News @ The GL@ZINE

The final episode in the long-running saga that is the Armstrongs goes not so much with a bang, more a fizzle.
After nine years in the fenestration industry John and Ann are disillusioned and start pinning their hopes and dreams of millionaire-dom on their new sign business. With a planned launch at the UK’s premier sign event just around the corner, John decides the ideal warm-up venue for Birmingham’s NEC would be the international sign event in Las Vegas.

So, armed with a neon Jesus and a lit up Chinese takeaway sign, John and Ann head off to the States to set out their stall. Despite travelling halfway across the globe with a product John is convinced heralds the beginning of a 'global dynasty', the international sign community pays little attention to our Coventry couple at the event, apparently preferring to pass comment on John’s turquoise shoes than on any signs they are displaying.

Despite a slow start, John and Ann refuse to be disheartened but do wonder why traffic to the stand is so slow. The fact the signs they do have are hidden behind a huge Union Jack draped table and there is literally no literature available may go some way to explaining that. The final nail in the coffin is when John decides to remove the business cards they had left on said patriotic table because 'people kept picking them up and walking off with them…'

While the one visitor John does manage to nab points out the technology being employed by the company is 'around fifty years out of date' and has been 'surpassed by LEDs', our protagonist still labours under the impression his product is too advanced for the market.

After a Little White Chapel reaffirming of wedding vows (where, judging on past performance, you have to wonder if the gold lame jacket John is sporting is borrowed or his own) it’s back to Blighty to prepare for Sign UK.

With lessons learned from Las Vegas, the couple’s stand at Sign UK looks a wholeheartedly more professional affair - there are even bowls of mints to bring in the punters…the punters however seem fairly under-whelmed by the sales patter.

After the show, the couple celebrate a short-listing at the coveted annual sign awards by attending the ceremony and ‘drinking the staff bonus’, only to be pipped at the post for Best Craftsman category.

Back at base, the discontented voices of the U-Fit factory staff can be heard…

Remembering when John used to be a 'good boss' who 'cared about his staff' the general consensus seemed to be that he had lost his way and with it the respect of his employees. But what is John’s opinion of John? 'You can do anything you like and people will still buy windows off you,' he says. If you talked to and treated your customers the way you talk to and treat your staff John, we don’t think you’d have any customers or business to worry about.

The final programme ends with John lost in an endless stream of football metaphor, likening himself first to a striker, then referee, then coach, and so on until the fade out…

…going on past form, you have to wonder whether he’s still talking now.

There is no doubt this show will be cited for years to come in management training and HR departments UK-wide - as an example of how not to run a business it really does stand apart.

While life is indeed tough in the industry, for us the Armstrongs just proved how important it is to forge links with strategic partners to help you get where you’re going, instead of going off in all different directions at once.
While John’s bravado might appeal to some, and the fee received for participation in the programme will appeal no doubt appeal to the bank manager, The Armstrongs has done nothing for the reputation of the industry whatsoever, apart from perhaps putting it back a few years. Viewers are left with their opinions of 'double glazing' companies reinforced rather than challenged.

We know from experience that there are hardworking, customer and staff conscious companies out there who are pushing the boundaries of professionalism to ensure they remain profitable and popular for years to come - it’s a shame our industry wasn’t represented on prime time TV by such businesses, but unfortunately they probably wouldn’t make very 'entertaining' television.

We hope you enjoyed our weekly critiques and welcome your feedback. Please send any comments to: mail@profile22.co.uk

Armstrong’s quote of the week:
Ann Armstrong: “Where you’re relying on people, you’ve got problems…”
(…especially if their name is Armstrong)

At Work with the Armstrongs can be viewed via broadband at the BBC2 website: www.bbc.co.uk/bbc2.

As we roll ever closer to the end of the fly on the wall rollercoaster that is The Armstrongs, the hair-brained schemes of our protagonists show no signs of abating.

This week, Ann decides to ‘sharpen up’ her husband, who she thinks needs to look the part to successfully launch U-Fits new neon sign business. With fashion watchwords ‘tailored and sharp’ ringing in his ears, John dutifully trots to the shops to be made over, a la Trinny and Susanna, by a personal shopper.

Despite insisting ‘the same look could be achieved cheaper elsewhere’, John’s pleas are unheeded by his wife and he duly departs with nearly £1500 worth of new togs, ready for action.

Back at the office the sales team is now back up to full strength and is performing well. Typically for egotist John, this improvement is directly attributable to the interactive motivational teachings of life coach Zig Ziglar, whose wise words he has force fed his staff during the previous weeks.

Such is John’s admiration for the man he decides to pay him a visit. With the promise of a twenty minute slot talking to the great Zig himself, John packs his travel bag and flies to Dallas, prepared to meet his hero – but will he be able to keep his profanities under control for such a long period of time?

When the two meet we see John has at last met his match. Never in the history of television have so many semi-evangelical clichés been uttered per minute and John can’t get enough of it. This is his proudest moment; an audience with the almighty Zig and the opportunity to talk to Ziglar’s followers about how the great man has changed his life, which he does with great relish.

The meeting of minds ends with John unveiling a blue and pink neon sign he has specially made for Ziglar Training – the perfect addition to the sombre chrome and glass office space the business inhabits…

John returns to the UK with a specially recorded ‘Ziglar moment’, a personal recorded message aimed at uplifting the workforce when they are down. Judging by the malcontent on the factory floor, with staff forced to deal with both increasing production demands and a pay freeze, he’s going to need all the help he can get.

While the factory floor quietly stews, the sales team are rewarded for increased sales figures with a trip to the dog races. Knocking off early, picked up by a white limo at the factory gates and treated to a Champagne reception, the team watch the inaugural ‘U-FIT Celebration Stakes’ while Ann cheers on the 'little doggie horses'.

Back at the factory, all is not well. Seeing the limo pulling up to pick up the sales team rubs salt in the wounds of the already upset production line. To use an Armstrong-style metaphor; it looks as if John and Ann have fixed the wheels on one side of the car, but they are about to fall off the other…

John’s reaction to the news his factory workers aren’t happy? 'If they don’t like it, they know where the door is.'

Careful John, it’s all very well generating sales leads, but if there’s no-one to make the product, there is no business. While rewarding and motivating staff is an admirable thing to do, don’t forget the adverse effect it can have on those who aren’t on the receiving end of it. What start out as motivational perks for some can end up costing a business immeasurably in terms of the motivation and loyalty of others.

Same time, same place next week for the final chapter in the Armstrong’s saga.

Armstrong’s quote of the week:
John Armstrong: 'Motivation is a bit like having a bath. If you don’t have one every day, your attitude will stink.'

At Work with the Armstrongs is on BBC2, Wednesdays, 10pm

Just after Michael’s rollercoaster ride to the heady heights of sales manager, and back down again, our Othello-playing chum is faced with an ultimatum; shape up or ship out.

So, Michael is no longer flavour of the month and John and Ann’s comments to camera clearly point out they don’t think he has the guts for sales. Whatever the story, you have to feel sorry for him, being built up and knocked down on almost a daily basis must be disheartening for any employee.

On a positive note, the return of original employee / cast member Luke (once described as ****ing useless) means the size of the U-Fit sales force has doubled - but for how long?

Not content with a double glazing business, a line in PVC-U dog kennels and selling music academies to the French (we never did find out what those meetings came to did we?), John meanwhile finds distraction from the day to day running of his business and gets busy with his next ‘bright’ idea - but, he’ll need some help.

John thinks his new neon sign business might be ‘The One’ that will make the millions he dreams of. While we’re all for self belief and setting goals, we think John might just be counting chickens if he really does believe his new set-up will soon be bigger than Coventry’s most famous export, the Jaguar car.

So begins the earnest search for some jobbing artists to help John get his vision on the road. It’s just a shame the amount of time spent looking for the ideal partner for this venture is not also given to the search for new recruits. With only one response to their last newspaper ad for sales staff (enter stage left: Michael) they seem to have resigned themselves to having to put up with a series of non-starters instead of putting into place real opportunities that might attract the right candidate.

Back to the plot: It’s off to London to meet with a pair of ‘artists in light’ at their Soho studios. John’s vision for resin-covering half-eaten fast food to be ‘suggestive of a consumptive society’ fails to find creative approval with his new friends, as does his (and the realms of decency and the Glazine’s reputation do not permit us to spell it out) ‘DNA:SP*NK’ sign. They do agree, however, to give John’s idea some thought and come up with some ideas to help him get it off the ground.

Back in the offices of U-Fit, it is the end of an era; Michael, having experienced the highs and lows of a short career at U-Fit, has finally decided to throw in the towel.

Rather than conduct an exit interview with him to find out why he has decided U-Fit is not worth putting his effort into (and, it has to be said, the post-Christmas Michael had the potential), the bosses merely get angry about his lack of thanks for the ‘effort put in by John’ in his staff development - Michael’s retort: 'What has he ever done for me?'.

What do you mean Michael? John has clearly put a lot into you: Don’t forget how he begrudgingly gave you a job, threatened you with the sack after 24 hours, motivated you with Basil Meanie, threatened you with the sack again, hired a no-show teenager to be your boss, took you for dinner, promoted you, demoted you, motivated you with Zig Ziglar and finally threatened you with the sack again. Surely you owe him your thanks?

What we think is so sad about this programme is the culture of antipathy between employer and employee. There is clearly a culture of ‘us and them’ which is holding this business back. While it may be a result of clever editing, the business decisions seem to be made on a whim. Apart from Ann’s occasional input, U-Fit is run as a complete autocracy by a man who seems to change his mind and direction about every five minutes - how is anyone supposed to keep up with that and how can the business move forward?

Armstrong’s quote of the week:

Ann Armstrong (re: the artists): “We got a really nice email from them, thanking us for coming down…We’re not used to anyone thanking us or saying anything nice.”
..and why might that be?

At Work with the Armstrongs is on BBC2, Wednesdays, 10pm.

With three out of four of the U-Fit sales team wiped out in the previous episode, Othello-obsessed Michael is the last man standing.

To reward him for his loyalty, and the fact he seems to be the only one actually doing their job in the first place, John and Ann decide to take Michael and his wife (who he met on an Othello website) out for a meal.

Can we be watching the same programme as last week? Suddenly, The Armstrongs have turned over a new leaf. No longer the unapproachable bosses, John and Ann are using staff rewards as a good way of letting their star employee know he is part of the (albeit dwindling) team – this is to be applauded.

The following day, with Ann out of the way, John unveils his latest plans to give U-Fit the proverbial kick up the backside. Making Michael the new sales manager and setting a £40,000 per week target may be very well in front of the employees but the fact he hasn’t discussed it with business partner / wife Ann or even properly thought it out does not bode well.

John’s Desire for 'ten per cent of Michael’s brainpower' to contribute towards the growth of the business turns from being a seemingly positive staff relations exercise, to anything but – Somehow, we don’t think we’ll be seeing much more of our Othello-playing friend in the weeks to come.

The problem, it seems, is that Michael willingly gives his brainpower and wants to help U-Fit achieve its next level of development. First, at the bosses’ request, Michael makes a list of things he believes should be improved within U-Fit. Despite the positive ideas contained within (surely no more idiotic than motivational guru Basil’s?), the suggestions are not treated with any respect from John and Ann who have built up a business ‘doing it their way’.

Unbeknown his ideas have been rejected and Inspired with his new-found sense of importance and empowerment, Michael takes a ballpoint to U-Fit’s brochure – one of the few sales tool he has to make sales. Finding 54 typographical errors, Michael confronts John and soon wishes he hadn’t. John, who wrote the brochure ‘all by himself’ tells Michael there is nothing wrong with the brochure and he 'writes like he talks'. We sincerely hope this is not completely true John, as we’re not sure the four letter words you use to describe your staff are appropriate for publication.

In true form, things soon take on the farcical bent. What starts as a promising episode, full of staff empowerment and team building, descends into the image of John, wearing the U-Fit flag around his shoulders putting his (now two-strong) sales team through an afternoon of the ‘Zig Zeigler; master in the art of selling’ CD.

This week’s Armstrong’s basically dumps us right back at square one - we go full circle to find Michael demoted back to standard ‘sales’ due to his failure to use a costly and time-consuming database tool. Unprepared to hear his reasons why, John, Ann and third U-Fit manager tell him: 'It’s our way or the highway'– Now that’s a positive, two-way communications policy in action.

We’ll see you here the same time next week.

Armstrong’s quote of the week:

Michael: 'How are supposed to sell someone the Rolls Royce of conservatories if we can’t even spell conservatory?'– Quite…

At Work with the Armstrongs is on BBC2, Wednesdays, 10pm

The Armstrongs have a talent - a talent to outdo themselves with the sublimely ridiculous week after week. This week staffing issues have come to a head and something has to change. And change it does....

When it is found out that an original member of the sales team has only made 11 outgoing calls during the day (one of which was to order his lunch), the Armstrongs are faced with some difficult decisions. Judging on past form, and the couple's attitude to staff, attracting quality job applicants to replace them could prove difficult and John's dream of installing a 'Napoleon's Imperial Guard' seem destined to remain as just that.

So they decide (in not so infinite wisdom) to record a ‘ten seconds worth of dynamite’ from consultant Basil to give their workers a proverbial kick up the backside. This is the final straw for one member of the team who decides he is better off without than within U-Fit. To say the next few minutes felt like watching a house of cards collapse is an understatement. Next, two more members of staff voluntarily leave their jobs leaving a solitary Michael to fend for himself in sales.

In the cold light of day, Ann's eternal optimism sees an empty office as a great opportunity. So she decides to bring in Ryan, a 19 year old boy-band wannabe, to act as team leader. As Ryan has worked with only remaining sales team member Michael before, and there is clearly some animosity, this doesn't seem a very well thought out HR strategy at all.

On Ryan's pre-Christmas induction day, his first move is to show the Armstrongs topless magazine shots of his girlfriend - hardly fills you with confidence about his attitude and professionalism, does it? After sitting with Michael, criticising his dress sense and taking a David Brent style ego trip in front of the cameras (Quote: ‘I do the full package’), Ryan is gone again with the promise of returning in the New Year to start his job at U-Fit.

With the disastrous attempt to take the staff to Cork out of the way (we never did find out what happened to those £16 wage docks), the office Christmas party doesn't go off with so much of a bang, more a damp fizzle.

Faced with the promise of a raffle for Bloo toilet cleaner and frozen ready meals, and a water cooler full of lager, the factory staff head home on the dot, bypassing festivities entirely. The celebration therefore consists of unhappy looking office staff lining the walls, forced to endure Ann's drunken rendition of 'I like to Boogie' from the other side of the new (PVC-U) company bar.

Meanwhile, U-Fit's ex-employees gather in a nearby pub to dream about pastures new and criticise their old bosses' attitudes to employment. While laziness in the sales office was rife, the general consensus was that the company's levels of professionalism were questionable and the attempts to motivate by introducing Basil to the mix were too much to bear.

In the business world, endless quick fixes and lack of consistency week to week can have the absolute and opposite effects to the desired ones. By creating an unstable environment, full of unpredictability and constant change, the Armstrongs have weakened their team and created their own staffing issues.

This becomes self-evident when Ann's latest miracle-man Ryan fails to show up on his supposed first day of work, letting her know by text that he has accepted a 'better-paid' job with his old employer. But perhaps the debacle has had at least some positive impacts when we see lone salesman Michael's new (Ryan-inspired?) look.

We'll be back next week for more.

Armstrong's quote of the week:
Ann Armstrong: ‘We've had a steady stream of idiots coming through this door claiming to be a sales person.’

At Work with the Armstrongs is on BBC2, Wednesdays, 10pm

Profile 22 Watches The Armstrongs - Episode 3

We’d like to start off this week’s column by saying how pleased we are that our TV Critic’s Corner seems to be attracting attention from various sections of the industry.

And, as you’ll have seen from last week’s Glazine, we seem to have rubbed certain Coventry-based fabricators up the wrong way…

Let me take this opportunity to assure you John and Ann - we at Profile 22 don’t hate you – quite the contrary. We merely point out that you have (like it or not) become the unwitting public representatives of an industry facing an uncertain future.

We respect the fact you have built a successful business over the last decade and empathise with you about the difficulties you have faced along the way.

As you’ll know, the market has definitely changed since you started and, with the average achieved retail price for a frame today some 45 per cent less than ten years ago, we only suggest the sustainable solution is to offer higher quality products and services to defend margins where possible. This avoids the all too familiar situation where more must be produced, for the same or less return, in a market where demand is shrinking.

With that out of the way, let us move on to the latest episode of the Armstrongs, where we find our protagonists faced with the prospect organising the annual staff Christmas party and the reality that, in the face of continually slumping sales figures, jobs will have to go.

Despite having to deal with these fundamental operational issues, the husband and wife team find themselves distracted from the day to day running of their business by the latest in a series of schemes and events that take their attention directly away from the front line and the issues affecting their profits - this week: a scruffy dog arrives in the yard.

Predictably, all focus on the business is lost as all attention is switched to U-Fit’s new furry friend. Pooch beauticians are quickly called in and John even takes the time to design a doggy conservatory for the mangy mutt.

Meanwhile, with the sales force failing to convert enough leads and proclaimed 'almost dead' by consultant turned hired tell-tale Basil Mienie, John thinks he has just the idea to perk them up – a good talking to.

Using time-honoured staff development techniques, John calls his incredibly un-motivated team to task, setting them the challenge of converting 40,000 leads before Christmas. How does he expect this feat to be achieved? A. by threatening to sack them all and B. giving them a seasonal promotion offering more discounts on already heavily discounted product (watch those margins John).

Unsurprisingly, his motivational speech seems to have the reverse effect, generating even more animosity between management and sales force. Consultant Basil seems to be make things even worse, creating new barriers through the lack of respect the team have for him – illustrated neatly by one member of staff’s eloquent: 'Basil is chatting s**t.'

Having decided to keep on a lazy sales team at the expense of a shop floor position, John and Ann decide the ideal way to cultivate a busy selling environment is to introduce a gong (on which they can record any number of irritating phrases) designed to alert them each time a sale is chalked up. This has the unfortunate, if perhaps ironic, effect of disrupting the one person who actually seems to be doing any work; new boy Michael* (*the same fellow John considered sacking after only his first day at U-Fit).

In a moment of empathy, Ann decides to call off the planned Christmas company exodus to Cork, feeling it would be inappropriate in light of the redundancy. The question still remains however – what will happen to the multiples of £16 that Ann has been docking from the staff’s wages in preparation for the trip?

Postponing the excursion until the New Year, John is struck by yet another idea – why not take the staff to Lourdes and get them blessed? Sorry John, we think it’ll take more than a miracle to sort out the problems at U-Fit, but we look forward to being proved wrong.

We’ll be back next week to take another look at the wonderful world of the Armstrongs.

Armstrongs' quote of the week:

John Armstrong:
'We could get rid of Sally and make the others think 's**t'…
…It’ll be like taking dynamite to a naked flame festival.'

At Work with the Armstrongs is on BBC2, Wednesdays, 10pm

Back for a second week of ‘The Armstrongs’ and we can only say things have gone from bad…to worse.

After another terrible month of sales (perhaps the buying cheap selling cheap philosophy is running out of steam?) and John’s reluctance to get on the phone, the dotty couple are struck with an idea that just might get their business back on track and inject some much-needed inspiration into the lifeless proprietor.

So, with a £10,000 a week shortfall, John and Ann decide to make for continental Europe with the ambition of selling ‘DIY Conservatoires*’ (music academies) to French builders via their new ‘Vous-Fit’ domain name.

While we’re all for businesses trying to open up new markets, you do get the impression it would serve John and Ann better to get their own house in order, before ploughing time and investment into unknown territories.

Undeterred and armed with a Google translation of their sales pitch, a replacement Jaguar (the original smashed by one of U-Fit’s own delivery vans earlier in the programme), a sample window and an armful of brochures, the intrepid twosome head off for the sunny climes of Montpellier.

Surprisingly, Ann and John’s departure seems just the thing to get the absent sales staff back to the Coventry office - unlike Basil’s life coaching, but more on that later…

After two meetings in France, with a sales pitch consists of pointing at pictures and the sort of French learnt from watching Allo’ Allo’, the Armstrong’s find out there is no market for their DIY conservatory kits. The depressing thing is that a well-placed call to their local Business Link could have put them in touch with the experts who could have helped them establish this at the offset.

Meanwhile, we are left wondering whether the sales staff will take consultant Basil’s Liberace and Arnold Schwarzenegger metaphors literally in changing their lives for the good of the business - will we see machine guns and sequinned suits in weeks to come? Who knows?

One thing is for sure, truth is stranger than fiction.

As always, Profile 22 will be with you next week for more of the Armstrongs.

Armstrongs' quote of the week:

Ann Armstrong: 'I wish I was that bird, that seagull or whatever. Then I could just fly away and s**t on someone else’s head.'

At Work with the Armstrongs is on BBC2, Wednesdays, 10pm

Profile 22 Watches The Armstrongs - Episode 1

Except from coverage on the likes of Watchdog and Rogue Traders, it's fair to say that until now the glazing industry has been fairly under-represented on our TV screens.

At last, it is our turn to get the recognition we deserve - a primetime slot, straight after Sir Alan Sugar's search for Amstrad's next tea boy/girl.

However, 'At Work with the Armstrongs' (the latest in a series of fly on the wall 'reali-docu-drama-soapu-mentries') appears to be no advert for an industry in turmoil.

Touted as 'the Office set in Coventry', episode one introduces us to married couple and business partners John and Ann Armstrong who run Coventry's third largest double glazing company U-Fit (presumably the first and second were far too busy fitting to participate).

The context will be all too recognisable to many in the industry: After several years of successful business, and well on their way to making their first million, John and Ann's business has hit the skids.

Desperate to turn things around and 'get the bike back on the road', Ann is inspired to bring in professional help to share her new found belief in motivational theory with her (quite frankly lazy) sales force.

Worryingly, John's whole attitude to the industry is that it's all about 'getting rump steak for the price of half a pound of mince' - it is this cut-costs approach, alongside a marked contempt for his team, that is hitting not only his wife's dreams, but surely U-Fit's margins and the profit opportunities for the industry as a whole.

The message is quite simple John: You get out what you put in and (excuse the metaphor) people are generally prepared to pay a bit more for steak.

Sticking to his guns, John (who 'doesn't like consultants') sends a young man packing after a barrage of mixed metaphors, before super-hyped Ann convinces him to bring in the outside expertise of self-styled Zimbabwean business guru Basil Meanie - albeit at a typically knock-down price.

While Ann laps up the business-evangelist's patter, you certainly get the feeling that the rest of the staff are not quite so inspired - especially new-boy David, whose cards are already marked and will be lucky to make it with the company past his first World Othello Championships.

While it may not do anything for the public perception of the industry, The Armstrong's is going to make interesting and at times uncomfortable viewing over the next seven weeks. But don't worry, Profile 22 will be here with you every step of the way to share our views and offer the voice of reason.

Armstrongs' quote of the week:

Ann Armstrong: 'I see this business as a stealth bomber and I'm the pilot of the Stealth Bomber. If things don't improve soon, I'm going to drop my payload.'

(You really couldn't make this stuff up)

At Work with the Armstrongs is on BBC2, Wednesdays, 10pm

The Armstrongs: BBC2 Wednesday 10pm. Do Not Miss!

'I won't s**t on anyone's head unless I have to, but if I do, it will be from a very great height', said John Armstrong of U-Fit, Coventry's third-biggest double glazing company, who featured in the BBC programme Office Christmas Parties in December 2003. As a follow up, BBC2 is screening 'The Armstrongs', an access-all-areas insight into the unorthodox and sometimes ruthless business antics that are par for the course at U-Fit.

'Driven by the desire for profit, management team John and Ann Armstrong are constantly spying on their unwieldy sales force with CCTV cameras and phone taps', says the BBC. 'But motivating the team is an uphill struggle and John and Ann must resort to ever-more desperate measures to boost sales.'

'Despite their best endeavours, though, their plans backfire with alarming frequency. However, woe betide anyone who should get in the way of their dream of becoming multi-millionaires.'

In the original Christmas Office Parties programme, Ann explains: 'The film crews captured the trials and tribulations leading up to the office do – and it certainly wasn’t plain sailing for us'.

Viewers saw Anne introduce a 'clean desk policy' because she was fed up having to tidy up after people (most viewers wondering at this point why cleaners were not employed). Staff had to tidy their work areas every day, including emptying their own bins. One hapless employee had the temerity to query the new rules, the answer to which was 'just adhere to them or go and work somewhere else'.

'We were forced to switch the venue of our Christmas party from an Indian restaurant just days before it was due to happen. It was all quite hectic really. John conducted an important sales meeting dressed as Santa – and no-one even batted an eyelid – but he certainly wasn’t spreading Christmas cheer that day.'

It was at that meeting he uttered the following classic 'Brentism': with the sales force not hitting targets after he had raised them again and again, John tried to rally them with the immortal line 'Start aiming for the stars and you'll hit the moon'.

Another Brent moment came when some A4 colour invites to the party had been knocked up on the company computer, which were duly handed rounded to the office staff first. They were then asked to give them back so that the same invites could be recycled to the shop floor staff.

See our report on the Office Christmas Parties programme at:

http://www.theglazine.com/newsarchive/news100204.html#ChristmasOffice