Just a request for Andrew, as it would appear from the other forum, that he will be attending. Could you take some photos for the benefit of those who won't be there. Thanks.

Robert, if I am able to attend, I'd love to take a selection to rival what Vidar so brilliantly captured last time
As I've said to David himself, you just never know what is happening in my line of work until a fortnight before.
Even then, they can phone you up to come in on payback at,a shifts notice day or night if there happens to be a breakdown..

Long gone unfortunately are the days where I plan anything!
The thing I miss most from all of this crazy annualized hour system is my season ticket. I miss the days when no matter what, home or away, you could say you'd be there.

Confused ... Didn't you say you wouldn't attend, Andrew? Just wondering here or did I misread your earlier posts?

Still wish I could go, but not a chance in hell sadly

I do think you should go, it's a great event. Only thing I didn't like was the "lie" about a famous actor coming. How were we suppose to guess who it was when it was a dead guy's lookalike? LOL

If you book a holiday Andrew, your employer must accept or reject, Blackpool is a fair way off yet, put your form in and there is
no argument, especially if you have bookings, no one is irreplaceable.

Well my Flabber has never been more Gasted, it just shows you can't believe all you read. Andrew have you ever thought of standing for parliament?.

ok, just read this so I will explain. I would always love to go to the Blackpool event and that hasn't changed this year.

Yes, in my disgust, I said some things that I now regret.
Obviously for all us passionate Super 8mm collectors on here, reading one or two things a while ago I did find both puzzling and upsetting to someone like me.
This did bring about an adverse knee jerk reaction from me.

This I regret now because although I was still left extremely puzzled by what I'd read, I should never lose sight of what outstanding effort any of the event organizers put in for OUR hobby and OUR pleasure.

Above all else and all other matters aside, for me personally, I have to commend and applaud anyone's efforts regarding these, most of all the event organizers.

Things often get said on a whim in the spur of the moment and the main thing I feel is to admit when you've spoken out of turn
I do this on an almost daily basis at times with my wonderful wife and at times other family members.
I don't mind doing the same here when I feel I was wrong upon reflection.

Hope this clears things up for everyone and I feel we should all really do whatever we can to support these efforts and assist in any way we can to support wherever possible.

Now than for an explanation to what Hugh was saying.

The way it works at our place since 2013 and since annualized hours is, we don't get any holidays at all, we get forced rostered time off. This is to a pattern.
At the beginning of each year we all owe hours because our contractual hours per year falls short of our actual hours rostered. This changes depending on the year, bank holidays rostered in or out etc etc

This particular year I owed many hours and still do, if I am phoned up, I will be expected to go in work given the hours I owe.

So for now, and probably right up to the weekend itself I have no idea whether or not I will be going.
If I can I can, if I can't I can't. It's just the same with the football and its something I've learned to live with. Not ideal but there you go. I don't suppose working nights and weekends and through Christmas at times is ideal either.

I don't know what Union agreed to those conditions Andrew, but I would want the offender held while I buried my foot in his arse to the third lace hole, I know at the Nuclear plant up the road, they have a practice of about 14 days solid, then a couple of weeks off, but it
is to their advantage wage wise, they don't "owe" any work days. A strange set up.

Union Hugh...now there's a blast from the past!
My shop stewarding days are long gone. Maggie seen to that!
I doth my cap with the rest of em nowadays. Like it or lump it as they say!

I "beat" Maggie and her policy on contracts for temporary workers, nearly had a scrap with my boss, but stuck to my guns and beat the bastards, Good job I was more even tempered then, now I'd just have downed him.

David Cameron's spin doctor could have wrote that speech, when I say something I make sure I mean it before I commit to writing, maybe quality and not quantity is a good adage.

I never heard of anything like that before, things go from bad to worse in this country; this is the time that we need a Union; Unions exist, so what are they doing, we never hear from them, except one time one Union threatened to stop putting money into the Labour Party.

Regarding David Guest, I didn't find anything disagreeable with what you said; at the time you didn't know he was going to read them. I have said things to family and others that on reflection I shouldn't have said, and have apologised, but can honestly say that I have never said anything in any forum that I regret. We all know he threatened to smash up a projector, then tries to alter his story. I've got no time for him or his event.

Regarding politics Steve, next election, if you want to read copies of the party manifestoes, just go to your local library, you will find them on the shelves marked FICTION.

You're right Steve , but I'm an enthusiastic bugger and speak from a very passionate heart. Sometimes for better, sometimes for worse and always too often for what's healthy.

But, I have to say, better that way on a forum with only 70 people on it than the silent type I'd say!

Oops I've done it again ....there's tomorrows apology in the making ha ha.

To Robert,

This forum we all said at its outset was to be a friendly and welcoming place to visit. If I'm to do my bit on that front, then I need to become more diplomatic, no doubt. Passion or no passion for these things.

unfortunately none of us can turn back the clock but reflection and hindsight are wonderful things as they say.

It was this being vocal that got Hugh in trouble with certain people on the 8mm Forum; I always came to his aid because he spoke the truth; I might have upset a few people by siding with him, but made a good friend.

We all have our friends in the hobby Robert. I just like to add more!
(And not lose any)

That is a valid point, here we are SEVENTY MEMBERS and a dozen or so make the running, the other forums are no different, a group of regulars that stop stagnation. Is there a reason why we have 50 + dead people listed, is there a topic they are waiting for? Maybe the
aid of a respected medium would be the answer, especially coming up to All Hallows Eve, hands on the table, all together now
"Is there anybody there???", besides us that is.

Yes Andrew, but to say those things on this forum, and then go on the other forum acting like his PA just don't cut it, I don't know where I am with that, It's behaviour like that, which brought the unions down in this country, I was in the print union and have been on picket duty only to see men going in after all they said about management, but it's men who stand by their principal s that I admire the most, not men who turn on a tanner piece just to please. I'm sorry but that's how it is with me, I know you can't feed your family on principals etc, but you can sleep sound at night knowing you stood by them.

No Steve, I'm no PA. But just as whenever with whoever on these forums, if I can do someone a good turn, then I will always do my best to do so. Sometimes to the complete annoyance of some folk,but you can't change the way you're made.

I do admire the event organizers efforts and work for us all as said, so of course if I can help stop confusion or assist with a little promotion of these events and the likes, then I will.

No incentive, just for the love of the game as they say.

Paul on here has a similar outlook it would appear as you've seen for yourself Steve. That was why I was so pleased to see him join us on here.

As far as my working life goes Steve, ill have my principles when I can afford them ultimately.

Well, I certainly don't want to see any of our members falling out, we do have a good set up here, we disagree, or agree
on various issues, so lets not fall out over what is trivia, I made points about Dave Guest too, but that's done, point made,
lets move on. I'm sure all who attend Blackpool will enjoy, myself, I'm past that now, any films I require, ebay or the dealers
fit the bill nicely.

Collectors need to stick together more than ever these days, I agree Hugh.

I WORKED AT TUCKER FASTNERS IN BRUM FOR 8 YEARS OR SO AND THE UNION THERE HAD A BRILLIANT SCEME CALLED " FLEXI TIME " WHICH ALLOWED YOU TO WORK EXTRA HOURS
AND BANK THEM, TO USE,AS THE UNION TOLD THE MANAGEMENT FOR EMERGENCIES !!!!, THIS WAS NEVER THE CASE THOUGH AND THEY RUN RINGS AROUND WITH IT, AND THEY
COULDN'T WAIT TO SIGN ON THE DOTTED LINE, ONLY NO ONE HAD READ THE SMALL PRINT FORM TUCKERS, SO WE GOT MAXIMUM 12 EXTRA DAYS OFF AND GOT PAYED TOO !!!!. I
STILL WONDER TO THIS DAY HOW THEY GOT IT PAST THE MANAGEMENT, OH MY GORD DID WE TAKE THE P WITH IT, HAPPY DAYS , POWER TO THE PEOPLE.

The forum has been up almost two months, and the majority haven't been back since day one or two,. Personally, I would like asking them if they still want to be here, or just delete them. They serve no purpose only to make the forum appear larger than it is. It's a shame, because there are so many posts of interest. Even the 8mm forum is starting to look dead compared with this: and I do go over there fairly frequently.

The good ole days eh Paul!

I agree Robert but I feel we still have to respect those who are just "good readers".

So long as numbers go in the right direction, I see that as the best barometer of whether we need change or not.

It'd be interesting to see what Vidar and other vocal proactive members think?

I think the best way is to "leave them alone and they'll come home...... draggin'' their coffins behind 'em."

Andrew, if you look at the members list you can see that many last logged in two months ago, maybe they show up as guests. You would think that they would have an opinion on something. The other day we had 148 guests, which is very good.