The Great British summer time has arrived and there is no better time than now to invite the family and friends round to enjoy a fun BBQ outside in the glorious weather. Temperatures are rising and the sun is shining so bask in its brilliance by eating alfresco in your back garden.

Thousands of Brits are taking advantage of the heat by dusting off their barbeques and hosting summertime parties from the comfort of their own home. Throw some burgers and sausages on the grill, put some music on, and celebrate the splendid climate.

And the gathering doesn’t have to stop when the sun goes down. Buy some outdoor lighting and let the fun carry on into the night. You can get anything from solar pedestal wall lights, tea lights, lanterns and floor lamps in varying colours, sizes and shapes. And sites like lights2go.co.uk offer an extensive range of lighting so your guests will not get left in the dark.

Make the most from your BBQ by investing in a great grill. It can be lovely to eat outdoors with the family with the sun shining on your face but be careful to put protective sun cream on to avoid burning. A tip is to take the kids in after a while to stop them getting overheated and if all else fails and the heavens do open, you can take the BBQ inside and eat the food at the dining table.

Lights2go are the leading specialists in lighting and have a wide range of lighting to suit all tastes and purse strings including wall and bathroom lights, LED lights, and novelty lighting for children.

If you do plan on hosting an alfresco party this summertime, here are some top lighting ideas to keep your party twinkling.

Pink Solar Tealight for only £5.95 including VAT

Eglo Butterfly solar spike; brown metal / yellow glass only Price: £8.10 including VAT

Solar Pedestal- This is ideal for Brits who want conventional, modern lighting in the garden Price: £7.00

Lima down lantern in white. Also available in black. Price: £10.05 including VAT

Chicken solar lamp- This is great for someone looking for quirky, unique outdoor lighting. Price: £20.00

KIDS KNOW THE COST OF CHRISTMAS

Hard-pressed parents assume that their children have no idea how much it will cost them to make a happy Christmas – but research out today reveals that children as young as five know how much Christmas will cost their family this year … including all the trimmings. The survey by credit card company Capital One, shows that 85 per cent of kids aged between 5 and 11 know that a standard turkey (2.5kg) costs ‘up to £20′, 79 per cent correctly identify that a Christmas pudding costs ‘under £5′ and 64 per cent know that that a Christmas Tree costs ‘up to £30′. Despite the average cost of family spending expected to fall this Christmas to around £692 from £1,278*, 1.3 million (32 per cent of all UK kids) accurately predict that Christmas costs a family more than £600, the equivalent to the cost of a family holiday. The research also reveals that it’s not just the trimmings they’re knowledgeable about; children aged 5-11 were shown to be particularly astute and tech savvy when it comes to presents and gadgets – with 42 per cent knowing how much a Nintendo Wii costs (£109 RRP), as well as 38 per cent accurately confirming that an iPhone costs over £200. Whilst clearly being surprisingly financially aware, thankfully there hasn’t been a complete loss of child innocence with 67 per cent still believing that Father Christmas ‘spends the most money on Christmas’ and 8 per cent believing that Christmas costs as much as ‘a flight into space.’

Judi James, behavioural expert says: “It’s clearly a cliché to assume that kids have no real understanding of the cost of Christmas because some of the valuations in the survey would give adults a reasonable run for their money. This proves that – unlike previous generations – kids do seem to have acquired a very astute financial view of the festive period, being aware not just of the egocentric gain in terms of food and presents but also the amount needed to obtain them. This suggests good parenting in terms of messages of putting a price on pleasure, meaning we might just be breeding a generation of Alan Sugar-style entrepreneurs.” Credit Made Clearer features a series of short animated films offering consumers practical financial educational advice. Members of the public can access quick myth-busting films about the world of credit and managing money via facebook.com/capitaloneuk. Michael Woodburn, Chief Marketing Officer for Capital One, says: “We all assume that Christmas is an exercise in financial management for adults. However, maybe if we involved kids more, there could be benefits all round. Financial education for our younger generation is extremely important. Our Credit Made Clearer videos encourage responsible spending, offering tips on a range of financial issues from the use of credit to how to shop safely online.”

‘Credit Made Clearer’ festive shopping tips from Capital One:
• Ensure you stick to a budget and know your credit card limit before making Christmas purchases • When shopping online, look for the padlock symbol in the browser window to ensure your data is kept away from prying eyes • Register your cards with MasterCard SecureCode or Verified by Visa to add an extra layer of protection when shopping online • Be aware of withdrawing cash to buy gifts – you may be charged daily interest and a cash withdrawal fee even if you pay your balance in full each month • Always leave some available credit on your credit card for any interest to be applied – ends -
For more information please contact:
Gemma Young 0207 758 3909 gemmay@launchgroup.co.uk Charlotte Brooks 020 7758 3914 charlotteb@launchgroup.co.uk
Chloe Bishop 020 7758 3900 chloeb@launchgroup.co.uk
Notes to Editors:
Capital One commissioned Vision Critical to survey 1,000 children aged 5-11 years olds. Fieldwork was undertaken 21st Nov 2011.
* “Twenty million families cut costs this Christmas”. Survey by Which? and MyVoucherCodes.co.uk. Nov 25, 2011. About Credit Made Clearer:
Credit Made Clearer features a series of short animated films offering consumers practical tips and education about the world of credit and managing money. The films are available via:
• www.facebook.com/capitaloneuk • www.youtube.com/creditmadeclearer • www.capitalone.co.uk/creditmadeclearer Using a simple animation style and humour to engage consumers, each film takes a look at the various aspects of financial well-being using characters such as Super Brummie, the Credit Aunties, a Russian billionaire and a few bean counters to bring the subject matter to life. Consumers can click between the films while they’re playing to get the financial tips that are right for them.
About Capital One: A Fortune 500 company, Capital One Financial Corporation trades on the New York Stock Exchange and is included in the S&P 100 index. Headquartered in McLean, VA, Capital One is a diversified financial services company whose principal subsidiaries, Capital One, N.A., Capital One Bank (USA), N.A., and Capital One Auto Finance, Inc., offer a broad spectrum of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients. In 1996 Capital One launched its first overseas operation in the UK offering credit cards and savings products to UK customers. The UK headquarters and operations centre for Capital One (Europe) plc is located in Nottingham. Capital One is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

Money saving, green lifestyle web site showcases eco-friendly Xmas present ideas from charities, eco fashion, solar, energy saving and more.

Green Abode, the money saving green lifestyle website, has brought together ’101 Green Christmas Gift Ideas’. The guide has been produced in the run up to Xmas to showcase different eco-friendly products that are useful to UK householders’ both at home and outdoors. Throughout 2011, Green Abode has been publishing inspiring and practical information for UK consumers to save money by going green. The Green Xmas presents guide continues this theme, and adds more ideas to give it a seasonal twist.

Chris King, Founder of Green Abode explains:

‘We have brought together a collection of green Christmas presents that are both inspiring gifts and emphasise that going green often saves you money. There is still a myth that eco-friendly products are expensive. The money saving element is the overall ethos of Green Abode. Take solar products, for example, after you have bought them there’s no ongoing electricity charges. You don’t pay for natural energy from the sun.

As it’s a Christmas special we’ve also added in some products from our partners from ethical fashion retailers, charities, and other eco producers and retailers.”

The ’101 Green Christmas Gift Ideas’ includes:
Kids presents for all year round fun outdoors
Winter warmers for her from ethical fashion brands
Cycling special offers and voucher codes from 20 leading online bike retailers
Solar security lights for the home and garden
Charity Christmas cards from leading UK charities
Energy saving kettles
Solar gadgets perfect for the outdoors and traveller
Organic cotton t-shirts
Solar fairy lights for use at home, festivals and holidays
Sponsor a Child from Barnado’s You can follow this and other green money saving ideas at Green Abode.

Search results published by the UK’s leading discount website have revealed the most bizarre discount searches made through the site this year; with ‘DIY Breast Implants’ topping the poll. It appears that Britons nowadays look for a discount on pretty much anything, as the most bizarre product searches of 2011 have been revealed by the UK’s leading discount website; after analysing search results on-site from the past 12 months.
The site statistics, released by www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk , have shown what bizarre products their customers have searched for discounts on this year; with the top five voted for by employees of the discount website. MyVoucherCodes.co.uk employees were presented with a list of some of more unusual product discount searches made by UK consumers on the site in the past 12 months, and asked to vote for whichever terms they felt were the most bizarre. According to the results, the top 5 most bizarre product searches made by UK consumers in 2011 were as follows:

1. ‘DIY Breast Implants’- 87%
2. ‘Quidditch Stick’- 82%
3. ‘Underwater Pogo Stick’- 76%
4. ‘Time Travel Machine’- 63%
5. ‘Jet Pack’- 59%

First place went to ‘DIY Breast Implants’, which was searched for over 1,000 times on the MyVoucherCodes.co.uk site throughout 2011. The site has also seen a large increase in searches on-site for discounts on ‘naughty gifts’ in 2011; such as ‘erotic photo shoots’ and ‘candy underwear’. Mark Pearson, chairman of MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, commented on the results:
“We continually keep an eye on what our customers are searching for, so we can offer more discounts on the things they want. This time of year, we always see more bizarre product searches than usual with this year no exception; so we decided to take a look at some of the most unusual product-searches on-site in the past 12 months. The top five are certainly unusual, and although we try to help consumers find discounts on the products they’re after wherever possible, I’m afraid we simply can’t on ‘DIY Breast Implants’- or any of the top five for that matter!”

He continued:

“It’s quite surprising to see how many people search for discounts on products that simply don’t exist, but I suppose you don’t know unless you try! Whilst we can’t promise to provide discounts on the likes of underwater pogo sticks, we certainly promise to try to save people money on products that do exist wherever possible.”

LINK http://www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk END

Editor’s Notes

Mark Pearson, chairman of MyVoucherCodes is a regular media contributor regarding online shopping and the credit crunch. At 30, his personal worth is more than £30 million. Mark was previously a trainee chef working for Gordon Ramsay at Claridges, London. Mark appeared as a ‘Secret Millionaire’ in the series on Channel 4, in which he donated £115,00 of his own money to worthy causes. MyVoucherCodes has had sales exceeding £481m in the last year Consumer savings on online shopping via MyVoucherCodes.co.uk up from £28m in 2008 to £52m in 2009. MyVoucherCodes is the UK’s most popular discount site.

Rowsley’s Peak Village shopping outlet has received a rousing response to its call for retailers to use the outlet’s spare units to sell their wares. These temporary traders are now awaiting the influx of shoppers due at Peak Village in the run up to the peak shopping season of the year.

Following the appeal by Peak Village seeking local talent to come along and offer their arts, crafts, antiques and collectables for sale to the public, many have taken up the challenge and will be taking their place alongside Peak Village’s regular retailers every Saturday until 17 December.

“We are delighted so many people have taken up our offer to come and join us to sell their products at Peak Village,” said Terrence Morgan of Peak Village. “It’s a positive move to make our offering even better for everyone to enjoy. Like most shopping centres, we have vacant units from time to time and this seemed the prefect way to make maximum use of our space for shoppers and traders alike to benefit from at Christmas. By giving our customers more choice than ever at this time of year and by giving something back to local craftspeople, it’s a win-win situation for all of us and we wish our new Christmas time traders every success in this new venture.”

Christmas is the perfect time to allow local arts, crafts and textiles traders the chance to reach a wider audience in Peak Village and take advantage of this opportunity to show consumers what they have to offer in the fast moving world that is Christmas shopping at Peak Village.

Peak Village is home to nearly 20 retailers including national names like Cotton Traders, Leading Labels, Ponden Mill, The Cook Shop and Mountain Warehouse. The outlet shopping centre attracts 750,000 visitors a year and offers visitors the opportunity to combine shopping with other local attractions and now is perfect time to bag a festive bargain.

The markets have been so well received this year that Peak Village is looking to continue with the project throughout the New Year. Anyone who might be interested is being asked to register their interest now for 2012.

ENDS Press enquiries:
Katayune Jacquin Tel: 07590 634717

With the end of the year fast approaching, the award winning Maynard hotel and restaurant has devised a brand new exciting taster menu which will be available to trial on New Year’s Eve. Consisting of a phenomenal seven courses (along with an added ‘amuse-bouche’ [palate cleanser] before desert), the menu invites guests to sample unusual selections of food that they may not have tried previously.

The preparation of food at the Maynard has always been the top priority of head chef Ben Hickinson, who ensures that all food is freshly prepared on the premises with only the finest ingredients used. The kitchen ethos has always been to locally source food, which as well as reducing their carbon footprint, ensures that that food reaches the kitchen in perfect condition. Priced at a reasonable £60, guests are sure to enjoy the variety on offer and discover new tastes. Ben was excited about prospect of preparing slightly unusual dishes. He said: ‘By devising and working on creating this menu, I have been able to develop new culinary skills that showcase the best of Derbyshire and beyond. My main aim is to guarantee that all guests enjoy the very best in freshness, quality and taste and leave satisfied with feeling that they have gotten good value for money.

Jane Hitchman, director at the Maynard, commented: “The New Year should always be a time for celebration and what better way to spend it than by treating yourself to a gourmet feast at the Maynard. We are extremely proud of our 2AA rosette accredited restaurant and our high standards will ensure that your evening is one that you remember for years to come.’ The courses themselves have been devised to complement each other, whilst offering a number of different, contrasting tastes. The deluxe meal begins with Champagne and canapés to welcome you upon arrival. Once seated, you taste-buds will tingle with the starter of goat’s cheese Bavarois combined with sesame and oat biscuit and red onion jelly.

If that wasn’t enough to make your mouth water, the next course of slow braised rolled pigs head will. With the dish coming complete with mustard crust, roast garlic and mustard aioli, this course complements the starter both in terms of heat and in taste. For further information, visit www.themaynard.co.uk
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With extended family and friends staying over during the festive season here’s a quick guide to what’s best for your sleepover needs. When everyone celebrates Christmas space saving furniture is one idea to minimise disruption. With children in mind a single foam chair bed is made especially for little people; when it’s time to sleep, this sleepover solution flops out into a single bed and is a chair when storing during the day.

For more than one child another favourite is the popular foam sofa bed, which as the name suggests, is a small sofa during the day and can flop out within seconds to a bed suitable for two small children up to the age of 5, depending on size.

With adults to accommodate, look no further than a traditional futon. The futon base can be solid pine or a metal action futon. Consider the depth of mattress when buying a futon, mattress range from a 9cm depth to a luxury 14cm thick futon mattress. Look for a cotton drill cover as these will be available in a range of modern and funky dyed colours. With a price to suit every budget from divan beds to guest beds, the Comfy Living online store has the perfect sleepover solution for everyone to enjoy, with free delivery to mainland UK on everything, visit www.comfy-living.co.uk today and pre-order to guarantee delivery before Christmas.

United Kingdom, 17th Nov 2011 /prfire — Cheesy Christmas Jumpers offer exactly that, jumpers that are cheesy for the festive season. The company sells sweatshirts and knitted jumpers to the UK and Irish market including Rudolph the red nosed Reindeer, Santa’s List and a flashing LED light-up Christmas tree jumper.

Not since the 1980s has the Christmas jumper trend been so big and the last few years has seen the Christmas jumper become the festive fashion trend. The latest UK trend of the ugly Christmas jumper party, makes the search for the most outlandish Christmas jumpers more popular than ever and with the internet as everybody’s shop window, the search is on.

Cheesy’s founders Paul and Mark Everett, father and son, started the Yorkshire based company in late 2009 after Paul announced his ‘light bulb’ moment, to start designing and producing an affordable Christmas jumper range which could be sold via ebay. The company has since grown year on year and is now offering a wide range of in house UK made products along side imported knitted garments.

All designs are exclusive to Cheesy Christmas Jumpers and are the brain child of co founder Mark Everett. Mark works all year round brainstorming and finalising the forthcoming festive season’s collection, this season Mark is throwing open the grotto doors on a number of designs and showcasing his new knitted range which include the luxury ‘Winter Wonderland’ design and the flamboyant LED flashing ‘Christmas Tree’. Mark has a passion for Christmas jumper’s, this passion and dedication shows through in all his endeavours including the innovative website which he has created, written and even modelled for however his true goal is to bring fun and festivities to households by offering affordable cheesy and ugly garments that can be worn by men, women and children of all ages.

The 2011 range features a LED light-up Christmas tree jumper, the LED lights are imbedded into the garment and flash on and off. This jumper is unique to the UK market and will soon feature on a popular UK TV show. They have also launched an improved version of 2010 Cheesy best seller, Rudolph the red nosed Reindeer. This design became famous when it was worn by popular TV personality Keith Lemon on ITV’s ‘This Morning’.

2011 will be Cheesy Christmas Jumpers biggest year yet, with a whole new range of funny cheesy designs to keep you looking outlandishly festive over the Christmas period.

For media, interviews and any other enquiries, please contact Mark Everett at sales@cheesychristmasjumpers.co.uk

Website: http://www.cheesychristmasjumpers.co.uk

As we begin the countdown to one of the most anticipated nights of the year, the highly regarded Whirlowbrook Hall is delighted to be able to invite the local community to join them for an evening of decadence at their New Year’s Eve Black Tie Dinner Dance. If you have been searching for something special to do on this New Year, then Whirlowbrook Hall has the answer! After enjoying a delicious five course seasonal gourmet meal, guests are invited to welcome the New Year in style with a disco in the stunning venue on the edge of Sheffield and the Peak District.

This year’s event has been created with style, variety and value in mind. Whirlowbrook Hall has long had a reputation for hosting successful events at affordable prices, and this will be no different. Priced at a competitive £60, all tickets purchased before 31 November will qualify for an additional £5 reduction, offering guests even better value!

Sales and marketing manager of Whirlowbrook Hall and The Maynard, Stephanie Wragg, said: “For many people, New Year’s Eve is one of the most magical nights of the year. Here at Whirlowbrook, the staff are dedicated to making sure that you have a truly memorable evening. We take all the hassle out of New Year so that you can relax and enjoy your evening, without worrying about a thing.”

The meal itself has been designed to offer a number of different tastes and textures to satisfy even the most complex of palates. The evening will begin with Champagne and canapés, which will be followed by pan fried sea bass and a haggis and whisky terrine for starters. In contrast to the delicate texture of the fish, the main course for the evening is a hearty loin of locally sourced lamb with a selection of vegetables. The penultimate dish of the evening is a mouth watering Bramley apple and Champagne bavarois which will be followed by coffee and petit fours. All food is freshly prepared on site and our chefs ensure that all produce is locally sourced where possible, meaning that you can be sure that you are getting the best quality ingredients.

New Year is all about coming together to begin a new cycle in your life. It is a great opportunity to think about the past and future and is the perfect opportunity to meet up with friends and family and celebrate the festivities. The evening begins at 7.30pm, which will allow enough time for everyone to eat, drink, dance and celebrate. If you are feeling extravagant, why not pre-order a bottle of Champagne to celebrate midnight with for the bargain price of just £31.50, which is represents a 10% discount off the list price of £35.

This promises to be the unmissable event of the year and with limited availability, tickets for this event are sure to be in high demand. To ensure that you do not miss out, you can reserve your place now by either calling 0114 221 3003 or by calling into Whirlowbrook Hall itself and speaking to a member of the team.
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National charity Deafness Research UK is urging people to plot to protect their hearing this 5 November, and heed a few simple tips to enjoy Bonfire Night’s fun, festivities and fireworks in complete safety.

With the focus on Bonfire night quite rightly on general firework safety and the role of the emergency services, it is all too easy for warnings about your hearing health to fall on deaf ears. But the incredible noise that can be generated by modern fireworks means that parents need to consider tips for ear protection – particularly for very young children unaware of the risks.

Protect your children’s (and your own) hearing by following some simple rules:
- Choose appropriate fireworks for your garden – avoid the very loud ones in ‘category 5′
- Timing – remember setting off fireworks is illegal after midnight on 5 November
- Ensure you let off fireworks in an open area and stand well back. Check the box for the recommended distance
- Never set off very loud fireworks in an enclosed, built up area – sound bounces off buildings and amplifies the noise
- If you are unsure about noise levels, wear ear plugs or ear protectors

“Fireworks on 5 November are great fun and we want to ensure everyone enjoys this national event safely,” said Vivienne Michael, Chief Executive of Deafness Research UK. “Many of us are unaware the very loudest fireworks, particularly if set off in enclosed spaces such as back gardens could result in long-term hearing damage through noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Children are at particular risk, as their hearing is more sensitive – but with a bit of common sense, the evening will be one to remember for all the right reasons.”

Many fireworks, particularly the very loud ‘cakes’ usually require spectators to stand at least 25-30 metres away, but many people don’t have back gardens of this size and this can cause problems.

Extended exposure to 85 decibels (db) risks irreversible hearing damage and some fireworks are capable of producing noise in excess of 155 db*. Hearing loss is a greater risk in enclosed garden spaces, so select fireworks appropriate to your garden and the space you have available.

For tinnitus sufferers, Bonfire Night can be a testing time, but earplugs and ear protectors are cheap and widely available and are effective in cutting down the noise, without cutting out the fun.

“Fireworks don’t have to be deafening to be fun,” added Vivienne. “Organised displays are amazing and comply with health and safety. If you have fireworks at home, follow the firework code and protect your hearing by choosing the right fireworks and keep the family safe and sound.”

For information on deafness and deafness-related conditions e-mail info@deafnessresearch.org.uk or visit Deafness Research UK’s website at www.deafnessresearch.org.uk
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