LEISURE 39
9 April 2022 THE WEEKConsumer
Tips of the week... easy
ways to cut energy bills
And for those who
have everything...● Use a microwave for jacket potatoes and
to reheat food, and if you are using a hob,
keep the heat as low as possible: if you feel
heat above the pan, you’re wasting energy.
● Remove excess trays from your oven.
Don’t bother to preheat the oven; just add
a few minutes to the cooking time.
● Defrost your freezer regularly and, unless
you are conservative with your water when
washing up, use the dishwasher instead.
● Turn off the heating if you’re going out;
and turn off the radiators in rooms you’re
not using. Don’t block radiators with
furniture; and close curtains. If you have
a chimney, invest in a chimney balloon.
● Electric blankets only cost about 1p per
night to run, and can be used on beds or
to keep you warm while just sitting.
● A quick shower will be far cheaper than
a bath. Don’t leave phones or laptops
charging overnight.
● Clean the windows so they don’t block
sunlight, and bleed radiators.
SOURCE: THE DAILY TELEGRAPH SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN SOURCE: THE TIMESSOURCES: FT/BBC GARDENERS’ WORLD/SCIENCEFOCUS.COMBirkenstock has asked Manolo Blahnik
to bring a dash of his signature glamour
to its range of comfortable sandals. The
collection includes fuchsia and royal blue
velvet versions of the classic Arizona
model, and a black leather Boston shoe.
From £460; birkenstock.comRRS Discovery in Dundee was the last
wooden three-masted vessel built in the
UK. Launched in 1901, it is best known for
carrying Captain Scott and his crew (£11.50
adults, £6.40 children; rrsdiscovery.co.uk).
Portugal’s last sailing warship, the frigate
Dom Fernando II e Glória, launched in 1843
but never saw active combat. It is now
a dry-docked museum in Lisbon (£3.40
adults, £1.70 children; ccm.marinha.pt).
Henry VIII’s favourite ship, The Mary Rose,
sank in 1545 and was raised 437 years later.
The ship’s remains and contents can be
seen in Portsmouth, where it was built (£24
adults, £19 children; historicdockyard.co.uk).
The luxurious tender SS Nomadic ferried
passengers to the Titanic. It now forms
the centrepiece of the Titanic Belfast
experience (£21.50 adults, £10 children;
titanicbelfast.com).
Santa Eulàlia is a schooner, built in 1918,
which takes a few passengers on Saturday
mornings at Barcelona’s Maritime Museum
(£10 adults, £5 children; mmb.cat).The best... gardening gadgets
Where to find... historic
ships to visitEgo Power+
CS1610E Chainsaw
This compact, lightweight cordless
electric chainsaw can slice through
branches up to 40cm wide. Depending on
the battery size, it can make up to 450 cuts on
one charge (from £240; egopowerplus.co.uk).Stihl RE 80
Electric Pressure
Washer
Lightweight and
easy to handle, the
compact, space-
saving Stihl RE 80
is an entry-level
pressure washer.
With 120bar
pressure, it has
a rotating spray
jet, plus a rotary
nozzle to tackle
stubborn dirt
(£110; shop.
balmersgm.com).Gardena Smart
System This
irrigation system
works through
a Wi-Fi
connected
smart
gateway on
an outside
tap. Controlling
it from an app, you can start it
watering manually or set up an
automatic schedule (from £145;
worldofwatering.co.uk).Ego Power+ HT2410E Hedge Trimmer
Quieter and lighter than petrol models,
this cordless electric hedge trimmer has a
61cm blade to trim wider hedges; and the
laser cut, diamond-ground
blades will make quick
work of even thicker
stems (from £190;
egopowerplus.
co.uk).Draper 37796 Long Handled Weed
Puller Draper’s ergonomic weed
puller has a comfortable soft-grip
handle. The stainless steel claws grab
weeds effortlessly by the root, and
the light, long shaft means there’s
no need to bend down (£42;
Husqvarna Automower 405X This smart dwtoolshop.com).
mower is controlled via an app, a button or
voice activation. You can choose the grass
length and schedule, and it will check the
forecast and adjust accordingly. The 405X
(£1,799) works on lawns up to 600m², 415X
(£2,099) up to 1,500m² (husqvarna.com).Ryobi ONE+
Secateurs
Ryobi’s 18V
cordless
secateurs
are capable
of cutting branches up
to 25mm thick with their
extra-sharp Japanese SK5
bypass blades. The battery
and charger, once bought, are
compatible with other tools in the
Ryobi ONE+ range (from £95; direct-
powertools.co.uk).Gardena EcoLine Irrigation Sprinkler
Head Gardena’s EcoLine simple spray
gun is made from over 45% recycled
material. Robust and durable, it has an
ergonomic handle and a soft spray jet
for delicate plants (£20; bloomling.uk).Flymo EasiStore 340R cordless
Flymo’s new cordless mower is
good for smaller gardens. The
dual-lever handles fold down
for easy storage. It is powered
by a 40V battery, which can
cut up to 250m² on a single
charge. Part of the
Power For All
Alliance, its battery
and charger can be
used with other
brands (£315;
robertdyas.
co.uk).▲▲▲▲▲▲
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