We’re doing more and more online these days, from keeping in touch with friends on social networks to managing our finance and even our supermarket shopping. Internet shopping has been blamed in part for the demise of some big retail brands like HMV or Woolworths, but sometimes internet shopping isn’t the best option. Tool and building supplies company Screwfix hit the headlines recently when it seemed to be moving in the opposite direction from the competition by seeking out new physical stores in addition to its online presence. So what are the advantages of shopping in a proper retail store for your screws, drill bits and plasterboard? Continue reading
Monthly Archives: August 2013
How Dangerous is Horse Riding?
Parents are being accused of raising a generation of cotton wool kids, children who are not allowed to do anything remotely risky such as climbing tree
s, riding their bikes to school or even crossing the road. Parents today seem to be far more risk aware than in previous generations, but are we really doing our children a disservice by protecting them from all of these perceived risks? One of the most dangerous sports in the minds of parents is horse riding, which isn’t quite as dangerous as you may imagine. Continue reading
Are the Proposed New Rules for Young Drivers Fair?
I have just heard that the Government are considering introducing a curfew for young drivers and I am rather alarmed by this idea. I am wary both of the idea and also where it might lead us. I have to wonder how far it is fair for the state to intervene in people’s lives when they are legally adults and whether they are attacking the issue of road accidents from entirely the wrong angle. Continue reading
Left Handed Guitarists
If like me you’re left handed, you’ll know what a challenge it can be operating equipment or using things as simple as tin openers and cheque books which are designed for the majority of the population who are right handed. If you’ve ever tried to learn to knit or play an instrument it becomes even tougher, as your two options are to do things with the “wrong” hand, or try to work back to front or upside down. Despite these drawbacks, lefties can and do make a successful career playing the guitar and some of the most famous guitarists in the world play left-handed. Continue reading
5 Jobs You Will Need a Wood Plane For
If you are new to woodwork and DIY then it can be hard to work out what is absolutely essential and what tools you can do without, or hire when you need them. Every tool kit should contain the basic screwdrivers, hammers and a saw or two but what about more specialised tools like planes or workbenches? There are many good reasons to buy a woodworking plane though, as they can be used for more jobs than you may think. Continue reading
Inventing Your Own Sports
As a child I was lucky enough to have a large garden which I rapidly turned into an adventure playground to be proud of. I was always a thrill seeker but my family lacked the funds to set me up in motor sport or to buy me a horse and so I had to create my own exciting activities in the garden. Looking back some of my efforts were pretty impressive and I could make a good argument for them becoming mainstream sports. Continue reading
Knitting Inspiration from Pinterest
DIY mania is currently taking the world by storm. People, squeezed by financial pressures, are turning to learning, using new DIY skills to save money and create their own goodies. For years now knitters have been doing the same. They haven’t because of financial pressures though, but because of the love of creating something special and unique with their bare hands. It’s this idea of uniqueness coupled with a close knit community (no pun intended!) that drives knitters to continuously be more daring in their designs.
Below are a few examples of some fabulous things people are knitting right now, being shared across social media from knitter to knitter!
The Coldest Football Match Ever
I have attended hundreds of football matches over the years and travelled to several countries to do it and so have experienced most of the atrocities that the weather can throw at the football supporter. I have been variously extremely hot, sun burnt, soaked to the skin and pelted with hail stones but nothing compared to one match that I was stupid enough to turn up for in 1997. Continue reading
What to Look Out For in a Great Pair of Motocross Gloves
One of the essential pieces of kit for motocross is a pair of gloves. In the world of motocross, gloves aren’t about keeping your hands warm, they are much more about safety and protecting your hands from injury. They can also be quite a fashion statement. When you start surfing online or browsing through the shops for that perfect pair of gloves, you’ll be amazed by the variety of different types and brands on the market. Continue reading
Collectable Crazes (or Crazies?)
Hands up who remembers ranges like Sylvanian Families, or those sticker albums and packs of stickers which seemed to always contain the same stickers over and over? Kids love to collect things and marketers latch onto this by producing ranges designed to appeal to kids and to parents who remember the buzz of collecting from their childhood. Continue reading