Mar 28, 2018
The DIY Week Awards 2018, taking place on Friday May 11 at the Park Plaza Victoria in London, has announced it will be hosted by major British comedy talent, Marcus Brigstocke.
On television Marcus launched The Late Edition, the late night BBC4 answer to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He has hosted and appeared as a panellist on Have I Got News For You, and he was the host of I’ve Never Seen Star Wars on both radio and TV, a regular on panel shows from QI to Just A Minute, and has appeared on Question Time, Newsnight, and This Week.
On Radio 4 he is the angry youngish man on The Now Show, with Punt and Dennis, and his own show The Brig Society. He has written and performed several series of Giles Wemmbley-Hogg Goes Off and The Museum Of Everything. He also played Packer, Head of Unthinkable Solutions in Think the Unthinkable.
A fixture at the Edinburgh Fringe, usually with two shows, Marcus’ live performances sell out across the country. On the big screen he has appeared in Love Actually, Piccadilly Jim, Telstar: The Joe Meek Story, and Beyond The Sea. He played King Arthur in the hit Monty Python musical Spamalot.
Editor of DIY Week, Fiona Garcia said: “We are delighted to have Marcus on board for the 2018 DIY Week Awards. Our aim this year, moving the event to a Friday lunchtime, was to bring back the buzz and an element of fun to proceedings, and we believe a host like Marcus will do just that.”
Tickets can be purchased via a secure online booking form available here.
For more information contact event business manager, Max Shannon on 01622 699 148 or mshannon@datateam.co.uk
Mar 28, 2018
Following a successful judging day last week, we can finally reveal the home improvement and garden retailers shortlisted for the 2018 DIY Week Awards.
Judges convened on Monday, March 19 week at Toolbank’s new purpose-built site in Wednesbury to review the entries, discuss their findings and settle on a shortlist. There a lot of really strong entries this year and some difficult decisions had to be made on the day – with a couple of results having to be put to a vote.
A total of 18 home improvement and garden retailers have been named as finalists across six categories, which are detailed below.
Business Expansion Award
Bathroom Takeaway
Squire’s Garden Centres
Tool Shop
Walton Flooring Centre
Watson Home Hardware
Digital Investment/Website of the Year
D&M Tools
ManoMano
Marketing Initiative Award
Hafod Hardware – #delivermagic Christmas ad campaign
Perrywood – Green Up Your Home campaign
Team of the Year
Axminster Tools & Machinery
Browns Home Hardware
Tool Shop
Walton Flooring Centre
Retailer of the Year (turnover >£10m)
Bents Home & Garden
Squire’s Garden Centres
Retailer of the Year (turnover <£10m)
Broad Street DIY
Ruthin Décor
Tool Shop
The overall winners in each category will be announced at the 2018 DIY Week Awards luncheon on Friday, May 11 at the Park Plaza Victoria in London, along with winners of the supplier categories – the finalists for which were announced in the March 9 issue but can also be found online here.
Book your place at this fantastic networking event now, as we come together to celebrate the industry’s successes.
Mar 9, 2018
Judges convened last month at the Dulux Academy at Akzo Nobel’s UK head office in Slough to discuss the entries and test out products, resulting in 27 products being shortlisted across nine categories.
There were some tough decisions to be made across a host of great entries and our stellar judging panel stood firm in their brief, judging products on innovation, quality, function and price.
Our judging panel this year comprised:
• Paul Andrews, DIY Product Manager, Home Hardware Southwest
• John Cosford, Buyer – DIY, Wilko
• Mike Farrants, Buyer, Wyevale Garden Centres
• Paul Garland, Associate Buyer – DIY & garden, QVC UK
• Andrew Georgiou, Buying Manager, Robert Dyas (Theo Paphitis Retail Group)
• Steve Guy, Category Director – outdoor, B&Q
• Gary Hayman, Group Buyer, Capital Gardens
• Vicky Nuttall, Director, Garden Industry Manufacturers Association
• Paul Warren, Owner, Broad Street DIY
The products shortlisted for the 2018 DIY Week Awards (in alphabetical order) are:
Decorating Product of the Year
Akzo Nobel Dulux roller tester
PlastiKote chalk (water-based spray paint)
V33 Easy Furniture Paint
DIY Product of the Year
Everbuild Hand Armour barrier cream
Fix-A-Floor UK, Fix-A-Floor
Henkel UnibondNo More Nails Click & Fix
Silverline Tools Lock Rod drain rod system
What More Wham Bam Upcycled toolbox
Electronic DIY Product of the Year
Bosch Universal Inspect
Bosch Universal Level
Garden Leisure Product of the Year
Panacea Products Rosette Modular Fence System
QEP Homelux Colour Changing Cube/stool
Garden Care Product of the Year
Elho Green Basics Flower Bridge Grow House
Riverco Trading Frogsuit wood treatment
SBM Life Science Solabiol Bug Free ready-to-use 1litre
Hand Tool & Accessory of the Year
Olympia Tools Gorilla Block Buster
Olympia Tools Roughneck Pallet buster
QEP Vitrex Diamond drills & guide kit
Home & Kitchen Product of the Year
Croydex Flexi-Fix toilet seat
Evo Lifestyle Products Scrub Daddy
Henkel Unibond Aero360 Moisture Absorber & scented refills
What More Wham Upcycled 62-litre
Power Tool of the Year
Bosch Easycut 12
Bosch Easyprune
Makita HP457DWE10 18v combi drill
Security Product of the Year
Masterlock2650EURD PushKey Padlock
Yale Conexis L1 Smart Door Lock
The overall winners in each category will be announced at the 2018 DIY Week Awards luncheon on Friday, May 11 at the Park Plaza Victoria in London, along with a Judges’ Choice accolade to be awarded to the product that our judges felt stood head and shoulders above the rest.
• The judging for the retailer categories, which was set to take place at the end of February was postponed due to poor weather but has been rescheduled for later this month, with the finalists set to be revealed in the March 23 issue and in that week’s online newsletter.
The DIY Week Awards 2018, taking place on Friday May 11 at the Park Plaza Victoria in London, has announced it will be hosted by major British comedy talent, Marcus Brigstocke.