The week as we saw it

[tikay]

The rise & rise of Aldi continues, as they overtake the sales of Waitrose.

Quite a story behind Aldi, which remains privately owned.

It was founded by the Albrecht brothers, & the name "Aldi" arises from "Albrecht Discount".

They operate over 5,000 stores across the world.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Lidl is owned by one of the brothers now. The story goes that they had a falling out a few years back so one kept Aldi and the other went and formed Lidl. That's why the shops look similar, similar names, similar strategy of discounting etc.

That's incorrect Woodsey, Lidl is not, & never was, owned run or managed by either of the Albrecht Brothers, who founded Aldi.

It was actually named after a chap named Ludwig Lidl.

Aldi was started by the Albrecht brothers, Theo & Karl, just after the war. (Both brothers died in the last few years).

The business grew to about 300 stores, & then they made an amicable decision in 1960 to go separate ways. One became the owner of Aldi Sud (south) & the other Aldi Nurd (north).

They are completely separate businesses, not linked at all, but share a common identity & policies worldwide, & pool their buyiing resources. They split the world between them, amazingly, & each division operates internationally, but never in the same country, except in Germany, which they have split 50-50 into North & South, & the USA, where they operate in different States, never in competition.

They are not quite identical in corporate logos though.






The Aldi we see in Great Britain are part of Aldi Sud.

Sorry to be such a geek, but I have known Aldi for a very long time, & they were a huge part of my business life for 15 or 20 years.

They are a spectacularly interesting Company, & I could tell you 100 tales about their points of difference from other retailers, & how they operate. An utterly fascinating Company, to me, anyway. They are exceedingly German in every way.

I was very successful in my dealings with them, as I was quickly able to adapt to their philosophies. I did work for them throughout the Midlands, down as far as Cornwall, over in Dublin & Cork, & up in the North East. At one time I held the Contracts to do their Property Maintenance nationwide, & I was responsiuble for the new store shopfit in over 200 of their new-build Stores. From breaking the ground to opening a store, we got 22 weeks, not a day more. The Shopfit took 48 hours dead. I won that Contract from a Company in Leicester who had taken 5 days per store.

The first time I visited their Atherstone Distriubution Centre (brick built, unlike other retailers distributon centres which are clad "sheds") I had quite a shock. I had an appointment to meet Mr Head Bloke, & was keen to impress. I was all suited & booted, & had my pitch perfectly prepared. Ushered into his spartan office (NO personal momentos allowed, no pictures on the wall, nothiing at all) I placed my briefcase on the floor & took the proferred chair.

"Mr Kendall, the floor is for walking on, it is not a receptacle for miscellaneous items".

I could either give a smartarse reply, or comply in a subserviant manner. I chose correctly, got the gig, & there began an amazing story for me.

I became their UK & RoI "go to man", & some of the tasks they sent to me to sort were quite extraordinary. Several of them were illegal - "we are not interested, just sort it" & I ended up in court 3 times. Offences included cutting down trees which had TPO's on them (twice). Eventually, I learned how to overcome TPO's (Tree Preservation Orders) quite legally. (Inject poison into the base, they die within 12 months).  

Their store at Luton became invaded by Travellers, who set up camp in the Car Park just beforer Easter one year. Easter is a hugely busy time for Retailers.  

"Get them off, by 9am tomorrow morning" they instructed me. Just like that.

I went & met the head of the Travellers in the Aldi Luton Car Park, & explained my problem.

"It will cost us £3,000 to move, pay us £3,000 in cash, & we'll be gone by 9am in the morning".

I reported back to Head Bloke, & warned him this was not wise, it would bite them in the bum if we complied.

"What part of I WANT THEM GONE BY TOMORROW MORNING DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?" he said, & hung up on me.

I got hold of the cash, & drove down at 7am the next morning. I was abso crapping myself, scared they would beat the shit out of me, or renege on the deal.

I meet the Main Man, & he had all his lorries, caravans & traliers lined up, Indian Style, at the exit gate, ready to leave. I said "I'll give you the cash when the last vehicle leaves".

The convoy moved out, one after the other, &, mightily relieved, I gave the man his £3,000. He gave me £500 back, "you are a good lad, we won't forget this" he said.

I rung up Mr Head Bloke & told him I'd sorted it.

"Why are you telling me that, I gave you as job, & I expect you to sort it, not bother me with phone calls telling me how good you are.

Err, sorry.  

He rings me back one hour later.

"Tony, a group of Travellers have just set up camp in the car park of our store at Leighton Buzzard, I want them off by tomorrow morning".......


 

[tikay]

Sorry about all that, I have hundreds of Aldi tales like that, though with time, I'm slowly forgetting the details. I ought to write them all down one day.

I really should quit messing about on a bloody two bit Forum, & do something more useful with my time.

As you were.

[Woodsey]

Ahh gotcha, good shops anyway...

[tikay]

Click to see full-size image.

[Redsgirl]

Click to see full-size image.

Info please?

Love the Aldi story btw but you are a bad bad man killing poor ickle trees. :-)
Seriously though,  I know you're old, but I bet even Methusala didn't pack as much into his working life as you. More stories please. 

P.s. What happened to the Vegas thingy you were supposed to be posting links to?

[tikay]

Click to see full-size image.

Info please?

Yes, here's a link.


http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/scots-cyclist-killed-in-london-lorry-accident-was-leading-designer.1428667934

Click to see full-size image.

The young lady was a Director of the V & A. 

This was the 5th death of a cyclist in similar circumstances in London this year. Exactly 3 hours later, a 6th cyclist lost their lfe in identical circumstances elsewhere in London.

We can point fingers at all sides, but it is a really difficult issue to solve. Cyclists don't tend to be aware of how difficult it is to maneourve large vehicles round tight corners, & the drivers of the vehicles don't always pay the respect to cyclists that they should. Often, it is impossible to even see the cyclist. 

In London, it usually happens at tight, 90 degree left hand corners, for obvious reasons.

The point of the photo was that the battle between a lorry & a cyclist is brutally uneven, but whereas we can glance quickly & move on when we see car crashes, when a bike is shown to be mangled under 20 tons of lorry, it seems so graphic, so shocking, so real. 

[tikay]

Click to see full-size image.

Love the Aldi story btw but you are a bad bad man killing poor ickle trees. :-)
Seriously though,  I know you're old, but I bet even Methusala didn't pack as much into his working life as you. More stories please. 

P.s. What happened to the Vegas thingy you were supposed to be posting links to?

I am not proud that I went round abusing TPO's, at the time it never crossed my mind that it was a bad thing. I do realise now, of course, but if my career & livelihood depended upon it, as it did at the time, I'm not sure I'd do any differently now, tbh. We can moralise all day & night, but when it comes to the crunch, we are often not quite so brave. Well I'm not. Path of least resistence & all that.

Methusaleh & I led very different lives, he a free spirit, me always enslaved (happily) by employment, as I'm naturally subservient & Ralph is not, but we probably both have a ton of stories to tell.  I can say this though, if I could write one tenth as beautifully & subtly as he does, I'd quit everything here & now, & write a book - actually, I'd write several. When I see what counts as interesting on blonde, I know I have stories galore that would surprise many. Even in my time Next Door, the finale of my working life, I could write a simply amazing book, you would never believe in a million years some of the stuff that has happened in that time.  Amazing? Only to me, probably, but I have a yearning to commit some stuff to paper, stuff that can't go on blonde, certainly not at the moment. Every day brings new twists & turns, & every morning I can't wait to wake up & see what's happening in life. 

Ralph amazes me, & I'm a bit envious. He gets by on his wits, always has, & is completely happy with his lot in life, whereas I have always been a busy fool.

The Vegas story? - apologies, I can't recall, which one, remind me please.

[Tal]

I assume she means the Next Door blog.

[tikay]

I assume she means the Next Door blog.

Ahh, gotcha.

I don't know whetether I'm having a shite or shave right now, so much going off, but they'll resume shortly.

My next Bluff Column has to be in by tomorrow @ Noon, & my little "jobs to do list" on my desk, next to the lappie, has about 30 items on it. Dying of boredom is unlikely.

[RED-DOG]

And when she says Methusaleh, she actually means Methusaleh.

[Kev B]

Great Aldi tale Tikay, more please.

The mike pic made the hairs on my arms stand on end.

[Redsgirl]

Click to see full-size image.

Love the Aldi story btw but you are a bad bad man killing poor ickle trees. :-)
Seriously though,  I know you're old, but I bet even Methusala didn't pack as much into his working life as you. More stories please.  

P.s. What happened to the Vegas thingy you were supposed to be posting links to?

I am not proud that I went round abusing TPO's, at the time it never crossed my mind that it was a bad thing. I do realise now, of course, but if my career & livelihood depended upon it, as it did at the time, I'm not sure I'd do any differently now, tbh. We can moralise all day & night, but when it comes to the crunch, we are often not quite so brave. Well I'm not. Path of least resistence & all that.

Methusaleh & I led very different lives, he a free spirit, me always enslaved (happily) by employment, as I'm naturally subservient & Ralph is not, but we probably both have a ton of stories to tell.  I can say this though, if I could write one tenth as beautifully & subtly as he does, I'd quit everything here & now, & write a book - actually, I'd write several. When I see what counts as interesting on blonde, I know I have stories galore that would surprise many. Even in my time Next Door, the finale of my working life, I could write a simply amazing book, you would never believe in a million years some of the stuff that has happened in that time.  Amazing? Only to me, probably, but I have a yearning to commit some stuff to paper, stuff that can't go on blonde, certainly not at the moment. Every day brings new twists & turns, & every morning I can't wait to wake up & see what's happening in life.  

Ralph amazes me, & I'm a bit envious. He gets by on his wits, always has, & is completely happy with his lot in life, whereas I have always been a busy fool.

The Vegas story? - apologies, I can't recall, which one, remind me please.

Completely whooshed me mentioning Uncle Ralph as I didn't know his nickname, I meant the actual Methusaleh, seeing as you seem to have had at least five different careers lasting at least twenty years each you must be at least part way into your second century.

I for one always enjoy reading about your exploits and  even though you've obviously got decades left to while away you really should get on with that book,  us mere mortals can't wait forever.

As the all knowing one helpfully pointed out it was Next doors Vegas trip wotsit I was waiting for, when you do get round to it let me know x

Edit: You do know I was only teasing about the trees don't you?

[Karabiner]

It's "Tony the tree-muderer" from here on in.

[Jon MW]

Click to see full-size image.

Info please?

Yes, here's a link.


http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/scots-cyclist-killed-in-london-lorry-accident-was-leading-designer.1428667934

Click to see full-size image.

The young lady was a Director of the V & A. 

This was the 5th death of a cyclist in similar circumstances in London this year. Exactly 3 hours later, a 6th cyclist lost their lfe in identical circumstances elsewhere in London.

We can point fingers at all sides, but it is a really difficult issue to solve. Cyclists don't tend to be aware of how difficult it is to maneourve large vehicles round tight corners, & the drivers of the vehicles don't always pay the respect to cyclists that they should. Often, it is impossible to even see the cyclist. 

In London, it usually happens at tight, 90 degree left hand corners, for obvious reasons.

The point of the photo was that the battle between a lorry & a cyclist is brutally uneven, but whereas we can glance quickly & move on when we see car crashes, when a bike is shown to be mangled under 20 tons of lorry, it seems so graphic, so shocking, so real. 

In The Netherlands cycling is the norm and you don't get people dying in the same way.

The only two ways that you can make cycling safe on the roads would be to have segregrated cycle lanes (like they do in much of Peterborough for example) or for their to be a shift in attitude amongst motorists so that they actually assume a cyclist could be around the corner rather than only notice them when they see one going through a red light (for example).

Although it seems unlikely; the second one is actually what happened in The Netherlands - the government a few generations ago made a conscious effort to make the country concentrate on cycling and cycling safety. Now they rarely even wear cycle helmets over there because it's so safe - a lot of which is down to the motorists and cyclists treating each other as peers rather than one side seeing the other as invading their territory.

But realistically I think the first one is probably the more achievable.

[redsimon]

Click to see full-size image.

Spend, spend, spend comes to an end