Showing posts with label Staffordshire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Staffordshire. Show all posts

Saturday 9 March 2013

Adjustable Beds Stoke on Trent

Adjustable Beds in Stoke on Trent

"Goodnight, perchance to sleep"


ready for bed in stoke on trent
Image:Flickr-quinnanya
Whatever our age or mobility a good night’s sleep, perhaps in a comfortable adjustable bed is very important.  Call us on 611411 today to find your new bed or to arrange a visit to our showroom.

Research suggests that most of us need between seven and nine hours sleep a night, with only one in fifty needing less than six hours.  If we don’t get enough good quality sleep it can affect our health and wellbeing, as well as our concentration and mood.

How do we achieve a good night’s sleep
and what are the key ways to ensure we do?

Healthy lifestyles, a regular bedtime routine i.e. going to bed at roughly the same time every night and of course a comfortable bed feature at the top of the Sleep Council’s list.


Are you sleeping comfortably?
Adjustable beds are one way of making sure you get the best possible comfort in bed.  If you already own a reclining chair you’ll know what we mean.

Breakfast in Bed
Source:Flickr-rightee
A motorised adjustable bed allows you to put the bed in the most comfortable position for you.  So inclining the upper body to a comfortable sitting position, whilst raising the knees so that you don’t slip down the bed, means that you can watch the television or read with ease.  It’s even a good position for breakfast in bed!


Source:Public domain
Perhaps even more importantly, slightly tilting both the top and bottom of the bed can put your spine in its correct position and aid a comfortable night’s sleep.  This is good for all of us, but particularly important for people suffering from a bad back?

The beauty of modern adjustable beds is that you can operate the motor using a hand-held control without getting out of bed!

Easier to get in and out of bed
An adjustable bed is suitable for everyone, but even more so for those of you who find getting in and out of bed difficult.  Certainly being aided into the sitting position is enough for some conditions where the core muscles aren’t strong enough for you to lift yourself.


A physiotherapist may advise on additional help, especially if you have difficulty sliding across the bed from sitting to lying down or lifting your legs onto the bed.  A pole or grab rail next to the bed can often be all the assistance you need to make sliding across easier.

Sometimes it is actually standing up from the bed that is difficult, so beds where the height can be adjusted are often all the help you need.

All of these things help to keep you independent no matter what your condition or age.

Types of electric bed

You can get beds that just raise the top of the mattress or ones that have two or three adjustable points.  Once upon a time it was only hospital beds that were adjustable but over the last thirty years or so, they have become more popular and more available for the domestic market.  Most modern adjustable beds have slatted bed bases which of course aid the movement of an adjustable bed.


 The Sherborne Dorchester Adjustable Bed - See it in Stoke on Trent.

This is a great modern adjustable bed that not only resembles a good quality regular bed and one you’d be proud to have in your bedroom, but it also has up-to-the-minute technology and is particularly strong.  In fact it can be used by people who weigh up to 25 stone.

This bed is suitable for those who just want a good night’s sleep or for those who have mobility issues.  After all we spend at least a third of our time in bed, so we need to be as comfortable as possible.

The Sherborne has a newly developed action with a very worthwhile 5 Year Guarantee for all its adjustable functions, its frame and of course its electrical parts.  That means the guarantee covers the bed and the adjustable frame, the electric motor, transformer and control box, as well as the handsets.  All other electrical parts of the bed are also covered in the 5 Year Guarantee.

With the added comfort of a top layer memory foam mattress supported by a thicker layer of reflex foam, the bed is not only ultra comfortable but designed to work with the adjustable frame.  The memory foam has the added bonus of relieving pressure, which is particularly good for those with limited mobility in bed.

The addition of a Cool-Max cover for the mattress helps to resolve any over-heating problems that may occur whilst you sleep.  The availability of the Supreme Mattress, which has a slightly softer top than the standard one, also helps to control the temperature.  Of course if you prefer, you can also take a medium or firm mattress.

This British made bed is aesthetically pleasing and would make a great addition to any home without looking out of place alongside your other furnishings.  The beds have a fully upholstered drawer for storage in the bed base too.

The double beds are similar to two single beds joined together allowing one side to be adjustable.  However we bet your partner will want to experience the comfort and movement of the adjustable bed too.

The Sherborne’s dual controls allow the top and bottom of the bed to move independently of one another.  They can be adjusted separately using the sleek backlit hand control unit, which also has memory functions built-in as standard.

If you’re looking for a top quality bed to do the job, the Sherborne is your strongest and most reliable option.  It is also sent by Express Delivery so that once you’ve decided this is the bed you want; you won’t have to wait too long for a comfortable night’s sleep.  Also available in Acapulco Grey or Acapulco Brown, why not visit our Stoke on Trent bed showroom to see one of these fabulous Adjustable Beds in Acapulco Fawn .

Saturday 2 February 2013

Telephones For The Elderly With Big Buttons


Special Phones For The Elderly or Disabled - with Big Buttons - for Stoke on Trent folk.

Helping Staffordshire and Cheshire retired and disabled people, stay connected to those they may need to contact - and be contacted by.


Public Domain Image
Telephones have certainly come a long way since that first one developed by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876.  Now we expect to be able to speak to people any where in the world or at least text them.  You’ll have noticed that many people are always speaking or texting on the phone even when walking through the streets, in a restaurant, at home, everywhere.  Nowadays we expect to be connected at all times!

People in Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire were perhaps ahead in the mobile telephone revolution in the 1980s as local entrepreneur, John Caudwell created one of the world's biggest mobile companies





Source:Wikipedia Pbroks13
Telephones are a way of keeping in contact with people who live a long way away or a lifeline to help or just for going about your daily life.  Test yours out by giving us a ring! 01782 611 411





The developments in telephones have certainly made it possible to advance phones with special applications that can make them easier for those with disabilities or mobility issues.  Now that landlines have cordless handsets and there are mobile phones that connect to a network wherever you are – most of the time – a telephone means that you can easily be connected to whoever you need to speak to at anytime.

Features and benefits of the telephone for those with disabilities
  • Cordless handsets: this means that you can keep the telephone handset close to you especially if you are slow to get to the telephone base holder or hard of hearing
  • Hands-free telephones have built in microphones and loudspeakers which means you can speak to them and hear the caller without lifting the handset
  • On-hook dialling allows you to dial a number without lifting the receiver
  • Digital or caller display telephones have a small screen on which the number of the caller (or their name if you have their number stored on your phone) comes up when they call.  This means you know who is calling before you answer the telephone
  • Telephone memory allows you to store important numbers on your phone
  • Last number redial or call-back allows you to call the last number that called you by pressing just one button
  • Inductive couplers can be built-in to the phone or a small add-on box that can be attached to the handset.  They allow hearing aids that have a ‘T’ switch to pick up the ring tone
  • A pulsator gives a vibrating sound when placed on the bone in front or behind the ear.  This helps some people to hear the conversation of the caller better
  • Keys with a raised dot on the ‘5’ help people to navigate around the keypad.  The 5 is the central button so those who can’t see for instance know this key is in the middle
  • A phone with a ringer volume control allows the user to turn the volume of the ringer up or down
  • Built-in volume control allows the user to turn the volume of the conversation on the phone up or down
Telephones for those with disabilities
A number of the specially developed features for those with disabilities can be useful for several disabilities.  Others have been developed specifically to focus on a particular problem

Telephones for the visually impaired
There are some features that can make it easier for those who find it difficult to see.
  • For instance a larger keypad with larger buttons and more space between them helps to avoid misdials; a contrasting colour to define the space between keys will also help to avoid misdials. One of the main brands is the Doro.

  • Number memory allows frequently used telephone numbers to be stored in the phone.  This is really useful for quicker dialling for those who have difficulty seeing clearly

  • The raised dot on the ‘5’ as we’ve already mentioned helps to identify where you are on the keypad as 5 is the central figure

  • Either a wall mounted telephone so that it is at eyelevel or a cordless handset which you can bring closer to your eyes are both a help for those whose eyesight isn’t as good as it used to be
  • An added bonus can be a voice prompt that is available in some answer phones.  This could give you a voice message when a message has been left on the answer machine for you.  Some of these also give you voice-prompts when you are retrieving messages left for you or trying to record outgoing messages

Telephone for those with impaired dexterity
There are several adaptations of telephones for someone with limited movement especially in their hands:
  • Large concave buttons and more space between them
  • Hands-free set so that you can just use your voice
  • On hook dialling so that the handset doesn’t need to be lifted to dial the number
  • Telephone headsets to enable private conversations i.e. not on speaker phone but still leaving your hands free
  • Number memory to store frequently used numbers
  • Pre-dial allows you longer to key in the number and then just press the dial button i.e. gives you more time and makes it easier
  • Last number redial which allows you to call the last number that called you with one key
  • An automatic answering phone allows the person dialling in to manage the call as long as they are a pre-recognised number.  All the user has to do is listen and speak into the provided clip-on microphone.  The caller has to activate the phone with a 3-digit PIN.  This also means that only those with given permission can get through
  • Telephone conversation recorders allow the user to record conversations.  This is a particularly useful feature if the user is unable to take notes
  • Holders and stands are available for the handset so that the user doesn’t have to pick up or hold the handset for any length of time – nor put it back on the receiver!

For those with speech impediments
  • Hands-free is a useful feature especially if the user is using a computer or other aid with a keyboard and synthesised speech
  • Speech amplification on out-going calls means that a user with a weak voice can be heard
  • A fax machine allows the user to communicate in writing rather than by voice
  • Caller display allows the user to see who the caller is without speaking to them
  • Recording or using a recorded message on an answer phone or voice mail box can invite callers to leave a message so that the user doesn’t need to speak
  • If the user’s speech is difficult to understand a textphone allows the conversation to be typed rather than spoken
  • SMS or texting is widely available on mobile telephones and allows the user to send a written message to another similar phone
  • Video phones come into their own if you need to use sign language for instance as both parties can see one another

Communicating by telephone if you have a hearing impediment
  • Use a telephone that is ‘hearing aid compatible’ i.e. has an earpiece with an audio magnetic field
  • Using a hearing aid with a T setting affords a clearer sound as long as the aid is switched to T
  • Use the ringing volume control to ensure you hear the phone ring
  • Or add on a telephone bell unit to increase the ringing volume.  These units are usually mains electric or battery powered and will need a telephone socket to plug into
  • A telephone with a flashing light when the phone rings helps for those who have no or very poor hearing.  Be aware that often these flashing lights are small so you may need to position the phone near to you
  • Again add-on flashing units can be installed.  These are usually powered by mains electricity so will need a nearby plug and telephone socket
  • There are systems available that can cause lights in the house to flash when the phone rings.  These should be installed by an electrician

For those who find it difficult to hear the telephone conversation
  • Using an inductive coupler with your hearing aid turned to T will help to clarify the voice of the caller and also cut out background noise.  These don’t actually amplify the volume though
  • Inductive couplers can be built-in or bought as an add-on unit
  • Pulsators can help some to hear the conversation more clearly.  They operate by vibrating the sound when placed on the bone in front or behind your ear
Wikipedia:Ben Schumin Zach Vega

Mobile phones for older people

Pros - developed in the 1980s, the mobile phone can be useful for those with disabilities. As well as text messaging and caller recognition, many of them now accept the voice as a way of communication.  For instance you can ask a new smart phone to call a number in the stored phone book.  The internet can also be activated from many mobile phones too.

Cons – sometimes people who are less dexterous find mobile phones too small and fiddly to use and they usually take longer to set up than a landline phone.  Just as you have to remember to put your cordless handset back in its base to ensure it is charged, a mobile also runs on battery and must be plugged in and charged regularly using a special plug and cable.  Digital mobile phones can cause bad interference to analogue hearing aids but this can be addressed by wearing headphones or a headset.
  • There are a number of additional services that are available to those who have problems:
  • If you have a BT landline, they will supply an extension ringer to help you hear the telephone ringing
  • A free Directory Enquiry service is available to those who cannot use the directories due to a disability as long as it is backed up by your doctor
  • Several telephone service providers offer an ‘assisted call service’ if the user has difficulty using the keys to dial
  • Vulnerable customers (disabled or older) should let their service provider know of their condition so that when an engineer visits they can be given a pre-arranged password so that you know it is OK to let them in.
  • Literature and bills in accessible Formats – suppliers are legally obligated to ensure you get bills and other literature in a format you can read i.e. Braille, large-print and multi-media.  Many now provide Internet access so that bills can be seen online or there is a service where your bill is read to you over the phone.

If you are having difficulties or want more detailed information this factsheet produced by the Disabled Living Foundation should help.  And if you want something locally give us a call at Castle Comfort Centre and we will help.  Call us today or pop in.





Monday 21 January 2013

Raised Toilets and Commodes in Stoke on Trent


Safe Seats for Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire and Cheshire folk

The term ‘safe seat’ is used in many connotations. With regard to mobility products it could be a riser recliner chair that safely lifts someone to a standing position, or it could be a raised toilet seat or commode with handles to enable one to do ones ablutions in a safer manner. I always prefer to sit in the tail end of an aircraft in the hope that it is going to be safer; after all, should disaster strike it would be furthest away from a mountain!

People with mobility problems often lack confidence and need the reassurance of a safe wheel chair seat or the safe seat on a stair lift when ascending and descending stairs as well.

In the world of politics, a safe seat is the prize for the chosen few who are thought to be destined for high office or to be used to replace those already there. It was reported by James Chapman in the ‘Mail online (January 14th 2013) that such a plot is allegedly afoot.

‘Boris Johnson lined up for safe seat in 2015 to fight Cameron for top job’

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, may be given a safe seat in the next general election as part of what is called a ‘stalking horse’ plot to replace David Cameron. In response, Boris has denied that he has any intention to try to return to Parliament. However, rebel Tory, young Zac Goldsmith, is reported to be intending vacating his safe seat in Richmond, after Boris had a clash with the PM over Heathrow, to make way for Mr Johnson.

The Tory Party is of course not alone in courting safe seats. Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle -under -Lyme are both traditionally Labour strongholds. Once a prosperous industrial area, the world famed pottery manufacturers, Royal Doulton, Minton, Spode, Wedgwood, once household names, are all gone. Together with engineering, iron and steel at Shelton Bar and of course coal mining, the traditional industries no longer exist, resulting in a seriously depressed area.

Other ‘safe seats’ are far more important to all of us. How many people have ever heard of Michael Kaastrup Kjaer, Mike Skovbjerg Vad, Marten Baltzer Kristensen and Rene Nygaard Christensen? No... I hadn’t either. I took a guess at a Scandinavian pop group, or perhaps boy band, following in the tradition of Abba with a new version of ‘Dancing Queen’. These guys are not a part of the glitzy glamour of Abba and pop culture. There is a much less glamorous reason for fame. They follow in the steps of Sir Thomas Harington and one Thomas Crapper. The group were students at Skjern Technical College in Denmark. They invented a lavatory system with a safe seat which closes automatically once the lavatory is flushed. I am not too convinced that this will change the course of history but it did allow them to win a Best Product Award in 2009 for their ‘Intelli Toilet’

Perhaps the invention could have a definite social role to play in ending an age-old row between men and women, thus removing grounds for divorce! I look back with amusement to a time when I had a female boss. Close to her office was a toilet, located adjacent to the photocopiers and IT room. I don’t think it was ever really the case, but she, by ‘tradition’, requisitioned the facility for her own private use. Geographically, the gents’ was quite a way down a long corridor. If, during a long printing run, nature called, it was sometimes used by male members of staff, but only when it was certain that she had gone home. As if endowed with some psychic powers, an irate notice would soon follow, requesting men not to use the holy of holies. I was once naive enough to tread where angels feared and asked her how she knew that such a heinous crime had been committed?
The answer came with the conviction that springs from certainty. “Ladies do not leave the seat up dear!

The history of the toilet

The availability of modern, hygienic toilet systems is taken very much for granted in developed countries. Ancient civilisations, including those of Roman and Egypt, developed toilet systems attached to simple flowing water sewage systems. The 3rd millennium BC has been referred to as ‘The Age of Cleanliness’. Toilets and sewers were invented, some being quite elaborate constructions.
The ancient urban ‘lost city’ of Mohenjo Daro in what is now Pakistan was not by discovered by archaeologists until 1921.It’s origins go back some 4,500 years, prospering from its location in the fertile Indus Valley. “It was the most advanced urban settlement of its time” (National Geographic).

Mohenjo Daro had no palaces or grand arenas, but it did have a large public bath system and, most interestingly to me, it had an advanced toilet system. These were built into the outer walls of the more affluent (or should it be effluent?)  houses. The lavatory was a brick structure, with a wooden ‘safe seat’ mounted over vertical chutes, through which the waste fell into drains or cesspits. (Photo: National Geographic –Google images)
Sir Mortimer Wheeler was the director general of archaeology in India from 1944 to 1948. Speaking of Mohenjo Daro he said “The high quality of the sanitary arrangements could well be envied in many parts of the world today.”


Going for a crapper?
However, in this country, anything resembling modern toilets didn’t really come about until the late nineteenth century. Popular opinion gives the credit for the 1800’s invention of the flush toilet to one Thomas Crapper. He certainly was an early maker of the product, and indeed in the Gladstone Pottery Museum there is an entire display dedicated to the toilet bowl with ornate, white and blue ceramic decorations, (including a genuine Crapper,) but really the crucial component was designed very much earlier in 1596 by Sir John Harrington, a Godson of Queen Elizabeth 1st. Harrington designed a valve which allowed the flush water to be circulated but its application was to wait a long time. From medieval days, bad sanitation was the cause of dreadful disease from contaminated cesspits and excrement being thrown out of windows into the streets and running into drinking water. Since 1825 there have been five cholera outbreaks and pandemics. In 1849, in London alone, 10,000 people died from the disease. John Snow was the physician who first proved that cholera deaths were caused by people drinking water contaminated by sewage.  
The availability of safe sanitation is not yet universal. It is estimated that 40% of the global population, mainly in regions of Africa and Asia, does not have facilities for safe excreta disposal.
(Statistic from The Global Water Supply and Sanitation Assessment (2000) World Health Organisation)

One scheme is to encourage people to dig a hole or pit and install plastic liners, screening the area with sacking. This remains a very primitive solution and far from being a ‘safe seat’ for the user! It has to be said that in some parts of Eastern Europe things are little better. I well recall my first experience of the ‘squat toilet’ – no ‘safe seat’ – just markings to show where to place your feet!  Continental France is not much more advanced having the hole in the floor toilet still featuring in many public conveniences.  There are some surprising advantages to the squat down toilet in that it helps avoid constipation and is good for maintaining hip and knee mobility.  If you or your relatives hip or knee flexibility requires a raised toilet seat in Stoke on Trent in order to more easily use the lavatory then contact Castle Comfort for free advice on 08000 832 797.

Privy to the finest chamber pots

Before the advent of bathrooms and toilets becoming a feature of all houses, and today many expect the en suite, it was not uncommon for the toilet to be an outside ‘privy’ in a back yard or garden. Many terraced houses sacrificed a bedroom to indoor bathroom conversion. 
As our climate does not encourage a trip down the garden in the ‘wee’ small hours, the chamber pot was a necessary, albeit not too pleasant a feature of every bedroom in dwelling houses and even in most hotels. The requisite pots ranged from the very simple to the most lavish of ceramic design in the grand houses of the day. 
The need to relieve the call of nature is common to all, regardless of rank or status, and some fine examples of chamber pots graced the likes of palaces and stately homes such as Chatsworth, Blenheim and no doubt Downton Abbey!

You will see pictured a fine example of a decorated chamber pot designed for the wealthy in the grand houses of England. An item worthy of holding the soup on a grand dining table than part of a commode. 

What is toilet humour?
A man staying in a hotel rang for room service. Expecting a young lady, he enquired of the bell boy “Where’s the chamber maid?”He lifted the pot from a cupboard, holding it high to read the back stamp. “Made in Stoke-on-Trent Sir.”

It is perhaps not surprising after all that such basic needs have resulted not only in ingenuity but in attracting the skills of some master craftsman. One such item was the commode. Whilst accepting that for some unfortunate people, the use of a commode is an unavoidable, clinical living aid, we tend to shy away from such objects and would prefer not to know. The chamber pot was common to all at one time and, for those who could afford, so was the commode.

I was hoping that my research would link the commode to the 18th Roman Emperor, Commodus (the clue in the name perhaps?) but, disappointingly, whatever Commodus may have achieved for the empire, the commode was not attributed to him.

A commode was really far more than a chamber pot. The name applied to any of several pieces of furniture. The name does have a Latin derivation (adjective), commodus. The word found its way into French as commode meaning ‘suitable’ or ‘convenient’ hence we have ‘public convenience’ meaning toilets in modern usage. In Staffordshire, musicians can rehearse at an establishment oddly entitled, The Toilets.

The commode was introduced in French furniture making during the 1700’s. Many were elaborate pieces demanding the skills of a master cabinet-maker to create the veneers and gilding.  Prior to the plumbing advances during the mid 19th century, the commode remained an essential item of furniture.  It took the form of a low cabinet, sometimes with drawers, and a cupboard to house the chamber pot. It was usual for the top to be made of marble, ideally, matched to the fire surround in the bedroom. The chamber pot would be hidden away in a cupboard and only a ceramic water pitcher and bowl would be placed in full view on the top.


The skilled cabinet makers who created the elaborate commode furniture during the 1700 -1800’s are not the only craftsman worthy of mention.
I turn again to the skilled workers, in the now lost pottery industry in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. The City of Stoke-on-Trent, with its six towns, Tunstall, Burslem, Hanley, Stoke, Fenton and Longton, are still known collectively as ‘The Potteries’. The name of the Premier League football club,‘The Potters’ still echoes the past. Statues of former worthies still stand sentinel. The obligatory Queen Victoria, stands aloof in the Queen’s Gardens in Newcastle-under-Lyme (‘Castle’ folk would not forgive me if I didn’t stress that they are not a part of Stoke-on-Trent!) The Pottery towns are still presided over by the towering figures of Spode and other famed pottery makers, and Josiah Wedgwood (1730-1795) the best known of all, stands tall, with a Portland Vase in hand, opposite Stoke Station to welcome all to the city. 

There is an aspect of the Stoke-on-Trent pottery industry which is usually overlooked. Amongst the famed creators of fine china to grace the dining tables of opulent palaces, the makers of sanitary ware are the less glamorous examples of the potter’s art. Baths, basins, lavatories and bidets, however essential, just do not have the same appeal! Amongst the names of the Staffordshire potters we should acknowledge Joshua Twyford and family. 


Joshua was born in 1640 and died in 1729, for the period at the amazing old age of 89. It was he who was to establish a factory to make commercial pottery at a site near Shelton Old Hall, in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. Oddly enough, I could not find a record of when production ceased at the site. Examples of work by Joshua Twyford can be seen in Stoke-on-Trent Museum in Hanley, in particular an interesting  salt glazed teapot bearing the inscription ‘Sarah Twyford’.

Thomas Twyford was born on September 23rd in Hanover Street, Hanley. He was to build two factories, but not to make teapots or tableware. Thomas saw the need to develop sanitary products and developed the production of washbasin, urinals and lavatory pans. The distribution of these products was, for the period, remarkable, with exports to America, Australia, France Germany and Russia.

The accolade for sanitary ware development must be awarded to Thomas William Twyford (son of Thomas) born in 1885. It was Thomas William who perfected the building of a one-piece, integrated pottery pedestal toilet with both pan and trap, the UNITAS, establishing the way forward to the design used to day.

The Telford family was not without compassionate responsibility for their workers. The Cliff Vale ‘pot bank’, built in 1887, was a model factory. Perhaps not surprisingly, the toilet facilities were innovative, as was the ventilation system with ample opening windows, Factory inspectors treated the new building as the pattern to be emulated throughout Staffordshire; no mean achievement!

The Cliff Vale Factory
Rather sadly, the redundant Cliff Vale site was recently demolished to make way for a canal side housing development. However, the original entrance facade was saved and remains today as part of the local industrial archaeology of Stoke-on-Trent. T W Twyford died in 1921. He is remembered as the leading pioneer of the application of the principles of hygiene in sanitary appliances. The Twyford Bathrooms brand, locally based in Alsager, Cheshire, is still a major player, boasting a Royal warrant, (Ma’am is on the throne!) This is the only bathroom company to do so. The company supply innovative sanitary products worldwide, including a new easy clean rimless pan with the now obligatory self closing safe seat. Innovative ‘Independent Living’ products include easy access baths with stepped levels and easy reach lever taps, adjustable height semi-pedestals with extra height safe seats for close coupled toilets and easy wheel chair access bathrooms. Amongst the famed manufacturers, another son of the Potteries has left his mark on industrial history.

Travel, it is said, is part of a sound education. This may well be true, but it can be a lonely, insecure  experience. Some fifty years ago, I travelled to the old Soviet Union. This was not the Russia of today. It was the time of cold war fear and suspicion and western travellers were certainly followed and watched at every move. It was a fascinating visit and left me with lasting memories. I recall the gilded opulence of Katherine’s Winter Palace with room after room of priceless works of art.


There were the Hermitage, with its collection of the Tsar’s coronation jewels and countless priceless treasures. The bizarre St. Basil’s Cathedral looking something akin to a gingerbread castle in Disneyland, and, of course, there were the Kremlin Cathedrals and Red Square. Tourists were allowed to jump the long queues at Lenin’s mausoleum. Outside, the goose-stepping guards of honour kept vigil. Chillingly each pair seemed like identical twins selected for the task! Inside, one descended down and down a stone stair case into the chilled air and, not being allowed to stand still, filed past the glass coffin to see the body of Lenin, bathed in orange light. I recall that I felt sick.

It was in Moscow that I had the most frightening experience of being alone. I managed to get lost. I say lonely only because albeit I was surrounded by hundreds of people in the rush hour, unlike me, they spoke Russian! The unfamiliar cyrillic alphabet allowed not even a feeble attempt at translation
And even if I could have made anyone understand angliyskiy, I didn’t know the name of my hotel. No number of do svidaniyas was going to help and yes, I was scared. Even the old English adage of ‘ask a policeman’ was no help and each attempt made the salt mines of Siberia seem a real possibility. It is too long a story, but it ended happily. As the night came on, I needed to relieve myself, but where was I to find the loo? I resorted to take the risk and entered an official looking building via an open side door. Trying to look as though I had every right to be there, I checked a number of doors as my bladder was nearly at bursting point, with no time left to worry about what that would entail.  One more door awaited; this was an only too real game of ‘Russian Roulette’. A lavatory pan, extravagantly decorated in Wedgwood blue jasper style, came before me not a moment too soon.

As I aimed at the bowl with an involuntary audible cry of relief, I was transported back home. I was urinating over a very familiar name: ‘Twyford’ was clearly visible in the wet glaze! All my fears left me as I walked quickly back into the Soviet night, strangely comforted by the fact that two lads from Stoke had been united in an alien land. I had found a safe seat in Moscow.

If you have enjoyed this article please feel free to leave a comment below.  Also if you wish to find out more information about any daily living aids that you would like us to research then do get in touch.

Monday 19 March 2012

Reclining Massage Chairs Showroom Staffordshire, Cheshire and Shropshire

Reclining Massage Chairs Staffordshire



Click the above video to see 80 year old Gladys from Stoke on Trent demonstrating her recent proud purchase - a Spanish massage chair which was delivered by Castle Comfort Centre, which has a reclining massage chairs showroom in Wolstanton.

On the video she explains her daily routine for using her massage chair, which she bought from Castle Comfort to help her alleviate some of the "agony" she has experienced with her back,leg and shoulder pain.

Watch as she demonstrates the reclining relaxer programme on the chair, and you can clearly hear her enjoyment of the experience. There are many settings to choose from depending on your requirements, it's just a case of pressing the buttons to dial in the requested massage treatment.

When an equivalent massage from a physiotherapist or masseuse will cost you around £40 per session you can see that getting a massage each day like Gladys enjoys would soon force the average pensioner to give it up because of the prohibitive expense.

This is not the case with a massage chair from Castle Comfort which day after day, 7 days a week, morning, noon or night is ready and able to tailor the perfect treatment for you. Once you have one there is just a small cost for the electrical power.  Why not come down to the showroom to see and try one for yourself - feeling is believing!

All part of the service at Castle Comfort is free regional delivery and we can install it where you choose before a final demonstration on the functions for you to be able to use it on your own.
Give us a call for free on

08000 832 797

today to enquire after one for yourself.

Tuesday 19 April 2011

Mobility Chairs | Electric Riser Recliner Chairs

If you are looking for mobility chairs also known as electric riser recliner chairs and you would like to visit our mobility centre showroom and know more about us you can visit the website at www.castlecomfortcentre.com
Watch the video below to meet Ann in the showroom or if you prefer to speak to someone now then Keith, Kathy or Ann can help you 8am-11pm on 08000 832 797





Mobility chairs are available to sit on and try out in the showroom and are all either single motor or dual motor chairs. On the video above you can meet Ann who shows just one of the pattern books available for the chairs. There are 125 different soft cover fabrics and 30 quality leathers ranging from plain to Antique finish and from standard firm feel through to the softest textured semi-aniline quality.

There is a wide range of riser recliner chairs to look at and sit in and the showroom stock costs from just £295 for a reconditioned model. For a British made 5 year guaranteed model from new you would pay more and rising up in price from there with specification and added features, and covering choice - leather generally being more expensive than fabric.

Our mobility chairs are best bought from a showroom where the chair can be sized to suit the individual as they are not all the same. In fact you may have seen new model riser reclining chairs advertised on the internet for under £300, but they are a one-size-fits-all model in poor quality fabric or pvc with a years guarantee. It's obvious of course that a 6 foot well-built gentleman will require a different mobility chair to a slim 5 foot lady, but those internet mobility chairs unfortunately don't have that flexibility. Those that have found that their chair doesn't fit then have to pay a courier to return it before they get their partial refund from those companies.

Far better to get experienced advice from a regional mobility centre like the Castle Comfort Centre that has helped hundreds of local people seek sitting and standing help and comfort. They have the customer testimonials to prove it. See the map listing for genuine reviews of the firm.

Most of the mobility chairs are available in a small, medium or large sizing and with a dazzling array of fabric or leather cover options. Swatches are available in the showroom and we can send you a brochure aswell if you wish or to try before you buy we can arrange a local pick-up using one of our courtesy vehicles if required. Give us a call on 08000 832 797 and it might be the Merc coming round to pick you up!






Make a day of your visit and see Alton Towers, Wedgwood, Portmerion or Potteries Factory Outlets, Freeport Talke, Little Moreton Hall or Biddulph Grange Gardens, Trentham Gardens, or Waterworld.

Within easy reach of the M6, A500 and A34 on Wolstanton High Street. Click the map below for a clear view of our central location and google map for directions. We are opposite Asda on Wolstanton High St.

So if you are looking for mobility chairs for a loved one would like to visit the showroom or know more about the huge range available click here to visit the website or phone Keith or Ann directly 8am-11pm on 08000 832 797

Mobility chair delivery schedules.




North Staffordshire  Regular delivery run - Stoke on Trent, Newcastle under Lyme, Leek, Biddulph, Stone, Cannock, Cheadle, Stafford, Rugeley, Hanley, Longton, Burslem Tunstall, Kidsgrove, Alsager, Uttoxeter and Market Drayton.




Please enquire by calling Freephone 0800 0832 797.



Every Monday, Thursday & Friday South Cheshire Run. Congleton, Macclesfield, Prestbury Stockport, Crewe, Sandbach, Nantwich, Cheadle Hulme, Knutsford, Warrrington,Ellesmere Port, Widnes Runcorn & The Wirrall etc





Every Wednesday The Lancashire Run. Includes Manchester, Wigan, Bury, Stockport, Rochdale, Liverpool, Birkenhead, Preston, Blackburn, Burnley, Blackpool, Southport, Morecambe, Lytham St Annes, Lancaster Fleetwood and Colne etc.







Increased and enhanced arrangements at Christmas&; Mother’s Day & Father’s Day. Guaranteed Birthday/Anniversary delivery dates - Anywhere in England & Wales with 14 days notice.





Emergency deliveries arranged ASAP. Hospital discharge cases receive top priority.




FOR PRICES & FURTHER INFORMATION ON ALL MOBILITY AND RISER RECLINER CHAIRS CLICK OR CALL 08000 832 797

There are many searches that you may use when looking to find us.  Some of the commonest ones we have found are listed below.

independent living movement
community living
independent living systems
independent living association
services for independent living
independent living fund
independent living funds
independent living resources
shopmobility
independent living assessment
mobility impairment
independent living supplies
mobility problems
living independently
assistive technology
independent living centres
all mobility
independent living magazine
living independent
what is independent living
independent living program
independent living services
visually impaired
top assisted living
dla mobility
independant living
independent living solutions
independent living skills
mobility world
access mobility
daily living aids
easy mobility
assisted living facility
best assisted living
senior living apartments
independent living centre
senior housing
senior living facilities
skills for independent living
additional aids mobility
shop mobility
mobility benefits
senior living community
living assisted
supported independent living
living aid
independent living care
mobility buddy
uk mobility scooters
luxury independent living
mobility superstore


We can help you with any daily living aids for mobility or disabled needs.
Please call us on 08000 832 797




Thursday 2 September 2010

Stairlifts and Riser Recliner Chairs have a historical home in Staffordshire

If you are looking for an electric bed or riser reclining chair on a home trial, visit the showroom or know about prices you can phone Keith or Ann directly 8am-11pm on 08000 832 797
Does this building in Wolstanton, Newcastle under Lyme, Staffordshire ring any bells or bring back memories ?

See it here .... INSTANTLY

We'll give you a clue - it's perhaps the favourite place in Stoke on Trent to get Stairlifts and Riser Recliner Chairs - so if that is what's needed please check THIS and then come back here and explore this fascinating building.

Have you eaten there? Banked there? Bought something there? Worked there? Delivered there? Or had any dealings whosoever there? Have you tried to burgle it? (bet you didn't get in, because it was a bank and on top of that the current owners are security experts)

If you want to get a discount on a riser recliner chair, bed or stairlift then for keen eyed readers of this blog they can go to this link and grab a £50 voucher off a new purchase.  For those working in the NHS and the Forces (current serving or past members) we offer a double discount. See BritishForcesDiscounts.co.uk and search for the Castle Comfort Centre listing to find out more.


Keith Simpson
Managing Director
Castle Comfort Centre
Castle Comfort Stairlfts
Newcastle under Lyme

Tuesday 13 April 2010

RISER RECLINER CHAIRS - Are you using the proper name? Choose the right one and win £100

If you are looking for an electric bed or riser reclining chair on a home trial, visit the showroom or to find out more, please phone Keith or Ann directly 8am-11pm on 08000 832 797



Click on this picture for a closer view of some Castle Comfort Centre's huge selection of stocked chairs - this is just one of the rooms in the showroom. Please spend a few moments to read this page - you'll see how easily you can earn £10 for this excellent cause, and maybe win £100 for yourself - but above all - find what chair you need at what you want to pay. FOR PRICES NOW & FURTHER INFO CLICK ON THESE RECLINER CHAIRS

OR CALL FREE 0800 0832 797. The phone lines at the company's HQ at Newcastle under Lyme, nr Stoke on Trent, Staffs, are open 8am-11pm every day. Why not pay a visit to our NOTTINGHAM factory? See being made the highest quality riser recliners in the world !

Should they really be called RISER RECLINER CHAIRS? A product that has only been around for a few years has been referred to by lots of different titles. In Spain they are titled 'Silones Geriatricos' which means, rather distastefully - Geriatric Seats .. but we don't have to look abroad to find perhaps the least complimentary description. A Chief Trading Standards officer in Oldham, Lancashire when dealing with a case involving a dispute called them GRANNY EJECTOR SEATS! Read about his rather unfortunate name choice here. Staffordshire based Castle Comfort Centre, one of the biggest special chair specialist in the UK report that many men contact the firm asking for an 'electric chair for the wife!!' So what is the real and correct name? Stoke on Trent's leading mobility products firm has a few general descriptions in its main blog here, but here we thank the staff of the Castle Comfort Centre in Staffs (who gave up their free time to do this) for compiling a truly magical list of the terms that may pass through the human brain when thinking of the product that they sell daily. Please have a look though the list and decide which term is most appropriate for submission to the Oxford Dictionary and Wikipedia - or of course there may be one we haven't thought of. Whether you choose one from here - or send us another - if your choice is adopted by either of these two world language and information authorities to officially state "that is what this item is called" then you win £100. Enter the completion either by emailing us chaircompetition@castlecomfortcentre.com or use the coupon here. So - which term or description below, is most appropriate for one of these ...


armchair recliner
bariatric recliner bariatric riser recliner chairs bariatric riser recliner chair berkline recliner


black leather recliner black leather recliners black leather swivel chair black recliner brown leather recliners brown recliner buy lazy boy chair buy recliner buy recliner chair buy reclining chair

care armchair

see full spec on above linton riser recliner chair
care armchairs care chair care chairs care riser chairs celebrity recliner celebrity recliner chairs celebrity recliners

for info & spec on the following chair click keswick keswick riser recliner chair



FOR FURTHER GENERAL INFO AND PRICES CLICK HERE

chair and footstool chair bed chair beds chair leather swivel chair lift recliner chair raiser chair recliner swivel chair recliners chair recliners chairs for elderly chairs for the elderly cheap lazy boy chairs cheap leather recliner


see full spec on the above linton armchair
cheap leather recliner chair cheap leather recliner chairs cheap leather recliners cheap recliner cheap recliner chair cheap recliner chairs cheap recliners cheap reclining chair cheap reclining chairs cheap riser recliner cheap riser recliners cheap riser recliner chair child recliner chair cintique chairs

disabled chairs disability chair disabled

disabled wheelchair disability doctor
discount leather recliner discount recliner discount recliners double recliner dual recliner dual motor riser recliner chair

electric chairs

chairs for circulation chairs for circulation problems electric chairs for the elderly electric leather recliners electric leather recliners electric lift recliner chair electric massage chair electric recliner electric recliner chair electric recliner chairs electric recliners electric reclining electric reclining chair electric reclining chairs electric reclining chairs electric reclining leather sofas electric reclining sofa electric rise and recline chairs electric riser chair electric riser chairs

electric powered chairs electric riser recliner

anti entrapment safety chairs electric riser recliner electric riser recliner chair electric riser recliner chairs fireside chair

fireside chairs
friends recliner gaming recliner grandad chair grandma chair grandmother chair granny ejector seats green recliner home care chairs hospital recliner chairs hospital type chair hospital recliners

I want a riser recliner I want a riser recliner chair I need a riser recliner I need a riser recliner chair I want a stairlift I need a stairlift

kid recliner kid recliner chair kids recliner chair lafuma recliner chair lafuma recliner chairs lafuma reclining chair lafuma reclining chairs lay z boy chair lazy boy arm chair lazy boy arm chairs lazy boy armchair lazy boy armchairs

FOR PRICES AND recliner chairs

lazy boy chairs for spec on the above chair bed click on chair bed
lazy boy electric chair lazy boy electric recliner lazy boy power recliner lazy boy recliner

see full spec and options of the above british recliner

lazy boy recliner chair lazy boy recliner chairs lazy boy recliner store lazy boy recliners lazy boy reclining chair lazy boy reclining chairs laza boy riser recliner chair lazyboy armchair lazyboy armchairs lazyboy chair lazyboy chairs lazyboy recliner chairs leather chairs recliners leather club chair leather club chairs leather computer chair leather electric reclining sofa leather lazy boy recliners leather recliner armchair leather recliner chairs leather recliner swivel leather recliner swivel chair leather recliners leather recliners chair leather reclining armchairs leather riser recliner leather riser recliner leather riser recliner chair leather rocker recliner leather sofa electric recliner leather swivel chairs leather swivel recliner chairs leather swivel recliners leather swivel reclining chairs

small lift and rise chair


lift and rise chairs lift chair lift chairs lift chairs recliners lift recliner chairs lift recliner chairs lift recliners lift reclining chair lifting chairs lifting chair lift you up chair lift me up chair lift me up chairs let you up chair luxury recliner chair luxury recliner chairs manual recliner chair manual recliner chairs manual reclining chairs

MASSAGE CHAIR

see massage chair blog

massage therapy chairs

Keyton Massage Chairs massage chair leather medical recliner medical recliner chair medical recliners medical riser chairs

can't stand up mobility chair mobility chairs mobility recliner

chair to sleep on chairs to sleep on

motorised chair motorised chairs massage chair massage chairs mobility equipment mobility recliner chairs mobility reclining chairs movement chairs movement chair

help standing up

moving chairs office chair recliner orthopedic chair parker knoll parker knoll armchair parker knoll armchairs parker knoll chair parker knoll chairs

FOR PRICES & INFORMATION GO TO www.castlecomfortcentre.com

parker knoll penshurst parker knoll recliner parker knoll recliner chairs parker knoll recliners parker knoll reclining chairs power lift chair recliner power lift recliner power lift recliners


.. what? yep, get out sometimes power recliner power recliners powered chair powered chairs
 battery operated chair premier recliners pride chairs


chair with motor pride mobility chairs pride mobility riser recliner pride recliner pride riser recliner chairs raiser chair raiser chairs recline and lift chairs recliner armchairs recliner armchair recliner beds recliner chair leather recliner chair sale recliner chairs discount recliner chairs for disabled recliner chairs for sale


for full spec and options on the following chair go to riser reclining chairs


recliner chairs for the elderly recliner chairs for the elderly recliner cooler recliner factory recliner leather recliner lift recliner massager recliner online recliner parts recliner refrigerator recliner riser recliner riser recliner riser chair recliner riser chair recliner riser chairs recliner swivel recliner swivel recliner swivel chairs recliner with cooler recliner with fridge recliner with refrigerator recliner world recliners direct recliners for sale recliners sale recliners with coolers reclining armchair reconditioned riser recliners reconditioned disabled chair reconditioned riser recliners reconditioned riser recliner reclining chair leather reclining chairs reclining chairs for sale reclining leather armchair reclining leather chairs reclining massage chair reclining sofas red swivel chair repairs relaxer garden chairs relaxing chair rise & recline chair rise & recline chairs rise and fall chair rise and fall chairs rise and recline rise and recline armchair rise and recline armchairs rise and recline chair rise and recline chairs rise and recline ltd rise and recliner chair rise and recliner chairs rise recline chair rise recline chairs rise recliner rise recliner chairs rise recliners riser and recliner chairs


riser chair riser chairs riser recline chairs riser recliner riser recliner armchair riser recliner armchairs riser recliner chair

nottingham riser recliner chairs riser recliner chair stoke riser recliner chairs direct riser recliner chairs stoke riser recliner chairs stoke on trent riser recliner chairs uk riser recliners riser recliners riser reclining chair riser reclining chairs riser reclining chairs rocker recliner chair rocker recliner chairs rocker recliners royams chairs sale recliner second hand second hand riser recliners second riser recliner chairs sherbourne chair sherborn chair sherbourne chairs sherbourn chairs sherbourne recliner sherbourne recliner chairs single motor riser chairs single motor riser recliner chairs spare parts for riser recliners sherbourne recliners stand up chair stand up chairs swivel armchair


swivel recliners swivel recliners direct swivel reclining chair swivel reclining chairs stoke on trent tilt chair tilt chairs tilt and rise tilt and rise chairs tip you out chair tip you out chairs tip you up chair tip you up chairs ultimate recliner ultimate recliner chair ultimate recliners used white leather swivel chair wilcare chairs wing back chairs wing chair recliner

see full spec on the following british british riser recliner chair



..zero gravity chair wingback recliner z rocker recliner zero gravity recliner

... and if you've read down this far you must really be doing your research so as a reward click on recliner chair to see one working and imagine you're sitting there and how it feels.

.....................

Now it's your turn ............ Either select one of these terms as the most suitable to enter our language, or submit your own to -mailto:-chaircompetiton@castlecomfortcentre.com or via the coupon here.

For every single entry, £10 will be paid in your name to this very good cause, and if your selection is chosen by Wikipedia or the Oxford Dictionary - you'll win £100! Good luck. Hopefully the effort put into studying all this and joining in the event will cause the evolution of another word to join our language. And don't forget -and we are sorry if you have been taken away from the task by this -if you are searching for one of these amazing products for yourself or a loved one - then Castle Comfort is the family business nationwide that can help. Being based in Staffordshire - this doesn't prevent their prompt and efficient service from helping you. We remind you here of their regular delivery and demonstration trips all over the country. Their regular delivery and home demonstrations schedule is featured below, and you can even see a photo of the actual Castle Comfort team members who will be coming. Or for, further information, contact them here or call FREEPHONE 08000 832 797 ANYTIME FOR A BROCHURE AND FURTHER ADVICE.

CASTLE COMFORT DELIVERY AND DEMONSTRATION ROUTES


Daily. North Staffordshire Run. Stoke on Trent, Newcastle under Lyme, Leek, Biddulph, Stone, Cannock, Cheadle, Stafford, Rugeley, Hanley, Longton, Burslem Tunstall, Kidsgrove, Alsager, Uttoxeter, Market Drayton & Gizmoville etc.

………………………………………......... Every Monday - The North Wales Run

Chester, Flint, Rhos on Sea, Landudno, Prestatyn, Conwy (Conwy) Wrexham, Anglesey, Gwynedd. Welsh spoken - Cymraeg ar lafar.

Every Tues, Wed & Friday South Staffordshire, West Midlands & Warwickshire Run. Walsall, Wolverhampton, Halesowen, Birmingham, Coventry, Warwick, Leamington Spa, Rugby, Warwick & Stratford on Avon etc. ………………………………………………

Every other Thursday West of Birmingham to Bristol Run.


WHY NOT VISIT OUR NOTTINGHAM FACTORY? See being made the highest quality riser recliner chairs in the world.

Kidderminster, Leominster, Hereford, Ross on Wye, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Stroud Stow on the Wold etc.

.......................................................................

Periodic Runs are arranged to the following counties -

Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, Easat Sussex and Kent.

Please enquire by calling Freephone 0800 0832 797.

Every Monday, Thursday & Friday South Cheshire Run. Congleton, Macclesfield, Prestbury Stockport, Crewe, Sandbach, Nantwich, Cheadle Hulme, Knutsford, Warrrington,Ellesmere Port, Widnes Runcorn & The Wirrall etc …………………………………………… Every Wednesday The Lancashire Run. Includes Manchester, Wigan, Bury, Stockport, Rochdale, Liverpoolm Birkenhead, Preston, Blackburn, Burnley, Blackpool, Southportm Morecambe, Lytham St Annes, Lancaster Fleetwood and Colne etc. ………………………………………… Every Tuesday The Shropshire Run To the Welsh Borders visiting Bridgnorth, Shrewsbury, Telford, Newport, with often extended runs to incorporate Powys, and the Swansea and Cardiff areas.

Welsh spoken - Cymraeg ar lafar

………………………………………………….

Every Friday

The 'Eastern Route'

Derby, Matlock, Burton on Trent, Matlock, Chesterfield, Nottingham Mansfield & Retford.

.................................................................. Every other week (on an unspecified day) Birmingham Run. As far as northern Home Counties ie Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire & Berkshire.

Covers Northampton, Aylesbury, Milton Keynes, Corby & Kettering.

………………………………………………… Increased and enhanced arrangements at Christmas& Mother’s Day & Father’s Day. Guaranteed Birthday/Anniversary delivery dates - Anywhere in England & Wales with 14 days notice.

Welsh spoken - Cymraeg ar lafar Scotland & Northern Ireland – 21 days notice recommended ................................................................ Emergency deliveries arranged ASAP. Hospital discharge cases receive top priority.

FOR PRICES & FURTHER INFORMATION ON ALL OUR COMFORTABLE RECLINING CHAIRS CLICK OR CALL 08000 832 797



NB Castle Comfort Directors point out that when an emergency delivery has been arranged at short notice people have often insisted on paying extra even though no charges are made. In all cases any such funds are put towards the Good Deeds fund. Such gestures are not necessary but nevertheless appreciated. No CC team member will accept 'tips' under any circumstances. The trio of 'Comfort Experts' waiting to hear from you are pictured below.

Castle Comfort Directors, Keith & Ann with Dr Neil Stirling

TEL FREEPHONE

0800 0832 797

...........................................................................
Links - ACE Welding, Stoke on Trent. Manufacturers and installers of metal gates etc. For a top class service go here. Suppliers to Castle Comfort Chairs for over a decade. Castle Comfort Chairs & Stairlifts are official sponsors of PORTHILL PARK CRICKET CLUB. Cricket addicts, PORTHILL PARK CRICKET CLUB Fancy a massage? visit our sister site for massage chairs - They're inexpensive, respectable and part of the Castle Comfort Brand