Window Cleaning News

TULSA, Oklahoma -- Some Tulsa firefighters in training are learning how to conquer their fear of heights. They spent time practicing rope rescues Thursday. Captain Chuck French said it's not something firefighters are called to do often, but when they do, it's important to be ready. "We do have a lot of people that work on cell phone towers right now, we have a lot of window washer crews downtown, so we want to be prepared for that in case we have an issue that arises while those guys are doing their work," Captain Chuck French said. The group of cadets is the largest in TFD history. They're expected to graduate in late September.

Woman, 82, dies from injuries sustained in May fall: The 82-year-old woman who fell from her third-story apartment window in May died last week from injuries sustained in the fall. Betty Haedtke had been cleaning a window at her Winona Arms apartment complex, 150 Pleasant Hill Drive, about 10:30 a.m. May 31 when she tumbled 30 feet to the ground below and landed on several potted plants. She was transported by ambulance to Winona Health and later flown by helicopter to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., said Patty Mueller, her caregiver of 2½ years. While hospitalized, Haedtke told Mueller that she had removed the window’s screen to wash the glass when she bumped the screen from the window’s ledge and reached outside to grab it, causing her to fall. Initial reports stated Haedtke was conscious but disoriented after she fell, and spokespeople from Mayo Clinic listed her in “fair” condition in the weeks following the incident. However, Haedtke was not able to make a full recovery from the serious internal injuries she suffered, Mueller said, and died last Friday in hospice care.

Clean, Declutter and Organize: Both staging experts say the most important thing a home seller can do before putting a home on the market is to clean everything, from top to bottom. If a home looks and smells clean, it’s a big plus. That means cleaning inside closets and cabinets, storage rooms, the laundry room–everywhere. If the home is even a little dirty–or if there are odors like stale tobacco or pet smells–that’s what buyers will remember. “Buyers open the refrigerator and it it’s grotty, they notice. It doesn’t matter how cute the house is,” said Dankowski. “Clean every corner, behind and on top of appliances, even the ceiling fan. Remove and replace old and dirty shelf paper. And if you don’t do windows, hire someone to clean them, inside and out. Spending $300 on a professional window cleaner is a lot cheaper than lowering the price of your house. It makes a big difference. It lets the sun in and makes everything look bright.”

Before They Were Famous: Video Game Characters - Video Game Characters weren’t always doing whatever it is they do. They had to earn their rankings, work for minimum wage, and rise to their current super stardom. So what was it they were doing before? Readers at Cracked.com have answered this question with never-before-seen (totally not photoshopped) pictures of your favourite characters… before their glory days. Ezio, Assassin’s Creed: Before he was running all over the place killing people, Ezio was upping his stealth points cleaning high-rise buildings. The cleaner the window, the stealthier he had to be.

Summers sets goal to be cleaner, greener: Summers County is working hard to make Hinton and surrounding areas more attractive by focusing on recycling and beautification projects. In addition, VISTA AmeriCorps employee Sarah Elswick discussed progress on an “Adopt A Window” program to improve the appearance of downtown Hinton. Berry explained the project seeks permission from downtown property owners “to authorize an existing business to adopt their window.” “They will clean up the window and street front, then provide a backdrop and window display,” Berry said. “With this project, property owners get vacant windows cleaned up so that they look alive and vibrant and existing businesses have the opportunity to expand their business space and get more exposure in the city.” Ultimately, Hinton will see a better-looking streetscape, added Berry.

Foundation East can help - Foundation East’s mission to make business finance more accessible in the East of England is gaining momentum. Three of the big banks, Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group and the Royal Bank of Scotland, have all signed up as corporate members of the community finance organisation and are committed to referring the companies they can’t support to Foundation East, who may be able to help. “We have provided affordable loans for companies across the East of England, ranging from a window cleaner in Bedford to a leading-edge technology company in Cambridge. We judge each application on its merits, and a poor credit history need not be an obstacle.” One of the issues Foundation East has identified is that many banks rely on credit scoring by computer to agree loan applications, which means that many viable business plans are rejected.

Aaron Friedland, 20, a junior at CU majoring in business operation, is one of the many self-employed workers to list their services on TryMyWork. Friedland offers his services as a window-cleaner to Boulder and the surrounding area. Boulder-based website empowers the self-employed - With unemployment rising again, a solution for local economic growth sounds promising. That's exactly what Glenn Corliss, the founder of TryMyWork, thought. Corliss is currently an economic consultant for the Department of Defense. In the past eight years, he has helped bring economic growth to the war-torn countries of Iraq and Afghanistan. "It's cool to have an outlet that works," said Friedland. "A college student like me won't get the credibility of someone who's been doing work for 10 or 15 years, even though I can do the job as well as them." Through TryMyWork, Friedland can let his skills do the talking. "I can advertise in a way that's appealing," he said. Friedland has tried advertising on free postings such as Craigslist, with little success. "With Craigslist I got a lot of weird responses," he said, none of which connected him with employers. Based out of Ft. Collins, TryMyWork was founded this February and has started offering listings in Boulder and Denver only this month. Already, there are dozens of service providers signed up in Boulder.

When Rory McIlroy was crowned US Open champ last week, he was swiftly christened 'Celtic Tiger'. But if the 22-year-old Northern Ireland golf ace is the new Tiger Woods, it begs the question: who's the new Rory McIlroy? Meet seven-year-old Zak Collins from Cork -- the small boy with the big swing who's teeing up to become the best in the world at a US tournament later this summer. He wears size two golf shoes and uses a tiny bespoke club, but already the Ballincollig schoolboy has a 150-yard drive that crushes grown men on the green. Window cleaning dad Denis watches on as Zak Collins putts for glory."We have no idea where he gets it from," says mum Stephanie Collins. "My husband Denis plays golf every so often, but Zak already beats him!" "It can be tough," admits Stephanie, who's husband runs his own window-cleaning service in Cork. "Golf is an expensive sport, but Lee Valley have been very good to us waiving their fees and fundraising. "Even still, between flights and hotels for tournaments, I'm always crunching the numbers to try and keep our costs down." In their bid to help their son become number one, the McIlroys famously installed a 1,200 sq ft floodlit putting green in the back garden of their Holywood home. But their investment has paid off big-time -- McIlroy is tipped to earn €1bn on the back of his incredible US Open victory. "Rory is a great role model for young children," adds Stephanie.

Who will be the leading Welsh entrepreneurs and decision-makers of the future? Rachael Flanagan, 24, established Mrs Bucket Cleaning Services when she was just 18 years old and was named the 2009 FSB Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Today her Swansea-based business employs 55 people and in addition to commercial cleaning has entered associated areas such as window cleaning, gardening and painting and decorating.

No job was too tough for ‘Biddy’ - A window cleaner who kept Worcester businesses and homes sparkling for four decades has died. Brian Bidwell died in hospital on June 19 after falling down the stairs at his home. Mr Bidwell, known as ‘Biddy’, was a well known Worcester character, primarily as a window cleaner for climbing high level ladders and standing on the ledges wiping the windows of offices and shops in the city and suburbs. His feat was all the more remarkable as he only had one eye from birth. The 69-year-old leaves his children Tracey and Paul, and grandchildren Yasemin, Leyla, Jake and Luke. He is also survived by his former wife Pamela. Born in London in 1941 to publican parents, he travelled to wherever they were posted. Mr Bidwell’s friend David Hallmark said: “Despite his physical handicap Biddy was the most stoic of men and undertook the hazards of his chosen career with calm confidence. “Such characters who quietly and competently serve their customers, who adore their family and who play socially with their mates while taking time out for a hobby are the very essence of the community spirit upon which we all depend. He will be sadly missed.”

South Belfast Urged For Vigilance against burglars: SDLP South Belfast MP Dr Alasdair McDonnell has warned residents of South Belfast to be extra vigilant after two elderly women were targeted by burglars posing as window cleaners. Dr. McDonnell said: “The fact that two vulnerable, elderly ladies were targeted in separate burglaries on the same day and in close proximity is a cause of grave concern. Two despicable men have used the good reputation of window cleaners to gain entry into the homes of these vulnerable women to rob them. My thoughts are with these two ladies. They have been through a terrible ordeal." Mr McDonell urged senior residents to be extremely cautious about allowing strangers into their homes. "If you don’t know someone, don’t let them in. If a representative of a utility company comes to your door, always ask for ID and always phone the company to check. I would urge anyone with information about these robberies, no matter how insignificant they think it is, to all contact the police."

Milwaukee Schools to Close: Nine Milwaukee Public Schools will close their doors as a direct result of the budget cut and Milwaukee teacher layoffs. In addition to the loss of jobs in the Wisconsin communities affected, empty buildings will litter the landscape. The school closures will impact local businesses. Contracted lawn care services, lunch-service providers, window washing companies and janitorial services that maintenance the schools will lose business. And, the future doesn't look very bright for the Milwaukee Public School system. The state is planning more cuts during the 2012-2013 school year based on predictions of a $30 million deficit within the school system. Will more Milwaukee teacher layoffs make headlines next summer?

Time-strapped modern families are increasingly turning to hired help for everything from cleaning the house to walking the dog, cooking, cleaning and decluttering. Personal concierges and organising businesses are springing up, helping to declutter, organise parties, find a rental home - anything that busy Melburnians need doing. South Melbourne's Diggidy Doggy Daycare has a waiting list of 20 dogs a day. "The demand is massive," said co-owner Janette Farren. "I think number one is, a lot of our client base don't have children, but two, people are very time-poor." South Yarra mother and business owner Vicki Corbett has built up what she calls her "A team" - a cleaner, window cleaner, dog walker, dog day care and garden designers-maintenance. With her husband, Peter Carroll, overseas for business two-thirds of the year, and running her own business, she said there were not enough hours in the day to do everything. "We are a pretty full-on family, there would be no time for family, friends or myself if I didn't have a team of people to help," she said.

Getting the biggest bang for your buck: Low-cost improvements that almost always make the biggest impact are cleaning, de-cluttering, and painting. Adding wallpaper and/or bead board, hanging curtains and updating fixtures can make a huge difference in the feel of your home, without taking huge amounts of time or money. Improving traffic flow, adding mirrors and setting up furniture in clusters (versus having it all against the walls) are simple changes that make a big difference. For tasks you hate or aren’t quite up to tackling and periodic deep cleaning (such as window washing and rug cleaning), it may be well worth hiring someone to do it for you.

New custodial contracts awarded for library, city hall: A new custodial service has been hired to clean the Camarillo Library and city hall for the next three years. Six companies sent bids to the city for each account. Merchants Building Maintenance, based in Monterey Park, Calif., was the lowest bidder for both buildings and was granted the contract. The company’s bid for the library is $87,747 and includes basic janitorial duties, day porters and window washing. It is 26 percent, or $30,453, less than the city’s current contract of $118,200. Merchants Building Maintenance’s bid for city hall is $31,405 and includes basic janitorial duties, carpet cleaning and window washing. It is 40 percent, or $20,615, less than the city’s current contract of $52,020. The three-year contract will start in July and end June 30, 2014.

SHE DOES MORE THAN WINDOWS: Lena Shammel, the mother of sons, a 1-year-old and one who is nearly 4, and husband Kris own Whatcom Window Washers. Even though she loves being a stay-at-home mom and helping with the business, she also wants to regain her fitness level and has turned to running. "I've been either pregnant or breast-feeding for four years, and I felt like my body was thrashed," she said, explaining why she went into training for the first time at age 36 and will be an enthusiastic Chuckanut Foot Race rookie. "My main motivation is to be strong and healthy," said Shammel, who was a four-year varsity soccer player and team captain at Seattle Prep, which she helped to a second-place state trophy as a junior. "I want to be able to say yes to a game of chase or hide-and-seek when my boys ask me."

The Winged Serpent - Larry Cohen’s largely forgotten 1982 creature feature is a genuine trash classic, with some great stop-motion effects and memorable performances from Michael Moriarty, David Carradine and Richard Roundtree. Some ill-advised rituals unleash Queztacoatl, the flying Aztec serpent god of the film’s title, which flies around Manhattan Island, feasting on unwitting sunbathers and window cleaners before retiring to its nest in the Chrysler Building. Eventually tracked down by a Caradine’s detective and platoon of soldiers, the scene’s set for a final, bullet-strewn confrontation.

Portland pensioner tricked by carpet cleaner thief: A heartrless fraudster stole £150 from a pensioner after tricking his way into a house disguised as a carpet cleaner. The 78-year-old pensioner from Weston Road in Portland was tricked into opening his door to a man pretending to be a window cleaner on Friday, June 24. The distraction burglary took place between midday and 1pm. The man, who is described as white, aged in his early twenties, around six feet tall and of a large build, wearing jeans and a light-coloured top and baseball cap, entered the house and took £150. It was only after the man had left that the 78-year-old noticed the cash had gone. Dorset Police have released details of the incident in a bid to encourage other victims to come forward and bring the fraudster to justice.

The $11 million makeover of the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal, which opened in the fall, added 60,000 square feet to the former World War I military warehouse. Next summer, Carnival Cruise Lines will start sailing a 3,000-passenger ship from Boston to Canada. “Boston is a very, very popular destination,’’ said Mike Leone, port director for Massachusetts Port Authority. Two men on a window-washing machine roll alongside the ship cleaning salt and grime off of 520 fiberglass balcony walls, followed by a third worker with a squeegee. Other workers touch up rusty spots with paint. Dockworkers hoist luggage to and fro - 2,600 bags coming off, 2,750 going on.

How do they keep Busch Stadium so clean? About 11 p.m. (after a night game), 40 "sweepers and pickers" begin sweeping the entire stadium while another 40 clean the restrooms, suites and party-room areas. After that, the crew throws the rest of the stuff in 55-gallon black trash bags. In all, the cleaners amass four to six tons of trash -- per game! "Now for Cubs' games, that could go up two more tons," Bertani said in all seriousness. But they're still not finished. About 6 a.m., another crew of 20 comes in to hose down the place. Then, at 8, several window washers spend six hours making all that glass sparkle for those fortunate to live it up in the deluxe suites and press box areas. "The best way to describe it is it takes 100 to 110 people at least eight hours each to do all this," said Bertani, who adds that the Cards pay more than $2 million a season for the services. "But like I said, we've got them coming in different shifts so they can stay out of each other's way." While never an easy job, it really can become a thankless task in inclement weather.

Should every business register trade marks? Well, if you are planning to build a business with brand value, you should seriously consider obtaining a trade mark. Consider how potentially ruinous it could be to develop a brand that becomes known amongst your customers if you then are forced to stop using the name. Similarly, you would be well advised to have the strongest rights possible to prevent other people piggy-backing on your growing success by using a confusingly similar name to try and poach your customers. Trade marks are territorial, meaning that you have to register on a country-by-country basis. If you are planning global domination with your new business, you should really consider obtaining trade marks in all your anticipated major markets, however, don’t forget to check the both the meaning of your trade marks in other languages. Probably the most notorious example of the failure to do this was Ford whose launch of the “Pinto” flopped in Brazil as in Brazilian Portuguese slang it means “small penis”.

A mark must be distinctive and not descriptive for the goods and services that you offer, for example if you provide window cleaning services, you would be unlikely to be able to obtain a trade mark for “Window Cleaners Extraordinaire”. The best possible trade marks are nonsensical names. Not only is it more likely that no-one else has beaten you to an earlier registration of the name, it is also more likely you’ll be able to get a .com or .co.uk domain name. And be wary of using animal names – it’s a well trod path and you’ll find that it is an extremely crowded space on the trade mark registry if you want to launch your new product called “Panther” or “Tiger” or some other big cat name!

Robin Handy is perhaps that rarest sort of executive -- one who does windows. He's also an entrepreneur at heart, which is why he'd rather occasionally demonstrate window washing as president of his own company, Heits Building Services of Minnesota, than return to the corporate world that's twice shown him the door. As the state's master franchisor for Heits Building Services, a New Jersey-based commercial building maintenance company, Handy plays a dual sales role. His first priority is to develop accounts, signing up companies and building owners needing daily cleaning services as well as specialty services such as intensive floor cleaning, painting and carpet cleaning. At the same time, Handy also is busy lining up franchisees who will perform those services.

SARANAC LAKE - A pair of local residents say the village needs to step in and encourage owners of downtown commercial properties to spruce up their buildings. Bob Brown and Carol Griebsch, speaking at last week's meeting of the village Board of Trustees, said "When you look at the downtown, down Broadway, on Main Street and out Bloomingdale Avenue, a lot of properties on our main streets I don't think are kept up the way they should be," Brown said. "If you have a particular business that's out of business, you've got a blank store window. It's dirty, it's not clean, and there's nothing in it. We have some downtown commercial properties that are run down." "Some of the properties are purchased by people who don't even live in Saranac Lake and don't have the same investment we do in the community," added Griebsch. "It's as simple as washing windows. It gives such a negative impression of a town that is really trying to come back. Is there something the village board has, as far as being able to say to people who own property that's commercial investment property, 'You need to spruce it up'?" "The windows have not been cleaned," Griebsch said. "There's a crack in the window that has not been repaired. It has paper that has drooped down. I understand there is a business that is trying to come in there and open up a coffee shop. But (the storefront) - it kind of makes us look a little bit like rednecks."

Holiday hero Jim leaps into pool to save drowning boy: Gladstone Street resident Jim Matthews has returned from holiday in Egypt with his arm in a sling after saving a young boy from drowning. The former fireman and window cleaner has been describing the moment he found himself in the thick of a dramatic poolside rescue at his hotel in Sharm-el-Sheikh – and how a twist of fate placed him in the right place at the right time. In the middle of Jim and wife Sheila’s holiday at the Hotel Sonesta Club – the same day as Selkirk Common-Riding – Jim found himself plucking a seven-year-old Russian boy from the bottom of the pool. Explaining how events unfolded, he told the Hawick News: “In the mornings we usually got up just after 8am and had a cup of tea on the balcony, before going for breakfast. But that morning we were up an hour earlier and decided to go straight for breakfast, so we were out by the pool much earlier too.” With the pool a large kidney-shape and the Matthews sitting at the bottom end, Jim says he watched a young boy run up and jump into the middle of a deeper area – and get into difficulties. He went on: “I watched him come up, then go back under about three times and he was struggling, and the last time he didn’t come up. I just jumped up and dived in, glasses and all. I think being in the fire brigade for 30 years, natural instinct kicked in.”

Residents angry over Brookes library plan for hi-tech window cleaning system: Oxford Brookes University’s plans to put a maintenance unit on its £132m library and teaching building have reignited a bitter dispute with its neighbours. Brookes wants to put the unit, pictured, on the top of the building at its main Gipsy Lane campus in Headington. Residents said they were shocked to hear a fresh planning application is to be submitted, with work already under way on the library which they campaigned bitterly against. The unit would provide a hi-tech window cleaning system on a rooftop track. The unit would allow a cradle on a jib to be lowered down the side of the building. But residents who fought over months to secure a reduction in the height of the library building by a storey, say they are upset Brookes has waited until now to put the proposal forward. The chairman of Headington Hill Residents’ Association, Susan Lake, said: “We feel this has been sprung on us. “It was not part of the plans that Brookes put in.” She added: “It is going against what the city council approved.” Brookes registrar Paul Large said: “We’ve consulted on this application and we’re committed to continuing those discussions as part of the planning process. “We believe this is a better and a safer way of maintaining the facade of our library... it is lower than the tallest point for which we already have planning permission, and we hoped to use the opportunity provided by the planning application to fund some landscaping in our neighbours’ gardens.”

In the wake of the death of Texas firefighter Shannon Stone, there will be calls to discourage or even ban baseball players from tossing balls into the stands. Stone died in the ambulance on the way to hospital. He’s the second fan to die after a fall at a ballpark this year. In May, a 27-year-old died at Denver’s Coors Field after attempting to slide down a banister and tipping over the edge. There have been falling deaths at the Rogers Centre (then called the SkyDome). According to the Blue Jays, none have been related to game action. In 1991, a man sitting on the railing of a ramp lost his balance and fell to his death. A scaffolding collapse killed another. Two window washers were killed after their cherry picker turned over.

Malcolm Unsworth, president and C.E.O. of Itron, a technology company in Liberty Lake, Wash. At 13, I became a window cleaner. My mother lent me the money for ladders, a bucket and some chamois leathers. The city had a lot of smog, so I always had work. After my father’s death when I was 16, I decided to learn a trade. I worked as an apprentice toolmaker for four years and took engineering classes at night at what was then the Salford College of Technology. I probably made $11 a week, so I kept the window-cleaning business on the side.

A window cleaner has hung up his chamois leather to reopen a village pub. Graham Awford, who cleaned windows in Greatham for 30 years, has taken over the reins of The Bull and Dog, in the village. The pub in the High Street had been closed for six months until recently reopening following an extensive £40,000 refurbishment. While scores of pubs up and down the country are being forced to close, the pub’s reopening marks a refreshing change. Graham, 58, said: “I’ve been the village window cleaner for the last 30 years so we are well known in the village. “My wife Susan was the main inspiration for taking on the pub. She always said she wanted to take it over if it ever came up. “It had been closed since last October. It had been going downhill and wasn’t in a very good state.” The refurbishment has seen the pub get new seating, walls and generally polished up. Graham added: “The reaction from people has been brilliant. “It is a typical, traditional village pub and it has gone down really well with the locals who are happy to have it back.”

BROOKSVILLE - The Hernando County Government Center has 110 toilets and 13 urinals that are routinely cleaned twice a day for employees and residents. But if county commissioners approve a budget-saving plan, the building's bathrooms will only be cleaned once a day. That could pose a problem for the first floor bathroom which is heavily used during county commission meetings. And the bathrooms are not the only thing in the budget crosshairs. Custodians may have to cut down on mopping, vacuuming and window cleaning. No stone is being left unturned apparently in the county's quest to put a lid on spending. And the possible cutback in custodial services has led at least two commissioners to consider outsourcing the services if it saves money. If the board accepts a proposal from the facilities department, custodial staff will reduce its cleanings tasks substantially. The cost savings will be from buying fewer cleaning solutions and equipment and by cutting the work hours of the custodial staff. The glass doors and windows are currently cleaned five times a week. To save money, that task would go down to twice a week.

Earlier I this week I spotted this fellow standing 45ft off the ground and only inches from the roof's perimeter. Turns out that he was cleaning the gutters without fall protection.

Roof falls: Now that the weather is really good, homeowners are finding themselves thinking about cleaning their gutters and conducting roof maintenance. Most people do not venture onto their roofs very often, so the experience can be unnerving. If you don’t have the experience or safety equipment, it is highly recommended that you consider hiring competent people who are experienced with the specific work that you are thinking about doing. Some minor work can be done from the roof's perimeter while others might require appropriate supervision and monitoring with higher standards of fall protection and suitable scaffolding.

There is absolutely nothing fun about being 20 feet off of the ground standing on the top of a ladder that feels like a metronome. Especially when your reach is limited to the length of your arms and your feet are on a 20” wide tread only 2” thick. Yet the call of gutter cleaning often drowns out the common sense action of picking up the phone and hiring an insured professional to do the work. Another thing that the professional has is the right equipment to do the job, including fall protection.

There are two types of methods used to prevent fall injuries when working on a roof. Work restraint is used to prohibit the worker from reaching the edge of a roof. The second, fall arrest, is a harness system that doesn’t stop the person from falling off a roof, but limits the distance of the fall. Work restraint should be used rather than fall arrest, as it prevents a fall. Fall arrest is normally the last resort as it does not prevent a fall and only protects the individual.

All work restraint or fall arrest systems must have:

• a strong anchor point
• a properly designed system so that work restraint workers cannot reach any edge from which they can fall
• a properly designed system so that fall arrest workers have enough clearance for deployment
• close supervision
• trained users, so they can safely use any equipment and use rescue procedures.
• a rescue system in place

Most residential work is pretty minor in nature. Countless times every day homeowners access their roofs to retrieve balls, pick up garbage, or clean debris from the drains. Make sure that you have the equipment and experience to do the work. If you don’t, please pick up the phone and call one of our local professionals.

A window cleaner is taking a punt at an epicrowing challenge in honour of his Weymouth brother. Stuart Bates and two friends have embarked on an oarsome adventure which will take them up the River Thames from Twickenham to Oxford in a 26ft Victorian Skiff. They will be eating and sleeping on board for six days and nights. Stuart, 41, has never rowed before and is taking up the oars for his brother Spencer, from Weymouth, who suffers from Motor Neurone Disease. He plans to raise £10,000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA). Stuart, from Oxford, is rowing with his friends Lawrie Hall and Julian Tolputt, who are being helped on the way by world champion rower Anna Watkins as their coach and mentor. They hope to cross the finish line today. The team’s gruelling challenge is the equivalent of crossing the Channel five times against the tide. The men, who are all novice rowers, have dubbed themselves ‘Three Dopes in a Boat’ after Jerome K Jerome’s 1889 comic novel which saw three friends row from Kingston to Oxford. Stuart said: “When my much-loved brother Spencer was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease I knew literally nothing of the condition. “Upon researching the illness that night, I was devastated to learn that the average life expectancy for sufferers of his strain, progressive bulbar palsy, was between six months and three years from the onset of symptoms.