Advantages: Realistic effect, clean, good backup for central heating
Disadvantages: slight hiss

...The valor 617 is a coal effect gas fire. That is to say it operates on natural gas but the gas heats several layers of synthetic coal like blocks to give the appearance of a coal fire. The effect might sound a bit tacky but actually its quite realistic and there is something about glowing coals that somehow feels warmer. The big advantage of course is no messy fire to light nor ashes to clean and it all lights at the touch of a button. The only slight gripe I have with this fire is the hiss of the gas but you soon learn to ignore it. Whilst I do not use this as the main source of heat in my living room it does add an extra boost for those long winter evenings, and provides a useful backup when the central heating breaks down.... Read review

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Advantages: Fantastic undergroun, down-tuned feel
Disadvantages: Vocals not to everyones taste

...Coal Chamber have been influenced by a strange variety of goth, hip hop and hardcore, all of which come across in this very well chosen 'Best Of' album. Since their forming in LA back in 1994, the band have stayed at the forefront of nu and underground metal, describing themselves as 'spookycore'. Their originality has remained unchallenged, and this record certainly portrays all of these traits. This record is part of 'The Roots of Roadrunner Records Series', and opens with the blistering track 'Loco' (still remaining my personal favourite Coal Chamber song). It moves on through a hypnotic mix of underground, down-tuned riffs and bass lines, the drum and bass pumping throughout. Famous track 'Sway' (many know it as 'The Roof is on Fire') appears as the fourth track, before the album moves on from the bands debut album... Read review

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Advantages: Ummmm....
Disadvantages: Sound, graphics, feel and fluidity...poor

...Hmm, addictive indeed. Sure, the game can hold your interest for a few days, then it gets boring, monotonous, tiresome and repetitive. Appealing to those power-people who likes putting track down and watching the choo-choo motoring down the line, it's little coal hoppers packed full to the brim with coal from Carnhams Coal Counter or something. Ho-hum. You can pick up the game and learn it within a day, although some of the more complicated functions are fiddly and difficult. The graphics are poor, very basic, but good for the time it was manufactured in. The sound is appalling, I often found myself putting it on mute and opening WinAmp in the background. The gameplay is speedy, only because it hardly needs anything to run something so basic. I like thegame then hate it, it will bug you after a while.... Read review

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Advantages: nice design, easy to move, large grill, very robust and well made
Disadvantages: can't vary the height of the grill

...I have one of these BBQ's and it's served us well over the years. I am a firm believer that a successful BBQ experience is 75% down to the 'chef' and 25% on the design/shape/performance of the BBQ. Lets face it, you're only heating food on a grill above hot coals - you get the same result regardless of how much the BBQ cost, what it looks like, who made it etc. If you're a die hard BBQer then I suspect you'll have/need a gas BBQ as they do produce better cooking results than coals. But for me, half the fun of a BBQ is lighting the fire, waiting for the coals to burn and even experimenting with different woods and coals to get different flavoured smoke into your food. So for me, a coal BBQ wins. This particular BBQ is a nice design, shape and size and has been the benchmark for all BBQ's for years. It is easy to move around due... Read review

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Advantages: Beautifully written
Disadvantages: Not quite as good as her debut

...to be as good as her debut and I would be in for a great reading experience; the latter in my concern that the opposite would be true. After all, when you have something this good, the only way is down. Coal Run is the name of a small Pennsylvania town devastated by an explosion in the coal mine that employs many of the town's men. Later, it is rendered inhabitable by the fires raging in the mines, making the area unsafe for habitation. Even later, an accident at the old mine site takes away Coal Run's most famous export - the great Ivan Zoschenko, son of one of the men to die that day - a man who is about to start a potentially long and glittering football career with the Chicago Bears. As the inhabitants of Coal Run moved down the road into Centresburg to start a new life, so does Ivan. He moves a lot further, down to Florida in an attempt... Read review

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Advantages: clean, easy, lights every time
Disadvantages: could be costly to use every night

...These little gems, are a tube about one foot long by 3" in diameter and covered in paper. You put them into your grate and light the paper at both ends. Once the flames catch (and they do every time) the 'log' will burn for approx. 2 hours - giving off a substancial amount of heat. We have found that if you place them onto a layer of coal first before lighting this will then form the basis of a lovely roaring fire which will keep you warm all evening (just top it up with extra coal as and when) They are the ultimate in fuss free, sooty hands free, fire lighting. They don't make too much ash either. We have so far found them in B&Q, Homebase and Tesco but they may be available in more stores. They cost between £1.50 and £1.99 depending on where you purchase. So if you use your coal fire regularly and find it too messy give Tiger... Read review

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Advantages: It is antiseptic; anti fungal; and anti bacterial !!!
Disadvantages: Stinks ...

...When browsing the beauty products in the supermarket; my husband came across ‘Wrights Coal Tar soap’ … he then came over all nostalgic remembering that this was the soap his grandfather used. Rather than stand in the supermarket listening to my husbands reminiscent tales of his grandfathers washing regime; we bought it! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wright’s traditional Coal Tar soap was created in 1860 by a dude called; William Valentine Wright and has remained a family favourite soap (apparently!); for 130 years as it has kept its ‘honest natural appeal’. -The soap has been specially formulated for everyday cleansing of the skin and is suitable for all skin types. -The soap contains an active ingredient which has natural antiseptic properties; Melaleuca... Read review

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Advantages: Some interesting stuff going on
Disadvantages: Still the odd dodgy track

...Coal Chamber return with their follow up from their self titled and somewhat patchy debut release with a slightly less self titled and less patchy album known as Chamber Music. The range of styles on this album is much more varied than the first albums ‘grunts and guitars’. While there’s still plenty of grunting and guitars, they are joined by samples, keyboards, strings, singing (!) and a raft of guest vocalists, including Ozzy Osborne joining Dez on a cover of Peter Gabriel’s Shock the Monkey – where do they get these ideas from? Anyway, opening track, Tragedy (Mist isn’t really a track, just a few strings) is an absolute classic, full of aggression and yet still with a tune, something Korn did after Coal Chamber. The previously mentioned Shock the Monkey is another classic, for the same reasons as Tragedy. Burgundy is an altogether... Read review

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Advantages: wonderful times
Disadvantages: never to come back

...I miss the family life. Christmas was so wonderful, we had a coal fire always so hot and welcoming and warming, and looking out of the window at the deep white snow was amazing, especially when you were waitinf for santa to come down the path, was wonderful, funny we never knew then it was mum or dad who did it. I miss the smell of my mothers and gradnmothers home cooking, the oven was always on and was always a smell of cooking from the kitchen. I even miss the cold house we lived in , it was huge and the only room which stayed warm was the front room where we always had a coal fire burning. the rest of the house you could see your breathe in every breathe you took.... Read review

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Advantages: soothes the scalp
Disadvantages: pricey

...I had notced my scalp had become very dry and flaky, so I bought a well known brand of dandruff shampoo which made my scalp even worse and very sore. On a recent visit to the hairdresser, I mentioned my problem and she looked and said it looked like Psoriasis ( a skin condition which results in red, scaly patches of skin.) She was right. The local chemist suggested I try T/Gel, a therapeutic shampoo made by Neutrogena. At £4.99 for a 125ml bottle, it was quite expensive but I decided to try it. T/Gel is in a clear plastic bottle, packaged in a blue box. It states that T/Gel is effective treatment for; scalp Psoriasis and Seborrhoeic Dermatitis (dry, itching scalp) T/Gel was immediately soothing once it touched my scalp. It smells of Coal Tar as it contains solubilised Coal Tar extract. I love the smell. I thought a product like this may... Read review

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