The approach of Christmas has brought a touch of the festive spirit to the CJ team's mailbox. Here we bring you a few of the items we've received.
Jon Cheek, contracts manager at Bluestone, models one of the decorated hard hats entered into the "best dressed Christmas hard hat" competition that it ran for pupils at Rakegate Primary School, Oxley. Bluestone are currently building a new £4 million primary school within the grounds of the school. Cheek, says: “The pupils have shown a lot of interest in the work we are doing and we are keen to encourage them to follow the building project. Decorating the hard hats also carries the important heath and safety message that to go on a construction site, you need to wear protective clothing.”
Construction's Christmas cards enjoy some industrial action
Digging deep into CJ's bulging Christmas postbag we've unearthed a number of industrial-strength gems. Here are a few of the best construction-themed greetings we've received this year...
Let's hope you've all been good boys and girls, because Santa's bringing in the heavies this year. Amman Yanmar take this year's prize for innovation with their miraculous flying mini-excavators. Mr Claus has already placed the first orders, and will be employing the kit in his mission to deliver presents worldwide. Small enough to fit on any roof-top, the machines should also ensure Santa can dig his way out of the worst snowdrift. The only question is, given it's customary to leave carrots out for Rudolph, what's the appropriate thank-you for a tracked excavator?
Nuttall's Christmas card opts for a surreal take on Christmas lights. A group of cranes surround a brightly-lit building project shining in white beneath the full moon of a moody night sky. It's pretty. But perhaps also a little scary if you've been watching too much sci-fi on television of late... Why is the building glowing with such radioactive vigour? And what exactly are the cranes doing, their long reaches tenderly bending over the roof..?
With Marubeni-Komatsu's missive we turn to embrace once again the faithful excavator. Who wouldn't want to hang a sparkling digger from their tree? And doesn't the purple look lovely against the stately green pine?
Baubles a-plenty front-up HSS Hire's ballsy card. A riot of shiny colour, HSS's tree is decorated in the company livery. Hire centres glint from the surface of some of the spheres, while the company's logo stands loud and proud in the centre. There's no mistaking who sent this greeting...
Next, we trace the trees back to the forest, where a New Holland excavator takes time out from its hectic work schedule to dig up some gifts - without the help of human assistance. We're looking forward to unwrapping the goods - if they take this kind of equipment to lift them, they've got to hold more than a pair of socks... Although given the striking resemblance that the picture bears to one of those seaside sweet-scooping games, we may find we're rather disappointed in the end...
Braviisol, meanwhile, have decided to show off the strength of their lifting platforms, by elevating a giant Christmas pixie from the ground. Full points for showcasing 'elf and safety, there, then... But while rather fetching, and warm, will a pixie hat offer sufficient protection should Santa drop a few of those presents as he flies overhead?
Staying with powered access, Dave Barnett's beautifully illustrated card for IPAF, the International Powered Access Federation, shows 'A Tree for All Trades'... The three shown on this close-up show the carpenters', scaffolders' and plasterers trees, but if you can get hold of the full card you'll see fantastically creative trees for brickies, painters, electricians, plumbers and roofers too!
And, at last, the holidays just wouldn't be the same without The Snowman. And on Rydon's rather beautiful card you get two for the price of one! It may be the first - and last - time that you'll ever see a snowman built from bricks, but he is rather cute... And comes complete with a rear projection!
If you've received a better construction-themed Christmas card than those featured above - or if your company has one of its own that you'd like to share with the world - send it to Rebecca Froley at the CJ office: Contract Journal, Quadrant House, Sutton, SM2 5AS.