London Window Cleaning News, Events for London and the Uk
This section of the website is dedicated to all the latest news and information on our company and Window cleaning in London. keep checking in on a regular basis as this page has weekly updates!.
24th January 2010 - The Sunday Times Newspaper - A report on the rise of Eco friendly residential services in the UK, with Ncpm247 leading the way again with our carbon neutral quotation systems, rain water recycling and unique zero waste water purification methods Read here
Ncpm247's service is changing the industry Read here
Its official, Ncpm247 are London's greenest eco friendly window cleaners!
The most Eco Friendly Window cleaners in London, cutting carbon emissions and using 95% less water than their competitors. Read More
Ncpm247 Release two new Video advertisements!
Watch the amazing Hydrophobic effects of the London window cleaning Company NCPM247
02 January 2010 - Ncpm247 now offering car valeting services throughout London
We have formed many new partnerships over the past twelve months including our commercial window cleaning link with All Clean Services of London who we are pleased to be working with since November 2009. The most recent addition to our business partner list is Executive valeting, being one of London's most trusted car valeting companies who provide car cleaning and car valeting all over London including Central London. We are now working together to provide our clients an even better all round service which can if needed include a full car valet! We hope that our clients will take up this exciting new offer and urge you all to look at the new page on our website devoted to Mobile Car valeting in London.
July 30, 2009 - Window cleaning London Ncpm-247 latest news
Dragon’s Den invests in window cleaner
An entrepreneur who started a window cleaning round so he could buy a car has received a £100,000 investment on BBC’s Dragon’s Den.
Viewers last night saw Darlington- based “Dragon” Duncan Bannatyne make the investment in UK Commercial Cleaning, set up by Tony Earnshaw.
Mr Earnshaw, from Washington, Wearside, established the business with £300 five years ago, when he was 19, boosting the earnings from a local window cleaning round to £6,000 per month.
He then expanded to become a full commercial cleaning company and now has 30 staff based at Washington and Leeds depots.
It turned over £370,000 last year and this financial year they have a projected turnover of £1.5 million.
The company now plans to open a depot in London.
Mr Earnshaw said: “We are very flattered to have a businessman with Duncan Bannatyne’s credentials invest in our company.
“Duncan’s investment will allow us to complete our transition to being a fully-national company.
“We now plan to open a London commercial cleaning depot by January 2010.
Without Duncan’s investment, this move would not have been possible.”
Mr Bannatyne said: “I decided to invest in Tony’s business because he has a large ambition.
“And he reminds me of myself as a businessman, when I was younger.
“His ambition is to be the biggest cleaning company in the UK, which I believe he is capable of achieving.”
The company has contracts that cover areas as far as the north coast of Scotland.
Having grown up on a tough estate in Washington, Mr Earnshaw dreamt of buying and owning a car and turned to business to make it a reality.
Mr Earnshaw, and sales manager Stephen Pearsons, pitched their business to the BBC2 Dragons asking for £100,000 in return for a 20 per cent stake in the business.
Mr Bannatyne finally secured a 35 per cent stake and a role as a company director.
!BREAKING NEWS! June 17, 2009
We have recently received the long awaited arrival of our new fleet of Eco friendly city vans comprising of Mercedes A190’s and Citroen Picassos, now in London for all our window cleaning clients.
The new vehicles have been specially-equipped for cleaning windows in London City and have the latest pure water technology on board.
After talking with our clients we began to understand that some of our customers still prefer to have their windows cleaned by ladder and are not yet ready to move on to the water fed pole method, so we have equipped the vehicles to carry both traditional window cleaning equipment and the very latest water fed pole systems, ensuring our clients always have absolute choice.
We will be using the A190s for all low level window cleaning contracts mostly in and around Central London areas for both residential and commercial window cleaning clients and the Picasso’s will be used for our higher access window cleaning work mostly residential clients all over London including Surrey.
Motor-mode of Kent have come up with what we think is probably one of the most eye catching unusual artwork designs out of all the window cleaning companies in London and we are sure our clients will love the new look!
So, next time you call ncpm247 to clean your windows in London, keep an eye out for the new look city vans!
June 17. 2009
New Reach and Wash window cleaning system (water Fed Pole) now in service and available to all our window cleaning clients in London
Here at Ncpm247 we are constantly looking for ways of improving our wide window cleaning service so have just invested in new reach and wash systems, enabling us to clean windows at heights of up to 9 stories high all from the safety of the ground below.
The new carbon composite poles have a heated pure water supply and are available to all our clients across including central London
The heights we can now achieve using this new range of water fed poles should ensure our costs are still amongst the most competitive in London.
Properties normally only accessed via abseil, cradle or boom can now be cleaned from the ground up, keeping cost to a minimum.
And the beauty is, our Hydrophobic treatment can be added to the water supply giving the same long lasting, great results that we have gained our reputation for!
Using the latest satellite imaging technology the london based window cleaning company NCPM247 are able to offer clients 100% accurate quotations for window cleaning in all london areas.
Ncpm247 seem to be leading the way forward and bringing window cleaning into to 21st century, never before has a london window cleaner been so technologically advanced.
The other thing that puts NCPM247 ahead of their competition is the use of a Hydrophobic glass tratment that once applied actually repels rain water and keeps windows clean for much longer than without.
Usually after just one down poor of rain clean windows will be dirty again but not so with ncpm247's methods! Rain water actually helps keep the treated windows clean as it can no longer stick to the glass surface and any dust on the surface is simply washed off by the rain itself.
Window cleaners in London offer advanced quotation services
It is common knowledge that NCPM247 were the first (and to date the only) window cleaners in london to utalise Google street map and MSN birds eye view satellite technology to provide their clients with quotes over the phone.
This method of providing quotes has had a dramatic knock on effect by reduced NCPM247's carbon foot print as they do not need to visit potential clients prior to carrying out the work.
Teams working for NCPM247 also use a unique hand held low pressure pure water spray applicator which uses 95% less water than the commonly used water fed pole systems. For example the average 4 bedroom house cleaned inside and out could use as much as 25 litres of water by water fed pole but with NCPM247's methods less than 1 litre of pure water would be needed.
With the added benefit of a hydrophobic glass polish the windows will not need to cleaned as often thus reducing the need for as many return visits.
The advantages are clear, we use less water per visit and then we can keep your windows clean for longer so we do not need to come back as often! All this is reducing carbon emissions by having less vehicles on the road and less water wasted— Nathan Colwell Director of NCPM247.com
Less water, less return visits, less carbon could this be the way forward for all window cleaners across London and the UK?
Go Green, Go Ncpm-247
May 6, 2009 - Barbara Follett: £1,600 for window cleaning in London
Barbara Follett, the Labour MP for Stevenage and the wife of the millionaire novelist and Labour donor Ken Follett, claimed more than £1,600 for window cleaning at her London home, a large flat in Soho.
One of the original “Blair babes” — the female MPs first elected in 1997 — she holds a junior ministerial post as Parliamentary Secretary for Equality.
Invoices lodged with the Commons authorities showed that cleaners visited every three weeks during 2003/04.
For each cleaning, taxpayers paid £94. She declares the London flat is her second home, which allows her to claim towards it.
Her main residence, a gracious home in her Stevenage seat valued at more than £3 million, is within commuting distance of the House of Commons.
In 2004, apparently stung by reports about her expenses claim, she and her husband released a public statement. It said:
Barbara Follett makes no financial gain from being a Member of Parliament - in fact her work is heavily subsidised by her husband.
If Barbara Follet had used Ncpm-247 to clean her windows the Tax payer would have saved £1190. Hydrophobic window cleaning last for three months not three weeks. The total cost to clean the windows in this London residential home over one year could have only cost £370
May 9, 2009 - Window cleaners fall to their death
Two window cleaners were killed when the cradle they were working in plunged 100ft to the ground. The accident happened in the City of London, where the men were working on an annexe to Midland Bank's headquarters. The cradle fell from the ninth floor onto a Ford Transit van. Both men, who worked for a contract cleaning firm, were pronounced dead at the scene by a doctor from the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service. The London Ambulance Service said one of the dead men had suffered serious head injuries, and the other had severe chest, head and pelvic injuries. A Swiss tourist who had been walking nearby at the time of the accident was treated for minor cuts from flying glass. Staff at the Midland Bank offices were shaken by the tragedy. One employee said:
They announced over the tannoy that there had been an accident, then we heard the sirens and the helicopter. It's a bit shocking, it's not the sort of thing you expect to happen.
Health and safety inspectors from the Corporation of London have started an investigation to find out the cause of the accident.
May 10, 2009 - Prince Charles window cleaner is an ex-burglar!
Prince Charles has commissioned a former burglar to clean windows of his new home at a posh location in Wales. Ex-convict Matthew Bell, 35, is the same person who had earlier made 1,200 pounds for the two-day job just before Charles and Camilla moved in. Though he has been jailed twice, Charles aides are said to be planning to hire him again to work on his estate Landform, Carmarthenshire, every month. I did a beautiful job and nothing went missing, The Sun quoted Bell as saying. A spokesman for Charles said:
Matthew was employed on a contract basis after a recommendation. He was under supervision at all times. (ANI)sphereit end
If Prince Charles had used Ncpm-247 to clean his windows he would not need them cleaned every Month! Hydrophobic window cleaning lasts for three months. Also, its true that they are NOT ex-convicts!
May 17, 2009 - Window cleaners in London saving clients Thousands of pounds per year, Chiswick W4 Window cleaners
HydroStorm™ from NCPM247 is an advanced technology that opens a new chapter in maintenance ease and time saving along with glass clarity, visibility and strength.
Untreated glass, like the kind you get in regular window, is very rough and porous. Contaminates such as oil, hard water deposits, finger prints and even dust will cling to the surface. Water spotting can occur and end up becoming a permanent part of the glass.
Washing your windows using standard household cleaners that are commonly ammonia based can actually accelerate this condition. However, HydroStorm™ ends all of these problems.
The HydroStorm™ process is a Natural Biodegradable treatment that makes the surface of the glass much smoother, creating a Super Hydrophobic coating on the glass.
The result is a glass surface guaranteed to stay hydrophobic for 12 Months. During that time...the glass will remain far cleaner than without.
Our unique process reduces the probability that dirt and other deposits can stick to your glass, because the microscopic peaks and valleys in the glass surface have been bonded and filled with our proprietary coating.
Do you still need to clean your glass? Yes, but far less than before and with minimal effort. Oil marks from hand contact with the glass and dust build up will simply wipe away with dry tissue, eliminating the need for professional cleaners to attend.
The dramatic performance of the London Based Window cleaning Company, Ncpm247s window cleaning service also has massive financial advantages saving clients thousands of pounds per year in Window cleaning costs. For example: An unnamed but well known Car retailer in Chiswick, London had been paying window cleaners to come twice per week at a cost of £4186 per year. They contacted Ncpm247 and soon after arranged for their glass surfaces to be cleaned and treated. The whole process took less than a day to complete and now the Company is saving over £3000 per year in Window cleaning expenses!
Window cleaners London, continued.
Days after senior politicians’ in Westminster London claims for items such as stone cladding, window cleaning and gardening were finally made public following a long battle by Freedom of Information campaigners, it has emerged that the Parliamentary authorities are considering an annual block grant for future allowances.
The committee chairing a review of Parliamentary expenses and allowances, chaired by the Speaker, Michael Martin, is said to be considering an automatic lump sum of around £23,000, which would avoid the exposure of public scrutiny of receipts for small household items and services such as window Cleaning.
A spokeswoman for the House of Commons Members Estimate Committee said that the report it was preparing on the reform of Westminster’s system of allowances had not yet been completed and it was too early to say what it would contain when presented to Parliament next month.
There was embarrassment for some MPs when receipts and invoices submitted in support of their claims for the Additional Costs Allowance claimed by a number of senior MPs on their second homes were released after a High Court ruling that they could not be exempted from Freedom of Information requirements.
Although the claims did not breach parliamentary rules, eyebrows were raised at some of the sums claimed by the former foreign secretary Margaret Beckett for her garden and millionaire backbencher Barbara Follett for window cleaning. Tony Blair was shown to have paid a water bill late and John Prescott to have spent taxpayers’ money on a mock Tudor gable for his Hull home.
If a simple lump sum payment were made to all MPs, the need for these documents to be provided would disappear, and there would be a considerable cash boost for some MPs who claim less than the full £23,000 permitted under the current rules.
The Members Estimate Committee launched its review of the expenses system after the former Tory MP Derek Conway was found to have paid his son from the public purse for acting as his Westminster London researcher while a student.
Responding to a report in The Times about the proposed increases to the ACA, the committee’s spokeswoman said:
“The MEC are continuing to work on the review of allowances with a view to publishing a report in the middle of June, in time for the parliamentary debate early in July
.“The review continues to be work in progress and there is still a lot of work to be done before its contents are known.”
Scared of heights?
Well, this is definitely not the job for you.
For the first time since it opened the famous 540ft 'Gherkin' building in the City of London is having its windows cleaned - from the very top.
The construction of the building means that a specialist team of nine men have to abseil down the side of the building to do the windows on the highest section, before reaching a height where the more commonplace cleaners' cradles can be used to finish off the 744 windows - 24,000square metres of glass, the equivalent of five football pitches.
It will take the team up to ten days to complete.Meal breaks are taken sitting on top of the 40-storey building. Despite its high-tech interior, the work has to be done in the old-fashioned way: with a bucket of soapy water and a squeegee.
But with new window cleaning technology now in use by Companies such as Ncpm247 in London the next time this London landmark is due to be window cleaned it may be done with hand held and back pack solution applicators, not buckets of water!
May 24, 2009 - Information and history of Window Cleaning
A window cleaner (US slang; window washer) maintains the cleanliness of windows, mirrors and other glass surfaces.
Window cleaning requires mastery of special techniques. A window cleaner lacking in experience or training can take considerably longer to complete a project and the work may be lower quality. Moreover, the use of proper window cleaning tools results in a better clean than home methods such as rubbing windows with newspaper or a wet rag. Rubbing a pane of glass with a cloth can result in 'stroke' marks that are visible in sunlight due to the residue left behind.
The Squeegee methods
The first and most basic of all methods is the left-right motion, usually used for edges or places that require such motion.
Second the rainbow (or fan) method, employed by many window cleaners, both professional and unprofessional. In fact, this is the natural method of window cleaning that many instinctively use. Non-professional cleaners who use this method, often stroke between a 2 and 3 foot radius; while professionals, who have honed this skill more, make slightly larger and less arced 4 foot strokes, enabling them to wipe more rapidly and efficiently.
The third and most difficult method to master is the corner wipe. This is actually less of a stroke than a dab. Many professionals are able to dab and twist quick enough to scrape away the dirt and dust, before it is rammed into the corner; whereas unskilled wipers tend to forget the twist portion. This means that they must use more towels and more time to wipe away the dirt that they were unable to reach before.
Cleaning louvered windows
There are tools you can buy that resemble tongs. Attached on the inside of these tongs are small squeegee channels. By wetting each side of the louver glass and applying the tool to squeegee each side of the glass at the same time, you may quickly clean each piece of glass in the louvers.
Almost all window cleaners use a squeegee where possible to save time and avoid 'stroke marks' from 'scrims' (cleaning cloths). Scrims have to be used sometimes for wiping drips or to clean frosted glass or tiny windows. Water fed pole systems have entered the industry, however ladder, telescopic pole, and squeegee remain the principal equipment used.
Some window cleaners prefer expensive "professional" solutions as opposed to dish soap. However dish soap is still the most common cleaning solution used by professionals.
Dish soap is known to leave a film which tends to attract dirt and dust to the window.
Water Fed Pole (WFP) cleaning is at least twice as fast as traditional window cleaning methods. However, costing between £1500 to £25,000 it is a considerable investment relative to a ladder. To use the WFP system, the window and frames are scrubbed with a wet brush to loosen dirt and then rinsed with highly purified or de-ionized water. Because the water is pure, it leaves no marks when it dries. Some firms have a large container of de-ionized or purified water in the back of their vehicle, which is pumped up the WFP to the window.
The advantage of a WFP system is that it leaves windows and trim cleaner than with a squeegee, it removes more dirt from the grooves on window frames and it reaches windows in places too dangerous to put a ladder. Also WFP systems can be used in the rain as rainfall will not re-activate any soap residue that causes white rain spots.
For very high access window cleaners use access platforms such as cherry pickers or if it is very high, i.e. a skyscraper, abseil down buildings or use a cradle. Other terms are swing stage, suspended scaffolding and boom lifts. WFP are now reaching as high as 80' feet with the new light weight Carbon Fiber poles made in England and the USA.
Window cleaner history
In the nineteenth century, window cleaners began using the Chicago squeegee, a bulky tool with two heavy pink rubber blades. Changing the blades required the loosening of twelve separate screws. The modern single-blade window cleaning squeegee was patented by Ettore Steccone in 1936; it was lightweight brass with a very flexible and sharp rubber blade.
Hazards of the trade
Falls from height and slips on water are the foremost risk for window cleaners. Unlike in Scotland, there is no government licensing in The United States, England or Wales - this means anyone can claim to be a window cleaner.
Window cleaning is considered the most dangerous job in the UK. Several window cleaners die each year, and many are injured.
Many window cleaning businesses are claiming that laws are about to come into force due to European Directive 2001/45/EC that will make ladders illegal for window cleaners. However, the government denies this stipulation, as ladder use for window cleaning is "low risk and short duration"
To clarify the situation HSE is not attempting to ban ladders or stepladders, but ladders should not be the automatic first choice of access. They should only be used after a suitable assessment of the alternatives and the prevailing site conditions. The selection process for access equipment is coming under increasing scrutiny at HSE inspections. This guidance clarifies that for short duration work like window cleaning, provided a number of well-recognized precautions are taken, ladders will remain a common tool for many job.
The Working at Height Regulations came into force in 2005 and do not ban ladders but merely restricts their use to safe methods, i.e. foot it by person or with a ladderstopper:
4.2.2. The feet of portable ladders must be prevented from slipping during use by securing the stiles at or near their upper or lower ends, by any anti-slip device or by any other arrangement of equivalent effectiveness. Ladders used for access must be long enough to protrude sufficiently beyond the access platform, unless other measures have been taken to ensure a firm handhold. Interlocking ladders and extension ladders must be used so that the different sections are prevented from moving relative to one another. Mobile ladders must be prevented from moving before they are stepped on.
The HSE favors the use of scaffold towers, i.e. temporary workstations, for window cleaning but acknowledges this is rather awkward,
For some jobs, a mobile elevating work platform will be the best option. However, for many jobs, especially on domestic and small commercial buildings, risk assessment will demonstrate that because of the short duration of the work and features on the building that cannot be altered, ladders are the only realistic option.
Though hailed as safer than ladders, the Health and Safety Executive acknowledges that WFP systems spill lots of water which either the window cleaner or their client could slip on.
Ecology and water shortages
Another issue is how "green" window cleaning companies are seen to be. During the spring of 2006 Defra considered banning the non-essential use of water and extending their already tight restrictions to prevent the use of water-fed safer which reach up to 60ft. Window cleaners could return to the bucket-and-mop method, because Health and Safety Working at Heights allows such for temporary access,
Misconceptions
Using ladders while cleaning windows is sometimes claimed to be illegal in Britain. The UK government has denied such a claim
Ettore Steccone, you really should know who this is?
Italian immigrant Ettore Steccone, a window washer, invented the modern squeegee in 1936 in Oakland. His squeegee revolutionized the window cleaning profession and blossomed into a business that still thrives today.
Ettore Products Co. is the leading maker of squeegees for professionals and consumers. The profitable 80-employee company continues to be family owned and based in Oakland, with annual revenue approaching $50 million.
Ettore has grown by branching out into the home consumer market. In mid-February, the company will introduce a new line of shower squeegees for kids called Cleaning Critters. Also, it is introducing squeegees with bigger handles, the Pro Grip series. Meanwhile, Ettore has maintained its streak-free quality by keeping Steccone's original squeegee design.
We've been using them for a long time,
…said Ken Callegari, business manager of Century Window Cleaning, which cleans commercial buildings in Oakland, San Francisco, Concord and Walnut Creek.
They're easy to use. They're durable. They're light. They're well-made.
Before Ettore, workers used the Chicago squeegee, which had two pieces of rubber and 12 screws. It was heavy and difficult to change the rubber.
Steccone's squeegee was lightweight, with one piece of rubber and two clips. It was easier to use, but people were reluctant to switch.
At first, he gave them away to window cleaners
…said Steccone's daughter, Diane Smahlik, Ettore's chairwoman.
They would give him a hard time. They said it was a toy.
But Steccone kept giving away the squeegees, and window cleaners started to use them and liked them so much that it persuaded a large New York wholesaler to order them. That wholesaler, J. Racenstein & Co., remains a customer and the Borsalino hat it gave to Steccone to mark the initial order is still in the company's office near Oakland International Airport.
He was a determined immigrant who was able to create something out of his garage and turn it into a big company.
…said Richard Fabry, publisher of American Window Cleaner magazine in Point Richmond.
Ettore Products persevered through bumps over the years to become the industry leader. The company never borrowed a penny until it expanded into its current building in the 1970s, Smahlik said.
The company does most of its production at its 35,000-square-foot headquarters on Pardee Drive. It also has a nearby 35,000-square-foot warehouse in Oakland and offices and warehouses in China and the Netherlands. Ettore exports to 60 countries, accounting for 20 percent of sales.
Ettore Steccone died in 1984. His wife, Emma, the matriarch of the company who knew all employees by their first name, died last month.
The family still plays a key part. In addition to chairwoman Smahlik, Steccone son-in-law Michael Smahlik is CEO and granddaughter Nicole Smahlik is marketing manager. But it also has a key non-family executive, President Pat Murphy, a former Schlage Lock employee who has worked at Ettore for 14 years and led the company into the home consumer market.
Ettore has 75 percent of the professional window cleaning business, but that market isn't growing, Murphy said. Ettore now gets most of its sales from consumer squeegees, where it has an 80 percent market share, he said.
Had we not been able to (sell to consumers), we probably couldn't sustain the business
…Murphy said.
But it has, helping to boost sales by at least 8 percent each of the past 12 years. Ettore's top customers include Home Depot, Lowe's, Ace, Orchard Supply and True Value hardware stores.
Ettore squeegees retail for $6 to $10, with soap running $5 and extension poles $15 to $20. Cleaning Critters, which will include handles shaped like ducks, dolphins and starfish, will sell for $7 apiece.
We're trying to make it look like it's fun,
…Murphy said.
Ettore considers its biggest competitor to be Windex glass cleaner spray. Only a few companies make squeegees, partly because it is a niche market but also because it is difficult to make the rubber.
The rubber is the key ingredient
…Murphy said.
Ettore goes through 6 million feet of replacement rubber a year. Ettore's rubber formula is a carefully guarded secret. The rubber is cut to have a razor-sharp square edge. Veteran workers inspect each piece by hand and toss out imperfect ones.
You can't see it. You can only feel it
…Murphy said.
But you can see the results of using an Ettore squeegee. And enjoy the view.
Our slogan is 'We do windows,'
…Murphy said.
Window Cleaning in South london
Gangland days revisited by window cleaner's murder
The evening began for Sean "Stretch" Jenkins as a family night out at Caesars club in south London where he watched a series of unlicensed boxing bouts.
After the rowdy entertainment the 36-year-old window cleaner based in South London went to the home of one of the fighters with friends and guests to celebrate. At about 4.30am a man walked into the party, drew a handgun and shot Mr Jenkins five or six times, killing him on the spot.The murder has provoked an extraordinary out-pouring of grief - an estimated 2,000 people attended Mr Jenkins' funeral. The killing has evoked memories of the capital's old-style underworld - with unlicensed - but legal - boxing matches, a popular Londoner who loved his mother, a "wall of silence", and even a bit-part for a former gangland figure and associate of the Kray twins.The question that Mr Jenkins' family - including his girlfriend, Lindsey, and their four-year-old boy, Ronnie - want to know is: "Who killed Stretch, and why?"The case has not been straightforward for the police. Despite the shooting taking place on 4 December 2006 in a room about 20ft by 15ft, in front of up to 15 people, detectives are struggling to find witnesses.
Mr Jenkins' brother-in-law Steve Lang said: "Everyone loved Sean, he was the life and soul of any party. He was funny, gentle, and nice to everyone. His life was about working, going fishing, and taking his boy out."Nobody has any idea why he was shot. There is no reason for him to be shot. He had nothing to do with gangsters, or drug dealers, or anything like that. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."Born and brought up in the south London area of Southfields, Mr Jenkins was a familiar figure as a 6ft 4in window cleaner - his height and long reach earning him his nickname.
On the night of 3 December Mr Jenkins was in a group of about 10 family members who spent the evening watching a series of three-round fights. While legal, the unlicensed events are not staged under conditions as strict as licensed fights and are often more violent and raucous affairs.That night was no exception when a fight broke out among the crowd. The police were called to restore order when tables and chairs started to be thrown.Later that evening, Mr Jenkins went to a house party held by one of the boxers in Carshalton, south London. Witnesses said he spent much of his time talking about his son, whom he was devoted to, and his mother, Maureen.Towards the end of the evening, Mr Jenkins appeared to have had an argument with another man over what was later described as a "minor matter".Shortly afterwards the window cleaner was shot.
As part of the investigation, the police plan to question some of the people at the earlier boxing event. They include Joey Pyle Jr and, possibly, his father, Joey Pyle Snr, who helped promote the boxing event. The older man is one of the last remaining "names" from the Sixties gangland scene. He was a friend of the Kray twins and was the best man at Ronnie Kray's wedding.A 32-year-old man has been arrested and released on bail in connection with the investigation.
June 02, 2009 - Back to ladders due to drought?
HSE issues advice to window cleaners
If you decide to go back to using ladders and a bucket for window cleaning during a drought, remember to make sure you have assessed all the risks.
This is the message from Dr Elizabeth Gibby, Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Director of Injury Reduction Programme, in response to questions from the window cleaning industry clarifying how the Work at Height Regulations (WAHR) apply to window cleaners in any areas where water companies operate Drought Orders. The WAHR, which came into force on 6 April 2005, introduce a simple hierarchy of risk management and equipment selection.
The first step is to avoid work at height where reasonably practicable; changes in the industry in recent years have encouraged window cleaners to adopt waterfed pole systems. Some water companies in the South of England are now seeking to restrict the non-essential use of water in their areas, including the cleaning of windows by hosepipes and other similar apparatus – which could include waterfed poles.
A note from us!
We love to clean windows it is our passion we have been trading as window cleaners since the mid 1980's and originally started out under the name Robert Wood window cleaning. At first the company was a small two man opperation providing window cleaning services to mainly West London areas including Chiswick, Hammersmith and Ealing. As time has gone by our small window cleaning company has grown and is now one of London's most well known and trusted window cleaning service providers covering all London postcodes and even Surrey and Kingston. Our main client base is as it has always been, mostly residential properties but we now also have a large commercial client list including some of Londons most well known land mark buildings, some of which are over 60 floors tall and need to be completed via abseil and or a suspended cradle. In Canary wharf we have many commercial buildings on our lists, this is quite an achievement for what started out as a two man window cleaning outfit! As a testament to our outstanding, professional window cleaning abilities we have actually retained over 300 of our original residential clients right back from the early days when we first started up in 1985, we still clean windows for these clients in London and have gained an almost "part of the family" relationship with them.