Personalised gifts make the ideal present and will be appreciated by everyone – after all, you’ve had it specially made for them! These days personalised gifts are much, much more than a boring old mug with someones name on, or a bottle of wine with their name printed on the label. There’s an almost bewildering array of neat and clever present ideas that you can tailor to the interests and preferences of your loved ones.

What about a newspaper from a special year? Someone’s birth year, 18^th Birthday, or wedding day? Hugely popular in recent years have been personalised posters, magazine covers, and newspapers with spoof headlines. Everyone wants to see their name and face in print making this the ideal personalised present idea. The hardcore sports fanatic will most definitely want a personalised football book detailing their teams high points over the last 100 years through exciting newspaper reports and pictures.

If you are having difficulty working out which gift would be best to have tailor made for your loved ones, have a good think about their hobbies and interests. What do they like to eat, what sort of tales do they tell after a few drinks at dinner parties? Have they any particular hobbies or interests that you might be able to exploit? Thinking about these things will help you focus upon the perfect personal gift idea!

Dieting

There are many different options available for dieting, simple ones such as the Special K diet to more complex ones like the Atkins’ diet.  Diets aren’t instant and quick diets aren’t always that sensible.  If you are serious about loosing weight, watching what you eat – cut out all those chocolates and high fat foods.  Along with dieting a sensible amount of exercise should be done.

Exercising

Doing exercise can be a bit of a drag as it isn’t always convenient.  Many people spend a lot of money on Gym memberships but they can cost a fortune.  Investing in a running machine might be a really suitable option.  They’re not that expensive, they allow you to exercise in your own home, while reading or watching TV.

If you’re not sure about the best way to loose weight and tone up you could book an appointment with your GP.  They will be able to advice you on a good weight loss plan for you.  There are supplements and other methods you can take to loose weight.  There is also a lot of information on the internet which could be accessed through your desktop computers.

Wine with bread

Vertical Wine Tasting: This is when you use a collection of the same wine, just from different vintages (years of manufacture). This means that you taste a number of bottles of the same wine, with the only change being the year that it was bottled. This means that guests can taste the difference between the years. Though this may not sound that exciting, there are great differences between the different vintages, such as the weather that has effected the grapes and it allows people to try and distinguish the differences, both subtle and vivid changes

Horizontal Wine Tasting: Compared with vertical wine tasting, this focuses on one year and one type of wine, but from many different producers. You can also combine vertical with horizontal tasting. This could be done by having the one wine from the different years, and then from one of the chosen years have tastings of other wines from different vineyards. The horizontal wines to taste can come from different regions, counties and so on – why limit yourself.

Wine with Cheese: This is a little bit different, as it is about trying to find wine and cheese pairings. It is said that by having certain cheeses with certain wines you can improve the wine’s flavour. This can be a great way of improving cheaper bottles of wine and a good excuse to indulge on some cheese as well as wine!

Wine with Chocolate: Maybe a little less obvious than tasting wine with cheese, but this could be a lovely way to try out some sweeter wines. You should try and pair chocolates with wines as sweet (preferably a little sweeter) as the chocolate and lighter chocolates with lighter wine (and wines which are more full bodied with more intense chocolate). This sort of tasting could be lovely at the end of a meal. Have your chocolates with some (more?) wine, rather than coffee or tea.

New World Vs Old World: This is when you compare wines produced in the new world (North America, Australia…) and compare them against the old world (France, Germany and so on).

Colour Varieties: This is where you compare a collection of different varieties of colour of wine (red/white). You taste the different varieties available, such as for red wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz and so on. This helps show how wine is more than just a colour, there are so many more things that affect taste.

Price Tastes: Can you really tell the difference between a £3 bottle of wine to a £30 bottle? Buy wines of similar year and variety and let guests see if they can tell the differences. This method does require hiding the packaging and not letting people know the price before hand. Though the more you pay can mean that it is nicer, it can just be because one wine maker spends more money advertising their product so have higher margins compared to an equally good, cheaper wine.

Cork Screw and Cork

In the future I give some useful tips for what to look for when tasting the different types of wine. Please post comments with anything you’d like to let me know, or any questions you have !

Fireworks at london on New Year

Transport Arrangements

I’ll start of with something that isn’t that exciting, but essential!  Having transport arrangements is very important and knowing what is running, when it is running to and so on will be vital to a safe and enjoyable New Years.

I think I should start of by saying, use public transport.  It will be much more efficient than trying to drive around the streets.   It also means you can safely drink!  Best of all, the public transport over New Years is free!  You can use the trains, trams, tubes for free on nearly all journeys!  It will be free between 23.45 and 04.30.  The night buses and 24 hour bus routes will run as normal, however if you need to catch a bus service leaving central London then due to road closures there won’t be as many of these routes running between the hours of around 19:00 to 03:00.

If you are going to London to see the fireworks then the Transport for London have this very useful firework route planner.

If you don’t fancy using public transport then you could always get a black cab.  You’ll need to bring a little bit of extra as there is an additional £4 charge between 20:00 on 31 December 2008 and 06:00 on 2 January 2009.  If you are going to use taxi’s, make sure you ask how much it will cost (or for an estimate) and only licensed taxis.

If, against my wiser advice you do decide to drive, you do not need to pay the congestion charge.  The congestion charge isn’t being enforced from 25th December to 1st Jan.  You will have to pay it again on 2nd Jan (so if you stay overnight be aware!).  If you do drive you might be sitting in your car, in traffic as the year end comes and goes.

London’s Firework Show

On New Years London will be having a fantastic firework show.  If you look at the start of this post you can see a little photo from a previous years’ display.  There’s a fantastic video of the 2008 display on youtube.

The fireworks start straight after the midnight chime from Big Ben.  Certain areas are set aside for people to view the fireworks, but these places are limited to 180,000 people.  That may sound like a lot, but in London it’s not!  Here is a map to show you the firework viewing location.

Map of Firework viewing locations

When the viewing locations are full they will be closed and you will not get in.   It may pay to try and get in a little earlier!  If you don’t get in I’m sure you’ll still be able to find a location to watch the fireworks, just the view might be a little bit hidden behind buildings or what not.

Another quick tip, unlike in past years, nothing is going on at Trafalgar Square this year.

Other Night Life

The fireworks are not the only thing to do in London over New years.  There are plenty of other events going on, such as clubs and pubs, music concerts and river cruises.

Pubs

It may pay to find pubs before and see what they’re doing.  Many will charge entrance fees in an attempt to keep numbers down (as well as to make more money).  You may need to book places so it would pay to do a little bit of research before hand.  As well as an entrance fee drinks prices will no doubt be inflated too.

Clubs

The best clubs to go to this New Years include Ministry of Sound, Pacha and Fabric.

Ministry of Sound has space for 5000 people and a sound system that would blow your mind!  They only ever play it at 45% capacity (if they played it on full it would create the loudest, man made sound).

Pacha, a famous Ibizi night club is now in the UK.  It’s meant to be a must see place, but is quite expensive to get in normally so New Years will only cost more!

Fabric has a 24 hour drinking licence and space for 2500 people.  It’s located near lots of small cafés so you can get your breakfast as you leave!  They also have speakers in the floor so you can feel the bass go through your body!  Only thing to note is, they do have UNI-sex toilets.

There are plenty of other great clubs you can go to London to too, these are just a few good ones to name!

Music Gigs

There will be a collection of smaller gigs going on, but the big one this New Year is Elton John at the O2.  Will Young and X Factor winner will also be making guest appearances.  You can book your tickets on the O2 website.

River Cruises

There are three big companies doing river cruises on new years.  They are City Cruises, Silver Fleet and Bateux London.  The advantage of a river cruise is that you’ll get a fantastic view of the fireworks, right up close on the river!  Prices aren’t cheap…expect to pay around £200!

Anything Else?

There are other things to do in London over New Years, such as restaurants and other things.   What I’ve covered are the main things.   If you are planning on doing anything I mention here please do post a comment and let me know what .

I hope you all found this useful!  Have a great New Year!

Going out

For new year parties there are really two options, go out or stay in.  The disadvantage of going out on new year’s eve is it’s really, really expensive depending on where you go.  Entrance to clubs can easily be in excess of £20…or £20 more than they usually charge depending on if you’re going to a big city or a smaller place.  For example, prices in London start at about £25/35 (and a booking fee)…and go up to over a hundred pounds or two depending on the venue and event!  As it’ll be new years eve, if you find the right venue the place will be buzzing!

If you can’t afford to go into the big clubs and places on New Year’s eve it does pay to see what events are going on.  For instance, this year I’m planning on going to London with a box of beer, watch the fireworks with friends and generally have a good time.  My friend’s sister lives in London so we can stay with her and continue the party there.  For those of us who are a bit more frugal with our money then this should still result in a fantastic night!

Staying in (but still partying the night away)

The other option is to have something at home, or preferably someone else’s.  House parties can be great fun.  If you’re having it at your house only invite people you trust otherwise there is a very big chance of things getting broken.  I’ve heard many stories about plumbing needing replacing, TV’s damaged or stolen, sick and other bodily functions over walls, floors and so on.  For the slightly more mature of you reading this might be less likely to happen if you invited people over.

Because of the risks involved with having a large house party it’s always much better to have one at someone else’s house.  This way you can enjoy the coming of a new year, without worrying about your house looking like a bomb site in the morning.  Be sure to bring plenty of your own drinks (might need to keep a close eye on it).

Having a House Party

If you are going to have a house party for New Year’s Eve there are a few things to bare in mind.  How large can it be and who will come?  What will you do?   What other arrangements need to be made?

House parties are generally open so anyone and 10 of their mates.  This is why there can be ‘complications’ with them.  I don’t mean to put you off but do be careful.  I’ve had smaller house parties where I’ve only invited people I actually like.  That way I don’t have to worry about people not respecting the my place.  The other advantage of this is that, if you have unfriendly neighbours, if you’ve got slightly less people it might be slightly quieter and be more respectful – saves having the Police shut it down.

They say how you start the new year is how the year will continue, so maybe that should be with close friends rather than trying to stop people vandalising your home.  It might mean you won’t find someone at midnight, but on the other hand after a few drinks and the lights turned down any friend might do and you just don’t need to speak about it again.

As for other arrangements, people need to be made aware.  Facebook and social networking sites can make easy application of this.  Otherwise a text or a few phone calls can do the job nicely.   Last year I organised a party at mine at lunch time on New Year’s eve by sending some texts out.  Facebook might have been easier with having to reply to comments, but a lot of people wouldn’t of found out about the night until a week later when they checked their facebook account.

Secondly you may want to get some snacks, drinks and so on…maybe even a few decorations.  £10-20 should be enough to get some snacks and a few drinks.  People should be more than willing to bring their own drinks to share around for the evening.  You could put a few decorations up…maybe even make a few silly games to get a bit of atmosphere to start with.  Short quizzes are simple to do and can just be stuck onto walls for people to have a go at.

The main consideration for a new year’s party at home is a reasonable sound system to belt those tunes out!

Start Thinking!

So start thinking about what you’d like to do.  I’ll try to post some more New Year’s advice up over the next week .   Not long to go!

Size of the Organisation

For smaller groups more input can be given by staff as to what they want to do.  It’s a good idea to still give plenty of time when arranging the event as it may be needed to change where to go, if someone cannot make it or for dietary reasons.  Larger organisations will definitely need to start arranging it earlier.  Places which can accommodate larger groups will get snapped up quickly around Christmas time.  For larger groups there are companies which specialise in running exclusive events and for smaller organisations it can sometimes be possible to share an event with other businesses.  An exclusive event can be a lot more memorable than some generic meal out, events can be themed (smart or fancy dress), DJs hired, performers (comedians, musicians…maybe even a clown?), etc.  Companies that offer these services can generally provide grouped parties, where a few smaller firms can share an event.  This helps keeps costs down and may allow people to meet other people or at least be in a more fun and social environment.

What to do and Where to go?

There are many options available for work Christmas parties.  For a smaller firm or departments a nice pub lunch or dinner may well be adequate; allowing people a bit of time to relax, have a few drinks and socialise.  Pubs and restaurants may not be able to accommodate larger parties, but most hotel chains will have rooms which they can rent out for larger events.  These generally allow people to select from a choice of foods (3 choices for 3 courses), include a bottle or two of wine per table and allow for other dinner celebrations (DJs, PA systems for awards, etc).

To find a place to go for dinner the internet or local newspapers can be a good starting ground.  Other members of staff will no doubt be able to advise a few nice places (and a few places to avoid).  If you’re in need for a larger facilities then check out the websites for larger hotel chains such as Holiday Inn, Ramada Jarvis and so on, or phone up their events planners to find out when they’ve got availabilities, what they can supply and costs.

For smaller companies a secret Santa could work well, where you buy Christmas Gifts for someone who doesn’t know you’re buying for them.

The costs involved

Arranging a large or small Christmas party isn’t cheap, especially if the whole event is subsided by the organisation.  Many companies will offer some money towards a meal and staff will be expected to pay any additional food and drink costs.  Other times no money will be contributed.  This may be the case for public sector organisations or charities/non-profits.

If staff are expected to pay for some and all there is always a bit of a quiet debate on how the bill should be split up.  It would be unfair to split it if a few people have had bottles of wine, three courses when others have had tap water and only a main course and pudding.  If companies are subsidising Christmas events and people cannot go they may expect to be given a “cash bonus”.  Many companies do not offer a “cash bonus” for people who cannot go which can create sour feelings.

Larger hotel chains may well charge from £30 to £40 a head for their base packages.  Prices at restaurants for Christmas dinners can also start in similar price ranges.  Dinners at other restaurants or pubs  which aren’t exclusively Christmas dinners may well be slightly more expensive than their usual prices so it’s best to get a few menus and price lists so people can see what’s available and what it’ll cost before the night.

Drinking Policy

It may be an important thing for staff to remember is that it is a work Christmas party.  Though it’s meant to be good fun and enjoyable things can’t get out of hand.  We’re all aware that people become a little bit more honest after a few drinks, so if people do or say things to other members of staff that aren’t appropriate, it could ruin the night as well as causing an awkward working environment when back in the office.  Companies should also be careful as many people will drive to the event but shouldn’t drive back.  You can buy breath testers quite cheaply so allowing people to check they’re still within the legal limits could be a good idea.  Another thing to do would be to put a few taxi phone numbers on the invitation or limit parking places.

Guest Policy

People may well want to bring Girlfriends and Boyfriends, Husbands and Wives so other people may need to be accommodated for.  As it’s a work Christmas event only allowing staff is definitely acceptable but allowing guests is something that should be thought over.

What to do next?

Start by finding out what sort of things people would like to do and any suggestions for places to eat or to do any of the events people have suggested (a game of bowling can be really good fun and much more affordable than a Christmas dinner).  Look on the internet, yellow pages and local newspapers and directories for places to go.  Float some of your ideas past other members of staff to make sure you’re going in the right direction and that people would be interested in going.

Get some bookings and find out who can go when, book the best option once people have signed up.  You may need to be active and persuasive to get people to complete forms quickly.

Make sure people are aware of the plan well in advance and let them know all the details.  A few posters and emails should be done as a minimum.

Most importantly have a fantastic time; leave a comment with any advice or questions you’ve got (along with how the event went!)

Finding Christmas gifts for men can sometime be difficult and stressful. Men have different tastes and desires and you need to cater for different age groups. Don’t walk around town or spend hours on the internet. We have gifts for men that will please them all.

Mens Shirts – Find the best shops for buying mens shirts.

Over the past and coming few weeks lots of people will be starting Uni and leaving home.  The first introduction to Uni is Fresher’s Week, where there are generally tonnes of events and a few fantastic memories.  It can also be a sadder time with feelings of home sick and isolation being common in mild to more extreme cases.  Your best bet is to keep busy – when you’re not is when things will start to hit home.

Here are a few tips for having a fantastic Fresher’s Week!

1. Introduce yourself to all the people in your flat and try to have a few icebreakers (drinks, sweets, etc).  These are the people you will be living with for the next year so it’s best to start off well with them.
2. Join a club.  Any universities worth their weight will have a comprehensive amount of clubs and societies; some will be sports related, some will be for particular interests (eg, computers, politics, etc).  You could even try something you’ve never done before; such as becoming a radio DJ.  Not only will joining a club look great to future employers, it will also go a long way in helping you find more friends.
3. Don’t go too mad.  It’s great to have a few drinks…but you don’t want to get any awkward nick names!  Drinking too much is bound to happen so if you are sick in someone’s bin, go around and clean up!  the other problem with drinking too much is that you’ll no doubt be feeling a bit off for the next day or two so you might miss out on other things.
4. Book tickets early!  When i started UNI I decided not to buy the Fresher’s pack which was available.  There were ques for two hours to get tickets to some of the prime events so paying for a pack of tickets (which usually works out cheaper) is an easy way to safe guard your attendance.  I know I was worried that people I knew wouldn’t want to go so I didn’t get it.  This meant that I was dressed up as a Policeman trying to find a ticket minutes up to the event starting….other people had to pay over three times to original price of the ticket!
5. Make sure you’ve got a camera!  Chances are you won’t remember everything the next morning…you might want to read some camera reviews.
6. Enjoy yourself!  Every one’s in the same boat and everyone will be a little nervous and maybe get a bit upset about being away from home.  Don’t hide away in your room…and when you want to go to your room prop the door open so people from your flat came come past and say hi!

Hopefully these tips will be of some use, but if you’ve got any questions or other suggestions then please do leave a comment .  If you’re starting uni I hope you have a fantastic time!