We're all going on a .....

[Roboframer]

Summer Holiday .....

Week after next - our first holiday ever - bar the odd wank holiday weekend (a bank holiday, but it rains)

Nowhere too far away, Devon or Cornwall - poss Wales - Gower peninsula - out of season so late booking not an issue.

Reccomendations?

[Merlin]

If your choice is Cornwall, then so sorry.

The week after next we will be in Malta (presently 32 degs, not rained for the past 30 days).

Shop closed.

[Jonny2morsos]

Just come back from a week in Cornwall...........rained every day..........first day we were all in the surf shop buying wetsuits to keep warm on the beach. However, bad weather = good surf.

All got a suntan but only from the knees and elbows down. Wife hated it as she does not like beaches much and even less when she has to wear a fleece and carry an umbrella.

So...........I would go to Cornwall as it cannot possibly rain any more there this side of Halloween, the locals will be pleased to see you (take your money) due to the poor season they have had, schools are back next week so no damn kids around, prices come down for same reason.

But on the other hand.........still high 20's in the Med, rain unlikely, sea warm, beer cold, you can actually afford a meal in a restaurant.

Then again pound vs. dollar still a better bet than pound vs. euro.............

What the heck close your eyes stick a pin in the map, go and enjoy yourself.

[foxyframer]

Off to Rhodes, Greece, 19 October for a week.

First holiday for at least three years, so it's going to be total switch off; lift to the local airport (no Heathrow or Gatwick aggro), short boarding times, transfers other end, and if the sun doesn't make a decent show, we will not be happy bunnies.

Customers seem to get in several holidays a year, half-terms included as par for the course. Looks of semi-shock when they ask where you are going----- to busy,not this year.

So it's a case of making the effort, having a complete break to 'charge the batteries' . Loyal customers always will understand.

Foxy

[fineedge]

Don't like what I am reading about Cornwall's weather. I leave Cape Town next week and am driving down from Heathrow to St Ives via Bath Wells and Padstow. Can't wait to put the camera to good use but I really don't need that rain. It's what I'm running away from down south.

[WelshFramer]

Wales does have quite nice rain...

[jon buck]

Have a great time Mike

Jon

[ross]

John

You can have a great summer holiday 52 weeks of the year on the Queensland Sunshine Coast, and get a nice suntan!

Ross

[Bill Henry]

John

You can have a great summer holiday 52 weeks of the year on the Queensland Sunshine Coast, and get a nice suntan!

Ross

Nah, don't listen to Ross – they got themselves crocodiles and sharks and box jellyfish down there.

Come to Florida! It's looking to be a great hurricane season – plenty of warm tropical breezes. You won't be disappointed.

[Merlin]

Hi Bill
Visited Miami - that was good and fortunately in between hurricanes.

Then Baltimore. Got caught in the heavy snow some 7 years ago now..

32 degs and a beach sound too good to miss though

[Roboframer]

Well it's all booked bar Friday night (12th Sept) - V nice hotels.

This Sat & Sun - Bournemouth - wanted Weymouth but nothing available we liked the look of.

Mon - Thu, Plymouth, we can easily get to some places in Cornwall, like Looe and Polperro - that we dipped out on at Easter, as the weather was so bad. Via the Tamar bridge too, which we dipped out on last time as we went via the A30. If the weather is bad and nice coves & harbours are out, we'll have plenty of dry weather options from Plymouth.

We've booked a live show in Plymouth - Jethro - posh seats too - all that was left - hoping he'll pick me out for some P... taking - already got his number!

Just need somewhere for that last night now, to break the journey back from Plymouth - thinking Lyme Regis.

Our anniversary on 11 Sept - not an anniversary we can forget easily - '9/11'

[Bill Henry]

… - thinking Lyme Regis.

Sunovagun! I spent a day in Lyme Regis with some friends from Honiton (? spelling) a couple of years ago. Nice little seaside town. I remember the guy I was with taking me into a betting shop (we don't have them around here) and showed me how to place a wager. I bet that Michael Jackson would be acquitted in that child molestation trial just to see if they had already calculated the odds and would take the bet. They did and I still have the ticket somewhere.

[foxyframer]

Lyme regis....good place to stop on the way back; breaks the return journey about half way.

Looe and especially Polperro are places we have a special fondness for, with many happy memories. ( Park in the top carpark if you've never been before, the village is not made for cars.)

We have made this journey many times over the years.

I hope the weather is kind to you and have a lovely time.

Foxy

[Roboframer]

I'd like to apologise to the people of Wales for the weather they are having - had I not mentioned thinking of going there - it would be fine.

If ever you're faced with a hosepipe ban, let me know and I'll book a few days off in your area.

[Roboframer]

This break means a pay rise for my framer too.

To operate at full capacity, on the framing side, it takes me, a part timer and a full timer/manager - 'manager' is the right word too - someone who can run the show without me. Plus help from our 'ad lib' framer Chrissy, who comes in most Fridays in school term time and does the prep for things we don't like - like footbal shirts. Plus help from the shop staff selling art, RMFs and hardware.

I've only ever had that manager once - nightmares trying to replace him, but he sort of spoilt me - took to it all so well - I thought it was down to my brilliant teaching skills!!

Mike, who was part time before my last 'manager training' nightmare, went full time after it - I never thought he'd want to get involved out front, taking orders, but I asked him 6 weeks ago and now he's doing fine.

Don't envy him for a week alone though - especially going by the last few weeks - it's been very busy, and that means there have been three of us taking orders at the same time sometimes.

He's a diamond geezer and we'll see him allright - before we found that he was OK at taking the orders, we were quite prepared to have framing customers turned away next week - after advertisng 'no framing from .... 'til .....' - wherever we could for a month previous.

After this I'll be able to give him the keys to the shop when I want a 'proper' day off - i.e. not even have to get out of bed 'til I feel like. Plus I can start my framing courses whenever I feel ready/get around to it.

If he survives!

We'll have a mobile phone each when we're away and we know we can't really totally get away from 'work' ; they'll be going off quite regular I think - but that's fine - I've always wanted to be 'important'.

I think, when I get a call from Mike, whilst in a busy restaurant/bar/whatever, saying "We've run out of frost with a black core - (we have actually) - talk me through colouring a bevel ...." I'll say, loudly, "Look - I'm not going to quibble over a measly half million, Tarquin, if twelve is all they want to pay - fine, just take the decision, that's what I pay you ninety grand a year for"

(Or whatever)

Then, I'll ring back from outside - tee hee!

[WelshFramer]

I'd like to apologise to the people of Wales for the weather they are having - had I not mentioned thinking of going there - it would be fine.

If ever you're faced with a hosepipe ban, let me know and I'll book a few days off in your area.

Hosepipe ban? Don't think we've ever had one of those.

Don't worry, though, we'll get our own back. We're having a holiday in Sussex at the end of September.

[Roboframer]

Don't worry, though, we'll get our own back. We're having a holiday in Sussex at the end of September.

Well make sure you drop in - you'll be doing Arundel, right? (Major roadworks though - A27 closed at weekends 'til October at least - the diversion is not fun - Arundel is a terrible bottleneck anyway) We're 3 miles from Arundel - just off the A27, and/or the A259 - Google earth BN16 EA.

Anyway, I'm back - I did have a quick look at the forum via the hotel 'high speed' Wi-Fi - it called up the forum no probs, but sub forums and then posts within were like dial-up, but worse, so I binned it!

Been to lots of nice places I'd always fancied a look at, Lulworth Cove, Swanage (fantastic alfresco fish restauarant) Bidford, Looe & Polperro, Weymouth, more - I have photos, later.

Loved Plymouth - fantastic view of the harbour/Drakes Island from the hotel, which was just right of Plymouth Hoe, one of the best Chinese restaurants I've ever been in just below the hotel - built in to the sea wall 'The Wet Wok'

Only got about 4 phone calls from the shop and the only framing related one I couldn't handle anyway, as I was in the Hotel Chocolat shop in the Drake Circle shopping centre - surrounded by little voices saying 'eat me, eat me' .

I only called in to one frame shop, in Corwall street - downstairs was a cafe - with a quite extensive menu and a whole load of seats outside as well as inside - next to the cafe counter was the framing counter, with loads of moulding and mount samples strewn over it - had they just finished taking a load of orders? Nope, that's how it is kept. I pored over them - 'Hmmmm Larson Juhl Ferosa 258152 I believe'

How very sad!

[Roboframer]

Oh yeah, and after driving from Weymouth (where we stayed just last night) today, getting back mid afternoon, catching up with the shop, closing the shop .......... I jumped in to my dinner suit, dress shirt and red bow tie and then drove to Hailsham, to sing in a concert. Actually I put the bow tie on when I got there, and how I laughed when I found my collar extender was missing

We were part of a night of music and thought we'd be singing 8 songs before the interval and 8 after, but it had all changed and we sang just 12 songs before the interval - the sweat was pouring off me - spotlights - then we had to do an encore too - 'Scarlet Ribbons' actually.

'I peeked in, to say goodnight ........ Durraing Durraing - Durraing Durraing'

More ..... when I walked in to the shop, Karen, our manager on the 'other side' said "Oh - you look really well and ..... healthy, you've caught the sun'

Caught the sun? Look 'well' ..... 'healthy' ???

The only time I lay on a beach was yesterday in Bidford - it was after a short jaunt up a cliff path to get some nice photos. I was knackered; it was a pebble beach and I scooped out my body shape in the stones; built up a stone 'pillow' and lay there for about half an hour. Sure it was sunny.

I looked different/better simply because I'd spent a week mostly outdoors, instead of inside a solid flint workshop .... with no windows.

[WelshFramer]

Thanks for the warning about the A27.

It's going to be 2 weeks of rushing around seeing old friends - and some who are fairly young.

Are there any days of the week we should avoid?

[Merlin]

Hi Guys and Gals.
Bonjo !! Merlin calling from Malta.

Still extremely hot out here. 35 degs but at the moment 70% humidity.

Expecting thunderstorms this evening, so hopefully it will cool down. Plus we hope those big black lumpy storm cloud have moved for our flight back on tuesday morning at 0700.

Catch you all then..

John & Barbara