Sausages.

I am acutely aware that I have featured Morrison's supermarket chain as a lead story on the blog several times recently. Unfortunately this is not without reason. The latest story I feel really illustrates one of the major problems that the shop chain faces. As many readers may be aware, I spent many years working as a senior I.T analyst for one of the big four accountancy, professional services and consultancy companies, KPMG, and was exposed to much in the way of best business practices. Although it was not my speciality, a lot of what my colleagues were involved with did end up getting rubbed off on me. In addition to my my principal role in I.T, I was also senior technical advisor to the KPMG Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Team for the company. People think that this was just to deal with the situation if a building burned down, or was the victim of a terrorist attack - which indeed did happen on one occasion when the company's office in Birmingham was firebombed by a disgruntled ex-client. Unfortunately, although the police were positive as to who the perpetrator was, they had little evidence, and nothing that would stand up with the Crown Prosecution Service or indeed in court, and the case had to be dropped. In actuality, the KPMG Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Team also dealt with damage to reputation through negligence, or criminal acts by members of staff, or indeed things that could be reported in the press involving staff members or clients that would put the company in a negative light with the public. As such, I was involved with a number of very realistic exercises and simulations of crisis situations. Unfortunately, one of these real life situations has arisen with Morrison's supermarket chain, but at present they have done little to remediate this. As somebody who has dealt with these kind of situations on a professional level, I am astonished at how senior Morrison's management seem to be sticking their heads in the sand over something that has been widely reported in the popular press. Whilst several articles have been published on the subject by mass market newspapers, the original issue was raised by the supermarket industry trade news website, The Grocer, which published a detailed article on how a very long serving Morrison's store manager called Sean Egan was sacked following an incident at his West Midlands store in early December last year, when he confronted a long time, habitual criminal shoplifter, which was against company policy. When Mr. Egan confronted the well-known and prolific shoplifter, apparently the shoplifter reached into his bag to pull out a knife. Eagan then allegedly grappled with the criminal until the police arrived. Since then, Morrisons have fired him, saying that he contravened company policy of not confronting criminals such as shoplifters. This is caused a massive backlash from the public, and a large fundraising campaign to get Sean Egan restored to his role as Morrison's shop manager, which he had been for nearly 30 years of faithful service. It would also seem that it signals that Morrisons along with a number of other large their stores do not protect their employees from violent attacks from criminals. The public are not impressed. Many people are saying that they will take their custom elsewhere to stores such as Lidl and Aldi, and that that members of the retail community need to be protected from criminals rather than demonised by senior management, who have no idea of the problems that criminal violence brings to workers within their stores. In my opinion, from a professional viewpoint, this is a major damage to reputation for Morrisons. It would appear at the time of writing they have done little to remediate this situation, something that I find quite surprising, as I would have assumed that they also have a disaster recovery and crisis management team. It is quite possible that if they do have such a team that they have been overridden by senior management, which as I have previously written are now under the jurisdiction of their owners, the American private equity company Clayton, Dubilier and Rice, who have saddled Morrisons with approximately £7 billion in corporate debt, and appear to be running the supermarket chain into the ground. They are not exhibiting any kind of long-term support strategy, or indeed acting in any way which would be beneficial to the staff of the supermarket chain. This is yet another reason why in my opinion they deserve to fail. Comments to me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Last week I wrote at some length about the creation of the very first magnetic tape audio recorder, and how that invention revolutionised both radio broadcasting and later television with the advent of the video recorder, which was a natural development of the audio recorder. I had a lot of interest from readers about this subject and some very positive feedback. This week I am continuing the theme of the history of recordable media with a somewhat different story from the more recent past. Whilst it is 80 years since the advent of the magnetic tape recorder, it is only 34 years since the release of the very first MiniDisc recorder and player by Sony. It was in many ways and equally revolutionary device to the magnetic type recorder, but for various reasons I will explore. It did not have anything like the groundbreaking influence of the magnetic tape recorder, and relatively quickly faded into irrelevance. This was in many ways unfortunate as it was exceedingly clever and very versatile. It was in my opinion, just that the release of the technology was a victim of poor timing. Sony’s vision was simple: create a digital version of the analogue compact cassette. The MiniDisc was a 2.5-inch magneto-optical disc encased in a tough plastic cartridge. Unlike CDs, you didn't have to worry about fingerprints or scratches. Sony's MiniDisc was one of two rival digital systems introduced in 1992 that were intended to replace the Philips Compact Cassette analogue audio tape system: the other was the Digital Compact Cassette (DCC), created by Philips and Matsushita (now Panasonic). Sony had originally intended the Digital Audio Tape (DAT) to be the dominant home digital audio recording format, replacing the analogue cassette. Because of technical delays, the DAT was not launched until 1989, and by then the U.S. Dollar had fallen so far against the Japanese Yen that the introductory DAT machine Sony had intended to market for about $400 in the late 1980s then had to retail for $800 or even $1,000 to break even, putting it out of reach of most users. Relegating DAT to professional studio and broadcast use, Sony set to work to come up with a simpler, more economical digital home format. By the time Sony came up with the MiniDisc in late 1992, Philips had introduced a competing system, DCC, on a magnetic tape cassette. This created marketing confusion very similar to the VHS versus Betamax videocassette format war of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Sony licensed MD technology to other manufacturers, with JVC, Sharp, Pioneer, Panasonic and others producing their own MD products. However, non-Sony machines were not widely available in the large North American market, and companies such as Technics and Radio Shack (Tandy in the UK) tended to promote DCC instead. Despite having a loyal customer base largely of musicians and audio enthusiasts,[citation needed] the MiniDisc met with only limited success in the United States. It was very popular in Japan and parts of Asia, and relatively so in Europe and the UK during the 1990s and into the 2000s, but did not enjoy comparable sales success in other markets. To fit 74 minutes, and later 80 minutes of digital audio onto such a tiny surface, Sony developed ATRAC (Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding). This was a "lossy" compression format, similar to what MP3 would later become. While audiophiles initially scoffed at the compression, the average listener loved the convenience. The slow uptake of MiniDisc was attributed to the small number of pre-recorded albums available on MiniDisc, because relatively few record labels embraced the format. The initial high cost of equipment and blank media was also a factor. Additionally, home MiniDisc decks were less widely available, with most consumers instead connecting a portable MD device to their hi-fi system in order to record. Despite these issues, the MiniDisc had several advantages:- Instant Editing: You could split, combine, and move tracks on the disc itself without a computer. Portability: The players were incredibly small, often barely larger than the disc itself. Durability: The shutter-protected housing made it the perfect format for joggers and commuters. The "Mixtape" Spirit: It revived the art of the custom playlist for a digital generation. As previously mentioned, MiniDisc, Digital Compact Cassette (DCC) and to a lesser extent Digital Audio Tape (DAT) all suffered from poor timing. The creator of MiniDisc, Sony did not anticipate the huge popularity of recordable CDs, or indeed how they would plummet in price to less than 50p per disc, making them extremely accessible, even to teenagers on a very limited budget. The plummeting price of CD recordable discs, along with the huge popularity of illegal music file sharing systems such as Napster, Limewire and many others meant that consumers could download seemingly unlimited amounts of music for nothing and burn it on to recordable CDs. Whilst the illegal file sharers were eventually closed down after legal action from various record companies, the situation for MiniDisc did not improve, in fact, it actually got worse. Firstly, legal, paid for music streaming services were created, and perhaps more importantly the invention and release of Apple's revolutionary iPod, which meant that thousands of individual music tracks could be stored internally on a device roughly the same dimensions as a mini disc player, but capable of holding far more music and transferring easily from a Apple Mac, and later a Windows PC. This convenience was another nail in the coffin for the the MiniDisc, and also the Digital Compact Cassette. The Digital Audio Tape managed to lumber on in professional recording studios and radio stations for a while longer, although both the DCC and the DAT never had any real impact outside of this very limited and specialised market sector, which was never going to make a worthwhile profit for its manufacturers. On the 7th July 2011, Sony announced that it would no longer ship MiniDisc Walkman products as of September 2011, effectively killing the format. On the 1st of February 2013, Sony issued a press release that it would cease shipment of all MD devices, with last of the players to be sold in March 2013. However, it would continue to sell blank discs and offer repair services. Other manufacturers continued to release MiniDisc players long after Sony stopped, with Teac and Tascam producing new decks up until 2020, when both its consumer and professional products were discontinued. In January 2025 Sony announced that production of blank MiniDiscs would also be discontinued. 

Did you know that one of the UK's top independent sausage makers is located in an industrial unit in Lower Belvedere? Slomers sausages has been in business for a little over 40 years, producing all sorts of pork sausages, including traditional sausages, Cumberland sausages, Italian sausage, sausage meat, saveloys, bratwurst, and both black and white pudding. They primarily supply restaurants and other food outlets, although they also sell to private individuals. All of their products are made on the premises by hand using traditional techniques, and delivered to the customer often on the same day, if the order is placed early in the morning. They can also manufacture sausages to a customer's own recipe, although this may take a little longer to produce, with an associated extra cost. Slomers describe themselves thus:- "We make a range of delicious handmade sausages, to the same high standards as when we were first established, over 40 years ago. We always go the extra mile for our customers. We specialise in making fresh traditional sausages, using selections of hand-picked herbs and spices, seasoning blends and top-quality meat. At Slomers we produce a range of products, so you can buy from us in confidence, knowing that all our products are made with the best cuts of meat. If you would like a product made to your specifications, contact us to discuss your requirements". Unfortunately, I'm unable to sample their products, as I am strongly pork intolerant; something I was diagnosed with in the late 1990's. Having said that, I have spoken to several people who have eaten Slomers sausages, and they all tell me that they are excellent. The Slomers sausage factory is located on the Capital industrial estate in Crabtree Manorway South, in Lower Belvedere.

Renowned historical novel and thriller writer James Leasor had a strong local connection. He was born on the 20th of December 1923, and spent his formative years living with his parents at 118 Park Crescent, Erith, where a commemorative plaque was installed back in October 2014. James Leasor was one of the best-selling British authors of the 20th century. After beginning his writing career as a journalist, he wrote more than 50 books, some of which were made into films, including his 1978 historical novel Boarding Party, the story of a secret incident from the Second World War, which became The Sea Wolves (1980) starring Gregory Peck, Roger Moore and David Niven. Upon leaving school, James Leasor was employed as a reporter for The Kentish Times. Early in World War 2, as soon as he was old enough, Leasor enlisted in the Royal East Kent Regiment. He was commissioned into the Royal Berkshire Regiment and volunteered for service in the Far East, where he served in Burma with the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment during World War II. Whilst serving with the Lincolns he saw action in the Battle of the Admin Box. In the Far East, whilst sailing in convoy HC-44 from Calcutta to Chittagong, his troopship, the El Madina, was torpedoed on 16 March 1944. Ten crew, six gunners and 364 troops died and Leasor spent 18 hours adrift in the Indian Ocean. He was wounded in action (injuries from a shell) on 8 May 1944 in the Arakan, and treated at 25 Indian Casualty Clearing Station. He later returned to Burma as an Army Observer for the 12th Army, at that time in Rangoon. In February 1946 he was transferred to HQ Malaya Command in Kuala Lumpur. During his time as an observer he travelled throughout Burma, Malaya, the Shan States and the Andaman Islands by plane and jeep. He reckoned that he had visited practically every town in these regions by the time he returned to the UK in mid-1946. His novel, NTR: Nothing to Report (1955), was a semi-autobiographical account of some of his experiences in India and Burma during the war. After victory, Leasor left the army; before becoming a full-time novelist, Leasor was a journalist on Fleet Street. He spent years as a featured columnist and foreign correspondent for the Daily Express during its mid-century heyday. His transition to books began with non-fiction, notably "The Red Fort" (1956), an account of the Indian Mutiny, and "The One That Got Away" (1956), which chronicled the escape of a German POW and was later adapted into a classic film. In the 1960s, Leasor found global fame with the creation of Dr. Jason Love, an amateur spy and country GP with a penchant for vintage American Cord cars. Love was the "anti-Bond"—a man who would rather be tinkering with an engine than dodging bullets, yet constantly found himself embroiled in Cold War conspiracies. After the success of his novel Passport to Oblivion (1964), a thriller featuring Dr Jason Love, which became one of the best selling books of the decade and was filmed as Where the Spies Are (1965) starring David Niven. An audio version of Passport to Oblivion was released in 2019 starring George Lazenby as Dr Jason Love. He wrote nine more thrillers featuring Jason Love, as well a string of other novels. He continued to write historical books: later titles included Green Beach (1975) about the Dieppe Raid of 1942 and a secret operation to capture German radar equipment; Boarding Party (1978), based on the real events of Operation Creek in 1943, which was filmed as The Sea Wolves (1980); The Unknown Warrior (1980) about an agent who was a major part of the D-Day deception plans; and Who Killed Sir Harry Oakes? (1983), which was made into a TV mini-series in 1989 called Passion and Paradise, starring Armand Assante, Catherine Mary Stewart, Mariette Hartley and Kevin McCarthy, with Rod Steiger playing Sir Harry Oakes. His final history was Rhodes and Barnato (1997), which examined the lives of two men, Cecil Rhodes and Barney Barnato, who were major figures in the history of South Africa. James Leasor died in Salisbury on 10 September 2007, aged 83, and is buried in the churchyard of St. Peter's Church in Swallowcliffe. 

The end video this week is a short film of the Butterfly House, which is located in the grounds of Hall Place in old Bexley. The venue is currently not particularly well known, although several television shows have had segments filmed there in the recent past. Please send all comments and feedback to me as usual at hugh.neal@gmail.com.