Swimming is, by far, one of the most popular pastimes in the world. It is also one of the oldest. Swimming dates back to at least 7000 BC where cave paintings depict swimming. . Swimming was also immensely popular in ancient Egypt, and there are a number of relics from the period which depict the act of swimming in extreme detail. In ancient Greece and Rome, swimming was taught to the males as part of their elementary school curriculum. Furthermore, the first known public swimming pools were built in Rome.

Competitive swimming in Europe started around 1800, with breaststroke being the popular stroke, this was mainly due to the British dislike for splashing (quirky bunch ain’t we :)) However in 1873 John Trudgen introduced his own stroke called the Trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after he imitated the front crawl from the Native Americans. Trudgen took the front crawl and modified it with a scissor kick to eradicate the splashing.

In the 1830’s swimming became very popular in the UK with numerous swimming clubs starting up. The breaststroke again being the most popular stroke at the time. Then in 1885 swimming’s popularity increased when Captain Matthew Webb became the first person to swim the English Channel using the breaststroke. Two of the most popular swimming clubs of the time  were The Leander swimming club and The Otter swimming club.

Swimming was also a part of the very first Modern Olympic Games in Athens 1896.  The swimming took place in the Aegean sea, in the bay of Zea, with 3 events 100m, 500m and 1200m freestyle.  Alfred Hajos of Hungary won both the 100m and the 1200m and the Austrian Paul Neumann won the 500m with a clear 1.5 minute gap between him and second place. The main complaint by most of the swimmers was that it was bitterly cold.

Swimming continues to be a very popular sport today, most cities have public swimming pools where you can swim for fun or competitively. Also a large number of these establishments offer swimming lessons.  If you are a keen swimmer you really do need to consider a pool of your own. Just imagine no more crowded pools but a nice tranquil pool where you can swim at you own leisure. 

We offer all different sizes of pools from small splash pools right up to quarter olypic size pools, so don’t delay get planning that pool today.

Paul - Lazydayzpools

Every swimming pool should have a circulation system, this helps to keep the water fresh and clean. The most important part of the circulation process is the pump.

The pump works on the same principle as your household vacuum cleaner. It pulls the water from the pool and through the filters, and then pushes the water back through the filter and back to the pool. This process of circulating and cleaning the pool water is essential to a healthy swimming pool.

Not only is it circulating the water but it can also help prevent the build up of algae and bacteria. It can also help to filter out leaves, bugs (and boy do we get a lot of them out here) and other miscellaneous debris. The process also prevents the water from becoming stagnant.

Usually the home owner is not responsible for installing the pump on their own. Instead, the company that put in the pool originally, or a similar company, will generally do that. However, in the event that the original pump breaks and needs replacement or if the home owner simply wants to know what is going on as the installation or replacement takes place, there are some important things to know about a swimming pool pump.

The first thing that any home owner needs to know, before having their pump installed or fixed, is that bigger and more powerful is not always better when it comes to a pool pump. When having a pump replaced, it is actually a lot better to replace it with the same type of pump that you already had, unless a professional advises you to change your pump type.

It is natural to want as much power in a pump as possible, but a pump that is too powerful could actually prevent proper filtration from occurring. An overly powerful pump could even damage the swimming pool’s filter and heater. Pipes or fittings could even be blown apart by a high-power pump installed in the wrong swimming pool. Any of those issues could cause wide-spread damage and quite a bit of added time and expense for repairs.

All of these things are very good reasons why installing or replacing a pump should be left to professionals. A broken pump can lead to all sorts of major problems and expensive bills as it is. If the home owner attempts to fix it on their own without proper knowledge they may simply create more problems for themselves and much more expense.

Most pump problems can be fixed very cheaply so before trying some DIY ask your supplier or a local maintainence firm to take a look first and give you an estimate.

Paul - Lazydayzpools

You’ve finally done it! You saved up, you looked at designs, and you bought that swimming pool you always wanted. Great! But now one of the obvious questions comes in: how to protect it? Swimming pool covers are made for every shape and type of pool around. No matter what your pool looks like, there will be a cover made to protect it. Covers are really a necessary investment and need to be considered. 

When you’re looking for a cover, take your time and don’t rush the process. Remember that manufacturers have made a wide range of products to suit the needs of any potential owners. Covers are available in many different sizes and for various shapes. If you can’t find one that perfectly fits your pool, you can even have it custom made. 

Generally they come in two varieties, and several types. As far as the two varieties go, there are the manual variety, which means you pull them by hand on and off the swimming pool, or there are the automatic variety that will unroll or remove by simply pressing a button. Motorized are far more expensive than their manual counterparts and will often require more extensive maintenance and upkeep. 

When shopping there are three main options: winter pool covers, safety pool covers, or solar pool covers. Winter covers are covers that can be used at any time of the year, all year long. Winter covers are known for reducing water evaporation, and for protecting a pool from leaves, branches, and other objects that can fall and damage or discolor your pool. 

Safety covers are designed to be strong and protective, and are made with little children in mind. It is designed so that little children and animals can not, and will not, accidentally fall into a pool. This is obviously a great choice if there are kids and pets around your house quite a bit, since safety should always come first. 

The other option is a solar cover. These covers are designed to maintain the water’s heat through retention - meaning it lets less of the pool’s heat escape, and so that water will remain warm. In addition to this, a solar cover will minimize the evaporation from the pool and increase any energy from the sun into the water. 

These are the types of swimming pool covers available for your home pool, and depending on your need, and desires, the options are many for the perfect cover.

 A Diverse Country of Diverse People

Bulgaria offers a diverse range of countryside from majestic snow capped mountains, to flat plains, rolling fields and then the sandy beaches along the southern part of the coast and the more craggy areas to the north. There are numerous lakes and dams, gorges, caves and rock formations. There are many monasteries, ruined fortresses, archaeological discoveries such as the Thracian King Tombs around Kazanlak and the old fortress and temple carved out of stone at Perperikon down towards Kardjhali. Bulgaria has a wonderful diversity of wildlife with wolves still roaming the wooded mountains of the Rila and Pirin areas, wild pigs in the Balkans and hundreds of birds and other creatures in the many nature reserves around the country. And the people are just as diverse. Visit a rural farming community and you’ll see old men herding the goats along the streets, in no rush to go anywhere while old women sit in the shade on benches peeling vegetables or watching the world go by. Cows and sheep roam freely along the sides of the road, watched over by a single shepherd and his dog. These places seem untouched by change and seem not to have moved with the times in stark contrast to the busy, noisy streets of cities such as Sofia or Varna, where young girls parade around in the latest fashions and store windows boast the latest technology.  But that is what makes Bulgaria such an appealing country. You can immerse yourself in the street cafe culture of the cities, sipping coffee all day long or drive just 20 minutes out of the city and be in a place that time forgot, where the fields are still ploughed by horses and vegetables picked by hand. Of course change will come and slowly these old ways of life will disappear. Many old villages and farming communities are left desolated as the young move to the cities or abroad in search of jobs. But with the recent influx of foreign property investors, some of these villages are going through a revival, houses are being bought for renovation, plots bought to build on. And this has a knock on effect for the village, it can create employment for local builders and tradesmen, mean more custom for the local shop and cafe and so on.  So if you are planning a visit to Bulgaria do not restrict yourself to spending a week in an apartment in Sunny Beach, hire a car and go and explore the diverse landscape. You will not have to travel far. Only 15 minutes inland from the over development and concrete jungle of Sunny Beach, you will find sleepy traditional villages in the foot hills of the Balkans surrounded by vine yards. Or head south and visit the gentle rolling plains and wooded areas leading to the Strandza mountains.  Then you’ll get to see the real Bulgaria, the diverse landscapes, the local wildlife, the different ways of life, the different cultures and the fantastic friendly people that will be more than happy to welcome you to their village

            © 2008  Rachel Gawith

Free independent advice on buying in Bulgaria, property for sale, relocation service, renovations and more at 

 

The area around Karlovo and Kazanlak, at the base of the Balkan mountains is famous for rose production. To celebrate this industry, each year a festival is held in the first week of June. This festival has been taking place since 1903 and is an extension of the celebrations that local rose growers used to have at the beginning of each rose harvesting season.  

 

My partner and I happened to be staying not far from Kazanlak, arranging our house renovations at the start of June this year and so on the first Sunday in June we decided to drive into Kazanlak and watch the parade. The main town centre was cordoned off and police directed us down narrow back streets where we abandoned the car and made our way towards the centre.

 

The streets were lined with coaches from all over Bulgaria and thousands of people lined the main street and filled the town square.  Parked outside the hotels were numerous blacked-out Mercedes with embassy number plates and flags for visiting dignitaries from as far a field as South Africa and Japan. In fact the festival is incredibly popular with the Japanese and there were numerous coach parties and organised tours of Japanese tourists.

 

We took up our position at the back of the crowd, opposite the main square and stood waiting in the blazing sunshine for the parade to start. We had no idea what to expect and so you can imagine our amusement when all of a sudden the theme tune to Star Wars blared out and the President of Bulgaria appeared on the stand in front of us. After a speech, the only words of which I could make out were ‘rose’ and ‘Bulgaria’, the President and his escorts left the stage and the parade got under way.

 

First to appear were young men dressed in sheep’s wool and animal skins with huge cow bells tied around their waists, which created a deafening din akin to hundreds of drums beating as they danced along the street. These were followed by processions of horses with the riders dressed up as ancient soldiers from various periods, children dressed as roses and plant pots, local school groups in traditional costumes and groups of dancers.

 

Mixed in-between the more traditional elements of the parade were local clubs such as a local football team and an automobile club.

 

Overhead a paraglider swooped up and down the street spraying the crowds underneath with refreshing rose water and dropping rose petals from above. And every now and then there would be a roar of engines as an old Russian airplane flew over the main square so low that it was literally only feet above the trees and lower than the roofs of surrounding hotels. Flying so low and close to crowded areas would simply never be allowed in the UK.

 

Towards the end of the parade the Queen of the Roses was driven along in an open topped Mercedes with the former Queen and several ‘bridesmaids’ all following. Each year a local girl is picked to be the Queen of the festival.

 

After an hour, my feet were starting to get rather tired and so we left the main street in search of food. Afterwards, once the parade was over, we walked around the lovely pedestrianised main square of Kazanlak where groups were partaking in traditional dancing and street stalls were selling balloons and toys for children.  There are many street cafes and bars and a lot of money has recently been spent updating Kazanlak’s image and main town centre.  While the outskirts of the town are still pretty drab and ugly with the usual high rise concrete tower blocks, the centre is a lovely contrast with fountains and small park areas.

 

            © 2008  Rachel GawithFree independent advice on buying in Bulgaria, property for sale, relocation service, renovations and more at

Well what can i tell you about “The Spiderwebsystem” apart from the fact it is just like hundreds of different scams out there.  Not only does it rely on you to refer others to sign up to various places it offers false promises.

In the blurb it offers you an automated blog which is updated with new content daily, complete and absolute rubbish, it does not offer you this it conveniently forgets all about this part if you sign up to it.  You go on any traffic exchange site and it is innundated with adverts about this program. Sure if you plug it enough you will get some poor individual to sign up and maybe earn a couple of dollars, but this is supposed to be something where you can make money quickly!!!!!! 

In fact you would make more money spending your time at PTC sites and investing your time at them.  Give Spiderweb a wide berth and save yourself the time and wasted effort. If you are one of the unfortunates out there that has signed up get out whilst you can, do not waste any more of your time or money.

My next project is Work for 3 dollars very sceptical of this one, works like a matrix system but as i had a few dollars in an old alertpay account i thought i would check it out. I will update on this in a weeks time to let you know how it goes.