Acorn Media: ITV’s “Sam – The Complete Series One to Three” Comes to DVD in March

From John Finch, the writer of “Family at War” and “Spoils of War”, comes the 1907s ITV drama Sam.

Sam follows the life of a young boy growing up in a Yorkshire mining village between the 1930s and the 1960s. But Sam reflects more than just one man’s life; it captures the qualities and textures of the time, weaving and exploring the fabric of a nation.

It is 1934 and Sam Wilson is ten years old when his mother Dora leaves her husband and brings Sam to Skellerton, the Yorkshire mining village where she grew up. Her father, Jack, has been unemployed for more than eight years and her family has little enough money to support themselves. Will they manage with another two mouths to feed and how will Sam’s childhood change?

This compelling and engaging drama follows Sam’s life through post-war Britain, the search for his father, the passing of people he loves, the ever-changing industrial world and a life of austerity that found itself in the 1960s as a country that has ‘never had it so good’.

Starring Mark McManus (Taggart) in the title role, and featuring the work of such directors as Roland Joffe (The Killing Fields/The Mission), originally broadcast by Granada on the ITV network in the 1970s, the dramatic power and insight of Sam continues to resonate to the present day.

Sam is available in three 6-disc sets (Complete Series One, Two and Three) at a retail price of £29.99 each, or in this complete boxed set collection at £89.99.

For more information about Acorn Media, or to browse their extensive online directory, visit the Acorn Media website at http://www.acornmediauk.com/.

Title: Sam - The Complete Series One to Three

Release Date: 1 March 2010

Cat No: AV9960

Rating: 12

Running Time: 1,945 mins approx on 18 discs

RRP: £89.99

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Oak Floors Online: How to Bring Out the Best in Your Home with Oak Wood Flooring

As 2010 gets into full swing, a lot of people will be looking to improve certain areas of their lives for the new year, not least their homes. Some may choose to redecorate their living room; others might install a new kitchen. However, there is one feature of the house that is often looked at as unimportant, yet could bring out the best in your home; the flooring.

When it comes to home flooring, there are many different choices depending on which room of the house you’re looking to decorate. The most common dilemma for the majority of rooms is carpet versus wooden flooring. In recent years wooden flooring has grown in popularity in homes up and down Britain, due to its elegance and value for money, and the wood of choice seems to be oak, not only because of its beauty but also its durability.

Oak wood floors are an ever popular choice for home flooring as, no matter how often design trends come and go, oak flooring will always be fashionable. The look of an oak wood floor can add style and sophistication to almost any room.

It is vital that you choose the correct style of oak wood flooring to suit your needs. The best place to start is choosing whether you would like solid or engineered oak flooring. Solid oak flooring is made from a single piece of wood, and as such would need to be installed onto a permanent floor with glue or nails. Engineered wood is a layer of veneered oak wood on top of several layers of standard wood. This wood is sometimes more simple to install than solid wood, as it can be laid on top of almost any surface by using the ‘floating’ method of installation.

The widths of oak floor boards usually range from 2 ¼ inches wide to about 7 inches, the most common widths being five inches or lower. It is a misconception that wider boards offer more structure; each board is as sturdy as the next, no matter its width. From a cosmetic point of view, narrower boards are an excellent choice for smaller rooms, as they can make a room seem a lot bigger than it actually is. On the other hand, a large room is more suited to a wider board, so that’s where the wide Engineered oak flooring would look best.

Another important aspect to consider when choosing your oak wood flooring is the colour. A dark oak floor can add a sense of grandeur and antiquity to a room, while a lighter finish can offer a more modern look, and brighten up a room that has no access to natural light.

Whichever type of oak flooring you choose for your home, it is important that you buy from the right supplier. Oak Floors Online specialise in top quality oak flooring and prides itself on over-delivering when it comes to customer service and quality of product.

What’s more, Oak Floors Online are the only retailers in the UK to offer a lifetime guarantee on all of their oak floors. This means that, should you experience any problems with your floor at any point, and those problems are proven to relate to a fault within the structure or quality of the product itself, Oak Floors Online will replace the entire floor, no questions asked.

For more information about Oak Floors Online, or to browse their range of oak wood flooring, visit the Oak Floors Online website.

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IT Support Partner JMC Presents at Housing IT Manager Forums in North of England

JMC, a leading IT support partner in the North of England, has recently been invited to present at a number of Housing IT Manager Forums across the region. As a leading IT partner delivering technology and support to housing associations, JMC was considered best placed to provide an update on emerging technologies that bring real benefits to the sector.

The company presented at two forums in December; the North West forum on the 1st December, and the Yorkshire forum on the 8th. Each forum was attended by a group of senior IT contacts from housing associations spread across the North West and Yorkshire regions. Technologies covered on the day included Microsoft Exchange 2010, and Microsoft Office Communications Server R2.

JMC first became involved in the forums when they presented at the North West event last March. Since then JMC has become a subscriber to the National Housing Federation (NHF) and has continued to develop its profile within the sector.

Mark Summers, Technology Sales Manager for JMC, commented: “Our presentation covered a technical roadmap for technologies that we know have specific relevance to housing associations. They were all financially viable solutions proven to deliver immediate benefits to the sector.

"It went down so well that our presentation has been posted onto the forums extranet for people to download as needed.”

After realising that nothing similar was in place for Midlands based housing associations JMC instigated the formation of a group via contacts at the NHF. The concept has gone down extremely well and JMC are scheduled to deliver the key presentation to attendees registered for the first event on 28th January.

Summers commented: “We contacted the NHF and they put us in touch with the Midlands regional contact – we put the idea to them and they really liked it. As a result we have been asked to be the key note speaker at their first event at the end of January.”

For more information about JMC and the services they provide, including their involvement with housing associations, you can call JMC on 0161 925 7777, or visit the JMC Housing Association website.

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Delivery Quote Compare: Petrol Could Rise By 15p a Litre in the UK in 2010

The price of petrol in the UK could rise by as much as 15 pence per litre within the next 12 months, it has been warned.

The Petrol Retailers’ Association (PRA) of Great Britain made the prediction based on analysis of fuel market trends and tax changes.

In its report, the PRA claims that British motorists could be paying a record 123 pence for a litre of unleaded fuel by the end of 2010.

The restoration of VAT rates to 17.5 per cent, as well as a host of confirmed and proposed tax increases, will also affect fuel prices this year.

The PRA report says: “With all of these duty and VAT factors considered, this will equate to a 5p per litre increase in fuel prices by the beginning of April 2010 with the possibility of up to a 10p per litre rise solely from UK taxation by the fourth quarter of 2010.”

The Government has stated that it will raise fuel duty by at least 1p per litre on 1^st April, while tax breaks for the production of biofuel are set to be withdrawn. It is also rumoured that VAT will increase to 20 per cent at some point in 2010, adding a further 2.5p per litre to the cost of unleaded petrol.

Paul Watters, head of public affairs at the AA, has played down these fears by branding the PRA report “pessimistic”, and partly based on speculation.

Daniel Parry of delivery price comparison site Delivery Quote Compare said: “These increasing fuel prices will put even more pressure on already tight margins. Hauliers and couriers will need to maximise their capacity, or else reduce their empty backloads in order to compensate for the higher price of fuel.

“Here at Delivery Quote Compare we search through hundreds of different delivery companies to give our customers the best deal to suit their needs. This gives hauliers the opportunity to obtain additional business, which would maximise their delivery capacity, meaning they get more value for money from their fuel consumption.”

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UK Snow: Tackle the Wintery Conditions with Due North Ice & Snow Everyday Tracking Aids from Smarter Products

As Britain falls deeper into its worst winter season since the 1960s, snow on the ground is turning to ice as the temperature plummets, and many people are finding it difficult to properly walk on the increasingly slippery pavements. With the Due North Ice and Snow Everyday Tracking Aids from Smarter Products, you can walk and run during snowy conditions with ease, and avoid injury due to a nasty fall on the ice.

These latest winter accessories are new to the UK, and give you grip while on the move on treacherous icy walkways. Whether you’re walking to work, taking the kids to school, or even just shovelling the snow from your driveway, Due North traction aids will give you the improved grip you need to tackle the ice and snow effectively.

The traction aids are fitted with six replaceable Ice Diamond tungsten carbide spikes, which provide maximum grip from heel to toe. The 360-degree pattern of the spikes allows for more push-off from the ground and increased lateral grip.

The unique webbed design of the traction aids means they adapt to fit the shape of your shoes, making them compatible with almost every pair in your wardrobe. Furthermore, they are lightweight and compact, so that they can easily be stored in your bag or glove compartment when not in use.

The Due North Ice and Snow Everyday Traction Aids are priced at £19.95, and are available to order from the Smarter Products website, for delivery from Monday 11^th January. Replacement spikes for the shoes are also available to order online, at £4.95 for a pack of four.

For more information about the Due North Ice and Snow Everyday Traction Aids, or to browse the entire Smarter Products directory, visit the Smarter Products website.

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