Belated Birthday Wishes Mr Aitch

It may look like I forgot about metal worker Dave Horrock's thirty fourth birthday yesterday but Dave will assure you that I didn't. Sadly our broadband provider, who on Wednesday became a broadband non-provider, failed to get the service up and running again for the whole of Thursday and, I am worried that it will be same again today (I am writing this at home). It's a bit frightening how dependent things now are on the internet. All our consignments are arranged on the web and many of our invoices are sent by email and orders received in the same way. We have done our best to tell customers about the situation (by fax phone and, of course, this blog) but there are bound to be some important emails floating around in cyber space. Anyway, as I write this (Thursday night) Dave should be celebrating with a well earned pizza. Dave has been with Instanta since shortly after leaving school as a sixteen year old and has been a stalwart of our metalwork department for many years now. A devoted dad, to Jack and Cameron, Dave enjoys a flutter on the football and the horses and,like me, has a tendency to keep being let down by favourites (when will we learn eh Dave?). Dave is a keen Everton fan and I hope that his team do well this weekend when they entertain Manchester United and the Rooney circus.I hope you enjoyed your birthday and that pizza Dave and I wish you all the very best for your future with Instanta.



Hats off to Debenhams who had a sale on yesterday. We are going away for the weekend and now that the diet is almost at an end, I have very little to wear that fits. So we went after work and I managed to kit myself out with two pairs of trousers, two jumpers and a shirt for less than the cost of one jumper that I looked at in a shop down the road and less than one night in the pub we are staying in. And no I don't look like Worzel Gummidge. Ever since Gok's being doing that programme where he dresses models in high street stuff and an American woman fits others out in designer labels costing ten times as much I've realised that the only benefits of designer clothes are being able to show off how much you have spent and not wearing the same as everyone else. I still think that there's nothing to beat a top quality jacket but jumpers and shirts are just jumpers and shirts and I looked pretty much the same in Debenhams cheap cashmere as I did in Paul Smith's expensive wool.



We're getting excited about a trip to Teddington studios next week to see the recording of two shows for the new series of son Paul's show "A League Of Their Own".Of the last series,Duncan Gray, Head of Entertainment at Sky, said "From the moment it aired," A League of Their Own" was an instant hit with our viewers and we can't wait to have all new episodes to play this Autumn. "A League of Their Own" first teamers James Corden, Jamie Redknapp, John Bishop and Georgie Thompson will be joined by big new signings from the world of comedy, celebrity and sport as they set out to sweep all before them in the new season." We'll be seeing some big names in the recordings and plenty of laughs are guaranteed.

The consultant told me on Wednesday that I won't be able to fly for four months after the hip replacement. No worries, we can always take a cruise. Or on second thoughts, maybe not.




He also told me about the potential problems involved in hip replacement surgery. Obviously I had to do some investigation into these and found this unsettling video. What gets me is the poor bloke's daughter's reaction. We dad's are so funny aren't we.

I Managed To Catch Up

After the hectic week of reading hundreds of applications for the new Southern Area Sales Manager job, I have finally reached the bottom of the pile and created a shortlist of candidates. It's been a really interesting process as we are looking for someone who can sell and not simply someone who knows the catering industry (which seems to be the norm within the industry and has led to it becoming the incestuous place that it is). As a result, I have read through a diverse range of candidates cvs and have been impressed by the high standard. As they live all over the place I have asked the chosen few to give me a ring for an informal telephone interview after which I will be whittling the list down further.



Things are going well even without the new sales manager and orders are at a good level for this time of the year. The WA5N (above) is a particularly good seller but I am hoping that our new sales person will be able to show the customers the huge benefits offered by the more upmarket WM series and CT series boilers which include seven day programmable timers, built in filter monitors and easy to read service diagnostics.



The online diet has prescribed beans on toast with cheese for lunch today. I could make this here in the canteen but Marion is at home and I'm going to pop back and share it with her when I go to pay into the bank. It's the four week weigh in tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed I should have lost my first stone.



Dave Horrocks from our sheet metal department popped his head into my office this morning and told me that he had dreamt last night that he and I were playing scrabble and that I was making weird and peculiar words with my tiles. Now Dave, I am extremely flattered to think that I figured in your dreams but not so happy that I appeared in them as a cheat!


Remember the young drummer boy who came third in Britain's Got Talent last week. Call that drumming? Now this is drumming. Have a good weekend.

A Big Happy Birthday To Dave

It's been a very busy week of celebrations this week with Tony's 50th, Jenny & Craig's wedding and now Dave Horrock's 33rd. Dave (above) joined us sixteen years ago and is an integral part of our sheet metal working team. Dave lives with partner Emma and is the proud father of Cameron and Jack. He is a very keen Evertonian and we always look forward to his funny messages on our Guardian Pick The Score Website after they have had a particularly good result. Sadly these are few and far between but they are worth waiting for. Have a good day Dave. The lads are having a whip round for some fridge magnets.

I promised some of our happy couple Jenny and Craig's wedding photos. And here they are. I don't pretend to be David Bailey but Liz's husband Mark saved the day with his (they're the good ones). It was a really pleasant service at the Town Hall and the marquee reception was lovely.









And here's our buyer, Assistant Director Gavin Ford with son Nick.



It's Nick's first day at school today.He's a really happy and very funny little boy and I'm sure that his teachers will love having him in their classes.

Not a lot of time for blogging today. I had to run my mum to the station as she's off to london for a wedding and this afternoon I have to take my mum-in-law to hospital for a six month check up. That means I can't decide on tonight's Orange Wednesday as her appointment is a lottery. We might be seen at 2.30 (pigs might fly!). Last time it was 6.15.