Hi there! We’re back once again with an entry in The Balloon Market Blog, a great place to learn more about the people behind the products; always ready to help with any of your incoming or upcoming orders!

We’re having a talk with Chris today, who comes to us from the Warehouse team. Once your order is received on our system, it’s taken to our pickers who are ready to collect your items from our warehouse space. After the products are collected, they’re then passed on to our packers who make sure your order is arranged in an efficient fashion! Most our warehouse crew alternate between these two roles, so let’s hear more from one of these multi-skilled members of staff…

On the Meet the Team page, you’ve listed a fun fact about yourself. Tell us more about that!

I’m a member of the 92 Club, and as such I am a confirmed football fanatic! I first went out to watch professional football in the 1970s, but it took me until 2019 to visit all of the then current member grounds of the Premier League and the English Football League! Fittingly, the last ground I went to was Wembley Stadium, which was nice because it’s not often you get Wembley as a home ground for a club. I’ve travelled thousands of miles and have now visited a total of 177 grounds all over the country! My daughter is following in my footsteps and is about half way through her challenge, which is great for me as I get to go to many of the grounds all over again; it’s a great way of spending time with one of my favourite people.

What do you enjoy most about working at Balloon Market?

I get a kick out of putting the newly arrived stock away. I think it’s because I like to get the job done right, so when I’m stowing them away I like to make it convenient for the next order picker who comes along. Plus, it’s always satisfying to return an empty roll cage back across the warehouse.

Do you have a favourite product that we stock?

Not really, as I’m STILL finding new products almost every week, whether I’m picking or packing! Sometimes I find something that just surprises me, like all the acrylic paints we stock; I have a friend who’s an artist and they use those particular brands of paint. Until you actually go to pick an item, you have no idea it’s there!

What is one thing you wish people did more?

Right now I wish cyclists used the designated cycle lane that is provided for them! Next week I’ll probably have a bee in my bonnet about something else but that’s the main thing at the moment.

What’s the No.1 thing on your bucket list?

I don’t actually have a bucket list anymore because mine is already complete! I had two ambitions: one was to do the 92 Club as I mentioned, and other was to communicate or work with the world of spirit. I’m now a trained Reiki healer and run my own practice, so spirit can work through me and help deliver healing to those people in need physically. I made a promise to learn more about spirits after I finished the 92, so I did manage to follow through on that!

What’s your favourite kind of food? Is there a favourite restaurant you like to go to?

My go-to for a decent meal is always a Beefeater, as I’ve eaten in their restaurants all over the UK on my football travels; I recommend a mixed grill! However, if I had to pick out one meal that would be my last, it would have to be cod and chips with curry sauce from a reputable chippy!

When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up?

My ultimate dream job would have been playing top-flight professional football, but that was never going to happen as I have a three-speed gearbox in a six-speed world; I was never quick enough to compete. Football administration would have been a reasonable alternative, and for 12 years I coach administered for a youth football club. More recently, I’ve taken Reiki into the world of football with a two-season stint at a Wessex league side.

Is there something that most people like that you don’t like?

Television shows with a lie in the title: I’m a Celebrity, Britain’s Got Talent, nearly all reality shows to be honest, along with the soap operas too. They’re all just manufactured worlds and I don’t think any of them are even necessary!

Do you have any good recommendations?

My recommendation is for life, and it’s to always keep an open mind. If someone comes along and introduces you to something new, then there’s a reason for that. I’m a huge believer that people come into your life at a certain time, when the time is right for you to hear or see what they’re sharing with you. They’ve shown up for a reason and you owe it to yourself to listen and consider any new idea or concept they are showing. The decision to accept or reject remains yours, but you should still listen without prejudice.

Do you have a question for the readers?

‘What do you think of a ‘Balloon Market Hot-Air Balloon’ as an idea?’

Thank you for taking the time to chat, Chris! I think that having our own branded hot-air balloon would be an awesome idea. Can’t say I’ve ever been in one myself, but I’d definitely be up for giving one a go at some point. We’d have to go for our classic Balloon Market colour scheme and logo on the side… I imagine getting one custom made would be VERY expensive, though. Maybe someday, who knows?

Let us know your answers to this week’s question below! See you all next time!

James
Blogologist