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Visiting Cheltenham Town in Gloucestershire for the weekend.

If you are lucky enough to be visiting Cheltenham town in the county of Gloucestershire over the summer holidays, you will witness the beautiful architecture of the buildings, marvel at the museums and galleries, and taste some of the finest Italian, Chinese, Indian and English food there is to eat.  There is an array of exciting, individual shops to purchase any new clothes, shoes, homewares, tools, jewellery, or personalised gifts you could possibly want.

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If you want somewhere to just relax, eat, and have some fun then, Playgrounds Cheltenham and green spaces where you and your children can play, have picnics, and just explore are bountiful. The best playgrounds have been fitted and installed by companies such as https://www.greenfieldsltd.co.uk/services/playgrounds-and-parks/  At Pittville Park in Cheltenham, there are lakes to try your hand at rowing a boat or fishing, swings, slides, and trampolines, to have fun on, and water and sand play to keep even the youngest child happy.

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If the weather is hot enough and you want to cool off and have some fun, then you could try the outdoor swimming pool at the Sandford Park Lido.  With a tasteful array of mature trees and ornamental flower beds surrounding the open-air pool it’s a great place to spend the day and have a picnic lunch. If you would rather buy your food on site, then there is a café where you can purchase hot and cold fresh food at a reasonable price.

 

Boiler noises to look out for

Boilers are incredibly important to keep our homes at a comfortable temperature and to provide us with warm running water. As a piece of equipment it is normal for issues to arise with your heating at one point or another. You can help to alleviate issues arising by using a Cheltenham Boiler Servicing company to come in once a year and check your system. Blu Fish Cheltenham can help provide you with an annual service and they can also repair any problems that are identified. When it comes to looking for issues within your heating systems, these can sometimes be made obvious with the arrival of strange noises.

Rattling

In the event that your central heating makes loud rattling noises, that usually signifies the presence of loose objects which could be vibrating or shaking against one another, but if that’s not the case, there are a few more reasons why this might be happening. There is a possibility of boilers making rattling noises when there is air trapped in the pipes. It is possible to remove the excess air from your system by bleeding your radiators, and as this is a simple task. It is important to only bleed your radiators when they are cool and never whilst they are running.

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Humming

A humming noise can sometimes be heard coming from electric water heaters, and the problem can be easily fixed by tightening the heating element on the heater. The rumbling noise that may be heard coming from a hot water heater can also be caused by bits of sediment, rust or limescale that have heated up and expanded within the cylinder.

There are also times when rumbling noises are caused by extremely high pressures. The valves inside your heating system can hum or whine if the incoming water supply from the main line has too much pressure. This is why it’s important to check if the valves inside your heating system need to be adjusted.

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Whistling

You may have noticed that your boiler makes a high-pitched whistling noise, almost like an old-fashioned kettle, when it is in use. This is known as kettling and the most likely cause is the build up of limescale in the system.

How to Improve the Look of Your Walls

One of the simplest ways to change the look of your walls is to add some art. A framed canvas can hide a dingy wall while adding personal style. Framed prints can add interest to any room. If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, consider using colourful washi tape. This adhesive tape has a superior adhesion power, and can help transform your wall into a work of art.

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If you can’t bear the thought of painting your walls, you can always opt for wall decor. Wall tapestries are an excellent choice to add texture to your walls and hide unsightly eyesores. A woven wall art, such as a woven wall piece, can add a splash of colour to your room. Another alternative is to hang up a message board in a prominent place.

Another inexpensive way to add character to your walls is by adding wall decals to them. These stickers feature patterns or designs on the wall, and are easy to apply. They also come with instructions to help you install them. Another easy way to change the look of your walls is to change the pattern of your existing wallpaper. Consider the colours you already have, and pick out a design that matches or complements your existing colour scheme.

If you have unsightly holes or marks on your walls, you might want to fix them before thinking about redecorating. When you need a Plasterer Cheltenham, take a look at http://pureplasterers.co.uk/ who are a leading Plasterer Cheltenham firm.

There are many ways to patch holes in your walls, and it’s possible to do it yourself without hiring a contractor. A few simple tools and supplies can make the repair process a breeze. However, larger holes or cracks will require more extensive repair and the services of a professional.

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The first step in repairing a hole in your drywall is to cut a piece of drywall larger than the hole. This way, you’ll be able to attach the new sheetrock to the studs. Make sure that the new piece of drywall is larger than the hole to avoid making it look bad. Make sure to apply the new drywall with a clean, even stroke. Once it’s dry, you can apply drywall texture.

When it comes to repairing a hole in your wall, you need to know how to spot the minor damage before you tackle the larger problems. Minor dings in the drywall are harder to spot, but you can do multiple repairs at once by locating them all at the same time. Applying spackle to the damaged area will work, but be sure to scrape away any excess.

 

 

Three Ways to Take Care of your Garden in the Summer

Summer is the time of year that we all want to spend as much time outdoors as possible. If you are lucky enough to have a garden to enjoy the summer months in, now is the time to embrace it and have it looking great so that it is a pleasure to spend time in over the sunny summer days.

If you are looking for ways to make sure that your garden is the best it can be all summer long, here are some things that could help you with this…

Furniture – Sitting out in the garden is a real treat, whether you spend sunny days outdoors with friends and family or want to sit out after work on warmer evenings to unwind, having garden furniture that helps you to get the best out of your garden is important. If you have furniture that is a little old and tatty, look into things that you can do to repair and upcycle it – there are lots of videos and tutorials online that can help you to do this.

If there is no saving it, or you don’t have garden furniture at all, then have a look around and if you can, try out different styles and designs of furniture to get an idea of what will be suited to you and your garden.

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Plants – When it comes to plants, summer is the time of year when your garden plants really can come into their own. A colourful array of plants is something that we all enjoy in a summer garden. Making sure that you have the right plants for your garden is important if you want them to thrive and ensuring that you give them the care and attention that they need will certainly mean that your garden looks good all through the summer. Plenty of beautiful blooms are also something that helps wildlife at this time of year, such as bees and butterflies.

Adding bedding plants to hanging baskets can help create colourful displays, and you can get a wide range of plants from places like Palmstead Kent, a wholesale plants store.

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Water – Plants need plenty of water to thrive, and in the summer, it is important to make sure that you keep on top of watering the garden. Many people find that a sprinkler is the best way to go about this, especially if you have a larger garden. It is better to give plants a large amount of water to ensure that it can get deep into the soil to where it is needed, and this also means that you do not have to water as often.

The Role of Trees and the Types of Wood

Trees play one of the most important roles in supporting life on earth. All over the planet they provide habitats for plants and animals, from the rainforests and jungles of hotter countries, to the snowy forests of Scandinavia. They also provide us with the air that we breathe, by taking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, and we are still learning so much about them.

Scientists and ecologists now know that trees are able to talk to each other in forests, using networks of fungi as a kind of tree telephone line! They also have many amazing medicinal uses, and for centuries have been used to cure a variety of ailments, which is something that we still do today.

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As well as all of these amazing things that trees can do, they are also something that humans use for building, and again have been doing so for centuries. The ships that set sail to explore the world, and the timber buildings of the Tudor period, to name just two things, were constructed from trees.

There are many types of trees in the world and all of the wood from various trees has different properties, so is more likely to be used for different things. Wood types can be split into two main groups, known as hardwood and softwood. This doesn’t refer to whether the wood is actually harder than others, generally speaking, hardwoods tend to be from deciduous trees which are grown from a seed or a nut. A good example of this is oak, which can be used in construction of things like these oak framed garages www.timberpride.co.uk/oak-framed-garages/

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Softwoods are coniferous or evergreen trees, and these are grown from a cone. They stay green all year around and will usually have needles instead of leaves. A good example of this is pine. Holly trees are a little bit of a strange one, as although they are indeed evergreen, they are actually classed as a hardwood not a softwood. This is because although they are evergreen, they do have leaves rather than needles.

As well as their capabilities, woods are often chosen for certain things based on their appearance. Holly is one of the whitest woods and can look beautiful in furniture making and for decorative purposes, whereas.

Three Things you Can Do to Keep your Home Safe from Thieves whilst you are on Holiday

Making sure that your home and property are safe from the risks of burglaries is something to think about as the holiday season approaches. Having a burglary happen is a distressing event that has both financial and emotional consequences which can last a long time. As we approach the time of year when we look forward to our holidays, ensure that you can enjoy your holiday safely in the knowledge that you have done all you can to protect your home from thieves. Here are a few things to think about…

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Make sure your Garage is Secure – Garages are often seen as easy ways to access your belongings, and if they are joined to your home, also your home by burglars. Garages often contain many expensive items which thieves will target, from the car to tools. Make sure that yours is secure – for example, if your garage door is old and past it, find a specialist in your area like this garage doors Gloucester based company www.upandoverdoorsltd.co.uk/garage-doors/garage-doors-gloucester/ who will be able to provide you with a modern garage door that will give your garage and your home much greater security.

Don’t Advertise an Empty House – If you want to deter burglars, don’t make it well known that you are not at home. From posting holiday snaps and updates on social media, to making your home appear occupied whilst you are away. Have a trusted friend or neighbour come to your home, if possible, to put bins out and collect post, as these are things that a burglar might look for when checking if a house is empty. You can also get timers for lights so that they come on at certain times, as a house all in darkness is often a sign that there is nobody home.

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Use Technology – Modern technology is helpful in many ways and being able to protect us from burglars is one of them. Nowadays you can get cameras which can connect to your phone, so wherever you are you will be able to monitor your house. Security lighting and modern burglar alarms are also great things to have as a deterrent to potential thieves looking for a place to get in and help themselves to – remember, they would rather not run the risk of being caught so visible deterrents like these are great.

The enduring use of Copper

Copper is one of the most versatile materials on the planet Earth. It is mined from rocks and has continued to be used since its discovery about 8000 BC. The reason that the Copper continues to be used is that it’s an incredibly versatile metal. Its use in electrical, plumbing and general construction projects means that its continued use is assured. Whereas our ancient ancestors would have used it for decorative, social and military purposes, we now use it for the conduction of electricity and its resistance to rust and corrosion. Copper Pipe, like that from Watkins and Powis Copper Pipe suppliers, is a prime example of this.

As our ancestors started to work with stone to create tools and weapons, they noticed something strange about some of the rocks they worked on. In the rock, there were long streaks of orange coloured stone that could be gouged out of rock. They found the substance to be hard and shiny. If they heated it up, it turned to liquid, unlike the stone, but when it cooled, it became hard, smooth and solid again. These early humans soon realised that they could make this into whatever shape for whatever they needed. It must have seemed like a wondrous gift from the Gods.

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As human mining and scientific development continued, the early inhabitants began to merge copper with tin. In this way, the first alloy metal was created. The Bronze age was born. This saw the creation of great artworks and armour, plus tools and weapons, that were robust enough to see the start of the many ancient civilisations rise. This began in 3500bc and lasted through to the Iron Age. Even then, the use of Copper was still required. The Romans mined it in Cyprus, and this is where we get its name. It is from the Latin word Cuprum and has been merged into the old English word of Coper. The extra ‘p’ wasn’t added until 1530.

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Copper is used on roofing and is very distinctive. It gets a greenish patina to it as it weathers, which is generally considered pleasing and a sign of age and wealth. It was not cheap to add it to roofs. Apart from construction, it is also used as an antibacterial defence as it has fungicidal properties, plus it can be used as a wood preserver.

Mental Health in the Workplace – Help for Employers and Employees

Stress is something that we all feel at times, especially in the last couple of years which have been difficult for a lot of reasons! Stress is a normal part of life, but sometimes it can topple over into mental health conditions such as anxiety or worsen the pre-existing mental health conditions.

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With many people now suffering from mental illness, and many of these people needing to work still, mental health needs to be managed in the workplace.

Employers can create more awareness of mental illnesses in the workplace by using services like these Tidal Training mental health training courses, and by encouraging employees to talk about mental illness, so that it is not one of those taboo subjects.

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For people who are working and suffering from a mental illness, there are also ways that you can manage this whilst being at work. Going to work is actually a help in itself, as it keeps that routine in your life, as well as giving the brain a focus. Working also helps to raise self-esteem and confidence.

There are also lots of helpful breathing techniques available that can help to reduce the feeling of panic that can come with mental illnesses like anxiety – this can be done anywhere, so taking time daily to practice these can set you in good stead for when you feel you are in need of calming down at work.

What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy?

If you’re curious about what cognitive behavioural therapy is, you’re not alone. Many people suffer from various mental illnesses and cognitive behavioural therapy is a popular option offered to help. Read on to learn more about the therapy’s goals, benefits, and types of sessions. Ultimately, it is important to seek professional help when you’re experiencing mental health issues. Find out more about the benefits of Mental Health Training Courses by visiting Tidal Training

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A cognitive therapist teaches clients to identify and challenge distorted beliefs. These beliefs can lead to self-destructive feelings and behaviours. Cognitive therapy helps clients identify these beliefs and replace them with healthier ones. The therapist will often use a variety of techniques in techniques known as cognitive restructuring.

The treatment usually involves multiple sessions lasting about an hour, with clients identifying their thoughts, emotions, and beliefs, and challenging them. Individual clients may require multiple sessions depending on the severity of their needs. CBT aims to be efficient and time-limited, and the therapist and client work closely together. In addition, the treatment plan will typically include goals and timetables. The therapy process can be a little more complicated, though, if your mental health issues are complex.

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People can also refer themselves to CBT. There are many ways to access this therapy on the NHS. You can contact a qualified psychologist through your GP or other healthcare professional. The therapist will discuss your concerns and discuss treatment options. Most CBT sessions involve writing, and journal keeping can help you identify patterns, emotions, and actions. It can also help you develop coping strategies for situations that are difficult to deal with.