What do BSW during the winter months?

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What do BSW during the winter months?

For many of us in the marquee business the majority of our hire work is in the summer months. From May to October here at BSW we are out every day erecting tents. In those months our workforce expands to up to 30 staff. We often have upwards of 6 or 7 vehicles out on a daily basis. But in the winter it doesn’t mean we are not supplying tents. As I write this in March and look back over the past few months I can see we have been pretty busy; we did a number of Christmas weddings in Essex and parties and events throughout East Anglia. In January we even supplied another marquee for yet another The Only Way Is Essex party (I will write a blog about TOWIE soon.).

This weekend we have a 21st birthday to do in Ricklings Green, Hertfordshire and in the past week we have taken down a big marquee in Kent for Ernest Doe & Sons Ltd. This week we have started to get everything ready for our first major function, the Living Crafts festival at Hatfield House in May (http://www.livingcrafts.co.uk/) .

Because we can supply heating for all our marquees it means that marquees can be just as comfortable in the winter months. We use the latest in marquee heating technology i.e. warm air ducted indirect heaters which are thermostatically controlled. This heating together with the latest lighting can make a marquee a great option for your winter or spring event. The chance of snow this year looks as though it may now have passed but a snow laden marquee is quite something. (We don’t have a snow machine yet…)

Over the winter we spend a lot of time refurbishing and cleaning equipment. We also do a lot of marquee manufacturing in these months. We have a specific sewing room with 3 heavy duty sewing machines at our premises in Braintree Essex. With a man on each machine we can create a handmade marquee in about 10 days. This includes a certain amount of hand stitching.

This winter we also spent time applying and receiving accreditation from MUTA. MUTA is the trade association for the UK temporary structures and technical textiles industries. Basically MUTA represents, and to a degree offers regulation to suppliers and manufacturers of textile products which includes marquees… It runs a health and safety accreditation scheme called MUTAmarq, for hirers of marquees and temporary structures. We are proud of our accreditation. We take health and safety seriously at BSW.

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