TAF Awards Evening

New House is a member of the British Blind and Shutter Association and the Openings Magazine is its quarterly journal. 

Our magazine goes to over 7000 companies involved in the blind industry and as I've been on the steering committe of Openings since the magazine began, was really pleased when it got selected for the TAF Best Trade Journal of the Year Awards. The results were anounced at the historic Drapers Hall in London, which dates back to the 16th Centuary and is close to the Bank of England.

A row of smartly-dressed staff greeted me as I arrived, offering refreshing drinks and showing me to their garden. As a gardener, I was interested to see that the Guild of Drapers still grow old mulberry trees there as these trees have historic associations with silk production.

Our little group from the BBSA is in the centre of this photo and later was chatting away to Juliet who is an ex-actress, and now does an amazing job with our advertising and in bringing the magazine together.

The MC called us to dinner, up a historic staircase and into the fabulously decorated main room.

Sadly our magazine was not the winner this time - but did we mind all that much? As being in such an incrediblly historic building, eating great food and having the Reverent Richard Coles as our after-dinner speaker was a great experience. 

My luck must have been in that day as my Docklands hotel had made a 'booking error', so up-graded me to a suite with an amazing view of the Dome and Thames. Good things seem to happen to guys in dinner jackets!

The next day I took the Emirates Air Line cable car across the Thames that gave me an amazing view of the Greenwich peninsular. I admired the Dome and pastel coloured cranes before taking one of the powerful TfL catamarans upriver.

London is always a fantastic city. However, perhaps I'd better include a copy of our blind magazine, as if it wasn't for this I'd not have been invited to what turned out a great London experience!