End of an era

Think it's finally beginning to sink in that something that's been a big part of my life (indeed both our lives) for more than 12 years really is over.

Last Walnut frame I did was for a M Lamb at 15.25 & the last Teak was for an H Abbasov at 17.35. She was nice. He was a fucking, smegging arsehole.

I won't miss the smegheads on the other side of the table or crawling round on the floor fitting feet to tables but I will miss the friendship and camaraderie on my side of it.

Hugely.

Large Format Printer

So the large format printer that Bruce has been whining about for ages has finally turned up (along with a laminator). He & Sue got it while Phil & I were packing up from GA/showing kis how to pack photos.

Guess who was the 1st to use it & has used it all bar one time (last week)?

Yep...It was moi.

Having done test prints I also did plans for Will/Rachel and some plans for John Holgate too.

After all that Bruce decided that it would be an idea to figure out how the laminator works. He did suggest asking Mick to show us & I said that that was quite insensitive but he didn't think it was a problem asking the bloke who is being made redundant how to operate machinery that will replace him ...

We got it working after a few false starts and it seems to be OK. Did some A1's &A0's to test it and I also did a big poster for reception which shows (not totally accurately) the paper sizes.

2016 v 2017

2016

The printroom must be open all the time.

2017

I've got to move Rob's stuff from Brighton and you're at PandIS on Thursday aren't you? Oh well, I don't suppose it matters if the printroom is shut as we're not that busy. Oh & I'll probably take the Monday afternoon off too.

32 years ago today

I was sat on the steps of Wembly waiting for the doors to open for Live Aid. I was with Rachel, Izzy & Gordon. Plus about 90,000 others & 1 small bear.

Sodding typical part 2

Well the printer is up and running.* Now we need to find somewhere for the laminator to go. Walked round with Sue & Bruce and settled on the from staircase area in front of Steve R's office.

Were then told by Will that we couldn't as they are putting another pointless pod in there. He did ask for alternative suggestions. Which isn't helpful and indeed he's rejected alternative ideas from Sue.

So now we've got nowhere to laminate posters not that we have the board yet anyway: Bruce was slightly shocked when I told him how much it costs & very shocked when I told him that the stuff PandIS uses is about £1k per box.

All of this should have been thought through before the machines were moved here ...

* Despite whinging for ages about getting a large format printer Bruce hasn't actually used it. I'm the only one who has printed stuff on it (test file) so far. 😒

And that's it - Part 1

Just done the last printing for PandIS.

300 x lawn forms for Nic & Carl. After 12 years and God knows how many senate, lawn & frame forms that's the last.

Feel a bit sad now. 😢

Sodding typical

Whilst I was off at the NMS training 2 TES kids how to pack photos Bruce & Sue collected the large format printer & encapsulation unit.

It's a bit old and beaten up but, after locating the power cable it turns on OK.

Then I looked at the connection cable that came with it: it's USB to USB. The only other connection on the back of the machine is an old serial bus. Either way there's no ethernet connection.

So we have to find a USB to ethernet cable, assuming such a thing exists.

Alternatively we'll have to connect a computer directly. Meaning that we'll have to move stuff around/remove it to put a table in for the machine to sit on.

Then we'll have to move emailed files via USB stick(s) to print from the 'puter (ie no direct printing from our machines). Any changes will have to be done on that machine too....

Update: We've plugged the machine direct into the back of Bruce's old mac (on a small table so other stuff has had to move too) while Bruce attempt to get a usb hub that includes an ethernet port. I found him obe in PC world that costs about £16. As this is the unversity he has to order one from 'an approved supplier' that costs more than double.

Michel Barnier on post-Brexit situation

Thoughts for the day

The Daily Express is, essentially, the previous day’s Daily Fail retold from memory by a creepy lunatic with a Diana shrine in his bedroom.

Light travels faster than sound, which is why every Tory MP looks intelligent until you actually hear what they are saying.

7/7/2005

7/7/2005: Remember the 52 who died, the 700+ who were injured and the emergency services in one of their (many) finest hours.

Last GA memories

Tuesday

Moving stuff in a thunderstorm. Getting so wet had to go to M&S to get dry clothes.

 
Simpers fucking up and not getting the tent set up properly (brought wrong sized roof) meaning we didn't finish until 6pm.

Wednesday - Friday

Very busy, especially on Friday. Burned through June stock and most of the July stock too (lots of frames fine but problems with the glass).

Joe hiding mounts so we thought we were out but still had some (Magdalene & Homerton).

Saturday

This bloke from North London turned up

Burned through rest of July stock + most of emergency extras we got from Bill. Matt & FOH team actually did do the tidying up before pushing off which meant that we could get on with taking the stand down (as colossal fucknuts, Simpers, were taking the tent down on Sunday. That's twice they've fucked us over).

Finally got finished about 7.45pm and went to Castle for a series of gins.

I also noticed this graffitti on one of the pillars for the 1st time (no idea if it's new or not)

Simpers

From Tuesday 27/06

Today was a massive cluster-fuck by Simpers. I know that the weather was atrocious but they could have started set-up yesterday.

To turn up with the wrong roof & then fuck off to do other things while Phil & I stood about waiting for hours was not good enough.

When they did finally get the floor in they only gave us 1/2 the tables. We had to chase for carpet to be completed & tables we ordered.

When I left at 6 (they'd been there since 9am, as had I) 1/2 the roof and the front were still missing so front carpet (finally laid) is soaking.


*and breathe*