- Avoid Valentine's heartbreak-ins
FOR men throughout the region, Valentine's Day is no longer just a case of giving a bunch of flowers and sending a card from guess who! An increasing number of Valentine's sweethearts in the South West are taking the opportunity to get away for a romantic weekend break. Security specialist Centralock, is urging the region's love birds to leave their nests safe and secure to avoid returning to burglary heart break.
"Although the latest British Crime Survey reported 10 percent fewer
incidents of domestic burglary, compared with a year earlier and recorded crime figures show a fall of 23 percent for July to September 2004, homeowners cannot afford to become complacent,"
said Centralock's David Beeley.
"Burglars are opportunistic and will make the most of the increasing number of empty homes over the Valentine weekend. People should make sure that whenever their homes are left empty - not just on Valentine's Day - they are secure.
Five simple, sensible measures will help reduce the likelihood of your home becoming part of another government statistic,"
he concludes.
Before leaving the house, Centralock suggests following this checklist:-
CHECK ONE - WINDOWS
Make sure all windows are closed and that all downstairs windows and upstairs windows that can be accessed from a flat roof are locked.
CHECK TWO - DOORS
Check all doors are locked and back doors bolted and remember to make sure keys are not left in the locks. A good tip when upgrading security is to consider the benefits of multi-point locking systems. Like the name suggests, a multi-point lock offers a combination of hooks and deadbolts, with just one lift of the door handle - to secure the door in place from top to bottom.
CHECK THREE - LIGHTS
Leaving a light or two on - preferably in the hall or on the landing, whilst away will prove beneficial against night time prowlers. Timer plugs can be purchased cheaply and setting them to switch lamps and even radios on during the evening will give the impression to a would-be thief that the house is occupied.
CHECK FOUR - OUTDOORS
Check back gates are locked and that sheds and garages are secure. Often, burglars will use tools and ladders found in and around a garden to break-in to a property. To stop a burglar in his tracks, exterior lighting is a good idea. When you're away, high-level motion or heat-sensitive lighting, directed towards front and back entrances, will light up to deter most opportunistic thieves.
CHECK FIVE - DELIVERIES
Before you go away, remember to cancel milk and newspaper deliveries. A friendly neighbour or family member, who can collect your post and put out your dustbin on the right day, will be an added bonus.
- Tourism delegates get a conference with a difference in Liverpool
SPEEDING along the River Mersey with the Inshore Rescue Team, a sporting venues tour with Liverpool legend Ronnie Whelan and Clay Pigeon shooting at Knowsley Hall are just some of the unusual activities on the agenda for visiting tourism industry executives this week.
The UKinbound Convention is taking place in Liverpool and Merseyside from 9 to12 February. Delegates will get a unique experience of the Liverpool City Region along with debates, breakout sessions and workshops led by key industry figures. The Convention Moderator is ITN news presenter, Alastair Stewart and the Keynote Speaker is Richard Carrick, CEO of Hoseasons Holidays.
The Convention has been organised by UKinbound and The Mersey Partnership Conference Bureau, whose work has included arranging the unusual familiarisation trips with a difference! These also include a round of golf at Royal Birkdale, archery at Thornton Hall, Wirral and a glass blowing masterclass at World of Glass, St Helens.Martin King, Director of Tourism for The Mersey Partnership, said:-
"UKinbound is a key organisation in the UK tourism industry, so we were determined to provide delegates with a totally unique and memorable experience. The TMP conference team has done an outstanding job in organising the exhilarating familiarisation trips. The Mersey Inshore Rescue Team has been a real talking point so we're particularly looking forward to seeing them in action."
Stephen Dowd, Chief Executive of Ukinbound, said:- "In recent years Liverpool has enjoyed a startling renaissance; it is now a modern,
dynamic and beautiful city and a well deserved European Capital of
Culture for 2008. This is great opportunity for our members to see,
and experience, the best that Liverpool and the region has to
offer." ...continued...
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...continued...
Other events on the agenda include a welcome reception at
Liverpool Town Hall, a black tie gala dinner at St George's Hall
and a farewell party at Merseyside Maritime Museum.
The conference is
expected to generate £100,000 for the local economy.
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- SWITCHED ON THIS WEEK. THE BEST BITS ON UK TV
- Written for us by Caren Clark about week Saturday 12 February to Friday 18 February
1. The Screen Actors Guild Awards Living TV Saturday 6pm. The Orange British Academy Film Awards BBC1 Saturday 8.10pm. The Grammy Awards 2005 ITV2 Monday 9pm. 4Music NME: Awards Week Channel 4 Monday-Thursday 12.10am. 4Music NME: Awards 2005 Channel 4 Friday 11.35pm. Awards season is most definitely upon us. As Stephen Fry oversees proceedings at this year's movie BAFTAs, the SAGS are kicking off on the other side of the pond, while the NMEs and the Grammys honour the year's finest musical talent.
2. Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway ITV1 Saturday 7pm. NEW SERIES. The Geordie duo are back for another series of their award-winning entertainment extravaganza which sees Joe Pasquale as the victim of another of their infamous undercover stunts and Caprice taking part in the new viewer game Human Bingo.
3. Joey Five Sunday 8pm NEW SERIES. Matt LeBlanc makes his much anticipated return as Joey Tribbiani in this Friends spin-off which sees the struggling actor moving to LA to try to make it big. The Sopranos' Drea de Matteo stars as Joey's long-suffering sister.
4. 100 Greatest Tearjerkers Channel 4 Sunday 8pm. Is the death of Bambi's mum sadder than the sight of ET going home? Man-size hankies at the ready for this countdown of the best ever weepies from TV, film and sport.
5. The Baby War ITV1 Monday 9pm. Gina McKee and Steven Waddington star in this poignant one-off drama about adoptive parents whose baby is suddenly snatched by his real father and taken to Ireland.
6. Life Begins ITV1 Wednesday 9pm NEW SERIES. Caroline Quentin returns for a second series of Mike Bullen's hit drama. This time around Maggie is enjoying life with new man Paul (Danny Webb) while ex-hubby Phil (Alexander Armstrong) is heading for a nervous breakdown.
7. Churchill's Forgotten Years BBC4 Wednesday 9pm. He may have been crowned Greatest Briton, but how much of Churchill's image was down to clever spin? This fascinating profile details the famous leader's post-war campaign to reinvent himself and ensure his reputation for posterity.
8. The Apprentice BBC2 Wednesday 9pm NEW SERIES. Following the success of Donald Trump's US reality show, Alan Sugar shows off his business acumen for this British version which sees a group of budding young entrepreneurs compete for a job with the millionaire.
9. The Osbournes MTV Wednesday 10pm NEW SERIES. Life As We Know It Living TV Thursday 9pm NEW SERIES. As Ozzy and Sharon's wayward brood return for the last ever series of their outrageous show, Kelly makes her acting debut as an eccentric (what else?) student in a new US drama about a group of Seattle-based teens.
10. Fat Friends ITV1 Thursday 9pm NEW SERIES. The chubby chums are back for a fourth series of Kay Mellor's comedy drama and Betty (Alison Steadman) is struggling to adjust to life after her reunion with the long-lost son she gave up for adoption.
VARIATIONS:-
100 Greatest Tearjerkers Sunday NOT S4C
4Music NME:- Awards Week S4C Tuesday - Thursday 1.50am
4Music NME:- Awards 2005 Friday NOT S4C
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