Style Blog

Wedding dresses plus size or otherwise are the subject of hot debate in the run up to a wedding. Who will wear what? What will the colour scheme be? How will it all be done?

How air passengers with layovers at London airports such as London Stansted can make the most of their flying visit to the big city thanks to transfers and taxis.

Making the Most of a Flying Visit to Englands Capital

London is not only an exciting city, it is also a vast one and those landing for a stopover at any one of its several major international airports will need to be quick on their feet if they want to take in at least some of the cityys legendary sights such as Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, London Bridge and the Houses of Parliament.

Which Airport do You Land At?

I’ve been in the ‘bubble’ of marina life for two weeks - much disconnected from the realities of working Spain - but just up the road here is the city of El Ejido that is worth a visit for a bit of local culture.

More a town than a city in size, it’s furiously hot and dusty in the summer and scares many tourists away with its unattractive industrial outskirts and ‘plasticos’ - a sea of greenhouses supporting the thriving local fruit and vegetable industry.

And yet, if you look under the surface, the city is rich in culture.  There is an abundance of restaurants and bars, and if you’re lucky, you might catch some Andaluz flamenco music, unforgettable and authentic.

All five matches played by Mumbai Indians on their home ground so far have been won by them in the IPL 2013. It appears that even though Kolkata Knight Riders are cutting it fine for a berth in the playoffs, they are yet not out of the IPL race. At the Pepsi IPL 2013, if they had not been defending champions, they would have already been written off. A lot is being expected from the KKR team as far as pushing the Mumbai Indians team at the 7th May match is concerned. The match is to be played at the Wankhede Stadium and the so far the MI team has won only five IPL cricket matches. They achieved the most unlikely result possible during the last match played when they gained a victory by 60 runs over Chennai Super Kings.

KKR team needs to be aware that with a superb performance of that kind, the reputation as well as morale of almost any team can be raised. Everything seems to be in fine fettle, apart from the struggle of identify the best seamer at number three, from Pawan Suyal, Munaf Patel, Rishi Dhawan and Dhawal Kulkarni who have all been tried and the poor form of Sachin Tendulkar at the batting order at the top. The Mumbai Indians team has many pluses and just one and a half minuses.

As far as the bowling attack from the KKR team is concerned, Dwayne Smith, bowler has done quite well more often thus ensuring some great memories for the team. Just 15 days back, in Kolkata during a 45 ball 62 with five sixes and three fours, he tore apart the bowling attack from the Kolkata team. In the middle order there are three pillars including Dinesh Karthik, Rohit Sharma and Smith, even if Dinesh Karthik’s form has been seen dipping down from where it was at the beginning of the tournament. During the last few overs of the last innings, good care was taken by Ambati Rayudu and Kieron Pollard.

Bowling of the Mumbai Indian bowlers is quite lethal which the Kolkata batsmen who misfire need to be aware of well. Mitchell Johnson has been consistent enough about picking up of wickets. Pragyan Ojha and Harbhajan Singh have been successful in striking regularly and have conceded runs at giving away, less than seven runs per over. Even if Lasith Malinga has not been too much amongst the wickets, but whenever he was given the ball, he has been keeping things tight.

There are those occasions when simply raising your voice during an event will not do and then one needs to hire an audio and/or sound system. However, the question arises, out of the vast resources available, which piece of equipment is best suited to your particular function?


Audio hire is based on crowd numbers and space. The larger the space, the larger, or louder, the equipment required. It also depends on where the event is - is it outdoors or indoors? If outdoors, check if there is an electric outlet and how far it is from the sound system. Take note of the distance from the electric outlet to the equipment as it may necessitate either buying or hiring extra cabling. It is also worth noting that some companies will provide you with additional cables at a low cost. If there is no electric outlet, you may need to hire a battery-powered sound system.

When dealing with a large crowd of people in an open-air environment, it is good to take into consideration that you may have to hire, not only the sound system itself, but a technician to set it up for you. Some organizations offer a full package that is inclusive of a technician. However, there are other companies that provide the technician and equipment as separate offers.

You may also contemplate simply hiring a 'DJ' and that he/she provides his/her set-up. The DJ may ask you how many people are attending the event so that he or she may have an idea of audio-reach. This may make things simpler for you - the event organizer - even if it is slightly more expensive, as the DJ in turn may hire the equipment they use and charge you a lump sum.

Indoor spaces require slightly smaller sound systems as opposed to outdoor events. Here again, a technician may be required to check the effect of 'echo' and other small but important details. Small gatherings of up to 100 people rarely require the use of an audio system, but then again, the speaker may be a whisperer and it is advisable to hire a sound system regardless. Before you assume you dont require one, you should ensure you put factor all considerations.
At times, audio hire includes acquiring video- audio equipment. As with sound systems, the hiring of video-audio equipment largely depends upon crowd size. The bigger the crowd, the bigger the screen. There is absolutely no point in hiring a 'movie' screen for a small 50 people crowd.Projectors come in a huge variety, from low-density to high density out-put. You could hire a drop-down screen, or you may have a wall that is suitable for showing a screened image. If the latter is true, do not hire a screen. Walls should be white, preferably smooth and clear of blemish or wall fixtures such as sockets, switches or wall lamps. However comfortable you are with the 'set up' always make sure you have all the necessary cables and do a 'pre-test' prior to the function.

If you are charged with organizing an event audio hire should be one of your top priorities. When hiring audio/ video systems ensure you bear in mind a number of key factors such as the size of the crowd, the venue of the event and the type of event.

The bedroom is that one place in the house where you retire to after a long day. Whether you're alone or a couple, you should go out of your way to make your bedroom as relaxing and inviting as possible. Here are some tips to help you along: