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Rich Steel and myself cooling down in the Doulton showers after a sweaty night at the LRV
Monday 19 April 2010
Having fun in the shower
Rich Steel and myself cooling down in the Doulton showers after a sweaty night at the LRV
When I dressed as Dr. Paul Gubbins
Probably the undoubted highlight of living in Doulton was Halloween 2007. During my first semester studying Sports Journalism, a law lecturer called Dr. Paul Gubbins became a household name to any friend or family memeber of any student lucky enough to have the man teach law to you.
With classic quotes such as "you have aids", "is he buxton?" and the infamous symbolic bow and arrow motion striking success into everyone, Gubbins became the best thing about Law, and pretty much the only good thing about Law, and so I simply had to dress up as him for Halloween.
After a shopping spree at Help the Aged, a classic, under-rated shop by the way, I began transforming myself into the best man on the planet, and looked disturbingly better dressed as Gubbins than just dressed as myself.
Paul Gubbins inspired me to live for the moment, he inspired me about DIP (defamation, identification and publication) and most of all he inspired a group on facebook dedicated to him. Paul Gubbins, we salute you.
Wednesday 7 April 2010
How voting Labour could preserve the future of Waterford Wedgwood and the workers of Royal Doulton
On Tuesday 6 April, Gordon Brown set the 2010 General Election for May 6, which may well prove to be a decisive day for the workers of Waterford Wedgwood in Stoke-on-Trent.
Should the result of a hung parliament be avoided, and if the Conservative Government comes into power, any hope the company had of paying off their £134m pension fund bill via intervention from Labour’s Pension Protection Fund could collapse, after the Conservative government announced on January 12, in an interview with the Guardian from the party’s shadow minister, Nigel Waterson that they would not bail out the PPF if it ran into difficulty compensating members of collapsed defined benefit pension schemes.
Waterford Wedgwood Plc, known for its Wedgwood pottery, Royal Doulton and Waterford crystal was purchased by KPS Capital Partners in April last year, after going into administration in January 2009. However, KPS, the United States based private equity fund were not required to take on the pensions black hole due to terms of the deal, and as a result does not have to acknowledge the massive pension fund bill that has now been served to the Wedgwood Museum by the Wedgwood Group Pension Plan.
Legal complications may arise due to the trust status of the museum, and the trust is currently considering a legal challenge to the notice, however as it is linked to Waterford Wedgwood by a shared pensions fund, the Wedgwood Group Pension Plan therefore views the museum as having a judicial obligation to pay the debt.
The museum was celebrating a £100,000 Art Fund Prize in June last year, yet they now face the prospect of having to sell their prized collection, some articles of which have been described as “priceless” should legal proceedings find them obliged to acknowledge the pension fund bill.
As the surviving solvent organisation connected to Waterford Wedgwood, the award winning museum could face bankruptcy in order for the PPF to legally accept the scheme. Unless Labour stay in power after the General Election, the future of the PPF could be in doubt, and Waterford Wedgwood, who suffered over 350 job casualties as a result of administration last year, could yet face more losses if the PPF are unable to intervene after the Conservatives revealed they would not financially underpin the compensation scheme if it ever ran out of money.
Nigel Waterson, the Conservation shadows pension minister, said in January that if the party guaranteed to support the PPF then it might “produce unintended consequences and enable people to feel they could be more lax in running their pension schemes".
Waterson claims it is important for the government to have distance with the PPF, which therefore could spell danger for the future of Waterford Wedgwood Plc. Should the Conservatives come into power, and the museum face liquidation, potentially as a result of failing to acknowledge the whole pension fund bill, then the PPF would not be able to accept the debt of the company, leaving further question marks over Waterford Wedgwood’s financial situation and employees’ status.
Consequently, time could now be a priceless commodity for the workers at Waterford Wedgewood. If the legal battle between the Wedgwood museum and the WGPP is not resolved before the result of the election, it may be crucial to employees that Labour stays in power, as the PPF could be the only way the pension fund bill will be paid to its former and current employees, which in England, Ireland and subsidiaries is around 7,000 people.
Should the result of a hung parliament be avoided, and if the Conservative Government comes into power, any hope the company had of paying off their £134m pension fund bill via intervention from Labour’s Pension Protection Fund could collapse, after the Conservative government announced on January 12, in an interview with the Guardian from the party’s shadow minister, Nigel Waterson that they would not bail out the PPF if it ran into difficulty compensating members of collapsed defined benefit pension schemes.
Waterford Wedgwood Plc, known for its Wedgwood pottery, Royal Doulton and Waterford crystal was purchased by KPS Capital Partners in April last year, after going into administration in January 2009. However, KPS, the United States based private equity fund were not required to take on the pensions black hole due to terms of the deal, and as a result does not have to acknowledge the massive pension fund bill that has now been served to the Wedgwood Museum by the Wedgwood Group Pension Plan.
Legal complications may arise due to the trust status of the museum, and the trust is currently considering a legal challenge to the notice, however as it is linked to Waterford Wedgwood by a shared pensions fund, the Wedgwood Group Pension Plan therefore views the museum as having a judicial obligation to pay the debt.
The museum was celebrating a £100,000 Art Fund Prize in June last year, yet they now face the prospect of having to sell their prized collection, some articles of which have been described as “priceless” should legal proceedings find them obliged to acknowledge the pension fund bill.
As the surviving solvent organisation connected to Waterford Wedgwood, the award winning museum could face bankruptcy in order for the PPF to legally accept the scheme. Unless Labour stay in power after the General Election, the future of the PPF could be in doubt, and Waterford Wedgwood, who suffered over 350 job casualties as a result of administration last year, could yet face more losses if the PPF are unable to intervene after the Conservatives revealed they would not financially underpin the compensation scheme if it ever ran out of money.
Nigel Waterson, the Conservation shadows pension minister, said in January that if the party guaranteed to support the PPF then it might “produce unintended consequences and enable people to feel they could be more lax in running their pension schemes".
Waterson claims it is important for the government to have distance with the PPF, which therefore could spell danger for the future of Waterford Wedgwood Plc. Should the Conservatives come into power, and the museum face liquidation, potentially as a result of failing to acknowledge the whole pension fund bill, then the PPF would not be able to accept the debt of the company, leaving further question marks over Waterford Wedgwood’s financial situation and employees’ status.
Consequently, time could now be a priceless commodity for the workers at Waterford Wedgewood. If the legal battle between the Wedgwood museum and the WGPP is not resolved before the result of the election, it may be crucial to employees that Labour stays in power, as the PPF could be the only way the pension fund bill will be paid to its former and current employees, which in England, Ireland and subsidiaries is around 7,000 people.
Thursday 4 March 2010
When I just wanted to sleep
After a night out at the LRV, all I wanted was to go to sleep, I was wrecked. Instead, however, the night turned into a Guiter Hero competition in my room, much to my annoyance. So while cursing the day I ever brought the damned game, I took my duvet, pillow and lack of self awareness, and slept in the horrifically uncomfortable Doulton corridor. For two ridiculously painful hours, I tried to nod off, before I moved back into my lovely room, and proceeded to throw Guitar Hero out the chuffing window.
My head got shaved
I lived with a lad called Dan Squire. Dan made Hugh Heffner look like a virgin, in the first week at Doulton he probably pulled around ten girls, and by his standards, that was a poor week. So me, being the naive silly chum I was back then, bet Dan that he couldn't get with this one girl, and if he did, he could shave my head.
He got with the girl.
So, on the first Thursday of the year, the whole floor gathered round as my striking blonde locks were ripped to the ground, and I was left with a daft looking mohawk. I never made a bet involving any of my hair again.
Wednesday 3 March 2010
Blocking John's door off with Strongbow cans
John had no idea that his room had been blocked off with cider cans while he was away, my personal favourite bit is when he actually kicks the cans forward, so they all go into his room.
Tuesday 2 March 2010
Bonding
The night me and Nick Kiefert first bonded, with a badminton racket and a copy of the complimentary FHM magazine in the Doulton help me kit. It definately helped.
Getting smurfed
I got dressed up as a smurf for the lrv, and got back for some smurfing, but instead got wedgied to within an inch of my life.
Passing out in doorway
After a rather forgettable night at gobble (not for the poor quality of the night, just for the excessive binging on ribena) I got back to the safety of the Doulton halls, but just couldn't make those extra few inches (story of...) to my bed.
Friday 19 February 2010
Tequila boy
I have a friend called James Perkins. James likes to drink, often to the point where he forgets most things. Many mornings I’ve asked James; “Did you have a good night last night?” Many times James has replied to me; “I don’t know.”
In our first year, James built up a reputation as a charming young man, but on a night out he became a frightening menace of a chap, able to consume alchohol at the rate of a sieve, without even knowing he was doing it.
However, his reputation became shattered to pieces one Winter's evening in 2007. James came round to Doulton to play drinking Pro Evo (a football video game for all you crazy non football people). I had brought a bottle of sidekick in preparation for the occasion, and James brought tequila. That was his first mistake.
For whatever reason, James did not take kindly to the forthcoming tequila. After his first shot of the night, James’ face became pale, his speech inpaired, his Pro Evo “skills” turned into that of a legend, as he soon scored three goals past me with his goalkeepers. That’s not even a lie, he did it. I don’t even know how, it still haunts me to this day.
It was the second shot of tequila that secured James’ status as a Doulton legend though. The son of a gun downed it like a trooper, but within seconds of me turning round to pour the next set of drinks, he had Usain Bolt’d out of my room to the toilet, where to the disgrace of his high standards of life threatening drinking, he threw up.
What seemed at the time was just a funny story, soon became elevated when the next year of Doulton heroes moved in to RDYellow in 2008. I helped people them move in, and they met my friend James, where inevitably, the tale of his woe may have come up, repeatly, to the point where he developede the nickname “Tequila Boy.”
Tequila Boy is still greeted by his adopted name many a night in the LRV, and his greatest shame has since spurred him on to become one of the greatest drinkers many of us have ever seen. Long live Tequila Boy. And remember kids, don’t do drugs.
In our first year, James built up a reputation as a charming young man, but on a night out he became a frightening menace of a chap, able to consume alchohol at the rate of a sieve, without even knowing he was doing it.
However, his reputation became shattered to pieces one Winter's evening in 2007. James came round to Doulton to play drinking Pro Evo (a football video game for all you crazy non football people). I had brought a bottle of sidekick in preparation for the occasion, and James brought tequila. That was his first mistake.
For whatever reason, James did not take kindly to the forthcoming tequila. After his first shot of the night, James’ face became pale, his speech inpaired, his Pro Evo “skills” turned into that of a legend, as he soon scored three goals past me with his goalkeepers. That’s not even a lie, he did it. I don’t even know how, it still haunts me to this day.
It was the second shot of tequila that secured James’ status as a Doulton legend though. The son of a gun downed it like a trooper, but within seconds of me turning round to pour the next set of drinks, he had Usain Bolt’d out of my room to the toilet, where to the disgrace of his high standards of life threatening drinking, he threw up.
What seemed at the time was just a funny story, soon became elevated when the next year of Doulton heroes moved in to RDYellow in 2008. I helped people them move in, and they met my friend James, where inevitably, the tale of his woe may have come up, repeatly, to the point where he developede the nickname “Tequila Boy.”
Tequila Boy is still greeted by his adopted name many a night in the LRV, and his greatest shame has since spurred him on to become one of the greatest drinkers many of us have ever seen. Long live Tequila Boy. And remember kids, don’t do drugs.
Wednesday 17 February 2010
The girl Nick pulled and Tim
Nick Kiefert has a way with the girls. Tim Orchard is not fond of the Leek Road Venue. Nick often took girls back to Doulton from the LRV to play scrabble and get to know each other etc. Except one night, things took an eventful twist. After a lovely evening at the lrv, Nick took a girl back to Doulton, oblivious to the drama and confusion that would soon follow. With all the Doulton sound asleep, Nick's girl went to the toilet, but this was not an ordinary trip to the toilet.
Nick's girl got very lost on her way back from the toilet, down the relatively tiny corridor that is the top floor of Doulton. I awoke some time during this and on my way to the bathroom, and saw a blonde girl looking rather bewildered. I ignored her, because I really needed the bathroom. During this time though, it seemed the girl had lost Nick's room, and therefore went on a pretty mental mission to find it. She naturally started by going the opposite way to which she came, which led her, to Tim's room.
Upon walking into Tim's room, she realised a mistake had been made. Poor terrified Tim, had no idea what was going on. The morning after, Nick told us this girl had apparantly been searching for his room for "hours", a puzzling amount of time considering the thirteen rooms that made up the top floor, which means Nick's girl could literally have walked into anyone's room, for any amount of time. Tim was eventually ok after his ordeal, and has continued to live a full and healthy life. Another lesson, for all you kids, don't do drugs.
Nick's girl got very lost on her way back from the toilet, down the relatively tiny corridor that is the top floor of Doulton. I awoke some time during this and on my way to the bathroom, and saw a blonde girl looking rather bewildered. I ignored her, because I really needed the bathroom. During this time though, it seemed the girl had lost Nick's room, and therefore went on a pretty mental mission to find it. She naturally started by going the opposite way to which she came, which led her, to Tim's room.
Upon walking into Tim's room, she realised a mistake had been made. Poor terrified Tim, had no idea what was going on. The morning after, Nick told us this girl had apparantly been searching for his room for "hours", a puzzling amount of time considering the thirteen rooms that made up the top floor, which means Nick's girl could literally have walked into anyone's room, for any amount of time. Tim was eventually ok after his ordeal, and has continued to live a full and healthy life. Another lesson, for all you kids, don't do drugs.
Me and George
In the first day of living in Doulton, everyone probably suffers the confusion of mistaking someone else's door for theirs, and has to stop themselves from going in. Not me and George. George Woodward lived in 63 and I lived in 62. In my first morning after freshers saturday, I strolled to the kitchen to make some toast, I enjoyed that toast, and went about going back to my room for a well earned nap. Only things didn't quite happen that way. After a simple turn left from the kitchen, confusion instantly began to grow, and within a matter seconds, I had walked into George's room, with a confused, naked boy looking back at me, as if to say "why have you just walked in to my room?"
I lived with that shame for weeks, until one day, all my trauma was relieved. I was sitting in my room, enjoying a lovely day watchin girls play lacrosse outside my window, when a strange noise occured. That noise was my door opening, with, guess who? Thats right, with George standing there, uttering the words "this isn't my room"
If me and George ever lived together again, whose to say we wouldn't walk into other peoples rooms again. All that can be said, is that kids, dont do drugs.
I lived with that shame for weeks, until one day, all my trauma was relieved. I was sitting in my room, enjoying a lovely day watchin girls play lacrosse outside my window, when a strange noise occured. That noise was my door opening, with, guess who? Thats right, with George standing there, uttering the words "this isn't my room"
If me and George ever lived together again, whose to say we wouldn't walk into other peoples rooms again. All that can be said, is that kids, dont do drugs.
Monday 15 February 2010
Sunday 14 February 2010
Welcome!
Hi everyone, cheers for taking time to look at the blog. Hopefully this will become the ultimate Royal Doulton with the help of everyone. As everyone who's been there knows, there's something special about Doulton, from the people who have and do live there, to its history of being awesome, and its great location to stumble back to from the lrv. I'm going to try and get as much content on here as possible from videos, pictures, stories and any updates on whether I can sneak back in there now and see if there's still things hidden in the roof, obscure drawings engraved on people's doors and blu-tac on people's fire alarms. Keep checking it out for regular updates and despite the actual Royal Doulton company going into liquidation last year, hopefully we can keep the spirit of Doulton alive forever.
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