by Graham Lockwood (a follow on from “Be careful whom you have dinner with”)

Now I have some amazing similarities with young Oliver. I spend most of my time in a workhouse, I’m quiet small, being 5ft 10inch in comparison to Andy Green’s tall 6ft something and having got involved in the Bloodhound Programme 18 months ago, I just want more and more!

As I have said previously, the Bloodhound Project is a highly contagious disease and once you have caught it, well that’s it, it takes over your life. You become a bore at parties because all you want to talk about is Bloodhound. It’s a bit like going to a party and having “Man Flu” when everyone else is in good health, you’re a “leper” or a “Billy no mates” and you’re bundled off into the garage with no one to talk to, (which may not be a bad thing if there is a classic sports car hidden there.) If you go to the same party with the same “Man flu” only this time everyone else has the bug, your “Mr Popular” and nobody minds the fact that you’re ill. Bloodhound can be no different. I guess what I’m trying to say is that we have to infect everyone with the Bloodhound Project.

So it came into being, I asked Richard Noble if he would be interested in coming up North to that well known town called Wigan, home of the pies. Would he also bring some of his friends and do a presentation on the Bloodhound Project? Now being the owner of G & J Lockwood Ltd who as a Product Sponsor does all the transport for the show car, EJ200 etc… Richard didn’t hesitate and so on a glorious Tuesday night, (it was glorious for the north) the big guns including Daniel Jubb, Jonathan Ellis and Jo Finch, were wheeled out and up to BAe Systems Social Club in Salmesbury, Preston. A gathering of G & J Lockwood’s customers, suppliers and its drivers all converged into the main hall after 30 minutes of drooling over the show car and the jet engine, taking pictures and slowly becoming infected. Julie and I had also invited all our friends and family to the event and so with over 200 people crammed into the Social club’s main hall the presentation began as follows:

“Before we begin tonight’s presentation, I need to advise you that we are not expecting any fire drills. Should you hear the alarm sound, would you please make your way out of the building through the fire exits located here, here and here, (Where’s the BA cabin crew when you need them?) I would also like to point out that we have a 6inch rocket here so there would be no need to rush! I understand that should the rocket come into contact with a fire, we would have what is called a sympathetic detonation! It’s not sympathetic to the poor bloke stood in front of it but ...”

And that kind of set the scene, we lulled them into laughter, Richard’s presentation was absolutely fantastic, humorous, factual and left people amazed. I never get tired of listening to his talks. He was on form and if you haven’t heard one of Richards’s presentations you really do need to go along to one or better still organise one yourself. Daniel Jubb’s presentation really did leave people confused because rocket science really is not that complicated which kind of destroys that well known phrase “it’s simple, it’s not rocket science.” A number of ladies approached him at the end of the night with their own brand of questions! (Correct me if I’m wrong Daniel!) We had Jonathan Ellis talking about the education programme with his own brand of humour taken from South Yorkshire, (being a Lancashire Lad, I totally appreciate the humour required to live in Yorkshire!) It was amazing how many teachers and head teachers were there. All wanting to get their schools signed up to the education programme and infect the pupils. Jonathan had a number of our friends approach him asking about becoming ambassadors. Jo Finch not wanting to be left out gave her account as to how she got involved in the Bloodhound Project and how she wants more.

By the end of the evening, we had exposed over 200 people to the Bloodhound bug. We had raised the awareness of the team's aims and ambitions; we raised a substantial amount of much needed funds to help with the build of the car. We also raised the profile of G & J Lockwood Ltd, a product sponsor of the Bloodhound Project. Since becoming a Product Sponsor, it is unbelievable the publicity we as a company have enjoyed. It has led to further expansion of our haulage business, which in the current economic climate is rare in the transport world. If anything we have generated more work than the company can handle which has created difficult problems that we have had to overcome by taking on more office staff and purchasing additional trucks.

 If you want to further your business opportunities, sign up and join the Bloodhound Project, become a Product Sponsor and spread the virus and don’t forget to ask the “God of World Land Speed Records”, Mr Richard Noble,

“Please Sir….. Can I have some more?”

But be careful, you may bite off more than you can chew!