From deck the halls to crystal balls - Philip White Freight takes a forward look into January

BONSOIR, tout le monde. Now I know that the concepts "crikey" and "Christmas" will be pretty much occupying most of your conscious mind. But cast a little of it if you will, forwards. On past turkey and surfeit, even beyond family dischord, guilt and calorie-related self-recrimination. Yes indeedy, as far as the abstinence and dolour of January's dawning days. For 'tis written that on just the third day of the new year, a big, white van will set off from Dorset and trundle inexorably towards the Alps.

There is a certain amount of goods already booked onto this service, but we still have availability. As ever, the PWF warehouse can receive items drunkenly or otherwise purchased online – or we can collect from a location of your choice. Our website still contains a range of uninformative pictorial and downright rambling written content, and you are invited into its clammy embrace at www.philipwhitefreight.com. There is a Contact portal there should you wish to send an enquiry, or just reply to this here mail.

Christmas. Crikey. May every one of you have a fantastic one. Catch you in the cold light of day…

Paix et bonhomie a tous!

Phil White
Philip White Freight

Drift Dodger

DECEMBER’S service was placed early in the month. This is a harsh part of the year for us, as while it is the peak of the chalet-furnishing season the birthday of a certain Mr J Christ cuts it really rather short. In our household, the birthday of Daughter a few days before puts another sizeable hole in the diary. Furthermore, rumours that winter would hit hard encouraged us to get a move on. A large white van is no place to be when it starts snowing, even with a full complement of winter gear aboard.

Our Mystic Meg skills were deployed well this year. This five-day expedition to the Alps and back involved only one morning of brushing snow from the windscreen and only one short run with chains on the rear tyres. On the other hand, it involved three evenings of pleasure in Chamonix. We had a lovely evening with friends at the MBC (http://www.mbchx.com/eng%20mbc%20home.htm), where the inevitable classic beer ‘n burger combination provided the perfect balance of carbohydrates and protein. Once Sunday’s labours (sorry, God) were despatched, a late sitting at the upcoming classic experience of the Hotel Vert (www.verthotel.com) Sunday lunch proved one of the best 24 Euros I’ve ever spent on a meal, ever. Sublime.

One of the great pleasures of being Philip White Freight is the numerous opportunities it affords, to stand in kitchens drinking tea or coffee, gossiping with enjoyable people. This time, among the multitude were the affable proprietors of Les Houches’ latest high-end chalet experience (www.ten74chalets.com), the equally excellent owner of Les Houches’ well-established high-altitude, ski-in, ski-out chalet experience (www.maison-jaune.com), the creator of what will be – by Christmas – one very beautiful chalet in Morzine (http://www.thewhitevalleycompany.com), and a man who commands a stunning view of Morzine from one of his rather tasty properties (www.themountainlodgecompany.com). Oh. And John Norris, genius long-term Argentiere resident and photographic chronicler of the valley’s many marvels (www.chamonixart.com).

Back home in the fair county of Dorset, our warehouse receives goods on behalf of clients. Many suppliers are brilliant, while a few are less so. Any mentioned here are in the former capacity. I’m judging them on their ability to communicate well, deliver on time and produce goods of quality that are wrapped appropriately for transport. If you’re organising trans-continental shiftage of goods, you need assurances that your original supplier will literally come up with the goods before they enter our tender care. This month’s crop of the great and good include, in no particular order:

www.johnlewis.com

www.sofa.com

www.dunelm-mill.com

www.bathrooms.com

www.appliancesdirect.co.uk

www.raftfurniture.co.uk

www.garycox.co.uk (excellent Weston Supermare-based window and architectural glass supplier)

All of this SEO-boosting activity aside, like a great big, tinsel-adorned elephant in the room, Christmas looms. May we all enjoy it. I’m going to take a little break with family and friends. Most of the guys I met in December deserve to do the same – although admittedly those of you running chalets and hotels will be pushing on through. But may we all enjoy some measure of yuletide pleasure… we’ve earned it. Merry Christmas one and all. I look forward to drinking tea and coffee in your kitchen, in the glorious wonder that will be 2015. Bon Noël!

Like a big, white Santa's sleigh, only at the beginning of December

 

Bonjour, chers Alpiniards

Having just returned from France and had a refreshing weekend of ignoring email, one's thoughts turn to work - more specifically, December's Philip White Freight van service. Partly because I fear the worst weather-wise, and partly because the rear end of the month is rather busy (even though I've got my head firmly in the sand, Christmas-wise), our next service will take place during Week One of December. We will depart on Monday 01 Dec, hitting Chamonix on Wed 03 and Morzine on Thurs 04 Dec. Then we'll trundle back to Blighty.

As usual, the PWF warehouse is at your disposal should you buy something from someone too malevolent to deliver direct to France.

A tout a l'heure, mes amis.

Phil White

Delivery notes: welcome to the Philip White Freight blog

FOR months now we have been threatening to give our website a brush and polish, and for months we have been rather too busy to make good on this. But thanks to a little holiday time some much-needed changes have been made. Welcome to one of them – a blog. 

There are no particular rules for this part of the site. We will post things that we think you might want to read, or that we think you need to know. Some of it will be all business-like and serious. Some of it, inevitably, will not. We'll try to keep it clean, though…