WELCOME TO
Weather with you
AS I write this foreword in the second week of April, the weather continues to try us all. On Monday I had organised the first job in the UK for a new sand injection machine, only to wake that morning with heavy rain beating the window pane. Just 30 miles away from the Surrey venue, 4” of snow had fallen across Sussex and Kent.
Groundsmen and Greenkeepers up and down the country had barely been cutting the first fresh grass of the year, before temperatures dropped down below zero and more frosts occurred. By the time this magazine gets to your doorstep, I’m hoping that you will be enjoying more typical spring temperatures. With such a late start to the season, you’re always left worrying whether the grass will recover in time for the onslaught of play, however within a few weeks
everything should be back to normal. That said, the ominous signs of drought and ensuing
hosepipe bans now loom and there has been a lot of discussion on the message boards about how that will affect the industry. In many ways it’s
difficult to justify the use of excessive water for your playing surface when the general public have to get their water from a standpipe! While the Industry can make a plea to the governing bodies to have exemption, the likelihood is that most playing surfaces will have to get by like everybody else.
the PC team DAVE SALTMAN
MD and Machinery Demonstrator. Kept telling us that he was writing an article on Viagra for this months mag! We couldn’t wait to see the ‘results’. Imagine how disappointed we were when we found out it was Vi-A
As was his partner Nicky no doubt!
Aqua. JOHN RICHARDS
Operations Director. Currently performing Granddad duties as his 6 month old Granddaughter has flown in from Oz (with Mum and Dad of course). Without doubt the most organised member of the team -w
think he has Laurence’s quota as well!
we
LAURENCE (WRITING) GALE
Editor. Reached the 50 milestone last month. Recent jaunts to Italy and the States have given him ‘wanderlust’. That’s the urge to travel, not wondering where his libido has gone at his ripe old age! Allegedly knows one end of a camera from another!
PETER BRITTON
Sales and Production. Recently been forced to ditch the ‘dreaded weed’ so it’s just as well for everyone else that he works from home and not at head office. Fast turning into Victor Meldrew shouting at the TV - especially when watching England’s cricket team play in the ODI’s. I don’t believe it!
IT would be impossible not to mention the on- going building saga at Wembley. It is an impressive construction but the project has fast become an embarrassment to everyone concerned with all the latest setbacks. What I find ironic, and to put the Wembley construction into perspective, is Heathrow airport’s new Terminal 5; it is a much
bigger and more costly project but this build appears to be on-time and on-budget. The FA are being accused of being ‘bad clients’ by builders Multiplex - constantly moving the goalposts! The comparison to Heathrow Terminal 5 being that the British Airport Authorities are good clients and have stayed with the original brief. The outcome will, no doubt, be a lengthy court battle. While Wembley will eventually be finished, perhaps now in 2007, I wonder what repercussions will be felt by those involved in the 2012 Olympic constructions. It was only two years ago that the Greek authorities had to step in very quickly to ensure that Athens was ready to greet the Athletics world.
Let’s hope, for all our
sakes, that those involved are ‘good clients’.
DAVE SALTMAN Managing Director
ELLIE TAIT
PR and Marketing Executive. Manages to juggle her extensive work commitments with bringing up her 6 year old daughter. When away from home, at such places as Harrogate, she enjoys nothing more than a relaxing meal, followed by an early night tucked up with a good book (allegedly!)
ALASTAIR BATTRICK
A possible candidate for slimmer of the year? The fold up bike and unofficial weight watchers diet have produced a new lean, mean, web monkey. Also delighted at the emergence of hometown Blackburn as a recent ‘mecca’ for figureheads of the world’s superpowers.
DAN HUGHES
Pitchcare’s Shop Assistant. Smartly dressed and hard working, Dan is everything you would expect from a recent graduate. Answers the phone in record time, maintains a two ring average. Secretly (alas, no more!) a European property tycoon with links to the metal detecting industry.
SHARON TAYLOR
Company Accountant and dare devil member of the team. In her spare time she turns wild horses into show jumpers (see page 5). Apparently, she finds this far less stressful than working in an office full of men. We’re hoping she’ll have similar success training Laurence!
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