If you run out of sockets to plugs appliances into “DON’T” do this!!

Take a close look at this plug and socket arrangement and tell me how many cables you see, yes you’re right - two!! This is one of many examples we spotted at an old style country pub just outside Newcastle. I was on site helping Alison carrying out tests in the basement come cellar/office and against one wall there was a bank of about 12-14 wall sockets, I pulled out a plug to be tested and suddenly a cable dropped with no plug attached – yes you’ve got it, every single plug had an earth, neutral and live wires hooked underneath into each socket!

So instead of simply fixing a plug, or using some extension leads or even calling in an electrician to install more sockets – the pub manager instead, used bare wires!! Incidentally after we rewired all those bare cables onto new plugs the manager complained at the time taken, we explained about the unsafe wiring and all the plugs fitted – he just shrugged his shoulders... We were speechless! It’s simply beyond words…yes?

Do you recognise this?
It’s a simple piece of card found on every brand new electrical product, and, what it does is tells you how to wire a plug – the neutral to the left, the earth up ahead and the live to the right.. Ok.. So what is the problem? Well in so many tests carried out we come across these cards STILL on the plug!

So just for a moment think about it, would you put an inflammable material [paper/card in this example] between two objects that has an electrical current going though it – AND that these objects are likely to generate a huge amount of heat some time in their lives….?

No I didn’t think you would, enough said….!!

“And Finally” Newcastle Old and New the story so far…

As many of my friends, business colleagues, followers on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and of course those via these newsletters, will know that I have achieved a long held dream to self-publish a school project book about Newcastle upon Tyne from 38 years ago called “Newcastle Old and New The Story So Far”. I had 200 books printed late February 2016 and soft launched in March, well not only have we reached another milestone with over 80 sales [in fact close to 90], but the book is now available to view before purchase at three outlets around the region.

TG Allen’s in Morpeth, the Morpeth Chantry Tourist Information shop and in the book sales department of the Newcastle City Library.
Incidentally the library is significant in more way than one because a young lad of 16 slaved away preparing the original for his school exams all those years ago – a touch of the Déjà vu?

Check out www.newcastleoldandnew.co.uk for more and I will update you on more places the book goes on sale..

Planned Events and Talks
Finally, I have had an intriguing request from David Hepworth of Newcastle City Library to take part in its book festival called “Books on Tyne” Nov 21-27 – in particular about the life journey to getting my Newcastle book to print. More details to follow…

I have also just booked a table at the Christmas Fair organised by the Rotary club for Saturday the 3rd of December 2016 at the Ponteland High School.

*If you would like to find out more about the Rotary xmas fair just pop me a line..

Finally if there is any more information I can give about ME PAT Services Please email me on mike@mepattesting.co.uk or phone me direct via 07865 923716, naturally I would be more than happy to help.. if you would like info on the book go to www.newcastleoldandnew.co.uk or to follow me on Facebook or Twitter go to;
www.facebook.com/Newcastle-Old-and-New-465028660351335
https://twitter.com/Ncleoldnew1

Ta ta for now, Have a great day, a great week and a fab month!!

Yours Mike and Alison McCoy

ME PAT Services Ltd

www.mepattesting.co.uk