Bubblewrap's Total Versatility

Last week I wrote about preparing for winter somewhat tongue-in-cheek, little realising that a few days later we would be heading towards arctic conditions and a major freeze-up. The pipes in our tea room had frozen up over the weekend. The hot water tap was left on and as it thawed out with the heating on, burst out like a thermal spa all over the floor leaving a huge puddle in the middle of the carpet tiles. A very visible reminder that we should have lagged the pipes properly during the summer, which was on the 'to do' list, but somehow did not seem such a priority then and got forgotten about.

It's amazing how a little bit of lagging protects and prevents these little mishaps. Obviously one of our customers had been doing some reactive thinking along the same lines, as we had an emergency request for bubblewrap to put around a large urn in their garden. I hadn't considered our packaging shop to have a gardening section, but in fact this is a really practical use for bubblewrap. Perhaps we should think about doing some sort of promotion ...................

Grit Storage is diversification!

Scraping the car windscreen in the freezing cold this morning convinced me that winter is not just around the corner, but has arrived! Driving to work on some of the pot-holed rural back roads, where lots of the surface water had reverted to a glutinous mush,meant that the application of the brakes on any bend was extremely hazardous, made me realise how vital the work of the gritting lorries is. Unfortunately, even in the very worst conditions, they never seem to venture onto these roads. You just have to remember to drive that little bit slower and not feel under pressure by arriving a few minutes late (of course, better planning would ensure that if I left slightly earlier, this added stress to my daily life would disappear).
I realize now that I have subconsciously been aware of piles of grit gradually appearing on verges at known black spots along these routes - the memory of those snowy drives from last winter are still very much alive in people's memories. Preparation is obviously the key factor in maintaining a non-slip surface on routes at all times. A factor in our attracting one of our new customers - a gritting company, based near London, is the fact that our site is so well-placed - near to the M40 and the centre of Oxford. The grit is delivered to a designated area in our storage centre and then their trucks are able to collect loads for spreading around all the NHS sites in Oxford. Hopefully, they won't have to use it too often, but it's reassuring to know that we shall all be safe walking around all those interminable pathways which link many of the different buildings in our local hospitals.

Looking after caravans, campervans and the odd ice-cream van...

Nature's own beautiful firework display is now available for everyone to enjoy and there are some amazing colours out there. Reminding us to make the most of the milder weather and sunshine, especially with the darker nights this week, before we have to batten down the hatches and resort to an evening in front of the flickering screen. Many caravan and campervan owners have returned after their last outing at half term and are wondering whether that large vehicle now parked in their garden, blocking the way and the sunlight, is actually quite such a good idea for the whole of the winter.

This could be why have seen a steady stream of mobile homes in all shapes and sizes wending their way into our storage depot from the local villages and as far away as London - we are very close to the M40. This is such a cost-effective way to ensure that these very valuable vehicles are kept securely over the winter months. We are even arranging for some of the campervans to have an MOT, so that the owners do not have to travel to us and waste a very boring morning having this routine, but essential work carried out. Interiors can be kept totally pristine by using a couple of moisture absorbing Absorpoles for sale at our packing shop.

One very relieved caravan owner arrived just before dark yesterday, as her vehicle had been vandalised and broken into on the drive outside her house and storing it with us meant that there was no need to repair the damage immediately - it could be done at her leisure and the caravan was totally secure stored here. Another relieved ice-cream van owner came all the way from Basingstoke, not because his van was damaged, but because he needed somewhere very secure to keep his van stored for the winter months. Using our start-up service means that he can be assured that the vehicle will start immediately when spring arrives and the demand for ice-cream resumes. Perhaps one of the celebrity chefs should promote baked Alaska then he could sell ice-cream all year round, but then we would lose a customer - so not such a good idea!