Chairman’s Blog - Meeting  Thursday 2^nd August 2012

Thanks to those who sent apologies for absence which were passed on to the meeting.

25 people in all including  the attendance of 2 subs, Mike Moisley for Mike Topping and Charlie Copping for Paul Booth.   Jamie Nye of Martin & Co. also attended clutching a membership application form which I am pleased to report was approved at a swiftly convened Committee Meeting after the main meeting.

At the end of another month Nick Cooke once again won the Meeting Network Performance League –well done Nick.   Business written for the month was £74,000.00.   Given the holiday season this was a really good solid performance.   Well done everybody.

David Plumley delivered one of his more bizarre Education Slots.   It involved filling a cardboard box with all types of rubbish and producing from it the Essex Business Forum Directory of Services.   The message was not, “throw any old rubbish into a box and you will get tried and tested suppliers of goods and services”.   The clear message was to make sure that we were all ready next week to take the rest of the Directories from Paul Booth and make sure that we distribute them effectively and quickly to further promote us and so that a new Directory can be produced to include the new members who have joined since the last Directory was produced…… I think!

If the Ed Slot was slightly bizarre the 60 second round was even more so.  Graham Thurston declared that he was looking for a millionaire.   My suggestion is that he now reverts to keeping his hands in his pockets in case he doesn’t find one.   Joan Jaggernauth was advocating Quantum Leaps, being presumably the only thing she could think of that began with the letter “Q” or was it her suggestion that a quantum leap would occur if you had an Indian head massage, probably worthwhile considering.

Michael Adelizzi does seem to be aiming at the older generation.   Last week it was low level baths that were easy to step into:  this week it was a wet room for an old couple.   What wasn’t clear was whether the wet room was to replace a bathroom or a bedroom.

David Plumley re-appeared to talk about things that you “do do”, and that I think is where he landed up.    Although it didn’t win the Oscar Kevin Radford did treat us to a very excellent and typically breathless imitation of David Attenborough.   Made insurance almost look interesting………..you got us going there Kevin!!

Geoff Todd proceeded to insist that graveyards provided the best short stories and it was therefore with some relief that Brian Painter, who followed him, did not regale us with the more lurid effects of smoking induced cancer.    David Plumley awarded the Oscar to Joan Jaggernauth, partly because she spoke up well and presumably also because she managed to link something up with the letter “Q” – well done Joan.

The 10 minute slot was a very effective presentation from Michael Adelizzi and we all managed to invite ourselves to his grand opening.

Following the 10 minute presentation Scott Griffiths gave us the good news and bad news. The good news certainly was good news.   This week’s recorded business amounted to £39,961.00.   A tremendous start to the month. The bad news was that Anita Reynolds felt unable to continue with the Group because of her current business commitments,   However, the offer of a vicarious hug and a kiss from Scott Griffiths on behalf of Anita was well received by everybody unless they had the name Richard, David or Mike to whom the offer was directed.

The referrals and testimonials round was lively and it produced the quote of the week with a reference to Geoff Todd’s hedge cutting prowess as “ Toddy’s Terrific Topiary”.   Yes, of course, the source was our resident bard.   Not only this week did he manage to make insurance sound sexy he managed to make Geoff Todd sound sexy.

Can I ask you all to put similar efforts into our new tag line.   I have received some, more needed!!!

As I said earlier in this blog, it was a very bizarre meeting.   Can’t wait till next week, see you all then.

Posted by Scott Griffiths