News

Card shop owners awarded MBEs

The owners of a Norwich Greeting card shop have been awarded MBEs in the New Year Honours List David and Ruth Southgate, owners of Cards N Things in Hellesdon, were nominated for their charity and community work. The shop is now run by their son Paul and his partner Helen. For more than 50 years, David, 81, and Ruth, 79, have dedicated their lives to voluntary work. The nomination for the award stated: ‘’They founded a church in Hellesdon, Norwich, that started with meetings at their home, followed by a tent mission and finally they built the current church premises. ‘’They have guided thousands of children and young adults through Sunday School, youth clubs, summer camps and many other outing days. With the support of others they have tried to teach children and young people good morals and skills for life.

‘’Through the church they also started a luncheon club that provides care and hot meals for the elderly within the community. Over the years they have served thousands of hot meals. Their work with the elderly also includes monthly ‘Saturday Special’ days with entertainment and food. In addition, they have made regular home visits to those unwell or unable to venture out.

‘’As well as the work within the church they also founded a local orchestra. This is open to musicians of all abilities and ages. It has been running continuously for 40 years with regular practices on Monday nights and the orchestra performing four to five charity concerts per year. There are approximately 40 members and they have raised more than £100,000 for charities over the years with special support at each Christmas concert toward the M.S Society as they have a good friend with this condition. So far they have raised over £18,000 for the local M.S Society, helping to build new facilities.

‘’David and Ruth have seen musicians start in the orchestra and go on to become professional musicians, one of whom is currently a member in the Household Guard and played at Her Majesty’s Funeral.’’

They also founded, and continue to work with, the Hawthorne Meadow Trust which seeks to build and provide affordable sheltered homes for the elderly within the local community. • Paul and Helen Southgate are this issue’s Diary of a Card Shop columnists - see page 56.

Pic: iStock

Paperchase up for auction

Greeting card and stationery retailer Paperchase has been put up for sale just four months after it was bought by retail investor Steve Curtis.

Curtis took over the chain in August 2022, and Sky News reports that he has asked accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers to auction the company.

The chain has a troubled history; following the pandemic, the company - which then had 125 shops and almost 1,300 staff - went through a pre-pack administration deal, which left some greeting card publishers picking up the tab for thousands of pounds as it failed to require them to be paid for their supplied goods, which could still be sold by the new owner.

Paperchase currently has around 100 stores.

Sky has reported that it has been told by several sources that “an insolvency process may be required to expedite a transaction”. Reports suggest that Curtis wants to close a sale in the coming weeks.

Card Factory

appoints new CFO

Greeting card, gift, wrap and gift bag retailer Card Factory has appointed former Costcutter Supermarket boss Matthias Seeger as Chief Financial Officer. He is expected to join the company on May 22. Matthias has been CFO of Ambassador Cruise Line Limited since February 2022, following his role as CFO at Costcutter Supermarkets Group from 2015 to 2021. Previous roles throughout his 31-year career include senior finance roles with Procter & Gamble, in Germany, the UK, Belgium and Switzerland, between 1991 and 2013. He has a Master’s Degree in engineering and an MBA from the University of Texas.

Current CFO Kris Lee will leave Card Factory on January 31, at which time he will step down from the company’s board.

Simon Comer, currently group financial controller, will be appointed as interim chief financial officer, until Matthias joins. Simon has been Group Financial Controller since June 2021, having held previous senior finance roles, including CFO roles, in private equity and listed companies.

CEO Darcy Willson-Rymer, chief executive officer, commented: “Matthias has extensive financial experience and I look forward to working with him again, confident that his expertise and values will support Card Factory’s strategic projects and significant change programme over the next few years.

“I am grateful to Kris for his tireless work over the years, including successful management of liquidity, steering the business through a series of refinancing through covid lockdowns and supporting our ‘Opening our new future’ growth strategy. We offer Kris our very best wishes for the future.”

Cherry Orchard goes green

Cherry Orchard has produced its first eco-friendly range Nature’s Diary. This stunning birthday month collection explores and features the wonders of the UK’s nature and wildlife through the months. The 12 new designs are printed on FSC recyclable board using a Carbon Neutral Press and come with an Eco Kraft envelope.

The company says the range has been well received by customers, paving the way for a greener future in the greeting card industry. www.cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk

News

Royal Mail rocks latest stamp release

Royal Mail has revealed images of 12 new special stamps celebrating one of the most legendary rock bands of all time, Iron Maiden.

The main stamp set celebrates Iron Maiden’s live performances, featuring a selection of photos from their world-wide tours across the years, internationally and at home - and features all current members of the band.

Images range from the 1980s until 2018, and include Dave Murray, Bruce Dickinson and Janick

Gers in Rio de Janeiro, January 2001, Iron Maiden at Twickenham Stadium, London, July 2008, and

Bruce Dickinson sword fighting with band mascot Eddie in Birmingham, August 2018.

A further four stamps pay homage to the band’s long-serving mascot and pop-cultural icon in his own right, Eddie, with his own miniature sheet. The stamps show four notorious Eddie artworks, including the latest addition featuring Eddie as a Samurai warrior from the recent Senjutsu album.

Founded in east London in the mid-1970s by songwriter and bassist Steve Harris, Iron Maiden’s decades-spanning career has made them one of the most revered and influential bands of all time. With over 100 million record sales, almost 2,500 live performances across 64 countries and 17 studio albums – including their latest,

Senjutsu, released in 2021 – Iron Maiden have remained fearlessly creative and dedicated to their legions of fans for almost half a century. Iron Maiden founder member and bassist, Steve Harris said: “We were all absolutely astounded – in a good way! - when we heard first about the commemorative project, and equally pretty much speechless when we saw the stamps for the very first time. They look superb and I think they really capture the essence and energy of Maiden. We’re all very proud that Royal Mail has chosen to honour the band’s legacy like this and we know our fans will feel the same way,”

The band will be back on the road in 2023 with its new The Future Past tour, with dates across the UK and Europe. www.royalmail.com/ironmaiden Hunter Price

Hyve appoints event director

Spring and Autumn Fair organiser Hyve Group has announced the promotion of Alejandra Campos to event director of

Spring and Autumn Fair. With a focus on Autumn Fair and

Moda, Alejandra will work alongside SAF event director Daniel

Mayhew, whose focus is Spring Fair. Spring and Autumn Fair portfolio director Nicola Meadows said: “I’m thrilled to promote Alejandra to event director of Spring and Autumn Fair. Since joining Hyve, she has shown immense talent, passion and drive, and we are confident she will bring enormous energy and expertise. “Alejandra and Daniel make a remarkable team and bring many years of invaluable experience in the industry and a combined vision to drive progress, innovate, and develop the shows to ensure they continue to meet the needs of our community and deliver return on time and investment. They take the helm at a “As Hyve drives our portfolio of very exciting moment in the history of the shows.” exhibitions into a revolutionary Alejandra, who has more than 20 years’ experience in the events industry, joined Hyve Group new phase with the launch in July 2022 as event director of Moda, one of the of connect@, I feel privileged UK’s longest-standing fashion trade shows, which is now an integral part of Spring Fair and Autumn Fair. to have been given the role During her career, Alejandra has worked on of event director for Spring pioneering and successful trade exhibitions, consumer shows, conferences, and awards and Autumn Fair and the ceremonies across a variety of countries and sectors opportunity to help lead including homeware, fashion, wedding, giftware, healthcare and automotive. our incredibly talented and While heading the National Wedding Show motivated team at such an portfolio at Ocean Media, Alejandra launched the Luxury Wedding Show. She went on to found exciting time.” London Bridal Fashion Week independently. More recently, she was the event director of Alejandra Campos award-winning design-led trade event Top Drawer London.

appoints new director

Consumer products business, Hunter Price International, has announced the arrival of Ben Cornwell as the new sales director for its stationery, arts and craft division.

Ben joins the business from art materials specialist, Daler Rowney, where he was responsible for managing the UK and EU mass market retailers, for fine art and kids craft.

Hunter Price International is the product developer and supplier of innovative and design-led consumer products for some of the UK’s leading retailers. The business has three core divisions, home & lifestyle, toys & activity and stationery, arts & craft.

Stationery, arts and craft is a key division for Hunter Price and, following Ben’s arrival, he has set out his mission to become a category-defining pillar within the business.

Storigraphic sees red

Storigraphic has launched a full design collection of its new Boho Red series, an extended range of its popular Seventies Series and Boho colour editions, coinciding with the recent announcement of Viva Magenta, Pantone’s colour of the year for 2023.

Available across stationery, greeting cards, gift wrap, graphical art prints and cotton scatter cushions. https://storigraphic.com