All are selected because their products are appropriate to articles we are publishing or to the principle of ethical green publishing. But we’re not just asking you to shop here to benefit us – in many cases you will find better prices or deals online so you are helping yourself too!

If you are new to online shopping, you may find our Guide to Internet Shopping useful.

DIY

Tools for indoors and outdoors from Tooled-up.com

Everything for the DIY enthusiast from DIY tools

Gifts, Household items, Cleaning Products and Nifty Gadgets

Famous for their cleaning products and clever gadgets, Betterware has great ideas throughout the house.

Furniture and Household Items

For a wonderful range of Bathroom and Bedroom soft goods try World of Linens It’s also worth checking the Clearance section for bargains and, if you’re shopping for someone else, why not give a gift voucher!

For a touch of class in the home, try the White Company. They offer special web deals and Wedding Lists for the big day. John Lewis caters for every room in the home, as well as soft furnishings and flooring.

Quality furniture for indoor and outdoor rooms from Cotswold Company

Garden Equipment, Furniture and Flowers

Everything you need for the garden from Crocus

Floral Gifts, Baskets and all kinds of Special Occasion Hampers from Eden4Flowers

Health and Beauty

Health and Fitness products from Healthy Direct

Fashion, Beauty and Gifts from Avon

John Lewis for fashion and beauty

Out and About, Travel, Walking and Cycling, Outdoor Gear, Camping

Bicycle and car accessories from Halfords

Travel Insurance from the AA

Travel with a conscience and arrive relaxed – use the trainline

Tastebuds

Restaraunts

108 Bar and Restaurant, Whitburn

Tea and Coffee

Teas, coffees and everything you need to make and serve them from Whittard of ChelseaThey also have Fair Trade goods.

Wine and Whisky

Waitrose wines and spirits through John Lewis

Corporate Wine UK run our wine tastings and have a fascinating online shop for wines and other drinks

Wines and Spirits at great prices from OddbinsDelivery is included in their own brand wines, making this a great way to send a gift to someone. Check out the bargain bins!

You can get BT Total Broadband from £7.95 for the first 6 months. The BT Shop is also worth a look for telephones and other communications equipment, such as baby alarms.

Electrical, entertainment, tv, computers and computer parts from dabs.com

Electrical Goods, computer hardware and software from Microdirect

At PCWorld you can order online and collect instore

In the first of a series of two whisky tastings, our resident expert Mark Davidson will guide you through a blind tasting of 7 Islay malts, five from leading supermarkets and 2 branded malts, to see how you rate the various offerings from the big players.

Come along on Sunday the 17th of June from 7pm – 9pm to enjoy a less formal than usual tutored tasting at the Macdonald Holyrood Hotel. This central venue, close to the Scottish Parliament and overlooking Arthur’s Seat, is convenient for local transport and for train travellers.

Tickets are £12 each or £10 a pair and must be booked in advance. Telephone 0131 556 5864 to reserve your tickets now.

Open to all allotment holders in Edinburgh, the workshops will give seasonal tips and advice on getting started with organic gardening. The first of these events will be held at Bridgend Allotments, Edinburgh’s first totally organic allotment site, on Sunday 18th March. This workshop will focus on harvesting willow and using it to make natural structures to protect plants from spring frosts and to act as natural supports for a range of plants including peas and beans.

The Bridgend Community Allotment site boasts 60 individual plots which are now fully occupied. It has access for all sectors of society, including raised beds for disabled gardeners and optional half plots. As the latest allotment site to open in Edinburgh, there are a number of features on site which are not only practical but innovative, including a rainwater collection system which is used for watering plots. The Royal Caledonian Horticulture Society also manages a demonstration area on the site.

The second workshop is being hosted by Midmar Allotments on Sunday 1st April. This workshop will look at organic pest and disease control. Fruit and vegetables are vulnerable to pests and diseases throughout the growing year and this workshop will examine how to protect your crops against these attacks.

Commenting on the initiative, Ian Woolard, the Council’s Allotments Officer said, “More and more people are showing an interest in organic and sustainable practices so we are delighted that ASK Organic are running these workshops for us to offer advice and ideas. We are committed to helping allotment holders get the most out of their plots, whilst helping wildlife in these important green spaces.”With recent new allocations of allotments around 40 new plot holders will have the opportunity of attending these workshops. There are currently upward of 1250 plots across 21 sites in the city with about 300 of these divided into half plots.

The workshops are part of the Council’s ongoing commitment to improving biodiversity across the city. They are funded by The Edinburgh Biodiversity Partnership, The City of Edinburgh Council and Scottish Natural Heritage. Led by City of Edinburgh Council, the Partnership delivers the Edinburgh Biodiversity Action Plan, which outlines conservation activities for priority species and habitats in the Edinburgh area. Encouraging people to “garden with wildlife in mind”, including organic gardening, is a major aspect of the work of the partnership.

For further information on the workshops or to book a place please contact Karen Hay on 0131 469-5196 or at Karen.hay@edinburgh.gov.uk

With just eight weeks to go until the coldest day of the year (traditionally the 13th of January, St. Hilary’s Day) the Home Heat Helpline has launched its second year in operation by inviting people to contact them for free advice and information on grants. Scotland’s most vulnerable households include older people, lone parents and disabled people and the Home Heat Helpline wants to help them get ready ahead of possible freezing temperatures this winter. Research carried out by the Home Heat Helpline shows that Scotland’s lone parents are at risk of failing to keep warm this winter. The research shows more than half (52 per cent) of single parents in Scotland say they only heat selected rooms to reduce their bills.

The campaign will raise awareness of the importance of properly heating the home during the winter months, help people access benefits to which they are entitled and check whether there are special grants available to help them.

The Helpline was set up by the Energy Retail Association (ERA) in 2003 on behalf of Britain’s energy retailers, to identify areas where its members can work for the common good without competitive advantage. The energy suppliers spent £300 million between 2002 – 2005 on tackling fuel poverty and have committed to spend a further £700 million over the next 3 years.

The launch of the Helpline provided the first time that all customers have had one free number to call, no matter who their energy supplier is. The Helpline helped more than 38,000 people during its first twelve months. It is staffed by expert advisors, including former health professionals, who are trained to give advice on how to stay warm during cold weather. The Helpline can also take calls from intermediaries such as friends, family, carers, social workers or health visitors who call on behalf of vulnerable customers.

Duncan Sedgwick, Chief Executive of the Energy Retail Association, said, “The Home Heat Helpline has helped more than 38,000 people in its first twelve months. But there are many, many more vulnerable people in Scotland who run the risk of not being prepared as temperatures drop over the coming weeks. We want everyone who is worried about their energy bills to call 0800 33 66 99 to get advice and also hard cash to improve their homes if they are eligible. We have just eight weeks to go till the coldest time of the year, so people need to act now.”

The anniversary of the Helpline was marked with an event in Central London, which brought together energy suppliers, charities and government departments. During the seminar, newly appointed Energy Minister, Lord Truscott, gave a keynote speech that praised the Helpline in working with the Government to tackle the issue of fuel poverty. Lord Truscott said, “We’ve done a lot to drive down the number of people in fuel poverty since 1996 but rising energy prices mean we have to keep up the pressure and use all the ways we can to reach out and help people.”

Gwen Vaughan, Chief Executive of Gingerbread, said, “Paying fuel bills remains an increasing concern for lone parent families, with many families having to juggle a wide range of monthly expenses to make ends meet. Gingerbread’s partnership with the Home Heat Helpline has provided our members with a friendly place to turn to for valuable advice, as well as helping them get prepared for the winter ahead. We look forward to helping more families this winter by referring them to the Home Heat Helpline.”

To help those worried about heating their homes this winter, the Helpline has launched a range of guides for consumers, charities and advice groups. These include digital guides that can be downloaded from the Home Heat Helpline website (www.homeheathelpline.org) which contain information and advice on insulating homes properly, making sure homes are as energy efficient as possible and providing information on how people can register for extra services to ensure they are warm this winter.

The Home Heat Helpline operates from Monday to Friday 9am-8pm and from 10am-2pm on Saturday. There is a free minicom number (0800 027 2122) and the Helpline also has access to interpreters for those callers whose first language is not English.

Sunday 3rd December 2006

Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm

Lothian Life has teamed up with Corporate Wine UK to offer their guests a pre-Christmas wine tasting at this prime Edinburgh venue. The beautiful Pompadour restaurant will be our home for the evening and this informal walk-around wine tasting promises a voyage of discovery and enjoyment. Our own Fred Ku Mesu will be on hand to advise with a selection of 40 old and new world wines, including champagne, ranging from £5 to £25 per bottle.

Guests will also be able to view and order Christmas hampers and wine/champagne gifts. There will be a generous 10% discount on all purchases on the night with delivery the same week.
At 8.15 pm one of our guests with a lucky ticket will find himself or herself going home with a fabulous Christmas hamper from corporatewineuk.com.
To reserve your ticket please call 0870 760 7826 or 01506 632728. Tickets may be paid for at the door.
1 ticket £10.00
2 tickets £18.00
10 tickets £90.00

Special price for Lothian Life subscribers 2 tickets for £15.00

The simple advice is “don’t worry”.

Solving disputes over internet shopping can even be easier than those with shops, as many e-tailers may be even more keen to please, recognising that poor feedback via an internet review can be a powerful weapon against them.

The law says that when you buy goods or services by post, telephone, fax or through the internet, from a business, you have the same rights as if you had bought them in a shop. In other words, the goods must be as described by the seller and must be of satisfactory quality. The goods must also be fit for their purpose, which means you must be able to use them for the purposes you would normally expect from this type of product.

So, for example, if you bought a brown fridge that turned out to be white, a game listed as for Windows 98 that turned out to be for XP only or a wool pullover that turned out to be viscose, it can be rejected.

The Distance Selling Regulations give you additional rights when you buy from home. You must receive clear information before you decide to buy, including the name of the seller and the price of the goods including any extras such as VAT or delivery charges. If you pay any money before the goods are delivered, the seller must give you their full postal address in writing – letter, fax, e-mail, or on their advert or website.

Also, in many cases you can cancel your order at any time up to seven working days after you received the goods and get your money back, although you might have to pay for the return of the goods. Exceptions include newspapers, software, audio or video recordings which have been unsealed, and goods that were made to order or are perishable.

You may also not be able to cancel if you have a service which you agree to have completed before the seven-day cancellation period is up.

Goods must be delivered within 30 days of your order unless you and the seller agreed otherwise. If the seller later finds they can’t deliver within this time, they must tell you and give you the option of cancelling and getting a full refund. For items you agree to have dispatched much more quickly, such as next-day delivery, it’s worth ensuring that you note the agreed timing and state “time is of the essence” on the order. This means you are only agreeing to buy the goods if the time criterion is met.

It’s worth using a credit card to pay online, as this will often give you additional rights if there’s non-delivery or a problem – normally the transaction has to come to more than £100. Credit card companies are often very useful allies in payment disputes, getting back your cash if you are entitled to it. Debit cards may have less protection in terms of joint liability for defective products, but will offer equal protection from fraud. If someone makes dishonest or fraudulent use of your payment card, you can cancel the payment and the card issuer must refund all the money to your account. But you must inform the company that issues the card as soon as you suspect that someone else is using the card.

If you receive goods you haven’t ordered, you should notify the sender and ask them to collect them – you don’t need to pay for the goods or send them back; it’s up to the company to arrange their return. But keep the goods safe for a reasonable period before finally notifying the company that if they’re not collected within a reasonable time, you will dispose of them.

The rules applying to e-commerce – that includes selling by email, on the internet, interactive TV, or by sending and receiving written information on a mobile phone – say you must, for example, be able to identify the trader who sent the message, and you must be given in a permanent, easily accessible way, the name of the trader, a postal address and an email address. The price of goods must state whether it includes tax and delivery costs. The trader usually has to provide a facility that allows you to identify and correct any errors that were made when inputting the order.

These rules cover traders in the UK and elsewhere in the EU. If the seller is based in a country outside the EU, your rights will depend on what the law says in that country.

In general, if you paid for the goods in advance and a seller goes out of business, you might get your money back if the seller is a member of the Mail Order Protection Scheme (MOPS) or the Periodical Publishers Association (PPA). A better bet is to pay by credit card and use the protection this offers.

If goods are faulty and you reject them promptly you don’t have to agree to a replacement or repair. If you have had the goods some time before you notice the fault you would normally have lost your right to a refund and would be entitled to have the goods replaced or repaired free of charge. The repair should be carried out within a reasonable time and restore the goods to a satisfactory condition.

If the goods cannot be replaced or repaired you would be entitled to either a full or a partial refund. If you have had the goods some time the seller may be entitled to offer you less than the purchase price to take into account the use you have had from them.

You may be entitled to compensation if the contract has been broken – for example, the goods don’t match their description or are not of satisfactory quality or fit for their purpose, or you have incurred additional expenses or inconvenience because of negligence or a breach of contract. Equally, you may be entitled to compensation if someone has been injured because the goods were unsafe. In this case, you should first take legal advice before accepting an offer of compensation.

One big fear about buying from home is what happens if goods are lost or damaged in transit. If you are buying from a business seller, as opposed to an individual, the seller is responsible for the risk of loss or damage in transit. If a contract term states that the consumer is responsible, that term may be unenforceable.

In the event of a significant civil emergency in the Lothian and Borders area, this site will be used to give vital information to the people who live, work in, or travel through Lothian and Borders.

Rare Events
Civil emergencies are rare events. Despite Lothian and Borders being a safe area, some of the emergencies that have affected the area in recent times include:

* Wide area flooding
* Severe weather conditions
* The fuel crisis
* Foot and mouth

During these incidents it proved difficult for people and businesses to get up to date, reliable information.

In response to these difficulties the Police, Fire and local authorities within Lothian and Borders have developed Lothian and Borders Alert as a means of communicating more effectively.

From now on Lothian and Borders Alert will be used to keep people who are affected by an incident informed of developments and to give guidance or advice where appropriate.
During an incident

When an incident occurs in Lothian and Borders, this site will provide:

* Details of the incident and how it may affect you and the community
* News updates
* Media Releases
* Travel Updates

The information provided will be a consolidated response from the Police, Fire and local authorities.

The Public Relations and Communications departments will be responsible for updating the site with up to the minute information during the incident.

Behind the scenes
Lothian and Borders Alert also provides an internal system that enables the emergency services and local authorities within Lothian and Borders to communicate important information more effectively during a civil emergency.

Current Incidents include:
14,000 Birds Culled at Fenton Barns, East Lothian after contracting Newcastle Disease.
Polkemmet Land Regeneration Scheme contingency plans

Consumer Minister Ian McCartney announced plans for Consumer Voice, which would pull together the National Consumer Council, energywatch and Postwatch, into a single body, which Mr McCartney said would be a “powerful and effective advocate” for consumers. The Minister said, “We are committed to taking forward work to make this happen without delay. Legislation will be required to deliver the new model for consumer representation and redress, and we intend to bring this before Parliament as soon as possible.”

The proposals also include plans to extend redress schemes to the remaining energy complaints not covered by the Energy Supply Ombudsman and to complaints in the postal services sector. Redress schemes offer certainty of complaint resolution to consumers, and will be able to award compensation to consumers where warranted.

In addition, Consumer Voice will undertake cross-sectoral research proactively to identify key consumer issues, and will play a key role in the formulation of public policy both in the UK and in Europe. Consumer Voice will have permanent offices in England, Scotland and Wales. It will also have an office in Northern Ireland to represent postal services consumers.

The SCC stresses that the detailed plans for Consumer Voice will need to address effectively the realities of devolution, with appropriate arrangements for Consumer Voice in Scotland set out in statute. A single, effectively devolved consumer organisation could be a clear point of reference for decision-makers in the Scottish Parliament and in the business community.

Douglas Sinclair, Chair of the Scottish Consumer Council, said, “Consumers in Scotland will benefit from this new, single consumer organisation. Creating a powerful, independent consumer champion will build on the SCC’s track-record of effective and influential consumer policy advocacy, We are committed to working with our partner consumer organisations in Scotland to build on the best elements of what we have now to deliver excellence for consumers.”

The SCC welcomes the proposal to create ombudsmen with real powers to resolve consumers’ problems and complaints. However, there will remain a need for users of post and energy services to have an immediate and effective source of advice and support in an emergency situation, for example, fuel disconnection. The SCC recognises the arrangements that have been made within Consumer Voice today and looks forward to seeing how the details will work, and be effectively resourced, in the interests of vulnerable consumers in Scotland.

The Scottish Consumer Council was set up by the government in 1975 to promote the interests of consumers, particularly those who experience disadvantage in society. While producers and suppliers of goods and services are usually well organised when protecting their own interests, individual consumers very often are not. SCC represents consumers of all kinds: they may be council tenants, patients, parents, solicitors’ clients, public transport users, or simply shoppers in a supermarket. SCC speaks up for them by communicating with the professions, industry, business, local authorities and central government, using careful research and persuasive lobbying.

All tickets and passes are limited and offered on a first-come first-served basis. They can be acquired in a number of ways: in person from the official Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Box Office at The Hub on Castle Hill, online at www.edinburghshogmanay.com and by telephone on 0131 473 2000 – all from 10 am on Saturday 7 October.
In addition to the popular ticketed events, free highlights include:
• Friday 29 December
Torchlight Procession, an annual event where you can carry a torch to light the trail along the Royal Mile, the Mound, Princes Street and finally arrive for the climax with the burning of an icon on top of Calton Hill. There is a limited supply of torches available so make sure you get a voucher from the box office (from Saturday 7 October) before the day.
• Saturday 30 December
This year the Night Afore International sees Scotland partner with Germany to produce a cross-cultural arts extravaganza in George Street.
• Sunday 31 December
Also on New Year’s Eve, St. Giles’ Cathedral plays host to an evening of tranquillity and classical music with a Candlelit Concert (tickets on sale on 7 October).
• 1 January 2007
New Year’s Day celebrations include the bracing One O’Clock Run. This event is subject to an entry and booking fee, which includes a souvenir T-shirt to be worn on the day. Other events include Edinburgh’s Dogmanay, Iron Kids’ Duathlon, the traditional ‘Looney Dook’ in the Firth of Forth and the Edinburgh Bike Triathlon, for which there is a small registration fee (tickets on sale on 7 October).
Audiences can register on www.edinburghshogmanay.com to keep up to date with regular eblasts.
This year Edinburgh is gearing itself up for a sparkling season of activities with programmes for Christmas and Hogmanay brimming with things to see and do for all the family. Highlights of Edinburgh’s Christmas programme include the return of the popular Traditional German Christmas Market, the Winter Wonderland, a truly magical experience set in East Princes Street Gardens at the foot of the Castle, and the Edinburgh Wheel. This year also sees the return of the popular Great Scottish Santa Run on Sunday 10 December, where thousands can join together for a 1.5km circuit of West Princes Street Gardens and raise money for the ‘When You Wish Upon a Star’ children’s charity.
All details posted on www.edinburghschristmas.com. Register on-line to receive regular programme updates.