Monday 19 November 2012

I found a good Package-In Supplier

And I want to share it with you.
Out of the blue a few weeks ago
I received a phone call from a young lady
asking me if I used packaging products?
and if so could she give me a quote  for supply.
So I reeled off the sizes of the boxes I have been buying from
a local company.
Loose fill and bubble wrap sizes.
She then over the next few days sent me some prices
that were very good.
A 15cuft bag of loose fill  was costing me £16.00 a bag plus vat
 The one above is less than £7.00 plus vat
It's not the same as the other stuff I was buying which was this green stuff.
It's this white stuff.
But it does the same job for half the price. 
and the prices for card board boxes
were even better.
This is a double walled 10" x 10" that come in at 67p
and the smaller 9"x6"x6" single walled ones 
come in at just 16p each.

They do tapes as well.
They are well worth checking out.
and for the best possible prices you should email your
packaging list to 

aquigley@package-in.com

or give them a call and ask for Amy Quigley
she'll be well chuffed to pick up some new customers.

I'd like to point out at this stage that I don't have shares in the company
or anything else related to them.
But both Me & Marion were in sales and we know how hard
it is to do cold calling on the phone, so we are always prepared to
let someone have their say.
This time Amy's timing turned out to be spot on
and she has given us great service.
So Thank You Amy.
From Paul & Marion.


Package-In Limited
Homefield Road
Haverhill
Suffolk
CB9 8QP
Tel: 01440 714036 | Fax: 0870 950 7930 | Email: info@package-in.com 




Tuesday 13 November 2012

Delivering the Goods

As you may well know
it's been 
Busy, Busy, Busy
here at the workshop over the past few months.
In among the pots for the National Trust
I have been busy making stock for two of our customers.
Lipped bowls & Pancheons for the Cookery school
in the Cotswold's, and Jugs for Edwards & Todd
in Central London.
Setting off at 7am I was in the Cotswold's by 9.30
Delivering to the Cookery school.
When I got there the place was swarming with people from
channel four.
they were filming a new series that will be on telly next summer
You never know some of my pots might squeeze their way in.
Once I had made my delivery, 
it was off to Central London. 
Where I delivered these jugs to Edwards & Todd 
25a Museum street WC1 
This was the biggest delivery journey I had done in my new -sh 
car since we traded in the Hangover.
I was well chuffed that I got 47mpg
the Hangover was doing around 18mpg. 
and Miracles of all I found a parking space right outside the door.
It's just around the corner from the Craftsmen Potters Shop
which naturally I popped in for a look around,
and found this great Clive Bowen display.
This made me realize just how far I have yet still to go
in my pottery development.
(Well it keeps you on your toes).
Having just said that 
" I do still love the simplicity of my work."
and maybe just maybe I'll keep it that way.
 I'm very used to driving in central London
I did it for years when I was selling Ceramic tiles
 back in my past life.
 The journey back home takes me down the Mall
Past Buckingham Palace.
The flag was up so I think the Queen was in residence,
but I decided not to pop in for a cup of tea.

instead I carried on into Knightsbridge 
 Past Harrods
and out to the M3 and back down to Somerset
on the A303
This little chap was waiting for me in the showroom
this morning.
Marion has been busy putting scarf's
on the Ginger Bread men for this year.
it's only about 5 weeks to Christmas
and chance for a break.
I've not had any time off this year at all
and I really could do with a couple of weeks off,
but the run up to Christmas is going to be crazy.

Tuesday 6 November 2012

Some Days Really Test You!

We woke up this morning to a temperature of 2 oc
and a Broken Boiler yet again.
No hot water & no heating.
So we made our way down to the workshop.
To find sheep were in the field outside the workshop
and as poor old Cadbury found out.
AN ELECTRIC FENCE!!!
Boy did he yelp!
The good news was that the first glaze firing had come out good. 
This was some of the finished load. 
 You can see here both the sheep and how cold it was.
 Caddy's yelp caught their attention.
 These two large utensil pots are thrown 13" tall
so that when they are finished they should be 11" tall x 7" wide
these will be on their way to Berlin.
 As You can see by this picture below
I gave this idea a few minutes thought.
I am trying to get all of these out of the kiln by the end of the week
but in the end I decided this was too risky,
and decided to do two biscuit firings, one after the other.
 Out of the firing came the last pot to complete our order 
from Barbados
We packed them up and here they are waiting to be collected
by the courier.
I couldn't help thinking about the film 
"Castaway" with Tom Hanks
I have this vision of these boxes washing up on some
desert island, and someone opening them
wishing for something to help them.
and finding a couple of Pancheon's a jug and a salt pig.
Oh Well at least they are useable.
For some unknown reason we were both on a downer today
and when your both on a downer
it's hard to pick yourselves back up.
But we will!

Harvest on the Farm TV appearance

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