People have been exchanging gifts for a very long time throughout history, but do you ever wonder where and when the tradition began? Most of the traditions that we celebrate today have their roots in the Victorian era, but they did not completely invent the whole idea of Christmas. During the medieval period, Christmas festivities were longer in duration, lasting from Christmas Eve to the 6^th January – the traditional 12 days of Christmas. There was much feasting and even gift exchanging between wealthy lords and their serfs.

Many hundreds of years prior to this, Christmas was quite a solemn occasion. For the first 400 years after the death of Jesus, there was no set date for Christmas until Pope Julius I settled the matter and chose the 25^th December. Previously the occasion had been celebrated by prayer and reflection in April, May and November.

It is however the Victorian period that epitomises the current notions of Christmas and gift giving. Charles Dickens’ classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge will long be the vision of a perfect Christmas that we all hold onto. It was the custom to give gifts back then, but it would have been one gift, not the piles that we wrap and hand out these days. A Victorian gift would have been a simple doll, a cake or an item of clothing. It is thought that gift giving increased from around 1840 onwards with the introduction of wooden toys, the first commercially produced Christmas card and festive decorations.

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During the 1950s and 60s, gift giving did grow although gifts received would still have been far fewer than is expected today. After the Second World War, there was much austerity, so gifts would have been simple, perhaps homemade. From the sixties onwards, the growth of factories and supermarkets saw a massive proliferation in consumerism and the commercialisation of Christmas.

Christmas can stretch many families financially nowadays so it’s important to find special gifts with meaning to avoid buying something unwanted, useless or even duplicated. Choosing a personalised gift will show how much thought you’ve put it into a special present this year. To create a unique design for your loved one, visit personalised lap trays.

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The history of the 25^th December extends further than the birth of Christianity. The shortest day of the year falls on 21^st December, known as Winter Solstice has been celebrated since ancient times and it was most likely a gift-giving celebration for our ancient ancestors. The celebrations around this time were called ‘Jul’ which have now become ‘Yule’ and very much associated with Christmas.

It’s easy not to think about where our wastewater goes; the process that goes into treating it and returning it into circulation is lengthy and complex. First, wastewater will go down the drain from your toilet bowl or sink and into a pipe that connects into a large sewer pipe under the road. Each sewer is joined to a network that links to a local sewage treatment works.

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Unwanted nasties in the water

When the wastewater arrives at the sewage treatment works, it will be screened to remove items that should not have been flushed away. These include problems such as face wipes, cotton buds, nappies and sanitary towels. However, wastewater treatment workers will also find items as diverse as children’s toys, rags and bottles within the mix. Special equipment is also used to remove the grit, which can accrue in large quantities.

The waterwater then goes to primary treatment stage to remove human waste by separating it into large settlement tanks. The sludge is then pumped away to be treated. The remaining water will pass over the tank and move on to secondary treatment. At this stage, any smaller bits of sludge and the water will be treated to remove any bugs that may be living in it.

The use of good bacteria

At bigger treatment works, the water will pass into aeration tanks where air is added to the water. This encourages the growth of good bacteria, which will break down unwanted bacteria by eating them. Processes like this can also be found in some domestic homes to treat water at the source. Find out more about inline static mixers at sites like https://www.statiflo.com/.

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The final treatment stage sees the treated water passing through a settlement tank. Here, the good bacteria will sink, forming more sludge. This will go on for sludge treatment or be recycled into the earlier treatment stage. The resulting water is clean and passes over a wall at the tank’s top.

At this stage, additional treatments may be carried out if the treated water is returning to a sensitive site, such as a river with protected wildlife. To do this, the water filters through a sandbed, which attracts any final remaining particles and removes them. It is then returned to rivers, where the cycle begins once again and our water continues to be used, cleaned and recycled.

Keeping all aspects of your house well-maintained is the best way of ensuring your house looks great. However, there is another way that making this effort can be beneficial: it also gives you the chance to look for any signs that you’ll need to do some repairs if any damage has occurred. One of these jobs should include cleaning underneath your eaves and at the edge of your roof where your fascia runs.

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Scrub away the dirt

Mix warm water and detergent into a bucket and use a large sponge. It is also a good idea to add some bleach to kill any mildew, but make sure you mix it in well. Once your ladder is in a good position, preferably where you can scrub the UPVC fascias and soffits simultaneously, you can start to remove the dirt. Don’t forget to concentrate on those areas where there is ingrained dirt trapped in the indented parts.

Rinse it off

To wash away all the grime you have scrubbed off, place a squeeze trigger nozzle to your garden hose and then turn the pressure onto high. Water pressure is one of the best ways to clean your UPVC fascias and soffits, but make sure you do not have it high enough to damage them or put yourself in danger by using it incorrectly. Rinse the entire area so it is free of bleach and detergent.

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Remove stubborn marks

You can use a stiff nylon brush for stains that are hard to get off with the sponge and for the louvers of soffit grills. You can also use a paint or razor scraper to get rid of the spots where insects or adhesives have been; if they’re particularly stubborn to remove, apply nail varnish remover on cotton wool. When it comes to spraying your grills, make sure you angle the water so less moisture gets through the vent. If you damage any areas, ensure you replace them as soon as possible with help from reliable companies such as www.absolutebuildingplastics.co.uk.

Further tips include making sure you cover any wiring, plants or anything else that could possibly be damaged by detergents and the overall cleaning. For your own safety, ensure your ladder has strong footing; having someone to hold it would be even better.