Catch up
It’s been a very busy few weeks on all fronts and it’s a dark rainy Cambridge morning now where I finally get clicking on this keyboard!
At Spareground towers , we’ve been looking into ways of improving the website and after sending out consultations to various individuals and groups such as the UK business forums, we now have our Version 3 designed which will be fully launched in the New Year. There are a few things we have been aware of but it’s been a good process in gleaning peoples’ viewpoints. What has been encouraging is everyone has commented on the fact that they really like the concept of the website so that’s very encouraging to hear.
We have also now partnered up with the Green Christmas Appeal which is a great idea and venture. Good luck to them and we hope it’s successful. Do take a look at their website, and if you do decide to buy a tree or anything else from their shop then you can take advantage of the current discount offer of 33% by entering ‘spareground’ in the discount code box. Please look and please support if you can!
Last Friday, I was lucky enough to be at the Home Business Enterprise Nation conference in London. It was really enjoyable meeting up with others who has set up businesses and with a number of top notch speakers (Mike Finnegan and Doug Richard of Dragon’s den to name a few), it was pretty inspiring stuff! So, I now have my head filled with a load of things to promote Spareground and get it more known throughout the UK! Watch this space!
As always, I am continually surprised by the ingenuity of users in the creation of their listings. In addition to parking spaces to let, garages and driveways to rent, gardens and greenhouses to let or landshare options, storage space and properties per se, we now have on the Spareground website a rural meadow for wedding or other functions and even a room with a piano for lessons or even a dinner party (there is a kitchen available for use too!). People really are looking at their spare space, amazing stuff and keep them coming!
Right, Christmas shopping lists to get sorted now so until next time….
www.spareground.co.uk
Monday 23 November 2009
Monday 19 October 2009
Park and Run in Cambridge!
Last week the Cambridge Evening News published its article on the impending hike in car parking charges in Cambridge. Parking spaces in Cambridge are now likely to reach the £23 a day figure in the city which is hardly likely to be greeted with open arms. There is no easy solution to this, you have to ask why this figure has to be so ridiculously high and one would guess that the increase in fees (a 4% rise in income for the city council) are to be re-invested in increasing public transport into the city centre.
The much anticipated guided bus route will soon open and hopefully this will see further a reduction in the numbers of cars trying to park up in Cambridge centre. One would have hoped that any increase in parking charges could have been postponed at least until a review was made on the effectiveness of the guided bus route.
The Cambridge Evening News poll as to how people will respond found that 66.9% of people will look to go elsewhere, 26.5% will look for alternative transport and 6.6% will continue to pay the car parking fees.
Not pretty reading for Cambridge based businesses.
So! Those schools, churches, private business premises, and those with private driveways in the city, get your parking spaces for rent on Spareground!
You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
This last week also saw Spareground featured on the Radio Surrey and Radio Sussex Sunday morning DigIt programme, it’s nice that the website is still attracting media interest and long may it continue!
My trip to Wales did not prove to be as successful as I had hoped in promoting Spareground but I won’t be giving up on it not by a long shot! I am still looking to promote it in every corner of the UK as it can only set to directly benefit most of the people at some stage. The more users we have then the better for everyone.
Yesterday also saw me complete my first 10K race. This was the first time that Cambridge has hosted a run10K for cancer research event and I really hope it goes ahead again next year. The weather was great, the course organisers did a fantastic job and the samba band playing their drums and their hearts out on Midsummer Common were brilliant! My body wasn’t feeling that great today though but I’m sure it’ll pass off at some stage.
Perhaps that what we need in Cambridge, lots of shower facilities somewhere so people can Park and Run! Park on the outskirts, run into town, shower and then get on with your daily business!
www.spareground.co.uk
The much anticipated guided bus route will soon open and hopefully this will see further a reduction in the numbers of cars trying to park up in Cambridge centre. One would have hoped that any increase in parking charges could have been postponed at least until a review was made on the effectiveness of the guided bus route.
The Cambridge Evening News poll as to how people will respond found that 66.9% of people will look to go elsewhere, 26.5% will look for alternative transport and 6.6% will continue to pay the car parking fees.
Not pretty reading for Cambridge based businesses.
So! Those schools, churches, private business premises, and those with private driveways in the city, get your parking spaces for rent on Spareground!
You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
This last week also saw Spareground featured on the Radio Surrey and Radio Sussex Sunday morning DigIt programme, it’s nice that the website is still attracting media interest and long may it continue!
My trip to Wales did not prove to be as successful as I had hoped in promoting Spareground but I won’t be giving up on it not by a long shot! I am still looking to promote it in every corner of the UK as it can only set to directly benefit most of the people at some stage. The more users we have then the better for everyone.
Yesterday also saw me complete my first 10K race. This was the first time that Cambridge has hosted a run10K for cancer research event and I really hope it goes ahead again next year. The weather was great, the course organisers did a fantastic job and the samba band playing their drums and their hearts out on Midsummer Common were brilliant! My body wasn’t feeling that great today though but I’m sure it’ll pass off at some stage.
Perhaps that what we need in Cambridge, lots of shower facilities somewhere so people can Park and Run! Park on the outskirts, run into town, shower and then get on with your daily business!
www.spareground.co.uk
Monday 5 October 2009
Bringing In The Sheaves
Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness
Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve
Waiting for the harvest and the time of reaping
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves
When I was a kid, I used to love singing this in Sunday School,…I had no idea what “the sheaves” were but nevertheless I used to enjoy singing it with gusto and eyeing up the harvest produce display on the front altar. Back then, in the early 70s the sights of all that fruit was heaven to me! Unfortunately and a sign of the times, but it would probably generate rows of churned up faces of terror in a lot of kids.
My allotment this year has been rather bountiful in its yield, more so than we normally have and it’s been a hard job eating through what we had! A lot has been given away or frozen and we still have the butternut squash the cabbages and sprouts plus the parsnips to come too. We had none of any last year. I think I am one of the few people who squeals with delight when I see the arrival of sprouts on the shops! If I tell you I love you more than sprouts, then you know I really do!
The desire to get allotment space or garden space for growing produce still remains high and thankfully with Spareground and schemes such as Landshare, there are now options other than notoriously long waiting lists available for people to find this space. Lots of schools, churches and community groups are also seeking growing space as a way of educating both children and adults in growing food and appreciating it that bit more. My own nieces and nephews are involved in such schemes and whereas before, a lot of vegetables were considered to be the devil’s deeds, they are now far more open to at least trying what they have helped grow from seeds to something steaming in a pot on the cooker.
Long may it continue I say.
When I was a kid, I used to love singing this in Sunday School,…I had no idea what “the sheaves” were but nevertheless I used to enjoy singing it with gusto and eyeing up the harvest produce display on the front altar. Back then, in the early 70s the sights of all that fruit was heaven to me! Unfortunately and a sign of the times, but it would probably generate rows of churned up faces of terror in a lot of kids.
My allotment this year has been rather bountiful in its yield, more so than we normally have and it’s been a hard job eating through what we had! A lot has been given away or frozen and we still have the butternut squash the cabbages and sprouts plus the parsnips to come too. We had none of any last year. I think I am one of the few people who squeals with delight when I see the arrival of sprouts on the shops! If I tell you I love you more than sprouts, then you know I really do!
The desire to get allotment space or garden space for growing produce still remains high and thankfully with Spareground and schemes such as Landshare, there are now options other than notoriously long waiting lists available for people to find this space. Lots of schools, churches and community groups are also seeking growing space as a way of educating both children and adults in growing food and appreciating it that bit more. My own nieces and nephews are involved in such schemes and whereas before, a lot of vegetables were considered to be the devil’s deeds, they are now far more open to at least trying what they have helped grow from seeds to something steaming in a pot on the cooker.
Long may it continue I say.
Spareground has also through this year seen adverts for people seeking land for other uses such as keeping chickens or bees or other livestock, for grazing of horses etc and we have been surprised by the generous offers of free or very cheaply available land.
We have also had offers of land for camping, and for storage of large vehicles, boats, caravans etc so hopefully we will see the website continue to grow year upon year.
Now we are in the harvest season and the time for clearing space is on us, the time is probably right to list that piece of land you don’t use. Let someone help clear it for you and get some plans in place for growing season 2010.
My land clearing time is now intertwined with my 10K training. My legs seem to be permanently aching at the moment but I am sure it’s doing me some good! I will be running my first 10k in just over 2 weeks time for cancer research, so feel free to check my sponsor page if you so wish.
http://www.run10ksponsorme.org/annejones
Tuesday 22 September 2009
Check your insurance! fancy a spin in an Aston Martin?
This is not going to be a ‘War and Peace’ blog entry, these last few days have been pretty hectic and with some horrible lurgy working its way into my system, I have little energy to expend!
This week saw another radio interview; this time for BBC Radio Nottinghamshire on 21st Sept. Quite a good interview, questions I had not been asked before mainly concerning security of property etc and as I always say to people, if you are unsure about letting out to someone, then don’t go ahead. Seek further advice if necessary from your Citizens Advice Bureau or even your local police station and get signed agreements in place as to what is or what isn’t permitted.
This brings me onto another serious issue concerning insurance. If you are taking advantage of the Government's Rent A Room Scheme to earn upto an additional £4250 tax free a year then read on. There was an article published in last Sunday’s Observer which brought to light the amount of insurance companies which do not allow lodgers living in your home within the remit of their insurance policies. Any claim you make wirthout disclosing you have a lodger could be invalidated. Two of the main ones who totally oppose lodgers in your home seem to be Esure and More Than so if you are looking to rent a room in your house then you must check your insurance policy first. Give them a ring to clarify; if there are problems then there are lots of other insurance companies out there which will permit renting a room to lodgers. You will also need to find out of they have any criminal convictions. See the article for further details http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/sep/20/homeowners-student-lodgers
Finally, are you involved in sorting out corporate functions for your company or business? Then why not take a look at http://www.alanblencoweracing.com/
Alan kindly supports and links to our website, as we do to them, and he has emailed me to let me know they have an Aston Martin DB9 that they now use for corporate days, so if you’re interested then get in touch with him and he’ll be happy to discuss it with you.
Finally, our listings continue to grow, lots of offers of parking spaces, garden space, storage facilities including more caravan storage and even 10 acres of land in mid Wales for horses or cattle, along with storage facilities big enough for boat or caravan storage.
We also have our wanted list growing. If you have an unused garage, or workshop, cabin etc in London then there is a writer seeking such places as their workspace. Lots of wanted listings for storage of cars motorbikes caravans needed too!
Right off to watch TV…
http://www.spareground.co.uk/
p.s this blog entry turned out to be just as long as the others,….oh well..
This week saw another radio interview; this time for BBC Radio Nottinghamshire on 21st Sept. Quite a good interview, questions I had not been asked before mainly concerning security of property etc and as I always say to people, if you are unsure about letting out to someone, then don’t go ahead. Seek further advice if necessary from your Citizens Advice Bureau or even your local police station and get signed agreements in place as to what is or what isn’t permitted.
This brings me onto another serious issue concerning insurance. If you are taking advantage of the Government's Rent A Room Scheme to earn upto an additional £4250 tax free a year then read on. There was an article published in last Sunday’s Observer which brought to light the amount of insurance companies which do not allow lodgers living in your home within the remit of their insurance policies. Any claim you make wirthout disclosing you have a lodger could be invalidated. Two of the main ones who totally oppose lodgers in your home seem to be Esure and More Than so if you are looking to rent a room in your house then you must check your insurance policy first. Give them a ring to clarify; if there are problems then there are lots of other insurance companies out there which will permit renting a room to lodgers. You will also need to find out of they have any criminal convictions. See the article for further details http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/sep/20/homeowners-student-lodgers
Finally, are you involved in sorting out corporate functions for your company or business? Then why not take a look at http://www.alanblencoweracing.com/
Alan kindly supports and links to our website, as we do to them, and he has emailed me to let me know they have an Aston Martin DB9 that they now use for corporate days, so if you’re interested then get in touch with him and he’ll be happy to discuss it with you.
Finally, our listings continue to grow, lots of offers of parking spaces, garden space, storage facilities including more caravan storage and even 10 acres of land in mid Wales for horses or cattle, along with storage facilities big enough for boat or caravan storage.
We also have our wanted list growing. If you have an unused garage, or workshop, cabin etc in London then there is a writer seeking such places as their workspace. Lots of wanted listings for storage of cars motorbikes caravans needed too!
Right off to watch TV…
http://www.spareground.co.uk/
p.s this blog entry turned out to be just as long as the others,….oh well..
Friday 11 September 2009
More radio, caravans and beer
It’s been another week of more radio coverage for Spareground. This week, I was invited along to the BBC Radio Cambridgeshire studios to be interviewed for the Andy Harper show. Both he and the producer Carol Carman really are lovely people and have kindly invited me back in a few weeks for an update on what’s happening with Spareground.
For once it was nice to see the inside of a radio studio instead of conducting interviews over the phone sat on my bed!
The response has been encouraging and we are now in the processes of furthering the sponsored advertisements on the site from interest generated from this programme. Our rate card is now available to any potential advertisers with very favourable rates, well I am bound to say that aren’t I! But it is definitely true!
This week has seen some great listings on the site; probably my favourite has to be the log cabin in London for writers, thinkers and tidy artists, ..Brilliant! And only minutes away from Turnpike Lane tube. Who would have thought it eh…a log cabin in London. Am sure there will be plenty of people interested in that one!
Also on the site this week we have lots of new storage space rentals, including a lot advertised for caravan storage. I am currently waiting for a response from the caravan club on this, I am pretty keen to let caravan owners know about Spareground. I am aware that with certain insurance companies, they may only permit storage in certain facilities but if this is not the case then why not use the Spareground site to look for other caravan storage options.
There’s lots of new car parking space offers for renting too, including garages, driveways and yards. Not forgetting the increase in listings for land or garden space both offered and also on our wanted pages.
So whatever spare space you’re after, keep checking the site as new listings for space for rent or even for no charge are appearing on the website all the time.
Tip of the day, when you are in a hurry for a cold beer, don’t leave it too long in the freezer. It goes flat! My much anticipated quaffing of a bottle of Badger Champion ale was ruined by my impatience!
More soon….
www.spareground.co.uk
For once it was nice to see the inside of a radio studio instead of conducting interviews over the phone sat on my bed!
The response has been encouraging and we are now in the processes of furthering the sponsored advertisements on the site from interest generated from this programme. Our rate card is now available to any potential advertisers with very favourable rates, well I am bound to say that aren’t I! But it is definitely true!
This week has seen some great listings on the site; probably my favourite has to be the log cabin in London for writers, thinkers and tidy artists, ..Brilliant! And only minutes away from Turnpike Lane tube. Who would have thought it eh…a log cabin in London. Am sure there will be plenty of people interested in that one!
Also on the site this week we have lots of new storage space rentals, including a lot advertised for caravan storage. I am currently waiting for a response from the caravan club on this, I am pretty keen to let caravan owners know about Spareground. I am aware that with certain insurance companies, they may only permit storage in certain facilities but if this is not the case then why not use the Spareground site to look for other caravan storage options.
There’s lots of new car parking space offers for renting too, including garages, driveways and yards. Not forgetting the increase in listings for land or garden space both offered and also on our wanted pages.
So whatever spare space you’re after, keep checking the site as new listings for space for rent or even for no charge are appearing on the website all the time.
Tip of the day, when you are in a hurry for a cold beer, don’t leave it too long in the freezer. It goes flat! My much anticipated quaffing of a bottle of Badger Champion ale was ruined by my impatience!
More soon….
www.spareground.co.uk
Friday 4 September 2009
Radio, Rugby and Dying Chickens
If someone had told me earlier this year that I would have spoken on the radio in front of millions, I would have suggested they take a trip to the nearest witch doctor for some treatment. Alas, it has happened! Yesterday saw me interviewed by Rebecca Pike, aka Foxy on the Chris Evans show on BBC Radio 2. Its weird how for the few hours beforehand, you are gripped with nerves and the imminent on air time produces that hideous stomach lurching and a dryness in the mouth that no amount of water seems to quench! Anyway, it went well I think! Looking at the increased website stats and listings, it was a job worth doing. We have a number of new listings on the site now covering all aspects of space and it’s great to see people using their creative thinking and adding stuff that probably wouldn’t have been in the realm of Spareground in its earlier days. Spareground will always be an iterative website and we will move in accordance with how people are perceived to be using it.
On other matters, where have all the fish gone? Spent last Sunday fishing for mackerel on the Norfolk coast and didn’t catch anything at all. All I got was wet feet and an empty freezer bag to take home! Don’t think one person caught anything so I will just have to put it down to one of those years where my catch tally is zero. I did have some lovely fish and chips in Sheringham though so that did make up for it to a certain point.
I also spent a day this week nursing a dying chicken. My lovely friends managed to get two rescue chickens which have had the life of Riley this last eighteen months, full run of the garden, lots of corn and a great coop. Alas they are now down to one chicken after some horrible virus snuffed one of them out. So it’s half an egg quota and less fertiliser for the allotment now…nevermind.
I see we have listings on the site for people who wish to keep chickens and I can now report that we have had a successful match up with one Spareground user. So a chicken coop is currently under construction with the aim of getting four chickens so I have been told.
Anyway, time to walk the dogs. They are feeling a bit neglected with me having been sat near this computer all morning.
Rugby season kicks off tonight; the worse thing of the summer months is the wait for the rugby to start again!
Until next time
www.spareground.co.uk
On other matters, where have all the fish gone? Spent last Sunday fishing for mackerel on the Norfolk coast and didn’t catch anything at all. All I got was wet feet and an empty freezer bag to take home! Don’t think one person caught anything so I will just have to put it down to one of those years where my catch tally is zero. I did have some lovely fish and chips in Sheringham though so that did make up for it to a certain point.
I also spent a day this week nursing a dying chicken. My lovely friends managed to get two rescue chickens which have had the life of Riley this last eighteen months, full run of the garden, lots of corn and a great coop. Alas they are now down to one chicken after some horrible virus snuffed one of them out. So it’s half an egg quota and less fertiliser for the allotment now…nevermind.
I see we have listings on the site for people who wish to keep chickens and I can now report that we have had a successful match up with one Spareground user. So a chicken coop is currently under construction with the aim of getting four chickens so I have been told.
Anyway, time to walk the dogs. They are feeling a bit neglected with me having been sat near this computer all morning.
Rugby season kicks off tonight; the worse thing of the summer months is the wait for the rugby to start again!
Until next time
www.spareground.co.uk
Friday 14 August 2009
BBC Radio at last!
It’s been a busy few weeks both on the Spareground front and with my other business commitments so no blog posts for a while! …and after all my earlier promises!Well, this week saw my first ever radio interviews about Spareground on BBC Radio5 and also on BBC Radio Ulster (Northern Ireland). I must admit I was shocked with how nervous I felt beforehand but once we were ‘live’, things went well and I am pretty happy with the final outcomes.
Both features came about from recent polls showing that a lot of older people are now considering renting out rooms to lodgers to make cash to bolster their current financial shortfalls. With low interest rates, savings accounts are not bringing in the interest levels they once were and this coupled with increased living costs means that options such as renting out rooms are now being considered.
In the UK, the Government's Rent a Room scheme allows people to receive up to £4,250 a year tax free through renting out a room in their main home; quite a significant sum of money to add onto their regular income. There are restrictions to this for example, you cannot modify your property to create a separate space or create a private access for the lodger so it is wise to check the government websites to check for further details.What Spareground have tried to get across is that for a lot of people renting out a room in their house may not be a favourable choice. However, it’s always an idea to look at what spare space you do have and see if you can rent that out, hence our promotion to rent out driveways, parking facilities, storage facilities and garden space. You would not be able to create a huge amount of money from something like an attic space or garden space for example but it all helps!
Spareground was also featured on this week’s Enterprise Nation website http://www.enterprisenation.com/ and we have seen an increased in the hits on the site related to this. I have also signed up to attend the Enterprise Nation conference in November this year so I will make sure that I will report on this with all the news and stories of what happened. Busy times ahead!
Great news that the UK gets the Rugby League World Cup and the Rugby Union World Cup! Hopefully we can be of some use to help cater for peoples parking and accommodation requirements!
Tuesday 7 July 2009
Ryder Cup 2010 Newport Wales, get ready now!
Two of my favourite sporting events have now passed and my life is now back to its normal ebb and flow.
I am really disappointed for the Lions that they didn’t come away from South Africa with a series win but very pleased that this tour was no whitewash and albeit for a few narrow margins, the result could easily have gone the other way. Still that’s sport for you. Just ask Andy Roddick, with four set points in the second set tie-breaker or when at eight games a piece in the final set with two break points, Lady Luck could have waved her wand in the opposite direction and we would be looking at a new Wimbledon Champion and Federer looking to the US Open to eclipse the Sampras record.
To the British and Irish Lions and Andy Roddick, you didn’t achieve what you set out to do but you all showed how sport should be played at the highest level.
Congratulations of course to the Springboks and Federer!
The remaining summer months now sees the arrival of the Ashes series in the cricket and I personally will be interested to see how Cardiff responds to hosting the first test. Coming from the South Wales area, I am always keen to see major sporting and music events being held in this part of the world and how Wales welcomes and responds to its visitors.
In 2010 Wales also hosts the much anticipated Ryder Cup tournament at the Celtic Manor resort in Newport and this event alone could easily become the catalyst for other large events in Wales if this proves to be successful.
No prizes for already guessing that accommodation for this event is already squeezed and as always I am keen to get people and businesses to use the Spareground website to advertise their spare accommodation, parking facilities, camping facilities etc.
As with the Wimbledon tennis tournament, there are agencies specialising in top dollar private accommodation which gives local residents a fee charging agency service for leasing their properties and parking. That is fine and I certainly don’t ignore the fact that some people will want their properties to be managed in such a way.
However for those who cannot or do not wish to pay such agency fees and are happy to manage their property then why not use the Spareground website. It’s free to use so no harm in giving it a go.
Of course, go ahead and use it to advertise what space you are looking for if you are heading to the Ryder Cup too!
www.spareground.co.uk
I am really disappointed for the Lions that they didn’t come away from South Africa with a series win but very pleased that this tour was no whitewash and albeit for a few narrow margins, the result could easily have gone the other way. Still that’s sport for you. Just ask Andy Roddick, with four set points in the second set tie-breaker or when at eight games a piece in the final set with two break points, Lady Luck could have waved her wand in the opposite direction and we would be looking at a new Wimbledon Champion and Federer looking to the US Open to eclipse the Sampras record.
To the British and Irish Lions and Andy Roddick, you didn’t achieve what you set out to do but you all showed how sport should be played at the highest level.
Congratulations of course to the Springboks and Federer!
The remaining summer months now sees the arrival of the Ashes series in the cricket and I personally will be interested to see how Cardiff responds to hosting the first test. Coming from the South Wales area, I am always keen to see major sporting and music events being held in this part of the world and how Wales welcomes and responds to its visitors.
In 2010 Wales also hosts the much anticipated Ryder Cup tournament at the Celtic Manor resort in Newport and this event alone could easily become the catalyst for other large events in Wales if this proves to be successful.
No prizes for already guessing that accommodation for this event is already squeezed and as always I am keen to get people and businesses to use the Spareground website to advertise their spare accommodation, parking facilities, camping facilities etc.
As with the Wimbledon tennis tournament, there are agencies specialising in top dollar private accommodation which gives local residents a fee charging agency service for leasing their properties and parking. That is fine and I certainly don’t ignore the fact that some people will want their properties to be managed in such a way.
However for those who cannot or do not wish to pay such agency fees and are happy to manage their property then why not use the Spareground website. It’s free to use so no harm in giving it a go.
Of course, go ahead and use it to advertise what space you are looking for if you are heading to the Ryder Cup too!
www.spareground.co.uk
Monday 15 June 2009
Ladies and Gentlemen, time please,….it’s Wimbledon
One week left to go before the influx of visitors to SW19 for the best tennis tournament in the world! Sadly for me I have no tickets. I did enter the public ballot but was unlucky this year. My parents however, were more successful and will be on Court 2 on the 29th of June. Lucky them!
Spareground now has its first tennis related listing, some lovely private accommodation available just a ten minute walk from the All England Club.
It’s no secret that one of the problems with this tournament (and I would imagine many others) is the lack of closely available parking or accommodation. Each year, residents within Wimbledon and nearby areas have placed their properties in the hands of local estate agents for rentals to visitors during this time. Nothing wrong with that of course and for some people to have someone to ‘manage’ the rental of their property or parking would be the preferred option anyway.
However, not everyone can afford to pay or wants to pay, the handling fees involved, especially when there can be no guarantee that it will be leased out at all.
Spareground offers an alternative source. We do not charge for people to register and create listings, nor is there any charge for users to contact advertisers. All we ask is people register to the site. Using this method means that it is entirely down to the user to manage their own listings and arrange the rental terms as they see fit. Spareground plays no part in this aspect, we only provide the introductory aspect.
This great tennis tournament at the All England Tennis Club attracts visitors from all over the world. Not all will have the same budgets so the broader the range of pricing options for accommodation, hotels, B&Bs or even camping locations then the better. So even if you have a single room available, a space for putting up a tent or a 7-bedroomed detached house, all will be welcome on the Spareground site.
Parking options is also another aspect for people to consider, whether its listing a driveway space in front of a house, a business premises car park or that of a school or church, list them on the site,. There are other websites too which allow you to list parking so by all means use those as well.
Don’t forget that if you are visiting Wimbledon for the tennis, you can create a listing to ask for what space you need, whether it’s parking or accommodation.
The site is there for those who are looking as well as for those who can provide.
To finish off, congratulations go to Andy Murray for his win at the AEGON championships at the Queens club last week. Also to Roger Federer for his French Open win, putting him toe to toe with Sampras on his number of Grand Slam tournaments won. If either of these two men lifts the trophy at Wimbledon this year, you will be watching sporting history in the making!
www.spareground.co.uk
Spareground now has its first tennis related listing, some lovely private accommodation available just a ten minute walk from the All England Club.
It’s no secret that one of the problems with this tournament (and I would imagine many others) is the lack of closely available parking or accommodation. Each year, residents within Wimbledon and nearby areas have placed their properties in the hands of local estate agents for rentals to visitors during this time. Nothing wrong with that of course and for some people to have someone to ‘manage’ the rental of their property or parking would be the preferred option anyway.
However, not everyone can afford to pay or wants to pay, the handling fees involved, especially when there can be no guarantee that it will be leased out at all.
Spareground offers an alternative source. We do not charge for people to register and create listings, nor is there any charge for users to contact advertisers. All we ask is people register to the site. Using this method means that it is entirely down to the user to manage their own listings and arrange the rental terms as they see fit. Spareground plays no part in this aspect, we only provide the introductory aspect.
This great tennis tournament at the All England Tennis Club attracts visitors from all over the world. Not all will have the same budgets so the broader the range of pricing options for accommodation, hotels, B&Bs or even camping locations then the better. So even if you have a single room available, a space for putting up a tent or a 7-bedroomed detached house, all will be welcome on the Spareground site.
Parking options is also another aspect for people to consider, whether its listing a driveway space in front of a house, a business premises car park or that of a school or church, list them on the site,. There are other websites too which allow you to list parking so by all means use those as well.
Don’t forget that if you are visiting Wimbledon for the tennis, you can create a listing to ask for what space you need, whether it’s parking or accommodation.
The site is there for those who are looking as well as for those who can provide.
To finish off, congratulations go to Andy Murray for his win at the AEGON championships at the Queens club last week. Also to Roger Federer for his French Open win, putting him toe to toe with Sampras on his number of Grand Slam tournaments won. If either of these two men lifts the trophy at Wimbledon this year, you will be watching sporting history in the making!
www.spareground.co.uk
Monday 8 June 2009
Tweeting, test matches and Take That!
It’s happened again! Once more, I disappear from the desk for a few days chill out by the sea and Spareground has another influx of high hits!
Clearly, I should spend most of my time messing about by the seaside if this is the effect. Its great news and very welcome!
It’s nice to have had some very positive feedback on the Spareground concept and good to see that people can see how useful such a site can be. A website than most people could probably benefit from at some stage in their lives.
Other news, Spareground is now a-tweeting on twitter! @spareground
I must admit I was rather hesitant about twitter, I couldn’t see how it would be any different to facebook or other social websites but I am happy I am there and looking forward to seeing where it may take me.
For those of you who read this blog regularly, you will undoubtedly realise that as a passionate rugby fan, I am engrossed by the goings on with the British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa. It’s been a bit of a mixed bag for me, two 'average to below par' games with one sublime one sandwiched in the middle. If only I was there!
I was fortunate enough to go on the Lions tour to Australia back in 2001 and to this day, that first test match in the Gabba at Brisbane, still holds number one spot for the best match I have been to! There is nothing like a Lions tour and I sincerely hope that the powers that be never decide to call time on them. I can’t think of any other sport where players from different countries, normally used to pulverising the living daylights out of each other, can for a period of six weeks or so form one team. I already have my test team forming in my head so will be interesting to see if I am right in a fortnight’s time.
(There’s an unused rugby pitch near my house, which was once part of the Ministry of Defence property, I’m not sure who owns it now but it would be nice if people or organisations who have unused land like this could put them on Spareground. What a waste of a good pitch!)
Anyhow, please keep passing the word of Spareground on to your friends, family and colleagues. The more and the quicker it grows, the more benefit people can gain from it.
Tomorrow sees me off to the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, Take That are playing! Woohoo!
www.spareground.com
Clearly, I should spend most of my time messing about by the seaside if this is the effect. Its great news and very welcome!
It’s nice to have had some very positive feedback on the Spareground concept and good to see that people can see how useful such a site can be. A website than most people could probably benefit from at some stage in their lives.
Other news, Spareground is now a-tweeting on twitter! @spareground
I must admit I was rather hesitant about twitter, I couldn’t see how it would be any different to facebook or other social websites but I am happy I am there and looking forward to seeing where it may take me.
For those of you who read this blog regularly, you will undoubtedly realise that as a passionate rugby fan, I am engrossed by the goings on with the British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa. It’s been a bit of a mixed bag for me, two 'average to below par' games with one sublime one sandwiched in the middle. If only I was there!
I was fortunate enough to go on the Lions tour to Australia back in 2001 and to this day, that first test match in the Gabba at Brisbane, still holds number one spot for the best match I have been to! There is nothing like a Lions tour and I sincerely hope that the powers that be never decide to call time on them. I can’t think of any other sport where players from different countries, normally used to pulverising the living daylights out of each other, can for a period of six weeks or so form one team. I already have my test team forming in my head so will be interesting to see if I am right in a fortnight’s time.
(There’s an unused rugby pitch near my house, which was once part of the Ministry of Defence property, I’m not sure who owns it now but it would be nice if people or organisations who have unused land like this could put them on Spareground. What a waste of a good pitch!)
Anyhow, please keep passing the word of Spareground on to your friends, family and colleagues. The more and the quicker it grows, the more benefit people can gain from it.
Tomorrow sees me off to the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, Take That are playing! Woohoo!
www.spareground.com
Wednesday 20 May 2009
Spend the Summer Outdoors!
I don’t know where the time is going at the moment!
Since my promises to update regularly were uttered in April, we are now fast approaching the end of May already and soon it will be summertime.
At Spareground, we are in the throws of thrashing out some new promotional ideas and ways to encourage people to use the site to their advantages during the summer months.
Summer means the festival season for many people (Glastonbury, The Reading and Leeds Festivals, the V Festivals, the Isle of Wight festival and the Cambridge Folk festival to name only a few) and with the dates quickly bearing down on us, we are keen to encourage people who attend these festivals and those who live nearby to use Spareground to find or advertise their spare space.
The camping in close numbers experience may not be ideal for some people and with people wanting to keep vehicles close by, Spareground can act as the mediating facility to find what you want; whether its accommodation, camping space, parking or storage space. If that’s what you are looking for then why not place a listing.
If you live in these areas and can offer anything of this sort then advertise it free of charge on Spareground.
I only wish I was heading down to Glastonbury this year but alas I didn’t get a ticket. Nevermind, I will try again next year!
http://www.spareground.com/
Since my promises to update regularly were uttered in April, we are now fast approaching the end of May already and soon it will be summertime.
At Spareground, we are in the throws of thrashing out some new promotional ideas and ways to encourage people to use the site to their advantages during the summer months.
Summer means the festival season for many people (Glastonbury, The Reading and Leeds Festivals, the V Festivals, the Isle of Wight festival and the Cambridge Folk festival to name only a few) and with the dates quickly bearing down on us, we are keen to encourage people who attend these festivals and those who live nearby to use Spareground to find or advertise their spare space.
The camping in close numbers experience may not be ideal for some people and with people wanting to keep vehicles close by, Spareground can act as the mediating facility to find what you want; whether its accommodation, camping space, parking or storage space. If that’s what you are looking for then why not place a listing.
If you live in these areas and can offer anything of this sort then advertise it free of charge on Spareground.
I only wish I was heading down to Glastonbury this year but alas I didn’t get a ticket. Nevermind, I will try again next year!
http://www.spareground.com/
Monday 27 April 2009
London Marathon
Yesterday’s London Marathon was great!
I must say I enjoyed it from the comfort of the armchair but with an annual promise to enter the ballot next year. I will do it today. Unfortunately the website is busy at the moment,…honestly.
My friend Alan competed yesterday and finished with a respectable time of 3 hours 25 minutes, equally impressive as it was a rather warm day and he was dressed in a velvet effect Wonder Woman outfit! He has raised a considerable amount of money for the Countess Mountbatten Hospice in Southampton but very sadly, his friend who was a patient there, passed away only a few days ago.
http://www.justgiving.com/alanmiddlebrook
London attracts thousands of visitors each year for this event and the numbers of people who apply increases year by year. Equally the amount of people who come to support naturally increases too.
As with any major sports event, Spareground can be a good resource for finding the car parking or the accommodation that is needed. No doubt there are events which happen whereby it is very difficult to almost impossible to find anywhere to stay nearby or park the car. If you live in areas where there is a sporting event being hosted, (whether it happens weekly, monthly or once a year) you could consider renting out your parking space or even a spare room for the night to help accommodate the higher numbers of people. I know of people who compete in the Great North Run in Newcastle every year and on each occasion, they have a torrid time finding accommodation close to the event.
So if you are a private individual, a business, school or any other organisation that can offer car parking or accommodation (even if its camping space) to help out whilst there is an event happening near you why not list on Spareground. It’s all extra funds or if you so wish you could donate the proceeds to a charitable or fund raising effort.
www.spareground.com
I must say I enjoyed it from the comfort of the armchair but with an annual promise to enter the ballot next year. I will do it today. Unfortunately the website is busy at the moment,…honestly.
My friend Alan competed yesterday and finished with a respectable time of 3 hours 25 minutes, equally impressive as it was a rather warm day and he was dressed in a velvet effect Wonder Woman outfit! He has raised a considerable amount of money for the Countess Mountbatten Hospice in Southampton but very sadly, his friend who was a patient there, passed away only a few days ago.
http://www.justgiving.com/alanmiddlebrook
London attracts thousands of visitors each year for this event and the numbers of people who apply increases year by year. Equally the amount of people who come to support naturally increases too.
As with any major sports event, Spareground can be a good resource for finding the car parking or the accommodation that is needed. No doubt there are events which happen whereby it is very difficult to almost impossible to find anywhere to stay nearby or park the car. If you live in areas where there is a sporting event being hosted, (whether it happens weekly, monthly or once a year) you could consider renting out your parking space or even a spare room for the night to help accommodate the higher numbers of people. I know of people who compete in the Great North Run in Newcastle every year and on each occasion, they have a torrid time finding accommodation close to the event.
So if you are a private individual, a business, school or any other organisation that can offer car parking or accommodation (even if its camping space) to help out whilst there is an event happening near you why not list on Spareground. It’s all extra funds or if you so wish you could donate the proceeds to a charitable or fund raising effort.
www.spareground.com
Friday 17 April 2009
Spareground the Sellsumer!
Time is flying under my nose and I’ve just realised that it’s nearly three weeks since I last crunched bone on keyboard to write a blog entry.
As well as the upsurge in interest following the write up on springwise.com in March, this month sees Spareground mentioned in www.trendwatching.com as one of a few named ‘Sellsumers’. (A phrase to describe enterprises or businesses that help people make money instead of spending it!...not sure who coined that phrase though).
Spareground nicely fits under the category of “Space” alongside other UK web-based Sellsumers such as ParkAtMyHouse, YourParkingSpace and some US entries as Homstie and Roomorama.
Once again, this has reflected enormously in the site hits and hopefully will continue the increase in momentum.
Coverage such as this goes a long way in encouraging people and businesses to consider how they can maximise their space. A large number of people either have (or are looking for), storage space, driveways, garages, parking spaces, empty land or empty garden space, or other types of property they can lease or rent to someone else.
Or of course, let someone use it for free or for a charity donation.
Many people are looking for potential allotment space, camping space, cheaper and easier parking options, accommodation for short term rental such as when near a major sports or music event.
It goes on and I am aware I probably sound like a broken record but it makes so much sense to use what we do already have! All for our own benefit too!
Progress is still being made to take Spareground overseas and there are some exciting prospects in the offing.
Time is pushed as the moment with keeping the drive on Spareground and continuing with my other work (a consultant patent searcher offering a range of patent search services just in case you were interested……..*wakey wakey at the back*) but I hope to update this blog a bit more often than three week intervals…....must do better.
Some good rugby matches on over this weekend and of course next Tuesday is the announcement of the British and Irish Lions Rugby Squad. Can’t wait!
www.spareground.com
As well as the upsurge in interest following the write up on springwise.com in March, this month sees Spareground mentioned in www.trendwatching.com as one of a few named ‘Sellsumers’. (A phrase to describe enterprises or businesses that help people make money instead of spending it!...not sure who coined that phrase though).
Spareground nicely fits under the category of “Space” alongside other UK web-based Sellsumers such as ParkAtMyHouse, YourParkingSpace and some US entries as Homstie and Roomorama.
Once again, this has reflected enormously in the site hits and hopefully will continue the increase in momentum.
Coverage such as this goes a long way in encouraging people and businesses to consider how they can maximise their space. A large number of people either have (or are looking for), storage space, driveways, garages, parking spaces, empty land or empty garden space, or other types of property they can lease or rent to someone else.
Or of course, let someone use it for free or for a charity donation.
Many people are looking for potential allotment space, camping space, cheaper and easier parking options, accommodation for short term rental such as when near a major sports or music event.
It goes on and I am aware I probably sound like a broken record but it makes so much sense to use what we do already have! All for our own benefit too!
Progress is still being made to take Spareground overseas and there are some exciting prospects in the offing.
Time is pushed as the moment with keeping the drive on Spareground and continuing with my other work (a consultant patent searcher offering a range of patent search services just in case you were interested……..*wakey wakey at the back*) but I hope to update this blog a bit more often than three week intervals…....must do better.
Some good rugby matches on over this weekend and of course next Tuesday is the announcement of the British and Irish Lions Rugby Squad. Can’t wait!
www.spareground.com
Saturday 28 March 2009
When the cat's away
..Spareground goes mad!
What a pleasure it was on return from a week at Center Parcs to find the stats on Spareground had gone through the roof in my absence! I clearly need to go away more often!
And the cause of this sudden rise in the Spareground stats? A feature on the Springwise website (www.springwise.com).
This website scouts through the world for new and enterprising business ideas and thankfully for me, Spareground has been picked up and featured.
As a result of this, I have now received a few emails about taking the business idea of Spareground beyond the borders of Blighty into the States and New Zealand to name a few, and as you would expect this has been an enormous boost to this entire project.
I will be speaking with the web designer (the fabulous Marcus at www.binarydrive.com) in the coming week to discuss how we will move forward with these enquiries.
The key thing is to maintain and keep pushing this sharp rise in interest both here and overseas. It’s very encouraging to know that people can see the obvious benefits and uses of Spareground on an international basis and can see its relevance to all sectors of the community. Long may it continue!
The downside for me, is my return from holiday has also seen me develop some horrible lurgy so my energy levels are somewhat sapped at the moment! That’s what happens when you’re 40 going on 14 and insist on riding the wild water rapids over and over again! I really should have learned my lesson by now…
www.spareground.com
What a pleasure it was on return from a week at Center Parcs to find the stats on Spareground had gone through the roof in my absence! I clearly need to go away more often!
And the cause of this sudden rise in the Spareground stats? A feature on the Springwise website (www.springwise.com).
This website scouts through the world for new and enterprising business ideas and thankfully for me, Spareground has been picked up and featured.
As a result of this, I have now received a few emails about taking the business idea of Spareground beyond the borders of Blighty into the States and New Zealand to name a few, and as you would expect this has been an enormous boost to this entire project.
I will be speaking with the web designer (the fabulous Marcus at www.binarydrive.com) in the coming week to discuss how we will move forward with these enquiries.
The key thing is to maintain and keep pushing this sharp rise in interest both here and overseas. It’s very encouraging to know that people can see the obvious benefits and uses of Spareground on an international basis and can see its relevance to all sectors of the community. Long may it continue!
The downside for me, is my return from holiday has also seen me develop some horrible lurgy so my energy levels are somewhat sapped at the moment! That’s what happens when you’re 40 going on 14 and insist on riding the wild water rapids over and over again! I really should have learned my lesson by now…
www.spareground.com
Thursday 12 March 2009
It's all for charidee!
Red Nose Day is here!
Charity Organiser Comic Relief (http://www.comicrelief.com/) raises millions of pounds from this biannual event with the proceeds going towards projects here in the UK and Africa for the reduction and relief of the effects of poverty. Even small amounts of money can make a difference to disadvantaged people supported by this charity.
However, in 2009, the effects of the economical downturn in the UK are a worry not only to Comic Relief but to all charities in the UK.
People do not necessarily have the levels of disposable income in previous years and the hit on donations to charities is likely to be hardest.
Take That member Gary Barlow reiterated the need in this particular year for an even harder effort towards fund raising, hence his idea of the (now successful) climb of Mount Kilimanjaro. People need way more enticing to part with their cash!
There is no reason whatsoever why people and organisations cannot use the Spareground website to raise money for charities and other fund raising causes.
Create your listing and put the term “charity” or “fund raising” in the description. Add in what it’s for and see what happens. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Schools, clubs, churches etc who have parking facilities for example can raise money by leasing out their parking spaces over weekends or evenings. This would be particularly welcome when they are in busy areas (city centres, airports, train stations etc) or close to major sports, music or recreational events.
So if you have the space, whether it is parking, storage, land, unused gardens or other accommodation, make some money for charity and other fund raising efforts by listing it free of charge on Spareground.
http://www.spareground.com/
Charity Organiser Comic Relief (http://www.comicrelief.com/) raises millions of pounds from this biannual event with the proceeds going towards projects here in the UK and Africa for the reduction and relief of the effects of poverty. Even small amounts of money can make a difference to disadvantaged people supported by this charity.
However, in 2009, the effects of the economical downturn in the UK are a worry not only to Comic Relief but to all charities in the UK.
People do not necessarily have the levels of disposable income in previous years and the hit on donations to charities is likely to be hardest.
Take That member Gary Barlow reiterated the need in this particular year for an even harder effort towards fund raising, hence his idea of the (now successful) climb of Mount Kilimanjaro. People need way more enticing to part with their cash!
There is no reason whatsoever why people and organisations cannot use the Spareground website to raise money for charities and other fund raising causes.
Create your listing and put the term “charity” or “fund raising” in the description. Add in what it’s for and see what happens. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Schools, clubs, churches etc who have parking facilities for example can raise money by leasing out their parking spaces over weekends or evenings. This would be particularly welcome when they are in busy areas (city centres, airports, train stations etc) or close to major sports, music or recreational events.
So if you have the space, whether it is parking, storage, land, unused gardens or other accommodation, make some money for charity and other fund raising efforts by listing it free of charge on Spareground.
http://www.spareground.com/
Friday 27 February 2009
Norfolk and Landshare
I didn’t make it to France. An accident on the M11 and an airline with a customer service policy leaving much to be desired put paid to any roamings in the streets of Poitiers. Instead, the coastline of Norfolk beckoned. This area has to be one of the nicest places in the UK for soothing the soul. The villages on that coast remain unspoilt by the lure of the fast food establishments, widened roads and horrendous pub singers provided ‘solely’ for your entertainment. If you want to hear nothing and see some amazing scenery, it’s the place for you. (There is also some great mackerel to be caught in the summer months, contact me and I may tell you where,…. ).
Back to the working week of promoting Spareground, I have emailed a number of UK allotment and vegetable growing forums who have given a lot of positive feedback on the Spareground project. What has been interesting from this is realising that the Landshare project has yet to officially be launched, so as we move quickly into March, there are people signed to this scheme who have no idea if they will be ‘matched’ with a landowner or not. March is the time when windowsills should be heaving with chitting potatoes and plant seedlings.
One wonders if the scheme which promises so much will be able to deliver in equal measure and within time scales reflective of the course of nature.
Spareground has signed up to the Landshare project as a group having similar aims and philosophy so I don’t mean to sound critical of what is ideally a great scheme. I just feel that a lot of people may have missed the growing opportunity for 2009. With the high volume of media coverage it has received, perhaps in hindsight its initial autumn 2008 campaign was a little too late.
At Spareground, our way of working is to leave people list their land or find their land requirements and sort themselves out. There are simple ‘guidance notes’ under the FAQ section on the website which should help people establish their arrangements with each other and essentially, keep it simple. We don’t want to over complicate the Spareground website or the way it is used; simplicity is indeed the key.
http://www.spareground.com/
Until next time……
Back to the working week of promoting Spareground, I have emailed a number of UK allotment and vegetable growing forums who have given a lot of positive feedback on the Spareground project. What has been interesting from this is realising that the Landshare project has yet to officially be launched, so as we move quickly into March, there are people signed to this scheme who have no idea if they will be ‘matched’ with a landowner or not. March is the time when windowsills should be heaving with chitting potatoes and plant seedlings.
One wonders if the scheme which promises so much will be able to deliver in equal measure and within time scales reflective of the course of nature.
Spareground has signed up to the Landshare project as a group having similar aims and philosophy so I don’t mean to sound critical of what is ideally a great scheme. I just feel that a lot of people may have missed the growing opportunity for 2009. With the high volume of media coverage it has received, perhaps in hindsight its initial autumn 2008 campaign was a little too late.
At Spareground, our way of working is to leave people list their land or find their land requirements and sort themselves out. There are simple ‘guidance notes’ under the FAQ section on the website which should help people establish their arrangements with each other and essentially, keep it simple. We don’t want to over complicate the Spareground website or the way it is used; simplicity is indeed the key.
http://www.spareground.com/
Until next time……
Thursday 19 February 2009
We plough the fields and scatter
The spring is fast approaching and thoughts are turning to the lighter nights, the arrival of lent and no doubt to the new seeds and plants and the preparative digging for the garden and allotments.
Being an allotment holder myself, I know it’s a back breaking time, especially if you have clay soil like mine, more suited to modelling pots from than growing things in. Even so, I know I am a lucky one.
The number of people desperately seeking allotment space is at a record high. The Allotment Society reports conclusively show the demand completely outstrips the supply of allotment space throughout the country. Not really surprising with the current economical climate and a renewed desire to go back to basics, a cause championed by a number of celebrity chefs. The phrase of “knowing where our food comes from” is one bandied about with such frequency; one begins to wonder if there is anyone in the country who doesn’t know where their food comes from!
It is a welcome change however, and nice to know that more and more people are keen to buy something that was grown two miles up the road more than something grown in Kenya, flown here, stored for x weeks and then sent out the shops (no doubt with any flavour or nutritional content long since depleted).
As part of this change in thought, the desire to grow your own has taken over and the resources for such are few and far between.
Today’s news report by the National Trust further backs this up with the Trust reporting a collaborative effort with Landshare to provide up to 1000 new allotment plots by 2012, an initiative to be commended and supported.
Spareground also offers opportunities for advertising or seeking land or unused gardens for such purposes and hopefully one day, we can collaborate with the bigger groups such as Landshare and the National Trust to promote this.
For now, we can at least provide an additional source for such listings and keep our fingers crossed that it too will generate its own momentum and interest.
www.spareground.com
I am off to France tomorrow so no blog entries for a few days.
Until next time,……
Being an allotment holder myself, I know it’s a back breaking time, especially if you have clay soil like mine, more suited to modelling pots from than growing things in. Even so, I know I am a lucky one.
The number of people desperately seeking allotment space is at a record high. The Allotment Society reports conclusively show the demand completely outstrips the supply of allotment space throughout the country. Not really surprising with the current economical climate and a renewed desire to go back to basics, a cause championed by a number of celebrity chefs. The phrase of “knowing where our food comes from” is one bandied about with such frequency; one begins to wonder if there is anyone in the country who doesn’t know where their food comes from!
It is a welcome change however, and nice to know that more and more people are keen to buy something that was grown two miles up the road more than something grown in Kenya, flown here, stored for x weeks and then sent out the shops (no doubt with any flavour or nutritional content long since depleted).
As part of this change in thought, the desire to grow your own has taken over and the resources for such are few and far between.
Today’s news report by the National Trust further backs this up with the Trust reporting a collaborative effort with Landshare to provide up to 1000 new allotment plots by 2012, an initiative to be commended and supported.
Spareground also offers opportunities for advertising or seeking land or unused gardens for such purposes and hopefully one day, we can collaborate with the bigger groups such as Landshare and the National Trust to promote this.
For now, we can at least provide an additional source for such listings and keep our fingers crossed that it too will generate its own momentum and interest.
www.spareground.com
I am off to France tomorrow so no blog entries for a few days.
Until next time,……
Monday 16 February 2009
Six Nations
This is probably one of my favourite times of the year and one of the inspiring reasons to start up Spareground in the first place.
Last Saturday’s action in Cardiff was watched in a pub in Chesterfield with friends. Nothing can ever beat actually being there in the Millennium Stadium but the pub doesn’t do too bad a job!
What can I say about the match, well, I am just very glad Wales won! I was quite anxious all week with the media’s prediction of Welsh runaway victory; after all this is the Six Nations and anything can happen. However, it was a cracker of a game and good on England for proving their critics wrong.
As with any sport and any team, you have your highs and lows and thankfully for me, it’s Wales’ turn. As a Welsh person who has lived in England for over 22 years now, I know only too well how it feels to be on the supporting side of a low Wales against a dominant England and probably on more occasions than I would probably care to remember.
Even so, I have always loved this tournament. In my eyes, there’s nothing to match it in terms of its unpredictability, the excitement, the buzz of a match day morning and the match day rituals, the intensity and the stomach churning nerves of the whistle at the kick off.
This year has the added incentive of those elusive 35 places on a plane to South Africa in the summer for the British and Irish Lions tour. Each week, the media and rugby forums thrash out the predictions of those test places based on the performances in the recent round of the Six Nations games. Sport just doesn’t get better than this.
The popularity of this tournament means the areas of Cardiff, London (Twickenham), Edinburgh and Dublin are rammed with visitors for just the match day itself or more often than not by those wanting to make a weekend of the whole thing; the rugby, the pubs, the eating out , the whole shebang. A welcomed injection of cash into the local economy!
You will now rightly be wondering where the Spareground part is going to feature in this and I would hate to disappoint so here it is.
Resources for car parking and also for accommodation can be listed on the Spareground site.
Regardless of whether you have a driveway for one space outside your house, a garage, or you own office premises with parking for a few to several cars, list them free of charge to rent on Spareground. It’s entirely up to you what you charge, but a reasonable day fee will see your offers taken up by those who can’t afford the extortionate prices of many ‘official’ car parks.
The story is the same for accommodation, if you have any rooms available in your house, a flat you can rent for short periods, or you own a small B&B or hotel, list it on the website. (If you do rent out your own property, make sure you are covered in terms of your insurance/mortgage provider).
The Spareground site has no intention of distracting business away from anyone, only to provide alternative arrangements which may better suit the budgets of potential visitors.
The next time you are on your way to the rugby, have a look on Spareground and see if there are cheaper (and closer!) parking or accommodation options available. You can also create listings asking for what you want so at no cost, why not give it a go.
http://www.spareground.com/
Until next time…
Last Saturday’s action in Cardiff was watched in a pub in Chesterfield with friends. Nothing can ever beat actually being there in the Millennium Stadium but the pub doesn’t do too bad a job!
What can I say about the match, well, I am just very glad Wales won! I was quite anxious all week with the media’s prediction of Welsh runaway victory; after all this is the Six Nations and anything can happen. However, it was a cracker of a game and good on England for proving their critics wrong.
As with any sport and any team, you have your highs and lows and thankfully for me, it’s Wales’ turn. As a Welsh person who has lived in England for over 22 years now, I know only too well how it feels to be on the supporting side of a low Wales against a dominant England and probably on more occasions than I would probably care to remember.
Even so, I have always loved this tournament. In my eyes, there’s nothing to match it in terms of its unpredictability, the excitement, the buzz of a match day morning and the match day rituals, the intensity and the stomach churning nerves of the whistle at the kick off.
This year has the added incentive of those elusive 35 places on a plane to South Africa in the summer for the British and Irish Lions tour. Each week, the media and rugby forums thrash out the predictions of those test places based on the performances in the recent round of the Six Nations games. Sport just doesn’t get better than this.
The popularity of this tournament means the areas of Cardiff, London (Twickenham), Edinburgh and Dublin are rammed with visitors for just the match day itself or more often than not by those wanting to make a weekend of the whole thing; the rugby, the pubs, the eating out , the whole shebang. A welcomed injection of cash into the local economy!
You will now rightly be wondering where the Spareground part is going to feature in this and I would hate to disappoint so here it is.
Resources for car parking and also for accommodation can be listed on the Spareground site.
Regardless of whether you have a driveway for one space outside your house, a garage, or you own office premises with parking for a few to several cars, list them free of charge to rent on Spareground. It’s entirely up to you what you charge, but a reasonable day fee will see your offers taken up by those who can’t afford the extortionate prices of many ‘official’ car parks.
The story is the same for accommodation, if you have any rooms available in your house, a flat you can rent for short periods, or you own a small B&B or hotel, list it on the website. (If you do rent out your own property, make sure you are covered in terms of your insurance/mortgage provider).
The Spareground site has no intention of distracting business away from anyone, only to provide alternative arrangements which may better suit the budgets of potential visitors.
The next time you are on your way to the rugby, have a look on Spareground and see if there are cheaper (and closer!) parking or accommodation options available. You can also create listings asking for what you want so at no cost, why not give it a go.
http://www.spareground.com/
Until next time…
Friday 13 February 2009
Opening remarks
Friday 13th February 2009
Probably unlucky for some but it's the first day of my blogging career!
My initial aim is to operate this blog in conjunction with the website
http://www.spareground.com/
This website is one of the new kids on the block and one which will no doubt be of benefit to the majority of people at some stage in their lives.
It operates on a very simple philosophy; using the space we already have here in the UK.
Who knows, later down the line the same approach could be implemented in any country.
All of us at some point have wondered; where can we park near that venue? is there somewhere to store my motorbike over the winter? anyplace to store a caravan? is there available accommodation near that tournament? can I find vegetable growing space in the middle of the city?
The Spareground website wants to address this and become the website people use to find the space they are looking for. The site is in five categories; property, parking, storage, land and 'other'. (We have the 'other' option available as we dont want this site to be constrained. There will no doubt be other space uses which we may not even have thought of as yet).
On top of all this, it's nice to have a blog! I have always envied those who profess to having one and now here I am joining up in the hope of writing some of my remarks on Spareground and it's progress (no doubt interjected with my hilarious anecdotes and opinions on life in all it's splendour!),
Probably unlucky for some but it's the first day of my blogging career!
My initial aim is to operate this blog in conjunction with the website
http://www.spareground.com/
This website is one of the new kids on the block and one which will no doubt be of benefit to the majority of people at some stage in their lives.
It operates on a very simple philosophy; using the space we already have here in the UK.
Who knows, later down the line the same approach could be implemented in any country.
All of us at some point have wondered; where can we park near that venue? is there somewhere to store my motorbike over the winter? anyplace to store a caravan? is there available accommodation near that tournament? can I find vegetable growing space in the middle of the city?
The Spareground website wants to address this and become the website people use to find the space they are looking for. The site is in five categories; property, parking, storage, land and 'other'. (We have the 'other' option available as we dont want this site to be constrained. There will no doubt be other space uses which we may not even have thought of as yet).
On top of all this, it's nice to have a blog! I have always envied those who profess to having one and now here I am joining up in the hope of writing some of my remarks on Spareground and it's progress (no doubt interjected with my hilarious anecdotes and opinions on life in all it's splendour!),
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