Stairlifts

Stairlifts, Northern Ireland style - from Belfast to Bangor, Lisburn to Derry, Armagh to Antrim, Carrickfergus to Kilkleel - Newry too!

noreply@blogger.com (Stairlift King) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:50:00 +0000

If you are looking for

stairlifts

in Belfast or anywhere in Northern Ireland -

But if you are looking for fascinating facts about your area, then read on.

Belfast is the biggest city in Northern Ireland and is surrounded by hills, the river and the sea. Named after Beal Feirste which means "mouth of the sandbars" its deep port is famous for at one time the largest shipbuilding works in the world. It was here that the Titanic was built, aswell as HMS Canberra and many others including aircraft carriers and ferries. As well as shipbuilding the port enabled Belfast to succeed in making rope and exporting linen.

It's not all industrial though as Belfast is home to over 40 public parks looked after by the Forest of Belfast a public/private partnership which has encouraged Belfasts flowering as a tourist destination. Indeed Belfast was named in 2009 by Frommers Guides as one of the Top10 must -see destinations in the world. Included in those gardens is the spectacular Botanic Gardens where there are tropical glasshouses inlcuding the Palm House which was one of the first curved cast-iron glasshouses in the world. A stroll around the scenery can be enjoyed and for the more energetic there are festivals and pop concerts held here.

If sport is more your thing then you will be well catered for in Belfast as a spectator or a player. In fact there are figures to prove that people in Ireland as a whole are more active than in England. The most popular sports are Rugby, Football, Gaelic Football, Hurling and Camogie.
A Belfast football legend, without question was one of the world´s outstanding and naturally talented geniuses in the history of the sport was born here. GEORGE BEST city airport is named after him.

Also, ALEX "Hurricane" HIGGINS came from Belfast - and was known for frequenting the Crown Bar, an unusual Victorian era Gin Palace not far from the train station and which has been restored and is now run by the National Trust. Take a look at its interior below. Alex will not be seen there anymore - this phenomena in the world of snooker passed away in the summer of 2010,

Here below, as with all our regional stairlift blogs, we have some of the main towns and cities in the region – along with a selection of notable residents – past and present. It’s always remarkable, how many people do not know just who comes from their own town.

Antrim – Alexander Irvine, author and poet. Armagh – George Russell, Poet, painter and writer. Ballycastle – David McWilliams, folk singer and musician. Ballyclare – Willie John McBride, rugby player. Alan Finlay, celebrated psychologist and artist. Ballymena – David Kennedy, international cricketer. Bryan Young, international rugby player. Bangor – Zoe Salmon, Blue Peter presenter and former Miss Northern Ireland. Eddie Izzard, comedian. Eddie Irvine, racing driver. Belfast – George Best, footballer. C. S. Lewis, writer. Van Morrison, musician. James Galway, musician Carrickfergus – Louis MacNeice, poet. Jackie Woodburne, Neighbours actress. Coalisland – Dennis Taylor, snooker player. Coleraine – James Nesbitt, actor. Andrew Bonar, former British Prime Minister. Comber – Thomas Andrews, shipbuilder of RMS Titanic. Cookstown – Jimmy Cricket, comedian. Derry – Phil Coulter, songwriter, artist, musician. Nadine Coyle, member of Girls Aloud. Seamus Heaney, poet and Nobel laureate. Donaghadee – Bear Grylls, adventurer, writer and television presenter. Downpatrick – Ian Mitchell, from the band Bay City Rollers. Dromore – Harry Ferguson, inventor of the tractor. Dundonald – Vivian Campell, guitarist of Def Leppard. Anne Gregg, BBC presenter and travel writer. Dungannon – Darren Clarke, golfer. Enniskillen – Samuel Beckett, playwright. Bobby Kerr – 1908 Olympic 100m Gold Medalist. Holywood – Clive Standon, actor. Kilkeel – Danielle McVeigh, World University Golf champion. Larne – Dave Clements – footballer and football manager. Limavady – Ruth Kelly, Labour MP and former cabinet member. Lisburn – David Crystal, academic, linguist and author. Lurgan – Neil Lennon, former captain of the Northern Ireland football team. Magherafelt – Peter Doherty, former footballer and manager of Northern Ireland. Newcastle – Richard Rowley, author and poet. Newtownards – Robert Blair ‘Paddy’ Mayne, SAS co-founder. Newry – Pat Jennings, International footballer. Christine Bleakley, The One Show host. Sean Hillen – artist. Omagh – Sam Neill, Jurassic Park actor. Portadown – Alexander Walker, author and influential film critic. Portrush – Graeme McDowell, professional golfer who was the first Irishman to win the US Open. Portstewart – Briana Corrigan, vocalist with The Beautiful South. Randalstown – John Bodkin Adams, suspected serial killer. Strabane – Paul Brady, singer songwriter. John Dunlap, printer of the United States Declaration of Independence. Warrenpoint – Denis Donoghue, literary critic.

Stairlifts in Leicestershire including Leicester, Loughborough, Hinckley, Market Harborough, Coalville and Melton Mowbray

noreply@blogger.com (Stairlift King) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 09:56:00 +0000

If you are looking for

stairlifts in Leicester

If you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on.

Leicestershire is an inland county bordered by 7 other East and West Midlands counties. First mentioned in the Domesday book the county takes its name from Leicester the county town. Leicester is the site of an ancient roman fortified town and relics of roman baths and walkways have been found beneath it. In the industrial revolution its factories were skilled in engineering, producing shoes and also hosiery. The towns industries have always been boosted by immigration to work in it's businesses and the city has the largest Caribbean Carnival outside London and also the largest Diwali celebration outside India.

Called the sport capital of the UK it has Championship side Leicester City Football Club, Leicester Tigers Rugby Union Club - and of course Leicestershire County Cricket team. Stoke on Trent (the home HQ of Castle Comfort Stairlifts) and Leicester have a lot in common.

Their soccer teams, Stoke City and Leicester City have enjoyed

the services of two of the greatest goalkeepers the world has ever known - Gordon Banks and Peter Shilton.
See our stairlift cartoon with Peter Shilton here getting his own back on Diego Maradona for that infamous 'hand of God' goal. And believe it or not, Keith the founder of Castle Stairlifts uses the services of his friend 'Diegito' when visiting Argentina. See here an Englishman and an Argentine with the Falklands and football very much forgotten!

Leicester was also the home of the person responsible for setting up this now national stairlifts company. Robin Linnell of Acorn Stairlifts, many years ago, persuaded the Castle Comfort homecare products specialists to get serious about expansion. Robin's efforts and help, despite poor health, ensured that the Stoke based firm would go from stength to strength. Robin has now sadly left us, but in accordance with his beliefs - is still here - with other absent friends.
His succesor, Richard Roemer of Acorn was challenged to be a satisfactory 'half as good at his job as Robin' but has in fact exceeded well beyond that. Richard, also of Leicester, is a staunch follower of Leicester City and is often seen at the "Walkers Stadium" when not working.

Loughborough is known for it's university that is well ranked in the UK and was actually voted University of the Year 2008/9 by the Sunday Times. It is also the site of the world's largest bell foundry having been responsible for making both the bells for St.Pauls Cathedral and also York Minster. Ding dong!

Hinckley is located in the south west of Leicestershire and like Leicester is famous for it's engineering and hosiery manufacturing. It has the headquarters of Triumph, the classic motorbike firm ridden by Tom Cruise and George Clooney. Concerning hosiery, in its heyday it was estimated there were upto 6000 people making stockings in the town!

Melton Mowbray if not famous throughout the world is certainly known in England for it's pork pies. Its pies are now protected by an EEC ruling like that applied to Champagne in France. If it is not produced in the area you cannot put Melton Mowbray on it or call it by that name. It is also known for the Stilton cheese produced here and the town calls itself the "Rural Capital of Food."

Market Harborough is known for being the birthplace of Thomas Cook the founder of the package tour company. In fact the world's first package tour which he organised was to the sunny climate of Loughborough previously mentioned above! If you need assistance to travel about and want some help getting up and down the stairs safely and want a trustworthy company to help you then please contact Keith or Ann free on 0800 007 6959.

Castle Comfort Stairlifts 'making it easy to stay independent.'

Stairlifts in Dorset including Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth and Dorchester

noreply@blogger.com (Stairlift King) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:15:00 +0000

If you are looking for
stairlifts in Dorset

If you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on.
Dorset is situated in the South West of the country and is bordered by Devon to the West, where we also have a chairlift office.

Somerset and Wiltshire are to its North and Hampshire is to its East. It is very beautiful and has more protected conservation areas including areas of outstanding natural beauty and heritage, than any other county in England. Nearly half of it's total land area is in such a conservation area.

As previously mentioned on our Devon blog the Jurassic coast runs along here and is famous for its fossils and beautiful seaside beaches. Who hasn't been to Lyme Regis at some point and eaten tasty fish and chips on the Cobb. It's certainly a happy memory that I have.

Dorchester is the county town and its most well known past resident is Thomas Hardy the author who wrote "The Mayor of Casterbridge" and "Tess of the D'Urbervilles," while resident at Max Gate the house he had built for himself, now in the care of the National Trust.

Nearby Bridport is not actually on the coast but close to it, and is famous for the sightings of local TV River Cafe chef Hugh Fearnley-Wittingstall, GMTV's Fiona Phillips and also actor Martin Clunes who also live nearby.

East along the coast you come to Weymouth, where another famous actor makes his home and that is "Trigger" from TV's "Only Fools and Horses."

Most stairlifts firms are reputable and honest - but avoid the chance of meeting the odd 'rogue trader.' See our famous SPAM blog and you'll laugh your socks off! But it has a serious message that will protect you from unfair selling practises. To guarantee you get a genuine, no pressure, stairlift firm to give you the right price and information needed without hassle, please contact the Bournemouth office of Castle Comfort Stairlifts on 01202 355466 - or go to their website at castle comfort stairlifts

Stairlifts in Devon including Exeter, Exmouth, Sidmouth and Torbay

noreply@blogger.com (Stairlift King) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 11:21:00 +0000

This post is part of Castle Comfort Stairlifts series of city and area information pages and is devoted to fascinating facts about Devon towns and will also link you to advice if you are looking for Stairlifts in Devon

Devon is the fourth biggest county in England and has as it's county town the city of Exeter. Well known for its 12th century cathedral and Princesshay shopping area it is also the site of Britain's oldest and longest established public park, Northernhay Gardens created for leisure and pleasure in the 1600's. The three biggest employers in the city are Devon County Council, the University of Exeter and six years ago The Met Office relocated here. If you had been studying the weather forecasts wouldn't you decide it was time to move the office to the English Riviera, with it's amazing microclimate. Who can blame them, eh?
The city motto adopted long ago is "Semper Fidelis" and this means Always faithful and if you're searching for a stairlift firm it goes without saying that you need them to be the same. Feel free to read the reviews from satisfied customers on Castle Comfort's Google listing Their after-sales service is always faithful too.

Just along the coast and popular with retirees and tourists alike is Sidmouth Here begins the World Heritage Jurassic Coast which leads into Dorset. It has a popular esplanade with rows of Georgian and Victorian villas and there are local bowling, golf and tennis clubs for those active in the community. In 2008 a Canadian millionaire who often holidayed in the area left his fortune to the town for community projects. These can already be seen in the planting schemes such as those at Connaught Gardens.

Another town where Castle Comfort has an office is Exmouth
which has a couple of famous people associated with it. Pauline Collins the actress famous for her portrayal of Shirley Valentine, the story of a ladies search for love on holiday. Also from Exmouth is Ed "Stewpot" Stewart who presented "Crackerjack" on TV and was a Radio 2 presenter in the afternoons. In 1995 he climbed Snowdon and Ben Nevis in aid of charity, broadcasting his shows from the summits. If climbing the stairs is starting to feel like climbing a mountain for someone you know, why not ask for a free no obligation quote from Castle Comfort Stairlifts and help them continue enjoying their own home. Call them on 01395 349 198 or email them at
Send Mail

Stairlifts in North London - Enfield, Haringey and Islington

noreply@blogger.com (Stairlift King) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:09:00 +0000

This blog about Stairlifts in North London is part of our expanding series of regional and area blogs highlighting fascinating facts about where you live and the benefits of impartial stairlifts advice for those seeking Stairlifts in Enfield, Haringey or Islington.

Stairlifts in Nottingham, Leicester and Derby

noreply@blogger.com (Stairlift King) — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 06:16:00 +0000

Due to ever increasing demand Castle Comfort Stairlifts have now got a Nottingham office serving the East Midlands region, which includes those looking for a stairlifts in Derbyshire Leicester or Peterborough too. As part of our series of regional and city blogs this one will give you fascinating facts about the area as well as linking you to information on buying stairlifts in Nottingham a city famous for many things but I hope to uncover some new facts that will surprise you.

An Englishman's home is his castle and Nottingham has it's own castle built on a hill with far reaching views over the town. Intriguingly it's built on Castle Rock, which has a network of stairs and cave passageways carved out underground, beneath the castle. In the time of Edward III it was invaded by troops who had found a stairway that led from Englands oldest pub located down below in the town and went through the rock to the castle. It must have been handy for the castle owner to pop downstairs for a tipple!

This area is well known for the bands of robbers, outlaws and highwaymen around these parts, and no I'm not talking about other national stairlift firms!! Of course I'm talking about Robin Hood and his Merry Men those Nottingham legends that have had many books and films made about their story. But did you know that Nottingham has also been featured in some other films? The Golden Globe, Academy Award and Bafta nominated actress Samantha Morton hails from Nottingham and has filmed here. Though it might be Albert Finney and Hylda Baker, who starred in TV sitcom Nearest and Dearest with Jimmy Jewel, whose names are more familiar to you starring together in BAFTA winning Saturday Night Sunday Morning which was filmed in Nottingham.

Another legend well known in the area who took two East Midlands clubs to spectacular new heights in football was Brian Clough. Infamous for being passionate and opinionated about the game he nevertheless took first of all Derby County and then Nottingham Forest onto great achievements. At Derby he got them promoted to Division 1, won the league cup and helped them set an undefeated 22 match record. At Nottingham, with his help, they went from 8th in Division 2 to winning the Division 1 League cup and back to back European cup championships including a record breaking undefeated run of 42 games.
Talking football, Stoke City have in their time played Notts County, Nottingham Forest and Derby County. Stoke is where Castle Comfort Stairlifts have their head office. If you want to see how you can get round a curved set of stairs with less cost then see their chair lift cartoon with a Stoke City rider!

Other sports that Nottingham is known for is of course it's cricket. Trent Bridge being one of the finest international cricket venues, (and third oldest ground in the world.) It's here you can watch England play international cricket with the best in the world. Other sports that Nottingham are known for with national centres of excellence are its National Ice Centre and in Holme Pierrepont the National Watersports Centre where every year an Ironman Triathlon is held. Competitors swim a couple of miles, cycle over a hundred then run a gruelling marathon - all in a day. If tackling the stairs is getting as demanding for you and you'd like to make life easier for yourself why not try a riser recliner chair from Castle Comfort in Nottingham.
Their direct number is 01159 717012 and they would be pleased to tell you more about their huge range of helpful mobility products including adjustable beds bath lifts and wheelchairs.

Here below, as with all our regional stairlift blogs, we have the main towns and cities in the county of Nottinghamshire – along with a selection of notable residents – past and present. It’s always remarkable, how many people do not know just who comes from their own town.

Arnold – Andea Lowe, actress. Arthur Knighton-Hammon, Painter. Attenborough – Robin Hood – needs no introduction. Beeston – Sir Paul Smith, Fashion Designer. Bingham - Ian Storey- Moore, Former Footballer. Frank Miles, Artist. Bulwell – Bertie Mee, Arsenal Football Player. Partrick Doyle, Songwriter and member of pop group ‘The Diamonds’. Carlton – Richard Beckinsale, Actor. Cotgrave – Ernest Hayes, Britsh Army Soldier. Eastwood – Jeffrey Astle, West Bromwich Albion and England Footballer. D.H. Lawrence, Author. Hucknall – Lord Byron, Poet and Philosopher. Eric Coates, Composer of theme tune for ‘The Dam Busters’ movie. Kimberley – John Reynolds, British Superbike Champion. Kirkby-in-Ashfield – Sam Hynde, 2008 Paralympic- double Gold Medalist in Swimming. Mansfield – Chris Gascoyne, Coronation Street’s Peter Barlow. Alivin Stardust, Singer. Mansfield Woodhouse – David Gray, Singer. Newark - Sir Godfrey Newbold Hounsfield, inventor of the CT scanner. Toby Kebbel, Actor starred in ‘Rock ‘n’ Roller’. Retford – Phillip Jackson, Actor best known for his role in Agatha Christie’s Poirot. Liam Lawrence, Football Player for Stoke City FC. Southwell – Lord Byron, Poet. Stapleford – Tom Johnston, Football Manager and Player. Sir John Borlase Warren, Admiral. Sutton-in-Ashfield – Andrew Lewis, Composer. Kris Commons, Footballer for Stoke City, Nottingham Forest, and Derby County. West Bridgford – Harry Wheatcroft, famous rose grower. Worksop – George Best, Footballer. Bruce Dickinson, Iron Maiden Singer.

Stairlifts in London Part 1 of 4 - What a capital idea!

noreply@blogger.com (Stairlift King) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 13:06:00 +0000

This post will tell you fascinating facts that not everyone knows aswell as information on Stairlifts in London London as everyone knows is the capital of England but did you know that according to local legend the capital of England wasn't always based in London or Londinium as the Romans called it.

Kind Edgar, that's him up above to the left, established himself at Penkridge, only a mile and a half from one of the regional offices of Castle Comfort Stairlifts at Dunston in Staffordshire. In those days wherever the king was living was held to be the seat of government and therefore the capital of the country. Edgar the Peaceful as he was known was declared to have held his seat of power in the area for reputedly upto 3 years.
According to the Birmingham Post when they were visiting Penkridge many locals were proud of their small towns claim to fame even if it was way back in the 10th Century!

Castle Comfort Stairlifts are an impartial, family owned national stairlift firm with regional offices throughout London and the South East.
For Stairlifts in London in the modern day capital of London or for straight or curved stairlifts why not be uplifted by the customer service and personal support of Castle Comfort. Give them a call day or night to find out what they can do for your nearest and dearest. Now that's a right royal idea.

Picture credits
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d4/Edgar.jpg/210px-Edgar.jpg

Stairlifts? ... straight away for Cardiff & Swansea folk - in fact for anyone in South Wales ....

noreply@blogger.com (Stairlift King) — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 19:50:00 +0000

...... that is of course, if they need a stair lift! South Wales has perhaps often been regarded as one of those inaccessible parts of the UK to many national suppliers of curved and straight stairlifts. Glamorgan and Gwent, Monmouth, Bridgend, Neath, Camarthen and Pembrokeshire have been served for many years by an excellent road system and with these South Wales regions containing two thirds of the Welsh population. Most are based in these towns/cities -

Cardiff, population - 316,800

Swansea 225,500

Newport 139,500

Merthyr Tydfil 55,000

Cwmbran 50,000

Neath 45,000

Bridgend 40,000

Barry 40,000

We have highlighted Barry, as this town, which you can study on the blue link, only had a population of 85 just over a century ago - has now produced a current world political leader ... go to 'Famous Names from South Wales' further on.

Castle Comfort Stairlifts soon realised that there is a higher than average, UK-wise - percentage of that populous being over 65 - then just as well that , this expanding national stairlift company has opened its regional office at Swansea that now serves the whole of South Wales. A Cardiff office will open soon to get a chairlift anywhere in South Wales.

Castle Comfort Stairlifts have in fact been arranging the installation of their Stairlifts in South Wales for some years - but the astute directors had long ago noticed the extra demand.

It all started with a few installations being completed for their range of Acorn, Minivator and Stannah stairlifts by relatives of contented clients living in other areas. So a small advertising campaign was started in the Swansea Evening Post, followed by Yellow Pages and then Castle Comfort took the step to open a regional registered office at Uplands to the west of Swansea.

Within weeks, most major Internet search engines had picked up Castle's presence in the South Wales region, and recognised this established chair lift company originating from Stoke on Trent, from its ratings elsewhere. Google, for example granted Castle Stairlifts a number one map rating - stairlifts swansea As with all Castle Comfort Stairlifts Internet placings - they are not paid (or sponsored) adverts - they are judged by the ever powerful search engines, to be given a place on longevity (how long the firm has been in business), reputation, reviews and opinions by third parties - along with acknowledgement by countless authorities, directories, and in general - trustworthy sources capable of giving the 'thumbs up.' The opinions of others are always useful to judge a company - see what these people had to say about their experience with Castle Comfort Stairlifts.

The owners of this popular chairlift company know that these information links will lead you to other stairlift companies in competition to Castle. They are in fact delighted and hope that you will invite quotations from all of them. Keith & Ann however, who personally run the company, have placed a 'shopping tip' in most of their marketing ...

"Before choosing a stairlift firm - call them at midnight (you may have to one day in an emergency) and see whether you get an answerphone, nothing at all - or personal attention."

TRY LATE TONIGHT
- 0800 007 6959
OR SWANSEA (01792) 359 212

THEN CALL THE FREEPHONE NUMBER OF A NATIONAL STAIRLIFT COMPANY AND SEE WHO'LL HELP YOU.

(Micky-takers will be warned and pardoned once but any persistent sad examples will be called back at 5 am in the morning!)

In addition, to remind folk to be aware of the dubious sales tactics that sadly some stairlift companies use - have a glance (and a laugh at) the now famous SPAM blog. Monty Python lovers and those with memories of school dinners will love it!

We'll come back to stairlifts and Castle Comfort shortly, but as with our series of 'City and Regional blogs' we are going to provide some fascinating facts about SOUTH WALES, its people - its history and above all a few things about the region that its citizens may well be proud of.

BUT FIRST IF YOU ARE DESPERATE FOR STAIRLIFT PRICES? Well you can bookmark this page and come back to it later. Please go to Castle Comfort's web page Stairlift prices - or to cut even more corners - click on stairlift solutions wales .... or .. for the those really in a rush because the pub is closing, telephone free, the number below -

0800 007 6959
or - 01792 359 212

and a director of Castle Comfort will answer your call (directed to his mobile if he is already in the pub!)

Swansea has many links with North Staffordshire, especially Newcastle under Lyme and Stoke on Trent - the region from which Castle Comfort originates.

For instance, both regions enjoyed the post-war boom of coal mining, with both Staffordshire and South Wales having similar sized industries. Consequently, with the demise of such a job providing facility - both areas suffered enormously economically when inevitable unemployment followed the Thatcher days.

South Wales produced one of the most famous names in football - only to have him 'exported' to England as a player and manager. He guided Stoke City as a manager back in to the old first division. ALAN DURBAN, from Bridgend, was a Welsh international and manager between the 1970s and 1990s.

He began his career at Cardiff in 1959, playing fifty games before going to Derby County four yeas later. After 27 appearances for the national Welsh team he had a spell at Shrewsbury town as player manager before coming to Stoke in 1978. After gaining promotion he was poached by Sunderland only to return to Cardifff City for a four year spell as manager and then returning to Stoke.

Alan Durban's allegiance to Stoke and its people was highlighted when he made a celebrity appearance at the now closed Jollies Nightclub in The Potteries in 1985. The former Stoke manager confidently occupied for two hours a stage that had been graced by the very top in show business - such as Shirley Bassey, Morecambe & Wise, Neil Sedaka, Tommy Cooper, Jimmy Tarbuck, Cilla Black and of course Pontypridd's Tom Jones.

Durban was always regarded as something as a 'tough nut' yet tears were brought to many in the audience when he detailed an account of something that totally changed his attitude to life, in particular whether success at what we do career-wise was really that vital. He had had apparently a bad time at work on the day of October 21st 1966. It was during a period when it seemed excitment would never wain over England having just won the World Cup. He switched on the radio to hear that 144 people had lost their lives - 116 of them school children, aged just 7 to 10. It was, moreover at Aberfan just a few miles from where Alan was born.

The pupils of Pantglas Junior School had arrived only minutes earlier for the last day before the half-term holiday. They had just left the assembly hall, where they had been singing "All Things Bright and Beautiful", when a great noise was heard outside - a colossal landslide. One of the worst disasters in history had struck.

We all hope lessons have been learnt and subsequent enquiries, though they will not return a lost generation, can prevent such a thing happening again. The web has countless tributes to those lost and their families. One reference to an Aberfan premonition- is that of the nightmare of a 10 year old that had told her mother of the coming tragedy. Correctly, but with hindsight tragically, the mother reassured her daughter, dismissing it as a child's dream - and saw her safely off to school.

See this photo collection

FAMOUS PEOPLE BORN IN SOUTH WALES

As with all our regional blogs, we list a few of the famous that originate from South Wales. This is one of the most widely read features of the Castle Comfort Stairlifts series as we are told time and time again that most people had no idea and are amazed that so many celebrities, stars and those famous for different reasons - come from their town.

A selection of the 'South Wales Gallery' is here - but before you read on, we'll present you with a challenge. You may know some of these people personally (or knew them when they were alive!) or at least be aware of lesser known facts about them.

SO, AMONGST THE FAMOUS IN SOUTH WALES

- WHO HAS GOT (OR HAS HAD) A STAIR LIFT ???

IF YOU EMAIL THIS INFORMATION TO-

eventhefamousneedastairlift@castlecomfortcentre.com

We'll chip in £25 for every correct answer to this very good cause.

So here is a selection of the famous that originate from Wales -

Alan Durban (born in Bridgend, Mid Glamoragan) Alfred Wallace (Usk, Gwent) Alun Hoddinot (Bargoed, Mid-Glamorgan) Alun Richards (Potnypridd, Mid Glamorgan) Aneurin Bevan (Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent) Angus McBean (Newbridge, Caerphilly) Arthur Horner (Merthyr Tydfil, Mid Glamorgan)

Arthur Machen (Carleon, Newport) Bertrand Russell (Trelleck Monmouthshire) Brian Josephson (Cardiff) Catherine Zeta Jones (Swansea) Ceri Richards (Swansea) Charles Kemble (Brecon, Powys) Charlotte Church (Llandaff, Cardiff) Chris Addison (Cardiff) Christian Malcolm (Newport, Gwent) Colin Jackson (Cardiff) David Davies (Barry, Glamorgan) David Thomas (Aberdare, Rhondda Cynon Taf) Dick Francis (Lawrenny, Pembrokeshire) Dillon Prendergast (Cardiff) Donald Swann (Llanelli, Carmarthenshire) Dylan Thomas (Swansea) Eric Linklater (Penarth. Cardiff) Ernest Jones (Llwchwr, Swansea) Gareth Thomas (Bridgend)

Geoffrey Howe (Port Talbot) Geoffrey of Monmouth (Monmouth) Gethin Jones (Cardiff) Gillian Clarke (Cardiff) Griff Rhys Jones (Cardiff) Gwilym Lloyd-George (Criccieth, Caernarvonshire) Gwyn Jones (New Tredegar, Monmouthshire) Gwyneth Jones (Pontnewynydd, Monmouthshire) H H Price (Neath, Port Talbot) Harry Secombe (Swansea) Henry V (Monmouth, Monmouthshire) Henry Vaughan (Newton, Gwent) Howard Spring (Cardiff) Ian Hislop (Swansea) Ivor Novello (Cardiff) Ivor Emmanuel (Port Talbot) James Kemsley (Merthyr Tydfil, Gwent) James Thomas (Newport, Gwent) Jeff Banks (Ebbw Vale, Gwent) Joan Ruddock (Pontypool, Torfaen) John Humphrys (Cardiff)

John Ormond (Dunvant, Swansea) Jon Ronson (Cardiff) Julila Gillard (Barry, Glamorgan) Kenneth Baker (Newport, Gwent) Laura Ashley (Merthyr Tydfil, Gwent) Lisa Rogers (Cardiff) Mandy Rice-Davies (Llanelli, Carmarthenshire) Megan Lloyd-George (Criccieth, Caenarfon) Michael Heseltine (Swansea) Michael Howard (Gorseinon, Swansea) Michael Sheen (Newport, Gwent) Neil Hamilton (Fleur-de-Lis, Caephilly) Neil Kinnock (Tredegar, Gwent) Nicole Cooke (Cowbridge, Glamorgan) Paul Whitehouse (Caerphilly) Peter Greenaway (Newport. Gwent) R S Thomas (Cardiff) Ray Milland (Neath, Port Talbot) Ray Reardon (Tredegar, Gwent) Rhodri Morgan (Cardiff) Richard Burton (Pontrhydfen, Glamorgan) Richard Lewis (Aberavon, Port Talbot)

Richard Meade (Chepstow, Monmouthshire) Richard Nash (Swansea) Richard Price (Tynton, Flint) Roald Dahl (Llandaff, Cardiff) Rob Brydon (Port Talbot) Rowan Williams (Swansea) Roy Jenkins (Abersychan, Gwent) Ryan Giggs (Cardiff) Sarah Siddons (Brecon, Powys)

Shakin' Stevens (Cardiff) Shirley Bassey (Cardiff) Sir Anthony Hopkins (Port Talbot) Stanley Baker (Ferndale, Rhondda Cynon Taff) Tanni Grey-Thompson (Cardiff) Thomas Lewis (Cardiff) Tom Jones (Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taff) Tommy Cooper (Caerphilly) William Berry (Merthyr Tydfil, Gwent) William Grove (Swansea)

A TRUE RAGS TO RICHES STORY THAT WILL MAKE EVERY WELSH PERSON PROUD.

As promised, we come to the tale of a humble family from Barry, Glamorgan which many yeas ago decided to try and do a little better for itself. Miss Julia Gillard, now 48, was an unwell five-year-old when her parents took her from Wales for the warmer climate of Australia. Young Julia had suffered with pneumonia and doctors advised her family of the benefits of moving from damp and drizzly old South Wales to the sun of New South Wales.

Her policeman father John and mum Moira decided to emigrate to Australia settling in Adelaide in 1966 with Julia and sister Alison, three years older. The family were among thousands of ‘£10 Poms’ - Brits who emigrated to Australia in the sixties paying just £10 for their boat fare.
But Barry's 47,000 residents woke up in June 2009 to discover that Julia has become Australia's first woman Prime Minister. The new first lady of Australia has roots that are thousands of miles away from TV's Neighbours - in the Gavin and Stacey seaside town of Barry, Glamorgan. The family lived at Queen Street in a two-bedroomed terraced house - just like the modest home of Stacey from the popular BBC comedy. (Could this be the first comedy/soap eventually to feature a stairlift?)

Neighbours in Queen Street commented to an excited press contingent - 'She was a lovely young girl – we remember her playing with the local children in the street. 'She was very small when she left here and no one could imagine she would go on to become the most powerful person in Australia.' A rags to riches tale indeed – and above all one from illness to full health and may it continue and be many years before Julia needs a stairlift!

Juila Gillard comes from a long line of Welsh Labour politicians including former Prime Minister David Lloyd George, and Labour leaders Neil Kinnock and Michael Foot.

Julia Gillard from
Barry Glamorgan

How about another famous head of state with connections in South Wales - the man who reputedly invented the STAIRLIFT. He was in fact a king of notoriety who designed a block and tackle rope-pulling system to enable his servants to carry his 30 stone carcass upstairs. His name? HENRY V111 !

READ THIS REMARKABLE ACCOUNT OF HIS INVENTION OF THE STAIRLIFT

Henry's father was Welsh - Henry Tudor, whose real name was Hari Tudur and was born at Pembroke Castle. Old 'Harri' was proud of his Welsh identity and said he originated from an ancient Anglesey family with its roots going back to Cadwaladr the last legendary and ancient ruling Welsh king. He passed on a lot of land the lords in Wales but his son did not inherit this affection for Welsh soil. Henry V111 passed laws annexing Wales, and didn't stop there. He made English the official language of bureaucracy especially the courts - so the Welsh language was intentionally chopped as brutally as were the heads of the monarch's out of favour wives!

He didn't speak Welsh, so he had banned it - though rumour has it that he tried, practising phrases like 'Ble alla ca a stairlift beiriannydd chlosia Caerdydd?'

For the none Welsh language aficionados out there struggling to understand, it means -

Where can I get a stairlift engineer near Cardiff?'

UK WIDE LINKS AND SNIPPETS YOU'll ALL LOVE READING ABOUT IN CARDIFF AND SWANSEA!

We have already covered in many regional blogs the 'Good Deeds' that the Castle Comfort team get up to - well, Stairlift Stephen who has already caused the Coronation Street scriptwriters to pledge that a STAIRLIFT will soon feature in 'Corrie' is up to it again - now it's the turn of Emmerdale.

Castle Comfort Stairlifts immortal cartoons have been given the thumbs up from many regional blog fans. Indeed Richard, our unpaid professional cartoonist has received many requests for his skillful services after his works were posted world wide in the name of 'making stairlifts a little humorous.' See the collection of stairlift cartoons and then struggle up the stairs with a smile on your face - but please be careful.

You won't find many Stairlift companies honoured in the world's largest online encyclopedia - but Castle Comfort Stairlifts is in Wikipedia - and indeed they are very proud of the fact.

Buying Stairlifts. Who would you trust most - a stair lift salesman or a doctor?

noreply@blogger.com (Stairlift King) — Fri, 28 May 2010 19:21:00 +0000

Dr Neil Stirling MB ChB - now living in Cheshire - is Honorary Ambassador to Castle Comfort Stairlifts. - Head Office, Newcastle under Lyme, Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire.

When the founder of a Stair lift company from Newcastle under Lyme, just outside Stoke on Trent, heard that his doctor was retiring, it was all action stations. Keith Simpson, founder of Castle Comfort Stairlifts knew that his trusted family doctor for over 25 years. Dr Neil Stirling MB ChB - despite his age of 78 years - was not one to do nothing.

We'll come back to the story as to just who is Doctor Stirling shortly. But his impact on this family stairlift business and the stairlift market in general became an instant phenomena.

These days, Doctor Stirling receives a continual flow of correspondence from people who have acquired stairlifts following, who lives in Cheshire, his involvement, recommendations and contacts. Remarkably the most common situation is that people often discover that the is a stair lift specialist within a short distance of the buyer's home - and because such reasonably priced and very professional firms do not advertise and are very busy indeed - they have a low profile marketing wise.
Installations of straight and curved chair lifts - both new and reconditioned have in the past two year been completed in the following towns and cities where the recommended stairlift firm is based -

The list is not comprehensive or complete, but has many good examples ....

HUDDERSFIELD, EDINBURGH, BRADFORD, STEETON, KEIGHLEY, LEICESTER, ANDOVER, BLACKPOOL, CHESTER, LEEDS, WARRINGTON, HANLEY, CONSETT, GIZMOVILLE, GATESHEAD, MAIDSTONE, WHITBY, EASTBOURNE, ROCHESTER, NORWICH & SHIPLEY .... etc etc

In addition, Dr Stirling's own base company - Castle Stairlifts have become involved especially where the group now has regional offices, including -

Glasgow, Newcastle upon Tyne, York, Manchester, Macclesfield, Liverpool, Nottingham, Birmingham, Belfast, HQ at Stoke on Trent, Walsall, Stafford, Bristol, Bournemouth, London, Swansea and Exmouth.

NB Castle Comfort's expansion programme expects to have full showroom and stairlift facilities at these location by the sunmmer of 2012.

The life and times of Doctor Stirling from humble beginnings as the first white baby to be born in Mozambique, makes fascinating reading. A career spanning six decades with numerous posts and positions in public and private health care - has now culminated in him being Honorary Ambassador to the Castle Comfort Group. Initially his duties covered customer liaison and his quickly enhanced knowledge of the mobility products sector - particularly stair lifts has resulted in his own website - see it here- which offers independent help and guidance when handling the task of choosing a chairlift company.

Naturally, Dr S's allegiance towards his home base in Stafford shire at Castle Comfort's head office, means that Castle themselves will be receiving business as a result of the doctor's involvement. But not every time. Depending on the geographical situating of those needing a stairlift - and any special requirements such as paediatric (children) or bariatric (heavy duty cases) then referrals are made to the best specialist stairlifts companies to deal with this. Sometimes firms pay a commission a a token of appreciation of the referral - and this is used in two parts - towards the running of the website - and to top up the Good Deeds Fund of which Dr Stirling is the administrator, and oversees the granting of free or part-subsidised stairlifts.
By contacting Dr Stirling - you will learn a few things about stairlifts that are not obvious - and that some companies may not want you to know. For instance, if the stairs have a curved fan at the top or stairs off from a landing, then you may be budgeting for a curved stairlift sytem. But there may be an economic alternative. A Stoke City fan may help you. What? Seriously - just click on this.

Motor Neurone is an area where help is frequently given - as Castle Comfort's original registered charity was called 'The Doug Brown Motor Neurone Fund' Former Stoke on Trent Lord Mayor was an MN sufferer - and soon a dedicated blog can be seen on his life an times. Meanwhile go to Doug's story here. By a curious coincidence, Doctor Stirling, just before his retirement and the serious involvement with Castle comfort Stairlifts, lost his first wife Marguerite after she combated with MN for several years.

First please absorb some of the fascinating story of Dr Stirling's life - and in his very own words,
we'll begin -

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF DR STIRLING

"My name is William Neilson Stirling, and I was born on 3rd January 1927 at a Medical Missionary station, which was founded by Dr David Livingston ( I presume), in what was then Portuguese East Africa, and is now Mozambique.

"In 1927 my father was a newly qualified doctor and the son of a Church of Scotland minister, who felt he wanted to spread the word and use his medical skills at the same time. He had studied at Glasgow University but had had his studies interrupted by the First World War. Following the war he completed his studies and married Janet, daughter of the local Bank Manager. Janet had herself attended University and had a degree in languages and was a gifted musician.

"The young couple went out to Africa where conditions were very primitive – it was at the Missionary Station, which was some two weeks' trek from the coast that I was born. I was delivered by my father whilst my mother held the paraffin lamp! I was only the second baby to be born at the Station and was the first white baby.

"My father was in charge of all aspects of the Station but the medical help he was able to give was restricted by the conditions and medical supplies available there. Most of his patients would have called to see him and many would have had to travel across difficult terrain to get to him. Communications were also difficult with letters to home taking on average 2 months!

"After 2 years in Africa he decided to move to India. He went to work for Findley & Co, a large company with interests in tea plantations and forestry. The family went to Assam in the North East of India where my father was in charge of several Indian doctors and also had responsibly for the hospital there.

"One of the benefits of the job was the fact that a car was essential to the position and at any one time there were usually about 3 cars as breakdowns took several weeks to get mended and spare parts were very hard to come by. My father had to cover a large area to look after his patients and transport was a priority.

"This move was a big change for us, as we now had a large bungalow to live in and a much more active social life. I had lots of other youngsters to play with and in my early years, spoke both Hindi and English! I still have a liking for Assam tea which I acquired from the time I lived on the plantation.

"Obviously I was very influenced by my father, and from a very young age I knew that I wanted to be a doctor – although I have to admit with a rue smile that I also always wanted to have a car and the only person I knew who had one in those days was a doctor!

"My father now had a chance to practice his medical skills to the full; acting as everything from GP to chief surgeon he had to undertake all kinds of work. Although life was a lot easier with Findley & Co it was essential to have a knowledgeable competent doctor in the post.

"As a family, we only had 6 months off every 3 years so the first time I came to the UK I was 5 years old. I went to live in Glasgow with my paternal Grandmother, and also had to start at school! I must confess that it was very traumatic when my parents returned to India, knowing it would be another 3 years until I saw them again.

"My parents moved back to the United Kingdom on a full time basis in 1948, after the Second World War. By this time I had a sister, Irene, who was of course born in India. It was a difficult few years for us as the war came very close to Assam and the women and children were evacuated to Lahore so large amounts of time were spent apart.

"My father returned to Glasgow and worked in the hospital there, specialising in Psychiatry. He was still working when he died – sadly from a heart attack at the very young age of 60.

"Meanwhile, I was pursuing my dream of becoming a doctor (and owning my first car!), attending primary and public school, and then following my father's footsteps to Glasgow University, which I attended from 1945 – 1950 studying general medicine. I continued to live with my Grandmother, and traveled to University on the bus every day. There were no grants available in those days and my father paid for my education. I really enjoyed University life, and worked hard to achieve my ambition of being a family doctor. I have to confess to also enjoying the odd drink at the Students Union, having been brought up in a teetotal household!

"Following completion of my education, I went straight into National Service, spending the majority of my time in Korea as a Regimental Medical Officer. Although no stranger to foreign parts, I found the climate there very harsh with very hot summers and very cold winters. There was no opportunity to return to Scotland during my tour of duty, the only leave I managed being a couple of short stays in nearby Japan for some R&R, where conditions were rather bleak in the aftermath of the war.

"Happier times were ahead after National Service, with my first job. I found a position as a trainee in Loch Lomond, where I acted as assistant to the local GP. I stayed in lodgings with an Italian landlady known affectionately as Mrs D. Once again I found myself in a very busy post where I was forced to learn quickly,
but I did have the opportunity to make some new friends. My most notable new acquaintance was a midwifery student named Marguerite, who by coincidence was born in Cheshire. Whilst it was work that brought us together, I knew from the outset that this was to be a special person in my life. Our first date was at the local Police Ball, where we got to know each other a lot better.

"Marguerite and I got married in December 1955 at her family church in Doddington, Cheshire. My parents and sister traveled south to attend the wedding. We honeymooned in Stratford-upon-Avon, with a visit to the theatre to see Much Ado About Nothing!

"In 1956 Marguerite and I moved to Liverpool and bought a house in Penny Lane. I had gained a position as an assistant to a GP and was again learning my trade with a hands on job. My two daughters Helen and Fiona were born during our time in here.
"Three years later, in 1959, we moved to Newcastle under Lyme where I became a partner in a family practice in Burslem. I worked here until 1976, and my two sons Neilson and Crawford were born. Although a partner, I still had to work hard as GP in those days had to do everything from taking blood pressure to making home visits - plus being on call! But it was what I had always wanted to do – look after people and make them well again.

"Although my father sadly died at the young age of 60, my mother lived to be 92, apparently none the worse for the exciting and adventurous life she had led, and so I returned to my native Scotland on a regular basis to visit her. My daughters followed in the family tradition of medicine with Helen becoming a radiographer while Fiona trained as a midwife. My sons however found alternative careers one studying at Agricultural college and the other becoming a financier in The City.
"In 1976 I took the decision to resign from the NHS to go into private practice – this was a huge step to take with a large family support, but it turned out to be a good decision as it gave me the opportunity to go back to old fashioned medicine with time to talk to my patients. The practice had its own dispensary, which
enabled patients to be treated straight away. I continued here until 1987.

"From 1959 to 2003, I also had the privilege of serving as the local Police Surgeon. This was a job I enjoyed immensely as it was both interesting and eventful, with call outs day or night to attend such things as murder scenes, accidents or drink/driving incidents. I have many amusing tales to tell, including how I
would decide if some was over the limit or not before the breathalyser came into being.

"My other commitments included a term as Chairman of the local British Medical Association, and as a member of the Stafford Local Medical Committee. I was also a senior officer with the Red Cross.

"The one tragedy during this time resulted from my dear wife Marguerite contracting Motor Neurone disease. She very sadly passed away in 2001.

"Although I am now officially retired, I am the honorary consultant for Castle Comfort Centre
and spend time with the company giving them the benefit of my vast experience and knowledge.
"In recent years, I have acquired an in depth knowledge of the mobility products sector – in particular stairlifts. As a result, I now enjoy life by enthusiastically providing free impartial advice, in response to constant requests for information. The ultimate result of this work is this website.

"Finally (until next time!), I have been lucky enough to meet another special lady - Sue, and we were married in January 2006. We now live a happy and active life in Cheshire."

© Stairlift Doctor 2009

Some of the letters and kind words of appreciation from recent happy stairlift 'pilots' can be seen here.

To receive honest, personal and independant advice on the subject of STAIR LIFTS , just ask Dr Stirling here. You will be glad that you did.

The Editor

LINKS

Doctor Stirling can provide useful information regarding GRANTS - often from unexpected sources. However - as you can see here - it's not always easy.

See who is NUMBER 1 on Google Maps.

Finally, not everything goes well with all stairlift companies - and The Daily Mail features something of a stairlift disaster ... SEE HERE .. HOW NOT TO MARKET YOUR STAIRLIFTS

Stairlifts or Stair Lifts ? Find out in Stoke on Trent

noreply@blogger.com (Stairlift King) — Wed, 26 May 2010 17:14:00 +0000

Shortly, you will discover how to obtain easily a Stairlift at a very reasonable price from this Stoke on Trent based company and installed quickly without fuss. But first, we promise that you will find this post very interesting - and your few minutes' involvment with it will earn £10 for the benefit of Cancer Research.

But if your priority is to first get the stair lift sorted - you should check out now this website -

Castle Comfort Stairlifts .com

and return here later. Or you can telephone Newcastle under Lyme (01782) 630999 for an instant quote and to arrange a free survey if required.

You are looking for a Stairlift .. or a Stair Lift. It's the same isn't it? Well that small difference between the two versions - one word or two - has caused quite a controversy. We'll get back to chairlifts in a moment (or is it chair lifts?) but most of with the skill to use a search engine have curiosity and interest in our language - so we are going to clear it up.

Word spell checkers favour the two word Stair Lifts - but in general use most people favour the singular term Stairlift. So, you language purists out there - we need you opinion and reason which is correct. And then, we are going to approach, with all your comments, our two blog authorities - the Oxford Dictionary and Wikipedia. for a final decision. Doctor Stirling of Castle comfort - himself an authority and language enthusiast will select the best comments for submission. See the doctor's site here - and explore his indepth knowledge of Starelifts. Who stairs at stairlifts?? The polemic can go on, as sutch our language is never set in stone or beyond question. A definition lasting a century in the dictionary can be changed in seconds by an email .. for example.

Please email us on - stairlifts@castlecomfortcentre.com or use the coupon here. For each comment received on the subject we are going to acknowledge your trouble by chipping in £10 for a the very good cause already mentioned. You will see acknowledgement of the tenner you have generated here.

We'll then submit all facts and opinions to Wiki and the Oxford and see what they come up with. A conclusion will be posted on this site shortly with details of the total amount raised.
And if you stair lift (stair lift) hunters have now got the quiz bug - earn another £10 for Cancer Research here, by naming correctly Britain's second biggest airport.

OK - so back to the fact that we can provide you find a stairlift quote that is acceptable not just because of the amount - but because of the trust you can put into the Castle Comfort Group who have been providing mobility products, ie riser recliner chairs, adjustable beds and stairlifts nationwide for over 12 years.
First - Castle Comfort actually exists - what do we mean? Well, many so called stairlift companies on search engines are simply 'boiler room' enquiry generating engines who exist often from a laptop in a garage, or an Algave Villa to get enquiries or 'leads.' They then sell the enquiries to actual businesses for a fixed rate or a commission. Who pays that commission? You of course.
Castle Comfort Stairlifts not only have premises, showrooms, staff and two had working directors to deal with you personally - but they have LOW PRICES as well as excellent service. What they do not have is an expensive commission based direct sales force. See SPAM and you will see here why a stairlift could cost a fortune to the less savvy.

Castle Comfort Stairlifts do not have to, nor would they ever buy expensive leads from elsewhere because they are kept extremely busy with repeat work - and above all, a Free Page One entry on most major search engines which is achieved naturally through a long and genuine existence. Many firms if your look carefully at the top of page one on many search engines are 'sponsored links' -they pay a lot to be there. And as with any costs in business - it goes on the product cost to the buyer. To check further on our claims - why not look for the street address of the boiler room lead generators? If you find one it won't be obvious. And they certainly may not have what is pictured below.

So here is a little information on the actual product provided by Castle Comfort. Following this, we then list Castle's mobility products delivery routes and schedules to different areas. All staff at this company are trained to measure and survey for a stairlift, so even if they are delivering chairs or beds to your town - a measurement can be taken with a couple of minutes to enable an installation to be carried out at our home within a day or two.

Stair lifts are essential anyone with a mobility problems. They provide safey and independence.
Castle Comfort Stairlifts arguably has a greater understanding than anyone else in the UK with the exception of the actual manufacturers but with the added bonus of impartiality i.e. he has in depth knowledge of ALL the stairlifts products on the market and can help find the best stair lift for you, and suggest the best installation team in YOUR own local area.

There is a huge range of stairlifts, and they all have different control, options and weight limits to consider. However, there are only really 3 basic types: straight, curved and platform stairlifts for indoor or outdoor use. Heavy duty too - up to 30 stone. See our film made at NAIDEX, NEC Birmingham recently. And if you face the extra cost of a curved stairlift - there may well be an economic alterative... have a glance of how a Stoke City football fan saved a fortune - here.

QUESTIONS? CALL FREE
0800 007 6959 - 8AM - 11PM

Or depending on where you live - these regional office numbers can also be called 8am - 11pm -

Wolverhampton (01902) 489422

York (01902) 820766

Newcastle upon Tyne 0191 644 0366

Bournemouth (01202) 355466

Belfast (02890) 538653

Birmingham 0121 371 0123

Bristol (01179) 059177

Glasgow 0141 278 3929

Liverpool 0151 676 2727

London 0207 717 9797

Macclesfield (01625) 886599

Manchester 0161 452 3636

Swansea (01792) 359212

Stoke on Trent (HEAD OFFICE) 01782 630999

HEAVY DUTY OR HEAVY WEIGHT STAIRLIFTS ARE ALSO AVAILIBLE WITH 28.5 OR 30 STONE WEIGHT LIMITS. A bariatric stair lift has a high weight capacity, including a curved stairlift with a higher weight of 30 stone. Henry V111 may have been impressed. David Starkey says here in the Daily Mail that the overweight king invented the stairlift.
See the contact page here, and click on your town city for the local phone number.

For even more information go here

And, see Castle Comfort's model on this super stairlift that
would also carry at the same time a few friends! Film on NOW.

CASTLE COMFORT DELIVERY AND DEMONSTRATION ROUTES

Daily.
North Staffordshire Run.
Stoke on Trent Newcastle under Lyme
……………………………………….........

Every Tues, Wed & Friday
South Staffordshire Run.
Stone, Stafford, Wolverhampton
& Walsall.
(Castle comfort ended up on the BBC when
they were recently Walsall. Watch the News here.)
………………………………………………

Every Monday, Thursday & Friday
South Cheshire Run.
Congleton, Macclesfield, Prestbury and Stockport
……………………………………………

Every Wednesday
The Manchester Run.
Includes northern Cheshire and most parts of Greater Manchester & Lancashire.
Covering Wigan, Blackburn, Burnley, Colne, Accrington & Oldham.

…………………………………………
Every Tuesday
The Shropshire Run.
To the Welsh Borders as far south as Gizmoville.
Welsh spoken - Cymraeg ar lafar
………………………………………………….
Every Friday.
The Easten Run through Uttoxeter, Doveridge, Derby and the whole of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and
Lincolnshire and Bluebelltown.

...........................................................
Every other week (on an unspecified day)
Birmingham Run. As far as northern Home Counties.
…………………………………………………

South Wales
There is a daily and ongoing presence in the whole of South Wales offering full representative service to offer quoted for stairlifts and installation and technical back up by our SWANSEA facility. Telephone Swansea (01792) 359212 anytime for information, or use the coupon here.

As every, Castle Comfort directors Ann Keith or Dr Stirling are waiting to assist.

LINKS

Funny pages - how to get your cat to clean the toilet. Really?

Laugh about it - it's the only way. See Castle Comfort's most visited website

How many doctors do you expect to find at number 1 on Google maps? Here's one

Stairlifts in Birmingham

noreply@blogger.com (Stairlift King) — Mon, 10 May 2010 19:15:00 +0000

Choosing a stairlift in Birmingham has just become a little easier. Castle Comfort Stairlifts who have been arranging installations of their straight and curved stair lifts in the what is regarded as the UK's 'Second City' for over a decade, have now opened their Birmingham office.

Following the interest in other 'UK City Stairlift blogs' we'll bring you here a Birmingham version - with some fascinating, and at times, amusing facts about this interesting place. First - if your priority is to get a price and further information click on a Chair Lift . Now, and we promise you'll find, upon that click, just what you want... then, book mark this page to get back to as soon as you have chance - for some interesting things about your city - BIRMINGHAM.

We'll come to some lesser known facts about Britain's most populous city outside London in a while - but for the statistics and information freaks, have a look here. - This will delight you - or totally bore you to desperation.

What language is spoke in Birmingham? English of course.. well try Brummagem, which is a word deriving from 'Bromwicham' an earlier name for the city. Brummagen is the correct word for the distinct dialect of the 'Brummies' - (that is the name of the natives there) and it's a totally different dialect from that spoken by those from the adjacent Black Country. The young lady filmed here - is not speaking Welsh, Russian or Icelandic, she is in fact supposedly a junior Brummie - and if anyone can work out what's being said, or even confirm the lingo, please email translations@castlecomfortcentre.com and we'll put in a tenner into this good cause.

Birmingham is famous for more than its unique dialect. The city has some notable football clubs, Birmingham City, Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion. Birds Custard comes from here and only a few hundred yards from the renowned Bull Ring Shopping Centre is 'The Custard Factory' - the area's revolutionary new arts and media quarter. It was first built a century ago and now homes Birmingham's finest restaurants, shops, nightclubs and live music.Birmingham is known as the City of the Thousand Trades. Can you name some of them? Have a look at this quiz.

Arthur Conan Doyle is amongst a host of famous names originating from the UK's second largest city as well as Nigel Mansell, William Murdoch, and chocolate extraordinaire George Cadbury. The amount of fame in the music world here is huge - with Black Sabbath, Duran Duran, ELO, Traffic and UB40 all of Brummie origins and beginnings. For a galaxy of other famous names belonging to Birmingham go to the stage now.

Sadly in Birmingham one one the worsts terrorist atrocities was carried out by the IRA in 1974- the Birmingham Pub Bombings. See the Wikipedia account. All of us in the stairlift industry hope that the terrible history book written as a result of the troubles in Belfast and the rest of Northern Ireland is now closed. Castle Stairlifts have put their vote of confidence in to the Northern Ireland's economy by opening its BELFAST registered office.

Back to Stairlifts, and Castle Comfort continue their nationwide expansion with the opening of their Birmingham administration office which will, serve well communications-wise, the whole of the city and surrounding areas and places including - West Bromwich, Sutton Coldfield, Solihull, Walsall, Kenilworth, Dudley, Halesowen, Sutton Coldfield, Tamworth, Stourbridge, Kidderminster, Stourbridge and Redditch. In fact with an excellent road system in the Birmingham area installations, visits to quote throughout Warwickshire and the West Midlands can be made at very short notice. Castle Comfort have installed many curved and straight Stairlifts in Warwick, Leamington Spa, Nuneaton, Hinckley, Rugby and Coventry. None of these places are more than an hour away from the new Birmingham base. Solihull, Redditch, Bromsgrove, Worcester, Droitwich, Meiden and Balsall Common are placs where scores of happy Castle Comfort clients live.

For those unfamiliar with this popular stairlift company, it is stressed that the company actually exists - as opposed to 'boiler room' enquiry websites. Web searches produce hundreds of 'stairlift experts' who simply harvest details of stairlift shoppers to sell them on to the stairlift companies. When you find these websites - look for a street address and maybe even call them at midnight as if your stairlift was broken down and you needed help.

For the last 12 years Castle Comfort have become well established as a leading UK suppliers of straight and curved - new and reconditioned chairlifts. It is personally controlled by the directors and have in their team a retired but renowned medic - Dr Neil Stirling MB ChB - who even has his own advisory and helpful website. Dr Stirling controls and administers the Castle Comfort Good Deeds fund which over the past decade has raised £50,000 for good causes. This included for the provision of Stairlifts without charge under certain circumstances. See HERE on the BBC a Walsall couple who were in despair over the two year delay to get a funded stairlift to which they were entitled. Dr Stirling sorted one out without cost immediately.

Meet Castle Comfort directors Ann & Keith with Dr Stirling.

Castle Comfort Stairlifts Ltd
Digbeth Court
162-164 High Street,
Digbeth
Birmingham
B12 0LD

And if you haven't already done so -find us on Google maps here

Tel 0121 371 0123 8am - 11pm

Freephone 0800 007 6959 for a quote

And to change the subject somewhat - here is a telephone number we all know but sometimes don't use it when we should -

- 999 -

NEVER BE AFRAID TO DIAL IT.

Providing stairlifts to stroke victims and learning how cases were dealt with has reinforced time and time again to Castle Comfort staff that attention within minutes of a STROKE is vital for a good chance of a complete recovery. How can we recognize a stroke?

BY THE FAST TEST -

The Face-Arm-Speech-Time (FAST) test lists the main symptoms to look out for:

•Face: Has the person's face fallen on one side? Can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye drooped?
•Arms: Can the person raise both arms and keep them there?
•Speech: Is their speech slurred?
•Time: Time to call 999 if you see or even suspect one or more of these signs. Announce 'STROKE' and briefly explain what you have seen and give clear concise details of where you are.

Links

Stroke - even if think you know the signs of one, just check
Glanmore for your special needs mobility products, excluding Stairlifts!
Hotfrog .... to us - to find what you want and where you want it
Manchester do you have relatives here? See their blog.
A Riser Recliner Chair? see this very comfortable display.

Grants - never easy as you can read here - but Castle Comfort can often advise and help.

Assistance is sometime available from unexpected sources.

And last but not least - to get your Stairlift quote, go ... here.

.............................................................

Birmingham
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigation, search it.
This article is about the city in England. For the U.S. city named after it, see Birmingham, ).
Birmingham -— City and Metropolitan borough —

Some of the nicknames the city has acquired over the years are "Brum", "Brummagem", "Second City", "City of a thousand trades", and "Workshop of the World"
Motto: Forward . Can anyone explain why this is? We don't know.

Birmingham's techical location is 'within England and the in West Midlands'
and coordinates: 52°28′59″N 1°53′37″W / 52.48306°N 1.89361°W / 52.48306; -1.89361. So if you are from Brum and someone boring on an aeroplane talks to you you can answer them with that and they will then probably go to sleep. If the don't straight away - say Birminghm is- 'a sovereign state of the United Kingdom. Constituent country England,Region West Midlands,
and is a Ceremonial county West Midlands and itsAdminisitrative HQ is The Council House.' If the persist, just keep on...
Founded 7th century
Municipal borough 1838
City 1889
Government
- Type Metropolitan borough
- Body Birmingham City Council
- Lord Mayor Michael Wilkes
- Deputy Lord Mayor Chauhdry Abdul Rashid
- Council Leader Mike Whitby (C)
- Council Control Conservative / Liberal Democrat Progressive Partnership
Area
- Total 267.77 km2 (103.4 sq mi)
Elevation 140 m (459 ft)
Population (2008 est.)
- Total 1,016,800 (Ranked 1st)
- Density 3,739/km2 (9,684/sq mi)
- Conurbation 2,284,093
- Ethnicity
(2007 estimates[1]) 66.7% White (62.1% White British)
21.0% South Asian
6.7% Black
3.2% Mixed Race
1.2% Chinese
1.2% Other
Time zone Greenwich Mean Time (UTC+0)
- Summer (DST) British Summer Time (UTC+1)
Postcode B
Area code(s) 0121
ISO 3166 code GB-BIR
ONS code 00CN
OS grid reference SP066868
NUTS 3 UKG31 Before you land in Malaga, your fellow passenger will have either gone totally to sleep or changed his seat.
............................................................................
Website - http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/

Birmingham (pronounced ˈbɝːmɪŋəm/ BUR-ming-əm, locally // BIIR-ming-gəm) is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands county of England. It is the most populous British city outside London with a population of 1,016,800 (2008 estimate), and is situated at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the UK's 2nd most populous Urban Area with a population of 2,284,093 according to the 2001census. Birmingham's metropolitan area, which includes surrounding towns to which it is closely tied through commuting, is the United Kingdom's second most populous with a population of 3,683,000.

Birmingham was the powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution in England, a fact which led to it being known as "the workshop of the world" or the "city of a thousand trades". Although Birmingham's industrial importance has declined, it has developed into a national commercial centre, being named as the second-best place in the United Kingdom to locate a business. Birmingham is a national hub for conferences, retail and events along with an established high tech, research and development sector, supported by its three Universities. It is also the fourth-most visited city by foreign visitors in the UK, has the second-largest city economy in the UK and is often referred to as the Second City.

In 2010, Birmingham was ranked as the 55th-most livable city in the world, according to the Mercer Index of worldwide standards of living. The Big City Plan is a large redevelopment plan currently underway in the city centre with the aim of making Birmingham one of the top 20 most liveable cities in the world within 20 years.People from Birmingham are known as 'Brummies', a term derived from the city's nickname of 'Brum'. This may originate from the city's dialect name, Brummagem,which may in turn have been derived from one of the city's earlier names, 'Bromwicham'. There is a distinctive Brummie dialect and accent, both of which differ from the adjacent Black Country.

History
Main articles: History of Birmingham, Economic history of Birmingham, and Timeline of Birmingham history

William Westley's 1731 map of Birmingham. The top of the map is oriented westwards.Some of the earliest evidence of settlement in Birmingham are artifacts dating back 10,400 years discovered near Curzon Street in the city centre.

In the early 7th century , Birmingham was an Anglo-Saxon farming hamlet on the banks of the River Rea. It is commonly believed that the name 'Birmingham' comes from "Beorma inga ham", meaning farmstead of the sons (or descendants) of Beorma.Birmingham was first recorded in written documents by the Domesday Book of 1086 as a small village, worth only 20 shillings. There were many variations on this name. Bermingeham is another version.

In 1166 the holder of the manor of Birmingham, Peter de Birmingham, was granted a royal charter to hold a market in his castle, which in time became known as the Bull Ring, transforming Birmingham from a village to a market town. The de Birmingham family continued to be Lords of Birmingham until the 1530s when Edward de Birmingham was cheated out of its lordship by the traitor John Dudley.

As early as the sixteenth century, Birmingham's access to supplies of iron ore and coal meant that metalworking industries became established.

By the time of the English Civil War in the 17th century, Birmingham had become an important manufacturing town with a reputation for producing small arms. Arms manufacture in Birmingham became a staple trade and was concentrated in the area known as the Gun Quarter. During the Industrial Revolution (from the mid-18th century onwards), Birmingham grew rapidly into a major industrial centre and the town prospered. Birmingham’s population grew from 15,000 in the late 17th century to 70,000 a century later During the 18th century, Birmingham was home to the Lunar Society, an important gathering of local thinkers and industrialists.

Thomas Attwood addressing the Birmingham Political Union during the Days of May, 1832Birmingham rose to national political prominence in the campaign for political reform in the early nineteenth century, with Thomas Attwood's Birmingham Political Union bringing the country to the brink of civil war and back during the Days of May that preceded the passing of the Great Reform Act in 1832. The Union's meetings on Newhall Hill in 1831 and 1832 were the largest political assemblies Britain had ever seen. Lord Durham, who drafted the act, wrote that "the country owed Reform to Birmingham, and its salvation from revolution".

By the 1820s, an extensive canal system had been constructed, giving greater access to natural resources to fuel to industries. Railways arrived in Birmingham in 1837 with the arrival of the Grand Junction Railway, and a year later, the London and Birmingham Railway. During the Victorian era, the population of Birmingham grew rapidly to well over half a million and Birmingham became the second largest population centre in England. Birmingham was granted city status in 1889 by Queen Victoria. The city established its own university in 1900.

Birmingham in 1886Birmingham suffered heavy bomb damage during World War II's "Birmingham Blitz", and the city was extensively redeveloped during the 1950s and 1960s. This included the construction of large tower block estates, such as Castle Vale. The Bull Ring reconstructed and New Street station was redeveloped. In recent years, Birmingham has been transformed, with the construction of new squares like Centenary Square and Millennium Place. Old streets, buildings and canals have been restored, the pedestrian subways have been removed, and the Bull Ring shopping centre has been completely redeveloped. These were the first steps in the ambitious plans of Birmingham City Council for the redevelopment of Birmingham, which has become known as the Big City Plan.

In the decades following the Second World War, the ethnic makeup of Birmingham changed significantly, as it received waves of immigration from the Commonwealth of Nations and beyond. The city's population peaked in 1951 at 1,113,000 residents.

THAT'S IT FOLKS!

Info - thanks to Wikipedia.

BUT FINALLY THE DAILY MAIL IS CURRENTLY REPORTING ON A INQUEST/HEARING INTO SOMETHING OF A STAIRLIFT DISASTER - SEE HERE HOW NOT TO MARKET YOUR STAIRLIFTS !

LINKS

See here a fascinating blog on new home development in Birmingham.

And go here to shop in Birmingham.

MANCHESTER? Stairlifts company from Stoke doesn't 'chicken out' of meeting that stairlift demand in Greater Manchester

noreply@blogger.com (Stairlift King) — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:29:00 +0000

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Manchester based readers - the reference to the chicken will be explained shortly.

(If you need a stair lift, we'd like you to read and enjoy this blog first - but if you are in a rush and need the facts on stair lifts first - go here - then bookmark this page for later)

Castle Comfort Stairlifts have never worried about being able to provide an efficient service in the Manchester region. The best motorway system in the United Kingdom means that travelling from the even from Stafford, south of Stoke in Trent in Stafford shire to the England’s ‘Second City’ never takes much more than an hour.

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But recent increased demand has resulted in Castle Comfort expanding its offices to Cariocca Business Park, Miles Platting. From here, the whole of Manchester and indeed the Lancashire region can be even better served and is even closer to the population of over two and a half million in Greater Manchester where this popular family chair lift business have already installed a huge amount of straight and curved jobs over the years.

Many stairlift orders have come through recommendation – but the national press advertising campaign in the past two years in the Daily Mail, The Mirror, The Times, The Telegraph and the Sun – offering stairlifts at an ingoing price of just £995, has caused a huge reaction from Mancunians, the demonym used to call folk from this city. What’s a demonyn? It’s not someone bad. Find out here

Often known as ‘the capital of the north’ or ‘the warehouse city’ the Metropolitan Borough of Manchester has a population of 465,000- and Greater Manchester in its entirely contains two and a half million people. If just 2% of this second most populated area of the UK (in relation to its size) – need a stair lift in the future – then Castle Comfort are going to be as busy as ever! The aficionados of population statistics can feed their addiction here. And those who revel in other somewhat monotonous facts will just love this.

Manchester is the third-most visited city in the United Kingdom by foreign visitors and the most visited in England outside London. The city has the famous Granada Studios, still the home of the most famous soap in the world, Coronation Street. One of the most memorable editions, containing Stan & Hilda Ogden's 'flying ducks' scene is immortalised here. The programme's only remaining original actor - William Roache, alias 'Our Ken' has been kind enough in recent years to be involved with Castle Comfort Stairlifts charity involvement and he is also a member of the voting panel of the company's Carer of the Year Award.' You can see him here with us, and if ever you spot Mr Roache around the streets of Manchester - please just say 'thank you' to him again on our behalf - his unrewarded assistance to us along with such kindness and generosity makes him a star in more ways than one.

When the gang from Castle Comfort Stairlifts were invited to Granada Studios for the day, they were there like a shot! Pictured here, left to right in 'Ken Barlow's front room' - Ange, Castle's Senior Manchester rep, Keith MD, Mr Roache & Cynthia - indeed a proud 'Carer of the Year.'

Manchester was the host of the 2002 Commonwealth Games, and of course has a pair of Premiership League football clubs, United and City. Manchester football fans are some of the most fervent in the world. Many believe the pop group Simply Red was named because its founder Mick Hucknall has red hair – in fact Mick is a Manchester United stalwart and chose the name because of his beloved ‘Reds.’

In 1934 the biggest crowd ever in the UK at a league game was witnessed in Manchester. Stoke City visited Manchester City. It remains a mystery how the figure of 84,569 was finalised, as many watched the game from rooftops and other vantage points. Had stairlifts been around in those days to climb up the final total may have been higher.
Some quite odd things have happened since on that side of the city. In 1999, a City fan from Gizmoville threw an asthma inhaler on to the pitch during a disappointing home draw against lowly Northampton Town. Stewards made him take a deep breath before his ejection. Another ‘blue’ was banned in 1995 from bringing dead chickens into the Maine Road ground. He used to celebrate Manchester City goals by swinging the birds around his head. The mind boggles.

So, if you live in the Greater Manchester region, or in fact any where in Lancashire, and are stairlift shopping for yourself or a loved one, then contact Castle Comfort on 0161 452 3636 or Freephone 0800 007 6959. Followers of any football denomination are welcome, but please - no asthma inhaler throwers or those wielding dead chickens.

It is hoped that fans of Manchester United seeking a stairlift will not bear a grudge against a stairlift company because they originate from Stoke on Trent. Stoke’s own Premiership club, another City ie Stoke – has for many years been the Reds' ‘bogey team’ and over the years some remarkable surprise results have been achieved by the team from The Potteries. Therefore, any Manchester United fans seeking revenge at this point can poke fun or even throw darts here at a Stoke fan riding on a stairlift platform. By the way - do you like the cartoon? That chicken is from Stoke! See more cartoons here.

And don't forget, if you answer the blog quiz question below, you'll get a £50 discount voucher towards any Castle Comfort purchase, and we for every correct response, will contribute £10 to this very special Just Giving cause. (Runners in the 2010 Stoke 'arf marthon are not eligible to enter!)

??? Here we go, you Manchester pub-quizzers & brain boxes ....

WHAT IS THE OFFICIAL NAME OF MANCHESTER AIRPORT?

Clue - it begins with the fifth letter of the name of the product for which you have just searched.

Email your answer to quizes@castlecomfortcentre.com or use the reply coupon.

Was that too easy? Well here is one to test you more. Is a stairlift the same as a stair lift? Join in the discussion on our sister blog and your contribution guarantees £10 for Cancer Research.

... WE HOPE YOU ARE ENJOYING OUR MANCHESTER BLOG, IT IS ONLY ONE OF A SERIES OF CASTLE COMFORT 'CITY' BLOGS. YET THE SERIOUS PURPOSE OF IT IS TO HELP YOU FIND WHAT YOUR ARE LOOKING FOR. IF YOU SEEK A QUALITY TOP BRAND BRITISH STAIR LIFT, INSTALLED PERFECTLY, AT THE RIGHT PRICE, WITHOUT ANY HASSLE OR RISKS - THEN CALL US, KEITH OR ANN, OWNERS OF CASTLE COMFORT STAIR LIFTS.

EVEN IF YOU ARE FACED WITH THE EXTRA COST OF A CURVED STAIRLIFT, THEN THERE MAY WELL BE AN ECONOMIC ALTERNATIVE... IT'S CALLED A PLATFORM. IT IS GOING TO TAKE A STOKE CITY FOOTBALL FAN TO SHOW YOU HOW TO SAVE A LOT OF MONEY - GO HERE !

Footnote - HEAVY DUTY STAIRLIFTS, often called heavy weight stairlifts, are also availible with 28.5 OR 30 STONE WEIGHT LIMITS. See our film of it here. Riser recliner chairs too. A bariatric stair lift has a high weight capacity, including a curved stairlift with a higher weight of 30 stone. Henry V111 may have been impressed .. David Starkey says here that the King invented the stairlift, and may it was even a heavy weight one!

WE ARE HERE TO TAKE YOUR CALLS PERSONALLY FROM 8AM - 11PM ANY DAY INCLUDING SUNDAYS. OR SIMPLY USE THIS, OR..... VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO READ MORE. And zoom in on us too here on Wikimaps. Not forgetting our envied number one, page one spot on Google Maps.

THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN -

0161 452 3636

0800 007 6959 - 8-11- 7 days

Footnote - To meet requests - Castle's Manchester Stairlifts installation teams will shortly carry sample WHEELCHAIRS with them and information on on RISER RECLINER CHAIRS, ADJUSTABLE BEDS AND MOBILITY SCOOTERS. Just ask for a go of the famous featherweight Wheelchair - or a leaflet on the other in-demand products, such as WALK IN BATHS & SHOWERS.

Got relations in Birmingham? See their own blog here. And about their new homes here

Why would a doctor be at number one on GoogleMaps? Here's a clue.

Someone once said that there is 'no such thing as bad publicity' - well after reading this - they will change their mind!

Finally, we wonder who saw Castle Comfort Stairlifts on 'the telly' - in fact, the BBC news,

because the diectors of this company picked up on the fact that over 800 families were waiting for an essential grant from the council in the Staffordshire town of Walsall to provide stairlifts to those who couldn't afford to pay. Manchester - sadly contains many more. To highlight this awful situation, Castle Comfort Stairlifts did this - to embarass the civil servants - and get one family off the list ...

SEE THE BBC FILM

IF YOU LIKE IT - CLICK ON THE 'THUMBS UP' AND MAYBE EVEN MAKE A COMMENT - MANY FOLK HAVE.

Stairlifts in Cheshire - £9,995 - or £995? Buy a Stairlift from this firm and you'll be grinning like a Cheshire Cat!

noreply@blogger.com (Stairlift King) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 21:44:00 +0000

Shopping in the county of Cheshire may have been an expensive thing in the past. This delightful county with the walled city of Chester as its principal town, is one of the more up market and wealthiest regions of England. After the stock broker zones of the home counties, Cheshire is one of the most renowned and favoured areas for many of the UK's richest entrepreneurs and elite. Manchester-based business executives and a host of famous sportspeople reside in Cheshire - especially places like Wilmslow, Alderley Edge, Macclesfield, Altrincham and Sale. Outside London, Tatton, which includes Prestbury and Knutsford, is one of the fifth richest places in the UK with an average income per resident of over £62,000. Read here which members of the nouveau-rich live in the region. And have a hunt around on this site for some interesting and suprising property values. Many Cheshire people will be aware that their county is famous for cheese, silk and salt - but maybe some have no idea just how many famous, not necessarily rich, people were born there. What names here do you recognise? The most expensive street in Britain, with homes costing a staggering 18 million pounds, has just been revealed - and is it in Cheshire? Find out, it's remarkable. And for those Cheshire residents who can breath a sigh of relief that that price tag is found miles away from near Chester or Wilmslow or Warrington - here is where the cheapest home, at under £28k, is found in the UK.

Back to wealth. It's a known fact that buying anything from a newspaper to a new home can cost more in a salubrious place like Cheshire, than somewhere where there is not as much cash.
Therefore, Castle Comfort Stairlifts marketing campaign in conjunction with their new Macclesfield-based regional office has attracted a lot of attention. Putting prices in an advert is a relatively new thing to the stairlift industry - as the big companies like to get the sales person in to the house before delivering the news what is going to be spent!

Castle Comfort's impact in the market by offering their range of fully guaranteed reconditioned stairlifts from £995 is similar in Cheshire as it was initially in Staffordshire. Their new stairlift administration office in Macclesfield, a town which has, again, some of the wealthiest residents in England, (if you wonder who, go here) is the place to call to arrange for a quote and get more information. The company is privileged to have been given a Google Maps No 1 slot.

So, calling all Cheshire residents, whether you are a Rooney or a Reg Jones, and thinking of a stairlift for yourself a family member, you can call 01625 588 6599. Or see the Macclesfield regional office details, and those of all UK offices here. So a stair lift may not be as much as you thought - so why not call this Macclesfield number? - and you'll be grinning like a Cheshire Cat! Where does the phrase - 'grinning like a Cheshire Cat' come from? Just click on this one here to find out.......

And to enhance your knowledge about our feline friends - take a look at the captured on camera Stairlift Cat.

Finally, stairlift entrepreneur Keith Simpson from Gizmoville near Stoke on Trent, who founded the Castle Comfort Group, is seen here with a pretty well known Cheshire resident. One in fact who has been known as perhaps the most famous face on British TV for almost half a century. William Roache has been delighted to assist with many of Castle Comfort's 'good deeds' and charitable acts and donations. See some here, and read what fantastic support 'Our Bill' has provided without any financial reward whatsoever. See too, how Bill took time off to vote in the Castle Comfort Carer of the Year Award - and then invited the winner to visit him for the day at Coronation Street. Read here about how that gesture made a Stoke on Trent lady the happiest carer in the world. It was from then on, decided to entitle large payouts from the Castle Comfort Good Deeds fund to be called the 'William Roache Award'.

So, when a Staffordshire couple were kept waiting two years for Walsall council to provide a necessary stairlift - Mr Roache chose that cause as a most deserving one - and Castle Comfort put in a chairlift without charge. And the BBC liked the gesture. Please take a moment to watch the 6pm BBC News clip below -

Staffordshire Stairlifts company chooses the name for the new A380 (picked by a 4 year old family member to be exact)

noreply@blogger.com (Stairlift King) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:44:00 +0000

A four year old's choice for the name of Luthansa's flagship A380 - is set to make history.

The moment of an historic decision -

"What shall we name this aircraft?"

We, or rather Keith Zaragoza of Buenos Aires therefore name this fantastic aircraft the COMFORT CHARISMA and pledge that the points and benefits won from this choice, will benefit the Castle Comfort Stairlifts Good Deeds fund. See Keith junior's entry on the aircraft here

Why not choose your name here for what will become a name as famous as the word 'Jumbo'

STAIRLIFTS - Curved Straight ... these ones in Stoke on Trent are indestuctible!

noreply@blogger.com (Stairlift King) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:29:00 +0000

Stoke on Trent and Newcastle under Lyme's only STAIRLIFT show house at Wolstanton village, was the scene of a major drama yesterday. It went up in flames! The little house next to Castle Comfort's main showroom has for years been a private home of Stairlifts expert and owner of the CCC Group - Keith Simpson. Clients wanting to do a 'try before they buy' always find a ride on a real stairlift much better then DVDs or brochure to help make an important decision.

A fire that started in the kitchen washing machine gutted the house within minutes. Only due to Castle Comfort staff discovering the disaster early and the response within minutes of Stafford shire fire services, the house and possibly adjoining ones in the street were not completely destroyed.

Remarkably, despite the total internal damage - the working display Acorn/Brooks stairlift and a reconditioned Stannah curved lift, remained in full working use - and after a wipe down this popular Midlands chair lift company is still operating as normal.

We'll present shortly, a few alarming facts about the fire risk involved with washing machines and other appliances in the home upon which we all depend. But first - the two hours spent by twenty emergency services staff yesterday, was concluded by the hilarious tale of the first firefighter who charged into the house with his mask, headgear and hosepipe look for the source of ignition. He announced, after the drama subsided, to the roars of laughter of all present, that he could see little through the thick black smoke engulfing the lounge, other than the stairs situated just inside the front door as he entered. So ran up them. However, he quickly realised after taking about eight steps he would have gone nowhere, other than to the ceiling of the lounge ... he was going up the steps built for curved stair lift model!! So he came back down and went into the kitchen to put the fire out.

Now to less amusing facts. Is it safe to leave the washing machine on while out or in bed?
Many washing machines now come with delayed start features. This shows the manufacturers are happy for the washing machine to be used totally unattended. However, cases of washing machines (and other white goods such as dishwashers and tumble dryers) catching fire still occur. Government fire safety advice is to not to leave white goods unattended - CHECK YOUR HOME: Before Bed Routine (Government fire safety site)
Always at least have a smoke alarm fitted near to the washing machine (or other white goods appliance) if it is left on and unattended. However, this could be impractical if they are in a kitchen due to the nuisance alarms from cooking
The Trading Standards site has an excellent list of safety related product recalls which covers virtually all appliances in the home. It's well worth book-marking and checking regularly as it covers all safety issues on all consumer goods - even food mixers.

Some old washing machines (at least over 10 years) have no protection against overheating. If the timer or thermostat fails, it can boil the water inside. Your clothes could be reduced to pulp and the wallpaper in the kitchen could peel off. The other main risk is flooding. Most washing machines have a third level on the pressure switch (the pressure switch controls the water levels in the machine) This third level switch is supposed to protect against overfilling by energizing the water pump if the water level rises dangerously above normal. This will work fine if the cause of an overfilling machine is a fill valve that has failed to turn off. However, the majority of overfilling machines are caused by a blockage in the pressure system. This safety feature will not work if a blockage stops air entering the pressure tubing. This amounts to having no real overfilling protection at all. Finally flooding could occur through a leak.
Many people like to set their washing machine to come on during the night to use off-peak electricity through economy 7 ( further comment and information on my blog - Economy 7 and white goods ) If you are prepared to risk doing this then make sure you set it to come on as late as possible so that you will be up not long after the machine has finished. UPDATE: Most modern washing machines are now controlled totally electronically by software built into the main PCB. Such a machine will typically have selector buttons and LCD or LED displays. Some of them may still have control knob selectors, but unlike the old ones, when you turn them they don't click round (no cogs inside) and don't have the same resistance to turn that they used to. Instead they electronically send instructions to the main PCB power module. These washing machines have much better safety protection and will normally abort if they detect over heating for example. The computer style programs they use will time out (causing an abort of the programme and an error code to display or be indicated by flashing lights) if it takes too long to fill, empty or heat the water. They can even abort the programme if the load is unbalanced.
These washing machines are much safer than the old ones, but clearly none are infallible and electrical short circuits or overheating connections could still cause a fire! Fire risks in appliances (Whitegoodshelp Blog article)

To conclude - the frightening thing about this event is that the washing machine in the stair lift was not switched on when it caught fire. It was plugged in to a live 13 amp socket - but not in use. So who knows what can happen? For instance, a young man named Lupton - our contact at a Stairlifts company in Yorkshire - was recently woken up by a smoke alarm at home when his
heated and illuminated fish tank ignited !!

Back to the stairlift house.That machine in the house was bought second hand 8 years ago so it was at least 10 years old. However, the mystery with this one is the bloody thing had never been used in eight years and wasn't even switched on when it ignited !!??

The insurance loss adjuster who came from Stafford to Castle Comfort Stairlifts to see the damage was asked if he personally always unplugs washing machines and other devices when not in use and he replied 'without fail'. He has seen too many cases like ours.

To repeat - that machine had never been used and as you can see here - it never will be.

LINKS

Hotfrog to us

Stairlifts in Spain - News for Brits

noreply@blogger.com (Stairlift King) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 12:12:00 +0000

Castle Comfort's prominence in the Stair lift market in Spain has taken another step forward. The company has previously been contactable on their Madrid and Canary Islands phone numbers -(91) 562 2850 and (928) 514 838 -but as from now you can call them at MALAGA on (951) 247 196. Also, a National Spanish Freephone number is up and working - 900 809 802.

Calls from landlines and call boxes are free - but there is a small charge from mobiles, so if we see your are using a mobile we'll return the call.

As with the original numbers you can call anytime and you be answered personally - and in ENGLISH!

See stairlifts in Spain for the locations served and numbers again.

The website, as ever is constantly updated to bring you news about products, prices and things that are happening at the Castle Comfort Group in the UK and Spain. For all things stairlift click on stairlift

Stair Lift Prices are Monstorous

noreply@blogger.com (Stairlift King) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:44:00 +0000

Stairlift Prices Are Monstrous...?

- Well, they can be, if you don't have a word with this national stair lift company originating from Stoke on Trent in Staffordshire.

After smiling at the following - you may find yourself shouting - 'Spam!’ - at the next stairlifts salesperson that turns up at your house. You must have had quotes for new windows? Well, let's remind you what probably happened.
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Be on your guard if they arrive wearing a suit and brandishing DVD’s, a bunch of flowers and a smile that suggests you are going to tempted into a ‘special offer’ for a chairlift lift that may still be much more than you need to pay. This double glazing hard sell approach is all to common in the mobility products business – and not acceptable at all when often older and maybe vulnerable members of society are alone to deal with such matters. Often, the chairlifts company seem more interested in selling it on the ‘never-never’ as more profit is always made in business when the customer can’t pay cash.

Remember, if a sales person in you home expects and entices an instant decision – just tell them you want time to think – and not just for twenty minutes whilst they sit outside in their car.
If the pressure is turned is on just politely ask them to leave. And they will. If they don’t, tell them you are going to call 999 and if they don't shift then - dial it! The police just love to responding to cries for help liked that – it’s easy meat (or even Spam) for the boys in blue.
The price for a stair lift isn’t a secret these days. Just ask the firm on the phone or look at Castle Comfort's fact-filled website on the link here- castlecomfortstairlifts. Or you can phone any one of Castle's regional offices listed at the foot of this page. A free survey is needed to check there are no extras but all that is needed is a phone call to get the cost. Many firms actually put their guide prices in their press adverts – but be careful – the word ‘from’ can mean anything.

Castle Comfort’s ads carry an ingoing price for a straight reconditioned lift - installed and guaranteed. And they are always available. Get a quote for a ‘recon’ and a new one but with prices having come down tremendously in recent years – the difference may not be that great. This company with its HQ at Newcastle under Lyme, just north of Stafford has full UK coverage. The installation and technical back up - ie 24 hour emergency call out service is supported by the British manufacturers of stairlifts with which Castle Comfort deal.

If you are under 95 - and looking forward to the next few decades, a brand new one with all the latest features is well worth the bit extra. It's best to get the options - then you decide. Another advantage with buying a new lift is that you will always get some money back on it if is to be sold one day.

Back to Spam. This phenomena of chopped pork, salt water and sugar with a few added chemicals was first made in 1937 – and its maker American firm Hormel Food Corporation is now on its way to producing its eight billionth can! That’s a lot of butties.

Britain’s brave Armed Forces have survived on the variety of meals that can be produced with Spam, yet the 2nd Royal Welsh Guards refused to surrender in Afghanistan when the Taliban interrupted supplies for six weeks. See Daily Mail article by Luke Salkeld.

Apparently, Spam stands for ‘shoulder of pork and ham’ although intellectual connoisseurs of school dinners have more than once labelled it ‘something posing as meat.’
These days day however, junk emails that constantly bombard us computer-literate geeks since, have been given a new name. These electronic litter attacks – have assumed the name of our infamous canned snack. Was the label Spam taken from the Bill Gates glossary no .... Monty Python. What??? Indeed. The monotonous use of Spam in endless dishes – egg, bacon and Spam, sausage and Spam, bacon and Spam and the repetitious nature of such inspired a Monty Python mickey-taking sketch. This brilliant and now legendary sketch, see it here, was repeated so much at unwelcome times – that word was adopted to describe an endless boring sea of unwanted junk mails.

So now we now all about that can than has always been in the kitchen cupboard- who makes it, what it can be used for, and why its name was adopted in the world of computers. Who knows? You savvy stair lift shoppers may be bringing on a new use of the word. Remember, if it’s a hard sell, or the price seems over the top, yell ‘Spam.’

Happy chair lift hunting!

LINKS

Castle Comfort can often advise on getting a GRANT for a stairlift - and they can be obtained from unexpected sources. But see here how difficult that can be.

Finally, see this Daily Mail story here how not to market stairlifts. Not forgetting that the same care exercised when buying a stairlift - needs to be shown if you are selling one .............

This article demonstrates the risk of getting a cold call from someone you don't know offering something that appears to good to be true. And things too good to be true nearly always are.

.

The anti-spam reference box-

CASTLE COMFORT STAIRLIFTS REGIONAL LOCATIONS

Stairlifts Cheshire, Stairlifts Manchester, Stairlifts Birmingham, Stoke on Trent, Stairlifts Swansea, Stairlifts Walsall, Stairlifts Devon & Cornwall,
Stairlifts Belfast, Stairlifts Bournemouth, Stairlifts Bristol, Stairlifts Glasgow, Stairlifts Liverpool, Stairlifts London, Stairlifts Newcastle upon Tyne, Stairlifts Stafford , Stairlifts Nottingham, Stairlifts Stoke on Trent, Stairlifts Wolverhampton, and last but not least, Stairlifts York.

Stairlifts in Staffordshire - or Aeroplanes in Spain. Which take longest to fix?

noreply@blogger.com (Stairlift King) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:58:00 +0000

Many modern gadgets have lights on them to warn you something is wrong - or about to go wrong. Usually such a diagnostic display, as it is known, will tell you exactly what there is to sort out. We have gone a long way since a dock leaf from the side of the road was employed to wipe the oil dipstick. That metal stick, then told us, or told our parents/grandparents - that there was no oil in the car! Maybe that is why it broke down. So then the oil light evolved. Then, with a few inventions in between - came the modern DC (battery operated) STAIRLIFT - and what a delight for companies like us when someone calls us to say the lift has packed up. A number between 1 -12 is flashing, or maybe a certain letter. We know from this, if it has been accidentally switched off - or the batteries have flagged (unusual, but now and again it happens) or various other things usually connected with the circuit board. This magical circuit board is the brains of the chairlift. If it has caused a problem then the remedy is simple - a new circuit board. If a call out is necessary - we are all ready for it - quick, simple and soon the lift is back in action.

(Habla espanol? - tecla aqui)

So what's this about aeroplanes? When buying a stairlift, it's normal to find out about the firm's reputation, the quality of the products and above all the technical back up if things go wrong. Imagine when booking a flight or checking in at the airport we asked those questions... well, that's just not on. Because things can't seriously go wrong. Really? Just read this -

Monarch Airlines flight ZB 626 Manchester – Lanzarote - 2/02/2010.
On board - 5 stewardesses, 2 pilots, approx. 188 holidaymakers and a working (more or less) stairlifts company proprietor from Newcastle under Lyme.

Half an hour from arrival I wondered why I had for years preferred routes via Madrid to visit our offices in the Canaries. After all, the trip was taking under four hours, I had an extra legroom seat, a meal that was OK and I was looked after by professional staff – then, sadly... it was problem time. No, the wine hadn't run out.

The pilot calmly announced that poor visibility would mean a trip around the island, getting us there 15 minutes late at 12.15 pm. No big deal, but I noticed sometime after a quarter past twelve that we had swerved away and heading for the adjoining island of Fuertaventura. A still calm voice from the cabin was heard again but with slightly more disturbing facts. The flaps had failed to open meaning, whilst the aircraft was ‘capable of landing without them - we needed a longer runway’ and that was to be found on the neighbouring island 15 minutes away. Then there was a ‘But.’ And the blood pressure went up. We were going to have a landing ‘faster than normal' and added that 'the fire engines would be there as a precaution.’ When he announced that we were to pay attention to instructions from the crew - it rang to me of something different, not experienced in 40 years of regular flying – an emergency landing. The cabin staff girls put on smiles a little exaggerated – I suspect that is practised in their training. The one who joined me in her jump seat in the emergency exit couldn’t smile for long. An eerie silence throughout the plane contrasted a previous holiday type buzz. Eyes were closed everywhere and couples squeezed each other's hands - even those who hadn't done so for years.
We hit the tarmac fast. How fast, I did not realise until later. Brakes screamed and the aircraft went, at speed, what seemed an awful long way on the ground – overstepping onto what was clearly not normally used tarmac - therefore a section littered with debris. Debris which may have included dust, small pebbles or building blocks, I don’t know – but the noise was frightening – with the sound maybe like that of a machine gun attacking the underside of the plane. I kept looking at the adjoining emergency exit door. For the first time in my life I read its opening instructions. Is there a turbo stairlift the other side to make a descent? If not, there’s no time to do a quote. Brakes were rammed on and golly they were loud – and everyone wished and hoped they were good ones. We eventually stopped with fire engines on both sides chasing us. Thankfully, they didn’t need their foam or water. Any stairlift in situ the other side of my exit door would have remained idle.
An apology came from the pilot amongst a ripple of applause from all, and he told us we had landed 'at 170 knots' – but the inconvenience suffered was better that ending up, he said casually ‘in the sea at Lanzarote.’ He then – or it may have been his co-pilot, told me at the departure steps whilst he proudly saw us off – that 170 knots meant we had landed at 200 mph! – against what would normally have been 40 - 50 mph.

. We all waited for some three hours in the transit terminal without news, and then suddenly the departure of our aircraft to Lanzarote was announced. I happened to know by talking Spanish to various airport staff earlier that a local engineer had checked the aircraft flaps within 20 minutes of us arriving, and all appeared OK – a fact that supports what I think to be the next and most startling part of my tale.
We boarded and took off again – scheduled to arrive at Lanzarote within 15 minutes at about, I think, 5.30pm. Then the impossible happened. Virtually over our intended destination island, the now almost standardised tone of apology came back over the loudspeaker.... and guess what? Those flaps yet again, would not open – so 'we were going back to Fuertaventura.' The pilot said he had done his best but apparently the fault had could not be not be simulated on the tarmac after the first emergency landing, so the reason for the problem was not clear. He surmised that it might have been that the flaps worked on the ground but not with the full weight of people on board.
So what had been a novelty of a first time bullet-style landing was to be repeated. All heads shook in disbelief. Only sober and mature Brits could absorb such drama without audible passion.
Once again, the debris, the fire engines, closed eyes etc – but this time it was made worse by the incredible repetition of what should have been a once (or never) in a lifetime experience. So it was buses again to the terminal – and an indefinite wait for more instructions. The uniformed Monarch official again saw us off the plane – but this time with a glaze this time of embarrassment rather than pride.

Now, it’s question time – and I have emailed the MD of Monarch, Mr Tim Jeans, as I’d be grateful of a response by someone in authority at the Airline. The answer if I get one, may deter me from doing what some contacts of mine who work in the aviation industry want me to do here in Spain – and that is file an official complaint to the Guardia Civil, who will alongside other authorities investigate possible negligence, unnecessary risks to passengers in an aircraft by possible irresponsible flying practices - or inept technical services on the ground. Someone gave authority for that aircraft to take off again – only to suffer a second emergency landing the same afternoon.

So, to sum up, an aircraft is diverted and grounded due to an essential item mal-functioning. Then the reason for flap failure is unknown and not discovered. A fact later admitted by the pilot to passengers. In non-airline speak - ‘an intermittent fault’. The same aircraft takes off – the same happens and a further emergency landed is deployed – putting some 200 passengers again, in my opinion, at risk.

WHY SHOULD THIS BE ALLOWED? If a faulty aircraft does not have its fault diagnosed and remedied, should it not be immediately grounded? It’s OK using an old STAIRLIFT if it keeps packing up and a retired and out of touch engineer can’t find the fault – but surely not a passenger airline!!

On a lesser note, yet still an important issue; can Monarch please explain why the passengers on this scheduled flight, not charter, who suffered a delay of his magnitude (original arrival time 12pm) were not offered free refreshments?

When I left this fracas at 6pm and continued my journey to Lanzarote by taxi and boat, no one, not even children had been offered as much as a glass of water. What happened after 6 pm I have no idea – maybe the nightmare continued until the following day.

It would be interesting to know if this aircraft – an Airbus 321 (registration G-OZBN) built in 1999, and flying, according to the Spanish press, since 17th December of that year, has had previous similar problems.

Over to you Mr Jeans.

Update - 2 weeks on, no reply to the email, so a recorded letter- (snail-mail style) has gone off to Monarch. Perhaps Mr Jeans is on leave in the Canaries.
Watch this space.Update - 2 months on, no reply from anyone at perhaps they are all too busy fixing flaps. We asure Mr Jeans and his executive colleauges - that a certain stairlifts company fom Staffordshire doesn't hold grudges. If if anyone of them have a chair lift from us, whether they live in Stafordshire, Cheshire, Manchester or anywhere in England - and it breaks down - we'll offer them our usual prompt service!

Meanwhile - it seems that Ryanair have upset yet folk again- on the same Canaries route, a few passengers. - see their latest PR disaster

Stoke on Trent Stairlift Runner is Potteries bound again

noreply@blogger.com (Stairlift King) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:29:00 +0000

It is almost a year since Stephen Auker was persuaded by his principal sponsors to take part in his first Stoke on Trent Potteries half marathon and he completed it with usual style and effort resulting in an amazing finishing time of 1 hour 51 minutes.

This large poster seen here was placed outside the Staffordshire stairlift specialist's head office at Wolstanton, Staffordshire for a few weeks before the race - and scores of people came in to leave a donation which boosted Castle Comfort's pledge of £1,000. The cash came with a condition - and until the start of the race Mr Auker assumed that the requirement to run the race with a Castle Comfort Stairlift model strapped to his back was wind up. But no... here is Keith checking the stairlift weighs in!

Steve and ever supportive wife Julie were guests that weekend at the Borough Arms Hotel at Newcastle under Lyme. situated close to the centre of Stoke on Trent. The sponsoring company were pleased to arrange that all present were kept with plenty of liquid refreshment Vimto after the race!
'Stairlift Stephen' as he is affectionately known in Staffordshire had so far (as of June 2009) raised single handed £22,000 in aid of Cancer Research UK. See details of people's generosity here. (see below too for updated figures)

Why does he do it? Stephen's own words -
"Because cancer will touch ALL OF US in some way at some time. Plus one in three of us will actually PERSONALLY SUFFER from a cancer in our lifetime. This is my small way to help all of us and our children in the future."

There is a lot more to this guy, and anyone with a heart and will to enjoy life, will enjoy learning about him -See Steve's Google profile here .

And anyone reading this with a spare pound (or a million of them) just get your credit card out and go here or if you really have some bottle, speak to your doctor, and then click on the final 'here' below. See you in June!
Do you want to enter the 'arf Marathon in Stoke on Trent one year ? do it here

Failing that (and you can claim your doctor wouldn't allow you to have a coronary attack) - we'll catch you in Weatherspoons, Hanley on the big day!

Mr Auker pictured in days gone by. As he is now tee-total the finishing time in the Stoke on Trent 'arf marathon in future will be even more amazing!

UPDATE
2010 JUNE

THE BAD NEWS - STAIRLIFT STEPHEN TOOK ALMOST 20 MINUTES LONGER (2 HOURS 12 MINUTES) TO COMPLETE THE STOKE 'ARF THIS YEAR...

THE GOOD NEWS ...

He trained a new Castle Comfort Stairlifts runner- Bec from Stafford, AND DID THE WHOLE 13 MILES, THIS TIME - WITH THE STAIRLIFT ON HIS BACK - and earned another £1500 in total for the effort, which takes the total rasied so far to over £28,000 - well over half way to the target of £50k.

SEE THE STAIRLIFT OSCAR-WINNING (GUINNESS-WINNING ACTUALLY) FILM HERE

AND WOLSTANTON'S OWN WEBSITE IS ALSO PROUD OF THIS!

Newcastle-under-Lyme Stairlifts firm in the news again

noreply@blogger.com (Stairlift King) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:14:00 +0000

People often ask how it all began. This chairlift company I started was a simple family affair and a pure accident that occurred when my own mother was searching for products to make her life easier. Here she is - now absent but always present. Doreen was faced with two extremes - shops who had no real interest or idea - to the heavy pressure boys, who wanted to camp out in her home for hours and try to extract thousands of pounds for something that should really cost hundreds. I could see there was a huge gap for a business to compete with the 'hard-sell' mobility product companies. And with such a lack of high street homecare products specialists, I had the perfect idea.

As a result we started locally at Newcastle under Lyme on the edge of Stoke on Trent - and then went national throughout Great Britain and Spain - and by golly it worked. I was more than happy with modest profits and this soon caused the stair lift industry to offer low prices to compete. Straight and curved stairlifts have been installed all over the UK, recently in London and the home counties too in Kent, Suffolk and Surrey, and as far north as Scotland.

Castle Comfort Stairlifts have always had simple policies - make life and business fun ... smile and as a result have developed a special website to make folk do just that. Take a look.
Secondly and more importantly - all Castle Comfort's staff by instinct treat any client as they would treat their own parent or grandparent.

As a result, we have not only achieved the majority of the business in Staffordshire (and beyond) for the sales of stairlifts, riser recliner chairs and adjustable beds -but we have made many friends. Following simple common sense policies - and our ongoing 'Good Deeds Fund' we have been followed on many occasions, see this one, by the local press - for example
I never forgot my failed aim to be a journalist as a child and being the type rarely to give up, there was an opportunity to belatedly achieve this by the back road. If no one would give me a job writing - then I was to have my own newspaper. And I made myself editor! This personal whim produced a remarkable marketing phenomenon. Read Castle Comfort' very own newspaper.

At Castle Comfort, we religiously log the 'SOL' (the source of lead) of every single order or enquiry. We know exactly how and why a new or potential client approached us. The Clarion is, by far, the biggest single SOL.

Simple and honest marketing policies and ensuring that none of the staff at Castle Comfort Stairlifts treat a client any different than they would their own parents, means the company is proud to be covering the whole of the United Kingdom and Spain with its stair lifts.

QUESTIONS? CALL FREE
0800 007 6959 - 8AM - 11PM

Or depending on where you live - these regional office numbers can also be called 8am - 11pm -

Wolverhampton (01902) 489422

York (01904) 820776

Newcastle upon Tyne 0191 644 0366

Bournemouth (01202) 355466

Belfast (02890) 538653

Birmingham 0121 371 0123

Bristol (01179) 059177

Glasgow 0141 278 3929

Liverpool 0151 676 2727

London 0207 717 9797

Macclesfield (01625) 886599

Manchester 0161 452 3636

Stafford 01785 318701

Swansea (01792) 359212

West Country (01395) 349198

HEAVY DUTY OR HEAVY WEIGHT STAIRLIFTS ARE ALSO AVAILIBLE FROM Castle Comfort WITH 28.5 OR 30 STONE WEIGHT LIMITS. A bariatric stair lift has a high weight capacity, including a curved stairlift with a higher weight of 30 stone. Henry V111 may have been impressed. David Starkey says here in the Daily Mail that the overweight king invented the stairlift. For even more information on that go here

And, see Castle Comfort's model on this super stairlift that
would also carry at the same time a few friends! Film on NOW.

CASTLE COMFORT DELIVERY AND DEMONSTRATION ROUTES

Daily.
North Staffordshire Run.
Stoke on Trent Newcastle under Lyme
……………………………………….........

Every Tues, Wed & Friday
South Staffordshire Run.
Stone, Stafford, & Wolverhampton
& Walsall.
(Castle comfort ended up on the BBC when
they were recently in Walsall. Watch the News here)
………………………………………………

Every Monday, Thursday & Friday
South Cheshire Run.
Congleton, Macclesfield, Prestbury and Stockport
……………………………………………

Every Wednesday
The Manchester Run.
Includes northern Cheshire and most parts of Greater Manchester & Lancashire.
Covering Wigan, Blackburn, Burnley, Colne, Accrington & Oldham.

…………………………………………
Every Tuesday
The Shropshire Run.
To the Welsh Borders as far south as Gizmoville.
Welsh spoken - Cymraeg ar lafar
………………………………………………….
Every Friday.
The Easten Run through Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and
Lincolnshire and Bluebelltown.

...........................................................
Every other week (on an unspecified day)
Birmingham Run. As far as northern Home Counties.
…………………………………………………

South Wales
There is a daily and ongoing presence in the whole of South Wales offering full representative service to offer quoted for stairlifts and installation and technical back up by our SWANSEA facility. Telephone Swansea (01792) 359212 anytime for information, or use the coupon here.

As every, Castle Comfort directors Ann Keith or Dr Stirling are waiting to assist.

LINKS

Laugh about it - it's the only way. See Castle Comfort's most visited website

Stairlifts in Spain? Si, por favor - but we don't want any British blood!

noreply@blogger.com (Stairlift King) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:08:00 +0000

As a regular donor in Stoke on Trent in the Midlands, stairlifts expert Keith wasted no time when the Spanish blood donor bus pulled up outside Castle Comfort’s offices in Madrid. This is the way they do things in Spain in the major cities - one can still go to the hospital to donate but the Spanish system grabs the well-intending at appropriate and convenient moments e.g. - when leaving work and maybe on the way to a siesta, lunch, or even the bullring!

The Spanish nurses were flattered that an Englishman had taken the trouble to volunteer and wasted no time in producing the standard questionnaire. After all, although he had his UK donor

card they needed to register a 'first-timer'.

The rules and questions are much the same as our country - 'What illnesses have you had?' - where have you travelled?' etc. The final line on the form however asked 'Have you resided in the UK between 1996 & 1997?" and the obvious answer to that from a Brit is 'yes' "errr..... . 'I'll have to speak to the doctor' was the nurse's reply. Then came the shock.

A lady doctor appeared to thank him for the gesture, but she explained why he had to be rejected. The reason was clear - 'Mad cow disease. ' 'Moo', Keith thought. They all agreed it was a bit silly and bureaucratic but those are the rules - although they did promise to try and get them changed and that I should apply again another time.

Finally. after getting off the Spanish bus and shortly finding himself back in Stoke on Trent, he was more than welcome at the Staffordshire blood transfusion unit. There without hiccups or red tape some pure potteries blood was accepted with thanks.

Pictured here, Castle Comfort Stairlifts Chief Keith with grateful NHS staff.

Robbie's Mum Meets Stoke Stairlifts Chiefs - not all the famous pop stars come from Liverpool!

noreply@blogger.com (Stairlift King) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 09:54:00 +0000

Pictured - Ann Bruce, Castle Comfort Stairlifts Director, Jan Williams, Dr Neil Stirling of CCS (AKA Santa) and Salvation Army officials

THE MOTHER OF STOKE ON TRENT'S MOST FAMOUS EVER CELEBRITY ... joined the Castle Comfort Stairlifts team to present Christmas toys to a local Stoke and Newcastle under Lyme good cause. Castle Comfort stairlifts Merseyside customers an hour away in LIVERPOOL, are reminded that not all the stars are theirs!

Thousands of toys were bought with this fantastic effort for not so fortunate children in North Staffordshire. Jan Williams, mum of Potteries mega-star ROBBIE WILLIAMS loves her home town, and when anyone gets involved in local charities she is there like a shot. The Stoke Sentinel gave this event, held at Wolstanton Working Mens Club much appreciated coverage.

See Stoke Sentinel article .......
Also see on Robbie's official site - http://www.robbiewilliams.com/photos/members/thanks-to-jan-williams

And see here on Robbie's blog site, the BBC News footage of another good deed of the Castle Comfort Stairlifts GOOD DEEDS FUND, when a Staffordshire couple got a FREE STAIRLIFT !

LINKS

Hotfrog to us

Worldwide Stairlift News

stephen.auker@gmail.com (Stephen) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:24:00 +0000

The workaholic Castle Comfort Stairlifts Managing Director believes in mixing business and pleasure.
He has for years been trying to track down footballing legend Diego Maradona on numerous trips to South America - and this time had a degree of success. Pictured here, is Keith finally having his company's new year calendar launched by the most famous face in the history of soccer - a face more famous than those cheating 'Hands of God.'

But wait - look at that healthy and fit physique of 'Diego' - is this not the famous Latin TV lookalike - aka ESCOLASTICO MENDEZ? Now a new friend of Keith, 'Esco' parades around the touristy bits of Buenos Aires earning a nice living charging for a photo! Good luck to him.

But in Uruguay, where the disability Discrimination Act is now in full force - Keith found a challenge in trying to persuade the keepers of this building to provide access for the disabled.
After assessing the 118 steps and 15 bends and pricing it out at .2 million Uruguayan pesos (£40,000) for this proposed giant CURVED STAIRLIFT, the lighthouse keepers weren't too keen. For an economical alternative to a curved stairlift in your loved ones home why not enquire about platform stairlifts? Call for free 0800 007 6959

BREAKING NEWS - 'Diegito' has finally been relieved of his duties as coach of the Argentine national soccer side - see this

Stairlifts. What you need to know.

stephen.auker@gmail.com (Stephen) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:45:00 +0000

Many stairlift companies claim to be 'the best' or 'the cheapest' but with so many of them to choose from, who do you believe?

The Truth:

Many 'independent' stairlift or 'price comparison' websites are not stairlift websites at all. They merely collect your information i.e. name, address, budget etc and then sell this information on to stair lift companies.

These stairlift companies may not be best placed for your individual needs or your geographical location. Even worse, they may even use high pressure selling. So here, I will personally supervise your quote via this website and make sure your stairlift is suitable to your needs and priced correctly to suit your budget.

Doctor Neil Stirling MB ChB.

The Facts:

If you are getting on in life (like myself) we are often seen as an easier target to those with questionable selling techniques. As I see it, buying a stairlift can be a significant but necessary investment, and usually a once in a
lifetime decision. Sometimes all we need is some good impartial advice, someone who understands what we need, and how much it costs. Not to mention a reliable back up service for stairlift repairs or maintenance.

The Solution:

My personal pledge to you is to look after your best interests at all times, to make sure your individual circumstances are taken into consideration, to answer all your questions no matter how silly you think they are, offer advice as to which stairlift i.e. curved stairlifts or straight stairlifts, new stair lift or reconditioned. Most importantly to recommend you to a stairlift company that operates and installs in your local area.

If you have any question ask me or maybe you want a stairlift price quote

Stairlifts or Stair Lifts ? Find out in Stoke on Trent

stephen.auker@gmail.com (Stephen) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 16:32:00 +0000

Shortly, you will discover how to easily obtain a Stairlift at a very reasonable price from this Stoke on Trent based company and installed quickly without fuss. But first, we promise that you will find this post very interesting - and your few minutes' involvement with it will earn £10 for the benefit of Cancer Research.

But for those of you who are stairlifts shoppers and you want to get the stair lift sorted - visit http://www.castlecomfortstairlifts.com/ and return here later.
Or you can telephone Newcastle under Lyme (01782) 630999 for an instant quote and to arrange a free survey if required.

Is the head office of Castle Comfort Stairlifts really a pub? Some people think so.

You are looking for a Stairlift .. or a Stair Lift. It's the same isn't it? Well that small difference between the two versions - one word or two - has caused quite a controversy. We'll get back to chairlifts in a moment (or is it chair lifts?) but most of those with the skill to use a search engine have curiosity and interest in our language - so we are going to clear it up.

Word spell checkers favour the two word Stair Lifts - but in general use most people favour the singular term Stairlifts. So, you language purists out there - we need you opinion and reason which is correct. And then, we are going to approach, with all your comments, our two blog authorities - the Oxford Dictionary and Wikipedia. for a final decision. Doctor Stirling of Castle comfort - himself an authority and language enthusiast will select the best comments for submission. See the doctor's site here - and explore his indepth knowledge of Starelifts. Who stairs at stairlifts?? The polemic can go on, as such our language is never set in stone or beyond question. A definition lasting a century in the dictionary can be changed in seconds by an email .. for example.

Please email us on - stairlifts@castlecomfortcentre.com or use the coupon here. For each comment received on the subject we are going to acknowledge your trouble by chipping in £10 for a the very good cause already mentioned. You will see acknowledgement of the tenner you have generated here.

We'll then submit all facts and opinions to Wiki and the Oxford and see what they come up with. A conclusion will be posted on this site shortly with details of the total amount raised.
And if you stairlift (stair lift) hunters have now got the quiz bug - earn another £10 for Cancer Research here, by naming correctly Britain's second biggest airport.

OK - so back to the fact that we can provide you find a stairlift quote that is acceptable not just because of the amount - but because of the trust you can put into the Castle Comfort Group who have been providing mobility products, ie riser recliner chairs, adjustable beds and stairlifts nationwide for over 12 years.
First - Castle Comfort actually exists - what do we mean? Well, many so called stairlift companies on search engines are simply 'boiler room' enquiry generating engines who exist often from a laptop in a garage, or an Algarve Villa to get enquiries or 'leads.' They then sell the enquiries to actual businesses for a fixed rate or a commission. Who pays that commission? You of course.
Castle Comfort Stairlifts not only have premises, showrooms, staff and two hard working directors to deal with you personally - but they have LOW PRICES as well as excellent service. What they do not have is an expensive commission based direct sales force. See SPAM and you will see here why a stairlift could cost a fortune to the less savvy.

Castle Comfort Stairlifts do not have to, nor would they ever buy expensive leads from elsewhere because they are kept extremely busy with repeat work - and above all, a Free Page One entry on most major search engines which is achieved naturally through a long and genuine existence. If you look carefully at the top of page one on many search engines you will see many stairlifts firms have 'sponsored links'and they pay a lot to be there. And as with any costs in business - it gets passed on to the buyer. To check further on our claims - why not look for the street address of the boiler room lead generators? If you find one it won't be obvious. And they certainly may not have what is pictured below.

So here is a little information on the actual product provided by Castle Comfort. Following this, we then list Castle's mobility products delivery routes and schedules to different areas. All staff at this company are trained to measure and survey for a stairlift, even if they are just delivering chairs or beds to your town. A measurement can be taken within a couple of minutes to enable an installation to be carried out at your home within a day or two.

Stair lifts are essential to anyone with mobility problems. They provide safety and independence.
Castle Comfort Stairlifts have probably a greater understanding than anyone else in the UK with the exception of the actual manufacturers but with the added bonus of impartiality i.e. They have an in-depth knowledge of ALL the stairlifts products on the market and can help find the best stair lift for you, and suggest the best installation team in YOUR own local area.

There is a huge range of stairlifts, and they all have different controls, options and weight limits to consider, depending on the needs of the buyer. However, there are only really 3 basic types: straight, curved and platform stairlifts for indoor or outdoor use. Heavy duty too - up to 30 stone. See our film made at NAIDEX, NEC Birmingham recently. And if you face the extra cost of a curved stairlift - there may well be an economic alterative... have a glance of how a Stoke City football fan saved a fortune with his platform lift by clicking on platform lifts

QUESTIONS? CALL FREE
0800 007 6959 - 8AM - 11PM

Or depending on where you live - these regional office numbers can also be called 8am - 11pm -

Wolverhampton (01902) 489422

York (01904) 820766

Newcastle upon Tyne 0191 644 0366

Bournemouth (01202) 355466

Belfast (02890) 538653

Birmingham 0121 371 0123

Bristol (01179) 059177

Glasgow 0141 278 3929

Liverpool 0151 676 2727

London 0207 717 9797

Macclesfield (01625) 886599

Manchester 0161 452 3636

Swansea (01792) 359212

West Country (01395) 349198

HEAVY DUTY OR HEAVY WEIGHT STAIRLIFTS ARE ALSO AVAILIBLE WITH 28.5 OR 30 STONE WEIGHT LIMITS. A bariatric stair lift has a high weight capacity, including a curved stairlift with a higher weight of 30 stone. Henry V111 may have been impressed. David Starkey says here in the Daily Mail that the overweight king invented the stairlift.
See the contact page here, and click on your town city for the local phone number.

For even more information go here

And, see Castle Comfort's model on this super stairlift that
would also carry at the same time a few friends! Film on NOW.

CASTLE COMFORT DELIVERY AND DEMONSTRATION ROUTES

Daily.
North Staffordshire Run.
Stoke on Trent Newcastle under Lyme
……………………………………….........

Every Tues, Wed & Friday
South Staffordshire Run.
Stone, Stafford, & Wolverhampton
& Walsall.
(Castle comfort ended up on the BBC when
they were recently in Walsall. Watch the News here.)
………………………………………………

Every Monday, Thursday & Friday
South Cheshire Run.
Congleton, Macclesfield, Prestbury and Stockport
……………………………………………

Every Wednesday
The Manchester Run.
Includes northern Cheshire and most parts of Greater Manchester & Lancashire.
Covering Wigan, Blackburn, Burnley, Colne, Accrington & Oldham.

…………………………………………
Every Tuesday
The Shropshire Run.
To the Welsh Borders.
Welsh spoken - Cymraeg ar lafar
………………………………………………….
Every Friday.
The Eastern Run through Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and
Lincolnshire.

...........................................................
Every other week (on an unspecified day)
Birmingham Run. As far as northern Home Counties.
…………………………………………………

South Wales
There is a daily and ongoing presence in the whole of South Wales offering full representative service to offer quoted for stairlifts and installation and technical back up by our SWANSEA facility. Telephone Swansea (01792) 359212 anytime for information, or use the coupon here.

As ever, Castle Comfort directors Ann, Keith or Dr Stirling are waiting to assist.

LINKS

Funny pages - how to get your cat to clean the toilet. Really?

Laugh about it - it's the only way. See Castle Comfort's most visited website