±±¾©Èü³µpk10

Running for 12 hours a day, it's a webcast from his bedroom with

celebrity gossip, news and competitions.

For those without the Windows Media Video v7, it's Cheggers' bedroom in

the pitch black because you can't see him, you can only hear him.

As a site to drop in on when you're after a diversion, it's worth a

visit.

Cheggers does raise a smile even if it's a wry one. But for me the

novelty soon faded and I don't think I'll be returning.

Apparently, the designers are now working with a string of other

celebrities to develop similar sites.

Web: www.cheggersbedroom.com

Client: Keith Chegwin

Developer: Procreate

ENGLISH PROVENDER

The English Provender Company makes a huge range of sauces, chutneys and

preserves, including those horrid jars of 'Very Lazy' pre-chopped

garlic. This site showcases them quite thoroughly. Click on a jar and

you'll see its ingredients, nutritional information and even the barcode

number.

I fancied some Butterscotch & Mascarpone sauce, but you can't buy it

online. There's just a chart of products and stockists, with an asterisk

to indicate who stocks what. It looks a bit amateurish. There are also

recipes using the products, which is handy if you're the sort of person

who bases a whole meal around a condiment.

Web: www.englishprovender.com

Client: English Provender

Developer: Imagine.net

CRICNET.

Enduring image isn't it? Cucumber sandwiches, schoolboys chalking stumps

onto garage doors, Ian Botham in the tabloids ... Well, if The Fast

Show's Ron Manager, like the Neville brothers, hadn't turned his back on

cricket as a kid that's how he'd probably sum up the summer game.

In a way it's a surprise to see so much interest in updating the rather

old-fashioned image and coverage of the sport online. Specialist sites

like CricInfo have long been praised for their wealth of content and

others, such as wisden.com, are promising imminent relaunches and

revamps for the new season. On the other hand, as a sport cricket lends

itself to statistical analysis - run rates, strike rates, and batting

averages - so it makes sense to follow it online.

This season, cricnet, the Professional Cricketers' Association web site,

has got there first with its relaunch. Rather than the heavy

stats-with-few-frills design of CricInfo, it puts the emphasis on

pictures and trenchant opinions from ex-professional players. The bread

and butter content - scores and updates - is still there, if a bit well

hidden.

Still, Ron could find his way round the site, even if he didn't know

what it all meant.

Web: www.cricnet.com

Client: Professional Cricketers' Association

Developer: Networks New Media/Pete Ramskill Design

MANPOWER

Manpower has taken a while to put up basic services such as online job

searches, compared to its competitors.

Still, this is a good looking and practical site. There are links for

working abroad, IT jobs and a link to the popular Manpower part-owned

job portal GoJobsite. There's also a nice local office locator in the

form of a clickable map.

When you do click to search the jobs database, you're taken through to a

site with a completely different design, which is a little

confusing.

The same goes for Manpower's free training courses screen, but I'm sure

this is only temporary ...

Web: www.manpower.co.uk

Client: Manpower

Developer: In-house

CHEGGERSBEDROOM.COM

Keith Chegwin's career got a shot in the arm when he stripped for the

one-off Naked Jungle game show.

After exposing his charms on the Channel 5 crowd-puller, Cheggers got

loads of column inches in the press and demand for his talents rose. Now

he's got his own web site.

Running for 12 hours a day, it's a webcast from his bedroom with

celebrity gossip, news and competitions.

For those without the Windows Media Video v7, it's Cheggers' bedroom in

the pitch black because you can't see him, you can only hear him.

As a site to drop in on when you're after a diversion, it's worth a

visit.

Cheggers does raise a smile even if it's a wry one. But for me the

novelty soon faded and I don't think I'll be returning.

Apparently, the designers are now working with a string of other

celebrities to develop similar sites.

Web: www.cheggersbedroom.com

Client: Keith Chegwin

Developer: Procreate

WEST HAM UNITED FC

Considering the team is teetering on the edge of relegation, it seems an

odd time for West Ham to revamp its site.

Frankly, anything is better than the dreadful effort the club had

previously.

The same basic ingredients are there, such as ticket information and

player profiles, but the site is white instead of blue and the archives

are beefed up to include much happier times. Those keen to see what the

new Hammers Hotel will look like can cast their eye over 3D designs of

the rooms, complete with tea and coffee making facilities,

naturally.

The team's performance on the pitch seems to be reflected in the

performance of the site, leaving me nutmegged on a couple of occasions

and having to reload. However, the discussion boards look likely to be

popular, particularly the Shopping Basket, which allows fans to 'advise'

Mr Redknapp on future purchases.

That's if he's around next season to hear them, of course.

Web: www.whufc.co.uk

Client: West Ham United

Developer: BSkyB

- This week's reviews by Richard Jolley, Caspar van Vark, Amanda

Nottage, Dan Williamson and Philip Smith.