Wedding Fever

Firstly apologies for the lack of action recently, our blogger in chief has been busy planning his nuptuals and I've been busy worrying about how long before a wedding to get my haircut, in order that on the day it is represented to it's fullest self. I kid not, and to add to the tension, after I calcluated that it should be 17 days before, I booked a 1/2 hour slot to visit the barber and when I got there, his card machine was broken and I found myself 800m from a cash point with slightly straggly hair.

So here I am, 13 days from N & A's wedding and still no haircut - so I have a decision to make - do I attend with my hair too short, or do I continue to let it grow and hope that the thickness and irish wave of the hair on the side of my cranium steals the show and directs attention from the sparse covering on top...

Next weekend is the trip over to The Lakes to celebrate Big Cat's stag. It's going to be triple wicked. Just organised a little surprise for the Great cat himself, he's going to hate it but that's not the point is it!!

Ok, I'm outtahere, the only thing to say is to thank one time Team Member 'The Sheriff' and the rest of the Department in Lincs. for putting up with Damo this week, we all know he's not easy company and he hates drinking load of ale, but we appreciate it. Fear not, I will be making my annual pilgrimage in October where I can show you what proper aleing is.

Ciao, The Slippery Slug X

Keep On Running!

Tuesday night saw the culmination of the aforementioned Summer Series of 10k races. The final 6th race in the series is different to the others in that competitors are started in Reverse Speed order according to a handicap arrived at by averaging the times in the previoius 5 races.
So as anyone who has seen my previous times will know, I started pretty near the front, with the best runners starting a full 20 minutes after me.
Several things of note occurred;
1. Rachel overtook me after 5.5 having started over a minute behind, this was disappointing as I though for once I might break the tape ahead of her. She actually finished in the top 10 overall and won a T-shirt.
2. I overtook a horse! Yes it was moving and being piloted by a jockey/rider (no they weren't obese) but I suppose I would be exaggerating if I said it was moving at more than a slow trot. Pleasing all the same.
3. I actually got to see some fast people running. Normally the "elite atheletes" disappear on the B of the bang and I never see them again- I think that they are generally at home in bed by the time I finish. But the handicapping worked really well and in the last kilometre they came streaming up alongside (and past me) at alarming pace, it made me realise quite how far I've got to go in terms of improving beyond the group of seniors and stragglers I'm usually surrounded by.
As for whether I manage to keep it up without the spur of competition to galvanise my resolve remains to be seen!!!

Marathon!!

Congratulations to Rachel who completed her first marathon at Lake Windermere last weekend. The triumph was sealed in a time of 5hrs 6mins, no mean feat considering the elevation of the course which in her words was, "mountainous"!- Don't believe her check it out at: http://www.gillman.org.uk/misc/windermere-elevation-2007.jpg

Lots of effort went in during the previous months of training, as well as on the day itself- so a big WELL DONE!!

During Rachel's enforced absence due to "marathon recovery" I have been press-ganged into a spot of running myself. Wearing the number 45 bib, I represented York Knavesmire Harriers on Tuesday night in the Tadcaster 10k, known by all to be a particularly hellatious run encompassing some "everest-like peaks". Those of you who believe the Vale of York to be pancake-like, I urge to to re-study the local topography. (ok I may be exaggerating slightly, but there were some nasty hills)!

As you can see from the link below, I did the vest proud and trundled in on 56 and a bit mins to claim 169th spot just ahead of an asthmatic, octagenarian double-amputee..... With performances like that, not for much longer will rachel be the Haile Gebreselassie of U10!

http://www.ukresults.net/yorkrrl/2008/race2.html

Expansion

No - I am not referring to the waists of the Upper 10 board, in fact I refer to Peter Obank.

Pete is a long standing friend of The Big Cat and myself and so we are delighted to announce that Pete has become an Associate of Upper 10. Pete is going to be working with some of our existing clients and forging ahead to create his own portfolio of Shirt clients, and immeasurably improve the shirt scene in London.

Pete, a one man hurricane (with a tape measure), brings with him a wealth of sales experience and a pedigree of impeccable sartorial taste.

You can contact Pete on pete@upper10.co.uk and he will be only too happy to arrange an appointment with you either at work or at home.

Pete is also a wonderful dancer. It is isn't relevant but it is worth trying to catch a glimpse.

El Sluge

X

AirWolf Meets AirWasp

We are definitely not the Gadget shop, but we couldn't resist these little rippers. You may well have seen them before but that doesn't take away the fun that's to be had with them. Easy to pilot and remarkably hardy these little fellas are totally addictive...... Snap 'em up now only £19.99.

Also, how cool is the Airwolf Music?!?!!

Over and Out!

Stacked!

Size matters, or so we're told; and between brothers so does height. Dom and I are very similar in height, we've never quite been able to call it between us, although if asked I'm sure we'd both claim to be the taller...

The debate was rekindled recently when Dom was measured by his GP and came in bang on 183cm or 6ft in old money. I reckon I'm about 6ft exactly too, so today, inspired by a delivery of fine, Bespoke shirts we decided to have a "Height off".

The measuring was conducted with Surgical precision by a combination of Tape measure, and more precisely still by stacking boxes of shirts to our respective heights. Surprisingly given the very fine calibration of the boxes we were unable to produce a winner (we both came in at 28 boxes).... So until technology produces a more accurate system for gauging height than the old "Shirt Box Stack" Dom and I will have to wait to be separated, so that the winner can claim their bragging rights!

STAG

Opinion Polls & Market Research

Tick tock

"A man with a watch knows what time it is." Or so I believe goes the first clause of Segal's Law (not Steven, the pony-tailed high kicker and judo chopper). Sounds like a wise man.

Upper 10 was fortunate enough on Thursday night to host a merry gathering of wise men and women for our inaugural "Watch Evening".

The main thrust of the evening was to launch our fantastic new Arctos Range- see previous blogs. However, we were also fortunate to have a serious additional range of very collectible pieces including several Pre-Tag Heuer chronographs, and a fantastically kitsch "Time computer" from the 70s complete with red LED display!

The evening was most enjoyable and a great success, many thanks to those who attended, the next will be going in the diary soon- so be sure to make the time to drop by for a drink a chat and a look at some very cool watches!

Book Club

I've read some really good books recently..... really good ones. Then along came a really bad one....really bad. It would never normally enter my mind to foist my opinions on books, or anything else, on anyone else, but this last one has riled me, and rankled away to the extent that I feel the need to share. Usually I read books that have been reccommended to me, or physically passed my way for digestion; on this occasion I chose the book myself and even went out of my way to buy it. I think this active involvement on my part is a big factor in my annoyance now- there's nobody else to blame, I brought this on myself.
I think that there is a self-satisfaction that comes with having read a good book. A good book of any genre educates as well as entertains, its been my long-held belief that books (good ones) teach you how to think. Books and their characters, provide new ways of considering problems, and different mental vantage points from which to assess life's more interesting challenges. There have been many times that I have failed to pass on a book to the Chairman just so that I could bask in, and enjoy my own increasing wealth in the currency of knowledge that I had just gleaned from its pages.
I hope you are by now beginning to appreciate this important, and small minded aspect of my enjoyment of reading, and that you can, therefore, understand my excitement at having found this great book, which would furnish me with throw away lines and facts to hurl down as winners in arguments with the Chairman, as majestically as Federer would unfurl a backhand down the line.... or so I hoped.
The book in Question? A best seller that I'm sure many of you will have heard of and surely some will have read: "Freakonomics" by Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt. What better as a business owner and Entrepreneur to read the thoughts of this sage of our times, the man who applies complex economic theorem to everyday issues and produces brilliant counter-intuitive conclusions- Brilliant! How would the Chairman and members of the board live with my interjections across the mahogany board room table once I was furnished with this kind of conversational firepower?
Its a dud, a flop, a phoney and I think it might even be a con. I think my cognative powers may have actually diminished with each page. The Chairman who is more Michael Buble than Michaelangelo in matters cerebral, had nothing to fear from me the day I finished the final page- and finish I did, just in case enlightenment was lurking in the last line- it wasn't. Somehow Levitt (the economist, who enjoys a huge retainer at the University of Chicago) and Dubner (the journo turned author) managed to spend about 250 pages running through about 4 arguments. One of which was to do with Sumo wrestlers throwing matches (they do apparently) and another linking names with success in life. Of course Sumo's throw matches, it has gone on and still goes on in every major sport, and of course Children with certain names will fare better on average than those with others. Poor and underpriviledged parents will lean towards certain names for their kids, and on average those kids will fare worse in life because of their poor and underpriviledged start in life, not because of their name itself- I could have told you that.
The reason I think it might be a con, and all be a bit disingenious is because one of the books main theories is to do with the effect of abortion on the crime rate- a highly emotive and controversial subject in the Christian heartlands in the US of A. When this hit the media there was an almighty furore in the press and media. Levitt was villified by many despite the intrinsic sound principal of his theory. It is the prerogative of the economist and scientist to operate outside and beyond the sphere of religious morality- try telling that to the Bible Belt.
I think Levitt has opportunistically ridden the publicity to promote and sell an apallingly written, uninteresting and dull book to the masses- me included. Don't buy it, don't read it, its a whole lot of uninteresting, repetitive waffle fleshing out the one interesting and morally explosive bone that Levitt stumbled accross.
These are not the views of Upper 10 Ltd- just one of its subjects.

Introducing the Upper 10 Vlog

HAKA!!

Indulge me one more rugby-centric Blog, after all it is the eve of the second best Rugby Tournament in the world. I'm pleased to see that Brian Ashton read my previous posting and went with Jonny for tomorrow. Although in retrospect, it seems Narraway has been the big selectorial talking point of the week, and not the Jonny/Cipps axis as I had predicted. I'm all for blooding in a bit of youth, and he seems a big athletic lump of a number eight which is fine by me. I wonder to what extent that is due to growing up a butcher's son and dining on choice cuts of British beef as a youth? Thank goodness his Dad didn't have some sort of Vegan/Fruitarian Emporium; surely then he wouldn't have turned out a grizzled 17 stone beast and might have instead been an underweight, pallid synchronised basket weaver or something.

Seriously though, with the formidable, settled and experienced front five we've currently got, it can't be a bad time to make a debut in the back row; you'd have thought he'll have the benefit of operating from a stable platform- we'll see...

Casting my eye over the line-ups I thought their (the Welsh) backs looked pretty good compared to ours, but that our forwards looked better than theirs. Bearing in mind you win rugby matches with your forwards, and factoring in JW's goal kicking, I predict a home win Tomorrow. Again, we'll see....

So you may or may not be wondering why there is a picture of the Haka atop this article. Allow me to explain. Here at Upper 10 we have made the acqaintance of a fantastic local artist and rugby fan, he paints phenomenal canvas images of rugby and other sporting scenes and moments. Obviously the Haka is one of the most evocative and impressive sights in rugby and Rob has captured it marvellously in a huge canvas that we currently have on display and available for sale at £350 in Upper 10. It is approx 2ft x 3ft and in stark black and white would handsomely adorn the wall of any rugby fan. Come along and check it out!!!!

Six Nations!

Read the press at the moment and its all about the new talent coming streaming through from all directions and all nations ahead of Saturday's opening games. Chief among the great new hopes is Danny Cipriani, Wasp's no 10 and pretender to the highest throne of all- our Jonny's.

So clearly, despite the emergence of James Haskell and Tom Croft in the English back row, its the selectorial decision around the key Fly half berth that will occupy the English media this week.

I propose that there is no decision at all. You've got to go with Jonny. He is the best we've ever had, and in my opinion the best the professional era has ever seen. Freddie Michalak, Dan Carter? Not men for a tight spot, where was Carter when the supremely talented NZ team slipped rudderlessly out of the world cup? Greatness is measured in results and Jonny has a winner's and runners up medal, the second almost as impressive seeing as he was guiding a far less capable team and playing with one ankle for the whole tournament. Cipriani and others are sure to challenge that supremacy in the future, but for now the QB role is his.

I concede that Jonny is not necessarily at his best right now, and that judgement is harder to make given his insistence on playing his club rugby behind an underpowered pack. But he has never let England down and the jersey is his.

It would seem Cipriani has more attacking gifts than Jonny in terms of his pace, vision and ability to play right on the gain line, but game management and pressure goal kicking are key, and Cipriani is untested in these areas. Jonny's defence even now is superior especially head-on, I think he has lost something in more lateral defence through injury, but those are the flanker's channels anyway and his past work there was beyond the call.

I'm not totally blinkered to a future without JW, but his time hasn't come yet!

Finally his contribution to Upper 10's sales has been, and continues to be considerable, Cipriani is unproved in this area and that should be considered. I can see that he's pretty handsome but he plays in a scrum-cap, and thats not good for photo-opportunities.

Finally Cipriani's predeliction for transsexuals worries me greatly. Jonny's a stand up guy, more likely to be found in a bridge club than a strip club; and thats an important quality in my heroes.

Upper 10 Unveils Arctos

Men like watches. That is one of the first things we learnt when we opened Upper 10. It is not uncommon for a gent to have 5-10 pieces in his collection, in fact our very own Big Cat has 7 (of course he does need 4 for his paws), and I have a couple.
Our watch brands of Simon Carter and Lalex sell extremely well at the 75 - 199 GBP price points but we have always intended to find a brand at a slightly higher price point.
Enter Arctos. German design. Swiss movement. Stunning.
These watches are available ONLY in Upper 10.

Take this beauty for example:


Have a look at www.upper10.co.uk for more information.

Auf Wiedersehen!

Da Sluge x

Wedding Bell

So HUGE news today at Upper 10 Towers. The Big Cat is to be wed.

And BIGGER news - The Slug has been upgraded to BEST MAN (Joint).

WAHOOOO!!

A-List!

What a 10 days it has been at Upper 10 Towers! A full-on festive frenzy of the World's most famous people. Our Doors have resembled
portals to a Hollywood world of glitz and Glamour. Not just any old B grade,
tabloid fodder celebs either but high grade stars with whom you'd be happy to be
seen in St Tropez or at any of the Costas (del Sol, Brava or Bridlington).

Step aside George (news at 6) Alighia, Richard (twice nightly) Whitely, Alastair (Fame Academy) Griffin, and that woman who played one of the Mums on Holyoaks- you are no longer Upper 10's most famous....

First there was Mika, aptly enough Dominic was on duty, and for a few minutes it wasn't
clear who was the most effeminately dressed and styled man in HQ. I think Dom' s slip
on the Crown was loosened for a few minutes. In Dom' s own words, "Mika is taller and more masculine than you would think, and very handsome." There was a moment when Dom was uncertain whether it was actually the Chart topping frizz merchant stood before him, when he noticed one of his friends/entourage was wearing an outsized fleece helpfully emblazoned "MIKA".
He was due to play Doncaster and Newcastle in the days following his detour to York, but I noticed he had to call off some gigs soon after with a sore throat (imagine those high falsetto notes with a scratchy larynx). Funny Dom had a sore throat around the time of his visit too, sensibly he's been protecting it with his lovely fine, PINK  merino scarf ever since.

Second came Harold Bishop, aptly enough I was on duty, and for a few minutes it wasn't clear who was tipping the scales at the top weight in HQ. I think the crown stayed firmly put on my own oversized cranium as in my own words, "Harold isn't as tall or fat as you might expect, he's just got those lovely, wobbly jowells we all love to see shaking in the sunshine on Ramsay St." He is currently rehearsing for his 
upcoming role in Cinderella at York Theatre Royal, and will hopefully re-visit before the end of the run and purchase the bag that i was too star-struck to sell him!

6 Feet of Upper 10

Hello retail afficionados, El Sluge here, fresh from 3 days of 'Raw Retailing' in Lincolnshire. It's pure and primitive, 6 feet of Upper 10, but boy is it effective. We do not choose a 6 foot pitch because it happens to be the EXACT length of one of the Co-Founders (before you all let out a 'he's not 6 foot' groan, I'm talking DE and not DT, and it is official - it's on my medical records), but because we can cause maximum destruction in a very tight spot (quite like Temujin, The Khan of the Sea of Green - also known as Genghis Khan).




I have been reading about this little Mongol and have decided that he is possibly one of the most mis represented men of all time. True, he did kill a great deal of people, but if I was a Mongol, living on the plains, having to suck blood from a horse to survive, I couldn't promise you that I wouldn't be forced to unleash my inner power. Also if Big Yeff had been slain by a rival clan from Stonegrave, betrayed by the Wolverhampton Wolves, then I think I would be pretty angry about it. I don't think I could have killed the Big Cat though, even if he was taking all the pasties.
Anyway, I digress.
Recently, the face of Upper 10 bacame engaged.
I am quite delighted about MJN's news, and obviously the recent law changes have made the whole thing a little easier for him and Jean-Paul. He is SO proud of his Scottish heritage.



Ok fans, I'm off to skin a Marmot.
Slug X





 

York's Voice of Reason

Hello blogfans. As you are a very widely dispersed group of people, you may or may not be avid listeners of BBC Radio York. You shoud be. If you tune in to the morning and lunchtime shows you would have a very good chance of hearing my dulcet tones and erudite opinions and comments. I have been a consistent and alarmingly regular contributor for some time now but don't like to boast, so haven't widely made it known. Until now....
As I'm in the shop most of the time I am an easy mark for the BBC's roving reporter. All he has to do is turn up, corner me behind the desk and thrust the mike under my nose, what follows is pure radio gold. So far I have held forth on subjects as diverse as customer service from high street banks, tourism in York, Cookery and the place of metrosexuality in today's society....
It is only recently that I have been roped into to take part in an "outside broadcast". As you can see I had to play air guitar in a band to mark the occasion of the "World Air Guitar" championships in Finland. As you can see I'm not quite up there with this guy in terms of enthusiasm, and after my harrowing experience in front of the masses in York the other day I don't think I'll be trying!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r10UbGC6RI

Also see the link to the BBC York Website:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/northyorkshire/content/image_galleries/radio_york_rogues_gallery.shtml?5

-Right I'm off, I've got to go and give my tuppence worth on reality TV!

Time to admit defeat

When those of you who have been lucky enough to know me for most of my life conjure an image of me in your mind, who do you see?
Do you see the fresh faced youngster, delighted to have been selected for his primary schools Under 9 side a year early?(back right)


If you met me in Liverpool you may remember a different chap. A chap who loved living in Halls of residence, a man who honestly believed that Supper was served in the Hall Dining Room at 5pm, so that you could have a second feed at 9. The 3 years took their toll, and it was here that I met George Rippon:


George is hidden, 2nd in from the right on this image.
Losing my hair had never crossed my mind, I had a mane equal to that of the mighty Simba, however as I recall, my very first convsersation with George went along these lines:

DEM: "You're a big lad. Do you work out?"
GR: "A little. I used to have hair like yours. You're looking at the future."

Nothing to worry about. Just because he was bald didn't mean that he had some kind of special gift, enabling him to predict new members to the Brotherhood of Baldies.

Those of you who have come to know me lately perhaps didn't feel it appropriate to mention that I was falling prey to the combover.
 

And so George had been right 6 years ago.
Yesterday I did 2 things.
1) I acquired a new 'hair hero'


2) I cut my hair. Grade 3 all over.

Time to admit defeat.

So George and Igor, you can both stop sending me invitations to the Belgravia Clinic, and news cuttings about the latest medicines uncovered in the rain forest.

El Sluge
X

Celebdaq!

Those of you who dabble in the financial markets may also be aware of "Celebdaq" where punters can buy celebrities and watch their stock rise and fall depending on the number of column inches and photographic coverage that their choices attract. No doubt some of you have invested heavily in Dom and I at Upper 10 and will
have been rubbing your hands together with glee as your stocks soared this last week. Foget Lewis Hamilton's second win, Beckham's Spanish Championship and Beefy's Knighthood (I only read the sports pages- don't know what else has been happening) this week has been all about OK Magazine's....Er... I mean Yorkshire Living's Glossy photographic spread of Upper 10's finest!
Say Cheese...... Tuck in!

Car-Wars!

Blogfans! Damien here, this blog centres around my unfortunate brother and he should really be writing it,but he can't see past the constant stream of tears flowing down his (worryingly) hirsuite cheeks. No he's not crying because he can't get anywhere near my powerball record (an impressive 12,440) or because he is insanely jealous that another man was wearing a pink headband at football the other night. It is due entirely to the crushing run of bad luck that he and Upper 10 global corps have had to endure of late with regard to the company fleet.

As has already been reported on these pages, the Turbo blew up a few weeks ago at great expense and inconvenience to all concerned. This was duly replaced and the car put back on the road. Then within a week the cam-belt went. This apparently can lead to a car being written-off, so obviously concern all round as more inconvenience and possibly eye-watering expense seemed sure to ensue. Thankfully the local garage had a spare, matching engine lying around- ripe for cannibalisation. The car was saved, the cost was bearable- hoorah!
Within 24 hrs a puncture happened, and the jack broke mid-repair. The tyre was sorted and within another 48 hrs the Turbo had gone-AGAIN.

It was a reconditioned Turbo and under warranty, so was refunded and a replacement sent. An hour ago we got a call, they are out of stock- don't know when they'll next be in.

All very demoralising.

With some funny results however:

- We both had to go to a show loaded with stock in a tiny borrowed Corsa. We turned a few heads arriving at a country mansion, driving over their moat (yes moat) to park alongside all the spacious transit vans, with Framed pictures of Jonny Wilkinson poking out of the sunroof!

- Dom had to buy a foot-pump, for the flat tyre. So we were also able to use it for my bike tyres and our indoor football.

- Dom has now used all his free call-outs with the AA, so if he breaks down again he will have to push the car to a garage (hope I'm not with him when that happens).

- You can drive really really far on a full tank in a Corsa. So if th ecar stays off the road for 132 years and we drive the Corsa 3, 536 miles a week for the duration of that time, we'll actually save 54 quid on petrol!