Lisburn
September / October 2017
your community / your life / your business
The All-New PEUGEOT 3008
From Roadside Motors
Fun at the MAC
Autumn family fun activities
Lough Erne Resort
Fall for great offers this autumn
Inheritance Tax Rule Changes Be in control of your estate
Your INDEPENDENT Community Magazine Delivered to 12,000 Homes and Businesses
CONTENTS: 8. SHOP SMART
8. 26.
Pregnancy is an emotional time when money worries may take second place and costs can spiral out of control! With careful planning and smart shopping, this can be avoided
16. STOVES There is something about having a real fire in the house that links us to the earth, the planet. That might sound a little mad but maybe if you have a stove or open fire you’ll understand.
26. WHAT’S ON
Some exciting events that are taking place around Lisburn that will appeal to all sorts of intererests from Dog Lovers to Comedy and Country & Western fans.
16.
30. DRIVERLESS 30.
Cars that drive themselves – once the preserve of science fiction films and comics – will soon hit our roads for real. But what will this new era really look like?
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Well, you don’t need me to remind you that summer is over. Whether it’s the mad rush out to school in the morning, or the infuriating crawl in rush hour traffic or perhaps the quietness of children free parks and shops during the day, they are all reminders that we are heading into autumn and back to routine. Mind you, routine is not a bad thing for many of us and it’s good to get back to the things we have missed. Perhaps you are planning some home improvements prior to Christmas and if so this issue is definitely for you. Whether your project is making your home warmer for winter (pg. 26), a Disclaimer
wood burning stove (pg. 16) or maybe even improving your home security (pg. 17 ), we can put you ‘in-touch’ with local companies that will help you achieve your goal. Maybe you are or are about to become a new Mum and are worried about the cost of everything you need. If so, there is great advice (pg. 8) from Samuel Johnston on how you can Shop Smart. If you’re not tied to the school holidays, there is a great mid-week offer at the Lough Erne Resort (pg. 10). I haven’t been there, but it looks fantastic! As always we encourage you to support your local shops and businesses
as they have so much to offer and appreciate your support. You may have noticed our magazine is compliment with our In-touch AR App. You can use it to scan a page and bring it to life with video and additional content. See pg. 7 for details. In the meantime I hope you enjoy this autumn issue.
Contact: Susan Gilchrist t: 028 9332 4511 e: susan@newtownabbeyintouch.com w: www.newtownabbeyintouch.com
Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that the data in this publication is accurate neither the publisher nor its editorial contributors can accept, and hereby disclaim, any liability to any party to loss or damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accidents or any other cause. Newtownabbey In-touch does not officially endorse any advertising material included within this publication. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior permission of the publisher.
FAMILY LIFE
And Relax.......... ZZZZZZZZZ By Luke North
My wife laughed. I grimaced. In Touch magazine was asking me about my sleep pattern: how well do I sleep, how do I get to sleep, how do I stay sleeping....... And the answers, in order: I don’t, not sure and, I rarely do. So that’s my ‘pedigree’, what’s yours? A Daily Mirror article a few years back, estimated that we spend, in our lifetime, around 5 months complaining, 11 years in front of the TV, and, wait for it, up to 26 years sleeping!! Now the complaining bit, yes, I do find things to complain about (occasionally!), the TV, hmmm, yes, quite a bit in the evening, especially those 9pm dramas that are now back with us for the autumn/winter schedule, but 26 years tucked up in bed?? TWENTY SIX YEARS?? An American website has suggestions for how to sleep better – or in my case and I suspect for quite a few readers – just ‘how to sleep’ would be good! The usual ‘can’t sleep on a Sunday night’ affected me for many years. As a teacher, I found there was just so much going on in my head and as the clock inched its way past 3am I used to despair, dreading a one hour first lesson with a raucous and giddy Year 11 class. And you still had that Year 10 to battle with before you’d even reached for a coffee at morning break.
Another ‘biggie’ for me is noise in the street; or to be more precise - noise of any kind. The curtains flapping, a door creaking, a passing aeroplane on its way to goodness knows where at that time of night. The list goes on: pillow too flat, pillow too hard, pillow damp with sweat, cold feet, a wrinkled sheet under me..... Honestly, I used to be, possibly, the worst sleeper. Until I retired. Not much consolation for you if you still have another 20 years to go! I’ve dabbled with various bits and pieces of work since retiring, but none has caused the sort of anxiety or stress that I so readily equate to teaching. I now have time to read in bed. Crime fiction, stories of political intrigue, I even read three summer romance novels my wife hadn’t got round to starting back in June!
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I enjoy an evening glass of wine, and this may well help, though obviously in moderation. Exercise is the other one, certainly a key element. A recent visit to see how our son was getting on at his new place of work ended up in a four hour trek, five yards behind him across Dublin! He marched us from the Docklands to Trinity College, from O’Connell Street Upper to Grafton Street, only stopping to catch our breath alongside the statue of sweet Molly Malone. My wife and I slept that night like two folk who hadn’t seen their bed in about a month. So apart from taking retirement, what’s my advice to you? • Try to go to bed at around the same time each night. • Take at least one walk through the day. • Head to your local library and select two or three books, but remember to allow enough time to actually ‘get into’ the book, not five minutes; I plan to read each evening for around 30 to 50 minutes. • NO COFFEE after, say 3pm – seriously! • Make sure your room is not too warm, not too cold, make sure it’s dark – a blackout roller blind is a wise investment. • And last, but by no means least, get a good bed, a comfortable mattress, a quilt that’s the right tog for the time of year, and a pillow you look forward to easing your head onto.......and then.......relax!
FAMILY LIFE
Family Fun and Fright at the MAC this Halloween This Halloween, your little monsters are in for a fright at the MAC. Enjoy freaky Family Fun for all ages with wicked workshops, spooky storytime sessions, and not to mention a thrilling theatre experience for your 7+ skeletons, as Theatre Lovett presents They Called her Vivald.
Baby Boo
28 – 31 Oct, 10am – 11am There’s nothing your baby loves more than to copy your facial expressions and listen to the sound of your voice. Peak-a-BOO with baby in this multi-sensory workshop, where little one’s age 0-6 months will explore a range of textures, sights and sounds that will stimulate wonder and curiosity. Tickets are £7 and accompanying adult goes free.
Monster Mash-Up
28 – 31 Oct, 2pm – 3pm Fun is freaky in the Monster Mash-Up. Create monster dolls, get messy with eerie eyeballs and monsters brains, as well as learning how to create Zombie bites with a professional makeup and FX artist. Perfect for kids age 4 – 11 years. Tickets are £7 and are available from themaclive. com.
Spinetingling Stories
The Whisper Room
23 October – 1 November Free to visit and open daily from 10am – 7pm, tiptoe into the deepest, darkest room in the MAC this Halloween. Hidden in the creaks and cracks are voices that tell spooky stories, share scary secrets, and if you’re lucky, teach you some silly songs.
A Feast of Bones 30 – 31 October
Child £7 / Adult £12.50 - £18 Family favourites Theatre Lovett return to the MAC, promising to delight young audiences in this upbeat comedy-adventure, They Called her Vivaldi. A sensitive musical-prodigy makes a quiet name for herself in a cacophonous world. As our young heroine journeys over cobblestones and canals, we learn about love, loss, the place of salt in our diet and the courage to lose our footing without losing our way. Catch it at the MAC from 30 - 31 October, just in time for Halloween. Performances at 11am, 5pm and 5pm, which last 1 hour. MAC suggests: 7 years +. Tickets available at themaclive.com or call our Box Office on 028 9023 5053.
28-31 Oct, 3:15pm – 4pm
Listen open-mouthed as the old bard tells spooky tales from Ireland and the dark forests of Germany. Ghosts, pookas, witches and things that go bump in the night will leave no spine untingled. Only for children who are old enough, brave enough and prepare to be scared!
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They Called
They Called Her Vivaldi 30 – 31 Oct, 11am, 5pm & 6pm Child £7 / Adult £18 - £12.50 A captivating comedy adventure, full of imagination, music and thrills for the whole family this Halloween at the MAC.
Book now at themaclive.com
Per f 7+ yect for ear s
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FAMILY LIFE
How To Shop Smart For Your Baby Pregnancy is an emotional time when money worries may take second place to health and welfare issues. Costs can spiral out of control! But with a bit of careful planning and smart shopping, parents-to-be can make sensible, innovative choices that can literally transform family life. The American custom of holding ‘baby showers’ is growing ever more popular. This is a great opportunity for parentsto-be to ‘gently’ suggest what items are needed. It is also a time when grandparents might step in to help with costs. But, like any big life event, there will be the items you simply can’t do without…and items that make things a bit more special! Travel systems Your most important purchase will be your travel system. (This is the pram and the detachable car seat). Speak to in-house shop professionals about your life style and your needs. For example, many rural families love the JANE
TRIDER pram which is super on rough terrains and steep hills. If you are a city dweller, your needs will be different. The best way to approach this purchase is to set a budget (remember a travel system is not cheap and if you buy a quality model it could last you for many years). Try out the models you like. How easy are they to fold? How compact are they? How light are they?….Do you travel for more than an hour? If so, you should consider a model such as the JANE MATRIX as its car seat doubles as a lie-flat carrycot, keeping your baby’s airways open in the ultrasafe lie-flat position.
Added to this is new car-seat i-Size regulations. i-Size is a new European-wide car seat regulation (the first phase of a safety standard called R129), which aims to make car seats safer. It’s designed to keep children rear-facing for longer, provide better side impact protection and make car seats easier to fit correctly. Instead of basing car seats and how they are used around the age of a child, the legislation determines this based around the child’s weight. We all like a travel system that looks good, but it needs to be a functional product which will keep your baby as safe as possible.. and make your life easy. Heritage Ride on toys, rockers and heritage toys are also worth investing in. There is something nice about keeping a few toys, such as SILVERCROSS Heritage doll’s prams, which you can pass down through the generations. But it is important to consider how innovative or functional a product is. For example, if you invest in a
good quality high chair such as a JANE ACTIVA EVO, it can be transformed into a table and chair set for a toddler, when a high chair is no longer needed. The best advice is to do your research and consider products that will keep your baby safe. You can call in at Samuel Johnston Mallusk, Northern Ireland’s longest established nursery and car seat specialist, and ‘try before you buy’ to ensure you get the best products to suit your family’s lifestyle.
‘The longevity of a product is key. Go for quality….you need to get your money’s worth.’ It can all seem like a bit of a minefield! It’s best to take advice from the experts!
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www.samueljohnston.com
baby stuff with personality
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FAMILY LIFE
Fall For Great Offers at Lough Erne Resort Lough Erne Resort have just the thing to warm you up this Autumn, with a host of seasonal offers that will have you ready to cosy up, snuggle in and enjoy the beautiful backdrop of the five-star resort. Cruise into September with a two-night midweek stay in a Lodge Guest Room and enjoy a complimentary 1-hour cruise on Lough Erne with Erne Water Taxi. With an indulgent breakfast created by Noel McMeel each morning and access to the Infinity Pool, Jacuzzi and Sauna, this get away will leave you feeling revived and refreshed, from just £160pps. Or for the discerning gourmet guest, let Lough Erne tempt you with a complimentary 10th Anniversary G&C cocktail alongside hand made marshmallows, infused with boatyard gin and made to Noel’s exacting recipe! Available from September, enjoy a leisurely swim in The Infinity Pool and take a stroll along the Collop walk as part of this two night break, from just £150pps. Got the Sunday Blues? Lough Erne knows just the thing to sort those out! Arrive on a Sunday and banish the blues with a complimentary hot chocolate and cookies on arrival. Enjoy an overnight stay in a luxurious guest room, a delicious breakfast in The Catalina Restaurant and a soak in the Jacuzzi in the Thai Spa, from just £75pps.
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And finally – Thank Lough Erne It’s Friday! Let the weekend start in luxury, with an overnight stay for two guests, dinner for two in the Loughside Bar & Grill and of course, access to the Infinity Pool, Jacuzzi, Sauna and Steam room at The Thai Spa and a mouthwatering breakfast in the Catalina Restaurant. With access to the Collop Walk and to Ernie’s Den for games and activities for the little ones. Priced at only £112pps, this offer will put a smile on everyone’s face! To find out more about the best offers for Lough Erne Resort, check out www.lougherneresort.com or stay up to date by following @lougherneresort on Instagram and liking facebook.com/lougherneresort
Scan with In-touch AR to visit the Resort Lough Erne Resort Belleek Road | Enniskillen BT93 7ED
028 6632 3230
Autumn
FROM
£150
temptations
pps
Let us tempt you to a two night stay at Lough Erne Resort this Autumn. Savour a complimentary 10th Anniversary Cocktail and Signature Marshmallows on arrival and awake to an indulgent breakfast. Take a stroll along The Collop Walk with views across the Fermanagh Lakelands and enjoy a swim in The Infinity Pool at The Thai Spa. Offer is subject to availability. T: +44 (0)28 6632 3230 or visit lougherneresort.com Belleek Road, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, BT93 7ED
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FAMILY LIFE
Inheritance Tax Rule Changes Effective Estate Planning can safeguard your wealth for future generations. If you want to have control over what happens to your assets after your death, effective estate planning is essential. You want to make sure you protect as much of your wealth as possible and pass it on to the right people. If you do not plan for what happens to your assets when you die, your estate could be subject to Inheritance Tax. The rules around Inheritance Tax changed from 6 April 2017. The introduction of an additional nil-rate band is good news for married couples looking to pass the family home down to their children or grandchildren, but not every estate can claim it. Bereaved families It pays to think about Inheritance Tax while you can and calculate how much potentially could be taken out of your estate – before it becomes your family’s problem to deal with. Everyone in the UK, regardless of marital status, is entitled to leave an estate worth up to £325,000 without having to pay any Inheritance Tax. This is known as the ‘nil-rate band’. Anything above that amount is taxed at an Inheritance Tax rate of 40%. If you are married or in a registered civil partnership, then you can leave your entire estate to your spouse or partner with no Inheritance Tax liability. The estate will be exempt from Inheritance Tax and will not use up the nil-rate band. The unused nil-rate band is transferred to your spouse or registered civil partner on their death. Should you and your spouse pass away, the value of your combined estate must be valued at more than £650,000 before the estate would face an Inheritance Tax liability. Considered ‘wealthy’ You don’t have to own a large estate to leave behind an Inheritance Tax bill. The nil-rate band has remained frozen at £325,000 since April 2009, Much of the UK population’s wealth is invested in their property, a number of families are potentially being left with a significant Inheritance Tax bill to pay.
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Residence nil-rate band If you’re worried that rising house prices might have pushed the value of your estate into exceeding the nil-rate band, the new ‘residence nil-rate band’ could be significant. From 6 April 2017, it can now be claimed on top of the existing nil-rate band. The new allowance can only be claimed by the estates of people on property that is or was at some point in the past, used as their main residence and forms part of their estate on death. It’s only available to homeowners who plan on leaving their residence to ‘direct descendants’, such as children or grandchildren or step children. If you wish to leave your home to someone else, the new allowance can’t be claimed. Tapering effect Anyone without a property worth at least £175,000 per person, or £350,000 per couple (in 2020/21), will partially benefit. The residence nil-rate band reduces for estates worth more than £2 million by £1 for every £2 above the taper threshold. Because of this tapering effect, there is a point at which claiming the allowance is ruled out completely. Your estate may still be able to claim the residence nil-rate allowance even if you’ve already sold your home, e.g. because you are in residential care or living with your children. If your home was sold after 8 July 2015 and you plan on leaving the proceeds to your direct descendants, there are provisions in place that will allow your estate to claim the new allowance. This doesn’t apply to homes sold before 9 July 2015. Planning ahead In addition, the proceeds payable from any life insurance policies written in an appropriate trust will not form part of your estate and so will not further add to a potential Inheritance Tax bill. Estate planning will enable you to maximise your wealth and minimise Inheritance Tax. To have a comprehensive review and consider the tax-efficient solutions contact us on 028 9262 2910 to arrange a free consultation.
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FAMILY LIFE
You Busy This Friday Evening? The end of another long week, lunch boxes shoved into the cupboard, work shoes lying in a heap in a corner and your tie/blouse/overalls thankfully put away until Monday morning. And how do you relax? How do you get away from it all? Slouched in an armchair for two days? Long walks in the park? Follow your favourite sport? Entertain the kiddies? Entertain at home? The art of ‘home entertainment’ has taken on something of a fresh twist. Mention those two words and the younger generation will visualise flat screen televisions, iPods and their docks, or a neat Soundbar complete with midwoofers and high range tweeters nestling along the front of your aforementioned flat screen telly! (I had to google that last description!!) They’ll happily enthuse about the advantage of Netflix, Amazon Prime or even some other illegal method of bringing life and sound to that (again aforementioned) flat screen mini cinema screen taking up half the living room! Have the days of ‘home entertainment’ gone? Your parents and grandparents would most certainly remember being invited on a Friday or Saturday evening to a neighbour or relative’s home. In parts of Northern Ireland, people still talk of a ceili, or going ceili-ing. That’s a traditional gathering for fun, fellowship, and laughs or craic, if you prefer. How many of us do that sort of thing, nowadays?
but someone forced a microphone into your reluctant grasp. Cue shouts of ‘oh, ye will’ etc.... Take That played loud can be bad enough, but Take That played loud and sung atrociously is one sure way of realising that you need to nip home to feed the cat. And I’ll never forget the neighbour who loved showing us her holiday snaps. My wife had been subjected to them one afternoon for nearly two hours. I’d seen about 60 when I called for our son who was playing with her kids. We’d nodded, smiled and genuinely admired the views/ portraits/fuzzy faces. But imagine our horror, having a drink there one evening, when she suddenly sprang to her feet, switched off the lights, and, removing a picture from a wall, pointed some kind of projector at it. Talk about trapped. The only thing she didn’t do was lock the door. Nearly 1,000 photos later, we admitted defeat and crawled home. On a much lighter side, one of my daughters invites friends of a similar age around, and once the children and their school have been discussed, plus the latest goings-on at work, they all happily get stuck into Trivial Pursuit. And amid much laughter, banter and teasing, that’s how they pass a couple of very social hours in very good company.
Going to someone’s house now, is often for a much different – though still very social – reason.
So this Halloween, this Christmas, this New Year’s Eve, why not consider something a little different? No more PlayStations, forget thousands of holiday pics, and most definitely NO karaoke, at least not until you’ve had a very large glass of something.......
I know of men in their 30s who still have Xbox and PlayStation nights. Well, before I raise my eyebrows, I suppose it’s less dangerous than getting roped into a poker playing session.
How about a friendly quiz? Questions based on The Chase – now available in all good shops, as they say, or Trivial Pursuit – though I have to warn you, many of the latter questions are anything but trivial!
And then there’s karaoke. Yes, seriously, it’s not that long ago that a relative used to invite us over for an evening, and no sooner had you placed your rear end on a chair,
And just to get you in the mood: Under which name does popular children’s author J K Rowling write adult crime fiction? By Luke North
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FAMILY LIFE
Moving Tomorrow… Sorry?
By Susan Gilchrist
For Mya, there was a real fear about the house they were moving to. It was going to be a new neighbourhood, a new language, new friends, new school, new everything. While Ryan and I were so excited at the prospect of new everything, our only daughter had barely said an excited word since we started packing up. I was going to start a new job in a Norwegian school; I mean goodbye English curriculum, hello hope! Ryan was going to start his dream job and couldn’t wait to start his ski lessons. But as for our 9 year old daughter, it was going to be new accents, new curriculum and no school uniform. Although home was not the only place she’d lived in, it was the only place she remembered. Well apart from Mrs Grills, our childminder, who has always been my competitor. Bless her! “Why can’t I stay with Mrs Grills, after all, she knows exactly what I need. Like I go there every morning and 3 afternoons remember? So she qualifies to be my Goddess mother or whatever you call them.” said Mya desperately. Today, Mya’s quietness has occupied my mind and I wonder if moving home is up there with death and divorce for children. Is it this tough for them even if parents are going with them? Perhaps as parents we are not as emotionally occupied as kids because we are busy trying to figure out what needs packed or what bills need paid. Maybe kids leaving the only thing they have ever known could be as daunting a thing as loosing someone they love? Does it open up a flood of emotions from apprehensiveness to resentment? I had to stop all else and focus on Mya’s mood. I probably need to reassure her about what the change will mean for her. How times have changed though! I remember when dad and I had to leave home. I never knew much where we were going or why we had to leave our friends behind until we were packed and ready to go to the airport. Then Dad explained it all. All a distant memory, however, I still remember sobbing on the plane as I saw the beautiful clouds of Africa begin to fade away. “Mya, do you fancy meeting me for a mum daughter date after school today? You can choose your fast food joint and I promise to skip my diet for today.” I suggest as I tried my hardest to be enthusiastic about pizza galore. As we drove silently to pizza express, both lost in our thoughts, I wondered how it’ would be if Nathan was still alive. Would it be a different move if she had Nathan as a big brother to share her worries with him? “Will I still see Nana?” Mya asked interrupting my thoughts. “Of course, honey you will and she will be able to visit us too!”
“Can I skype my friends as soon as we arrive?” “Yes, most definitely you can, as soon as we set up the network we’ll be good to go” I answered hurriedly so as to keep the conversation as positive as possible. Not knowing how our dinner conversation was going to turn out, I quickly recapped silently what my friend Lona, a child psychologist advised me. “Give her lots of information about the place you are going to. Show her photographs of her new classmates, Ryans office and your place of work. Show her where her favourite things might go and ask for her opinion on it” assured Lona. I was glad for the week off that my generous boss had offered me. I was able to make a pretty album for Mya titled ‘Moving on to Greater Adventures’. I was now determined to make it her best move ever. “Try and set up her bedroom first to give her time to settle in” suggested Lona. “Explain that it’s normal to feel upset and anxious about the move. It might be worthwhile sharing your personal experiences on how you felt when you moved from Africa. Most importantly, try and emphasise that her hobbies such as hockey and her love for being part of a team will remain the same including her fishing she shares with her Dad. This will reassure her that she won’t get bored in the new place” Lona added. I now realise children need a lot of reassurance and encouragement from their parents regardless of their age. Talk to them about your move and do it early to give them as much time as possible to adjust to the idea. Tell them all about their new home and give them lots of appropriate facts and information for their age and level of understanding.
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YOUR HOME
Why You Should Install a Wood Burning Stove Wood Burning Stoves may seem like an expensive luxury for your home and by the time you include materials and fitting you will be looking at a bill of at least £1000 depending on the Stove you have chosen. But once up and running, there are many rewards and you can save on heating costs to. Gets the Family Together Everyone can settle down for the evening in one room, the room with the stove, and switch off the central heating. In so many households the family sit in one room all evening watching TV – whilst heating a whole house full of radiators. Okay, if you’ve children this may not be so practical, however, there are always woolly jumpers. It has been said that central heating killed the family as prior to the invasion of the rads, families grouped together in one room, the room with the fire. Today, families are often scattered around the house, Facebooking, Texting, Xboxing and such stuff.
Scan with In-touch AR to see the Henley Stove Range
evenings in a 5kw stove and many are made from untreated wood. Purchase a small handheld electric cutter and a pallet is a pile of firewood in less than ten minutes. You can also collect wood from along the coast after a storm. If you need to buy wood for when the scavenging fails, buy compressed Heat Logs by the pallet load and they work out quite reasonable. Increase the value of your property Google “wood stove increases value home” and see how many articles discuss this. “This Is Money” state that a woodburner can increase your property’s value by up to 5%! Wow! Estate Agents say;
“rental properties fitted with wood burners are highly sought after as tenants aim to ensure they can stay in control of their heating bills”. Good for the environment: wood is carbon neutral Growing trees is good for the planet and whether wood is burned or left to rot in the ground it emits the same amount of carbon monoxide. Wood is also a “renewable” meaning that when trees are growing they absorb carbon dioxide and when they are burned (or left to rot) they release the same amount of carbon dioxide. When the Power Fails, You Stay Warm It rarely happens we know, but if there is a power cut your boiler switches off. Your electric heaters also switch off. With a few candles and your feet up, you’re sitting stress free, enjoying the warmth and romance of your stove. More Efficient Than an Open Fire Open fires are about 25% efficient. This means that, for every log burnt, 75% of the heat is lost up the chimney. But a modern log burner is about 80% efficient so only 20% goes up the chimney. A HUGE difference which ensures every log provides far more heat to the room. Enhances life There is something about having a real fire in the house that links us to the earth, the planet. That might sound a little mad but maybe if you have a stove or open fire you’ll understand.
There’s free wood all over the place The more you get used to looking the more you will find. Scavenging is fun. A friend chopping down a tree? Talk to them. Local shops that might throw away wooden pallets? Talk to them. Know any builders? Talk to them and grab the untreated stuff. Check those skips (ask before taking). One pallet will last about three winter
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Wood fires are simple – the same technology used by man since man first lived in a cave, the antidote to busy lives, stressful jobs, emails and technology. Chopping and storing wood is hard work at times but rewarding and relaxing at the same time. Stoves are fun, romantic, simple and warming. In terms of advice, there is much available online. One such example is: www. stovefittersmanual.co.uk
Prices starting from as little as
£ 299
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YOUR HOME
Autumn Craft Ideas for your Home If you are excited about the start of autumn and want your home to reflect this seasonal vibe, we highly recommend making a few seasonal updates to your living space. Without spending lots of time and money, there are several simple interior decorating tricks you can try so your home feels fresh for autumn this year. Experiment with Faux Fur This is one of the most popular choices of dĂŠcor with professional designers this year. Adding a simple fake fur throw blanket on the back of your sofa couch or faux fur cushions in your living room is a quick, inexpensive way to add a cosy touch to your space as the weather cools down.
Table autumn decoration centrepiece There are so many autumn decorations that can be made at home. Why not recycle your jam jars and put in some healthy raw veggies to make snack times healthier. Crafting faux leaves to make pretty lightweight bowls can also be a fun thing to do with the whole family. Blow up a balloon (the larger the balloon, the larger your bowl will be) and rest it in a bowl. Cover the top of the balloon and the top sides of leaves with decopatch glue. Gently layer the leaves face down on the balloon, forming a bowl shape. Brush more decoupage medium on the backs of the leaves. Once dried, poke a hole in the balloon and discard balloon. image courtesy of Pinterest Redecorate your Mantelpiece Re-decorating a mantel each season is a non-expensive design must. When getting ready for autumn, think earthy, cosy and rustic. You can decorate with birch logs in the fireplace, stacks of books and candlesticks up top can create the vibe of a warm, upscale library space. Pick New Plants Why not try to use some seasonal plants such as dahlia, goldenrod or the elegant rosebud cherry. Or even replicate a chandelier with leaves instead of lights. Drill a 1â „4-inch hole in each jam lid. Pull a separate piece of rope through each hole and tie a knot under each lid. Place single leaves in jars, and tightly secure lids. Tie rope pieces together and hang from a heavy-duty ceiling hook.
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MARKET SQUARE, LISBURN CITY CENTRE
FRIDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER
ENJOY A FREE EVENING OF... LIVE ENTERTAINMENT LOCAL FOOD AND DRINK TASTINGS COUNTRY MUSIC & MUCH, MUCH, MORE!
4PM 8PM
YOUR HOME
Saving Money on Your Heating Bill As we are now officially into Autumn and the temperature starts to fall, we will be tempted to turn our heating systems back on. Perhaps in the morning, definately in the evening. For many this will bring the worry about the cost of heating their homes. The good news is that it is possible to cut heating costs whilst still having a warm home. So here are some simple ideas to keep your home warm whilst using less energy, thus saving money. Some might seem a bit obvious but we tend to forget the basics sometimes. Utilise the low winter positioning of the sun to warm your home by opening curtains on the East and West facing windows during the day. Home heating boilers need to be serviced each year in order for them to perform effeciently throughout the winter season. Efficiency is lost with poorly maintained heating systems and if your boiler is more than 10 years old, it could be worth replacing it with a new model. A high-efficiency condensing boiler could cut your fuel bills by up to £200 per year. Challenge yourself to reduce your heating thermostat this winter. According to The Energy Saving Trust, reducing your room temperature by 1C (1.8F) could cut your heating bills by up to 10 per cent. Thermostats should be set to the lowest comfortable setting, typically between 18C – 21C. Your thermostat controll for your hot water should be set at 60C (140F) – any higher is too hot for everyday needs. if you wear a t-shirt and shorts indoors over winter, this is a sure sign that your thermostat is set too high. Invest in some warm woolly clothes and turn that thermostat down. If you are buying new appliances this winter, make sure you invest in energy-efficient models that carry the Energy Saving Recommended (ESR) logo. A-rated appliances are the most energy efficient and purchasing the most energy-efficient model you can afford will save you money in the long term. When using your washing machine, 85 to 90% of energy is used just to heat up the water. By reducung the water temperature of your wash you will reduce the amount of energy you use and save money. Also, try not to use the washing machine until you have a full load. Running a bathroom or kitchen fan for an hour can deplete your home of its warm air. It is therefore essential
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to turn them off as soon as possible after cooking or having a shower. When you have finished cooking with your oven, leave the oven door open until it cools to warm the kitchen further. A wood burning fireplace gives more heat than a gas fireplace. Most wood burning fireplaces or stoves can burn scrap wood, fallen trees or branches or wood pellets, which are made from sawdust and are one of the most cost-effective forms of home heating. Consider a portable heater for heating a smaller room rather than turning on the central heating, this will be more efficient. A heater with an effective thermostatic control will also save you money. Halogen heaters and oil-filled radiators are noted by energy efficient experts as a more cost effective way of heating a single room. Heavy curtains over your windows will add an interior barrier to the cold, especially if you don’t have doubleglazed windows. Placing a warm rug over tiles, on concrete or a wooden floor will provide some extra insulation. However on a slippery floor it is important to lay a rug with a slip resistant back to avoid any accidents. Allow your body to acclimatise naturally to the change in weather. Try to avoid using too much heat whilst driving and keep your home slightly cooler so that your body can adjust to the idea that it’s winter. Keep warm!
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Freephone 0800 028 1881 debt.advice@citizensadvice.co.uk
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BT28 2SA
COMMUNITY
Useful Numbers Medical Centres Dr Cairns and Partners Switchboard Dr Ruddell and Partners Drs Hutchinson, Ryan & McGuinness Dr Wales and Partners Dr Forde & Dr Quinn Dr McFarland & Partners Dr Pattersons Lisburn Travel Clinic
0800 555 111 028 9066 6630 0808 800 5000 028 9032 5055 0808 808 4000 08457 90 90 90 028 9031 5060
Ballycarrickmaddy Primary Ballymacash Primary Ballymacward Primary Brownlee Primary Carr Primary Dunmurry Primary Downshire Primary Friends’ (preparatory) Harmony Hill Primary Killowen Primary Knockmore Primary Largymore Primary Fort Hill Primary Lisburn Central Primary Lower Ballinderry Primary Maghaberry Primary Meadow Bridge Moira Primary Oakwood Integrated Old Warren Primary Pond Park Primary Riverdale Primary Seymour Hill St Aloysius Primary St Colman’s Primary St Joseph’s Primary Tonagh Primary Wallace Preparatory Dept & Pre-Prep Unit
075 0168 3439
Secondary & Grammar Schools
028 9448 4848 028 7181 0784 028 9093 9093
Fort Hill Integrated College Friends Laurelhill Community Coll Lisnagarvey High St Patrick’s High Wallace High Parkview Special School South Eastern Reg College
028 9260 3203 028 9266 5181 028 9260 3090 028 9260 3111 028 9266 6266 028 9260 3133 028 9260 3088 028 9260 3177 028 9250 1281
Pharmacies Medicare (Market Lane) Lowry’s Boots (Market Lane) Boots (Bow Street) Hilden
028 9266 4665 028 9267 8430 028 9260 2666 028 9266 2193 028 9260 2666
Helplines Crimestoppers Translink NSPCC Age Concern National Debtline Samaritans Mindwise Volunteering Mindwise Community Bridge Building
Airports Belfast International City of Derry George Best City
Libraries Lisburn City Library Belfast Central
028 9263 3350 028 9050 9150
Funeral Directors Ronnie Thompson S.D. Brown Bobby Morrison
028 9260 7367 028 9267 7722 028 9266 0262
Activity Centres Brook Activity Centre Glenmore Activity Centre Grove Activity Centre Kilmakee Activity Centre
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Primary Schools
028 9030 1848 028 9266 2830 028 9267 1131 028 9030 1545
028 9264 8360 028 9266 4244 028 9264 8130 028 9266 5635 028 9263 8615 028 9030 1454 028 9268 0640 028 9266 2156 028 9266 4501 028 9266 2111 028 9266 2600 028 9266 3773 028 9266 4505 028 9266 5527 028 9265 1633 028 9261 1529 028 9262 2509 028 9261 1554 028 9030 9920 028 9267 9685 028 9267 6992 028 9263 4243 028 9030 1046 028 9266 2293 028 9260 1532 028 9267 4901 028 9266 4491 028 9267 2311 028 9266 3670 028 9266 2156 028 9260 7351 028 9266 2636 028 9266 4877 028 9267 2311 028 9260 1197 028 9267 7225
Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council Departments Main Reception/Switchboard Building Control Waste Management Irish Linen Ctr & Museum Island Arts Centre Lagan Valley Leisureplex Lisburn Tourist Information
028 9250 9250 028 9250 9372 028 9250 9453 028 9266 3377 028 9250 9509 028 9267 2121 028 9266 0038
Hospitals Lagan Valley Belfast City Royal Victoria
028 9266 5141 028 9032 9241 028 9024 0503
ENTERTAINMENT
Must See New Movies
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RECIPE
Chickpea Gazpacho
This creamy Chickpea Gazpacho is a perfect light and refreshing appetiser. It’s also easy to make, as there is no cooking involved, as far as the actual Gazpacho is concerned. Chickpeas contain a whopping 9 grams of protein per ½ cup. They are also jam packed with fibre, which studies suggest can help to lower cholesterol levels, keep you feeling full and prevent constipation.
Soup • • • • • • •
1/2 yellow pepper 1/2 large cucumber 3 small tomatoes (heirloom a plus) 1/2 cup of chickpeas, cooked 1 clove of garlic 2 tablespoons of olive oil 1/4 avocado
Roasted Chickpeas • 3/4 cup of chickpeas, cooked • 1 teaspoon of paprika • Salt and pepper to taste
Method 1. Start by preheating the oven to 200 c 2. Rinse cooked chickpeas with water and
then pat dry with a towel a couple of times to drain any excess liquid and make for better roasting
3. In a bowl, combine beans with salt and pepper and paprika. Stir.
4. Then add beans to a baking sheet and
bake for 20-30 minutes or until the chickpeas are crunchy. We recommend flipping halfway through to make sure they cook evenly.
5. Now we’ll make the soup. Place all soup
Optional toppings
ingredients in the blender and blend away until you get a creamy consistency.
• 5 cherry tomatoes *
You can either chill for an hour or serve immediately.
• Small bunch of coriander
Top the gazpacho with roasted chickpeas, sliced cherry tomatoes and coriander
By permission: Wendy and Jess www.foodheavenmadeeasy.com
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*Heirloom tomatoes such as beefsteak, cherry, yellow variety
Traditional Irish Barmbrack Loaf
RECIPE
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Barmbrack is a traditional Irish fruit bread, which is usually consumed around Halloween. It is also known as ‘Irish Tea Cake’ depending on the time of year that you are eating it. It is widely known as Barnbrack, (Bairín Breac). The word “Barn” comes from an old English word, “beorma,” meaning yeasty, fermented liquor and “Brack” comes from the Irish word “brac,” meaning speckled – which it is with the dried fruit and candied peel. The loaf was baked for Halloween and would be quite large and used in a fortune telling game. The tradition was to add to the cake mixture a pea, a stick, a piece of cloth, a coin and a ring which had significance for the person who discovered it in their slice. The person who received the pea wouldn’t marry that year; the stick meant an unhappy marriage; the cloth indicated poverty and the coin riches; while the person who found the ring would wed within the year. However, nowadays it is usually just a ring that’s added to the mixture. Just be careful you don’t break a tooth! The cake is delicious toasted and buttered and, if not immediately consumed, will keep for about 10 days.
Barmbrack
Directions
Makes One Loaf
1. Heat the flour by placing it in a oven proof mixing bowl
Ingredients • • • • • • • • •
2lbs flour 1/4 lb butter 1/4 lb currants 1/4 lb caster sugar 1/2 lb sultanas 1 egg 1oz yeast 2oz peel (candied) Tepid milk as needed
and pop into a warm oven for 15 minutes.
2. Break the butter into the flour and add the sugar until it resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Put the yeast into the flour and with beaten egg and
sufficient tepid milk, make the whole into a loose dough.
4. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes; put to rise in a warm place for 2 hours.
5. Add the prepared fruit and the finely chopped peel and knead again for 8 minutes.*
6. Place in a greased cake-tin, and again put to rise in a warm place for about 20 minutes.
7. Bake in a hot oven for about 1 hour at 180°C/350°F. If the top starts burning, cover with greaseproof paper.
8. When done and if need be, the loaf should be glazed
by brushing over with a solution made from equal parts of sugar and boiling water.
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COMMUNITY
Whats On in September/October
THE WISPERING WOOD
Hillsborough Forest, HILLSBOROUGH | BT26 6DP Saturday 22nd September | 8.00am - 9pm The Whispering Wood is an interactive immersive sound art installation in the forest which uses emerging digital technologies to create the ancient mythical world of the forest. The event is all inclusive and is suitable for all ages. During the installation the latest and worldpioneering immersive 3D audio technology is blended seamlessly with the forest.
CITIZENS ADVICE LISBURN
OUR OUTREACH SERVICES
Bridge Community Centre
Monday Seymour Hill Community Association: 9.30am to 12.30pm Hillhall Community Resource Centre: 1.30pm - 4.30pm Tuesday Hillsborough Health Centre: 9.30am to 12.30pm Wednesday Derriaghy Village Community Centre: 9.30am - 12.30pm Elner Community Centre: 10.00am - 2.00pm Trinity Methodist Church: 1.30pm to 4.30pm Thursday Castlereagh: 10.00am - 2.00pm Stoneyford Church of Ireland: 1.30pm - 4.30pm Friday Lagan View Enterprise Centre: Drop in service: 9.30am to 12.30pm. Appointment only: 1.30pm to 3.30pm
50 Railway Street, Lisburn, BT28 1XP
028 9266 2251 We provide a free quality advice service. Members of the public come to us with a wide range of issues, many of which are very complex. All clients are afforded the time required to deal with their issue fully and effectively. MONEY ADVICE SERVICE We provide a comprehensive free Money Advice Service for anyone struggling to deal with debt. In person advice is by appointment only. To make an appointment telephone 028 9266 2251 between 9.00am and 5.00pm. You can also drop in to the bureau to book an appointment from 9.00am to 5.00pm
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COMMUNITY
HARVEST AND HARMONY
MARKET SQUARE, LISBURN CITY CENTRE
FRIDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER
Market Square, Lisburn City Centre Friday 22nd September | 4pm-8pm
4PM 8PM
ENJOY A FREE EVENING OF... LIVE ENTERTAINMENT LOCAL FOOD AND DRINK TASTINGS COUNTRY MUSIC & MUCH, MUCH, MORE!
Harvest & Harmony returns to Market Square for more toe tapping fun from The Blueridge HonkyTonk, harvest themed activity from Kathleen’s Attic and Kindergardencooks, local food and drink offerings from Chocolate Fountains WPM, Kennedy Bacon, Curry Sauce NI, Raspberry Lane, Little Dutch Pancakes, Habanero Steve’s, Drumbane Organic Flowers and more!
BELFAST CHAMPIONSHIP DOG SHOW
EIKON Exhibition Centre, Lisburn 23rd & 24th September 2017
Thousands of dogs will compete for titles at Ireland’s largest dog show and CRUFTS qualifier, the Belfast Championship Dog Show. This dog show is an exciting way to meet other dog owners, to socialise your pet, and test his/her abilities should you choose to enter. They also represent a great opportunity to get up-to-date information on caring and training for dogs.
DIRTY DUSTING
Lagan Valley Island 7 Oct | 8pm | Tickets £22 When three cleaners, Olive, Gladys and Elsie, are threatened with redundancy they feel that their lives are coming to an end until a chance wrong number gives them a new business start-up idea why not run a telephone sex line? This show, starring May McFettridge, is a searing indictment of ageism in the 21st Century heavily disguised as a hysterical, laugh-out-loud, heartwarming comedy.
MOTORING
The Award Winning All-New PEUGEOT 3008 SUV Introducing a new driving concept that fits perfectly with modern lifestyles, PEUGEOT’s All-New 3008 SUV is now available from local Dealership, Roadside Motors. PEUGEOT’s innovative SUV exudes a distinctive and contemporary expression and is the perfect family vehicle for driving enjoyment, thanks to its dramatic interior design, while also boasting the latest evolution of the What Car? Award-winning PEUGEOT i-Cockpit®. The new i-Cockpit® Amplify provides a heightened sensory driving experience for sight, hearing, touch and smell – from the ability to vary the intensity of ambient lighting to selecting a unique aroma from the in-built fragrance diffuser. Optimised for improved driving experience, the PEUGEOT i-Cockpit® also features a more compact steering wheel, 8” touchscreen, 12.3” high-resolution instrument panel and a series of seven piano keys, which elegantly provide direct and permanent access to the car’s main functions.
Drivers of the All-New Peugeot 3008 SUV will be able to enjoy the dynamic capabilities of the vehicle, thanks to its high-tech equipment, boasting an array of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), including: • • • • • • •
Active Brake Safety and Distance Alert Active Lane Keep Alert Driver Attention Alert Automatic High Beam Assistance Limit Speed Adaptive Cruise Control Active Blind Spot Monitoring
The vehicle also features an exciting range of original technologies, making it a safe ride for the whole family. Its Dynamic Roll System, fitted to the rear suspension, sets new standards of body roll control, while still retaining optimal damping characteristics. Another innovation is the Advanced Grip Control system, consisting of advanced traction control, optimising the traction of both front wheels of the Peugeot 3008 SUV. Its 18” all-season tyres equip the feature with Hill Assist Descent Control at just 2mph. The Active and Allure trim levels are complemented by the superior GT Line and GT, which provide the ultimate in SUV luxury, thanks to its sports styling and outstanding standards of efficiency and specification. Jeff McIlroy, Dealer Principal at Roadside Motors, said:
“With its powerful styling, the All-New Peugeot 3008 SUV replaces the 3008 crossover. With its enhanced design and advanced technical features, including the award-winning Peugeot i-Cockpit®, the PEUGEOT 3008 SUV is already proving to be popular with motorists in Lisburn. “With many drivers looking for a more exciting driving experience, we’re expecting the new PEUGEOT 3008 SUV to become a firm favourite for our customers.” Architecturally, the PEUGEOT 3008 SUV is clean, clear and distinctive. Its exterior styling adopts all the latest design codes to enhance its appearance, including vertical perspective lines to the front, a long horizontal bonnet, raised waistline, profiled roof bars and large wheels conditioned with a greater ground clearance. The Black Diamond roof is an essential design element of the vehicle, giving it a distinctive personality.
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Prices for the PEUGEOT 3008 SUV start at just £ £22,495. For more information or for details on any of the models in the PEUGEOT range, please contact: Roadside Motors Lisburn:
028 9267 7412 22 Market Place | Lisburn | BT28 1AN www.roadsidemotors.com/Peugeot.
ALL-NEW
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PEUGEOT 3008 SUV
NEVER HAS AN SUV GONE SO FAR
NEW PEUGEOT i-COCKPIT® 8” MULTI-FUNCTION TOUCHSCREEN
12.3” HEAD-UP DIGITAL INSTRUMENT PANEL
COMPACT SPORTS STEERING WHEEL
EXPERIENCE ROADSIDE MOTORS LISBURN 22 Market Place, LISBURN BT28 1AN. 028 9267 7412 lisburn.peugeot.co.uk
Official Fuel Consumption in MPG (l/100km) and CO2 emissions (g/km) for the allnew 3008 SUV Range are: Urban 37.2 67.3 (7.6 - 4.2), Extra Urban 55.4 - 80.7 (5.1 - 3.5), Combined 47.1 - 70.6 (6.0 - 4.0) and CO2 136 - 103 (g/km). MPG figures are achieved under official EU test conditions, intended as a guide
for comparative purposes only and may not reflect actual on-the-road driving conditions. Visit Peugeot.co.uk for more information. Information correct at time of going to print.
MOTORING
The Big Questions About Driverless Cars Cars that drive themselves – once the preserve of science fiction films and comics – will soon hit our roads for real. But what will this new era really look like? It may well be that the next generation of motorists will be more used to getting about in autonomous pods, but the technology is here today and it’s worth considering how the transition is going to take place over the coming years. How far off are driverless cars? In a very real sense, they’re here already in the everyday features we probably take for granted. Today cars that can park themselves for example and operate cruise control systems that adjust your speed to keep a safe distance from others around you. Many new cars will guide you back into the middle of your lane if you start to drift, or apply the brakes if you’re heading for a collision. The most advanced cars today operate at what’s known as level 2 or ‘partial’ automation. However full autonomy is at level 5. That’s what we all really mean when we talk about driverless cars, those which can take care of every aspect of driving without human interaction. All of Tesla’s new cars are already being fitted with the hardware necessary for full self-driving capability, and CEO Elon Musk claims the software will be ready by the end of the year. Other manufacturers, including traditional carmakers such as Ford and BMW, as well as tech giants Google, plan to have their own autonomous cars on the road within the next five years. Will they be popular? The transition to a society reliant on driverless vehicles is in some ways daunting. In fact our survey for the 2016 RAC Report on Motoring, found 62% of drivers revealed the thought of driverless cars on the road scared them, and just 25% were excited by the prospect. There are of course concerns about the risks that autonomous motoring will bring, along with some scepticism about its benefits. This is because we are really at the start of the journey and much of the technology and transport infrastructure necessary to enable safe autonomous driving is yet to be in place or even developed. Will they make journeys quicker? In part, the answer to this question depends on the answer to the one above. Driverless cars have great potential for making journey times quicker, but only if a critical mass of people are using them.
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A recent study by the Department for Transport estimates that, in a world where all cars are fully autonomous, motorway journey times would be, on average, 11% shorter than they are now. But if only a fifth of cars are fully autonomous, journey times would only be cut by 4% on average – even if the other four-fifths are equipped with some driver assistance technology. Will they be safer? That’s certainly the idea, and one of the main reasons why the Government is enthusiastic about the development of driverless cars. After all, 1,800 people are killed on Britain’s roads every year and another 22,000 seriously injured. Driver error is the most common cause of casualties, recorded as contributing to around three-quarters of all accidents. Take driver error out of the equation, the theory goes, and the number of accidents will fall dramatically. That means fewer injuries, fewer deaths, lower insurance premiums and clearer roads. But will they really be safer? Despite that logic, only 27% of the motorists surveyed for our Report on Motoring said they thought driverless cars would make our roads safer. Why? 51% thought that the new technology would lead to complacency among drivers, and therefore cause more accidents. Of more concern is the potential for something to go wrong with the technology itself. 70% of motorists told us they were worried about the reliability of driverless cars’ software. Or, as the former head of Google’s self-driving car program put it recently, ‘I’ve had people say, “Look, my laptop crashes every day – what if that’s my car?”’ Hacking’s another concern: 66% are worried someone might break into the cars’ computers. What will they mean for breakdowns? Even if driverless cars are involved in fewer collisions, they will inevitably still suffer problems and require assistance. They will still have tyres that burst and batteries that go flat in the winter for example. The new technology will present new challenges for technicians to get to grips with at the roadside – just as they are already having to do with electric cars, for example. On the other hand, autonomous cars will, by necessity, be connected cars. They’ll therefore be constantly collecting and sharing information about themselves, which can be used to facilitate pro-active and predictive breakdown services.
Who’s responsible? Of course, the arrival of driverless cars will necessitate changes to laws that were designed for a world where every car has a driver. Will we still need driving licences, even if we’re not really doing the driving? Maybe not. California’s Department of Motor Vehicles has recently published new draft regulations that would allow people to use fully autonomous cars without a licence.
Will this mean the end of car ownership? There’s already speculation that driverless cars will make the idea of car ownership obsolete. If you could simply summon a car through a touch of your smartphone and have it take you wherever you wanted to go – with no driver to pay – would you bother buying a car yourself? Uber’s betting you wouldn’t, and it’s already begun trialling driverless taxis on the streets of Pittsburgh and San Francisco.
However, if the law requires drivers to be present at the wheel at all times and ready to intervene at the first sign of tech failure, then they will have to take over and be able to drive legally.
But there are many millions of people who enjoy the driving experience and there’s no reason to suppose that motoring clubs and enthusiasts harking after the ‘good old days’ of motoring won’t continue to be popular.
Insurance laws will need updating too. At the moment, it’s drivers that are insured – and the driver at fault who ultimately pays. The Government plans to change this for autonomous cars, so that an insurer covers both the driver and the vehicle. If a fault in the vehicle causes an accident, the insurer would pay out to the victim, but could then claim against the manufacturer.
What does this all mean for businesses? It’s easy to imagine how all this will affect businesses and their fleets of vehicles. Shorter journey times and fewer accidents will both improve efficiency and help keep employees safe. As the vehicle drives them to their destination, employees will be free to work, making them even more productive.
In fact, legislators around the world will need to reconsider all sorts of driving laws. What about drink driving, for example? Will it be legal to be ‘in charge’ of an autonomous car after a few drinks? Of course, it won’t while cars are only partially autonomous, but perhaps it will be once full autonomy is achieved and we simply hop in and out of pods to get from A to B with no need to concern ourselves about who or what is driving.
Of course, the greater reliance on technology will make it more important than ever to conduct thorough walkround checks and make sure all vehicles are in full working condition. Good practice today will remain good practice in the future. courtesy of www.rac.co.uk
Reassurance for you & your loved ones Providing Pre-Arranged Funeral Plans to assist you through a difficult time. All plans are tailored to suit your needs. Please contact a member of our dedicated team for further details.
Address: 38-42 Hillsborough Road Lisburn BT28 1AQ Email: info@bobbymorrison.co.uk Phone: 02892 674292
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