How do you educate young people about the dangers of solvents and volatile chemicals without boring, patronising or alienating them?

Bristol-based production company, Western Eye, found the way with the video Safe is Sound.  Commissioned by the charity Re-Solv, this video talks the language of the school-yard and the street, is fast-cut and hyperactively paced  – yet puts over the message powerfully and clearly.

1 in 5 of the people who die from solvent abuse are first time users.  Accidents or playing about with such seemingly innocent household products as hairspray and carpet cleaner can cause nasty injuries, sometimes fatal.  Young presenters OJ Lynch and Vanessa Bewley don’t skirt around these statistics, but make the sell positive.  It’s cool to resist peer pressure to sniff glue; cans and aerosols of dangerous chemicals deserve respect.

Shot in a multitude of locations, mixing black and white dramatised scenes with comment from young people, street music and even a graffiti artist, the only peer pressure here is to use solvents and volatile substances solely for the purposes they were designed for.

Safe is Sound was directed by (name) and edited in Western Eye’s D vision on-line suite.  It’s a perfect demonstration of how the style of modern youth TV can be used to educate while entertaining.

40  very lucky winners of our Lunn Poly/Unijet competition jetted off for a cruise and stay holiday in Florida last December.  Pauline Figg of Sheerness, who gives this report, still hasn’t got her breath back.

We all know Americans like things larger than life, but nothing could have prepared us for this.

After an initial night in Florida we boarded the ms Fantasy, our floating home for four nights.  It was out of this world.  Imagine cruising the Bahamas on a ship so luxurious it matches any 5 star hotel.  Our every need was pampered to.  There were lavish boutiques, spas and hairdressers, a well stocked library and a games room just in case you got bored with the sun-deck.  It may have been Christmas, but we were all determined to go home with tans as well as gifts.  

Kids are big business in America and everywhere you go are treated like royalty.  The ms Fantasy was no exception with a Children’s Club that parents had trouble tearing their little darlings away from.

Nightlife on board was great.  At the Electricity Dance club you could join in Line Dancing with the people who invented it (most of the people on board were American.)  Or indulge in a cocktail or too - much more generous than ours - at the Majestic bar or catch a cabaret in one of the themed lounges.  Service is superb - American’s expect nothing less.  But do note they have rather different views on some things, like no drinking under 21 and, in the case of ms Fantasy, no mixed rooms for unmarried under 25s.  Life could be a bit too sober - not to say frustrating - for people in this age group.
 

Ports of call

First stop was Freeport with its bustling markets and bazaars - ideal for unusual gifts and unbelievable duty free bargains!  Our next port of call was Nassau - the capital of the islands - where we took a water-ferry to Paradise Island, which is exactly like it sounds - heaven on earth.  The 5T Atlantis hotel here is something else.  It even has its own sea-life centre with shark pools in the hotel grounds, and casino rooms if you fancy a flutter.  Then it was back to Florida and on to Orlando - the climax of the trip.

International Drive is the main strip for shops and hotels in Orlando.  Though not exactly awe-inspiring in itself - all a bit too spread-out for my taste - the individual features have all the panache you’d expect.  Gateway Inn where we stayed, just off International Drive, was very friendly, offering good, comfortable accommodation, but though pretty luxurious by British standards didn’t have all the frills we were rapidly getting used to.  Ideal though for tourists on a budget.

For those with a few more dollars more, Sheraton World immerses you in American opulence.  Kids are well catered for with Daisy Dolphin breakfasts, and there are also four rooms for handicapped guests.  Embassy Suites were also excellent with apartments set around a quadrangle overlooking some inspired water features.  But I fell in love with Days Inn because this was a real Family hotel with a capital F.  Kids even had their own booking-in desk.  Shades of Disney here with a brilliant fun fort in the middle of the swimming pool.  Highly recommended.

Or for self-catering types, facilities don’t come much better than a Holiday Home in Kissimee.  It’s a chance to live like a native American - quite a rich American at that because the homes come with their own pools.
 

Along for the ride

In Orlando you could end up believing the whole world has turned into a theme park.  We sampled a couple of the best, including Magic Kingdom in Disney World and Universal Studios.  I’d expected Disney World would make Euro Disney look like a poor relation, but not so.  They compare pretty well and with some of the rides, like Space Mountain, Euro Disney actually has the edge.  However, one of the best rides in the world for the truly masochistic has to be the awesome Tower of Terror at Universal Studios.  But make sure you experience it before lunch, not after! 

Of course, Disney really is a force to be reckoned with in Orlando.  Even the best night-spot, Pleasure Island, is a Disney production.  The night we went the joint was jumping with as many locals as tourists, and the revolving dance floor all added to the bonhomie.  It was a tremendous experience, climaxing with glitter cascading from the ceiling.
 

That’s entertainment

Another must is the Belz Shopping Centre - you could spend a week in here, never mind an afternoon.  The price tags on big name items like Calvin Klein and Belz are unbelievably low.  It was like an all year round Sale to us Brits.  I was wishing I’d bought another suitcase.  Then for a great meal it was down to Chinatown.  You could believe you’d been transported to the country itself, it was so exotic and different - it even had its own Great Wall and Stone Army, not to mention constant entertainment.

In the end, it’s the entertainment you remember most.  The Floridans - if that’s the right word - have it down to fine art.  You’re on a high of fun and excitement all the time.  The food is superb, the people are so friendly - it all adds up to that overworked phrase ‘the dream holiday’ - but this really was it.  So many thanks to Sarah, Wendy and Amanda for giving us such a tremendous educational. 

The only officially recognised Volkswagen dealership in North Staffordshire has recently come under the Rycliff banner, which promises to be good news for both existing and new customers.

Rycliff VW, Stoke, is totally committed to offering the same high levels of service and customer-care offered by the well-respected previously established dealership, but as part of the Ryland Group can deliver even more efficiency and value for money in every aspect of Volkswagen sales and service.

As a £400 million, 42 dealership network the Rydale Group is one of the biggest and fastest growing names in the car business.  General Manager, Jeff Maskrey, of Rycliff VW believes this really gives them the edge.  'Quite rightly, Volkswagens are sold on their legendary reliability,' he says, 'and as a dealership we must match that reliability.  Being part of Ryland with its insistence on quality standards and training we have to come up to scratch.'

Jeff's thirty-strong staff, together with Service Manager John Coppeck and Parts Department Manager David Lucas, are of one mind in their belief that choice is the key to customer satisfaction - whether it's somebody wanting a used Polo for their personal use or a large company organising a whole fleet the aim is make sure the customer gets exactly what they want.

That means a constant wide selection of new and used cars on show, fleet expertise, full VW van centre, high stocks of parts for the trade ready for delivery and car demonstrations arranged to the customers convenience - either from the dealership or at home.

Above all, it comes down to a range of world-class vehicles that cover every conceivable need in contemporary motoring - from the 'big' small car, the Polo with its proven pedigree to the all-new Passat engineered for power and comfort right through to the modern concept of a people carrier - the Sharan.

Rycliff VW is conveniently located on the Cobridge Road, Hanley.  For more information please call General Manager Jeff Maskrey on (number).  Remember, Rycliff and VW - two names you can rely on totally.

Home | Experience | Services | Portfolio | Websites | Samples | Contact