Some office furniture items that you might not have thought of...

You might think that you already know the story when it comes to office furniture. Chairs are there to support your back, and should be comfortable enough to sit on for several hours at a time. Desks need to be able to accommodate a PC, scanner, printer and photocopier and should be at an ergonomically advantageous height. Lockers come in different sizes, and so on. It’s all very predictable...or so some Office1web (http://www.office1web.ie) customers might initially think.

After all, office furniture items like computer desks are all there to make those long days in the office just that bit more bearable, which has led to all manner of companies creating variations on the usual formulas in their quest for maximum convenience and pleasure. You might think, for example, that anything other than a standard rectangular desk would be silly, but it’s not so.

There are plenty of specialist reception desks available, for example, that hide away all of those cluttered business supplies and project the most professional image of your company. Or what about executive desks, with their refined style and classy finishes like Cherry Marbella and Dark Walnut? Your office may have an awkward corner that perfectly suits a wave or radial desk, or your practical needs may be best served by a portable and lightweight folding table.

Do you have a bad back from all of those times when you’ve had to stretch to find an awkwardly filed item in the cabinet, or do you have assistants that need to transport their filing from their workstation to your office? If you can answer with a “yes” to questions like that, then you would likely appreciate a wheelable office trolley or two. We also have a section for all of those miscellaneous but often invaluable office furniture items like door mats and packing benches.

Office chairs are also a vital part of the typical Irish office, but customers ignore the many variations at their peril. After all, if you’re organising a conference, you wouldn’t want to put all of your delegates in spinning computer chairs, while reception chairs can range from small comfy chairs to mass visitor seating for big conference rooms. Some chairs are cheap, cheerful and stackable for those that need maximum seating capacity but lack budget and space, and there are also stools available for more informal use.

Such a vast selection of furniture items is complemented by a similarly wide range of those vital, but all too easily forgotten accessories that really help to keep an office together, including desk clamps and desktop feet for desktop screens, not to mention bookends, shelf brackets, chair trolleys and more. It all helps to make Office1web (http://www.office1web.ie) a true ‘one stop’ source for the best quality, best priced office furniture in Ireland.

Sunspel's dresses and skirts offer the finest in feminine chic

Given the circumstances of the foundation of Sunspel (http://www.sunspel.com), by Thomas A Hill in the highly masculine setting of the industrially pioneering Victorian England, one might not have expected the renowned provider of British menswear to develop much clothing with women in mind. However, the company has actually designed various items for women, including a burgeoning selection of dresses and skirts.

Long before the widespread societal changes of the later 20th century that greatly increased the voice and prominence of women, Sunspel was not merely paying lip service to this vital section of the population, with Thomas Arthur Hill - the grandson of the founder - having overseen the firm's development of women's underwear. As the decades wore on, the company continued to develop its style and fabric technology to the benefit of both sexes - as is evidenced in its current-day selection of dresses and skirts.

These items are fresh and effortless in style, combining the brand's classic aesthetic with a befitting 21st century elegance and femininity. Sunspel's dresses and skirts reflect this meeting of the warmly traditional with the sharply new not only in terms of appearance, but also in the company's established commitment to practical, everyday quality clothing that can be worn comfortably next to the skin. Items in the range that exemplify this philosophy include the firm's polo dresses. These recall past times in their simple, clean lines and classic fit, while also being made from a very fine, extremely smooth Merino wool, selected for its strong bobble-resistance and close knit texture.

Another example of the persistent ability of Sunspel's luxury clothing to combine classic style with modern utility is the ribbed, sleeveless dress. With its cut from a cotton and Lycra blend fabric that allows the dress to hold its shape and flatter a wide range of figures, this dress is the perfect accompaniment to a blazer, luxurious cashmere scarf or pair of knee high riding boots. It is soft and durable, fits close to the body and is the ideal foundation for 21st century chic.

However, there is one item in the Sunspel (http://www.sunspel.com) dresses and skirts range that unashamedly draws on the heritage of British clothing. That item is the Wool Kilt, a kilt inspired skirt that has been crafted by skilled kilt makers from near Lanarkshire in Scotland. Consisting of heavy and durable woollen fabric and also featuring a two buckle fastening and inverted back and side pleats, it makes for a flattering wardrobe addition, being an especially good match to a fitted white shirt and one of the label's own merino cardigans. 

Gimme some sugar!

Some of you may have heard about the health benefits of chocolate. At Shorters Club (http://www.shortersclub.co.uk/) we certainly have. It’s been in the national news and press (along with the beneficial properties of a glass of wine!). The news was, perhaps unsurprisingly, widely welcomed as health advice which was positive and easy to act upon. It’s certainly very encouraging to learn that the chocolate from our wide range of chocolate bars can be good for your heart, an antioxidant, de-stresses you and cuts the risk of heart disease. As for whether you believe that chocolate is better than kissing we’d suggest you don’t just take medical expert’s word for it but find out yourself. Choose from Shorters Club’s wide range of chocolate to find out. We’ll leave the kissing part to you though!

But what about sugar itself? Sugar has often been demonized by nutritionists and scare stories abound about the harmful effects of the naturally growing food stuff that has been cultivated and traded for millennia. We are told to cut it out of our diets, to look for sugar-free drinks and snacks, we are told that it rots our teeth and should be avoided. But can such a naturally occurring plant be so bad? Are there no reasons we should have sugar as part of our daily lives?

The answer thankfully, seems to be yes! Like any food, sugar needs to be part of a balanced diet. Our bodies look for balance in all the food we put into them and sugar is no exception. But sugar is a tremendously powerful tool in energy production and stabilisation. When we feel hunger it is often because our blood sugar levels are too low and sugar can maintain that balance. As sugars are a types of carbohydrates, eating potatoes, pasta and bread can and do help give us to produce glucose and energy. However well this works, sometimes we just need a boost. Fizzy drinks and so-called performance enhancing energy drinks are usually made from, and contain corn syrup – fructose. Fructose has a far more direct impact on glucose that can cause a spike in blood sugar levels resulting in a subsequent sugar crash leaving you feeling lethargic. But natural and refined “regular” sugar has a far gentler but as effective result in blood sugar levels both to boost energy and avoid such a dramatic crash in blood levels.

So much for the science - where best to find this regular sugar in a tasty treat?! How about looking at our range of bagged sweets, our range of confectionery and of course our range of value for money chocolate bars. Or you may prefer our chew bars selection.

Whatever your preference, everyone enjoys a treat and not only can they be good for your mood,  they might just be good for your health! And if it’s confectionery you want, at competitive prices, look no further than Shorters Club (http://www.shortersclub.co.uk).

Why you’ll be thankful for our fire system monitoring services

The highest standards of fire safety for your domestic or business property are not just a legal obligation – they’re a moral one, too. That’s why here at Triple Star Fire (http://www.triplestarfire.com) we take such pride in supplying, installing and maintaining fire safety equipment such as fire alarm systems and fire extinguishers. Such measures have long helped to save lives when fire breaks out, whatever the exact time and circumstances.

However, our fire safety equipment and services are not just aimed at averting tragedy in your domestic or business property, giving human occupants plenty of notice and opportunity to escape a fire before they are placed in mortal danger. That’s because if fire strikes your business, even if nobody is killed or injured, you still stand to lose much of what you have spent years working for... and with so many businesses never fully recovering from a fire, it really pays to be properly prepared.

If your property is affected by fire during business working hours or another time when you are personally present, you’ll hopefully be able to raise the alarm yourself so that the emergency services can be rapidly sent to put the fire out and minimise the damage. This isn’t a luxury that you would have, however, if the fire occurred ‘out of hours’... which is why you may choose to have our DualCom fire system monitoring added to your fire alarm system.

This system means that as soon as possible after a fire breaks out, the fire brigade will be alerted so that they can promptly get to your premises – potentially making all the difference between the ‘life’ and ‘death’ of your business. Clients of our DualCom fire system monitoring can also benefit from dual path signalling that uses both a landline and a mobile phone network to send a fire signal to the Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC). This means that with the triggering of the alarm, the ARC is also immediately alerted, which allows the emergency services to act.

Having been around since 2006, Triple Star Fire (http://www.triplestarfire.com) is staffed by people who know their way around the fire safety industry, using their huge level of experience and expertise to supply, install and maintain fire alarms in the most appropriate fashion. This also includes choosing only the products of the most trustworthy brands. Our specialists are easy to contact and can advise you on the best Redcare systems for the protection of your own business premises.  

Fire Protection Essentials – Emergency Signage and Lighting

Here at UK-FP.co.uk (http://www.uk-fp.co.uk/index.asp) we recognise the importance of all aspects of fire protection from smoke alarms to smoke vent systems, whether you need a fire door closer or need to choose from our range of fire extinguishers we have the product for you. There are two bits of kit that are also essential and often life saving: emergency signage and emergency lighting.

To paraphrase a well known saying, where there’s fire there’s smoke and with smoke comes impaired visibility, confusion and danger. What you need is clear signage to lead you and the residents or staff at your premises safely to the nearest exit. Our fire products range includes Fire Exit signs at just £10.00 for a 120 x 340mm sign made from highly visible photo-luminescent rigid plastic and featuring the industry standard design which is so instantly recognisable. Also at £10.00 are our Fire Action Signs giving clear and concise instructions should a fire break out on the premises.

In addition, not only do we sell a range of fire extinguishers but also the signs to go with them explaining the differences between carbon dioxide, dry powder, foam, water and wet chemicals and their applications and instructions for use. We also stock instructional signs for fire blankets and at just £5.00 each they’re great value too.

Should a fire break out at your residential or commercial property, easy to follow, high visibility, concise information is essential to instruct people on how to safely operate the correct fire extinguisher before leading them to the nearest fire exit and once that door is located our Push Bar To Open sign at just £10.00 will ensure they leave the building safely.

Along with signage you´ll also need emergency lighting. At UK-FP we can help with that too. Our Emergency Light Exit Box sign is just £33.04. It has a steel construction with a polycarbonate down arrow legend and comes with a facility for non-maintained mode, an LED charge light and battery test button, as well as a base diffuser for added downward illumination of the exit path. Or take a look at our LED Bulkhead Emergency Light Fitting at just £22.00. The New LED Bulkhead Emergency Light fitting features 50 High Efficiency, High Output LEDs incorporated into the housing of the unit. This unit is kinder to the environment than traditional fluorescent tube emergency light bulkhead units due to LEDs being much more efficient than 8 Watt tubes used in standard units. And the fact that the unit is more efficient also allows the end user to save money over the lifespan of the fitting.

At UK-FP.co.uk (http://www.uk-fp.co.uk/index.asp) emergency lighting and signage is just part of an entire range of fire protection equipment, all at competitive prices.