I didn't think that I would see our auditor Alan Finch again after he finished our audit but he's back today carrying out some work on our books. It's always a pleasure to work with Alan. He's a wizard with a calculator and a great accountant. Married to Jan, Alan has two grown up children, Peter and Caroline, who are both involved in archaeology. When he's not working on audits, you can find Alan, who is an ordained Anglican minister, conducting services at his local church. He also supports Everton but we won't dwell on that. I'd like to thank Alan for his support over all the years that he has been working for us and to wish him every success for the future.
I didn't mention machine tester Andy Fyles who had a birthday last week. Apologies Andy but I hope that you had a great day.
I'll have to close now as we have some visitors with us today.
I've been working almost non stop for the last twenty four hours. We had a staff meeting yesterday and I announced a staff production bonus and profit share in respect of the ten months to 30th June. I then had to put this into action and, in addition, calculate the wages on a weekly basis for the last time before we switch to monthly pay with effect from 1st August. I don't think that I have had such a complicated set of calculations in the last twenty years and my head is reeling. I even broached my biggest taboo and worked at home last night to make sure that it was all done in time to meet the bank's payment deadline. I think I deserve some time off now but I have to get cracking on the new computer system and time is precious.
I've been so busy that I am late in reporting the arrival at Instanta of young Tim Isherwood who started on the shop floor a couple of weeks ago. Tim (19)is another local lad and he tells me that,after studying media, he is very interested in computers and computer graphics as well as being keen on badminton and table tennis. Welcome Tim. Apologies for the delay. I hope you have a very enjoyable time working here.
And here are a couple of important visitors who have been beavering away on our audit this week. Big Alan Finch of Moore Stephens has audited our books for six years now and he is always very welcome. It's nice to deal with a true gentleman and Alan is certainly that. This year he is accompanied by trainee charted accountant Patrick McGain. Patrick (25) has been with the firm for four years after completing an economics degree in Northumbria. A keen hockey player, he is also a season ticket holder at Everton but we won't hold that against him. I am sorry that my workload has prevented me from talking to him for long but I hope that he has enjoyed his visit and wish him success in completing his qualification.
I went to the doctor this morning to see if my blood pressure was causing my light headedness and tiredness and to see if I could reduce my pills. Typically my BP was quite high (it always is at the docs - they call it white coat syndrome)so I have to keep taking the tablets. But she decided that my symptoms were being caused by the pain from the bad hip which is affecting my sleep patterns and causing fatigue. So she has prescribed some pain killers and I hope that they do the trick. The last pain killers caused terrible stomach problems so I hope these are more benign.
I'll finish today with a video for our auditors. As they are both Evetonians I though they might like to see a team in blue and white who can score a goal.
I just had a phone call from our auditor Alan Finch of Moore Stephens letting me know that his arrival for the annual audit is imminent.We always enjoy Alan's visits.He is such a warm and friendly personality and could not be more removed from the stuffy image that accountants are sometimes given.Yes he's a great guy (apart from supporting Everton that is).
Natalie Drummond paid us another visit the other day and brought Olivia in. It's hard to believe that one of the Instanta babies is an Instanta toddler already but, as you can see, she is. And doesn't she look like her mum?
We had a phone call this morning from a customer who said that their boiler was not hot enough and that it had to deliver water at 100 degrees to satisfy health and safety requirements.(Health and safety requirements that we've never heard of). I can understand the confusion as the word "boiler" obviously implies "boiling" but there are no atmospheric boilers on the market that deliver boiling water. If they did, every canteen, kitchen or office using one would be full of steam.We'd like to label our units as "water heaters" but for the last thirty years (at least)all products like this have been called boilers and we don't want to make the move unilaterally.If you want boiling water you need to buy a pressure boiler.
Anybody out there know of any properties available to let in E London? One of my family is having a hell of a job trying to find somewhere suitable. They spend hours on the Internet making a list of suitable properties and then phone to arrange viewings and what's the answer? "Oh that one's already let". They make appointments to view and does the agent turn up? No. It's a minefield but decent two bed flat or house (preferably not modern)totally reliable tenants, E1 E2 E3 E14 anyone?
It seems that all the lads here at Instanta are keen on using the Internet but, unlike the office workers who can use it at their desks during breaks and lunchtimes, they can't get online in the factory. So we're looking into getting a wireless set up in the canteen so that they can use it during lunch when someone else is hogging the dart board or the pool table.
Today's the day that we decide on our Orange Wednesday film for this week. Not a big choice this time but I am looking forward to when this one comes out.
