Games on!

The wait is over.

The Olympics- and after that the Paralympics- are with us, and in just over 5 hours time we will witness what is promised to be one of the opening ceremonies that will go down in history for its warmth, spectacle, humour, emotion and inclusivity.

We've been getting excited as we see London, a city we love with all our hearts, gearing up to host the world's greatest sporting event. 

It's been seven years since we won the bid to host the Games, and in that time London has worked its socks off to build, to beautify, and to welcome the World for this amazing event.

Every Londoner has played their part, but we'd like to thank the volunteer 'Gamesmakers' to whom we owe a huge debt of gratitude. Without them and our emergency services, the Games would not have been possible.

Parts of East London have seen a regeneration that was both long overdue and carefully planned so as to leave no 'white elephants'- every Olympic building and structure will pass into full use, from the stadium to the athlete's village. 

Bastows have done their bit too, working hard to beautify our city and make visitors welcome. But this is not about us- this is about the city and its people.

London, we are so impossibly proud of you, and we know you will enchant, delight, amuse and bemuse Olympics and Paralympics visitors. They are our honoured guests, and we owe it to them- and ourselves- to show them the spirit of London and the hospitality and care we'd like to experience on our own travels.

The Olympics values are respect, excellence and friendship.

The Paralympic Values are courage, determination, inspiration and equality.

Let's live by those during the Games- who knows, they may become a habit we find we like. 

Enjoy the opening ceremony- we are confident that it's going to astonish and amaze, and make us prouder than we've felt in many years.

Why tooling around on Facebook matters

There are plenty of companies out there who don't use social media; they consider it 'scary', 'complicated', 'a waste of time and energy'.

Let us explain why we do it.

We have strong values- to be Brave, Harmonious and True. We work every day to embody those values and be the best we can be. That's not just being 'nice', but going beyond what's expected to deliver something exceptional. It's not hard work when you believe that you get what you give- it's an investment in our relationships with each other, our clients, suppliers and the residents of the beautiful buildings we work on. Why do we need a relationship? Because it makes things run smoothly when you've built understanding. Simple, non?

So where does social media come in? Why does 'tooling around on Facebook' matter?

How can we demonstrate what we do, how we do it and who we are to the widest audience we can? Our sites are our billboard- if you want to see what we do, drop by (just be prepared to be inducted so we know you're safe.) Who we are- that's easily illustrated right over on our Family page. Plus, you know, you can give us a call and ask us anything. (Well, maybe not anything, but we know a lot about our business, plus Andy says he's good on sport and there's not much Steve doesn't know about Tottenham Hotspur.)

How we do it has always been the sticky wicket- you'd have to spend some time with us to really get that one. So we set up on Facebook, Twitter and this blog to share our unique approach and culture with you all. Have you read the website and think "There's no way they really work like that"? Well, we say the curous can follow us on Twitter and track back and see the evidence for themselves. Go on, then. We'll wait while you do.

See?

We really DO work like that. We weren't kidding.

Social media is our way of sharing our news, views, and just connecting with the wider world. It's not scary, complicated OR a waste of time. It means residents can check us out before we begin work on their home. It means clients can see the kind of company we are before they consider using us. It means our people can connect and share info. 

As much as there are businesses eyeing the internet warily, there are companies out there doing amazing things with social media too. We don't pretend to be trailblazers, but we're proud that we use it and that we use it honestly. It's just another channel for doing what we already did- communicating in an open and positive way. Each medium is different and has an identified aim- Twitter, with its 140-character limit, is the context of how we converse and connect. Facebook is brilliant for photos and sharing videos, and a little more content. The real meat is here in the blog (which we simply don't update regularly enough, we know- but we will, so watch this space.)This is where we'll be sharing the stories, and welcoming you into our Family a little more.


So we're ready to start sharing a little more about how we do what we do. Drag up a chair and join the conversation.

Missing photos!

Someone stole our photos- we're working on getting them back. Sorry guys and girls... Please bear with us while we find a fix.

Cleaning wooden floors: some advice (eco-friendly too!)

We were sent the below advice from our Contracts Director Nimesh, who's found a creative and environmentally friendly way to clean wooden floors!


Nimesh says:

Before you work on making the floor sparkle, they should be cleaned with vinegar and water. A small amount of vinegar in a bucket of warm water will do wonders for your wood floor. Make sure your floor is sealed and you wring out excess water before mopping the floors, as too much water could damage your wood. That all being said, once they are clean, you can now work on making them shine.

If you have natural unsealed wood floors , you can use linseed oil with a rag, allow it to soak in for a little while, and then mop it up with a little more oil.

For sealed floors, you can use 1 part white vinegar to 1 part vegetable oil to give it a great shine. Just combine the two, grab a rag, and rub it in like you are polishing a car. The shine will blow you away.

Sharing success

We have been featured in the Inspiring Business Performance (IBP) monthly newsletter for our achievement in attaining the Investors in People Health & Wellbeing award.


Another great opportunity to share our success with others who may just be setting out on our journey and encourage them to go for it...

Read more here

Contact us via niki@bastows.co.uk to find out about adding value to your business.

Nancy

Hi, Niki here. I just wanted to add a few thoughts on the previous post.

It's a truly exciting time and a delight to see Andy move into the role of MD (and very much deserved), and we wish him every success. I am confident that he has the skills needed to succeed, as well the support, respect and co-operation of us all. I would like to wish him wonderful days as the new MD!

We cannot let the day pass without marking the sad news that Nancy is leaving us. However Bastows being Bastows, we know we will ALWAYS be family, and we will still see a lot of her!

Personally, I have to say that Nancy has been a wonderful colleague, dedicated and hardworking, but someone who has also become one of the truest friends you might wish for. It won't be the same here without her... although I know different can also be good!

Nancy, this is to say a more heartfelt 'thank you, and I'll miss you' to you. We have come to share the ups and downs of life and learned to 'treat those two impostors just the same'. We have laughed and seethed together more often than we care to count. We have shared cocktails and tea in equal measure, in London and Las Vegas. I have listened to your insight and your inimitable way of stating exactly what's wrong with a thing (as well as what needs to be done about it), and for that I thank you.

We have made fantastic memories in the 4 years we've been friends and colleagues, and we are not done yet, missus.

Nancy, you're one in several million and we will see you soon, and often.

Our love and luck goes with you on your next adventure.

Hello, Goodbye

Bastows are delighted to announce the appointment of Andy Raczinkaitis as our new Managing Director.

Andy has been involved in the building industry for the majority of his career. He worked with our founder Derek Bastow for many years overseeing the scaffolding division of the business, before leaving to set up his own venture, enjoying great success in the field of heating engineering. He returned to Bastows in 2009 to manage the tendering of new projects and work closely with Sales Director Dave Brown to set up our ‘small works’ division.

Frank Bastow, now CEO, said:
"I cannot think of anyone better placed to entrust our Family to. Andy’s strong industry background, dedication and his drive to develop great relationships will be significant assets to us in the coming years. On behalf of the entire company, I am delighted to appoint Andy as a Managing Director that can lead our Family into the future.”

Commenting on his appointment, Andy said:
“Bastows has a proud history and is well-known for high quality and innovation, having built a trusted and valued reputation in our market. My role will be to build upon this strong foundation and help the Company to fulfil our intent, adhere to our values, and continue to deliver peace of mind to clients, residents and Family members.”

New adventures await...

After four years as a dedicated and much-loved member of our team, we are sad to share the news that Nancy Baker will be leaving us on 30 September.

Nancy plans to move out of the area due to her husband Paul landing a fantastic job - however on the upside, she will be moving to the coast, so a life filled with sea air, buckets and spades (and visits from us) awaits them!

Nancy may be leaving our team, however, we know that she will ALWAYS be a part of our Family.

Please join us in wishing Nancy all the very best in her new adventures, and love and luck in her journey. She will be missed by us all!


For more information please contact Niki Rosenbaum via niki@bastows.co.uk