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A MILLION here ... A MILLION there ... and soon we're TALKING real money !

In my constant search for real live traders I came across Dirk du Toit...

Dirk is a professional trader who trades for a living. He walks the walk and will assist you every step step of the way.

It still amazes me every time I search "trading" to see all the new so called trading "experts" out there. Another day, another expert, all vying to reach the top of the heap. And each one has got ANOTHER easy money-making trading system.

Doesn't it irritate you that once you probe a little deeper the "experts", "trainers" and "course providers" are mostly failed traders turned "mentors", or Internet marketers?

It's time for a change, and Dirk du Toit, is exactly that, a change from all these 'so called' Gurus, he's a real live trader who has put together an astonishing course and at under $70 it's way under priced.

Like I said, Dirk is a professional trader who trades for a living. He walks the walk and will assist you every step step of the way.

If you are looking for a mentor, you've found him, make a start before the price goes up...

http://www.netnewsrelease.com/drforex

Regards
Terry Johnson

PLEASE NOTE: There are hundreds more auctions across the UK at Government Auctions UK

Also, more information and full contact details for all the following sales are available in the database - just type in the name of the auctioneer of your choice into the search facility. If you are a member of GAUK please note that the following information is available in the news section as soon as we get it

Hertfordshire Auctions
04 Dec 2005 09:00
Hertfordshire
Reason for Sale: Airport/Airline Lost Property Disposal
Viewing: Morning of Sale from 7am.

Content: LOST/FOUND/SEIZED AIRLINE & AIRPORT PROPERTY

Laptop Computers
Digital Cameras
Televisions, Watches
Jewellery
Giftware
Travel Goods
Leather Goods
Pens
Ipods
Discmans
MP3 Players
Digital Camcorders
Footwear
Electronic Goods
Clothing
Perfume
Designer Goods
as well as Suitcases including Contents
and Lots Lots More...

Clarke Fussells
07 Dec 2005 11:00
Bath
Avon
Reason for Sale: Simply Salads - Taste of Italy (in receivership)
Content: COMPLETE CONTENTS OF MODERN FOOD PROCESSING PLANT

Urschel G slicer dicers,
Urschel Comitrols,
Horizontal slicers,
Risco mixers,
Nilma Pasta and Rice cooking plant with cooling system,
Stainless steel continuous cookers,
Cintex and Loma metal detectors, latest model,
Numerous Turbo depositors and other depositors, some low level,
Roll on/roll off scales,
Single chamber and double chamber vacuum packers,
Complete sandwich make up line with auto buttering slicing and packing,
Adpak Gemini flowrappers,
Ward Becker linear weigher, unused,
Ward Becker volumetric fillers,
Fork lift trucks,
Hundreds of s/s tables and trolleys,
Hobart mixers 80 and 140 qrt, latest model,
Mono high speed mixers,
Xray Machines,
Refrigeration compressors,
Evaporators,
Complete sectional fridges,
Newsmith Rack washers,
Oliver Douglas tray and utensil washers,
Air compressors,
Fulton boilers,
Continuous cream machines,
Pasta co-extrusion systems,
Hallde and other dicers,
Meinca mixers,
Inkjet printers,
Auto label applicators with Smart Date printers,
Conveyors, Digital scales,
Treif dicers,
Stainless steel sinks,
Tray sealers,
All s/s bowl cutters,
Silverson style mixers,
Electric power trucks,
L sealers,
Lazy Susans,
Fully equipped offices etc.

Shirlaw Cathcart
08 Dec 2005 12:00
Edinburgh
Reason for Sale: Alexander Ritchie & Son Ltd (In Liquidation)
Viewing: Day prior to Sale 10am-4pm & Morning of Sale 9am
Catalogue Info: See Auctioneers Website for Photographs etc
Additional Info: Proof of Identity required at Registration

Content: PRINTING PRESSES

2000 Heidelberg Speedmaster SM52-2 36cmX52cm Two-Colour Sheet Fed Offset Press S/N.203532; 1992/3 Heidelberg GTOVP-52 (2X2) 36cmX52cm Four-Colour or Perfecting Sheet Fed Offset Press S/N.709110; 1993 Heidelberg GTO-52 36cmX52cm Single-Colour Sheet Fed Offset Press S/N.708532; 1985/6 Heidelberg MOZP-E 48cmX65cm Two-Colour or Perfecting Sheet Fed Offset Press S/N.605432; 1956 Original Heidelberg 10"X15" Auto-Platen Press

2000 Polar 92ED Programmatic Diagonal Paper Guillotine S/N.7011368 with 2000 Polar LW450 Hydraulic Stacker/Lift; 1998 Stahl Ti 52/4-4 KBK-Fi 52 Auto Folder with Four-Plate Second Fold Unit and KBK 52 Single-Knife Cross-Fold Station; 1991 Muller Martini "Minuteman" Auto Gathering, Stitching & Trimming Machine; Setmaster Six-Station Auto Flat-Sheet Collator; 1982 Rollem 18" Rotary Cutting, Creasing and Perforating M/C; Camco CRS 225 Twin-Head Saddle Stitcher; Polygraph Hand-Fed Wire Stitcher; Cefmor Brehmer 603 Hand-Fed Wire Stitcher; Vickers-Armstrong Hand-Fed Wire Stitcher; 1993 Vacuumatic Vicount 100 Sheet Counter; Stago PB2015 Model 371 Twin-Head Paper Drill; Citoborma 480AB Four-Head Paper Drill; 1992 Quinn ST542 Shrinkwrap Line with L Sealer & Tunnel

1995 Du Pont Howson 90-00-00 70cm Plate Processor; 1986 Montakop 3635 Vacuum Printing Down Unit; Parker Consort Vacuum Printing Down Frame; Billows Master Foil & Plate Punch; 2 Heidelberg & Bacher Bench Model Register Plate Punches; Agfa Repromaster 3600 Vert.Camera; 1986 Theimoquick 2182 Roll Top Vacuum Printing Down Unit; 2 Agfa Rapidline 43 Rapid Access Processors; 3 Parker Illuminated Ruling Up Tables; Storage Racking; Pallet Trucks Etc

1998 Agfa Accuset 1200 Imagesetter with Star 200 Level 2 RIP; 1993 Agfa Accuset 1000 Imagesetter with 2001 Crescendo RIP; Epson Fiery RIP Station 5000; Apple Mac G5 Computer with Sony 19" Flatscreen; 2 Apple Mac G4 Computers; 2 Apple Mac G3 Computers; Apple Mac 9500/120 Computer; Apple Mac Quadra 800 Computer; Apple Workgroup Computer; Fujitsu Siemens P4 Computer; HP Vectra PIII VL Computer; HP E60 Netserver; IBM 300GL Computer; 4 HP Brio Tower Computers; 5 Tower Computers Various; Scitex Eversmart Pro Scanner; Agfa Horizon Scanner; Epson Aculaser C8600 Colour Laser Printer; Epson Stylus Pro 5000 Printer; 1 Samsung ML7050, 1xHP 1010, 3xHP 1200, 1xHP 2100 Laser Printers

Opus Light Oak Office Suites; Desks; Chairs; Filing Cabinets; Boardroom Suite; Old Mahogany Wall Clock, Old Mantel Clock Etc

2000 Ford Transit SWB Diesel Van; 1990 Lindex E15 Battery Fork Lift Truck with Side Shift & Charger.

Hawick Plant Auctions
10 Dec 2005 09:30
Roxburghshire
Additional Info: All purchasers not known to the auctioneers required to provide ID and pay cash deposit of £300 (refundable) to obtain a buyers number. Buyers commission 5% levied on lots sold (plus VAT). All equipment subject to availability & arrival in yard.
Content: CONSTRUCTION PLANT & EQUIPMENT

MINII DIGGERS
2 x 2002 Hyundai 5.5 ton, 1 x 2001 Schaeff 5 ton, 2 x Takeuchi 3 ton, 3 x Bobcat 1.5 ton, 7 x JCB 1.5 ton with cabs, 8 x 2003 TB016 c/w 2 buckets & Adjustable tracks, 2 x 2002 JCB 801

DIGGER LOADERS
12 x 2000 JCB 3CX sitemasters project 12, 1 x 2001 JCB 3CX Sitemaster contractor, 5 x 2001 JCB 3CX Sitemasters, 1 x 2002 JCB 3CX Project 21, 2x 2004 JCB 3CX Sitemaster Project 21, 1 x 2000 New Holland LB95, 2 x 2001 JS220

DUMPERS
Approx. 20 x New Ausa AMA85 high discharge year 2005, Approx. 10 x Ausa 108DA high discharge 2 wheel drive, Benford 3, 5 & 6 ton dumpers

COMPRESSORS
Approx. 30 x Comp Air, Ingersoll Rand P110 & 130, Comp Air 130 cfm, 375 cfm, 260 cfm

ROLLERS & LIGHTING TOWERS
20 x 2002 Bomag 80 rollers, Benford, Ammann & Ingersoll Rand 80, Bomag 120, Ingersoll Rand DD24, Ammann 120, single drum pedestrian rollers, 2002 & 2003 Hamm HD130, Approx 20 silenced and non silenced lighting towers

MISC
Approx 40 x shop soiled Belle mixers 110v & 240v, Benford 5 3 ½ mixers, 250,300 & 500 gallon bunded bowsers

FLOOD DAMAGE STOCK - ENTERED ON BEHALF OF Royal & Sun Alliance
Approx 150 various size Air conditioning units , 2 x 24 Hour Forklift battery chargers

Interest rates are unlikely to be cut before Christmas, the latest minutes of the monetary policy committee have signalled.

Those hoping for an early present in the form of a mortgage reduction appear set to go unrewarded.

The latest minutes show the committee was unanimous in deciding to keep rates unchanged at 4.5 per cent when they met in early November.

That points to a similar decision when the next announcement comes in early December.

The consensus follows two similar unanimous decisions on rates and comes amid growing optimism about the medium-term economic outlook.

Whilst the quarterly inflation report pointed to inflationary pressures in the short-term, it expressed confidence that inflation would return to its two per cent target over the next two years.

Recent increases in the price of oil have led to increased inflationary fears, but have also boosted Treasury receipts.

That is likely to offset the reduction in the tax take following a downward revision in the chancellor's economic growth forecasts.

Some analysts now predict the economy to grow by just 1.6 per cent - significantly lower than the three per cent growth anticipated by Gordon Brown in his initial Budget prediction.

An urban taskforce led by the international architect Lord Rogers has criticised the government's approach to urban development.

The taskforce warned that poor design was threatening the appearance of England's urban areas and that a misguided approach to development could "saddle generations to come with a legacy of failure".

The report said that John Prescott's "urban renaissance" has been "clumsy, insensitive, rushed, quantity-driven and wasteful".

The independent panel particularly attacked schemes in the Midlands and the North involving the demolition of Victorian and Edwardian terraces.

The prime minister has given his strongest signal yet that he will support an expansion in nuclear power.

In comments dubbed "irresponsible" by his critics, Blair said the facts on nuclear "had changed over the last couple of years".

Giving evidence to a committee of MPs Blair conceded that any decision would prove "difficult and controversial".

The government has admitted that recent rises in the price of gas would cause problems for industry but ruled out intervening in the energy market.

Trade and industry secretary Alan Johnson told a select committee of MPs that domestic supplies should not be affected and that the "lights would not go out" under any circumstances.

But Tony Blair admitted in the Commons that there would be "difficulties with gas prices" because of the cold winter.

Energy suppliers were doing their "level best" to make sure that demand was properly met, he said.

The FT reports that ministers are drawing up confidential plans for dealing with a gas supply emergency this winter, according to a leaked document.

The DTI is to help draw up advice for UK companies about what would happen in an emergency, or even a lesser crisis such as "a tight gas supply situation", the memo says.

Wind power: 10 myths explained

Myth: Turbines are taking over the countryside
The facts:
There are now some 1,120 turbines in 90 locations.
Generating 10 per cent of UK electricity from renewables by 2010 could mean an increase by around another one and half times the current number.
Less than 1/20,000th of the UK (800ˆ1,200 hectares) would be used for foundations and access roads.
Land between turbines can still be used for farming or natural habitat.

Myth: Wind farms are unpopular
The facts:
Research suggests quite the reverse.
90 per cent of the public believe the Government should encourage the use of renewable energy.
80 per cent support Government plans to significantly increase wind turbines.
74 per cent agree that wind farms are needed to meet current and future energy needs.
66 per cent would approve of a new wind farm in their area.
Approval is over 80 per cent among those already within 5 kilometres of a wind farm.

Myth: Turbines are a health hazard
The facts:
Wind generation produces no emissions, harmful pollutants or waste products.
In 25 years of wind generation, with 68,000 turbines now worldwide, there are no significant reports of health issues. This includes Denmark, whose turbine density is 30 times that of the UK.
The DTI has commissioned an independent study in response to public concerns about low frequency noise.
However, vibration levels 100 metres from turbines are a factor of 10 lower than the safety requirements for modern laboratories.
Each development requires a noise assessment which can be validated by the Environmental Health Officer.

Myth: Wind farms devastate house prices
The facts:
A study by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors suggests that wind farms have no lasting impact on UK house prices.
This study is supported by evidence at wind farms in England, Scotland and Wales.
It shows that local house prices recover from any initial impact once a wind farm has been operating for two years.
Evidence suggests that those living nearest to wind farms are their strongest advocates.
People promoting fears of falling prices risk making them self-fulfilling.

Myth: Wind farms keep tourists away
The facts:
Many wind farms are tourist attractions.
30,000 people have visited the information centre for the new Scroby Sands offshore wind farm since May 2004.
90 per cent of tourists surveyed in Scotland said wind farms make no difference to enjoyment of their holiday.
Twice as many would return to an area because of a wind farm than would stay away.

Myth: Turbine blades threaten bird populations
The facts:
UK wind farms have not been associated with any major adverse effects on birds.
By far the biggest threat to UK bird populations is climate change, which is mitigated by renewables such as wind.
Environmental assessments are required as part of the planning process, to ensure wind farms are properly sited and configured in relation to bird movements.
These assessments have improved the understanding of bird ecology, helping conservation.

Myth: Wind produces little power
The facts:
A single 1.8-megawatt turbine can produce enough power for 1,000 homes.
Existing wind projects generate enough for nearly half a million homes.
The average UK wind farm will pay back the energy used in its manufacture within three to five months ˆ more quickly than coal and nuclear plants.
Over its lifetime, a wind farm will repay this energy 50 times over.
The geographical spread of wind farms minimises the loss of generation when the wind stops in any one location.
Back-up generation is already in place to cover shut-downs of other forms of generation; little further back-up will be needed up to 2010 to cover periods when wind and other renewables generation is low.

Myth: Wind energy will not help climate change
The facts:
Producing 10 per cent of electricity from renewables in 2010 could cut carbon emissions by 2.5 million tonnes a year.
Wind generation produces no carbon emissions.
Every unit of energy generated by wind doesn‚t need to be generated by carbon-producing sources.
Any emissions savings lost through use of fossil fuel back-up will be minimal to 2010.22
Wind is part of a range of measures to tackle climate change, alongside other renewables and energy efficiency.

Myth: Projects are forced through with no regard for local concerns
The facts:
Ministers have made it clear that wind farms should only be located in the appropriate place and that local concerns should be listened to.
All wind farm proposals are subject to a strict planning process, addressing environmental, visual and community impacts.
Local planning authorities consider onshore proposals up to 50 megawatts (the vast majority of applications to date).
The planning framework facilitates renewable energy, while maintaining safeguards for landscape and nature conservation.
It does not impose targets or developments on local authorities.
For applications over 50 megawatts, local authorities can trigger an independent public inquiry if they object.
The public can participate in the planning processes and their views are taken into account at every stage.
Projects not meeting planning requirements are refused consent.
About a third of all applications are refused.

Myth: Onshore wind is being promoted at the expense of other renewables
The facts:
The Government has committed £500 million to develop longer-term renewables, such as offshore wind, wave and tidal, solar, biomass and community projects.
Onshore wind is currently the most economically viable renewables technology with scope for expansion, but it will increasingly operate as part of a renewables mix as other technologies come on line.
The UK is already the world‚s second-biggest offshore wind generator. Plans for further offshore wind farms represent the world‚s biggest expansion of renewable energy.

(source dti website - http://www.dti.gov.uk/renewables/renew_1.1.2.2.htm)

The inheritance tax explosion

NEW research out today predicts an explosion in the number of the number families being forced to pay inheritance tax. By 2009, up to 3.6 million people will be liable to pay IHT on their estate when they die, says the report.

According to tax experts Grant Thornton and economists Lombard Street Research, the 2009 figure will be 70% higher than in 2002, the most recent year from which complete figures are available.

The groups said inheritance tax (IHT) receipts had more than doubled since the Government first came to power in 1997, despite there being no change in the 40% rate at which the tax is charged.

Government figures show that 37,000 people are expected to pay inheritance tax during the 2005/06 tax year, 54% more than the 24,000 who paid it in 2002.

One reason why so many more people are liable for IHT is because the threshold at which it starts has failed to keep pace with soaring property prices. The current threshold above which inheritance tax is charged is £275,000, although this will be increased to £300,000 in 2007.

Brian Reading, director of Lombard Street Research, said: 'There is no doubt that, if the future is anything like the past, the number of estates potentially liable to IHT will explode. The threshold for IHT liability is set to rise roughly in line with product price inflation, but for the past 20 years asset prices - shares, houses and bonds - have risen three times faster.'

Ian Johnson, head of private client services at Grant Thornton, said: 'Death has long been deemed a convenient way to raise tax on the value of a deceased person's assets or estate. Not only is the tax easy to collect but complications arising from valuations are also less likely to be contested.

'However, while it used to be a tax on the very rich, our research has shown it is a growing problem forms of people with modest estates.'

There are many ways to avoid Inheritance Tax ˆ Full details, facts and figures available in members area of Hot Property Investment ˆ Join now and don‚t lose out later!!

Makeover madness
Simon Lambert

THE rise of the home makeover programme has been one of the defining characteristics of British television in recent years.

Whether Changing Rooms to create their perfect home, improving décor to climb the Property Ladder, or enlisting Ground Force to transform the bit of scrub out the back, people just can't stop tinkering, extending and revamping.

But experts say before throwing caution to the wind, stop and think for a minute. Are you taking thousands off the value of your home? Are you increasing your property's desirability, or creating an expensive testament to homeowner's folly?

Many people would love their own swimming pool, but pools are expensive to heat and maintain and it's far cheaper just to go for a dip at the local baths.

High-earners with deep pockets investing in a £500,000-plus five-bedroom house might find a swimming pool a draw, but potential buyers of a three-bedroom semi, with half the back garden turned a pool, will baulk at the idea of a money pit.

And makeover mistakes do not need to be large building projects to cost more than they are worth. Those gold-plated Footballers' Wives bathtaps might look great in the showroom, but you will never get your money back on them.

Similarly, cutting the drafts in a period cottage by installing some nice new uPVC double glazing could prove a pricey move if the property is listed and you are ordered to have them removed.

The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings campaigns to save old buildings from decay, demolition and damage, but secretary Philip Venning said homes don't need to date back centuries to need sympathetic renovation.

'Nobody sets out to decrease the value of their house or ruin it. In most cases people do something with good intentions and can then end up harming their building's value,' he says

'As a general principle people should be vary wary when it comes to doing something that can't be undone. Estate agents now will point out that an older building that has many of its original features is worth more money.

'There are any number of lovely 1930s semis that you find in towns around the country and where they have not been messed around with people can be willing to pay much more for them.'

Mr Venning says the materials used in older buildings tended to be superior to those used nowadays and people can be surprised when wooden window frames - the items most often replaced on older properties - look well past their sell-by date but can be restored.

The biggest problems he sees are the installation of unsuitable plastic window double-glazing, outer mock-stone cladding, and homeowners stripping plaster off inner walls to create a stone or brick rustic look ˆ something that is in no way traditional.

Even when dealing with a modern home, people considering embarking on an ambitious makeover should also remember it is vital to think about what buyers want.

Snapping up a bargain ex-local authority home and kitting it out with the latest in modern design will create a state-of-the-art pad for below the market rate. But will a luxury homebuyer consider that area, or has a perfectly good budget family home just become unsellable?

When it comes to home improvements, the experts'advice is to think about how other people will view the work and design and whether it fits in with the rest of the property.

Mr Venning says: 'Generally public education has improved a lot. People are trying much harder than 20 years ago. People should be allowed to decorate their homes to their personal taste, as long as they're not doing something that's destructive.'

Ask the advice of professionals
Consider your home's character as a whole
Think about what prospective buyers would say
Listen to friends or relatives' opinions
Pay for quality

Copy ideas from Footballers' Wives
Choose ornate mock-historic detailing
Build odd-shaped extensions
Follow the latest fad
Rush into major works
Home loans up 15% in a year

MORTGAGE lending by Britain's biggest banks fell slightly in October but still hit the second highest level since the summer of 2004.

The British Bankers' Association said gross mortgage lending was £17.5bn in October, a 1.7% drop on September's total of £17.8bn, but 15.7% higher than the £15.1bn in October 2004.

The number of approvals for home loans was up 23% on a year earlier, and the amount consumers borrowed was up 40%, while there was a 2% drop in remortgaging.

The mortage lending figures from the BBA's members, who account for two-thirds of all home loans, pointed to a soft landing for the property market.

David Dooks, BBA Director of Statistics, said: 'At this time last year, the trend in net mortgage lending was on a clear downward path.' He said that the market had stabilised in the spring but lending and approval figures had since risen. 'The mortgage market seems particularly resilient as we enter what is usually a period of lower demand,' he added.

The BBA said consumer credit remained subdued during October with the slowdown in credit card and personal loan borrowing continuing. Loans and overdrafts rose slightly, increasing by £437m, marginally higher than September's rise but in line with the average for the previous six months. Credit card lending fell 2% compared to September, with a total of £7.32bn borrowed on plastic during October.

After repayments were taken into account, outstanding credit card debt increased by £243m, more than double the recent average of £98m. Consumers now owe a total of £31.92bn on their credit cards.

Mr Dooks said: 'There is little sign of a significant change in unsecured credit sentiment. Despite some reports of improving retail sales volumes, consumer credit remains relatively subdued.'

HAVING a lodger may seem like a great idea to help pay the mortgage, but when things go wrong you can be left massively out of pocket.

New research from Zurich Insurance reveals that a quarter of homeowners who brought in a lodger vowed never to do it again because their tenants were so bad.

One in five suffered damage to their home while a quarter found tenants showed no respect for the landlord's possessions and frequently paid the rent late.

On average, homeowners find themselves almost £400 a year out of pocket due to loss, damage or theft of property, missed rent and unpaid bills.

Taking in a lodger is becoming increasingly common as first-time buyers struggle to afford their homes. The research showed one in five homeowners take in a lodger because they are struggling with mortgage repayments, while one in 20 did so because it was the only way onto the property ladder.

The Government allows you to earn up to £4,250 a year tax-free from letting a single room in your home and, although most mortgage companies will not allow you take this extra income into account when they work out how much you can afford each month, they will not object to you having one tenant in a spare room.

However, if you rented two rooms out it could pose a problem, and you would also need to inform HM Revenue & Customs about this.

Check your tenancy agreement or lease to make sure you are entitled to take in a lodger. And make sure that your mortgage company will also allow it.

You also need to think about home insurance - since most policies will cover your possessions and those of a short-term visitor, but not those of a tenant.

You have a responsibility to notify your insurer if you take in a tenant since this could change the conditions of your home insurance. Although there is no legal requirement to have a written agreement between the homeowner and the lodger, it is a good idea.

This should include the rent amount, frequency of payments, when payments will be reviewed, any services you may want to provide, notice periods, any share of household bills, and house rules.

This is particularly important in case you have a real tenant from hell. If your house should get damaged to the point where you can no longer live there then it would be hard to prove loss of income to an insurer without the agreement.

And always ask for one month's rent in advance - this can cover against unpaid rent, bills or damage - and try to get the lodger to pay by direct debit.

Aside from the financial aspects of taking in a lodger, it is worth considering the emotional stress and strain it can cause. Make sure that you are comfortable with the person moving in.

Worryingly, three quarters of the homeowners failed to vet the lodger and subsequently 64% felt their privacy was invaded and 40% became uncomfortable in their own homes.

IT'S icy cold outside, dark winter nights are here and snow is on the way, so there's nothing better than turning the heating up and getting cosy inside

The only problem is that you're living in a freezing cold house, with no hot water and heating because your pipes have frozen and everything is in chaos.

A study by Abbey has shown that a third of all winter home insurance claims are due to bad weather, with burst pipes, floods and falling trees topping the list.

With the current cold snap set to continue over the next week and weather forecasters predicting a freezing winter ahead, people have been urged to protect their homes.

Abbey's head of insurance marketing Lloyd Wilson said: 'A few simple precautions can help prevent the misery and inconvenience of frozen or burst pipes. If the worst does happen, contact your insurer as soon as possible ˆ the sooner the damage is reported, the faster it can be repaired.'

One of the main causes of frozen pipes is switching the central heating off completely when a house is empty. If you're off on holiday or even away overnight, keep the heating on at a low temperature and give pipes and tanks in lofts and unheated areas a winter check-up to make sure they are insulated properly.

If the worst does happen and you think pipes have frozen the danger is they will burst ˆ a messy and expensive experience. To deal with frozen pipes turn off the water at the mains valve and the header tank to limit the amount that can escape.

Pipes can then be thawed gently with a low steady heat such as a hot water bottle, or hair-dryer, but never a naked flame. Be sure to keep something ready to catch water in case the pipe bursts.

Insurance experts recommend keeping the telephone number of a plumber easily available in case of emergencies and to check buildings and content policies cover damage to furniture or flooring, as well as pipes.

Charities have also called on neighbours to keep an eye out for elderly homeowners during the cold spell and drop in to check their heating and house is okay.

Age Concern director general Gordon Lishman said: 'It is essential that older people keep warm during the winter. We would urge that they make sure that their home is heated properly. As well as making sure your elderly relatives are prepared for a cold snap, be a good neighbour and keep an eye on any older people living nearby.'

SHODDY cars parked in driveways bring down the value of neighbouring homes, homeowners are warned.

Rundown cars wipe an average value of 5.5 per cent off neighbouring homes, says a survey by the car sellers Network Q.

Richard Hughes, a spokesman for the company, said: "A person with a poorly maintained or shabby car can give off all the wrong signals to someone looking at their home or a neighbouring property. It also goes to show that sometimes a quick and easy sale is out of your own hands."

Network Q asked 1,600 home owners what the impact of an old banger would have when viewing a neighbouring house.

The survey found that some 35 per cent of prospective buyers would refuse to bid simply because a neighbour's old banger gave off the wrong signals.

Some 37 per cent of prospective buyers said they would place a lower bid for the property because of the car.

And 11 per cent of prospective buyers would drop their bid by more than ten per cent of the sale price because of the car.

The Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties have endorsed a conservation group's campaign to reduce "street clutter" and superfluous street signs.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England has also reported that transport ministers are keen to protect the character of the countryside and villages and country towns.

View further details of the campaign here </PpWeb/jsp/redirect.jsp?url=http%3A//www.cpre.org.uk/campaigns/transport/roadside-clutter/index.htm> .

We reveal how as pension 'A-Day' approaches, you could get a 40% discount off any property you buy

6 April 2006 could be the most important day of your life if you've ever dreamt of making your fortune in property. It will mark the most radical reform of the British pensions system in 50 years and is known as A.Day.

After this date you will be allowed to put property into your pension for the very first time. Also, even better, you can receive up to 40% off any commercial or residential property you purchase ˆ all with the blessing of the taxman.

Presently, the way to own property in a pension is through an insurance company property fund. From 'A-Day' onwards by the choice of a Self-Invested Pension (SIPP) you will, as an individual, be able to invest in commercial or residential property as part of your pension fund.

When you wake up in the morning, you are completely free to choose whatever attitude you wish to have. And the attitude you choose can have an enormous impact on the way your day unfolds.
Each time you encounter another person, you are completely free to choose your attitude toward that person. And the attitude you choose will most certainly determine how well the encounter goes.

For every event or situation that comes along, you are completely free to choose the attitude with which you respond. And the attitude you choose will determine how much positive value you gain from whatever is going on.

With many aspects of your life, there are restrictions and limitations imposed upon you from outside forces. Yet with your own attitude, you have total, unlimited control.

And your attitude can make a big difference, with people, with events, with what you get out of the moments that make up each day. Your attitude exerts a powerful influence, and it is yours to direct as you wish.

Choose not to allow your attitude to merely follow you along. For you are free to choose an attitude that will lead you to ever higher levels of achievement and fulfillment.

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