REFORMED PLASTICS

Saving the planet doesn’t have to cost the earth!

As the end of another successful year for the team at Reformed Plastics approaches, we catch up with owner David Mercer to find out what inspires the driving force behind the business and what the future holds for them.

Your business has grown from strength to strength over the years. What do you think the key to your success is? Being a small family customer-focused business, our experienced and dedicated team make it their mission, to give our customers the most out of their outdoor space for the best price possible! It hasn’t always been plain sailing over the past 20+ years, but we believe along with hard work, our points for success are:

• Pleasing customers and providing peace of mind through clear and honest communication. • The pursuit for Perfection. • Planning and Preparation. • Productivity. • Positivity. • Perseverance. • Prayer, always, through both the challenges and triumphs! • A pinch of pot luck. • And absolutely not forgetting the constant love and support of our partners, friends and families!

We’re pleased to be one of, if not the most competitive company in the country consistently across the entire range of fantastic recycled plastic products on offer, and we commit to ensure that our products and services provide the best value for money in the UK.

Are there any stand out projects you have been particularly proud of this year? Along with continuing to nurture many existing relationships, we had great success this year with bringing on board some new key accounts for us within the hospitality sector as well as eduction and UK travel with the book of ‘Staycations’!.

Also a product that has really stood out for us is the introduction of our ‘Branksome’ bench (pictured right), which we launched at the start of spring and has since become our best-selling bench!

This bench is inspired from and is our modern take on a well-known traditional teak classic, which will sit beautifully within any setting. This can also be engraved or affixed with a plaque for extra personalisation.

The importance of recycling is at the forefront of everyone’s minds. How do your products help the environment? The ethos and motivations of our company are and will continue to be: Remoulding the Past, Reshaping the Future, Rebuilding the Environment!

Basically, the facts being, if we can help towards the prevention of unnecessary tree logging and further deforestation by producing products that would otherwise be made from traditional timber, and instead make them from plastic waste that would’ve otherwise found its way into landfill and/or our oceans, we then help reduce that negative environmental impact – and so find ourselves in a sustainable, “Win-Win” solution!

We’re also focused on keeping our carbon footprint as low as possible, for example: • Using renewable energies to power our workshop. • Reusing suitable resources where possible within the functionality of our operations. • And being mindful of and minimising the physical miles our products are having to travel during various stages of manufacture, all the way through to customers taking delivery!

Over the last couple of years with people spending more time at home, the gardens have become a type of sanctuary. Did you notice a difference in what people chose to order? Absolutely! More people than ever were investing in our new and bespoke outdoor furniture options for their own personal spaces. With not being able to go away so much, or as easily, we found lots of people deciding to spend some of their holiday money on things for their home instead.

The great thing about our products are, that you only have to buy them once and then – enjoy!

The pandemic saw many people take on home improvements themselves. Were you able to accommodate this trend with your material? With recent times being very different to what they were nearly 2 years ago due to the pandemic, our business has too seen the changes in the way people make decisions on how they use their time and so how that impacts what they buy.

Therefore, we’ve been more than happy to carry even more stock of material and supply customers with plastic lumber straight off the shelf and see them undertake their own garden makeovers.

Do you have any exciting new products planned? Yes, we do have a few new products we’re working on which are currently in the design and test stage and are looking very promising… so keep a look out for them in the first quarter of next year!

What does 2022 hold in store for Reformed Plastics? Already 2022 is looking very busy indeed! With a relatively quick and strong bounce back in the economy so far this year, business continues to be buoyant, and where we would normally see an easing off in demand over the winter months, this year we are still as busy now as we were over the summer. We are already accepting orders into spring and summer next year as people are more aware that across the board, things worth having may take longer to turn around due to a number of various unavoidable factors. Therefore if you would like a job in our workshop as a product fabricator – please apply.

All in all we have been very blessed with the overwhelming support we have received from customers both local and further afield and we welcome that again in the year, and years ahead!

CUSTOMER SELF-BUILD DECK PROJECT USING OUR MATERIAL

• Quality Decking, Fencing & Furniture • 100% Recycled Plastic • Can be worked with like wood • Does not rot, split or splinter • Strong, Durable & Weather Resistant • Maintenance Free & lasts over 50 years! • Local, Friendly Family run business • Unique, High Quality Personal Service • Nationwide Delivery

FOR A FREE QUOTATION CALL 01202 385 751

www.reformedplastics.co.uk sales@reformedplastics.co.uk

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Remoulding the Past, Reshaping the Future, Rebuilding the Environment

MOTORING NEWS

Mark Sla tells us the late news on all things motoring.

ROAD TEST: FORD FOCUS ST-LINE X EDITION – A CLASS LEADER IN THE FUN FACTOR LEAGUE

Few cars stick in the mind of someone who drives dozens each year; some better than others, and the original Ford Focus was one of the few whose first drive is vividly recalled, from 1998. It was a game changer for anyone who enjoys the act of driving and has meant that every succeeding Focus has a lot to live up to, and rather stiffer competition. The good news is that the Focus is still a class leader in the fun factor league.

My test model, a (very) mildly sporty STLine X Edition, provides a slightly lower and firmer suspension with nothing extra under the bonnet, but the Focus can still make the winding road home something to anticipate with relish.

Power comes from a 1.0-litre EcoBoost, 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with electric assistance, making it a mild hybrid. With 155PS - there’s a lower powered 125PS – my test model i s priced at £27,535.

Give the car a gentle poke with the proverbial sharp stick and it will fairly gallop along, and it also feels lively and responsive in corners, a lot like that now aged first of the line from the last century, in fact. It passes the benchmark 62 mph in 9.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 131 mph. All this and a combined 52mpg.

The generous standard equipment list includes auto lights and wipers, auto dimming mirrors, keyless entry and start, heated seats and steering wheel, power folding door mirrors, heated windscreen, active cruise control, rear privacy glass, wireless charging, climate control, navigation and Bluetooth and power adjustable driver seat. On a more practical level, the newest Focus has found enough space in the back seat for a couple of lanky adults to enjoy the ride and the boot is plenty big enough for family duties. Ford has, thankfully, kept buttons and knobs for features like adjusting the audio and heating while giving the cabin a touchscreen feel elsewhere. It looks classy enough, if arguably not something to give a Golf a sleepless night.

Discreet styling highlights include STLine badging, smart alloy wheels, red brake calipers, a flat-bottomed steering wheel, alloy pedals and red stitching on the upholstery and steering wheel. The ST-Line offers a sporting look without the harder edge of the more performance versions and in the test car’s Fantastic Red paint finish – an £800 extra cost option – looks very classy.

CHRISTMAS GOODIES FOR THE MOTORING ENTHUSIAST

With Christmas approaching it’s time to think what you might buy the motoring enthusiast in your life. No matter what they drive, keeping it clean is important and one of the very best names in car care is the aptly named Swiss company, Swissvax. With a wide range of hand-made waxes they are aimed at those who love their cars. A starter from their range is the On-the-Road car care kit for £97, which can be ordered from www. swissvax.co.uk

For those with an interest in classic cars, then a trip to a relatively new motor museum in Derbyshire – the Great British Car Journey – might be of interest. The GBCJ houses lots of ordinary cars that everyone has forgotten, and is all the more interesting as a result. The Great British Car Club offers various benefits and costs from £39 per year. Alternatively the Drive Dad’s Car experience provides a choice of 30 British classics to drive and costs £39 including museum entry. For an additional £10, you can also purchase a gift box which includes the Drive Dad’s Car voucher, branded key ring and a personalised old style imitation driving licence. Vouchers for the drives can be booked at www.drivedadscar.com

British motoring icon Morgan has a super range of gifts including their own gin from £15. Just don’t drive after drinking! There’s also a lovely selection of books including the wonderful ‘A sportscar named Morgan’ children’s book at £8.95. factory tours – I’ve been on it and thoroughly recommend it – start at just £26. Visit www.morgan-motor.com/shop If you are looking for more affordable presents then buying direct from a manufacturer offers a guarantee of quality. Jaguar offers everything from keyrings and pens to models and teddy bears. Even the more workaday marques offer proper tailored floor mats at remarkably affordable prices. There are also plenty of options for the woman driver in your life, motoring is all too often thought a male area, and for the children too. Local dealerships will be able to assist.

Whatever you choose you can be sure your motoring man or woman will appreciate a Christmas surprise to enhance their driving days.

ROAD TEST: SKODA SUPERB IV – AUTOMOTIVE ACREAGE!

It may come as a surprise to many who have cast doubt on Skoda cars over the years that the Czech manufacturer keeps company with the likes of Peugeot and Mercedes Benz as one of the oldest car manufacturers in the world. Founded in 1895 as Laurin & Klement, now their top-line models, they are part of VAG and produce a plethora of models from eco to equipment laden SUVs.

The Superb has been a feature of the Skoda range for some years and in its latest guise has taken on even better eco credentials with plug-in hybrid versions. They are badged iV and use the 1.4 TSi petrol engine combined with a 85kw electric motor and plug-in charging. With a potential pure electric range of 37 miles it’s enough for a commute, and offers three drive modes – e-mode, Sport and Hybrid. You can choose pure electric, hybrid where the car decides or sport where both combustion and electric power combine. In electric, or sport, it produces very decent acceleration with the benchmark 62 mph arriving in 7.8 seconds, which for a large car like the Superb is impressive. Mated to the 6-speed DSG automatic transmission it’s a relaxing and comfortable drive. There’s space aplenty for all and rear occupants are particularly well catered for with enough legroom for even the tallest person to stretch out. The acreage continues in the boot where you could carry enough supplies for a veritable army. As with all plug-in hybrids a home charger is an essential to make the most of the electric side of the Superb, not to mention being easier and more practical. For those who feel range anxiety prevents moving to a pure electric car the hybrids offer a very sensible alternative with a combustion engine to increase practicality.

Priced from £36,530 the Superb iV range is offered in hatch and estate form and comes with an impressive basic standard equipment list that includes adaptive LED head lights, privacy glass, heated front seats, leather, power driver’s seat, navigation, climate, keyless entry and start and electric heated, adjustable and folding door mirrors.

If you need a spacious car, a very spacious car, with all the toys, eco credentials and one which you could drive for hours and emerge fresh and relaxed, then the Superb really does live up to its name. Obvious play on words bu t it has to be done!

ROAD TEST: JAGUAR XF

As car marques go few can match Sir William Lyon’s Jaguar, especially when you consider it started off in Blackpool building sidecars. In its modern incarnation Jaguar is now one of the companies that is leading the charge to electrification. Their aim is to have a completely electric range by the middle of the decade, their start being the critically acclaimed iPace

However, my Jaguar drive was the long standing, non-electric, XF. It’s a car that has been around since 2008 and which has seen evolution rather than revolution in its modernisation. Sharper lines, a visually lower stance with a deeper front grille give today’s XF a mean and imposing stance. Finished in metallic grey with a black interior the test car certainly enhanced this look, especially with the external black pack.

As always Jaguar don’t stint on the standard equipment and my R Dynamic HSE doesn’t disappoint on the technical or comfort front. At £44,760 it’s somewhat of a bargain in the sector. Although only a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder engine sits under the bonnet it’s a powerful one that propels the XF past the benchmark 60 mph in 5.8 seconds and on to 155 mph. Add all-wheel-drive and this is a Jaguar that runs as well as its four-legged namesake, albeit with somewhat more longevity than the big cats in the wild who are sprinters rather than marathon runners.

I’m a fan of more traditional, lighter and arguably more British interior style rather than the dark hues present in my test car. That said it didn’t detract from the impressive comfort and quality of the XF’s interior. Not too long ago I criticised the XE and XF for what I saw as a drop in quality. That has certainly been rectified and the XF feels like it is back where it belongs on that side of the quality equation. There’s also a lesson for the digitisation obsessives in car design, it doesn’t have to be complicated and can be intuitive, as the XF demonstrates perfectly. On the road the XF doesn’t disappoint and despite the mere 4-cylinders retains a commendably refined air. With ride options ranging from sport to waft mode it’s a delight to drive. On the debit side the XF isn’t that spacious considering its size. There are also still traces of cheaper plastics that should never be allowed inside a Jaguar! Overall, though this is a car that acquits itself with considerable aplomb and which can happily park on my drive anytime.

ONE MILLIONTH MINI DELIVERED IN THE UK

NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE GETS BEHIND THE WHEEL OF THE NATIONAL MOTOR MUSEUM TRUST

MINI has delivered its one-millionth car sold in the UK, just over 20 years since the start of modern MINI production began in 2001. MINI has sold over 5.1 million cars globally in the past two decades, and the UK is the brand’s largest market.

David George, Director of MINI UK, said: “To have sold over one million MINIs in just 20 years is a remarkable milestone; we are all extremely proud. As we see the increasing demand for our MINI Electric and MINI Countryman Plug-In Hybrid models, which account for nearly a fifth of global electrified sales, we’re excited to see what the next twenty years hold, as we transition into our fully electric future.”

MINI will launch its last model with internal combustion engine in 2025 and, by 2027, the share of all-electric vehicles in global MINI sales will be at least 50 percent. In the early 2030s, MINI will be the first BMW Group brand to go fully electric.

The National Motor Museum Trust has appointed a new Chief Executive ready for the 50th anniversary of the world-famous museum in 2022.

Museum professional and car enthusiast Dr Jon Murden, currently Executive Director of Dorset Museum, will be joining the National Motor Museum Trust to ensure its long-term sustainability as it looks towards its next half-century. He will be working closely with the Trust’s dedicated team and board of trustees and playing a key role in raising its profile and visitor numbers. Chairman of the National Motor Museum Trust board of trustees Christopher Macgowan said: “I am delighted Dr Jon Murden is joining the National Motor Museum team as Chief Executive. Jon has a distinguished record at the Dorset Museum for innovation and project delivery and is well known for his love of all things automotive. Jon will prove an asset to the museum and I and my fellow trustees look forward to working with him.”

Jon spends much of his spare time running, maintaining and restoring his small collection of classic cars, which includes a 1957 Hillman Minx, 1977 MG Midget and 1978 Austin Allegro.

The National Motor Museum is at the heart of the Beaulieu visitor attraction, featuring a range of over 280 vehicles spanning from the earliest motor carriages to legendary Land Speed Record breakers.

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