New Year - New Car

The Instanta year starts on the first of July for the first time today and Nick has cause to celebrate with the delivery of his new car. We took one look at the June sales at the close of business last night and went straight out and bought it this morning. Nick is pleased as punch with the vehicle.He tells me that it has 18" alloys which means nothing at all to me but I suppose that my Prius will have them too. Anyway, he needs something comfortable to drive if he is to achieve the targets that have been set for the new year - he's going to doing a lot of miles. So, off you go Nick. We'll see you next June.



My brief return to eBay trading has ground to a halt. There seems to be very little movement in my specialist area of antique ceramics at the moment and I am not wasting hours to sell stuff at a loss. I have got about forty items at home that I would like to sell but I don't think that eBay is the right place at present. Maybe I'll venture out and take a stand at a fair some day in the autumn. The last thing I sold on eBay was an electric organ that I sold on behalf of my next door neighbour. It somehow managed to sell to a church in Barbados. Now I am busy trying to sort out delivery to a London address which is not a lot of fun - especially as the organ only sold for forty quid. Why couldn't it have sold to someone local? Why do favours always have a habit of turning around and biting you?



Here's something else that won't be easy to sell. I just had a quick search on eBay and there were over four thousand England shirts for sale. Hard luck for anybody who stock piled and bought in a load of them in anticipation of glory. The only thing that they can hope for is a Germany win so that England's apparently feeble performance can be put into the context of "we only lost to the World champions".



As a Liverpool fan of over forty five years and a Kop season ticket holder for over half of those years, I would like to welcome Roy Hodgson to Anfield. Things can't get any worse than last season when Liverpool's performances were so boring that it became an ordeal to go to the matches. It is only because Rafa left that I have renewed my ticket for another season. I couldn't care less if Liverpool don't win as long as I enjoy watching the games. After all, it is supposed to be entertainment. So, Roy, please get us to play with a bit of flair. You will win the crowd over and the Benitez days will soon be a distant memory. And a bit of team spirit would be good too. Did you see the England team spirit? And who was the England captain? Precisely.

I just went onto Youtube to find a good video for today's blog but inadvertently typed in Yotube. And yes the site exists as do Gooogle, Gogle, Facbook, Appl and many many more. I wonder how many hits these misspelt sites manage in a day. It would be interesting if we bought a misspelled leading website name and put Instanta up there and saw how much our site traffic increased.I tried "comparethemeerkat.com" but "comparethemarket.com" already has it. I had a moan about the quality of what's on offer at the local Vue at the moment. Well at least we have something to look forward to at Christmas - honest.

Oh dear

Last month's sales were really good so I thought I'd give Sales Director Nick a treat last night and took him along with me to watch the FA Cup replay between Liverpool and Reading at Anfield.Towards the end of the night poor Nick must have been wondering what he had done to deserve having to endure ninety minutes of misery although he was probably starting to cheer up a little as we left our seats on the Kop and trudged down the hundred steps towards the exits as the clock ran down. But as we hit the bottom step a Reading player hit the deck in the penalty area and we had to trudge all the way back up again to take our seats for another thirty minutes watching the abject apology for a football team that Liverpool are at the moment. Above the entrance to the pitch in the players' tunnel is a sign "This is Anfield". It was put up in the Shankly era to motivate the team and to put fear into the opposition before they entered the boiling cauldron of noise and were subject to a fearless onslaught by the reds. I can only imagine that the sign is now viewed by the opposition with a shrug of the shoulders and a wry smile. It would be quite funny really but I, and 31,000 others actually paid to watch it. Poor Nick must be wondering what treat I have in store for him if the sales ever go badly.

Meanwhile, back at Instanta we have been testing the circuits on the new Wall Mounted Economy range of boilers that we are bringing out on 1st March.They will be available in 2.5,5 and 10 litre sizes. They look great and the new display makes it easier for the end user and service engineer to understand the boiler status than the simple multi coloured LED that we use on the current WA5. Starting at just £425 these boilers are going to make real waves in the market.



Whilst all this snow is beautiful to look at (no I didn't take this photo), spare a thought for the self employed. Whilst Marion and I are not into domestic help and share the household cleaning between us, we do have help with the garden and our poor gardener has not been able to work for weeks now. We've paid her regardless but she tells me that nobody else has paid her and that means that the weather is costing her dearly. I was in the bank yesterday and the customer next to me at the tills was involved in a conversation about how he was going to pay his workers as, being a roofer, he had done absolutely no work for almost a month.(You used to get a bit of privacy when I worked in a bank).



It's less than a month now to son Paul's wedding. Here is the venue. Its the Naval & Military Club in London which is interesting as there are no military or naval connections in either family. Paul and Josephine tell me that the club is just right for the function and the whole ceremony and reception happens in the same place. I'm looking forward to it and I'm busy writing my traditional father of the groom speech.

I'll finish with a film for Liverpool fans. Watch this and weep.

Happy Birthday Joey and Nick

It's been quiet on the birthday front around here for a few weeks but then, like the proverbial bus, two come along at once. Yes, today little Joey Jones from our assembly department reaches the ripe old age of 18. Last night he went to Anfield to see the not so mighty reds lose to the not very mighty Fiorentina. Well actually he would have seen them lose if he hadn't left five minutes from time. At least he travelled home in the misguided belief that Liverpool had drawn.

It never ceases to amaze me how football clubs manage to field weakened teams for unimportant matches on the basis that they are resting players for more important games. Having shelled out the best part of £130 on tickets for the game I felt that I deserved more than that. It's a bit like going to see an Elton John concert and getting Jedward because Sir Elton needed a rest before his next performance.I mean to say! They've got another game on Sunday. Talk about a hard life!

Anyway, I digress. It's been an up and down year for Joey. He joined us last year and then, when the recession hit, he was one of the unlucky few to be made redundant but as we liked him so much, we were happy to welcome him back when things turned better. Joey is a big Liverpool fan and he's also a bit of a comedian having entertained us with a five minute stand up at our last Christmas do. Have a great day Joey.



And, no less important, it's Sales and Marketing Director Nick Neal's forty somethingth birthday today. Congratulations Nick. Nick also went to Anfield last night to see the boys put on their inspired performance. Here he is beneath the statue of the great Bill Shankley. Nick has been at Instanta for eleven years now and has become the face of the company for our customers throughout his area. In fact, Nick has become so well known to many people that I sometimes get calls asking to speak to MD Nick (what have you been telling them Nick?). Nick loves fishing, technology and DIY. He has just finished a marathon DIY effort on his house. It's been a labour of love that has taken him about five years but he says that he's finally finished having completed the toilet last week. So you can get rid of that bucket now Nick. Have a great day.




Here's another sneak preview of next year's models. Our WA5 has been a big success and we're giving it a bit of a faclift in 2010 and a couple of new models to keep it company. Keep watching this space as more will be revealed in the next few weeks. In the meantime I'm busy working away on getting the sales literature ready in time.


We're supporting the 10:10 initiative next year both here and at home.At work we are introducing some green initiatives to the new products. At home, Marion and I have reduced our home power consumption by an amazing amount (mind you, sitting under a blanket in the lounge makes us look like a couple of paupers). We are really determined to do something about climate change and the Prius arrives in a few weeks. It probably won't affect our lives but we're thinking of the grandchildren (if we ever have any) here's a short film to make you think.

1000 And Rising

Welder Kirk Harrison has just told me that his Facebook group has just gone over the 1000 mark. Kirk is a true aficionado of real ale and with 1003 members, his is the biggest independent real ale group on Facebook. If you enjoy Rudgate Ruby Mild or other exotic brews or just want to chat with like minded real ale enthusiasts, join the club. You can find the group by clicking here


It's been a case of all quiet on the Instant blog for a few days as I've been completely tied up in work. But at least I've got something to show from my labours as our friendly local photographer Peter Raymond emails me the first of the photos for the new brochure. Here is a sneak preview of our new CT8000 to be launched at Hotelympia in February. Nice isn't it?



Which means that Marion and I haven't even started to think about Christmas yet and the office couldn't possibly look less festive. Lauren always used to make a lovely job of putting up the tree and a few decorations to get us into the festive spirit but I think we're heading for a Bah Humbug year this year.Maybe we'll get the chance to put something up next week.



It's young Joey in the factory's 18th birthday on Thursday so I got him a ticket for the game against Fiorentina at Anfield tomorrow night.It's Nick's birthday on the same day so I got him one too. I do hope that they enjoy it. Typical Italians. Which other country could produce a team that could get away with playing in purple?

Marion's busy with the November figures at the moment but when she has finished them I think she deserves a day off. She hasn't stopped for days now.

And finally, don't forget to vote for Joe in th x Factor final on Sunday. I win £450 is he is successful. And as I've been on a losing streak lately I could do with that win to get my Betfair account back in order.






.

Mr 98.8%

It's a sad day for us all at Instanta as our cleaner David Boutle reports his second negative feedback on eBay. Never in the history of eBay has one man bent over backwards so much to help his customers and what does he get by way of thanks? "A fait échouer la vente sans même me prévenir." Like David, we've no idea what the buyer meant but we are sure that it wasn't justified. Never mind David, with the new eBay system it will be gone in 12 months and you'll be back to being Mr 100%, the position you rightly deserve.



I got an email from sales director Nick (left above). It was a report on something called the Darwin Awards. These are a lists of people doing stupid things and the name is derived from those who are least evolved. This one is my favorite as it relates to the catering industry

The chef at a hotel in Switzerland lost a finger in a meat cutting machine and after a little shopping around, submitted a claim to his insurance company. The company, expecting negligence, sent out one of its men to have a look for himself. He tried the machine and he too lost a finger. The chef's claim was approved.

Many more like it can be found here.



Special mention in dispatches to Lee Moore.Lee has only been in the office for a few months after moving in here from the factory floor. He found himself thrown into the deep end this week as Craig (who normally handles the sales order processing) is on holiday. A holiday that coincided with a rush of over two hundred boilers being ordered in just a couple of days. Well done Lee for rising to the challenge.



Thanks to the vagaries of Sky Sports, Liverpool's match against Man City this weekend is being played at 12.45. Whatever happened to the days of 3pm kick offs? One good thing is that I'm going to take Marion with me and leave her to do some shopping in Liverpool while the match is on and then we can meet up for some tapas in La Vina later. So what am I moaning about? I don't know it's just obligatory to moan about Sky. Mind you I shouldn't moan as son Paul works in TV and just got some very good news from Sky so, here's to Sky. You're wonderful really.

And how this for a tenuous link to end the week? Speaking of sky.

Blogger's Block

It's a bit like writer's block I suppose but at least when you are writing a book or an article or something to go in the next super Instanta brochure you can walk away for a couple of hours and seek inspiration. But a blog? It's supposed to be a daily thing, something immediate and vital. "Since when has the Instanta blog ever been vital?" I hear you ask.But as I sit staring at a blank screen I feel ike a man on death row. My time is running out. (Sorry I've just reread that I don't feel ike. I don't know any Ike's and if there are any out there I don't want to feel them).

I've got to get the blog up before midday or there's little point in blogging.

But hang on a minute. The screen's no longer blank. There's a whole paragraph of drivel and now there's this. Every time I touch the keypad the words move a little further along the screen.

Gigolos for the older woman. " Now what is he talking about?" you ask. Well Nick just came in and said to me he had a great new business idea. I'm not sure who he had in mind (certainly not me looking at my photo on yesterday's blog when I looked like a Belsen survivor) but here he is.

What do you think? Has it got legs? "Has he got legs?" I hear you ask. Oh well. That filled up another bit of white space.



We're off to Manchester to do some shopping tomorrow. Now there's some interesting news. That's equal to - we watched the telly last night or I had Fruitful for breakfast. Tap tap. Is there anybody still there?






I know. I'll tell you about our lucky competition winner. Yes Bruno Gautier of The Hare Restaurant in Hungerford won one of our wonderful SV25 sous vide digital water baths in the recent competition in Caterer and Hotelkeeper. Trouble is Bruno doesn't know yet as the restaurant is closed until next week. Well Bruno if you do any of that vanity Googling that our Nick loves so much (or is that vanity Gigoling now?), maybe you'll discover that you are the winner. I did send an email but if Bruno's spam filter is anything like ours a message headed "Congratulations You have Won" will be mouldering away with a pile of emails trying to sell him acai berries or male organ enhancers.

Our friend Amanda Sweeney from the wonderful City Servicing sent me this video. She reckons that her husband Dave reckons this is her. Now a radical liberal like me would never make such claims but as it was sent to me by a woman I feel safe (sort of) posting it.Have a good weekend.

Hot Pants Nick

After the shock of the near £2,000 electricity bill at home a week or so back, the new Owl Wireless Energy Monitor arrived from Amazon (amazing service it came in under 24 hours). It's really easy to use and Marion and I are now used to sitting in the dark and eating salads having discovered that the lights and the oven are the most expensive appliances to run. Mind you in the week since we set it up we have only used £10 worth of fuel. We have a horrible feeling that the super under floor heating that we installed in the new conservatory extension eighteen months ago is the culprit but it's not in use at the moment. Fortunately the outside lights, which make the garden look so good, are only costing 5p an hour. Not very green though so we'll cut them out in the winter. The bill did prompt us to look for the best supplier and it looks like we can save over £40 per month with E-on even if we don't cut back on usage.


Here's another device that's a big help - my wonderful SHARP ELSIMATE EL-361H solar powered calculator. I've been using this to help with accounts for absolutely years. It must be well over ten years old and it's still going strong- well done SHARP for producing such a reliable gadget.



It's a sad day today when I have finally taken the decision to hang up my boots and call it a day on the football front. I've enjoyed our five a side sessions so much over the last ten years but life now seems to be one injury after another and the groin strain that I suffered in April is still niggling three months later. I may go down and offer my services as a ref now and then but my playing days are over and I have to hang up my boots and shorts.



Which leads me to today's headline. Here's Sales Director Nick proudly modelling his new swimming shorts. You'll notice a burn in a very delicate position. Nick decided to strim his lawn with a new petrol driven strimmer. Having only used an electric strimmer in the past Nick was unfamiliar with the heat created by the motor and was holding the machine with the exhaust pointing directly at his groin. Fortunately he was alerted by a tingling sensation and dropped the strimmer before it caused him irreparable damage. It's a good job those shorts weren't nylon.

I'll leave you with a dedication for Nick

Gone Fishin'

One of the benefits of the four day factory week that we have been operating here at Instanta for years is the chance for people to indulge in some of their hobbies on a Monday when the golf course is emptier,the riverbank quieter and the swimming pool isn't clogged with screaming kids.The beauty of the working hours for both Instanta and the staff is that they still put in a 35 hour working week but if an increase in production is needed they can always work Mondays in an emergency.This Monday welders Craig Peach (top) and Darren Rodwell used that time to visit some ponds in Mawdesley and they both ended up with a net full of fish.Here they are with two of the specimen carp that they landed. I've been told that there was a wager between the two about whose was the biggest but Darren suggested that they go fishing instead.



And just to show that we didn't spend Nick Neal's winnings for coming second in our Guardian Pick The Score competition on bacon butties here he is with his £50 prize. Nick led the league for most of the early months but Tony Lowe with an incredible run of correct predictions had a late surge to take the prize from his grasp.



Speaking of sports predictions I see that the bookies were suspicious of the huge number of bets that they took on Jurgen Melzer to beat Wayne Odesnik 3-0 at Wimbledon and they suspended betting on the match which strangely went on to finish er 3-0 to Melzer. Odesnik said that he would never do anything to jeopardise his career although rumours that he spent the night before the game at an O'Neils bar may have set the jungle drums off amongst the betting community with suggestions of an almighty hangover.Until the incident is investigated they will remain just that - rumours.



Proof that democracy is alive and well under the new (old) regime in Iran. When six of the national team, including their captain, wore green wristbands in support of the opposition candidate Mir Hossein Musavi in their World Cup Qualifier against South Korea they were told to remove them at half time (although captain Mahdavikia wore his green captain's armband for the entire match). All of the players have had their passports taken off them and four have been banned from playing for life. Which I imagine is exactly the sort of thing that they were protesting about. I had to laugh when I read in The Guardian that the team's chief administrative officer, Mansour Pourhiedari, initially claimed the wristbands had been intended as a religious tribute to a revered Shia figure in the hope that it would deliver a victory on the pitch. It reminded me of Gerard Houlier's comments after Robbie Fowler snorted the white line of the penalty area in a goal celebration "Robbie was pretending to eat the grass. It is something that Rigobert Song does all the time at the training ground" Hmmm. Obviously Gerard.



And still on Iran, let's all please remember Neda Soldani like this. Her tragic death during the political protests has been viewed by millions on YouTube but I have deliberately avoided watching it and won't be posting any links here. Surely the simple fact that a young woman's life has been taken away by an undemocratic regime is enough without our needing to see her life blood draining onto the streets. R.I.P Neda. Let's hope that your death was not in vain.



Following the results of yesterday's very special offer we are continuing it today. Yes. We are offering 30% YES THIRTY PER CENT off the super AF40 heated cup stacker.That's a reduction of £79.50 Designed to take forty 85mm stacking cup this is a great little unit and you can take advantage of this offer by ordering today and quoting blog offer 230609. Offers must reach us by Friday 26 June at 4.30pm.



It's Orange Wednesday today but we might give it a miss. It's a glorious day here in Southport and we may just spend the evening in the garden as the nights do start drawing in from now onwards.

It was Father's Day on Sunday and I got a great card from Sarah and Paul tells me that he has sent me something but didn't realise that it was ten day delivery!Here's a video on the topic. Give it a go. It made me laugh out loud.