Friday 27 July 2012

Monster Fun In Caerphilly

Caerphilly Castle Moat Monster
Image: Courtesy of  The Caerphilly Observer
Monsters have been added to the ongoing list of things Motaquote is willing to insure, thanks to Caerphilly's castle moat acquiring it's own version of the Loch Ness Monster. But this one is no mere myth... it's proudly on show, alongside perplexed swans, ducks and geese. 

The moat of Caerphilly castle is a home to a wide variety of wildlife - including swans, geese, ducks and fish... as you would expect. However, what you might not expect is the addition of a monster who appears to have taken up residence... possibly to the bemusement of the ducks and their aquatic friends. 

The monster is an escapee from Y Galeri - a new art gallery in the town and is part of an exhibition entitled "Barry's Zoo". Barry Lewis is a highly talented Tonypandy, Rhondda based sculptor. Barry has had his work exhibited all over the World - including the UK, Europe and Australia. 

Motaquote insure a wide number of things - whether it's cars, homes, travel, pets, businesses... and now monsters it would appear! It's true... Motaquote are the proud insurers of Barry's latest sculpture. 

Motaquote’s own Richard Bosley worked closely with Y Galeri to obtain an insurance policy that would best suit the situation. 

Commenting on behalf of Y Galeri, Gareth Pennell said: “I was extremely pleased with the service I received from Richard Bosley - he persevered in order to get a satisfactory solution to our request.”

Commenting on behalf of Motaquote, MD Nigel Lombard said:

"It's important for any company to remember its roots - which is why we are proud to support and work with local Welsh businesses and people. Our ability to insure sculptures as exciting as this goes to show how flexible we are and highlights the fact that we are willing to go the extra mile to find the right policy for our customers, no matter how unusual the request.”

Thursday 26 July 2012

Motaquote Supports Aberdare Park Road Races

Here at Motaquote we are extremely proud of our motoring heritage... hence the name! 

From time-to-time we like to take a little jolly out of the office to support local events - in this case the Aberdare Park Road Races, which is a motorbike racing event that's due to take place on 28th - 29th July this year... that's right - this weekend in fact!

Motorbike racing enthusiasts from all over the UK are set to descend on Aberdare to witness what we hope will be a spectacular day out.

Aberdare Park has a proud racing history and has been going since 1950 and was the very first venue to have live televised motorbike racing coverage in 1955.

Motaquote are proud to be attending this event to flog our wears - whether you're looking for car, home, travel, pet of even motorbike insurance. If you happen to see us then I urge you to drop by for a friendly chat and perhaps see if we can help you with your insurance needs.

To find out more about Aberdare Park's road race event please visit www.aberdarepark.co.uk.

Friday 20 July 2012

Motaquote Proud Finalists - Insurance Times Awards

Motaquote are proud to announce that they have reached the finals for the Insurance Times Technology in Insurance Awards 2012.

Motaquote have beaten off stiff competition to be named as a finalist in the Insurance Times ‘Technology in Insurance Awards’. They have been shortlisted with two other companies in the ‘Best use of Analytics’ category. The finals are due to be held on 20 September 2012 at Altitude 360 in London.

This is largely thanks to the firm's excellent use of telematics to analyse driving behaviour via its black box insurance brands - Fair Pay Insurance and iKube Insurance.

Both iKube and Fair Pay Insurance utilise black box technology to help reduce car insurance premiums for policyholders.

iKube is a young driver "pay when you drive" scheme that rewards young drivers for not driving late at night (between 11pm - 5am). At renewal the young driver can also enjoy additional discounts by displaying good driving behaviour.

Fair Pay Insurance is a "pay how you drive" scheme that rewards policyholders for good driving behaviour. The better they drive - the further the "mileage" points will go. In addition to this black box car insurance policyholders are granted further discounts when it comes around to reviewing the policy.

To find out more about how Fair Pay Insurance and iKube Insurance works please visit:

Nissan and IAM issue towing advice to Caravan Enthusiasts

A new study suggests that increasing numbers of drivers are towing caravans without proper training.

The study undertaken by Nissan suggests that thousands of motorists in the UK could be posing a safety risk by towing caravans with no training.

It is believed that caravanning is growing in popularity once again, with a fifth of the 3,000 respondents surveyed planning on a caravan or camping trip this year. 

Unfortunately the research also revealed that 40% of those planning on towing caravans, trailers or boats have had no training.

As a result Nissan have teamed up with the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) to give guidance to help novice towers.

Tim Shallcross, Head of Technical Policy for IAM commented:

"The results of the Nissan research highlight a key knowledge gap in towing legislation and safety guidelines. We encourage new and experienced 'towers' to ensure they are correctly informed as to their vehicle's towing capabilities and to follow essential safety guidelines."

IAM and Nissan have made the following recommendations:

  1. Check that you are legally allowed to tow. Requirements may differ according to when the driving licence was issued and it may be dependent on your car insurance policy.

  2. Check your vehicle's towing limit. It's equally important to check the maximum braked and unbraked towing weights - as outlined in the vehicle handbook.

  3. Know towing speed limits. For motorway and dual-carriageway driving the speed limit is set at 60mph. For single carriageways the speed should not exceed 50mph (unless stated otherwise).

  4. Give yourself more time and space for accelerating and braking. This will help you to avoid accidents whilst on the road and potential car or caravan insurance claims.

  5. When approaching a hill it's important to select a lower gear in plenty of time. When going uphill this gives you more power. Going down reduces the strain on your vehicle's brakes.
Source: http://cdn.practicalcaravan.com/blog/nissan-urges-new-caravanners-stay-safe