As a professional UK copywriter I have written for several national magazine titles, including You & Your Wedding, Scotland's New Home Buyer and Prima Baby & Pregnancy.
Below is a small sample of my work, if you have a magazine feature in mind let me know at melissa@melissablamey.com
Below is a small sample of my work, if you have a magazine feature in mind let me know at melissa@melissablamey.com
You & Your Wedding magazine
Below is an article I was commissioned to write for leading national bridal magazine You & Your Wedding. The article explores the latest trend of couples producing their own Save the Date wedding films.
http://www.youandyourwedding.co.uk/planning/photographers/save-the-date-wedding-films/16729.html
Top tips on buying a new home in the downturn
As house buying activity begins to show its first signs of improvement, Melissa Blamey unveils NHBC's guide to effective home buying in a tough housing market – when it is more important than ever to ensure that potentially costly complications are avoided.
For first time buyers and those wishing to move up the property ladder, a new home can be a more financially secure option than a second-hand one. They require less costly modification, come with a 10-year warranty to protect against unforeseen construction problems and are usually built to higher environmental standards, which may result in lower heating and electricity bills.
Melissa says; “Buying a home is one of the most expensive purchases most of us will ever make and it has never been more important than in the current climate to give your move careful thought. By taking some simple steps, like checking warranty provision and considering green technologies, prospective new homeowners can avoid unnecessary problems and costs, making the whole process less stressful and more exciting – just as it should be.”
Tips for prospective new home buyers:
· - Reputation – check that the building firm has a good national or local reputation – ask to look round homes they have built before and even to chat to previous customers if possible. Also check if your builder has an industry seal of approval from leading bodies like NHBC or the Federation of Master Builders.
· - Don’t cut corners on official business – appoint a solicitor to oversee the transaction, agree a completion date and arrange home and contents insurance for your new home as soon as possible.
· - Check for new home warranty cover – eight out of ten new homes are protected by NHBC’S 10-year Buildmark Cover. You can check whether a builder is registered with NHBC at www.nhbc.co.uk
· - Watch your deposit – although your builder decides which warranty provider to use, you can decide which builder to use. Some new home warranties include deposit protection and builder insolvency cover, meaning that the deposit can be recouped in the event the builder is unable to complete the home.
· - Read the small print – once you’ve exchanged contracts, request that your solicitor sends the warranty documentation to you. This will explain what protection you have if a problem occurs. You may need to refer to them and your future purchaser will need them if you move within the 10 year cover period.
· - Get to grips with the green gadgets – many new homes are equipped with new technologies to make them eco-compliant, and it is important to ask for guidance on how to use them because using them incorrectly might reduce their economic and environmental benefits.
Prima Baby & Pregnancy
Your birth stories
Melissa Blamey, 35, adopted an ‘anything goes’ approach to having her first baby, Poppy.
4am A week before my due date I started to feel the first twinges of labour. At first the contractions felt like strong period pain and were accompanied by sickness. We had friends staying over, so I tried to be quiet on my numerous trips to the bathroom!
8.30am With contractions five minutes apart, Matt, my partner, drove me to the hospital. An examination revealed I was only 2cm dilated, so I popped into a warm bath which helped with the pain.
1pm I was now 5 cm dilated and decided to get into the birthing pool. The water was lovely and warm and I was able to take gas and air over the side. Matt read me snippets of celebrity gossip inbetween contractions.
2.30pm As the water was no longer cutting it any more, I asked what was next on the menu of pain relief and opted for an injection of pethidine.
3pm The pethidine worked its magic as I felt extremely relaxed and sleepy. I think Matt was just relieved I had stopped complaining about the pain.
5pm Pleased to hear I was fully dilated, I could now focus on pushing and finally being able to meet our baby.
6.22pm Our beautiful baby girl arrived, weighing 6lb 12oz. She had taken so long because her arm was next to her head in a Super-girl style.
Convinced I was having a boy throughout my pregnancy, I was delighted to have a baby girl. My mum passed away of breast cancer a few years ago and we decided to give Poppy the middle name ‘Lyndy’ as a tribute.
Convinced I was having a boy throughout my pregnancy, I was delighted to have a baby girl. My mum passed away of breast cancer a few years ago and we decided to give Poppy the middle name ‘Lyndy’ as a tribute.
Funniest moment
‘Before the pethidine injection, the midwife asked if I was allergic to anything. I replied ‘bees’, which Matt and the midwife found hilarious.’
What I had wish I had known
‘That you will feel like you have been kicked by a horse for a few days afterwards as your uterus contracts back down. Also that some bubble bath would have been great at the early stages!’
Matt says
'I'm not normally emotional but when I held our little girl, the floodgates opened. Boys don't cry but I think for daddies, it's fine.'
Matt says
'I'm not normally emotional but when I held our little girl, the floodgates opened. Boys don't cry but I think for daddies, it's fine.'
Housebuilder Magazine
Star Quality
Before 1981, a competition to raise house building standards was just a glint in NHBC's eye. Now Pride in the Job is in its jubilee year.
Melissa Blamey looks at how PIJ started and how a new DVD will help builders get the superstar edge.
Cast your mind back to the year when Rubik's cube mania swept the country, Blondie was at number one and Raiders of the Lost Ark was on general release. Yes, it is the year that had everyone wondering, "who shot JR?" - loveable, cuddly, 1981. The year that NHBC launched the annual Pride in the Job competition.
Originally named The Douglas Calverley Site Supervision Awards, after a former pioneer of NHBC, Pride in the Job was designed to improve quality and standards of service to home buyers, with particular emphasis on the day-to-day operation of the building site and the work of the site manager.
Andrew Tait, NHBC's former director general from 1964 to 1984, says: "Pride in the Job was set up as a direct appeal to raise housebuilding standards for new home buyers and reward those site managers who consistently monitor and improve the quality of their work.
“From the start, the competition was supported by the major builders who agreed with this vision and who saw that building to higher standards made good business sense. We were fairly confident it would take off but I'm delighted to see it has achieved the status that it has."
According to Tait, a key element of Pride in the Job's success has been down to the input of regional building inspectors.
"The dedication of the inspectors who carry out the initial judging on their patch has helped PIJ build up a formidable reputation. It really is the only competition in the industry which has so many knowledgeable judges at different levels.
There's absolutely no doubt that PIJ has made a real difference in raising standards and it's really good to have an established award scheme that encourages and rewards those who go that extra mile."
Many of the original rules of the competition remain today. For example, all registered builders building three or more units on a site are automatically entered, site managers are judged by different members of staff, including inspectors, inspection managers, regional directors and ultimately a judging panel including external members. Furthermore, just a handful of winning site managers are selected to take the overall UK Supreme Award winners title.
Originally, NHBC inspectors looked at five key areas of performance on site, such as safety and storage of materials. And features which might distinguish a Pride in the Job winning site manager were cited as "clean and neat internal and external finishing" and the "thorough cleansing of dwellings before occupation."
These days scores are given across 38 different areas. Most relate to the construction of the home, however aspects of how the site is managed are also examined, from site administration, to the morale of the team. Judging takes place throughout the year and all stages of units under construction are checked to gauge overall standards.
Professional Profile
It may sound like hard work, but a PIJ award goes a long way towards raising a site manager's personal and professional profile.
Previous winners have found that PIJ awards have boosted their careers and there have even been reports of lucrative "team transfer" offers. But it's not just a personal triumph; the accolade says something about the site manager's company and the homes they build.
Richard Hartshorn, NHBC regional director and chairman of the Pride in the Job national judging panel says: "The PIJ logo is used on site flags and boards and has come to be a well known and respected seal of quality, showing both competitors and home buyers that those homes have been singled out for having exceptional standards on site. The award sets winners apart, which is more important than ever, as the government is set on increasing housing supply across the UK, so the distinction for builders who are creating the very best, quality new homes is vital."
The competition has retained its relevance to the industry by adapting to the changing environment in which site managers work. In 2003, the competition categories were redefined with the introduction of a new multi-storey category. This was to reflect the increase in the number of flats and maisonettes being built, as well as the emergence of new styles of design and modern methods of construction.
Hartshorn says: "It is vital that the way the Pride in the Job competition is organised, from the rules to the judging criteria, mirrors what is going on site. The multistorey category was introduced in recognition that a different set of skills is required for high rise development and to ensure all site managers have an equal opportunity to demonstrate those skills. Managing a city centre high rise development raises environmental, access and storage issues which are quite different from traditional housebuilding."
Previously, competition winners were defined as being in a large, medium or small builder category but with the advent of the multi-storey category, the small and medium categories were combined.
One of the major influences was the changing make-up and size of housebuilding companies.
Hartshorn says: "Over the last decade, the number of mergers and consolidations of housebuilding businesses has increased dramatically. In terms of the PIJ competition, this significantly reduced the numbers of site managers eligible for the medium category awards, so it was appropriate to bring the small and medium into the same category."
With over 18,000 site managers eligible to win, clinching a Pride in the Job award is no easy task and even the judges are inclined to agree. As chairman of the PIJ national judging panel, Hartshorn says: "It's a real challenge for us to seek out the best site managers, as each year we see individuals surpassing their previous standards. We are really proud to see Pride in the Job has become the accolade it has and recognise that the competition is getting harder every year. We have to see something quite special to nominate a site manager for an award."
With judging already underway to find this year's PIJ winners, how to nail the X factor has been captured in a new DVD by NHBC which shows site managers how to move from building to NHBC standards, to running a site worthy of a UK Supreme Award.
Interview from a quarterly in house magazine I wrote and edited for a large UK-based business.
Did you know that Jeff Tremaine, Group Head of IT, once did a 3-legged race around Bristol city centre dressed as a schoolgirl? Well now you do. He also lives in Swindon with his partner and hoards of children and step-children (his words).
Here are some more essential Jeff facts:
Who was the first person you spoke to this morning? My partner, Sharon, who gets up with me just to make me a cup of coffee.
What was the last DVD you watched? In my occasional spare time, I’ve been trying to watch the boxed set of Life on Mars which was a Christmas present.
Do you have any allergies? Cats, rude people and dancing.
Apart from a house and car, what is the most expensive thing you have bought? My divorces.
What does breakfast usually comprise for you? Coffee, then maybe more coffee or juice as I drive to work.
What was your first pet? A tortoise called Tinker. He escaped to freedom after about five years never to be seen again.
Starter or pudding? I prefer savoury to sweet, so a starter every time.
Describe your ideal Sunday. Hopefully a lie-in to start with, if my girls don’t get me up. Maybe a leisurely breakfast with a Sunday paper and, as it’ll be a sunny day, off to the park to let the girls run off their energy.
Name three items currently in your fridge. Sea bass, lots of cheese and a bottle of champagne ready for a special occasion (e.g. it’s the weekend).
DIY or getting someone in to do it? Always DIY – I hate paying out for someone to do what I can do.
Complete this sentence: In moments of weakness I...quite like a Macdonald’s.
