Scout Pinewood

Homeward From Hackney A Design Concept Conclusion

Approaching Bell’s Studio, a converted garage in Hackney, East London, I reaffirmed the concept that catapulted me into an unfamiliar industry and foreign town. The closest I’d come to the doorsteps of Cockney streets and towns was sitting in front of the telly late at night and past midnight to early morning watching the old pinewood studio movies starring Alex Guinness. Titles like “The Lavender Hill Mob”, “The Man in the White Suit”, and Television Series “Minder” epitomised these characters of London. In the midst of it all, the Minder on every corner, and, a previous journey actually took me to Lavender Hill Road.

On my homeward journey these scenes would be a thankful distraction from the boredom of familiar train travel. I could do a little pretending and watch the countryside whistle past my cabin window in tantalization.

Meanwhile: Enter Cressida Bell, an artistic dynasty; Cressida is the latest in a long line of distinguished creative talents produced by her family. Her father was writer and artist Quentin Bell, her great aunt Virginia Wolf, and her grandmother Vanessa Bell, the painter. Drawing her inspiration Cressida has inherited Vanessa’s fresh approach to colour, and developed a distinctive style all her own. As a woman designing for men, Cressida Bell starts with a very different perspective. “I design ties that I would like to wear if I was a man!” she says. Always drawing in her sketch book, she says some of her best designs evolve from the ideas she records here.

Her customer base extended across the Atlantic, her textiles hung in some of the most famous museums and galleries in England, so entry into an unknown market was well supported and the whole licensing concept became a viable proposition, it was just a matter of pulling all the strings together, maximizing Cressida’s network.

As I began my Homewood journey from Cressida Bell studio the next phases of the plan would begin to unfold in my mind. Although these had been drafted, re drafted and documented a thousand times I would roll every point and allow for every contingency soundlessly. New ideas, or things not previously considered would sprout, nipped in the bud and entered into my diary and later transposed to a strategy ever growing in complexity.

I was quite adept at the concept of strategising, having studied it with great intensity beginning as a child. Boxing gave me good grounding in tactical response and focusing on strategic outcomes, in the “sport” boxing, the goal was pretty simple, win with as little physical damage as possible, outwit, out punch and outclass your opponent, where defence was also a form of attack, preparing to counter, and take advantage of your opponents over confidence, a weakness.

When I began playing competitive Cricket at age nine, my coach and captain Mr Harris taught me an important lesson in sport which transposed to life; he explained after noticing my ferocious tendency to win and my great fear of loosing, he explained, “When you are attacking, your goal is very clear, but when you are defending, it is not” what is the goal in defending? He enquired of me? I could not apply an answer. He went on to say, you must always be on the attack, your goals will always be clear” win, win, win.  Fortunately I was a lousy batsman, going out to bat at number eleven I never had to consider playing on the back foot defensively, it was a matter of slogging, attacking the ball and getting as many runs at the tail as possible. When it came to bowling, I was no bunny.

Mr Harris was quick to recognise my strength and guidance given accordingly. On another occasion he took me aside and taught me the finer points of aligning my body with the target as a sure way to hit nine times out of ten.  These two simple lessons have sustained my progress through life. “Take aim, fire and hit the target” this is the goal, the strategy, the battle plan, attack, win.

Later on as a boy scout I learned “always be prepared” this remains in my cluster of favourite philosophies and well lived most every day I can remember. Perhaps taken a little too seriously, and once rebuked by a very wise old friend who cautioned against being too dogmatic on this point and duly advised to cease living in anticipation, a very difficult habit to brake. In other words, balance your approach to philosophies and exercise restraint.

So much to the wind, here I am sitting on a fast train, heading to the West Country, home, but only to begin again another journey already planned down to the street number of destination. Anticipating, strategising, allowing for every contingency, always be prepared, when will I ever learn.

Well Mr Harris and Scout Master you taught me well and the lessons served me adequately through out a tumultuous life through childhood, teens and adulthood, but newer and wiser teachers have come along and advanced my intelligence beyond the foundation of mundane wisdom. And without excluding these early learning’s have taught me further wisely and strengthened my resolve in all matters to conquer from with in and without. So when living in anticipation I draw from the wisdom of my teachers through life and respectfully adhere to their advice.

But this aside, in business all the planning and effort applied can only lead to two things, they being; success or failure, what I have learned, you can do everything right and apply maximum effort, but the rest is left up to circumstance, you either have it in you to succeed or conversely to fail.

But there is a greater journey, it has no known outcome, no specific destination, all the preparedness planning, strategising can be to no avail, but the sheer wanting to know spurs me onward, in pursuit of the elusive goal of success. But in the meantime I gain a wealth of knowledge and having fun learning new things, an old dog learning new tricks.

So with London seventy miles behind, home twenty miles ahead, and, Beckford Silk one hundred and twenty miles into the future I am ready for the challenges of another adventure into the world of fashion textile, luxurious silks and cottons, bespoke fabric print, super fine silk ties, scarves, handmade jewellery and cufflinks, leather wallets.

About the Author

Welcome to the home of finely crafted designer ties and cufflinks handmade from fine Italian and English silks.

cub scout pinewood derby car designs

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Pine-Pro Racing Sailboat Kit $4.11 Simple, easy-to-build kits designed for ages 8 and up with some adult supervision. Kits contain all the necessary components for completion except paint and decals. Each is 6-1/2″ to 7″ long. Fun and easy to build, these kits will get your youngster started in woodworking. This is a Pinewood Racing Sailboat Kit from Pine-Pro Competition Components….

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Down and Derby $3.15 Features include: •MPAA Rating: PG•Format: DVD•Runtime: 90 minutes…

Physics and the Pinewood Derby $15.00 Physics and the Pinewood Derby is a feature-length educational DVD that teaches science and math through the pinewood derby race cars. It presents a perfect way to encourage your child’s interest in math and science, while spending time together building a great car. In the video, you and your child will learn: (1) The science behind the pinewood derby presented by a PhD in physics. (2) Tips and …

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Revell Pinewood Derby Tuning Set/Speed Kit $9.99 Officially licensed by the Boy Scouts of America. This handy Tuning Set has what you need to get the best possible performance out of your Pinewood Derby racer. The Wheel Truing Mandrel helps you make your wheels as perfectly round as they can be. And with the 600-grit sandpaper and Graphite Powder, you can polish your axles to mirror smoothness to minimize friction ? and maximize speed! Adult sup…

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