Galli Piece

Animals roamed around the factory floor and yard, Maria Galli’s father, who was ancient, small, but enormously strong, hacked away at rough timber to make packing cases, while her mother was engaged in feeding the staff, feeding the chickens and generally bustling about with a witches type broom. Amidst this crucible of activity they were producing wonderful masterpieces in fine porcelain. Galli had several sculptures on the go simultaneously. In his earlier works he was strongly influenced by Disney and was enchanted by the characters like Snow White and the seven dwarfs. By the time I visited the factory/academy he had moved on from using gres-d’arte, a rather soft paste ceramic material, to firing fine porcelain, enabling him to create finer models in the sense of extra detail and definition. He was still drawn to the heroic. Pirates, fishermen, gladiators and geniis from the Arabian Nights populate his studies.

At the time my company, Febland Group Ltd, was buying very modest amounts of stock from Galli. We mainly sold a range of urchins with raggy clothes or musical instruments and they would cost us around £3.00 apiece. They went like wildfire to the trade but we could never get enough. Despite placing large forward orders Galli was always behind in delivery. I used to visit him twice a year at his factory in Aicurzio, then a lone building with hardly a neighbour in sight but now the area is built up into a huge suburban sprawl. On one of my visits I believe I discovered why Galli could not execute our full orders. It seems that Mrs Galli was keen on cash on the nail transactions and especially drawn to gold coins from buyers who came in small vans from France, Belgium, Germany, etc. These esteemed cash buyers would gobble up stock intended for us but curiously in Italy it seemed that if you did not provide any paperwork to your client you could declare a poor financial result at the end of the year and avoid taxes or, more likely, bribes to be forked out to discourage the scrutiny of the fiscal officers. I don’t think Galli, artist as he was, paid much attention to making money himself. He dressed like a peasant, his hair unkempt, white shirt torn, trousers fastened with an old leather belt, his trousers had various patches and his shoes encrusted with ceramic powder. He was tall and skinny but very wiry with long pianists’ fingers and he would frequently burst out into song, the words incomprehensible but no doubt the Brianzola equivalent of a serenade along Neapolitan lines. He knew no English but made a brave attempt at ‘Waltzing Matilda’ for some reason which I never discovered. On my autumn visit in 1965 I was honoured with a glimpse of Galli’s one luxury which he had permitted himself.

Galli Piece

He had learned that two of the great porcelain artists: Cappé and Tagliaruol (Tay) had acquired magnificent racing cars, Cappé had a Lamborghini with which to cruise around Monza city and Tay had bought a red Ferrari to snort around the Autodromo. Unable to resist Galli bought a bright yellow Bizzarini and the whole neighbourhood was scared to death. A year later on my visit to Galli I innocently made an inquiry after the Bizzarini. Silence fell for many minutes before he revealed that he had turned it over into a ditch on one of the narrow corners bordering the area. It was no more. Galli never was at peace with machinery, everything in the porcelain trade was done by hand, the modelling, the collagio or fastening together the parts with slip clay, the painting, the stacking of the furnaces, the assembly of the heavy moulds and most of all the sculpture of original pieces are all done by hand. Putting a fierce sports car into Galli’s hands is tempting fate to the extreme and a large stone was metaphorically placed over the memory of the Bizzarini. It was no more.

Galli’s inspirations were manifold. He loved humour – the shipwrecked sailor who holds a mermaid but begins to fry her tail in the frying pan, Mylord who owns a magnificent jalopy but it has broken down and is being pushed by the locals, the Judge who is giving a verdict in favour of a sexy young wife against her poor downtrodden husband, the Doctor with his hypodermic needle on top of a very comely female patient, the Husband on holiday trying to peer through a torn umbrella at a bikini clad sylph while his rotund missus is keeping an eagle eye on him. The examples are many and magnificent. He always saw the ironic side of life in his works. He was married to a short but energetic and tubby little lady of peasant stock who controlled his life. They had no children but managed to live a unique life style in this farmhouse where neighbours would bring them demi-johns of virgin olive oil or sides of bresaola from a wild boar or bottles of home made wine or slabs of taleggio or fontina cheese. They worked like mad and in a funny way enjoyed themselves by laughing at their own shortcomings. They had so many models and each model is made up of scores of parts that often they got lost or mis-placed upstairs in the barn so that Galli, rather than driving himself wild looking for the missing parts, would create another figure afresh. This would cause Maria Galli to burst into tears of laughter at her husband’s behaviour. I now wonder if she had hidden the missing parts herself.

Galli Piece

I visited Galli once and there was an atmosphere of gloom around the place. I was asked to swear that our company would never buy goods from a firm called Cortese. Apparently an ex-pupil of Galli had set up in competition with some overlap of style. Cortese had learned everything he knew from Galli and now the Maestro was amazed that such a person could set up in competition. I told Galli that nobody could copy his handiwork or even come close but the Galli’s seemed inconsolable as they probably had considered giving this chap more responsibility for the commercial side of their business and now he had not only deserted them but turned against them. Cortese went on to make a successful enterprise which continued until 2005 but never reached the sublime heights of invention that characterised Galli’s work.

Another of Galli’s strengths was his ability to re-create the female form. His nudes sold particularly well and now have doubled in worth since Galli’s demise in 1986. He was able to pick up a piece of clay and in a few hours model it into a superb specimen of womanhood. Unlike his plain and dumpling little wife, these girls, as they emerged from the clay in Galli’s hands, were gorgeous, shapely and seductive to the point that I felt Galli was able to turn his skill into objects of desire that he was reluctant to part with. We never got full deliveries of these pieces. One such piece, a girl emerging from a banana was so seductive that it helped me sell a whole collection of Galli’s works, some 45 pieces, as long as I included an example of this piece amongst the collection. To obtain the flesh appearance of the skin areas, Galli would bombard the figurine, once glazed, with a fine blue sand hence removing the glaze and leaving the carneggione or flesh parts in a matt or bisquit finish that was most appealing.

Galli's Moon Landing is very rare.

One of Galli’s abilities was to make huge pieces, often with some political message. His ‘Poker of the Nations’ is very large, almost 80 cms across and portrays charicatures of the nations in a poker struggle round a table. Uncle Sam, John Bull, the Pope and Stalin were amongst the characters. His Moon Landing piece or ‘Cosmos’ is particularly rare and complicated. Galli was deeply affected by the moon landings by the USA starting in 1969 and he felt he had to make a contribution by creating a piece showing two girl astronauts arriving on a planet by rocket and encountering the spirit of Leonardo Davinci now in angel form. I do not suppose there are more than 6 examples ever made. I have kept one piece in Blackpool and everytime I pass I feel like upping its price because it is irreplaceable. Once Galli died there was nobody who could emulate his work. For a while an ex-pupil Roberto Brambilla (Robby B.) tried to instil life into the business but to all intents and purposes Tiziano Galli was the unique soul of the operation. Luckily I managed to purchase 90 pieces from Maria Galli which were early pieces and had been kept in a loft above the farmhouse. Of these there were some magnificent examples of Galli’s work. He loved swimming and made a huge piece of three girls swimming in the sea, each doing a different stroke. His imagination took him to creating an Undersea Kingdom were Neptune reigns and marine creatures mix with mermaids and aquanauts.

I regret I do not have a picture of Galli but will search for one amongst my possessions. In my opinion he was one of the greatest ceramicists ever born. His talent had no boundaries and I only wish he was still there in that crazy farmhouse near Monza.

Laura Catlow

Trek4life is an idea Pat came up with to support small local charities as well as national ones and the national charities they will be supporting this year will be Clic Sargent and The Soldiers Charity.

The night itself will include a 3 course meal, and entertainment from some exceptional performing talent that surely will have some 350 guests dancing on the tables and swinging from the chanderliers. There will be an auction and lots of strange little fund raising events going on. Last year I was involved in a game of Twister with a several ladies and the less said about that the better. I have been assured it will be back for 2010. Whoop Whoop! This year will be hosted by the hillarious Tony Jo as was last and the the headlining act will be none other than the essential Ti Amero. Other acts include Rupert Fabulous. and my tip for Blackpool's next big star, Laura Catlow who are all giving their time and energy to help Pat in his mission to save the world.

Ti Amero

You can you help too.

All we need from you is to attend this thrilling evening of madness and joy and bring your friends. It's that easy! Just imagine how good you will feel on Sunday 25th July, hung over for sure but happy in the knowledge that the dough you blew went straight into the coffers of two great charities that really make a difference to thousands of people less fortunate than you and I who can attend such events and by doing so, make a difference. In short, It's our duty.

Rupert Fabulous

£25 per ticket is what we need from you or if you manage to get all your friends together for a table of ten it's £200 providing you pay before 30th June. This will help us reach our target of £6000 raised by the end of the evening. WE CAN!

Please please please come and have a ball.

Anyone for Twister?

Ash

Victory Parade

It's a giant step up from the Championship Division to the Premier League and is characterised by a shower of money enabling the newcomers to buy some talent, improve the tiny ground and perhaps invest in a youth policy and improve the crumbling training ground at the Airport. Not only will there be a big lump for going up but also a big lump should they be relegated. It is a well known phenomenon that promoted teams running on a shoestring find themselves badly outclassed when they scale the heights and rub shoulders with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and such like.

At the Gala Awards the illustrious Manager of the Blackpool FC,a Bristolian named Ian Holloway, gave a stirring speech seemingly inspired by Shakespeare's soliloquy for Henry the Fifth in which he said we would get knocked down but we would get up again, we would fight them and fight them again and again until we were victorious. We were not there simply to make up the numbers and gift them 6 points. I paraphrase a bit due to the influence of the flowing bubbly that night and the fact that Holloway's words were drowned with fearless applause. Owen Oyston said he was still in a dream and afraid to wake up and find his team was still in the lower division. It means so much that the constraints of running a football club money-wise were to be lifted permanently. As a club financier you get hated by the supporters if you don't buy good players every week and you get sued by your suppliers if you can't pay them on time.

Yes there is a certain kudos if your team is doing well but more often you taste the bitter fruits of defeat and get loudly criticised for not lashing out loads of money on what is usually an evanescent dream. I recall George Reynolds who pulled Darlington's football team out of its dungeon, built a new ground, was cheered to the rafters and then lost all his money and possessions when the team failed to come up to scratch and the Council punished him for wanting to develop ancillary uses for the brand new football ground such as Bingo Nights and Dances. The supporters booed their saviour and he was roundly reviled for rescuing the club and ended up broke but philosophical. Such a tale will not occur with Blackpool as the owners are pretty canny with expenditure and have laid out funds only when they were there. But still a stadium holding barely 12,000 people isn't going to earn much when 40,000 will be trying to get tickets. Survival in Premiership will be paramount and I applaud the cool Bret Ormerod, now a veteran of the game for showing some real spirit and inspiration. This is a team which attacks from the word go and never stops until their legs fall off.

In the 100 degree crucible at Wembley the team was exhausted and just about made it to the final whistle without conceding that 3rd goal which would have meant extra time and Heaven forfend, the deadly penalty shoot out.

Mortensen Statue

Well done Charles Adam, and the Team, Ian Holloway and the management and above all the Oyston family and we all look forward to a boost to the economy in Blackpool where jobs are hard to get, hotels are cheap and mainly empty. Restaurants are great and half price compared to London. We want to see you here at the showroom, or in the Casinos, or on the Pier or just simply cheering your team down the Golden Mile, Blackpool in the Premiership is still unbelievable, yet it's going to affect all our lives.

Jim Armfield is overjoyed quietly but refused to join the lads on the open top bus down the Prom because as he rightly says, it was their achievement not his and he will always be remembered at the Blackpool ground not only metaphysically but in reality by virtue of a great big sign on the seats on the Jimmy Armfield stand and a bronze statue bearing a remarkable likeness to his youthful self.

Up The Pool!

The Blackpool of old was the tourist destination of the UK. Holiday makers used to flock to our sandy shores in their droves and the summer found Blackpool’s Golden Mile alive with tourists basking in the sun, having a flutter on the many bingo halls and arcades or simply enjoying a stroll, ice cream in hand. The Council want a return to those days and, as bastions of style in Blackpool, we think this couldn’t have come a moment too soon.

Blackpool is getting a facelift too.

A massive £38.9m has been spent on buying the landmarks, including £10m to refurbish the famous Blackpool Tower, which has been gradually rusting away for some time now. Blackpool Council has done what any sensible organisation would do when looking at spending that amount of money, and brought in the professionals. It has hired Merlin Entertainments Group, the theme park gurus whose other responsibilities include the London Eye, to run the attractions. Its job is to raise visitor numbers from 458,000 a year in 2008/09 to 800,000, a massive feat if it manages it. This will bring an additional £36m a year of visitor spending into Blackpool’s economy, putting the town back on the map and giving the local economy a much-needed boost. In fact, it has been said that the deal should create 1,000 jobs in Blackpool – in this economic climate, this can only be a good thing. A figure of £223m per year in benefits to the local economy is being touted around, with the government claiming there will be a return of £7 for every £1 of public sector investment. We aren’t the only ones hoping that the master-plan works and we get to see Blackpool taking to its throne as the premier tourist destination in the UK. If nothing else, it might mean some of our loyal internet customers will have an excuse to come and visit our huge showroom in Blackpool.

Our huge showroom.

And, so, onto our own little refurbishment. While its budget is not running into the millions just yet, we hope it will have a significant effect on our business. Too many furniture dealers forget how important it is to communicate with their customers. We definitely don’t want to make this mistake so, if there’s anything you’d like to see on our site or something you think we should be doing that we’re not already, let us know. In our store, we always make sure that the customer’s every whim is catered for, so why should our website be any different?

In the meantime, we have been getting on with a few changes in the background, and we hope you are enjoying the results. You may have noticed that we have been spending more time recently updating the descriptions of the fabulous furniture on our site. After all, while a picture tells a thousand words, we recognise that you need to know a little about the nuts and bolts of the furniture you’re perusing. And, when the furniture is as well-made as ours is, we thought there was little point in being shy about it! We hope that the new descriptions will tell you enough about our great products (and we’ve added a few new beauties so make sure to check them out) but, if you have any questions to ask about our furniture, you are always welcome to contact us with any queries.

I guess that, if you’re reading this post, you’re probably a regular reader of the Fabulous Furniture blog. So of course you’re interested in the furniture that is sold on this site. Or maybe you’re simply interested in what goes on behind the scenes at one of the oldest, most well-established furniture companies in the North West, if not the UK. Well, as we speak, one of the guys at Fabulous Furniture is hopefully filling in my Blog Watch questionnaire so that you can find out a little more about the company and what makes it tick. Perhaps most interestingly, you’ll be able to find out what made them decide to start blogging and what they want to achieve from the blog. I’m willing to bet there’ll be a few surprises in there so it’ll definitely be worth looking back at this blog in a few weeks to find out what they’ve said.

In the interim, I thought I’d share with you a few of my favourite products on the site. Up in Scotland, we are still suffering from a relative shortage of innovative yet affordable furniture companies such as Febland Group, so I often point my readers in the direction of companies such as Fabulous Furniture, who can supply cutting-edge lines at decent prices – and deliver it all north of the border without charging an astronomical fee (in fact, Fabulous Furniture will deliver to everywhere but the ‘nether regions’ of Scotland free of charge). Sure, you don’t get the benefit of walking into the store, running your hands along the table or planting your bum onto the sofa, but when the website selling furniture is as detailed (and as trustworthy) as Fabulous Furniture, I always think that the consumer can relax. After all, we are used to buying music, books and even groceries online – why should furniture be any different? So, after having a really good nosey around what’s in stock at the moment, my top three products from the current Fabulous Furniture lines would be…

Candice Dining Table £659

What they say… Classy, contemporary and so cool! Dine in style around the Candice Dining Table. The Candice dining table makes an instant impression with its luxurious black glass top, 12mm thick and fully tempered, with ornate metal sculptured legs. It can seat up to six people. Matching Candice coffee table and chairs also available.

What I say… I don’t think you could possibly find a more striking dining table at this price anywhere on the market! This dining table is reminiscent of the über-popular Louis Ghost range that we saw everywhere a few years ago, yet it has the added benefit of not costing the world! And the whole thing is made out of metal and glass – very this season. I would put this kind of dining table in a room that really mixes and matches its styles – or even in a modern open-plan living room that incorporates a dining space in it. The change in styles will be enough to denote the different use of the space, and the utilitarian shape of this piece will ensure that it wouldn’t get in the way in a shared-focus room. Any fans of David Hicks’ eclectic style (myself included) are sure to love the mixing of the modern and the antique look and, despite being bang on trend at the moment, this piece will definitely not date. Perfect!

Cream Coco Dining Chair £104.99

They say… A modern, heavily-padded dining chair. Very comfy! The Coco dining chair is upholstered in an amazingly soft PU and padded out to the max with sumptuous filling, making this dining chair easily one of the most comfortable in our range. The low back makes for easy serving and the minimalist chrome frame adds to that contemporary look. Also available in black and brown.
I say… This gorgeous dining chair reminds me of the furniture that is being produced at Ligne Roset. And, if you’re not familiar with their furniture, they are undoubtedly one of the premiere modern Italian design houses, but they come with a price tag that matches! This chair takes the very best of the modular styling but presents it at a price point that is recession-friendly. The modern take on the classic Chesterfield look is perfect for this dining chair and I, for one, can imagine myself enjoying an after-dinner drink around the table on one of these beauties!

Custom Potenza Chair £599

They say… Imagine yourself perched in this oversized throne style chair looking utterly fabulous as you and your Potenza light up the room. Get in touch for more information on receiving custom fabrics, leathers and PVC samples. Now we are offering a bespoke service on the famous Potenza chairs! Choose from a vast range of animal prints, flat weaves, floral patterns, faux leathers, real hides, draylons, suede… the list goes on! We have shown just a few examples of different covers above, so if you have a specific design in mind, please get in touch.

I say… Oh my! This gorgeous statement chair would look a treat in a bedroom, living room or just about anywhere you put it! The elegant long back of the chair gives the design grace and form, and the scroll arm would be perfect for leaning on, champagne in hand. I absolutely love the pink flock material on the piece shown but, when faced with the opportunity to create a bespoke piece by choosing one’s own fabric, I challenge anyone not to want to become a furniture designer! There are some really great fabrics on the market at the moment and this kind of piece really will enhance a room when it’s designed for it. I’d suggest looking at contrasting fabrics to what you already have in place – the eclectic look is all over the interiors world at the moment and the more luxe fabrics you have in one room, the better! If you’d rather err on the side of caution, a fabric that picks out an accent colour that you have in your current interior design scheme gives the best of both worlds.

Hope you’ve enjoyed my quick whizz around the FabulousFurniture.co.uk website. As I said earlier, do check back to see when the Blog Watch article goes up – there’s bound to be some interesting titbits to read and, you never know, maybe I’ll see you back here to discuss it! Enjoy!

I guess that, if you’re reading this post, you’re probably a regular reader of the Fabulous Furniture blog. So of course you’re interested in the furniture that is sold on this site. Or maybe you’re simply interested in what goes on behind the scenes at one of the oldest, most well-established furniture companies in the North West, if not the UK. Well, as we speak, one of the guys at Fabulous Furniture is hopefully filling in my Blog Watch questionnaire so that you can find out a little more about the company and what makes it tick. Perhaps most interestingly, you’ll be able to find out what made them decide to start blogging and what they want to achieve from the blog. I’m willing to bet there’ll be a few surprises in there so it’ll definitely be worth looking back at this blog in a few weeks to find out what they’ve said.

In the interim, I thought I’d share with you a few of my favourite products on the site. Up in Scotland, we are still suffering from a relative shortage of innovative yet affordable furniture companies such as Febland Group, so I often point my readers in the direction of companies such as Fabulous Furniture, who can supply cutting-edge lines at decent prices – and deliver it all north of the border without charging an astronomical fee (in fact, Fabulous Furniture will deliver to everywhere but the ‘nether regions’ of Scotland free of charge). Sure, you don’t get the benefit of walking into the store, running your hands along the table or planting your bum onto the sofa, but when the website selling furniture is as detailed (and as trustworthy) as Fabulous Furniture, I always think that the consumer can relax. After all, we are used to buying music, books and even groceries online – why should furniture be any different? So, after having a really good nosey around what’s in stock at the moment, my top three products from the current Fabulous Furniture lines would be…

Candice Dining Table £659

What they say

Classy, contemporary and so cool! Dine in style around the Candice Dining Table. The Candice dining table makes an instant impression with its luxurious black glass top, 12mm thick and fully tempered, with ornate metal sculptured legs. It can seat up to six people. Matching Candice coffee table and chairs also available.

What I say

I don’t think you could possibly find a more striking dining table at this price anywhere on the market! This dining table is reminiscent of the über-popular Louis Ghost range that we saw everywhere a few years ago, yet it has the added benefit of not costing the world! And the whole thing is made out of metal and glass – very this season. I would put this kind of dining table in a room that really mixes and matches its styles – or even in a modern open-plan living room that incorporates a dining space in it. The change in styles will be enough to denote the different use of the space, and the utilitarian shape of this piece will ensure that it wouldn’t get in the way in a shared-focus room. Any fans of David Hicks’ eclectic style (myself included) are sure to love the mixing of the modern and the antique look and, despite being bang on trend at the moment, this piece will definitely not date. Perfect!

Cream Coco Dining Chair £104.99

They say

A modern, heavily-padded dining chair. Very comfy! The Coco dining chair is upholstered in an amazingly soft PU and padded out to the max with sumptuous filling, making this dining chair easily one of the most comfortable in our range. The low back makes for easy serving and the minimalist chrome frame adds to that contemporary look. Also available in black and brown.

I say

This gorgeous dining chair reminds me of the furniture that is being produced at Ligne Roset. And, if you’re not familiar with their furniture, they are undoubtedly one of the premier modern Italian design houses, but they come with a price tag that matches! This chair takes the very best of the modular styling but presents it at a price point that is recession-friendly. The modern take on the classic Chesterfield look is perfect for this dining chair and I, for one, can imagine myself enjoying an after-dinner drink around the table on one of these beauties!

Custom Potenza Chair £599

They say

Imagine yourself perched in this oversized throne style chair looking utterly fabulous as you and your Potenza light up the room. Get in touch for more information on receiving custom fabrics, leathers and PVC samples. Now we are offering a bespoke service on the famous Potenza chairs! Choose from a vast range of animal prints, flat weaves, floral patterns, faux leathers, real hides, draylons, suede… the list goes on! We have shown just a few examples of different covers above, so if you have a specific design in mind, please get in touch.

I say

Oh my! This gorgeous statement chair would look a treat in a bedroom, living room or just about anywhere you put it! The elegant long back of the chair gives the design grace and form, and the scroll arm would be perfect for leaning on, champagne in hand. I absolutely love the pink flock material on the piece shown but, when faced with the opportunity to create a bespoke piece by choosing one’s own fabric, I challenge anyone not to want to become a furniture designer! There are some really great fabrics on the market at the moment and this kind of piece really will enhance a room when it’s designed for it. I’d suggest looking at contrasting fabrics to what you already have in place – the eclectic look is all over the interiors world at the moment and the more luxe fabrics you have in one room, the better! If you’d rather err on the side of caution, a fabric that picks out an accent colour that you have in your current interior design scheme gives the best of both worlds.

Hope you’ve enjoyed my quick whizz around the FabulousFurniture.co.uk website. As I said earlier, do check back to see when the Blog Watch article goes up – there’s bound to be some interesting titbits to read and, you never know, maybe I’ll see you back here to discuss it! Enjoy!

In theory the Shops and Stores should have had a great Christmas and a strong January Sale leaving them hungry for new lines of which we have an abundance. Sometimes the theory doesn't work and for instance, 2009 saw the customers staying away in droves. Big mistake of course because the year finished very strongly and everybody was short of the best lines.

Following on a fortnight later comes the Spring Fair, erstwhile gift Fair which started in the nineteen - fifties in Harrogate, moved to Blackpool in the Sixties and then to the NEC as soon as it was constructed in the seventies. Febland's have been exhibitors from the beginning and we now deal with the grandchildren of the original customers. Occasionally a wizened old survivor turns up to enjoy a nostalgia fest and remembers the millions of Italian pottery rose bowls we used to sell for half a crown apiece.

But what does it take to take part in such important exhibitions? Some of our competitors seem to spend fortunes on their stand. Massive two storey constructions are common. Hospitality counters are everywhere with flowing champers and smoke salmon sandwiches. Everybody seems to give away smart carrier bags and thick shiny catalogues, many of which are dumped as the visitor struggles though the manifold corridors getting wearier and wearier.

As I write we are unpacking our selection of upholstery items with which we hope to wow the crowds. The first impression is all important and “reliable but dull” is not recommended. We hope to put on the stand some cutting edge pieces to show what we can do in our workshops. Big Dave is working out a pattern for the stands which we build ourselves and carefully work out how many chandeliers we can hang from vantage points over the 90 metre construction. Because of the cost per metre we have to try and maximise the impact and we are always guilty of trying to cram too much on the stand and resultantly a lorry always goes back to Blackpool on the Saturday night before the show laden with good stuff which
we couldn't fit on this time. We try to plan it out but because it is a team effort and everybody in our sales dept tries to put their oar in. Often times we seem to break the rule of 'less is more' and resultantly customers couldn't approach the displays.

Next consideration is timing. When the team arrives at the NEC three days before the show is due to open, the halls are like vast and freezing mausoleums. Dimly lit and repellent in aspect and encumbered with all the wherewithal to construct stands to comply with health and safety standards for the 4 days of the show. Masses of cable litter the floor. One stumbles over pallets of timber and new rolls of flooring. It is not uncommon to find on one's stand a whole pile of other people's exhibits. This is because you cannot build your stand with all the samples plonked in the middle and have to take a chance and leave them nearby while you put up the walls and cover the floor. Hence we try to send one construction team ahead with the stand and another following on with the samples. Sounds simple enough until you start unpacking the cartons and find odd bits missing or complicated lamps which take an eternity to wire up. There is always the possibility of vital pieces being left off or duplicated. Great care must be taken not to overload the capacity of the current space allocated to the stand. One bulb too many and you blow the fuse and plunge the stand into dreaded gloom.

By the Saturday afternoon prior to Opening Day the staff are still battling with what seems like a bomb site but magically around midnight it all falls into place or at least it is as good as it's going to be and the sales staff are able to clean and price each and every sparkling piece.

Having a team construct and later dismantle a big stand involves a lot of local accommodation, a lot of meals and snacks, a lot of transport and many frayed tempers. However much preparation one does, the unexpected always plays a part. Sometimes fortuitously. I recall when we loaded a range of furniture which we did not intend to display at all and it turned out to be a winning range. Let us hope we get off to a good start with your help again this year. I will report later on the blog line as to how it went and give you an update on the subsequent Spring Fair in February.

All the recycling firms would do was to provide us with a large skip so we could kindly continue to process the carton and board which the processors were giving away for nothing (apparently).

As winter drew on and it got colder especially in the cavernous warehouses which are bereft of heating, I mulled over the possibility of using the waste we generate from empty packing into heat to comfort the shivering staff who load, stack, pick and unload assiduously in minus temperatures till spring returns. Apparently a smallish incinerator which burns 50 kg of waste an hour costs around £10,000 and the ash produced is inert and can go to land fill sites.

The heat produced in the burning of the waste is harvested in a heat exchanger so nasty smoke becomes warm air and we all benefit except that such heat is not needed in the warm months and the cartons we are trying to burn will no doubt clutter up the whole area. Also, and this is the big problem, cartons are not to be incinerated, only clean wood. Broken up pallets are ideal as long as somebody breaks them up into small pieces and claws out the nails. Printed paper is not allowed as the ink is toxic and should not be released into the atmosphere. Polythene, polystyrene and anything which produces dark smoke is a no-no.

Investing in an incinerator is no joke. You can expect regular visits from the health and safety team and the company will need a dedicated certificated person to feed the wood into the incinerator and remove the ashes at the appropriate time. So I guess we are stuck with the present system of giving away fine clean material which nobody needs except it is going out to China in abundance as one of our major exports. What happened to the fine products we used to sell to the world? Best dinner services, fine worsted cloth, machine tools, pharmaceuticals, pedigree motor-cars, etc etc. Have we

become a nation of scavengers pinching lead off church roofs and man-hole covers in the dark?

Recently my daughter did a move from one part of London to another and had to find some cartons. She paid £3,00 each for a few miserable little boxes and I went berserk! She failed to recycle them of course.

Anybody who needs lovely empty cartons on a regular basis is invited to Feblands, bring a van and assistance.