Two more national fire strikes set to affect Hertfordshire

Residents are once again urged to take extra care following the Fire Brigades Union announcement of two further walkouts on 12 and 21 June.

These strikes will take place on

• Thursday 12 June from 9am to 9am on Friday 13 June
• Saturday 21 June from 10am to 5pm

During these periods there will be fewer firefighters on duty across the country including Hertfordshire.

Richard Thake, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, said: “We are extremely disappointed that the Fire Brigades Union has announced more strikes. It’s hard to see how this is going to help resolve their dispute with the government.

“This repeated strike action in a key public service is ill-conceived and the safety of the people of Hertfordshire should not be used as a bargaining tool.”

Roy Wilsher, Director of Community Protection and Chief Fire Officer, said: “Our contingency arrangements have stood up well during previous strike action, however with fewer resources our ability to respond to incidents is reduced, therefore I urge the public to play their part again and take extra care during the strike action.

“We will be responding as quickly as possible to serious incidents. In the event of a fire you should still get out, stay out, and call 999 – you will get an emergency response.

“We continue to hope that the government and FBU can resolve their dispute and that further walkouts can be avoided.”

Here is some safety advice to help you and your family stay safe during the strike:

In your home
• Check your smoke alarm is working. Do the same for any elderly or vulnerable neighbours or family
• Plan your escape route and make sure everyone knows how to get out
• Avoid having bonfires
• Avoid lighting candles
• Don’t leave cigarettes burning
• Unplug any electrical items you’re not using
• Switch off portable heaters when you leave the room
• Don’t leave hot pans unattended, especially chip pans

Out and about
• When driving, watch your speed and keep your distance especially in bad weather
• If you’re riding a bike or motorcycle, check you’ve got all the right safety gear and that you’re clearly visible to other road users
• Pedestrians should cross the road at the safest place possible, such as zebra, pelican, puffin and patrolled crossings
• Look out for hazards and other road users
• Check your vehicle and make sure your brakes, tyres, lights, wipers and washers are all working and in good condition.

At work and school
• Turn off all lights and equipment that do not need to be left on
• Check fire extinguishers are correctly sited and are serviced
• Make sure everyone knows how to evacuate quickly and safely

There is more fire prevention and road safety advice available elsewhere on our website please see www.hertsdirect.org/fire

If you want to speak to someone about fire prevention please call 0300 123 4046.

IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY ALWAYS CALL 999

Hertfordshire County Council marquee at the County Show 24 and 25 May

Celebrating our county at the Hertfordshire County Show

 

 

 

The Hertfordshire County Council marquee at the County Show is going to be better than ever this year.

Your local county council has many informative and fun activities lined-up for visitors on Saturday and Sunday 24 and 25 May at the showground in Redbourn including:

• an artwork competition by Hertfordshire primary school children in line with the theme of this year’s show “Showcasing the Heart of Hertfordshire”
• performances by a brass band, a choir and the Purple Allstars
• the opportunity to find out more about fostering or volunteering
• advice on fire safety and protecting yourself as a consumer
• free health checks
• demonstrations on making the most of leftover food
• the chance to win a bike worth £400 sponsored by Rock and Road and New Dimension

Our sponsors Rock and Road cycling shop in St Albans and New Dimension Exhibitions based in Hitchin, have kindly donated a bike worth £400 to be won as part of our Hertfordshire Year of Cycling. Come along to our marquee to be in with a chance of winning and find out the many benefits of cycling including to your health, the environment and your bank balance.

Hertfordshire’s Fire and Rescue Service will be in attendance with a fire engine and the Herts FireBike and visitors can also walk around a “smoke house experience”, which simulates being in a smoke-filled room. Firefighters will be around all weekend providing tips and advice on fire safety.

Joining them outside will be Ringway, our highways contractors who will be demonstrating the work of the county’s gritters, and a double-decker bus which you can climb aboard for a speedy health check.

John Wood, Chief Executive of Hertfordshire County Council, said: “The Hertfordshire County Show gives us a great opportunity to meet people face-to-face in an informal environment to answer questions and provide advice about the services we provide, which is something we don’t often get the chance to do.

“I’d like to say thank you to the staff and volunteers who will be working at the weekend and a big welcome to all our residents who visit the show. Please call in to see us, share your views and ask us questions as that’s what we’re there for.”

The annual show is organised by The Hertfordshire Agricultural Society and takes place at the County Showground, Redbourn, near St Albans.

To get tickets, please visit www.hertsshow.com.

Hertfordshire Year of Cycling

With the Friend’s Life Women’s Tour of Britain racing through sections of Hertfordshire on Saturday 10 May, and a whole host of other events planned, a Hertfordshire Year of Cycling campaign will start in May.

Hertfordshire County Council is supporting the first ever Women’s Tour of an elite group of about 100 racers which starts in Cheshunt and finishes in Welwyn Garden City with a series of cycling activities in both locations. The race includes Hertfordshire’s own double Olympic champion, Laura Trott who started her racing career with the Welwyn Wheelers.

For the majority of the stage, aside from roads close to the start and the finish, a rolling road closure is in place, meaning the roads will only be closed for the short period the race passes by – usually around 10 to 15 minutes around the estimated time of arrival and indicated by police escort vehicles. These are the key areas and anticipated times:

Cheshunt 11:30am

Hoddesdon 11:47am

Hertford 11:57am

Hertford Heath 12:01pm

Cold Christmas 12:13pm

Buntingford 12:47pm

Baldock 13:09pm

Great Wymondley 13:20pm

Codicote 13:38pm

Welwyn 13:41pm

Digswell Hill 13:46pm

Welwyn Garden City 13:50pm

As well as this event, the sixth stage of the Men’s Tour of Britain will finish in Hemel Hempstead on 12 September so it’s a great time to start the Hertfordshire Year of Cycling. The official launch of the campaign will be held at the Hertfordshire County Show on Saturday, 24 May.

Jim McManus, Director of Public Health, said: “Cycling is a great way to get fit, keep fit and contribute to a healthy lifestyle. It is also an inexpensive way to travel and can help reduce traffic congestion and pollution.

“We are very pleased to be supporting the Women’s Tour as it passes through Hertfordshire and will also be working with cycle groups and schools on a regular basis to help residents really make the most of this inexpensive, fun way to keep fit and spend time with friends and family.”

Some of the cycling events and initiatives coming up in Hertfordshire include

• Cyclesafe at Longfield on 7 June
• Cycling activities at Stevenage Day on 8 June
• Launch of the ILove2Bike programme in schools
• Cycle Challenge for business in Watford, Hemel Hempstead and St Albans in June and July

For more information visit the organiser SweetSpot’s website.

Contacting Hertfordshire County Council by phone

Make sure you know the best way to contact your local county council by phone, email or online. 

From 1 February, callers will be unable to contact us using old 01923 helpline numbers.

For fours years we have had 0300 numbers which are dedicated for the use of local councils and government departments. They cost no more than a national rate call to an 01 or 02 number and count towards any inclusive minutes in any mobile or landline phone contract in the same way as 01 and 02 calls.

The old numbers will be turned off on 31 January so it is important everyone takes note of all the 0300 numbers on www.hertsdirect.org/contact

From 1 February callers to our old helpline numbers starting with 01923 will hear a ‘number unobtainable’ tone.

Frances Button, Cabinet Member for Customer Service, said: “If you have a vulnerable friend, neighbour or relation who regularly contacts us by phone, please make sure they are calling an up-to-date number.

“Our friendly and knowledgeable customer service operators are there to help, with dedicated people for all service areas.”

Your local county council’s phone lines are open Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm and Saturdays from 9am to 4pm. Lines are closed on Sundays and public holidays. If you are concerned about the welfare of a child or adult outside of office hours please call 0300 123 4040.

There are plenty of ways to find out about our services without having to pick up a phone. Our website www.hertsdirect.org lets residents have access to information 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

We are keen to support people getting online through the local library, both by having computers available and also through one-to-one support sessions. Please call (0300 123 4049) or visit your local library for further details.

Hertfordshire County Council is warning the public against the temptation to turn to loan sharks.

Don’t get sharked this Christmas

Christmas is an expensive time and money is tight, but Hertfordshire County Council is warning the public against the temptation to turn to loan sharks.

Loan sharks will exploit families especially at this time of year as they know they will be struggling for cash. These lenders act like your best friend. They seem to be doing you a favour, but what may seem like a small loan to tide you over for Christmas and New Year, could end up costing you dearly for years and years – and not just financially. You could be subjected to threats, violence and worse.

Typically loan sharks will:

• Appear friendly at first, enticing you to take out a ‘no-hassle’ loan. But this is often a façade and very quickly the debt begins to spiral, with extra charges added at random.

• Force their borrowers to hand over items ‘as security’. This could include passports, driving licences or even bank cards with the PIN, in order to withdraw directly from borrower’s accounts.

• Offer little or no paperwork, and are unclear of the terms of the loan. People are then left in the dark as to how much they are actually repaying and for how long. Loans of £200 can easily cost £5,000 or more to repay.

Richard Thake, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, said: “Using a loan shark can look like an easy way to get money with no questions asked but we are issuing a serious warning against borrowing from one.

“Think about setting up a savings account in future, to put a little aside for Christmas. If you do need to borrow, try to only borrow what you need but make sure it’s from a reputable lender or a Credit Union.”

To find your nearest credit union: http://www.abcul.org or call 0161 832 3694

It is not illegal to borrow from a loan shark. It is the loan shark who has broken the law, not you. You can report these criminals in the strictest confidence and action will be taken.

To report a loan shark call the 24/7 confidential hotline on 0300 555 2222 or text ‘loan shark + your message’ to 60003. You can also e-mail reportaloanshark@stoploansharks.gov.uk or send a private message at http://www.facebook.com/stoploansharksproject

Anne’s story:
Anne took out a loan for £150 to buy Christmas presents for her young children. She paid back more than £5000, as the loan shark continued to harass her for five years. When she fell ill and was unable to work, she defaulted on payments. She was resting at home with her young daughter when the loan shark accompanied by two other men barged in, demanding to know why she hadn’t paid and pulling items out of her living room.

She said: “There was nowhere to go. I wasn’t even safe in my own house. I was screaming, crying, pleading with him not take my stuff. To think, that my little girl had to see that.”

Are you ready for winter

With the weather starting to feel wintry, Hertfordshire County Council is preparing for any cold snaps and reminding residents of what you can do to stay safe on the roads.

Terry Douris, Cabinet Member for Highways, said: “Our gritters are ready to roll and we’ve been out filling the 1,000-plus salt bins in the county. We are also supplying salt to district, borough and parish councils so they can help keep key routes, particularly pavements, safer during cold spells.”

On your local county council’s website, www.hertsdirect.org/salting, there is extensive information about our winter service, from the routes we salt when temperatures are below zero and where our salt bins are located, to advice for residents on clearing snow and driving tips to help keep motorists safe during icy weather.

“As well as being ready ourselves, this year we also want to encourage residents to be prepared,” added Terry. “On our website you’ll find advice about clearing snow and ice from outside your properties and staying safe on the roads.

“If you’re a driver, please take a moment to check that your vehicle is ready for winter. Check your tyres, lights and windscreen wash. We’re already starting to have some icy spells, so please take care when driving, cycling or walking in these conditions. While salt is the best material we have available to treat snow and ice, if roads and pavements are salted we all still need to be careful and should not drive or walk as if weather conditions are normal.”

More than 6,000 people now follow Hertfordshire’s #grittertwitterhttp://twitter.com/Herts_Highways. Sign up to get tweets and RSS feeds direct to your computer or mobile phone about when we’re going out salting. Follow the link to ‘Salting decisions’ onwww.hertsdirect.org/salting to sign up to the service.

Watch how we’re ‘Getting a grip on winter’ here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va3pm_XD2FQ

During severe weather, information about your local county council’s services is available by following the ‘severe weather’ tab on the front page of our website, www.hertsdirect.org

If you need assistance, are struggling to heat your home and don’t know who can help, call HertsHelp, a network of community organisations, on 0300 123 4044 or email info@hertshelp.net for free help, advice and information or visitwww.hertsdirect.org/hertshelp Likewise, if you’re worried about family members, friends or neighbours, you can also contact HertsHelp. For information about your local county council’s ‘Keep Warm, Stay Well’ scheme that helps to keep Hertfordshire’s most vulnerable residents warm and well during winter, visitwww.hertsdirect.org/keepwarm

Hertfordshire Drivers are being offered the chance to brush up on their winter driving skills.

Driving in winter – are you prepared?

Drivers are being offered the chance to brush up on their winter driving skills. 

With winter fast approaching, Hertfordshire County Council is putting on two two-hour sessions, in Hatfield and Cheshunt, where road safety experts will cover: 

• getting ready for winter
• equipment you might need
• vehicle checks
• driving techniques
• coping with snow, ice, surface water and poor visibility.

Terry Douris, Cabinet Member for Highways, said “Driving in wintry conditions can be testing, even for experienced drivers, but it’s a lot easier if you’re properly prepared.

“These sessions are a good opportunity for drivers to remind themselves what they need to think about before the winter and how to drive safely when the snow, ice and poor weather do arrive.”

The sessions are open to anyone with a full driving licence and will cost £15.

They will be held on

• Thursday 21 November, 7pm to 9pm at the Ramada Hotel, Hatfield
• Monday 2 December, 7pm to 9pm at the Marriott Hotel, Cheshunt

To book a place, please call 01992 556800 during normal office hours.

Each person attending will be given an ice scraper/squeegee and a discount on the cost of a skid training session.

For further information, please visit www.hertsdirect.org/driving

 

The graduation ceremony is a time to applaud the achievements and successes of your students

Since 1998, My Graduation Film.com have been providing professional video production services to a varied customer base including universities and other academic institutions. All there filming and post production facilities are in-house, allowing them to maintain the highest level of quality and flexibility for the benefit of their clients. They pride ourselves on being innovative and strive to follow modern trends as well as adopting the latest technologies.

Based in Barnet, Herts they are ideally situated to provide their services to academic institutions within London and are closely connected to major road networks allowing them to travel nationwide.

presenting the perfect opportunity to showcase your university and staff.

A time to celebrate the end of one amazing journey and the beginning of another. Video production can be an essential element of any ceremony relaying the proceedings live to a central screen. In addition, the ceremony is recorded comprehensively, giving the graduates, their families and the University a lasting memory of the day.

Whether it’s a graduation ceremony, university promotional film, live event or web video, our team has the creativity and enthusiasm to undertake your project and produce a unique, engaging, high quality video.

This what some of there Clients have to Say

Highly recommended!  I am very pleased to endorse My Graduation Film.   Extremely professional and innovative, coming up with great new ideas to improve the student experience of graduation.   The staff were helpful, courteous, cheerful and a pleasure to work with. Grace Roberts   Sheffield Hallam University

“I was delighted with the attitude of you and your team and how accommodating you were. You took into consideration any concerns that we had about the building and timings and worked with us to the end goal of providing a first rate ceremony for the University and their guests.” Susan Macleod  Worcester Cathedral Operational Manager

“I found that My Graduation Film were inventive in filming, well-equipped and professional on-site, and the finished product was of a very high quality, so we were very happy with the whole service.”David Tye,  London Metropolitan University

As part of there pledge to produce video content for the contemporary digital age and provide universities and graduates with the best service they can offer a graduation eVideo.

The eVideo is a personalised video clip that highlights your special moment, as well as snippets from the day.
They  send it directly to your email in a video format perfect for uploading to Facebook and YouTube. You can then upload it to your social network pages, tweet about it and allow your friends and family who couldn’t be there to see you graduate.

Get in touch there a friendly bunch enquiries@mygraduationfilm.com 

t: 020 8366 7466   

Aquarooms offers a Reliable General Maintenance & Plumbing in Barnet & Surrounding Areas

Aquarooms offers a Reliable General Maintenance & Plumbing in Barnet & Surrounding Areas

We are a professional company working from high street front premises where you can come and discuss your work to someone in person at our showroom & offices.

When you need any General maintenance or plumbing work carried out in Barnet or surrounding areas we offer a high level of expertise and customer service. We supply, install, service and repair most makes of Bathroom and plumbing products.  We guarantee a fast, efficient and cost-effective service through our team of trained and qualified professionals.

We offer:  Free estimates

Our prices are given up front and we believe in always being 100% transparent.

We will always show a full breakdown of labour, material and any other charges, and a comprehensive description of work carried out is shown on all invoices and estimates.

We do not charge for the following: call out charge, travelling, parking, Congestion and there are no other hidden charges.

After the first hour we charge per ½ hour up to a maximum of 10 hours where a day rate charge is made

All of our workmanship carries the company’s 12 month guarantee for your peace of mind.

Materials used are covered by manufactures guarantees with  a 12 month minimum

Works Carried Out In:

Enfield, Winchmore Hill , Grange Park, Southgate, Oakwood & Cockfosters,

Hadley Wood, Barnet, Totteridge & Whetstone, Finchley, Mill Hill, Edgware

Potters Bar, Brookmans Park

We Specialise in :

Bathrooms, Cloakrooms, Wetrooms,  Walkin Baths, Water Softeners, Water Filters,

Our Team Carry Out Full Installions to General Maintenance and Repairs

Services Offered: tap washers to New Bathrooms …..and everything in between

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Are Hertfordshire children up for the Creepy House Challenge?

Hertfordshire County Council’s libraries are delighted to announce Creepy House, the 15th National Summer Reading Challenge, beginning Saturday 13 July. 

The challenge will encourage intrepid young readers to read a total of six books over the summer. There will be stickers to collect along the way as they work their way from the awful upstairs, through the gruesome ground floor and into the spine-tingling cellar.

The challenge is free to enter and is open to children of all ages and reading abilities. They can choose any books they like from the variety on offer in the library, be it fiction, non-fiction, or even audio or e-books. Very young children can have books read to them. It still counts and is a great way to introduce them to books and the library.

Children completing the challenge will be invited to a special awards ceremony, where they will receive a certificate and a medal. They will also be entered into a prize draw with the chance to win a ‘Golden Ticket’ for an exclusive author event on 1 November. One lucky golden ticket holder will also win a family ticket to Warner Bros Studios.

Frances Button, Cabinet Member for Libraries, said: “The Creepy House Challenge is primarily about having fun and enjoying books but research has shown that children who have taken part are more likely to have maintained or even improved their reading levels when returning to school than those who did not.”

Creepy House packs will be available in all Hertfordshire libraries, including mobile libraries, from Saturday 13 July until Saturday 7 September 2013, while stocks last. A special launch event will be held at Watford Central Library on Saturday 13 July where there will be lots of free activities to join in with.

Children can also visit www.creepy-house.org.uk  for more fun and games, and the chance to link with top authors and other children taking part across the country.

Look out for other creepy events happening over the summer including ‘Meet the Creepy House creepy crawlies’ drop-in sessions at Stevenage, St Albans and North Watford libraries, and a ‘Catch the Reading Bug’ day at the Butterfly World Project in Chiswell Green on 1 August.

For more information, visit www.hertsdirect.org/libraries , phone 0300 1234 049, or drop in to your nearest library.