Alec Mercer, Packington Poultry farmer with The Hairy Bikers

Packington Poultry, the Staffordshire-based free-range poultry farm is featured on the BBC2’s Hairy Bikers Food Tour of Britain series. 

The Hairy Bikers have undertaken a food tour of Britain to find the best of each county’s larder and meet the local producers who have a passion for keeping traditional recipes alive.    

Packington Poultry the Staffordshire free-range poultry farm has featured on the programme, with its chickens described by the Hairy Bikers as ‘some of the happiest chickens in the country’. Alec Mercer, the farmer who has pioneered his own method of breeding the free-range chickens says, ‘It’s inspiring that the Hairy Bikers are so passionate about promoting sustainable and free range farming and we were delighted to welcome them to our farm and share our passion with them.’

Part of the Staffordshire episode of their next series, due to be broadcast on BBC 2, took them to the free-range chicken farm to find out how chickens are reared with the best of welfare standards to produce the most deliciously succulent chicken out there.

The Bikers, renowned for their travelling kitchen, food-lover informal approach to cooking, explore the Packington free-range chickens amongst the large grass fields bordered with woodland and wild hedgerows.    The farm tour inspired a wealth of questions from the Bikers, keen to know how the chickens were reared, what they ate, the fields they roam in – as well as the spacious barns they are kept in at night.

As Alec explains; ‘This is the third generation of the Mercers family that have been farming in Barton-under Needwood for more than 70 years and we continue to believe strongly in low density, environmentally sound and welfare orientated farming.  All Packington chickens are free range, flock numbers are kept low, they roam freely and have a healthy natural diet.’

The Packington Cockerel, truly helps keep traditional recipes alive. Cockerel was popular during Tudor and Elizabethan times and is a great alternative to turkey at Christmas time, as a large cockerel can grow up to 7 kilos, feed up to 15 people, and is moist and succulent; as Alec says; ‘We strive to deliver old fashioned real tastiness that has long left fast-grown, mass produced supermarket birds – the Hairy Bikers were able to try one of our amazing doorstop chicken sandwiches and the look on their faces was enough to see the proof was definitely in the tasting!’

Hairy Bikers will be aired 2^nd August 2010 at 5:15pm.

For more information, please email info@creamcommunications.co.uk or call 08453889584

About Packington Poultry: Packington Poultry is based in Barton-under-Needwood, Staffordshire, where the family has been farming for more than 70 years.  Packington Cockerel is sold in some prestigious farm shops and butchers around the country, including Chatsworth Farm Shop and The Ginger Pig in Borough Market, London. This Christmas Packington Cockerel are working with local Michelin starred chef Paul Gilmore (Restaurant Gilmore at Strine’s Farm), to create a Christmas recipe based on ‘back to basics’ principles, to let the delicious, natural flavours shine through.    

To celebrate National Breastfeeding Awareness Week, Lifft™ baby slings, the only sling believed to be scientifically proven to improve posture, and Bras4Mums, the maternity and nursing bra specialists, are offering £10 off when you buy a Lifft™ sling and any bra from the Royce range together.

Lifft™ slings is a keen advocate of National Breastfeeding Awareness Week.  The annual campaign aims to raise awareness of the health benefits of breastfeeding, increase social acceptance and encourage friends, family and healthcare professionals to provide support for breastfeeding mothers.

Founder and Managing Director of Lifft™ slings, Louise Day said: “National Breastfeeding week is a fantastic way to really promote the benefits of breastfeeding and help mums be aware that it can be practical and fuss-free. From personal experience of being a first-time parent, you are always looking for the best way to nurture and care for your little one from the day they are born.”

The Lifft™ baby carrier  has been specially developed so that it can be used as a discreet ‘hands-free’ way to feed your baby. Carrying your little one close will increase your desire and ability to breastfeed for longer as it promotes bonding and understanding between you and your newborn.

It’s always important to wear a correctly fitting bra, but it’s even more important when you are breastfeeding.   Without it, new mums may get painful blocked milk ducts which can lead to the inflammatory mastitis if not treated early, get back ache if breasts aren’t supported properly, or be uncomfortable, which can affect milk let down (the natural reflex for milk being ready to feed baby).
Louise continues “Bras4Mums and Lifft™ really wanted to do something which celebrates National Breastfeeding Awareness Week.  We know that new parents have generally had to buy nursery equipment, car seats and clothes, so we thought the best idea was to give a little helping hand and offer an exclusive discount for Bras4Mums customers.”

With at least five alternative ways to wear the Lifft™ sling, this buckle/clasp free sling is great for newborn babies through toddlerhood to three year olds weighing up to 35lbs. With three different colour combinations to choose from, and sizes from 6 through to 22 (not forgetting S, M and L sizes for new dads too), the Lifft™ baby sling is fast becoming the must-have accessory for every new parent.

To buy a Lifft™ baby sling and Bras4Mums Royce bra please go to the Bras4Mums website and use the promotional code BFLifft. The offer is valid until the 31^st July whilst stocks last.  Terms and conditions apply – visit Bras4Mums for more details.

About Lifft™ Slings:

The Lifft™ Sling has been exclusively designed to offer you and your baby supreme levels of comfort and style, and that is so very easy to use. The range has been beautifully designed to ensure that the carrying positions of your baby are natural – the sling mimics how you would carry your baby in your arms. With a fuss free hands-free design the sling allows for discreet breastfeeding.  Whilst in the Lifft™ Sling your baby can always see your face, hear your voice and your heartbeat and feel swaddled and secure.  They are available to buy from stockists nationwide in the UK and you can also buy the baby sling from the Lifft website. 

The annual British Fireworks Championships is the pinnacle of the UK fireworks calendar for the industry, with 2010 marking the 14^th time the competition has been held.

1^st Galaxy Fireworks has, along with only five other companies, reached the final, due to be held in August at Plymouth Hoe.  The competition is hosted by City of Plymouth Council and The Event Service Association (TESA.)  Spread over two evenings, and watched by an audience of approximately 200,000 on the shoreline, the finalists each have to choreograph and execute a 10-minute fireworks display, timed to the second.  Precision is everything – points are added and deducted for every second either over or under the 10-minute mark.

This is the second time that 1^st Galaxy has reached the final of the Championships – the last time was in 2007, when it came second.   Lee Smith, Managing Director of 1^st Galaxy said: “We are thrilled to have reached the finals of the British Fireworks Championships. It is a massive date in the fireworks calendar – everyone in the industry will be watching alongside the 200,000 spectators, and although there is a monetary prize, the real prize is the kudos that the winning company receives.”

As well as the timing, the judges have a whole host of other criteria against which to mark the contestants including; rhythm, continuity, pattern, creation and the crowd-pleasing ‘wow’ factor.

He continued: “We are already well into planning our 10-minute show – it’s amazing that just three minutes of a display can take up to two days to prepare! We are really excited as we are doing everything to ensure it will be spectacular.”

An estimated 10 tonnes of explosives are set off in total, with the British Champions going on to represent Britain in an international competition. The event will take place on the 10^th – 11^th August 2010 with displays starting from 9.30pm.

About us:

1^st Galaxy Fireworks is one of the UK’s leading fireworks specialists, with expertise in providing displays for all sorts of events, including wedding fireworks, corporate events, parties and celebrations.  It also supplies high quality display fireworks through its retail shops and mail order.  It is also possible to buy fireworks online ensuring the very best firework collection is available for private celebrations nationwide.  

For more information please contact info@creamcommunications.co.uk or call 0845 3889584.

 With 81%* of wedding guests saying entertainment is the aspect they remember most at weddings, 1^st Galaxy has launched a range of bespoke wedding fireworks offering a unique and special way to end celebrations,  ensuring an added elegance and sparkle to the big day.  

1^st Galaxy has created a range of wedding fireworks, helping brides and grooms celebrate their special day and providing guests with special lasting memories.

Proving extremely popular, the unique Wedding Cake is a large diameter single ignition cake which is simply placed on the ground and lit – the wedding party just needs to stand back and enjoy a fully choreographed fireworks display!

Alternatively, the indoor ‘Table Bomb’ is an excellent party piece which is placed on guests’ tables and goes with a light bang spilling out glitter, novelties and flutter confetti – a fantastic and unusual way to get the reception party atmosphere going!

The Ultimate Finale is a huge 184 shot Single Ignition Cake that lasts nearly 3 minutes and offers a superb array of spectacular effects from a single fuse. Alternatively, the Sky Gold package offers Green Falling Leaves, large Brocade Willows and a Finale of Timed rain and Spring Flower, offering a great backdrop to any wedding.

1^st Galaxy also offer four all inclusive specialist wedding displays – including the Confetti Champagne, Diamond and Platinum display plus a unique musical firework display – all choreographed and tailored to your budget and tastes for a spectacular way to celebrate the day.

Lee Smith, Managing Director for the 1^st Galaxy says; ‘Fireworks are immensely popular at weddings; I think people are more and more looking for something a little bit out-of-the-ordinary to add that extra bit of magic to the day, and fireworks can be the perfect way to do this. We have also seen a lot of brides inspired by celebrity trends and really looking to create their own ‘wow’ factor.’

For more information please contact info@creamcommunications.co.uk or call 0845 3889584. *Bride & Groom Magazine in 2003. Sources include: Simmons 2001; National Bride Service, 2001; The Knot, 2002; Brides Magazine 2001.

Andpartnership welcomes Hooper, 47, who has more than 20 years management and leadership experience, operating at Board level for global blue chip organisations such as Siemens, Delta and Honeywell.  His role of Director will focus on his core area of expertise; that of building and maintaining client relationships.

Neal Hooper, who took up his role on 1^st Feb 2010, commented: “I am delighted to be joining andpartnership at what is such a pivotal time in their history. The recent economic climate has significantly changed the face of industry in the UK for the coming decade and the leaders of the future will require a different skillset and approach from previous years.  With their expertise in human resource management, andpartnership is well-placed to help companies through the organisational change that they face; my role is to ensure our clients are empowered to identify what they can do to lead their businesses through this change and support them through their journey.”

This appointment coincides with the introduction of a more formalised management structure at andpartnership, based in Newark, Nottinghamshire. David Tomkinson, one of andpartnership’s founding directors said:  “The latter part of the past decade, particularly 2009, saw a period of huge growth for the company.  Ours is a business based on human relationships, and Neal’s

appointment represents our very real ambition to provide depth of relationship with both existing and new clients, to ensure we continue to deliver the 360 degree service they are used to receiving from us, as we continue to grow and expand the business.”

About andpartnership

andpartnership is a leading organisation development consultancy, specialising in the human side of change. It creates customised solutions to organisational change issues for national clients such as Virgin Trains, Boots, G4S, Thomas Cook and Rolls Royce in key areas such as Leadership and Development, Coaching, Change & Project Management, Engagement, Communications and support for IT including SAP implementation, Vision, Culture Change and Team Development. The calibre of its work was recently acknowledged by the industry with a coveted National Training Awards in the area of Partnership and Collaboration for its project with insurer QBE. 

A spectacular firework and laser display has been specially designed to light up the city of Nottingham for one night only, by Nottinghamshire-based 1^st Galaxy Fireworks.   This impressive light show will be a focal point of the Light Night Festival being held in the city, an annual event, helping people look at the city in a whole new light!

1^st Galaxy is preparing for Nottingham’s 3^rd annual Light Festival, where it will be showcasing an impressive firework, laser and light show throughout the evening at Nottingham Castle.

Lee Smith, Display Manager for the company says; ‘We are delighted to be providing the fireworks display for this special event.  We have a truly vibrant event planned which includes lighting up the castle in various colours, having flame effects, as well as firework displays throughout the evening which will complement the colour illuminating the castle.

He continued: ‘The castle is such a symbolic landmark of Nottingham and a focal point for the celebrations – particularly as it can be seen from miles around.  We are confident it will be a fantastic sight!’

Nottingham Light Night is an annual event organised by Nottingham City Council, in partnership with Nottingham Business Improvement District. It aims to allow visitors and Nottingham families to discover a different, and beautiful, perspective on the city.  Trails of illuminations and light installations will guide people around the city to visit attractions not normally seen at night, for example Nottingham Castle and St. Mary’s Church. 

Lee will be leading an eight-strong team on the night to fire the show, which includes 237 cues of fireworks, each with more than 70 shots; that equates to more than 1000 fireworks and stars.  The fireworks displays will begin at 7pm, with firework displays taking place every hour on the hour, culminating with the finale at 10pm.   In addition, four lasers will be positioned on top of the Castle and beaming projections onto the Castle; use of the latest architectural LED lights from Italy means that the castle can be lit in a huge variation of colours.  The laser lights will be coloured to co-ordinate with the fireworks.

About us:

1^st Galaxy Fireworks is one of the UK’s leading fireworks specialists, with expertise in providing displays for all sorts of events, including wedding fireworks, corporate events, parties and celebrations.  It also supplies high quality display fireworks through its retail shops and mail order.  It is also possible to buy fireworks online ensuring the very best firework collection is available for private celebrations nationwide.  

Lifft™ Baby Slings are proud to announce it has recently joined Little Possums, the UK’s baby sling retail specialist. 

Lifft™ Baby Slings continues to expand its online retail portfolio, and slings are now available to buy at one of the UK The Lifft™ Sling is unique within the pouch sling market, as it is the only known sling that has been scientifically proven to improve posture by encouraging baby’s weight to be spread evenly across the wearer’s body. Lifft™ baby slings are double lined with a soft stretch cotton panel, which is also curved to create a roomy pouch for your little one. This also makes the sling comfier for wearer by ensuring extra back support.  

Phillippa de la Haye, owner of Little Possums explains why she chose the Lifft™  Sling; I love the great quality of the fabric, it’s really strong and sturdy so gives fantastic support for a pouch sling, which is really important for the baby, and wearer’s posture. I also like the fact they are UK designed by another Work At Home Mum.’

Louise Day, founder of Lifft baby slings explained; ‘We are so pleased to be working with Little Possums. Philippa’s baby-wearing knowledge and baby sling expertise means such a lot to parents interested in carrying their little ones. Being taken on by a leading baby sling distributor such as Little Possums reinforces that we got it just right with out Lifft™ baby sling design. 

With at least five alternative ways to wear the Lifft™ sling, this buckle/clasp free sling is great for newborn babies through toddlerhood to three year olds weighing up to 35lbs. With three different colour combinations to choose from, and sizes from 6 through to 22 (not forgetting S, M, L & XL sizes for new dads too), the Lifft™ baby sling is fast becoming the must-have accessory for every new parent. 

The Lifft™ Sling is available to buy from Little Possums at the special introductory price of £46 (RRP usually £49.99) until the end of February.

About Lifft™ Slings

The Lifft™ sling has been exclusively designed to offer you and your baby supreme levels of comfort and style, and that is so very easy to use. The range has been beautifully designed to ensure that the carrying positions of your baby are natural – the sling mimics how you would carry your baby in your arms. With a fuss free hands-free design the sling allows for discreet breastfeeding. Whilst in the Lifft™ Sling your baby can always see your face, hear your voice and your heartbeat and feel swaddled and secure. They are available to buy from stockists nationwide in the UK or from the Lifft™ website. 

It’s 2010, and to celebrate a new decade of babies revolutionary Lifft™ baby slings is offering £10 off every sling bought through parenting discount website www.mummysaving.com, which provides a wide range of discounts on parenting products and activities.

Lifft™ slings knows the cost of having a baby can be high so January is a key time for parents-to-be and parents to shop around and pick up a bargain. To celebrate a new decade of babies, the start of the tweenies, teens or as some have coined it the ‘2010s’– Lifft knows parents will continue looking for value for money but still want products of the highest quality for their little ones.

Founder and Managing Director of Lifft slings, Louise Day said: ‘From personal experience of being a parent you are always looking for ways to save those pennies– yet still providing your children with the very best. The Lifft™ baby carrier has so many health and practical benefits, and we know that having a baby is expensive – particularly with the continuing testing economic climate.  There are a lot of things parents-to-be need to buy, and we want to do everything we can to help them, by teaming up with a site such as mummysaving.com and giving a little helping hand – a great way to start off the decade!’

The Lifft™ sling is believed to be the only sling scientifically proven to improve posture whilst carrying a baby.  Up to 83% of women experience some kind of back ache during pregnancy, which can continue once the baby is born. Findings from independent research, undertaken by the Biomechanical Department of the University of Central Lancashire, showed that the sling can improve posture, by helping parents to carry the baby at their centre of gravity and encouraging them to stand up straight.  Also, it doesn’t place any pressure on a baby’s developing spine, keeping them in the recommended carrying position.

Lifft™ Slings know that choosing the right sling not only keeps baby close, but can help support parents’ spines and backs, by helping them carry the baby in the best way possible, to help avoid any permanent effects.

With at least five alternative ways to wear the Lifft™ sling, this buckle/clasp free sling is great for newborn babies through toddlerhood to three year olds weighing up to 35lbs. With three different colour combinations to choose from, and sizes from 6 through to 22 (not forgetting S, M, L & XL sizes for new dads too), the Lifft™ baby sling is fast becoming the must-have accessory for every new parent.

To buy a Lifft™ sling direct from the mummysaving website please click here.

About Lifft™ Slings:

The Lifft™ Sling has been exclusively designed to offer you and your baby supreme levels of comfort and style, and that is so very easy to use. The range has been beautifully designed to ensure that the carrying positions of your baby are natural – the sling mimics how you would carry your baby in your arms. With a fuss free hands-free design the sling allows for discreet breastfeeding.  Whilst in the Lifft™ Sling your baby can always see your face, hear your voice and your heartbeat and feel swaddled and secure.  They are available to buy from stockists nationwide in the UK and you can buy the baby sling from the Lifft website.

This should have been the blog that never was.  I am not a football fan.   I don’t know much about the game, nor do I have any desire to learn. 

So, never in a million years did I think I would ever find anything to say (meaningful or otherwise) on the ‘beautiful game’.  That is, until I heard Robbie Savage, Captain of Derby County, interviewed by BBC Radio Derby earlier this week. 

If you haven’t heard it, listen again on BBC Sport, but be prepared for a pretty uncomfortable 10 minutes.

So, what went wrong? 

I believe Robbie forgot, or worse, chose to ignore the fundamental rules of being interviewed, some of which are:

·         Go into the interview with 3 x clear messages of things you want to put across.  And stick to them.

·         However, do try and answer the other questions asked; then bring it subtly back round to your message – this can work especially well if the interview is not going to plan.

·         Never get riled – it’s an interviewers dream, and never, EVER, be aggressive, even if they are being pretty ruthless to you.  Remember, you’re not just talking to one person – you’re talking to every listener.

I should never have heard this interview – it should have been a fairly routine 10-minute slot, listened to by staunch Derby supporters living in the near vicinity.  That should have counted me out.  Absolutely it should have been dissected, mulled and chewed over by fans in the comfort of their own homes or the local pub, as only football fans do best, but that should have been that.  

I should never have heard it on national radio, national news, or watched it accompanied by music and images on You Tube, put up by gleeful rival fans.  But the momentous ‘horribleness’ (the best non-word I could find) of Savage’s approach to the interview means that I, along with millions of others, have been listening to it with a fair amount of sniggering for the past couple of days. 

The moral of the story; don’t underestimate the press – if you take the wrong tack even ‘friendly’ interviews can get savage.

When it comes to home fireworks displays, the people of Nottinghamshire think that ‘bigger is best’, but admit that safety often comes second best, according to a recent survey* by local fireworks specialist, 1^st Galaxy.

According to the survey results, 54% of people will be looking for home fireworks displays with the maximum impact this year – those fireworks with the highest reach and loudest bang, and yet 61% of those asked didn’t know the minimum distance from the audience that a firework should be launched.

Other findings included:

·         40% of people admit they don’t read the fireworks’ instruction labels carefully

·         66% of people would never ask for help when launching a firework

·         57% of people have had a firework misfire at a fireworks party that they have held in their garden.

As a result of these findings, 1^st Galaxy is launching a ‘How-to-buy guide’ for fireworks in the run-up to this year’s Bonfire Night, to help people make informed choices as to which fireworks are most suitable for home fireworks displays, and providing a comprehensive safety guide as to how to best launch fireworks.

Displays Manager Lee Smith, from 1^st Galaxy said, ‘Obviously in my line of business, I love fireworks night and I want people to have as much fun as possible.  Home fireworks displays can be brilliant, especially for little ones, but it’s so important that people know what they are buying, know that it’s the right thing for the space they have got and for the people who will be watching.

‘What was most worrying for me about the survey is that 32% of the people thought that the minimum distance to stand away from a display was 40% less than the real figure, as  this is the most basic rule that people should be following.  That’s why we felt compelled to launch this guide, to try and inform as many people as possible.’

Station Manager Stewart Key from Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “We want people to enjoy bonfire night in a safe and enjoyable environment. For those choosing to host their own display it is very important fireworks are stored responsibly, they are let off one at a time following the firework instructions and spectators are kept away from the firework display. Remember – alcohol and fireworks do not mix, keep pets indoors and have a bucket of water on hand for used sparklers.”

Don’t forget the Firework Code:
• Keep fireworks in a closed box.
• Stand well back.
• Never go near a firework that has been lit. Even if it hasn’t gone off, it could still explode.
• Never put fireworks in your pocket or throw them.
• Always supervise children around fireworks.
• Light sparklers one at a time and wear gloves.
• Never give sparklers to a child under five.
• Keep pets indoors.

1st Galaxy’s ‘How-to-buy’ fireworks guide is available to download online from www.galaxy-fireworks.co.uk and from 1^st Galaxy stores in the region.

    *Straw poll survey of 98 people conducted through Survey Monkey