due to welcome its first guests by the beginning of 2020.
LRC Group expands its portfolio with UK Doubletree by Hilton properties
European property investment and management firm LRC Group has acquired Glasgow-based Amaris Hospitality, with plans to add seven UK-based Hilton-branded properties to the company's portfolio. LRC will acquire the hotels from Oaktree Capital Management, all of which operate under the Doubletree by Hilton brand and are located in Bristol, Strathclyde, Southampton, Dartford, Newbury, Coventry and Edinburgh airport.
Hotels.com: International destinations need to do more to prepare for Chinese travellers
Many international destinations are still not properly prepared for Chinese outbound passengers warned Hotels.com in its 2018 Chinese International Travel Monitor report, and hotels have a key role to play in engaging with the lucrative market. The study found international destinations are not always ready for Chinese travellers and there are areas for improvement, particularly the ability to QR code scan via WeChat and acceptance of mobile phone payments. More than a third of travellers surveyed reported international booking and reservation methods did not meet expected standards, and local transport arrangements along with Mandarin speaking guides and hotel staff were also areas for improvement.
Moscow Vnukovo Airport opens small capsule hotel in terminal
Moscow Vnukovo Airport last week opened a capsule hotel featuring 12 sleeping spaces within its terminal A. The capsules offer WiFi, television, air conditioning, charges and baggage storage. Moscow Vnukovo Airport is the first Moscow airport to offer the service.
Ethiopian Airlines Group study share sale for its hotel business
Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Tewolde GebreMariam has highlighted that some of the African group's business units would be "very attractive" to private investors, highlighting its aerospace, airport, logistics and hotel divisions in particular. Mr GebreMariam said negotiations are underway with various companies and stated DHL may take a 49% stake in the companies' logistics business "within weeks".


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Mommy Mops – Belleville business is to here to clean up the stigma around a messy home
Stephanie Rayton is a proud mom of three who still remembers the feeling she had when she put down her two-week resignation notice. That was the start of Mommy Mops – Stephanie's cleaning company with "shame-free services and no-judgement consultations."
The idea came to Stephanie after realizing how stressed some families are about their homes.
"We live in this 'profile picture world' where we look at other people and think 'Wow, they really have it together' and we start to feel embarrassed or ashamed by our own home and our hope is that people can let go of that feeling and let us come in and help."
Mommy Mops comes into busy households with a single purpose – reduce stress around cleaning. Stephanie noticed that many families tend to clean before the cleaning company comes in. So their idea is to bring 'no judgment' services.
"Everyone is struggling a little bit, so we want to reduce the feeling of having to hide that and know that we've got it. We have a lot of empathy. At my house, it's a mess all the time, so I try and comfort people by telling them that. It stresses me out when my house is not in good condition, and so I know that there are a lot of families that must be feeling the same way. Our team really understands, we have no judgment, we just want people to open up and let help in."
A clean subscription
Mommy Mops launched in May 2018 and now has a team of nine and is looking to expand. Stephanie says she is proud to be a local employer and give an opportunity to the employees to work around their own schedule.
"My professional goals would be to be able to offer more opportunities to people. I really love the fact that we can allow our team to set their own schedule and put their families first. They upload their availability to us, and then we match jobs to them. So we are really hoping to continue to grow our team and be able to offer more people these kinds of services."
Now they are working on a monthly membership program that will allow them to work with clients in a more personal matter.
"So far we have been cleaning per hour and we have some clients that are flat rate, but what we are about to launch now is a monthly subscription service. So you pay a flat rate once a month, it comes right out of your account on the specific date that we set. Depending on the package you select, you get a certain amount of hours per month, so we come in and instead of cleaning your house from top to bottom we come in and help with your to-do list. So if we come in and your kitchen needs a lot of attention – we start there, and then we work our way down the list of priorities that the client sets."
Stephanie hopes the new subscription-based program will allow not only clients to get exactly the services they need but also allow her team to grow.
"We are hoping to get a number of subscribers in and start building some leadership opportunities within Mommy Mops where we can have team leaders and people who are running different locations. We hope to keep growing and keep helping employ people who need control of their own schedule."
Independence at work was something she worked on since Mommy Mops started. "The fact that is, you can create your own opportunities, so you never have to feel limited by somebody setting your salary or how much money you are going to make per year. You can just come up with ideas, new products and services to sell and increase your income or try out a new concept and see if it's going to work."
Balance in Everything
Now with Mommy Mops celebrating its first year in May, Stephanie says it's essential for her to try and find the balance between work and personal life. She always was a yes person and now, she says, it's time to slow down and enjoy the fruits of her work.
"Personally, I would like to continue to try and get some more work-life balance and definitely try to manage the business in a way that I could shut off at some point of the day. That's the goal. I am learning now that self-care is super important so trying to find a way to make that happen and just develop some seamless processes so we can make sure that things are running smoothly, but we start to feel a little bit more calm."
New Opportunities
One of the coolest things about being an owner of your own business is a chance to work with organizations and people you'd never have an opportunity to work with otherwise. Stephanie talked about her start-up and business model on multiple occasions in front of different crowds, and it was awesome!
However, no speech or crowd in the world will compare to seeing her girls being proud of her and the company.
"They are excited to tell other people that we have our own business and keeping them in the loop. I can take a business call on Bluetooth in my minivan, and they know to sit quietly, and when I get off the phone, they are like "did you get the sale?" They are a part of it, and they are so invested in that as well. So that's been a huge accomplishment."
Even though it's a hard job, being self-employed is the way to be for Stephanie. She says she would never go back to her secure salary and benefits job.
"There are a lot of responsibilities and information that comes along with managing your own business. It would be great if there was one phone number you could call and someone tells you everything you have to know and do. It's definitely trial and error and making sure that you are setting the tone properly to employees and doing everything correctly and definitely finding that balance."
Stephanie says she didn't expect the Bay of Quinte to be so supportive of her as a new local employer. She didn't have an essential personal network when she moved to the area or started Mommy Mops, but people at QuinteVation, Small Business Centre and Trenval were accommodating not only with professional challenges but also with personal struggles.
It was here in Bay of Quinte that she met her new business partner, Dionna Baker at a local Hello Boss Girl networking event. Dionne is another newbie to our community and owner of Shop Boss Secrets. She brings years of experience in Communications and Marketing. Mommy Mops is growing by creating a social movement around empowerment and self- acceptance. We are working toward removing employment barriers while also creating ways for our clients to experience the ease and convenience that comes along with technology advances for payment, scheduling, and service offerings.
Go for it!
If you dream of starting your own business, Stephanie's advice is to jump into it with both feet forward.
"I think we try to come up with a plan and we try to think everything out before we make the jump. Sometimes you've got to put two feet forward, and it's kind of sink or swim mentality. So, if you jump into it – you'll figure it out, and find a way."
Mommy Mops – https://mommymops.com