Cocktails, cocktails everywhere!

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I’m over the moon to be working with a new PR client. It’s two businesses in reality; Wishes is a wellbeing centre combining treatments, retreats, spa days and a huge crystal retail space. Aquarius Bar is a fabulous bar/restaurant that has three seperate areas – the bar, Amazon Lounge and Atlantean lounge – to enjoy great food and drink. There’s a lot of PR possibilities and I’m just starting to get my teeth into it!

Dominic Jones, who runs the bar, is obsessed with cocktails! I took part in a cocktail making workshop he ran, and the result was delicious. He only uses the very best ingredients and, believe me, he certainly knows what he’s doing.

Recently he devised a brand new range of cocktails based on his family. What an inspired idea! With their blessing, he’s designed cocktails for mum Sandie, who runs Wishes, dad Howard, the practical force behind the business, his brother Zach, as well as his auntie and grandparents.

For example, for Sandie:

Pretty Woman
“Here, have a strawberry.” “Why?” “It brings out the flavour.”
An all-time favourite film, this classic has been held in high regard in the family since it was released and is loved today. Many a rainy day have been spent watching Pretty Woman with quotes making their way into everyday chit-chat. It wouldn’t be a Sandie Jones cocktail without a bit of Glitz and Glam and this cocktail takes a riff on the famous champagne and strawberry scene, featuring Della Vite small batch Pink Prosecco with homemade Strawberry Caviar and Edible Gold.

And for Howard:

Insert Cricket Reference Here
Dad used to play cricket a lot, I sadly never got into the sport, but there are countless memories watching him play whilst we were growing up. This cocktail isn’t based on cricket, more the summer afternoons sat watching and Dad’s love for cider, so here we have a Cider based Mojito with a Lemon and Lime Gin twist, to make it extra zesty and all the more refreshing.

Devon Live

Rise and Shine

Devon Daily

I have yet to have had the chance to fully indulge, as I’m always driving when I visit. But with new eco lodges almost ready I figure I’ll have to book in for a night of cocktail tasting, stone circle meditation – followed by restful sleep!

Find out more here: WISHES and AQUARIUS BAR

Whirlwind with WEM

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It’s been quite a whirlwind since I started working with World Extreme Medicine (WEM). Quite an organisation, with an amazing array of skills, from training medics skills to use in remote locations (and closer to home) to providing services on location for the likes of Tom Cruise.

Then there’s the annual conference. Taking place in Edinburgh from November 19th to 21st, there are so many extraordinary speakers including Mensun Bound, part of the team that found Shackleton’s Endeavour earlier this year, three NASA astronauts, explorer Lucy Shepherd, ‘Hearts in the Ice’ team Hilde Fålun Strøm and Sunniva Sørby, RM Commando Paramedic Andy Hughes and many more.

In addition, the Medics4Ukraine initiative which is supporting frontline medics in the war torn country both by training them and providing critical medical supplies. There have been seven convoys so far, and some scary close calls. But WEM founder Mark Hannaford and his team are committed to continuing to help. WEM underwrites the cost of the convoys, and takes donations of funds and of medical supplies. To donate visit; Medics4Ukraine

For this account I’m more than ably supported by Sharon Goble of If Media. Sharon’s background as a journalist and news presenter means she has a nose for a news story and is a real pro when negotiating with the media.

We worked with WEM to run its first ever photographic competition with the theme ‘Extreme is Everywhere’. Judged by Mark Hannaford, master photographer Perou and  physician, speaker, martial artist, and citizen-scientist astronaut candidate Dr Shawna Pandya, it was a great success with an impressive 65 entries. Find out about the winner and runners up here.

All in all, we’ve had some great coverage so far. Several radio interviews with Radio Devon and Radio Manchester (and hopefully BBC Scotland soon), lots of local press – WEM is headquartered in Axminster, and national interest. I’m very proud of securing a feature with Reader’s Digest (as one of my friends said, soon to be read in many loos in the UK!).

Examples

 

Quiet summer? Not here!

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The summer months, particularly August, were once a slightly quieter time workwise  – but this year it has been rather the reverse! Every client has been busy which, in the light of the economy and energy crisis, is a good thing.

  • Coldharbour Field Kitchen which opened in June is going great guns. They benefitted from the heatwave with lots of customers taking advantage of the decking and enjoying the stunning sunsets across East Devon (I was one of them!).
  • World Extreme Medicine has continued to send convoys to Ukraine with medical supplies thought the Medics4Ukraine initiative – the fifth convoy recently went and the sixth is due in late September. Meanwhile I’ve organised a photographic competition for them, a feature with Reader’s Digest – and together with Sharon from If Media we’ll shortly be ramping up PR for the upcoming conference in November.
  • The Family Law Company has continued to achieve success in national awards, which is a personal satisfaction for me as I work on the nominations for them. Lots of press releases and blog writing over the summer too. And a networking event to look forward to in October.
  • Very excitingly I’ve recently been working with Chilcotts Auctioneers to promote the sale of the Lawson Rudge Studio. More of that soon, but Lawson is a renowned ceramicist who was at the Royal College of Art with David Hockney. I interviewed him last week for a Devon Life feature, what a wonderful and varied life he has had. His flat cows are a favourite of mine and I might well make a bid for one in the November 5th sale!
  • Meanwhile I’ve been beavering away for Optix Solutions with a variety of news stories which have had some good local and national traction. They’ve recently rebranded and their website is looking really smart.

I head off for my own summer holiday tomorrow, just one week on the beautiful island of Corfu. This really will be a time to recharge my batteries – I won’t be answering emails for a whole week!

Samples of coverage:

Coldharbour Field Kitchen launch

Medics4Ukraine

World Extreme Medicine in Beer

Grace Bradley wins Legal Aid Family Solicitor (P53)

Optix clocks off at 3pm

Influencers!

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I sit firmly on the fence as far as influencers are concerned. One of my clients receives so many requests for collaborations (ie freebies) that if they accepted them all they’d go out of business! Invariably these influencers have no prior relationship with the client, they are simply looking for a good deal.

That said, sometimes there is a genuine relationship to be had. Aided by my savvy associates, I always take each approach on its own merits.

But still, the boot was well and truly on the other foot recently when The Recycled Candle Company teamed up with national charity Missing People to create a beautiful limited edition candle ‘Home Sweet Home’.

The wonderful Missing People team were keen to get influencers on board, so I put aside my prejudices and made a list. To be honest, I didn’t think we’d get very far. I thought they’d all be terribly busy with other important things. So I was surprised and delighted that of the 12 influencers that I contacted, 7 of them got back to me PDQ with wonderfully positive responses. They all agreed to do posts and stories in return for a gifted candle, no fees, no strings. And that’s exactly what they did, perfectly timed to pique the interest of anyone thinking about a Mother’s Day gift.

What’s nice is that they are all very different – from mummy bloggers, eco instagrammers and interior/gay gurus (gotta love HouseHomo) to local influencer, Exploring Exeter’s Steph Darkes.

So that taught me, then! A huge and heartfelt thank you to them all for getting behind this wonderful cause.

Other PR iniatives so far include supplying mini candles for the Six Degrees networking event, and securing a feature spot in several Mother’s Day online gift guides, for example Sunset Desires as well as local press coverage such as Devon Live.

The campaign is running all year, so I’ll be seeking out other opportunities, too.

You can find out more and even purchase a candle if you’re so inclined on The Recycled Candle Company’s website. I bought one for myself, and the fragrance (unlit) is making my lounge smell totally delicious.

2022 update

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I can’t believe we’re in the middle of February already and I haven’t written a 2022 update – to be fair, the year took off at breakneck speed, and then I snuck off for a birthday week away in Cornwall. Excuses, excuses.

The Recycled Candle Company

As usual, the boys were incredibly busy in the run up to Christmas fulfilling wholesale orders, online orders and running a stall at Exeter’s Christmas Market. Somewhere amongst all that they finally received their Green Apple Awards trophy and the news that they were the sole winners of the Sustainable Development award. Brilliant. Some lovely PR gained in national publications too, including Metro. And we’re about to launch a limited edition candle in a charity collaboration with Missing People. With influencers on board to help, I can’t wait.

Express & Echo |Metro

The Outdoors Group

Opening a new Forest School at Escot Estate. Here I hold my hand up, as this came from my suggestion! Can’t think of a better location, tucked away in part of Black Aller Woods. As well as the Forest School there’s a second site adjacent where the group will run its amazing Transitional Learning Programme giving respite to those struggling in mainstream schools.

Devon Live |East Devon News

Chilcotts Auctioneers

Two interesting stories for this client. Firstly, a collection of antique silver spoons called ‘The Charles C Brian Collection’ which included rare early West Country spoons, some dating back to the late 16th century. The initial estimate of £20,000 to £30,000 was exceeded and the collection achieved an impressive £43,000. There was a secondary story about a missing Plymouth spoon, which was fun to research, too.

Antiques Trade Gazette | Plymouth Herald | Devon Daily

The second story focused on five watercolours by a local artist, Alfred Leyman. These depicted scenes from the Honiton area. Such was the interest that the paintings, estimated at between £200 and £400, actually sold for an average of £1114 and one reaching £1650.

Midweek Herald  | Western Morning News

Otter Garden Centres

Another pair! This time PR for the wonderful fundraising total for Hospiscare raised at the Ottery branch, which topped £14,700 – amazing considering the continuing impact of the pandemic on stores having to close.

Sidmouth Herald | East Devon News

This was closely followed by a story about nightly visits by an actual otter to the Koi carp pond, which was entertaining…

Sidmouth Herald | East Devon News

Exeter Living Awards

They came round very quickly! I put two clients in for awards, Connaught@Christmas for the Event category and SunGift for the Sustainable category. Both are finalists, and will find out if they’ve been successful on March 17th. I wonder if anyone will notice if I wear the same dress as I did last September?

Copywriting

I’ve also been busy writing brochure copy for Burrington Estates, for upcoming residential and commercial developments in the region. At the same time, something completely different with my work for Brigstock Skin & Laser and Communitas Clinics, creating content for their websites. I have two features to write for Devon Life, one about a Flower Farm, the other for Sidmouth’s new Jazz & Blues Festival.

Name-dropping

Oh, and with my agency work for Diespeker & Co in London we’re collaborating with Angela Scanlon…..

That’s a snapshot 2022 update so far this year, by no means exhaustive. And I’ll just add that this year is my 30th year being self-employed after being made redundant by HTV in 1992. I’ve pledged to do 30 things to mark this auspicious milestone, so watch this space for updates.

Awards update

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With apologies for the double negative, I can’t not revisit this after the Devon & Somerset Law Society (DASLS) Awards took place last week.

It was a ‘virtual’ awards event, hosted by David Fitzgerald and perhaps the quickest awards I’ve ever attended (I think it took all of 30 mins)! I’d poured a glass of fizz in readiness just in case one of the finalists from The Family Law Company won. In the end I had to pour another as the award wins came thick and fast.

The first announced was the President’s Special Recognition Honours, a new award introduced to acknowledge someone who went the extra mile for clients and colleagues during the pandemic. I’d helped to put together a nomination for incredibly hardworking Senior Associate Solicitor Imran Khodabocus – and was so pleased when he was chosen in recognition for his extraordinary commitment not just in his work but for his community.

In the category awards success for The Family Law Company continued. Jane Chanot won Solicitor of the Year; Cassie Saunders picked up Support Team Member; Hannah Porter was named Rising Star; Gemma Sparks won Chartered Legal Executive; and Donna Hart was highly commended in Leader of the Year, with Grace Bradley a finalist in the Legal Aid Lawyer category.

At the same time as DASLS, the National Paralegal Awards took place virtually. The Family Law Company’s Becka Combes was a finalist in the Family Law and Best Newcomer categories and was delighted to win both categories. Becka wrote both her nominations, I just gave her a little help in tidying them up. So all credit to Becka, what a great win!

PS there was much hilarity at DASLS when one of the finalists forgot to mute themselves and we all heard them discussing Gus Honeybun who, local people will know, was a stuffed rabbit who Mr Fitzgerald had to work with many moons ago…. Let that be a lesson to all of us who continue to use Zoom.

PPS Not long after DASLS, The Family Law Company also won at the prestigious Law Society Awards, where they were awarded Excellence in Practice Management. Wow!

Getting outdoors with the Outdoors Group

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It’s always easier to provide a PR service when you get to know a client’s product or service first-hand. So it was that I recently found myself in the middle of the woods, at the Exmouth Forest School. This is one of several sites the group runs in Devon, to deliver its innovative outdoor ethos for education, experiences and training. The course I was joining was Learning Beyond the Classroom, aimed at teachers and volunteers working at primary and secondary schools.

This course aims to build confidence for teachers wanting to take classes outside, giving them ideas, practical skills and guidance on risk assessment. It’s held outdoors, unsurprisingly, with a a central campfire and overhead tarpulin in case of rain.

Just as I arrived, the course attendees were about to embark on a creative task – making faces out of mud! They used sticks and leaves they found in the woods to create the face, and soon discovered that it was more practical to make the face on a tree stump than an upright tree. Something called gravity…. Other activities included ‘ninja sticks’ which caused much hilarity and more than a litttle competitiveness. Interwoven with the activities was serious discussion around the campfire, which gave me a real insight into how teachers can really use the outdoors to encourage learning.

While I was there a toddler group was also taking place, giving me a great opportunity to have a sneak peek of children having a huge amount of fun in natural woodlands. And not just the children, but their parents too.

I’m really taken with what The Outdoors Group wants to achieve, and to be working with them as they expand and develop. From the work I’ve done so far, it’s clear that getting children outside has a huge beneficial impact on their wellbeing, development and social skills.

The Outdoors Group

 

 

 

Ho Ho Hospiscare

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Just before Christmas I was pleased to help out with PR support for Ho Ho Hospiscare, a lovely initiative by Rusty Pig and Mazzard Farm Cottages in Ottery St Mary with help from volunteer fundraiser, the irrepressible Toni Hiscocks.

Hospiscare, like many charities, has struggled during the pandemic with so many fundraising events being cancelled. There’s a lot of love for the charity locally, and Robin from Rusty Pig in particular because of the help given to his family when his dad was at the end of his life. It always strikes a chord with me too, as the local hospice in Southampton was amazing when my own dad was terminally ill back in 1986.

The event was an online draw – donate a tenner and be in with the chance of winning the top prize of a break at Mazzard Farm’s superb holiday cottages, plus a feast at Rusty Pig and a hamper supplied by Knights Farmshop. Local businesses donated vouchers for runners up prizes. I took a pic at Mazzard and sent out the press release pronto to the usual suspects. The initial target was £500 and we all watched as this was easily reached and the total started rising steadily…. So Rusty Pig and Mazzard Farm offered a second top prize if the fundraising reached £2,000, this time with the addition of an afternoon tea at Coldharbour Farmshop.

Just before the draw, the total had topped an amazing £2,300. Added to this was a donation of £250 from PASC, an organisation providing support for self-catering businesses. So the final total was £2,550, a 400% increase in the original target. The draw was made on Facebook Live at Rusty Pig, but I’m not sure anyone minded who won – everyone was so thrilled with the amount raised! I snuck out a follow up press release just to tell the world how amazing the folk of Ottery are. Another show of community spirit, just in time for Christmas.

Pre-event

Post-event

Nourishing Nourish!

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I started working with Sarah Martin in January 2019. Sarah had founded zero waste provisions store Nourish of Topsham the year before, and was now poised to open her second store on Magdalen Road in Exeter.

It was a whirlwind ride, with Nourish ‘two’ featuring in Devon Live, Devon Life, Exeter Life, Food Magazine, Crumbs Magazine and Exeter Living, plus interviews secured for Sarah for International Women’s Day and a ‘first look’ at the shop. Nourish won the Retail category at the Exeter Living Awards and Best New Business at the Express & Echo Business Awards. Nourish was Highly Commended in the Start Up category in the 373 Awards.

We worked together for six months until Sarah realised she needed to invest more into the shops, so PR had to go. Quite right too! However much I love my clients, I am always conscious that my service is often the icing on the cake.

So, in May I was delighted to receive a message saying Nourish needed me once more! After closing for lockdown, Sarah was ready to reopen, and she needed my help.

First up a press release announcing the reopening of both stores. This highlighted the measures put in place to ensure customer and staff safety. Then a spot on the Exeter Chamber Friday Lockdown Show ‘good news’ and a customer featured in the campaign ‘We’re stronger together’.

I’m currently negotiating some speaker slots for Sarah to talk about sustainability and business. A second press release looking at keeping green during Covid-19 has just gone out. Busy busy!

The agreement is for three months which gives me plenty of time to get Nourish noticed again.

Although most of my clients are retained, I’m always happy to provide an ad hoc or shorter contract service. This is useful for start ups and smaller businesses needing a boost.

Grow

Exeter Daily

Stronger Together

Friday Lockdown (16:30)

Exeter Living Virtual Business Club

Fundraising for stem4

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Last November I was asked to take part in a fundraising activity to raise money for teenage mental health support charity stem4, with agency Terra Ferma Media and our client Diespeker. Diespeker is a long-time supporter of the charity and I’ve written about their fundraising efforts over the years – but this was the first time I took part in one.

I often donate to clients and friends taking part in fundraising, but I’ve not had much time to get involved myself (apart from when I was a child and took part in a sponsored silence – wonder if the mums put their heads together to arrange that). This time I thought it would be great to challenge myself. The event was the Malta Marathon. Now, I’m not a runner and I never will be, but the event included a half marathon walkathon option of 13 miles (21km) which suited me, as I walk my dogs daily. I trained as much as I could in the miserable weather over the winter, trying to walk longer distances. My best distance was about 7 miles walking at about 3 miles per hour. At that rate I was never going to complete the walk in the 3 hours 45 mins required to be in a medal time. But that wasn’t the point for me.I flew to Malta with my Terra Ferma Media colleagues, David and Kaz, where we joined the other team members from stem4 and Diespeker – there were 36 of us in total aiming to raise £10K, some running the marathon, some the half marathon and the rest of us taking part in the walkathon. Diespeker sponsored the accommodation which was the lovely Radisson Blue Hotel. We were lucky enough to have a day’s sightseeing, taking in Mdina and Valletta. We woke to an amazing sunrise on the day of the event – the marathon runners had already left as their start time was early. We took a minibus then a coach to the start line at Mdina and then there was no turning back! Walking 13 miles doesn’t sound too much like hard work, but when we started I realised that the pace was going to be a lot faster than I was used to. I have a short stride so every so often I broke into a jog to catch up with my team mates. It was a pretty hot day so the water stops were much appreciated and I felt very professional taking a wet sponge and squeezing it over my head. My earplugs went in at around the 9km marker and I spent the next 12km walking, jogging and dancing to the soundtrack from Guardians of the Galaxy.

The last part of the walk was along the seafront and when I saw the 1km marker I knew the end was in sight. I was totally shocked to see the time – 3 hours 21 mins, almost a whole hour quicker than I was anticipating. And then – a medal was thrust into my hands. I felt elated and very proud of myself and my teammates. We’d all coped with pain and blisters but kept going. David, Kaz and I raised £1450 which went towards the total raised, over £10,400.

Someone asked me the other day if I’d do it again. I immediately said no. But…. it’s like childbirth, a short time later when the pain has faded then you start to tell yourself you really could do it all again!

stem4 is a charity that really does offer much needed support to teenagers – but also their families and carers, education professionals, school nurses and GPs through the provision of mental health education, resilience strategies and early intervention. Well worth the blisters!