Supporting CommunitiesAccording to the company, the typical FASTSIGNS centre ranges between 2,000 and 2,500sq ft. with around 796 FASTSIGNS locations across nine countries. By working closely with our franchisees, we’re able to foster strong connections with customers throughout the UK. Davies highlights people like Melanie Martinez from FASTSIGNS Crawley and Andy Simpson from FASTSIGNS Leeds who have grown alongside the company. FASTSIGNS work with many clients in the education and healthcare sectors meaning that it is necessary it helps those businesses meet environmental goals. Statistics23 – FASTSIGNS has 23 centres nationwide1985 – FASTSIGNS was established by its founders in the USA1995 – The brand entered the UK market£450,000 – Average yearly turnover for centres is £450,000

More infoLocal councillors have voiced their disappointment at the confirmed closure of the Poundland store at Ortongate Shopping Centre in Peterborough. Poundland took over from Wilko in unit 19 at Ortongate Shopping Centre in 2023. The Ortongate store will close on August 24, leaving just Poundland stores in Peterborough at the Hereward Cross Shopping Centre, the Bretton Centre, and the Brotherhood Retail Park. Speaking about the Ortongate Shopping Centre as a whole, Cllr Knight felt the "wrong shops" were going in. Ortongate Shopping Centre was approached for comment.

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'Everything here is great' The Times' glowing review of Wales 'world beating' restaurant sceneTimes columnist and food writer Giles Coren has once again visited Wales to heap praise on our "world-beating restaurant scene." Times columnist and food writer Giles Coren heaped praise on Black Bear Inn in Monmouthshire (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne)The Times columnist and food writer Giles Coren has once again visited Wales to sample our "world-beating restaurant scene." Since then, the small venue has garnered huge success and has become one of the best gastropub offerings in Wales. The Shed has won acclaim from Sunday Times writer Giles Coren (Image: Instagram / @theshedporthgain)Article continues belowGiles still had time to revisit the Shed in Porthgain, which is "still going full bongos". To read the full review from Giles Coren, visit The Times website.

The change to rules will make it easier for aspiring home owners to get on the property ladderHOUSE THAT The mortgage lender that lets first-time buyers borrow 5.5 times their income – and you don’t need a huge depositA MAJOR mortgage lender is allowing first-time buyers to borrow up to 5.5 times their income to help them get on the housing ladder. 1 First-time buyers could borrow 5.5 times their income under the change Credit: GettyUnder the new rules, Santander customers earning less than £45,000 will be able to borrow 4.45 times their income. Santander customers earning £100,000 or more can borrow 5.5 times their income on mortgages up to 90% LTV. It comes after mortgage rates fell for millions last week after the Bank of England cut interest rates for the fifth time since 2020. How to get the best deal on a mortgage There are different factors that go into getting the best mortgage rate.

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Due to the increasing interest in air conditioning in the UK, some people might have questions about how much it costs to run. Most UK homes do not have air conditioning (Image: Getty Images)Checkatrade member and air conditioning expert Matthew Powell has provided some answers about what people can expect. How much does air conditioning cost to install? BTU (British thermal unit) is the measurement used to calculate the size of the air conditioning unit needed for a space. How much does air conditioning cost to run in UK homes?

Holidaymakers face delays over the August bank holiday weekend as baggage screeners at Gatwick airport will go on strike. The industrial action, which will affect one of the busiest periods of the summer holiday season, will see around 100 security staff walking out. Trade union Unite, which called the strike, said the strikers were demanding a £1-an-hour pay rise and threatened to “intensify” the walkouts, unless baggage screening company ICTS gave in. Sharon Graham, the Unite general secretary, said: “ICTS has more than enough money to offer these workers a fair pay rise. “All flights out of Gatwick will face disruption during these times,” vowed a Unite spokesman.

They will then be joined by Mr Trump and US vice president JD Vance. The Coalition of the Willing is an international effort to support Ukraine towards a lasting peace, led by the UK, France and Ukraine. The call between European and US leaders comes ahead of the expected meeting between Mr Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. The two leaders are set to meet to discuss the future of the Kremlin’s invasion, without the presence of Mr Zelensky. Speaking during a lengthy press conference on Monday, Mr Trump pledged to “try to get back” some of Ukraine’s “oceanfront property” from Russia.

All Points East (APE) returns to Victoria Park in east London this week with a mix of live headline shows and its free midweek community programme. Tens of thousands are expected to attend across two weekends, with crowds packing the park for performances by headliners including Raye and Chase & Status. The event, which launched in 2018, has grown into one of the capital's major summer festivals. Whether you've got a ticket for a single night or plan to soak up several days, here are the key details to help plan your visit.

Nearly seven decades after a British researcher plummeted to his death in a glacial crevasse off Antarctica, his remains have been identified and returned to his family, the British Antarctic Survey announced on Monday. The researcher, Dennis Bell, was 25 years old on July 26, 1959, when he fell into a chasm on King George Island, which is part of the South Shetland Islands and is about 75 miles north of Antarctica. Mr. Bell, who grew up in northwest London and was known as Tink, had been working as a meteorologist for the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey, the predecessor of the BAS, which oversees most of Britain’s research in Antarctica. Blizzard-like conditions foiled a desperate attempt to rescue him by several other members of the expedition that he was on, according to the organization.

Whether you’re busy or wanting to avoid the crowds, planning ahead might help you out on your next food shop. Aldi has revealed the best times to shop at its stores this summer and it shared some tips for saving money while you shop. Best times to shop at Aldi this summerAccording to in-store data, Aldi’s quietest shopping times during the summer holidays are early mornings between 8am and 10am, late afternoons from 4pm to 5pm and evenings between 8pm and 10pm. Money-saving tips from AldiSummer Support SchemeIf you’re looking to save money this summer, Aldi has a Summer Support Scheme where parents can win £50 vouchers throughout August. Aldi staff members to receive extra payAldi recently announced that its store workers are set for a pay rise.

I’m really hoping for a Taylor-made album with some heartache but plenty of joy in worrying timesThe title of her 12th album, The Life of A Show Girl, could mean so many things...Taylor Swift's 12th studio album will be called The Life of a ShowgirlJessica Rice Today at 08:11It is the news every Swiftie was waiting to hear.

The breach report comes three days before US President Donald Trump is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin (Picture: EPA)Russia appears to be responsible for recently hacking US computers holding federal court documents. The highly sensitive records that were breached could hold details on people charged with national security crimes, multiple sources told The New York Times on Tuesday. Documents may have been viewed on mid-level criminal cases in the greater New York City area and a few other jurisdictions. Court administrators recently informed the Justice Department of the breach (Picture: Reuters)Court system administrators recently told the Justice Department and federal court staff that ‘persistent and sophisticated cyber threat actors have recently compromised sealed records’, states an internal department memo obtained by the newspaper. The court system was first hacked more than four years ago.

Union Street in Reading town centre, perhaps better known as Smelly Alley, has hosted many businesses over the centuries. Given the moniker because of the fishmongers that used to be based there, it was also the site of an open sewer hundreds of years ago. But Becky Ottery is planning to move her Eclectic Games business from Union Street to Duke Street, where she said the visitors were more likely to be interested in her shop, than in what has become "Tech Alley". "It's changed in character and therefore the flow of people through it has changed. You used to have the families doing all their fresh veg shopping," she said.