Exciting times, with so much going on, the dust has barely settled from Frank Hudson exhibiting at the Singapore furniture exhibition and preceding this with the interiors 2011 at the NEC.
I'm back in Indonesia a/Exciting-times---/Tom-290311c.JPG.aspx?width=200&height=149)
gain; as usual maintaining our high quality manufacturing standards and over seeing another large hotel project for the prestigious "Stafford hotel" situated in London. This is on behalf of our contracts division headed up by Keith Clarke. It was a very tight window but Keith had full confidence in all our abilities for completion, as it needed to be shipped ready to be installed before the marriage of William and Kate. But we grabbed the nettle and did it; in fact it's already sailing to the UK with a 2 day head start on me. /Exciting-times---/Tom-290311-(1).JPG.aspx?width=150&height=199)
We are also putting together a new Victorian dining range, giving a choice to the consumer of the popular mahogany or Mindy ash with is striking grain structure. As usual my suitcase is full of sample legs carefully shaped to experiment with different tones and finishes in our polishing facility in High Wycombe.
I also had the opportunity to visit a new factory facility whilst here; it was interesting to find that amongst local timbers being used, they were importing to recycle vintage pine floorboards from the original cotton mills in Lancashire, and using huge pine stretchers used for packing massive generator parts for the local power station under construction nearby. What with our new Vintage Pine bedroom range unveiled at the NEC it gives food for thought for our vintage dining collection currently being created (watch this space)!
We are coming o/Exciting-times---/Tom-290311b.JPG.aspx?width=150&height=200)
ut of monsoon season here so one minute it is crisp sunshine and the next you are unable to see across the street for rain. It's actually quite impressive how hard and fast it falls; you literally have to shout over the noise of it in conversation. This can make one quite uncomfortable though as the humidity increases hugely making you feel sticky and heady. (Nothing a local "bintang" beer and a swim in the evening can't put right)./Exciting-times---/Tom-290311a.JPG.aspx?width=150&height=200)
As with all these trips your body clock is all out of sync so it's not unusual to be up before sunrise. It does make for a very nice walk before a day in the factory though, taking in some tranquil views, some bizarre looking wildlife and a guy fishing in a balaclava? With the heat out here I only wonder how he would cope with one of our English summers!
Well in transit now (flying not sat in the back of a van) and hoping to make my connections without a problem, as I have 50 minutes between flights at Singapore and of course they are in different terminals!!
Should get home just in time to join Tim for a 75 mile cycle ride the next day; that's one way to stretch your legs after a long haul flight!
Well it's small cheese really, we take on the Alps again in June.
Tom Hudson 25/3/2011