Introduction to Scorpion EPH

Now, I have to tell you this is my first blog and when you have a daughter like mine you simply do as you are told. In the past few days she has had me flicking, twitting, roboforming and now finally it is time for the blogging bit. However, Simone and her husband Chris are a tremendous help and apart from being great friends they are both an integral part of my wife and I's lives. As a web design company based in Monda, Marbella, Spain they right and administer the Scorpion website and their input and expertise is invaluable so I just do as I am told. Their comment "just drive the car Dad, we'll do the rest".

I digress. Since the age of 9 my life has been connected with motor cars in all sizes, shapes and descriptions, from the small to the large. My first car was some model of a Morris Eight which cost my Dad the princely some of 3 quid but that was now some 53 years ago. All I ever did with it, apart from driving it around a field was to strip it down, repair the thing whether necessary or not, clean and polish it and go and get it dirty again. I then started work at 15 at the local Austin (a name from the past) dealership and progressed ultimately to sales where I thought my talent was destined.

At 19 I then started my own motor accessory shop and ultimately became the largest independant number supplier in the UK, serving new car dealerships throughout Yorkshire and Humberside and beyond. During the miners strike in the early 80's things weren't looking good with the economy (understatement). After being approached in 1979 by the Hire Car Operators in Jersey I commenced a weekly service there which progressed into the launch of PB Motor Plates (Jersey) Ltd serving the entire Islands requirements.

When I eventually sold the UK operation in 1982 we moved there as family in 1983. Life was good there but it was obvious we were never going to be able to purchase our own house there so moved back to the UK in 1990. However, the business still flourished but I found myself commuting each Monday and Friday which after a few years became too much.

My daughter was to fly the nest so the wife and I were left with 600 miles of Ocean between us 48 weeks of the year. This does not represent the most practical marital situation so the ultimate decision was to move away from Jersey altogether. So at 48 I started a new role as Southern Region Sales Manager for a Litter Bin manufacturer in South Yorkshire.

I thoroughtly enjoyed the next 10 years albeit an immense challenge. Starting basically from scratch with a company turnover of around 3 million in 1994, I developed the South particularly and when I parted company with them in 2004 it was up to around 8 million. It was however time for me to go back working for myself as I had done for the previous 30 years prior to joining them, but most people thought a career change at 58 madness!

As a complete change of direction I started Scorpion Executive Private Hire in 2004 but had a very fixed view of where I wanted to be in the sector. I wanted to deal with company executives and corporate business linked to my love for nice cars. Starting with a Peugeot 807 Executive was a perfect direction as it offered something diferent to most other operators being a 6 seater.

This worked well but I soon got bored with the humdrum of the holiday maker sector and still wanted again with the professionals in the Corporate sector. I then had my break with the gaining of a regular customer who I met through the 6 seater. The regularity of this business guided me to the sector I always wanted to serve.

Throwing caution to the wind and out of respect for his business I felt it appropriate to run a car rather then the multi function Peugeot 807. After long discussions I purchased a Volkswagen Touareg Altitude 3 Litre Tdi and was on my way. As my brother in law is a VW Luxury car dealer in South Yorkshire he sorts the cars out and I just drive them, seem to remeber that from somebody else!

The Corporate side of the business was now on its way. The main reason for the 4 x 4 Touareg is its prestigious off road capabilities. Trained by VW I started to go shooting with my main customer and apart from being a break from the norm it is a great day out in the fresh air with a lovely bunch of people.



Things moved onward and I eventually sold the Peugeot 807 leaving me with, as far as I am concerned the cream of the crop customers. 2007 came and went and the new corporate regime was working well. New customers came, new challenges presented themselves and I responded to them all.

I have always been a perfectionist in everything I do and have always loved to give to others. The Chauffeur business allows me to do all of those things whilst also enjoying it at the same time, a bonus.

In 2008 came the largest motor vehicle purchase I have ever made with the new VW Touareg Altitude 3 Litre Tdi but this time a change of colour and major investment in its technology. I htink the term is all singing and dancing and that's bascially what it does. The upgrade version of the Touareg is a revelation and much more refined than the original but of course techology moves on.


With Air Suspension, Zenon moving healdights, Electic Memory Seats, Keyless Entry, Tow Bar, Tyre Pressure monitoring and a whole host of my own on board technology. This new Touareg is far advanced from the other being quieter, smoother and most say a better colour for the Chauffeur business.

So there we are up to date. The new Touareg is now run in having covered 11,000 miles since late August, registration number B1 5EPH (Burton 1, Scorpion Executive Private Hire for the uninitiated) is in place and things are settling down again. The credit crunch is of course having its effect but I am sure we will overcome that.



I have started my trading title of PB Marketing again and the items you will see on my blog shortly will all be sold through that. With my connections with other Chauffeurs and customers most of the products I will be marketing will be directed at that medium.

However, I have a very strict principle which has stood me in good stead for many years and it is simply "Only Sell the Best Products, from the top companies and use them yourself first". That applies to all of the sales items currently listed in the flickr photo album connected to this blog as well as being on my website.

Chauffeur Website Hampshire

I will no doubt talk to you soon and in the meantime have a good day and hopefully rise above the scare mongoring thrust at us form the press. Positive attitude is what will be required for at least the next 12 months at least.