If ever there was one-word for the salvation of a country then this would be it - Tourism!

The question is this: Would Wales be the place it is today without Tourism?

I have been fortunate enough to visit Wales on a number of occasions and each time I have gone I found it to be an absolute delight. I have been lucky enough to enjoy a number of short breaks in Wales but I have certainly never gone for a one week or two week holiday, it has always been for a couple of days or for a long weekend.

There are an abundance of things to do in Wales; from fantastic restaurants, to arts, spas, nature reserves, gardens, heritage, activities and attractions, you name it, the Welsh have got it!

There is no chance of everything being discovered in one go - You simply have to keep going back to Wales to get a further fix.

And that’s just it, you will keep going back!

If you love country walks, I cannot think of a finer place to go; there’s nothing better than packing the family and family dogs into the car for a weekend away taking some walks along the fine Welsh countryside. All that fresh air, all that time away from the rigours of the world - lovely! It’s what we all need and it’s what we should all do, and on a frequent basis.

Wales has got style; Wales has got quality, Wales has got character, but best of all the Welsh people have got a desire to make you feel welcome.

I can go on for hours about Wales, there is stunning scenery, some fantastic history and a great deal to pack in especially of you are looking at a short break in Wales or a weekend.

Have a look at the following sites for more information on Wales:

Short break in Wales : Visit Wales

Wikipedia: Wales

What about Free 0800 Numbers? Are they really free or somewhere down the line is someone going to paying through the nose for a free 0800 number? This is the question.

The business perspective

From a business perspective, free 0800 numbers are a way to encourage people to call in FREE OF CHARGE.

0800 Numbers are a proven method of gaining greater input into a business from front line marketing.

Well there is a cost, and ultimately you will have to pay for any calls that come into a business via an 0800 Number. The cost though is negligible given the potential new business that should be able to be converted.

Let’s say for example that a business secures an 0800 number and uses it purely as an online marketing tracking exercise for its organic search; it is an identifiable barometer as to the success of how well the natural traffic is contributing to sales.

If by securing an 0800 Number calls into a business increase by any percentage for me it is a useful exercise.

The personal perspective

Having an 0800 number is ideal for children. Yes this is the age of the mobile phone, but feel safer in the knowledge that a child could use the 0800 number to make a call home should the need ever arise.

What is you have a child that is away at boarding school or university? Again for me the use of an 0800 number is ideal as away of enabling communication should funds ever run dry.

At the cost of 4p a minute and no set-up fee that is a complete no-brainer for any parent.

Why, I would certainly advocate free 0800 numbers for business and for family.

The trouble arises when you are not eating healthily because you have no time to cook, or cannot afford to buy healthy food or because you simply cannot be bothered.

As more people live on there own than ever in the UK is it possible we are breeding a society of impoverished, mal-nutritioned subjects? Quite possibly.

After all, who wants to go home and really cook dinner? And what about beaten up housewives. If you have three kids giving you the run around, do you really want to be spending the time preparing nice food? No of course not, you want something that is quick and easy just so you can shut the kids up!

This is the problem, we are all too busy, to be doing lots of quality food cooking.

This is where nutritional supplements come in, and this is where the health stores try and get you.

But, and there is a but. If you eat the right food, cook food properly, and not over indulge on the rubbish that is so readily available you will not to indulge in the world of nutritional supplements.

There is an interesting post on UK Medical Health with 12 nutritional tips for a healthier life that is if you are interested in all this nutritional supplement rubbish!

Is car leasing not just a new badge for Hire Purchase (HP). OK, I know that a new car depreciates in value as soon as one is driven away from the dealer, but if you are paying for a car, is it not still seen as an asset?

There are so many deals around now for new cars with interest free credit, it would surely make more sense to buy rather then lease?

After all with a car lease you have to put down a deposit and pay a monthly charge? So what’s the difference? If I want a new car in three years time I am going to take the car that “I own’ and trade it in!

The other factor with leasing a car is that a car owner is subjected to a mileage restriction. If a motorist goes over the allowance they are clobbered with additional fees.

Personally I would rather pay for a car over a 36 month period and know that it is mine to do what I want with at the end of the three year period.

There are literally stacks of car leasing businesses out there trying to take our money, it is a big market and by all accounts it is only going to get bigger.

Perhaps I am missing the point and need to have a really good look at what the various car leasing companies have to offer, after all your local car salesman is not going to be too up-front if it is costing him commision.

I’d still rather buy a car than lease, but I am not against being converted.

No doubt the bride’s parents (who are hopefully minted) are being fuelled by the excesses of the bride to arrange a sumptuous feast for the guests to fill their bellies as they celebrate the joyous occasion, but who is to cook the food? Do you trust family members to deliver a banquet? Can Aunt Janet really offer sandwiches to rival that of a professional catering company? (Of course Aunt Janet may happen to own an outside catering company).

Are the quiches that Mother-in-Law can create as tasty as a quiche from a local delicatessen? No disrespect but I much prefer the taste of a quiche from Tesco than those my mother-in law produces, they are just so much tastier, so there is no way that

And who wants the headache of organising the food and the preparation of food when there is so much else to organise, not me that’s for sure. All that rushing about, buying food, making food, no get real, employ the services of a professional and leave the worry to someone else.

If anything goes wrong you simply sue the backsides off the caterers and get all your money back. Of course if you have done your homework this will not happen simply because you will dealing with a catering company of repute.

There will be many other events and the like where employing the services of outside caterers should seriously be considered after all who wants to spend more time then they have to slaving over a hot stove?

Oh yes, the most romantic day of the year when we are meant to demonstrate our love to our partners. The fact that anyone has to be forced into taking their girlfriend/wife out for a meal because the calendar falls on the 14th February is an absolute joke.

There is nothing more crass than going out to a restaurant on Valentines Day. Look around you, the restaurants are packed full of people who have no idea what to say to each other, it is simply a load of old tosh!

For the hen-pecked men of this world, they will be feverishly looking for a gift to give to a loved one, why? What does it mean? It is nothing more than a retail exercise to take your money!

There is no chance of me buying jewellery, or roses or stumping up £3 for a card which is meaningless.

And why is it that florists can suddenly without any real justification triple the price of roses? It is an absolute con. Trading standards should swoop on any florist that follows this practice. There is no need for it, it is pure exploitation!

There are another 364 days in throughout the year when you can proclaim your love; so why do it simply because every hungry retail business owner wants your cash!

From what I can heard there will not be too many blue chip businesses that do not embrace asset management. The element that made me think is how many SME’s utilise fixed asset management and inventory control. Nor is it a case where small to medium sized businesses do not need to embrace this level of business management.

Large UK retailers must have a tough time tracking everything through, can you imagine the assets that Tesco has at any one time!

The Wiki provided some useful information on fixed asset management and its virtues including this excerpt -

‘Asset tracking software allows companies to track what assets it owns, where each is located, who has it, when it was checked out, when it is due for return, when it is scheduled for maintenance, and the cost and depreciation of each asset.’

I have been swayed by superior knowledge and insight that knowing where a business assets are and how they are working is an essential part of company profitability

Fixed Asset Management - Why? Because it will save a business money in the longer term.

See the full post on Wikipedia

Does it mean the measurement of something that is level? Does it mean to measure something before making it level? Or does it mean something totally different?

Well in truth any of the three answers could be right, but it is not until you start to think about it do you find that ‘level measurement’ affects our lives every day of the year.

The majority of us drink tea or coffee or a liquid of one form or another. If you use the kettle, what do you look at when filling it? Of course we all use the level indicator - we need to measure our levels of liquid.

Now open your imagination to other every day elements that require level measurement. If you drive you will go knowhere should you run out of fuel. But what element are ou reliant on knowing there is still fuel left in the tank? A vehicle would be useless without fuel, much the same as a petrol station would be useless if its fuel tanks ran dry. This is where level measurement comes into its own.

Cooking is a prime example of where simple level measurement is required; when adding solids or liquids to a recipe they typically need to be measured, even a simple recipe requires level measurement.

For once I can see the benefit of a product; and without the benefit of level measurement instruments and sensors our lives would be very different. Technology really does move at a pace many of us cannot keep up with, businesses which we rely on for everyday items require level measurement to enable their automated build systems to function because without them you would not even be allowed to enjoy baked beans!

You can find further information on Level Measurement from the following sites:

The basics of Level Measurement

Wikipedia: Level Measurement

The situation is not unthinkable, it happens every year!

Take last summer, we all know it was incredulously lousy, in fact all it seems to have done since last year is rained, so planning a summer wedding with a bit of canvas over separating me from the elements is nothing short of risky.

If you have a glorious day then a Marquee makes perfect sense, but, and here’s the but, you can never predict the weather in the UK and that is exactly why I cannot see me ever choosing to have an event in a Marquee. Give me a hotel with four walls and a fixed bar any day of the week and I am a far happier person! Or give me a guarantee there will be no rain - but that is not likely to ever happen!

The ghost hunting spectacle is nothing short of visual diarrhoea. Fronted by the unpopular Paul Ross who is as equally untalented as the blood-sucking Jonathan Ross who loves his big wage packet courtesy of the UK’s TV license payers, the show sends ex Blue Peter presenter to locations throughout the UK to make contact with ‘the other side’.

Most Haunted has more loopholes than an MP’s rulebook and looks as genuine as the war in Iraq.

I found a blog post that summed-up the charade that is Most Haunted have a look for yourself.

Most Haunted - Fake!