We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was. By the time you get to read this, I will likely be in hospital with my head swathed in bandage. 458 days ago, I was hit in the face with a brick on a demolition site. The impact of…Read moreRead more
Comment
Going under the knife…
Comment – Should I stay or should I go…?
Debacle at National Federation of Demolition Contractors’ London region robs Federation of dream team. So one afternoon last week, my phone lit up like Times Square at Christmas. I was told – initially – that London and Southern regional chairman Rob Collard and his vice chairman Matt Phillips had both quit in a fit of…Read moreRead more
Video – The disconnection debate…
Scottish gas blast throws spotlight onto subject of service disconnections. It is now more than a week since an explosion ripped through a building in Scotland that was scheduled for demolition. At the time of the blast, an asbestos removal crew was working inside. Two men were severely injured, and one of them has subsequently…Read moreRead more
Comment – Paying to work…?
Why should a working man pay £51 for “permission to work”? Several years ago, just after my eldest son left full-time education, he went for a job interview with a company that was allied to the plumbing business. As my son was still quite young and since this was his first formal job interview, I…Read moreRead more
Comment – The Internet NEVER Forgets…
Why it is sometimes best to let sleeping dogs lie when dealing with the media. Back in my print media days, it was not unusual for us at Contract Journal to be required to print a retraction on a story that had caused upset or offence to an individual or a company. Even with such…Read moreRead more
Comment – All in one day…
Today marks the 32nd anniversary of an epic event; and the 20th anniversary of an industry tragedy. On 13 July 1985, the eyes of the world turned to face Wembley Stadium in London (and, later, the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia) as Live Aid took place. While the event has been re-assessed by history…Read moreRead more
Comment – Payment is NOT optional…
DemolitionNews’ Mark Anthony takes exception to extended payment terms. Call me old fashioned, but I still hanker for the days when a product or service was sold and then payment was received in a timely manner. Sadly, we now live in a post-recessionary age in which main contractors and clients boast openly about how they…Read moreRead more
Comment – The Lost Art of Equipment Sales…
DemolitionNews’ editor Mark Anthony bemoans the dying art of digger sales. When was the last time you were sold something? I don’t mean when you bought something; I mean when a salesperson convinced you to buy a product or service they were selling. If you’re anything like me, you probably can’t remember. The traditional job…Read moreRead more
Comment – Nothing can prepare demolition workers for this…
Like many of my fellow countrymen, I awoke this morning to the tragic and terrible news of the fire that engulfed and seemingly destroyed the Grenfell Tower residential block in West London. It is too early to speculate, but news sources suggest there have been multiple fatalities. It is trite but, having grown up in…Read moreRead more
Comment – Waste crime on the rise…
Environment Agency chief describes waste crime as “the new narcotics”. Last week I was lucky enough to be invited to a dedicated Waste and Recycling Event hosted by JCB at its World Headquarters and attended by the great and the good of the waste management sector. One of the guest speakers was Chris Murphy, deputy…Read moreRead more
