Jane Verity-Smart visited the 100% Design show at Earls court, London this week. Keep an eye out for product and material reviews in the coming weeks for the latest interior design products and materials.

If you want to create the ‘wow factor’ look no further!

Steve Smart, Via’s Project Manager and Cost Consultant, has been competing in local Trialthlons for many years. His passion for the sport has seen him push himself to beat his personal best at every level of competition he has entered.

This year it was time to aim even higher and Steve entered the London Trialthon which was staged at Excel in Docklands on 1st & 2nd August. Here is Steve’s first-hand account of his experience:

“As we arrived at Excel, the sheer scale of the event suddenly dawned on me. This was no local tri with a mere few hundred competitors, but a renowned ‘institution’ on the tri calendar, with thousands of people coming in from all over the world!

We made our way to the rally point to collect our caps and numbers and then jumped en mass into the Royal Albert Dock and made our way to the start line. The gun went and all five hundred competitors in my group began to swim. At that moment I knew exactly what it would be like to be spinning in a washing machine drum! After a few hundred meters the adrenaline began to wear off and space opened up so I could start to swim effectively.
Out of the water, through transition, and onto the bike. It was exhilarating not have to dodge the traffic and jump the lights on the capitals’ closed roads. Stage two down and back to transition to change for the final leg – the run. Only 10km to go to the finish line and the completion of my first Olympic distance triathlon. Total exhilaration……….and exhaustion!”

Olympics minister Tessa Jowell has revealed the new Olympics education logo, designed by Reiss Evans, winner of a design competition open to 16- to 21-year-olds.

The design will be used exclusively by UK schools and colleges joining the Get Set network – an accolade awarded for showing a commitment to Olympic and Paralympic values. The scheme is affiliated with the London 2012 education programme.

Evans’ design has been selected from entries by more than 150 young designers across the UK.

Evans, an 18-year-old graphic design student at Canterbury College, has just completed a two-month internship with FutureBrand, where his concept was developed. This includes plaques and certificates for schools that become members of the scheme.

The announcement was made at Nightingale Primary School, Woolwich, one of the first schools to become a member of Get Set. Joining Jowell and Evans was Locog board member Jonathan Edwards.

Evans says his pencil design reflects the ‘creativity in UK schools’ and ‘the global nature of the 2012 games’. He adds, ‘The colours tie in with those used in London 2012’s own brand work.’

Reasons to be cheerful

* The FTSE 100 climbed above 5000 points for the first time in 11 months last week
* A potential takeover bid for Cadbury by Kraft and the deal between Orange and T-Mobile show the mergers and acquisitions market is stirring
* The Office for National Statistics says the manufacturing sector grew by 0.9% in July
* Last month, Nationwide’s consumer confidence index rose to its highest level since May 2008

Jane Verity-Smart and Steve Smart Directors of via will be attending the RHS Programme: Green Innovation event, 9 Sept at Harlow Carr, Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

via’s website is currently undergoing maintenance and updates. The new look website will be available to see soon!