Phew. I'm glad that I won't be doing that again.

I have just completed the transition of the payroll from weekly to monthly and what a job that was!I produced spreadsheet after spreadsheet to cross check the figures and am delighted that everybody's pay balanced to the penny bar one. As that error resulted in one member of staff being overpaid the princely sum of £22 I have let it lie and he or she (who shall remain nameless)can have a drink on me this weekend. The payroll is all set up now for August and I hope that everyone can manage the long wait before the next payday. We paid the annual bonus and profit share with the last week's pay so that will make it a little easier for them.



Another thing that will help is the annual pay rise that has been agreed and will take effect on 1st August. We've gone for 2.75% which I think is reasonable in the current economic climate especially as it is not a full year since our last pay round. Some of our staff will now have KPI's (Key Performance Indicators). These will allow us to measure performance and they will be rewarded depending on how well they do in achieving their targets. One of the KPI's will be for someone here to devise an incentive scheme for the rest of the staff.



Whilst taking another mouse to the park this morning (that's two this week), my ears pricked up as a story came on the radio about a medical breakthough with another furry creature.It seems that scientists have managed to repair rabbits' damaged joints by a new method that allows the tissue to regenerate naturally. Being in need of a new hip, I immediately thought that this could be a solution for me but I was brought back down to earth when the doctor being interviewd conjectured that it would be about ten years before the remedy would be available to humans.



With just one day to run in the month I am delighted to see Peter Brindle doing very well in the new sales league table that we have just introduced. Today Peter won an order for ten UCD47Ds. Well done and congratulations Pete.We'll have to get cracking on those KPI's for you.

Great news from son Paul. He has managed to get us tickets for the broadcast of Magic Numbers in a couple of weeks time. We are realy looking forward to it. Don't know who is performing yet. Last week it was Diana Vickers. I thought that she was good.

Of Course I'll Help You With Your Fancy Dress Says Pete Brindle

When northern area sales manager Peter Brindle's daughter Katie told her dad that she wanted to enter the fancy dress at the school fete he was, of course, delighted to offer his help. "So what do you want to go as?" asked Peter. "Tutankhamun" was the response (the kids have been learning about ancient Egypt).

Not one to give up on a challenge, and unable to persuade Katie to choose to be a pyramid like her sister Lucy, Peter got stuck in and together he and the family produced a wonderful (and first prize winning)effort. Here is Katie in just part of her winning outfit.



Fed up with there being nothing on at the local cinema we decided to rent a film on the Apple TV on Saturday evening. Gerard Butler starred in a bizarre vigilante movie in which Butler's character in revenge for the brutal murder of his wife and daughter cuts one of the perpetrators into tiny pieces with a chain saw (making sure that he videos this and sends it to a lawyer's ten year old daughter), blows up half a dozen more justice department people in their cars, suffocates yet another lawyer, blows the judge's brains out and kills his prison cellmate with a violent stabbing attack. The title of the film (and Butler's character) - "Law Abiding Citizen" hmmm.


It's the first episode of the new BBC Antiques show "Antiques Master" this evening on BBC2 at 8.30pm. Regular readers may remember that I was the thirty third choice contestant (out of 32)and spent four pleasant days in May at Towneley Hall in Burnley on the off chance that one of the contestants would be unable to take part. I was allowed to watch the filming of the final episode (when it was clear that I would not be on the show) and I have to say that it looked very good. Give it a try. Maybe I will get a chance if there is another series.


It's a big week for son Paul and daughter-in-law Josephine next week with both of them having new TV series going into production. Marion and I hope to be able to go down and watch the filming of one of each of the shows. We are looking forward to it. It is great to see them both being successful in what must be one of the most difficult career choices there is.

Just been checking out what's new on YouTube. At last.A film that we can look forward to.

It's Over

After months of excitement in the run up to son Paul's wedding, it's all over now. But what a lovely day it was for everyone involved. I was so taken with the proceedings that I took very few photos (and only this one of the bride and groom) but hopefully there will plenty of official photos in the next couple of weeks when the happy couple return from honeymoon in Cuba.Over a hundred guests attended the event and it was a great success. Here are a few of my snaps from the day.




Here's Marion with our close friend Jane.



Daughter Sarah with partner Duncan.



Paul's Grandmothers Flo and Ann.



My sister Julie and daughter Natasha.



My brother Peter and his wife Val.


Peter and Val's daughter Lisa with partner Brad.



Friends David and Janet.



Marion with Josephine's mum Jenny.



Being away at the wedding meant missing Northern Area Sales Manager Peter Brindle's 49th birthday. Keen golfer Peter has worked for Instanta for 19 years and is a key member of our personnel having worked his way from the factory floor where he once ran our sheet metal department through a stint as buyer and on to sales.Married to Linda, Peter is a dedicated dad. His eldest, John, married last year whilst daughters Lucy and Katie are still at primary school and are doing extremely well. A very popular man with the customers,Peter has taken on the challenge of our takeover by Zip with great enthusiasm and is determined to make a big success of it.Apologies for the delay Peter but, better late than never, I hope that you had a brilliant day.



Heartbroken on Valentine's Day.

I was really down when I read yesterday's Observer. As always, I turned first to the magazine to read Kathryn Flett's brilliant column. (I used to turn first to her equally brilliant TV review and was disappointed when that ended recently). And what did I read? Yesterday's was her last column. Why has she gone? Where is she going to? Sunday mornings won't be the same again without the humour that she injected into the day. I do hope that her writing continues. If she moves to another Sunday I'll be moving with her (as long as it isn't the Mail or Express of course).

As our retirement is approaching I had better start to think of things to do next year. How about this?

You didn't read my earlier post

If you did read today's blog a little earlier, please ignore it as I have just received an email asking me not to mention my lead story until March. And if you didn't read it you won't have a clue what I am talking about. Nothing unusual there then.


Northern Area Sales Manager Peter Brindle is smiling today. Our sales figures for January showed an increase on 2009 so that is two months running when we have moved forwards in our current financial year. The year can sometimes be like a big game of snakes and ladders as some months have more days in them than others and, as we tend to sell from stock rather than advanced orders, those working days can make a big difference.For example there are 23 working days in March and just 20 in February and that's a difference of 15%.



It's the first of the month and I'm delighted to say that we paid all our bills this morning. We always like to pay promptly because it would be somewhat hypocritical if we started chasing our own customers for payment when we hadn't paid our own outstanding accounts. So now we can start chasing with a clear conscience.



Our South African agent Vin Meagher is going to use the World Cup to promote a "Warm Cup" by featuring our super Heated Cup Carousels. Vin tells me that even though we always associate South Africa with hot weather, the tournament is being held in the winter and some of the venues in the higher areas can be bitterly cold. Good idea Vin. Hope it's a success for you.

We had to miss Orange Wednesday last week as Marion was not well. I wonder if this new release will get to Southport?

Super Dad Peter

When little Lucy Brindle told her dad Peter that the class were having a "Lord of the Rings" day on Friday and the teacher would like the kids to dress up as characters from the books, instead of kitting Lucy out with a bit of make up and some old clothes, Peter decided to help transform her into a dragon.And here is the mask he created for her. Good to see northern area sales manager Peter has lost none of his creative skills from his time as a sheet metal worker.What a creation! No doubt Lucy will be scaring her classmates on Friday.

I hope she doesn't end up like my poor daughter Sarah.When she was about seven, Sarah was invited to a birthday party. The girl whose party it was told Sarah it was fancy dress. We took Sarah to the party as a fairy, complete with wings and a magic wand only to find that it wasn't fancy dress and all the other kids were in normal clothes. Some children can be very cruel.



I just made a start on the figures for November. They look good with a 5% increase on last November. But I'm not pulling the wool over anybody's eyes, trading conditions are still hard for everyone in the manufacturing industry and there's some way to go before we see our way out of the recession. However, with a good number of new products planned for launch at Hotelympia in February, and our new brochure being prepared by the great Workhouse Marketing well on the way, I am expecting a good 2010. And speaking of Workhouse, MD Mark Jones has started a daily blog. Check it out here. Today's is a particularly good one (thanks Mark you've won a signed copy of my book).



To that end, we've got an appointment with ace photographer Peter Raymond on Friday. Peter is going to photograph four new models plus a few close ups for the brochure. We're going to be launching a new range of....... I might as well keep it quiet for now so watch this space.



There was a heavy frost last night so our thoughts turn, of course, to holidays. Marion has just prepared the holiday list for next year so everyone can get their holidays chosen. It works out at six weeks next year for those who work our four day week. Marion and I still haven't taken this year's holidays in full.

Regular readers know that I'm a big X Factor fan. Remember Rhydian? He's come a long way in two years. Not sure about the hair, or the song, or the monks but at least he's got interesting eyes.

Pete Like's Driving In His Car

Here's Northern Area Sales Manager Peter Brindle with his new Mazda 6TS2 which arrived yesterday. It's a lovely looking car but Pete says he has to put the seats down to get his golf clubs in. All I can say is "Well Peter. You chose it!"



We signed up to the 10:10 initiative that I mentioned on the blog yesterday and are going to do our best to cut our carbon footprint in 2010. You can do your bit by clicking here. Yesterday's Guardian was full of helpful tips including the wearing of thermal underwear and putting a brick in the loo cistern. But the best bit of advice was "share your newspapers". Now that's what I call magnanimous. A bit like a turkey voting for Christmas.



I just nipped out to the pictures to get the tickest for tonight's Orange Wednesday offering "Final Destination 3D". I'm really looking forward to it even if it is just the same old gory offering as the last one. 3d should make it far more interesting.



My head is spinning with figures as I have been preparing the forecast for next year. Hopefully we should do OK. I didn't know what pay level to put in as we usually agree an annual figure in line with inflation. But it seems that over 50% of companies have had no pay increase this year and those that have have averaged 1% or less. We'll have to see.


I'll close with a dedication to Peter.