Expert Locksmith Advice

Winter home security advice

So here we are again. It's 2017 (Happy New Year to you all, by the way), a time for new beginnings, new hopes and dreams; and frankly,  another chance for me to crowbar the mention of current events into a blog about home security.  I'll do it as seamlessly as possible though - you'll hardly notice it, honestly. 

A glance across the pond - that's the Atlantic, by the way, not the pond in Thorne or something - is something of a nervous one right now. In a few days there will be a new President installed in the White House as the Americans say goodbye to their first black President and hello to their first orange President. It certainly seems as if we're living in uncertain and divided times. 

But hang on, you don't come here to read about the state of the world. You might be wondering when the subject will change from that of the US President to that of home security. Don't worry, it's coming, and you'll be amazed at the seamlessness with which it occurs.

You see, when Trump becomes President he will take an Oath of Affirmation as part of the inauguration, stating that "I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."  This got me thinking (get ready) about the oaths and pledges the rest of us could take, at a much less high profile level of course. And so...(this is it, right here) I put together a set of 10 pledges each of us could take as home owners to improve the security of our properties during  the winter months. 

It's cold outside... but that won't stop thieves

It's Christmas time, there's no need to be afraid, as Band Aid told us in 1984. And then again in 1989. And then again in 2004. And then in 2014...well, basically they told us it a lot. And you have to admire their positive mental attitude. Especially given that home insurance claims for burglary rise by 25% every Christmas time. December can be rich pickings for burglars - sadly it's not just the bearded old man dressed in red trying to get into your house at this time of year.

In the lead up to Christmas, many homes will be fortunate enough to fill with high-value gifts and expensive gadgets. An exciting time for the intended recipients but sadly also for the potential burglar.  Opportunist thieves thrive at this time of year, not only with gifts aplenty, but also knowing many houses will be left unattended in the evening for Christmas parties, family visits, or winter getaways.  However, there a few ways you can reduce the risk of the anti-Santa Clauses ruining your Christmas, and to keep those presents safe.

Great security tips you should teach your children

I don't know about you, but I believe that children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside... ah, sorry about that, segued into a bit of Whitney Houston there. But anyway, kids, hey? They're like adults but smaller and haven't lived as long yet. Okay, I'm a locksmith, not an anthropologist, but I reckon that's pretty accurate. 

Anyway, many of you reading this will have children (may God have mercy on your souls), and will naturally want to protect them from what seems like an increasingly strange world. And whilst you may not be able to shield them from the after-effects of the US election, political upheaval closer to home, or escaped lions from the Wildlife Park (I'm sure that won't happen), you can certainly give them pointers of how to keep themselves and their belongings safe in terms of home security. It may seem a small thing, but teaching your children a few valuable lessons is far more likely to increase their chances of staying safe than any number of lion-avoiding classes. (seriously, I'm sure they have fences and everything to keep the lions inside.

What burglars look for

*taps on screen* Is this thing on? Ah, yes, sorry about that, I got a bit distracted watching Bradley Wiggins winning gold. And then Laura Trott winning two golds. And then Jason Kenny winning two golds. And then Mo Farah winning two go... well, you get the idea, I’ve been watching the Olympics. And now there’s something of a comedown as our TV schedules get back to their dreary normality of soaps, reality TV, and the latest depressing news from around the world. But anyway, let’s try and remain positive – after all, you’ve got a free blog to read now so what more could you possibly want? (Don’t answer that, it was purely rhetorical). 

Reputable locksmith in Rotherham

The other day I was wood staining my banisters, as you do when you want to take your mind off what is quite a confusing world at the moment. The woodstain was a classy shade of browny red, and, to match that classiness, I had found an old pair of underpants to use as a makeshift cloth to mop up any spillages. The job went well and I was satisfied with my afternoon’s work. That is until I opened the side door to put the makeshift cloth I’d been using in the bin. It just so happened that my neighbour was also putting their rubbish out, and to their untrained eye, it looked as if I was discarding a pair of blood-splattered underpants. 

I’m not sure if you’ve found yourself in a situation such as this, but one’s brain doesn’t always work quite the way you’d like it to. Without thinking, I quickly spluttered out “It’s okay...it’s woodstain.. I haven’t killed anyone.” My neighbour gave a nervous smile, quickly retreated to his house, and if I’m completely honest, I think he’s been avoiding me ever since, certain in the knowledge I’ll soon be unmasked as the secret underpants murderer.  My attempts at calming the situation had just made an awkward situation worse.  Which, happily, is what I want to talk about today.  No, not blood stained underpants, but how to avoid a minor annoyance turning into a much worse situation.

Locksmith in Rotherham security advice

So, June already, and are we all excited about the upcoming EU Referendum? Well, having just sat through Farage and Cameron being questioned by an ITV audience, my enthusiasm has almost reached fever pitch. Okay, maybe I dozed through a bit of it and then went and made a cup of tea, but I'm sure it was thrilling. Truly thrilling. I'm not sure how I'm going to cope if it gets to 23rd June with the vote still in the balance, I may have to have a serious lie down. 

Okay, I might not be all *that* excited about things but it's an important decision and I'd encourage everyone who can to go out and vote. I won't tell you how to vote of course, nor give away how I'm going to vote - I want to keep both the Brexiters and Bremainers on side after all whatever the result.  However, the whole thing seems a decent opportunity to put together a blog with a tenuous link to the referendum, and who am I to turn down such a chance?

Garden security advice

As I'm writing this, the  sun is shining and I can hear neighbours mowing their lawns. It's a curious feeling as, whisper it quietly, but it may indicate that the summer is on the horizon. What with the snowstorms and freezing temperatures we had in April, summer sometimes seemed as likely to happen as a Leicester City Premier League title. But we're living in surprising times and, following Chelsea's late equaliser against Spurs and the rising temperatures, I'm off to buy a lottery ticket and enjoy the fact that summer may have finally begun.

Unfortunately, the season  brings with it  a few extra irritations, and I'm not just talking about wasps and noisy neighbours.  Summer is when another species, the lesser-spotted opportunistic garden burglar, ventures out from their winter habitat to stealthily see what's on offer. They know that this is the time of year that householders are investing in garden furniture, play equipment, DIY equipment, and the like, ready to make the most of the few months of summer.

History of locks, part 5

Well here we are. In his poem, The Waste Land, T.S Eliot wrote that April was the cruellest month. That was clearly before he realised that in 2016, April would see the fifth and final of my blog miniseries on the history of locks. If someone had also told him that the previous four were still all available on this site, so that after today he could binge-read all five in a row to his heart's content, well, I think he'd have changed his tune and declared another month the cruellest. Perhaps January - that's never the best, and we were only two fifths of the way through our lock history back then. 

Anyway, that unnecessary preamble leads on to the final of this particular set on blogs. We have previously looked at Ancient Egyptian and Ancient Roman locks, the locks of Robert Barron and Jermiah Chubb; and last month we looked at the contribution made by Yorkshire-born Joseph Bramah. This month however, we'll cross the Atlantic and look at possibly *the* most famous name in modern lock history, and a name synonymous with locks today - Yale.

History of locks, part 4

Well, if you disregard the snow we've had today and the fact the temperatures have gone oddly Siberian,  it seems that spring is just around the corner. As well as the arrival of daffodils and lambs, this means the arrival of the fourth of my blogs casting a glance at the history of lock development - I imagine they'll give each arrival equal time on Springwatch. As ever, if you need to catch up on the story so far, the first three are still up on this site if you fancy a Netflix-style binge read. You will find less crystal meth here, reassuringly.

History of locks, part 3

Well hello again, fancy seeing you here. It's February which means Valentine's Day is on the horizon. I admit this doesn't massively impact on my work as a locksmith unless I get a call-out to romantics who are experimenting with handcuffs for Valentine's Day and have found themselves chained to a bedpost in flagrante. And if you think I came up with that hypothetical story purely to try and increase the number of visits to this blog via dubious Google searches, you'd be entirely correct. (Apologies if you've come here expecting some 50 Shades of Grey style action, that'll have to wait for another day).