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  • Essential Services

  • By Time Out editors

    Posted: Wed Nov 2 2005


  • Personal Services
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    Clutterbusters

    Clear Space
    Bring some order to your interior chaos with innovative storage solutions from Clear Space. They’ll chuck things out and beautifully arrange the rest for you.
    (020 7233 3138/www.clear-space.co.uk).

    Designer Alterations
    This company offers alterations, providing an efficient, bespoke service with 12 tailors from £4.50. Specialists in adjusting wedding dresses, they also provide valeting and storage services.
    220a Queenstown Rd, SW8 (020 7498 4360/ www.designeralterations.com).
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    Hire Intelligence
    If you’ve got a mountain of receipts and your tax return’s due, or your filing is in piles on the floor, leave it where it is and pay someone to sort it for you.
    (020 8487 9450/ www.hireintelligence.co.uk). Rates are Mon-Fri 8am-6pm £50/hour, 6-9pm £75/hour, all other times £100/hour.

    Mechanics & body repairs

    Auto Technics
    Based in SW19, this reliable mechanic is recommended by Carcraft.
    5 Abbey Wall Works, Station Rd, Merton, SW19 (020 8543 1233) South Wimbledon tube.

    Carcraft
    Family-run, independent crash and body repair business, unrelated to the chain of the same name. This friendly and reliable team is based in SW19.
    Unit 4, Station Rd, Merton (020 8543 4278) South Wimbledon tube.

    Cavalry
    Come to your rescue with roadside tyre repairs, breakdown and recovery for motorbikes and scooters.
    (07974260311).

    FRL Goldsmiths Motor Services
    Based in New Cross, an honest and straightforward mechanics offering a full range of services.
    71 Lewisham Way, SE14 (020 8694 1998) New Cross Gate tube/rail.

    Hungerford Motors
    Family business in Roehampton for over 37 years. Owner Bernie Schreiner is as charming as he is skilled.
    Hungerford Motors, 13 Medfield St, SW15 (020 8788 4866) Barnees rail.

    Technical assistance

    John Macrill’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Centre
    Get your guitar, violin, cello, flute or saxophone set up or repaired for substantially less than the West End charges. With 15 years of experience behind him, Johnny O’Connell can make instruments play and feel better than ever. Standard set-ups and restringing starts at £25 and woodwind repairs are undertaken by highly-respected former Boosey & Hawkes restorer Pete Smith.
    John Macrill’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Centre, 3-5 Station Rd, Edgware, HA7 (020 8952 5813/www.donmack.com) Edgware tube.
    Mac-Daddy
    Excellent northwest London-based service provides home help with software crashes and internet, printing and email problems. The Apple-certified engineers will also set up your new broadband connection and install upgrades..The initial call-out fee is
    £35 (for Zones 1 & 2, £45 for Zones 3 & 4) plus £45 + VAT per hour.
    (020 7431 2408/www.mac-daddy.co.uk).

    Multi-region DVD upgrade
    This company sends you a special remote which you use once and return. The instructions are very specific – pay close attention – but follow them carefully and in five minutes your player will be multi-region for £24.99. This may invalidate your warranty, be warned.
    (0845 890 8070/ www.multi-region.co.uk).

    Ten food delivery sites

    1 Abel and Cole Organic fruit and veg boxes, plus groceries such as wholemeal bread, Kinvara smoked salmon, Daylesford sausages, Yeo Valley yogurts and decent pasta.
    www.abel-cole.co.uk
    2 Cool Chile Co You don’t have to make a special trip to Taqueria to buy authentic Mexican ingredients.
    www.coolchile.co.uk
    3 The Fish Society Probably the most efficient way to keep your diet healthy is having quality prepared fish on hand in the freezer.
    www.thefishsociety.co.uk
    4 Windsor Farm Shop The Royal farm’s prices for organic meat are surprisingly keen, even once you add in the cost of delivery.
    www.windsorfarmshop.co.uk
    5 Seriously Good Can’t get down to Cornwall? Let it to come to you. Gourmet mail order pasties, cream teas, artisan cheese and best-ever brownies.
    www.seriously-good.co.uk
    6 Easy Wine Well-edited selection of interesting wines from Archway Road store Wine of Course, with plenty under £8 and organic choices, too.
    www.easy-wine.co.uk
    7 Beers In A Box Speciality beers including micro-brews, vegetarian and a good choice of organic bottle-conditioned ales, plus ‘pear cider’.
    www.beersinabox.com
    8 Goodness Direct The doctor’s prescription for a special diet is not so scary once you realise you can buy everything you need from this carefully annotated catalogue.
    www.goodnessdirect.co.uk
    9 Nife Is Life Pick-your-time-slot van deliveries of a wide range of Italian foods and groceries, including excellent salumeria. www.nifeislife.com
    10 Ocado Why traipse round a supermarket if you don’t have to?
    www.ocado.com


    Other personal service contacts in Time Out London, Nov 2-9:

    Babysitters, bicycle repairs, dry cleaners, financial advisers, launderers, legal matters, mechanics & body repairs, personal assistants, personal shoppers, repairs and alterations, specialist services, shoe repair, tailors, and useful contacts.

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