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ON THE MARGIN
Page 15
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Goodwill to nearly all
Christmas ah, Christmas. The season of massive overindulgence and binge-eating is well and truly upon us. We contemplate the meaning of it all...
As we cram another mince pie down our throat and quaff yet more sweet sherry, On the Margin wishes goodwill to all men (with the possible exception of Portsmouth FC manager Harry Red knapp, who's currently been scratched off our Christmas card list with something sharp), and peace and glad tidings to all.
But our thoughts go out to all those in the distribution industry who make Christmas possible for the general public. In particular we'd like to thank DHL's staff for generally performing a thankless task with a smile on their face (but not for wearing those hideous red and yellow uniforms — quite why DHL thinks its staff ought to look like particularly vivid parakeets is anyone's guess).
Saturday morning before Christmas at the Crawley office of one of the county's biggest parcel carriers (right next to Gatwick), and guess how many staff does DHL have on duty? Two? Three? Four, perhaps? Think one slightly harassed Saturday girl and you'd be closer to the truth. She was still smiling when we left at 10.15am — but then, she'd only been there an hour. So our thanks go out to her, if not to her employers.
We think that Mercedes' CV press office may also have fallen off CMs Christmas card list. You'll see elsewhere in this week's magazine that our regular contributor 011ie Dixon has been trying to make ends meet as an owner-driver in an lveco Stralis. However, Mercedes has been trying to help Dixon in his quest — by sending him a spurious message about a dubious load. The pick-up point was the Letsbe Avenue Trading Estate in Warwick where a load of shoes for Southern France awaited collection. Thankfully, Dixon was only halfway there when he rumbled it...
A special mention also goes to trailer firm Don-Bur for its Christmas card (pictured). We can't decide whether it's a witty take on Christmas or a cheesy piece of advertising masquerading as Christmas cheer. Bah, humbug! De-spite ktter efficienq an6 savings on fast an 6river casts.,
1t4?Jo(fJ&biOn't 4/4 mud) of tbe new "artic" conbitiowf