Car Hire at Heathrow Airport?

What's the easiest way to get to Heathrow airport?

I'm not too keen on allocating ridiculous amounts of money on parking for two weeks and I'll probably be worried that something will happen to my car whilst I'm away. I think I've been watching too many 70's cop shows where bad guys nick cars from car parks with little effort. I'm sure security is perfectly adequate though and I'm being paranoid, but I can't help it.

I also can't find any buses or trains which will get me there when I need to be, I'm not good at waiting about for 6 hours in airports, I get frustrated and annoyed.

I was thinking I might have to take the plunge and hire a car to Heathrow airport. At least I can have more of a say in when I travel. It'll also give me a chance to drive a new car which will be interesting. I'll probably need something quite roomy with all the luggage I inevitably end up taking away with me. I probably wouldn't be able to see out of my little car once it was loaded up.

Luckily the holiday isn't for a while yet so there's time to consider my options.

How To Cool The Climate

With all the talk about global warming these days, msnbc have done a little featurette on some of the more desperate measures scientists have come up with to cool the planet.

It contains ideas such as sprinkling the atmosphere with volcanic dust, carbon sinks, seeding the ocean with iron ore, building huge artificial trees to trap CO2 and launching solar umbrellas. It also explains briefly the idea behind each one and their respective drawbacks.

It will be interesting to look back later on and see which, if any were used and what other methods were employed.

Choosing a Sofa Bed – Five Top Tips

If you’d like to invite friends or family members to stay overnight, but don’t have enough space for a spare bed, a sofa bed may be the perfect solution. The sofa bed is one of the most practical items of furniture that you can buy, thanks to its dual purpose, space-saving design.

If you’re planning to buy a sofa bed, it’s important to choose one that meets your needs and look great. Here are five tips to help you to choose the right sofa bed for your home.
1. Measure up carefully
Firstly, you’ll need to work out where you are going to put your new sofa bed and measure up to see how much room you have. Make sure that you have enough space for the bed to be fully opened. If you have plenty of space, it’s worth buying a large sofa bed, as your guests will have more room to stretch out, making for a more comfortable night’s sleep. However, make sure that when the sofa bed is extended, it won’t block any doorways and that there will be enough space around it for your guests to be able to move around the room easily.

It’s also important to make sure that you will be able to get your new sofa bed through your front door and any internal doors, so measure up these areas as well.
2. Don’t skimp on quality
As with other items of furniture, choosing a high-quality sofa bed will be more cost-effective in the long term than buying a cheaper, lower quality sofa bed. Make sure that any sofa bed that you are considering meets the relevant British Standards and check to make sure that the foam used in the seat cushions is of good quality. It’s particularly important to check the product details to see whether the sofa bed that you like is intended for occasional use or regular use before buying it, to make sure that it will suit your needs.

3. Make sure it’s comfortable Sofa beds usually have either sprung mattresses or foam mattresses. Sprung mattresses tend to be firmer than foam mattresses, and are also more durable, so if you’re likely to be using your sofa bed regularly, a sprung mattress may be the best option. However, you may prefer a softer mattress and if you aren’t likely to be using your sofa bed regularly, a foam mattress may be better for you.

4. Choose the upholstery carefully Choose a sofa bed with upholstery which will be practical and easy to clean, as well as looking good in your home. Many retailers sell sofa beds which use stain-resistant fabric, which is particularly useful if you have children! If you’re thinking about replacing other furniture in your home at the same time, you may be able to find a range of furniture which includes a sofa bed, so you will know that your furniture will all match perfectly.

5. Look online for discounts Some online retailers offer a fantastic range of sofa beds and will deliver your new furniture directly to your door. You can also find some great discounts and offers by shopping for sofa beds and other furniture online.