Merry Christmas!

We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas! Enjoy yourselves, eat copious amounts of turkey, but remember to keep playing!

10,000 reasons to choose PMD for safety surfacing

PMD have 10,000 reasons why they are proud of the surfacing they have installed this year. Yes thats right 10,000m2 of wetpour rubber surfacing, artifical grass, resin bound stone and bonded rubber mulch. The best thing about our surfacing is that it's all porous so we are not adding to the 'views of many' that we are covering the UK with non porous surfaces. Water passes through our surfaces which means we are not contributing to the concrete culture.

Surfacing is a vital part of any playground installation and it has to be done correctly to avoid problems occurring in the following months. PMD's teams are highly skilled having installed surfaces for many years across the UK in all different situations and conditions. Wetpour rubber crumb surfacing has been long established as the best safety surface but it doesn't have to be the only option, along with the recent addition of bonded rubber mulch PMD are installing more and more artificial grass with a safety surface under layer. This gives a brilliant natural look to your play area without having to have the more imposing look of wetpour or mulch. Artificial grass will blend your new play equipment seamlessly into a natural environment. Grass that doesn't wear away in seconds leaving a mud bath!

For any further information please contact us here...

Architects Guide To Wetpour Rubber Insulation

We have put together a downloadable pdf to help Architects use as a guide when planning constructions for their clients. For further information please call us on 01477 533 555 or email us here.

Download the pdf here.

Xmas Newsletter

If you aren't on our newsletter list and would like to have a quick glimpse at the articles then view the newsletter here. If you have any suggestions or have a story that you would like to share with everyone then email us and we may add you into our next publication.

PMD Competition

Head over to our kids zone page and enter our giant, word search puzzle competition. Entrants will be drawn out of a hat during the 2nd week in January. Winners will receive a Toys 'r' Us voucher to the value of £50. You can download the puzzle from the webpage.

Have fun, you can post us your completed word searches or email them to us.

Kids Zone

Check out our new kids zone. We are regularly updating the content and look towards setting up high score tables so you can submit your scores and put your name/school at the top of the leader board. We also have a free arcade game area but be careful extreme addiction to some of the games may result!

Have fun and send us any suggestions you may have for cool games to include in our website.

Playground Safety Surfacing

The standard Play Bark has fallen out of favour in recent times with the constant need to replenish the levels and the less attractive fact that animals can use it for a litter tray. In spite of this it still remains one of the cheapest ways to provide protection against falling.

Rubber Mulch can be either bonded together or loose like play bark. Rubber Mulch bonded together can be installed onto all kinds of surfaces for example grass or tarmac. Wetpour is classed as the ultimate type of safety surfacing with very neat appearance, almost looking like tarmac with a lot more bounce. The rubber granules are bonded together to create a robust flat surface. Wetpour Rubber Surfacing can be installed directly onto tarmac or concrete and with added ground preparation it can also be installed onto a grassed area.

If you need further information on playground surfacing please email the office for more information, use the website livechat or call us on 01477 533555.

We also have a dedicated wetpour website at www.wet-pour.co.uk.

Canopies

PMD Canopies are a stylish and effective method of getting under cover from the wintery weather, they will also provide shelter in our occasional summer sun. There are a number of canopy styles, shapes and sizes to choose from such as a triangular, square or rectangular shaped canopy.
 
Please contact us for more information.

PMD Climbing Frames

Playground Markings Direct climbing frames are an excellent use of playground space. Climbing frames help the children to further develop their balance and strength while still being lots of fun. We have various types of climbing frame designed specifically for toddlers and juniors. Children’s climbing frames incorporate platforms, events and links of varying difficulty and physical requirements.

Take a look at some of our popular climbing frames or request a bespoke design.

Get in touch for a quote from one of the PMD team.

Everest Descend Update

Chip is well and truly on his way back now and its not too long before he is back in blighty. We have more pictures below of his adventure. Please continue to donate to Chip's charity, the details are at the end of this post.

You can still donate to chips charity at
http://www.justgiving.com/PMD-Everest-Challenge

Everest Climb Update: Chip's Blog - Oct 29

We have received news that Chip has reached his target of Base Camp at 5332M, along the Khumbu Glacier. He is in good health and spirits but has said that the last push to base camp took its toll. We will add more news and images once we receive them as he descends to where he can get a wifi signal.

Well done Chip from all at PMD.

You can still donate to chips charity at
http://www.justgiving.com/PMD-Everest-Challenge

Everest Climb Update: Chip's Blog - Oct 24

More information from our exploring director as he continues to climb Mount Everest and raise money for Diabetes UK.

Wed 24th: We had a group warm up session this morning, all 16 of us in a circle looking like the Chinese on their dinner break. Once we had all stretched we set off to the monastery in Kumjung and saw the world famous yeti skull. I have pictures and will send as soon as I have wi fi again. We dropped 600m today down into the bottom of a valley where we had lunch in the sun on a patio area over looking the river. After lunch we climbed up to the next village where the temp dropped massively and the snow came in.

Spent 2 hours in a monastery this afternoon with the monks whilst they were performing a ceremony. Kemee our famous guide went up and prayed for us all. The climb up to the village was very rugged and steep. I had to put on my (new ) waterproof jacket because of the snow. This made me happy because its been sat at the bottom of my bag since we set off and i was thinking i had wasted my money buying it, every day has been roasting until we hit the snow today.

Had tomato soup and pizza for tea tonight in our very busy T house. A lot of people are here, there are a few different routes to base camp but all have to pass where we are today. Met a couple from Canada doing the same trip as us but having a bad time with there Sherpa ( always drunk). They should sack him off!!!! And join us our guide is a legend.

Over and out xx

I asked Chip if he was out of his shorts due to the temperature dropping the higher they climbed - Response; 'no, still in shorts, what's a bit of snow'

You can still donate to chips charity at
http://www.justgiving.com/PMD-Everest-Challenge

Install Thornton College, Milton Keynes

Thornton College was recently finished after a 7 day period on site and using 6 of our installers. The project had paranormal visitors when one of our installers reported seeing a dark figure out the corner of his eye when he was loading the van. The was walking towards the trees and then suddenly disappeared. We haven't told him it was our new quality inspector checking on things. Thorton had a mixture of products installed including the following:

netball court marking, log chain bridge, rope swing, tyre traverse, wobble board, hanging rope traverse, rolling log, roll over bars, monkey bars, gleneagles picnic bench, solid hopscotch and rubber grass mats for fall protection around the playground equipment.

Playground Markings Direct would like to thank Thornton College and head teacher, Lyne Tipping for choosing us for their playground needs.

Everest Climb Update: Chip's Blog

Chip is now well into his charity climb and enjoying every minute of it. He has made new friends and so far avoided any problems except migraines at night. In this update we have more images from chip and a report in his own words.

Dear all

5pm Friday, kit check for everybody outside in the garden. Was very enlightening, the head Sherpa came over gave us a brief outline about tomorrow then took us all for tea in Tamul traditional food ( rice) quick beer and in bed at 9.30pm. night xx


Sat Morning

6am feeling totally refreshed after a good night sleep, jumped in taxi to airport and boarded our propeller plane, had 16 seats and was very cramped, it was like something out of Raiders of the Lost Ark!! Landing at Lukla Was out of this world, flying through a valley heading straight for a rock face with a short Tarmac runway in front of it . (No room for error) the pilot landed us safely and we all met our team of Sherpas or as they looked to us young boys, with yaks (cow looking donkeys) the Yaks were soon loaded and the trek began. Dusty rocky pathways that you would not believe cattle could navigate wind through small villages over rivers and past clusters of small stone houses (shelters) dotted around the valleys. Weather has been glorious every day clear blue sky’s with slight cloud cover in the afternoon. I have not experienced sunlight quite like this its so intense and bright, altitude has been proven to bring on migraines (for those who suffer) and i cannot be outside in the sunlight without sunglasses. Kemee our head porter told us that he experienced a man loose his sight at the top of Everest because he took his sun glasses off. (Scary) Food in the T houses at lunch time is garlic soup followed by noodles or rice, evening meal, again soup (tonight was mushroom and garlic ) such variety!!! followed by dim sum or yak meat curry and veg, actually very nice!! breakfast is porridge. Everybody is feeling the altitude which is a very strange experience and am not going to try and explain it now. My fellow trekkers are mixed ages and i’m an average age, but far from being average. We are all getting along very well and i have bonded very well with Vic Reeves, such an odd individual much like myself, lol.


Monday Morning

Not sleeping well at all, jet lag and high altitude are messing around with sleep patterns, on a good night I got 4 hours sleep . The team are all suffering with different problems as the days go on, my only issue at present are migraines. Not been sick with them and they hit me at night during the day I’m fighting fit. I don’t claim to be super man but nothing we have done so far has challenged my physical ability. Clearly far fitter than I gave myself credit for. Very surprised to find wi-fi connection at 3850 m where these Nepalese people live such a simple life.
Today we had a acclimatisation day where we climbed up during the day but have returned back down to the T house that we stayed at last night . This will help us achieve greater heights tomorrow . Night night xx

You can still donate to chips charity at
http://www.justgiving.com/PMD-Everest-Challenge

Everest Climb Update

Chip is rested(sobering up), the shorts are out and he is ready to start his trekking. Weather is good and ideal for the day ahead. He  has taken the hair raising plane flight to lukla and started his first walk to Monjo. Clear skies permitting, views of the Himalayan giants like Ama Dablam, Everest, and Nuptse will take your breath away and give a taste of what is to come.

You can still donate to chips charity at
http://www.justgiving.com/PMD-Everest-Challenge

Everest Climb Update

PMD’s intrepid explorer Paul Chapman has landed in Katmando and is resting before his first days trekking. For anyone wondering Katmandu is +5.45hrs ahead of the UK.

Dear all

Manchester to Heathrow went smoothly, getting from t5 to t4 was a joke. Met all 14 troops then boarded for Doha, connecting flight was delayed by 2 hours. Doha airport was like Dubai but smaller and not so glam. Spent some time with everybody now and they seem a good crowd, getting through customs and baggage collection took some time followed by a hectic journey crammed into a small bus darting round un made roads dodging motorbikes and other taxis I'm sharing a room with Peter at a very nice but basic hotel. The rest of the team have gone for a snooze but i cannot sleep so im enjoying an ice cold beer in the hotel garden.

Chip

You can still donate to chips charity at http://www.justgiving.com/PMD-Everest-Challenge

Pirate Ship Product Launch

Playground Markings Direct are pleased to announce that two new pirate ships recently used on projects are now available to purcahse online from our playground equipment department. The Barbarossa Pirate Ship

Swedish Redwood Pirate ship made from FSC sourced timbers, including climbing wall gantry, walk the plank, raised deck area with steps, crawl tunnel, portholes, pirate head thru panel, slide, monkey bars and cargo net climber. The ultimate wow factor for any playground.   The Empress Pirate Ship
Great fun pirate ship, including climbing wall gantry, walk the plank, raised deck area An An excellent item of playground equipment to add a fun factor to any playground, the Empress Pirate Ship comes complete with steps, crawl tunnel, portholes, and slide. Made from Swedish Redwood plained and treated FSC sourced.
For more information contact us here...