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Category: Random
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DO YOU FIND HOUSEKEEPING AN OVERWHELMING CHORE AND AVOID IT AT ALL COSTS?
Perhaps your living room is bursting with junk and clutter you can’t face to part with. Do you need help in getting your home back in order?
OR ARE YOU CONSUMED BY CLEANING? DO YOU SPEND HOURS A DAY DUSTING, POLISHING AND VACUUMING TO KEEP GERMS AT BAY?
betty are making a second series of the hit show Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners for Channel 4 and we are looking for people to take part.
This primetime series sees everyday people with a compulsion to clean offer up their services to people with disorganised houses in need of a spruce up in the hope they can learn from each other.
If you are interested in finding out more, please get in touch by calling
02079 070892 or email [email protected]
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French manufacturer Furygan has created a new range of leather jackets designed with racing in mind. The Race, Akira, Block and Brutale Evo are new-for-2013, combining Furygan’s renowned style and quality with its on-track expertise developed with pro racers.
Although they differ in style, the four jackets do have some similarities, for example each one is crafted from CE homologated 1.4mm waterproofed leather. Areas exposed to abrasion in a crash situation are reinforced with triple stitching to avoid tearing and each jacket features D3O T5 Pro Evo level 2 armour in the elbow and shoulders and a back protector (1621-2 level 1 central back type), offering full protection without restricting comfort and movement. The back protector pocket in each can also accommodate a level 2 full back protector as an added extra.
Each jacket features Furygan’s Skin Protect lining and a thermal padded lining that includes aluminum inserts on the chest for maximum protection against the cold. There are two connecting zips (one short and one full) mounted on an elastic belt, adjusters on the waist and four pockets – two inside and two outside. All four jackets also carry the Ergomax label, ensuring maximum comfort and a perfect fit, with the Race carrying the Ergomax Racing label.
Combining all Furygan’s sports jacket expertise and developed and tested by pro-riders, the top-of-the-range Race jacket, made from full grained leather, is a must-have for any serious sports bike rider. It incorporates removable foam inserts on the chest to protect from fuel tank shocks and aids rider posture, as well as a racing hump for aerodynamics. New integral racing sleeves – equipped with bi-stretch Cordura and constructed with a triple stitching technique – offer unparalleled comfort and mobility. This sports jacket also has external protection shells on the shoulders and elbows. The Race is available in black-white-silver, black-white-red and black-silver-fluorescent yellow, sizes S-3XL with an RRP of £439.99.
Made from Ago plain matt leather, the Akira was the first jacket of the new generation to include external protection shells on the elbows and shoulders. The ergonomic design of the jacket includes the Furygan AFS system - vents with water repellent zips on the chest and back that can be opened to create an airflow through the vest. Leather stretch behind the shoulders and Cordura stretch on the elbows, as well as neoprene inserts on the collar and wrists ensure maximum comfort. The Akira is available in black-white and white-black, sizes S-3XL with an RRP of £379.99.
The Block, made from soft and extremely resilient Ago leather, is classed as a top racing leather jacket. With the inclusion of a racing hump, racing sleeves with bi-stretch Cordura inside the arms, neoprene inserts on the collar and wrists and leather stretch behind the shoulders and elbows, the high-end ergonomics make for a comfortable sports fit. This jacket also includes external protection shells with aluminum inserts for elbows and shoulders. The Block is available in black-chrome, sizes S-3XL with an RRP of £379.99.
The Brutale Evo is made from full grained leather and combines quality leather construction with classic Furygan styling. It incorporates racing sleeves with bi-stretch Cordura stretch inside the arms for a comfortable fit as well as leather stretch behind the shoulders and the elbows. Neoprene inserts on the collar and wrists are also included. The Brutale Evo is available in black-white, sizes S-3XL with an RRP of £369.99.
www.nevis.uk.com
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A ground-breaking new survey has shown a staggering increase in the number of men experiencing symptoms traditionally associated with a mid-life crisis, including significant numbers of young men. The study also highlights that these men are still turning to the ‘classic techniques’ used for coping at such a time.
The study was commissioned by Bennetts, the UK’s No.1 Bike Insurance Specialist, to understand whether the belief that men between 40 and 55 years old buy a motorbike to cope with a mid-life crisis, remains true or not.
The research amongst over 1,000 British men* showed that six out of every ten men aged between 40 and 55, the age traditionally most associated with the mid-life crisis, now say they have had or are currently experiencing a mid-life crisis. Responses showed that those men find it difficult to understand and hard to handle, with friends and family being confused and showing limited support.
These symptoms, however, are no longer reserved for this age group. The majority of men between 16 and 70 years old now report a life-review or transition experiences with nearly three quarters (73%) currently being or having recently been concerned with the direction of their life. Interestingly, more young men have recently asked themselves “where am I going with my life?” “what are my goals?” and “should I take more risks?” than those aged between 40 and 55.
Perhaps most strikingly the research by Bennetts reveals that, while more men are experiencing a mid-life crisis and at different ages, classic techniques for coping are still as popular as ever. Buying a car or motorbike still tops the list alongside changing job, moving house and forming a new relationship.
In fact, a third (30%) of motorcycle owners who are going through or have been through a mid-life crisis got into bikes specifically to cope. Bikers come out of the study exceptionally well, reporting the greatest success in managing their mid-life crisis adaptively, rather than being in denial. Over half felt they had dealt with their mid-life crisis positively, the top response.
Only 13% of the bikers said they had not yet overcome their mid-life crisis and they reported the fewest ‘changed relationships’ and the most ‘involved partners’, signifying that they maintained better relationships with their partners compared to men adopting different coping mechanisms.
Bennetts’ customer data shows that sports bikes are currently the biggest purchase of choice among men from the ages of 16 to 54, whilst from 55 upwards the roadster – a more relaxed and comfortable bike to cruise on - appears to become a more popular buy.
Speaking about the research findings, Dr Derek Milne, author of ‘Coping with a Mid-Life Crisis’, commented: “These findings suggest that British men are struggling more than ever to cope with modern life. I find it heartening that bikers, often portrayed as somewhat solitary and anti-social, seemed to become more sociable through biking, helping them to deal with their mid-life crises.”
 Darren Gough, the England cricket legend and Bennetts biking ambassador, who turned to motorcycling after retiring from first-class cricket in his mid-thirties, said: “You often hear about sports players finding it tough to call it a day. Finding something to replace the kick you get by taking a wicket and playing to a packed Lord’s is not easy. Learning to ride and buying an adventure motorbike was exciting as is the rush of freedom you get when hitting the open road for a few hours.”
Hannah Squirrell, Associate Director, Bennetts, added: “I suspect a lot of men who dream about owning a motorcycle will be pleased to see motorbiking up there on the list of ways to deal with a mid-life crisis. If your partner questions whether you should be investing in a new bike, ‘saving or improving your relationship’ is a pretty strong reason to justify the expense!”
For more information about Bennetts, go to www.bennetts.co.uk
* The research by Bennetts was carried out online by Opinion Matters between the 5th and 14th June, 2013 amongst a panel resulting in 1,001 men aged between 16 and 70.
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Recreating the first around the world ride 100 years on
In northern California, we tilted east through the foothills of the Sierras, with Mount Shasta in the distance covered in snow even in June. Which is where it all started to go horribly wrong for Clancy and Allen. With the mountains looming, they stopped at the express office in Redding and shipped their 50lb panniers on to Portland, then bought cheap blankets in the General Merchandise store for camping. That sorted, they tanked up with more ice cream, fuel and oil, and set off late in the afternoon for the dreaded road that lay ahead. They didn’t have long to wait: within a few miles out of Redding, they were climbing an endless succession of rocky grades with hairpin bends, then sliding down the other side to be greeted by small but lethal lakes full of boulders.
Often the road got so steep that they had to dismount and run beside the machines, and as they were sliding down one hair-raising slope with their back wheels locked, they came upon a young couple in a Cadillac stuck fast on a tree stump.
They got it free, but the hill was so steep the fuel couldn’t make it up to the carburettor, but not to beaten, the resourceful Bob blew into the top of the fuel tank, his face slowly turning the colour of a beetroot, while the driver cranked the starter handle until the engine spluttered then fired into life and settled down into a steady rhythm. The grateful couple gave the riders six eggs, a small can of baked beans, an even smaller can of condensed cream, a little bread, sugar and coffee, and a pail to cook it in, and since by now it was growing dark and they were still in the heart of the mountains, they found a grassy spot near a crystal stream, and while Clancy cooked up a feast in the pail, Bob made a bed of weeds and leaves between the Hendersons, they wrapped themselves in their blankets and, with strange sounds from the woods all around and lightning crackling overhead, finally fell asleep just before the grey light of dawn woke them again.
At 5am, tired and hungry, they fired up the Hendersons and set off on roads which, impossibly, were even worse than the day before. A ferry carried them across the raging Pitt River, and halfway up the next mountain, Clancy’s Henderson ground to a halt with a dry and slipping clutch. He greased it with oil from his tank, but the clutch was so worn and the track so steep that he could only push the Henderson up it in the fierce sun, stopping when he was so exhausted he couldn’t hold the bike upright and resting until he could try again.
It took him 20 attempts and two exhausting hours to get up that one hill, and there were a dozen more beyond. “If ever a man was bitter against motorcycling, it was I and then,” he wept, but when he had the strength to lift his head, realised for the first time the extraordinary beauty around them. Compared to that, we had it easy as we swooped along silky tarmac through a landscape of pine-clad mountains and rushing rivers and across the state border into the alpine glories of Oregon, filled yet again with respect and admiration for Clancy and Allen getting through this landscape on what were basically mule trails.
Shortly after passing a prairie schooner with a prospector, his wife, small son and dog aboard, they encountered the worst section yet: the 12 miles of Cow Creek Canyon which Clancy described grimly as like an endless frozen pig pen as steep as a roof and littered with logs, rocks and ruts. Arriving in Roseburg as darkness fell, they collapsed into the first inn they could find, and emerged to find that someone had stolen Clancy’s gloves. The next day, the road was so bad, and the scenery so glorious, that as Clancy put it perfectly, a poet would have been in heaven, and a motorcyclist in hell. When they finally rolled into Portland at 11.30 at night, their misery was compounded by the sight of the crowds going home from the last night of the annual Rose Festival, which they had been looking forward to all the way from San Francisco.
Cow Creek Canyon, Clancy’s endless frozen pig pen, which we rode with local bike journalist Bart Madson, was now a perfect motorcycling road, twisting and turning under the dappled trees, over the railroad tracks and past a river sparkling in the sun. Greeted by the paved streets, electric lights and tuxedo-clad waiters of Wallace, Idaho, Clancy and Allen decided that the Wild West only existed any more in movies, only to have their certainty overturned the very next night when they arrived in Missoula, Montana, to find a posse in hot pursuit for a gang of desperadoes who had shot at their landlady, stolen the sheriff’s six-shooter and terrorised the town before heading for the hills. Wincing at the outrageous bill the next morning, they rode off into a thunderstorm so bad that by dark they had only covered 20 miles and were forced to spend the night in the shack of prospector Isam Cox, who rustled up a feast of bacon, beans and coffee for the exhausted but grateful duo.
In Wallace, we found the electric lights were still working and the streets still paved, but the brothel had closed in 1988 and was now in a museum. The girls had left in such a hurry that they’d left their clothes behind, and by the looks of it they didn’t have much to wear but a few skimpy under things, poor dears. "Greg, want to phone the hotel tonight and confirm our reservation?” said Richard as we put on our helmets. “No need. Dr G’s from the Crow tribe, and they’ve already got a reservation,” I said. Laugh? I thought they’d never start.
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Cycle Law Scotland has started a petition to encourage the Scottish Government to: "Pass a bill for strict liability in collisions between motorists and cyclists and cyclists and pedestrians" and needs your help to get it off the ground.
Here's the link:
Here's why it's important:
The bill is designed to protect the most vulnerable road users and to reflect a hierarchy of road users. It would be applied in Civil Law cases for road traffic collisions between motorists and cyclists and similarly between cyclists and pedestrians. To that end, the campaign also sets out to highlight the dangers cyclists face from motorists and help facilitate a change in attitude amongst road users to one based on mutual respect and understanding.
We are only one of a very small number of countries (Romania, Cyprus, Malta and Ireland) across Europe, who do not operate such a system of strict liability for vulnerable road users and yet it is not unprecedented in UK law.
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