At The Car Wash

I've been waiting for ages to get a photo of this bubbly Beetle. I keep seeing it driving around town advertising a valeting service and on Monday it was parked in the Prom, so I finally got my photo. Its not the best shot, as the bubbles aren't showing up that well, but it is brilliant for highlighting a recent report in the news.

Back at the end of July The British International Motor Show carried out research into car washing and they discovered that British kids are generating a summer car wash industry worth £50 million! FIFTY MILLION POUNDS! This profit is created by the 64% of parents that pay out £5 a time for their little ones to wash their motors. The following stats are taken from an article at www.easier.com "Three quarters (75%) of the skinflint parents who pay their children £1 or less say it’s because their kids only clean the outside of the car with soap and water. In contrast, over a third of kids (37%) who wash, but also give the interior a thorough clean, make between £5 and £7, and 100% of kids who are paid between £15 and £25 thoroughly wash, wax, buff, vacuum and polish inside and out."

So if your on your school holidays, and you want some extra cash, you know what to do. Get washing!

Fishy O'clock

The Wishing Fish Clock in the Regent Arcade in Cheltenham continues to fascinate children young and old. The clock, designed by Gloucestershire artist Kit Williams, is over 45 feet long and weighs 3 tons and is said to be the worlds largest mechanical clock. It is suspended over the main walk way through the Arcade and always has a crowd underneath awaiting the bubbles. The large white duck on the very top lays golden eggs, which are carried down in red egg cups, and dropped into the spinning wheel, that rotates round the top of the clock face. The eggs are then deposited into the 6 foot square body of the clock and cause mice to poke out of the four corners of the clock. The clock face only has one hand, with the moon on the end, showing the minutes past the hour. The hour hand is represented by the sun moving round the face. When the clock strikes on the hour, and half past, it plays "I'm forever blowing bubbles" and the fish blows out all those eagerly awaited bubbles. Catch a bubble and make your wish!