XL Video survives Buncefield blast

Miraculously, XL Video’s Hemel Hempstead HQ sustained only superficial damage, despite being located just 600 metres from the epicentre of the Buncefield oil terminal explosion that triggered Europe’s biggest peacetime fire.
XL Video driver Martin Woolward was at XL on Sunday at the time of the first 6am blast, and a number of tour trucks were poised, ready to unload that morning. Within an hour, the area had been evacuated, preventing further access to the warehouse or any of the office facilities.
However, it was very much business as usual for XL’s 12 shows due to load in on the Monday morning. XL’s project managers were diverted as per the Disaster Recovery Plan to First Network in Northolt. Directors and Project Managers were able to carry on with phone calls, planning, re-directing equipment and juggling the logistics to take into account the disruption caused by the blast.
XL Video successfully re-arranged and shipped shows on Monday December 12 including the CBeebies UK Tour, for the Cape Farewell Organisation in Oxford, a gala Dinner event at Koko in Camden Town and a five truck event for a Thomson Holidays event at the NEC. (CD)