November 6, 2019

I haven’t written anything about Moores for a while and I suppose I’m looking for new stories but as always there’s a lot of interaction with many of the people I worked with and I have jotted a few notes for your information

• The former directors got together in a Thorp Arch pub for some lunch in late October. Richard Bown, Peter Thorndyke and David Cook made up the party. I’m glad to report all are in good health. PET seems to spend a lot of time abroad holidaying. However a recent trip to Japan coincided with the typhoon that took so many lives. Peter and his wife were fine but left the country early. Richard is busy sorting out years of accumulated possessions in his house and taking photos. He took over 3,000 images at the recent UCI World Cycling Championships. I think it helps to have a house on the route for a couple of the events. David is still playing off an impressive golf handicap. Along the lines of the country we were split on Brexit but we didn’t subsequently resort to social media to vent our respective frustration. I shan’t forget the lunch quickly – I got a speeding ticket at 36 mph in Thorp Arch when I left!
• On a cycle ride I was ambling through Selby and recognised a personalised number plate of Janet Lumb’s Citroën. After some frantic waving she came to a halt and we chatted for 20 minutes. She’s well and still holidaying with Rose (Wages). Who can blame anyone for grabbing some winter sun off the coast of Africa. She’s developed a penchant for line dancing: a great way to keep fit!
• Joe Cannon (Sales Administration & Installation) looked well and had no ill affects after cycling the LEJOG in the summer with one of his three sons. The acronym stands for Lands End, Cornwall to John O’Groats, Scotland. It’s an epic ride of over 1,000 miles. I envied his ride but British weather can be awful and it is a lottery whether such a long ride is pleasant. He’s now working for Home Decor, a kitchen company out of Sheffield. This appears to be a respite for several ex Moores employees such as Richard Garstang, Neil Martin and Lloyd Jackson. (The photo below is about 13 feet’s worth of Cannons)

• Greg Smith (Credit Control & Symphony), still of the Parish of Symphony, has led me into a couple of bike shops. I’m contemplating a new top of the line road bike next year. It will probably be my last premium bike and cappuccinos have been consumed in Wetherby and Barnsley discussing wheels, gears, frame geometry and widths of tyres. As they say then the planning and anticipation is nearly as much fun as the riding. (The photo below shows Mandle & Smith needing a shave).

• David Moore (Data Processing/IT Manager) has been in touch via my news letter. He got no sympathy when he told me of family problems earlier in the year. Apparently he has relatives who support Sheffield United and others who support Leeds United. Needless to say one set of folk were and still continue to be a lot happier than the others. He’s recovering after a procedure on a knee and, back to bikes, is likely to invest in something with a battery. He’ll still be wickedly quick: I well remember a cycling holiday in 2005 in the Scottish Borders – I was so far behind I seldom saw him!
• Richard Fitzmaurice (Marketing Manager) is a regular correspondent. I’m grateful that he  follows my cycling blogs. It’s nice to know that someone’s reading my exploits in foreign climes. He also supplies me the latest Moores accounts when they’re published to keep me up to date with their progress.
• Tim Mandle (Sales Administration & Installation) still occasionally takes this old boy out around York. It’s be fair to say that it isn’t all one way as regards education. I’ve introduced him to novel concepts such as buying sandwiches and stopping to eat them. He struggles with stopping and incentives have to be procured to enable a short cessation of hostilities. He’s settled into his new Omega Kitchens job working out of Thorne. Additionally he’s useful for sports updates even when he’s sat in Elland Road.
• Charles Greenwood (Commercial Director) is my companion at a few concerts in Leeds and York. He’s able to find some excellent acts (I don’t know!) to see and he hasn’t let me down yet. With three sons he’s either dog sitting  in Leeds or making trips to the Far East to visit them.
• Gill Allison (Add On Business & Export) was in touch and says she’s still at The British Library but predictably prefers to board an aeroplane to help her top up her tan at a property on the coast at the top of the Red Sea in Egypt.
• Steve Jessney (Design Manager) after a long career distinguished in the kitchen industry – Moores, MFI and Omega is taking the ‘gold watch’ and being liberated to pursue his hobbies. These are quite wide but a love of blues music  and radio broadcasting comes to the fore. Vixen 101 is his community radio station broadcasting out of Market Weighton – take a listen. Like Charles he’s a companion at various concerts around the area. Hopefully these will increase as he has no ’school nights’!
• Richard Bywater (Purchasing Manager) still posts lots of photos of train carriages on Twitter still. He seems very resilient to my caustic comments when he posts a rusty one stood in a siding full of weeds. Who knew he had an encyclopaedic knowledge of rolling stock? When not doing this he’s busy traveling all over Europe sorting out materials for Moores.
• Andy Radcliffe (Finance Director) is running a £250m business from the North East – Esh Group. It seems a very busy and demanding job and we have to applaud him for having scaled these amazing corporate heights. Whilst a family man with two young children he tells me that he still finds time to play his 70s and 80s Progressive rock. Leisure time also involves learning keyboards. Apparently in his youth he was an accomplished musician who I recollect was proud of being able to play the saxophone solo from Wham’s “Careless Whisper”.
• Mark Sutcliffe (Finance) has maybe got the best post-Moores job. He’s pursuing a passion. He buys and sells vinyl records. This takes him around the country. I’ve given him a few assignments, which he’s done a great job in tracking down and supplying. If there is something you’re trying to find then I’m certain he knows where to find it in tip top condition.
• Philip Turnpenny (HR Director) is still finding time to look after the Defined Benefit Pension Scheme (with me!) as a Member Nominated Trustee. This involves quite a few meetings, mainly in Leeds. However, we had one at Moores in August and it’s fascinating to understand aspects of the business that a decade ago we were personally involved with.
• Danny Gallacher (Installation) keeps turning up on my Facebook page. After working in the Scottish public sector he appears to now be retired. His step son is the bassist with the band Declan Welsh & The Decadent West. They’ve had radio airplay, have a recording contract and been on tour. Impressed!
• Mark Granger (Installation Director) is still a director at Paver. He realised an ambition by refereeing at Bootham Crescent. It wasn’t the Minstermen on the pitch but a testimonial for ex-York City defender Dan Parslow. It must have been a thrill for Mark to run on the pitch where his father once played in goal for York City. 

As I have said previously then if there are some interesting updates on folk then let me know and I’ll pass it onto a wider audience.