Is Black Friday really a time for good deals? Well we ask this briefly but: #BLACKFRIDAY deals you shouldn't miss! our #top10BlackFridayOffers

Black Friday Deals

Picked by 

Us for You

Like some kind of Orwellian Ministry Of Truth the news,  shops and online stores tell us  "Black Friday is every year. It's always been every year. It's traditional".

It isn't traditional. It only started a few years back in the UK, and maybe we are getting weary of it already. Are the deals really any good? Do they just inflate prices before the sale to claim big discounts during BF week.

Well the truth is, it's only a bargain if you need it. We have been quite canny this year and last year. A broken games console, a knackered laptop, and a sinking set of sofas have all been replaced using Black Friday deals we haven't been able to beat. 

We've compiled some of our favourite Black Friday deals from our affiliates. Yes this is a bit of an advertising feature but we have made sure we've picked the ones we think offer the best value. Remember to shop around...the deals just keep popping up!

1. Everything £5. 

The Everything Five Pounds site does what it says on the tin. The clothes and accesories are all £5. And for Black Friday they are offering a sixth item free. A cheap way to jazz up your wardrobe for Christmas.

2. Studio

Studio off toys and gifts at knockdown prices and for Black Friday they are taking an extra tenner off a £100 shop. 

3.Snaptrip

Make this winter magical with a last minute cottage, lodge or apartment from Snaptrip. With discounts of up to 60% on over 50,000 stunning properties, you can have a Christmas or New Years to remember without breaking the bank. From the cosy to the spacious, with roaring fires or even a hot tub, Snaptrip are the experts at providing you with your last minute self-catering staycation break.

4. Railcard

Don’t miss out on this amazing Black Friday Deal from Railcard!

Offer:

£5 off FFRC and TTRC.

Code: BLK5AF

Offer valid on: 16-25 and Family and Friends Railcard

Valid From: 24 November 00:01 – 28 November 2017 23:59

Discount: £5 on 1 Year Railcard only

5.Ticketmaster

Special Black Friday flash sale : bigger and better than ever!!

Black Friday Flash Sale starts at 00:01am on Friday 24^th November 2017.

There's a range of incredible deals, some of which you can see below.

50% off or 2 for 1 on the following:

- Jason Manford

- Bill Bailey

- Ed Byrne

- John Bishop

- Milton Jones

- Jonathan Pie

Discounted offers on:

- Arenacross

- Big Game 10

- Saracens v Harlequins

- Dreamgirls

- An American In Paris

- Kinky Boots

TICKETMASTER BLACK FRIDAY SALE

6. Fragrance Direct

Already a source of good value top brand fragrances, Fragrance Direct is knocking off 10% off every order over £20...stocking fillers sorted then!

7. Zavvi

What’s Black Friday without Zavvi’s famous gaming deals? Games, consoles, bundles and accessories are included in this year’s Black Friday 2017 price drops. Check out our limited-time pricing on PS4 and Xbox bundles - the prices won't be beaten. Console games have also been discounted heavily so be sure to browse through these offers and ensure you don’t miss the bargain you’ve been looking for.

8. Canon

Great Black Friday deals on Canon products including the acclaimed 5D mkIII at £1799. This includes a 10th Anniversary silver strap. 

9. The Sofa Company

Replace that tired furniture at a bargain price from the Sofa Company.

And last but certainly not least

10. Ebuyer

A favourite online retailer of ours, Ebuyer is offering up to 70% off good in its Black Friday sale. Check it out here...theres a laptop for under £300 with 8gb RAM for a start!

HAPPY SHOPPING!!!

A #RUGGEX #ruggedphone from @mantistech ...how good is it?

A British Design Sold by a British Company

(but it says "Made in China, inside!)

The Ruggex Rhino Two, £279.99 from Mantis Tech

After several years of phones contructed, it seems, with the purpose of screen breakage, I'd had enough. For a few months I'd put up with a cracked HTC, low on memory. Before that I'd had a Sony Z3 Compact, whose screen was replaced multiple times, at least twice for no obvious reason. Sony claimed there was no problem with the design, the internet begs to differ.

I eventually found Mantis Tech, an independent UK company selling these Ruggex phones. The reviews included stories of puddles and falls and were full of praise both for the phones and Mantis Tech.

The phone is armoured in rubber and metal. The glass is not right at the edges, like other phones, to create certain death for the phone if it drops. This phone is well protected.

The back is openable. 4 screws allow access to the battery compartment. So, we are back to the days when we could buy spare batteries. If you are up a mountain or at a festival, great!

The phone is heavy, and bulky. But no phone should be in your back jeans pocket anyway. This fits in my generously proportioned handbag. Mantistech supplied a tiny screwdriver for the phone too, which is now on my keyring, handy.
The  great thing was the lack of pre-loaded useless apps. This was a real bugbear for me. The HTC obligatory apps took up 543mb . The Ruggex phone used 141MB on apps I chose to install.

The 13 megapixel main camera is absolutely fine, I took this in fading daylight.

I haven't had opportunity to try the camera in a night gig situation, I'll update this when I have. The "selfie" camera is very flattering. I used the "Photo Lab Pro" android app to create this:

I do like messing around with photos!

The real reason for buying this phone was the resilience. It's been drop tested to 1.8m so I won't be doing that, no need. The Rhino 2 is waterproof, IP 68 rated. The ports are at the top and covered by a thick plug rather than a flimsy port cover. All openings should be tight shut to ensure water tightness however. Dropping in the bath or loo is no longer a problem. No more putting your phone in a bag of salt. Just wipe it dry.

The processor is a 64 bit Quad Core beastie at 1,3 GHz. It is fast and responsive. The ability to shift everything onto the external memory (64gb max) will be useful. I've set mine to store photos on the external card.

The 4.5" screen has taken some getting used to. I've had to adjust it as the phone seems keep to open anything my finger touches, immediately. I'm still tweaking the settings for that but it's getting better. There's a loop for a lanyard which could decrease the chance of dropping it on a building site. The glass is Gorilla Glass, thicker, and more resistant to scratching than lesser screens. It's a good, sharp bright screen. I'me very happy with the visual quality.

Phone conversations are of a good volume, which is ideal in a work phone. Another workplace-friendly factor is the dual SIM housing. A normal size SIM and a micro Sim can sit next to each other and you can switch between your accounts with ease. I may look into a SIM more economical for abroad.

I will not resort to gender stereotypes, but if you want a slim, sleek pretty phone, this maybe isn't for you. Maybe you like your phone made of fairy dust and angel wings, that cracks if you look at it too hard. If you want something you can depend on, up a hill, when you're fishing, or in the bath. Perhaps you should look at Ruggex phones. In my case, this was the phone I was seeking, a "me-proof" phone. Did I mention it was £279.99? Bargain, in my opinion.



www.jowheretogo.com

The home of the Northeast Theatre Guide and Carliol Photography

Now @Jowheretogo reviews....STUFF! #productreviews #techreviews

Introduction

Long story....it started with a radio show, we reviewed theatre, we reviewed gigs, and in the background Jowheretogo PR was born. The radio show ended so the business could grow, and the theatre reviews moved onto the new Northeast Theatre Guide blog.

The readership of the Northeast Theatre Guide has grown and grown with 15k-30k readers every month. We can show you the analytics...we are not messing about.

This readership grew largely because of our activity on social media. As opportunities come to review new products, we thought, why not? We have a good lifetime of experience, we care about value and quality, rather than brands. We can help companies get exposure for their products. We could run "retweet to win" competitions (I've won stuff on those, they are sometimes legit!).

The first review will be about a mobile phone. Not just any mobile phone...