SJSS and the SSC1

Ladies and gentleman, I would like to offer to you the very latest in innovation and design. I am representing the Steven Jolly Sleeping Solutions (SJSS) Company, after extensive testing and product trials they are now ready to release the redesign of a standard travel loge bed in to the SSC1 (Supper Sven Cot mark1).

This is the ultimate in luxury. It comes with two pillows, a mattress, sheets AND a duvet! This cutting edge design also comes with 500mm three side surrounds and one side has a full height wall and window.

If you would like to try it your self simply turn you bed around and hay presto!

We are taking booking for demonstrations across the countryover the next year, please check the tour dates for more info.

Thanks for your time.

Crusty – representing SJSS and the SSC1

Portsmouth

Power Shower Rating - 1 (alternated between scolding hot, and freezing for Anna!)
Breakfast Rating - 7 (venue provided Breakfast Baps!!)

A grim day somewhere outside of Portsmouth on a dual carriageway service station. Anna had shower issues - another job well done by Travelodge! Everyone else seemed to survive ok. The 10min drive to the venue made slightly longer by having to trek up one side of the road to turn round the roundabout and come back down the other side.

So its 8am and we are in the Portsmouth Mountbatton Centre. A local crew of helpers and the wonderful Gary Tuttle (who joined us again after enjoying the Reading gig so much!!) and back on the scene was also Adam Evans. A hearty breakfast that was not McDonalds was delivered into the hall and it was all go.

The load-in was carried out in a manner that can only be described as a "well-oiled machine". With all the gear in and the power connected it was the same old jobs of getting the truss and set up and waiting for the cast to turn up around 1pm with the dressers. The cast turned up and started swarming around their jobs and sound checks and palette updates are also completed. The dressers set about dressing style stuff...not sure what really but it involves clothes and stuff like that, and Anna organise the chaos of cast and crew and stage time.

All that was left was for the crew to amuse themselves for a few hours before the show starts while the cast spent some time with the young people who perform at the end of the show. Highlight of this time was inventing the "Tortoise Game" a must for anyone with a few spare hours really it must be said.

Anyhow the show started, there was an interval (of approx. 20mins) it finished. Tim Wickham made some more cheesy announcements. Everyone left the venue. The Rock City Boys showed, up all the gear came down and went back on the truck, and everyone went back to the Travelodge for a good nights sleep.

Seem to have misplaced photos from the gig so if I find some I will put them up if not imagine a sports hall with the set in....or look at the reading photos and pretend its Portsmouth.

Reading

8am - We arrived at Rivermead Leisure Centre - not for a morning swim, but the load-in :) Slight confusion as we noticed the leisure centre staff struggling to wheel in about 12 table tenis tables in our way. To our embarasement we realised they were actually stage decks for us - which weren't needed as we had our own:



Crew numbers were down because Ed and Tim were not feeling 100% so Alex stepped in and saved the day, it was like the good old days! The truss went up fairly quickly with no delays...set was also put in place quickly thanks to the team of local helpers including Adam - who gave up a Delirious? gig for us.

The get out was swift, we had 4 pro-crew lads (Rock City) helping us.

1 Van, 2 Days, 5 Venues, 800 Miles

So its late Monday afternoon and myself and the Mighty O'Connor clamber aboard the crew van to complete another few site visits. This time with a difference - we had two days to cover 5 venues ranging from Cambridge to Newcastle. So Monday evening was spent at my parents house just North of Birmingham to give us a slightly more reasonable start and of course some excellent home cooking.

Day One (Tuesday)

We leave the house at 8am and travel over to Rugby to check out a sports hall there. All looks good a smallish hall but enough space to shoe horn the set in.

Then jump back in the van and travel back past the parents house to Wolverhapmton to check out the legendary Midlands rock venue the Wolverhampton Civic, another one crossed of the list. Into the van once more and a mammoth slog up the M1/A1 to Newcastle to catch the Newcastle Tyne Journal Theatre just before 5pm. This is a lovely old Victorian Theatre in the heart of Newcastle and all was good here except for the raked stage which we are working out. Then it was down the road to Wetherspoons for "Steak Club" and into the van to find the hotel for the night in Gateshead.

Day Two (Wednesday)

Leaving the hotel at 8am in search of the local ASDA mega store, straight into the cafe for "The Full Monty" a bargain fry up at just £2.88 for as much food as you can fit on a plate. Picking up a packed lunch at the same time and into the van to head South again for York. Checking out the York Grand Opera House another good venue with some minor sightline issues on the circle. Then it was back into the van again to head right back down south to Cambridge to check out the Cambridge Corn Exchange. After arriving in Cambridge two hours early we discovered it is nearly impossible to park a van in the centre of Cambridge, eventually finding a Park and Ride place 20 minutes out and arriving at the venue only 10 minutes early for our appointment.Thee final one dispatched in a professional manner that can only be achieved after practicing on 4 venues in the last 48 hours, it was off to Wetherspoons for "China Club" before climbing aboard the van for the final stint, arriving back in Bristol just after 9pm.

Well that's it the whirlwind tour of our little adventure have fun.