Last day today we are all off to the pub.
Well its finally here last day at Victorian fireplaces, and were all of to the pub!!
Looking back over our year its been very good to us we have scraped and slipped through this very cold and snowy December, our drivers have served us very well and most of our deliveries have got out on time with just a few exceptions caused by the weather, see one of blog our entries beyond the call of duty. Bob and Paul our two Van drivers started with us in the later part of the year and have settled in very well – with very good feedback from our customers.
We have had a very good year for sales with a big increase year on year, we have a new member of staff joining the office team, Paul the workshop Foreman from our manufacturing side Knapp woodworking is joining us when we come back in January. He will be looking after our customers with deliveries, maintaining our health and safety systems, Arranging all aspects of the woodworking side including developing new products but office based rather than being in that cold workshop. Andrei our gentle giant will be taking over from Paul in the worksop and he is looking forward to the challenges which will lay ahead of him.
We will also be announcing some new products and fireplaces in January so keep an eye out for these exciting new developments coming our way in the new year.
At Victorian Fireplaces we spend of lot of time researching and developing ideas for our website, trying to keep up with the latest trends and making sure we have the best technology. I do enjoy reflecting over the changes we have made over the last couple of years for our website and because we do keep on eye on competitors and what they are doing I especially enjoy seeing elements on their websites which were ideas developed by us. Because we are always at the front of technology it is very clear that we do set the industry standard for fireplace websites and I imagine a lot of competitors aspire to be us.
We are going to be building upon what we have and next year we will be continuing our success and we hope you will be coming along with us for the ride.
Merry Christmas to you all and may you have a prosperous new year!
Christmas Dinner
We have Just had a Christmas dinner with one of our suppliers at a lovely old Georgian hall just out side Lincoln, Washingborough Hall in the village of Washingborough surprisingly!!.
Washingborough Hall hotel is Owned by Edward and Lucy Herring. its a beautiful grade two listed 300 year old Georgian manor house sitting in it’s own grounds.
I just had to share these pictures of the fireplaces the first one with its huge stove just belted out so much heat we were roasted, while we were waiting for our dinner in the hall way brilliant on a cold December afternoon.
This other one was in the dinning room a Lovely Georgian marble fireplace, and what a meal all three coarse were fantastic I had the Turkey cooked to perfection and the red cabbage and assorted vegetables was wonderful. followed by the Christmas pudding and custard, Great. No sixpence though.
Washingborough hall hotel definitely is worth a stay in one of its 12 bedrooms or just book a table for a wonderful meal.
Its Snowing again at Lincoln
Well its snowing again,
Bob’s having a rest day today because of what he had to contend with yesterday in the snow. Paul in our other van left for South Wales, Devon and Cornwall this morning at 5am. A two day trip he has gone for, 10 fireplaces heading to their new homes in the south west of our lovely country. Guess what no snow at all where Paul is as I am writing this little blog he is approaching Haverfordwest on the A40.
It’s that bad in Lincoln that our annual Christmas market which was supposed to be starting today has been cancelled due to all the snow. The Lincoln Christmas Market is the one of the oldest and largest markets in Europe and has never been cancelled in 28 years. See this link for a feature on the cancellation, written by a young student from one of Lincoln’s schools - http://www.youngjournalistacademy.co.uk/?p=1563.
Beyond the call of Duty
Well the snow yesterday jumped up and bit us in its severity, typical off me for saying the snow doesn’t fade us – I knew after writing these words it would come back to bite me.
Bob one of our drivers who has over thirty years experience in the fireplace trade was on his way to south east London and Croydon before going on to Kent yesterday (30th November). All was going to schedule until he got on the A23 heading to towards Croydon, the road was just at a stand still no chance of escaping using side road’s due to all the snow and ice so Bob was stuck on the road and had to follow the road with all the other unfortunate drivers. Hour upon hour he just had to go with the flow travelling a few feet at a time, Bob just had one thing in his mind, to get to the customers – by this time he only had two customers left to deliver to. With nowhere to escape and traffic nose to tail with exhaust smoke filling the air behind brake lights flashing on and off as the drivers glum faces peering from behind cold steamed up glass windows.
Bob eventual got to within half a mile of the customer in Croydon at 11.30 pm but now he was faced with a steep hill and with all the snow and ice he decided to park the van up and not risk driving to the customer. This customer was just having a hearth delivered so Bob decided to deliver this hearth by hand, amazingly he walked this hearth half a mile to the customers house. He arrived just after midnight, the customer checked the hearth and thanked Bob for the delivery albeit a bit late at night. Bob got back to his Van, with a load of blankets from the back he swaddled himself up in the freezing cab, trying to escape the cold and get a couple of hours sleep before heading to the next customer.
Bob was awoken this morning by a local chap trying to get his car started in front of Bob’s van. Bob being the type of person he is, helped the man with his car. After this chap had been pushed off Bob decided enough is enough and off he went to the next customer in Kent. He eventually arrived at the customers house at 4.30am, not wishing to knock this customer up at this unearthly hour he decided to have a few more hours sleep in the van outside this customers house. At around 7.30am the customer let Bob in with a smile and Bob delivered their chosen fireplace. Bob would like to say a big thank you to Mr and Mrs Baxter for their really warm welcome and hospitality and especially for the turkey salad sandwiches which Bob says went down really well.
Now Poor Bob’s woes haven’t ended yet I am afraid, as I am writing this little blog, Bob is trying to get home from his terrible ordeal yesterday. He is now stuck in traffic again on the M25 at Dartford tunnel for the past two and a half hours.
Delivering fireplaces can be a great rewarding time or an awful time like Bob is experiencing yesterday and today a big thank you Bob for what you have done, definitely beyond the call of duty.
South of England to North of Scotland in all that snow
Well here at Victorian Fireplaces we don’t let a bit of snow and ice fade us, especially with all the miles we had to travel yesterday (25th November). We had a van coming back from Lossiemouth calling at Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Stonehaven, Newcastle, Whitley Bay and Bishop Auckland. While this van was delivering on his way upto Lossiemouth we had another van delivering in the south of England Bexley on Sea, happened to be his furthest that day. The two vans couldn’t be any further apart (well I suppose they could) 650 miles apart as the crow fly’s. Well we will be out deliverying all your choosen fireplaces just bare with us our delivery boys are doing a great job in these adverse weather conditions, a big thank you to you all.