50 Shades of Trees: The ultimate guide to choosing a colour therapy holiday this autumn

50 Shades of Trees: The ultimate guide to choosing a colour therapy holiday this autumn

A leading pet-friendly holiday marketplace has created The Colour Therapy Holidays Collection, designed for holidaymakers to choose the perfect autumnal break based on the feelings and emotions each local forest’s colours are said to bring out. Interest in the impact colour has on human psychology has never been higher, with searches for ‘calming colours’ more than doubling in the last five years¹, while three in every 100 people experience some form of seasonal depression2. According to colour psychology, Sherwood Forest will leave visitors rejuvenated, while visitors to Delamere Forest will find themselves feeling healed and stable, and The New Forest will help people feel more confident after a visit.

Leading pet-friendly holiday marketplace, Dog Friendly Cottages, has revealed The Colour Therapy Holidays Collection, a comprehensive colour guide to the UK’s forests, highlighting the ideal locations for an autumn staycation.

The dominant tree species³ in each of the 25 most photographed forests in the UK⁴ was looked at to determine each forests’ individual colour palette. Each autumn leaf colour of each tree species was studied and matched with the feeling or emotion it best evokes according to colour psychologists⁵.

DFC Leaves Plaettee.png

The full study, including the curated destinations in The Colour Therapy Holidays Collection and an expert’s guide to forest walks with dogs, can be viewed here: https://www.dogfriendlycottages.co.uk/colour-therapy-holidays

The most prevalent shade throughout British forests is the golden brown of the Oak tree, with the two most common species of Oak, the Sessile Oak and English Oak making up over a fifth of all broadleaf forest across the UK⁵. A walk through a forest of Oak trees will evoke feelings of encouragement and optimism, coupled with hope, happiness and fun from the yellow hues⁶ within the leaves, which turn a golden brown during the autumn months.

The best forests in the UK to enjoy the traditional golden brown leaves of Oak trees are:
Royal Forest of Dean (English Oak)
Sherwood Forest (Sessile Oak)
Epping Forest (English Oak)
Wyre Forest (Sessile Oak)
Forests housing a large population of Hazel, Beech or Elm trees can help inspire creative thoughts, as the yellow leaves of these trees resonate with the left side of the brain, inspiring new ideas and creativity⁶.

The best forests in the UK to see brighter golden yellow leaves are:
The New Forest (Common Beech)
Ashdown Forest (Common Hazel)
Galloway Forest (Wych Elm)
Macclesfield Forest (Japanese Larch)
One of the rarer autumn shades is the distinctive bright red of the European ash leaf, which can be seen in the landscape of Tollymore Forest Park in Northern Ireland. Red shades can encourage feelings of strength and courage, giving confidence to those who are shy or lacking willpower⁶.

However, not all UK forests share the same autumnal colour palette, with some dominated by evergreen species that even in the cooler months display the shades representing balance and growth. Green shades evoke feelings of rest and security, symbolising stability, with darker greens also relating to wealth and prestige⁶. Forests dominated by Pines such as Corsican Pine and Scots Pine, Fir trees and Conifers are the ideal locations for provoking these emotions.

The evergreen forests which are best to visit for green shades are:
Hamsterley Forest (Sitka Spruce)
Delamere Forest (Corsican Pine)
Swinley Forest (Scots Pine)
Haldon Forest (Douglas Fir)
Castlewellan Forest Park (Hall’s tōtara)
Greens can also represent feelings of healing, with lighter greens relating to rebirth, growth and freshness⁶.

For a whole family trip, dogs included, Whinlatter Forest in the Lake District is an ideal destination, with over 900 dog-friendly accommodation options available nearby and miles of walking trails for all to enjoy⁷.

Matthew Fox, CEO of the Snaptrip Group, said,

“The increasing popularity of colour psychology and the importance of mental health and wellbeing made us consider the impact that the colours of nature can have on our emotions. It’s estimated that three in every 100 people in the UK experience some form of seasonal depression during autumn and winter months8, and we wanted to see how the iconic colours of autumn could help people alleviate those feelings.

“That’s why we’ve created The Colour Therapy Holidays Collection, to help use the shades of the forest to positively influence our psychology on autumn breaks. With plenty of forests to choose from, we hope the collection will help encourage more people to get out into nature with their dogs and embrace the beauty of the UK’s forests.”

Leicester TV

Education Technology Day must be extended to prisons

Education Technology Day must be extended to prisons

Typically thought of as being an easy to clean area of the home, hard floors have risen in popularity in recent decades. Globally, hard floors are the most common floor type,2 and research released today by Dyson has uncovered poor cleaning habits that mean hard floors are likely to be harbouring an array of hidden nasties. This comes as 32% of Brits – equating to 21.6 million people in the UK – will use the same dirty mop head for six months or more before replacing it. What’s more, one in 20 also admit to keeping the same mop for a year or longer, and one in 10 think it is acceptable to use the same mop 100 times, spreading dirt around their floors every time they use it. Cross contamination is a primary issue for most common and traditional mopping methods with germs and bacteria further being unknowingly spread around homes as Brits use dirty water to clean floors.3 45% only change the water to new water between rooms, whereas 41% wait even longer until it looks dirty. This could mean that floors are being washed with dirty water, adding more dirt rather than taking it away. Surprisingly, almost one in 10 (9%) even admit to not changing the dirty water at all when mopping. Over a quarter (28%) admit to mopping their floors once a fortnight or less while over half (53%) admit they don’t regularly clean behind appliances and leave dirt to build up for as long as six months at a time. image002.jpg On how to achieve a perfect barefoot clean feel after mopping, Geli Lee, Dyson Engineer and Home Cleaning Expert offers their top tips for eliminating dirt around the home: 1. Create a cleaning schedule to stay on top of dirt build-up. In the last year, there has been a 15% global reduction in the number of people who maintain regular cleaning schedules. 47% of the British public admitted to only being motivated to clean when they spot visible dirt or dust.4 Regular floor cleaning with a wet hard floor cleaner like the Dyson WashG1™ removes more stubborn dirt than vacuuming alone. It is important to have a debris free surface, clear any clutter from the floor or other surfaces. Choose the right machine: Different vacuums are designed for different floor types and home sizes. Some machines will be engineered with hard floors in mind and will struggle on thick pile carpets, for example. Choosing the right machine for your home will make a big difference to the ease and speed with which you’re able to clean your home. Clean your floors ‘little and often’. Washing your floors frequently in areas that receive more foot fall will help to stop dirt building up and getting trodden into your floor. Using a dedicated wet floor cleaner on hard flooring such as the Dyson WashG1 is helpful for this, as the versatile format means it vacuums and washes the floor simultaneously. Cleaning schedules have also become less regimented. In recent years only 41% of people claim to have a regular cleaning schedule, and 60% admit to cleaning reactively; being motivated to clean only when there is visible dirt or dust5. It’s perhaps not surprising, that a fifth of people are still concerned their floors are dirty after they’ve mopped them (22%) and one in four6 feel extremely worried about indoor dust at home. Geli Lee, Dyson Engineer and Home Cleaning Expert reveals why it is important to change the way we mop: “Cleaning your hard floors properly and regularly is important for maintaining a healthy environment around your home. Without a proper cleaning routine, dirt may unknowingly build up and spread around your home. It is evident from our research that current mopping habits mean British households aren’t cleaning their floors as effectively as they should. “From ignoring problem areas where dust and debris build up, cross contamination with dirty water to not replacing mop heads or inconsistent cleaning, current mopping behaviours may be making floors dirtier as opposed to cleaner. Moving away from traditional methods, wet floor cleaners like the Dyson WashG1 simplify the floor cleaning experience and provide a modern efficient and hygienic solution” To help take the guesswork out of mopping, the brand new WashG1 is Dyson’s first dedicated wet floor cleaner that tackles wet and dry debris in one go. Engineered for hygienic cleaning and maintenance, the WashG1 is revolutionising wet floor cleaning, removing the need for multi-products and multi-steps to achieve a barefoot clean feel around the home. To put the product to the test, Dyson have cleaned one of London’s most iconic landmarks The Victoria and Albert Museum. From cleaning the grand marble floors housing the most prestigious exhibits, to cleaning up leftover food in the Gamble Room Cafe, the WashG1 had a dirt busting tour of the museum leaving it spotless. Images can be found here. The WashG1 introduces Dyson’s engineering expertise to cleaning hard floors. With a 1 litre clean-water tank to cover flooring up to 290m2, the Dyson WashG1 uses a combination of hydration, absorption, and extraction technologies to remove wet and dry spills and stains simultaneously. The Dyson WashG1 is available to purchase now from Dyson.co.uk, retailing at £599.99.

Typically thought of as being an easy to clean area of the home, hard floors have risen in popularity in recent decades. Globally, hard floors are the most common floor type,2 and research released today by Dyson has uncovered poor cleaning habits that mean hard floors are likely to be harbouring an array of hidden nasties. This comes as 32% of Brits – equating to 21.6 million people in the UK – will use the same dirty mop head for six months or more before replacing it. What’s more, one in 20 also admit to keeping the same mop for a year or longer, and one in 10 think it is acceptable to use the same mop 100 times, spreading dirt around their floors every time they use it. Cross contamination is a primary issue for most common and traditional mopping methods with germs and bacteria further being unknowingly spread around homes as Brits use dirty water to clean floors.3 45% only change the water to new water between rooms, whereas 41% wait even longer until it looks dirty. This could mean that floors are being washed with dirty water, adding more dirt rather than taking it away. Surprisingly, almost one in 10 (9%) even admit to not changing the dirty water at all when mopping. Over a quarter (28%) admit to mopping their floors once a fortnight or less while over half (53%) admit they don’t regularly clean behind appliances and leave dirt to build up for as long as six months at a time. image002.jpg On how to achieve a perfect barefoot clean feel after mopping, Geli Lee, Dyson Engineer and Home Cleaning Expert offers their top tips for eliminating dirt around the home: 1. Create a cleaning schedule to stay on top of dirt build-up. In the last year, there has been a 15% global reduction in the number of people who maintain regular cleaning schedules. 47% of the British public admitted to only being motivated to clean when they spot visible dirt or dust.4 Regular floor cleaning with a wet hard floor cleaner like the Dyson WashG1™ removes more stubborn dirt than vacuuming alone. It is important to have a debris free surface, clear any clutter from the floor or other surfaces. Choose the right machine: Different vacuums are designed for different floor types and home sizes. Some machines will be engineered with hard floors in mind and will struggle on thick pile carpets, for example. Choosing the right machine for your home will make a big difference to the ease and speed with which you’re able to clean your home. Clean your floors ‘little and often’. Washing your floors frequently in areas that receive more foot fall will help to stop dirt building up and getting trodden into your floor. Using a dedicated wet floor cleaner on hard flooring such as the Dyson WashG1 is helpful for this, as the versatile format means it vacuums and washes the floor simultaneously. Cleaning schedules have also become less regimented. In recent years only 41% of people claim to have a regular cleaning schedule, and 60% admit to cleaning reactively; being motivated to clean only when there is visible dirt or dust5. It’s perhaps not surprising, that a fifth of people are still concerned their floors are dirty after they’ve mopped them (22%) and one in four6 feel extremely worried about indoor dust at home. Geli Lee, Dyson Engineer and Home Cleaning Expert reveals why it is important to change the way we mop: “Cleaning your hard floors properly and regularly is important for maintaining a healthy environment around your home. Without a proper cleaning routine, dirt may unknowingly build up and spread around your home. It is evident from our research that current mopping habits mean British households aren’t cleaning their floors as effectively as they should. “From ignoring problem areas where dust and debris build up, cross contamination with dirty water to not replacing mop heads or inconsistent cleaning, current mopping behaviours may be making floors dirtier as opposed to cleaner. Moving away from traditional methods, wet floor cleaners like the Dyson WashG1 simplify the floor cleaning experience and provide a modern efficient and hygienic solution” To help take the guesswork out of mopping, the brand new WashG1 is Dyson’s first dedicated wet floor cleaner that tackles wet and dry debris in one go. Engineered for hygienic cleaning and maintenance, the WashG1 is revolutionising wet floor cleaning, removing the need for multi-products and multi-steps to achieve a barefoot clean feel around the home. To put the product to the test, Dyson have cleaned one of London’s most iconic landmarks The Victoria and Albert Museum. From cleaning the grand marble floors housing the most prestigious exhibits, to cleaning up leftover food in the Gamble Room Cafe, the WashG1 had a dirt busting tour of the museum leaving it spotless. Images can be found here. The WashG1 introduces Dyson’s engineering expertise to cleaning hard floors. With a 1 litre clean-water tank to cover flooring up to 290m2, the Dyson WashG1 uses a combination of hydration, absorption, and extraction technologies to remove wet and dry spills and stains simultaneously. The Dyson WashG1 is available to purchase now from Dyson.co.uk, retailing at £599.99.

Housing shortfall calls for public-private collaboration

Housing shortfall calls for public-private collaboration

Seven ways to decorate your home when renting

Seven ways to decorate your home when renting

65% of Brits are concerned about marine life

65% of Brits are concerned about marine life

Muntada Aid – Landmark 50th Mission to Take Place in Tunisia this September as Little Hearts nears 3,000 Lifesaving Operations

Muntada Aid – Landmark 50th Mission to Take Place in Tunisia this September as Little Hearts nears 3,000 Lifesaving Operations