Author: James Anderson, FRSA, CMgr MCMI

A greedy handyman has been jailed after paying himself £102,000 from an elderly woman’s bank account – just for doing odd jobs for her. Simon Appleby, 40, had worked for the woman in south Shropshire from September 2019 until she died in December 2022, with one suspicious £15,000 transaction made one hour before she died in hospital. Shrewsbury Crown Court heard how he worked initially as her cleaner, but later went on to do a number of handyman jobs like changing lightbulbs and painting her garage. The trusting pensioner allowed him to take payments after using her laptop to log into…

Overall gas demand increased by 15% in November compared to October, as households, businesses and public buildings turned up the heat during a wet, unsettled month that marked the transition into winter. But Gas Networks Ireland’s latest Gas Demand Statement shows that overall gas demand fell by 8% on an annual basis, mainly driven by the 13% decrease in gas fired generation. Gas generated 42% of the county’s electricity in November, up from 39% in October but nine percentage points lower than November 2024’s level of 51%. The contribution to electricity generation from gas peaked at 79% and did not…

Atina Kitchen, in Foregate Street, was known for its inventive small plates and was a favourite brunch spot for many in the city. Sadly though, the business announced on Monday, December 29, that mounting challenges had meant that it would be closing its doors for the final time. A statement on the restaurant’s Facebook page, written by owner Jake Potter, said: “I’m going to keep this fairly brief. “Although this is hard to put into words, it’s helped by thinking about the incredible people I’ve worked alongside, amazing customers, great suppliers, producers and makers who have supported us and what…

Affric Highlands aims to restore nature across more than 200,000 hectares of the central Highlands, through a linked network of landholdings stretching from Loch Ness to Kintail, including Glens Affric, Cannich, Moriston, Shiel and Urquhart. Coordinated by charity Rewilding Affric Highlands, the landscape brings together a wide coalition of landowners, local people, charities, businesses and others to boost biodiversity, tackle climate change, and create extensive social and economic opportunities for people. FLS, the Scottish government’s forestry agency, and Rewilding Affric Highlands have signed an agreement this month bringing the Glen Affric National Nature Reserve and other FLS landholdings in the glen…

Mark Radcliffe, founder and chief executive of Victorian Plumbing Bathroom retailer Victorian Plumbing Group is set to enter the UK homewares market through a ‘reinvented’ MFI brand. The business posted interim results covering a period of “strategic progress”. The listed business acquired the MFI brand and three letter domain name as part of its recent Victoria Plum acquisition. The brand will now underpin Victorian Plumbing’s entry into homewares, which the business said was adjacent to its core bathroom offering. Victoria Plum ceased trading in November 2024, with the expensive Doncaster lease and other operating costs exited in January 2025. In…

An ambitious DIY enthusiast has been served with an enforcement notice after neighbours complained about scaffolding that has surrounded her property for the past five years – with works set to continue until the end of the decade.Margaret Smith began transforming her pretty cottage shortly after buying it in 2020, with plans for extensive renovations both outside and inside.But the scaffolding that went up there shortly after she moved in remains there today and has been joined by piles of building materials and detritus.Neighbours have complained about the ‘extreme eyesore’ in Shipdham, Norfolk, saying how it was previously a pretty…

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s haemorrhaging of key staff is yet another sign their brand is ‘unravelling at speed’ for the couple in the US, it was claimed today.Harry’s right-hand-man James Holt, the couple’s ‘rock’ through Megxit, the publication of Spare and beyond, has quit to return to Britain to raise his family.And Meredith Maines, the couple’s communications chief, has left weeks after the couple suffered a backlash over deleted Instagram pictures of them partying with the Kardashians.Ms Maines is the fifth person in their PR machine to leave in 2025. The couple have now lost 12 advisers in recent…

ONE of Ireland’s biggest tiling firms is calling on gardai to shut down black marketplaces where criminals are earning tens of thousands of euro by flogging stolen power tools. Brian Stacey has been running his BS Tiling company in Co Kildare for the past 20 years and has been targeted four times alone in 2017 by tool thieves who nicked more than €10,000 worth of equipment. Brian Stacey has been targeted by tool thieves or times already this year BS Tiling boss Brian wants tool black marketplace shut down Last month, Brian managed to capture a number of brazen robbers…

Graylingwell Hospital opened in 1897, and Ms Millard said the hospital’s first Med Supt, Dr Harold Kidd, had a “pioneering vision”. “Dr Kidd wanted the hospital to treat people in a humanistic way, … Graylingwell Hospital opened in 1897, and Ms Millard said the hospital’s first Med Supt, Dr Harold Kidd, had a “pioneering vision”. “Dr Kidd wanted the hospital to treat people in a humanistic way, … For more information, visit MyTradeLinks.

Our BlackCore™ by Elevate product showcases true black frames against traditional brick, adding visual drama and emphasizing the home’s architectural character. With BlackCore™ by Elevate, the elegance of black windows extends beyond the exterior, creating a seamless connection between interior and exterior design. DALLAS, December 18, 2025–(BUSINESS WIRE)–“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower,” Steve Jobs said. Elevate Windows and Doors believes its BlackCore™ windows exemplify this philosophy. Not all black vinyl windows are created equal and Elevate’s BlackCore™, a new color option from the Elevate Inspire Series, proves it. Engineered for durability, long-lasting color, and modern performance, BlackCore™…