Fatal Ladder Fall Still Remembered

Pictured at the Graham Clark charity match are friends Stephen Kirkup, left, and Aaron Hall, his children Mason and Rhianna and dad Michael, back. 

Football match held in memory of tragic window cleaner who died after falling from ladders: A South Tyneside father who fell to his death from a ladder has been remembered through a football match in his memory. Graham Clark was 21 years old when his parents Elaine and Michael had to make the heartbreaking decision to turn off his life-support machine.

The window cleaner, from Tyne Dock, had spent almost a week hooked up to the machine after he fell 15ft from ladders while cleaning windows at a home in Laygate, South Shields. He had been due to become a father for a second time when he died on June 4, 2008.

Still grieving for the loss of their friend, a football tournament was organised in his memory by pals for the first time two years ago. This year, teams playing for the Graham Clark Memorial Trophy also raised over £600 for his two children, Mason and Rhianna, now aged eight and seven.

Mason was only six months old when his dad died. Graham did not get the chance to meet his daughter. This year the memorial contest was won by Buzzers FC, who beat eight teams to lift the trophy.

The event was organised by friends Stephen Kirkup, Aaron Hall, Graham’s brother Christopher and his dad Michael. Mum Elaine said: “This is the second year they’ve done this and I’m just over the moon they are helping to keep my son’s memory alive in this way.

“I feel so proud that people have taken time to organise the tournament and take part in something in memory of my son. “His two children always ask about their dad and it’s heartbreaking when they keep asking for him. “It’s really nice what his friends are doing, not just in his memory, but also for his children.”

Graham’s family would like to thank Jason Meiers for allowing the teams to use the pitches at Chuter Ede Community Centre, and 
everyone who took part, in particular those who 
helped organise the tournament.

Ladder Safety & Downloads - Another Incident!

Cabbie tells of fall bloodbath: A taxi driver told today how he came to the aid of a badly injured, blood-soaked window cleaner.David Cook rang emergency services after finding the 45-year-old man in Prendwick Avenue, Hebburn. It is believed the man fell from a ladder while on his window cleaning round, at about 1pm on Wednesday. The man is described as in a "stable" condition at South Tyneside District Hospital, suffering from head and back injuries. Mr Cook, 37, a driver with Hebburn Taxis, said: "I was just returning from my school run when I saw this guy propped up against the fence. "Blood was pouring out of him, and he looked in a terrible state. He was staggering and unsteady on his feet, and I didn't know what had happened. "I rang emergency services and tried to keep him calm until the paramedics arrived. He seemed a little delirious and severely concussed. "There looked to be four big holes or wounds in his head, and there was blood everywhere. From what I could gather, it seemed like he'd fallen off his ladder. I knew the house where he had been working and I later saw blood all over the drive-way." Mr Cook said he had seen nothing like this in his 15 years as a taxi driver. Inspector Ian King, for Jarrow and Hebburn police, said: "We are still looking into this incident and appealing for witnesses, but it appears this window cleaner fell from his ladder. "He is conscious and in a stable condition at South Tyneside District Hospital."

This comes after a death in the same area last year: With a new baby on the way, a loving fiancée, a steady business and a family who adored him – Graham Clark had everything to live for. But that all tragically changed on May 31, when the window cleaner fell 15ft from a ladder, at a house in Laygate, South Shields, and spent almost a week hooked up to a life-support machine. The 21-year-old's heartbroken family eventually had to make the painful decision to switch the machine off, after doctors said tests showed he was no longer responding. His mum, Elaine, 44, from Biddick Hall, South Shields, said: "We were told to gather at the hospital on the morning, but I thought it was to get the results of some of Graham's tests – I didn't realise it was for the last rites." Mr Clark, who was due to become a father for the second time, died last Wednesday. His family were at his bedside. His mum added: "As parents, we were just picking out the positive things the doctors were saying. "We really thought he was going to get better, and we were thinking ahead about how we'd manage when he came out."

There are numerous sites on ladder safety, please check them out. UK, USA, Australia,



NEW - DVD "Safe use of portable ladders and water-fed poles": Safe use of portable ladders and waterfed poles is the title of a new Safety training DVD. It shows the importance of a thorough inspection of the site and of the equipment. Moreover the importance of safety in securing the ladder and its correct use….with an emphasis on the potential consequences. Waterfed poles - Traditionally, window cleaners have used all manner of ladders and platforms to reach the higher windows, but the introduction of new technology and the Working At Height Regulations in 2005 have shown us that if it’s not essential to work at height…then don’t! While using these telescopic poles might seem like the ultimate solution, but they’re not without their dangers. In this short video, we’ll aim to show you how to get the most out of your water-fed pole system and how to keep you and the people around you safe. Available from the Federation at an affordable price of £15.00 for Members - £35.00 for Non-Members. Telephone: 0161 432 8754 or Email: info@f-w-c.co.uk to place your order.

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Window Cleaning News

Clearview Window Washing is proud to announce the celebration of their 3rd anniversary this month, demonstrating their growing success and commitment to customer satisfaction. While the company's primary business focus is window washing, they have expanded their services in 2008 to include gutter cleaning. The majority of the company's 300 residential customers are based within Collin County, but as the company expands, they are acquiring a substantial amount of new business customers within Dallas County. "We are excited about our explosive growth within our community and are looking forward to many more years of service to our customers," said Ricardo Young, one of the company's founders. The company owes its success to its attention to detail, providing a thorough window cleaning for each one of their customers. While some companies quickly clean only the exterior windows of their customer's home or business, Clearview's process is much more expansive. Clearview begins their window washing process by removing and labelling all of the property's window screens so that they can be cleaned. A crew member will clean both sides of the screens with a soft brush as to not damage the delicate material. While the screens are drying, the Clearview crew will begin to clean the property's exterior windows, ensuring that each window is squeegeed and wiped dry. Then, the interior of the windows are cleaned, providing sparkle and protection from the environmental elements for all of the property's windows. "Our customers are shocked once we have completed our services as their windows often have a sparkle that they have never seen, adding to the curb appeal of their property. In addition, many of our customers are pleased with the increase in quality of their view from within their property to the outdoors," says Ricardo. For more information or to request a free, no-hassle estimate, please contact Clearview Window Washing at (469) 569-2672. Clearview Window Washing serves Dallas and surrounding North Texas communities. Clearview's impressive client list includes homes in Plano, Frisco, Garland, Irving, Mesquite, McKinney, Richardson, Cedar Hill, North Dallas, Carrollton, Addison, Farmer's Branch, Southlake, Addison, Highland Park, University Park and many other prominent neighborhoods in Tarrant, Denton and Dallas Counties.

North Studio has been stealing copyrighted content for years. A few years ago, the word got out about their various scams (eg. charging students to develop commercial websites for clients) and they tried to clean up their rep. Rep? Did you know that window washing was part of their course work? Not "Window" as in "Microsoft Windows"-- windows, as in the clear panes of glass.

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Little Rhianna will never get to know her dad: SMILING as she cuddles her new baby, Katie McGovern’s happiness is tinged with sadness. She should have been celebrating the birth of her little girl with proud fiance Graham Clark. But window cleaner and dad Graham died after falling 15ft from his ladder in June. Katie, who also has their 11-month-old son Mason, said she and Graham had decided to call their new baby Rhianna. The 18-year-old said: "Graham was so excited and looking forward to her being born. We had gone out to buy some pink outfits, and he was always kissing my stomach. "Graham was a very, very good dad. As soon as he came home from work he would rush to see Mason, who would be looking for him as soon as he heard the door. "It is horrible as now the children won’t know him, but there are lots of pictures of Graham around the house, and I talk about him all the time." At her home in Linthorpe Court, South Shields, Katie said her daughter is the double of her dad, which had brought everything back. She said: "Rhianna is so like Graham, the shape of her ears, her brown eyes, her lips and her nose. She is the splitting image of him. "It is really hard as I wanted to share all this with him. I have been crying all the time, especially as she looks so like him." Katie added: "The first thing Mason does in the morning is look at the picture of Graham, smiles, and says ‘dadda dadda’. I have kept lots of pictures of him around so Mason and Rhianna can see them. "I am also making a photo album for them. I will keep showing them pictures and talking to them about him all the time, and as soon as I am back on my feet I will take both of them down to Graham’s grave. "I think Graham would have been really proud, and she would have been a daddy’s girl. When I was pregnant he used to always say if it was a girl then she would be his little princess. He was really hands on so he would have been chuffed to have one of each." Mason was just seven months old when Graham’s accident happened. He was working at a house in South Shields with his grandfather, Thomas Clark, 73, and his 46-year-old uncle, also called Thomas Clark. He hit his head, causing internal swelling and pressure on the brain and was taken to South Tyneside District Hospital. He was transferred to Newcastle General Hospital and put on a life support machine. When he didn’t respond to treatment his family took the heart-breaking decision to switch the machine off.

Victim appeals over hit-and-run horror: THE VICTIM of a brutal hit-and-run incident has appealed for witnesses to help police catch the rogue driver who nearly killed him. Michael Breedon, from Hornchurch, had his left leg fractured in five places when he was mown down by the driver of a black Volkswagen Golf GTI, in North Street, Hornchurch, at just after 11.30pm last Friday. The 51-year-old was walking down an alleyway behind two friends on his way home from the Fatling & Firkin Pub (pictured) when the incident happened. He said: "My mates walked out of the alleyway into the High Street, and a car came past and the people in it threw a glass of beer out of the window at them. "It missed one of my friend's heads by a foot, but covered him in beer. "Terrifyingly Michael told how the Volkswagen spun around and charged back down Hornchurch High Street forcing Michael's friends to flee to safety on the pavement. Unaware of the deadly drama unfolding, Michael came out of the alleyway just as the car approached yet again.He said: "As they came back my other friend and I walked out of the alleyway."My mate clocked what was happening but I didn't realise until it was too late."It happened so quickly that I didn't really know I'd been run over. "When I looked up I said what's happened to my leg - they had smashed it to pieces and my toes were pointing in the wrong direction."Michael, a window cleaner, was taken to Queen's Hospital where he had emergency surgery to reconstruct his leg. The injuries were so severe though that he will be off work until after Christmas. He added: "My mate said they were going for me head on, and then swerved at last minute. If they hadn't swerved they would have hit me full on, and I'd be dead by now. "Anyone that has any information in relation to this incident is asked to contact Havering Police on 01708 751212.

NEWSOME, W.Yorkshire, residents are being warned about a bogus window cleaner touring the area. Police are urging people not to hand over money to anyone but their regular window cleaner, after an Edale Avenue resident was targeted in an apparent con. The victim answered the door to a man who asked for money, claiming to have cleaned the windows. The resident handed over £10 and the man rode off on a bicycle at 6.50pm on Thursday. A neighbour then pointed out to the resident that his windows had not been cleaned and that the visitor was not the regular window cleaner for the area. The trickster is in his late 30s or early 40s, slim build and wore jeans, a green anorak and a grey baseball cap. Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 0845 6060606.

Tough Economy? Entrepreneurs Must Get Tougher: Rand Riedrich put it bluntly to the 25 fledgling entrepreneurs at a business survival workshop recently: "Any idiot can make money during an economic boom. Where the rubber meets the road is in the downturns." The Small Business Development Center adviser gave his increasingly nervous audience the advice Thursday at the Norm Dicks Government Center, part of a seminar designed to help owners survive in the now complicated and competitive market. His advice for surviving in a downturn: "You need to make every penny scream." Spend money as a last resort. Write a thorough business plan and stick to it. Learn to negotiate your costs down."You need to negotiate like you're going to go to Juarez and trying to buy a blanket," he said.Don't be afraid to raise prices; customers will think they're buying something special. Above all, know your customers' age, sex, income bracket and spending habits. And this is key: Know what they desire to buy and give it to them. "You need to know exactly who those folks are and get what they need," said Riedrich, who dispenses advice to business people through the center. Also, they were urged to target their products to the 50-plus crowd that, on average according to numbers from the U.S. Census, is flush with $6,400 a year in disposable income. That compares with debt-ridden younger buyers still paying more for housing, food and clothing, and with only $1,300 to spend freely. Provide services for the older folks, remembering that already they've got an eye toward staying in their homes for the longest time possible. Try services to make that happen, he said — like home repair, products and services related to grandchildren, or hauling, because they'll probably get rid of that pickup truck. Know how to relate to a 50-and-older set that values exceptional service, a good work ethic, nice clothes and clean language. "And they like quality. They're at that point in their life; they're going to buy it now, and they want it to last longer." But with all the encouragement, the workshop made up of entrepreneurs in yoga, mediation, legal services, window-cleaning, chimney sweepers and even one who offers custom tattoos for prosthetics still had to face this fact from Riedrich: Eighty percent of startup businesses will fail in eight years.

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One more reason to have a perfectly normal boat instead of one of those average mega yachts that are a dime a dozen...

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Mark Stange of Beautiful View, Toronto, Canada gives us another instalment of his tool review. This time, the Unger bucket on a belt (boab). Available here in the UK & here in the USA.