by Fern Shaw | Apr 16, 2014 | Water Boilers, water cooler
I was trolling through the Google avenues when I came across this article about a seal that took up residence in a dinghy of a couple that were honeymooning on an island. When I saw the photo, I snorted my Kenco Coffee that I’d just served myself up from our AquAid Compact Boiler and narrowly missed electrocuting myself in the process.
From the article in The Telegraph:
A newly-wed couple were stranded on a remote island three miles from the mainland when a giant bull seal climbed into their inflatable dinghy and refused to budge for four days.
Eddie Stebbings, 35, and his bride Bee Bueche, 36, spent their first three months of married life together with a colony of Atlantic grey seals on Skomer Island off the Pembrokeshire coast.
But their wildlife adventure took an unexpected turn when a giant seal took up residence in the dinghy they used to reach the mainland.
Eddie and Bee were married in August and returned to the windswept island where they are wildlife wardens just in time for the seal pupping season.
Eddie said: “One morning in October the seal flopped itself into the boat.
“It refused to budge for four days and was at one point joined by another seal.
“He was about four times my weight, eight foot long and clearly not worried about people coming close to him.”
The couple chose to spend their honeymoon on one of Britain’s most remote islands, which they shared with over 400 adult seals.
Have another gander at the weight of this cubby chappy! Almost makes me feel good about my weight issues. (Then again, I don’t live in the icy cold water which would justify extra warm keeping blubber).
*Sigh* Oh well, guess I’ll just take another schlurp of my coffee … and where’s that Danish that I asked for?!
Photo: CATERS
by Fern Shaw | Jan 16, 2014 | Health and Hydration, Water Boilers
I often read about bed warmers in books and wondered what they were exactly. Then I saw some period drama and lo and behold, the mystery was solved. Thankfully we’ve moved on since then.
Again, my intentions were pure! The intent was a straight up, C for serious blog about hot water bottles and which clever clogs (as me mum used to say) invented these little marvellous body warmers.
It started off pretty well; an olde metal warmer (see middle image) – I can imagine you weren’t meant to get into bed when that was still in it. Then the image on the left caught my eye (only one of my eyes responds to silly or unusual – if it were both – you’d never get a straight reading blog out of me). All I could think was ‘what is that man doing to those poor harmless bits of rubber?!’
How did we progress to the cat lying on the rather shiny red blankie ask you? Wellllllllll…. cats are fantastic hot water bottles; they’re furry and purry, just one could probably get you all through winter, no problem (just watch out for those damnie claws though, when you try to move unannounced). Plus, I happen to like cats and this is a blog I’m writing, so the cat pic stays in. KO?
From Wiki:
Modern day conventional hot water bottles were invented in 1903 and are manufactured in natural rubber or PVC, to a design patented by the Croatian inventor Eduard Penkala. They are now commonly covered in fabric, sometimes with a novelty design.
By the late 20th century, the use of hot water bottles had markedly declined around most of the world. Not only were homes better heated, but newer items such as electric blankets were competing with hot water bottles as a source of night-time heat. However hot water bottles continue to remain as a popular alternative in Ireland and the United Kingdom, developing countries and rural areas. For example, it is widely used in Chile, where it is called a “guatero“. There has been a recent surge in popularity in Japan where it is seen as an ecologically friendly and thrifty way to keep warm.
Some newer products function like the older bottles, but use a polymer gel or wax in a heat pad. The pads can be heated in a microwave oven, and they are marketed as safer than liquid-filled bottles or electrically-heated devices.
Take note: None of the above examples are to be confused with water boilers. AquAid’s range of water boilers are for keeping your insides warm, not your outside, see? A slight distinction, but a distinction nonetheless.
During the brrr winter months we’re now experiencing; when you ‘ave to get up out of shoebox at twelve o’clock at night and lick road clean wit’ tongue before heading off to work, at least you know when you get into work, (depending on how savvy your employer is), there’s always the hot water boiler available, keeping your water at an even hot temperature of 98 °C, ready, reliable and able to ensure a constant supply of all your hot drinks . Just don’t try using the hot water boiler as a hot water bottle; if nothing else, it’s an unsightly mess to be cleaning up after.
Happy keeping warm and toasty this winter. No, you may not borrow the furry purry, get your own.
by Fern Shaw | Nov 1, 2013 | Water Boilers
AquAid have a new kid on the block. It’s very stylinnnnng. Its debuts just in time for the colder climes approaching the U.K. at warp speed Mr Sulu. Before I wax lyrical about how styling this little marvel is, here’s the nitty gritty tech spec. stuff:
What is its name? It is called The AquAid Instant Boiler
Features and Options
- Upmarket, stainless steel design
- Dispense point on worktop, boiler hidden underneath
- Electronically controlled for constant temperature of 95 degrees
- Mains fed
- Rapid draw off 7 litres
- Minimum hourly output 28 litres
- Minimal steam escape
- Early warning intelligent diagnostics with LCD display
Now you may be thinking that by me expounding all the wonderful attributes of this nifty 7ℓ stainless steel boiler, this means I’m so bedazzled by its sleek design and efficient lines that I am automatically denigrating our other water boilers. I’m not. Truly.
It’s just that we believe in a place for everything and everything in its place. Which translated to efficient speak means we have a variety of water boilers with capacities ranging from 3 ℓ through to 12.5ℓ , so the 7ℓ wedges in there capacity wise rather neatly.
I rather like the stainless steel design too – very Bauhaus / Danish modern / à la mode at present. I think.
Also note the ‘minimal steam escape’ feature. This means that when the AquAid Instant is at its constant percolating temperature of 95C°, which is just so warm and toasty, you won’t have great gobs of sweaty-making steam blorting out at you – which is especially welcome when you’re dispensing your 10th cuppa of the day.
Drink up, keep hydrated, and have a coffee, tea, or ………… hot drink of your choice on AquAid why don’t you.
by Fern Shaw | Nov 1, 2013 | Water Boilers, water cooler, Water Coolers
Waxing philosophical (waxing possibly originating from the German word wachsen (to grow)) about water, I first thought of this one *pointing upwards*. The full proverb reads like this:
You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.
Meaning
People, like horses, will only do what they have a mind to do.
Origin
This proverb might be thought to encapsulate the English-speaking people’s mind set better than any other saying, as it appears to be the oldest English proverb that is still in regular use today. It was recorded as early as 1175 in Old English Homilies:
‘Hwa is thet mei thet hors wettrien the him self nule drinken’
Sticking with the water theme, here are some more corkers:
A fish out of water
Not feeling at home where you are.
Blood is thicker than water
Family is more important than anyone or anything else.
Don’t make waves
Don’t make trouble; do what others are doing.
Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water
When you’re making a change, save what matters to you and dispose of the rest.
You bring water to the sea
You take advantage of something.
It would seem that water is an integral part of life, even to do with philosophy. As you can see from the image headlining today’s blog, we even have our resident horse, Hoss, moonlighting as a zebra and lurking around the water cooler in the AquAid Africa office. Rather fitting, or, as they say in the classics, ‘if the hoof (harf harf) fits, wear it’, keeping in mind the whole zebra + Africa + … connection. Geddit? Geddit?
As you may imagine, I have used a lot of poetic license here, because truly, although we like to think of ourselves as being rather creative in this division of AquAid, we don’t really have a horse doubling as a zebra in our office lurking around the water cooler.
Disappointed? Never mind, so am I!
What we do have though, are water coolers:
Ask away, we’ve oodles of water cooler knowledge and experience and are happy to help. Click here. Neiggghhhhhh!
by Fern Shaw | Jun 7, 2013 | Health and Hydration
I always remember my mum and her ‘home-made’ remedies – most of which I disliked intensely, as they involved gaggingly horrible ingredients like molasses and cod liver oil (I kid you not) and other such horribles.
Now, as a fully-fledged adult (as I would have you believe) I realise that my mum was (and is) a very wise and advanced individual when it came to such good health benefits.
Apart from the whacking great tablespoonful of said clo & m (or clom) every morning, part of my mum’s morning ritual would be the juice of half a lemon, freshly squeezed, in a glass of hot water. When it looked like a cold might be coming on, a tablespoon of honey (which we’ll chat about in another blog) would be dissolved in with the lemon water.
Here’s the sweet and the sour of it:
- Boosts your immune system: Lemons are high in vitamin C, which is great for fighting colds. They’re high in potassium, which stimulates brain and nerve function. Potassium also helps control blood pressure.
- Balances pH: Drink lemon water every day and you’ll reduce your body’s overall acidity. Lemon is one of the most alkaline foods around. Yes, lemon has citric acid but it does not create acidity in the body once metabolised.
- Helps with weight loss: Lemons are high in pectin fibre, which helps fight hunger cravings. It also has been shown that people who maintain a more alkaline diet (see #2) lose weight faster.
- Aids digestion: Lemon juice helps flush out unwanted materials. It encourages the liver to produce bile which is an acid that required for digestion. Efficient digestion reduces heartburn and constipation.
- Is a diuretic: Lemons increase the rate of urination in the body, which helps purify it. Toxins are, therefore, released at a faster rate which helps keep your urinary tract healthy.
- Clears skin: The vitamin C component helps decrease wrinkles and blemishes. Lemon water purges toxins from the blood which helps keep skin clear as well. It can actually be applied directly to scars to help reduce their appearance.
- Freshens breath: Not only this, but it can help relieve tooth pain and gingivitis. Monitor this, as too much citric acid can erode tooth enamel.
- Relieves respiratory problems: Warm lemon water helps get rid of chest infections and halt those pesky coughs. It’s thought to be helpful to people with asthma and allergies too.
- Prevent kidney stones: Drinking one half-cup of lemon juice every day raises citrate levels in the urine. Studies have shown that this could protect against calcium stones in the kidney.
- Potassium power: Bananas aren’t the only way to get a big helping of potassium in your system. In addition to vitamin C, lemons offer 80 milligrams of this mineral that helps your body stay strong and nimble.
If you’re one of those workaholics who arrives at work pre-dawn and you haven’t yet mastered the art of carrying your kettle with you, never fear. With AquAid’s range of water coolers, water boilers and in-cup drinks range, all you’ll need to stock up on is a lemon. Pour yourself a mug / thick glass of hot water (water from source I’ll have you know) add lemon (or squeeze, who needs a stress ball) mix and drink. Lemon power to you!
