And Here It Is

For those of you who missed my published review in the Thursday September 30 2010 Edition of The Times newspaper in the UK: here is a copy of the review published on page 33.

You, the Editor
Roger Bennett, a retired firefighter from Ceredigion on yesterday’s Times

The edition got off to a great start with an excellent image of Ed Milliband across the front cover, enhanced by the inset image of his older brother. This was photographic journalism at its best: complimentary images that tell their own story. The incisive nature of the Leading Article left the reader in little doubt as to the personal challenges facing the new Labour Leader.

Given the widespread coverage of the Raoul Moat manhunt, it was a pity that the Taser debacle was reduced to a few column inches.

MindGames scored a victory regarding the chess grandmaster Michael Adams’s despatch of world No1 Magnus Carlsen. The moves and text were well presented so that the reader could easily follow the game.

We couldn’t get away from the Milliband saga, but the slant taken in Opinion was well structured, with Daniel Finkelstein reminding us that “people reciprocate favours”. People also like clothes, and with the recession still biting, it was good to be told about the lack of restraint on Milan’s catwalks. The 7.5cm “heels” race in World brought the feelgood factor, but it would have benefited from an image.

The Register delivered with the Obituary of Jimi Heselden, both in content and photograph. The “Brutal Memories” and the “Rorke’s Drift” letters complimented one another nicely.

What did we get wrong? What did we get right? Send your 250-word review of today's paper by 3pm to...

Still No More Moaning

The bathroom at our investment property is coming along nicely (Blog Posts of the 15 and 16 September 2010 apply). The new false panel and two of the other walls have been tiled and grouted floor to ceiling. The bath, sink, and all taps are in. The 'Twist n Lock' fittings have been provided above the bath and sink. The other walls have been painted with Dulux bathroom paint colour 'Frosted Steel' (photograph).

Joey (also shown in the photograph) is 26 years old and was left in place to greet his owner as she came home and opened the door to see the new NEXT towel bundle holder, NEXT double towel rail, and NEXT toilet roll holder. In my opinion the NEXT fittings are superior to the Twist n Lock ones. But the Twist n Lock fittings carry an advantage of easy fitting (when they work). Whereas the NEXT fittings conceal the screws, but in doing so also conceal the drilling points. I found that the paper templates that were supplied, to be slightly inaccurate, and NEXT time I will do some mathematics to ensure pinpoint accuracy.

My Facebook account has a bathroom photo album with some 30 photographs of the refurbishment. We now have to fit the stainless steel and glass door bathroom cabinet, the fixed and hinged panel shower screen, a new and more powerful extractor fan, and new flooring. It's been an expensive project, but one that pays dividends while we and the family make use of the property and should enhance the financial return when we eventually start letting it out at full value in a few years time.