Author Archives: AIB

Overseas Millionaires Favour London When Buying Second Homes

London According to research carried out by Wealthinsight, it found that London is the most popular city in the world where millionaires from abroad decide to purchase a second home. This probably does not come as a surprise to many of you but it is still great to hear that this is the case as such people no doubt benefit our economy as they probably spend a considerable sum of money whilst visiting the capital city.

Apparently, London is favoured by millionaires residing in other European countries as well as Russia. More people living in the later country buy a second home in London than from any other country. Perhaps some come over to avoid the harsh winters encountered there. Residents of the USA also love to buy second homes in London – no doubt appreciating the historic buildings and architecture. Millionaires from African and Middle Eastern countries also invest in buying homes in London. Many of them love to come over here during the summer months of July and August to avoid the extremely high temperatures in their countries.

The research also found that very few overseas millionaires would look to buy a second home in the UK that is outside the South East of England and London. They are no doubt attracted by all that London has to offer such as an extensive array of designer shops, wonderful theatres, the history of the place and, of course, the many fine-dining restaurants. It is interesting that such people focus on London when purchasing a second home in the UK because there are three cities in the USA that appear in the top five cities that overseas millionaires choose to buy a second home in.

Another interesting fact was that, although London was the most popular city in the world for overseas billionaires to buy a second home to live in for short periods, when it comes to looking at the number of billionaires actually residing permanently in a particular city in the world, London was in fourth place. The city that has more billionaires living permanently in it is New York, followed by Moscow and then Hong Kong.

Here at AIB Insurance, we have insured many expensive second homes in the UK. So, why not get in touch with us on 02380 268 351 to discuss your requirements and obtain a competitive quote.

How To Reduce The Possibility Of Being Burgled This Christmas

Christmas is an occasion for families to meet and exchange presents before enjoying a slap-up Christmas lunch together. However, not wishing to put a damper on things but the lead up to Christmas is also a popular time for burglars to break into homes with a view to stealing those lovely gifts.

According to research carried out for Co-operative Insurance, around 42% of people will have already bought their Christmas gifts by the 22 November. During the period 23 November to 6 December about 33% of people will be doing their Christmas shopping. That means three-quarters of us will have done our festive shopping with still more than two weeks remaining before Santa comes down the chimney.

On average, we spend in the region of £437 buying Christmas gifts for our friends and relatives and up to 6% of people anticipate spending in excess of £1,000 on them this festive period. That presents a burglar with a wonderful opportunity to upset a few families by breaking into their homes and stealing those items.

So, what can you do to reduce the likelihood of someone getting into the house and removing those gifts?

Well, you will be pleased to hear that the Co-operative Insurance actually went to the trouble of speaking with 25 ex-burglars with a view to finding out what would make them think twice about trying to break into a particular property. Below are some of the major deterrents: –

1. 26% of burglars would avoid homes that are protected by security lights that are motion activated.
2. 22% of burglars would not go near a property that has CCTV cameras in place.
3. 15% of burglars are put off by dogs barking in homes.
4. 11% of burglars would not try to break into a property that has a burglar alarm that is professionally monitored.

Very kindly, these ex-burglars also pointed out some things that homeowners do that leave them vulnerable to being broken into: –

a. Not taking the post out of the letterbox.
b. Curtains always being open.
c. Leaving the curtains shut and then going on holiday.
d. Items inside the home being left on display.

We trust that the above has been of use to our many customers and let us hope that none of you are faced with having to make a claim on your contents insurance over the Christmas period. In this respect, why not check how much cover you have to make sure that it is adequate. Some insurers increase the level of cover leading up to and shortly after Christmas with a view to insuring those presents that you have kindly purchased for family and friends. If you do require any guidance in respect of your home insurance why not give us a call here at AIB Insurance on 02380 268 351.

New Elise Sport and Elise Sport 220

Lotus justifies bringing back the ‘Sport’ badge, last seen on the Esprit over 20 years ago, with weight saving measures, extra equipment options and a lower price. The Sport kicks off at £29,900, £1000 less than before, while the Sport 220 is £36,500, a drop of £700!

Performance is unaltered, with the Sport receiving the same 134bhp 1.6-litre engine taking it from 0-62mph in 6.5 seconds and on to 127mph. The Sport 220 still has 217bhp from a 1.8-litre unit, hitting 0-62mph in 4.2 seconds and 145mph flat out. Fuel economy is slightly improved, with the Sport managing 45mpg and the Sport 220 37.7mpg combined, 0.2mpg more than before.

A range of classic Elise colours are available:
• Solid Red
• Solid Yellow
• Metallic Green
• Metallic Blue
• Metallic Silver
• Metallic White
• Metallic Grey
• Metallic Orange
• Metallic Black
• Signature Grey

What colour would you choose?

Skydiver’s False Teeth Mishap

Anyone that is involved in skydiving knows that there is a risk when you jump from a plane and head for the ground – hopefully safely attached to a parachute that has opened when intended. However, very occasionally things don’t quite go according to plan and mishaps occur.

Well, that is exactly what happened to a 72-year-old grandmother but fortunately for her and her instructor all ended well with both landing safely on the ground. Polly Chester achieved a lifetime ambition of enjoying a skydiving experience in Plant City in Florida, USA travelling a considerable distance from her home to make the skydive last month.

Having stepped from the plane safely attached to the skydiving instructor, the parachute opened and they were both descending to earth nicely when all of a sudden here false teeth came out of her smiling mouth and hit the skydiving instructor on the forehead. She realized that her teeth had disappeared when closing her mouth.

Fortunately, the instructor was not knocked unconscious and both him and Polly were able to safely complete the skydiving experience. However, it has turned out to be a very expensive experience because in addition to the cost of doing the skydiving she has also had to pay for a new plate that has ended up with her having to find an additional $975. Should Polly ever go skydiving again perhaps she will leave her dentures in her locker!

Whilst writing, we have also heard of another interesting escapade involving a skydiver. Fernando Gava recently went up in a plane in Lima in Peru and stepped out of it at 10,000 feet only to get one leg of his trousers caught in the exit step. He then spent the next 30 minutes hanging from the plane upside down. He needed to use a knife to cut off the offending trouser leg and then skydived to make a safe landing with merely a cut hand for his troubles.

Here at AIB Insurance, we will continue to keep you informed of any interesting news articles. We can also help you arrange suitable insurance cover for your skydiving.

Model suing Playboy after golf tee prank left her with bruised bum

Elizabeth Dickson, 28, has issued a writ against the glamour mag and radio host Kevin Klein who made the shot during the Playboy Golf Finals in California.

A video showing a Playboy model being hit in the buttocks with a golf club by a radio host at a 2012 golf outing sponsored by the magazine has emerged.

Her $500,000 (£328,000) battery and negligence suit has been settled against Playboy Enterprises.

She complied with a request early in the day to lie ‘flat on her stomach with her buttocks partially exposed for a photograph’ with Klein, the suit first reported by TMZ alleges. ‘A golf tee was then placed between the cheeks of her buttocks and a golf ball was balanced on top of the tee,’

However the model claims in a copy of the lawsuit that she gave no consent for the ball to actually be hit and that she has suffered a great deal of pain, worrying and anxiety as a result of the incident – but she appears in the video to have a better sense of humour immediately after being hit.

Motorist Doing 192mph Films Himself And Ends Up In Prison

Shaun Davis obviously enjoyed driving fast cars but won’t be at the wheel of such vehicles for many years to come as last week he was banned from driving for 10 years and sentenced to 28 months in prison for dangerous driving. He was found guilty of four separate dangerous driving incidents when he drove at speeds ranging from 150mph to 192mph although he had been charged for 12 separate incidents of the aforementioned type.

Interestingly, his driving escapades came to light when he was arrested for another offence. The police discovered that he had filmed himself on his mobile phone whilst getting to speeds of up to 192mph. Footage of the speeding cars was then posted on YouTube.

The vehicles in question included a number of high-performance cars including an Audi RS6 and a BMW M5. It was in the Audi that he managed to power to a speed of 192mph on a road in Northamptonshire. The incidents took place between 2012 and 2014 with the vehicles in question speeding on a variety of roads including the A45 and A6. Apparently, this is the highest speed that someone in the UK has been caught driving at when they should not have been doing so. Police in that county have released a video of his driving escapades that lasts for 6 minutes.

The previous record of someone being caught speeding was Timothy Brady who, back in January 2007, was discovered driving a Porsche 911 Turbo on the A420 in Oxfordshire when he reached a speed of 172mph. He was banned for 3 years and sent to prison for 10 weeks.

No doubt should Mr Davis ever decide to drive again and be allowed to do so he is likely to find that his car insurance premiums are going to be significantly higher than what he has been used to paying.

Ferrari Once Owned By Boxing Champ To Be Auctioned

Sir Henry Cooper, who died at the age of 76 back in 2011, is well known as the holder of various heavyweight-boxing titles at British, European and Commonwealth levels. However, he was particularly famous for knocking down the great Muhammad Ali in a fight. When he retired from boxing he made many TV appearances including advertising Brut aftershave.

What you may not have known is that he had an extremely good taste in cars. He was also good friends with the racing driver Graham Hill who actually drove him around Brands Hatch at 140mph.

Back in the 1980s, he was the proud owner of a red Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2 built in 1973. This delightful car that has 60,000 miles on the clock is to be auctioned by Silverstone Auctions at the NEC Classic Motor Show Sale that takes place on the 14th and 15th November 2015.

There were only 524 of these classic cars manufactured between 1972 and 1976. It had a 4.4 litre V12 engine producing 320bhp and had a 5 speed manual gearbox. It was a four seater fitted with electric windows, leather upholstery and even had air conditioning that was quite innovative for that period.

Ferraris are not only known for their stylish appearance but also their speed and this model is no exception. It was capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in a mere 6.4 seconds on its way to a top speed of 155mph.

So, if you are interested in bidding for a Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2 that has the added history of once being owned by a famous championship winning heavyweight boxer, why not get along to the above auction. No reserve has been placed on this vehicle.

It is also worth noting that here at AIB Insurance we have insured many expensive, desirable classic cars. So, why not give us a call on 02380 268 351 to speak with a knowledgeable member of our team who will discuss your requirements and obtain a competitive quotation for your consideration.

Introducing Bethany Hepworth to our team!

Airsports Insurance Bureau is delighted to announce adding Bethany Hepworth to our team at our Eastleigh office as one of our Administrators.

Whilst Bethany is with us she will learn all aspects of a fast growing insurance broker, dealing with a range of products from home and motor insurance through to travel and commercial clients’ needs.

At AIB we pride ourselves on the quality of our staff and the professional relationships we are able to build with all parties. We encourage our team to reach their full potential and give them the tools and resources for a rewarding career in a satisfying but demanding environment. Bethany commented: “I am really pleased that I have been successful and given the chance to work for AIB Insurance and I look forward to an enjoyable, long term career.”

Bethany lives locally and enjoys both shopping and music festivals. Her favourite food is pasta, her favourite film is Matilda and the first live musician she saw was Jessie J at Wembley! Disappointingly, she has never watch the films Home Alone, Star Wars or Back to the Future.

Welcome on board Beth, we hope you have an enjoyable and fulfilling career with us.

Old Film Footage Of Parachuting Beavers Unearthed

For those of our clients that enjoy parachuting we thought that you might be interested to read about a film that has been discovered dating back to around 1950 showing beavers being relocated using parachutes in the wilderness of Idaho in the United States of America.

Back in the 1940s, it was felt by the Fish and Game state department that there were just too many beavers in certain locations. So someone came up with the unusual idea of capturing these animals and certain other rodents and placing them in wooden boxes. Then, small parachutes were attached to the boxes that were loaded onto a plane which flew over the Frank Church – River of No Return Wilderness at which point the boxes were then pushed from the plane with the parachutes opening and the boxes then floated to the ground. Upon landing on the ground, the boxes opened and the beavers were able to get out to take up occupancy in their new home.

It is believed that all the beavers that were transported in this way had a safe landing which we are sure you will agree is good news.

Apparently, this film has only recently been discovered by a historian as it had been filed in the wrong place. The Idaho Historical Society together with the Fish and Game department has reproduced the film footage.

Of course, here at AIB Insurance, we have never been asked to arrange insurance to cover anything like the above. However, we are renowned for being able to obtain competitively priced insurance for those of you that participate in parachuting. So, why not give us a call on 02380 268 351and speak to an experienced member of our team and he or she will gladly discuss your requirements and obtain a free, no obligation quotation for your consideration.

Danish Barn Held 26 Classic Cars

It isn’t the first time that classic cars have been found in unusual places and it will no doubt not be the last occasion but 26 classic vehicles have been discovered in a barn on Zealand that is the largest island in Denmark. Apparently, they have been there for many years and are to be auctioned shortly.

The person that owned the vintage vehicles has died but they will no doubt go to one or more keen classic car collectors. Obviously, the vehicles were rather dusty but they will undoubtedly be restored to their former glory.

There are a variety of makes and models covering the period between the 1920s through to the early 1950s. They include the likes of a Renault Celtaquatre, a small family car, dating back to 1934 that is extremely rare as there were only about 44,000 that were manufactured. There is an Opel Kadett and a number of Ford Model Ts including a Model T pickup that is highly desirable and Model As plus a Ford Popular that was built back in the 1950s.

There really must be something special about finding a collection of classic cars that may not have seen the light of day for many years. It is thrilling enough just to come upon one vintage car but to discover as many as 26 at the same location is something else and will no doubt live in the memory of those making the discovery for years to come. In fact, making a barn find like this may even add to the value of the cars when they do come up for auction in November.

Here at AIB Insurance, we have been insuring classic cars for quite some time so, whether you own one vintage vehicle or several such cars, trucks or motorbikes, why not give us a call on 02380 268 351. One of our experienced team will gladly discuss your requirements and obtain a competitive quote on your behalf.