Friday, 2 June 2017

Sales top £1 million and an electrical contractor sparks into life


Cupar-based Daniel Gardner Electrical Contractor saw its order books top £1 million in the year to April, a 60% rise on the previous year, as it secured a raft of new orders including a £150,000 contract with Balcaskie Estate, the seat of the Anstruther family.

To service the growth, Gardner’s more than doubled its workforce, taking its headcount from seven to 17 in the past 12 months.

The firm, led by managing director Daniel Gardner, 31, is now focusing on consolidating its position and ensuring it has the right infrastructure in place to continue to grow.

The firm launched a new website in February and will shortly go-live with a new operational management system which is designed to streamline the job allocation and overview process and free up management time to look for new opportunities.

“It’s been an outstanding 12 months,” operations and systems manager Kieran Hunter said.

“The majority of our work is secured through word-of-mouth referrals from happy customers who appreciate our professionalism and reliability.

“The contracts secured last year have allowed us to take on staff who have the professional and personal skills needed to work with our clients, while the refreshed website provides us with an up-to-date ‘shop window’ which has already generated leads.

“Our focus now is to launch our operational management system and continue the process of obtaining ISO 9001 with the help of Business Gateway Fife.”

Lynne Baillie of Business Gateway said: “By working with a specialist the company, whose staff have over 150 years’ combined experience in the sector, has gained a clearer understanding of what processes need to be put in place to help them grow further.”

Having completed his apprenticeship with a local heavy engineering business, founder Daniel Gardner has no regrets about setting out on his own. His firm now works across the domestic, commercial, industrial and agricultural sectors undertaking everything from rewiring commercial and residential properties to appliance testing.



Tuesday, 2 August 2016

7 Amazing Historic Homes You Can Actually Stay In


Ever wonder what it would be like to walk the grounds of Downton Abbey, live like a Renaissance master in a Medici-built palazzo, or get your creative juices flowing in the favorite haunt of a literary genius? Well, you’re in luck. Many historic homes made famous by film, television, or their legendary former tenants are available for rent through Airbnb, HomeAway, and other property-rental sites. We’ve rounded up seven such listings in the U.S. and Europe.

Shown: London Lodge at Highclere Castle
Live out your Lady Mary fantasies by staying in this 18th-century lodge located on the same property as Highclere Castle—the set of Downton Abbey. The rooms are situated inside the stunning Georgian entrance to Highclere Park and can each accommodate two guests. You’ll need to plan ahead for this trip, though, as the lodge is sold out for the remainder of 2016. From $504/night; highclerecastle.co.uk


The Steinbeck Cottage
This 900-square-foot robin’s-egg-blue bungalow in Pacific Grove, California, was once the home of famed American writer John Steinbeck. The Grapes of Wrath author occupied this sunny space in the early 1940s, and the owners have renovated it to reflect the property’s history. From $195/night; airbnb.com


Broholm Castle
This sprawling estate has seen nearly 700 years of Danish history, with its historic records stretching back to 1326. The property is located in the middle of a lush forest near Gudme, Denmark, and features a picturesque garden with carp ponds, historic memorial pillars, and an orangery. Poet and author Hans Christian Andersen spent a great deal of his life at Broholm, and it is rumored that the castle might even be his birthplace. Today guests are welcome to stay in the Birgitte Suite. From $276/night; airbnb.com


Giambologna’s Florence Home
Famed Renaissance sculptor Giambologna occupied this two-story apartment—located inside a palazzo built by Cosimo I de’ Medici in the 16th century—from 1600 to 1608. The residence is just a 20-minute walk to the Boboli Gardens, where several of the artist’s sculptures are on view. From $340/night; homeaway.com


The Mabel Dodge Luhan House
Muse and arts patron Mabel Dodge Luhan built this property in the early 1900s, and it soon became the artistic salon of Taos, New Mexico. Luhan and her husband, Tony Lujan, entertained some of the most notable artists and thinkers of the period here, including Georgia O’Keeffe, Ansel Adams, Carl Jung, Martha Graham, and Marsden Hartley. From $116/night; mabeldodgeluhanhouse.com


Bernard Schwartz House
Retreat to Two Rivers, Wisconsin, and unwind in the home Frank Lloyd Wright called Still Bend. The famed architect constructed this Usonian home for local businessman Bernard Schwartz and his family during the most productive phase of Wright’s career. The construction is a modification of the American family “Dream Home” Wright designed for Time magazine. From $340/night; theschwartzhouse.com Photo: Courtesy of the Bernard Schwartz House


Degas House
This New Orleans B&B is the only former home of Edgar Degas in the world that is open to the public. The Impressionist painter and sculptor lived in the city for several months in 1872 and created dozens of artworks during that period. From $189/night; degashouse.com