LI G H TE R S I D E BISHOPS MOVE GETS 10 OUT OF 10 Larry, the Downing Street cat, remained close at hand Outgoing Prime Minster Theresa May, with Mark Allen, Foreman for all ministerial moves at Bishops Move Bishops Move, a large, family-owned removal company, has moved a number of very highprofile politicians in and out of one of the UKs most famous addresses No 10 Downing Street. The company recently took on the relocations of outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May and Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond from 10 and 11 Downing Street, respectively. The firm is no stranger to ministerial moves, having previously moved PMs, and was delighted to have been chosen again. Bishops Move was also picked to move the newest Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sajid Javid, into No 11 and was put on standby without knowing the move dates. As August is the industrys busiest month of the year, this was a challenge, but following various conversations and after The companys retro livery, specially commissioned to celebrate Bishops Move 165th anniversary security clearance was agreed, resources were allocated. Each move went to plan, despite soaring temperatures and various onsite building refurbishments, which meant changing move plans and access points. And, on day one of the move, incoming Prime Minster Boris Johnson held his first Cabinet meeting, so around 200 UK and international press were also present adding a dierent dimension. Both the Managing Director and Chairman were there for all three moves at various points to ensure that everyone involved, from the individuals and their families to the sta at No 10, were happy with the process. Two new, 18-tonne vans were used for the move, including one with special retro livery to celebrate the firms 165th anniversary. INTRODUCING THE BISHOPS BAG Bishops Move has introduced a new lockable bag as a modern alternative to crate-based office moves. The large, yellow, sealable bags have been designed to support employees, who can ll them with the contents of their desks and lockers. Once labelled, the sealed bags are transported by roll cages or trolleys to their destination. They can then be delivered WW W. F I D I. O R G FF293 OctNov19 pp100-104 The Lighter Side.indd 101 During Mrs Mays move, Larry the renowned Downing Street cat ensured he remained close to the steps of No 10. Al Bingle, Managing Director at Bishops Move, said: We were extremely proud to have been chosen by Philip and Theresa May and Mr and Mrs Hammond to carry out their initial moves into Downing Street back in 2016, and we were delighted that they chose to move with us again. To be then asked by the new Chancellor of the Exchequer to assist his family move in, on the recommendation of those already involved, was a testament to the level of service provided by the company. Throughout the moves, local press took advantage of the vehicles parked in Downing Street, and Bishops Move enjoyed local, national and global PR for these moves including news coverage on ITV, BBC and Sky News. The Bishops bag is a cost-eective alternative to traditional crates directly into lockers or to desks, and once emptied, will be collected by the Bishops Move team to be reused in further moves. Advantages over traditional crates are: ease of delivery; reduced crate hire costs; reduced health and safety risks from moving heavy crates; reduced labour and transport costs; and reduced or eliminated extended crate hire costs. 101 18/09/2019 13:28