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23-Jun-2008 Letter of the Week (to the Editor) – Student SM
Compounding the Tax Burden According to one of my local Members of Parliament (the one who represents me at the English Parliament) it costs the British taxpayers a little over fourteen billion pounds each year to keep our Westminster chums (and their ....
22-Jun-2008 Letter of the Week (to the Editor) – Student KL
The Unacceptable Face of Retailing The other day my better half dragged me into Marks & Spencer for a bout of shopping therapy. It was a Saturday morning, it was hot, and we were not alone.....
08-Jun-2008 Letter of the Week (to the Tax Man) – Student TR
Dear Mr Taxman, I am not one of your recalcitrant customers; in fact I'm not at all sure that I am actually a customer. Has one of those social charter thingamajigs reached your neck of the woods yet? I hope so. Otherwise I've let your people....
21-Apr-2008 ESTON Research Services – Reply to question from PCA
Government Ministers – There are 23 ministers in the cabinet, including the Prime Minister; 17 are men and six are women. In addition, there are a further 74 ministers associated with 22 government departments, such as the Home Office; 49 are men and 25....
24-Feb-2008 2007 Technical/Commercial Authorship Student of the Year Announced
David Utley, who lives in Bury St Edmunds and works for Marshall Aerospace as an in-house technical author, has been nominated ESTON Training’s Technical/Commercial Authorship Student of the Year for 2007.....
20-Jan-2008 Philips “Energy Saver” Bulbs – Important Information
Philips “energy saver” bulbs, also known as Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs), are highly recommended replacements for traditional incandescent lamps, because they are 75% more efficient and they last seven to ten times longer.....
19-Jan-2008 Reducing our Carbon Footprint – End of Year Report
Nine months ago at our AGM, I was elected Carbon Footprint Co-ordinator, and I was charged with a two-fold responsibility.....
23-Dec-2007 Distinctions Awarded to 2007 Students
The following students, who have all completed their ESTON Training courses during 2007, have been awarded a “Diploma with Distinction”.....
12-Oct-2007 Licentiateship in Technical Authorship awarded
Edward King from KROHNE SAS has just been awarded the Licentiateship in Technical Authorship by the City & Guilds Institute (CGLI).....
23-Aug-2007 ESTON Training has updated its SIMPLIFIED English course – a distance learning course for technical communicators.
ESTON Training has updated its SIMPLIFIED English course – a distance learning course specifically designed for technical communicators. The Simplified English (SE) training course (Ref: EDL8T) comprises 13 Training Packs that together form a comprehensi....
23-Aug-2007 Searching for Information on the Internet
The Technical Authorship Diploma course includes a detailed and informative study note entitled “C6, A Guide to the Internet”. The Internet is an extensive.......
22-Aug-2007 New (Local Call Rate) Help Line
A new local call rate Help Line has been set up for our students and enquirers. The telephone Help Line number is: 0845 325 2948.....
22-Aug-2007 ESTON Training have “seen the light” and are now saving energy!
Jason Lammsky, our Carbon Footprint Co-ordinator, has introduced management and staff to energy saving light bulbs that use five times less energy than conventional light bulbs.....
12-Apr-2007 FREE TRIAL EXERCISE
Do you have the aptitude to train for a job as a technical or commercial author? We can help you to find out by providing you with one of the EDL2D course exercises free of charge.....
02-Apr-2007 We are doing our bit for the environment!
During our recent AGM it was unanimously agreed that the management and staff of ESTON Training (including all part-time tutors) are committed to reducing their carbon footprints by 50%, before the end of 2015. Jason Lammsky, who was elected Carbon Footp....

23-Jun-2008 Letter of the Week (to the Editor) – Student SM
Compounding the Tax Burden According to one of my local Members of Parliament (the one who represents me at the English Parliament) it costs the British taxpayers a little over fourteen billion pounds each year to keep our Westminster chums (and their advisors) in the style to which they are accustomed. I don't know yet (but I'm working on it) how much it costs to keep our Scottish Parliamentarians and their Irish and Welsh junior counterparts (and all their advisors) in clover, but I expect that it is a tad less than 14 billion. I'm not at all certain how much it costs the British taxpayers to keep our European Parliamentarians in their pound seats, but I can hazard a guess that it would make a big dent in Bill Gates' pocketbook, if he were to offer to pick up the tab for one year. Also, whether or not we want our bins emptied, we have to pay a fourth tier of local government a shed-load of money, each year, this time out of our tax-paid income. In addition, and also out of our tax-paid income, we pay excessive tax on petrol, alcohol, cigarettes and on most of the goods we buy, in the form of VAT at 17.5% (soon to rise?). God forbid that the "One World Government" idea comes to fruition – we'll all have to work on our days off to pay for it. It's no wonder (considering that we have to support so many career politicians and their thousands of advisors) that the UK cannot afford to care for the sick and elderly, police the streets or educate our children properly.	Top

22-Jun-2008 Letter of the Week (to the Editor) – Student KL
The Unacceptable Face of Retailing The other day my better half dragged me into Marks & Spencer for a bout of shopping therapy. It was a Saturday morning, it was hot, and we were not alone. As we approached the fruit display, my missus reached out and grabbed a small bag of cherries and placed them into our over-sized trolley. I said, “We don’t need cherries, do we?” She said, “They’ve been reduced from £4.99 to £2.99!” I said, “Three quid for a load of cherry stones; are you going to make a necklace?” Then, I slipped into a mild depression and lost interest. When it was our turn to pay, I noticed the nice young man at the checkout swipe our bag of cherries across the scanner, and the price, £4.75, appeared on the till display. I said sharply, “They were clearly marked £2.99!” He replied bluntly, “Yeah, £2.99 a pound!” Then I took a dive into a deep depression. I have now recovered. The cherries worked out at approx. 15p each, which is outrageous. According to a recent advertisement on TV you can buy a whole parsnip for 11p. It is no wonder that Marks & Spencer are losing customers. However, I did learn two invaluable lessons that Saturday morning that I will share with you. The first is always to take my reading glasses on shopping trips. And, the second lesson I learnt was not to shop at Marks & Spencer; at least not for cherries!	Top

08-Jun-2008 Letter of the Week (to the Tax Man) – Student TR
Dear Mr Taxman, I am not one of your recalcitrant customers; in fact I'm not at all sure that I am actually a customer. Has one of those social charter thingamajigs reached your neck of the woods yet? I hope so. Otherwise I've let your people's friendly telephone manner lull me into a false sense of security. Anyway, whether I am a customer or your obedient servant, I want it placed on record that I'm happy to pay my fair share of income tax; whatever that might be. However, let me put the strength of this emotion (i.e. happiness) into perspective for you. On the Richter scale, it doesn't quite register. A couple of months ago, I received a tax rebate in my salary cheque. It came to three hundred pounds and some change. Thank you. My son, Jim (pronounced Jam), got boots at one hundred and thirty-nine pounds, ninety-nine pence. Not Boots the Chemist, or special boots that you might need in order to walk on the moon; just ordinary boots - so I'm told. The missus needed a skirt and top, as they all do at regular intervals. However, a British top was no good because... well, because it was no good; so Marks & Spencers had to send all the way to Thailand in order to obtain the only top that would match the skirt already purchased. With the change, I bought a book on Stress Management. Last month (I've been busy) I received a letter telling me that I owe you guys four hundred and ninety-five pounds in unpaid tax. Naturally, I rang your office to find out if one of your operatives had made a mistake (God forbid). And, you'll be glad to know she hadn't (can't remember her name - but you would have been proud of the way she handled me, from a Tax Inspector's point of view). Isn't it just the limit? I mean, if you drop a piece of bread and dripping (I nearly said a king prawn and avocado fritter - until I realised who I was writing to) onto the floor, it always lands greasy side down. In this instance, I've spent the very welcome rebate, and before I get to the chapter in my Stress Management book on how to handle income tax demands (from an emotional point of view) I've been stricken by a strapping, startling "Schedule E". And, to cap it all, I'm told that my file has been passed on to your debt collecting section (and the intonation here, if I'm not mistaken, is that these DCS guys eat social chapters for breakfast). So, where does all this leave me? I'll tell you where - and it's not in the pound-seats. I've sold my laptop and my wife's collections of unusual matchboxes and hand-fashioned pin-cushions. And, with the odds and sods that were lying around the garage (I drew the line at my treasured picture of our queen in working blue (unsigned) and my rare collection of contemporary flint-less lighters) I've cobbled together the five hundred quid you guys say I owe you. So, do I just send you a cheque - or, have I to wait for another schedule? I must apologise if I sound confused. You see, I was out of the country for many years before I joined my present company back in the UK. And, I was a P.A.Y.E. tax payer for ten years before I left England to struggle on without me. I remember those days (before I left) with fondness (well, we do as we get older). For instance, in those pre-computer days, when records were maintained by hand, P.A.Y.E. used to mean Pay as You Earn and you didn't get a tax return to fill in every year. I've only been back five years, and I've got a personal tax file that's thicker than a navvy's piece, filled with assorted assessments, several schedules and far from few forms. What's going on? I've only got one source of income. You obviously have never worked for “XXX”, or you would realise that we're all too knackered by the end of the day to put in a shift at ASDA stacking shelves. I don't know of any way to avoid paying tax and if I did I'm of a generation that would be too scared to try (and I've never been a cowboy-plumber, a plumber or a cowboy). Can you help me? I realise that you guys are only trying to do your jobs just like me and that the extra tax I've had to pay is associated with my company car (which, by the way, is five years old in a couple of weeks and is valued by our transport manager at £1 200). Is my company not obliged to tell you guys what I'm earning, etc.? Why is it that each year I get an additional tax demand and latterly a tax rebate followed swiftly by a bigger demand? Your lady reminded me only the other day that I'm responsible. I know I'm responsible - I hold down a job with “XXX” (that's not easy and it's not for long 'cos me and mine are being out-sourced) I've got a big mortgage (more in fact than my house is worth) and I've managed to bring up two kids (and all of us are still alive and relatively friendly (no pun intended)). Now that's responsible. As for being responsible for telling you guys every detail concerning my earnings etc., are there no perks associated with being a P.A.Y.E. person? Or (and, Mr. Taxman, before I finish this sentence I wish to point out that I intimate no slight to either yourself or any member of your staff, past or present, male or female, rich or poor, Protestant or Catholic, Liverpool or Everton, etc., etc.) are the perks reserved for the wealthy and famous, non-P.A.Y.E. tax payers (including cowboys, cowboy-plumbers, plumbers and the like) who, according to the Sun (found it in the office - don't get it or any other paper myself) don't pay enough tax between them to keep No.10's pantry stocked with cocoa? I have completed another tax return (enclosed); for this year. I pray that I have completed it correctly and have not missed an opportunity to save myself and family a few bob. I await your response vis-à-vis the five hundred pounds owed and hope that the Universal Architect will continue to bless you and yours. Yours sincerely,	Top

21-Apr-2008 ESTON Research Services – Reply to question from PCA
Government Ministers – There are 23 ministers in the cabinet, including the Prime Minister; 17 are men and six are women. In addition, there are a further 74 ministers associated with 22 government departments, such as the Home Office; 49 are men and 25 are women. There are also 17 government whips in the House of Commons; 12 are men and five are women. Additionally, there are 9 government whips in the House of Lords; five are women and four are men. Finally, there are three Parliamentary Private Secretaries; two are women and one is a man. Therefore, in total there are 125 members of the government of which ten are not paid for their additional responsibilities. For example, The Rt. Hon. Shaun Woodward MP, who is a cabinet minister, does not receive a cabinet minister’s salary. If you would like a complete list of government ministers, whips and PPSs, please send an e-mail to: jtl@estontrg.com and we will send you a PDF copy.	Top

24-Feb-2008 2007 Technical/Commercial Authorship Student of the Year Announced
David Utley, who lives in Bury St Edmunds and works for Marshall Aerospace as an in-house technical author, has been nominated ESTON Training’s Technical/Commercial Authorship Student of the Year for 2007. David, who completed the EDL2D course at the end of December 2007, was awarded a Diploma with Distinction for achieving an average of 80% or above for his coursework and syllabus examinations. Although we had several excellent students last year, we were impressed by the very high standard of David’s coursework and the additional effort that he put in throughout the course. In addition, David submitted several model answers to the EDL2D course exercises. Congratulations, David, your hard work has been noticed and rewarded!	Top

20-Jan-2008 Philips “Energy Saver” Bulbs – Important Information
Philips “energy saver” bulbs, also known as Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs), are highly recommended replacements for traditional incandescent lamps, because they are 75% more efficient and they last seven to ten times longer. CFLs are safe to use in the home; no mercury is released when the bulbs are in general use, so they pose no danger when used properly. However, CFLs incorporate glass tubing that can break if they are dropped or handled roughly. Care must be taken when removing these lamps from their packaging, installing them and replacing them. CFLs must always be screwed and unscrewed by holding their bases, and never forcefully twisted into lamp sockets by their tubes. Like old batteries, cell phones and other potentially hazardous household items, CFLs must be disposed of properly. Unserviceable CFLs should not be thrown out with your general household rubbish, if better disposal options are available in your local area. To find out how to dispose of CFLs safely, check directly with your local council (you will find their number in the telephone book). Additional information is available at, http://www.lamprecycling.co.uk/. Also note that IKEA stores take back unserviceable CFLs, and other major retailers are currently exploring similar disposal facilities. If your local council does not offer any special disposal options, unserviceable CFLs should be placed in a plastic bag and sealed before putting them into the appropriate household waste bin. CFLs, and other products which contain mercury, should never be incinerated. Therefore, if you know that your local council incinerates its waste, you must discuss safe disposal options with your local council. Although there is a small amount of mercury in CFLs, the greatest risk if a bulb breaks is getting cut from glass shards. Research indicates that there is no immediate health risk to you or your family if a lamp breaks, if it is cleaned up properly. Should a CFL break, proceed as follows: Weather permitting, open all windows to allow the room to ventilate. Sweep up all of the glass fragments and other fine particles; do not use a vacuum cleaner. Place all of the fragments and other fine particles into a plastic bag and wipe the area thoroughly with a damp paper towel to pick up any stray shards of glass, etc. Put the used towel into the plastic bag as well and seal the bag. If your local council offers no special disposal options, put the plastic bag into the appropriate household waste bin.	Top

19-Jan-2008 Reducing our Carbon Footprint – End of Year Report
A carbon footprint is “...a measure of the effect that human activities have on the global environment in terms of the amount of green-house gases produced; measured in units of carbon dioxide.” The average UK carbon footprint is 9.4 tonnes per person, per year. Nine months ago at our AGM, I was elected Carbon Footprint Co-ordinator, and I was charged with a two-fold responsibility. Firstly, I had to spend time researching the processes/activities that need to be reviewed and the methodologies that need to be employed, in order to significantly reduce our carbon emissions at work, at home and while we are travelling. Secondly, I was asked for suggestions on how we could reduce carbon emissions at our various offices by advising on office machines (computer systems, printers, media storage devices, etc.), filing systems, waste disposal, lighting and heating, with a view to progressively replacing systems and equipment with more carbon-friendly alternatives and solutions. I can report that during the first 9 months of our campaign we have achieved the following: 1. All ESTON Training staff, including part-time tutors, have reduced non-essential car journeys by at least 50%. Walking, whenever possible, is now the preferred method of travel for short to medium length journeys (up to approx. three miles). 2. 80% of all the light bulbs that we use are now low wattage energy savers. 3. After protracted negotiations, all ESTON Training employees have now agreed to take their holidays in the UK two out of every three years. This means that we are all limited to one overseas flight in each three-year period, which represents a saving of approximately 55% in air travel. 4. All office printers now use recycled paper and paper consumption has been reduced by approximately 25%. 5. The main office now has a condensing boiler, which is used for heating and hot water. Typical condensing boiler efficiencies are around 90%, compared to 70% - 80% for conventional boilers. In addition, we have turned down our central heating thermostats by several degrees, saving both energy and money. The recommended room temperature is between 18° C and 21° C and turning your heating thermostat down by 1° C can actually knock as much as 5 to 10 per cent off heating bills. This is a compelling reason for wearing your favourite pullovers on cold days. 6. Because local councils in the UK have introduced waste recycling programmes during the last few years, we are already recycling paper, cans, bottles, plastic and cardboard in accordance with local requirements, so no reductions or savings could be made in this area. I believe that we have made good progress with reducing our carbon footprint in a fairly short time. And, we will continue to look for ways of saving energy and hopefully reducing our costs. I am also pleased to report that our greatest achievement is that everyone is now thinking about their carbon footprint and how it can be reduced. Jason Lammsky	Top

23-Dec-2007 Distinctions Awarded to 2007 Students
The following students, who have all completed their ESTON Training courses during 2007, have been awarded a “Diploma with Distinction”. A distinction is awarded to students who achieve an average of 80% or higher on their coursework: Gordon Logan - Technical/Commercial Authorship (EDL2D) Martin Logue - Technical/Commercial Authorship (EDL2D) David Utley - Technical/Commercial Authorship (EDL2D) Peter Slade - Technical/Commercial Authorship (EDL2D) Stephen Chapman - Technical/Commercial Authorship (EDL2D) Robert McFerran - English at Work (EDL6). Jacob Moolman - English at Work (EDL6). Nigel Jones - Writing Effective Reports (EDL7T) Jean-Marie Meuseka - Writing Effective Reports (EDL7T) Maarten Geers - Simplified English (EDL8T) Bobby Chedie - Simplified English (EDL8T) Judith Manns - Simplified English (EDL8T) Vicky Ramasamy - Simplified English (EDL8T) Stephen Rawlinson - Simplified English (EDL8T) Martin Wickens - Simplified English (EDL8T) We congratulate these students and applaud their hard work and dedication.	Top

12-Oct-2007 Licentiateship in Technical Authorship awarded
Licentiateship in Technical Authorship awarded Edward King from KROHNE SAS has just been awarded the Licentiateship in Technical Authorship by the City & Guilds Institute (CGLI). He will be presented with the award at a ceremony in May, 2008. Edward sat the City & Guilds examinations in December, 2005 and June, 2006. He prepared for them by studying with ESTON Training.	Top

23-Aug-2007 ESTON Training has updated its SIMPLIFIED English course – a distance learning course for technical communicators.
ESTON Training has updated its SIMPLIFIED English course – a distance learning course specifically designed for technical communicators. The Simplified English (SE) training course (Ref: EDL8T) comprises 13 Training Packs that together form a comprehensive and easy-to-follow study programme. This distance learning training course includes a detailed explanation of the rules and principles of Simplified English as they should be interpreted and applied during and after the course. In addition, some basic but essential English language instruction is provided in order to facilitate the understanding of the various parts of speech used, and to ensure that conventional grammatical rules are followed.	Top

23-Aug-2007 Searching for Information on the Internet
The ESTON TRAINING Technical Authorship Diploma training course includes a detailed and informative study note entitled “C6, A Guide to the Internet”. The Internet is an extensive and valuable source of information for the technical author, with billions of web pages containing data on every conceivable subject. Study Note C6 describes how to search the Internet effectively using the Google search engine and a string of powerful search variables.	Top

22-Aug-2007 New (Local Call Rate) Help Line
A new local call rate Help Line has been set up for our students and enquirers. The telephone Help Line number is: 0845 325 2948. If you have a query or you would like to know more about our award-winning courses, please give us a call; you will only be charged at the local call rate (this applies to land-line calls made within the UK only).	Top

22-Aug-2007 ESTON Training have “seen the light” and are now saving energy!
Jason Lammsky, our Carbon Footprint Co-ordinator, has introduced management and staff to energy saving light bulbs that use five times less energy than conventional light bulbs. The Philips “Energy Saver” bulbs, which are endorsed and sponsored by “e-on”, are available from Morrisons Supermarkets at 39p each. These environmentally friendly light bulbs, which are available in 60 W and 100 W (equivalent) ratings, last for up to eight years.	Top

12-Apr-2007 FREE TRIAL EXERCISE
Do you have the aptitude to train for a job as a technical or commercial author? We can help you to find out by providing you with one of the EDL2D course exercises free of charge. When you have completed the sample exercise, return it to ESTON Training and one of our tutors will grade your exercise, again free of charge, and provide tutorial comments to let you know how you performed. If you would like to “try before you buy”, please send us an e-mail addressed to: sales@estontrg.com. Also, let us know if you are interested in training to become a technical or commercial author.	Top

02-Apr-2007 We are doing our bit for the environment!
During our recent AGM it was unanimously agreed that the management and staff of ESTON Training (including all part-time tutors) are committed to reducing their carbon footprints by 50%, before the end of 2015. Jason Lammsky, who was elected Carbon Footprint Co-ordinator, has initially been charged with a two-fold responsibility. Firstly, Jason will be spending time researching the processes/activities that need to be reviewed and the methodologies that need to be employed, in order to significantly reduce our carbon emissions at work, at home and while we are travelling. ESTON Training’s management has agreed to grant Jason time off each week for these activities. Secondly, Jason will be required to report back to management and staff each month with realistic suggestions on how to: Reduce carbon emissions at our various offices by advising on office machines (computer systems, printers, media storage devices, etc.), filing systems, waste disposal, lighting and heating, with a view to progressively replacing systems and equipment with more carbon-friendly alternatives and solutions. Reduce carbon emissions at home and while travelling on both business and personal journeys. We wish Jason every success and look forward to finding out about the many ways that we can play our part in reducing our collective carbon footprint.	Top