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Summer 2005
We’ve been improving the quality of… What is new is that after excellent advice and help from John and Chris my turning advisors blanks are now sold by the cu ft in line with all the big boys. There is going to be a table published on the site giving a guide and prices that are for top quality waxed and rounded blanks. But for now, the assorted by post boxes are kept at the same price and generous discounts will still be given for imperfect wood and if we like you. On the plank front we will... In early November we… Our smokin’ Oak contract… ... with Bodeans is going well. They use it to flavour their meats and it is delicious , I’ve eaten there several times. When they opened a couple of years ago we were sending it up by courier by the pallet load. Originally half the cost went in transport. After the courier put it up to nearly two thirds it was time to rethink. After looking at all the alternatives I decided to drive it up myself. Battling through Picadilly Circus isn’t laugh a minute and everywhere outside has double yellow lines. I discovered that even if you look both ways to make sure the coast is clear and run down to their store as fast as you can with a box of wood one of the gits will appear and start writing a ticket that costs twice what the delivery is worth- before you can get your breath back to grovel. I was getting the hang of it when Bryan the manager casually announced in May that they were opening their second place in Clapham High Street. I was just thinking that I am going to have to try a double my source of Oak when he adds it opens next week and would I be a love and deliver 5 boxes there. After a bit of a sweat, I have gone onto to night deliveries and do both places every week or so. Autumn brought… ... dodgy mornings and decent afternoons. We tend to get the hard work- sawing done first and then deal with customers later in the day. Whilst struggling through the mud with a large log dangling from the tractor front forks Brian whacked the saw so hard it tipped off it’s rollers. It’s a heavy bugger and it took an hour of sweat and struggle to get it back on.. but later after lunch Glenn, his mate, his mate’s father turn up with plenty of cash and an additional order for another of his friends to make it a good day. The mornings of hard work began to pay off and the huge pile of logs awaiting the saw began to diminish. One big ugly lump of Ash had sat around since the summer of 2003 as neither of us fancied it much. We took a large slice off one side with a rotten branch on it and were
rewarded by what looked like a gallon of runny dog poo pouring out, with
strangely a huge slug who must have been cross at his house and food supply
disappearing . John the Judge was with us that day and none of us had
seen anything like it. We plodded on gamely… … right up
to 22nd December when we decided that until the mud subsided a bit we
would give the sawing a miss and look at other projects. Amongst these
jobs were felling a Cherry and Oak and restacking the 12 month old timber. Driving back down the track in the first week of January Brian spotted an Ash tree that had fallen into a neighbouring Farmers field. The owner Mark is a pretty amiable character and was happy for us to have it in return for tidying it up. We make a point of clearing and burning up fallen trees as thoroughly
as possible, part professional pride and more to give a good impression
to the landowner. It paid off in this case as we were given a rather large
but useful Ash trunk that had been on the ground for some time at the
other end of Mark’s farm. Above Mike and Brian tucking into the second Ash
… but Brian had been quietly expecting came at the beginning of February. After finally seeing a specialist who knew what he was talking about it was decided that a heart valve op was necessary. The theory being that if it is sorted now before the ol’ bugger is past it, he could make a full recovery and help me for next 20 years. With no date yet announced for Brian’s date with the knife, we upped the pace of our operations with a view to a break later in the year. We bought in 120 cu ft of Oak from Woodcott’s fine selection of ready felled and stacked trees. Gordon collected and stacked them ready for the saw and was persuaded to give up another day later in the month to fell a slightly awkward oak in our wood.
…that when he got to 60
he wouldn’t climb up trees any more. So, when he came to fell the Oak
and the Cherry in February a few days after this landmark it seemed prudent
to discourage this negativity and up he went. Well, you only fall out
from the top once and he has got a nice new chainsaw. Gordon reckons my
newsletter are great…. he says they are so full of rubbish they are ideal
for lighting his fire. Below is an action shot of one of the Oaks just
on it’s way to fall. Gordon who applied final cut has legged it out of
shot whilst I bravely hold the camera!
With Oak springing eternal… ... and more in stock than ever the sheds are looking quite full. On wet March day instead of getting drowned I decided to stay at home a do a bit of work on the books. Over past three years I’ve gathered good data on what exactly we sell and who to. In 2004 63% of customers came and collected compared to 35% in 2002. I have a clear idea of what sells best and now just have to get that in decent numbers and presented in a way that sells itself. The next few months remain uncertain for both Brian and the wood business but all being well we’ll be back in action by next episode. Regards,
See our page of interesting things produced
by our customers from our wood. Copyright Goulden Management Limited 2004 |
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