Road trip wraps up with island adventures

The final leg of the 2024 Toolbox Talks saw SELECT staff and Associates hop on ferries and flights to deliver essential technical updates to our Members on Orkney, Shetland and Islay

RS Merriman was well represented in Kirkwall

A warm welcome certainly awaited us in the islands as the intrepid Toolbox Talks team touched down in some of the most far-flung corners of Scotland.

The last three weeks of our annual roadshow saw us pack our bags and hop across the water as we delivered technical updates to Members on neutral current diversion (NCD) and additions and alterations.

Following the update in the previous issue of cabletalk, our crew flew into Shetland on 11 June, where Technical Advisers Keith Hagan and Neil Sim delivered the event’s northernmost technical update and Members chatted to Associates Aico and Flexel.

The following week it was destination Orkney as our roadshow set up camp in Kirkwall for our session on 18 June, joined by Flexel, KSR Lighting, Ovia Lighting and Scolmore.

As in previous years, it was fantastic to see most of the teams from Member firms E Fraser Electrical and RS Merriman join us at the Pickaquoy Centre, with apprentices, electricians and management enjoying the two presentations and asking plenty of questions. The final date of the 2024 tour saw us visit Islay on 26 June, where guests once again learned about NCD and alterations at The Machrie hotel, courtesy of Technical Advisers Robert McGoogan and Mark McLaughlin, with Frankie Greig of the Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust (SECTT) also among the guests.

“THE thing that shone through was the warmest of welcomes from Members and their appreciation at us making the effort to visit them”

Once again there were many highlights on this final leg of our 12-date tour, but just like 2023,the thing that shone through was the warmest of welcomes from Members and their appreciation at us making the effort to visit them.

Now we’re back on the mainland, I’d like to say a huge thank you to thank you to Acutest, Scolmore Group, Test Instrument Solutions and Ross Promotional who donated competition prizes for the quickfire technical quiz that rounded off every event.

And thanks also to the generous folk at Megger for once again donating a voltage tester and proving unit for the fastest contestant on our Beat the Buzzer game at each event.

I’d also like to thank everyone who took part in this year’s roadshow, whether as an exhibitor, delegate or colleague. We’re now taking on board all feedback to ensure next year’s Toolbox Talks are a fitting part of SELECT’s 125th celebrations.