Clare Teal: Why cardboard folders have me in a spin

Last Friday evening saw the launch of our brand new show - Twelve O'Clock Tales featuring a 17 piece Hollywood Orchestra (mini big band plus strings plus French horn) at the Cadogan Hall in London.
By The Newsroom
Published 16th Feb 2016, 10:05 BST
Updated 16th Feb 2016, 19:05 BST

Conducted by the fabulous world class trumpeter and composer Guy Barker it’s taken months to put together, but judging by Friday’s reaction it’s been well worth it. Most of the 19 new arrangements have been written by Guy, the others by pianist Jason Rebello and former MD Grant Windsor over in Australia.

Guy picked up all the freshly printed and taped music from copyist Andrew at 10am Thursday. The suitcase exchange took place at Victoria, I retrieved said case from Mr Barker at the agreed 17:00 hours to sort the parts into instrument and set list order.

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You may know we run a number of different ensembles and to avoid confusion all music is colour coded. Red for the Mini Big Band, Purple for Doris Day, Pink for Christmas etc. We fancied classic black for this one so on Tuesday I ordered two lots of 10 cardboard folders or wallets from a well known online stationers.

The next day a massive box arrived containing just two folders. Doh!

I picked up the phone and eventually managed to speak to a young man I politely explained that the order was wrong and that I needed the other folders ASAP.

He listened before explaining that they would have to come and pick up the two cardboard folders before sending the rest. So intent on getting the order before I left on Thursday I didn’t at first appreciate the absurdity of his statement.

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He told me the only way I could guarantee getting the folders in time was to place a new order, so that’s what I did, we were just arranging a day I could be in for them to pick up the first order when Mud, seeing me flicking over the pages of the calendar in distress asked what I was doing. WHAT AM I DOING?

“This is ridiculous, in order for me to get my money back you have to send someone to drive over to pick up two pieces of overpriced cardboard whilst in the meantime I have to order and pay for another 20 overpriced bits of cardboard.”

“Well yes madam otherwise our warehouse will be unbalanced.”

Not just the warehouse in my opinion.

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