The Recyclenow website (www.recyclenow.com) is a useful site that that explains what you can do with various items, what can and cannot be re-used, fact sheets about recycling, and videos on how the process works. And it's easy to find your way around.
Phil Bradley in CILIP Update, July 2014
Wednesday, 31 December 2014
Tuesday, 30 December 2014
Cucumber
Outdoor types
Sow: April in pots; plant out when danger of frost has passed.
Aspect: Maximum sun but sheltered from wind as the large leaves are vulnerable to wind damage. Well-drained but moisture-retentive soil.
Care: Plant on a mound. Handle plants with care as stems are brittle. Try growing plants against a cane towards a trellis. Do not remove male flowers as these are needed to form fruits of outdoor varieties. Pinch out growing tips when they reach the top of the support.
Water: Regularly, especially when fruiting well.
Harvest: Pick when 6" to 8" long.
Don't grow by: Potatoes or aromatic herbs like sage and mint.
Sow: April in pots; plant out when danger of frost has passed.
Aspect: Maximum sun but sheltered from wind as the large leaves are vulnerable to wind damage. Well-drained but moisture-retentive soil.
Care: Plant on a mound. Handle plants with care as stems are brittle. Try growing plants against a cane towards a trellis. Do not remove male flowers as these are needed to form fruits of outdoor varieties. Pinch out growing tips when they reach the top of the support.
Water: Regularly, especially when fruiting well.
Harvest: Pick when 6" to 8" long.
Don't grow by: Potatoes or aromatic herbs like sage and mint.
Monday, 29 December 2014
Reduce Musty Smells
To freshen up old books, place in a plastic bag with scrunched up newspaper to absorb dampness and odour.
Sunday, 28 December 2014
All About Dogs
Different dogs display normal behaviours according to their breed, and won't necessarily fit into a home environment, so it is crucial to select the right breed of dog based on your lifestyle now.
Collies have been bred to herd, retrievers to fetch things and terriers to dig a hole and bury stuff. The Northern Inuit, the husky and the Alaskan malamutes are fun to have around and very intelligent, but suffer from extreme separation anxiety (not good if you are out all day), can be very boisterous and love to dig up your garden.
Bone behaviour. Terriers will dig a hole and bury it, some other breeds and cross-breeds will chew it for hours. Some dogs will bury food to save it for a rainy day; if you are being fed too much and are predisposed to living a feast or famine lifestyle, you're going to hoard food - which is why you may find your dog in bed with a bone being saved for later.
Normal dog behaviours include chewing, digging, barking at the doorbell or strangers, and guarding.
Barking can be a real problem and you can find various methods for dealing with this on the Internet; here are a selection. How to train a dog not to bark by Chris Smith; 3 ways to get Dogs to Stop Barking on WikiHow; a Training Checklist on BarkingDogs.net.
They guard that which they prize highly - their home, food, crate, your bed, you - which can be highly irritating and noisy. Any dog will guard if it's not taught to trade. A dog needs to learn that human hands bring things; they don't just take them away. A good way to get something away from your dog is to give them something else that is better in dog terms.You are not rewarding bad behaviour - dogs don't get our meaning of good and bad - just giving him something he wants more - a treat or a toy for instance.
Dogs need to be trained - they naturally rely on their instincts to survive in the wild. Everything you teach them is a learnt behaviour - sit, stay, leave, etc. This also explains negative behaviours: if your dog was kicked or taunted by small children before they came to you, they will remain wary of small children. Your dog will also be watching you for ways they can learn from you.
Before dogs became domesticated, the alpha dog would choose a higher sleeping ground than the rest of the pack.That's why dogs choose to sit on sofas and beds - not just because they are more comfortable.
Various sources including: Extract from Top Dog by Kate Bendix (Short Books) printed in Radio Times (6-12 Dec. 2014).
Collies have been bred to herd, retrievers to fetch things and terriers to dig a hole and bury stuff. The Northern Inuit, the husky and the Alaskan malamutes are fun to have around and very intelligent, but suffer from extreme separation anxiety (not good if you are out all day), can be very boisterous and love to dig up your garden.
Bone behaviour. Terriers will dig a hole and bury it, some other breeds and cross-breeds will chew it for hours. Some dogs will bury food to save it for a rainy day; if you are being fed too much and are predisposed to living a feast or famine lifestyle, you're going to hoard food - which is why you may find your dog in bed with a bone being saved for later.
Normal dog behaviours include chewing, digging, barking at the doorbell or strangers, and guarding.
Barking can be a real problem and you can find various methods for dealing with this on the Internet; here are a selection. How to train a dog not to bark by Chris Smith; 3 ways to get Dogs to Stop Barking on WikiHow; a Training Checklist on BarkingDogs.net.
They guard that which they prize highly - their home, food, crate, your bed, you - which can be highly irritating and noisy. Any dog will guard if it's not taught to trade. A dog needs to learn that human hands bring things; they don't just take them away. A good way to get something away from your dog is to give them something else that is better in dog terms.You are not rewarding bad behaviour - dogs don't get our meaning of good and bad - just giving him something he wants more - a treat or a toy for instance.
Dogs need to be trained - they naturally rely on their instincts to survive in the wild. Everything you teach them is a learnt behaviour - sit, stay, leave, etc. This also explains negative behaviours: if your dog was kicked or taunted by small children before they came to you, they will remain wary of small children. Your dog will also be watching you for ways they can learn from you.
Before dogs became domesticated, the alpha dog would choose a higher sleeping ground than the rest of the pack.That's why dogs choose to sit on sofas and beds - not just because they are more comfortable.
Various sources including: Extract from Top Dog by Kate Bendix (Short Books) printed in Radio Times (6-12 Dec. 2014).
Wednesday, 24 December 2014
Buying a Car
What women really want
For maximum legal protection, go to a reputable local dealer. .Look for RAC approved dealers (racwarranty.co.uk/consumer). If you do want to buy privately, follow the rules below:
Good Housekeeping, April 2014
- A driving seat with female friendly positions
- More storage - especially somewhere safe to store your handbag
- Better seatbelt adjustment
- A roomier boot with easier access
- In April, June and September, quarterly showroom targets are looming, so staff will be on the hunt for sales.
- The best month for a great deal is December, when dealers are trying to hit end-of-year targets.
For maximum legal protection, go to a reputable local dealer. .Look for RAC approved dealers (racwarranty.co.uk/consumer). If you do want to buy privately, follow the rules below:
- View the car at the sellers address.
- Check its MOT for free at gov.uk
- Ask the seller for a full service history.
- Find out if the car has been stolen, written off by insurers or had outstanding finance at hpicheck.com
- Have the car checked by an auto expert.
- The smaller the engine, the less fuel its uses.
- If you regularly take long trips, look for a car with at least a 1.6L engine.
- Don't assume diesels are more economical, especially if you drive fewer than 16,000 miles and do lots of city driving.
- Hybrids are good for a mix of urban and motorway driving.
- Electric cars work best in a two-car household where one of you regularly drives between 40 and 75 miles daily and has access to a charging point.
- Negotiate the total price first, rather than focusing on monthly repayments.
- Be patient - ask if this is the best they can offer, then remain silent. It will encourage the salesperson to come up with something.
- Look for free servicing or an extended warranty.
- Be willing to walk away.
Good Housekeeping, April 2014
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