Window Cleaning News

A window cleaner risked his life to save a toddler from drowning in the sea. Steve Turner (pictured), of Rinkfield, Kendal, plunged into the icy sea when he saw four-year-old Kingsley Green motionless in the water off the Fleetwood coast. “The sea doesn’t take any prisoners. As soon as I saw him in there the adrenaline kicked in,” he said. Kingsley had been playing with his sister Caitlin, nine, and brother Kai, three, on a slipway when he fell into the water just before 1pm. Fishermen working nearby threw a life ring out to the youngster but the receding tide pulled him further out to sea. Mr Turner, 45, was taking part in a fishing competition on Rossall Promenade, near Thornton Cleveleys, when he heard shouting. “I looked over and saw about 15 people in a crowd. I ran up and saw this tiny little thing bobbing up and down, motionless in the water,” he said. “I’m a good swimmer and I was confident that I could reach him. I had done a bit of life saving before but never in the sea and it was a totally different situation.” Stripping down to his pants and socks, the fisherman dived into the icy water and swam out to the boy who was, by then, unconscious. “When I swam up to him, he was face down in the water and blue, and there was foam all around his mouth. It was horrible,” he said. “I grabbed his collar and they pulled us back to shore with the rubber ring. I don’t remember much after that.” 

Mr Turner and Kingsley were pulled to shore where a male nurse resuscitated the youngster before the ambulance arrived. Kingsley regained consciousness and was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital by ambulance. Mrs Green, from Fairway, in Fleetwood, said Kingsley is now recovering well at home. “He is a very lucky little boy,” she said. “He’s got a few bruises but apart from that it’s like nothing has happened. “I just want to thank Steve and the others so much. I owe him everything. They saved my boy’s life.” Lancashire Police have nominated Mr Turner and others involved in the rescue for a bravery award. “These men are to be commended for their actions,” said Insp Jim Edmonds, of Fleetwood Police. “The fishermen who went into the water had to swim out about 30 yards to reach the youngster and he was in the water for almost five minutes himself. If he had not done so then it is quite likely that the boy could have died.” “I am proud of myself,” said Mr Turner. To be honest I’ve always wanted to work for a life saving team and if the opportunity came up to help someone again I would do it in an instant.” Steve Taylor, of Liverpool Coastguard, said: “This was a very brave rescue, however, our advice is to not attempt a rescue yourself. "The sea is very dangerous and it is very easy for children to be swept away in a high tides. The best advice is to stand well back and be careful.”

Retired window cleaner died alone: A retired window cleaner died while trying to get dressed, an inquest heard. John O’Farrell was found dead at his home in Thornfield Road, Little Hulton, after neighbours became concerned they had not seen him for a few days. Bolton Coroner’s Court heard police broke into Mr O’Farrell’s house and found him lying half on his bed, where he had apparently been attempting to get dressed.  A post mortem examination showed the 74-year-old had probably died a few days before he was found on April 14. Mr O’Farrell, who was well known in the area through his work as a self-employed window cleaner, died from heart disease, the court heard.

He was not married and had no children, but his niece, Catherine Hicks, from Staffordshire, said he was a proud and independent man. She told the inquest: “He always said: ‘I’m fine, I don’t need any help, I can look after myself.’ “He would say he was fine, even if he wasn’t, he was always cheerful and always upbeat.” Mr O’Farrell was described as an “outgoing man” who enjoyed going to his local pub with friends to play dominoes. Recording a verdict of death from natural causes, assistant deputy coroner Peter Watson said: “He was of that generation of people who lived independently and proudly, not causing any trouble to any body, whether relatives or friends. “Clearly he was a man who was happy living his own life in his own way.”

An illegal engineer who installed faulty boilers and falsely claimed he was registered to work as a gas fitter faces a £1,015 court bill for five health and safety breaches. Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector Julian Franklin told York magistrates a registered gas engineer found five defects on two boilers installed by Bennett Morley in Hillsborough Terrace, off Wigginton Road, in 2009 and The Limes, in Stockton-on-the-Forest, in 2008. One of the faults had the potential to put people in the property at risk of death or injury. Morley, 29, told magistrates he had spent the money he earned as a handyman on getting married and household expenses rather than registering with the Gas Safe Register and he thought his work complied with current standards. Magistrates fined Morley, of Cherry Paddock, Haxby, £500 and ordered him to pay £500 prosecution costs and a £15 victim surcharge. Morley pleaded guilty to two charges of doing gas fitting work he was not competent to do, two of carrying out gas work without being registered and one of falsely claiming that he was registered. He had started working for himself doing work in bathrooms and some gas work in 2007, but now worked four days a week as a window cleaner and one day a week doing painting and decorating.

Inspectors slam hospital ward: On cleaning, the report said ten out of the 11 areas inspected in the hospital had good standards of cleanliness, but it said: "Cleaning in ward 21 needs to be brought up to the standard of other wards. In particular, with regard to high and low level dusting, the cleaning of window sills, panes and ledges, cupboard interiors, dirty/dusty floor corners, and equipment for storing food." The report also highlighted refurbishment work at the hospital and said: "During the inspection, it was evident that the risk assessment processes to plan and manage refurbishment work in ward 21 had failed to function."

Violence against artworks. In 1974, Tony Shafrazi spray-painted Picasso's famed anti-war painting "Guernica," which was on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, with the words "KILL LIES ALL." Two years later at the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, a window washer hurled a small bronze sculpture at Bouguereau's 1886 mythologized full- length nude portrait of a woman, "Return of Spring." "That's a much bigger problem that in many ways has nothing to do with art and has to do with a national problem that we have no ability to think of a 'we' that incorporates different voices."

The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources spent tens of thousands of euro of taxpayers' money on life coaching courses, bicycles, taxis and sponsorship under ministers Noel Dempsey and his replacement, Eamon Ryan. Documents released to the Sunday Independent under the Freedom of Information Act detail all departmental spending of over €500 per item between 2007 to the end of August 2010. Some of the spending is quite remarkable according to the files, which we obtained last Thursday. Transparency is a big issue also. There is a lavish window cleaning spend, which cost the department over €30,000 this year and last year.

Hawkins to face Marsh in March election: Thomas Hawkins has filed paperwork to run for re-election to the Gainesville City Commission, setting up a spring race with Don Marsh (pictured), who came up 42 votes shy of becoming mayor earlier this year. Hawkins, a 30-year-old lawyer and registered Democrat, isn't expecting a cakewalk in the nonpartisan election to keep his at-large seat and says he needs to begin fundraising to counter the head start of Marsh, who signed up in May. "I want to get started," Hawkins said. "I don't really know what to expect. He did really well against the mayor." Marsh, a 51-year-old registered Republican who runs a window-cleaning business and has never held political office, was narrowly beaten by a seasoned city commissioner, Craig Lowe, in a runoff in the mayoral race in April. Despite Marsh's near victory in his first citywide election, Hawkins said his experience and platform give him the edge in next year's election, which will be held March 15. Don Marsh - the window cleaner.

Mixing a bunch of Disney cartoons without the permission of Disney’s legal department (albeit under a claim of “fair use”). I don’t want to give away too much of the contents of “Right Wing Radio Duck,” since the cartoon’s sneaky personality requires brilliant surprises that constantly pop up.  This much can be said: the cartoon features Donald as a window-washer who becomes agitated by the perceived income gap between the working poor (his socio-economic status) and the executive fat cats that run corporate America.  After being fired for blatant insubordination, he finds it is impossible to get a new job.  Donald’s finances evaporate and his home faces foreclosure by an unsympathetic sheriff.

Driving ban for window cleaner: A man who was three times over the drink-drive limit is seeking help for his booze problems, a court was told. Self-employed cleaner Walter Luther was banned from driving for three years when he appeared before South Tyneside magistrates yesterday. He was also given an 18-month community order, with probation service supervision, ordered to go on a drink rehabilitation course, and to pay £250 prosecution costs. Luther, 48, of Belloc Avenue, South Shields, appeared for sentence after a trial at the court last Friday, when magistrates found him guilty of driving with excess alcohol. The van was stopped in Albert Road, and Luther was taken to South Shields police station, where a sample showed 242mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood. The limit is 80. Charlton Carr, defending, said: "His finances are a bit of a nightmare. "He has more money going out than coming in, and each week he robs Peter to pay Paul, paying some bills and leaving others to the following week. He is constantly in arrears and his earnings only average £75-£80 a week." The court was told a three-year ban was obligatory because it was Luther's second drink-drive conviction in 10 years. He was banned from driving for a year in August 2001.

North Yorkshire Police said letters had been delivered by officers to people living in the area, warning that bogus officials were about. Meanwhile, a man has also called at the home of an 85-year-old woman in Carlton Road, Sutton-on-Derwent, claiming he was working across the road and needed to turn off the gas and water. He showed no ID but was allowed in, although it is not thought anything was stolen. A neighbour noticed two men leaving the address and also reported seeing two men calling at his home, claiming they were setting up a window cleaning round. Police believe there are three men involved. The first is thought to be aged between 30 and 40, with a swarthy complexion, short dark hair, 5ft 8ins tall, of average build, wearing a black waterproof jacket. The second was a white man in dark clothing wearing tight-fitting jeans, about 5ft 6ins tall, thick set, with dark hair. The third was a white man, slim build, about 5ft 8ins tall, with straight brown hair, walking with a limp.

Miraculous testimony of an elite level gymnast touched by Padre Pio: 'Pio, like all the saints, is like the window-washer that scales tall buildings to clear away the muck and allow us to see His luminous rays aflame. God sends them, as He pushes us forward, to wipe clean the windows of not only our own lives, but also of those around us.' Ascending the dismal heights of our disbelief, the saint's job is oftentimes dangerous and unwelcome...after all, who wants their intimate lives to be seen and meticulously judged? God sends them, as He pushes us forward, to wipe clean the windows of not only our own lives, but also of those around us.

COLFAX, Wash. - A five month old from Whitman County fights for his life Monday night. He is in critical condition at Sacred Heart Medical Center. His mother’s boyfriend, 21-year-old Nathan Cranfield, is accused of the abuse. Cranfield appeared in court Monday afternoon. He faces life in prison for assaulting five month old Seth Bold. Detectives say Cranfield admits he severely shook the baby, all while the child’s mother was asleep upstairs. Monday, Cranfield appeared distant and confused in superior court. He was caring for baby Seth around 2am when he stopped breathing. At the hospital, doctors say the baby is in critical condition from brain injuries. Detectives say at first, Cranfield was elusive about how the baby was hurt, saying he accidentally bumped his head. Court documents show Cranfield later confessed to rocking the baby hard and fast, then tossing him on the bed. Cranfield says the baby wouldn’t stop crying. Whitman County Sheriff Brett Myers says both mom and the boyfriend told them the baby was cholicky and cried quite a bit. In court, Cranfield told the judge he just moved to Albion from Kentucky in June, that he worked as a window washer, and lived with his girlfriend. He also says he’s dyslexic and only remembered his employers first name, not the name of the business.

Self-regulating ventilator: Invisivent has launched the Evo self-regulating flap ventilator, which has been developed to provide ventilation without draughts or noise. The ventilator is designed to sit above an aluminium, timber or uPVC window frame and is available in the Futuro version for contemporary buildings or Classico for more traditional designs. The unit has a height of 62mm and is thermally broken with a self-regulating flap that reacts automatically to wind pressures to ensure a constant volume of air circulating in the building space. This, says the company, prevents draughts and saves on energy. A mesh, which can be removed for cleaning purposes, prevents insects from coming in. When the ventilator is closed, it is water- and wind-resistance up to 650Pa, the company says. The unit is available in a satin anodised finish or can be powder-coated in any RAL or Syntha Pulvin colour.

A LOCKERBIE man who launched a verbal attack on an Irish female police officer almost two years ago wants to become a window cleaner. But Garry Glendinning of Mains Street, Lockerbie, faces opposition to his licence bid from the Chief Constable who says his disorderly conduct is “clearly of concern”. He was fined £570 each for two charges which relate to the Police Scotland Act 1967 and breach of the peace with racial aggravation. Mr Glendinning failed to turn up at a meeting last month to discuss the licence and has been given a second chance to have his say at the Annandale and Eskdale area committee on Wednesday morning at Annan Town Hall. Otherwise the decision will be made in his absence. The police chief says the conviction means Mr Glendinning is not a “fit and proper person” to hold such a licence which would put him a position of trust with the public.

Just two years ago, Teesside photographer and brave cancer survivor Stephen J Dowd was at his lowest ebb. The former window cleaner, of Zetland Mews, Saltburn, suffered a marriage break-up and was given just a 50-50 chance of surviving colon cancer. Then last year his younger brother Tony fell desperately ill with a heart problem in Spain. The final straw was the tragic death of another younger brother, William, from lung cancer. Stephen, 68, sunk into a dark depression - trying to use the gritty determination learned as a young boxer to help him through. But then he discovered photography. Stephen said: “My brother Tony contacted me from Spain and implored me to take up photography. He bought me a digital SLR camera and I joined Saltburn Photographic Society.” Every penny he makes from his photos, which have also sold in the US and Australia, is going to the care of cancer patients on Teesside - including at the Holistic Cancer Care Centre at James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, where he was successfully treated. But he said - “Photography has banished my depression.”

This week's federal contracts, deals and bankruptcy filings involving Maryland businesses include the following: Conservation Services Contracting & Inspection of Arnold won up to $374,200 from the Architect of the Capitol for window cleaning services.

Man arrested for selling drugs on 'honor system' - A South Daytona business owner has been arrested on drug charges after police investigators said he sold marijuana to his employees via an "honor system" box in his office. Daniel Price, 61, of Robbin Drive in Port Orange, was arrested after a four-month South Daytona police investigation of his window-cleaning business Glass Act. Police raided the business Oct. 7 and seized 11 small plastic bags of marijuana from a green ammunition box in Price's office -- along with a few burnt cigarettes and digital scales, Lt. Ron Wright said Thursday. Investigators believe "employees were free to come and go from the office and remove packages of marijuana, as long as they left money in its place," Wright said. Reached Thursday, Price said, "Let's put it this way: Things are not always as they appear, OK?" Price, who was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell and possession of drug paraphernalia, was released on $3,000 bail.

'Strange government' The reality is that plenty of people in Morpeth have already been through tough times. In 10 minutes walking around the Market Place, Newsbeat spoke to Ian the window cleaner and Roche the caterer. Both have seen business get worse. Ian does most of the shop windows in town and in the last year many have closed or cut back. Roche has stopped using extra staff.  The government says the cuts have to happen now and they must be deep to get the UK back on its feet. It's so serious here that a local trade union man thinks the north-east of England should be treated differently and given special protection. He thinks some villages around Northumberland are only just getting over what happened decades ago, when the mining industry collapsed. "If the government is looking at areas which have suffered long and suffered hard, and says the way we help them is to take actions that have a disproportionately greater effect, then it's a strange strange government."