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Songs to Keep warm in the coldest of weathers

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It’s surprising how the right song playing on the radio can warm you up on the coldest of days!  Like a cup of steaming hot mulled wine, a song can be like a radiator of warmth to the coldest of souls.  Romantic soundtracks, quirky lyrics and an imaginative musical arrangement can make all the difference when it comes to warming up.  Nat King Cole and his rendition of “The Christmas song” containing the words “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire” has to be one of the most well-known tunes to old and young alike.  “The heat is on” by Glenn Frey is an upbeat sing-a-long song that you can dance and keep warm to in your kitchen, bedroom or living room.

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Apart from singing, keeping warm during the cold British winter can be made easier by installing an Aluminium Radiator in your home, the several different styles such as Horizontal, Vertical and Colum make it easy to fit them in to the most unusually designed room.  Speak to several expert companies such as https://apolloradiators.co.uk/designer-radiators before you commit to having them installed.  Keeping warm and having a reliable source of heat is not just essential to the survival of the Human race but a favourite topic for many musicians. The Supremes and Martha Reeves and the Vandellas both successfully covered the hit song (Love is like a) Heat Wave). Whether your curling up by an open fire, or singing your favourite song, stay safe and keep warm.

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Making your own Cherryade

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Fizzy drinks are popular with both adults and children. After all, they are very refreshing and they taste great – the only downside to them is that they can be bad for you. This is because shop-bought options come with artificial flavourings, but that doesn’t mean that you should stop drinking fizzy drinks. It just means that you should start making your own!

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Homemade fizzy drinks are much healthier than shop bought drinks, and they also tend to taste much better. So next time you hire Portable Bars like the ones from https://www.barlokbars.co.uk/ why not add your homemade cherryade to the drinks menu.

If this sounds good to you, here’s how to make your own cherryade.

Why Make Your Own Cherryade?

One of the main reasons to make cherryade is the health benefits of cherries. Cherries are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals and fibre, including calcium, folic acid and vitamin A. They can also help to reduce inflammation and promote a healthy sleeping cycle.

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Our Delicious Cherryade Recipe

This recipe creates 700ml.

Ingredients:

600ml of boiling water
50g of caster sugar
One lime
Sparkling water
220g of fresh cherries

You can also used tinned cherries if that it all you have. Just make sure to use pitted cherries that have been stored in fruit juice, and make sure that there are still around four teaspoons of fruit juice with the cherries. This is because the juice is very flavoursome and sweet, just like the cherries!

Directions

Wash the cherries with water, and remove the sticks and the pits. You can remove the sticks by halving the cherries and pulling them out. Once you have done this, you can put them in a big bowl, and then you can mash them slightly with the back side of a spoon. This will get some of the juices out.

Next you will add the hot water to the bowl, and then you can stir the mix. Add some strips of lime peel to the mix, as well as the juice from one lime quarter.

Next you should add the sugar, and then you need to stir the mix until all of the sugar has dissolved. Cover the mixture and leave it for two hours, and then strain it. Add cold sparkling water, and the drink is ready!

 

Reviews

Six vacuum conveyor design tips

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Vacuum conveyor systems are the smart way to move difficult to convey materials from A to B. Using vacuum pressure has the additional advantage of controlling dust, while accurate controls enable materials to be conveyed and discharged on demand.

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If you are designing a vacuum conveying system for your product, here are six critical tips to ensure optimal efficiency.

1. Know your bulk density

To calculate the size of the vacuum receiver, you need to know the bulk density in pounds per cubic foot. Lighter powders may require larger receivers, while high-bulk materials need higher transport velocity.

2. Know your conveying distance

Distance is another important element in vacuum conveyor design. Horizontal and vertical factors should be taken into account, as should the number of sweep elbows required. Each 45- or 90-degree elbow equates to 20 feet of linear tubing. A miscalculation can prove costly.

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3. Know your conveying rate

Next, you need to consider how many pounds or kilograms of materials will be conveyed using a system from a provider such as https://www.aptech.uk.com/pneumatic-conveying-systems/vacuum-conveying/. The system needs to be sized correctly to determine the correct conveying rate.

4. Batch or continuous

It is important to define this process as part of determining the right conveying rate. Small conveyors discharging into a surge bin use the batch process, so you will need to establish whether the material will be received by an intermediate hopper or feeder during the process. Your conveying process should be capable of handling the surge of material during batch conveyancing.

If the material is metered directly into the process, you need a continuous conveying system. This enables materials to be fed in and discharged in a metered way.

5. Know your bulk material characteristics

Is your material fine or free-flowing, abrasive or combustible? Are you conveying powders or pellets, flakes or granules? Understanding the particle size, distribution and characteristics is essential when designing a conveying system.

6. Know your upstream process

However the material is received and introduced into the system, you must be able to define the upstream process that is supplying the material, whether this is a volumetric feeder, extruder hopper, loss-in-weight feeder or other equipment. The frequency of the flow rate and the way the material behaves will affect the type of upstream equipment used; in turn, this will affect the choice of downstream equipment.

 

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Places you wouldn’t expect to find asbestos

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People tend to think of asbestos as something that is only found in the ceilings of old, abandoned buildings. However, there are some unusual places that have tested positive for asbestos, which should give concern as to what other everyday objects can potentially contain asbestos.

1- Car Parts

Because asbestos has the ability to retain heat, it was a substance often used in automotive parts to stop fires from occurring. Items such as brake pads, brakes and clutch linings are a prime example, including several other car parts that experienced high-friction.

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2- Household items

From pots to hair dryers and from popcorn machines to cooker hoods, a range of home appliances manufactured before 1988 are known to contain low levels of asbestos.

3- Fuse boxes

Before the asbestos ban came into force, board containing asbestos was used for insulation in the rear of fuse boxes in the home. Thankfully, such fuse boxes are only accessed on rare occasions, so this is not a major concern as the asbestos fibres pose a danger only when they are in the air as a result of an object that is damaged or disturbed. For Asbestos Birmingham Removal, visit a site like https://www.tesenvironmental-ltd.co.uk/

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4- Protective clothing

Ironically, a variety of clothing for protective purposes contained small amounts of asbestos when manufactured. Things like aprons and gloves used commercially in the past were known to contain asbestos and even more worryingly, so did face masks, respirators and dust masks.

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What Happens After Your Offer Has Been Accepted?

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Buying a property, whether it’s your first or not, is an exciting and potentially nerve-wracking time. Even if you have bought and sold several homes over the years, there are still a number of variables over which you have no control and that can make even the calmest of people worry.

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The first thing you should do after your offer has been accepted is… smile! After all, you have found the place that you want, and the seller has agreed to sell it to you at a price with which you are happy. What’s not to be happy about?

Here we look at the stages you will need to go through from after your offer has been accepted until the day you can finally move in.

1. Ask the Estate Agent to Remove the Property from the Market

Although this step may not be necessary, as a lot of estate agents will do this automatically once an offer has been accepted, it makes sense to check it has been done. This will reduce the possibility of your being gazumped.

2. Find and Appoint a Conveyancing Solicitor

A Conveyancing Solicitor is a solicitor who specialises in managing the legal transfer of the property from the seller to the buyer. They will ensure that the legal title is correctly transferred and that the relevant searches are carried out and reviewed to ensure your interests are protected.

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It is advisable to use an accredited member of the Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS). This provides assurances in respect of competence, knowledge, training and practice.

More and more buyers are turning to solicitors who offer online conveyancing. You are no longer tied to choosing a conveyancing solicitor with offices close by for you to visit. You can instead choose from a much wider range, including those who specialise particularly in conveyancing and offer a consistently great service.

Solicitors who specialise in online conveyancing are also likely to be able be able to recommend surveyors and mortgage brokers too. This means that the whole purchase process is made simpler.

3. Apply for a Mortgage

Unless you are in the fortunate position of being a cash buyer, you are likely to need to apply for a mortgage. This will entail completing an application and providing identification, address and earnings proof.

You will likely have done some research on mortgages and lenders and may even have received an offer in principle prior to making an offer on a property, which can help speed up the process. Now you have to complete the application process and receive a formal offer from the mortgage provider.

4. Appoint a Surveyor

Your mortgage lender is likely to want a valuation survey to be carried out. Indeed, this is likely to form part of the conditions of providing you with a mortgage offer.

You may also wish to commission an independent survey for yourself. If you are instructing your own surveyor, it is wise to ensure that they are a RICS Chartered Surveyor.

5. Arrange Removals

Most people will need to arrange for clothes, furniture and other belongings to be moved to the property once the sale has gone through. If you do not have much to move, you may want to do this yourself, and it is possible to hire vans of various sizes to assist with this.

If you have a larger quantity of belongings, it makes sense to contact removals companies. They will ask questions about the belongings that need moving, check the proposed dates and provide you with a quote. You can then provisionally book them in and confirm the date once the completion date is agreed.

6. Exchange Contracts and Agree the Completion Date

Once you have a firm mortgage offer and all searches have been completed, you can arrange to sign and exchange contracts with the seller. This is managed by your solicitor and legally commits you to the purchase. At this stage you will be asked to pay a deposit which you would forfeit if you pull out of the sale. It is usual to agree a completion date at this point too.

7. Complete, Pick Up Keys and Move In

On the day of completion your solicitor and the seller’s solicitor will liaise with the mortgage companies to ensure that funds are released and ownership transferred. Your solicitor will advise when this has been completed – at this point you can pick up the keys and move in.

Reviews

How to Move House with a Cat

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Moving house is a stressful time for most people, but it is also stressful to our feline companions. If you have a cat and are going to be moving house, what is the best way to go about doing this, that will limit the amount of stress to you and your cat?

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Planning is important – Cats are territorial creatures by nature and moving them to a new territory can cause problems. Make sure you move is all planned well such as using help from removal companies Essex such as https://www.peglerremovals.co.uk/  When you first move, keep your cat confined to one room and put all of their familiar items in there with them. Anything with your scent and their scent on will help, as will food and bedding from your old home. It is particularly important that the cat stays in this room as people are coming in and out of the house moving things around. If necessary, make a sign for the door of the room to say not to be opened.

 

Help the Cat to Settle – Once you are in, let the cat out of the room to have a look around the rest of the house. Don’t pressure it onto coming out immediately, just let it take its time. Remember, all of the cats’ previous territory has gone so it is probably feeling frightened right now. Stay in the house with your cat as you are doing this, as it will be reassured by your familiar presence.

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Keep a Routine – Cats like a routine to feel secure, so stick to regular feeding times, and give your cat the time it needs to explore and become comfortable in its new territory. If your cat is used to going outdoors, the time will come when it will want to get back outside. It is best to leave this about a month. If you are near to your old house, maybe contact the new owners to let you know if your cat does try to return there. If you put some of your cats’ litter around the new garden, this scent will give your cat confidence in its new territory and it is less likely to try to return to its old area.

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How to flip property to make money

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If you want to make money from property the easy way, you need to know how to flip successfully. Flipping is just another way of saying buy to sell – you’re aiming to buy as cheaply as possible and sell as quickly as possible for a higher price. It’s a potentially easy way to maximise your investment and end up with a big lump of cash so you can retire early.

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What’s My Return on Investment?

Working out your profit on a flip is easy – just subtract your purchase price and costs from the sale price. But sometimes you need to know whether a property will yield a good return on your investment. To calculate RoI, divide the profit you make by the cash you invested. This will also include any money that you have had to spend on the property such as the services of electricians or a Blocked Drain Croydon company, in order to make the house suitable for sale again at a profit.

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As a general rule, you should be aiming for an RoI of 20% or above. That way if anything does go wrong, you’ll still walk away with a decent return.

How Do I Maximise My Profit?

Successful flipping is all about buying cheap and selling high, so to maximise your profit you either need to reduce the purchasing price, sell for the maximum price or reduce your costs. Professional fees, stamp duty and holding costs are all unavoidable, so budget accordingly.

Buy at the Right Price

When it comes to property prices, do your research. Use a site like Rightmove to check the prices in the areas you’re looking at and find comparable properties or ‘comps’ so you can make an accurate assessment of your potential profit. Remember, just because you need to sell at a certain figure, it doesn’t mean you’ll get a buyer as every property has a ceiling price. Buying property at the right price is the real key to successful flipping.

Set Your Budget

The biggest expense when flipping is your refurbishment costs, as budgets can spiral out of control. Whatever figure you set, add a 10% contingency and be realistic about what you need to do to a property. A high-end finish in a mid-price property may be a waste of money. Now all you need to do is stage and sell for the maximum profit.

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Visitors in co-working spaces

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Co-working is currently an increasing trend around the world but it is important to manage the space properly in order to maximise efficiency and minimise problems.

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What is co-working?

This is also known as hot desking and it means a space where different independent workers share a space. It is particularly popular among freelancers, contractors and entrepreneurs and, normally, the users will not work for the same company. Read more about the popularity of co-working at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46112503.

Why the popularity?

Many entrepreneurs or freelancers prefer co-working to working from home or renting their own office. It can save money, prevent isolation and create an ideal environment for collaboration and opinion sharing.

There are issues that need to be overcome when it comes to co-working, however, such as managing the many visitors that frequent these spaces. Here are some tips.

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Evaluate privacy

Data protection and privacy needs are vital to consider and this is why many co-workers now prefer a digital visitor management system, which removes the need for traditional sign-in sheets on paper, for example.
Minimise interruptions

Visitors who don’t know where they’re going can interrupt workers, causing unnecessary and unwelcome disruption. A solution is a management system that alerts reception staff to where visitors need to go, allowing them to point people in the right direction without any fuss or inconvenience.

Effective preparation

The nature of co-working means that the people present in an office can alter daily. In turn, this makes it extremely difficult to predict how many people will visit the office each day. It is also important to ensure that you keep a nice tidy building by utilising the services of an Office Cleaning London company so that everyone feels motivated and comfort working in your co-working space.

Effective preparation can remove the problems which may be associated with this and can be achieved in a number of ways. It could be that the premises could have a system whereby visitors can pre-register and people can use a digital management system to register for one of the desks or check availability before they arrive.

A system such as this will make sure that people arriving are guaranteed a desk and that there is one available and will considerably ease the pressure on reception staff. Receptionists will also be equipped with a better idea when it comes to visitor numbers, giving them the best possible chance of planning their day effectively.

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Considerations for choosing a headstone

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When designing and selecting a headstone, you will need to consider the shape and design of the stone, the materials from which it is made, the type of finish applied to it and anything else you might want to have depending on your available budget.

Headstone prices fluctuate a lot depending on the choices you make. Compare prices when you have shortlisted the funeral directors who seem best for you. It is also a good idea to discuss with the funeral director any headstone design that you choose. They will be able to offer useful advice and information about your options and will often have monumental stone services that they can guarantee and can put you in touch with. For more information on Granite Headstones, visit a site like Abbey Memorials Granite Headstones

How to choose a headstone design

Headstone designs can be separated into three broad categories – straight, flat and kerbed. Which you choose will usually depend on personal preference and budget.

The most traditional upright stones of usually stand around 45 inches and are supported by a thick concrete base.

Flat headstones are available in various sizes, styles and shapes and can have a gentle incline or be made to lie flat.

Kerbed stones feature a full-length design and usually lie on the grave, often used in combination with an upright headstone.

Remember: Some cemeteries and churchyards have very specific rules for which types of gravestone are allowed to be installed in a cemetery. Before you make a final decision, talk to the cemetery or the church to check that your choice also meets their needs.

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What material should I use for a headstone?

When picking a design for a headstone, the most commonly chosen materials include marble, granite, limestone and bronze. They each come with their own unique benefits and drawbacks, and you should think carefully about what is most suitable for your situation.

Granite is a stone that is very flexible and adaptable resulting in a number of different colours and finishes and proven to last.

Marble often offers a fantastic finish but is not allowed in all the cemeteries due to lack of strength and longevity.

Limestone is a traditional stone that changes a lot over time but remains a very popular choice.

Bronze is very durable but not always possible and is one of the more expensive options.

How do I choose the finish for the headstone?

There are four main types of headstone finish – polished, part-polished, honed or eggshell, or pitched.

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Polished – This method leaves a shiny and smooth finish that does not require maintenance and can look out of place in an old graveyard.

Part-Polished – Only part of the stone is highlighted in this manner such as inscriptions, with polished and different finishes applied to the entire stone.

Honed or eggshell – This is achieved by removing layers of paint to leave the stone smooth but not shiny.

Pitched – A rough finish which is more suited to an older churchyard that would fit in aesthetically with the existing headstones.

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The Best Blogs for Car Lovers

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For those of you who cannot resist cars and automotive news, you might be interested in the best car blogs to follow. Here are a few:

  1. Carwitter

This blog was created by a serious car fan who left his job to focus his attention on his real love – cars. The blog is the winner of the best Automotive UK Blog Award of 2017 and the best Automotive Business Blog UK. It’s packed full of advice, news, reviews and latest information.

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  1. Motor Verso

The aim of this blog is on providing stunning photography and interesting articles about any unusual cars. There are good reviews on both gadgets, cars and accessories. You will also find articles about travel, like the best destinations for a road trip. Heaps of imagery and ideas for your next trip can be found here. Unfortunately, our beloved cars can’t last forever. When yours dies, consider a Car Scrap Yard Birmingham like https://www.birminghamautobreak.com/

  1. Daily Car Blog

This blog provides current, up-to-date and frequently updated content about car news, new releases, industry information, reviews and features. There is also an entire section dedicated to Formula 1 and a lot of video content. The team is composed of five authors with an informal approach.

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  1. Foxy Lady Drivers Club

This is a blog dedicated to helping women inside an industry that is still heavily dominated by men. You’ll find features on women in motor sport and a lot of tips and reviews aimed directly at female drivers. This blog has nearly 5000 Twitter followers, so the resources are very useful and welcomed by the many female car owners out there.