Joyce's Column: May

Before I start any of my real chat, I want to say a big thankyou to both Steph Norbury and Karen Codd for the surprise birthday cake they presented me with at the recent ARE show in Manchester. I had told Steph I didn’t want any fuss and I thought I had got away with it, but the penny should have dropped with me when my two dear friends Tina and Ian Eason of Instance Automatics more or less cajoled me into going to the after show party. I had it in my mind to go into the centre of Manchester to a pub my friend owns, and Tina and Ian rarely go to any after show event, the last one they went to was with the late Roy Deeming and myself and that was under duress for Ian. 

Anyway, it was a very nice thought of both Steph and Karen and thanks to everyone that sang Happy Birthday to me, I was only too pleased that nobody asked me to sing anything back, because I am sure the room would have emptied!! Thanks also go to Radical Shock’s Chris and Miro who besides my luggage dropped off the cake at my home, again much appreciated. On a final note, on my birthday, I actually spent the actual date of it in Jamaica, which again was fantastic.

I recently went across the border from the red rose county of Lancashire to white rose county of Yorkshire to have lunch with my two old and dear friends Sound Leisure’s Alan Black and Doug Hession ex Sound Sense Electronics, we had a fantastic lunch and many recollections of the days past, and then after lunch I went back to the factory with them which is always a great pleasure, it is such a happy working place.

Whilst I was there, I decided I should visit the loo and went to one next to Alans office and guess what when it came to getting out of the loo, I was stuck the door just wouldn’t open at all. I could hear Alan and Doug chatting in the nearby office but they couldn’t hear me shouting, so the only thing I could do was ring Doug’s mobile with the hope he had it switched on, thankfully he did and they came and rescued me, then I was able to go about my tour of the factory. The 3 Musketeers as I call us had this lovely photo taken in the factory and no there isn’t a jukebox in the vehicle it is just a genuine dodgem car.

Alan also had a very near miss earlier that day, he was at the supermarket and parked up and noticed the car next to him was the same model, same year and similar colour as his, anyway, off he went to do his shopping and came out and pressed his key fob to unlock the boot and was starting to unload it when the driver of the other car started shouting at him, and asked him what he was doing loading things into his boot.

It was only then that Alan realised this was not his car but the one next to it was his, and of course he was most apologetic, and the two of them came to the conclusion that they both must have pressed their key fobs at the same time and both boots opened, so it ended up amicable and no fisty-cuffs on the scene at all!

Now for 2 happy events for 2 sets of first- time grandparents and these are Darrel Webb and Nigel French.

Sega’s Darrel Webb and his wife Karen welcomed their new grandchild Bowie who weighed 6lbs 9ozs and whose parents Charley and Herbie along with both Darrell and Karen and thrilled at their new arrival, and here we have a photo of devoted Grandad Darrel with baby Bowie.

Darrell and Bowie

Sound Leisure’s Nigel French and his wife Louise also welcomed their new grandchild Gracie to the fold, Gracie weighed 8lbs 14ozs and should have been born in Dubai but due to the conflict that is going on there at present came back to the UK for the birth. Gracie’s parents Millie and Mina together with Nigel and Louise are flying on cloud 9 at present.

Congratulations to both families on their wonderful family additions.  

Gracie

GeWeTe’s Robert Clarke is so proud of his daughter Katie and her job in Switzerland, but it hasn’t been without its pitfalls, or maybe I should say skiing or snowboarding falls. Katies started a job in the UK in September 202teaching and assisting with boarding, she had to sleep with the children and the hours were just ridiculous anywhere from 80-100 hours per week. Katie decided enough was enough and applied for a position at Beau Soleil Alpine School in Switzerland with set hours of 40-50 and plenty of social activities. Part of her duties were that she had to learn to ski or snowboard to enable her to supervise the children on the slopes, and after 3 weeks and lots of over confidence she fell and smashed her shoulder one Sunday morning. Robert received as phone call from a rather screaming Katie as she had found out it was going to be £4,000 to be airlifted off the mountain or go down by sled with which her shoulder smashed would have been most uncomfortable, and unfortunately her £40 insurance policy only covers her during official skiing season, so the bank of Dad had to come to her aid. After a long operation to rebuild her shoulder, she is now on a 6-12month recuperation, and the school have been great and offered her the job again next year. Katie being Katie and only young as soon as she got out of hospital went straight out with her friends and that same night Robert got a call yet again from her saying she was in such pain, and guess what she had not collected her prescription medication and had no paracetamol with her either she had just been too keen to get out and about with her friends. Katie has been back in the UK recently for 4 days, and Robert says she looks well but her shoulder was really badly damaged, and he says yes, it is great she is living her best life in Switzerland, but she should remember that as a family they have no sense of balance!! Anyway, Katie hope all goes well for you, and that the bank of Dad does not have to fork out anymore, money, otherwise he will be the one that is ill, with a broken heart and a broken bank!!  On a happier note, Katie has now been told she has the job on a permanent basis.

There will be some chat from the recent ARE show in my June column together with chat from the Park Avenue Open Day,

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28 May 2026

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