Blogs

It's strange what can influence someone's performance. For example, it is a curious fact that Olympic athletes perform better if their teeth are well looked after. And despite Disney's exhortations to "whistle while you work", you may not necessarily link music with better performance. Yet that is exactly what neuroscientists at the Proceedings for the…

Carlisle is in the news again. What was supposed to be a one in 100 year flooding event has happened three times in the last ten years.

It's really positive to see the amount of support Cold Homes Week - the Energy Bill Revolution campaign - is receiving this week, as businesses, charities and organisations make a stand against fuel poverty. The scale of the issue is so serious that we need to do all we can to urge government to stop…

The salary question is always an awkward one, but sometimes when you're hungry, you need to ask for more. We are convinced that an increase in salaries will give a boost to companies, the economy, and is also a key factor in the overall health and sustainability of the housing industry. So our question is…

It's not a good time to be trying to sell anything even slightly on the heavyside. Yesterday's State of Trade Survey from the Construction Products Association shows that the heavyside is suffering the effects of the credit crunch-triggered housing collapse more than most. Only to be expected, of course, since it's the heavy materials, the…

Hmm. Tax cuts. So the Prime Minister is thinking about bringing in tax cuts so that we can all start spending again and re-energise the high street, the housing market and the economy in general and get us about of the financial mess we're in (in time for the next election, perhaps?).

Wandering round the EcoBuild show a couple of weeks ago, several things struck me. One, obviously, was 'where on earth am I and how can I find that stand I want?', but one other was how mainstream the show seems to have grown.

At last, there's a government-organised scheme which is going to benefit some builders merchants - two schemes actually.

Whoo Hoo! Permit me, if you will, to gloat, just a little over the fact that there will apparently be an announcement in the PreBudget Report later today of a Boiler Scrappage Scheme, similar to the car scrappage scheme.

Wow, this national insurance row is hotting up. Now Jewson's Peter Hindle has waded into it.