by Fern Shaw | Mar 17, 2014 | Water, water cooler, Water Coolers
I’ve been known to disembowel clocks that tick (not disarm ticking clocks – that I leave to the brave people of the Bomb Squad). I’ve also run around strange houses and tightened taps almost to the point of stripping the thread because I cannot abide what I call ‘Lazy Person Water Torture’. I recently saw an episode of some series where the main protagonist takes a golf club to a dripping tap and then his wife repairs the tap – how’s that for an equal household!
Now you know what to do when it comes to your water cooler having a dripping spigot – you just call us.
In these other instances however, I’m not quite sure what remedy to suggest. Have a gander:
When a truck carrying construction glue collided with a bus in Chengdu City, China, it dowsed the street with its sticky contents. Firefighters tried – unsuccessfully – to remove the glue by diluting it with water guns and some observers even were stuck in it. The adhesive was finally dissolved using chemicals.
In the past few years, honeybees have spilled onto highways in Montana, Canada and California, where 10 million to 16 million angry buzzers responded by stinging firefighters, police and drivers. Honeybee hives are regularly shipped to farms around the country to pollinate crops, since colony collapse disorder has decimated local bee populations.
Apparently, years ago, there was a lot of mackerel transported from Devon and Cornwall to Grimsby in tipping trailers and a few times the locking catches were not strong enough and the loads ended up on the road where the truck drivers parked for their rest. On one occasion a car stopped sharply for no apparent reason and the fish carrying lorry stopped just as quickly and the fishy load came over the lorry and into the car.
While it may not grow on trees, money has flooded public streets on multiple occasions. In 2004, an armoured truck crashed on the New Jersey Turnpike, spilling $2 million in coins. In 2005, another truck caught fire in Alabama, spilling $800,000 in quarters. And in 2008, a driver on his way to the Miami Federal Reserve fatally crashed, spewing $185,000 in nickels.
And, my favourite:
In 2000, millions of the popular LEGO plastic toys went for a swim when a ship hit by a rogue wave dumped a container full of them overboard. The beloved blocks have now bobbed through the Northwest Passage to the shores of Alaska, one scientist calculates.
I have this vision of remote mini communities somewhere in the world who now have brightly coloured homes due to this. But that’s just me.
Perhaps you won’t feel as bad about mistreating your water cooler after reading about these rather epic spills. That said, be nice to your water cooler! They do after all, keep you hydrated rain or shine.
by Fern Shaw | Feb 17, 2014 | water cooler
So here you were thinking that the British Isles must be one of the soggiest places on Earth. Not true, say I.
In fact, we don’t even feature (lucky us) in the top 10 of most rain drenched places around the globe.
Whether you love rain or spend your days dreaming of the dry heat of Timbuktu, here is Part One of the rain-iest places:
10. Tavoy, Myanmar:
Checking in at a dehydrated 214.6 inches (545 cm) of average rainfall a year is Tavoy, Myanmar. That’s measly drizzle compared to the next nine places (the top 5 in Part Two). Thinking about it, the Ayeyarwady River didn’t grow to be 1,000 miles long by itself. Mother Nature provides a little help from the skies.
9. Kikori, Papua New Guinea:
An almost equally arid area (in comparison to the following 8 places) is Kikori, Papua New Guinea which experiences an average annual rainfall of 232.9 inches (592 cm).
8. Henderson Lake, British Columbia:
Still well within the 200-300 inches of annual precipitation category is Henderson Lake, British Columbia with a usual annual rainfall of 256.0 inches (650 cm) every year.
7. Andagoya, Colombia:
The ordinary accumulation of rainfall at 281.0 inches (714 cm) in Andagoya, Colombia each year is moving closer to, but still not hitting, the 300 inches per year mark. The inhabitants are certainly receiving their fair share of precipitation, but still not saturated.
The next place enjoys 300 – 400 inches (approx 750 – 1,000 cm) of annual rainfall. Hardly worth shaking an umbrella at, you might argue. This is the kind of rain where your wellies overflow and the odd children or small dogs tend to disappear in the puddles.
6. Bellenden Der Range:
The 340 inches (864 cm) of rainfall experienced annually drenches and deluge Bellenden Der Range, Australia. How do they cook all those “shrimp on the Barbie” with all that rainfall?
British Colombia is not in Britain, so don’t go thinking you’ve caught me out on this one.
Now, how about you absorb all of this wonderful new information and have some amazing facts to strew around your next conversation at the water cooler (from AquAid, of course) when Billy Buttons starts up about how soggy Britain is.
by Fern Shaw | Jan 16, 2014 | Health and Hydration
I’ve schlubbed my way in from my ‘olidays and am gearing myself up for the AquAid Drink Water Daily Challenge and all of a sardine, it strikes me – what am I going to be drinking out of? I can’t just drink out of any old thing (actually I can, but being a tactile sensitive person, I’m fussy – deal with it), I need something that screams (softly) ‘DRINK FROM ME BECAUSE I’M JUST TOO GORGEOUS NOT TO’ or something thereabouts.
Bearing in mind that despite what the head honcho’s would like, I’m not chained to my desk 24/7, which means that during the hours I’m not in the office drinking from our water cooler, I’m going to need an alternative, thus the great internet search commenced. Great galloping grannies did I come across some doozies, as you will see from the images.
I’m very into glass containers at present; however, I doubt it’s very practical lugging an unusual glass water bottle like the one pictured above just to gain some style cred. Uh-uh.
I did quite like the ‘wrist-bottle’, but being rather co-ordination challenged, it’s likely that seventy percent of the water would end up splashed all over my keyboard, which would pretty much defeat the object of the keeping well hydrated part of the challenge.
Rather like, ‘What differences are noticeable after four weeks of three litres per day?’
‘Well, nothing noticeable on me, mate, but my keyboard’s sprouted a few potatoes’…
I also came across this rather ‘take me to your leader’ type container, very reminiscent of the green creatures from Toy Story, but common sense prevailed, as I’d probably spend more time playing with the water bottle than actually drinking from it.
After exhaustive research, I decided that I’d just use my plain Jane, weather beaten water bottle, because the focus here is drinking the water and seeing the result and not how ‘stylish’ I look while drinking the water.
I have had a little word with the office though and asked them if I can decant the water from the water cooler for after hours, to which they agreed. Good for me! (Initially I did ask if I could borrow the water cooler bottle, but that didn’t get the desired response.)
If you’d like more information about what the AquAid Drink Water Daily Challenge is all about, drop us a line or telephone our HQ, we’d love for you to participate with us – the results can only be good!
by Fern Shaw | Dec 18, 2013 | Uncategorized
For such a teensy island I must say Britain certainly packs in a plethora of trivia from all around.
- The Slimbridge Wildlife & Wetlands Trust is the world’s largest and most diversified wildfowl centre. It has the largest collection of swans, geese, and ducks on Earth, and is the only place where all six species of Flamingo can still be observed. (We don’t source any of our water from here – promise.)
- Mother Shipton’s Cave near Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, is England’s oldest recorded tourist attraction. Its owner, Charles Slingsby, fenced off the site in 1630 and started charging visitors to gape at this so-called petrifying well. The mineral-rich water from this uncanny spring has the ability to give objects a stone-like appearance after a prolonged exposure. (Nor from here.)
- An official report of the European Union surveying universities in all member states ranked the University of London as the top performer in terms of publications and in terms of citations, and the University of Cambridge as top performers in terms of impact.
- French was the official language of England for about 300 years, from 1066 until 1362. Mais oui!
- The world’s largest second-hand book market can be found at Hay-on-Wye, a small village at the border of England and Wales. The village is also famous for proclaiming itself independent from the UK in 1977.
- Fish ‘n chips are apparently not much more a traditional English dish than is Chicken Tikka Masala. The first combined fish ‘n’ chip shop was actually opened by a Jewish immigrant, Joseph Malin, within the sound of Bow Bells in East London around 1860.
Now you know. What is home grown (so to speak) and all things British, is our water. Whether it’s from the Scottish highlands, the Warwickshire countryside or from a natural spring deep in the Irish Hill, AquAid’s water is packed full of minerals and nutrients to keep you topped up and super hydrated. Drink up. Enjoy.
by Fern Shaw | Nov 25, 2013 | Charity, water cooler, Water Coolers
The Bupa Great Birmingham Run is the biggest half marathon in the Midlands.
‘Formerly known as the Birmingham Half Marathon the event was first staged in staged in 2008 and in 2009 also incorporated the World Half Marathon Championships.
England’s second city is the perfect stage for the event which attracts competitors from across the UK and around the world.
In 2012 Kenyan Micah Kogo won a thrilling sprint for the line ahead of Abera Kuma to set a new course record. Kogo, who dominated the race almost from the start, breasted the tape in a time of one hour and 17 seconds to deny his Ethiopian rival victory by two seconds with World record holder and pre-race favourite Zersenay Tadese third in 1:01:06.
On a very misty morning, Kogo – after losing the previous month’s Bupa Great North Run by a second – made amends by smashing the course record of 1:01:29 set a year ago by the legendary Ethiopian, Haile Gebrselassie.
The women’s race saw Sara Moreira taking total control in the last three miles to notch a runaway victory ahead of Ethiopia’s former World Half Marathon champion Berhane Adere.
The course takes in some of the city’s most iconic sights including the Bullring, the Cadbury’s factory in Bournville and Edgbaston cricket ground. Live music from ‘bands on the run’ keep you motivated every step of the way and thousands of supporters turn out to cheer finishers across the line on Broad Street in the heart of the city centre. ‘
Our Scott Barnbrook, of AquAid Birmingham, is quite the individual when it comes to participating in events for charity and/or improving his health. A recap here.
Good on yer, Scott, for competing in and finishing this rather marvellous and historical marathon!
Remember though, whether you’re running or exerting yourself in any kind of strenuous activity, you need to keep hydrated. This means drinking water. If you’re just zooming around your cubicle at 36 revolutions p/m, that also counts.
For any water cooler requirements, contact Scott at AquAid Birmingham, he or his team will be happy to help.
