Spotlight - Stevenage

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Our Regular customers will know that we are based in South East London and Stevenage in Hertfordshire. So today we are putting Stevenage under the Spotlight.

Stevenage before it became a new town

Stevenage Old Town

  

Stevenage used to be a town with 6000 inhabitants, mostly religious and conservative. Some 40 kilometres outside of London, it was a calm, rustic area with large green fields, farms and Victorian houses for the upper class. During WWII London was bombed which left many Londoners in poor living conditions. Before the end of the war the Labour party created the ministry for Town and Country Planning, which was to come with solutions for this urban problem. Planner Patrick Abercrombie was hired for the job. He decided that London was in dire need of a green belt around the city. Outside of the green belt new towns were to be built to accommodate the large number of inhabitants of the city. Stevenage, in Abercrombie’s opinion, formed a good place to carry out these plans. The ground was good for building houses and industries, the area was already accommodated with a rail- and motorway, and the electricity and gas network could simply be enlarged in order to supply more people. The decisive factor was however the green and rustic area which would form a suitable area for workers from London’s factory districts. Abercrombie advised the British government to buy land and expropriate in this area as soon as possible. The original inhabitants of Stevenage were not amused with these plans, which meant that at the start of this project much media attention was given to the resistance of this group of people and the promises which were initially made to them. Still the ground in the area was bought up by Stevenage Development Corporation and the first Victorian homes and farms were abolished.  In 1951 the first houses were presented to the new inhabitants.

Stevenage becomes a new town

Stevenage New Town

 Stevenage was the first of 28 new towns built in the UK between 1946 and 1970. The town was to get the most modern facilities and the best architects would plan out the optimal design. One of the main attractions would be the car-free shopping centre, which was inspired by Rotterdam’s Lijnbaan. Just as unique was to be the ingenious network of separated traffic flows, which would make inhabitants feel safer and also move faster within their city. Houses were built in the same style so that no one person would feel more or less than another.

 Overall a very friendly town to work in. Stevenage is surrounded by beautiful countryside. A plus for Stevenage is the bicycle tracks that are seperate to the roads and underpasses allowing people to cross the roads safely. A very green town which does not hide the fact it is within the Hertfordshire countryside.

Visit our website to find out what other towns we visit! www.gutteringdirect.com

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Spotlight - Gutter Clearing

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GUTTER CLEARING

Moss is a big problem for most homes. It's hard
know if your guttering needs clearing unless
you can climb up there and take a look
But if your guttering hasn't been cleared for over
a year then you bet on your guttering looking
like the above.



At Guttering Direct we are proud of the service we give when clearing gutters. Our service not only includes Gutter Clearing but also we will repair any split or broken guttering. Secure any brackets or guttering that has come away from the fascia boards with new screws. Re-seal any double brackets and then wash the guttering through with water to make sure the flow is correct and that the guttering is channelling the water correctly towards the downpipes. All this is included in our fixed price.



Guttering that needs to be cleared. See how
the corner and ridge way leading up the roof is
totally crammed with leafs and moss. This leads to
dampness getting into the house.



  Think about a car going through an MOT test. The car won't pass if it is not safe to drive. Our gutter service is very much like an MOT, we will leave your guttering working the way it should be with no more drips or overflows or blockages.

The tools we use;

Gloves for obvious hygienic reasons and to protect our hands from any sharp objects that might be found in the Guttering such as glass, nails, screws etc.




A brush always helps to brush away hard to gather
tile grain which over the year washes down from the
roof. We can grab leafs, moss etc with our
hands but tile grain is easily brushed away.





A bucket allows us to collect all the muck from
the guttering without making a mess down below.
We always use aluminium buckets because they are
stronger and last longer. Plastic buckets tend to split.



Finally we use Rods to help enable us to reach the hard to get to places such as above conservatory's or the ridge ways
leading up the roof. Rods make our job that bit more easier
and leave a much more professional finish. 



The process of clearing guttering.

So what do we do? How do we do it?

Here's how!

• Firstly we clear the guttering. This includes the upper gutters & lower. Any conservatory's, garages etc. We then check the downpipes and unblock the if need be.
• Once we are happy that the guttering is cleared and ready to start channelling water again we run some water through the gutters to make sure there are no leaks and that the downpipes are totally clear.
• We then Seal any double brackets that might need to be re-sealed
• Secure any guttering or brackets that have come lose back to the fascia board.
• Sweep any debris up from the floor. (we never leave you with a mess)
• Then leave you with a receipt and guarantee that your guttering is ready to protect your home once again!

So that's the process!

What can happen to gutters that are not looked after or cleared on a regular basis?

Guttering that is not looked after can become blocked and then over time water that overflows can rot the wood work (fascias, soffits etc) and cause dampness within the home. The guttering will eventually fall down and the beams supporting the roof of the house can also become rotten and dangerous.

Guttering is a protector. Your home relies on your guttering to keep it from becoming damp. This is why guttering should always be checked at least once a year and cleared.

An example of Cleared / Clean guttering.

You can contact us today for a free quote by visiting our website at www.gutteringdirect.com

Spotlight - Panshanger

Today Guttering Direct were working in Panshanger, which is in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire.

This is an area of Welwyn Garden City were I used to live and had an interest in. It is to the north east of the town and takes its name from a large house and grounds called Panshanger House slightly further to the east. The area was added to WGC during the 70's and 80's on the remaining land between the industrial estates and the River Mimram. Between the current Panshanger and the ex Panshanger house is a plateau which is an ex WW2 areodrome.

Panshanger Areodrome

Started life in WWII as a "decoy aerodrome" with a hangers and facilities made by film set experts, complete with dummy aircraft, cars, smoking chimneys and deliberate 'black out leaks'. Those measures were aimed at diverting German bombers away from Hatfield with its large aircraft factory and other nearby industries. It was so successful, that many of our own pilots landed at Panshanger by mistake! In the early forties RAF Elementary Flight Training School was based in Panshanger and real buildings began to replace the canvas and scaffolding dummies. In the early fifties the RAF had pulled out and the aerodrome become a fairly active civilian facility

Guttering Direct will be working in this area again very soon. Visit our website at http://www.gutteringdirect.com/ to book an appointment!

Spotlight - Kings Langley

Today Guttering Direct was working in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire.

Foot bridge crossing over canal in Kings Langley.

Kings Langley is an historic English village 21 miles north west of central London on the southern edge of the Chiltern Hills and now part of the London commuter belt. The major western portion lies in the borough of Dacorum and the east is in the Three Rivers district, both in the county of Hertfordshire, England.

It was once the location of a Royal palace of the Plantagenet kings of England. The 12th century parish church of All Saints houses the tomb of the first Duke of York. Kings Langley lies 2 miles south of Hemel Hempstead, 2 miles north of Watford, and approximately 1 mile north-west of Abbots Langley village.

• Post Town - KINGS LANGLEY
• Postcode District - WD4
• Shire County - Hertfordshire
• Region - East
• District - Dacorum

overall the town has a nice feel to it. Homes and commercial buildings have character and nicely situated. A nice town which lies near Watford and not to far from central London. We will be hopefully working in this town again or you can call us or visit our website at www.gutteringdirect.com to book an appointment.

Spotlight - Dunton Green

From time to time Guttering Direct will be writing articles on different towns in different areas. As most of  our customers know we work all over the south east so we do from time to time get called out to some unique and interesting towns. This blog is to show our appreciation for the beautiful villages and towns we visit.

Today we will introduce you to Dunton Green.

• Population - approx 2500
• District - Sevenoaks
• Postcode District - TN13, TN14
• Guttering Direct were working here on Thursday 5th Jan 2012. We will be here again on Thursday 12th Jan 2012. www.gutteringdirect.com

For those who don't know of this town or have never visited, Dunton Green is a small Kent village lying in the valley of the River Darent, three miles north of Sevenoaks. From at least the 17th century, Dunton Green was a center for making bricks and tiles. In 1862 the Dunton Green Brick, Tile and Pottery Works was established: a large concern with clayholes or pits, kilns and an engine house. Whilst digging for clay many fossils were discovered. The village church (dedicated to St John) is built with local bricks. The village has a main line railway station, which at one time was a junction for a small branch line to Westerham, opened in 1881. The branch line is now closed and most of the the track-bed lies beneath the M25 motorway. Dunton Green celebrates it's centenery this year (2008) as originally it was part of otford.
There is a sad tale associated with the small village of Dunton Green. It concerns the daughter of the owner of a large house called Morants Court who fell in love with a highwayman. Her father who disapproved of their friendship, forced his daughter to betray the villain's next ambush at the foot of the nearby Star Hill. The father's servants intercepted the highwayman and promptly hanged him, cut off his head and made a cruel present of it to the shocked daughter. She was so horrified by the gruesome spectacle that she went insane. The ghost of the headless lover has been seen jumping the stream behind Morants Court on his stallion. The sound of horse's hoofs upon cobbles - heard by people working in the fields at dusk - is immortalised in Walter De la Mare's poem 'The Highwayman'. The cobblestones have long since been removed.


Overall this is a lovely town with a great feel to it. There are some beautiful open areas of park land and countryside. It really is a pleasure working here. When up the ladder you can see for miles on end. The Kent downs leading to Tonbridge is a beautiful sight.