66 posts from 2007

I have spent most of Christmas at my parents in Lowestoft.  It's always a pleasure to be looked after by your mum and dad, even when you are 42, and they have such a good work and enjoyment ethic, that my 8 year old son benefits tremendously (even though he is currently watching Cartoon Network Too, as a reward for doing a great drawing today.

The title of this posting is Debtcember & Death of the Celebrity.

Debt first.  I am amazed by the writing about the spending frenzy which continues to go on past Christmas, written about in the National papers.  It seems all we want to do is 'spend spend spend' and with the exception of eating, that's about it.  Now, I'm sure this isn't the case - it's just what gets written about, but it certainly gets the headlines.  Britain seems addicted to debt, on the assumption that 'houses will always be worth more, something will always come along' but surely in the medium to long term this can't continue.  You only have to read about Marbles - the 'sub-prime' credit card issuer raising its APR on cash advances to 33.9% to see how it's all going to end.  Make the poor and risky, pay more - when they can't, repossess their homes, which no one wants to buy - they have nowhere to live, and become dependent on social security - then multiply this by millions.  Everyone knows house prices are too high, everyone knows there needs to be first time buyers able to move onto the housing ladder.  So, when mortgage companies will only lend 3.5 times salary (like the old days) the prices of houses will drop.

The government surely has an active role to play in managing a stable, economic climate for all - otherwise, before long we'll be back to 'boom and bust' again, with a whole house of (credit) cards tumbling down.  What Marbles has done will, I believe, mark a watershed for easy credit, and I for one will watch with interest as matters unfold.

The second part is about (hopefully) the death of the C-Z list 'Celebrity'  A person famous for being - well - trying to be famous.  I think the TV sitcome 'Extras' heralds the deathknell of this particularly pointless job title, if you saw it, you'll have seen Ricky Gervais lusting after stardom and jacking in his well paid comedy character to be someone 'serious'.  He takes on a new agent (who only wants to earn money, obviously) in the hope he will get a Hollywood role.  Long story short, he doesn't, alienates himself from his old agent, and other friends and ends up in 'Celebrity Big Brother'.  Inside, he finally sees sense and does a piece to camera which neatly encapsulates all that is wrong with today's 'Reality TV'.  He makes such a great impact, that everyone who didn't want to employ him, now do - but he ducks out of a side door, leaving fame & fortune to jump into an old Citroen 2CV with his long time girl friend.  Drives off, away from Z list to happiness.

If only this comes true in 2008, I for one will applaud the death of this pointless, annoying time waster.  The Celebrity.

Tescoxmas

The scene at Tesco Amersham (Bucks.) on Sunday 23rd December.  I have NEVER seen a store so busy.

It will be interesting to see if Christmas 2008 looks like this...

And note when the store opened on Christmas eve from the hanging sign.

Tesco.  They set the standard.

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Many of you who read this blog may know that KMI, the company behind King of Shaves sponsored James Sheppard in this year's Powerboat P1 World Championships.  What is less well known, is that James has two brothers - Ben and Richard, who also are quite nifty in a boat.  The Will Bar boat ran in 2007 with mixed fortunes, and these pictures were taken on Oulton Broad, Lowestoft (where I was born) and show how exciting this sport is.

Remember - where there's a Will Bar there's some Power!

Will Bars are exclusively available at Boots, click here for stockists

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Many thanks to the team at Fast Bikes who reviewed the Will Bar!  Click here to see what they thought!

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I was pleased to read this Australian news article this morning pertaining to the packaging of Gillette's Fusion razor.  Read it here.  P&G, who own Gillette are in a superb position to fight against the proliferation of 'unnecessary secondary' packaging, but it seems they are trying to shoot themselves in the foot.  Not only has the razor more blades than is ncessary, its packaging follows a close second.

Watch this space...

Cool...

Cooler...

Coolest.

Wmearlscourtboatshow

I blogged about how the 'London boatshow" lacked personality last year, having been a guest of Paul Streleckzi, Joint CEO of clothing brand, Henri-Lloyd there.  Well, in under a year, things are a changing...  Read on.

I was a guest at the "London" Boat Show today.  Not the one held in ExCeL - the 'London' Boatshow, but the 'Whyte & Mackay' Earl's Court Boatshow. A "boatshow for the people".  A "breakaway" boatshow.  And potentially, a huge problem.  Why?  Well, the 'official' London Boatshow runs in personality bereft ExCeL in Docklands early January, Earl's Court boatshow is on right now, between 1-9 December.

So, what was my view?  Well.  I - enjoyed it.  Sure, it didn't have Sunseeker or Oyster (I'm guessing it would have been hugely 'politically incorrect' for them to be there) but it did have a lot of other entertainment - just like the 'old' Earl's Court boatshow used to have.  Now, the success of this breakaway boatshow will be one simple number.

Visitors.

Will enough visitors visit (hopefully buying pre-Christmas gifts) to give the ECB a 'long term future' or, will they come, browse - not see the 'luxury mega-yachts' and possibly a glimpse of an Eddie Jordan buying his latest Sunseeker - and go away....deflated.

A Show For The People is how the show has been marketed.  The Guinness Tent (sorry, stand) is there.  The pool is full of water.  The show was even opened like it used to be, by members of HM Armed Forces abseiling (or should it be absailing?) down the outside.  But, people love Luxury, and the chance - the oh so remote outside chance, that their Euro Millions ticket may be the 13 millionth to one that comes up, so they can afford a 'Sunseeker Yacht' or an "Oyster 72".

The organisers of National Boatshows (who also put on the must-visit Southampton Boatshow in September) must be on tenter-hooks.  Will it get the visitors?  Or won't it?  Will exhibitors desert ExCeL (logistically better, but bereft of personality) or will they stay?

Well, competition is a good thing.  But here, it is going to be brutal.  It must be one or the the other succeeding.  I'm guessing the organisers of Earl's Court are hoping that with property prices slowing and credit crunch biting, that their boatshow is 'more accessible' than the other one.  The 'original' organisers will be hoping that this most certainly isn't the case.

Earl's Court Boatshow v London Boatshow.  I wouldn't like to be the Chairman (or financial backer) of either right now.