Media interest in auction clocks and model trains

by with 0 Comments

Sometimes I’m sometimes pleasantly surprised by the response to the stories I distribute for a client.

This year I’ve produced a number of press releases for Chilcotts Auctioneers, one about Moorcroft pottery, one about an extensive model train collection, the other about another collection, this time of clocks and barometers.

  • As well as receiving local coverage, the Moorcroft pottery story was picked up by the Stoke Sentinel – the pottery coming from that region originally.
  • The BBC ran the clocks and barometers story, online in the Devon section of the news site, as well as a broadcast mention in the Sunday Spotlight programme.
  • The model railway collection garnered the interest of online specialist title, Rail Advent (which has over 2 million page views per month).

Best performer in the Moorcroft auction lots was the giant ginger jar seen in the photo, which fetched £2,000. Amongst the clocks and barometers, the antique railway clocks from South West train stations mentioned in the press release performed well. The model railway items all met or exceeded their estimates.

For me, it is always a pleasure to research the history behind the items that Chilcotts are auctioning – and even more of a pleasure to know that my work helps the auctions to be successful!

 

 

Luxurious ‘potting shed’ for primary school

by with 0 Comments

Supporting the local school

Another lovely gesture by Otter Garden Centres in Ottery St Mary, with the donation of a ‘potting shed’ to local school, Ottery Primary.

The idea grew from discussions held during Otter’s 60 Good Deeds campaign, celebrating the company’s 60th anniversary in 2024. Otter first helped the school by replacing the wood on raised beds, providing a new pond liner, and installing a roof for the forest school firepit area, making outdoor learning possible all year round.

Otter MD Jacqui Taylor, a former pupil of the school, then offered something rather special – a dedicated indoor space – a rather grand potting shed. It’s a high-quality Malvern building, with large windows to let in plenty of light and double doors leading to a veranda. It’s also heated, meaning children can sow seeds and pot up vegetables on cold days, and have a chance to warm up between gardening sessions.

Jacqui is genuinely passionate about helping young people to enjoy activities that involve planting, growing and getting muddy!

I went along to take some PR photos of the ‘handover’ and chat to Assistant Headteacher Dan Western about what the donation meant to the school. “We’re so grateful to Otter Garden Centres and Jacqui for their generous support. The potting shed and the other improvements will help us weave nature, planting and growing into the curriculum, giving our young students a real appreciation of the world around them.”

The photography session reminded me (once again) of the old adage, never work with animals or children, as one young lad was looking everywhere except at the camera. Classic.

Primary School students enjoy new gardening adventures thanks to Otter Garden Centres | The Exeter Daily

Ottery pupils dig into learning thanks to generous gift from garden centre | Devon Live

Well done to Jacqui and the team for your continuing generosity to the local community.

New entrance

I also created some PR around the new entrance and layout to the Ottery Garden Centre, which now has a much more appealing and logical layout for customers.

Otter Garden Centres, Ottery St Mary, new building opened | Sidmouth Herald

Fresh look and feel inside legendary Devon garden centre | Devon Live

Cutting the ribbon for a new look in Otter shopping | The Exeter Daily

Turf It Forward!

by with 0 Comments

Earlier in the year I started working with HCT Turf, a turf specialist based in Topsham. The work involves keeping social media ticking along, e-newsletters, writing fresh content for the website, and creating PR opportunities.

For a couple of years, HCT ran a lovely campaign, Love Your Garden, which asked locals to send in photos of their gardens in all their glory. For each photo received, HCT made a donation to Living Options Devon. I decided to mix things up a bit and use their specialism – turf – as the driver for a new campaign, Turf It Forward.

The premise of the campaign was the chance for community groups, sports clubs, schools, charities to win up to 150 sqm of turf. This included the installation of the turf, a major job in itself. Step up campaign partner, County Grounds Maintenance, who offered to support the installation of the turf.

Nominations could be made by the public or the organisations themselves. Word spread via social media, press coverage, e-newsletters and a targeted email campaign.

The campaign kicked off in July and, in October, the winner was chosen by Richard Hockley from HCT with input from other members of staff and Sam Burdick from Country Grounds. Everyone was delighted with the choice of Hospiscare, our local hospice charity, who provide an incredible service for end-of-life-care.

Hospiscare’s Estates Manager Sharon Ewart applied for turf to reinstate part of the garden lawn within the hospice garden at Searle House in Exeter, which was damaged when an old pergola was removed. In addition, there’s a second area to be turfed by the front entrance, a section of lawn that became very patchy during the dry summer months and hasn’t recovered.

I visited Searle House with Steff Dennis from HCT to see the areas and take photos for the winner announcement. I’ve been to Searle House before but never seen the garden. It’s absolutely lovely, a beautiful, peaceful spot for patients and their visitors to enjoy. And it will look even lovelier when the new turf is in place.


We missed out on media coverage as there were rumblings about the commercial aspect of the campaign. However, promoting HCT was never an aim – what made this campaign just a bit special was Richard’s genuine philanthropy. At the beginning of the campaign he said: “With so much negativity in the world at the moment, we really want to do something positive to bring a bit of joy.”

 

Local PR

by with 0 Comments

I’ve had a bit of a lull on the local news stories recently, to the extent that when I sent out a press release the journalist immediately emailed back that he’d thought I was either dead or had left the country. Thanks Lewis!

So I’ve enjoyed having two fresh topics to write about, one for Otter Garden Centres, the other for Chilcott Auctioneers.

Otter’s was about a lovely gesture they made to revitalise the flower beds at the local community hospital in Ottery St Mary, in a response to a request from nursing staff. Brothers Kevin and Neil from OGC (centre in the pic) went along to do the work – I’ve known them both for many years, they are always happy to help out! They removed dead plants and brambles, replacing them with cottage garden plants chosen to make the borders a riot of colour and life, such as lavenders, verbenas, dahlias, salvias and gaillardia.

Interesting from my pov I had my first ever appointment at the hospital a month or so ago. It was all very impressive, and I’m so glad the hospital wasn’t closed – which it was under threat of not so long ago.

Read more HERE.

The other was for Chilcotts Auctioneers, another long-term client. I love writing for them, as there is always something interesting to research. For this, I looked into the life of Captain John Campbell OBE, a naval hero who had gathered a really fascinating collection of artwork together over many decades (his first purchase in 1962). Works by artists such as Edward Seago and Marcel Dyf plus bronze sculptures of African wildlife and vintage/contemporary glass. Besides the artwork, Campbell himself was a fascinating individual to look into; he became a specialist hydrographic surveyor, travelling to places like Antarctica. In the Falklands war he oversaw the conversion of a survey vessel into a hospital ship to take injured soldiers to Ecuador.

More on this story HERE. As well as local press, the story has featured in Antiques Trade Gazette, and I hope will be picked up elsewhere, watch this space!

Three people with a mound of chocolate Easter eggs donated to Exeter Foodbank

‘Fresh’ eggs for Foodbank

by with 0 Comments

With Easter just around the corner, an idea popped into my mind for a nice bit of PR for my Straight Marketing client, The Fresh Accountancy Company.

The word Fresh married nicely with the word egg – leading to Easter eggs. How about donating Easter eggs?

I’ve donated to Exeter Foodbank via networking groups before, so they seemed a good charity to approach. I wasn’t sure if they’d jump at the idea of an Easter egg donation, as they tend to supply practical foods like pasta and tinned products. But I was wrong. Operations Manager Teresa Pollard was delighted with the idea. Fresh founder, Tom Baker, generously offered to buy 100 eggs.

These were duly ordered and arrived at Fresh’s offices in Clyst St Mary. Teresa asked if we could deliver them nearer to Easter – meaning the Fresh team had to fight off any chocolate cravings! On April 9, I met Dave and Ben from Fresh just across the road from the Foodbank in Cowick Street, Exeter. We piled the eggs into two Foodbank trollies and negotiated a hairy road crossing, not losing any eggs on the way.

Teresa was so pleased with the donation and told us about the way the Foodbank operates; for example that people can’t just walk in, they have to have vouchers from organisations like Citizens Advice and children’s centres.

She said: “The truth is foodbanks shouldn’t be needed, but while they are, it’s important to make sure that the people we serve are treated with dignity and supported beyond the provision of food. The Exeter community is so supportive of our Foodbank and we are always amazed by the generosity of donations from individuals, schools and colleges, stores, and the local business community, including Fresh.”

Thanks to Dave and Ben for helping with the delivery, and Tom for agreeing to the donation.

 

Auction PR – Fishley Pottery

by with 0 Comments

One of my long-term clients, Chilcotts Auctioneers is the source of a wealth of PR activity for me, with some incredible stories unearthed over the years just begging to be told.

I’ve managed PR for a number of special items over the years, from medals and paintings to chic 1960s clothes. This time it was the turn of pottery!

The Fishley Pottery Collection is a collection of beautiful ‘Devon folk art’ items ranging from harvest jugs, vases and chargers to quirky items like puzzle jugs. This style of pottery started being made in the early 1800s at Fremington in North Devon. The Fishley family spanned many generations, starting with George Fishley who set up the first kiln. Edwin Beer Fishley, who took over the kiln in the 1860s, is perhaps the best known of the family, his work heavily influenced the Studio Pottery movement of the twentieth century. The Fishley designs use slipware and sgraffito, which I know I’ve seen on The Great Pottery Throw Down. It was incredibly interesting to discover the roots of these decorative styles.

The collection was owned by Margaret Squance, the great, great, granddaughter of Edwin. I met her at Chilcotts, what a fascinating lady she is, and her passion for her family’s pottery really shone through. She was sad to sell her collection, but just felt it was time for the pieces to have new homes.

We were fortunate to have some months before the collection was due to go to auction – originally this was July but Chilcotts decided to hold off until October, a wise decision as I was able to approach magazines, having enough lead time to produce features for print. Devon Life took a DPS, which I wrote for them. Antique Collecting Magazine was also keen, and Mary Chilcott, who curated the collection, put this together. We had some superb images from photographer Andrew Butler, which certainly helped. Chilcotts talented marketing assistant Courtney Round added some further images, including a wonderful photo of Mary with the collection.

As well as magazines, I wrote a press release for regional titles, which was used in Western Morning News, Devon Live, North Devon Gazette, Breaktime News, Exeter Today and Devon Daily as well as the antique trade ‘bible’, ATG. I also approached BBC Spotlight who agreed to record a piece; reporter Johnny Rutherford and his cameraman Paul Moxham came along to the Saleroom in Honiton. I went along to see how they were doing, and was reminded of my days in video production when I found myself haring around Honiton trying to find some black cloth to use as a backdrop for some of the filming! Thanks to Peter Betteridge who lent me a roll of black drape and a mattress sign (which did the trick!).

This was a hugely successful PR project, and I’m really proud of how much coverage I secured for Chilcotts. The sale is on October 12th so I’ll add in the results after that!

25 years for Optix Solutions

25 years for Optix Solutions

by with 0 Comments

A huge congratulations to Optix Solutions for reaching your 25th anniversary on July 20th.

The Exeter-based marketing company has done brilliantly to reach this milestone, having weathered recessions and the impact of Covid.

As there are 25 members of staff, it seemed fitting to mark the 25th anniversary with a very special pledge, with each member of the team being given a day over the next 12 months to use for volunteering with a local charity or CIC. Having worked with Optix on PR and content for the last two years, I have become very aware of the business’s genuine commitment to social responsibility which helped them to win the top Boutique Agency in Campaign’s Best Places to Work awards last year. So I’m looking forward to hearing about some of the volunteering experiences.

I was also delighted to be invited to the company’s 25th celebrations at Winslade Park venue, The Forge on July 21st. It was a lovely sunny day, the food was amazing and it was great to hear founder Al Banks talk about the early days and the company’s journey. And to witness how co-founder James outclassed MD Rob in the battle of the loud shirts!

Optix founder Alastair BanksBattle of the shirts

 

Here’s to the next 25 years!

Exeter Today

Exeter Daily

Express and EchoWestern Morning News

The Wilds book cover

Book PR – The Wilds

by with 0 Comments

I’m excited to be working with author Sarah Pearse again, this time for The Wilds, the third book in her trilogy featuring Detective Elin Warner.

I first supported Sarah with PR for the publication of the paperback of her second novel, The Retreat in 2023. Book PR was a new specialism for me, but I quickly got going and we had lots of coverage in the local press and glossies, including Devon Life Magazine. We also ran competitions with Visit South Devon and Torquay magazine The Beach Hut.

The Wilds storyline is set in two locations, the Devon coast and Portugal’s remote National Park, Peneda-Gerês. Central to the plot is the disappearance of Kier, who escaped her hometown and twin to live her life on the road. But why did she leave, and what happened to her? The theme of coercive control runs through the book, highlighting the issues of gaslighting and trauma.

For me, this time round there’s another layer to the PR, as Sarah has teamed up with a domestic abuse charity. Still early days, but I’m busy working on collaborative PR opportunities, as well as securing local PR and organising events.

The Wilds is published on July 16th and is available to pre-order from all good booksellers!

 

Group of people at the National Camellia Trail

Otter in the Spotlight!

by with 0 Comments

This year is Otter Garden Centres 60th anniversary so my foot is on the gas working on a variety of stories, for press, website, socials and local news.

Last week, I was asked to see if I could spark interest in the news that Otter’s exclusive camellia, Claire Hannah, was being added to the National Camellia Trail at Mount Edgcumbe in Cremyll, Torpoint. I have to admit to having never heard of the Trail, but I thought the story was lovely, considering it’s the time of year when camellias are in full bloom, and the timing, perfect to encourage visitors to the Trail for Mother’s Day and in a couple of weeks, Easter.

After ascertaining that Otter’s MD Jacqui Taylor was happy to take the plants to Mount Edgcumbe, I contacted BBC Spotlight. They loved the idea, but we all looked at the weather and decided the next day was the best option. Not much time to sort everything. Cue multiple emails with Spotlight and reporter Johnny Rutherford, frantic calls to Mount Edgcumbe to make sure they were okay about the filming, and to their Camellia Curator Lee Stenning who was also to feature in the story, to check his timings. Then a hair raising hour trying to track down Jacqui to pinpoint when she could get there. I eventually found her at the Taunton garden centre, and finally, everything was sorted.

Despite windy conditions, the sky stayed clear and the sun even came out. The National Camellia Trail did its job by looking very beautiful, Johnny and Lee made an entertaining double act for the broadcast, and Jacqui looked suitably delighted that the exclusive bloom was being added to the collection.

And I’ve learnt all about the National Camillia Trail collection! It was started in 1976 with a gift of 70 camellias from the International Camellia Society. There are over 1000 camellias in the collection and as many camellias tend to be in full flower in the early Spring months, it’s a great time to visit. If you do go, see if you can spot Claire Hannah!

Mount Edgcumbe National Camellia Trail

PS I realised recently that I first started working with Otter for their 50th anniversary. So I’m very proud to have such a long-term client who I have a great relationship with. Long may it continue!

The Extreme Team for Devon Life

by with 0 Comments

I’ve been working with World Extreme Medicine for around a year with my PR pal Sharon Goble.

We’ve had some fantastic success getting the organisation featured in the likes of Reader’s Digest and People’s Friend, as well as regional press and local radio. We got a good amount of coverage for the ongoing Medics4Ukraine initiative, which has raised around £2.5M in medical training and supplies for medics work-ng on the frontline and beleaguered hospitals in Ukraine. WEM was highly commended at the Exeter Living Awards, and I put founder Mark Hannaford forward for the LDC Top 50 Ambitious Leaders – watch this space.

Earlier in the year, I was delighted to put my feature hat on and interview founder Mark Hannaford myself, for an article for Devon Life. Mark sent me his CV. It ran to many pages! We talked for ages, he’s done so much, he’s truly unstoppable. From kayaking past a glacier on his 21st birthday and working in the most remote areas of Australia to arranging for Tom Cruise to make a virtual appearance at WEM’s annual conference, Mark is always looking ahead to the next challenge. Luckily he’s also a lovely chap!

The resulting feature for Devon Life was published in the June issue, and I have to say I’m really pleased with it. Helped of course by a fantastic array of photos.

My retained contract with WEM is now finished, but it’s been a pleasure working for this amazing organisation and talking to so many inspirational medics and adventurers. And Sharon and I are now on call as WEM’s ad hoc PR support, so we look forward to continuing the relationship.

My next feature was about a violin maker called Kev based in Exeter, a very different subject to write about – but also totally intriguing!