After being invited along to the launch of three new products from Black and Decker I was intrigued to see what was on offer and in particular what innovations would be on show. The event was to be held at the GMex conference centre in Birmingham and while the drive down the M! through the hustle and bustle of the Birmingham Interchange was a daunting challenge, it was one I took for the sake of a chance to glimpse at the new products.



Hospitality has always been a strong suit of Black and Decker and today was no exception, a nice buffet always sets me off on the right foot and also give you the opportunity to mix with other tool wholesalers from all over Europe.

After an hour or so of the usual corporate slideshow, a few graphs and two or three rounds of applause a trolley was wheeled in suitably covered in a deep velvet cloth, it wasn't exactly a hushed silence but it was something close. A fanfare followed and a suitably excited guitar riff rang out over the PA system and while it wasn't exactly David Copperfield, a somewhat lonely wrench was revealed.

The sales team then began passing out samples of the wrench along each row, I got mine and I wasn't letting go so apologies to those further along the row than I but after a 5 hour journey through motorway hell I wasn't going to give my new shiny wrench up without a fight.

But it's just a wrench! I hear you yell, well this isn't just any old wrench, it's an Auto Wrench. Great, you say - what's so auto about it? Well you know when you've got your hand round the back of the washing machine and you're trying to tighten it while at the same time holding it while with your third arm trying to stop yourself from slipping back into the pool of fabric conditioner, this is the product which can help.

It's a simple matter of pressing a button on the side and voila, with one had the wrench automatically tightens itself round the bolt and you're ready to tighten or loosed. When you're done, another press and the jaws open again.

Now don't get me wrong, Black and Decker haven't quite put man on Mars and nor have they single handedly solved the problem of Ozone depletion but what they have done is created a nifty little invention that will help in many ways round the home while also having applications for the more serious tradesman. All this at a price that won't break the bank too.

So if you want my advice, it's worth putting your hand in your pocket and getting yourself a Black and Decker Automatic Wrench.