It's Show Time!

2017 was our first full year providing quality Jaguar wedding cars for many happy couples, 19 in fact, and each one was so much fun. The many reviews on our website bears witness to the high level of personal service we have provided, some of which are part of our 21 5 star google reviews we have received so far.

Also in April 2017, we launched our high quality executive travel chauffeur service and during last year, we completed 44 travel jobs and have again received many testimonials and 5 start google reviews. 

Other activities in the year comprised of building relationships with hotels, local businesses as well as being part of networking groups to widen our exposure helping people and businesses to associate us with a high quality brand of chauffeur services, whether that is for weddings or executive travel.

In addition, we have attended many wedding shows in multiple venues and during the first 3 months of 2018, we continue to exhibit at a number of wedding shows in the area.

I would like to highlight the next one in particular, organised by The Whitewed Directory, the Great Western Wedding Show at STEAM, Swindon on 13th and 14th January 2018.

At this show there will be over 60 wedding suppliers exhibiting and we are taking over the whole of the museum space with such an interesting back drop with all the history that is encapsulated by STEAM. It will be amazing with live entertainment and so many people to see.

I fully recommend coming to chat about your wedding day requirements and, even if you do not have a wedding coming up soon, come along, as there are may suppliers there including ourselves, who do not just do weddings!

The days and weeks leading up to a wedding show of this nature for us as exhibitors, are full of activity such as regular social media posts, ensuring we have enough marketing material like flyers, business cards etc, and also preparing any presentations where on Powerpoint or Keynote, ensuring they are up to date and relevant. Not to mention preparing the cars for show!

Being part of the Whitewed Directory, after the show, we will be sent the Brides List comprising of those couples who have willingly made available their details, so that we can send them follow up emails based on conversation we have had with many of them during the day.

So, that said, the days before the show are spent creating the template emails that after the show, can be used to base our communications back to the engaged couples.

During the shows, we all arrive early to set up and for us with wedding cars, we arrive early enough to make sure that the cars are pristine once again even after the journey there. The stalls are set up and decorated with all our materials, making sure that the Keynote material is working well on the screens.

When the couples arrive, all is calm with us stood by our stands, just waiting to talk to the wonderful couples and discuss their requirements.

We all so much want the day to be fun, informative and interesting for everyone. So much effort goes into making it so, and it really is exciting to chat to so many people and hear about their dreams and hopes for the coming day.

It is always amazing when we who exhibit cars, can clear down so quickly - our personal record is 5 minutes, and after a very long but enjoyable day, we are off home.

The  next few days are all about following up, which we do by means of email and then a phone call. The important thing is that the couples are contacted but do not receive any spam - we make this very clear when chatting to them and keep to our word.

So, here’s to a thrilling wedding show season once again and we look forward to seeing some of you soon!

One final word - we are also looking forward to the Whitewed Awards ceremony on 1st February 2018!

Very Happy Christmas to you all!

During this past week, our family along with millions of others has been trying to complete the final preparations ready for next week as Christmas approaches. It is a very special time indeed and whether you personally celebrate Christmas or not, we would like to wish all our clients and followers a very happy Christmas time and a great New Year!

Happy Christmas to you all!

It is true that the 3 of us have gone down with the common cough and cold, so this has ensured we have spent most of the time this week in our home.

From the business prospective, it has been a valuable time of reviewing the past year and planning for 2018. Time to reflect - what has gone well and where we need to improve.

Generally, we have been immensely encouraged especially from the massive number of meaningful connections particularly on LinkedIn and the 21 5* google reviews that have been sent to us, in addition to the many reviews sent directly by email. 

If you are not yet connected on LinkedIn, do connect and benefit from our regular posts and also from being able to connect to our followers too and expand your own network.

LinkedIn Profile view

To give you an idea, my connections on LinkedIn have grown from around 600 in July to the current level of nearly 5,500 meaningful connections! This is amazing growth in networking and I must give a shout out to Jill Chitty who has helped me in doing this. I can recommend her to anyone wanting to generate an increase in leads on LinkedIn.

Special thanks goes of course, to each one of you who have been willing to watch and connect as our story develops. 

Very special thanks to those of you who have entrusted us for their transport needs either already in 2017 and for the many who have made commitments to use us in 2018!

2017 has seen us provide wedding transport to 19 happy couples and achieve 45 executive travel runs, which has included transport to airports, events and special occasions.

We look forward to 2018 with great expectation as we move this 'start-up' business into a strong brand that will continue into the future providing high quality, reliable and personable executive transport to all - regardless of status. 

We are also so pleased to have been shortlisted for the Whitewed Directory Start Up Business of the Year 2017, and are looking forward to the awards ceremony in February!

Finally, I look forward to seeing more of you in the future and wish you a very fine family and/or rest time over the coming weeks. 

Thank you for your support

Confessions of an Executive Chauffeur

Finally, the plane has landed after a delayed turbulent flight, lasting over 7 hours. My executives all too often experience uncomfortable seating with cabin noise levels and poor quality food that make it hard to actually work, rest or sleep on long haul flights.

Once off the plane, they go through lengthy queues to get through immigration before finally collecting their luggage. Not all my executives have the budget to afford business or first class travel, so fast track is not always an option.

As they enter the arrivals area the automatic doors open and immediately they see me with my suit and cap on, their smile of relief is obvious! With their coffee in hand, I give them a warm welcome back to the UK and take their bags. 

The final leg of their journey begins… 

"Tired, just hope I can now rest and recover" 

• Will my chauffeur be there for me?

• How will I recognise him/her?

• The flight may have been delayed for an hour or more. If he is there, what will the extra charge be for the parking fee?

• How can I get that extra expense approved when I submit for payment?

• I need a coffee and can’t get one as that will only cause more delays. I’m hungry - the in flight food was ‘plastic’!

• My phone battery is flat and I need to let my loved ones know the plane is landed

• I just need to unwind and rest before the next meeting

• I hate travelling in a filthy vehicle as that can give an indication of how careful the driver is - attention to detail!

Preparation before we meet:

Two days before travelling they receive an SMS confirming that I will be there for them,  offering a choice of hot drink

Even after doing a journey before I get to the airport or other pick up location, I clean the car with a detailing spray wax

When a mobile number has been supplied, they know I have SMS’d their dependant to confirm that they have safely landed

Once the plane is landed they receive an SMS confirming I am there with that drink 

Meet & greet

Coming through Arrivals, my executive knows that I will be there, easily  recognisable as I always wear my chauffeur’s cap along with my chauffeur 3 piece suit, their coffee in hand 

It is always a relief to see me, as my executives know they are being cared for - I offer to help with their luggage and after paying for parking (no added charge), I escort them to the pristine Jaguar

Approaching the car 

Once at the car, I open the door(s) and the executive can rest inside while I load their luggage 

Waiting for him in the car, is a bottle of mineral water, snack bar, mints, tissues, quality magazines and a daily newspaper usually of their choice

They can recharge their mobile with charging cables provided using the twin USB points

I confirm that my mobile is on flight mode and the radio remains off, unless they request it

During the journey

Soon after starting the journey, I check that the air con is set correctly for them, and offer a charging cable for their mobile

My executive is able to either rest, make phone calls in private, or work in comfort while I drive them in safety to their destination, making any requested stops en route

I only engage in conversation when the executive initiates it

If they need internet access and their carrier has no reception, I offer them a hotspot off my mobile

On the journey, I drive to maximise their comfort and safety - I plan my breaking and cornering and do not accelerate rapidly

I ensure a steady journey that progresses comfortably within legal limits and at a safe distance from the cars in front

To the door

Once the journey is complete, my executives pay the  pre-agreed amount by any major debit/credit card using our reliable Worldpay card machine. 

No surcharges are added and the price is the same as when they booked initially. They are given an invoice for their records

If raining, I offer to escort them to the door under a large umbrella

How different things are when we are not there. Alternatives being public transport:

After coming off the plane often in a daze: 

Executive needs to find his way to the taxi rank

Stand in a queue not protected from the rain and sometimes next to someone who is smoking

Once his turn comes, often he will have to load his own luggage into the dirty cab, open his own door, and the meter has already started

Then, the executive explains where they are going, noticing that the car is either too hot to too cold and smells of smoke, or worse - ok if you are a smoker but if you are not?

Driving standard is poor and often illegal - the taxi driver is preoccupied with the ear piece which is connected to his mobile (where they use the mobile ‘legally’)

Driver is also known to be ranting about the standards of other drivers

… is talking to his office about the next job or even on his own personal call

… has his arm resting on the door, not in full control the vehicle, braking erratically and swerving from lane to lane carving up others

They are asked about what work the executive is involved in and tells him about his clients he has had in the car before him or discusses the current news having a very strong political opinion that he must share

Close calls

Does all or some of the above sound familiar? Probably, because that has often been my experience in my past employments when I have used a taxi. There are of course, exceptions to the rule and some taxi drivers are far superior to others.

One of the worst taxi trips I have ever experienced was in Istanbul when I was on a business trip for the corporate company I used to work for.

Our team were being taken back to the hotel late at night by two taxis. The drivers drove at an unsafe speed, braked erratically, cornered sharply with the result that we were literally being thrown about. 

Fearing for our lives, for some reason, it seemed they stopped in the middle of the road and refused to go any further. 

We had to pay and get out - I have no idea to this day why and all I can think of is that perhaps we hit a time limit for those particular drivers shift.

That led to me walking back to our hotel alone in the middle of the night through a rather risky part of Istanbul, but that is entirely a different subject!!

On another occasion, I was coming through UK Arrivals and checked through the sea of faces and sheets of paper and card with names on and mine was no where to be seen. 

I checked my emails and messages, and sure enough I had arranged for a lift but he wasn’t there! I rang the taxi company who argued with me but eventually decided to send someone out. I was later home than expected, tired and frustrated.

Other times, a driver was giving me his opinion on an election campaign in the UK, not a great subject that I wanted to engage on when tired from the previous flight and a stressful series of business meetings in a foreign country. “I just want a quiet journey - is that too much to ask for?”

All the above and many more experiences propelled me to offer an entirely different service to my clients once we started our family business.

and finally… 

The options are clear, but the standards are so very different. We provide the high level that defines our executives so that when they arrive they are relaxed, calm and ready to face the next opportunity with a rested mind and body.

ABOUT DAVE

Dave has been working in the corporate world for over 15 years before he decided to set up his own business and provide a much higher standard in chauffeur experience than he ever received himself. As well as being a quality chauffeur for executives and private people, he has also successfully set up a Jaguar wedding car business that exceeds expectations, being selected as a finalist in the Whitewed Startup Business of the Year 2017 - watch this space for the awards ceremony in February 2018!

Additionally, Dave makes sure his driving is of the highest standard and after passing the IAM Roadsmart Advanced Drivers qualification in 2013, he has just passed the IAM Roadsmart Masters qualification as well - demonstrating his commitment to excellence.

Below are just a few of the many recent reviews on our website:

“Earlier this week a colleague of mine and I were at a conference and award evening and decided to travel back home to Fleet in Hampshire and Swindon instead of paying for extremely expensive hotel rooms. We approached Dave and he happily came up with a solution which suited our circumstances along with great value for money. Dave was prompt on arrival and called us and text us to let us know he had arrived and on approaching the front of the hotel, he greeted us like clients and not just BNI members which was great. The journey was very smooth and comfortable in his high quality Jaguar and having a snack bar, water and phone charger made the experience all the more enjoyable. If you are considering any form of travel or booking wedding transport and want to take the worry out of the situation, I would strongly recommend DB executive travel. Thank you Dave" Mark

“The best chauffeur experience we have ever had: exceptionally professional and reliable, for both business and personal circumstances. Could not be any happier with Dave! We will definitely use DB Executive Travel as often as they are available.” Qing

“DB Executive Travel provided me with an airport pick up after a long haul flight and I must say the experience truly was exceptional, every detail was covered including a 'welcome home' coffee. This was no ordinary airport transfer. Thank you!” Adam

Typical Admin Day

Having mentioned about what started off as a ‘network meeting’ day last week, I thought I would give an insight into what I do during a working day when not attending network meetings or when I am not sat behind my steering wheel for executive travel or wedding car duty.

Thankfully, the days vary quite a bit, but there is a pattern which goes something like this:

Having already walked the dog and had breakfast, I start the day with cup of tea and do some social media posts which includes Facebook, Twitter and Instagram - I have found for over a year now, it is good to keep our presence on these platforms showing many different types of photographs, usually of the cars on jobs. 

With a good coffee, I’ll then catch up on LinkedIn posts responding back to any inquiries, welcoming new connections and inviting others to connect, thanking for ‘likes’ and ‘profile views’ and responding back on comments made on any of my posts. It is so important to be active on LinkedIn in a way that is personable and shows that I am a real person. I also view what has landed on my wall and like/comment on those that catch my eye. 

During the rest of the morning depending on the weather, I might be cleaning the car(s) from the day/night before, so that they are ready for the next job.

Lunchtime consists of food of course, but also involves taking our dog for another walk. Midday’ish, another post on the 3 social media sites mentioned above.

In the afternoon, I often use that time to catch up on our accounts, emails, or as now, writing a blog, or crafting another post on LinkedIn. 

I am also on the lookout for companies within a local area to our base, where I might be able to develop a relationship that could lead to more business.

The services we provide, can be a genuine help to businesses where, as my LinkedIn profile says, they can receive real benefit from using us.

Of course, all the timing of the above is flexible because I am often with a client on a journey any time day or night or indeed any day. 

As we are running our own business, I have to wear many business hats, and this afternoon, I received a call from a compliance SME who was following up a previous discussion we had, working through our business compliance with regards to the oncoming EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) deadline on 25th May 2018.

Even though we are currently a small family business, we still need to comply and so does every business, no matter how large or small they are.

If you are reading this and are not aware of GDPR, then I urge you to get in touch and I can fully recommend someone who can help. The deadline will come and ignorance will not be a defence. 

Applying the System of Car Control

IAM Roadsmart System of Car Control

Applying the System of Car Control as described by IAM Roadsmart & Roadcraft

The 'System' is a systematic method of driving which, if used correctly, will substantially reduce the risk of a driver being the cause of an accident. A detailed explanation of the System is given in Roadcraft, the police driver's manual, and it is to this book you must refer if you want a thorough understanding. There are five phases of the System which must be considered on the approach to any hazard. A hazard can be the presence and/or movement of any vehicle or pedestrian, a road feature such as a roundabout or a climatic feature such as a sudden downpour of rain.

The five features are:

• Information

• Position

• Speed

• Gear

• Acceleration

The Information phase overlaps every other phase of the System.

• Take information by looking at traffic signs and looking at the position and movement of vehicles and pedestrians. Be aware of observation links i.e. the hazards associated with what can be seen e.g. parked vehicles, a pedestrian flagging a taxi, a garage forecourt, a pedestrian walking to the front of a bus or roadside telephone poles formed into a curved line in the distance. Use your mirrors at any point in the System but particularly before changing position, before slowing or after changing gear i.e. a final check behind before the hazard is reached.

• Use the information you have gathered by making a plan to deal with the identified hazards and making contingency plans for dealing with the unexpected e.g. car doors opening, a taxi suddenly stopping, a car shooting out of a roadside garage, a bus suddenly stopping or a car coming fast out of a bend ahead.

• Give information to other road users e.g. using your indicators to inform them that you are going to change position, using your horn or flashing your headlights to let them know of your presence. Position your vehicle to re-enforce any other form of signal.

Position yourself so that you can pass hazards safely and smoothly. Give a good clearance when passing parked vehicles, cyclists or when overtaking moving vehicles. Follow the advice given in the Highway Code for positioning on the approach to roundabouts. Position yourself when approaching bends in national speed limit areas so as to maximise your view of the road ahead - taking account of oncoming/following vehicles and nearside hazards. Good observation will allow you to make the most effective use of available (legal) road space e.g. taking a clear lane at traffic lights on a dual carriageway. Good positioning smoothes progress.

Speed: Obtain a safe speed to negotiate the hazard. Reduce speed, if need be, by either easing the pressure on the accelerator pedal (deceleration) or by braking. Whatever method is used it is essential to lose speed smoothly.

Gear: Once you have the right speed for the hazard, engage the correct gear for that speed. The aim, almost all of the time, is to have a clean separation between braking and changing gear i.e. no overlapping. Slight overlapping when going downhill into a corner or a bend is acceptable PROVIDED you do the gear change when most of the braking has already been done.

Acceleration: Consider accelerating away from the hazard after taking account of your speed and the position/movement of other road users. The accelerator pedal is NOT an on/off switch to be suddenly pressed to the floor when a hazard has been negotiated. Use the pedal smoothly. 

DB Wedding Cars & Executive Travel shortlisted in first ever The Whitewed Directory Awards

OK so we are super excited to have been short listed for the prestigious award:

It has been announced that DB Wedding Cars & Executive Travel has been shortlisted in the first-ever The Whitewed Directory Awards.
Wiltshire based DB Wedding Cars & Executive Travel is shortlisted for the Start-up Business of the
Year 2017 Award.
The Whitewed Directory is the region’s ultimate resource for grooms and brides-to- be, offering a
definitive directory of vetted and approved wedding suppliers. The Whitewed Directory Awards
were launched in June this year to recognise Wiltshire and Gloucestershire’s best wedding planners and suppliers. 
Creator of The Whitewed Directory, Natalie Lovett, said: “Congratulations to DB Wedding Cars & Executive Travel for being shortlisted in the inaugural The Whitewed Directory Awards.
“We were very pleased to launch these awards earlier this year because we wanted to recognise the high levels of professionalism and incredible standards of service we see from our many dedicated suppliers.
“It’s fantastic that we have had so much interest in the awards and are delighted to have received
many excellent nominations from around the region. All of our shortlisted nominees should feel very proud of themselves for this fantastic achievement and we can’t wait to find out who the winners will be at our exciting awards ceremony in February.”

The judges were impressed with David from DB Wedding Cars & Executive Travel’s professional approach to starting up, and his consistent stream of glowing testimonials from clients.

There are three award categories, Business Person of the Year 2017, Most Inspiring Business Person of the Year 2017 and Start-up Business of the Year 2017.
The winners will be chosen by an independent judging panel made up of three highly respected
industry professionals and will be announced at an awards ceremony taking place on 1st February
2018 at the Doubletree by Hilton Swindon.
The Whitewed Directory covers 40 different types of wedding suppliers throughout Wiltshire and
Gloucestershire, from bands and musicians to cake designers, toastmasters and fireworks suppliers.
Every company recommended has been vetted, approved and accredited with each agreeing to
abide by The Whitewed Directory & strict Code of Practice. Suppliers interested in joining the
directory can call Whitewed on 01793 238921 or email hello@whitewed.directory to find out more.
For more information about The Whitewed Directory Awards and the award ceremony,
visit http://www.whitewed.directory/ww-awards.html
Find out more about The Whitewed Directory: http://www.whitewed.directory
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhitewedDirectory
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thewhitewed

Wedding Preparation Mode

With the summer wedding season over, we now enter our autumn season with our first wedding this weekend. You would think that after many weddings this year already we might have lost some of the excitement for weddings, but this is certainly not the case.

The week before the wedding I have completed a pre-run of the route to make sure I know where in Calne it is that we pick up the bride and father, as well as checking for roadworks and potential hazards along the way. It is also a good time to check that the sat nav has the correct locations to avoid any awkward moments on the day!

The next route is to where the ceremony is to take place, so on this occasion, I drove to Chippenham and went to the location and while I was there paid a visit to a really good bridal shop, Amare Bridalwear, when we could catch up and see how we are both doing.

This is one of the great things about being self employed, is that I can put in some detours to do some networking, which helps both ways.

Next stop was to go to the reception venue in the little village of Goatacre. 

Goatacre has a very special place in our hearts as a family, as a number of our parents and grand parents were resident at Goatacre Manor Care Centre in their latter days, so it was nice to drive through the village once again. 

Before we approach the wedding day itself, the chosen wedding car, our silver Jaguar XFS is washed and waxed once again and the leathers go through the cleaning and conditioning treatment as well as carpets and all the interior spruced up once again for the brides special day. 

Thankfully, our cars are always cleaned and washed very regularly so this is not a very labour intensive task for each wedding, but they are all given that special treatment. In go the interior flowers colour co-ordinated to the brides colour scheme.

Finally on the day, the car is dressed with the chosen colour for bows and ribbons. For this particular wedding as it is a local wedding, we can do this at our base. For weddings further afield, I will make that a subject of another blog.

On the day, whether myself or one of my 4 reserve chauffeurs, dress in a black suit, white shirt and colour co-ordinated bow tie - a special touch we like to provide along with the chauffeur’s cap.

As we prepare to go to the bride’s house, we arrive close to that spot and then check that the car is still immaculate and clean any marks off the car before we arrive at the bride’s home 15 minutes before the agreed time.

It is essential that when the bride enters the car, that it is spotless so there is no risk of any dirt arriving on her beautiful dress as a result of contact with the car.

Once she is on board we progress to help make her day go as smoothly and stress free as we can on the journey, driving at advanced standard, keeping the car smooth and comfortable. 

Another happy couple begin their journey of life together and we wish them every happiness and a long wonderful life together!

Fit to Drive?

As you will have noticed from my first few blogs, I grew up in the garage business and although I was always surrounded by cars, I only started driving when I was 17 - the legal age in the UK. Thankfully, with lots of driving practise between driving lessons, I passed first time within a few months. I did have an incentive, in that I was courting the young lady who became my wife, with whom I share my life with still.

So, before I get all sentimental, fast forward a few decades to 2008 through to 2014.

Those were our most difficult years during which time both sets of parents died following individual long periods of ill health. We were traumatised as so many people are when they loose loved ones.

Within that period in early 2011, when my mother became seriously ill and around the time when she sadly died in March 2011, and the following months, after many years of accident free motoring, I had numerous minor accidents.

My confidence in driving was at an all time low, and I was seriously doubting my ability to gain another good insurance ‘no claims’ record again. The incidents even included a misfuelling into our S Type when I filled her up with unleaded and drove for a mile until she died. This resulted amazingly in the insurance company accepting the claim with the heavy excess charge that I paid, but the cost to the insurance company was £5,000. You can imagine with no ‘no claims bonus' being granted, what that did to our premiums for many years.

Time had come to take action, and it was then in Autumn 2012, that I decided to take the advanced driving test with IAM RoadSmart. After all, the last time I took a driving test was when I was 17. I discovered that my driving ability had dropped significantly and as I expected, bad habits had crept in.

Thankfully, after incredible support from the Swindon Group for IAM RoadSmart, I passed first time on 7th February 2013. Dad was so pleased and proud!

Since then, I have made driving for me an art form, and I pride myself on being the best driver my passengers including my family, ever experience.

I am not satisfied to leave it there, so I am now working on their Masters Advanced course, and hope to have a date soon when the test will be taken - hopefully I can then announce more good news not only for me, but also for my family, friends and clients.

The IAM Advanced qualification is also very good news for insurance companies as a lot of them acknowledge the advanced qualification and award discounts. Unfortunately, however, not for a business client like myself.

With more advanced drivers on the road, driving standards are massively improved and thereby road safety. I wholeheartedly recommend the IAM RoadSmart Advanced course. I wish you all well.

Off Roading

Earlier this summer, I did another wedding in the Cotswolds area and my memories were being refreshed on the drive back in Wales that I mentioned some weeks ago that we called ‘Top Gear Challenge’.

I am so glad that before we arrive on the wedding day, we always perform what we call a pre-run of the route we will be taking. Typically, this would be from our base at Royal Wootton Bassett to the brides parents house, then with the bride and father to the church or ceremony venue, and then finally to the reception venue.

So, the week before the wedding I did that in our 3 year old Jaguar XFS, and the Sat Nav said the infamous ‘you have arrived at your destination’, I arrived, but the cottage and road was not visible anywhere. Thankfully a postman arrived at that point, so I asked and he put me right. Sorted! Everything else on the pre-run trip went fine, so we were all set for the wedding.

The day came, so I started the S Type, the chosen Jaguar for the wedding, with my wife and myself to go to the ‘pre-location’ venue, where, having done the distance to the area we are picking up the bride, we then clean the car again and dressed it with bows and ribbons. This makes sure the bride has a pristine car even though we travel a distance to her.

Before we set off, I put the post code into the Sat Nav for the ceremony venue which was also the reception venue, but the Sat Nav did not recognise the code. 

Thankfully, with my wife looking after my phone, we used ‘Maps’ and set off to the venue and when there, I added the location as a ‘Favourite’. We were all set.

While I was doing the actual journey to the venue with the bride and father, who were delightful, they mentioned to me about going up a hill on a track parallel to the venue, so they could have some photos taken there after the ceremony with the bride and groom. Knowing the venue, I was aware of track, but hadn’t been on it before. When I arrived at the venue, the track was in the distance, and it didn’t look too much of a challenge, so I agreed.

The time came when the bride and groom as well as the maid of honour were in the car and I drove along the track and up the hill. However, the track had grass growing in the middle meaning that my car was scrapping on the mud and grass! As the incline got steeper, I was hoping and praying all the time that my wheels did not spin, especially as the guests were present! Thankfully, we arrived at the top of the hill and the bridal party had their photos taken.

Then, to come down again, this meant that I had to take it even more carefully and balance my wheels on the central grass ‘track’ and the verge to avoid scraping my under carriage again. My wheels began to slip but I carefully guided the car down and we were safe again.

Another satisfied bride and groom having once again gone the extra mile. I think I may be more careful about accepting these unofficial ‘Top Gear Challenges’ in future though!

Using DoDo for Claying

This is the final part of the mini series on how I prepare our cars for weddings and executive travel and specifically steps 5, 8 & 9 I mentioned in the first blog on the series a few weeks ago. 

• Use a clay cloth with juice to remove the deeper road grime

• Apply deep polish to remove swirls etc and polish off with clean microfibre cloth

• Apply deep carnauba wax to lock in the shine and give further protection and buff up with clean microfibre cloth

Initially, it is all about preparing the surfaces ready for polish, which is done with the clay cloth. Some people use a clay bar or clay mitt and which ever you use is all about personal preference. Although I am not sponsored by them, I have been giving a shout out to the supplier I buy all my detailing products from and this edition is no exception, so once again The Clay Cloth Company (CCC) have all these products online and I fully recommend them and their service, and a lot of the detail descriptions I have been giving of these products is taken from their website.

So what is a clay cloth used for and why? It is an effective method of removing bonded contaminants from the surface of exterior automotive finishes and glass. Decontamination of the paint surface is critical in order to take correct care of automotive paintwork for a multitude of reasons. For exceptional results using clay car cleaning products, the removal of contaminates before polishing provides a clean canvas, preventing  dragging particles across the panel during the polishing stage which will actually produce a marring effect, resulting in a duller finish. Marring can only be corrected by machine polishing with compound, to restore the lustre; this process can be both time consuming and expensive even for the professional and  is not without risk either. Poor skill levels when machine  polishing can produce burn through, which will require a  visit to the body shop. Other potential hazards include leaving swirl marks or compound trapped in awkward areas, which look unsightly. 

Having mentioned the above, currently I do not use a machine polisher, and that is one of my next acquisitions, so at the moment I polish and wax by hand.

To assist the clay cloth process, I also use Dodo Juice from the CCC, which applied with shampoo and water, help keep the clay cloth moist and working most effectively.

Once the surfaces have ben fully clayed, rinsed and dried off the next stage is applying the polish.

Currently, I use ‘A Grade Refinishing Glaze’, which is a very easy on and easy off polish that can be worked into the surface, providing a good base upon which to apply the wax.

I use Killerwaxx Carnauba Paste Wax which again is very easy on and easy off, which includes Grade #1 Brazilian Carnauba Wax which is 100% pure. It's the strongest you're going to find on the market and will provide valuable protection for 6 months. In my experience, the shine is like no other. 

It has been said in the detailing trade that it is difficult to get a deep long lasting shine on silver cars, and as you will know by now our Jaguar XFS is silver and we make sure that our clients travel in a clean and shiny vehicle to all their destinations.

Finally to answer the question about how frequently to I wash and clean the cars - this depends on the frequency of the weddings and executive travel jobs we do. 

Our commitment is to ensure that our cars are in a pristine condition inside and out every time we present them to our clients, so although they may leave our base in that condition, when we travel to pick up a client, we stop a short distance away and check the cars over and if necessary, wipe them down with a microfibre towel, applying water if necessary and sometimes apply more detailing carnauba wax. 

You will also notice when I remember that I use detailing gloves - recommended if you are planning to use any products on a very frequent basis.

Thank you for taking the time to read this series which is not an attempt to provide a tutorial, but just a guide to what we do to prepare our cars.

Its All About Timing

My initial plan this afternoon was to snow foam 2 cars, shampoo, rinse and dry off. This is following a family pick up from Heathrow T5 with loads of luggage in the silver XFS and take back to Gloucestershire. The weather early this morning was wet, so the car became very mucky.

However, as I applied all the snow foam as discussed in my last blog, to both cars, it was raining a little, and as so often happens in our country, the rain turned into what can be loosely called a mini monsoon. Snow foam now off with no soaking effect - its all about timing!

Some times my timing is better, but I have to admit other times I get it completely wrong and in this instance that is the situation. Timings for weddings and executive travel are meticulously checked and learnings can always be made, so I never become complacent. So, this afternoon, it is blogging time.

Enough about timings, so picking up from last week, I would like to talk briefly about alloy and tyre treatments and exhaust pipes.

There are a myriad of different products on the market, that can do the job, so it is a matter of own individual preference on what to use. That said, I am happy to recommend the ones I use and the reasons why.

Alloy treatment - if alloy wheels have been left unattended to for years, then it is inappropriate to expect cleaning them will bring them totally back to their former ‘new’ glory, so it may mean having them refurbished, where most dents and scratches and brake dust contamination can be removed, and the alloys recoated.

This is a professional skill and I have used a local supplier Platinum Alloys for this who always do a sterling job.

When I jet wash the car, I also do the same to the wheels, and with them still wet, I currently use Devil’s Mist Fallout Remover and Wheel Cleaner, from The Clay Cloth Company mentioned in last weeks blog. 

Brake dust contains high levels of iron and once in contact with your valuable alloy wheels, it can start to corrode the surface if there are small pin holes in the clear coat. Devil's Mist will turn red due to the chemical reaction during use which will indicate contamination! Once dry, the alloys can then be washed again using shampoo which brings the shiny alloy back.

Also on wheel preparation is tyre treatment, for which I use Killerwaxx Tyre Gel from the same supplier. This is a very simple wipe on to the wall of the tyres which then transforms them into a shiny black surface, that soon dries.

Lastly exhaust pipes. All the exhaust pipes on our cars are stainless steel, but they still need to be cleaned to retain their gleaming brightness. Currently, I use the same paint surface polishes, which will be discussed in the final blog on this mini series next week.

It's Snowing in Summer!

Continuing the mini series on preparing our cars for either weddings or our executive travel services, one of my favourite stages is applying the snow foam.

So why do I use snow foam as the initial step and is this done every time and what is it? 

I snow foam only when the car is really filthy as a pre-wash stage.

A pre-wash, utilising snow foam is extremely effective as softening damaging particles, traffic film, bugs and bird droppings before you carry out a hand wash and it works by drawing these away from the paint surface, wheels and any area where snow foam is applied. 

The ValetPro snow foam I use, is essential to prevent swirl marks, scratches and any other damage being created from these damaging particles which can easily occur during conventional washes without a pre-wash. The key is remove as much dirt as possible without actually touching the paint surface!

At this stage, it would be helpful to let you know where I purchased most if not all, of my cleaning supplies from, which is The Clay Cloth Company (CCC). Quick ‘shout out’ to them as they have been most helpful and are always available should I have any queries on the ‘how to’ for any task.

Snow foam is applied with a jet wash, but by attaching a snow foam lance which the water goes through with the soap foam solution being mixed with the water at predetermined levels. Snow foam provides a layer of white foam which completely covers your vehicle and this is left to work its wonder, usually for approx 10-15 minutes.

Then, the car is jet washed as normal, leaving much less dirt on it than before.

Afterwards, I use cherry snow foam, as a shampoo supplied as above with a lambswool wash mitt and dry off with microfibre drying towels.

I used to use a sponge and leather chamois which I had being doing since I first washed my cars back in the 70’s, but changed to a mitt and drying towel when we went professional last year, with much better results.

You may have heard people talk about using a clay cloth or clay bar, indeed I mentioned this process last week. I will leave this however, to a later time when I will explain the extra processes needed when performing a deep polish and wax on the vehicle.

Once the surfaces are totally dry, the shine can be enhanced by using detailing spray, which applies carnauba wax to the paint surfaces. The product I use now is CCC’s own Detailing Spray Waterless Valet, which is applied by a spray bottle and worked in with a softest and most scratch resistant microfibre cloth available on the market - or so I am led to believe! This requires very little effort - honest!

The finish is amazing, but is fully dependant upon the work done before and that includes the deep polish and waxing I mentioned but have not yet explained. 

Finally, for windows I use Killerwaxx Extreme Window Cleaner (no spelling mistake there!!), again with a Microfibre Professional Glass Cloth. The results are again incredible and I have never failed to have a smear free windscreen or windows. Fully recommended!

Still to come, is wheel and alloy treatment as well as exhaust pipes, how to prepare the inside of the car, and also clay cloth, polish and waxes. As you are beginning to appreciate, cleaning a car is not just about splashing on some shampoo and drying off - preparation is key to the way we present ourselves to clients whether for awedding or corporate travel, airport transfers, events or special occasions. We aim to provide an immaculate car to every client, every time whatever the weather.

So, I have 2 weddings and an airport transfer coming up this weekend, so I’m off to clean a car. Bye for now!

Washing Day Again!

I mentioned at the end of last week’s blog since our family holidays in our blue S Type, that she has been given a deep clean and now that she is only used for weddings. This leads me to answer what many have asked me since we turned professional - how often do you clean your cars as they are always pristine?

Well, to state the obvious, they do get very dirty on our country roads especially when it is raining. Having said that, the S Type is only taken out when the roads are dry unless we are doing a wedding in her when the weather is bad. Although she is very reliable she is still an old lady and needs to be respected to preserve her!

Needless to say I do enjoy bringing both our ‘working’ cars back to their normal glory when they have got messy.

Before each wedding the car that is being used, is cleaned immaculately and new fresh wax is applied. Additionally, we clean and condition the leathers in the car and give the whole inside a full clean, including inside the doors around the hinges as well, to ensure that the passengers who enter the car need not fear about any dirt getting on their clothes, especially the brides beautiful dress!

For the silver XFS, not only is she cleaned for weddings, but also before any executive travel journeys I do in her for clients, like airport transfers, events, special occasions, or taking clients to other parts of the country for a long weekend, when driving the long distance is just too much for them.

Additionally, when we have to travel a distance either before we pick up the bride or client for executive travel, the car becomes dirty to varying degrees from the road grime on the journey to the client. This means that we set off much earlier to ensure that we have the chance to clean the car again before we meet our client. 

Our intention, is that whenever we meet a client, the car is presented in a totally clean state when they enter the car. Not only is the car cleaned from any dirt when we arrive close to the pick up point for our client, but more detailing wax is applied - subject to when it is not actually raining at that time. Should it be raining, we ensure the car is clean in any case as much as is possible.

So you see, cleaning our cars is done frequently.

So very briefly, to pull this week’s edition to a close, when a car is extremely dirty, we follow the below steps, with the twice yearly additional deeper cleansing as indicated:

1. Apply snow foam with a snow lance attached to a jet wash

2. Leave to soak for 10 minutes

3. Jet wash the car

4. Wash the shampoo and a woollen mitt

5. Use a clay cloth with juice to remove the deeper road grime (twice yearly)

6. Jet wash the car

7. Dry with microfibre drying towels

8. Apply deep polish to remove swirls etc and polish off with clean microfibre cloth (twice yearly)

9. Apply deep carnauba wax to lock in the shine and give further protection and buff up with clean microfibre cloth (twice yearly)

10. Apply detailing carnauba wax to all surfaces except windows to add more shine and protection, including the stainless steel exhaust pipes

11. Apply special window cleaner and buff with clean microfibre cloth

12. Wheels are also cleaned with using specialised fluids and dried before applying tyre gloss and then finally adding the rim coating to protect from further dirt build up

I will leave to another blog describing the types of materials I use inside the car and outside, why and also where I resource them from to a later blog. I hope you find the above helpful and interesting.