Hazlemere support Phil Tufnell sportsmans dinner

Former England International Phil Tufnell

Hazlemere Windows supported the Phil Tufnell at Adams Park on Thursday 28th May 2009, when the former England International Cricketer was the guest speaker at a Sportsmans Dinner run by Wycombe Wanderers Football Club. The funds raised from the evening go to help the running costs of this Buckinghamshire based Football League Club, who recently achieved automatic promotion to Coca-Cola League One, for the first time in their history.

Hazlemere Windows also supported the Paul Merson Sportsmans Dinner in January 2009, and a Boxing Evening, run in conjunction with Marlow Boxing Club in April. The company have had a long association with Wycombe Wanderers Football Club, and are keen supporters of local sport, also supporting Burnham Football Club, High Wycombe Cricket Club and Beaconsfield SYCOB Football Club.

Phil Tufnell fielded a serious of questions, in excellent humour, giving replies that the BBC probably would not have been able to broadcast had he been answering them as a Captain on a Question of Sport!  ”Tuffers” was very entertaining as you would probably expect and had some excellent anecdotes from his cricketing career. Jed Stone, the M.C. and comedian introduced Phil as “the best after dinner speaker on the circuit……….in his price bracket!”

Should MP’s claim double glazing on their expenses?

The Labour MP for Warwick and Leamington Spa, James Plaskitt was recently asked by Kevin Unitt, a reporter for his local newspaper the Leamington Observer, where any profits should go when he comes to sell his flat in future. Labour MP James Plaskitt replied “I put a substantial sum down of my own money to buy it, and have carried out considerable improvements out at my own expense, such as replacing single with double glazing, so part of any profit should surely come to me.”

Fair-play to James Plaskitt, as I suspect many Members of Parliament will have claimed for replacement double glazing as part of their MP expenses. Given the substantial improvement energy saving, energy efficient windowsbrings to a property, I do not believe that MP’s should be allowed to claim double glazing on their expenses.  Not only does most high quality modern double glazing improve the look of any property, it increases it’s saleability and therefore increases the value of the property. If they then sell the refurbished property for a profit, it is too complicated to work out/agree who should get what out of the sale if MP’s have claimed double glazing on expenses. Consequently, in my personal view, if MP’s therefore want to do up their second homes they should use their own funds, and not taxpayers money. 

All MP’s are facing a hard time trying to justify any of their expenses claims at all at the moment, and James Plaskitt MP is no different. Commenting on the issue on his website he states “MPs’ expenses have dominated the news bulletins in recent days. I have been totally shocked and appalled by some of the allegations. It beggar’s belief how a small number of MPs have claimed for completely unjustifiable costs. But I want to reassure all my constituents that I have always followed the letter and the spirit of the rules.”

This is one MP who is trying to quell local anger and questions by going public. As says on his website “My full expenses receipts will be published by the House of Commons in a few weeks. I have copies of these receipts in my office, but I can’t publish them yet because I am legally obliged to remove personal data – addresses, bank account numbers and signatures, both for me and my staff. The stack of photocopied sheets is about two feet high so it’s quite a job! But I’ve invited the local media to my office to go through all my receipts with a fine-tooth comb and report on anything they find. I believe in total transparency on this issue. People have a right to know how I spend public money, which is why I’ve always published my expense accounts and I welcome the reform of expenses which is urgently needed.”

Unfortunately all MP’s seemed to have been tarred with the same brush, and I certainly would not want to be an MP, now or in the future, as it will take a clear out and an open and transparent track record of years of good behaviour it seems, before the public may once again trust their elected representatives. I do hope the local MP’s in our region of Bucks, Berks, Herts, Oxon. and Middlesex have not claimed double glazing on their expenses, as if any of them have, then they will have a lot of explaining to do what they plan to do with any profits they make from the sale of any second home.

Are private landlords the new voice in energy efficiency?

According to an article posted on the Residential Landlords Association online RLA news service on 13th May 2009, “landlord and tenant interest in energy conservation running at an all-time high.”

Many landlords “were disappointed with the Chancellor’s budget – which seemed to make money available to everyone except private sector landlords despite their growing commitment to energy conservation,” says Dave Princep of the RLA Local Government Liaison Group

This interesting RLA news service article goes on to point out that “at a time when 19 per cent of the UK population lives in privately rented homes, heating costs and insulation have become deciding factors when choosing a property.”

The Harris poll reveals that location is still a tenant’s No.1 priority when deciding on which property to rent, but surprisingly enough five out of the remaining eight top reasons for choosing a property are all energy-related. The Harris poll showed that a total 98.5 per cent look for central heating, whilst 83.5 per cent for double glazing, 72.5 per cent for gas, electricity or oil economy, 68.6 per cent for insulation and 68.3 per cent for general warmth.

The RLA article states that “An overall 58 per cent of landlords, too, are concerned about energy efficiency in their rental properties and a rising number – 44 per cent – say they now ‘always’ consider energy efficiency before investing in new ones.”

The Residential Landlords Association reckons that Landlords believe that energy conservation reduces maintenance costs as well as the length of time that properties stay unoccupied. And keeping tenants warm and comfortable increases a property’s rental value, achieves higher resale value and reduces harm to the environment.

“Ninety-two per cent of landlords have already installed some energy efficiency measures. The main ones are double glazing (80 per cent), programmable heating controls (75 per cent) and loft insulation (73 per cent) followed by low energy lighting, draught-proofed windows and doors, tank jackets, high energy efficiency boilers, energy efficient appliances, cavity wall, solid wall and floor insulation.”

So, based on the above Residential Landlords Association article, the residential landlords Harris poll about installing energy efficient measures, it is clear that Landlords seem to invest the most in replacement double glazing, energy efficient heating and insulation, clearly mindful of the fact that their prospective tenants look for efficient central heating and energy efficient double glazed windows and doors. It does seem on the above evidence that private landlords are a new voice in energy efficiency.

Carbon capture and storage is not the answer?

Wycombe Wanderers “secure” automatic promotion to Coca-Cola Football League One at Adams Park

My congratulations, along with everyone at Hazlemere Window Company Ltd to Wycombe Wanderers Football Club, their Manager Peter Taylor, all the players, directors and staff for securing a dramatic automatic promotion from Coca-Cola League Two which I witnessed at a very tense Adams Park in the very last minute on the last day of the season.

I am delighted for the Chairman Ivor Beeks, Managing Director Steve Hayes, the Board of Directors and all Blues fans who have had to wait 15 years since their last promotion in 1994, when the Chairboys won promotion to the equivalent of League One by beating Preston North End 4-2 in an exciting play-off final at Wembley, a game I will never forget, as Wycombe Wanderers Manager Martin O’Neill lead the Club to successive promotions.

Despite losing 1-2 to Notts County in front of 9,625 expectant fans, WycombeWanderers secured promotion with 78 points (the same as Bury) by virtue of a superior goal difference of +21 to +20. With minutes to go the Blues looked to have secured promotion, thanks to team Captain David McCracken’s 2nd half equaliser, whilst Bury were drawing 0-0 at home to Accrington Stanley, and Exeter City were drawing 0-0 away to Rotherham United.

The news then came through that Exeter City had scored to finish 2nd in the League, and soon after John Thompson scored a last minute winner for Notts County,  leaving the Chairboys automatic promotion hopes resting on Bury NOT winning by a margin of two goals. Sky Sports then reported a penalty had been awarded to Bury on 92 minutes, and that Accrington Stanley had been reduced to 10 men with 5 minutes of time added on still to play. After what seemed like an age, the final whistle went at Gigg Lane, where, much to the evident relief of every Wycombe Wanderers fan, that Bury had won one-nil to finish 4thin Coca-Cola League Two, with the Blues having “secured” the 3rd automatic promotion spot by having a one better goal difference, so as it turns out, David McCracken’s 52nd minute goal at Adams Park on Saturday 2nd May 2009 earned Wycombe Wanderers promotion by the tightest possible margin in the most dramatic of circumstances.

The celebrations after the match were ones more of relief than of elation, as everyone realised how close we had come to letting automatic promotion slip, andonce again being in the play-offs. Promotion to League One comes with the bonus of playing several former Premiership clubs next season including Southampton and Charlton, plus possibly Leeds United and Norwich City! This is great for High Wycombe, and Buckinghamshire, as if Milton Keynes Dons do not make it through the play-offs, Bucks will have its own local derby as well!

As Ivor Beeks has always rightly said, a league season is over 46 matches, and over 46 matches Wycombe Wanderers have won automatic promotion in the Coca-Cola Football League for the first time in their history, which despite being by only one goal, is fantastic for the supporters, players, staff, football manager Peter Taylor and the town of High Wycombe. Come on your Blues!