21 days left in Printing House Street
Yep, we're moving.
After 40-odd years based between Printing House Street, Steelhouse Lane, Weaman Street and Colmore Circus, the Birmingham Mail and its sister titles are upping roots.
In 21 days, at the end of Friday November 14, I'll pick up the last of the files I need to take and, with a nostalgic glance around the dusty, cramped floor-space, a final look out the window at the Dental Hospital behind the office and a dramatic flick of the light switch, I'll be gone.
With my colleagues I'll then drive up the Aston Expressway to Fort Dunlop. This iconic building is our new home in-waiting, the entire 6th floor to be precise.
Brand new furniture, ready to house our brand new ContentWatch production system, a carefully designed central hub (backbench to many of us), tightly gathered around a media wall (giant TVs/screens to monitor the internet).
The entire floor is ours and floor to high ceiling windows will mean daylight for all, views of the motorway, Jaguar, city centre, Castle Vale and Erdington depending which way you face.
There's even a subsidised canteen on the same floor producing real coffee.
After five years in the back end of a dark crumbling building in town, with low ceilings, failing loos, few windows and dire air conditioning, I don't think we'll know what has hit us.
Time to move on.
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Steve Dyson - Blog from the Editor on recent issues and events.
Just keep telling yourself it was a good idea. You might start believing it...
It's insufferable that you make this information available on a public forum BEFORE you tell your staff.
It is entirely in keeping with the way in which inmates have been dealt with over the past 90 days.
Seriously, 'M6 Tailback', if you are moving in there you'll be impressed. I guess your blog-name refers to queues, and we'll certainly be able to see motorway mayhem from Fort Dunlop. But I think you'll find any queues to the new offices no worse and probably better than queuing in and out of town.
I'm not quite sure what you mean, 'A Quiet Revolution'... there's no information here that's not been announced to all staff. Perhaps you've not had chance to catch up on Staff Forum emails or been at my briefings when I've discussed the same. Again, if you're moving in, you'll be impressed.
"...there's no information here that's not been announced to all staff."
Were redundant staff told they'd have to work their last two days at the Fort?
M6: You seem to be adding 2+2 and not equalling 4 in a bit of a blinkered way here. My blog entry on the property move hasn’t mentioned VRs, and nor should it in any detail as those are personal circumstances to be discussed with individuals. As a general summary though, and for your guidance, any VR leaving dates will be worked out specifically with those concerned. They currently range from now to as late as the end of December, with several staff willingly staying on to assist with the restructure, subject to business needs and their own availability. But in direct answer, I can't imagine any editorial staff being forced to work their last two days at Fort Dunlop.
Mr. D., I've spoken to several staff, and ALL of them were unaware that the last day at P&M Towers would be Friday November 14th.
A global email would have sufficed.
Fair comment re. actual dates for all, as there are still a few things to tie up for editorial’s complex physical move. It could be that that week’s Mercury and even Monday’s Post and some of Monday’s Mail are produced from both centres on the Saturday and Sunday. But as soon the final plans are confirmed the Fort Dunlop project team will clarify this globally.
A Quiet Revolution said:
It's insufferable that you make this information available on a public forum BEFORE you tell your staff.
It is entirely in keeping with the way in which inmates have been dealt with over the past 90 days.
October 25, 2008 5:22 PM
I have to agree you should have told your staff first, then them reading it first here
Truth is, 'Office Furniture', we've been discussing moving from here to FD for more than a year, fully involving unions and staff forums. The existing "mid-November" estimate has been well known and discussed for weeks. The final actuals of exactly who goes and precisely when is NOT yet 100% confirmed, and as soon as it is we will detail via global email. Meanwhile, I'm pretty certain that the main operation for the Mail will leave Nov 14. Whatever the subject, there are occasional urges from some to find any info re. anything objectionable. I understand that urge at a time of change. But it hasn't and won't stop the need to talk openly about the positives coming out of the move.