Monthly Archives: October 2015

Homes are seeing an increase in large spiders after a mild end to the summer, as males go on the hunt for a mate, experts say. Fine weather throughout the summer is expected to result in a “good year” for residents to encounter large house spiders. Spiders remain in their webs – commonly in sheds, gardens and wood piles – until the autumn, when males become nomadic to search for a mate. This leads to an influx of male spiders indoors between mid-September to mid-October, while females remain in their webs. Adam Hart , professor of science communication at the University of Gloucestershire, said: “We’ve been running a survey of house spiders for a couple of years and mid-September through to mid-October is the height of ‘spider season’. “We’ve had another good summer which means we might be in for another good year for large spiders (or a bad year … Continue reading →

More than a billion people across the world are actively engaged with social media on a daily basis. So we present you with five pointers on how to help you stay safe online: 1. Be careful when posting personal information online, such as your address, email address or mobile number This can be a trap many users are caught in. Only produce personal information on official websites. You can tell whether a website is genuine by what is stated in the URL, such as ‘.gov’ and ‘.org.’ Websites which request for you to enter your bank information, such as an online shop, should have a padlock symbol beside the web address. REMEMBER: No website will ask for your pin number or full security code so do not hand this out. 2. THINK before posting pictures and videos Once you have published a picture of yourself online, most people can see … Continue reading →

Asda, Boots, Sainsbury’s and gravy brand Bisto have all recalled food products this week following health concerns. – Sainsbury’s has recalled one litre cartons of its Basics range Unsweetened UHT Soya Drink with a best before date of May 9 2016 as a manufacturing fault has caused the product to curdle in some cases. – Asda has recalled 710g packs of Asda Chosen By You Pickled Crinkle Cut Beetroot as there is a risk the product may contain bacteria, Clostridium Botulinum, which can cause food poisoning. Affected packs have a best before date of December 6. – Boots is recalling a number of ready to eat sushi products as they may contain pieces of metal. It is recalling: Strand Super Duper Veggie Sushi 187g, Strand Super Duper Salmon Sushi 191g, Strand Super Duper Nigiri Sushi 232g, Shapers Salmon and Prawn Sushi Rice Salad 156g, Shapers Smoked Salmon Sushi main 118g, … Continue reading →

The work of Larne-based community organisations has been recognised at a special 30th anniversary reception at Stormont. Among those who attended the reception – organised by the Lloyd’s Bank Foundation for Northern Ireland – was Maureen Hanvey of Learning to Grow in Magheramorne, which received a grant of £4,000 from the foundation towards its horticultural therapy programme. Other groups to receive funding included Larne YMCA, which received £2,000 to supports its health programme and Carnlough Community Association, which was awarded £3,000 towards its community administrator’s post. The Foundation has distributed £32.5m grant aid to more than 8,000 charities since it formed 30 years ago. The figures were revealed the anniversary bash at Stormont recently, which aimed to recognise and celebrate all of the organisations it has helped to improve the lives of disadvantaged people. Since it was formed in 1985, the Foundation has funded a wide variety of groups dedicated … Continue reading →