On the move

Travelling to Wesley-Barrell's 16 showrooms takes me from Bournemouth to Beverley and from Bristol to Norwich and allows me to see some of the loveliest and most interesting parts of the country.

I particularly enjoy the buzz of Manchester, which has changed enormously in recent years and is where people clearly thrive on living in a young and vibrant city very much at the forefont of design and fashion.

By contrast next week I am driving to the beautiful spa town of Harrogate. I love Harrogate's genteel elegance and if time allows sometimes I treat myself to a visit to Betty's one of the best tearooms in the country. Then I will be heading onto Beverley, perhaps meeting with the rush hour caused by cattle crossing from one side of the common land to the other as you drive towards the centre of town!

In the course of my work I also meet a variety of very interesting customers from Ambassador's wives to footballers!  During a visit to St Albans recently I met a couple that were relocating to Devon. In the course of our discussions I discovered that they had adopted a retired racing greyhound. I replied that in the future this is something that I also hoped to do, so when they returned to the showroom to finalise their choice of fabrics I was delighted that the greyhound was brought to meet me!

Each one of the Wesley-Barrell showrooms has a unique quality and unlike a lot of retailers, no two showrooms look alike and each reflects the region and the personalities of our highly professional staff. I thoroughly enjoy meeting such a diverse range of people and feel lucky to have the opportunity to experience some of the most beautiful towns and cities in England.

Jo Waters - Retail & Operations Director at Wesley-Barrell