.net developers

Are they really like rocking horse s***?

If not, and you are, drop me a line

Briggs - new client

Our first really local new company we have picked up since moving from Birmingham. The majority of our accounts are nationally orientated, and indeed Briggs equipment operate throughout the country, but their head office is just up the road - even walk to client meetings!

Hells teeth

Good god, how long has it been. Never mind its back in full effect - watch this space

Recovered from Tour

Recovered finally from the tour of Whitley Bay. So I'm back on line now.

Advertising being what it is - sometimes you have to have a good 'heated discussion' to recognise where you are and where you want to go. Needless to say we're now focussed

Rugby Tour

One more sleep and I'm off to Whitley Bay for 3 days of excess and health carnage with Cannock RFC - I am officially getting to old for this sort of thing

Greenish

To equalise my 4x4 ownership, I've taken to cycling to work! Having a bit of trouble transfering my ass to a mountain bike from my normal "roadie" - I almost came off trying to go down the steps to my drive! Next time I'll wheel it down. Anyway the thought is there, trying to do my bit for the environment and all that.

Lack of attention

Well after the flurry of excitement of creating a blog back in 07 and being possibly the only one who used it or indeed praised the future of Blogg marketeering, all of a sudden every one is making a gianbt leap onto the band wagon! Well as long as the leapers are from ward lovett advertising then I dont mind, because as in "Garlic Bread", its the future!

Rugby World Cup Final

ROBBED!

World cup defending

Well I hate to say i told you so, but I did! We're gonna get sweet revenge on South Africa and once again be crowned world champions! Currently trying to sell children to afford the tickets - I would love to be there as I was in Sydney 4 years ago. Prediction 21-15 COME ON!!!!

Theres only one Andy Sheridan

What can I say? OK I got the score wrong but the result was as predicted - Sheridan made mince meat of the Australian front row and they were reduced to giving penalties away which Jonny duly kicked. France will faulter and we'll get South Africa in the final, what a world cup!

Oz bating

Come on down if you think yer hard enough! Wilkinson is gonna kick you out of the world cup again! Farrel will take charge in the centre Saki will be outstanding and our front row are going to muller you. Prediction: 35-20 to the lads in white.

Told yer so

44-22 I wasnt far off with my prediction against Samoa. But it was edge of the seat stuff, thank goodness for Wilko! Bring on the Tongans - prediction 32-10 to England. If you concentrate hard you can smell the fear from the Ozzies!

Samoa squashing

OK I got it wrong - The Boks turned us over in dramatic fashion. But Jonnys back and I feel a prediction of 38-20 coming on. England will show more craft than their Southern Island opponents and lead us to a showdown withthe ozzies in the quarter final. "swing low sweet chariot...."

Bok bashing!!!!

Come on england - with makeshift half backs, a kicker than hasnt kicked for years and a team with a higher than average, average age, we stand little chance of turning over the rampant Boks. But thats on paper, this is the world cup - prediction 20-18 to Martin Corries lot - with Farrel being Man of the Match

War planes and Shrek ears

There doesn't seem to have been much blogging activity recently. That's probably a combination of being busy and going out enjoying ourselves. Shrugborough Hall was the venue for our latest outing, for a picnic and classical concert. A very civilised affair and I'm impressed that we managed to make the champagne last until 8pm. I think everyone had brought with them the bottle they'd been saving for special occasions. Marks and Spencer did a roaring picnic trade too.

We were much amused by a friend of a colleague who we met in the crowd. She failed to identify one of the easily recognisable faces from TV in our party, but managed to convince herself that one of our lot was Tom Cruise! Now I'm not saying it's an hysterical mistake to make, but it really was pushing it a bit! How drunk was she?

Just like last year, the Spitfire fly past was impressive and the fireworks at the end seemed just a little bit better. Angela Rippon, bless her, I think was working from exactly the same script!

A familiy who must have had a job-lot of 'Shrek' ears caused much amusement, from Dad, who could have looked like Shrek with a bit of green make up, right down the generations to the baby, who to be honest could have passed for Baby Shrek too. Funny Family.

Italian Job Video Shoot

It's back to football again, but this time it incorporated something I like - cars! Asked by Marketing Birmingham to provide a red mini, white mini and blue mini for a re-creation of the Italian Job, around the streets of Birmingham I jumped at the chance to well, have a play!

Liveried up to promote the pre-season friendly between Inter Milan and Aston Villa the three cars - and drivers (thanks Ant from the WL studio, Andy soon to be of the WL PR team and Dave from Mini Sutton) provided some low-level stunts for the video shoot around Birmingham's Brindleyplace. The rain was torrential, I'm sure the video man ruined his camera. I thought there was a danger at one point of the Sea Life Centre bursting its banks, but luckily it held!

Then we were on to Villa Park, where it wasn't high speed pursuit, it was more very slow and tight manoeuvring, to get the cars on the narrow strip at the side of the pitch without touching the grass!

On the way back with the cars we were diverted by the flooding which lead to the headline "Flooding Fails to Foil Italian Job". We like a bit of alliteration.

I never knew football could be so much fun.

It's on Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJGbzFA-il4

Band on the road

Our newley formed band (aka "Mid life crisis" or "sore accident" havent decided on the name yet) had their first practice last Friday evening once everyone had left for the evening. That is everyone except two of our PR guys, who steadfastly refused to move. So we went on regardless. Anchored by Steady Eddie on bass, we couldnt go wrong - especially when we had an axeman like Will "Shredder" Rowson. As for young Nick from the studio (young as in not as old as the rest of us) and myself - the not so talented but slightly more eccentric guitar playing members of the group - we managed to keep up and even lead from the front on vocals for a couple of tracks. We even managed to get Andy, one of the PR bods up to sing a couple of numbers.

All in all it was a great success and more importantly great fun. We have 5 months until our debut gig at xmas and we nailed two tracks from our prospective playlist (Louie Louie by Motorhead and I wanna be your dog by Iggy Pop - notice a pattern emerging concerning difficulty levels!) and I am sure we can accomodate the rest between three guitars, a bass, shared vocal duties and NO drummer!!! Drummers who would like to apply for a position within MLC please contact us care of Ward Lovett.

Uttoxeter Race Day - mixed fortunes

Although the evening itself was a great success, personally I lost the shirt off my back. Guests were treated to 4 course meal and champagne and the weather held out for our sponsored race. Most people I spoke to seemed to have won something, I won the title of "Biggest single loss"

PR Bloke in the House

I'm not particularly political - but I had the chance this week to be in the House of Commons, in the press gallery for Gordon Brown's first PMQ's (Prime Minister's Questions). I loved it - even though I got shoved on one of the un-upholstered benches right at the back. There was an exciting atmosphere and it was fascinating to see an historical event.

The piece we did with the Head of Aston Business School for ITV News following that was good too - exploring the body language and performance of the big leaders!

Thanks to Prof. Mike West for being an excellent and knowledgeable expert and to Sally Mules from ITV for getting me into the House.

If you get the chance to go, I thoroughly reccommend it. And if you have chance to have a go at Houses of Parliament white wine, give that a go too. But that's a different story.

Ciggie Ban Hypnotises City

It's nice having a variety of clients, it keeps things interesting. One of our more unusual is Matt Caulfield, he's a Neuro Lingustic Programmer (NLP), a bit like Derren Brown, only not as showy!

Matt was interviewed by the award winning Tom Ross on Capital Gold the other morning, talking about how NLP can help people to get over cravings and phobias, particularly smoking - or perhaps the fear of spiders or flying. (I know spiders is arachnophobia, I must look up the flying one...) Anyway, such is the power of radio, that before he'd come off air, Matt had a list of people enquiring about his services. But was it the power of radio? Or was it the power of suggestion? I must ask him.

By the way, this is the same person that told me to achieve weight loss, I should eat less and move about more.

Now, put that fag out!