Archive for January, 2010
The Royal Pavilion Wedding Show
Jan 27th
I’m going to post my first rant today. I’m not normally annoyed by things, but this really got to me.
After the success of the Buxted Park Wedding Show last week I thought would investigate other Shows. The one i’ve been itching to do for some time now is the one at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton. They don’t actually host evening wedding receptions there but they allow other venue’s in, venue’s that we actually already provide DJ’s for, so it kind of made sense.
So we rang them up and instead of the woman we wanted we were put through to somebody else who was most dismissive in thinking that Brides & Grooms who choose to come to their Show and indeed get married there would not be looking for mobile disco’s to entertain their guests in the evening. She continued to tell us that harpists and piano players would be the entertainment of choice for the quality of the client who visited their show (this was the bit I found most laughable).
Now, DISCOfever already provides high-end wedding entertainment across the board and we get to work in some of the most prestigious wedding venue’s in Sussex. Like many of my DJ peers, I would like to see the words “mobile disco” banished to some vast underground dwelling where it would never return, it just conjurs up some horrific images. It now appears that the words “mobile disco” are creating some sort of divide between us and other wedding suppliers. What sort of elitism is this? We already struggle to get what we are worth. Some clients already choose to put the supplier and the size of their wedding cake in a much higher priority than a DJ. Some clients are happy to spend hundreds if not thousands of pounds on balloons and other trinkets that are simply thrown in the bin at the end of the party, yet always look for the cheapest deal on a DJ.
Getting back to the Pavilion before I really go off at a tangent into deeper, darker murky waters – it is (I believe) owned and run by the Brighton & Hove City Council. Now, unlike some DJ’s, I pay my taxes and national insurance. I pay my parking tickets on time, on top of the already obscene costs to park in the city where I live and choose to work, yet when I want to advertise my business – I can’t.
What is even more baffling is that whilst I am allowed to perform as a DJ in front of today’s Royalty (remember the Sandhurst gig I did before Christmas?) I cannot advertise my business in what frankly was a building that started off as a farmhouse before turning into a location for the Prince Regent to enjoy secret liaisons with a certain Mrs. Fitzherbert.
I will keep you updated with this, I doubt that I will be able to attend as the show is allegedly “fully booked” but we shall see what happens.
Buxted Park Wedding Fayre
Jan 15th
As the echoes of New Year celebrations fade out into the distance a lot of couples are now turning their attentions to planning their 2010 weddings. It happens like clockwork each year. Once Christmas and New Year is out of the way, Weddings become top of the agenda and the rush is on to book the best venue, the best dresses and of course, the best DJ!
Buxted Park is one of our favourite venue’s. We play there on average around twenty times each year. It has two main function rooms. A fantastic ballroom featuring pillars and beautiful period fireplaces, great for all year round weddings, or for those choosing the warmer summer months a stunning glass-roofed orangery. There’s plenty of land around the venue to meander through and loads of special places to have those all-important wedding photo’s taken.
From discussions with previous clients the food is amazing and the service provided by both the catering staff and the wedding team is second to none. And because it’s a popular location for us to play at, we know the staff and they know us too!
This will be the first time we have appeared at Buxted Park’s wedding fayre and we’re really looking forward to it. Not only from a meeting current and possible future client perspective but also a chance to network with other companies who we see from time to time but always too busy to chat to.
If you fancy coming along, it would be lovely to meet you and chat about your Wedding. Here are the details…
Sunday, 24th January 2010
Open Midday to 4pm admission is FREE!
Relaxing Times
Jan 10th
It’s always an interesting time of year January. In one hand your skint because you’re waiting for the hotels to pay you for the vast amount of work you did over Christmas therefore leaving you begging for work during January, yet on the other hand you’re really happy to have the time off and re-acquaint yourself with the family.
I’ve really enjoyed the first 10 days of 2010. I went to see my Mum in Manchester and drove back through a blizzard, i’ve been sledging with the kids, invested in the biggest BBQ in the world (bring on the summer!) and of course, re-designed the website. I’ve also done my accounts and a load of other housekeeping duties as well.
Last night was really strange, and it compounded the fact why I enjoy going out most Saturday nights as there was naff-all on the telly. I sent, and received many text messages from my friends whoo too were in the same boat. What was nice though was to kick back and watch that old classic English film, Notting Hill. It really made my night.
Snow Snow Snow
Jan 5th
Well, Christmas came and went and so did New Year – and it’s at this time of year I like to disappear up to my mothers for a week or so to put my feet up and relax. So, last Sunday I took the family with me, loaded the car and off we went.
My mother lives in Rochdale, a town about 15 miles north east of Manchester and it’s fair to say they’ve had a bit of snow recently. I don’t think we were actually prepared for how much snow they had! We made our way up the M40 onto the M6 and saw nothing. Where was the snow? We turned onto the M62 and made our way east past Manchester, Bury, Heywood…OH MY GOD! I think it’s fair to say there was a bit of snow on the ground. Now, I am a Northerner and we have the in-built ability to drive in this sort of weather. A few inches of snow wouldn’t stop me – and it didn’t. That day a whole 12″ of snow had dropped and it didn’t show any sign of stopping.
So today we woke up to even more snow, another 5″ had fell overnight and we heard on the news that it was heading South. We decided to cut short our visit and make our way home – after all, I have gigs this weekend I need to DJ at. So we set off through the blizzards and made our way home. Well, we thought we were going to. We stopped at the first service station on the M62 for petrol, filled up and the car refused to start. Flat battery! I phoned the RAC and they promised a roadside warrior would be with me within 2 hours. As I had a child in the car, and a very cold wife they arrived much quicker, in half an hour as it happens! Result!
The very nice man concluded the battery was wasted and £103 later we were on our way home again. Birmingham was pretty snowy but we were confident we would make it home before the snow got to us.
As we turned off the M40 onto the M25 it was like arriving in a different land. There was no snow, no rain, no anything, in fact it was quite mild.
Upon arriving home it was apparent the snow was nearby, in Southampton to be exact. So, we’re now prepared for an overnight downfall, but it’s just raining at the minute, no sign of the white stuff at all! It will be a nice surprise when I wake up though I guess. I love the snow, but the family hates it!
