Who is Jo Blogs?

A Call For Design Students To Get Creative !

2011-04-03T12:51:00.000-07:00

The British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA) has just announced it's second national student design competition, this is an annual competition challenging UK based undergraduate design students to create fresh new product ideas focused on the promotional merchandise industry, following it's successful launch in 2010.

Last year the competition attracted over 120 entries with some fantastic inspirational ideas. This year, the winners will see their designs worked up into prototypes. The competition is sponsored by 3M at their HQ in Bracknell and will take place in a Dragon's Den Style format to five industry judges.

Andrea Pisa, last year's winner commented: "The 3M BPMA competition is a great opportunity for design students to gain an insight in the working life and what the future awaits us. I found the experience of cooperating with 3M and BPMA highly enriching and I especially appreciated the visit to 3M and the opportunity to meet and discuss with parts of their design team. In addition to the inspiring experience, it has proven to be a terrific 'door opener' for me.'

You can get more information on how to get involved by visiting

http://www.bpma-student-design-award.co.uk/

and you could be the 2011 winner......as the saying goes 'You have to be in it, to win it' !!

What Some Universities are doing during Climate Week 21st-27th March 2011

2011-03-23T16:57:00.000-07:00

It is well known that Universities can teach us all a thing or two. So I decided to check out what Universities are doing during Climate Week here is a few snippets......

Leeds University Climate Week Event

Date: 21st Mar 11 - 25th Mar 11
Location: Marquee opposite University Union
Time: 10:00 - 15:00
Cost: Free
The University is using climate week to launch its carbon management plan and target of a 35 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2020/2021.
There will be events on campus including:
* A marquee hosting an exhibition on the University's energy use
* A bike powered cinema showing short eco themed-films
* A screening of the film Dirty Oil followed by a debate.
The week will also see the launch of two competitions with prizes of £500 for staff and students. The University Union will be holding events throughout the week.
The marquee will be open from 10:00 - 15:00 from Monday-Thursday. Visit from the campaign against food waste on Friday.

The University of Edinburgh Business School are already doing their bit ......read more here:

'Business School hosts Scottish 2020 Climate Group'

The 2020 Climate Group was convened to help all sectors of Scotland’s economy and civic society contribute fully to achieving Scotland’s ambitious climate change targets over the next decade. The group is chaired by SSE Chief Executive Ian Marchant and meets quarterly at different locations in Scotland – this week at the Business School’s executive education suite.

Climate change is an important strategic area of development for the Business School. This year the School has launched the world's first MSc in Carbon Finance, focussed on the business opportunities and financial flows driven by society's response to climate change. This new programme fits well with the School's portfolio of masters programmes which also includes an MSc in Carbon Management. Other recent initiatives include the creation of a successful spin-out research company, ENDS Carbon, and support for the development of the FTSE CDP Carbon Strategy Index.

The University of Warwick have had several events also:

Wednesday: Higher Education Carbon Management Programme
Since its pioneering involvement in the first phase of the Higher Education Carbon Management Programme, the University has been working hard to reduce its carbon emissions. Now in the final year of the original programme, there have been some notable successes in reducing carbon emissions across the University, resulting in both absolute and relative reductions in emissions. In 2010, the University committed to significant reduction targets and, in conjunction with the Carbon Trust, has established an implementation plan to meet these targets by 2020.

For more information, visit the Estates Office's Energy, Water and Carbon pages at http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/about/environment/energy/

Tuesday: WMG
WMG's hybrid vehicle research team is at the cutting edge of providing future sustainable transport solutions. The team has created a powertrain architecture simulation tool (from internal combustion engine only, through to any hybrid architecture, to pure electric vehicles ) that allows the rigorous technical and financial comparison of eco-friendly and conventional vehicles. This has delivered benefits for industry in concept vehicle modelling, control strategy development and component sizing. The team's current research is focussed on learning how a greater understanding of driver behaviour and driving style can lead to further improvements in energy efficiency.

Last month saw the launch of their Vehicle Energy Facility (funded by Advantage West Midlands and ERDF as part of the Science City Research Alliance (SCRA) Energy Efficiency Project ), that gives them a unique capability for testing and characterising advanced hybrid vehicle powertrain concepts.

You can read more on WMG's Hybrid Vehicle Research at http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/research/hybrids

Monday: School of Life Sciences
The School of Life Sciences is undertaking a wide range of research relevant to climate change with the aim of identifying the problems, providing the solutions and recognising the opportunities of a changing climate for agriculture and the rural landscape. The key issues of impact, mitigation and adaptation are all subject to detailed investigation. > and, in order to celebrate, we are showcasing activities across the University relating to climate change improvement and adaptation. There is a huge diversity of both academic and administrative work undertaken at the University relating to the complex issues affecting climate change.

You can read more on the Crop Centre's pages here - http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/lifesci/wcc/research/climate

De Montfort University:

The Energy Saving Challenges of an Iconic Building

Graham Law
Head of Technical Services at the National Space Centre (NSC)
Tuesday, 5 April 2011, 13:00 - 14:00
Queens Building, Lecture Theatre 1.10, De Montfort University
From 2005, Graham Law oversaw a low energy retrofit & reengineering programme of the National Space Centre, one of the most iconic buildings in the UK, achieving a reduction over 50% in energy consumption. Graham will provide an overview of the project details, addressing the practical issues to consider during the design of such buildings and how this can lead to conflict between style, efficiency and practicality. In light of these conflicts Graham will address the solutions for energy saving retrofit that were applied to the NSC building and Rocket Tower. The talk will take place in one of De Montfort University's iconic buildings - the Queens Building - that itself is subject to a programme of energy efficiency and sustainable measures as part of the Living Lab research project.
All are welcome to attend

For further information contact Dr Stefan Smith at stsmith@dmu.ac.uk

DMU Climate Week Open Day

Climate Week Open Day

Thursday, 24 March 2011, 12:00 - 15:00
Hugh Aston Building, De Montfort University

Between 12pm and 3pm on the 24th of March, the Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development is organizing an open day event as part of Climate Week (www.climateweek.com). The event will take place in the Hugh Aston Building main Atrium with a series of stands (informative and interactive) highlighting research, initiatives and existing groups within DMU and Leicester that are in someway focused on issues of climate change and sustainability. There will, therefore, be a diverse range of activities - such as guided 'green walks' around Leicester, a chance to have your carbon footprint calculated, displays of realtime energy use in DMU buildings, interactive stands on cutting edge research and DMU green initiatives, and guided tours of the £35 million Hugh Aston building. The event will close with a talk by Roger Courtney on Urban Climate and Energy Use that will run from 2pm-3pm in lecture Theatre 0.08 of the Hugh Aston Building. Roger Courtney has been a key stakeholder for two major projects funded under the Living With Environmental Change programme which were coordinated by the Adaptation and Resilience to a Changing Climate Coordination Network.
Staff, students and the public are encouraged to come along to get an idea of the role DMU is playing in one of the Grand Challenge-led research areas.
All are welcome to attend

Programme of the open day can be found here. For further information contact Dr Stefan Smith at stsmith@dmu.ac.uk

Fir more information on climate week goto:

http://www.climateweek.com/supporters/

Let's all do our bit!

A Fitness Regime that will make you 'BLUSH' ?

2011-03-10T15:19:00.000-08:00

Here at Priory Garments Ltd, we have supplied many personalised garments to various groups, societies and organisations and 'Blush Dance' of Manchester is just one of our 'Treasured Customers' during the past five years.

Look out for their personalised vest tops and other garments created by us, as their 'super fit girls' swoop around those poles !!

Becky Campey owner and founder of Blush Dance in Manchester has kindly given us an insight to the best fun form of fitness around today.... Pole Fitness, here is her Holy Grail to 'Pole Fitness' , over to you Becky......

'Ok so you have decided you want to get fit, initially you think of joining the local gym, signing up for the local 10k, digging out your trainers, that fitness DVD you bought in January, or calling your mate to ask her about that crazy cabbage soup diet she was on about last week?

But does it have to be so dull and boring or can we bypass what we ‘should’ be doing to get fit and opt for something we ‘want’ to do. Don’t get me wrong I don’t believe you can get fit without some degree of effort and hard work, but does it have to feel like hard work? And can we not find other benefits from our workout too?

Many people are asking themselves this very question, and who can blame them. I am sure you have heard of the recent boom of ZUMBA dance fitness classes springing up in local gyms, church halls; maybe you have even boogied down to one. It’s clear we are making a stance! We don’t have to be bored when we exercise!! Dance and enjoyment is the way to get fit.

And it’s scientifically true too. Statistics have proven people stick to their fitness regime and gain more results when they enjoy the activity they have chosen to do. Plus enjoying your activity beings other important benefits; your body is constantly registering negative and positive messages on a cellular level which increase your ability to fight illness, disease and depression.

So if you are having fun, you naturally register more positive messages and think fun thoughts. Therefore by choosing an activity you like you are automatically increasing your immune system, energy and general well being as well as improving muscle tone, strength, co-ordination and burning calories!

So what do we enjoy doing? How about climbing a tree, a rope, learning to handstand, hanging upside down, achieving something we really thought we would never be able to do? Does this sound like fun? If so a pole dance fitness class is for you!

Pole dance fitness has slowly crept into the mainstream over the past 5 years and has been empowering women of all age’s shapes sizes and abilities since. How can you get fit wiggling around a pole?

Well the focus at pole dance fitness classes is exactly that, fitness; it’s a way to get fit whilst learning moves and routines which are designed to improve flexibility, co-ordination and muscles strength. Moves are selected due to their benefits to the body. For example at a pole dance fitness class you would expect to learn the correct way to climb a pole, good handstand technique and also how to increase grip to spin and slide. All these exercises increase arm and shoulder strength and tone to allow you to grip the pole. As you spin around the pole, your legs creating pretty shapes which tone your legs and butt. Whilst practicing to hold the pole with your legs you are using core strength to balance, improving flexibility and range of motion in your joints which allow you to perform the impressive positions.

Anyone having flashbacks about the gymnastics class you used to get taken to on a Saturday when you were 4? You might be interested to hear that pole has been compared to exactly that and there is a serious petition for it to be included as a sport at the Olympics. Not ready to be an Olympian, no problem, pole dance fitness classes are about your achievement and are designed to suit the pace of the class participants. It suits all shapes and sizes as there are so many different moves, spins, climbs, holds to choose from, all of which take sometimes 5 minutes or 5 weeks to accomplish, however its during that time of accomplishing which most benefits are reaped.

We are focused as we are enjoying the progression we notice each week. Not to mention the excitement of achieving the move we never thought we would, as well as the thrill of the spin when we get it! Now compare that with the gym, we rarely get excited when we achieve a sit up!

Admittedly we know the benefits of it but during that process we aren’t excited! But at a pole dance fitness class we are excited at achieving the moves and routines as well as reaping the fitness benefits whilst we do.

It’s this factor which makes it addictive, makes us want to practice, stick to our plan and overall reap those brilliant fitness and wellbeing benefits and create a more fabulously fit you!

Thanks Becky for your 'Guest BlogSpot'

If you want to find out more about 'Blush Dance's class times, location or any other general interest information you can visit Blush Dance at their website

www.blushdance.com

Or check out their other fabulous Pole Fitness Video's on their YouTube Channel

http://www.youtube.com/user/BeckyBlush

What Do You Think Of Our New Blog Profile?

2011-03-06T16:05:00.000-08:00

We have changed our blogger look what do you think?

Great University Information Site 'according' to the students who attend them

2011-03-04T17:05:00.000-08:00

www.uninfo.co.uk

This site is a must read for anybody who is already at Uni to see what everyone else is upto as well as anyone who is thinking of going onto university this year.

With great University reviews by the students who attend them. Uni Advice, Open Days, University Specific & Course Forum searches.

Find out best and worst things about specific Uni's 'according' to those who study there.

A great reference and interactive site.

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/University-Society-Clothing.html?soid=1102643128937&aid=Kqbada9gdVM

2011-03-04T04:53:00.000-08:00

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/University-Society-Clothing.html?soid=1102643128937&aid=Kqbada9gdVM

Honestly Speaking ????

2011-02-25T13:35:00.000-08:00

We recently got a call a from a band called 'The Honest Johns' from the NE of England asking us to supply them with garment merchandise and we happlily obliged.

So, I got to thinking who are 'The Honest Johns''? What type of music do they play and what are they about and here are my findings.

A Brief History:

'Back in the 1980s a band called 'The Honest Johns' were old school friends that had built up a following by gigging and turning out songs with great lyrics. They produced a demo tape that got the people behind Channel 4’s, 'The Chart Show' talking, and they suggested that they should put together a promotional video.'

'The video was shot but sadly, was never finished (reasons are explained a little further on their myspace history write up).

Shortly after, 'The Honest Johns' split up in 1991, leaving most of their studio recordings unheard. But the music never really went away, a German record label, Firestation Records, asked them via an email if they were the same 'Honest Johns' who released 'Tell Me About Your Childhood’in 1986? they said they were, so they explained that there was still an awful lot of interest in Germany, Japan and America.

The record label wanted to know if there was any more material? and the various band members at the time went off searching for any long lost material of the band's earlier music journey.

Read more on their myspace page here: http://www.myspace.com/thehonestjohns

This inspired them to get the band back together and record some new material to quench the thirst of their beloved fans from far flung places.

Some of the band have moved on, Peter Straughan has gone on to make a name for himself as a successful playwright/screen-writer. However, Mark Lawson and Jon Kennedy remain and are joined by Paul (Jon’s brother) and Richy Corbishley, another very old St Cuthbert's school friend.

They have recently released their new album at the end of January 2011-'Sundance' which can be downloaded from itunes here :

http://itunes.apple.com/gb/artist/the-honest-johns/id417488804?ign-mpt=uo%3D4

with 11 fantastic new songs, one of my favourites being 'Goodbye Lucille'.

You can check out their website for more picks and info on the band here:

http://www.thehonestjohns.co.uk/

or on Myspace Music

or subscribe to their blog here : http://www.myspace.com/thehonestjohns/blog:

What do you want to be when you grow up?

2011-02-12T13:19:00.000-08:00

I asked this question to my 6 year old daughter yesterday...... she replied a 'passport looker' ?????

When I left school all I wanted to do was to travel the world, but on someone else's money.... so I went on to be cabin crew for ten years.

Most of my friends went onto university to study a number of different subjects and chosen career disciplines. I did not, unlike my husband, so I only have his memoirs to draw on about the 'University Scene'. The nearest I get is in my business now and the 'Society' garments that I produce for them, such as 'Society Hoodies' and other apparell that we get asked for.

That got me thinking.....'Who are these people?' 'What do they do?' and are the societies they are in, linked directly to their chosen degree or just for fun?

I only get to know the fundamental basics during our manufacturing process, such as, the individual names we put onto these garments, the roles and positions they hold within them, and the scratch the surface details of the events they are holding.

Call me inquisitive, or just nosey, but I want to know more. We recently supplied the 'Warwick University ESMO team 2011' with embroidered polo shirts for their fourth year MEng project run by the University of Warwick School of Engineering and the European Space Agency (ESA). but to someone like me ...'what do they do?' ( and in English please... as these guys look like they know what they are doing) check out their facebook page here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/ESMO-Project-University-of-Warwick/185899674775926

Yes, I actually am interested, unlike some other companies , that may want to do the job but don't need to know any more about the group they are producing the goods for. You see, my need is personal, only if it is to gratify my own curiosity.

Then, I got a call from Steph Green from the 'Watch This' Guild of Students at Birmingham University, they asked us to produce personalised zoodies to promote their next performance of 'Between 6 and 7', which, according to the review on their facebook page, the performance had great acclaim during it's last run: and went on to say

'After great success at Buxton Fringe 2010 including nominations for Best New Writing, and shows in Liverpool this piece is given a Birmingham run presented by Watch This with an all new cast!

Check out their facebook page for more information on their upcoming event.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=27409053485#!/event.php?eid=174629582580778&index=1

But do the 'Watch This Society' do this full time as a chosen direction or is it for fun? these are not the types of questions that get asked and answered during the ordering process, especially with me, as I can be too naturally inquisitive, which you don't necessarily want on an initial order phone call.

So what I am saying is ... feed me your news, your events and what your society represents to you and let's see if:

The 'Sheffield Real Ale Society' http://realale.union.shef.ac.uk/ is that much different in what they are saying, doing and loving, to say, the University of Bristol's Real Ale Society ?? http://www.ubu.org.uk/societies/bristol-real-ale

I am intrigued and keen to learn about people's passion and dedication to all things Society and look forward to any up and coming comments that may enlighten me more.

Jo Ross