Autumn always feels like the start of a new year. We’re settling back into the normal  rhythms of our daily lives and business, but it’s these everyday things I feel like talking about today. Manchester is a great place to live, and I’d like to keep it that way. So, today I’m hoping to convert you to some small changes in your daily routine to help the Greater Manchester Area to be a little more eco-friendly.

Did you know that the world uses an estimated one million plastic bags per minute?!

It leads to terrible pollution, and is probably far too much shopping… However, if you need to pop to the shop, a simple way to help reduce this problem is to re-use your bags; keep a few in your car.

In an effort to encourage us to go a little more green Future Friendly wanted to show their own commitment to going green. They’re giving away a gliding experience! Now that sounds like a great bit of fun, you’ll be able to soar over the congested roadways and into the wide blue yonder.

So, for the chance to win, just send me an e-mail to man@acornservice.com with the subject ‘Future Friendly Competition – Gliding’  and the correct answer to this question:

“During the last year, how many tonnes of green waste from across the city of Manchester has the City Council collected and recycled?”

This competition is kindly sponsored by Future Friendly who produce products including Fairy, Lenor, Duracell, Iams and Flash. They’ve put their money where their mouth is and have cut their energy, water or packaging by 15%, whether it is the way that they are manufactured or used.

Remember to enter this competition simply email me at man@acornservice.com  with the correct answer to the question above. Good luck and thanks to Future Friendly for the prize.

The competition closes at the end of next week (Sunday 17th October). So get your thinking hats on!

Yes folks, it’s that time of year again when thoughts turn to racing ducks.

Once again Clayton Vale plays host to a fiercely contested duck race where the ducks are dropped off the bridge near the Clayton Vale visitors centre and sent down the river to be captured further along.

The event is on tomorrow (18th April) and involves racing ducks, face painting and other fun stuff. As usual I will be in attendance with one, two or maybe the whole brood of children.

We’ll buy the services of one or more ducks in the vain hope that this year our duck gets the coveted winners laurels.

We’re hoping this lovely weather continues so we can also grab some sun as we watch the titanic ducky struggles.

If you see me say hello!

Well me hearties it don’t seem like the sun has hardly been over the yard arm since we had our last Talk Like A Pirate Day.

An’ our piratical partners at Google ‘ave joined in the fun.

Har, har and a bottle of rum!

That’s right.

They’ve changed their search page to http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=xx-pirate. Good luck to them I says.

Now for them as wants to check out the world famous "I Wants A Training Day" sketch I’ve linked to it from this blog post:

http://business-powerpack.com/international-talk-like-a-pirate-day

And them as organises this great day is at www.yarr.org.uk

Now go away and be a pirate!