A new equestrian centre in Oxfordshire has been completed courtesy of specialist construction company White Horse Contractors. The Abingdon–based company extended its portfolio of such projects with the recent completion of Pound Farm Livery and Equine Services near Bicester.

The Centre has under gone a complete transformation, under its new owners, making it one of the most popular Equestrian Centre’s in the area. White Horse Contractors provided full design and installation, plus the successful initial application for planning permission.

The brand new, purpose-built equestrian facility close to the M40 features new American barn stabling for 14 horses, plus a refurbished existing barn providing a further three isolation stables. Focal point of the new enterprise, run by mother and daughter Sue and Angelica Logan is a 50m x 30m all-weather, floodlit riding arena.

Among the other features incorporated into the project by White Horse were tack rooms, rug rooms and feed rooms, a wash-down area with solarium & hot-water equine shower, and a bedding & hay storage area.

Works at the site also included the installation of an extensive surface water drainage system, access road, fencing and gates, plus all electrical and water supply services.

Pound Farm will have instructors providing training clinics, and aims to offer horse owners what it describes as a ‘bespoke, personalized livery package’.

“The demolition and rebuilding of Pound Farm Yard was a huge undertaking,” Commented Sue Logan. “The whole team from White Horse Contractors have had to put up with a lot on site, horses and extremes of weather in particular. They have always been very considerate with our horses, checking on them when using loud machines etc.

“The standard of the work has been exceptional and if I needed further work done or had to recommend them in the future; then I would have no hesitation in doing so. They have patience, knowledge and skill in spade-falls.”

Offering a complete package, from initial design through to construction using the company’s vast range of in-house specialist machines and knowledgeable staff, White Horse Contractors Limited is committed to providing a product of quality and ensuring Client satisfaction at all times.

For further information, please contact White Horse Contractors on 01865 736 272 or visit www.whitehorsecontractors.co.uk. You can also follow White Horse Contractors on Twitter @WHCLtd

Souters Sports, one of the UK’s leading natural sportsturf contractors, has recently completed the natural habitat at Bluebell Park School in Knowsley, Cheshire with an ambitious planting scheme which saw the addition of over 4,000 trees and over 20,000 shrubs, plants and bulbs planted.

Bluebell Park is a new 185 place school providing primary, secondary and post 16 facilities for students with special educational needs. Facilities include learner and hydrotherapy pools, sports and performance halls, outside play areas, sensory/horticultural gardens and multi-use games area.

The initiative was part of an environmental commitment that has seen the implement of an on-going conservation programme at the school. The contract was won by tender and also included distributing top soil to various areas for planting, seeding and also raised plant beds, soft landscaping and drainage of the existing sports fields.

Working alongside main contractors Balfour Beatty, Souters Sports in-house team oversaw the planting of over 20,000 trees, shrubs, plants and bulbs to a variety of areas.

“We’ve worked with Balfour Beatty on numerous projects in the past”, said Souters Sports Contracts Director Robert Heath. “We’ve recently completed eight sportsfield projects across Merseyside alone working with them so we have a good working relationship.

“This project wasn’t without its challenges, but rather than the wet weather which hampered so many other projects last year; it wasn’t the case here. We had a tight timescale to complete the planting and access was very restricted with the school being kept open throughout the project”.

Communication was also key factor with all contractors involved in keeping the project on schedule. Robert explains: “The species of plant changed several times throughout the project because of concerns with allergy or the students eating them. We had a close liaison with Balfour Beatty, the Architect and the school to find alternatives which were safe to the students. Also, the specification of trees changed which meant the size of them increased to meet strict planting regulations”.

For further information, please contact Souters Sports Limited on 01236 453030 or visit www.souterssports.co.uk. Souters Sports are also on Twitter @SoutersSports

Sherriff Amenity has confirmed an exclusive supply agreement with Greenaway Amenity to sell market and develop the company’s range of hand-held Controlled Droplet Application (CDA) sprayers and liquid products throughout the UK.

Sherriff Amenity and Greenaway Amenity Sign Exclusive CDA Supply AgreementThe exclusive supply agreement will see the Sherriff Amenity Sales team and its online retail shop promoting and selling three hand-held lances including the new Verdy Lite - a hand held, pre-calibrated, pumped, controlled droplet lance and a range of seven adjuvants, including Bioflex our flagship CDA approved adjuvant for use with approved non hazard glyphosate.

Both companies will also work together to further develop products for the amenity turf sector.

Greenaway is an established company that has supplied domestic and industrial weed control products to the local authority and amenity maintenance sectors successfully for many years. They advocate the use of the CDA system for weed control and their equipment is specifically designed for this purpose. Their range of herbicides and adjuvants has been developed for use with this equipment.

“Sherriff Amenity gives us a very professional delivery to market,” commented Dominic Woodcock, Managing Direct of Greenaway Amenity. “Our partnership with Sherriff Amenity is almost like having a pre-approval process in place for customers.

“We’re a small business and make a unique, but excellent product. 70% of our business is with local authorities and within the amenity turf sector, so without their help, it would take us longer to get our products noticed. We’ve dealt with Sherriff Amenity since 2004 and Alpha Amenity before the buyout, so we know that our products fit perfectly with their ethos,” said Dominic.
Sherriff Amenity were suitable impressed with the work that Greenaway Amenity had completed with the environment agency and after their primary meeting felt that given the support of a strong sales team, that there was an impressive pipeline of new innovations that could really put both businesses at the forefront of application technology.

“Our business philosophy is to create lasting supply chains with primary manufacturers and in Greenaway we saw a company with a comprehensive range of adjuvants and delivery systems for the CDA market,” said Mark Pyrah, Sherriff Amenity’s Managing Director.

Both companies hope to continue to develop innovations in the CDA market, and are now in the process of looking at synergies across their existing supplier network.

“Greenaway will work to develop the next generation of application equipment that meets with the demand of even lower application rates and new low rate chemical formulations,” said Mark.

The new agreement starts with immediate effect.

For further information, please contact Sherriff Amenity on 01638 721 888 or visit www.sherriff-amenity.com

For more news and insightful views, you can follow Sherriff Amenity on Twitter @SherriffAmenity.

Alan Abel, a Complete Weed Control franchisee for over 30 years, gives his take on winter spraying.

Although we are into the dark mornings and evenings, pests and diseases don't stop for a holiday- in fact, they get more active.

But due to weather conditions prevailing this autumn, spraying hours are at a premium. Therefore when a window appears, it is imperative the kit is up together and ready to go without fail. There is nothing worse than a 'spray day' appearing and a glitch with the sprayer rearing its ugly head.

This is where using an Amenity Assured contractor pays dividends in every way. Your Health and Safety is covered; your waste disposal is sorted; all COSHH and Risk Assessments are supplied. You have peace of mind that the job has been done professionally and that the products are in the right place and working on whatever it was supposed to.

This season is turning very wet, very quickly after a reasonable Indian summer.

Remember back in July and August when you were travelling through grass areas and clouds of Daddy Long legs were flying up all over the place?

Well these critters have laid eggs in turf and these eggs are now leatherjackets. For the cost of chlorpyrifos (around £22 per hectare) it is worth including, as an insurance premium, suppressing worm casts with carbendazim. A ‘wetter’ is advisable and a water conditioner to ensure the correct pH is achieved (around 5.5 is preferable).
If conditions allow, you should be looking at a Disease Management Strategy combining cultural practices, spraying nutritional products which make the use of fungicides the last option.

By cultural practice, we are talking about thatch reduction, improved drainage, increased aeration, dew removal, encouragement of disease resistant grasses etc.

As far as spraying is concerned, the correct nozzles, calibration, pipework and mother vehicle must be in excellent working order.

It is proven that by instigating a strategy, spraying fungicide for disease control can be drastically reduced by using products like Turfite, Temag HPE, Seamac Ultra and similar products.

To increase the sward's health, then only use a fungicide product containing fludioxonil , propiconazole , chlorothalonil , iprodione, tebuconazole. You must be confident of the disease present to be able to choose the right Fungicide.

This is where a BASIS qualification is necessary to bring continual professional development into the industry. With so many new sports facilities opening up and the constant desire for super sports surfaces, there has never been a more important time for turf managers to present their grounds in the best way possible.

By keeping turf healthy, strong and as disease resistant as possible must be the way forward.

Complete Weed Control is able to provide all the above services throughout the UK and Ireland. Any of the company’s Amenity Assured Standard franchisees are available to look at your specific site and quote for a programmed approach to fine turf.

For more information, please contact Complete Weed Control’s National office on 01325 324 277 or visit www.completeweedcontrol.co.uk. You can also follow CWC on Twitter @CWCLimited for more news, reviews and insightful views.

Avonmore Associates, a specialist fine turf contractor, has upgraded its turf maintenance fleet with the purchase of two SISIS Rotorake 600HD pedestrian scarifiers, which have been put straight to work this autumn during a period which has seen 126 bowls greens renovated in just five weeks.

This heavy duty pedestrian scarifier can be used for regular, routine use at a shallow setting or a deeper setting as and when required. It also contributes to aeration and compaction relief by cutting clean, continuous slits to assist water and air absorption. Featuring a new, modern design with more responsive manoeuvrability makes the Rotorake 600HD more operator-friendly.

Phil Buttler, Partner of Avonmore Associates explained that the quick change over of reels for extra versatility, which allow operatives to carry out a number of different key tasks and the sheer robustness of the machine were key reasons for the new purchase.

“The quick change of reels will allow us to control and remove thatch throughout the year. We use different blades – the thicker ones go slightly deeper and the thinner ones just take the top out so as to keep the thatch under control. The build quality of the 600HD is exceptional - no compromise has been made on quality.

Launched in the UK at IOG SALTEX in September, the advantages of the SISIS Rotorake 600HD include ease of use, a range of quick-release, interchangeable reels including scarifying, verticutting and brushing, variable blade spacing, a large working width of 600mm (24”), six forward speeds and a reverse gear for efficiency under varying terrain, an independent drive to the wheels and reel for operator safety and a collection box.

Founded 25 years ago by Phil’s father, Avonmore Associates remains a family-run business which is based near Stratford-upon-Avon and specialises in the design, construction, maintenance and irrigation of quality turf surfaces used for sports, leisure and recreation purposes.

“We have just finished an extremely busy five week period in the year for us with the renovation of 126 bowling greens and the 600HD has been tremendous. Both machines have been used at each club and have close to 100 hours on the clock and they have not missed a beat.

“With the extra versatility that the new model has, we will be able to maximise the use of them throughout the year which is just fantastic, whether it’s scarifying in the autumn or power brushing in the summer – making it really pay for itself.”

Phil puts the company’s success down to keeping standards high and working hard and as one of the leading groundcare maintenance specialists they are keen to evaluate any new equipment that comes into the market place.

“We are absolutely delighted with the new machines. The service which we have received from SISIS has been first class and since the takeover a couple of years ago, we have certainly seen an improvement in the quality of products. The new 600HD has been a big part of why we were able to complete so many renovations this autumn,” said Phil.

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact SISIS on 01332 824 777 or visit www.sisis.com

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow SISIS on Twitter @SISISMachinery and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/SISISMachinery. You can also view the latest SISIS videos by visiting www.youtube.com/SISISMachinery.

The artificial sports pitches at Longbenton sports ground, the Centre for Physical Recreation & Sport for Newcastle University, have undergone a Replay Revive® Plus+ process and top-up of the pitch’s infill.

The process has not only restored the playing qualities of both the sand-filled and rubber-filled surfaces, but has also safeguarded its projected life expectancy and thus protecting the university’s initial investment.

Works included the Revive Plus+ process of the sand-based pitch used for hockey with 6 tonnes of sand infill top-up. The same process was also carried out on the 3G pitch with 10 tonnes of rubber infill top-up and 800 metres of repair.

The Replay Revive® Plus+ process extends the life of a synthetic sports pitch and minimises the risk of injury to players by improving surface grip and reducing compaction. It uses a specially developed, single operator machine to remove contaminants from the infill of the surface. Rotary brushes penetrate deeper into the infill compared to static brushes, which are commonly used, breaking up the contamination and removing it with a powerful vacuum filter system for disposal off-site. The infill is then filtered before it is distributed back onto the surface. It helps reduce compaction of the surface and lifts the pile of the carpet whilst enhancing its porosity and helps maintain the playing characteristics.

The hockey pitch is used almost exclusively by students for training and matches, whilst the 3G pitch is used by students and a local football league twice a week, so is used by thousands of people every week. “Students pay a lot of money to come here so we need to have the best available facilities for them at all times,” explains Ian Walker, Grounds Manager for Newcastle University.

Ian and Deputy Grounds Manager, Tom Vasey, have their own in-house maintenance machinery, namely a SISIS Oscar, SISIS Litamina and SISIS Flexicomb – all powered by an Iseki compact tractor which are used twice-weekly by their permanent Groundsman, Gary King.

“Replay already carry out maintenance work at our neighbouring University, Northumbria and was recommended to us as a contractor. As soon as they carried out their on-site inspection, I was comfortable that I had brought in the experts as all of their staff have been very knowledgeable throughout the process.”

The sand-based pitch was laid six years ago, whilst the 3G pitch is now five years old. Players mention that the facilities are the best in the area and that is testament to the maintenance Gary carries out in-house, but after six years, both himself and management felt that both pitches were in need of a deep clean.

“Replay cleaned the surfaces to a high standard and when they finished, it was like having a new pitch. The Replay Revive® Plus+ can hopefully extend the life of our pitch by an extra few years and massively reduces repair and replacement costs.”

For further information, please contact Replay Maintenance on 01636 640 506 or visit the company’s website www.replaymaintenance.co.uk

With they’re continued success in the natural and artificial sportsturf sector, White Horse Contractors (Northern) are proud to announce their latest completed contract – North Durham Academy.

Following a highly competitive tendering process, the company were chosen by main contractor Carillion Building to redevelop the natural and artificial sports facilities, which have now officially been opened.

White Horse Contractors (Northern) were appointed to design and build a sporting facility which included a full size 3rd generation artificial pitch, a five-court MUGA and also included full drainage, fencing and floodlighting. The construction of two natural grass pitches and a long jump with polymeric running track completed the extensive works. All sporting facilities will be available for students as well as the local community.

“Our brief was simple - construct an all-weather 3G synthetic pitch to a high standard for full-size and five-a-side football use,” explained Jim Crabbe, White Horse Contractors (Northern) Contracts Director. “The surface chosen was a 60mm sand/rubber pile synthetic grass sports carpet and fully meets the FA’s Guide to Artificial Grass Pitches for Community Use.”

The play facilities are also available for the local community so the design was required to reflect the main activity which would be football and in particular five-a-side, which can be particularly high-wearing to the synthetic carpet. The school curriculum also included rugby to be played on the two new natural pitches with tennis and net ball on the MUGA’s.

Construction required to be phased to dove-tail with the various other contractors working programmes on a site that had some access issues. Project milestones set by the local authority were all met and hand over was achieved within a tight schedule on time.

For further information, please contact White Horse Contractors on 01865 736 272 or visit www.whitehorsecontractors.co.uk

A product designed to add colour and bring benefits to fine turf during pre-dormant and dormant times of year is being introduced into the UK for the first time by Sherriff Amenity, one of the leading turf care and sports equipment suppliers.

Manufactured by BASF, it is a natural green colourant called Transition HC, formulated to extend autumn growth into winter and bring forward early spring growth, while at the same time giving a pleasing sward colour even in the depths of winter.

The formulation improves turf quality over winter too and is particularly aimed at golf courses and other fine turf facilities where presentation can be challenged by nature over non-growing periods.

The product contains Colorlock technology, which guarantees uniform, consistent and lasting natural turf colour, never fading to blue as some turf colourants do. On the golf course it can also has the effect of extending the playing season.

Already highly successful in the USA and Scandinavia, Transition HC works to aid turf in dormant periods of the year by means of specially formulated pigments, which raise the level of solar radiation absorption, putting up the surface temperature.

This actually keeps grass in growing mode longer and even helps speed up the thaw of ice and snow in the worst of winter. Turf managers can also use it effectively as part of their winter care programme to stave off the injurious effects of harsh conditions and encourage swift and natural spring green-up.

Transition HC is available from Sherriff Amenity in 2.5 litre packs. It is for water mixing and spray application at a rate of 2.5 L/ha between September and April, and re-application over winter may be every four weeks to maintain desired turf colour. The use of flat-fan spray nozzles is recommended for optimum uniform coverage.

For further information, please contact Sherriff Amenity on 01638 721 888 or visit www.sherriff-amenity.com

For more news and insightful views, you can follow Sherriff Amenity on Twitter @SherriffAmenity.

The proven reliability and consistent finish achieved by Charlie Yeomans, Head Groundsman at the University of Warwick and his existing Dennis cricket wicket mower made the British manufacturer the obvious choice when he was looking to purchase a new model.

Charlie, who has worked at the university for over 25 years and been Head Groundsman for 6 years, chose to purchase the Dennis Razor Ultra 560 for his cricket square. He is kept busy looking after the vast sports facilities at the university preparing surfaces for students and staff including football, rugby, American football, lacrosse, athletics, tennis, hockey and cricket.

“We can put any sports event on for anyone that asks. There is nothing that we can’t do. It’s important that we have the best turf maintenance machinery available because our students expect the best playing surface,” commented Charlie.

“I first saw the Razor Ultra at a dealer demonstration day a couple of years ago and was very impressed from the moment I saw it. I liked the weight at just 130kg and its ease-of-use and especially the tungsten tipped groomer which really takes care of lateral growth.

“Since we’ve been using it on our cricket wickets, it’s been superb and gives a very consistent finish. It has more blades on the cutting cylinder than our previous mower and does an excellent job at a faster speed.”

The Dennis Razor Ultra 560 has been developed to specifically meet the demands of cricket pitches as well as golf greens & tees and bowling greens. The machine has a 560mm (22”) cutting width and incorporates many key features including an 11 bladed cutting cylinder, ultra short wheelbase for undulating surfaces, tungsten tipped groomer, compact handle design for extra manoeuvrability, click height adjusters and stub free transport wheels for easy transport from site to site.

The university closes the cricket wickets at the end of August in order to produce good growth in preparation for the following year and the Razor Ultra has been used at the university for the past six months in order to maintain a high quality wicket.

Charlie has worked with a Dennis for over 15 years and sees the new purchase easily lasting ten years: “I will get ten years out of this machine, if not more. They are so well built and I see myself always using them.

“I’ve had brilliant service from Jason Briggs, the Area Sales Manager as well as Dennis. They are always helpful and extremely informative,” said Charlie.

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact Dennis 01332 824 777 or visit www.dennisuk.com

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Dennis on Twitter @DennisMowers and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/DennisMowersUK. You can also view the latest Dennis videos by visiting www.youtube.com/DennisMowers.

Award-winning marketing and corporate communications agency Fusion Media (Europe) Limited are pleased to announce the appointment of Lauren Clark as their new Marketing Co-ordinator with immediate effect.

Lauren joins the company as a graduate of Middlesex University, having pursued a career in advertising and public relations. Lauren brings with her six years of media education as well as her experience working for London Newspaper Guestlist.

“It is a great opportunity I have been given to work for Fusion Media. The company is very successful and work hard in achieving high standards for each and every one of their clients, which is something I aim to continue,” said Lauren.

Fusion Media are a full service marketing and corporate communications agency and work across all media channels delivering award winning, high quality public relations, marketing, advertising, design, photography, event management and digital media services to a wide range of local, national and international clients.

“It is an exciting time to join our team at Fusion. The company is expanding and our clientele has grown rapidly over the last year. With the expansion in the company we needed a bigger team and I look forward to working with Lauren in the near future,” said Christopher Bassett, Managing Director for Fusion Media (Europe).

For further information please contact Fusion Media (Europe) on 01322 424 499 or visit www.fusion-media.eu

For more news, reviews and insightful views you can follow Fusion Media on Twitter @FusionMediaEU and like the company’s facebook page – www.facebook.com/FusionMediaEurope. You can also view the latest Fusion videos by visiting www.youtube.com/FusionMediaEU1

When the artificial sports pitch at Elizabeth College in Guernsey began to show signs of deterioration in its ability to drain, the college’s bursar, Mike Spillar, brought in synthetic surface maintenance specialists Replay maintenance to restore the pitch.

Elizabeth College, founded in 1563 by Queen Elizabeth I, is a selective day school located in St Peter Port. The artificial pitch was installed ten years ago and was starting to display signs of a pitch whose age and continued high usage had started to threaten its usability. Not wanting to spend funds on renewing the surface that could potentially be used for at least another five years, Mike contacted Replay Maintenance for advice.

“We suffered from a lot of rain earlier in the year and the pitch was just turning into a muddy mess; the water was unable to drain through the surface, leaving silt-like deposits over the pitch. It was becoming unusable as a sports pitch,” said Mike.

“We took some samples and then looked for a maintenance company that we could work with. From the first time we contacted Replay Maintenance they have been very professional and knowledgeable. Nick Harris conducted a site survey to find out what our problem was and to then see what our options were.”

Once the site survey had been completed, it was clear that a Replay Rejuvenation® treatment would resolve the problem that the college had and restore the artificial surface into an ‘as new’ condition. The Replay Rejuvenation® process is specifically designed for artificial pitches whose infill has become contaminated causing the pitch to no longer drain adequately, leading to standing water which then leaves areas of silt on the playing surface following periods of heavy rain.

As well as looking unsightly, silt and mud can become a slip hazard to users.

The Replay Rejuvenation® process uses compressed air to remove the contaminated top layer of sand and restore the carpet pile to a vertical state. New, clean sand is then added. The process can, in most cases, double the life of a synthetic surface for less than a quarter of the cost of a new carpet installation. It is also as effective on long-pile surfaces, which are usually filled with a mixture of sand and rubber granules.

The process can extract the infill to any chosen depth, including removing all the infill right down to the carpet backing. With the correct maintenance programme put in place you could also secure an extra 5 years’ use from your facility.

“I’m delighted with the Replay Rejuvenation®. From my initial with Nick Harris, right through to the completion of the works by their skilled and knowledgeable team of operatives; I’ve been impressed with their level of professionalism and technical expertise. They have delivered an excellent service on time and on budget,” said Mike.

For further information, please contact Replay Maintenance on 01636 640 506 or visit the company’s website www.replaymaintenance.co.uk

Sandal Rugby Club in Wakefield, Yorkshire has entered a new exciting era in their long history with two new pitches constructed by Souters Sports, one of the UK’s leading natural sportsturf contractors.

Following a competitive tendering process, the contractor worked closely alongside consultant John Hacker from Professional Sportsturf Design (NW), with funding coming from the Rugby Football Union. Souters worked on the site using their specialist sports surface construction expertise, machinery and technical knowledge to deliver the project on time and on budget.

After spraying off the area, the area was then ploughed, subsoiled and cultivated. The areas were then trimmed with a level frame utilising the current topsoil depths to grade out any undulations. A mains and lateral drainage system was then installed followed by Koro Top Drain Sand Slits by Souters’ in-house team.

The area was then finally cultivated and trimmed using specialist rota rakes in several directions to provide an even seed bed. As a specialist contractor, Souters Sports takes its environmental responsibilities seriously and was committed to ensuring the project was developed in a sustainable way.

Wherever possible, all material was retained on the site and special attention given to retaining the biodiversity of the area, helping to reduce the financial and environmental impact of the project. Special care was taken during the project to maintain two public footpaths during the works with fencing and signage to protect the public.

After the final cultivations and pre-seeding fertiliser application, the site was then seeded. Both pitches are expected to be used for light use from November 2013 onwards before both being brought into full use for the 2014/15 season. Souters Sports will be carrying out the initial marking of the pitches and installing new goals at the end of October. Careful planning of the project and communication with local farmers for an alternative access route to the site maximised the use of equipment and labour and dramatically reduced the programme to just six weeks.

“Souters Sports were very professional throughout the project and the works were completed to a high standard,” said John Hacker of PSD. “We have an excellent working relationship with them. They managed to complete the project in a tight time-frame and their continued attention to detail is very impressive.”

Robert Heath, Contracts Director at Souters Sports said: “The quality of the work we do is a direct result of the skill and attention to detail of our dedicated in-house staff, plus our continual commitment to investing in state-of-the-art specialist equipment.”

For further information, please contact Souters Sports Limited on 01236 453030 or visit www.souterssports.co.uk. Souters Sports are also on Twitter @SoutersSports

Complete Ice Control is brought to you by the same people who deliver Complete Weed Control and has been introduced in response to the overwhelming need for a professional, reliable and trusted local gritting service to deal with snow and ice worries using the best tools and technology available.

If you run a fleet of vehicles from a central depot, or from several depots up and down the country, what is the cost to your business if your vehicles cannot get out of the yard and on to the main road network?

If your fleet cannot get out on the road, then your business grinds to a halt. Even worse, if penalty clauses apply for late or missed deliveries, then not only are you paying the wages of those who can’t go anywhere, letting your customers down, you may actually have to fork out money on penalties.

None of this is good for business.

But, in Britain’s ever doubtful winters, what can you do about these problems? If you wake up one morning and nothing can get out on the road because your yard and access roads are iced-up and snowed over, what can be done? Complete Ice Control has the solution.

Complete Ice Control is a private snow clearance and gritting operation with full national coverage. They specialise in making sure that essential private access areas are kept open through the worst of winter’s storms. They will get your trucks back on the road.

Call Complete Ice Control and they will get to your stricken vehicles and clear and grit the area to get your fleet out on the road; though you must consider that, after a cold, cold night, they are likely to be pretty busy. That’s why Complete Ice Control has a much better solution for you to consider.

Complete Ice Control subscribe to the MET Office Open-road weather forecast system, which gives them access to site-specific forecasts for each 24hr period. Also, Complete Ice Control pre-allocates stocks of salt specifically for customers’ sites and adds their locations to the forecasting system. They know when their customers are likely to have problems and can get out there before the weather hits.

The most effective way of making sure ice and snow do not form an un-navigable sheet across any area is to pre-treat it with salt or brine. Using only pure, white, solar salt, which leaves no residue and is much more effective than standard rock-salt, the Complete Ice Control team can treat your ground before the ice forms, and keep your fleet on the move. They can also get the ploughs in to shift the snow when the fall is particularly heavy.

As well as keeping your business running, they can also keep your personnel safe. Employers have a duty of care of everyone on their premises, and a bad fall on un-cleared ice could cost tens of thousands of pounds in compensation.

So here is what Complete Ice Control offers. If you call them when your vehicles are stuck, they will come to your rescue as soon as they can. If you call them now however, they will keep an eye on the weather, and come to your rescue before your vehicles get stuck. And they will keep your staff safe too.

This winter, let Complete Ice Control worry about the weather for you. They will keep your show on the road.

For more information, please contact Complete Ice Control’s National office on 01325 324 277 or visit www.completeicecontrol.co.uk. You can also follow Complete Ice Control on Twitter @IceControl for more news, reviews and insightful views.

White Horse Contractors (Northern) have handed over a state-of-the-art natural and artificial sports facility in time for the new school term at new specialist arts college Kingswood School in Corby, Northamptonshire.

White Horse Contractors (Northern) were appointed by the main contractor, Morgan Sindall Group plc, to provide a full turn-key solution of design and construction of a 3G artificial turf pitch, a 5 court MUGA, the construction of two natural grass pitches, cricket square and two-bay practice cricket nets - once again showcasing the company’s impressive range of specialist natural and artificial services.

The new facilities include a 40mm pile, 3G synthetic grass surface which will predominately be used for football but is also to FIH requirements. Adjacent to this, a 5 court macadam MUGA was constructed - all with drainage, fencing and floodlighting.

Two natural grass playing fields were formed, drained, top soiled and seeded plus a five strip natural grass cricket square, one Wilton Woven synthetic cricket strip and a two bay synthetic grass cricket nets installed.

The old school building was demolished with its footprint becoming the formation for the new pitches. “As our construction was the final phase of the project close co-ordination was required with other sub-contractors on the site for access and room for materials,” said Jim Crabbe, Contracts Director at WHC.

“With a very tight work programme there was no room for any slippage. Ironically a spell of very warm weather caused a slight concern as the freshly laid macadam was taking longer to cure. Once the sub base had been constructed, the 15mm shock pad was installed and carpet was laid and in-filled - all in a two week period.”

For further information, please contact White Horse Contractors on 01865 736 272 or visit www.whitehorsecontractors.co.uk

Sherriff Amenity has announced that the Crown Golf Group is to continue its sole supply arrangement with them for another 3 years. The agreement covers exclusive provision of fertilisers, chemicals and grass seed.

The Crown Golf Group, which operates 38 golf courses at 25 golf clubs in England is the largest UK golf course owner, and has used Sherriff Amenity as its sole source of golf course maintenance materials for over 6 years.

Paul Copsey, Group Courses Manager for Crown Golf, is in charge of co-ordination with all Crown private membership as well as pay-and-play clubs plus its St Mellion flagship resort course in Cornwall. He provides course managers with up to date information on products available to them from the supplier. Each course places its own orders and has a representative from the company assigned to them.

“Crown Golf has been in a preferred supplier agreement with Sherriff Amenity since 2007,” said Paul. “An extensive tendering process was entered into prior to finalising our supplier of choice and since 2007, there have been periods of review, but Sherriff Amenity still continue to offer us market leading products, technical expertise, access to cutting edge research data plus a very prompt and reliable service to all of our 25 clubs.”

One of the Crown courses, South Essex Golf Club, driven by its Course Manager Peter Dawson, was recently awarded Golf Environment Organisation certification and became one of only a handful of UK courses recognised in this way for its environmental management. Sherriff Amenity has been working with the Essex course on its sustainability drive, ensuring that it had all the products to ensure GEO accreditation.

“Along with excellent pricing, their professional ethos fits perfectly with our own approach to course management. The relationship goes beyond just product supply for fertilsers and chemicals, but now also includes training and certification in areas such as spraying, mole control and assisting in our senior Course Manager’s to obtain their BASIS certification. We now also encompass the supply of course furniture and grass seed into our portfolio,” continued Paul.

“We are delighted to be continuing our relationship with Crown and very much involved in how they keep their courses looking good and playing well,” said Neil Pullen, Sherriff Amenity’s Regional Sales Manager.

“It’s especially pleasing to play a small part in Peter Dawson’s great efforts at South Essex Golf Club. We look forward to supplying whatever products or advice the Crown Golf Group requires for sustainability at its other courses throughout the country and over the next three years.”

Both Paul and Neil hold regular reviews and meetings and work to refine a bespoke delivery of products and services that fully meets Crown’s needs. “I believe our relationship has been good for both parties over the past six years. In what may be perceived as a difficult period for the golf business and amenity market, it has been of great benefit to work with such a reliable and professional partner,” concluded Paul.

For further information, please contact Sherriff Amenity on 01638 721 888 or email info@sherriff-amenity.com

For more news and insightful views, you can follow Sherriff Amenity on Twitter @SherriffAmenity.

Continuing its programme of working closely with end users, Dennis and SISIS have concluded their 2013 series of educational events with the recent bowling green maintenance seminars at Currie Bowling Club, near Edinburgh and Cardonald Bowling Club in Glasgow.

Committed to educating greenkeepers on how to maintain and look after bowling greens, the British manufacturer was pleased with the event which saw over 80 greenkeepers from 41 clubs attend the seminars which encompassed a mix of technical presentations and demonstrations 'on the green'.

Both events kicked off with an introduction and welcome from Alan Ronaldson, Dennis and SISIS Area Sales Manager. This was followed by joint presentations from Willie Wood MBE and Patrick Hulbert from Bowls International magazine on what players want from their bowling green, before Jim Smith from Rigby Taylor discussed dealing with pesticides and fungicides and Ken Mawhinnie gave a presentation on finance options to clubs.

Always a popular figure with bowling greenkeepers, Dave Bracey was next up to talk about autumn and winter maintenance of the greens. This was followed by an ‘on the green’ demonstration of the bowling green maintenance equipment available before lunch.

After lunch, Dave Bracey continued his talk but this time on spring and summer maintenance before another ‘on the green’ demonstration. Both days were concluded by the infamous ‘turf clinic’ question and answer sessions.

"We had some very positive feedback from attendees, who said that they found the day informative and interesting,” commented Alan Ronaldson. “We have a strong track record of hosting these events – not just bowls, but also for other sports and we are looking forward to hosting further seminars for greenkeepers and groundsmen in 2014.”

Willie Wood MBE said: "I've found the day to be very informative. I've been able to talk to a variety of Greenkeepers and we’ve exchanged views on what we look for as players and what can be achieved on the greens.”

Brian Galloway also found the day enjoyable: “The day has been superb. Dave Bracey was great and very knowledgeable and I’ve come away with lots to think about.”

Further educational seminars will be planned 2014. Further information about the range of bowls maintenance products available can be found by visiting www.dennisuk.com / www.sisis.com.

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Dennis on Twitter @DennisMowers and SISIS @SISISMachinery. You can like the Facebook page – www.facebook.com/DennisMowersUK and www.facebook.com/SISISMachinery. You can also view the latest Dennis videos by visiting www.youtube.com/DennisMowers and www.youtube.com/SISISMachinery

Having recently returned to Chelsea FC as the first team manager, all eyes have been on Chelsea and Jose Mourinho since the new Premier League season began in August. To keep Stamford Bridge in perfect playing condition, the stadium's assistant head groundsman, Kevin Fowler, knew just what the club needed - a Dennis G860 professional mower complete with a range of interchangeable cassettes.

Kevin’s relationship with Dennis stretches back to 2003 when the club purchased their first G860 34” mower. “When we first saw the G860 we just loved the versatility of the interchangeable cassette system – one machine can complete a range of jobs. Its combination of size and flexibility make it very easy to handle and lightweight so it doesn’t damage the playing surface.”

Built on the FT principle the Dennis G860 professional mower has an interchangeable cassette system, with one minute changeover, giving options to fit 6 different types of heads including scarifiers, verticutters, brushes, spikers, and slitters as well as 6 or 8 bladed cutter cassettes and are used in high class arenas around the world.

Kevin says that it made sense to have the flexibility of working with a series of cassettes on one machine rather than purchase a series of machines. His range of cassettes include six and eight bladed cylinders, verti-cutter, soft bristle brush and a tungsten tipped verti-cutter, which cut down on not just purchase costs but also service costs.

“The ease-of-use and versatility to change cassettes in under a minute is probably its best feature. I also like the tungsten tipped verti-cutter cassette which is excellent at pulling out all the dead material and doesn’t allow thatch or organic matter to build up on the pitch – it’s like giving the pitch a mini renovation every time we use it. After a match we also use the brush to sweep up any debris laying on the surface.”

Renowned for their exceptional build quality, Kevin also says that he’s received an excellent service from Dennis every step of the way: “Robert Jack, our Area Sales Manager has been excellent. Nothing is ever too much trouble for him. The quality of the Dennis mowers we’ve used has always been exceptional and the results that we’ve had with them have been fantastic.

“We’ve set very high standards and want the best possible surface here at Stamford Bridge and that includes having the best maintenance equipment to look after it. In my opinion, there is no better machine for stadium use and Dennis is a key supplier for pedestrian machines here. We wouldn’t have used them for the past ten years if they weren’t the best football pitch mower on the market.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact Dennis 01332 824 777 or visit www.dennisuk.com

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Dennis on Twitter @DennisMowersand like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/DennisMowersUK. You can also view the latest Dennis videos by visiting www.youtube.com/DennisMowers.

After a decade in the planning, the £250 million development of the latest Centre Parcs holiday village - Woburn Forest in Bedfordshire, has rid itself of a significant stumbling block before it officially opens to the public next year, thanks to a team of five franchisees from Complete Weed Control.

Large open tracks of the undulating forest landscape were beset by bracken, giving it an unappealing monoculture and smothering other plant life. Centre Parcs urgently sought a means of ridding the otherwise delightful site of this dominant plant, which can also be a menace to wildlife.

Complete Weed Control, The UK’s largest weed control contractor, which had successfully performed moss and algae clearance from chalet roofs along with total weed control applications at other Centre Parcs forest locations, was called in to give a specialist assessment of the problem and come up with a suitable solution.

“We were stunned by the extent of the bracken problem at the Woburn Forest site,” said Alan Abel from Complete Weed Control (South Wales). “It was a very challenging task.”

After a full site survey, application of Asulox - an herbicide long used as a means controlling bracken infestation was recommended. In August and September 2012 bracken on seven hectares of the site was successfully treated at a rate of 11 litres per hectare. The problem for more extensive control on the site was the then impending withdrawal of the product.

This summer however, the Chemicals Regulations Directorate, part of the HSE which governs and advises on the safe use of chemicals in the environment, permitted an extension of Asulox usage until September 18th 2013. Complete Weed Control then formed a ‘task force’ to tackle the remaining large-scale bracken issue at the new Centre Parcs village which is due to open in summer 2014.

Personnel from its Home Counties, Midlands, South East London, Central Wales and South Wales franchises gathered at the site in early August under a collective Complete Weed Control banner to spray the remaining 32 hectares using a variety of hand-held equipment, an 8-wheel Argocat ATV, and a 4-WD vehicle fitted with long hoses and Hypro XT nozzles for target spraying.

Spraying of the whole area was successfully completed within a week and the first visitors to Centre Parcs’ fifth holiday site in the UK next summer will not have their surroundings dominated by bracken.

For more information, please contact Complete Weed Control’s National office on 01325 324 277 or visit www.completeweedcontrol.co.uk. You can also follow CWC on Twitter @CWCLimited for more news, reviews and insightful views.

Investment in the maintenance of athletics tracks is as vital as the initial design and specification. Replay Maintenance, who are one of the most respected and longest established names within the synthetic surfaces’ maintenance sector, has recently carried out their unique Aquatrax® process on the athletics track at Bracknell Leisure Centre in Berkshire, restoring the facility to an ‘as new’ condition.

The Replay Aquatrax® combines a low pressure washing but with a high volume, which loosens dirt and algae retained on or in the surface, with a unique vacuum extraction system which removes virtually all of the dirty water to a tank on the machine so that the contaminants held in the water are not returned to the surface.

The process was first developed to remove accumulated contamination during the maintenance of polymeric athletics tracks but has since been adapted to clean dirt and algal growth from unfilled or water-based hockey surfaces.

Because the Aquatrax® process physically removes contamination, unlike conventional pressure-washing which merely dislodges it, Aquatrax® provides a highly effective method of restoring the appearance, foot grip and free-draining characteristics of a surface.

“Following a recommendation from our annual track inspection that our facilities would benefit from a deep clean, we appointed Replay Maintenance to conduct a full clean” said Gareth Jones, Facility Manager at Bracknell Leisure Centre.

“Replay cleaned our six-lane 400metre track, plus long/triple jump/pole vault runways and the inner "D" at one end of the tack. The difference between the 'before' and 'after' was remarkable and highlighted to me just how much dirt, muck and general grime had been ground-in to the surface over the years.

“The compliments we have received from our resident athletics club since the track has been cleaned have also been very pleasing to hear and we wholeheartedly recommend the Replay Aquatrax® process to any facility that need to have their track cleaned,” said Gareth.

“Athletic tracks should ideally be cleaned annually to ensure that the performance characteristics and appearance of the surface do not reduce over time,” commented Nick Harris, Replay’s Business Development Manager.

Outdoor sports surfaces are subject to pollution which is continually washed down by rain, blown by the wind, conveyed by birds and insects and then carried on to players’ footwear. This gradually accumulates on or in the surface, detracting from the appearance and making markings difficult to see. Pollution also hinders the drainage of porous materials and may make the surface slippery, creating a Health & Safety risk and the possibility of claims from users.

Aquatrax® has now cleaned over 1.5 million square metres of tracks and water-based pitches and is the supplier of track cleaning services (Olympic Stadium) to the London 2012 Games.

For further information, please contact Replay Maintenance on 01636 640 506 or visit the company’s website www.replaymaintenance.co.uk

Liverpool, a city famed for its football, is making a big effort to raise the quality of public pitches controlled by Liverpool City Council. This summer, end of season renovation work began on 90 of them across the city, conducted by Souters Sports, one of the UK’s leading natural sportsturf contractors.

Souters was chosen as sub-contractor to Glendale, the largest green maintenance provider in the UK. It was the latest project in an on-going joint venture between Glendale and the City Council to lift and maintain the quality of outdoor amenity and sports facilities across the city. Glendale-Liverpool is now in its seventh year of trading.

Over a three-week period Souters provided a range of renovation services to the pitches as required. These included scarifying, top-soiling, sand top-dressing, aerating, deep slitting, selective weed control, and re-seeding. Among the specialist equipment the company used were the Imants Shockwave to improve pitch aeration, and the Vreedo Overseeder.

“It was a very tight working window, and it was essential to maximize the grow-in and establishment of the new swards,” said Colin Parker-Rich, Glendale’s Service Manager in charge of the project.

“We use Souters Sports because we find them, not only 100 per cent professional and competitively priced, but totally flexible in their ability to deliver the kind of quality renovation programme we seek.”

Liverpool’s football pitches have never been greener or in better shape for a new season.
For further information, please contact Souters Sports Limited on 01236 453030 or visit www.souterssports.co.uk. Souters Sports are also on Twitter @SoutersSports