Posted in November 2009

M&S Win Best Family Brand Award

Source: hazel eyes
Wednesday 25th November 2009, 3:49pm

A recent YouGov survey of 1,500 adults found Marks & Spencer to be the top of the Family Brand pile. Bottom of the heap was RyanAir.

Among the other winners in the poll were the Co-op, Boots and Kelloggs, whilst Royal Bank of Scotland, British Midland, bmibaby, PlayStation and Domino's Pizza languished at the bottom with RyanAir.

M&S have recently been in the news when Samantha Cameron famously wore a dress which was eventually exposed as a made-to-order copy of one of the dresses in their retro range.

They have presently got special offers on for christmas including sofas and delivery or order online and collect instore for free. So if you're after a Christmas bargain, get your shopping feet on quick.

RyanAir spokesman Stephen McNawara defended its position at the bottom of the table by saying: "These surveys are about as reliable and scientific as the surveys on Family Fortunes. Ryanair is Europe's largest airline and our guaranteed lowest fares allow more UK families than ever before to turn their dream of a family holiday into a reality."

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Pay As You Go Phones

Source: hazel eyes
Friday 20th November 2009, 4:38pm

Pay As You Go phones are best for low, or infrequent use. I am quite easy to please, all I want from my phone is to be able to text and make or receive calls if I need to.

I have got a Pay As You Go phone. There isn't a contract phone around that is cheaper for the amount I use my phone. I usually use about 100 texts and maybe a couple of short phonecalls, but that's about it. If I have to spend £10 I think I've been extravagrant.

I'm not into phones which can make a perfect boiled egg or devise an excercise regime, as far as I'm concerned, all I need is a keypad and an earpiece. Most phones come with internet access these days and a camera. Whilst these features can be useful, I'd rather have extended battery life.

It is quite amazing how technology has developed over the past twenty years or so. Back then people didn't have to keep in touch constantly and if they didn't answer the phone we got on with something else and tried again later. These days, FaceBook and Twitter allow us to tell everyone what we're up to at any point via our mobiles. We can only guess what it will be like in another twenty years.

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Driving in Barcelona

Source: hazel eyes
Wednesday 18th November 2009, 4:20pm

One of the easiest ways to get around whilst on holiday in Barcelona is to hire a car. Here's some tips on what to expect.

Watch out for motorcycle rideouts

Barcelona has a lot of traffic, just like any other major city. However, driving around in a Barcelona hire car has improved considerably thanks largely to the 1992 Olympic Games.

The layout of the roads in Barcelona helps orientation when driving around the city. Drivers in Barcelona tend to be more patient than in other parts of Spain and they pay more attention to road signs. In general cars don't usually turn into a street if they are in the middle lane and they hardly ever park next to someone who has double parked. There are a large number of scooters and small motorbikes in Barcelona however, making it feel like the world's scooter capital.

Motorway accidents

Spain has a high number of road accidents. In order to try and combat this the Spanish government has changed the law so that driving offenses such as speeding, drink driving, mobile telephone use lead to points being on your driving licence.

In Spain, people drive very fast on motorways and dual carriageways, often way above the speed limit of 120kph. Furthermore some roads are in a bad way. The Civil Guard (Spain's equivalent to traffic police) are using speed cameras on many Spanish roads especially on motorways where mobile speed radars are placed in unidentified cars which are used to catch speeding drivers.

Unlike the UK, Spanish drivers do not usually stop at zebra crossings unless they are
accompanied by traffic lights. Take care when approaching one in your car if there are cars behind your vehicle, because if you slow down and stop, you are liable to be hit from behind or to have an irate driver shout and blow his horn.

As with any country, it is best to avoid key days such as local fiestas or the beginning and end of seasonal holidays unless you are there to attend that specific event. Check bank holidays in order to try to avoid the busiest days on Barcelona roads as they vary between regions.

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Skype Mobile

Source: hazel eyes
Friday 13th November 2009, 4:54pm

Nowadays, many people are choosing not to have a landline, but are turning to technology for their communication needs.

With the advent of the mobile phone, landlines are becoming slightly old fashioned and restrictive. For not much more than line rental charge, mobile users can use their free minutes to call one another or send text messages.

Skype Mobile and MSN Messenger

For lengthier conversations, there are other alternatives available to the mobile user.

MSN Messenger allows users with accounts to 'talk' to each other in real time. For most mobile users this will be through the keypad as a webcam is required for video conversations.

Skype allows users to make cheap phonecalls to other skype phones, landlines as well as having written conversations. Another advantage of Skype is that written conversations can be saved and referred back to if needed. Mobile Skype calls are particularly useful for those with friends and family abroad because of the cost saving over more traditional methods.

Technology is continually evolving and we can expect to see the number of people switching to mobile technology from their landlines increasing in the future.

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Etihad Wins More Awards

Source: hazel eyes
Wednesday 11th November 2009, 12:22pm

Top UAE airline Etihad has won the prestigious 'Worlds Leading Airline' and 'Worlds Leading First Class' awards.

Etihad's busy year

Its been a busy time recently for Etihad. They sponsored the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and have now won the titles of 'Worlds Leading Airline' and 'Worlds Leading First Class'. Etihad doesn't use the terms 'First Class', 'Business Class' and 'Economy Class' though, instead it assigns 'Diamond', 'Pearl' and 'Coral' as prefixes to the terms.

Etihad has also opened a new lounge at Heathrow airport which mirrors the facility at Abu Dhabi. The codeshare agreement recently signed by Etihad and Flybe means that flights to Abu Dhabi are more convenient from the UK and Europe as only 1 ticket is required, even when flight transfers are necessary.

Following the success of the Formula 1 event, other events have been put on the calendar for next year including events: the first Abu Dhabi International Triathlon, the 20th anniversary of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, an extension of the Abu Dhabi Gourmet Festival from 10 to 15 days, and the World Green Tourism Congress, which will be held in the UAE capital in December next year.

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Volkswagen Van Show A Success

Source: hazel eyes
Monday 2nd November 2009, 4:39pm

Volkswagen camper fans were in for a treat at the Stafford County Showground yesterday.

The first ever BusFreeze VW Campervan event took place yesterday at Stafford's County Showground.

A wide range of vans was on display, from the iconic Campervan of the 60s and 70s right through to the most modern T5's, equipped with plasma TV's. There were also numerous trade stands and demonstrations on how to revamp VW Campervan interiors to stripping and rebuilding an aircooled engine.

There was also a Show and Shine contest judged by visitors, with the best in show award presented by David Eccles, editor of VW Camper and Commercial.

A charity auction was also held in aid of Brad’s Cancer Foundation.

Vans for sale

Anyone looking to purchase their own Volkswagen van could hunt for a bargain in the for sale section.

The next VW BusFreeze show is due to take place in February 2010.

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