A very royal appointment

October 06, 2009  

As someone who has worked in the industry for a while now, I have had the pleasure (is that the correct word?) of attending various media dos and press trips. As many seasoned hacks will tell you, occasionally they start to seem... well, for want of a better expression, similar. However, imagine my excitement the other week when I discovered that my editor had volunteered me to attend the opening of a new Palletforce £30million distribution hub in Staffordshire.

Now, to those familiar with what the media get up to in the logistics sector, this may sound like your ordinary, run-of-the-mill opening (possibly made more ordinary-sounding by the location which was in the UK and not somewhere far-flung and exotic), but upon discovering more details of what the event entailed, I became more excited at the prospect of travelling up the M1 than I have been for a while. The mere fact that it had cost £30million – yes, that’s £30million! – to build made me awe-struck as to exactly what I would discover when I visited. A gold-cladded DC was what initially sprung to mind, (as well as quite possibly WCs too), and I half-expected diamond encrusted loading bay doors to match.

What made this event even more appealing than most, though, was the knowledge that I would be in the presence of royalty, HRH The Princess Royal no less, and that I would need to be on my best behaviour at all times and not to quaff copious amounts of alcohol in my usual exuberant manner.

So, having dug out my poshest suit and dressed as smartly as I could, I made the journey to Burton-upon-Trent to witness HRH The Princess Royal officially open the UK’s single largest palletised distribution hub in honour of the transport network’s success. During her visit, The Princess was given a guided tour to see how Palletforce’s distribution hub acts as a nerve centre for the overnight delivery of palletised goods across the UK and Europe. More than 220 guests, including Palletforce shareholder members and customers, celebrated the official opening of the hub, which was a significant milestone in the network’s eight-year growth.

I have to say that the event was also a milestone in my various press trips over the last three years on ShD, and I’m sure if I continue to get such prestigious invites then I will be zooming up and down the M1 with even more enthusiasm than I do already...