News & Stories

  • Building a sanctuary in my backyard

    Building a sanctuary in my backyard

    There’s nothing more frustrating than feeling like your home is bursting at the seams. That’s exactly where we found ourselves a few months ago. With two children, a busy household, and no spare space to breathe, we were desperate for a change. Moving to a larger house wasn’t an option—the soaring property prices and the upheaval of relocating were simply out of reach. So, after much deliberation, we decided the best way forward was to expand our current home.

    But where to start? The idea of a traditional extension seemed too overwhelming and costly. Then, one night I stumbled upon the idea of an orangery-style conservatory. It sounded perfect: an elegant way to add space, light, and value to our home without a full-scale renovation.

    After researching local companies, we came across Weathertech Roofing. Their reviews were glowing, and their experience with orangery style roofs stood out. I called them for a consultation, and from the very first meeting, we knew we were in good hands.

    The process began with a detailed discussion about our needs. I explained how we envisioned the space: a bright, airy room that could double as a playroom for the kids during the day and a cozy family retreat in the evenings. Weathertech’s team were professional and attentive, offering practical suggestions while ensuring the design matched my vision.

    When construction began, we were pleasantly surprised by how smoothly everything ran. The team were punctual, tidy, and highly efficient. They kept us updated at every stage, ensuring we felt involved and informed. Watching the structure take shape was thrilling—especially when the stunning orangery roof was installed. The combination of glass panels and intricate framework let in so much natural light that the space immediately felt like a sanctuary.

    Now that it’s finished, I can’t imagine life without our new conservatory. It’s the most versatile room in our home. The kids love playing there, and I finally have a peaceful spot to enjoy a coffee and some much-needed quiet. We’ve even hosted family dinners, and everyone has commented on how stylish and inviting the space feels.

    Looking back, I’m so grateful we chose Weathertech Roofing for the project. Their professionalism and reliability made the entire experience stress-free, which is a rarity when it comes to home improvements! Choosing a reputable contractor wasn’t just a smart decision—it was the key to transforming our house into the perfect family home.

    If you’re considering a similar project, I can’t stress enough how important it is to do your homework and work with a trusted company. It made all the difference for us, and I’m sure it will for you too.

  • I’m and AFOL and extremely proud of it.

    I’m and AFOL and extremely proud of it.

    Yep, call me what you want – I am proud to be an AFOL.

    “Whats an AFOL?” I hear you say?

    It stands for Adult Fan of Lego, and its a label I am proud to wear. Ever since I was a child I have loved the famous bricks, and have enjoyed many an hour building everything from cars to castles – and then enjoyed smashing them all to pieces so I could build something new.

    I dont know what it was about LEGO that drew me to its colourful blocks, but Meccano and K’NEX didnt stand a chance. I was LEGO Till I Die.

    Shoot forward a few decades, and I am still drawn to LEGO in every form. My kids regular LEGO or the couple of LEGO Technic kits I have bought or been gifted over the years – nothing quite beats a few hours clicking bricks together to make something cool.

    Dad AFOL

    I was over the moon when my kids started enjoying LEGO building, as it meant I could relive my own childhood through them. They were naturally gifted builders from day one, I wonder if I somehow passed it down to them through DNA? (lol) Perhaps my bodies “building blocks” have evolved to be more brick shaped, like LEGO itself – and so my children were dreaming of becoming master builders before they could even say the word minifigure?

    AFOL Problems

    For all its benefits there are a few things that put a damper on being an AFOL – or being a fan of LEGO at any ages I suppose. One of these negatives is the cost. A good LEGO set can cost you upwards of £100, and many of the kits I want are just simply out of reach re pricing and/or having the room to actually put them anywhere once built. I did see a cool LEGO Technic wall mounting product that was being sold specifically to mount large LEGO Technic builds on, and each mount had been colour matched to certain kits.

    An AFOL s dream! Wall hanging LEGO Technic!

    They do so many of the mounts and they look AMAZING, butttt… you’ve still got to have a lot of walls to mount them on and if you’re like me and get bored of things quite easily so I’m quickly on to the next build – meaning I would have Technic LEGO covering every single wall in my house. And whereas that does sound pretty cool, I’m not sure my wife would be too thrilled about it. Also, they are gonna cling on to some serious dust, meaning they are likely to just become another thing to stick on the never ending list of jobs we have to do – on rotation – in our homes.

    AFOL Saviour

    Its for that reason I was quite glad to stumble upon Brick Club, which is a UK based LEGO Technic Subscription service, allowing me to build the kits of my dreams without having to fork out £100’s for the privilege. A kit arrives, we build it and enjoy the process, then we break it apart – being careful not to lose any pieces!

    Then we send it back for free and wait for the next one to arrive. Its a simple process and so far its been a blast. Me and my kids have had fun building the Lambo, the Landy and many of the other kits they have in stock, I hope to get the huge Liebherr excavator next!

    The only issue I have with the service so far is they sometimes take a day or two to get back to me (my second kit was a model we actually own so I emailed them about how I block out certain kits from rotation) but I have learned they are a small team running it around families and stuff – so I don’t mind too much giving them a bit of slack.

    So anyway, I’m an AFOL and I’m proud. Now, pass me a red 2×3 block please…

  • The 1 deadly Talc ingredient they didnt tell you about

    The 1 deadly Talc ingredient they didnt tell you about

    I was alarmed when I heard Johnson and Johnson were under fire for selling Talcum Powder for decades, even though they knew there was a chance it could also contain asbestos!

    What the hell!

    I used it when changing my children’s nappies, I use it at the gym after i’ve showered – and this whole time, I could (or my kids could) have been breathing in harmful Asbestos particles?!

    How can this have happened?

    Well, I was today-years-old when I learned that Talcum Powder is actually mined! I had never really given any thought to how we ended up with Talc, but I certainly didn’t think that it was something that humans obtained by digging big holes and extracting minerals from the earth!

    Talc mining involves two primary methods: open-pit mining and underground mining. The choice of technique depends on factors such as deposit depth, size, and quality. Open-pit mining: This method is commonly employed when talc deposits are located near the surface.

    Source

    And it turns out that Talc and Asbestos are mined side by side, and based on reports and articles I have read, it appears they cant really rule out cross-contamination when they are harvesting it from the mines, so chances are that every bottle of baby powder you have ever bought contained dangerous asbestos particles that could have caused serious health conditions for you and/or your family.

    Scary, huh!

    What can you/should you do?

    Well firstly, its probably not sensible to buy or continue to use OG Talc, so if you do like to use products like this then go for a brand that uses Corn-starch, not Talc in their products.

    Bottle of Talc

    You definitely dont need to enlist the services of an asbestos removal company if you have old tubs of Talc lying around – just throw them in the bin.

    And perhaps an overarching lesson here for us all, is to ensure we are always aware of what we are putting in and on our bodies. From the food we eat, to the skincare products we use on a daily basis. You never know what hidden nasties lurk on those ingredients lists, so give them a scan and ensure you are are not at risk.