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I’m actually bringing you this gossip from inside Manchester United FC, from a moment I found at last month’s Security TWENTY event.
At the welcoming desk, we asked each visitor if they would like to go on a stadium tour, on the hour. The looks on people’s faces and their replies fell into three categories: those who were glad to go, fans from other clubs who wouldn’t dream of it, and those like me who aren’t at all into football. “I came here for the Fulham game,” one visitor said. I nodded, because as you recall from last month’s gossip, by coincidence I went to the ASIS UK summer gathering there …. but to be honest it means nothing to me.
Thanks
Apologies, that I couldn’t be in more than one place at once during ST. Thanks to everyone who turned up and supported us on July 8. Some of the locals who were at Old Trafford: Martin Southern of Camera Watch; and Janice McMahon of Steroplast, who had a non-football reason to go on the stadium tour; her company’s medical supplies kits are in place at Old Trafford. Staffing the Association of Security Consultants (ASC) stand was Dan Gillis. Thanks to friend of ST Mike White who compered the innovation stage where some of the exhibitors explained their products and services. The timings were right because after the presentations, Mike got a laptop out and was joining a remote meeting. Some end users who were there, two who have featured in the magazine are Alan Cain, head of security and emergency management at the University of Salford who stayed until the end; and Mark Babington, who you will recall was at Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) and went to the Nottinghamshire installer TIS and who has become operational control centre and security manager for West Midlands Metro (the trams).
Class of ‘92
As anyone who has been to the ground has seen, half a minute’s walk away is Hotel Football, where we go the night before so we don’t have a mad rush to be in time for ST’s 11am start. I was on the fifth floor in room 592. Gary Neville was all over my room. Not him in person, he’s too busy at the World Cup (I’m told, I’ve not been watching), but his framed shirts and posters of him in his United playing days. I should have taken photographs. I didn’t because the ‘class of ‘92’ was wasted on me. The fridge was full of 1992 vintage crisps and drink (to inform you if you’re younger than 34, Space Raiders and fizzy Vimto). I didn’t take any of it. I did bring away a sort of bookmark with the ‘class of ‘92’ drawn and their signatures, that I couldn’t read. My editor Mark Rowe went in the United Megastore, but didn’t want witnesses, and said he only went out of curiosity.
My diary
I’m taking a holiday this month. Before then, the Women in Security panel met, to go through each WiS category entries to choose the 15 finalists for the judges to judge – so yes, if you haven’t got around to entering before the July 17 deadline, you are too late, you will have to try in 2027!? Our panel are all past WiS winners: Lynda Moore of ACS Pacesetters, our host (at The Shard) Emma Shaw of Mitie, Sarah Cork and Jayne King.
Heathrow
We don’t stand still at Professional Security for one moment, we have WiS to run, on September 16 at Shakespeare’s Underglobe on London’s South Bank, then our ST26 season ends at Heathrow on Thursday, November 5. As always I want that to be a party (but no firework!?) the night before the show proper, with a live band.
Acquisitions
Feels like it wouldn’t be a gossip without the latest acquisitions by Ranger Fire and Security. Scion Communications are a fire and security installer covering the south of England; Emerald Fire Technology are based in Cork, and supply and service fire and gas detection equipment; CIA Fire and Security are based in Cirencester; and AKD Fire and Security cover the north west of England, and bridge the gap between Syncro, and Secureshield, in Motherwell. All this brings the total number of businesses in their group to 25 and group employees to more than 500.
Starts
At Axis Communications, Oliver Genders is starting as an inside sales engineer; Dave Dalleske has become VP of commercial and industrial sales at Dallmeier, Aiden Wroe has joined ADI Global Distribution as a field sales account manager, and Barry Clayton has joined Clarisec as a board director (see them on page 39). Secure Logiq appointed Miles Davies as technical programs manager. He’s bringing more than 20 years of experience in IP-based CCTV and video management systems, and particularly in Milestone’s XProtect video management software.
