Well after much detailed planning (mostly on the back of a fag packet), we finally reached the set up day for the Ordnance Survey Outdoors Show (www.theoutdoorsshow.co.uk) 16-18 Mar 07. Thankfully, the UK team consisting of the one and only (thank god) Stevie Beat and myself, were getting the invaluable support from our Australian Masters! In the form of Graham Kingaby and the expo Godfather himself, Nick Pound. We also looked forward to working with our top friends from Bungee Extreme; The boss ‘Bungee George’ (George Lawton), Sarah Cambridge, Hoss (James Horsefield), Boss (Andrew Boridin) and Big ‘he doesn’t talk much but loves his crane’ Sid (Jamie Hill). We were poised to give away 150 bungee jumps (200 feet up), 2 ipod Nanos, several hundred fashionable t-shirts (you’ll all be wearing them this season!) and a truck load of Sanchez luggage tags.
So with everything packed up into the ‘truck’, I set off towards a warm Birmingham. Happy and content in the knowledge that GK and NP would be joining me later that day once they had finished the business ‘lunch’ and popped on to the train to Birmingham. After the 4 hour set up, and decidedly concerned about the well being of my colleagues having not heard from them, I called them to find out that the expo Godfather wasn’t well (which would have a major impact on the running of the stand) and GK was somewhere in London in an ‘emotional’ state thanks to our friends (Simon McVey and Martin Mills at Millstream Underwriting). So we all agreed that I could run the stand with the lovely Sarah from Bungee Extreme and the reinforcements would ride to the rescue at lunchtime on day one. Well after 4 hours, I was having a deja vu moment, so I called the guys……… With a fanfare the reinforcements arrived…just in time to close the stand and retire to the bar.
Saturday and Sunday were fantastic days on the stand. Nick was back to his full expo glory, not a woman or passer by was safe. The double act between NP and GK was an inspiration, we should have sold tickets! The day was also spent making new friends with our neighbours from Visit turkey, Dive Magazine and Craighopper. Also, the chance to pick up with our old friends from Lonely Planet (Myriam) and drop them from the bungee crane.
The highlight on Sunday was the look on Kara Bagnall’s face and her mothers (or was it sister?), when she realised she had won the ipod Nano, Never ones to miss an opportunity to have our pictures taken with a good looking girl, we all crowded around Kara, then worked out who was going to take the picture!
As we still have one ipod left, we are going to give it away at our next show which is the TNT Magazine Recruitment Show, 19 April 07 at the Connaught Rooms, London. Do come along and say hello and enter the ipod draw.
Huge congratulations to all those that jumped BUNGEE! They were (in order of jumping):-
Dan Joel and Tryphaena Joel, Lowertown; Darren Webb, Spalding; Alex Mortimer, Devizes; Laura Young, Barrow; Tom Hicks, Plymouth, Daniel Davey, Summerhill Rd; Neil McCarthy, Plymouth; Russel Belcher, Braintree; Darren Andrews, Southampton; Jonathon Jenkins, Swindon; Ellis Holt, Finborugh; D Warwick, Warboys; Sam Wade, Whitstable; Jake Hardman, Newcastle under Lyme; Tom Aspinal, Chippenham; Clinton Lear, Stoke; Jenni Minchin, Stoke; Luke Mould, Chippenham, Jake Trussell, Castle Cary; David Lloyd, Camberwell; G Gourlan, Kingston; Tolgne Donst, Croydon; Julie Cartner, Dumfries; Charlotte Boan, Twickenham; P Critchner, Kingston; Daniel Bagley, Andover; Alaistair Mill, Milford on see; Michael Ross, Millford on sea; Chris Murray, Moseley; Matt Eaves, Derriford Road; D M Taylor, Plymouth; L C Shipton, London; Shuikei Tsang, Sudbury; J Richmond, Brighton; Matt Wright, Maidenhead; Adam Sawfell, Birmingham; Steven White, Leigton Buzzard; Felicity Super, Oxford; Kate Hilton, Leigton Buzzard; David Higgie, Birmingham; Laura Green, Birmingham; Andrew Lloyd, Birmingham; Lauren Foster, Leighton Buzzard; Kevin Smith; Paula Thompson, Leicester; Caroline Sieg; Sarah Orchard, Bradford on Avon; Zach Wishart, Braintree; Steven Bailey, Danbury; Katie and Alex Wheeler, Oxford; Mark Jackson, Romford, Stuart Wallsall, Shrewsbury; Caroline and Richard Greeny, Hall green; Tom Allen, Leicester; Rebecca Seven, Birmingham; D Thompson, Nuneaton; Richard Stamper, Dorsett, Gavin Wheeler, Oxford; Rebecca Stevens, Chelmsford; Michael Cohen, Essex; P Mixford, Birmingham; R Stearnman; Lucy Jones, Brighton; Kris Jutsum, Lincoln; Rob Cox, Warwick; Sean Caine, Wiltshire; Lewis, Bracebridge Heath; Jack Briers, Leeds; Lauren Philips, Leigton Buzzard; Lucy Daper, Brierly Hill; Emma Baker, Wordsley; Hayley Badesha, Brierly Hill; Owain Atkins, Pennard; Matthew Rees, Swansea; Andy Friend, Cardiff; Sue Spencer, Aldershot, Robert Dobs, Kegworth; Jonathon Aldworth, Nottingham; Alicia Doherty, Brighton; Fiona Graves, Hove; D Burns, Yorkshire; M Anderson, Manchester; Veronika Mazalova, London; Aynia Noever, London; Chris Welburn, Waterbeach; Holly Laurence, Swansea; B Mansfield, Nuneaton; Mike Merriman, Stroud; X Ryan, West Park; Ketan Patel; Greg Glinchy, Surrey; Dave Kelly, Coventry; Emma Garvey, Cheshire; Susan Martin, Sheffield; Alix Butler, Devon; Tim Freeman, Oxford; M Shraman, Cheltenham; Joeseph Rayment, Gravesend; Adam Marcinowitz, Watford; Matt Wood, Sherborne; John Bernard, Glasgow; Paul Carter, Gosport; Catherine Jaques, Wandsworth; Alec Baker, Bristol; James Axer, Nottingham; Amy Miller, Seifton; Jamie Edgecombe, Stone; S Roberts, St Helens; Kara Bagnall, Cheltenham; Matt Kirk, Hereford, Edward O'Gorman, Bromsgrove; Francine Billington, Bromsgrove; A Dunkley, Dronfield; Luke Addis; A Turner; Liam Walker, Gillingham; James Davenport, Richmond; Donna Bridge, St Helens; Maggie King, London; Esther Gore, Milton Keynes; Joe thorougood, Wetherby; Chris Draper, Nottingham; Rebecca Scothern, Nottingham, Jake Bacon, Farnham; Chris Beacon; James Davies, Gloucester; Rebecca Vaughn, Minehead; James Fowler, Devon; Terri Garvey, Devon; Chris Jackson, Minehead;
And finally the expo crew Nick Pound and Graham Kingaby, Australia.
Well see you all soon. Remember 'keep low move fast' and Travel Safely.
MJ
