AS the world’s top golfers (including serial adulterers Tiger Woods and Colin Montgomerie) gather at St Andrews for the 2010 British Open Golf Championship, a married dating website has found that “going Golfing” is one of the most common excuses used by British husbands to obscure their affairs.
IllicitEncounters.com, which provides a platform for married people to find extra-marital lovers, surveyed 1456 of its male members on the excuses they use to cover up their infidelity. Although traditional excuses like “working late” and “dinner with a friend” topped the list, “going golfing” sneaked in to third place, with 14% of the site’s male membership claiming they had at one time used a game of golf to cover up an illicit liaison.
Partners of gym fanatics should also be wary; “going to the gym” was the fourth most common excuse used by both men and women.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
A killer waiting to strike
MOTORISTS in Scotland are calling for immediate action as the pothole crisis on Britain’s roads reaches breaking point with drivers being forced off the road by the dangerous craters.
In a new report by leading automotive service brand, Autoglass®, which questioned 3,000 drivers, exactly half (50%) said they’ve had either an accident or near miss while driving as a result of the horrifying road conditions and a quarter of motorists (25%) admit that someone they know has also been in the same situation.
Local councils in Scotland have a responsibility to display a temporary road sign when road conditions are poor, but more than nine out of ten (92%) drivers have never seen such a notice. When asked what measures they would like to see in place to protect them from pothole danger, four in ten (45%) would welcome a clear temporary road sign and over half (52%) think fluorescent markings around bad potholes would serve as a safe warning to traffic.
The survey also reveals that on an average journey motorists in Scotland encounter a staggering 14 potholes, with over a quarter (28%) coming across up to 20. Two thirds (62%) admit they spend more time watching out for ruts than keeping their eyes on the road ahead.
Potholes are costing Britain’s motorists around £3.7 billion4 in annual vehicle repairs with 64% of those polled having suffered because of the treacherous trenches. Almost half (46%) have experienced suspension problems, almost half (48%) have had a burst tyre, almost a fifth (17%) of drivers have had their windscreens chipped from the hole kicking up stones and a further 17% have had their paintwork damaged. An average spend of £208 per motorist is being shelled out on car repairs in Scotland as a result of the pothole crisis according to those questioned.
Do you know of any dangerous potholes on Borders roads? Let us know!
In a new report by leading automotive service brand, Autoglass®, which questioned 3,000 drivers, exactly half (50%) said they’ve had either an accident or near miss while driving as a result of the horrifying road conditions and a quarter of motorists (25%) admit that someone they know has also been in the same situation.
Local councils in Scotland have a responsibility to display a temporary road sign when road conditions are poor, but more than nine out of ten (92%) drivers have never seen such a notice. When asked what measures they would like to see in place to protect them from pothole danger, four in ten (45%) would welcome a clear temporary road sign and over half (52%) think fluorescent markings around bad potholes would serve as a safe warning to traffic.
The survey also reveals that on an average journey motorists in Scotland encounter a staggering 14 potholes, with over a quarter (28%) coming across up to 20. Two thirds (62%) admit they spend more time watching out for ruts than keeping their eyes on the road ahead.
Potholes are costing Britain’s motorists around £3.7 billion4 in annual vehicle repairs with 64% of those polled having suffered because of the treacherous trenches. Almost half (46%) have experienced suspension problems, almost half (48%) have had a burst tyre, almost a fifth (17%) of drivers have had their windscreens chipped from the hole kicking up stones and a further 17% have had their paintwork damaged. An average spend of £208 per motorist is being shelled out on car repairs in Scotland as a result of the pothole crisis according to those questioned.
Do you know of any dangerous potholes on Borders roads? Let us know!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Taking a sickie to cheer on England?
THE latest piece of useless research to come by email states that workers in Scotland are least likely to pull a sickie during the World Cup - no surprise there then!
The survey, carried out by Continental Tyres, reckons one in five Scottish workers will pull a sickie this summer as England attempt to lift the World Cup in South Africa - but I think they are more likely to go to work to get away from the hype!
Anyway, bosses beware - during the World Cup a cheeky one in six workers will lie and say their car won’t start, have a sudden bout of food poisoning or simply feel dizzy. One in 20 will even blame a death in the family for keeping them off work.
The survey also reckons that a quarter of women won’t watch the World Cup because David Beckham isn’t playing.
The survey, carried out by Continental Tyres, reckons one in five Scottish workers will pull a sickie this summer as England attempt to lift the World Cup in South Africa - but I think they are more likely to go to work to get away from the hype!
Anyway, bosses beware - during the World Cup a cheeky one in six workers will lie and say their car won’t start, have a sudden bout of food poisoning or simply feel dizzy. One in 20 will even blame a death in the family for keeping them off work.
The survey also reckons that a quarter of women won’t watch the World Cup because David Beckham isn’t playing.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Launch of a new era
NOW a Tory-Lib Dem deal has been agreed, Gordon Brown has resigned as Prime Minister and David Cameron has moved into No 10, the media is full of news and analysis of what this will mean for Britain over the coming months and years ... presuming the coalition doesn’t break down.
But more importantly, people here want to know what will it mean for Scotland and the Borders.
Because while it appears that the electorate was ready for change, the country was not quite ready to fully endorse the Tories. However, the reality is that Labour didn’t cut it when it counted, the SNP was never going to make much of a dent nationally, and realistically, the Lib Dems probably didn’t expect to form the next government on their own. So perhaps this compromise offers some balance and reason.
Everyone knows it’s not going to be easy, particularly if Scottish Borders Council leader David Parker is right about more cuts being on the way as the government makes a start on reducing the country’s debt, with £6billion expected to be clawed back across the UK in the current financial year.
However, Michael Moore is an experienced politician who works hard for his constituents and he now has a serious voice in government.
Let’s ensure he makes the most of his position and makes sure our concerns are heard.
But more importantly, people here want to know what will it mean for Scotland and the Borders.
Because while it appears that the electorate was ready for change, the country was not quite ready to fully endorse the Tories. However, the reality is that Labour didn’t cut it when it counted, the SNP was never going to make much of a dent nationally, and realistically, the Lib Dems probably didn’t expect to form the next government on their own. So perhaps this compromise offers some balance and reason.
Everyone knows it’s not going to be easy, particularly if Scottish Borders Council leader David Parker is right about more cuts being on the way as the government makes a start on reducing the country’s debt, with £6billion expected to be clawed back across the UK in the current financial year.
However, Michael Moore is an experienced politician who works hard for his constituents and he now has a serious voice in government.
Let’s ensure he makes the most of his position and makes sure our concerns are heard.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
BGH report raises questions
Borderers will no doubt be shocked at the damning report on infection control compiled by the Health Environment Inspectorate following a visit to the Borders General Hospital earlier this year.
Among the points raised by the inspectors were that there was no consideration of risk for patients, staff and visitors in Ward 8 and there was a consistent lack of attention to cleaning floor edgings and corners.
Although the inspectors reported that the overall perception of cleanliness in the hospital was good, bosses were told to improve cleaning methods.
A high level of cleanliness in a hospital should be a given, no excuses. However, ensuring a public hospital maintains that, day in, day out, is a massive undertaking for cleaning and nursing staff, particularly if vacancies are not being filled because of budget contraints.
So, perhaps some of the questions that need to be asked are: Does the BGH employ enough staff to carry out the necessary work? Are nurses given the training and support they need to ensure guidelines are followed? It would seem not.
Senior ward staff were reported to have said they are not supported by top hospital staff. BGH managers have put a comprehensive action plan in place to ensure that the recommendations in the report are acted on immediately, but any improvements are likely to suffer if staffing levels are too low to realistically sustain them.
As managers, they have a duty of care for staff as well as patients, and it is not difficult to see that if you get the first one right, the second will follow.
Among the points raised by the inspectors were that there was no consideration of risk for patients, staff and visitors in Ward 8 and there was a consistent lack of attention to cleaning floor edgings and corners.
Although the inspectors reported that the overall perception of cleanliness in the hospital was good, bosses were told to improve cleaning methods.
A high level of cleanliness in a hospital should be a given, no excuses. However, ensuring a public hospital maintains that, day in, day out, is a massive undertaking for cleaning and nursing staff, particularly if vacancies are not being filled because of budget contraints.
So, perhaps some of the questions that need to be asked are: Does the BGH employ enough staff to carry out the necessary work? Are nurses given the training and support they need to ensure guidelines are followed? It would seem not.
Senior ward staff were reported to have said they are not supported by top hospital staff. BGH managers have put a comprehensive action plan in place to ensure that the recommendations in the report are acted on immediately, but any improvements are likely to suffer if staffing levels are too low to realistically sustain them.
As managers, they have a duty of care for staff as well as patients, and it is not difficult to see that if you get the first one right, the second will follow.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Snake among sewerage system finds
A LIVE snake, badger and a dead cow were among the bizarre things found in Scotland’s sewer network in the past year, water chiefs have said.
Scottish Water staff have also found a platoon of toy soldiers, a live frog and a goldfish clogging the pipes.
The firm spends £6m a year clearing system blockages and urged people to think about what they flush away.
Many items also enter the system by falling into drains or manholes found in fields and roads.
A worker at the Dunfermline waste water treatment works was stunned to see a Mexican desert kingsnake curled beneath a metal grid boardwalk he was strolling along.
He contacted the Scottish SPCA, who collected the non-venomous constrictor snake and took it away.
A live badger found in a pumping station well at Drongan in Ayrshire also made a full recovery after it was rescued by the SSPCA.
A goldfish named Pooh, recovered in East Kilbride, and a frog found in a pump in Dornoch, Highlands, were none the worse for their time inside the sewer system.
However, a sheep found in a manhole chamber and a cow recovered from a storm tank were not so lucky.
Scottish Water staff have also found a platoon of toy soldiers, a live frog and a goldfish clogging the pipes.
The firm spends £6m a year clearing system blockages and urged people to think about what they flush away.
Many items also enter the system by falling into drains or manholes found in fields and roads.
A worker at the Dunfermline waste water treatment works was stunned to see a Mexican desert kingsnake curled beneath a metal grid boardwalk he was strolling along.
He contacted the Scottish SPCA, who collected the non-venomous constrictor snake and took it away.
A live badger found in a pumping station well at Drongan in Ayrshire also made a full recovery after it was rescued by the SSPCA.
A goldfish named Pooh, recovered in East Kilbride, and a frog found in a pump in Dornoch, Highlands, were none the worse for their time inside the sewer system.
However, a sheep found in a manhole chamber and a cow recovered from a storm tank were not so lucky.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Soldiering on in the danger zone
FOR many local families, last week was a week to be dreaded.
One which saw the start of the major deployment of soldiers from the Borders’ own infantry regiment to the most dangerous place in the world – Afghanistan’s Helmand Province.
During the next few weeks a total of 400 troops of the Royal Scots Borderers will fly out to the war zone where just last week six British soldiers lost their lives in one of the grimmest periods for our army since being first sent to Afghanistan in 2001.
Nearly a decade on and with another bloody conflict having been fought in Iraq at the same time, it is becoming almost a tragic weekly occurrence to hear of more deaths of British soldiers in combat.
A decade ago few in the Borders would have known where Helmand was, yet now it is a name seared into our national consciousness. And rightly so. Because whether you agree or not about British forces being in Afghanistan, the men and women sent to war by our government are there on our behalf, doing a job most of us would run a mile from if asked.
Helmand is the largest of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. Mainly desert, it is the world’s largest opium-producing region and one which the Taliban has made a key battleground.
The next six months will be an anxious period for those Borders families with loved ones serving with the battalion. As they depart, we wish them well, knowing they will uphold the finest traditions of the Scottish infantry – professionalism, courage, compassion and steadfastness.
And we will long for the day, which seems so far off today, when we see them return home to their proud Borderland.
One which saw the start of the major deployment of soldiers from the Borders’ own infantry regiment to the most dangerous place in the world – Afghanistan’s Helmand Province.
During the next few weeks a total of 400 troops of the Royal Scots Borderers will fly out to the war zone where just last week six British soldiers lost their lives in one of the grimmest periods for our army since being first sent to Afghanistan in 2001.
Nearly a decade on and with another bloody conflict having been fought in Iraq at the same time, it is becoming almost a tragic weekly occurrence to hear of more deaths of British soldiers in combat.
A decade ago few in the Borders would have known where Helmand was, yet now it is a name seared into our national consciousness. And rightly so. Because whether you agree or not about British forces being in Afghanistan, the men and women sent to war by our government are there on our behalf, doing a job most of us would run a mile from if asked.
Helmand is the largest of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. Mainly desert, it is the world’s largest opium-producing region and one which the Taliban has made a key battleground.
The next six months will be an anxious period for those Borders families with loved ones serving with the battalion. As they depart, we wish them well, knowing they will uphold the finest traditions of the Scottish infantry – professionalism, courage, compassion and steadfastness.
And we will long for the day, which seems so far off today, when we see them return home to their proud Borderland.
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