Being prepared

I was reminded of this today whilst coming across a portrait of the American opera singer Jessye Norman in Jane Bown's wonderful book 'Exposure'.

Many years ago we had Miss Norman in the studio and I have to say at the outset she is a very large lady. Our assistant was despatched to collect, in her VW Golf, Miss N form her hotel. Meanwhile we are having a set built and the producer remarks to the the set designer that he doesn't think the seating is quite 'appropriate', since she is a 'large lady'.

Miss N gets into said assistant's car and our assistant, Evelyn, says with some embarrasment, 'Miss Norman I cant reach the handbrake or the gear lever.' 'No worries honey' is the reply and Evelyn manages several miles through hilly Edinburgh all but burning out her clutch.

At the studio we are greeted with the sound of hacksaws and welding torches as two seats become one.

My point is... do your homework

and make sure at least one of your staff has a Land Rover?

Failing to plan is like planning to fail.

And planning to plan helps you fail to fail.

I have a saying - "lack of planning on your part does not constitue an emergency on mine".

Which, sadly, never stops people ringing me up "argh, can you get to ... NOW/1st thing in the morning please, we need you". Then getting miffed when I'm doing something else...

I would consider finding myself on a level playing field a failure to plan.

(Shamelessly robbed from a top aircraft design chap I have the privilege to banter with occasionally )

And if you fail to fail - are you a failure, or not