I MUST say sorry to my readers, as I have simply not had the time I initially thought I would have to sit at my desk and write blogs! A combination of things over the previous few months have made my life a bit busier.
A few minor staff changes, designed to ensure we give the best possible customer service, resulted in a good deal of the Transport & Distribution administration falling on my desk. Basically, we needed more draymen on the lorries delivering to our expanding customer base. The result was a net loss of one person in the office to make this happen. As a team we all agreed to pick up different areas of ‘transport stuff’ and yours truly had to learn how our Opera II system actually works from the point of order capture to printing a delivery ticket. (To be honest, I think it would have been marginally easier to teach me to sing Opera – and I haven’t a note in my head!)
March, being our year end, also gave rise to lots of additional admin and with it came ‘Risk Assessment Review Time’ (joy of joys!). I don’t know how many of my readers actually have to do risk assessments, but it really is a ‘damp flannel on head time’ and lots of strong coffee as one wades through procedure after procedure to make sure nothing has changed or deviated from the last time. Just to put the icing on the proverbial cake, we also changed insurance companies for the brewery, so they all wanted a slice of the ‘risk assessment’ action which led to many technical tours of the brewery with ‘men in grey suits’!
mmm think of a number....
Just as we got on top of the April paperwork, we were treated to three consecutive short weeks and a lot of sunny weather. My new found skills on Opera were well and truly tested on a busy Good Friday whilst alone in the distribution office. Thankfully, the following Friday I went to London to experience the Royal Wedding festivities (no, I wasn’t in the Abbey) and relaxed in Hyde Park feeling very patriotic as I sipped Champagne. Being a brewer, I was full of Pride as William and Kate did their nuptials (to be honest, not that full, just 3 or 4 pints of Fullers’ London Pride.)
almost as good as Palmers....In London take Pride!
Many of you may know that I am also a Parish Councillor for my sins. So local elections and a major reshuffle of Burton Bradstock Parish Council left me overseeing village finance and chairing the Planning Committee… do I really have ‘give me job’ written on my forehead? I must say I do love the village I grew up in and now live in, and after 11 years on the PC I still maintain that if I resign it will become a bit of a “Surrey-on-Sea” with a lot of rich homeowners taking over with no real understanding of sustainable communities and how important those ‘nasty unsightly caravans’ are to the local economy.
looks a little cosy....
On a more positive note, it now seems to be Beer Festival season: again, it adds to my workload, but at least I get the chance to drink lots of lovely cask ale. I set up the beers recently for the Bridport Round Table beer festival (yes, I am a Tabler – another job!) and the event made around £10k for local charities and good causes and that is very satisfying indeed. I will also be sending Palmers finest ales to beer festivals at Stevens Farm, North Perrott Cricket Club and Banks Arms beer festivals, so I can sense a few nights out testing quality… cheers!
Cheers!
Palmers Brewery 