Tag Archive for: 15

JCB’S NSPCC appeal receives £15,095 boost

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JCB’S NSPCC appeal receives £15,095 boost: One of the world’s most accomplished male voice choirs hit the right note at a concert in aid of JCB’s NSPCC Appeal – helping to raise £15,095.

The internationally renowned Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir – known affectionately as ‘The Fron’ – performed to a sell-out audience in the theatre at JCB’s World HQ at Rocester.

JCB’S NSPCC appeal receives £15,095 boost

JCB’S NSPCC appeal receives £15,095 boost

The audience broke into spontaneous applause as it was announced that JCB and its employees were raising £2 million for the NSPCC to help with the charity’s work in Staffordshire – and that proceeds from the concert would go towards the fundraising. There were also cheers as JCB sponsored athlete and Olympian Adam Burgess, of Stone, Staffordshire, stepped on to the stage and showed off his Paris 2024 silver medal – ahead of helping to pull a giant Christmas cracker to reveal the total amount raised at the event.

He was joined in pulling the cracker by three talented young pianists who also entertained the audience with performances at the event. They were Thomas Pham, 15, a former pupil at the Co-op Academy Glebe in Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent, and Ukrainian sister and brother Sofiia Uvarova and Andrii Uvarov, who have settled in Uttoxeter under JCB’s Homes for Ukraine initiative.

JCB Group HR Director Max Jeffery attended with fellow JCB directors, employees, retired employees and members of the public. He said:  “It was an absolutely wonderful evening and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. The singing was outstanding and the fun the choir brought to the occasion was fantastic, particularly the audience participation, which took place during the singing of the Twelve Days of Christmas!”

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15 years of DLF R&D delivers sustainability you can rely on

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15 years of DLF R&D delivers sustainability you can rely on: DLF’s continued focus on breeding environmentally responsible varieties has seen the introduction of a number of exceptional cultivars, helping facilities and turf managers achieve their own objectives for more sustainable management.

In trials for the Chewings Fescue category, DLF’s Orionette demonstrated a high-quality sward that is more drought tolerant and resistant to disease, reducing the reliance on inputs. It is therefore no surprise to see its inclusion in a number of top-performing DLF golf mixtures and find it ranked as number one in the 2023 BSPB Seed Guide!

15 years of DLF R&D delivers sustainability you can rely on

15 years of DLF R&D delivers sustainability you can rely on

Chewings Fescue grass (Festuca rubra commutata) is a popular cool-season grass, valued for its fine texture, early growth habit, attractive green colour and ability to thrive in a range of soil conditions. Its upright growth results in dense tufts without rhizomes, so it doesn’t spread like it’s Slender or Strong Creeping cousins. Over the years, Chewings Fescue has been extensively bred and developed to offer a hardier and even more adaptable turf, tolerant of close mowing and typically blended with other fescues to create a golf mixture with exceptional ball roll and playability.

In recent years, breeding efforts – including those by DLF – have focussed on developing Chewings Fescue cultivars that require less water and fertiliser and be naturally more resistant to pests and disease, reducing the need for chemical inputs and therefore improving environmental sustainability. Orionette is the result of more than 15 years of research and development, created by combining plants of the very best germplasm available in DLF breeding. Extensive screening across DLF’s European trials network followed, including for drought tolerance in France, winter tolerance in the Czech Republic as well as green trials conducted in Denmark.

The results showed superior performance in all aspects and thanks to its high tiller density, Orionette is more tolerant to winter diseases such as Red Thread and highly resilient to wear and tear.

It’s ability to perform under a lower Nitrogen-input programme is another reason why Orionette excels in a number of popular Johnsons Sports Seed mixtures for fine turf – both as a drought-tolerant fairway cultivar in J Premier Fairway or in a disease and weed resistant capacity in a greens mix such as J Fescue and J Green. J Premier Fairway is a high-performance blend of seven fescue cultivars for the sustainable management of non-rye tees and fairways. Orionette makes up 15% of both J Fescue and J Green, requiring less water and fertiliser and contributing to fast and sustainable surfaces.

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Metrac H75 is number 15

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Metrac H75 is number 15: The Stuart Taylor International dealership has recently supplied an additional compact, hydrostatic drive, Reform Metrac H75 pro to Cheshire based contractor Ray Britland. 

For Stuart Taylor International, Tom Taylor said, “the Reform H75 Pro model was voted tractor of the year at EIMA 2021 and is proving to be a real hit with customers for a wide range of tasks” Ray Britland added, “we currently have fifteen Reform Metracs on our fleet. A large percentage of our work is on sloping terrain and the muti functional H75 pro delivers both perormance and operator safety”

Metrac H75 is number 15

Metrac H75 is number 15

Simon Richard, UK Agent for the Reform range says, “the H75 model meets all end user requirements, including versatillity and environmental friendliness. Hydrostatic drive with electronic control offers two speed ranges, two terrain gear reductions and foot and hand drive modes. When four-wheel steering is active, the front and rear wheels run exactly in the same line, ensuring tension-free traction on more difficult terrain. Front, rear, four wheel and crab steering as well as offset four-wheel steering can easily be switched at the push of a button. The system is completed by the electro-hydraulic spring brake with an auto hold function which allows smooth and judder-free setting off on slopes.

The new H75 also offers powerful working front and rear hydraulics with 1500kg lifting force and standard weight compensation and the high efficiency of the electro-hydraulic power shift PTO provides power precisely when needed. Operator comfort is catered for with a newly designed cab which has been completely decoupled from other vehicle components. This results in a major reduction in noise level and significantly lowered vibrations. The ergonomic armrest with it’s central controls forms the basis for easy operation of the new Metrac H75. It is attached to the driver’s seat, allowing fatigue-free working on any terrain, without interference from vibrations or slopes. The multi-function joystick combines all functions for driving and controlling attachments.” For more information visit www.slopemower.co.uk

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Newcastle Receive Best Pitch In 15 years With MJ Abbott

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Newcastle United Football Club Receive Best Pitch in 15 years, working with MJ Abbott: Newcastle United’s stadium manager, Eddie Rutherford, has hailed the new SIS Grass pitch at St James’ Park, installed by MJ Abbott and Premier Pitches, as the best in his 16-years at the club.

St James’ Park sits in the centre of Newcastle as a monument to football, with progress being made under Rafael Benitez after bouncing back from The Championship at the first time of asking in 2016/17.

Newcastle Receive Best Pitch In 15 years With MJ Abbott

Results on the new pitch have been promising through to the end of October, seeing three wins, a draw and one loss, but the decision to install a new irrigation system and playing surface was taken at short notice and required swift planning and cohesive team work between MJ Abbott and Premier Pitches, with the result delighting Eddie and the club.

“We are extremely happy with the pitch, it’s played really well,” Eddie said. “It’s probably the best the pitch has been since I’ve been here, and I know it hasn’t gone through the winter period yet but at the same stage in the last 15-years it hasn’t been any better.

“We did the job at very short notice. We decided to put the SIS Grass pitch in with only four weeks’ notice, so considering the time they had to get everything organised and put in place I couldn’t fault them.

“My only worry was that when you put two companies together, will they work well together. But they were both spot on throughout the project. When one is getting towards the end the other needs to be ready and mobilised and that worked really well, it couldn’t have worked any better.

“MJ Abbott come as a partnership with Premier Pitches when installing SIS Grass pitches. Premier Pitches have done a lot of work in the past with us and do our end of season renovations, but I know MJ Abbott are good contractor so I was quite happy to work with the two combined”

Nathan George, Contracts Manager at MJ Abbott explained “The project comprised removing the existing fibre sand surface down to a suitable depth as to expose the existing drainage slits. This operation had to be very carefully completed as to not destroy the integrity of the retained drainage.”

“A new fully automatic pitch irrigation system was installed and an imported rootzone laid to re-establish the original pitch levels. Premier Pitches completed the preparation and seeding of the new pitch, which delivered the project a week ahead of the proposed programme”

“The SISGRASS stitching was installed following grass establishment, a process that took 7 days”

The quick planning required for the project was helped by Premier Pitches’ experience at the city centre venue, and director, Russell Latham, commended the work of the design team in the build-up to the start date.

“The design team needs to work well together from the outset, especially on this project because of the time scale, but more importantly the men on the ground need to work in harmony from start to finish.

“Newcastle United have been a long-standing client of Premier Pitches so the pitfalls of working at a city centre Premier League stadium were well known. Nevertheless, without the rigorous planning and logistics from the outset things still could have gone wrong.

“The logistics of plant deliveries, material removal and material deliveries all had to be scheduled to the second to ensure that the project ran smoothly.

“We have worked with MJ Abbott on our prestigious pitch construction projects for over five years now. Their efficient and meticulous way of approaching a product from design and planning to delivery is everything that our key clients want to see but it doesn’t stop there. The back-up and support and knowledge is second to none.”

For more information, visit: www.mjabbott.co.uk

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