The Merry Month : Hoping for a shorter year
Robert Merry, is an independent stone consultant and project manager who ran his own company for 17 years. He also acts as an expert witness. Here he presents his view of the stone industry this month.
In 2013 I wrote about chocolate puddings, helicopters crashing, imaginary sword fights in Italy, holidays, Canadian houses built on granite outcrops, the Empire State building, Devon’s Beer Quarry, 120-day payment terms (twice), BIM and bikes. I also urged you to stand and stare, among other things.
In 2014 I will be writing about chocolate pudding (again – it’s a difficult habit to kick), building sites, health & safety, cheesecake (’cause one of my boys makes a very tasty version of the New York one), living and working in London (’cause I do), Budapest (going there in February), catching a very large Carp (10lb is best effort to date, which is poor), coaching cricket (Borough manager this year at U14s – come on Hackney!), singing in a choir like an Angel (I intend to join one), riding bicycles, the physiology of management and how to persuade people to do want you want them to (yeah, sure Rob), project managing the hard way (my story, friends, colleagues; Shane and his ability never to do what I ask him and why I have failed as a manager ever to persuade him to move at anything other than his own pace – although he’s very good at what he does… his way), carbon foot prints (size 11 and growing), tablets and what the Romans did for me (homage to Monty Python), film clubs, awards ceremonies and why I never win anything, lottery tickets and why I never win anything, Strictly Come Dancing and how I was at the 2013 final (as a member of the audience, stupid!), how to get tickets from the BBC for live TV shows, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the World Cup and England’s extraordinary victory in the 2014 final in Brazil after the German’s had four goals disallowed (which were proved to have hit the crossbar, crossed the line but bounced out again in repeated history), the hottest summer since records began, the wettest Easter since records began, the windiest Autumn since records began and the hottest, wettest, windiest winter since winters began, alliteration, awful puns and stone.
Oh yes, I will write about stone. I promise.
Stone, glorious stone. From Barry Hunt’s excellent dissertations on stones (the latest is about travertine and starts on page 34) to the multitude of stone carving competitions we saw in 2013 – and which are not being repeated in 2014 depriving us of some light relief.
From the Orton Trust to The Stone Federation’s Architects’ Club, from the Natural Stone Awards to the Stirling prize, from restoration to new build, from me to you and you to me.
With love.
Stone is all we have to give. You’ll get by with a little help from stone. It’s a little bit funny, this feeling inside, I'm not one of those who can easily hide. I don't have much money but boy if I did I’d buy a big house where we both could have lots of stone installed. Thanks Elton.
To be totally frank, 2013 was a long year for me – you can probably tell by the complete disregard for any sense of logic above.
It was longer than any other year so far. I am hoping 2014 will be shorter, more enjoyable and stress-less.
I hope you have a fantastic 2014, full of stone, profit, happiness, success and sharing.
Now, how about a chocolate pudding… or two: You got to eat a pudding or twoooooo-ooooo, yes you have to eat a pudding or two.
Shut up now, you’re boring me.