With the recent news of GM europe being taken over by Magna, and the subsequent announcement regarding job losses in the UK, I would not be surprised if the Vauxhall brand disappears altogether. In fact I’m sure that in due course current Vauxhall operations will be rebranded as Opel.

Given the support that German operations are receiving from their Government and the apparent lack of support Vauxhall is getting from ours suggests that any moves that new owners make to cut costs across the company would have a positive bias towards Germany / Opel.

My understanding is that much of the company’s product development is done centrally, with Vauxhall (and presumably each of Opel’s regional operations) doing things such as handling adjustments and marketing. Therefore it could be argued that a Opel UK would in effect have a similar role, however I can’t help thinking that the new owners without, perhaps the sentimental attachment to the British brand will consider Vauxhall an unnecessary extra expense. And I can certainly see the argument from a marketing perspective, as a a change to Opel would fit with the new image they are clearly striving for with the Insignia and new Astra.

My suggestion to the company would be to market both brands simultaneously across europe, each with separate brand identity and values, for example as MGRover did. Although perhaps this is not the best example I believe this is a model that could be successful for GM europe.

Coming back to the reality of a belt tightening era, I hope that I am wrong in prediction. Maybe Vauxhall does not present any greater cost implications than an Opel operation, but I can’t help thinking that Vauxhall’s days maybe numbered.

So I’ve started a new blog today. Ok, may not a blog so much as a pointless waste of server space. But I’ve done it none the less. Its called ChinBags and if you are at all intrigued check it out at chinbags.wordpress.com. However I must warn you that if you do look at it you will not get that time back, so think wisely as to whether you really want to waste some time. However if you are bored have a look, actually don’t bother have a look at bbc.co.uk/oddnews, it’s bound to be more interesting!

I found a note on my computer the other day with a list of things I could blog about, one of which was
‘If the door knocker doesn’t work use the door bell’
I can’t remember what I was going to blog about, but it sounds quite deep.

For the last few years whenever I’ve been with a group of people trying to pool ideas someone always says, ‘you can’t say brainstorming any more’, suggesting that the term is offensive to people with epilepsy.
[http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2005/jun/26/uk.politicalnews]

However I recently came across an article which suggests that ‘Brainstorming’ is NOT considered offensive. The article I read has since been removed, however I have found reference to the research on the National Society for Epilepsy Website;

“NSE recently conducted a small survey among people with the condition and the overwhelming response was that the term is not offensive when used in its correct context, defining a session amassing spontaneous ideas as potential solutions to a problem.” (http://www.epilepsynse.org.uk/Press/Backgrounders/Epilepsyterminology)

This always seemed riduculous to me, but I would be interested to know if anyone with epilepsy agrees or disagrees with the statement from the NSE.

Guess who I saw in Ikea Lakeside yesterday?

Plus this song makes me laugh, and this seems an appropriate post one which to share it!

It has been said before, but is blogging dead, or at least dying? Less people seem to be regularly blogging now than a couple of years ago. Or at least, less people I know.

I wonder if the number of mainstream news agencies, reporters and just about everyone who is anyone having a blog, has taken away some of the subversive nature and image of the blog?

I received the following email the other day. I feel honoured to be asked to manage this fund but I’m not sure I have the time to properly distribute the money. What does anyone think…?

From: Lady Rebecca Thatcher.
No:36 Old Shrewberry Street,
London England.

Beloved,i am Lady Rebecca Thatcher, suffering from cancerous ailment.I used to be married to Sir Jeremy Thatcher an Englishman who is dead and resting peacefully. My husband was into private practice all his life before he passed.When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of Twenty MillionPounds (20,000,000.00 Million Great Britain Pounds Sterling),which werederived from his vast estates and investment in capital market with hisbank here in UK.Presently, this money is still with the Bank.

Recently,my Doctor told methat I have limited days to live due to the cancerous problems I amsuffering from.Though what bothers me most is the stroke that I have in addition to the cancer.With this hard reality that has befallen me, I have decided to donate this funds to you and want you to use this gift which comes from mylate husbands hard work to fund the upkeep of widows, widowers,orphans,destitute,the down-trodden, physically challenged children,barren-women and persons who prove to be genuinely handicapped financially.I took this decisionbecause I do not have any child that will inherit this money.My happinessis that I lived a life worthy of emulation.Please assure me that you will act just as I have stated herein.

Hope to hear from you soon.

You can contact me through my personal email
addressat:

Stay Blessed as you carry out this humanitarian task.

Sincerely yours

Lady Rebecca Thatcher.

In the last three weeks I have received only 3 personal emails, one of which I asked some to send. That’s not to say that I received no emails, I have tons of adverts, newsletters, Uni emails, and messages sent to groups and work emails. But emails sent just to us from a friend or family member there is only 3. Is this because facebook has replaced conventional email as the way people send messages to one another?

All assignments, fieldwork etc for this year are now complete!

I can’t believe it all finished. Just got the small matter of a baby to think about now!

According to the Evening Star, a local estate agent has been fined £7,500 (plus £3,275 costs) for putting up fake ‘Sold’ signs.

A few years ago I was doing some work connected to a new estate agent and suggested that they put up a few sold signs in friends gardens to get their company name know. At the time it seemed a like a legitimate marketing strategy, but on reflection it is probably good that they did not listen to me after all.

Evening Star – Estate agent ‘put up fake sold signs’

I just heard sirens outside, and looked out to see a Fiesta come tearing down my road, only just making it round the corner outside my house, closely followed by the Police. They disapeared out of sight but the sirens were still close by. The force helicopter is flying around now so I’m guessing they’ve jumped out somewhere. Having lost a Fiesta to joy riders a few years back I can’t help rooting for the police.

However I am slightly worried that watching too many episodes of “Road Wars”, and “Police, Stop, Camera, Action, Woah, He’s Crashed, He’s Crashed” might have made me slightly to excited about seeing a car chase come past my house.

I just had a check of the weather forecast, and you can see it’s a bank holiday weekend…