Thursday 15 January 2009

UK Window Cleaners: Sex, Jail-time, Politics & Religion

Performance in the bedroom: Women now have another reason to kick their partners out of the house and into the garden. Scientists have shown that regular bouts of gentle weeding, digging and mowing can revitalise a man's flagging sex drive. Just 30 minutes of gardening, five days a week, is enough to reduce the risk of impotence by around 38 per cent, they found. The same study showed other forms of moderate exercise, such as dancing, cycling or jogging, can also act as 'natural Viagra'. The findings suggest men could also get a benefit to their love lives from regular vigorous housework, window cleaning and shampooing the car.
Men who exercise even more than this can more than halve their risk of being a flop in the bedroom, researchers at the Medical University of Vienna found in their study. One man in 10 will suffer from impotence, also known as erectile dysfunction, at some stage in their life. Around a third of cases are thought to be linked to psychological problems - such as depression, stress or pressure at work. However, the remaining 70 per cent are victims of some underlying physical cause such as high blood pressure or diabetes. Some doctors believe it is an early sign of heart disease as reduced blood flow to the genitals is a sign of clogged arteries. Coffee drinkers..read this!

Window cleaner jailed over tax: A WINDOW cleaner from Melksham has been jailed for 30 days for failing to pay his council tax. Alan Leighfield, 57, from Union Street was sent to HMP Bristol (Horfield) on Tuesday after he had failed to pay his outstanding debts despite receiving a suspended prison sentence from Chippenham Magistrates' Court in June. Mr Leighfield had been sentenced for failing to pay £3,161.89 in council tax but the sentence was suspended providing he pay his arrears off at a rate of £25 per week. He however failed to meet these repayment arrangement as directed by the court. Cllr Roy While, the district council’s finance portfolio holder, said: “Help is available for anyone who has genuine difficulties in paying their council tax. "However, we will take action when people wilfully do not pay their council tax, and the courts have shown that they view such behaviour very seriously. “West Wiltshire District Council continues to actively pursue unpaid council tax and takes steps to trace charge payers who move away from properties without ensuring that any unpaid council tax is settled.”

Small Business at the Heart of Britain: Labour Member of Parliament for Hastings and RyeSmall businesses are the lifeblood of the British Economy. From the window cleaning firm in Edinburgh to the café in St Leonards small businesses form the economic bedrock upon which our society is built. That is as true in our town as anywhere else. Over the past ten years they have thrived and now employ 13million people (59% of the private sector workforce) and account for just over half of the UK's economic output. They are the outstanding success of the past decade. However, those were the boom years and now tougher times are upon us. Due to tough credit conditions, through no fault of their own, some are finding securing adequate finance difficult. The Government faced a choice: 'do nothing' and let the market rule or intervene to offer support. Well, having lived through the Thatcher years and watched so many sound companies wither and die because of forces beyond their control I was delighted to see the Government unveil a £20billion support package yesterday. This is real, tangible help in tough times. The money will be used to guarantee bank loans to small and medium sized businesses. Finance is the oil which keeps the wheels of the economy turning and this scheme will help ensure it keeps flowing. There will also be a £75million Capital for Enterprise Fund to invest in small businesses which need equity. You can find more extensive detail on the scheme on the BERR website.

Let there be light . . .TAVISTOCK Parish Church has greeted the New Year with a project to clean the inside of its windows. It is believed that the last time the windows were cleaned was 40 to 50 years ago. Church architect Sue Spackman has advised parishioners that whereas rainwater removes some dirt from the outside of the windows, there is nothing to prevent condensation attracting dust particles to the inside. Cleaning the windows, she said, will improve the light in St Eustachius’ church by up to 50 per cent. The windows will be cleaned professionally, and parishioners are contributing to the costs of cleaning a window of their choice. Already, support has been pledged for half the windows of the church. ‘This is a great way to begin the New Year,’ said priest-in-charge the Rev Michael Brierley. ‘There’s great symbolism in what we’re doing — our aim as a church is to let others see more clearly what goes on inside, and to let the wonderful things that go on in the church radiate outwards.’ The project is being co-ordinated by church member Alan Johnson. ‘We’re enormously grateful to the groups and individuals who are contributing to this exciting spring-clean,’ he said. People who are interested in the project should contact Mr Johnson on 01822 612527.

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