General Banter and Random Musings

[Samki]

@knittynora - message me please with the Earlys of Witney and I will get this sorted for you. I don’t know what you have been sent but everything I had on the show was fully labeled, had the inserts for it and in the correct packaging. If you message me the order number I will speak to the team here about this. I know on this forum we have spoken previously about researching products and fact checking etc and I can only apologise for what has been sent out to you if it’s wrong.
The channel has had more than its issues as you have seen. I can only tell you what I know and have been apart of and I’m hoping those that are on the inside will also collaborate this;
It clearly hasn’t worked sadly due to a contractual issue with the platform and now - a major equipment failure that is trying to be fixed and not being able to which has sent the channel black.
So a disaster for everyone and leaving us all potentially looking for new opportunities. If there is any chance it can be saved - it would be but at the moment the priority is fulfilling all orders that have been made and making sure everyone who has ordered goods gets them. So any orders or issues like knittys I will raise and get rectified for you and anyone else reading this.

Thank you Alex - good luck for the future,

 

[knittynora]

Hello all, sorry for late posting, it was way to not last night, looks like I can only post one photo at a time, so here goes

 

[Marco_polo]

I think it’s fair to say it’s gone. Former staff are now looking publicly for work so even if that magic piece of equipment could be fixed there is no one left to operate it. I think it holds the record for the shortest lived shopping channel in the UK.

 

[SiRich]

Hello all, sorry for late posting, it was way to not last night, looks like I can only post one photo at a time, so here goes

from what i can find here kitty they dont have to have fire labels in bedding.

Fire safety of furniture and furnishings

What legislation applies in relation to the fire safety of furniture.

www.visitbritain.org

 

[Alex Knowles]

Morning Alex, was just photographing the bedspread to post on here, and um old fogey here, how do I message

 

[Alex Knowles]

I’ll message you Knitty and if you are happy I will give you a call. If you don’t get a private message pop up, let me know on here and we will find a different way but I will sort this out for you.

 

[knittynora]

I think you have to click on each one and the photo comes up

 

[Duke of Cheese]

What a mess for everyone involved. Well done, Simon Iles, not. Good luck to you Alex and all the others let down by this farrago.

 

[Insider]

Insider 2 (username doesn't state the 2).

I said I wasn't going to comment again, but I want everybody to be informed of what's happening (to one non-presenter at least), although, it's already clear that the channel isn't coming back.

I know somebody who's working there. They didn't want this known previously, as there was still a glimmer of hope, but he's happy with me saying now that he won't be going back. Yes, Alex is correct that there are many "issues". Some of the issues are supposedly trying to be fixed....*yawn*

However, Simon is extremely run down, and it's apparently clear that he doesn't care if it survives it not, and has really given up hope.

To the staff, he is trying to make it seem like it will be sorted/ there will be other opportunities to come soon. These "opportunities" he's promised my friend are unknown and won't even tell them...! Clearly Simon is going to start a new business once this is over (or they will get to work with Piranah....oh lovely). With my friend having worked in shopping tv for a decade, it's certain that the "opportunity" for him won't be in tv. Maybe one of his market stalls selling peelers? My friend loves working in the industry, and he doesn't want to take an opportunity outside the industry unless necessary. Unfortunately the false hope/ future opportunities don't pay wages for rent and bills this month. They are all looking for new work.

Unfortunately, people have been taken in by Simon's poor business plan, and believed there was enough spare funds to cover the summer period. This is clear, as even Alex says that it would've been naive to start the channel in summer and not have cash reserves. This is what's happened and pulled the wool over everyone's eyes.

I can assure you that Simon has lost a few close acquaintances, and I really really really hope that no other shopping channel will take him on. Not just the sly remarks, but also for how he's treated people in the industry. Unfortunately, I can't see that happening.

 

[Jazzydrury]

In my eyes Simon wanted a shopping Channel for years, appears to have a massive ego

Maybe a Autumn launch would have been better, Post Euros, Wimbledon, Glastonbury, Olympics etc

 

[Insider]

In my eyes Simon wanted a shopping Channel for years, appears to have a massive ego

That sums it all up perfectly.

 

[Jazzydrury]

No Doubt Create and Craft will give him a few hours

I did wonder why they still gave him some shows, maybe a hang back from Shop Extra who knows

 

[User 23988]

Obviously after the event it just proves shopping tv is dieing,unless your ingrained in people’s minds like QVC,a new shopping channel is a risky business.
As for the rest of the supposedly main players only tjc have the money to survive long term,yes we all know IW3 is part of that group,but really that’s used for selling tat,with sellers from IW2 still plying their trade as if they were part of bid tv.
As for the rest Bob Hope and no hope watch this space

 

[JonnyRyan]

Interesting read into there Financial Position https://find-and-update.company-inf...Y1N2FkaXF6a2N4/document?format=pdf&download=0

 

[Samki]

Insider 2 (username doesn't state the 2).

I said I wasn't going to comment again, but I want everybody to be informed of what's happening (to one non-presenter at least), although, it's already clear that the channel isn't coming back.

I know somebody who's working there. They didn't want this known previously, as there was still a glimmer of hope, but he's happy with me saying now that he won't be going back. Yes, Alex is correct that there are many "issues". Some of the issues are supposedly trying to be fixed....*yawn*

However, Simon is extremely run down, and it's apparently clear that he doesn't care if it survives it not, and has really given up hope.

To the staff, he is trying to make it seem like it will be sorted/ there will be other opportunities to come soon. These "opportunities" he's promised my friend are unknown and won't even tell them...! Clearly Simon is going to start a new business once this is over (or they will get to work with Piranah....oh lovely). With my friend having worked in shopping tv for a decade, it's certain that the "opportunity" for him won't be in tv. Maybe one of his market stalls selling peelers? My friend loves working in the industry, and he doesn't want to take an opportunity outside the industry unless necessary. Unfortunately the false hope/ future opportunities don't pay wages for rent and bills this month. They are all looking for new work.

Unfortunately, people have been taken in by Simon's poor business plan, and believed there was enough spare funds to cover the summer period. This is clear, as even Alex says that it would've been naive to start the channel in summer and not have cash reserves. This is what's happened and pulled the wool over everyone's eyes.

I can assure you that Simon has lost a few close acquaintances, and I really really really hope that no other shopping channel will take him on. Not just the sly remarks, but also for how he's treated people in the industry. Unfortunately, I can't see that happening.

It’s desperately sad when people lose their jobs - the presenters will be ok - but it’s the behind the scenes people I truly feel for

 

[Glen_C]

I am sorry for the people on the Facebook page who are being given false hope every day and succumbing to it..

 

[Muttley]

when you are a freelancer you need to be careful what you say, anyone out there can be a potential employer, even a current rival

Also, isn't there an expression along the lines of 'be careful how you treat people on your way up in life as you may see then when you're on your way down' (or something like that).

 

[Jazzydrury]

Den has just popped up on Create and Craft all happy and jolly

 

[Worldie04]

Den has just popped up on Create and Craft all happy and jolly

She will ... she's a TV presenter!

 

[Dr Quincy MkII]

Obviously after the event it just proves shopping tv is dieing,unless your ingrained in people’s minds like QVC,a new shopping channel is a risky business.
As for the rest of the supposedly main players only tjc have the money to survive long term,yes we all know IW3 is part of that group,but really that’s used for selling tat,with sellers from IW2 still plying their trade as if they were part of bid tv.
As for the rest Bob Hope and no hope watch this space

I think if you are smart about it and work out ways to cover costs, there's room, at least for the moment, for another channel. The whole Tik Tok and Whatsapp thing is a good idea in principle and I think that sort of thing could prove handy in the future. Social media is a savvy way to bring in people. But going online only, what extra sales you could have had have gone. I don't know any details but this stinks of an ego trip. Business decisions can work when you take risks, but he seemed to risk everyone else's career