Ladders Guide
Are you doing a little external DIY? Perhaps you want to bring out the best in the external façade of your house after a little interior design inside that has left you with the latest fashionable sofas and extending dining table options.
Well, when buying and using a ladder, always consider safety. Accidents happen all the time when people fall from ladders. Is the ladder tall enough? If you’ll still need to strain to reach what you need to do, then it will not be. Do not ever stand on the top three rungs. Is there enough support? You should always ask someone to help you by supporting the ladder. Do you have a lot to carry and is it heavy? If you need to take a lot up the ladder and work with it at a height, a ladder may not be best for you. You may actually need a scaffold.
If you’re not buying a new ladder, before using, check what condition your old ladder is in. Are there any rungs missing or loose? Are there any cracks in the rungs? Is it clean, dry or covered in wax or oil? If using a metal ladder make sure it is slip-resistant. If the ladder is damaged in any way do not use it. Replace it.
When carrying a short ladder, make sure the front end is above your head. One person can raise it up against the wall. When raising a long ladder against the wall it’s better if two people do it together.
Always place the ladder on a flat, firm and dry surface. Don’t put it on top of anything that is unsecure and can slip. The best way to make sure a ladder is safe to use when it’s propped up is when every one measure out is equal to every four measures up. This way the ladder will be sure not to slip.You can secure the ladder by tying it – not by the rungs – to a stable object. Don’t attach it to guttering or anything brittle or plastic. If you cannot attach it to anything, ask someone to hold the ladder at the base to hold it securely. If using extension ladders, make sure they are overlapping by at least three rungs to strengthen the ladder in the middle.
Borough Market
There are lots of advantages to living near London but Borough Market has to be up at the top of the list along with the theatres, the art galleries, the concerts and the museums. Sadly I’m not the only person who loves Borough Market and if you don’t like crowds you may be as well to give it a miss. Either that or try to get there early in the day. It opens at 8am on a Saturday, so it may mean an early start but it’s worth it.
Historically Borough Market was a fruit and vegetable market but nowadays it is a smorgasbord of all that a foodie could wish for. One of the largest markets in London, it has food from all over the world, not only the sort of things that you would want to take home but also food stalls where you can eat very reasonably (everything from curries to pasties). It has been criticised for its high prices but it costs nothing to look and lots of the stalls are happy to give away free samples of their wares.
If you’re a carnivore and enjoy cooking the meat-filled spaghetti bolognese recipe from Schwartz, you will love the various butchers’ stalls selling everything from game and ostrich to pies, sausages and all sorts of rather disturbing looking offal. If you’re a biltong loving South African and are suffering withdrawal symptoms, Borough Market will solve your problem. My personal favourite is the stall from the Lake District which sells delicious wild boar.
For fish and shellfish lovers the oysters from Essex and the scallops from Devon are a great draw. For something a bit different the Irish smoked eel is worth trying.
As your nose will testify, Borough Market is a cheese lover’s heaven. Wandering around makes you realise that there are hundreds of cheese varieties that most of us have never even heard of and it is here that the practice of sampling before buying comes into its own. Buy some artisan bread to go with your cheese and have a picnic.
Add to the mix coffee, chutney, honey, cider, and the freshest of fruit and veg and you will be in no doubt as to why the market is so popular with Londoners and tourists alike.
Where To Shop Online For Office Supplies
Like most things in life, office supplies such as your average shredder are a good thing to buy on ebay.
There can’t be too many people who have not, at one time, bought something on the site.
It’s not only easy to bid on items and then pay for them, but it’s a lot of fun to get involved in the auctions.
Because there are so many auctions going on at the same time, you always hope that the item you are bidding on doesn’t attract any rival bids and you can get it for an absolute steal.
It’s easy to find whatever you are after on ebay, and on any random day you might find there are in the region of 250,000 items available in the office equipment & supplies category.
Under office supplies and stationery alone there will usually be more than 100,000 items for sale, either through auction or as “buy now” purchases.
Most people tend to look for auctions, because of the chance of getting a purchase at an ultra-low price.
It’s a good idea to do a search elsewhere on the internet to find out the retail price of the product you are interested in. That gives you an idea, firstly, of how much value there is in the “buy now” listings.
Sometimes you will find online stores that offer free delivery – though usually that comes when your total exceeds a certain value. Compare that against the cost of delivery from an ebay trader – which will always be clearly stated – and you may find it’s better value to go with the online store.
Getting involved in an auction is a different prospect, though, as you can decide upfront what is the most you are prepared to pay for something like a ream of paper or an office shredder.
Don’t be tempted to keep bidding just to ensure you win the item – there will always be another similar item listed very soon.
Gifts for the comedian in your family
Do you have a comedian in your family? Perhaps your brother simply can’t get through a family meal without cracking an inappropriate joke, or maybe your dad sits glued to the likes of vic and bob every Saturday night. If this rings a bell with you, here are some great gift ideas that will undoubtedly appeal to the comedian in your life:
- If the comedian wannabe in your family is interested in learning about the history of the genre, check out ‘Make ‘Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America’ by Lawrence Maslon and Michael Kantor. This book provides a solid overview of the evolution of American comedy from the origins of slapstick comedy, dominated of course by Charlie Chaplin, to the era of the comedy sitcom in the 1980s and 1990s, with some particularly interesting insights provided on ‘Seinfeld’ and ‘The Cosby Show’. The book has a number of photos that you’ll never have seen before, not even on the TV show that preceded the publication of this book, simply adding to its appeal.
- If autobiographical accounts seem more appealing to you, there are endless options that are sure to please. You can find a number of interesting accounts from modern comedians, including controversial characters such as Russell Brand, while biographical pieces focusing on older characters such as Chaplin endure in their popularity.
- For a more practical gift, how about buying a ticket to a local comedy show? Alternatively, if you look carefully, you can usually find comedy venues that will provide amateurs with hour-long lessons.