I was away visiting a customer yesterday (yes I do work sometimes) so I missed reporting our buyer and assistant director Gavin Ford's birthday. Gav has been with Instanta for longer than I have so that's over half his life. He started on the shop floor and then set up our own lathe department. Following that, he went on to gain a university degree in engineering and learned how to operate our latest CNC lathes before moving into the office role of buyer. Gavin is responsible for all our purchases and he also plays a big part in the running of our BSI approved quality and environmental management systems. Proud father to Nick, Gav has the longest Instanta journey to work travelling in daily from Horwich where he lives with his partner Julie.Outside work, Gav is a keen fan of St Helens rugby league club and a regular off road motorcyclist. Congratulatons Gav.
I got my book printed for family and friends and the copies arrived today. I'm very pleased with it and hope that people enjoy it. If you get a copy don't worry, you don't have to read it!I got the copies done on the espresso book machine at Blackwell's in London. They offer a great service and give amateur authors like me a chance to have their work professionally presented. My book is on the Harper Collins authonomy web site. I've had some good comments and feedback but I don't think I'm going to retire on it.
We've been done. We've fallen victims to what is known as a "long firm fraud". This is a fraud where an apparently legitimate business is set up and then goods are ordered and not paid for. You might say "that's not fraud, that's just business" but no, this was a deliberate con. The "customer" set up as a wholesaler and provided us with apparently legitimate references. We followed these up carefully and opened the account with a £2,000 credit limit. The first order came in last week and we sent the goods out but then a second order came just a couple of days later. Marion and I were away but Jenny was suspicious and asked us about it. Marion put her Miss Marple hat on and within half an hour was pretty sure that we had been done. She managed to trace two more victims who told her exactly the same story. We contacted the police who acted with commendable speed in this instance and found a warehouse full of stuff. Whether or not our four 1500 boilers are there or not we are waiting to find out. This is the second time that we have been victims to this con in the last ten years. Maybe we'll learn one day but these people are so convincing and the set up is elaborate.
A big night for my team Liverpool tonight. If we lose to Lyon we are going to be out of the Champions League during the league stages for the first time in ages.I can't say that I am 100% confident that we'll win but Rafa says we'll do it so that's OK then.It must be a big match. I'm giving up my regular Orange Wednesday cinema trip.
I was just watching the lads using the fork lift truck in the factory. They're pretty good at driving it. Here's someone who was not quite so good.
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