Stairlifts

Stairlifts Maidenhead – Berkshire Stairlifts

2012-01-29T20:19:00.000Z

Click here to find new and reconditioned stairlifts in Maidenhead, Berkshire If you are looking for the Castle Comfort Stairlifts legendary websiteCastle Comfort Stairlifts offers top brand stairlifts, keen prices and fast installs for all those seeking stairlifts in Maidenhead, Berkshire. And all work comes with our no-quibble guarantees and famous customer service satisfaction.

Give us a call today on 01865 477 004 If however, you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on.

Stairlifts Maidenhead – Stairlifts Berkshire

Welcome to Maidenhead in Berkshire where the retired population is just over 15,000 of the ever-changing population of 78,000. It is located on the River Thames about 25 miles from London.

If you are retired or have a mobility problem – that’s more than 400 of you - Castle Comfort Stair Lifts can help. We have been supplying stairlifts to the UK since 1999. During that time we have built up a sound reputation and are now the national agents for all UK manufacturers. What we don’t know about stairlifts isn’t worth knowing!

If you’d like us to share some of our knowledge with you, please give our local office a call on 01865 477 004.

History – what’s in a name?
How towns get their names is always fascinating and we probably never consider that they may have changed over the years. The name Maidenhead comes from Maidenhythe meaning ‘new wharf’ and refers to the riverside on which is built. We are going back probably to Saxon times when the joining of several small communities including Bray and Cookham, when a bridge was built across the Thames replacing a ferry in 1280. This is when it became known as Maidenhythe – ‘new wharf’!

With the Great West Road diverted over the bridge taking travellers to Reading, Gloucester and Bristol, Maidenhead grew up around this point. It became a stopping point for coaches on their journeys between London and the west.

Significant places
Maidenhead’s NatWest Bank on the High Street has royal connections! The building used to be the Greyhound Inn and is where King Charles I met his children for the last time before his execution. This was in 1649 and there is a plaque there today to commemorate this.

Another building with a chequered history is Skindles Hotel in Maidenhead which was originally known as the Orkney Arms. It stands on the banks of the River Thames and it was William Skindle who turned it from an old coaching inn into a fashionable hotel in 1833, hence its name. In the 20th century its notoriety was for ‘adulterous assignations’. Winston Churchill and Princess Margaret were amongst its guests and The Rolling Stones and The Strawbs played there.

Cliveden House was the home of the Astors; now a Grade I listed building turned into a luxurious country house hotel surrounded by formal gardens with views across the river. Guests of Cliveden have included every Monarch since George I, Charlie Chaplin, Winston Churchill, Harold Macmillan, President Roosevelt, George Bernard Shaw, John Profumo and Christine Keeler.

Boulter’s Lock on the River Thames at Maidenhead is both a lock and a weir. The lock was originally built in 1772 but some years later, it was decided to build it on the other side of the river; this move caused the creation of Boulter’s Island popular for boating parties especially after Royal Ascot.

An intriguing solution to reduce the congestion at the lock at the beginning of the 20th century was introduced – a sort of lift! A moving ramp of wooden slats and chocks to stop rowing boats rolling over was constructed as a lock ‘bypass’. It worked in a similar way to an escalator as boats simply rowed towards it and were carried higher whilst the people in the boat could remain in place. Operated by an electric motor, the ‘boat lift’ opened in 1909; no one is sure when it stopped operating but you can still see where it was at Ray Mill Island.

Modern lifts
Even though the first modern stairlift was invented not much later than the boat lift in the 1920’s, Castle Comfort Stair Lifts are definitely still going strong supplying modern electric and battery operated stairlifts.

The stairlifts we supply maybe straight, curved or perch for those of you who find sitting difficult. Before you make a choice, we need to consider several things: the cost, the size of your staircase and weight rating.

Our information about costs is all clearly laid out on our site; prices start from £895 for a reconditioned stairlift and upto £2,650 for a curved stairlift. Curved stairlifts are always more expensive because they are tailor-made to fit your staircase.

Take a look at the grants that maybe available to you or 0% finance and don’t forget to use the £50 voucher you’ll find at the top of this page.

Industry in Maidenhead
Maidenhead is right in the middle of the M4 corridor also known as Silicon Valley; other Berkshire towns that are also located in this corridor are Slough, Bracknell, Reading, Windsor and Newbury. Maidenhead's industries include: software, plastics, pharmaceuticals, printing & telecommunications. Many people from Maidenhead commute to work either to London or to Slough and Reading.

The average house price in Maidenhead is almost half a million pounds.

Rich and famous
The following people have connections, have lived or come from the Maidenhead area:
· Author Hugh Lofting, who wrote Doctor Dolittle
· Princess Margaret
· Artist Sir Stanley Spencer lived in nearby Cookham and there is still a gallery of his work on show there

· Nick Hornby who wrote Fever Pitch, About a Boy and High Fidelity was at school in Maidenhead
· John O’Farrell known for his satirical newspaper columns and novels like May Contain Nuts and The Best a Man can Get
· TV Dragon Peter Jones is from Maidenhead and was set to become an entrepreneur from an early age; his first dalliance with business was at 16 when he set up his own tennis academy!
· Chat show host Michael Parkinson
· Radio and TV presenter Terry Wogan

· TV weather girl now media personality Ulrika Jonsson

· Figures whizz and media personality Carol Vordeman

· Glamorous 50’s film star Diana Dors lived here
· Musician Howard Jones comes from Maidenhead

· Comedian Tim Brooke-Taylor lives in Cookham
· As does singer Chris Rea
· Author Kenneth Grahame of Wind in the Willows fame lived in the area
· As does author/illustrator Posy Simmonds probably best known for her Tamara Drewe cartoon strip in the Guardian ( a modern reworking of Far from the Madding Crowd)

· Actress Jessica Brown-Findlay who plays Lady Sybil Crawley in Downton Abbey lives in the area

Here at Castle Comfort Stair Lifts we hope you’ve enjoyed our short tour of Maidenhead with some interesting facts thrown in. Don’t forget to checkout our founder Keith Simpson’s short video which explains how and why he got involved in the stairlift industry.

If there is anything else you’d like to know, if you’d like you home assessed for a stairlift, or if you are ready to choose a stairlift, please give our local office a call on 01865 477 004 now.

Stairlifts Slough – Berkshire Stairlifts

2012-01-29T08:43:00.002Z

Click here to find new and reconditioned stairlifts in Slough, Berkshire

If you are looking for the Castle Comfort Stairlifts legendary website

Castle Comfort Stairlifts offers top brand stairlifts, keen prices and fast installs for all those seeking stairlifts in Slough, Berkshire . And all work comes with our no-quibble guarantees and famous customer service satisfaction.

Give us a call today on 01865 477 004 If however, you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on.

Stairlifts Slough – Stairlifts Berkshire

Slough In Berkshire is well and truly back on the map thanks to Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s sitcom mockumentary The Office, which first aired in 2001. The series followed the mundane day-to-day workings of a typical office and its employees based in Slough. Gervais played the central character - self-important Manager David Brent – who was forever committing social faux pas. Gervais and Merchant have successfully sold the series to over 80 countries including America. Gervais was born in another Berkshire town, Reading.

If you’re struggling to do the ‘David Brent dance’ or get up the stairs, Castle Comfort Stair Lifts are here to help. We are the national agents for all stairlift manufacturers and can advise you on the best lift at the best stairlifts prices for you. We have a range of straight, curved and perch stairlifts and also reconditioned ones. Why not give us a call on 01865 477 004 for more information.

Now and then
Slough is currently a borough of Royal Berkshire but at one time was part of Buckinghamshire and Middlesex.

Slough is first seen in old documents referred to as Slo in 1196, then Sloo in 1336 and Le Slowe, Slowe or Slow in 1437. The name Slough may have been derived from the Old English word Sloh meaning marshes which were prominent in the area at the time.

By the 15th century Slough was already well known for brick making and Henry VI ordered bricks here to build Eton College near Windsor. It is one of the original 9 public schools in the UK.

As well as bricks agriculture was the other big employer in the area. The Co’s Orange Pippin apple was first grown in a nursery nearby and ‘Mrs Sinkins Pink’, a variety of Dianthus (carnation) was cultivated here in the 18th century.

By the middle of the 18th century James Elliman who had draper’s shops in Slough, developed and manufactured his Elliman’s Embrocation to treat stiffness of the joints, aches, sprains and bruises alongside his Royal Embrocation horse liniment!

Nowadays Slough still attracts some big business with companies like Centrica plc, GlaxoSmithKline, Yell, ICL, Electrolux, ICI Paints, Masterfoods (Mars), Citroen, Sara Lee, Yellow Pages and Amazon.com (UK) based there.

Slough’s proximity to the Old London Road – now the A4 – which connected Bath to London helped it develop from a humble village into the town it is today with a population of 119,070. Of this number 23,099 are retired and as many as 600 either have or need stairlifts.

If you’re one of the 600 and you need more than Elliman’s Embrocation, Castle Comfort Stair Lifts can help you solve one problem, how to get up and down stairs. Take a look at our founder Keith’s video to learn more about us and about stairlifts generally and check out our online comparisons so that you can get a feel for the one you would like.

After that it’s a simple call to our regional office for advice. Once you have made your decision and it’s all done and dusted, we can install a stairlift in your home in as little as one hour and at most half a day. Give us a call on 01865 477 004 now!

Other cultural references
As well as being ridiculed in The Office, Slough has also received bad press through a poem entitled Slough written by the poet John Betjeman in 1937. The poem was a protest to the industrialisation of the formerly rural area. However on the centenary of his death his daughter gave the Mayor of Slough David MacIsaac a book of her father’s poems by way of apology. Written inside were the words ‘We love Slough’ and she said her father had regretted writing the poem.

The novelist John King’s fourth novel called Human Punk is said to be his most autobiographical and is set in Slough. It is part of a trilogy called the Satellite Cycle which includes his other novels White Trash and Skinheads. His first novel The Football Factory has sold over 250,000 copies in the UK and went on to become a film starring Danny Dyer in 2004.

Cultural references to Slough seem to go on and on and many of the references not so complimentary. Slough has had its share of connections with the rich and famous like:

· Gerry Anderson the creator of the animation series Thunderbirds which had cult status; last year Royal Mail produced a set of stamps issued called the Genius of Gerry Anderson

· Political cartoonist Steve Bell was brought up in Slough; his cartoons appear in The Guardian and other publications
· Geri Halliwell of the Spice Girls lived in the area for a time; she was known as Ginger Spice

· Stanley Baldwin comes from Slough; he was Prime Minister 3 times between the World Wars under different sovereigns: George V, Edward VIII and George VI
· Comedian Iain Lee probably best known for hosting the satirical news show The 11 O’Clock Show was born here

· As was crime writer Simon Kernick

· Tracey Ullman too was born in Slough; she was the third girl alongside Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders in Girls on Top; she had a succesful career as a singer and then moved to the States where she’s a presenter

· Pop singer Gary Numan went to school in Slough

· Comedian Jimmy Carr was brought up in Slough

· Sir William Herschel lived in Observatory House in Slough; he discovered the planet Uranus with his self-built telescope in 1781

· W G Nixey lived in the area; he invented ‘blacklead’ which was used to clean kitchenware. He built Springfield House which came to be known as Blacklead Castle. It was renamed twice and is now known as Elvian House

· Publisher Richard Bentley lived at The Mere in Upton Park; he published some of Charles Dickens works

Ok so now you’ve read all about Slough in our short ‘visit’, it’s time to call Castle Comfort Stair Lifts on 01865 477 004. Don’t forget to use our £50 voucher and if you need more help with funding your purchase, then check out our reconditioned stairlifts. Remember that curved stairlifts will always be more expensive because they are built especially for you. Also take a look at the possible grants you can get and 0% finance.

Castle Comfort Stair Lifts look forward to hearing from you.

Stairlifts Bracknell – Stairlifts Berkshire

2012-01-27T09:39:00.002Z

Click here to find new and reconditioned stairlifts in Bracknell, Berkshire

If you are looking for the Castle Comfort Stairlifts legendary website

Castle Comfort Stairlifts offers top brand stairlifts, keen prices and fast installs for all those seeking stairlifts in Bracknell, Berkshire . And all work comes with our no-quibble guarantees and famous customer service satisfaction.

Give us a call today on 01865 477 004 If however, you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on.

Stairlifts Bracknell – Stairlifts Berkshire

Where are we today? Remember the original James Bond film starring David Niven where he was being chased by a remote controlled milk float? That was Bracknell in the mid-sixties - there were some great aerial shots of the town.

That’s where we are today, Bracknell in Berkshire, just 28 miles west of central London and 11 miles south east from Reading where we started our tour of Berkshire.

With a retired population of just under 10,000, Bracknell residents will be glad to see Castle Comfort Stair Lifts paying a visit. National statistics reckon that 2.6% of the retired population – that’s 253 in Bracknell who already own a stairlift – which is where we come in. If you are in need of a stairlift to give you access to your whole house or if you have a stairlift that needs upgrading, then please contact our local office to see how we can help. Please give us a call on 01865 477 004 .

All about Bracknell
Although Bracknell has been here since the 10th century it was only designated a ‘new town’ in 1949. With its proximity to London it was one of a number of towns that would take overspill and encourage industry to the area. The government plans of the post-war era, expected Bracknell’s population to grow to some 25,000; it’s rather exceeded expectations with a population of more than double that now.

Bracknell’s major industry in the first half of the last century was the manufacture of bricks. Sir Thomas Lawrence’s Brickworks made ‘red rubber’ bricks which have been used in some iconic buildings such as Westminster Abbey, Hampton Court Palace, the Royal Albert Hall and 10 Downing Street.

However most of the manufacturing industries have closed down now – even the Met office has relocated to Exeter in the south west - and ‘high-tech’ industries are the ones that have moved in. Electrical, digital communications and IT seem to dominate now: Panasonic, Fujitsu, Siemens, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Cable & Wireless, Avnet Technology Solutions, Microsoft and more. Bracknell is also the home to the HQs of Waitrose and the UK BMW Group.

Fascinating facts
In 1723 a troop of mounted Grenadier Guards took local trouble-makers, the Wokingham Blacks to task in a pitched battle in the town.

The town has a number of surviving old pubs: the Old Manor complete with priest holes, the Red Lion and the Bull. All are timber framed and date back to the 17th/18th century.

Next door to the Old Manor pub once stood the Hind Head Coaching Inn where it is believed the famous highwayman Dick Turpin used to drink. Underground tunnels between the buildings are believed to have given Dick Turpin an escape route should the authorities have discovered his whereabouts.

In the southern suburb, Birch Hill, you’ll find South Hill Park, a mansion owned by a variety of dignitaries over the years. It eventually came into the hands of the local council who turned it into an arts centre in the 1970’s. Before that time, it is believed that Oscar Wilde wrote The Selfish Giant whilst in the gardens. Later he named one of his characters in The Importance of Being Ernest – Mrs Bracknell.

In nearby Windsor Forest on the edge of Bracknell, is Easthampstead Park, now a Victorian Mansion but originally a medieval hunting lodge used by Henry VIII. It is where his first wife Catherine of Aragon was banished when the king’s affections wandered to Anne Boleyn. Catherine lived there awaiting news of her threatened divorce.

I’m sure you all know of Henry VIII’s connection with stairlifts. As he aged and after a jousting injury that he never fully recovered from this very famous King of England acquired considerable weight – up to 30 stone. Maybe something to do with those 32 course dinners? His injury and great weight made it impossible to get up and down the stairs at his palaces, Hampton Court, Greenwich and Whitehall and so a ‘stairlift’ of sorts was invented based on a block and tackle method.

More recently an American engineer, Mr Crispen invented a stairlift for a friend who had suffered polio and didn’t have the use of his legs. The stairlift was called the inclinator.

Castle Comfort Stair Lifts can offer you something far more sophisticated whatever the condition that has caused you to lose mobility. We have straight, curved, perch and reconditioned stairlifts to choose from – please give us a call on 01865 477 004 to discuss which is best for you and to give you great stairlifts prices.

Media connections
Did you know about Bracknell’s famous connections? Many TV shows and films have used Bracknell as a backdrop:

· Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone at Martins Heron and Time Bandits at Birch Hill

· Pie in the Sky (TV detective series) called Bracknell Laxton and scenes of the exterior of the police HQ in the series were shot in Waterside Park

· Psychological thriller The Offence starring Sean Connery and Ian Bannan was filmed in Bracknell with many scenes of the town and surrounding areas

· Connerys character’s flat was filmed in the listed building Point Royal

· Bracknell features in two PlayStation 3 games: Resistance: Fall of Man and the sequel Resistance 2

Famous residents or visitors
· Queen Victoria stopped at a Bracknell Inn to change her horses but never actually alighted the carriage

· Actress Dani Harmer who played Tracy Beaker in the TV series was born here

Most other famous residents live nearby either between Bracknell and Ascot or in Ascot itself which is mere 4 miles away:

· It’s the home of Sarah, Duchess of York mother of Princess Beatrice and Eugenie, ex footballer and manager Glenn Hoddle, swimmers Sharron Davies, Sarah Hardcastle and David Wilkie

· Kate Bush went to school in the area

· Ascot is also home for Brian May and Anita Dobson, Gary Lineker, Chris Evans, Rolf Harris and Marti Pellow of Wet, Wet, Wet

If you’re not as nimble as Anita Dobson proved in Strictly Come Dancing but would like to be able to dash up the stairs like her, let us help!

We may not be able to give you back your dancing legs but as national agents for all stairlift manufacturers we are in the perfect position to recommend the right one for you with absolutely no bias. Have you watched the video that our founder Keith has made? If not take a look now and then, please get it touch with us for advice, no heavy selling here!

If you need advice on raising the finance, have a look at our grant suggestions and at our recommended 0% finance option and of course don’t forget to claim your £50 with our voucher.

Castle Comfort Stairlifts look forward to hearing from you on 01865 477 004 .

Stairlifts Reading – Stairlifts Berkshire

2012-01-26T15:26:00.005Z

Click here to find new and reconditioned stairlifts in Reading, Berkshire

If you are looking for the Castle Comfort Stairlifts legendary website

Castle Comfort Stairlifts offers top brand stairlifts, keen prices and fast installs for all those seeking stairlifts in Reading, Berkshire . And all work comes with our no-quibble guarantees and famous customer service satisfaction.
Give us a call today on 01865 477 004 If however, you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on.

Stairlifts Reading – Stairlifts Berkshire

We’ve crossed the Wiltshire border into the Royal County of Berkshire. Why Royal? Because the Queen has a residence at Windsor Castle. But first Castle Comfort Stair Lifts are heading to Reading. What do we know about Reading? It’s the County town and the largest in Berkshire but unless you have ‘sat nav’ impossible to find your way around.

Yes Reading has a population 232, 662 and as 19.4% of the population are retired that would mean somewhere in the region of 44,136 in Reading. About 2.6% of the retired have stairlifts – so that’s about 1,173 of Reading’s population.. We have the national figures on our website with constant updates – take a look at the bottom of this webpage.

So if you’re in the Reading area and looking for the best stairlifts prices, your search is over. Here at Castle Comfort Stair Lifts we have a good range as the national agents for all UK manufacturers and can give you a totally unbiased recommendation.

Why not give us a call for more information on 01865 477 004 today?

A Royal connection
Reading itself has a current Royal connection. Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge grew up in the nearby village of Bucklebury with her sister Pippa Middleton; her family still reside there.

Reading also seems to have bread a number of ‘luvies’ – directors, actors, actresses including another Kate, Winslet this time who’s just won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a mini series for her role in Mildred Pearce.

Two notable film directors also have connections with Reading: Sam Mendes, Kate Winslet’s ex hails from here; his film directorial debut was American Beauty and he also directed Revolutionary Road which starred Kate as well as many other films and theatre plays.

Sir David Lean is an Old Leightonian having spent time at Leighton Park School in Reading. He went on to direct some very famous films – Laurence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and the earlier Brief Encounter amongst them.

Other actors and actresses from Reading
Kenneth Branagh who spent his teenage years in Reading, is well known for his roles in and directing a number of Shakespeare plays on film but has also starred in or directed many other genres. He has recently played Laurence Olivier in the film My Week with Marilyn for which he was nominated as Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe. He was married to Emma Thompson and then had a long term relationship with Helen Bonham Carter who he directed in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

Lucy Benjamin known for her long-running role as Lisa Fowler in EastEnders also hails from Reading. Her on and off screen lover during this time was Phil Mitchell/Steve McFadden.

Another EastEnders star, John Altman who played Nick Cotton also comes from Reading.

Actress Jacqueline Bisset is another Reading born actress; she is best known for her roles in films like Bullitt and The Deep and also for the TV series Nip and Tuck. Bissset is godmother to Angelina Jolie.

A number of TV presenters have also come out of Reading:
· Famous son of Reading, Chris Tarrant is well known for presenting Who Wants to be a Millionnaire and also as a Radio DJ

· Jeremy Kyle who fronts his own show, The Jeremy Kyle Show where participants are invited to resolve relationship issues or their problems with drugs and alcohol live on air

· Arthur Negus was famously known as a presenter on the Antiques Roadshow

· Sally Taylor is a local news presenter on BBC South Today

Any issues you want to share? Maybe you’re finding it difficult to get up and down those stairs? Maybe you need to replace your current stairlift for a more up-to-date model. Castle Comfort Stair Lifts can help.

We have a good range of all kinds of stairlifts, straight, curved, perch and reconditioned. Curved stairlifts are always more expensive as they are tailor made to ‘fit’ you, but we have competitive prices for all types.

And if the cost is a problem you can look at our information on obtaining a grant or for a more instant influx of funds, 0% finance. Don’t forget our £50 off voucher too – every little helps!

Reading Festival
This annual event in conjunction with Leeds Festival takes place on the August Bank Holiday weekend bringing music enthusiasts to the town to camp and enjoy the music.

Over the years the headline acts at Reading Festival (first festival was in 1961) reads like a who’s who of the pop music industry and includes Kurt Cobain and Nirvana. Cobain famously played his last UK gig at the Festival in 1992 arriving on stage in a wheelchair.

Other headliners include Iggy Pop, Oasis, Pulp, Guns & Roses, Arctic Monkeys, The Prodigy, New Order, The Pogues, The Police and The Jam.

Reading’s history
Reading has been here for a long time. There was some sort of settlement at Reading back in Roman times but the first official evidence is from the 8th century when Reading was known as Readingum. This is thought to derive from the Anglo-Saxon tribe The Readings, which means Reada’s People.

By the time of the Doomsday Book, Reading is described as a Borough with 6 mills, 4 belonging to the King and 2 to Battle Abbey in Battle, East Sussex, because the land had been donated to Battle Abbey by William the Conqueror after his invasion of England.

Henry I is buried in the grounds of Reading Abbey which he founded. The Abbey was hard hit by Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries and only the remains still stand.

It is unusual that a town and borough the size of Reading doesn’t have city status. The borough council has tried on two previous occasions, as part of the Millennium celebrations and as a mark to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. Last year they put in a bid for this year for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee – watch this space as no decision has been taken yet.

Who do we know?
· Oscar Wilde imprisoned in Reading Jail for a two year period during which time he wrote De Profundis; after his imprisonment he lived exiled in France where he wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol about his experiences

· Jane Austen went to Reading Ladies Boarding School
· More recently Ricky Gervais made a film called Cemetery Junction set in Reading in the 70’s. Gervais comes from Reading
· Property developer and TV presenter Sarah Beeney also comes from Reading
· Journalist and TV presenter Charlie Brooker too
· As does musician Mike Oldfield and Marianne Faithful lived here for a time in her childhood

We’re at the end of a quick-stop tour of Reading but it’s not too late to call Castle Comfort Stair Lifts on 01865 477 004 for more information and advice about the perfect stairlift for you. We can assess what is right for you and your house and have it installed in an hour! Or at the very most half a day. Castle Comfort Stair Lifts have excellent after sales service too – you can call us 24/7 on 01865 477 004 .

Hope to hear from you soon!

Stairlifts Trowbridge - Wiltshire Stairlifts

2012-01-23T14:18:00.003Z

Click here to find new and reconditioned stairlifts in Trowbridge, Wiltshire

If you are looking for the Castle Comfort Stairlifts legendary website

Castle Comfort Stairlifts offers top brand stairlifts, keen prices and fast installs for all those seeking stairlifts in Trowbridge, Wiltshire . And all work comes with our no-quibble guarantees and famous customer service satisfaction.

Give us a call today on 01179 059 177 If however, you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on.

Stairlifts Trowbridge – Stairlifts Wiltshire

Hello we’re still in Wiltshire on our Castle Comfort Stair Lifts’ blog tour! Did you know that people born and bred in Wiltshire are known as Moonrakers? The reason is down to legend: smugglers managed to foil local excise men by hiding their stash of smuggled alcohol in a village pond. To further conceal their contraband, they raked the pond causing ripples and told the official they were trying to rake in a large round cheese – in reality a reflection of the moon! The officials assumed they were ‘simple’ – read stupid – or mad locals and left them to it.

Castle Comfort Stair Lifts won’t think you’re simple if you ask questions about their product, and would rather you didn’t make assumptions, but let us explain!

Take a look at our founder Keith’s short video which will probably tell you all or most of what you need to know. Check out which stairlifts we do and our comparisons of their qualities and prices and if you still have unanswered questions please give us a call on 01179 059 177 .

Trowbridge
Today we’ve come to Trowbridge, the County Town where Wiltshire County Council have their headquarters. The land where Trowbridge sits was farmed as long ago as 3,000 years, there is evidence that there was a settlement called Trubridge there at the time of the Doomsday Book when it was recorded that 100 residents lived here. They’ve come on a bit since then with a population of more than 28,000 making Trowbridge the third largest town in the county after Swindon and Salisbury.

It was in the 13th century that Trowbridge began to grow by developing the woollen textile industry in the town. It flourished and grew becoming more industrialised by the 17th century and reaching its peak in the 18th century. By the mid 18th century Trowbridge had 2000 wool-producing factories comparable to towns in the north like Rochdale. It became known as the ‘Manchester of the West’. New ways of spinning saw the industry here begin to decline in the 19th century though.

Only a few Mills remain; Trowbridge Museum which is integrated into a shopping centre now occupies Salter’s Mill which didn’t close until 1982; the County Court sits in what was Clark’s Mill and the Handle House where teasels were dried and stored to raise the nap of the cloth is still there.

Another of Trowbridge’s claims to fame is that it is where the bedding industry developed and thrived initially using cast-off wool from the mills. Airsprung Furniture now Airsprung Group PLC were started here in the 19th century and are still based in the town.

Another industry connection is Bowyers; Abraham Bowyer started producing sausages at the beginning of the 19th century and built up a thriving business. It was eventually bought out by Northern Foods and is now known as Pork Farms Bowyers. You can still buy Bowyers sausages and pork pies today.

Brewing company Ushers of Trowbridge opened in the town in 1824 and continued to brew until closure in 2000 though there were several amalgamations and name changes along the way.

Are you declining like the industries in Trowbridge? We’re sure you aren’t or at least with a little help from Castle Comfort Stair Lifts you certainly won’t feel that way.

So if you’re looking for a stairlift look no further. We can supply and install a stairlift for you at a fair price, in no time at all. In fact it takes our installation team usually about an hour to have you up and running or at most half a day. Giving you back the freedom to access your entire home.

Check out our fair prices for all makes of stairlift including reconditioned models; if you feel you need some help with this we can point you in the direction of grants which are available or 0% finance options. Just give us a call on 01179 059 177

Nearby towns
Bradford-on-Avon just 4 miles from Trowbridge is popular with tourists as it is full of historic buildings. Although Bradford-on-Avon has been there since Roman times, it also grew as a result of the woollen textile industry in the 17th century and still has several buildings dating from that period.

The town grew up around a ford which crossed the River Avon; in Norman times a stone bridge was built over the ford and still stands today. On the bridge is a small domed building which was built as a chapel (now Grade I listed) but later used as a lock-up for misbehaving locals.

Another historic building of note is St Laurence’s Church which is Saxon (700) with some restoration in the 10th century but has had no later alterations making it pretty unique.

Westbury White Horse
Just outside Westbury (6 miles from Trowbridge), an old hill-fort town like Salisbury you will find the Westbury White Horse originally carved into the chalk downs. Legend has it that the horse was carved in a slightly different form to celebrate King Alfred’s victory at the Battle of Edington back in the 9th century.

Trowbridge, Bradford-on-Avon and Melksham People
· Sir Isaac Pitman who invented Pitman shorthand, a strong resource for offices for more than a century was born in Trowbridge. There are plaques to commemorate him scattered around Trowbridge and one pub has taken his name

· Famous people actually from Trowbridge are thin on the ground but there are plenty of famous faces from neighbouring towns!

· Will Carling former England Rugby captain was born in nearby Bradford-on-Avon, whilst other rugby players Phil de Glanville and Jon Sleightholme lived in the area

· Another ‘son of Bradford-on-Avon’ was Henry Shrapnell who invested the Shrapnell Shell

· TV presenter Hugh Scully also hails from this part of the world

· England football coach and former player Rob Newman and retired footballer Andy Pearce both came from Bradford-on-Avon

· Writer and journalist Daniel Defoe visited Bradford-on-Avon in the 18th century; he was surprised that it was considered normal that there were wealthy men in Trowbridge worth millions in today’s money all made from the textile industry

· Melksham (6 miles from Trowbridge) is home to Andy Park aka Mr Christmas. He has celebrated Christmas EVERY DAY since July 1993 except the officially recognised Christmas Day of 25th December. He claims to have eaten almost 4,500 roast turkeys and 87,600 mince pies and 4,380 bottles of sherry since he started continually celebrating – figures from 2006. In a local radio interview last year he says he is still celebrating Christmas every day. In 2001 his doctor warned him that his diet wasn’t good for him – he had reached 19 stone! A true Wiltshire Moonraker perhaps?

Remember Castle Comfort Stair Lifts can accommodate weights even 19 stone – many up to 25 stone. We have a range of straight, curved or perch stairlifts; remember that curved stairlifts are more expensive because they are made to measure so that they ‘fit’ you perfectly. But you won’t find better prices because we are the national agents for all UK stairlift manufacturers which also means we will give you unbiased advice.

Just pick up the phone and give us a call ( 01179 059 177 ) and let’s get you mobile again.

Stairlifts Swindon – Stairlifts Wiltshire

2012-01-18T16:05:00.001Z

Click here to find new and reconditioned stairlifts in Swindon, Wiltshire

If you are looking for the Castle Comfort Stairlifts legendary website

Castle Comfort Stairlifts offers top brand stairlifts, keen prices and fast installs for all those seeking stairlifts in Swindon, Wiltshire . And all work comes with our no-quibble guarantees and famous customer service satisfaction.

Give us a call today on 01179 059 177 If however, you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on.

Stairlifts Swindon – Stairlifts Wiltshire

Castle Comfort Stair Lifts welcome you to Swindon, the biggest town in Wiltshire. Today we’re going to take a look around this ‘railway town’ but more of that later. First of all let us tell all visitors and the people of Swindon (Swindonians) themselves what Castle Comfort Stair Lifts can do for you!

Well of course we can supply stairlifts for you or for loved ones who need some help getting up and down those stairs. Obviously if using the stairs has become a problem for you whether you’d been injured or through illness, it’s very frustrating. Castle Comfort Stair Lifts are keen to help you might movement a little more bearable.

We can advise on the type of stairlift best for you and your home; we supply stairlifts from all UK manufacturers so can give you an unbiased opinion on either straight, curved or perch lifts. Why not give us a call on 01179 059 177 to find out more.

Train town
Swindon in Wiltshire is just 40 miles from Bristol in the west and Reading in the east and 81 miles west of London.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the chief engineer for GWR, Great Western Railways, chose Swindon as the location for train works way back in 1840. There is myth around the choice of spot. The legend is that Brunel and Daniel Gooch, another railway engineer, were surveying land north of Swindon Hill and Brunel threw a stone or dropped a sandwich declaring the landing spot as the new site for the railway works!

At Swindon GWR opened its railway works and Swindon became a ‘train town’. The first ‘shed’ built was a repair shed, soon followed by locomotive building; the first engine was built in less than two weeks in 1846. A further 6 Iron Dukes – a class of broad gauge locomotives – was built in Swindon. By 1855, the railway works were producing a locomotive a week and employing 2000 men. Goods wagons were also built here.

By 1900 it was estimated that the Railway works were employing approximately three quarters of Swindon’s workforce. At the beginning of the 1870’s GWR had started to deduct a small percentage of every employee’s wages to go into a healthcare fund, allowing GWR doctors were able to prescribe workers or their families free medicines. By the end of the decade the fund was able to supply artificial limbs manufactured by craftsmen in the ‘carriage and wagon works’; nine years after this, a dental surgery was opened obviously much needed as in the first few months the dentist extracted more than 2,000 teeth. The doctors could also prescribe haircuts or a bath!

The services which GWR put in place were later used as the blueprint for the National Health Service.

Swindon station opened as a Junction Station where the Great Western Line divided to head to Gloucester, which meant that every train passing through stopped for a minimum of 10 minutes at Swindon. This was an opportunity to open a place for refreshments on the station – the first of its kind.

Locomotive building concluded at the Railway Works in 1965 and closure took place in 1986; some of the offices and works have found new uses: the offices of English Heritage and new storage buildings for National Monuments Record.

Though we can’t build locomotives and we won’t make you feel like a heritage piece! Give us a call on 01179 059 177 and we’ll get you moving again. Talk to us about what you think you need; we can assess your home and help you choose the right stairlift for you. Even better we can have it installed in your home before you’ve had time to reach the stairs! In most cases installation takes about an hour and at the most half a day.

Swindon Town FC
There’s a football presence in the town. Swindon Town FC has been part of the Football League joining the third division back in the 1920’s. Over the decades they have yoyo-ed up and down the divisions and currently stand in npower League 2. Swindon Town FC are nicknamed the Robins.

Notable players
Over the years they have had a number of notable players including:
John Trollope who played for the club and then managed them; John Moncur Who played for Tottenham Hotspurs, Swindon Town and West Ham during his career; Duncan Shearer brother of David who played for Chelsea and Swindon Town; Norwegian footballer Jan Åge Fjørtoft who played for Swindon Town in the early 90’s and is well remembered playing for Norway against England for running round the pitch with arms stretched out like an aeroplane!

Notable managers
Glenn Hoddle who played for Tottenham Hotspur and Swindon Town during his footballing career also managed Swindon Town FC between 1991 – 93 taking them into the Premier League.

Other notable people from or connected with Swindon
· Julian Clary, camp comedian grew up in Swindon

· Diana Dors personified the English blonde bombshell of the 50’s alongside American counterparts Jayne Mansfield and Marilyn Monroe

· Melinda Messenger, presenter and former glamour model comes from Swindon and still lives I n the area

· Justin Hayward – Moody Blues

· Also from Swindon is Nick Hewer probably best known for his role as adviser to Alan Sugar on The Apprentice and now as the presenter of long-running TV game show Countdown

· Billie Piper started her career as a pop-singer and then turned to acting was born in Swindon; probably best known for her role as Rose Tyler in several Dr Who series and The Secret Diary of a call Girl TV series

· Mark Lamarr, comedian and TV presenter comes from Swindon where he was born Mark Jones. He co-hosted The Word and was the original host on Never Mind the Buzzcocks and was a team captain on Shooting Stars

Castle Comfort Stair Lifts hope you’ve enjoyed our brief tour of Swindon. Remember to checkout our founder Keith’s short video if you or a loved one looking for a stairlift.

Also remember to look at our stairlift comparisons of makes and what they do and importantly how much they cost. Then give us a call ( 01179 059 177) to see how we can help or advise on financing your stairlift either with a 0% option or a grant.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Stairlifts Salisbury - Wiltshire Stairlifts

2012-01-15T10:35:00.001Z

Click here to find new and reconditioned stairlifts in Salisbury, Wiltshire

If you are looking for the Castle Comfort Stairlifts legendary website

Castle Comfort Stairlifts offers top brand stairlifts, keen prices and fast installs for all those seeking stairlifts in Salisbury, Wiltshire . And all work comes with our no-quibble guarantees and famous customer service satisfaction.

Give us a call today on 023 8124 3046 If however, you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on.

Stairlifts Salisbury – Stairlifts Wiltshire

Today we are visiting Salisbury in south east Wiltshire. Salisbury is built on the edge of Salisbury Plain on water meadows where 5 rivers converge. The Nadder, the Ebble, the Wylye and the Bourne all feed into the Avon which flows out to sea at Christchurch in Dorset.

Have you got the flow? Or are you more stagnant than free-flowing? If mobility is a problem, you’ve come to the right place as Castle Comfort Stair Lifts supplies their products all over the UK.

We can advise you on the right kind of stairlift to suit you, your home and your pocket, to transport you up and down the stairs inside your home. We are the national agents for all stairlift makers so know all the ins and outs and their best features which can see compared here.

If you’d like more information, please get in contact by calling 023 8124 3046 .

More about Salisbury
Despite its 5 rivers, Salisbury isn’t unnecessarily wet! In fact it gets more sunshine than many, clocking up 1650 hours a year.

Salisbury the city as it stands today has only existed since 1220 and is technically New Sarum though it is rarely referred to by that name. Previously it was called Old Sarum, the ruins of which can still be visited today; Old Sarum is thought to have existed since Neolithic times; during the Iron Age a hill top fort was built there and a Cathedral during 11th century.

In 1220 after some disagreements between the clergy and the military it was decided to move the city and the cathedral to the watery meadows below.

Legend has it that an arrow was shot and the cathedral built where it landed. As that was some 1.9 miles away, this is unlikely. Continuation of the legend says that the arrow landed in a white deer and the cathedral is built on the spot where the deer died.

New Sarum was built on a water meadow known as ‘Merrifield’; work started on the town in 1220 setting the town out in a grid system which is still obvious in the city centre today. The following year work on the Cathedral started.

Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral’s spire can be seen from all roads as you enter the city, it is something of a landmark and this iconic building and other historic features of the town attract some 500,000 tourists every year.

The Cathedral was built under the direction Bishop Richard Poore in just 38 years to build. Because the water table in the meadows is high, the Cathedral’s foundations are only 4 feet deep and on a gravel base which allows for some movement in the wind! The spire was added some years later in 1320; it is 404 feet tall making it the highest spire in the country.

The spire added an extra 6,500 tonnes to the building and it is only due to strengthening works carried out over the centuries that the spire still stands today.

The Cathedral houses the oldest mechanical clock still working in the country and one of the 4 remaining copies of the Magna Carta.

The Cathedral has as many windows as days of the year (365) and as many marble pillars as hours in the year (8,760). The walls of the original close still stand today. The gates are closed every night at 10.30 only allowing access to residents of the Close.

Do you need the gates opened for you to regain access to the upper parts of your home? If so please let Castle comfort Stair Lifts help! Take a few moments to watch our founder’s short video about stairlifts which will give you lots of added information and if you still have any questions, please contact us.

The wonder of Stonehenge
Just 8 miles north of Salisbury stands the prehistoric monument Stonehenge which is thought to date back to between 3000 and 2000 BC. Some of the stones were brought from as far away as Pembrokeshire in Wales some 140 miles away. It is thought that these bluestones from Wales were brought overland on wooden rollers. Other stones came from about 20 miles away but were even larger than the blue stones.

Its original use or function is debateable. Suggestions include a burial ground – burial mounds have been found – a place of worship, a place of healing. The Druids still gather there for Summer Solstice to see the sun rise between the stones.

Stonehenge is a World Heritage site.

Markets and fairs
As a market town Salisbury has markets selling a range of products every Tuesday and Saturday, a farmers’ market (1st and 3rd Wednesday every month) and a French market (twice a year in May and September), so there’s always something new to see.

Every October a funfair comes to the city for three days which turns the market square into a music filled hub of fun!

At one time Salisbury also had more than 100 public houses within the city boundaries; that figure is now down to 44. The oldest pub in the city is the Rai d’Or meaning a ray of golden light; it reverted to the name it was known as in the Middle Ages when it was a brothel! It dates from the 13th century when it was built to ‘service the needs’ of the men building the Cathedral.

People you might ‘know’ from Salisbury

Christopher Biggins who comes from Salisbury was winner of I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here 2007 and is well known for roles in various TV shows and films.

Author William Golding lived in a village just outside Salisbury at one time. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature and is probably best known for his novel Lord of the Flies. He wrote many other novels including The Spire about the men who built the spire at Salisbury Cathedral.

The German composer Handel visited the city writing several pieces whilst there.

Charles II held court in the Cathedral Close during the Great Plague of London.

John Constable visited Salisbury in 1811 and was inspired by the Cathedral and the landscape. His famous painting of Salisbury Cathedral was commissioned by John Fisher, Bishop of Salisbury at the time.

In more modern times Phil Harding of the Time Team lives in Salisbury working for Wessex Archaeology when he isn’t filming.

Salisbury famously featured in several of Thomas Hardy’s novels as Melchester; Edward Rutherford wrote about the city’s history in Sarum; Charles Dickens gives an account of Salisbury Market in Martin Chuzzlewit.

If you feel older than the artefacts found by the Time Team but still want to be able to get about, a stairlift might just do the trick. Castle Comfort Stair Lifts can assess and have your stairlift installed within an hour or at most half a day and you’ll feel in control again.

Take advantage of our £50 voucher towards the cost and look at grants or 0% finance deals too if they will help. Just give Castle Comfort Stair Lifts a call to discuss all possibilities on 023 8124 3046 .

Stairlifts Gloucester - Gloucestershire Stairlifts

2012-01-13T17:17:00.000Z

Click here to find new and reconditioned stairlifts in Gloucester, Gloucestershire. If you are looking for the Castle Comfort Stairlifts legendary websiteCastle Comfort Stairlifts offers top brand stairlifts, keen prices and fast installs for all those seeking stairlifts in Gloucester, Gloucestershire . And all work comes with our no-quibble guarantees and famous customer service satisfaction.

Give us a call today on 01179 059 177 If however, you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on.

Stairlifts Gloucester – Stairlifts Gloucestershire

Welcome to Gloucester in the South West of England. What’s special about Gloucester? Well apart from the fact that Castle Comfort Stair Lifts can be relied on to provide all your mobility needs, the county of Gloucestershire is bordered by seven other counties.

But first of all let’s tell you about stairlifts as supplied by Castle Comfort. We are the national agents for all stairlift manufacturers in the UK so we are sure to have the right one for you! And you can rest assured our advice will be unbiased! So whether you need a straight, curved, perch or even a reconditioned stairlift, we’re your man – or rather you’re men and women!

If you’d like to know more, why not give us a call on 01179 059 177 .

Location and history
The county of Gloucestershire as we mentioned is bordered by 7 counties: Monmouthshire in Wales, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and Somerset. The county flower has been named by the Plantlife – the wild plant conservation charity - as the wild Daffodil.

Gloucester the city sits almost equidistant between Bristol (32 miles) and Birmingham (45 miles), on the eastern banks of the River Severn, with the Cotswold hills to the east, the Forest of Dean to the west and the Malvern Hills to the north.

The Gloucester and Sharpness Canal runs from Gloucester Docks down to the Severn Estuary mostly following the tidal River Severn and making it possible for larger ships than the river would otherwise accommodate to reach Gloucester Docks. The revamped wharfs and dock buildings now mostly hold museums.

Gloucester’s history reaches back to Roman times. By the Medieval period, exports from Gloucester via the docks included Cotswold wool which was processed in the city, leather and iron tools and weapons. There was also a large fishing industry established here too.

Gloucester Cathedral
Gloucester Cathedral was built in the 11th century on the foundations of the original abbey (7th century) dedicated to St Peter; the cathedral has a stained glass window depicting the earliest known images of golf! This dates from 1350 some 300 years before the first images of the game from Scotland appeared.

Another window shows a ball game being played by several people and is believed to show one of the earliest images of medieval football.

Not only is it the burial place of King Edward II but its cloisters feature in three of the Harry Potter films: Harry Potter and the Philospher’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

The independent King’s School was refounded by Henry VIII as part of the Cathedral establishment.
The actor Simon Pegg was educated here as was John Stafford Smith who became a composer responsible for the music which later became the Star Spangled Banner.

Of course Henry VIII is claimed to be the original inventor of the stairlift ; before this disclosure, it was thought to be an American, Mr Crispen, an engineer who invented the ‘inclinator’ in the 1920’s to help a friend who had been unfortunate enough to lose his mobility to Polio.

Henry VIII on the other hand had a stair throne which really consisted of a contraption that worked on a pulley system so that servants could lift his 30 stone body up and down the 20 feet of stairs at Whitehall Palace. His obesity and a jousting injury meant he was quite immobile.

Nowadays stairlifts are much more sophisticated and more dignified. Ask Castle Comfort Stair Lifts about the range they can supply and take a look at their comparisons to make it easier for you to decide. If you still have questions, please give our representatives a call on 01179 059 177.

Famous people from Gloucester
The Herbert Brothers – if you don’t know them now we bet you’re going to soon! They currently have their own show on Channel 4 called the Fabulous Baker Brothers. The brothers are Tom, the baker and James the chef/butcher. The family has bakers shops in Tetbury, Nailsworth and Chipping Sodbury though not in Gloucester itself.

Fred and Rosemary West lived in Gloucester; they were responsible for the murder of 12 women and girls including two of their own daughters. People the city would rather not recognise.

The inventor of the vacuum cleaner, Hubert Booth came from Gloucester; Marcel Garvey was born here and played for Gloucester RFC as did his one time team mate Ryan Lamb and Mike Teague; Phil Greening and Andy Hazell are also rugby players from Gloucester. Gloucester Rugby Football Club is one of the best in the country.

Other sporting heroes include cricketers Alastair Cook and Tom Goddard; Luton Town footballer Stuart Fleetwood and Wayne Thomas also come from Gloucester.

Sir Richard Whittington was a Gloucester merchant and politician in medieval times and the inspiration for the pantomime character of the same name. Like Dick Whittington the real character was born in Gloucestershire and went to London to seek fame and fortune. During his lifetime he made many donations to good causes and when he died he left the equivalent of £3m in today’s money which was used to build and repair buildings for the public good.

What about Dr Foster of nursery rhyme fame?

Doctor Foster went to Gloucester,
In a shower of rain;
He stepped in a puddle,
Right up to his middle,
And never went there again.

The rhyme was first published in the 19th century. There is a possibility that the rhyme is about a visit to Gloucester by Edward I of England; on his way there he fell off his horse into a puddle and refused to visit the city ever again!

There is a similar rhyme published at the beginning of the 19th century:

Old Dr. Foster went to Gloster,
To preach the work of God.
When he came there
He sat in his chair,
And gave all the people a nod.

If you are ‘sat in your chair’ the nod should be given to us at Castle Comfort Stair Lifts. We are happy to advise you about the purchase of a stairlift. Talk to us about payment too – there are grants available as well as 0% finance deals.

So after a look at our website and watching our founder Keith’s video, you’ll probably have all the information you need to make your decision. But of course if you still have questions or prefer to speak to someone, please get in contact with us on 01179 059 177.

Stairlifts Bristol - Avon Stairlifts

2012-01-11T08:01:00.001Z

Click here to find new and reconditioned stairlifts in Bristol, Avon

If you are looking for the Castle Comfort Stairlifts legendary website

Castle Comfort Stairlifts offers top brand stairlifts, keen prices and fast installs for all those seeking stairlifts in Bristol, Avon. And all work comes with our no-quibble guarantees and famous customer service satisfaction.

Give us a call today on 01179 059 177 If however, you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on.

Stairlifts Bristol – Stairlifts Avon

Hello Bristolians, we’re heading your way today. We know there’s a lot of you there – almost half a million in the city and over a million when you include the surrounding urban districts - in this important city in the south west.

If you are looking for a stairlift for yourself or a loved one, look no further. Castle Comfort Stair Lifts at your service. We offer full coverage in the area and are happy to help you with your search. As national agents for all stairlift manufacturers we are well placed to do just that in a completely unbiased way.

Give us a call on 01179 059 177 for more information.

The City of Bristol
The city is bordered by the counties Somerset and Gloucester. The cities of Bath and Gloucester are 13 miles and 48 miles away respectively.

Historically there has been a settlement in the area for at least 60,000 years; Iron Age forts have been found around the area as have Roman villas and forts. The actual town formed around ‘the place of the bridge’ seems to have been founded around 1,000 AD and became an important trading area and port. Through the medieval period Bristol was one of England’s largest three towns after London and this didn’t change until the Industrial Revolution.

By the 15th century it was the second largest trading port in the country and saw many important voyages start from here for the New World, America.

The docks have moved down river from where they were originally built. The River Avon flows into the Severn Estuary at Avonmouth just below Bristol which is where the docks can now be found. The Avon rises near Bath and flows through limestone to reach Bristol forming the Avon Gorge on the western side of the city which has protected Bristol Harbour. Landmark Clifton Suspension Bridge crosses the Gorge. Limestone has been quarried to build houses in the city.

Bristol industries
With its history as a trading port, Bristol has always been connected with the sea and trading. In more recent times it has also been reliant on the aerospace industry with production at Filton which played a big part in the Anglo-French Concorde project and Patchway, the media, IT, financial services and tourism.

Aardman Animation
This studio is responsible for some our favourite home-grown animations. Aardman created the simple clay figure Morph for Take Hart and also produced the animation for Peter Gabriel’s Sledgehammer video. The animation is technically known as clay/stop-motion animation.

Creature Comforts a series of short animated films about animals in a zoo and the basis for later ads won an Oscar. The Wallace and Gromit films followed including A Grand Day Out, The Wrong Trousers, A Close Shave, Chicken Run and The Curse of the Were Rabbit. All the Wallace and Gromit characters are modelled from clay and the films are known for the great comic and ‘mechanical’ inventions. Peter Sallis cleverly brings Wallace to life; Gromit relies on his silence! Several of the films have been awarded Academy Awards.

There has even been a Wallace and Gromit Exhibition at the Science Museum in London.

Wallace has invented his own contraptions to make life easier, one that gets him out of bed and drops him into his trousers in the morning, one that makes his cup of tea, toast and boiled egg and one that even puts his slippers on! If you think a little help is in order, why not get in touch with Castle Comfort Stair Lifts to see how inventive they can be?

We can’t promise contraptions for everything but we can surely get you up and down those stairs on one of our stairlifts! We can help you assess which type of stairlift is the most suitable for you – once agreed we can usually install within 1 hour. That’s pretty good don’t you think?

With one of our stairlifts, you’ll be pleased with your own ‘creature comforts’! Give us a call to discuss on 01179 059 177.

Who do you know from Bristol?
What about:
Nick Parks – director of the Wallace and Gromit films
Peter Lord and David Sproxton, founders of Aardman Animation
Bristol musicians Massive Attack, Tricky, Portishead and from a different era, Bananarama

Graduates from the University of Bristol include some well known showbiz names: Derren Brown, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, Matt Lucas and David Walliams

Whilst many well known actors have learnt their craft at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School: Patrick Stewart, Jane Lapatoire, Pete Postlethwaite, Jeremy Irons, Greta Scacchi, Miranda Richardson, Helen Baxendale, Daniel Day Lewis and Gene Wilder.

John Cleese was a pupil at Clifton College and actor David Prowse who played Darth Vader in Star Wars went to Bristol grammar School.

Cary Grant was born in Bristol in 1904 as Archibald Alexander Leach. He went to Hollywood and the rest is history as they say

Michael Redgrave, father of Vanessa, Corin and Lynn was also born in Bristol and went on to have a celebrated career on the English stage and in film
Leading National Theatre actor Robert Stephens was also born in Bristol
As was Stephen Merchant who started his career as a stand up comedian and then presented a radio show with Ricky Gervais; after that their television partnership in The Office is probably what he is best known for
Another Bristolian is Kevin McNally probably best known for his role as Joshamee Gibbs in the Pirates of the Caribbean films

Graffiti artist Banksy was born and started his ‘work’ in Bristol
Comedian Justin Lee Collins is a Bristolian
Lee Evans, the Perrier Award winning stand up comedian hails from Bristol too

What a lot of you there are!

Stairlifts
If your days of ‘stand-up’ are becoming less and less, let Castle Comfort Stair Lifts help you choose a stairlift. There are grants and 0% finance options if money is an issue. Our website comparisons can help you see and compare which stairlifts take heavy weights or are priced more competitively. Don’t forget we have reconditioned versions too.

Take some time to call us on 01179 059 177 and discuss your needs, we know you won’t regret it.

Stairlifts Bath - Somerset stairlifts

2012-01-08T09:11:00.001Z

Click here to find new and reconditioned stairlifts in Bath, Somerset

If you are looking for the Castle Comfort Stairlifts legendary website

Castle Comfort Stairlifts offers top brand stairlifts, keen prices and fast installs for all those seeking stairlifts in Bath, Someret. And all work comes with our no-quibble guarantees and famous customer service satisfaction.

Give us a call today on 01179 059 177 If however, you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on.

Stairlifts Bath – Stairlifts Somerset

Hello all you Bathonians. Yes we’re visiting your city today; Bath was given city status by Elizabeth I in a Royal Charter. Bath is the home of the Bath Chair which was invented by James Heath in Bath in the 18th century to ferry those less mobile around. It usually has three wheels and is pulled or pushed by hand!

Castle Comfort Stair Lifts can’t offer you a Bath Chair but can offer all types of stairlift if you need help getting around – or more accurately up and down – your home. As the national agent for all stairlift manufacturers, we can advise on the one most suitable for you.

Just call our local office for more information on 01179 059 177 .

Bath is less than 100 miles west of London and just 13 miles south east of Bristol in Avon with a population of 83,992. This beautiful city became established as a spa town in Roman times though it is thought to have existed prior to this. Bath was built around hot springs.

It gained fame as a spa town in Georgian times which led to expansion as people wanted to visit to ‘take the waters’. It was left a heritage of Georgian architecture built from Bath Stone, a type of limestone quarried at nearby Coombe Down.

A World Heritage Site
The City of Bath is a World Heritage Site (since 1987) which means it is a place of special cultural significance. With a number of theatres, museums and other cultural venues, Bath has a big tourist pull – more than 1 million visitors who stay in the city and about 3.8 million visitors come for the day every year.

Bath has 663 Grade 1 listed buildings i.e. buildings of exceptional interest. These Grade 1 buildings include:

The Roman Baths built below ground level over a hot spring as public baths during Roman times. The buildings above the Baths were built in the 19th century

Bath Abbey – a Norman Church with a highly decorative vaulted ceiling

The Circus – three crescents of terraced houses built in the Georgian era by architect John Wood the Elder and inspired by Rome’s Coliseum

Pulteney Bridge a three-arch bridge over the River Avon based on the unused plan for the Rialto Bridge in Venice.

The Grand Pump Room where visitors can sample the hot spring water which fills the Roman Baths next door and eat in the restaurant

Bath food exports
As well as Bath Chairs, Bath is also the home of Bath Buns, Bath Olivers and Sally Lunn buns. That’s a lot of foods associated with one city.

The Bath Bun is made from a rich, sweet yeast dough which was originally shaped around a lump of sugar. Now you are much more likely to find currants, sultanas or mixed peel inside and topped with crushed sugar nibs.

Sally Lunn buns are said to be made to a French recipe which arrived in Bath in the 17th century. They are made from a yeast dough often flavoured with lemon. They are still produced commercially in Bath and are served split in two and spread with butter or whipped or clotted cream before being sandwiched together again.

Bath Oliver biscuits are savoury crackers often eaten with cheese. They were invented by Dr William Oliver of Bath in the 18th century and are made from flour, butter, yeast and milk. Oliver left the recipe to his coachman with bags of flour and £100. The coachman Atkins set up his biscuit baking business from which he made a lot of money.

Whilst we can’t promise you the ‘recipe’ to build your own stairlift, we can help you choose the best one for you from curved, straight, perch for those who have difficulty sitting down including reconditioned versions.

We can assess the best one for your abode and fit it in an hour or at most half a day so that you’ll be up and ‘running’ in no time. Call us today to book an assessment on 01179 059 177

The rich and famous of Bath
We always like to introduce you to celebrities past and present who have connections to the city we are visiting. Bath is no exception and has several easily recognisable personalities.

Living near Bath, Anthony Head an English actor who you might know from a series of Nescafe ads or as Rupert Gales in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Another actor, Andrew Lincoln spent his teens in Bath. You might recognise Andrew for his part as ‘Egg’ in This Life, in Teachers or the film Love Actually.

Popular comedian Russell Howard comes from Bath.

Charles Dickens wrote about Bath in The Pickwick Papers including a chase between two of his characters in the Royal Crescent, Dowler and Winkle.

Jane Austen lived in Bath for a short time before moving to Clifton in Bristol but loved the city so much it featured in two of her novels: Northanger Abbey and Persuasion.

Painter Thomas Gainsborough moved to Bath with his family

Mary Shelley who wrote Frankenstein and wife of poet Percy Bysshe Shelley lived in Bath

Musician Peter Gabriel lived in Bath

Tears for Fears was formed in Bath
Film director Ken Loach has an honorary doctorate from the University of Bath
Eddie Cochran died in St Martin’s hospital Bath after a road traffic accident in Chippenham whilst on a UK tour in 1960

Well our brief tour of Bath is over. But if you are still considering purchasing a stairlift then please let us help. Take a look at the comparisons of stairlifts on Castle Comfort Stair Lift’s website and then talk to us so we can help you with any further information you need.

You can also take a look at how to apply for a grant if this seems like a good option for you or if you need a stairlift more quickly, then take a look at our 0% finance option.

Why not watch our founder Keith’s short video at the top of the page and then you know what to do! Give us a call on 01179 059 177 .

Stairlifts Galway - Ireland Stairlifts

2012-01-05T10:45:00.003Z

Click here to find new and reconditioned stairlifts in Galway, Ireland
If you are looking for the Castle Comfort Stairlifts legendary website

Castle Comfort Stairlifts offers top brand stairlifts, keen prices and fast installs for all those seeking stairlifts in Galway, Ireland . And all work comes with our no-quibble guarantees and famous customer service satisfaction.

Give us a call today on 021 236 3222 If however, you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on.

Stairlifts Galway – Stairlifts Ireland

Welcome to the town of Galway on the west coast of Ireland. Like all the other towns and cities we’ve visited on this blog, Galway is also a town supplied by Castle Comfort Stair Lifts. So if you or a loved-one need one, there is no need to dash off to the east as our representative in nearby Cork will be happy enough to take you through all we have to offer and what is suitable for you. Please call 021 236 3222.

Galway sits on the edge of Galway Bay which has been romanticised in many a song. The traditional Irish song Galway Bay suggests it is the place to see the sun go down and is the song that one of the topical, all-time Christmas favourites, Fairytale of New York reminds us is being sung across the Atlantic by the NYPD!

The city of Galway is also known as the City of Tribes because in the period when the Normans arrived, there were 14 tribes or merchant families all trading and leading the city at the time. The tribes or merchants would have perceived themselves as Irish gentry – many of the Normans marrying into the Irish families of note.

The 14 tribes dominated all aspects of life – political, commercial and social - in Galway from the mid-13th to the late 19th century. They were of mixed ethnic origins: Norman, Irish-Norman, Gaelic-Irish, French, Welsh and English. The names of the ‘tribes’ bore the surnames:

Athy
Blake
Bodkin
Browne
D’Arcy
Deane
Font
Ffrench
Joyce
Kirwan
Lynch
Martyn
Morris
Skerrett

Landmarks in Galway
Lynch’s Castle is on Shop Street, the main shopping street, in Galway. It is an example of a medieval town house which is today a branch of the Allied Irish Bank. It still bears the arms of the Lynch Family and of Henry VII.

On Market Street you can see The Lynch Window commemorating the hanging of Mayor James Lynch FitzStephen’s son commissioned by the Mayor himself after his son stabbed a young visiting Spaniard.

The remains of Menlo Castle which was burnt down in 1910, are just outside the city on the banks of the River Carrib. This was the ancestral home of the Blake family from the beginning of the 17th century to the beginning of the 20th century. The best view of Menlo is from the west bank at Dangan or at the riverside walk at the National University of Ireland nearby. The Blake family’s town house (Blake Castle) or rather its façade can be seen next to Jury’s Hotel at the bottom of Quay Street.

Everyone’s home is their ‘castle’ so the saying goes. I expect it is no different for you. If you want to be able to get around your ‘castle’ as well as you ever did but are finding it increasingly difficult, give Castle Comfort Stair Lifts a call on 021 236 3222.

We can help you decide which type of stairlift is the most suitable for you and your budget, Straight, Curved, Perch and even reconditioned. We can advise and help you compare prices before you make your decision.

More landmarks
Starting with the religious, the medieval St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, the largest of its time is still in use in Galway. The Roman Catholic Cathedral of our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St Nicholas is much larger but also much younger. It was consecrated as late as 1965.

Near to the Cathedral is the quadrangle building of the National University of Ireland, Galway which is one of three ‘Queen’s’ colleges in Ireland along with Queen’s College, Belfast and University College, Cork.

A monument to Christopher Columbus stands opposite the Spanish Arch in front of Jury’s Hotel in the city. The monument was presented to Galway by Genoa to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ voyage to the New World and the visit of Columbus to Galway in 1477.

Celtic traditions
The Claddagh Ring designed with two clasping hands clutching a heart and usually shown with a crown. This ring was first made in the 17th century during the reign of William and Mary though the design can be traced back to the Romans.

Traditionally the ring is given as a symbol of love or friendship and often as a wedding ring.

Dillons Claddagh Gold on Quay Street were the original makers of the rings. The small museum attached to their premises has some of the world’s oldest examples of the ring.

17th century Marriage Stones – a stone lintel carved with the initials of the two parties – can be seen throughout Galway on the outside of buildings or occasionally inside i.e. the King’s Head Pub.

Another tradition: watch the Atlantic salmon swimming upstream to spawn from the Salmon Weir Bridge over the River Carrib.

Famous sons and daughters
Nora Barnacle, the eventual wife of James Joyce, was born in Galway. Their first romantic liaison was on 16th June 1904; this was later used by Joyce as the basis for Ulysses. The day became known as Bloomsday and is still celebrated on the same day every year in Dublin.

Peter O’Toole’s birth place is given as either Galway or Leeds in West Yorkshire! For now Galway can claim him! O’Toole found fame after portraying T E Lawrence in the film Laurence of Arabia. He went on to star in many theatre and film productions.

Aoife Mulholland first found fame appearing in the BBC TV show ‘How do you solve a problem like Maria’; she was runner up but this hasn’t prevented her accolades as a musical theatre actress. Aoife has twice appeared as Roxie Hart in Chicago at the Cambridge Theatre; as Maria von Trapp in The Sound of Music at the London Palladium for 18 months; as Brooke Wyndham in Legally Blonde at the Savoy.
Actress Pauline McLynn best known for her portrayal of Mrs Doyle in Father Ted and Libby Croker in Shameless grew up in Galway.

So for all you sons and daughters and residents of Galway, let Castle Comfort Stair Lifts help those of you who need it to get around better.

Remember we’ll come and assess your stairs to see which lift works best for you; a stairlift can be fitted in an afternoon so we can have you ‘up and running’ in no time at all.

Whilst you’re at it you may as well check out grants for stairlifts to see if they can help finance your investment. Please listen to our founder Keith’s short video at the top of this blog which will explain a lot of your unanswered questions and then give us a call on 021 236 3222.

Stairlifts Waterford - Ireland Stairlifts

2012-01-04T12:34:00.001Z

Click here to find new and reconditioned stairlifts in Waterford, Ireland

If you are looking for the Castle Comfort Stairlifts legendary website

Castle Comfort Stairlifts offers top brand stairlifts, keen prices and fast installs for all those seeking stairlifts in Waterford, Ireland . And all work comes with our no-quibble guarantees and famous customer service satisfaction.

Give us a call today on 021 236 3222 If however, you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on.

Stairlifts Waterford, Ireland Stairlifts

Here we are in Waterford. The ‘untaken city’ in the south east of Ireland. Here Castle Comfort Stair Lifts can offer top brands of stairlifts at fair and competitive prices. We can install in no time at all and offer you a guarantee for our workmanship.

So if you or a loved one in Waterford is looking for a stairlift, look no further, Castle Comfort Stair Lifts can advise, assess, supply and install. Just give us a call on 021 236 3222 .

Just a little history
Waterford is the oldest city in Ireland from a Viking settlement in the 9th century; it sits at the top of Waterford Harbour. The city’s motto is ‘Waterford remains the untaken city’ which was granted by Henry VII at the end of the 15th century.

Waterford underwent two sieges during the Cromwellian invasion and conquest of Ireland, withstanding the first and surrendering in the second.

With its colourful history it is not surprising that the city is home to several buildings of note. Reginald’s Tower is the most recognisable landmark in Waterford and is the oldest civic building in Ireland and still uses its original Viking name. Reginald’s Tower is thought to be the first building in Ireland to use mortar.

The Viking Triangle in the centre of the city is home to several landmarks including Reginald’s Tower, now a civic museum. Other buildings of note in this area include Christchurch Cathedral, The Theatre Royal and the House of Waterford Crystal as well as two new museums.

Waterford’s oldest pub is T & H Doolans in George’s Street just outside the Viking Triangle. Officially it has been serving alcohol to the public for 300 years though the premises are thought to have been open for longer, 500 years. One of the original City Walls forms part of the public house and is thought to be at least 1,000 years old. It can still be seen in the lounge area of the pub.

The port of Waterford has been a major Irish port for more than a millennium. It was home to Neptune Shipyard in the 19th century when they built and operated the biggest fleet of iron steamers in the world including 5 trans-Atlantic passenger liners.

Waterford Crystal
Waterford is perhaps most famous for Waterford Crystal which was manufactured here from the late 18th century until 2009 when it was shut down after Waterford Wedgewood plc went bust. Production then moved to Europe leaving behind some allegedly very disgruntled and poorly treated staff.

Today though Waterford makes the most of its legacy. It is home to the largest Waterford Crystal shop in the world at the visitor centre which also offers tours and shows how the glass is made. The retail showroom houses the largest collection of Waterford Crystal anywhere.

What about you?
Are you making the most of your legacy? Can you make the most of it? Do you need help getting around your castle? If so, please get in touch with Castle Comfort Stair Lifts for advice on which stairlift to buy: Straight, Curved or Perch for those who find sitting difficult. We have new or reconditioned versions of straight or curved stairlifts; we can supply extra wide seating lifts and weight-bearing can be upgraded to 30 stone. Stairlifts can be mains powered or battery operated. Talk to us about which will be best for you and your budget and remember we can install in as little as an hour.

Call us on 021 236 3222 for more information.

St Patrick’s Day Parade
Like all Irish cities St Patrick’s Day is celebrated well. Waterford is no different. They celebrate every year – 17 March in 2012 – with a parade led by a guest Grand Marshall. Next year, the parade will follow its usual route along the Quays and The Mall starting at 1p.m. There will be a special viewing area in the Mall for those who are less mobile.

As well as the floats there will be entertainment including face painting, Irish dancing, a live band in John Roberts Square and artisan food on sale in the City Market. Sounds like fun for everyone.

Who do you know from Waterford?

Poet Sean Dunne was born in Waterford in 1956. He edited a number of collections as well as publishing his own. He died of a heart complain in 1995. In his memory Waterford has inaugurated the Sean Dunne Writers Festival, the first of which took place in 2009.

French poet Laetitia Marie Wyse Bonaparte was born in Waterford to Lucien Bonaparte. She was educated and lived in France most of her life. She is a cousin of Napoleon III.

Irish-English singer and songwriter Gilbert O’Sullivan was born in Waterford; his real name is Raymond Edward O’Sullivan. He is best known for hits such as Alone Again (Naturally), Clair and Get Down.

Professional footballer John O’Shea grew up in Waterford. O’Shea used to play for Manchester United and now plays for Sunderland.

Ending our short tour of Waterford, we would just like to remind you that Castle Comfort Stair Lifts offer our services to those in this area. Advice, price comparisons, installations and even advice on grants for those of you who’d like some help with your purchase.

Give us a call now on 021 236 3222 to find out about all our services and mobility aids.

Stairlifts Limerick - Stairlifts Ireland

2011-12-21T06:50:00.001Z

Click here to find new and reconditioned stairlifts in Limerick, Ireland

If you are looking for the Castle Comfort Stairlifts legendary website

Castle Comfort Stairlifts offers top brand stairlifts, keen prices and fast installs for all those seeking stairlifts in Limerick, Ireland . And all work comes with our no-quibble guarantees and famous customer service satisfaction.

Give us a call today on 021 2363222 If however, you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on.

Stairlifts Limerick – Stairlifts Ireland

Continuing our tour of cities that are served by Castle Comfort Stair Lifts, we arrive in Limerick on the western side of Ireland.

If you are lucky enough to live in this part of the country or have relatives who do then you’ll be pleased that Castle Comfort Stair Lifts can assist with all queries and supplies of stairlifts or other mobility products.

We can advise on the best stairlift to suit your needs, whether it’s straight, curved or perch; we even have reconditioned versions. If you’d like to know more, why not give our representative a call on 021 2363222 .

Limerick sits at the top of the estuary of the River Shannon and was originally known as King’s Island in pre Viking and Viking days. When the Normans arrived they redesigned much of the city including building King John’s Castle and St Mary’s Cathedral both of which still dominate today.

Limerick attracts tourists and is served by nearby Shannon Airport. King John’s Castle and St Mary’s Cathedral are two of the main attractions though there is still plenty to be enjoyed besides these two ancient monuments.

Hunt Museum is housed in the old customs house and contains a collection of antiques collected by dealers John and Gertrude Hunt. To interest tourists there are several seasonal tours – boat tours on the River Shannon, an historical walking tour and an Angela’s Ashes walking tour around the places mentioned in Franck McCourt’s famous novel. And don’t forget St John’s Cathedral, it has the tallest spire in Ireland.

There are two sides to Limerick, the old English on the southern end of King’s Island where you can find King John’s Castle and St Mary’s Cathedral and the Irish town on the southbank which is home to older streets and the new economic district, Newton Pery.

If you’re staying over, there’s lots of places to find a bed and there’s a good night life.

Verses
It’s hard to think of Limerick without considering the humorous verses of the same name. The links to Limerick the city are tenuous but it is widely believed there is some connection. Of course they may derive from an earlier form of nonsense poems.

In a limerick the first two and the last (fifth) lines rhyme and the third and fourth lines rhyme. Here’s an example:

A clumsy young fellow named Tim
There once was a fellow named Tim
Whose dad never taught him to swim.
He fell off a dock
And sunk like a rock.
And that was the end of him.

Or take a look at a limerick penned by Castle Comfort Stair Lifts – just follow this link.

This form of verse was popularised by Edward Lear in the 19th century although he never referred to the verses as limericks.

Famous residents or one-time residents
· Eamon de Valera, 3rd President of Ireland and founder of the Fianna Fail party is from Limerick as is the current President Michael D Higgins.

· Richard Harris actor (A Man Called Horse, Unforgiven and Prof Dumbledore in first 2 Harry Potters) was born in Limerick

· Successful indie band, The Cranberries – very festively named – were formed in Limerick

· The Rubbberbandits, a hip-hop comedy duo are from Limerick – they are an award winning satirical stage and TV act

· Comedian Jimmy Carr’s parents hail from Limerick; his father is a self-made millionaire

· Composer Bill Whelan famous for Riverdance was born in Limerick; he’s worked with a number of well-known musicians including Van Morrison, U2, The Dubliners, Kate Bush and Richard Harris

· Broadcaster Sir Terry Wogan also claims Limerick as his home town

· Limerick is the setting for Frank McCourt’s memoir Angela’s Ashes; although born in Brooklyn, McCourt returned to Limerick his mother’s home town with the family whilst still a youngster

· Malachy McCourt, Frank’s older brother stood for the Green Party Candidate for governor of New York State in 2006

· Liverpool soccer player Steve Finnan comes from Limerick; Irish rugby player Jerry Flannery and rugby player Keith Earls too. Another rugby aficionado, Marcus Horan was educated in Limerick ... Rugby is played at all levels in Limerick.

· Hurling, the national sport of Ireland which has been played for at least 3,000 years is still a popular Gaelic sport which boasts players Cairan Carey, Eamonn Cregan (who also plays soccer), Eamonn Grimes, Pat Hartigan, Gary Kirby, Johnny Mackey and Mick Mackey all from the Limerick area.

All from Limerick
Pioneering surgeon Sylvester O’Halloran was from Limerick and has one of the River Shannon’s bridges named after him; William Brooke O’Shaunessy introduced the use of cannabis as a therapeutic drug to Western Medicine; rebels Cornelius aka Conn Colbert and Michael Colivet, an Irish Sinn Fein politician during the 1916 uprising and Sean South leader of the IRA who was killed in action in 1957.

Mary Jane Kelly also known as Black Mary from Limerick is thought to be the final victim of Jack the Ripper.

There’s absolutely no need for you to be a victim of immobility not with Castle Comfort Stair Lifts to hand. Our stairlifts are fairly priced and we’ve even done the functionality comparisons for you on our website. Remember stairlifts are quick to install; they usually take between an hour and half a day.

If you still need some help with financing your purchase, take a look our blog which explains the criteria necessary and how to claim for a stairlift grant.

Still got some questions? Use our online form or call us on 021 2363222 .

Stairlifts Cork – Stairlifts Ireland

2011-12-19T21:05:00.001Z

Click here to find new and reconditioned stairlifts in Cork, Irleland
If you are looking for the Castle Comfort Stairlifts legendary website

Castle Comfort Stairlifts offers top brand stairlifts, keen prices and fast installs for all those seeking stairlifts in Cork, Ireland. And all work comes with our no-quibble guarantees and famous customer service satisfaction.

Give us a call today on 021 236 3222 If however, you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on.

Stairlifts Cork – Stairlifts Ireland

Hello Rebels, that’s all of you who reside in the southern Irish city of Cork also known as ‘Rebel County’ and ‘the real capital of Ireland’.

Castle Comfort Stair Lifts are coming to town – or rather we’re already here. So if any of you Rebels or Corkonians are looking for a stairlift, please contact our local representative on 021 236 3222.

We can come out and measure up and help you decide which type of stairlift you need. We won’t give you the hard-sell, just advice; watch our founder Keith’s video for a taster and some information. We aren’t expensive either as you’ll see when you check our price comparison’s page.

We look forward to hearing from you! Now let’s carry on with our short tour of the beautiful and interesting city of Cork.

Cork is Ireland’s second largest city down in the south-western corner of the country. It’s built on the River Lee which breaks into two channels here; Cork is built on the island created by the channels. At the eastern end of the city the river channels converge and the River Lee flows onto Cork Harbour one of the largest natural harbours in the world.

Cork is a major Irish seaport with docks and quays along the eastern side of the river. Cork is upstream in the upper harbour which allows ships up to 60,000 tonnes to navigate their way there. Larger ships – 90,000 tonnes – cannot pass further than Cobh which is in the lower harbour nearer the river mouth and one of the last harbour villages seen before hitting the Atlantic on the way to America. In fact the Titanic passed this way on her fateful voyage.

The islands of Cork Harbour
There are a number of islands in Cork Harbour including these inhabited ones:
Great Island where Cobh is situated. The Island has a population of some 10,000 and contains farming land too.

Fota Island has the Fota Wildlife Park, the golf course and Fota House, once the family Estate of the Earls of Barrymore, sold off when the last surviving family member died in the 1970’s to the University of Cork. It is now owned and managed by the Irish Heritage Trust.

Little Island is residential and industrial; Haulbowline Island is the HQ of the Irish navy and former prison Spike Island where prisoners were held before deportation to the penal colonies.

We won’t hold you prisoner, in fact we’d like to free you up to have easier access within your home! That’s why Castle Comfort Stair Lifts are happy to look at options for you to purchase a stairlift. We have reconditioned and brand new stairlifts; we can repair stairlifts; our aim is make your home as accessible as possible. Want to know more, please give us a call on 021 236 3222.

Rocky Island is now home to the Island Crematorium, the first one outside Dublin but it once housed ammunitions for the Royal Navy and was later used for storage by Irish Steel.

Now one island is an oil refinery – Corkbeg Island – and one an Equestrian Centre – Hop Island; there are at least another four that are inhabited: Harper, Weir, Brick and Brown Islands.

A veritable hub
Although tucked down in the south west corner, Cork is well connected. As well as the waterways, there is good access to other parts of Ireland and to other countries from Cork. There is a ferry service to Wales and to France. Cork Airport has 68 internal and other destination flights with 60 flights leaving the airport daily. There are also good road and rail links.

Sunniest city
Interestingly Cork is one of Ireland’s sunniest cities with only 69 days per year when there is no ‘recordable’ sun and an average of almost 4 hours of sunshine a day. In fact temperatures in Cork are unlikely to go below 0°C or above 30°C. The downside is there is an average of 151 rainy days every year!

Industry
A little like Dublin, Cork has seen a growth in IT and pharmaceutical companies in the area. It is renowned as the production capital of those powerful blue pills Viagra. In the IT world, Apple Inc currently employs 2,000 +, Logitech and EMC Corporation have depots there too.

Heineken have taken over local breweries and continue to brew the iconic Murphy’s Irish Stout and Beamish. Multi-national company Amazon.com has a base here.

Ford Motor Company used to manufacture cars here until 1984. Cork was chosen as it was the home of the innovative Henry Ford’s grandfather.

Known Rebels
It is probably through ‘culture’ in its various forms and sport that most Corkonians are known around the world.

Famous actor ‘Rebel’ Cillian Murphy has starred in several Irish and British stage plays and films before making the big time in films like ‘28 Days Later’ and ‘Inception’.

There are a number of musicians and opera stars who all hail from Cork; the former include folk singer John Spillane, The Frank and Walters, Sultons of Ping, Simple Kid and inspirational rock singer Rory Gallagher who tragically died of liver failure when only 47; the latter include Cara O'Sullivan, Mary Hegarty, Brendan Collins and Sam McElroy.

Writers from Cork include short story and literary critic Frank O’Connor whose short story form is now honoured in an annual festival in Cork and Sean O’Faolain another prolific short-story writer. Poet and novelist Thomas McCarthy who attended University College Cork, poet Gerry Murphy both still live in Cork; novelist and poet William Wall who also taught English and Drama at Presentation Brothers College where he is said to have influenced Cillian Murphy’s decision to try acting.

Footballer Roy Keane was born in Cobh and played for Cobh Ramblers before his professional career propelled him into the premiership league and his time at Manchester United. He is now manager at Ipswich Town.

Well we’re at the end of our brief tour of Cork – we hope you’ve enjoyed it. Of course there is lots more to tell about Cork ....

In the meantime don’t forget we can help you with your stairlift choices. Castle Comfort Stair Lifts will be happy to point you in the direction of grants to help with your financial outlay and don’t forget to use our €50 voucher towards the costs.

Please give us a call on 021 236 3222 and we’ll be happy to address any concerns and answer any of your questions.

Stairlifts Dublin - Southern Ireland Stairlifts

2011-12-16T06:10:00.002Z

Click here to find new and reconditioned stairlifts in Dublin, Southern Ireland

If you are looking for the Castle Comfort Stairlifts legendary website

Castle Comfort Stairlifts offers top brand stairlifts, keen prices and fast installs for all those seeking stairlifts in Dublin, Southern Ireland. And all work comes with our no-quibble guarantees and famous customer service satisfaction.

Give us a call today on 01 513 3658 If however, you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on.

Stairlifts Dublin – Stairlifts Southern Ireland

As sure as the River Liffey runs through the centre of Dublin, Castle Comfort Stair Lifts can offer advice to any in the area looking for a stairlift.

Not sure which one you need? Straight, curved or perched, which will be best for you? Take a look at our advice and then give us a call on 01 513 3658 if you need more information. We also have helpful information about grants too.

There’s a romance to Ireland’s capital city that stretches across seas and oceans. With the Irish good nature, the ‘black stuff’ and the folk music of this country it is little wonder that it beckons visitors from far and wide.

Celtic Tiger
A few years ago, Dublin as the capital of Ireland spearheaded the economic surge; it is known as the Celtic Tiger period (1997 – 2009) named after the East Asian Tigers: South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan who all experienced a similar rapid economic growth period. Unfortunately since then there has been a downturn as in many other countries and Dublin is no longer as buoyant.

Ireland went from being one of the poorest countries in the world to one of the richest. At the time, Dublin was one of the most expensive cities (13th) in the European Union. It was the 10th richest in the world in terms of personal income and 4th in purchasing power. It was also the 58th most expensive place in the world to live at the peak of this period with house prices soaring.

The Dublin area was a source of employment for many and still is. Although many of its traditional industries from brewing to textiles have dwindled, an influx of financial services, pharmaceutical and IT and communications companies have been attracted to this city and its surrounding areas.

IT capital
One of these companies is Google who opened its offices in Dublin in 2003 and now employs 2,000 people. They’ve been voted ‘Best company to work for’ three times. The Dublin Office assists people with using its products across the whole of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. At any one time you might hear up to 50 different languages spoken on their helplines! Google make sure their staff have a friendly place to work with bean-bagged break out areas, games rooms and a gym.

Another IT giant, Microsoft also chose Dublin as its European headquarters. Like Google they have been voted ‘Best place to work’ three years in a row and they employ a staff of almost 2,000 which includes contract staff. They service the same areas as Google and their operations cover software development and testing, localisation, finance and sales and marketing.

We can’t visit Dublin without mentioning the Black Stuff. Guinness has been brewed in Dublin since the early 18th century and now more than 1.8 billion pints of this thick stout are sold world-wide every year. As well as its taste, even non-drinkers are aware of its iconic advertising campaigns. Remember The Surfer?

If you’re no longer up to riding the surf at least you can still enjoy a pint of Guinness. Castle Comfort Stair Lifts will help you manage the stairs no matter what state you’re in after a pint or two!

If you’re not sure which one you need, or which will be the best for you, please take a look at the comparisons on our website. Watch the video of our founders Keith and Anne and give you local office a call on 01 513 3658 for more information.

Castle Comfort Stair Lifts won’t give you the hard sell but will help you define your needs.

Back to the romance
The Dublin accent or brogue, to use an Irish word, and language is captivating. The Irish language is Gaelic and not many still speak it. What we hear mostly now is a form of English that is affected by Gaelic. English was first brought to Ireland during the Norman Conquest (12th century) and is officially known as Hiberno-English.

Irish lends many words to this dialect especially in formal occasions i.e. the Taoiseach or the Head of Government. There are also no Irish words that directly translate yes and no, so the common way of responding is a repetition of the verb in the question either positively or negatively i.e. ‘Are you coming home soon?’ ‘I am.’

Some colloquialisms like craic meaning fun epitomise the Irish language for us. ‘It’s worth the craic’.

Who do you recognise from Dublin?
Dublin has a long history of famous or well-known residents. There’s a long line of writers who hail from this fair city including James Joyce best known for Ulysses and The Dubliners, Nobel Prize winner for literature Samuel Becket who took his influences from Joyce and is considered one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. Playwright George Bernard Shaw, also a Nobel Prize winner for Literature who excelled in satire and black comedy and Oscar Wilde best known for The Importance of Being Ernest, The Picture of Dorian Gray and also his infamous trial for Sodomy and gross indecency for which he was sent to prison.

Bram Stoker also came from Dublin and wrote the famous novel Dracula; as does another Nobel Prize winner for literature, the playwright and poet W B Yeats.

Two living authors who claim Dublin as their home town are Maeve Binchy and Roddy Doyle; both write about Ireland. Roddy Doyle has had several novels turned in films including the most famous, The Commitments.

Irish actor Gabriel Byrne (The Usual Suspects) hails from Dublin as does Colin Farrell who has won Best Actor for a number of appearances in films.

Another Dublin actor Michael Gambon has appeared as Prof Dumbledore in all 6 Harry Potter films. Jonathan Rhys Myers who starred in Bend it Like Beckham and The Tudors is another one; award winning actress Brenda Fricker (for her part in My Left Foot) is also a ‘Dubliner’. Hollywood actress Maureen O’Hara long term friend of John Wayne also came from this ‘fair city’.

Musicians and singers abound from this city! There’s Bono lead singer with U2, Nicky Byrne singer with Westlife and Bryan McFadden former singer with Westlife, Bob Geldof of the Boomtown Rats, Sinaed O’Connor, Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy, the folk band the Dubliners, Siobham Fahey singer with Bananarama and the unforgettable Jedward.

You don’t need to be fans of Jedward to call Castle Comfort Stair Lifts! We supply brand new or reconditioned stairlifts, mains or battery operated and installation is quick taking between an hour and half a day depending on your choice of chairlift.

If you’ve got any questions for us don’t hesitate to give us a call on 01 513 3658 and your life could be made easier before you can say ‘in Dublin’s Fair City’.

Stairlifts Didcot – Oxfordshire Stairlifts

2011-12-14T15:12:00.001Z

Click here to find new and reconditioned stairlifts in Didcot, Oxfordshire

If you are looking for the Castle Comfort Stairlifts legendary website

Castle Comfort Stairlifts offers top brand stairlifts, keen prices and fast installs for all those seeking stairlifts in Didcot, Oxfordshire . And all work comes with our no-quibble guarantees and famous customer service satisfaction.

Give us a call today on 01865 477 004 If however, you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on.

Stairlifts Didcot – Stairlifts Oxfordshire

The once sleepy village of Didcot in Oxfordshire has grown some. Now Didcot is far bigger than all the surrounding villages and is a hub for atomic scientific research.

If you or a loved one lives in this futuristic town and if you are looking into the acquisition of a stairlift, then look no further, Castle Comfort Stair Lifts are ready to help. We won’t experiment with your mobility; we know what’s needed and can recommend a stairlift for you.

Please call our local office on 01865 477 004 for more information.

Yes there is a plethora of scientific laboratories in the area. The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) have their base at nearby Culham; the UKAEA is a government research body which has been responsible for the UK’s nuclear programme both civilian and military since it was opened in the 1950’s. However, since the 1970’s its functions have been reduced.

Harwell Laboratory, the Science and Technology Facility which explores particle and nuclear physics, space science and astronomy is based at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory at Harwell in Chilton, the Diamond Light Source also based at Chiltern is the science facility for the country’s synchrotron science.

Synchrotron science produces an intense beam of light which is used in many areas of science including investigating intricate properties of protein and engineering components, in fan blade aero-engines and in conservation. Famously it helped to conserve The Mary Rose, the flagship belonging to Henry VIII.

Henry VIII seems to be the forefather of stairlifts. When he became so obese that his movement was extremely limited, he had his servants move him on a huge chair that they hauled his 30 stone weight around using a sort of block and tackle system.

Stairlifts now are much more sophisticated than that! Castle Comfort Stair Lifts can give you a comprehensive guide to all stairlifts available as they are the national agents for all manufacturers.

Why not give them a call on 01865 477 004 to see how they can help?

After all of the information about the scientific sites in Didcot, you won’t be surprised that they have a power station. It uses coal, oil and natural gas to produce power for the national grid. In 2003 it was voted the third worst eyesore in Britain by Country Life Magazine though some locals refer to the towers as ‘the cathedrals of the Vale’ – referencing the Vale of the White Horse of Uffington which we mentioned in an earlier blog about Abingdon. Having noted that you may be surprised to know that the Power Station A building here won awards for its architecture!

Award winning writer Kit Wright who was educated at Oxford wrote ‘Ode to Didcot Power Station’ parodying the early romantic poets.

Nearby villages and towns
Surrounding villages include Chilton, Culham, Little Wittenham, Long Wittenham and Dorchester-on-Thames. Chilton not only hosts Harwell Laboratory but can also boast Grim’s Ditch part of an old earth works attributed to the Iron Age settlement of the area.

Grim’s Ditch forms part of The Ridgeway National Trail which is described as Britain’s oldest road. It follows a chalk ridge for 87 miles covering parts of Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire.

The long established village of Dorchester-on-Thames has existed here since Neolithic times. The Norman Dorchester Abbey is its main attraction these days. Saint Birinus and Wulfrig two previous Bishops of Dorchester are buried here.

Dorchester-on-Thames’ famous people
Jonty Hearnden the antiques expert and TV presenter was brought up here and retired footballer and football manager Mark Wright was born in Dorchester-on-Thames and started his career playing for Oxford United.

The market town of Wallingford is close-by; one of its claims to fame is being the location for a Midsomer Murders episode! Other attractions include Wallingford Castle, Wallingford Priory and the Cholsley and Wallingford Steam Railway which still runs on selected dates usually weekends and bank holidays, but disappointingly pulled by diesel engines.

Didcot’s finest
William Bradbery who was born in Didcot in the 18th century was the first person in the UK to grow watercress commercially. He moved to Kent after his marriage and it is there that he began. Bradbery gets a mention in an article for the London Horticultural Society saying that Bradbery was cultivating watercress for the London markets at a site near Gravesend. He had placed young plants in the shallow running water at the nursery with ‘a small proportion of wet earth’; he found that they spread like wild fire over the water.

Wallingford’s rich and famous
Writer Agatha Christie lived in Wallingford after her second marriage. Christie’s catalogue of well known plays is long but she may be best remembered for the Hercule Poirot mysteries – all 33 novels and 54 short stories - which have been captured so well by David Suchet in the TV series. All of the novels have been turned into films with Murder on the Orient Express perhaps the most memorable.

Author Jerome K Jerome (Three Men in a Boat) lived near Wallingford. It is also the home of comedian and writer Charlie Brooker known for his shows Screenswipe, Gameswipe and Newswipe all on BBC Four. Actress Dulcie Grey went to school here.

Wallingford is also the home of sculptor John Buckley who is best known for his untitled sculpture of a shark impaled in the roof of a house in Oxford.

Interesting statistic
In the last census the average lifespan for men and women in the UK was listed as 67 and 68.8 respectively. Citizens of Didcot however could expect to exceed this with an average life expectancy of 86 healthy years!

If you’re still young or ‘young at heart’ but need help to get to the top of the house to make sure there are no strange fish there, let the team at Castle Comfort Stair Lifts help. We can advise on the best stairlift for you and your property.

Please take a look at our video for information and then give us a call with any questions on 01865 477 004 .

Don’t forget you can use the £50 voucher towards the cost of a new or reconditioned stairlift.

Stairlifts Bicester - Oxfordshire Stairlifts

2011-12-11T09:36:00.003Z

Click here to find new and reconditioned stairlifts in Bicester, Oxforshire

If you are looking for the Castle Comfort Stairlifts legendary website

Castle Comfort Stairlifts offers top brand stairlifts, keen prices and fast installs for all those seeking stairlifts in Bicester, Oxfordshire . And all work comes with our no-quibble guarantees and famous customer service satisfaction.

Give us a call today on 01865 477 004 If however, you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on.

Stairlifts Bicester – Stairlifts Oxfordshire

Hello Bicester in Oxfordshire – today we’re taking a look round this market town situated in the north east of Oxfordshire.

Castle Comfort Stair Lifts will be happy to advise anybody with mobility difficulties no matter your age. So if you live in the area and are looking for help in this department, please give us a call to see what we can do for you.

There’s no hard sell, just friendly advice. We can even point you in the direction of funding help either in the form of a grant or a ‘0’ finance deal.

Please contact us now on 01865 477 004.

As we mentioned Bicester is located in the north east of Oxfordshire and like Banbury 17.5 miles to the north, is experiencing some growth due to its proximity to the M40 which links London with Birmingham via Oxford. In fact Bicester is the halfway point with London 65 miles to the south east and Birmingham 61 to the north west.

Bicester can be traced back to Saxon times and was recorded in the Doomsday book. The name Bi-cester maybe attributed literally to the meaning ‘two forts’. Alchester an old Roman Settlement and military encampment – described in a guide to the area as ‘a sort of Roman Aldershot’ - have been found just 2 miles south of Bicester near to the village of Wendlebury.

Bicester’s links with the military still exist today; the Army’s Royal Logistic Corps are located just outside the town. This general ordnance depot even has its own military railway!

Just to the south lies Bicester Village, the designer outlet shopping village deemed the number one destination of its kind in Europe and attracting more than 3 million visitors every year. There are 130 shops in the Village mostly selling end of range, high quality, designer brands. These include Ralph Lauren, Dolce and Gabbana, Aquascutum, Gucci, Dior, Prada, Alexander McQueen, Missoni, Armani, Diane von Furstenberg and many more.

Bicester Village attracts a number of famous names too including David Cameron spotted in Ralph Lauren, Liz Hurley, Claudia Schiffer, Tess Daly and Vernon Kay, David Seaman, Anne Robinson, Richard Branson, Emma Watson and Ricky Gervais.

Four miles north of Bicester is Fringfield fictitiously known as Candleford Green in Flora Thompson’s semi-autobiographical stories Lark Rise to Candleford.

In the mid 19th century the local newspaper noted ‘there aren’t enough dwellings to shelter the poor’ in Fringfield. At the time there were a number of trades people living in the town who probably made up many of the ‘poor’, these included 5 blacksmiths, 3 sawyers, 3 brickmakers, a stonemason, a shoemaker, 3 decorators, a carrier, a coal haulier, 2 bakers, 2 grocers and a butcher. At nearby Shelswell House, Tusmore Park and Swift House a further 2 grooms, 2 footmen, 6 gardeners and a coachman from Fringfield found employment.

The TV series of Lark Rise to Candleford which highlighted this poverty, starred Olivia Hallinan as Laura, the main character of the series. Olivia has also starred in several popular TV dramas such as Holby City, Casualty and the drama series Moving On. Others in the Lark Rise series included Dawn French as Caroline Arless, Julia Sawalha as Dorcas Lane and Liz Smith as Zillah.

A little further on lies Woodstock, some 14 miles south west of Bicester – this is not the home of the famous 60’s festival, but where you will find Blenheim Palace, the birth place of Winston Churchill. The origin of the name Woodstock in old English ‘means clearing in the wood’ and the place was noted as ‘a royal forest’ in the Doomsday book.

Woodstock Palace perhaps most famous for being the prison where the future Queen Elizabeth I was held during the reign of Mary 1, was destroyed during the English Civil War and Blenheim Palace was later built on the site.

Geoffrey Chaucer known as the ‘father of English literature’ is probably best known for The Canterbury Tales a series of stories in verse about a group of pilgrims and written in Middle English, lived in Woodstock.

During the 17th century a bell foundry was in operation in the town. Although closed as long ago as 1703, these ancient bells can still be found in a number of churches including Asthall, Charlton-on-Otmoor, Chesterton, Kiddington, Merton, Milton, Oddington, Steeple Aston, Steeple Barton, Stratton Audley and Woodeaton – all in Oxfordshire and in Stowie in neighbouring Buckinghamshire as well as Martley in Worcestershire.

If you have to burst into explanatory verse about your predicament or ring the bell to get help going up or down the stairs, it’s time to think about getting some more permanent help! If a stairlift might make life altogether easier for you, then spare a moment and contact Castle Comfort Stair Lifts to see how we can help.

As national agents for all stairlift manufacturers we are in a great unbiased position to offer you sound advice about which stairlift is right for you, your house and your budget. Please give us a call on 01865 477 004.

Whilst Bicester itself claims few celebrities either past or present, there are a number of notable people connected to the surrounding areas.

Head south of Bicester and you’ll find Great Milton once home to two mills and now best known for Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons. This restaurant/hotel run by French chef Raymond Blanc has two Michelin stars – a great accolade for its quality and standard in the food world.

Great Milton is also home to Sir Tim Rice best known for work with Andrew Lloyd Webber on a number of West End musical productions including Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita and with Elton John on The Lion King.

A short distance away is the home of author Colin Dexter, in Summertown. Dexter is responsible for the books that feature Inspector Morse played by John Thaw in the long-running TV series.

And ...
· TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson lives in Chipping Norton
· England’s one time tennis hope, Tim Henman grew up in Weston-on-the-Green
· Rowan Atkinson has remained in Oxfordshire after university days, with a home in Waterperry

That just about wraps up Bicester but before we go we’d like to remind you that you can use the £50 voucher towards your purchase of a stairlift from Castle Comfort’s offerings. You’ll find helpful comparisons on our website and of course founder Keith’s short and informative video at the top of this blog.

Don’t hesitate to contact Castle Comfort Stair Lifts with any of your mobility queries: 01865 477 004.

Stairlifts Witney - Oxfordshire Stairlifts

2011-12-09T16:43:00.005Z

Click here to find new and reconditioned stairlifts in Witney, Oxfordshire

If you are looking for the Castle Comfort Stairlifts legendary website

Castle Comfort Stairlifts offers top brand stairlifts, keen prices and fast installs for all those seeking stairlifts in Witney, Oxfordshire . And all work comes with our no-quibble guarantees and famous customer service satisfaction.

Give us a call today on 01865 477 044 If however, you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on.

Stairlifts Witney – Stairlifts Oxfordshire

Here we are in the Tory safe-seat of Witney in Oxfordshire. Their current Member of Parliament is none other than the current Prime Minister David Cameron. Cameron studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford before becoming Special Advisor to first Norman Lamont and later Michael Howard.

Cameron was preceded as Witney’s representative by MP Shaun Woodward who won the seat for the Conservatives and shocked everyone by defecting to Labour after being thrown off the Conservative front bench.

Castle Comfort Stair Lifts can be your ‘special advisor’; we have all the information about stairlifts and all other mobility aids. Please give us a call on 01865 477 044 to find out how we can help you choose the best stairlift for you be it brand new, reconditioned or even in part exchange for your old one.

Witney is a true market town; one has been held every Thursday and Saturday since the Middle Ages. The Buttercross built about 1600 which stands in the Market Square got its name as this was where villagers from neighbouring towns bought their butter and eggs. The clock was added some 80 years later.

Witney’s Town Hall was built in the 18th century and is rumoured to be the work of Sir Christopher Wren although there is nothing to support this belief!

Witney had produced woollen blankets since the Middle Ages using water drawn from the River Windrush which was also purported to be the ‘secret ingredient’ that made Witney’s blankets such fine quality. The 18th century Blanket Hall on Witney High Street was where blankets were weighed and measured. There were 5 blanket factories in Witney; the last one closed in 2002.

Eagle Maltings in Witney was the long-time home of Witney’s Brewery which was bought out by Courage and closed down. Fortunately this is one industry in this small town that has survived as Refresh UK opened a new real ale brewery on the site in 1983, The Wytchwood Brewery. Refresh also brew beers for Brakspear and the Prince of Wales’ Duchy Originals.

Nearby towns and villages
Carterton is about 5 miles south west of Witney and is well known for growing tomatoes! When RMS Titanic sank it was carrying tomatoes from Carterton!

Brize Norton the RAF base is nearby; with the closure of RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire, Brize Norton is now responsible for the repatriation of service personnel. RAF Lyneham used to have this honour and the processions of fallen soldiers returning from the conflict in Afghanistan through the streets of Royal Wootten Bassett on their way to Lyneham have become famous over the last few years.

In Burford just 8 miles west of Witney, stands Burford Priory built on the site of an Augustinian Hospital. Built in the 1580s Tudor style, Burford Priory was remodelled in the 16th century into Jacobean style! In the middle of last century it became the home of a group of Christian nuns, the Society of the Salutation of Our Lady. As the numbers of nuns depleted it joined forces with a community of Church of England Benedictine monks (1987). The property was sold in 2008 and it is now a private house once again.

Another nearby manor house, Bradwell Grove and grounds is now the home to the Cotswold Wildlife Park. Here you can see a variety of animals such as camels, mongoose, meerkats, prairie dogs, squirrel monkeys, sloths, llama and birds such as cranes, speckled mousebirds, ibis and Kookaburra.

Do you want to feel as free as a bird and not as lazy as a sloth? Let Castle Comfort Stair Lifts give you a helping hand.

We are the national agents for all stairlift manufacturers so we are in an informed place to give you advice. We can also point you in the right direction to apply for funding grants or 0% finance if these seem like preferable or helpful options.

Please call our local team based in Oxford on 01865 477 044for more information.

Who’s who in Witney?
Considering Witney’s size (population 22,765) there are a fair few famous or notable people who come from or are connected with the area.

Let’s start with sport; retired footballer Robbie Mustoe who played last for Sheffield Wednesday was born in Witney and so was another retired footballer David Moss. Still very active - Gillingham footballer Simon King (on loan to Plymouth Argyle) also hails from Witney.

Another sportsman Darrell Griffin, rugby league player who plays for Leeds Rhinos was also born here.

Another notable hailing from Witney is the sculptor and artist Andrew Logan. This colourful character trained as an architect at Oxford’s School of Architecture but branched out into other artistic pursuits. He had a studio in Butler’s Wharf in London where Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood hosted their much talked about Valentine’s Ball in 1976 introducing the Sex Pistols to the world! Logan now exhibits his sculptures and jewellery all around the globe.

Actor Robert Llewellyn who starred as the Android in Red Dwarf went to the Henry Box School in Witney. Concert pianist Martin Jones comes from Witney – he has played with many of the big orchestras including the London Festival and the Halle Orchestra. He also played the piano parts in the Oscar nominated score to the film Howards End.

Witney was also the home of famous author Miss Read who wrote the Thrush Green novels and the Fairacre Chronicles – social commentaries of village life!

Don’t become part of the social commentary of Witney! Get in contact with Castle Comfort Stair Lifts right now to sort out your stairlift. You can use our £50 voucher towards the cost; watch our video and then please give us a call on 01865 477 044 with any questions you might have.

Stairlifts Abingdon - Oxfordshire Stairlifts

2011-12-06T15:59:00.004Z

Click here to find new and reconditioned stairlifts in Abingdon, Oxfordshire

If you are looking for the Castle Comfort Stairlifts legendary website

Castle Comfort Stairlifts offers top brand stairlifts, keen prices and fast installs for all those seeking stairlifts in Abingdon, Oxfordshire And all work comes with our no-quibble guarantees and famous customer service satisfaction.

Give us a call today on 01865 477 004. If however, you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on.

Stairlifts Abingdon – Stairlifts Oxfordshire

Here in the Vale of the White Horse between the Berkshire Downs and the River Thames is the market town of Abingdon. This town is steeped in history and tradition. Even its location, the Vale of the White Horse dates back to the Bronze Age.

You may feel historic but you can’t compete with that! If however age is telling and making you in need of some help around or more specifically up and down the house, then Castle Comfort Stair Lifts can offer you advice.

If your mobility is testing you and you now need help to get up and down the stairs, please have a look at our stairlift comparisons on the website. They’ll be something there that will work for you. Why not give us a call for a chat on 01865 477 004.

Pre-historic connections
Wondering why this area is called the Vale of the White Horse? It’s all to do with the famous Uffington White Horse on White Horse Hill. This pre-historic hill figure is dug out of the earth and the trenches are filled with crushed chalk, hence its name. It dates back to the Bronze Age but no one knows why it was carved out of the hill.

It has received much accolade in literature (Terry Pratchett’s A Hatful of Sky; A J Hartley’s What Time Desires) and as a filming location (BBC The Moon Stallion; film Map of the Human Heart). It is also used locally as a logo by Wessex Hall at nearby Reading University, by a local school and by a local branch of the TA, Wessex Yeomanry.

Originally Abingdon on Thames, the first known traces of a settlement date back to the Iron Age. In Saxon times Abingdon Abbey, a Benedictine monastery was founded there. Some years later William the Conqueror visited the Abbey leaving his son, the future Henry I there to be educated.

Even ‘today’ Abingdon’s history changes. Until 1974 when county boundaries were made, Abingdon was the county town of Berkshire. In 1974 it came over to Oxfordshire and is located just 5 and a half miles from the city of Oxford; Banbury which we visited earlier is about 35 miles north of Abingdon and Bicester, a future destination, is 20 miles to the south.

More history
Abingdon Bridge is actually two bridges crossing the Thames in the town. The two bridges are separated by Nag’s Head Island which takes its name from the pub of the same name located there. The first bridge was started as a stone bridge in the 15th century probably replacing a wooden one or a ferry crossing; arches were added later in the same century. The southern half of the bridge is also known as the Burford Bridge. There is a daily river boat service to Oxford from the island.

It is also the home of Abingdon School an independent boys’ school founded by Benedictine Monks in the 12th century.

Traditions
A strange but true tradition connected to Abingdon is where local dignitaries throw buns from the roof of Abingdon County Hall Museum at crowds in the market square on specific days of celebration. The Museum has a collection of buns, thankfully dried and varnished, dating back to bun throwings in 19th century. Since 2000 there have been bun throwing ceremonies to celebrate the Millennium, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, 450th anniversary of the town’s Royal Charter and Harry and Kate’s wedding earlier this year.

Morris Dancing has long been a tradition in Abingdon and is still flourishing today. Every year a Mayor of Ock Street – the centre of Abingdon – is elected and heads a procession, preceded by the famous Horns of Ock Street a symbol of Abingdon’s Morris Dance Troupe who won’t dance without them!

How’s your bun throwing? Want to throw buns from the top of your house but can’t get there? Please get in touch with Castle Comfort Stair Lifts we’ve got all the unbiased information you need about stairlifts as we represent all UK manufacturers. But don’t throw buns at us, just give us a call on 01865 477 004.

A saintly bias
Abingdon has been the home of two saints and a blessed: Saint Edmund of Abingdon and his sister, Saint Alice of Catesby. The third sibling was the Blessed Margaret Rich.

Edmund also known as Saint Edmund of Canterbury was in fact Archbishop of Canterbury from 1233 – 1240. After some disagreements with Rome, Edmund retired to the Cistercian Pontigny Abbey in France where he died shortly afterwards. Some months after his death miracles at his grave were reported to have taken place. Edmund was canonised a few years later by Henry III.

Sisters Alice and Margaret became nuns at the Benedictine House of Catesby; in fact Margaret was the Prioress. Again after their deaths in 1257 and 1270 miraculous acts took place at their graves hence Alice’s canonisation and Margaret’s bestowed title of ‘Blessed’.

Nice to know
Not exactly a tradition but a ‘nice to know’ fact: Old Speckled Hen ale was originally brewed here by Morlands Brewery to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the MG factory in the town. The name came from the MG car that used to ferry the factory workers around! It had become speckled with paint over the years of in-factory use. The MG factory closed in 1980.

Notable people of Abingdon
As well as two saints and a blessed which is some claim to fame, Abingdon has a few other famous people connected to the town. Actor Gerald Charles Dickens, great, great grandson of the famous author Charles Dickens, lives in Abingdon.

Journalist and TV reporter Kate Garraway was born in Abingdon. Comedian David Mitchell was at Abingdon School; also to come out of Abingdon School, the band Radiohead who formed whilst studying together.

Stream-of-Consciousness author Dorothy Richardson was born in Abingdon but moved with her parents to London when she was a child. She worked initially as a governess before becoming involved with the Bloomsbury Group of writers, artists and philosophers including Virginia Woolf, Vita Sackville West, Lytton Strachey and E.M. Forster.

West Ham footballer Matthew Taylor grew up in Abingdon and Dean Whitehead, playing for Stoke City the home of Castle Comfort Stair Lifts, was born here.

And whilst we’re on the subject, don’t forget that Castle Comfort Stair Lifts are here to help with all your mobility needs. We won’t give you the hard sell but we can give you lots of information about which stairlift is right for you.

If you’re concerned about the cost remember that we are offering you a £50 off voucher, we have reconditioned stairlifts and we can point you in the right direction of grants to fund your purchase or 0% finance.

Call us on 01865 477 004 you’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Port Vale - Stairlifts shares go hot

2011-12-04T21:57:00.009Z

A Staffordshire stairlifts company snapped up 2,000 remaining shares at Port Vale a few years ago during a season in which they sponsored the Burslem club. It was just after Stoke on Trent's most famous name, singer Robbie Williams, had acquired his major shareholding. Castle Comfort Stairlifts dived in and bought the rest of the shares available at the time.

The Wolstanton-based stairlifts firm recently has been approached (more than once) by parties making moves to buy the shares. Maybe some surprise activity is going on again at Vale Park?

Well, on the basis that anything has its price - if there is someone out there wishing to buy Castle Stairlift's 2,000 shares - then get in touch by emailing portvaleshares@castlecomfortcentre.com

Two things we'll point out. ONE - The proceeds will be paid directly to Castle Comfort's GOOD DEEDS FUND - historically entitled, The DOUG BROWN MOTOR NEURONE FUND. Please click on these links to see what this is all about.

TWO - Castle Comfort aren't desperate to part with their shareholding,

so basement bargain hunters beware!

Up the Vale!

PS - We hope we continue to sell as many stairlifts this week as we get emails from folk on this subject!

BUT - PLEASE NOTE, WE AREN'T IN ANY WAY GETTING INVOLVED IN PORT VALE POLITICS - (WE'D RATHER GO HUNTING RATTLE-SNAKES!)

Stairlifts Banbury - Oxfordshire Stairlifts

2011-12-04T09:06:00.002Z

Click here to find new and reconditioned stairlifts in Banbury, Oxfordshire
If you are looking for the Castle Comfort Stairlifts legendary website

Castle Comfort Stairlifts offers top brand stairlifts, keen prices and fast installs for all those seeking stairlifts in Banbury, Oxfordshire. And all work comes with our no-quibble guarantees and famous customer service satisfaction.

Give us a call today on 01865 477 004 If however, you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on.

Stairlifts Banbury – Stairlifts Oxfordshire

‘Ride a Cock horse to Banbury Cross to see a fine lady on a white horse’. Yes today we’re heading over to Banbury, the second largest town in Oxfordshire after Oxford itself being home to almost 42,000.

If you live in or around Banbury and are looking for a stairlift supplier, then Castle Comfort Stair Lifts are here to help.

Our local office will be happy to offer you advice and guidance about which chair is right for you and your pocket. As representatives of all stairlift manufacturers in England we are well placed to do so. We’re even offering you £50 off your purchase, so give us a call on 01865 477 004 today.

Nursery rhymes and statues
Now back to the nursery rhyme! It is first recorded in ‘Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book’ in the 18th century. With lyrics so old, there are no fixed meanings or derivations of this old nursery rhyme. We do know that there were several crosses in Banbury although they were all destroyed by the Puritans in 1600. A new Banbury Cross was erected in the 19th century; it stands 16 metres high and is topped by a gilt cross. More recently in 2005, the bronze statue of the ‘fine lady’ was unveiled by the Princess Royal.

From the 16th century a ‘cock horse’ could be a hobby horse but it could also mean a ‘spirited’ horse. The fine lady in the rhyme? There are several possible explanations but none confirmed: Queen Elizabeth I, Lady Godiva or Celia Fiennes (‘a Fiennes lady’) whose brother the 1st Viscount Saye and Sele lived in nearby Broughton Castle.

Since 2000 Banbury has hosted an annual hobby horse festival – a gathering of traditional mock animals! Hobby horses have traditionally been associated with May Day festivities and take many forms from the simple wooden head on a stick to long cloaked versions which make the person look as though they are riding the horse.

Banbury traditions
If we’re talking traditions you might want to hear about Banbury Cakes. They contain currants and spices, mixed peel, brown sugar, rosewater, nutmeg and rum – similar to Eccles Cakes – encased in pastry to make a flat, oval cake. They were first made in the 16th century to a secret recipe.

But there’s more to Banbury than old traditions – or is there? After all Banbury is an old market town and housed the largest cattle market – very important in Victorian times - in Western Europe until the 1990s.

The Oxford Canal which was opened in the 18th century runs through Banbury and at that time ensured a cheap supply of coal to the area from nearby Warwickshire. It was also used to take goods to market in Oxford and Coventry. Tooley’s Boatyard in Banbury built and repaired horse-drawn narrow boats which used the canal. This dry dock carried on working right up until the mid 1990’s. Now the boatyard is an official Ancient Monument with all its workshops fully restored.

Industry in Banbury
Now Banbury’s industries are car components, electrical goods, plastics, food processing and printing. Kraft Foods a food and coffee production company manufacturing site is based in Banbury whilst their UK HQ is in Cheltenham 40 miles to the west; Kraft market their brands in more than 170 countries with 12 of the brands regularly bringing in $1 billion dollars a year. Some of Kraft’s most famous brands include Cadburys, Maxwell House, Jacobs and Philadelphia; their headquarters are in the ‘windy city’ of Chicago.

Banburyshire
Banbury is surrounded by countryside much of which is known unofficially as ‘Banburyshire’ – this affectionate term also applies to parts of Northamptonshire and Warwickshire as they are close by!

If you live in ‘Banburyshire’ and are in need of help to find a stairlift then remember Castle Comfort Stair Lifts are the people to contact. Let us know what you need and we’ll advise you. Why not watch our short video above as an introduction to how we can help.

If you need help funding this purchase, we can advise about grants and 0% finance so that you make the purchase with as little stress as possible.

If you’d like to know more please give Castle Comfort Stair Lifts a call on 01865 477 004.

As Banbury is almost equidistant from Oxford (30 miles) and Birmingham (38 miles) so you could also call the Birmingham office on 0121 371 0123.

Formula one
Virgin Racing also has their home in Banbury and the Simtek team were based here too. Drivers with Virgin Racing over the last two years have been the German driver Timo Glok and Jerome d’Ambrosio from Belgium.

Banbury is also the base for one of the world’s biggest motorsport technology specialists, Prodrive. They not only design and manufacture but also race cars for makes like Subaru, Aston Martin and Ford.

The Formula Fast Karting Centre is also located in Banbury. It was designed by Formula One racing engineers and is open to the public as well as used for training of competing karting drivers in the UK.

Banbury’s famous residents
The chef Gordon Ramsay who was born in Scotland, moved with his family to Stratford on Avon and later to Banbury where he was educated. Ramsay pursued a career in football playing for Warwickshire at the age of 12. Later he tried out for Rangers but a damaged cartilage ended his football ‘career’. With an interest in cooking already showing, Ramsay pursued a Hotel Management course at the North Oxfordshire Technical College in Banbury and the rest as they say, is history.

Anthony Burgess famous author (A Clockwork Orange) taught at Banbury Grammar School. Only three years ago The Times placed Burgess at no 17 in their list of 50 best writers since 1945.

Comedian Larry Grayson was born here; he started out in ‘variety’ and didn’t become famous until much later. He was the host of The Generation Game from 1978 to its close in 1982 and he became famous for his phrases ‘Shut that door’ and ‘What a gay day’.

Glam rock star Gary Glitter now a convicted paedophile was also born in Banbury.

Sir Alan Lloyd Hodgkin, the Nobel prize winner for physiology or medicine along with Andrew Huxley and John Eccles was also born in Banbury.

The Irish football referee Dermot Gallagher has made Banbury his home.

Our short tour of Banbury has come to an end. We hope you’ve enjoyed this brief look around.
Remember if you are looking for a stairlift or any other equipment to aid you mobility, please get in touch with Castle Comfort Stair Lifts – we’ll help you find the answers. You can call us on 01865 477 004.

Take a look around our website and our blog for other interesting facts about stairlifts like their history for instance and about other areas in the UK.

Stairlifts Oxford - Oxfordshire Stairlifts

2011-12-03T11:01:00.002Z

Click here to find new and reconditioned stairlifts in Oxford, Oxfordshire
If you are looking for the Castle Comfort Stairlifts legendary website

Castle Comfort Stairlifts offers top brand stairlifts, keen prices and fast installs for all those seeking stairlifts in Oxford, Oxfordshire . And all work comes with our no-quibble guarantees and famous customer service satisfaction.

Give us a call today on 01865 477 004 If however, you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on.

Stairlifts Oxford – Stairlifts Oxfordshire

Welcome to the city of Oxford in Oxfordshire! The city is made famous by its mediaeval university which dominates the city.

Whilst the typical age and the number of retired people here is lower than average, if you are one of the few who need some help with mobility then you need to speak to Castle Comfort Stair Lifts. Our local office can advise on the right sort of stairlift for you. If you don’t know much about stairlifts, it’s worth watching Castle Comfort Stair Lift’s founder Keith in his short video to get a feel for the company.

After that talk to the team at their local office on 01865 477 004 to see which stairlift is right for you.

Back in Oxford, where do we take you first? Well the city has been called the ‘city of dreaming spires’ by poet Matthew Arnold and referenced similarly in Thomas Hardy’s Jude the Obscure. In fact its link with authors, poets and works of literature both popular and more revered, is not surprising considering it is one of our great seats of learning.

Oxford University is responsible for the education of 26 British prime ministers including Gladstone, Atlee, MacMillan, Wilson, Heath, Thatcher, Blair and Cameron.

And if that wasn’t enough of a responsibility, other Oxonians as those educated at Oxford University are known, include at least 30 international leaders e.g. three Australian prime ministers, two Canadian, two Indian and four Pakistan Prime Ministers. Bill Clinton was the first ever American president to study at Oxford as a Rhodes student. There are several Caribbean Prime Ministers and some Asian leaders.

And if you like lists, then Oxford has some impressive ones:
· Oxford has been the learning place of 12 saints including Sir Thomas More who was canonised long after his death in 1935

· 10 ‘Blesseds’

· 89 Archbishops

· 50 Olympic winners

· 73 authors not including children’s authors, non-fiction or dramatists

· Some 102 poets

· 47 Nobel Laureates

· And we haven’t even touched on scientists, journalists, business men and women and those in the law profession, there are so many more that we’ll leave them for you to look up yourselves!

How does a city responsible for so many luminaries carry itself?

Oxford’s come a long way; its name in Saxon times meant ‘ford of the oxen’- so a crossing for oxen! Now Oxford sits fairly centrally in southern England although officially it is in the South Midlands. It is less than 50 miles from the capital and almost 80 from Birmingham, 30 miles from Swindon in North Wiltshire and 30 from Banbury staying in Oxfordshire.

The Royal throne
During the English Civil War Oxford became the seat of Charles I throne after he was banished from London.

Books
During the 19th century it became home to many printers and publishers. It is still home to the first Blackwells Book Shop which claims the largest selling room of books in Europe.

Mini production
Of course Oxford – well nearby Cowley – is home to the production of the famous Mini. No wonder they filmed part of the original Italian Job here!

Beer, beer, beer
At one time Oxford was also home to nine breweries including Flowers and Swann for those of you who know their beer. The last one sold out to Green King including its tied pubs in 2002 and sadly none of the breweries still exist.

Just think, imagine yourself driving up and down those steps in the film with your new stairlift! Castle Comfort Stair Lifts to the rescue!

We are the national agents for all stairlift manufacturers so can offer unbiased advice about which one is right for you and your pocket. We can even offer you advice about grants to pay for it or 0% finance if you prefer a quicker route.

Give us a call on 01865 477 004 today to discuss how we can help you.

Famous people with Oxford connections
We’ve listed a few already and because of the university the list is seemingly endless. There is definitely one rather well known man of Oxford we haven’t mentioned though, Inspector Morse.

Morse
ITV brought the character to life from Colin Dexter’s books; interestingly Dexter studied Classics at rival Cambridge University. John Thaw played the Inspector in 33 episodes over thirteen years; Morse served in the Thames Valley Police in Oxford and was described as a middle class gentleman detective with a love of his jaguar car, real ale and classical music as well as literature in its many forms and cryptic crossword puzzles.

Morse was very popular, in fact the final three episodes were seen by 18 million viewers.

Harry Potter
Staying with fictional characters, Harry Potter’s connection with Oxford University is that it has appeared as part of the set in all the films.

Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking Glass were written by Lewis Carol in Oxford. It all started when he (real name Charles Lutwidge) and his friend the Rev Robinson Duckworth took the three daughters of the Chancellor of Oxford University, Henry Liddell out on a boat on the River Isis. This is the name given to the 10 mile stretch of River Thames as it flows through Oxford. Carroll told the story to the children to amuse them and Alice Liddell asked him to write it down!

If you don’t want to risk the mirth of the Cheshire Cat, contact Castle Comfort Stair Lifts to see what they have to offer.

They won’t offer you potions labelled ‘Drink Me!’ so that you grow smaller but they will explain which stairlift is best for you.

Don’t forget to use the £50 off voucher and to call Castle Comfort Stair Lifts on 01865 477 004.

Stairlifts Wilmslow - Cheshire stairlifts

2011-11-30T09:12:00.003Z

Click here to find new and reconditioned stairlifts in Wilmslow, Cheshire

If you are looking for the Castle Comfort Stairlifts legendary website

Castle Comfort Stairlifts offers top brand stairlifts, keen prices and fast installs for all those seeking stairlifts in Wilmslow, Cheshire. And all work comes with our no-quibble guarantees and famous customer service satisfaction.

Give us a call today on 01625 886 599 If however, you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on

Stairlifts Wilmslow – Stairlifts Cheshire

Weatherfield and Wilmslow couldn’t be more different, yet two of the long serving members of Coronation Street – Britain’s favourite soap – live in Wilmslow, Cheshire. Real life and screen life are somewhat different no doubt!

Are you a resident in Wilmslow? Are you leading a double life? Apparently cheerful and getting on with things but secretly frustrated at no longer being able to climb those stairs? Castle Comfort Stair Lifts would love to help you. How could we assist? Well we are the national agents for all stairlift manufacturers so not only can we supply but we can also give you an unbiased opinion about the best one for you.

Want to know more? Please watch our founder Keith’s short video above and then please give us a ring on 01625 886 599.

Yes William Roache who plays Ken Barlow and has starred in Coronation Street from its first episode in 1960 lives in Wilmslow as does his colleague Simon Gregson better known to all as Steve McDonald. Both characters have grown up on the street as it were, Gregson is close to completing his 22nd year. He was picked whilst still at school to play one of the McDonald twins.

Just like Weatherfield is a suburb of Greater Manchester so is Wilmslow; it is just 11 miles from the centre of Manchester and just 7 miles from Macclesfield the home of Castle Comfort Stair Lifts’ Cheshire office.

Unlike the soap suburb, Wilmslow is renowned for its famous and rich residents mainly footballers and businessmen. Back in 2005 is was reportedly the home of over 100 millionaires including businessman Peter Jones – not the ‘Dragon’ but the founder of the Emerson Group. At that time he was thought to be worth in excess of £460 million, somewhat richer than either the Queen or Mohamed al-Fayed owner of Harrods.

Wilmslow is also home to a number of footballers such as Manchester United players, Nemanja Vidic and Park Ji-Sung as well as Alex Ferguson, Man U’s manager. Arch rival Manchester City players Joleon Lescott and David Silva have both chosen Wilmslow as their home too as has Titus Bramble who plays for Sunderland.

Just 6 miles away in nearby Prestbury you’ll also find a host of well-off residents who like to earn a bob or too kicking a ball about including Wayne Rooney, Robbie Savage, Carlos Tevez, Stan Pearson, Wes Brown, Owen Hargreaves and with different ball skills ‘Freddie’ Flintoff.

Robbie Savage who last played for Derby Country was labelled as the ‘dirtiest player in the Premier League’ and now presents 606 on BBC Radio Five Live. He has gone on to shine in Strictly Come Dancing on BBC TV. Dancing with Ola Jordan he has reached Wembley again – he has played at Wembley before striking up 39 caps for the Welsh national team.

If you wish your dancing was still as hot as Robbie’s but actually making the stairs is the first hurdle, why not give Castle Comfort Stair Lifts a call. We’ve got an office in Cheshire where are team will be happy to advise you - 01625 886 599.

Take a look at our information, use the £50 voucher – even the canniest and richest businessmen will take advantage of money saving offers – and consider a new or reconditioned stairlift from us now.

What’s the attraction of these parts? A short tour around Wilmslow will be enough to explain: expensive houses – prices of around £2million aren’t uncommon, designer shops, cafes and restaurants all suggest the ‘Cheshire lifestyle’! Its neighbour Alderley Edge is similar and has attracted a few big names of its own. It was the home of the Beckhams before David went to play for Real Madrid; and remains home for Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, Christiano Ronaldo, Mikael Silvestre, Andy Cole and Stoke’s own Peter Crouch!

Actress and ex Coronation Street star, Denise Welch and Richard Fleeshman also late of Coronation Street live here alongside Stuart Hall well-known as host of It’s a Knockout. It is also home to two of the band members of New Order/Joy Division, Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook.

Alderley Edge and Prestbury encompasses village life with proximity to the urban conurbation of Manchester just 12 and 18 miles away respectively for access to transport links.

About Wilmslow

The name actually comes from old Anglo-Saxon for ‘mound of a man called Wighelm’ – not very inspiring! But the discovery of Lindow Man one of the most important iron-age finds in the country again gives Wilmslow that exclusivity. Lindow Man can now be seen at the British Museum.

Wilmslow is part of the ‘Golden Triangle’ with Alderley Edge and Prestbury for on-going house price rises and its affluence.

Things not to miss in Alderley Edge

The Edge in Alderley is a geological term for a red sandstone escarpment which rises 215 miles above see level and forms a horseshoe. Stormy Point is a popular place with visitors to view the surrounding countryside of the Cheshire Plains and the Peak District. It is a National Trust Site.

Engine Vein

Engine Vein is a natural fault in the rock which is rich in copper and other minerals and was excavated by Bronze Age miners and later the Romans.

Hare Hill Park and Gardens

A small 19th century estate covering 276 acres of beautiful countryside with rolling hills, the gardens at Hare Hill are home to a collection of exotic plants and wire sculptures.

Prestbury

This pretty village dates from Saxon times and its name is thought to mean ‘Priest’s fortified enclosure’. Probably chosen for this purpose as it stands on fairly high ground for a clear view of the River Bollin. In the 19th century it was big in the silk industry so many of the houses in Prestbury were built as factory or weavers’ cottages. Wayne Rooney’s pile is somewhat bigger than these!

Nearby Grade I listed Adlington Hall still owned by the Legh family has parts of this historic building open to visitors on published dates. It’s worth taking a look at the 15th-16th century Great Hall and timber framed courtyard. Any special occasions coming up? You can hire the Great Hall or the hunting lodge!

If getting up and down those stairs would be event enough for you, then Castle Comfort Stair Lifts are the event organisers you need!

Give us a call to discuss what you need and find out just what we can do. Our local office number is 01625 886 599.

Stairlifts Macclesfield - Cheshire Stairlifts

2011-11-28T06:09:00.015Z

Click here to find new and reconditioned stairlifts in Macclesfield, Cheshire

If you are looking for the Castle Comfort Stairlifts legendary website

Castle Comfort Stairlifts offers top brand stairlifts, keen prices and fast installs for all those seeking stairlifts in Macclesfield, Cheshire. And all work comes with our no-quibble guarantees and famous customer service satisfaction.

Give us a call today on 01625 886599. If however, you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on.

Stairlifts Macclesfield – Stairlifts Cheshire

Here we are in Macclesfield in Cheshire. It’s the home of Castle Comfort Stair Lift’s Cheshire office where you can find out all about the services we offer, the reviews we get (at Macclesfield and other areas) and get advice from our local professional team.
Castle Stairlifts founder Keith himself goes back a long way in Macclesfield, well before stairlift days. He was head hunted and 'imported' there by a ceramic tile specialist in the early 1970s - as his Stoke on Trent pottery industry training made him hot property! Keith's professional contacts in 'Macc' have continued for nearly four decades. Apart from going there weekly to shop (its quicker to get from Newcastle under Lyme to Macclesfield than to Stoke on Trent's Hanley shopping centre - and it's FREE PARKING) - the stairlifts firm has it's office located at the building of the MD's friend Paul Williams Paul has continued to trim Keith's hair since he stopped being a scruffy hippy!

So, back to stairlifts - if you, or a loved one need some help up he stairs at home, then please give our Macclesfield office a call on 01625 886599. - you may even need a haircut too!

Meanwhile we’ll take you on a short tour of Macclesfield’s delights!

Hello all Maxonians! This is the affectionate term for someone from Macclesfield which has only come into existence in the last 20 years or so mainly via the media.

The town name Macclesfield is thought to derive from old English for ‘Maccels’ open country’ from the Saxon Macca i.e. Macca’s fields. Presumably not ancestors of Paul McCartney! It is often referred to as Silk town as it once had a thriving silk industry though more traditionally it was known as Treacle town! Legend suggests this because a ship spilt a barrel of treacle on one of the streets and all the poor rushed out to scoop it up. It is more likely to be that the mill owners supplied unemployed weavers with barrels of treacle!

Macclesfield is a happy town according to a survey carried out just three years ago. In fact it was the 5th happiest of 273 areas in Britain. The survey was carried out by the Universities of Sheffield and Manchester which asked residents to rate themselves in terms of personal well-being.

Maybe it’s Macclesfield’s pleasant location that makes them happy? You can find it in east Cheshire some 41 miles east of county town Chester close to the county borders with Greater Manchester, Derbyshire and Staffordshire. It is only 20 miles north of Castle Comfort Stair Lifts ‘home town’ of Stoke on Trent and 18 miles south of Manchester and the Peak District is just a stone’s throw away in the east.

In fact Macclesfield and Buxton (12 miles away in neighbouring Derbyshire) are joined by The Cat and Fiddle Road which is named after the pub which sits at the top. It has great views over the Peak District, the Cheshire Plains and the conurbation of Greater Manchester, and is regularly named the most dangerous road in Britain and which has become a popular ride for motorcyclists.

Did you know that Macclesfield is the original home of Hovis bread – not the pretty southern hill (Gold Hill, Shaftesbury, Dorset) that the old advert used to show?

The small village of Disley still within the Borough of Macclesfield and just 10 miles from the town is close to nearby Lyme Park, a large estate with a Tudor mansion. Disley itself was once home to at least one cotton mill, its name in Anglo-Saxon means windy settlement presumably because of its geographical location on the edge of the Peak District. It still retains its old world charm and has a few famous connections: TV presenter David Dickinson once had an antique shop here – his first; it’s the birthplace of author Christopher Isherwood; British historian AJP Taylor lived here.

Do you still have old world charm? Do you typify Maxonians in being happy? Let Castle Comfort Stair Lifts make you even happier with their offering of a wide range of stairlifts. As the national agent for all stairlift manufacturers we can be sure to find the right one for you either brand new, reconditioned or even in part-exchange for your old one.

Why not watch our video when our founder Keith explains how and why the company came about and then give us a call on 01625 886599 to discuss how we can help? In the meantime take a look at the price comparisons on our website.

Interesting buildings
The 17th Century Macclesfield Town Hall at the heart of this market town is still very much in use for council business but also as an event venue and for private hire.

Armoury Towers was once the home of the Militia in Macclesfield during the 19th Century but this beautiful Grade II listed building is now private apartments.

The Grade I listed building at Lyme Park was built in the 16th century by the LeighsPemberton, Darcy’s home in the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice and in complete contrast was a location used in an episode of Red Dwarf.

Famous Maxonians
Macclesfield is the home town of blues singer John Mayall; Ian Curtis of Joy division grew up here as did his band-mate Stephen Morris; Gillian Gilbert also hails from here and she later joined Stephen Morris to form New Order and is married to him too.

Stoke City player Peter Crouch was born in Macclesfield; he has become famous for his robotic celebratory dance. The dance was apparently inspired by the Arctic Monkeys’ song, ‘I bet you look good on the dance floor’.

Jonathan Agnew, cricketer turned commentator was born here too; as was Olympic yachtsman Ben Ainslie.

Former Radio 4 Presenter on the Today programme, Brian Redhead was born and died here; author Vera Brittain who wrote Testament of Youth about her experiences in WWI spent part of her childhood in Macclesfield.

Can you recall some memories from times gone by when you were more sprightly? We bet you can. Let Castle Comfort Stair Lifts help lift your spirits with some assistance to get up those stairs.

We can supply straight and curved stairlifts which ever suits you best. If the outlay is too much there are grants available or if you can’t wait for the process of applying then you could consider a 0% finance deal.

Why not give us a call to find out more on 01625 886599 and don’t forget you can use our £50 voucher towards your purchase.

Stairlifts Widnes - Cheshire Stairlifts

2011-11-25T07:25:00.004Z

Click here to find new and reconditioned stairlifts in Widnes, Cheshire

If you are looking for the Castle Comfort Stairlifts legendary website

Castle Comfort Stairlifts offers top brand stairlifts, keen prices and fast installs for all those seeking stairlifts in Widnes, Cheshire . And all work comes with our no-quibble guarantees and famous customer service satisfaction.

Give us a call today on 0151 676 2727 If however, you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on.

Stairlifts Widnes – Stairlifts Cheshire

Entrepreneur John Hutchinson was referred to as the father of Widnes in Cheshire. He gained this title because he built and opened the first chemical factory in 1847 which literally catapulted Widnes into existence. Before this it had just been a number of smaller settlements. From this start Widnes became the chemical capital of the UK as other factories sprung up.

If you have no spring in your step then please let us help. We are Castle Comfort Stair Lifts and we supply stairlifts to help you keep moving! Our local office in Macclesfield can advise you on the best one for you or any other of our aids to keep you sprightly.

Please give the Macclesfield office a call on 0151 676 2727.

How it all began
As you’ll have gathered we are in Widnes in the county of Cheshire. Widnes claims the northern bank of the Runcorn Gap opposite the town of Runcorn which we visited recently. Like Runcorn, Widnes has a dock and access to the waterways and the railway which meant that all chemicals produced in this town were easily transportable both all over the UK but also overseas.

Though John Hutchinson started the whole chemical industry in Widnes at the tender age of 22, he didn’t stop at one factory; he went on to own several others and into partnership with other manufacturers too. Other chemical plants grew up fronted by other entrepreneurs John McClelland, William Gossage, Frederick Muspratt, Holbrook Gaskell a local magistrate whose sister-in-law was the author Elizabeth Gaskell and Henry Deakin who at one time worked for Hutchinson.

Hutchinson manufactured Alkali used in the glass, textile, soap and paper industries for production, but a number of other substances were also produced in Widnes including soap, borax, soda ash, salt cake and bleaching powder.

All this industry whilst earning Widnes riches didn’t gain it any accolades, quite the opposite in fact. In 1888 Widnes was claimed to be ‘the dirtiest, ugliest and most depressing town in England’ and later as ‘a poisonous hell-town’.

It did bring a lot of work to the area though and not only attracted workers from other parts of England but also from Ireland – many flocked to England looking for work during the potato famine – Wales, Poland and Lithuania.

Cleaning up
By the 1890’s the chemical production industry here was already in decline as more efficient production methods were developed in other places. However, Widnes still has a big chemical industry to this day and over the last century as production methods have improved, the town has been ‘cleaned up’ and Widnes is looking better!

Spike Island, affectionately referred to as Spikey locally, is evidence of this. This area in Widnes was the home to many of the factories so that it became a maze of abandoned and disused buildings used for production, railway lines, canal docks and industrial pollution all of which has now been reclaimed as woodland, wetlands and green space.

One remaining old warehouse houses the only museum in the UK dedicated to the chemical industry, Catalyst Museum or the Catalyst Science Discovery Centre to give it its full title.

The building that houses the museum was originally known as Tower Building and was built by our old friend John Hutchinson for his factory office and later became the HQ of the Gossage Soap Production Factory.

What can you see at the museum? Hands on scientific exhibits, an overview of the historical development of this industry and original documents and films. There is also information about jobs and career opportunities within the industry and a glass observatory built on to the old building where you can not only view the surrounding landscape but also see exhibits dealing with the important topic of recycling.

Connections to notable people
Did you know that Spike Island hosted an outdoor concert for The Stone Roses in 1990? Two members of this ‘Manchester’ band are Cheshire ‘boys’: Ian Brown lead singer was born in Warrington and John Squire in Altringham.

Paul Simon is said to have penned Homeward Bound on Widnes Station. A quote from Simon says, “If you know Widnes, ... you’ll understand how I was desperately trying to get back to London as quickly as possible. Homeward Bound came out of that feeling.”

Maybe you can’t escape Widnes or maybe you need help to appreciate it more? Castle Comfort Stair Lifts are here to do just that. We hope this short arm chair tour helps you to appreciate this industrial town.

If you would like to talk to us about stairlifts or other aids, if you’d like advice on which type of stairlift is right for you and your budget, if we can help in any way, please give us a call on 0151 676 2727– don’t forget to watch our video for information too.

More did you knows:
· Mel C one of the pop group The Spice Girls went to school in Widnes

· Actor David Dawson acclaimed for playing Tony Warren in The BBC 4 production of the Road to Coronation Street was born in Widnes and went to the same school as Mel C

· Professional snooker player Andrew Higginson comes from Widnes

· Physicist and Nobel Prize winner for his work on x-rays Charles Glover Barkler also hails from here

· German chemist, Ludwig Mond came to Widnes during the industrial revolution, stayed and took on British nationality; he worked with many of the other industrialists of the time and also formed the Society of Chemical Industries which still has its head quarters in Belgrave Square, London

You may not be as celebrated of any of these famous people but you still deserve some dignity to get around. At Castle Comfort Stair Lifts we recognise this; our founder Keith who you watched in the video knows from personal experience how important it is to retain this for yourself or loved ones.

At Castle Comfort Stair Lifts we can not only help you source a suitable stairlift, be it brand new or reconditioned, we can even point you in the right direction to find grants to fund the purchase or to 0% finance to make buying your stairlift easy.

Don’t hesitate to contact us to find out more about how to buy the right stairlift for your needs -0151 676 2727.

Stairlifts Ellesmere Port - Cheshire Stairlifts

2011-11-23T09:16:00.007Z

Click here to find new and reconditioned stairlifts in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire

If you are looking for the Castle Comfort Stairlifts legendary website

Castle Comfort Stairlifts offers top brand stairlifts, keen prices and fast installs for all those seeking stairlifts in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire . And all work comes with our no-quibble guarantees and famous customer service satisfaction.

Give us a call today on 0151 676 004 If however, you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on.

Stairlifts Ellesmere Port – Stairlifts Cheshire
Here we are in Ellesmere Port in Cheshire on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal, an industrial town and port. Maybe you’re looking for stairlift suppliers in the area? Look no further, Castle Comfort Stair Lifts at your service!

We have a local office in Macclesfield where our expert team will be on hand to offer you all the information you need to know to help make that final decision. Remember that we guarantee our work so you can be sure any installation you set up with us will be worth its weight in gold/salt.

Talking of weight, our cheshire stairlifts can hold weights up to 30 stone so if you’re a little heavy, please don’t let that put you off. Talk to us today to see what we can suggest on 0151 676 004.

So here we are in Ellesmere Port another town hugging the bank of the Mersey – or the Manchester Ship Canal in this case. With all the industry that has grown up in the area and with access to the open waters and also to the canal system, it is little wonder that so many of these Cheshire towns are home to ports.

The biggest industrial contributors to the area are Stanlow Oil Refinery – mentioned by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark on one of their tracks – and ICI. Vauxhall Motors also produce their Astra cars here, now Vauxhall’s only plant in the UK.

The waterways
Ellesmere Port is located where the Ellesmere Canal meets the Mersey. The canal was built as part of a project to join three rivers namely the Severn, the Mersey and the Dee. The canal does connect to the River Dee at Chester but the project was never completed so the link to the Severn was never made.

Ellesmere Canal joined the Mersey at the village of Netherpool later to become Ellesmere Port. The canals were used to transport raw materials, produce and food across the country in the 18th – 19th centuries; it was a cheap and efficient method and made excellent use of the 100+ canals that were built. Railways effectively killed-off the industrial use of the canals as the railways were faster.

Ellesmere Port is fittingly home to the National Waterways Museum where visitors enjoy an historic boat collection, the pump house and a visit to the blacksmiths or a cruise up the Manchester Ship Canal.

The visitor map is helpful marking trails suitable for push chairs and wheelchairs. There is a lift – though not one of ours – to get you to the top of the Exhibition Hall.

Whilst we’re on the subject, remember that Castle Comfort Stair Lifts can help you get about especially in your own home – though we do also supply commercial wheelchair and passenger lifts.
Our local office Macclesfield will be happy to advise and as we are the national agents for all UK manufacturers, there will be something that suits you, your home and your pocket.

Please call Castle Comfort Stair Lifts for more information on 0151 676 004.

Staying with the water theme, something all ages can enjoy is the Blue Planet Aquarium where youngsters can swim with sharks or see ‘amazing amphibians’ including a number of frogs – red-eyed tree, golden or green dart frogs, tomato frogs and more.

Another part of the attraction is the Aquatheatre where you can see and hear about some interesting water creatures including the beautiful but aggressive French Angel Fish, the Big-eyed Squirrel Fish that sometimes swims upside down and the Atlantic Spadefish that favours ship wrecks; or enjoy the Pirate’s Playground.

People of note with connections to Ellesmere Port
The Cheshire Cat first appeared in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Unfortunately the Cheshire Cat with his knowing grin is completely fictional. Its origin beyond Alice is unsubstantiated; it could be a reference to happy cats in the County of Cheshire where so much milk is produced! Or from cheese production when cheese was sold in moulds resembling a cat who was grinning! When ‘grinning like a Cheshire Cat’ refers to humans it means that we are grinning showing our teeth and gums!

English footballer Sam Chedgzoy was born in Ellesmere Port and played for Everton. Controversially he changed the laws of English football when he scored a goal – well almost – dribbling the ball from a corner. The year was 1924. Prior to this, goals from corners were only allowed if another footballer also had contact.

Ex Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott who served under Tony Blair went to school in Ellesmere Port. Beverley Hughes aka Baroness Hughes of Stretford was born in the area and also served under Tony Blair.

Comedian Hardeep Singh Kohli, star of radio and TV lived in nearby Little Sutton. ‘Charles Bronson’ aka the most violent criminal in Britain lived and committed offences in the area; he began his career as a bare-knuckle boxer in the East End of London.

If you’re not grinning like a Cheshire Cat or you’re feeling like a bare-knuckle fight to get what you need, remember Comfort Castle Stair Lifts are here to help.

No need to rage if you’re frustrated that you can’t get about like you used to or if you think you can’t afford a stairlift. Castle Comfort Stair Lifts can point you in the direction of funding through grants or even 0% finance so that you can take advantage of our £50 voucher immediately.

Don’t forget we can also offer you a chance to part-exchange your old stairlift or take a look at our reconditioned models too that might fit your budget better. Whatever you do, give us a call so that we can discuss your needs and come up with a solution. Our local office number is 0151 676 004.

Stairlifts Runcorn - Cheshire Stairlifts

2011-11-21T08:07:00.014Z

Click here to find new and reconditioned stairlifts in Runcorn, Cheshire

If you are looking for the Castle Comfort Stairlifts legendary website

Castle Comfort Stairlifts offers top brand stairlifts, keen prices and fast installs for all those seeking stairlifts in Runcorn, Cheshire. And all work comes with our no-quibble guarantees and famous customer service satisfaction.

Give us a call today on 0151 676 2727 If however, you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on.

Stairlifts Runcorn – Stairlifts Cheshire

Industrial town and coastal port Runcorn in the north west of Cheshire is our destination today. The captain of the Titanic, Edward Smith bought a retirement home in Runcorn but never lived there as he went down with his ship.

If your ‘retirement’ home could benefit from a stair lift, then please get in touch with Castle Comfort Stair Lift’s local office. Their expert advisers can explain the benefits of the various chairs we supply as national agents for all stairlift manufacturers.

Take a look at our video first and then give us a call on 0151 676 2727.

Runcorn sits on the southern bank of the Mersey opposite Widnes on the northern bank; this is where the Mersey estuary narrows to form the Runcorn Gap. It is just 16 miles to Liverpool going west and 8 miles to Warrington one of our earlier destinations going east.

Runcorn was a health resort back in the 18th and early 19th centuries but as the industrial revolution took hold and industries in the area developed, Runcorn took advantage of its location and became a port. Its links to the canal systems that were being built meant Runcorn had access to the sea and to the interior waterway system of the UK for perfect distribution of any products.

In the 19th century Runcorn Railway Bridge was built across the Runcorn Gap joining the north and south banks of the Mersey for easier transport. Last century the Silver Jubilee Bridge was built nearby so that in most photos you see both bridges.

Film location
Runcorn has often been used as a film location, so much so that it has been nicknamed Woollywood; part reference to Hollywood with the Woolly coming from the nickname for the Liverpool dialect, Woolyback and also given to folk from the north bank of the Mersey.

Merseybeat a BBC police drama was filmed in Runcorn as was the same network’s situation comedy Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps about the lives of a group of twenty-somethings. It was written by eighteen year old Susan Nickson for whom Runcorn is hometown. The title comes directly from punk band Splodgenessabounds’ 1980 hit single ‘Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps Please’.

A BBC Three drama, Drop Dead Gorgeous was also set in Runcorn; the title sequences showed shots of the Silver Jubilee Bridge and Halton Castle.

If you’re the wrong side of twenty-something and need a little help or if you’re no longer able to ‘walk the beat’ as often as you’d like, why not let Castle Comfort Stair Lifts lend a hand? Our local office can offer all the assistance you need to source the right stairlift for you.

If you need assistance to purchase, we can give you information about funding grants or details of 0% finance deals for more instant help. Don’t forget we also offer a part-exchange deal to trade in your old stairlift for a new one and some cash. You can even use our £50 voucher towards it. Give Castle Comfort Stair Lifts a call on 0151 676 2727.

Listed buildings in and around Runcorn
Just like Chester, Runcorn is steeped in history. It has 59 listed buildings!

Halton Castle dates back to the 12th century probably originally built of timber and then later of local sandstone. It was held by the Royalists in the Civil War. There is a connection to John of Gaunt and his son Henry Bolingbroke, later King Henry IV of England and certainly once he was king, the Castle became part of the Duchy of Lancaster. The Castle is in ruins now but the former Courthouse rebuilt in the 18th century survives as the Castle Hotel.

The oldest standing building in Runcorn is Seneschals House in Halton. It was originally built in the 16th century for Judge John King.

Only one wing of 15th century Hallwood Mansion also in Halton survives as a public house.

Just three miles from Runcorn in the village of Norton is Norton Priory it was a 12th century Augustinian Abbey, now you can see the excavated ruins, a museum, the surrounding gardens as well as the walled garden which was redesigned in the 1980’s.

The Georgian Bridgewater House was built in the 18th century near the canal of the same name.

In nearby Danesbury you can still see Danesbury Hall built in the 18th century as a former home. This Georgian beauty has three storeys and seven bays; it is now owned by the charity Scope and used as a residential home.

Who do we know from Runcorn?
Current celebrities Nicola Roberts of Girls Aloud formed after they won Popstars the Rivals in 2002 comes from Runcorn as does comedian John Bishop and a regular visitor to the area is Kym Marsh ex Hear’Say singer – the ‘manufactured’ band won Popstars in 2001 - and Coronation Street star. Gary Barlow of Take That fame was born in nearby Frodsham; he is a Warrington Wolves supporter. Mezzo-soprano Alice Coote also comes from Frodsham.

Physicist John Holt was born in Runcorn. He went on to win the Nobel Prize for Physics and to play a part in the development of the atom bomb. 19th century businessman Thomas Hazlehurst also hails from here; a staunch Methodist, he was responsible for building 12 Methodist chapels and 3 schools in the area and carried on the family business Hazlehurst & Sons in chemical manufacturing.

OK we’re at the end of our short tour of Runcorn and you know the drill. If you are still looking for a stairlift, Castle Comfort Stair Lifts are the people to contact. Our local office will be able to help you with all aspects of sourcing and funding if necessary.

Check out our comparisons on our website and then give us a call on 0151 676 2727.

Stairlifts Crewe - Cheshire stairlifts

2011-11-18T16:51:00.004Z

Click here to find new and reconditioned stairlifts in Crewe, Cheshire

If you are looking for the Castle Comfort Stairlifts legendary website

Castle Comfort Stairlifts offers top brand stairlifts, keen prices and fast installs for all those seeking stairlifts in Crewe, Cheshire. And all work comes with our no-quibble guarantees and famous customer service satisfaction.

Give us a call today on 01782 611 411 If however, you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on.

Stairlifts Crewe – Cheshire stairlifts

We’re still in Cheshire but we’ve headed south east to Crewe a town with a railway history.

Have you been a train spotter in your time? If you are living in Crewe in Cheshire or nearby and in need of some help with mobility, Castle Comfort Stair Lifts will have the answer.

Castle Comfort Stair Lifts don’t just supply stairlifts, they have many other aids which may help.
Why not check out our video to learn more about us and what we can offer and then give your local office a call on 01782 611 411

Crewe and the Railway
Here in Crewe there is no doubt it is a railway town, perhaps the best known railway junction in the UK and still in operation on the main West Coast line. In fact Crewe was named after the railway works and station rather than vice versa!

The railway station at Crewe, one of the most historic, was built in the fields near to Crewe Hall, a Jacobean Mansion, in the 19th Century. At the time the village of Crewe had just 70 residents; Crewe was chosen by default after both Winsford and Nantwich had turned down the proposal for the station to be built by them.

Crewe has a direct line to London just 1 hour and 35 minutes away and to other notable towns such as Glasgow and Edinburgh, Chester which we visited recently, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and Stoke on Trent, home of Castle Comfort Stair Lifts, amongst them.

Crewe is also the home of Crewe Works, the biggest railway engineering hub where trains are maintained and inspected. At the height of rail transport Crewe Works employed more than 20,000 local people. Now although still a working maintenance hub for electric stock; whilst the diesel maintenance sheds are now used for storing spare rolling stock, less than 1,000 people are now employed by Crewe Works.

The Crewe Heritage Centre, houses a railway museum between the main line junction to Chester and the West Coast Main line in part of the Crewe Works. Visitors can operate and look around a signal box and a miniature railway and there are many artefacts for rail enthusiasts to muse over.

For just over 50 years from 1946 – 2002, Crewe was also the home of Rolls Royce; the factory now produces Bentleys exclusively and employs approximately 3,500 local people.

If you’re looking for the Rolls-Royce of stairlifts, Castle Comfort Stair Lifts can help. We are the national agent for all stairlift manufacturers so are in a good position with no bias to recommend the best one for you.

Castle Comfort Stair Lifts also supply reconditioned stairlifts if these suit your pocket better and we can also swap your existing stairlift in part-exchange. Get in touch to discuss which is best for you. Please call us on 01782 611 411.

Crewe’s Neighbours
Nearby Winsford (11 miles from Crewe) is home to the country’s largest rock salt mine. There are only three places in the UK where rock salt is mined, the other two being Boulby Mine in North Yorkshire and Kilroot in Northern Ireland.

Rock salt’s history in this part of England goes back some 220 million years; the deep deposits of rock salt came from dried up salt marshes created by seawater back in the Triassic geological period. Salt mining began here in the 17th century.

Nantwich (just 4 miles from Crewe) also has connections with salt which date back to Roman times when salt was used as both a preservative as well as seasoning. In fact the name ‘wich’ or ‘wych’ means brine springs or wells. This town is believed to have been the centre for salt production in the 10th century.

Nantwich has a collection of historical buildings only second to Chester. These include the Grade I listed Crown Inn, an old coaching inn. The architecture in Nantwich ranges from Elizabethan, through Georgian to Victorian.

Cheshire Cheese
Cheshire cheese is one of the oldest recorded cheeses produced in the UK. It has enjoyed a popular history and despite the range of cheeses now available to us in the UK, it remains the largest selling English produced crumbly cheese. It has a mild salty taste – the local rock salt is used in its production.

Crewe’s famous sons and daughters
Suffragette Ada Nield Chew wrote a series of letters to the Crewe Chronicle outlining the conditions and pay of women workers in the factories in the town where she worked as a tailor (1894).

You might recognise Egghead Chris Hughes who lives in Crewe. Chris a retired train driver is a Mastermind, International Mastermind and Brain of Britain winner who regularly competes in the TV quiz show Eggheads. Chris is also a celebrated Karaoke singer with a four octave range!

Actor Adam Rickitt former Coronation Street star was born in Crewe; as was Australian Olympic Gold Medallist swimmer Neil Brooks; several sportsman share this honour too: English professional golfer David Gilford, English cricketer John Morris and Ashley Shaw also an English cricketer.

Whilst nearby Winsford seems to have produced a whole team of footballers:

Sam and Tom Brittleton
Simon Davies
Gary Griffiths
Nicky Maynard
Daniel Fox
Alan Oakes
Jack Oakes
Glyn Pardoe
Stan Wood

We hope you’ve enjoyed your armchair tour of Crewe with its interesting railway history. It’s certainly a colourful part of Cheshire.

If you are still considering a stairlift either for yourself or a loved one, by now you’ll know you’re your local Castle Comfort Stair Lifts office will be more than happy to help.

If you’ve watched our video and learnt a little more about us and seen our £50 voucher that you can use towards the cost of a stairlift, then you’ll be ready to call us on 01782 611 411.

Take a look at our website to compare makes and prices and then give us that call!