Novelty songs are not usually the basis for a good movie but in 1978 the film Convoy actually proved this to be slightly untrue. An iconic film “Convoy” was made starring two of the seventies biggest stars Kris Kristofferson and Ali Mcgraw. It also featured the Oscar winning stalwart Ernest Borgnine and best of all it was directed by one of the greatest most influential Hollywood directors of the 1970’s Sam Peckinpah, the master of the counter cultural film. The film centres around a community of truck drivers that communicate by CB or Citizen band radio, it certainly was a different kind of Music for Business than that we are used to hearing in retail stores across the country today. At the time it was a popular system for drivers to tell each other where they were, if there were accidents that could cause them a delay and the position of the police. They even had a code so that if the Police or anyone else listened in (it was an open radio wave) they would not have the faintest idea what the truckers were talking about.

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The film itself centres around a feud between the independent truckers and the police. In particular this is “Rubber Duck” so named because it rhymes with luck. Widow Woman, a many times married and divorced/widowed female driver. Love Machine, or rather Pig Pen due to the fact he mainly transports cattle and Spider Mike. They become sick of the bullying and aggressive tactics of one Sheriff Wallace who seems to have a big issue with them, in part because Duck seems to find it easy to seduce his wife Violet, who is in turn happy to oblige.

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One of the strange facts about the film is it helped to save Peckinpah’s reputation by making a huge amount of money for him. His last four films had been unsuccessful, although 2, Cross of Iron and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (also starring Kristofferson) are are now considered some of his best creations. The film came at just the right time as late 70s USA tried to find its voice after the shock of the sixties. With the economy in the doldrums the States were begin to question their place in the world as a proper Superpower. The slight rebellion of this and other films such as Smokey and the Bandit and Breaker, Breaker allowed the States to believe that the Cowboy frontier spirit was still alive and well and that the chance to stand up to authority was still there in the country.

Once Autumn time hits, it seems that the memories of the hot summer days seem a lifetime ago; the days are becoming shorter, and the temperature is certainly dropping. It is important to begin preparing your house around September/ October time, as this makes sure you are ready for the chances of extreme weather such as snow and cold frost.

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Your Heating

The first thing you should check is your Boiler, as most breakdowns happen during the summertime due to lack of use, so make sure to turn it on occasionally to warm it up a bit. If you are in need of a new boiler, then you might want to get in touch with a Boiler Installation Gloucestershire based company such as https://redbridgeandsons.co.uk/heating-systems-gloucestershire/boiler-installation-gloucester/, or a boiler installation company near you to make sure you have your heating for the winter months.

Your Chimney

If you have a chimney and an open fireplace, you will need to make sure it’s clean ready for the winter months; this is to unblock any soot blockages up there; if not cleaned out properly, it could be a lot less effective when you need it the most. Make sure your fireplace is clear of soot and ash, as doing this will produce a better fire.

The Beds

When preparing yourself for the winter, you also need to remember bedding; wash the thicker duvets, and any blankets you may need. If you have electric blankets, put them on your bed ready for the winter months as they will keep you nice and toasty.

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House Exterior and interior

You also need to consider the outside of your house and your garden; clear up any leaves or dirt from the drain, and keep checking for frozen pipes, as this could cause drain blockages or burst pipes. Make sure you know where your ‘stop cock’ is so you can turn off the water mains if needs be. To prevent frozen pipes make sure to insulate them, and keep a consistent heat in your home during the day and night time. Leave interior doors open at all times to allow the heat to flow properly around the house to prevent frozen pipes.

Prepare for Power Cuts and Extreme Weathers 

If extreme weather occurs, these could cause power cuts to houses, and this could be a big problem as there will be no heating or hot water. In power cuts, lighting will also be shut off too, so be sure to have a torch and plenty of candles handy. If you know there will be heavy snow, you will need to prepare for the worst-case scenario – buy extra non-perishable food in case you aren’t able to leave your house. If you have an open fire place, make sure to buy plenty of kindling wood, this will keep you warm if your electricity cuts out.

Email is a wonderful tool. It makes sending and receiving mail lightning-fast and means communication can happen in an instant with the click of a mouse; however, at busy times when your inbox just seems to grow, it is essential to be able to manage your mail. For this reason, we have put together a few tips to help you out when it comes to better email management.

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It is OK to not reply

It pays to remember that not every email you receive will require a response. If a piece of mail is sent to a large number of people in the workplace or is simply letting you know some news, consider whether you need to reply. As jobs site The Muse points out, as much as one-third of your work time is spent replying to emails. By replying only to those messages that require a response, you could be saving a lot of time.

Set aside some time

Allow yourself a set amount of time in the day that will be used for replying to and sending emails. Learn to stick within this allotted time to ease up on constant checking. Remember that it is OK to occasionally check for emergency emails; otherwise, stick to your limit and keep your stress levels to a minimum.

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Utilise time-saving software

Consider utilising software that exports the most important pieces of information from emails. Particularly useful are those that convert PDF to Excel so that those crucial tables are ordered and straight to the point.

Filter, filter, filter

Setting filters on your emails is a really useful way of automatically sifting through them to ensure you are gaining access to the most vital messages while leaving out those that are less important. If you work with large sets of data, it can also be useful to use a PDF to Excel converter, such as https://pdftables.com/, to ensure you are extracting the most important data quickly and professionally.

The next time you find yourself overwhelmed by a never-ending inbox, take a step back and look at this handy guide. Your emails will be ordered instantly and you can spend more time carrying out your work and less time worrying about replying to everything that drops into your inbox!

Social Media is a growing trend with millennials and Generation Z’s – times have certainly changed from the ’90s where mobile phones were not heard of. Early Social Media platforms included MySpace and Bebo, but these were only accessible on Desktops. It is now easier than ever to access your Social Media pages, and with a tap of a button, you can view thousands of photographs and Social Media posts made by different users. You even have access to many different photo and video editing apps on your smartphone – Snapchat filters have also changed the way photographs are edited on Social Media. Keep reading if you would like to find out different ways to create the perfect Instagram shots.

Flatlay 

Flatlay is best described as a ‘real-life collage’, as items are arranged creatively on a surface. The photos are taken at a ‘birds-eye view’ angle with natural lighting; this is a really unique way of taking photographs, and will certainly make your Instagram page stand out a lot more. If you need a bit of inspiration for flat lay photos, restaurants are a great way to take creative food shots, and if your table is positioned near a window, you can get the perfect natural lighting. Why not check out all of the Dublin City Restaurants, or eating places near you so you can enjoy a delicious meal and capture your perfect Instagram shot.

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Filters

If you are capturing that gorgeous ‘Morning selfie’, but need better lighting, then you may need a bit of help from Instagram or Snapchat filters; there are many different filters to choose from, even black and white ones. If a photograph is too dark, or the lighting is bad, your photograph will not stand out at all. If you have trouble with lighting, you could buy a ‘selfie light’ attachment to go onto the front of your phone to create that stunning natural selfie.

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Colour 

Keep your photographs bright and colourful, as there is nothing fresher than seeing a clear, bright, and colourful Instagram profile – it makes it look more professional too. Here are some Instagram profiles to gain some inspiration from.

Be Imaginative 

If you want to post a selfie of you and your friend on Social Media, photographing a standard shot will not gain a huge amount of attention on Instagram. Why not buy a ‘phone tripod’, or a ‘selfie stick’ to test out different angles? This will definitely produce more creative shots. Make sure to post a variety of pictures on your Instagram page to keep viewers interested.

Vloggers are people who show most parts of their lives on Youtube; some are travel vloggers, some are gaming vloggers, and others are lifestyle and beauty vloggers. As of 2019, there are approximately 31 million youtube channels, so it is a forever growing trend. If you are stuck on how to begin as a Youtube vlogger, here are a few tips to start you off. Getting paid to travel and make videos is a dream for many, and for a lucky few their dreams have become a reality. If you want to become a travel vlogger on Youtube yourself, why not make a list of countries you want to visit? Places such as Turkey have lots of things to see and do, so you will not be stuck for video inspirations. If you are looking for somewhere to stay, why not check out websites like https://kas4villarentals.com/, a company that has plenty of Luxury Villas in Turkey. Here we take a look at the best vloggers on Youtube. 

PewDiePie 

PewDiePie is a Swedish vlogger that creates a variety of videos on his Youtube channel. He posts gaming videos, hilarious ‘Try Not To Laugh’ videos, review videos, and general content about new things happening. He is not a lifestyle or travel vlogger that documents his everyday life, but he still posts regular videos. He currently has an outstanding 103 million subscribers, making him one of the most popular YouTubers in the world.

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 Zoella 

Zoella is one of the most famous YouTubers in the UK; she posts a combination of make – up tutorials, ‘clothing hauls’, and lifestyle vlogs. Many shops including Boots and Superdrug sell Zoella beauty products and merchandise. Zoella currently has 11.5 million subscribers on her main Youtube channel, and 4.82 million subscribers on her second channel, ‘Zoe Sugg’. Zoe is in a relationship with ‘Pointless Blog Vlogs’ owner Alfie Deyes.

Pointless Blog Vlogs 

Pointless Blog Vlogs is owned by Youtuber Alfie Deyes; he posts a variety of lifestyle vlogs and challenge videos. Along with Zoella, he is one of the UK’s most popular YouTubers. Alfie’s vlog channel currently has 3.78 million subscribers, whilst his main channel has 5 million subscribers.

Markiplier 

Markiplier is an American Youtuber that posts a combination of gaming walkthroughs, gaming challenges, ‘Try Not To Laugh’ challenges, and much more. With his funny sense of humour and creative video ideas, Markiplier has managed to gain 23 million subscribers on his channel. He shares a lot of his life on Social Media too, as well as his adorable dog ‘Chica’.

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Logan Paul 

Although Logan Paul has been mixed up in a lot of controversies during his Youtube career, he is certainly not short of views and subscribers; he currently has a subscriber count of 20.3 million. Logan Paul posts regular travel vlogs, and challenge videos. 

Ryan’s World (ryan toysreview)

Ryan is one of Youtube’s youngest vloggers; at just 8 years old he has been able to bag over 23.9 million subscribers on his channel – what an achievement. The videos he posts are ‘toy reviews’, where he plays with them, and tests them out – this is certainly a dream job for a child. As well as toy review videos, he also posts lifestyle type vlogs that feature his parents.

When you are ready to buy your first home, there is a lot to think about. One of the most important things is to fully understand what you are buying and what is involved.

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The main difference

In England and Wales, flats are commonly leasehold; therefore, if you are looking for a flat, you may not have much choice. There are also some houses that are leasehold, which is becoming more common with new-builds; however, the HomeOwners Alliance says that leasehold houses are unnecessary.

In essence, if you own a freehold property, you own it all – the land and the building – and you are responsible for everything. If you own a leasehold property, you pay fees in the form of ground rent and maintenance and service charges to the freeholder; in return, they are responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the communal parts of the building. Your solicitor will be able to help you with this. Remember that cheap solicitors do not necessarily mean poor service, as they often have more modern processes.

Other restrictions

If you live in a leasehold property, you may not be able to keep pets or sublet. You may also need permission to do major internal works, so check the lease carefully before you buy. Again, find cheap solicitors to assist with this.

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You should check the length of the remaining lease before you buy. If you buy a property with less than 80 years remaining on the lease, it is harder to sell it on and the value of the property diminishes the shorter the lease. You may be able to negotiate with the freeholder to extend the lease; however, this can be expensive. Cheap solicitors can advise how you can keep your costs down.

Why buy leasehold?

If you are just starting on the property ladder, you will probably be looking for somewhere cheaper. This may well mean a flat, in which case you don’t have a great deal of choice. Leasehold properties are a good way to get started and you will become aware of the maintenance that is required for the property without the responsibility, so you can ease yourself into it.

Ultimately, it is your choice and your responsibility. Even with legal advice, make sure that you read the documents carefully.

When you think of marketing and advertising, you automatically think of a brand or a product that the billboard, advert or poster is trying to promote. But what happens when advertising evolves to the point that you no longer realise what you are reading or seeing is actually advertising a brand and its product?

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Currently, the UK Advertising Codes lay down the law about what is and isn’t acceptable behaviour for advertisers and media outlets, but companies are starting to realise that there are more subtle ways to connect with their audience.

Global Reach

With the explosion of social media and its global reach, brands have realised that there are better ways to promote their products. By connecting with the audience through either a likeable character or story, they can portray a way of life connected to their brand and its products rather than pushing individual items.

This theory is being transferred over into web design, with companies such as Drupal Design Agency  https://www.website-express.co.uk/service/drupal-design-development-agency taking on board these criteria, without ignoring the legal requirements.

Connect on a Different Level

Current regulations that affect all types of advertising include a requirement for accurate descriptions that are truthful and honest as well as being socially responsible. So how does the web design team adhere to these rules whilst incorporating the brand’s desire to connect with customers on a different level?

First, get to know the brand, and understand what it is they are trying to achieve. Ditch the spending on yet another campaign that is branded to within an inch of its life, and instead go back to basics. Pick out the things that make the product great, whether that’s its design, its durability or effectiveness.

Tell the customers why you had the desire to make this product, how it is better than anything else on the market, what it means to you and what it would mean to them if they were to part with their hard-earned cash. Connect with them on a personal level rather than ramming the brand down their throats through the advertising.

Branding should be subtle; it should mean something. If there were less brash branding and more quality products, items would sell themselves. And that means bigger profit margins.

What Is Contaminated Land Remediation?

According to the UK government, any failure to deal with contaminated land could cause ‘harm to human health, property and the wider environment’, and failure to adequately deal with it could go against specific environmental laws such as the Water Environment Regulations of 2017.

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Contaminated land remediation involves the assessment and clean-up of any land which is deemed an “unacceptable risk to human health or the environment”, according to part 2 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The UK government have issued guidelines on how this should be dealt with via their statutory guidance.

Legislative Requirements

Land remediation is a complex process with certain processes and procedures needing to be followed if one is to avoid harm to both human health and the local environment.

Such measures include complying with the legislative requirements for how to deal with contaminated land.

There are also rules surrounding those who intend to dispose of the waste, as they are also required to have a waste management license or permit. Other more hazardous waste materials are also subject to more stringent controls, such as the Special Waste Regulations of 1996. There are then separate guidelines on how to deal with waste soils, which could contain seeds or extracts from other contaminated sources and could be hazardous to both human health and the wider environment.

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There are also strict guidelines from the UK Environment Agency, and workers are required to complete a ‘land and groundwater remediation deployment form’ (MPP2) prior to any work taking place.

The forms are incredibly thorough and require a level of expertise for completion. They require:

An EPR permit number
A grid reference of where the site remediation work is to take place
A detailed site plan for the work
Business and contact details for both the business and main contact of the contractors
A breakdown of the contaminants with security information about the site
Potential risks in relation to the work being carried out

It is therefore essential that anyone carrying out this work is firstly licensed to do so and secondly an expert in the field. It is also essential that all of the above factors are taken into consideration during the designing and planning phase and that any unanswered questions be addressed.

Who doesn’t love going to a theme park? You may be a fan of fast Roller Coasters, or maybe you prefer the slower and steadier rides; whatever type of roller coaster takes your fancy, there will definitely be a ride for you at one these theme parks. So here we take a look at the top theme parks in the UK.

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Alton Towers

Although Alton Towers has not been short of a scandall or two over the last few years, it still continues to be one of England’s top theme parks. It’s top roller coasters include ‘Oblivion’, ‘Th13teen’, and ‘Nemesis’ – so make sure to add these to your bucket list. They host fun events such as Scarefest, children’s summer attractions, and sometimes they even hire actors that will interact with you throughout the park. Alton Towers also has a range of hotels on their site, so why not make your trip a mini holiday? 

Thorpe Park 

Thorpe Park is not for the faint-hearted as there are a fair share of scary rides that will be sure to increase your heart rate; their best rides include ‘Saw – the ride’, ‘Stealth’, ‘Nemesis Inferno’ (as seen on the Inbetweeners), and ‘Derren Brown’s – Ghost Train’. Don’t worry about your children feeling bored though, as there are plenty of kid’s rides to keep your little ones happy. Thorpe Park even has special events throughout the year, such as ‘Fright Nights’. 

Drayton Manor 

Drayton Manor Park and Zoo is much more family-friendly, and has a bigger variety of rides for children – they even have a Thomas the Tank Engine Land for the little ones. Compared to Alton Towers and Thorpe Park, their rides are less intense and more fun orientated; don’t be fooled though, as they still have plenty of fast roller coasters such as ‘Shockwave’, ‘Storm Force 10’, ‘The Buffalo Roller Coaster’, and of course ‘Apocalypse’ – a ride that takes you up to 54 meters in the air, and then drops you to the ground.

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Oakwood 

Based in South Wales, this theme park has a fair share of amazing rides such as ‘Megafobia’, ‘Speed’, ‘Bounce’, and ‘Drenched’ – a water roller coaster that will leave you literally… drenched. Oakwood is also a more family orientated theme park which includes a wide range of rides for adults and children to enjoy. 

Adventure Wonderland 

This theme park is solely family orientated, and there are lots of attractions and mini rides for the children to enjoy. Based in Bournemouth, this theme park is also a close distance to Dorset, and Weymouth. Some of their attractions include ‘Wild Bill’s Runaway Train’, ‘Giant Yo-Yo ride’, ‘Ghostly Galleon’, and ‘The Flying Elephants’. If you’re interested in having a school trip at this theme park, why not get in touch with https://turnerscoaches.co.uk/, a Coach Hire Dorset based company that will safely transport you and your class to your favourite attractions on time.

1) Start Planning Early

Make sure you start planning about three months before the launch. There will always be delays and obstacles when it comes to planning, but giving yourself enough time will allow you to iron these out, and it won’t cause you any last-minute headaches. Don’t leave it until the last minute to get started, as this will make you panic, and you will be more likely to make mistakes.

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2) Define Your Goals

This is important because it allows you to think about what you really want to achieve. There is a lot to do, and it will be impossible to do everything you want to, so it will be necessary for you to prioritise and hit those goals first. For advice on achieving this, visit https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/smart-goals.htm.

3) Define Your Market

Who are you aiming your product at? Creating a buyer profile will help you work out how your target market thinks and feels and, more importantly, what will motivate them to buy your products. Get this nailed and it will make the sales process that much simpler.

4) Influencers

Social media influencers are as important as taking out adverts in the mass media, and it can work out a lot cheaper for you too. People buy from people, so find the social influencers who match your target market and they will do a lot of the advertising work for you. Many event management companies Dublin can assist with this.

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5) Choose the Right Venue

Choose a venue that is easy for your target audience to get to. Transport links are important. Think about the theme of your product and decide where you need to launch it. Event management companies Dublin put a lot of time and effort into deciding where to go. Do you need modern and funky or classic and traditional? Good event management companies Dublin can give you some great launch venue ideas.

6) Follow Up

Make sure that you follow your target audience up after the event. Do not see the event as an end but rather as a beginning. Make some calls to your target audience over the days following the launch and you could increase sales greatly. To gather more momentum, it is worth considering an additional incentive at this point.

Good luck with your launch.