York Racecourse

On the 6th July Banner Box visited York Racecourse at the behest of our customer – Jigsaw – to demonstrate a wide variety of high quality outdoor products for their prospective sponsors.

Included within this high quality display were our new range of festival flags, customisable for any occasion and available for sale or rent. Also on display were our complete range of windchasers, marquees and a selection of our banner frame systems.

Each year an exhibition is held on the grounds of York Racecourse, which attracts hundreds of people with the vast range of different products on show, all with the aim of attracting sponsors for the Racecourse. Needless to say the competition is high, but we are confident that our products speak for themselves, and the high number of quotes taken from prospective customers shows that we are still a market leader in providing specialist products to meet the needs of any business.

Special thanks to all of those involved on the day for making this exhibition yet another success for Banner Box.

Banner Box was pleased to support the annual Chesterfield In Bloom competition. Once again the winners of the competition were welcomed to Banner Box to watch their creations being printed ready to be shown for the annual event taking place later this year.

Over the past few months’ children from across the Borough have been busy brushing up on their artistic skills to enter the annual Chesterfield in Bloom children’s painting competition. Judges have now gone through the 736 entries from 8 schools and have selected the winning entries. The six winning paintings will soon be displayed on banners around Chesterfield’s town centre to help promote the annual Chesterfield in Bloom competition.

Richard Stephen, Head of Leisure at Chesterfield Borough Council, organisers of the competition, said;

“We tied in this year’s theme of the competition with the 60th anniversary of the Pomegranate Theatre and for the younger children the theme was fruits. As always the quality of entries was exceptional and it was a tough decision to get the final six but we’re really pleased with the final results.”

Brain Parker, Manager at Dobbies Garden Centre – sponsors of the competition – went along to meet the winning children to see their banners coming hot off the press at the local supplier Banner Box.

“We’re delighted to be associated with the painting competition and it’s been terrific to meet all the children today to thank them for taking part in the competition. We’re looking forward to seeing the banners on display in the town centre and our thanks go to all the other children who took the time to enter.”

Derbyshire Education Business Partnership (DEBP) also help to organise the competition and Kaye Cramp, Manager at DEBP said:

“We always get a lot of interest in this particular project and the link with the Pomegranate’s 60th anniversary helped inspire some great creativity this year.”

The winners of the competition will each be presented with certificate, trophy and prize money in September at the Chesterfield in Bloom awards presentation at the Ringwood Hall Hotel.

Winners of the 2009 Chesterfield in Bloom Children’s Painting Competition:

Reception – Year 2

1st Philippa Frazer Christchurch Primary School
2nd Isabel Dawson Christchurch Primary School
3rd Marc Hansen Whitecotes Primary School

Year 3 – Year 6

1st Corbbi Dowdall Whitecotes Primary School
2nd Peter Kay Christchurch Primary School
3rd Heather Willacy Brampton Primary School

Banner Box’s innovative Posi-Trac system found an ideal use at the Royal College of Pathology recently. The premises on the prestigious Carlton House Terrace in central London have undergone extensive re-development and a striking modern internal design had been specified by the architects for this substantial Georgian Property.

We were contacted by our client N3 Display Graphics to solve a problem that had challenged them. How do you install an 8m x 7m Graphic to a stair well split over 4 levels with virtually no way to get to the wall it was fitted to because of the height and restricted space. The Graphic depicted a stylised enlargement of a capillary to reflect the work of the college.

Although the Posi-Trac system is tried and tested this is one of the largest installations undertaken. The greatest part of the challenge was gaining access. To minimise disruption to the Colleges’ working everything had to be done overnight and be complete before the next working day. The working arrangements were carefully considered. To get to the area required Banner Box designed and installed an access structure to get up to height without causing any damage to the building.

The Banner Box team arrived on site at 5.00pm as the day staff were leaving. The access structure was installed over the next 5 hours, followed by the installation of the graphic. Once adjustments and checks had been done the access platform was removed and the building was ready for the next day’s business. The team arrived back at base by 4am ready for a nights sleep.

If you would like more information about the system used or our installation service call on 01246 472949

Banner Box Catalogue Brochure Cover 2009

Each year Banner Box expands our range of products to meet the demand for new and innovative graphic display solutions to suit any situation. To start the spring season we are happy to celebrate the release of our brand new 2009/2010 brochures.

As well as our existing products we have released a number of new innovations that we hope will be of interest to you.

• We have added to our very popular Windchaser Flag Range. Now available in five Shapes and introducing our brand new Micro Windchaser ideal for point of sale use.
• Our Installation & Maintenance Service continues to expand; we can take away the hassle of commissioning any of our products throughout the country.
• The Café Windbreak System is re-launched now including our new Rope stand product. Now manufactured in stylish Stainless Steel.
• The Best Selling Banner Frame Ranges have been expanded, as well as improvements to the existing products we have added The Garage Forecourt Frame. Made from non-flammable materials it makes the ideal branding solution for petrol station forecourts.
• There have also been significant reductions in prices for Printed Products. We specialise in High Quality Textile Print for POS, Exhibitions, flags & banners.

Banner Box is also pleased to announce that the Banner Box Website will be sporting a new look this spring. This is continuously developed as a trade information resource. Over the coming weeks you will see extensive product information, PDF technical downloads, and graphics templates added to the site as well as our full E-commerce facilities.

University of Sheffield IT Department

Continuing the theme of ‘unusual projects’ The University of Sheffield called on Banner Box when it wanted something truly un-usual for one of it’s IT Suites. The Department of Geography is celebrating it’s 100th Anniversary and as part of the year there have been upgrades to a number of it’s key facilities. During the refurbishment of the IT facilities it was decided to do something special with the Curtains.

The Department required high quality black out curtains to enable lecturers to use projectors in the room. However rather than opting for a simple set of plain curtains they decided to use the curtains as a teaching aid. In consultation with the department artwork was prepared with a series of world maps showing may aspects of population & social variations known in the jargon as ‘Social & Spatial inequalities’. These maps distort the physical size of the land mass to show aspects such as ‘internet usage’ or ‘access to sanitation’ so an area with below average figures appearing smaller and vice versa.

University of Sheffield IT Department Detail

Banner Box had the job of turning the academic theory into reality. We printed the graphics on our superwide ColorBooster digital textile printers to a fire retardant display fabric. This was then lined with an opaque interliner to create the finished curtains. The curtains were hung using heavy duty tracks with pull cord closures. Despite the deadline being moved forwards by 10 days Banner Box were able to complete the project in time for the official re-opening by the University Vice Chancellor on The 3rd of December. Banner Box Offer a number of curtain and blind products including Roller Blinds, Vertical & Roman Blinds as well as Curtains.

For more info contact the team on 01246 472949 or email sales@bannerbox.co.uk

A Decotex Polyester Suit? It's Madness!

Banner Box was set a rather unusual challenge this summer by local man, Alvey Howghton. Mr Howghton was due to get married at the end of the summer and was looking for help in printing a suitable fabric material for his wedding suit.

Mr Howghton & his bride-to-be are both huge fans of the group Madness, and were given the idea by the video to the Madness song, (Waiting for the)Ghost Train. In the video, the band don white suits, covered with black newsprint. This inspired Mr Howghton to have a similar suit for his fast-approaching wedding day.

Banner Box helped draw up the newsprint graphic, which was then printed onto our Decotex polyester material, which a local tailor was then able to manufacture into a made-to-measure finished suit.

The job was finished in time for the big day, and created quite a striking effect. Banner Box would like to offer our congratulations to Mr & Mrs Howghton.

Fitting Mast To Maid of the Loch

Banner Box was contacted late last year by the committee responsible for the restoration of the Maid of the Loch. They were looking for an effective way to replace the original wooden masts that had decayed and had been taken off for safety reasons. A.J. Inglis of Pointhouse, Glasgow, built P. S. ‘Maid of the Loch’, in 1953, and is now the sole surviving Loch Lomond paddle steamer and also the last traditional paddle steamer to have been built in the UK.

After taking advice from various sources on the best materials needed for the project, it was decided that Aluminium masts would be more durable and cost effective than replacing them with wooden masts again. Nedal Aluminium a Dutch company that manufactures ships masts was contacted for a quotation, Nedal advised the committee to contact Banner Box because we are the only stockists of the 15 metre tall masts in the UK that met the base dimensions, which would be required for this job.

New Mast Fitted For The Maid Of The Loch

We carried out a feasibility study on the site to find the best way we could fit the masts to the ship, using the original schematics of the ship to manufacture the ancillary equipment needed. A 35 metre tall crane was used once the masts were assembled to lift the masts into place on the ship, once the masts were set in place a Bonsun’s chair was used to fit and connect the rigging and halyards to the ship. The whole of the project took only two days on site to complete.

The fitting of the masts drew a large number of visitors and enthusiasts, the press were also present in the final stages of fitting as the ship had become something of a local interest as the masts had been absent for a number of years. One local commented, “It looks like a ship again with its new masts”. The locals saw it as another step towards the rebirth and eventual sailing for the Maid of the Loch.

Rebecca Addlington Bus Through Mansfield

The phenomenal success of the GB Team at the Beijing Olympics has created a huge increase in demand for Flags and Banners to congratulate the returning athletes.

Banner Box is located just 5 miles from the town of Mansfield, home of the double Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Addlington.

Tuesday 26th August saw a homecoming parade for Rebecca to celebrate her success.

Banner Box staff joined the many thousands of wellwishers who turned out to see Rebecca as she toured the streets of the town on an open top bus.

As part of the celebration Banner Box was asked by the town council to provide a pair of new 8m Flagpoles & Flags for the local swimming pool which has been re-named the Addlington Aquatics Centre in her honour.

Rebecca has also had a pub named after her.

Pub Named after Rebecca Addlington in Mansfield

Following the parade she was welcomed at a civic reception by the Mayor of Mansfield who presented her with a pair of Gold Jimmy Choo Shoes that he had promised her at a send off party.

Gold Jimmy Choo Shoes For Rebecca Addlington

Both the Beijing Games and the forthcoming London 2012 Games have specified Digital Textile print for a wide variety of event branding, and signage, the flexibility combined with ease of installation and it’s considerable environmental benefits compared with Solvent print and PVC materials means event organisers are increasingly turning to Digital textiles for their requirements.