Thursday, June 01, 2017

Uncle Col - Your Spirit Lives On...

Some of you will have met Colin Fellows.

I first met him in 1987 when he was working at a company in Leicester called QED Marketing. I recall being asked around to his house in Castle Donington to discuss a project for Newey Goodman when I was freelancing. I remember being impressed that he had such a lovely house and family with his kids Nick and Ben who spent a lot of time charging loudly around the lounge whilst Bettie tried to keep them calm, and us both fortified with tea and biscuits...

He must have like what I did because I worked on several projects with him after that and within the year was invited to work in-house at QED for a day a week for few months.

This was at the time when designers first started using Apple Macs and QED had just purchased a suite of Mac II CX machines. I'd already been using a Mac for over a year and was pretty adept at using the applications (mainly Quark Xpress, Aldus Freehand and Suitcase etc). I was able to help him out on a wide range of work, alongside QED's in-house designer, Ian Rawlings who I had also worked with at Evets PR previously.

My business began to grow and I was kind of 'forced' to move out of the Radius (a beautiful purpose built semi circular extension to my house) due to large delivery lorries visiting the house (in fact it was a neighbour who reported me)  The result was that in 1991 we moved to our present address at Trinity House on Green Lane in Derby. Meanwhile Colin had been having some issues at QED and decided to 'go it alone'. Having discussed with him the idea, he moved into our offices in mid 1991 and set up Fellows Associates which proved to be a very successful and rewarding move for us both.

We enjoyed a really good working relationship working for clients such as Chilprufe, Newey Goodman, JMc, Systech International, Leicester County Cricket Club, Transmitton and many others, right up until his retirement in 2006, when he moved to his dream home in Calahonda in Spain. He and his wife Bettie spent time between the UK, Australia and Spain visiting sons Nick and Ben and their families.

Sadly, on May 2nd 2017 Colin passed away, having fought a long battle with cancer. He was able to enjoy his friends and family right up until the end and rarely spent too long in any hospitals so in that respect, he had, as some say 'the best given the circumstances'.

Colin was always very sociable and easy to get on with and very much a 'hands on' character. He will be fondly remembered by myself and I am sure, anyone that had the pleasure to know or work with him.

Colin - your spirit lives on...

Mags and Jonny - 22 years later...

One of my oldest friends in business is Mags Shaw who runs Mags Worldwide. See her old site here

I have known her since 1990 and anyone who meets her will never forget her. She has an amazing personality and her enthusiasm and love for life is infectious. Trouble is she'd never let you tell her that because when Mags starts chatting, its almost impossible to get a word in edgeways! Its all part of the charm she has...

The photo of us in evening dress was taken at the Sphinx "Trail to New Orleans" Launch event which was held in a marquee at Breadsall Priory in Derbyshire in 1995.

The photo of us in civvies was taken 22 years later in 2017 at Shaw's House in Guisley, Leeds.

Mags still looks the same whereas look at the old bald geezer on the right...

LIP Service

We heard a great quote the other day...instead of Rest In Peace,
why not Live in Peace.

Manchester, we support LIP


Coast to Coaster

Terrible headline, great product...laser cut pigment coloured rubber - no more needs to be said.

If you want some give us a call on 01332 291141 and we can help.

Save the Tiger

As an avid golf fan I was saddened by the demise of one of the games true greats, a child phenomenon and genius. A winner of 14 majors, and 73 PGA wins. A player who won 25% of the events he entered. Nobody else in the modern era has even come close.

Tiger Woods may be the greatest golfer of all time, if stats alone were to weigh. However he has (only!) won 14 majors against Jack's 18. So the history books will only ever have him in second place in this respect.

From a glittering start to his professional career "Hello World" to his loss of form and breakdown of marriage and health, Woods has always been in the news. Be that good or bad, his presence on a golf course or at an event creates a buzz.

I have seen him play the Open several times (at the Belfry Ryder Cup, St Andrew's when he won, at Open, Lytham when he lost to David Duval and at the Open Hoylake when he won a few months after his father's death. He stood tall and confident, almost ethereal. At the pinnacle of his game.

Yesterday the news of his arrest for DUI and subsequent press photos is just so sad. It almost underlines his current life status. Jack Nicklaus made the comment that "we need to help Tiger" and I completely agree.

Tiger brought so much to the game - distance, power, accuracy, charisma, deft touch, not to mention some of the greatest shots we will ever see. Those of us who saw him in his prime will never forget the sound of his ball striking, nor the elegance and poise. How should the game repay him?

I think that 'someone' should take control of the situation - I have no idea how this could happen or who could do this. But clearly he needs support.

The golfing community needs to do this.

Save the Tiger