Add captionTerry "Turbo" Burrows, untouchable in speed window cleaning on the last day of the Manchester cleaning show.
Fastest window washer cleans up competition in just 20 seconds: Nimble Neil Caden has won the title of the fastest window washer after cleaning up the competition in just 20 seconds. The 50-year-old, from Leeds, West Yorks., wiped the floor with the younger lads - and used his skills as a black belt in karate to wax-on, wax-off the competition.
Sadly he did not beat 20-year recorder holder Essex-based Terry Burrows (pictured top), whose best ever time for cleaning three 1.143m high windows is just 9.14 seconds, at the trade event held in Manchester on Wednesday. Terry says his success is down to a quickfire 16-move sequence that draws on skills he honed as a martial arts instructor and boxer. Sadly, Terry is banned from entering any further competitions to let others stand a chance at winning.
BBC News - Terry 'Turbo' Williams' window washing world record challenged: Terry "Turbo" Burrows, officially the world's fastest window cleaner for more than 20 years, is challenging rivals from around the UK to try to beat his world record time. He set the Guinness World Record of 9.14 seconds in Blackpool in 2009, and is now in Manchester to see if he is still a "glass" above the rest. Contenders have to clean three 1.143m high windows and the sill - crucially, no smears can be left. The event coincides with the 80th anniversary of George Formby's hit When I'm Cleaning Windows.
Buttershaw window cleaner takes prize at The Cleaning Show: A window cleaner is back in Bradford with a big bucket of prizes after a sparkling performance in a national contest. Graham Bower, of Buttershaw Drive, Buttershaw, beat off stiff competition from window cleaners across the country today at The Cleaning Show in Manchester. He was the speediest cleaner there today, but not quite as quick as the record set by world champion, Terry 'Turbo' Burrows from Suffolk. He set the Guinness World Record of 9.14 seconds in Blackpool in 2009. Contenders had to clean three 1.143m high windows and the sill - and could leave no smears.
The event coincides with the 80th anniversary of George Formby's hit When I'm Cleaning Windows. "I came first in the competition but didn't quite catch up with Terry. I was about a second out," he said. Even though Mr Bower's time was 12.01 seconds he did get a few penalty points for soap streaks. "Even with the penalties I was still on top. It was well worth having a go. Terry's quick but not quite as quick as he used to be - even he couldn't match his world record," he added. Mr Bower, 35, started cleaning windows at the age of 12 and now runs his own business. He won a Kindle Fire tablet and a big bucket full of beer. "I'm going to keep practising my speeds. Who knows I might be back for another go at the world record next year," he said.
Soap and glory! Leeds window cleaner eyes place in record books: Leeds window cleaner Neil Caden is looking to produce a perfectly polished performance as he bids to earn himself a spot in the record books. Neil, 50, from Garforth, will be trying to set a new world record for fastest window cleaning at a trade event taking place in Manchester next week.
The record has been held for more than 20 years by Essex-based Terry Burrows, whose best ever time for cleaning three 1.143m high windows is just 9.14 seconds. Terry says his success is down to a quickfire 16-move sequence that draws on skills he honed as a martial arts instructor and boxer.
But Neil – who runs Caden’s Window Cleaning in Garforth – is himself a black belt in karate and believes he might have the right stuff to dethrone Terry. The Yorkshire challenger, who will be joined at the record attempt by three more members of the Caden team, said: “Terry is a legend in the world of window cleaning and his record has stood for over 20 years.
“However, I’m pretty quick myself and also share the same strength, agility and flexibility as him which comes from years of combat training. “With a bit of intensive practice, I therefore might be in a great position to have a go at beating his time. “There’s also a chance one of my team could snatch it from Terry, but even if none of us get close to his time the world record attempt is a great way to demonstrate the skills and professionalism of Britain’s window cleaners.”
Dozens of window cleaners from around the country are expected to have a crack at beating the record during the Cleaning Show trade event, which is being held on Wednesday and Thursday. The attempts are being organised and adjudicated on behalf of the Guinness Book of Records by the Federation of Window Cleaners.
Looking ahead to the attempt, Federation of Window Cleaners chair Andrew Lee said: “Terry has done amazingly well to hang onto his record for this long but there’s always a chance of an upset. “Lots of our members have already told us they are planning to take a crack at his record. “Having said that, when you see Terry on video or cleaning live he moves so quickly it’s hard to imagine someone will ever manage a sub-nine second time even if they try and copy his technique.”
Neil previously made headlines when he used a telescopic cleaning rod to help save a man from drowning in the lake at Roundhay Park in 2012. See another challenger here. Previous challengers here. Question time with Terry "Turbo" Burrows" here.
Mr Burrows, from Suffolk, has held the squeaky clean world record for 20 years but dad-of-five Mr Bower is ready to take him on. So far, Mr Bower’s fastest time has been three windows in 10.3 seconds, while Mr Burrow’s best-ever performance was three high windows in just 9.14 seconds, using a rapid 16-move sequence powered through core strength, flexibility, fast hands and reflexes.
Mr Bower, who lives in Buttershaw Drive, Buttershaw, and cleaned his first windows when he was 12, said he heard the current world record holder had thrown down the gauntlet and so decided to have a go. “It’s not as easy as people think. I’ve been studying his technique. I’m not sure I’ll beat him but I’m going to have a good go and put Bradford on the map.
“Terry is a legend in the world of window cleaning and his record has stood for over 20 years. " I actually saw him in action some years ago, and it was an incredible display of skill and speed. Even if I can’t come close, the world record attempt is always a lot fun and is a great way to demonstrate the skills and professionalism of Britain’s window cleaners," the 35-year-old said.
Graham Bower shows off his skills.
Mr Bower, who has been practising on his sister’s conservatory windows, followed his grandfather and father’s footsteps into the window cleaning business and started his own firm two years ago called Bright and Clean. His number one supporters are wife Roseanne and their five children aged from six to 16. “They are quick themselves to be my number one supporters, but there’s no interest whatsoever from any of the kids to give me a hand cleaning windows!
Mr Bower said: “I just love being outdoors. " I couldn’t stand having a job where I was stuck indoors all the time. I’m out and about in all weathers – nothing puts me off.”
The world record window cleaning challenge is being organised and adjudicated on behalf of the Guinness Book of Records by the Federation of Window Cleaners (FWC), the national trade association for the window cleaning industry.
Andrew Lee, chairman of the FWC, said: “Lots of our members have already told us they are planning to take a crack at his [Mr Burrow’s] record, and some are in training right now. "So we’ll have to wait and see if anyone can match him when the competition comes to Manchester.”
Terry ‘Turbo’ Burrows - still officially the world’s fastest window cleaner 20 years on from first appearing on BBC1’s Record Breakers.
Cleaner looks to take world’s fastest squeegee crown: A Brighouse window cleaner is aiming to prove he has the quickest sponge and squeegee on Earth as he takes on a world record holder. Paul Boothroyd (pictured below), who runs Commercial and Domestic Cleaning, will go up against Terry ‘Turbo’ Burrows who is still officially the world’s fastest window cleaner 20 years on from first appearing on BBC1’s Record Breakers.
Terry’s best-ever performance, which saw him clean three 1.143m high windows in just 9.14 seconds, took place in Blackpool in 2009. Paul, 51, from Bailiff Bridge, said: “Terry is a legend in the world of window cleaning and his record has stood for over 20 years. “However I’m pretty quick myself, and with a bit of intensive training I might be in a position to take him on in Manchester. But even if I can’t come close, the world record attempt is always a lot fun and is a great way to demonstrate the skills and professionalism of Britain’s window cleaners.”
Terry ‘Turbo’ Burrows, who is from Romford in Essex, is returning to the North to see if anyone can beat his record and is throwing down the gauntlet to window cleaners from Yorkshire who might fancy their chances. He said of the contest: “As a former martial arts instructor and boxer I managed to perfect a rapid 16-move sequence which is very hard to copy if you don’t have the core strength, flexibility, fast hands and reflexes. “However, unlike the early days when I first started competing, now you can study my technique via clips on YouTube, and each year a new generation of cleaners come along to try and beat me.
“Maybe this year in Manchester I’ll finally meet my match, and I’ll have to hand over my title. But even if that happens I’ll never forget how great it was to break my own record twice on Northern soil, and it would be great to see a cleaner from the region help to continue this tradition.” The world record window cleaning challenge itself is organised and adjudicated on behalf of The Guinness Book of Records by the Federation of Window Cleaners (FWC), the national trade association for the window cleaning industry.
Andrew Lee, chair of the FWC, said: “Terry has done amazingly well to hang on to his record for this long but there’s always a chance of an upset in April. Lots of our members have already told us they are planning to take a crack at his record, and some are in training right now. “Having said that, when you see Terry on video or cleaning live he moves so quickly it’s hard to imagine someone will ever manage a sub-nine second time even if they try and copy his technique. So we’ll have to wait and see if anyone can match him when the competition comes to Manchester in April. ” Paul will look to break the world record along with other Yorkshire cleaners at The Cleaning Show in Manchester on April 6 and 7. Click here to challenge Terry.
Terry "Turbo" Burrows record still stands & 20 years on he still holds the World record.
Terry Burrows (UK) cleaned three standard 114.3 x 114.3 cm (45 x 45 in) office windows set in a frame with a 300 mm (11.75 in) long squeegee and 9 litres (2 gal; US 2.37 gal) of water in 9.14 sec at the National Window Cleaning Competition in Blackpool, UK, on 9 October 2009.
Terry Burrows (UK) The Fastest Window Cleaner in the World 2015: Terry Burrows retains his world record again and is still the quickest window cleaner in the World. His Guinness book of records beating time is still holding up after all these years. The next appearance by Terry "turbo" Burrows will be in Dorset on May 9th. If you want to meet Terry Burrows, come to Mark Munro's Dorset show on May 9th, where he will provide hints, tricks & tips for all fellow window cleaners, no matter how ugly you are.
Fastest female window cleaner still retains her title: Deborah Morris (UK) cleaned three standard 1.14 m x 1.14 m (45 x 45 in) office windows set in a frame with a 300 mm (11.75 in) long squeegee and 9 litres (2 gal; US 2.37 gal) of water in 16.28 sec at the Cleaning Show 2011 held at NEC, National Exhibition Centre, in Birmingham, UK, on 3 March 2011. A base time of 13.28 sec was achieved but 3 sec penalty was incurred.
You can see Terry in action from the 6 minute mark in the video, trying to chip down the time on his World record. You can also read a Question &Answer session With Terry "Turbo" Burrows here.
Ivan Pleinadius and Marianne Pettersson hope to take the Guinness Book of Record titles.
Want to beat the world record in window cleaning? - Ivan Pleinadius and Marianne Pettersson will compete in the equivalent of the window cleaning World Cup in England. Ivan Pleinadius and Marianne Pettersson devote many hours each day to clean windows through his company Window Cleaning King (PutsarKungen). But interest in the shiny windows also spill over to the couple's leisure and on Sunday they set off on an aeroplane to England where they will participate in the Window Cleaning World Cup.
Ivan and Marianne with their trademark heart will be on the Unger stand at the show.
I'm actually practicing right now, says Ivan Pleinadius when UNT called him on Tuesday. During the Window Cleaning competition it is up to the contestants to as quickly as possible, clean three windows with an area around one meter x 1'5 meter. If a competitor leaves water on the surface, it will be a time penalty of a half a second.
Ivan Pleinadius and Marianne Pettersson pictured yesterday with the current & longest World record holder Terry "turbo" Burrows.
The Window Cleaning competition is over very quickly. The record on the men's side is of 9.17 seconds. "Marianne and I try to practice as much as possible now and we encourage each other to get the time down," says Ivan Pleinadius.
Marianne is very likely to take the womens title, the Swedish press are featuring them everywhere.
Only one day to beat the record. "In March, we're going to England to try to get a place in the Guinness Book of Records, but we are well aware of the tough competition, says Ivan Pleinadius.
Ivan Pleinadius and Marianne Pettersson have worked as professional window cleaners for 25 years and believes that the world championship only elevates the status of the profession. They themselves have participated in the World Cup several times before and Marianne Pettersson holds the Swedish record right now. Ivan Pleinadius best finish is third place in the World Cup.
Are you going to win? "It is difficult to say." "There tend to be some 40 participants and competition is hard, but you should never say never." "I think that Marianne has a great chance to win the competition on the women's side." The competition is currently being held at the Cleaning Show.
Chasing the record in window cleaning: Everyday Marianne Pettersson from Borlange and Ivan Pleinadius practise at their cleaning company. But they also compete in window cleaning. Now they are at the window cleaning World Cup in England. As a fun break, they aim to make their company Cleaning King with Marianne Pettersson and Ivan Pleinadius the top name in window cleaning.
It all started when Ivan Pleinadius began competing in the SM (Sweden), and Marianne Pettersson, who was born and raised in Borlänge, also competed. They have repeatedly gone to the World Cup in the USA, where Marianne had to compete against men - because there were no women in her category. At best, she has come in fifth place in the men's class at the World Cup in the USA in 2011. She is also the reigning SM champion.
"It is fun to go for major competitions in the World Cup." "In everyday life, we are not out among our customers as much, anymore." "So, this is one thing that we think is fun," says Marianne Pettersson. They also usually take part in trade fairs to showcase their window cleaning, but right now they are both in hard training before the World Cup in England (Guinness Book of Records) which takes place on 11 March.
The competition is to clean as fast as possible three windows with no traces of water. One gets a time penalty if you miss any spot on the glass. There we train on is first and foremost to bring up the technology to the best. Then you must also consider the speed and not to drag too much.
The goal at the World Cup in England is to beat the current speed record in window cleaning and get in the Guinness Book of Records. Marianne Pettersson will compete to beat the current holder of the record. I think I have a good chance to beat her, actually. The time she has now is 16:38 and my personal best is 7.15. But it will probably be a little fight there.
London Cleaning Show kicks off tomorrow; Register now
The Cleaning Show 2015: The renowned and long-running Cleaning Show (previously held at the NEC in Birmingham), in partnership with the British Cleaning Council, is the UK's major event designed specifically for the Cleaning and Support Services sector. The show is being held every two years, and registration is free of charge for all cleaning and hygiene professionals.
The Cleaning Show is the UK’s major event designed specifically for the Cleaning and Support Services sector. Registration is free of charge and includes free training and seminar sessions. An essential event for anyone responsible for cleaning, maintenance and hygiene from healthcare to hotel kitchens – don’t miss it. Click here to register now.
Kyran Bracken to speak at the Cleaning Show - Kyran Bracken, Former England Scrum Half will present a motivational Keynote Presentation at the Cleaning Show 2015 – Tuesday 10 March at 10:30 am. Though plagued with injury, Kyran earned 170 Saracens caps and 50 for England, including his major contribution to England’s World Cup win in 2003. Kyran’s presentation will be free of charge to attend, on a first-come-first-served basis, and will inspire managers within the cleaning and hygiene sector to incorporate leadership skills and a strong team ethic in order to deliver results that will leave your opposition in their wake.
7 other top reasons to go;
Entrance is free of charge and visitors will be able to:
Meet with friends new and old at a series of social gatherings and association meetings
Find bargains with special show discounts on products
Could you be the fastest window cleaner in the world? Sponsored by Unger and Principle Window Cleaning, the Window Cleaning Competition will be a lively and fully interactive feature at the Cleaning Show held 10 - 12 March at ExCeL, London. The existing world record holder, Terry ‘Turbo’ Burrows, will take on all-comers trying to break his long-standing world speed record for cleaning three regulation-size windows. Click here to view the details of the current Guinness World record.
The competition – which takes place on Wednesday 11 March at 2pm - will be expertly adjudicated by the Federation of Window Cleaners, and details of the event have been logged with Guinness World Records to ensure the record, if broken, will stand. All participants will have the opportunity to practice for the event during the morning of 10 March. Anyone successfully breaking the world record during the competition will receive a cash prize of £1,000 (See T&C below). The competition is free to enter and open to everyone. Should the world record be broken more than once during the Window Cleaning Competition at the Cleaning Show 2015, the cash prize of £1000 will be paid to the person holding the world record when the competition ends.
Who should attend? Anyone who has responsibility for cleaning, hygiene and facilities management should attend this event. Held only every two years, don't miss the largest UK event for the industry.
Contract cleaning companies
Window cleaners
Facility/office/business managers from a wide-range of industries including:
Two years ago Terry Burrows, won £40,000 on the horses and now he has done it again and won another £40,000 last Saturday
Romford window cleaner mops up again- winning almost £40K: The world’s fastest window cleaner has taken another betting shop to the cleaners after winning almost £40,000 on the horses- just two years after mopping up £41,000. Terry ‘Turbo’ Burrows from Romford, who has been dubbed the Usain Bolt of the betting world, won the lucky bet a second time at odds of 250,000 to one after placing a similar bet in 2010. Terry said: “The first few days I walked around like a zombie and then it slowing started to sink in, but I was just ecstatic.”
The 55-year-old father of two, had four horses win at 16-1, 11-1, 16-1 and 13-2 for his £1 each way Lucky 15 bet. Terry also helped ten of his friends to win £65 each after they placed bets on his last horse. He said: “The last race was just too much and I had to look away but I had all the guys around me going mad so I knew that I was winning. “The first one was the closest because the horse only won by a small margin.”
Bucket full of money.
In 2010, Terry who holds the world record for cleaning three, 45 square inch windows, plus wiping the sills in just 9.14 seconds, won £41,439 at William Hill. He first started betting three years ago and says that his secret is studying the horses. Terry said: “I study the horses to see how they ran this time last year and that way you can get an indication of how well they are likely to do. “Its not always that simple because at the end of the day they are animals and you never know what is going to happen.”
Terry, who has had seven window cleaning world records overall, now spends just two days a week window cleaning and the rest of the time taking part in trade shows and adverts. He has vowed to continue betting and doing his window cleaning until he wins another £40,000 in the horses. He said: “It took me two wins to earn £40,000, models can’t even earn that in two hours. “If I keep on trying, I think I can do it again.”
Bob Kerr: In a tough economy, they find a way to clean up - The work is hard and the work week is sometimes seven days. Starting a company from scratch means moving all the time - on the job, on the phone, at the door of potential customers. It was back in March of 2009 that Curtis Lambert got the bad news. He had been working for a Pawtucket cleaning company for two years. He says he had just gotten a promotion to operations manager and had been bringing in new business. But the boss called him in and told him things were changing and he was out. So he went home to Cranston and told his significant other, Sherry Martin, what had happened. “I think she was more devastated than I was,” says Lambert.
Martin joined him in unemployment just a few weeks later when she lost her job in a hospital gift shop. So they became Lambert & Martin - in a commercial way. They had business cards printed that say “Sparkle Is Our Specialty.” They clean windows and do power washing. “I think it was survival mode,” says Lambert. “I had nothing really saved and I needed to make money.” He put together his business plan on the run. “I said to Sherry, ‘I know this business.’ I need to make some calls, let people know I’m going out on my own.”
They had no equipment and little money. They bought the basic tools of the trade - a squeegee and two extension poles and some cleaning products. That wiped out their meager savings. His parents bought them a power washer. Due to a non-compete clause in his agreement with his previous employer, Lambert couldn’t pursue commercial accounts in Rhode Island for a year. That left residential accounts. “We printed up some fliers,” says Martin. “We went door to door.”
They targeted areas where they thought people could afford professional cleaning - Providence’s East Side, Lincoln, East Greenwich, North Kingstown. They put out 5,000 fliers. “It took a couple of months before the phones started to ring,” says Martin. Lambert hired his mother, Marie, to handle the call-backs. She is an ideal employee. She doesn’t ask for a paycheck. I had coffee with Lambert and Martin and Lambert’s son, Kris, last week. Without his son on the job, says Lambert, they wouldn’t have been able to take on as much work as they have. Early on, Lambert’s other son, Curtis III, joined the crew before heading back to his pharmacy studies.
The pickup truck they were able to buy in October was parked outside with ladders on it. The truck replaced an ancient Jeep that was sinking fast. They have more than 400 accounts now in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. Their first residential account was a woman in East Greenwich who saw their work and gave them a long list of friends they should call. Word of mouth became a big part of the promotion for a very small business. “Any place that’s got glass,” says Lambert in describing his potential customer base.
I learned about Lambert and Martin from my friend Carol Young, the retired deputy executive editor at The Journal, who hired them to do cleaning at her house in Lincoln. She heard their story and told me it was a good one. It works that way sometimes - people do things out of basic necessity with practiced skills and become a story of their time.
Lambert and Martin saw little opportunity so they created their own. It has not been easy and by no means are they comfortable with the business they have. Lambert points out that sometimes he is in jeans and a company shirt, cleaning windows. Sometimes he is in coat and tie, making the pitch to potential customers. He knows glass. He knows what works and what doesn’t on certain surfaces. He knows when the weather means a day off. Martin needed some on-the-job-training. But this is a partnership born in a climate of uncertainty, when jobs can seem solid and then disappear. Letting your own hard work determine your future becomes more and more appealing.
Cadbury Spots v Stripes Race Season : World Record Setters: Terry Turbo Burrows has had great fun breaking even more records in the run up to the London 2012 Olympics. Terry says It's great to meet everyone, we have loads of laughs filming & it never changes - it's just funny!"
While on a two-week tour of New Zealand, Barry resident John Viney met former All Black front row forward John Ashworth, who was part of the Grand Slam winning team of 1978. Ashworth was involved in the notorious stamping incident during a match with Bridgend, which left JPR Williams needing 30 stitches. John Viney, a window cleaner and magistrate who lives in Cadoxton, said: "I was in the wine region of Hawkes Bay, to taste the region’s choice wines, when I chanced upon The Junction Vineyard, owned by John and his family. "His wife Jo greeted me and it was while tasting that I noticed several All Black pictures on the wall. "When she heard I was from Wales, Jo said ‘my husband was an All Black and played against Wales’." During the conversation, Jo mentioned the JPR incident and at this point, in walked the man himself.
Too Noisy, Santa Monica Place Neighbors Complain: Their biggest concern is a restaurant called Zengo, which is right across the street from their windows. Rhodes said, and “they say they can mitigate it [the noise], but they can't prevent it...We need our rest.” She also complained about the noise after everything at the mall had closed. Some mornings, buses and garbage trucks woke her up as early as 4:30 a.m. as did the window cleaning at Zengo. “Bells were beeping” as the window cleaners went “up and down, up and down,” Rhodes said.
The Sarasota Pro Wash Window Cleaning Company of Sarasota, Florida has announced the beginning of its online social networking campaign. The window washing company has gone online to continue the growth of its reputation for quality workmanship and extraordinary commitment to customer service and satisfaction. The company provides professional window cleaning services for homes and businesses, but specializes in residential window cleaning for condominium owners in Sarasota County Florida. The Sarasota Pro Wash Window Cleaning Company is offering a "$10 Spring Window Cleaning Deal" from now until March 30, 2011. The company will offer professional window washing services with a risk free offer. The price is only $10 if the client is not satisfied with the professionalism, workmanship or service provided. Any window washing job that is completed in Sarasota County before March 30, 2011, and the client mentions the "$10 Spring Window Cleaning Deal" gets this risk free offer. "It’s time for traditional small businesses to embrace social networking, just like the big boys, and grow an online presence that creates some ’buzz’ for their business. We are so confident that folks will be satisfied with our window cleaning services that we are willing to practically give it away for free" explains company owner Tim Wizba.
Gary Lydon (Actor) - Movie credits include 'Warhorse' by Steven Spielberg, 'Guard' ‘Ordinary Decent Criminal’ ‘Nothing Personal’, ‘The Last September’, ‘Boy Eats Girl’ and ‘Small Engine Repair’. What was your first job and salary? I think it was when our window cleaner offered me a summer job down in Wexford when I was about 14. He let me have one third of all takings, which worked out at about £20 a week. He was a good bloke.
Nanotech-enabled consumer products continue to rise: Nanotech consumer products continue to grow at a consistent pace. According to the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN) over 1,300 manufacturer-identified, nanotechnology-enabled products have entered the commercial marketplace around the world. The most recent update to the group's five-year-old inventory reflects the continuing use of the tiny particles in everything from conventional products like non-stick cookware to more unique items such as self-cleaning window treatments. "The use of nanotechnology in consumer products continues to grow on a rapid and consistent basis," says PEN Director David Rejeski. "When we launched the inventory in March 2006 it contained 212 products. If the current trend continues, the number of products could reach 3,400 by 2020."
Meadowlands Racetrack employees are being sent formal notice that they may be laid off in 60 days, workers were told at a Monday meeting with New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority management. Dennis Shopp, the shop steward for the track's window cleaners, said the letter was a "formality" as negotiations continue for New York real estate executive Jeff Gural to take over operations of the track on April 1. Bob Liguori, business manager for Local 137 — which represents hundreds of tellers, admissions workers and the window washers — said the meeting, held at the track, was a good idea. "Still, when you get that notice in the mail, it is sobering," Ligouri said. "There's obviously concerns about what's going on, and this just heightens it. I told the members, 'Nothing is going to change today, or tomorrow, and it doesn't mean we're going to cease operations here.' "
Window cleaner Gary McPartland has dodged fuel price hikes by running his van on chip fat. Gary feared his profits would plummet because diesel prices are on the rise. So he converted his van to run on vegetable oil. Now he collects it from chip shops, restaurants and other businesses on his round. It costs just 17p per litre for the environmentally friendly option rather than the £1.38 that Gary had to fork out for diesel in the past. Gary, from Preston, Lancs, said: “I have to get around a bit in my job so it was costing a fortune. “Every time the price of diesel went up I was having to change my own prices just to cover my costs. “Doing it this way it is more environmentally friendly because the emissions are a lot lower than ordinary fuel. "The vegetable oil is getting properly used, and it is cheaper. I’m saving money and it’s much cleaner.’’ Vegetable oil is much cheaper than petrol because there is no tax payable on the first 2,500 litres. The duty was removed in 2007 as HM Revenue and Customs tried to encourage drivers to go green. Dave Derby, of Low Impact Living Initiative, which holds courses on converting cars to run on biofuel, said: “You cannot just pour vegetable oil into any car, you have to convert your motor. “A lot of the people looking at using biofuel are driven by the price of fuel. As that goes up I expect more people to come to us.’’
Clean With Vodka: Trade the Martini Glass for a Spray Bottle - the benefits of cleaning with vodka — and not much can stop her from using the alcohol to clean just about everything. You can freshen your laundry with vodka; simply spray it on your clothes and hang to dry; the vodka kills bacteria that cause bad smells. Vodka also shines bathroom/kitchen fixtures on your sink. A mixture of vodka and sugar will keep your bouquet beautiful for longer, or skip the sugar and spray it on your skin to repel bugs. You can add vodka to your shampoo for lush locks — and while you’re at it, you may as well spray it in your shower or tub to do away with mold and mildew. If you’re feeling a bit dentally dismal, swishing a shot of vodka in your mouth will aid with toothache relief.
Egypt’s Army Blurs Lines of Aid From U.S. - According to the State Department, the Egyptian government built the medical center with its own funds, while the American military aid program contributed $162.8 million for equipment, operations and maintenance. The former American military officials involved in Egypt said they believed that the financing was cut off five years ago. But the spigot, it turns out, has not been turned all the way off. Last summer, the Pentagon gave a sole-source, $4.6 million contract to a Florida company called TeKontrol to train hospital staff members for 13 months. Halting the financing, a contract document explained, “could potentially impact the desires of the Egyptian Ministry of Defense” to win international accreditation for the hospital.
The six-story hospital, on a desert road about 45 minutes east of Cairo, appears to be an oasis in a mostly barren landscape. Three wings jut out from the main building, all with white walls and green glass. The glass, including large bubbles framing the end of each wing, shimmers in the bright winter sunshine as window washers - a novelty in Egypt - inch down the walls.
A bug invasion on the New South Wales-Victoria border has claimed its biggest scalp with Albury's Myer forced to close to fumigate the feral foragers. Dean Street shop owners told The Border Mail the massive swarms of grasshoppers, crickets and locusts are adding time and money to their day. They say they are spending up to two hours a day sweeping footpaths or using blower vacuums to move the latest infestation of long-horn grasshoppers. The entry way to Myer in David Street and its David Street car park were yesterday centimetres thick in bugs. Inside, the grasshoppers and crickets were clearly visible in piles on the floor and around clothes racks. A team of cleaners had cleared the footpath and just after noon donned vacuum backpacks to enter the store, ultimately opening doors at 2.30pm. Shopping centres on both sides of the Border and in regional towns have reported the swarms. Car yards too have been plagued for the past two weeks. Amid the piles of rotting grasshoppers are field crickets, also in near plague proportions, and locusts. The insect feast has also brought with it scores of praying mantis and scavenger beetles.
Fonzies' Ben Sudano was sweeping the Dean Street footpath of his eatery yesterday morning. "I'm sick and tired of the clean-up, we sweep before we leave each night and first thing in the morning," he told The Border Mail . "It is never ending. "Last night was like that scene from the Bible with the great locust plague." On the opposite corner, La Porchetta worker Keryn Norman was busy cleaning bugs from the restaurant's windows. "This has become someone's job every day for the past two weeks. "It takes at least two hours to clean-up." The plague also spread across the region yesterday, Culcairn newsagency's Ken Scheuner having to battle through a green skin to his shop front door. "You could not see the front door for the grasshoppers this morning, they were caked on," he said. Locusts are also making a pest of themselves in Yarrawonga, swarms invading the town since last weekend.
Animal Tales: This is the tale of a dog with no tail. An Australian shepherd who was named Sydney by my daughter. Australian shepherds are herding dogs with no tails; they are bred that way. They are known to be very intelligent, easy to teach and train. My husband always said we should not have gotten a dog that was smarter than us, but Sydney had the sweetest disposition, she lived to please us. She was the perfect family pet. The day I learned exactly how smart Sydney was came as a shock to me, but it was a pleasant surprise. Sydney rarely barked. She never ever barked to go out, or be fed, or to get our attention. Sometimes she did bark if someone knocked at the front door, but this day, the window washers were visiting. Another thing you should know about Sydney is that she never ever chewed or ruined any personal property: not shoes, not toys strewn over the floor, nothing. Our children left their Legos and train sets set up for days, invading her territory, and she gingerly stepped over them, making sure not to disturb them in the least.
But on this particular afternoon, I was in the kitchen, and she appeared before me with a stuffed animal from my son's room in her mouth. This was very unusual, and I admonished her, and she followed me as I walked up the steps to return it to his bedroom. And what I saw when I entered his room, was a man on a ladder, wiping the outside of the window in my son's room. So instead of barking, which would have been an indistinct message, she knew that taking something from Tim's room would force me to go up the stairs and into his room and I would see that a strange man was at his window. Her goal was to alert me to a possible danger to Tim - a possible intruder in the house. She did it in the most direct, intelligent way she could.
Jail for Stockton burglar who preyed on elderly: A Sneak burglar who targeted vulnerable pensioners was behind bars today. Lee Anthony Dunn, 25, tricked his way into the home of a 75-year-old Stockton woman. He pretended to be from housing group Tristar Homes and claimed he had come to check her boiler, Teesside Crown Court was told. The trusting pensioner allowed him into her home in Stewart Road. He went into the front room and left just minutes later. She then found her purse was missing. Police were contacted after her care worker arrived and Dunn and another man were arrested a short time later. His victim picked Dunn out during an identification procedure. When interviewed, he admitted spending the money on drugs. The court heard how Dunn was at it again just three days later. He carried out a similar distraction burglary after pretending to be a window cleaner and gaining entry to a house in Queen’s Walk, Stockton. This week he was jailed for three-and-a-half years.
'Window cleaner' conman is jailed after blowing last chance: A conman who was given one last chance to mend his ways by a Crown Court judge in Bristol has been jailed after committing another distraction burglary. Jackson Bogart, 38, of Clayfield Road, Brislington, admitted the charge on the first day of his trial at Bristol Crown Court and was sentenced to three years in prison. He has also been issued with a restraining order, which will never expire, and prevents him from contacting the victims and orders him to stay away from their address. Bogart targeted elderly people when working as a bogus window cleaner. Octogenarians Robert and Margaret Peters suspected he had not even cleaned any of the windows at their Brislington home in April last year.
When Mr Peters paid him £20 just to get rid of him, Bogart entered their house claiming he wanted to use the toilet and pocketed £200 cash from a wallet. In October, Judge Michael Harington spared him an immediate term of imprisonment, giving him a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for a year, with supervision, 100 hours of unpaid work, a three-month curfew and £200 compensation. But after his latest offence he has been jailed. The prosecution was brought by the Bristol Doorstep Crime Team – a joint team made up of Avon and Somerset Constabulary and Bristol City Council's trading standards staff, whose aim is to tackle the problem of rogue traders and distraction burglars. The judge in the case commended both the witnesses for their actions in assisting their neighbour and helping police to arrest the offender. Both witnesses were awarded £50 from the High Sheriff Fund as thanks.
Three scrap metal thieves who took £100 of metal and copper cabling from near Tesco at Burnt Tree “didn’t know” that it would be classed as stealing, a court heard. The trio, all from Tipton, pleaded guilty to theft by finding at Dudley Magistrates Court yesterday. Window cleaner Alan Green, of Sycamore Road, Princess End, was handed an £80 fine and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.
Unemployed man notches up 3,000 unsuccessful job applications: Alun Brown has averaged just over one job application every working day for the last 10 years – and has succeeded with NONE of them. The 27-year-old hit the unhappy milestone of 3,000 unsuccessful job applications this month after a decade of claiming benefits. He has applied to be a checkout operator, telesales assistant, waiter, window cleaner, receptionist, data inputter and a cleaner... yet not held paid employment since he was 17. The Ammanford man believes he is a victim of the nation’s economic problems. “I really want to get a job, to get up in the morning and to feel part of something. I am willing to do absolutely anything,” said Alun. “Ideally I’d like to work in admin or retail, but as my applications show, I am willing to turn my hand to anything. I’ve even tried to get a job as a window cleaner.“
Police see hotdog fly from man’s hand: An unusual case of immediate community service happened in the downtown business district Friday night as bar crowds walked the streets. Police say that a hotdog “flew” from a man’s hand causing mustard and ketchup to be smeared on the window of Crow Hill restaurant, 9 S. Front St. Because police saw the incident, they notified the restaurant which gave the man some window cleaner. After the man cleaned the window he was allowed to go.
Buttershaw window cleaner takes prize at The Cleaning Show: A window cleaner is back in Bradford with a big bucket of prizes after a sparkling performance in a national contest. Graham Bower, of Buttershaw Drive, Buttershaw, beat off stiff competition from window cleaners across the country today at The Cleaning Show in Manchester. He was the speediest cleaner there today, but not quite as quick as the record set by world champion, Terry 'Turbo' Burrows from Suffolk. He set the Guinness World Record of 9.14 seconds in Blackpool in 2009. Contenders had to clean three 1.143m high windows and the sill - and could leave no smears.
