The Harrow at Little Bedwyn - Michelin starred marvel only minutes from Hungerford

After a productive week and ample excuse to celebrate Morgan PR let call handling supremos Verbatim take the strain while we took the short four-mile journey west of Hungerford to the marvellous Michelin starred venue: The Harrow at Little Bedwyn.

Remarkably it was back in June we were last at The Harrow, which is far too long to neglect such brilliant food, wine and service, so with a long lunchtime to spare - or rather putting everything on hold for a long lunch, we indulged, tempted by the Set Tasting Menu we had seen on The Harrow's excellent emailed PDF newsletter. The menu changes daily to make best use of the freshest available ingredients, but you get the idea from the sample sample menu pictured right.

Before it was the new season Veuve Clicquot that we were raising aloft, today however we were treated to what is officially the finest Sauvingnon Blanc in the world! Specifically, the Tamar Ridge Kayena Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2007 was recently awarded the International Sauvignon Blanc Trophy at the prestigious 2008 Decanter World Wine Awards. Poetically, The Harrow is the current Decanter Restaurant of The Year.

The Harrow, founded in its current form by Roger and Sue Jones, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year . While it is undoubtedly a popular venue, we have only just started visiting and far too many people we talk to will know about this terrific restaurant on our doorstep, but have not visited!

They should. The food, often cooked by Roger himself - as it was today - is superb and ably partnered with the best wines from an extensive wine list of some 900 wines. Service is superb with Sue a virtuoso of the fine arts of front of house, as are general manager Peter Hinchciffe and restaurant manager Heather McKnight.

There is a temptation to believe that a Michelin star, or indeed a cluster of AA Stars can render a restaurant both outrageously expensive and impenetrably stuffy. Thankfully The Harrow was neither and while we eventually stuck with the £30 tasting menu it would have been easy and affordable to wander into the a la carte and indeed the hefty wine list.

Writing of wine... back to that Tamar Ridge Sauvignon Blanc, it was truly superb. Being reasonably well travelled in the New World I have always fared rather well picking wines from regions I have visited, often via carefully chosen vineyards. And while I have been to Tasmania, it was the east coast vineyard around Bicheno and the stunning Wineglass Bay that I had visited, clearly missing out on Tamar Ridge in the north. Suffice to say it was a delight to discover these wines could be bought to take home, and indeed we did, a trio of the Sauvignon Blanc.

Sadly we cannot make the next Tamar Ridge event at The Harrow, but have no hesitation in recommending it those who follow this blog. Due to be held on 19th October it promises to be a stunning affair with the very best Tamar Ridge has to offer, matched magnificently with the most impressive dishes that Roger can conjure up. It costs just £75 and you need to call 01672 870871 to book. There are only a few spaces left so hurry

Incidentally, if you have been to The Harrow before, it has a new, lovely clean look (see the photo below) after part of the summer was spent making this delightful venue truly look the business, one that belies its country pub location - which as I have said, is only four miles from Hungerford.

Little Jogs Fun Day pulls in the crowds

Little Jogs Day Nursery in Hungerford held a Fun Day on Sunday and while showers drove the crowds and the attractions inside, there was still plenty of enjoyment to be had, not least the lucky dip that captured this girl's attention.

A host of attractions from a lucky dip through to face painting and a variety of competitions kept children and parents entertained, while the Phoenix Brass Band played throughout the event. A police car from neighbouring Wiltshire was also in attendance with children naturally delighting in setting off the sirens.

Speaking at the event Nursery Manager, Elena Allen said: “We have had a terrific turnout with many of our existing children coming along with their parents and families. It has been great also to see how grown up some of the youngsters are who used to come here and of course it was marvellous to have prospective parents looking around too and asking about sending their children here.

“The event has been really well supported by traders in the town with many giving prizes for the raffle and some even came along together with others who took the opportunity to see what a great nursery we have here.”

Look after your back for the future - wise words from Hungerford Chiropractic Healthcare

I found my posture improved dramatically today as I took shorthand notes during an interview with Louise Saunders, Doctor of Chiropractic. Maybe it was being in the well appointed clinic that is home to Hungerford Chiropractic Healthcare, although more I suspect it was guilt in the face of this lady's passionate belief in her profession.

She enthused: "There is a common misconception that Chiropractic is just about backs; in fact it has a direct effect on the nervous system that drives and controls every cell in the body. The performance of the nervous system determines our quality of life.

"Chiropractic can have a hugely positive impact on a person's wellbeing not just on the symptom that may have prompted them to seek help. The mobile bones of the spine house the spinal cord, the vital communication link between the brain and all other parts of the body".

"Gravity, poor posture, and increased stress of modern life, leads to areas in the spine becoming restricted, interfering with the communication and correct functioning of the nervous system. This can lead to an array of symptoms such as headaches and joint or muscle pain".

And definitely guilt, if you are slouching at the keyboard as you read this! Or in my case as I took the notes for the feature on Hungerford Chiropractic Healthcare for the next edition of Newbury Business Today. I defy anyone who reads the interview with Louise not to feel a twinge of responsibility for your body.

I suspect I shall be seeking an MOT from her very soon!

What a load of rubbish

Morgan PR showed how corporate responsibility can start locally and at a very young age, when the whole Morgan family joined in a litter pick around Hungerford today.

Armed with bin bags and litter grabbers, we went in search of the veritable mountain of waste that people drop and throw out of car windows, and we did not have to look far.

Several hours and full bin bags later, Hungerford was tidied up and a better environment for everyone.

What was perhaps sadder than the litter was the poor turnout for the heavily advertised Town Council event. Clearly more people are content to drop litter than feel motivated enough to do anything about it.

Passing time with The Clockmaker

The Clockmaker. It could be the alias of a sinister hitman, renown for their efficiency, precision and timing... perhaps it is! However, today Morgan PR was with someone altogether more likeable, so much so an interview that should have lasted a mere hour, lasted closer to two.

Actually I can be precise on the timing as I was surrounded by clocks. Dozens if not hundreds of them; big clocks, small clocks, long case clocks and everyone of them a ticking clock. After all The Clockmaker not only has a reputation for being able to make a clock if only presented with a hand, he also repairs and sells a host of elegant timepieces.

Before the interview could commence I had to repress nostalgic recollections of that 1970s TV series Pipkins and the cacophony of ticking clocks which meant it was 'time for a story' and subsequently took me to Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side of the Moon', or more specifically 'Time'.

Chris Bessent is The Clockmaker; warm and friendly, Chris Bessent does not strike the archetypal image of a clockmaker, he is not in the least wizened and nor do I find him hunched over a workbench peering through thick spectacles when we meet him at his Hungerford business.

He is very engaging and clearly passionate about his business, which has built upon a fascination founded in childhood for understanding how things work and his conversation, like all conversations is littered with time-orientated references which show how fundamental time is to our very existence.

He explained: “It started when I was a child; most people take for granted that something works. Me, I wanted to know how it worked and left alone I would take something apart to try and find out. Invariably I would wreck it, but today, with 29 years experience in making and repairing clocks that curiosity has developed into a real skill. Someone once joked I could make a clock if someone simply brought me the hand... and I probably could!

“We take time, but we provide a quality service that does represent value for money. A clock isn’t something like a car that needs servicing every year, but you have to appreciate if it goes wrong after 20 or 30 years, or 100 or 150 years, then it might take some time and effort to fix it. Of course it might not, but we will tell you, and we offer a three year guarantee.

“We also sell clocks, but people do not buy a clock to tell the time. It is about so much more; it can be an elegant focal point of a room and offer something stable, something solid and reliable. We have companies that buy clocks from us and what gives gravitas and a feeling of longevity more than a clock? Of course if you don’t care then you can go to Next and buy a quartz thing!"

For such a complicated and specialist task there is an incredible transparency to how Chris Bessent does business; the whole process, from the initial quote to explaining what he has done is clear and easy to understand – not unlike the skeleton clocks of the early 19^th Century that revealed the inner workings of clocks, The Clockmaker and his team inspire confidence and trust with their time honoured approach to providing a real service to the customer.

Las Vegas Reunion Tour

Graham and Karen Chapple, respectively of Garden4you and Irun (the website company formerly known as Web Build Pro) joined us in Hungerford for dinner last night – and their first taste of the ActionCoach game Leverage.

It was only our second game – you’ll recall we wrote about it here – but it was Graham & Karen’s first taste of the game they, like us, had heard Brad Sugars rave about as the ‘fun way to learn business’. It was actually the first time the four of us have been together since we attended the Entrepreneur's MasterClass in the States so it was good to catch up on the meteoric rise of our respective businesses.

Well, it was definitely more straightforward this time round and I do not mean just understanding the rules; there were nuances and probably trademarked blinding flashes of the obvious as principles dawned on us.

Less fun was the disarmingly named ‘Oops’ cards. We never got one of these last time we played and Graham – or ‘Lucky Graham’ as we shall ironically refer to him, picked the first and a few more ‘Oops’ cards. In fact we all did and learned a valuable lesson about those sneaky little problems that can thwart the most careful of business plans, from losing staff to a client going bankrupt and taking your unpaid invoices with them.

It was good fun – not least as I am far from convinced any of us imagine our dashing entrepreneur lifestyles involving Friday night board room sessions!

Hat Will Do Nicely

After shoes at the top end of Hungerford High Street, Morgan PR switched to hats at the other end of town when we spent some time with Jane Corbett today, to offer advice about PR and marketing.

Jane runs a beautiful shop in Hungerford, Jane Corbett Millinery, packed with beautiful, hand made hats and headdresses. The shop is a real treat for the eyes, as each place you look you see more of her gorgeous, unique pieces. The walls are decorated with hand painted designs and it has the feel of a decedent boudoir; the rush and traffic of the high street outside seems to fade away.

Delightfully, Jane herself takes pride in offering a bespoke service to each client. She explores their needs and can dye silks, straw and feathers to exactly match outfits and meet requirements. A visit to her would make any lady feel truly pampered.

Jane has plans to develop her business, which are under wraps until spring next year (you'll notice we avoided the 'keeping it under our hats' pun!). Suffice to say that there will be even more reasons to visit!

Public Relations in Hungerford

Morgan PR offers public relations throughout West Berkshire and the Thames Valley, still, it is always nice to serve clients much closer to home - and this morning we were with Hungerford shoe magnate Ellie Dickins.

We have written about Ellie many times in the past and taken photographs too, so it was nice to be taking it to the next level and we will be working with her across her two shops and three brands: Ellie Dickins, Dickins for Men and Diddy Dickins and using the range of services we can provide; from public relations and marketing through to web marketing and search engine optimisation and graphic design.

Ellie already enjoys a strong market presence and a reputation that goes far beyond the market town where she is based.

We will be working with her to capitalise on this to improve brand awareness and ultimately increase sales; sometimes public relations is done for its own sake, but mostly it will always be about increasing sales and that is something that Morgan PR fully understands.

So look forward to hearing more about the work we are doing with Ellie Dickins very soon.

Garden4You Cultivates Great Public Relations

Garden4You have finished the marathon fencing project here at Morgan PR and in spite of the frequent and oft torrential downpour they have finished on time and on budget, ably conquering any of those inevitable problems that pop up along the way!

Taking on the role of catering manager did mean I saw how hard Graham Chapple and his team worked and I'd have no hesitation recommending them for whatever garden service, be it mammoth project or common or garden maintenance (see what I did there?!).

I was also thrilled to have seduced Graham into the delighted of video blogging and just see how polished this performance was at the end of the job - then again it is perhaps the relief shining through. Eitherway I suspect Morgan PR has helped launched a video blogging career!

Garden Services of the Highest Order

With the videocast out of the way the fencing professionals from Garden4You cracked on and put up an amazing amount of fencing - and I'm sure the sunshine that mostly prevailed helped!


Of course, it is not all hard work - at least not when I venture out with appropriate snacks! From bacon butties this morning to exceedingly good cakes this afternoon - below you can see how much Graham was enjoying his.


In all seriousness though, they will be finished tomorrow and it is phenomenal what they have achieved in such a short space of time and in spite of the rain!

Gardening in Hungerford: The Videocast!

The sun has mostly been shining today while the crew from Garden4You carry on with the mammoth fencing project here in Hungerford.

The fence will keep the Morgan PR ceremonial Border Collie from mugging the neighbours and may allow for an expansive of the chicken's run, these are chickens which any day now should start to supply ample enough eggs for me to donate liberally to our clients!

However, perhaps the biggest breakthrough has been getting Graham in front of the video camera for his first ever videocast. Which he completed with aplomb!

Here it is:

Garden4You - Extreme Gardening in Hungerford

Did you see that rain today? Did you see how it made people run for cover? What I saw was the dedicated team from Garden4You slaving away in the torrential downpour at they worked hard erecting a new fence.

I have written about Garden4You and the sterling efforts of its founder Graham Chapple numerous times, and marvelled at the burgeoning testimonials on his website, so it was inevitable that when I needed some fencing done I would ask them - but being a good businessman I did ask for other quotes, but Graham was the most responsive and the most competitive.

So today, in all that rain, they started work and they didn't stop - even when the rain poured, nay when it deluged from the sky - the four strong team kept working and made some cracking progress.

I was only there in the afternoon, but kept them fuelled with tea and cakes, and positively marvelled at the difference their hard work was making. During some brief sunshine I took some 'before' photographs and will publish those later in the week - and contrast them with the no doubt remarkable 'after' shots.

Another marvellous aspect to this job has been the relative ease with which Garden4You has secured so many of the seemingly scarce six foot fence panels required for the 60 metres of fencing they have to replace.

Watching Graham put his skills to work it was hard not to offer some of mine in return, so I have persuaded him to do a make a short video for his own blog.

We will do that tomorrow and I'll be sure to post the video here for you all to see!

Actually, this takes me back to the days when we sold websites before we had our own! So far the only video posted on this blog was the rather amusing one on PowerPoint - which coincidentally Graham commented on!

So I shall be sure to post my own video very soon!

In Front of the Camera for teachers.tv

Through Morgan PR I am more used to putting our clients in front of the camera than stepping up myself; I spent plenty of time up front when working as a press officer for Thames Valley Police, indeed that was where I learned to TV skills that serve clients so well.

However, earlier today I was in front of the camera with my Governor's hat on when a film company working for teachers.tv (can you believe an educational channel doesn't use upper case there?) came to Hungerford to make a documentary for the channel on the Hungerford Schools Community Project.

Through being a governor at the John O'Gaunt Community Technology College I became involved a couple of year ago and currently chair the project's Strategy Group.

The programme makers, Illumina Digital, are making a programme that follows another governor facing the journey we have already undertaken.

So it was me asked to meet and greet Frances Stickley, chair of governors at Kings Langley School in Hertfordshire and was subsequently filmed as she asked me about our experience of running an extended school - which is essentially the provision of wrap around childcare, all year round in Hungerford and at our feeder primaries.

It was good fun being back on camera and quite luxurious too - a documentary crew with three cameras, and a soundman. So much more than either the local ITV news or BBC can muster for their day to day news.

Incidentally, I was invited to become a governor after delivering media training to the top team at John O'Gaunt Community Technology College.

Smart Shoes for Small Feet at Diddy Dickins!

Champagne toast at a little after 10am? Well were were raising our glasses to toast the opening of Diddy Dickins in Hungerford, the latest development in the the delightfully convivial footwear empire of Ellie Dickins.


The lovely Ellie, pictured here with one of her very first customers at Diddy Dickins, is someone Morgan PR has written about and photographed numerous times in the past and there is certainly a sense of pride to be delivering public relations advice for someone who is striving relentlessly to build a business based of quality products and terrific customer service.

With shoes for ladies and gents already well established the opening of Diddy Dickins has been in the pipeline for many months, but for the wraps to finally come off and the balloons to go up, it was only right we raise our glasses.

Adding a sense of ceremony to the occasion was the Constable of the Town and Manor of Hungerford, Barbara Barr, replete with her Chain of Office (pictured below with Ellie Dickins).


However, I have to confess for me she will always be one my form tutors from distant days at John O'Gaunt Secondary School, where she also tried in vain to teach me 'home textiles'!

Goodness how times have changed! It is now the John O'Gaunt Community Technology College, where I am a Governor and still unable to sew!

Giving Something Back to the Community

I know many business people who are all too prepared to contribute something back to their community and indeed it is something that I like to do too. The same skills that make us successful in our chosen enterprises can be invaluable to any number of organisations and charities.

For example, I am a community governor at the John O’Gaunt Community Technology College in Hungerford and have been for some four years now. Essentially you perform the role of critical friend and act much like a board of non executive directors would in a business.

I chair the Curriculum and Assessment Committee, responsible for amongst other things, the setting of targets for attainment as required by Government. I am also the Link Governor for English.

This week is Link Visit Week and earlier today I met with the Acting Head of English, a very capable teacher, Mike Cowdry, to explore how the department is perfoming and what the future holds. Fascinating stuff and an honour to be able to contribute to that future.

My late father, Taffy Morgan, was a governor at the school in the 1980s - when I also put in a considerable number of hours there - as a pupil.

The BBC has an excellent guide to becoming a governor which has some good advice on what to do and where to go - of course if you want to be a governor at John O'Gaunt, email me via my website and I would be delighted to help!

Just a Little Pin Prick

Another day another photo for the Newbury Business News – this time at The Lilley Clinic, which is a therapy centre just a couple of miles South of Hungerford and another company going into the Healthy Living feature that will appear in the April 12th edition of West Berkshire’s premier source of business news.

This photo is of Acupuncturist Petrina Spencer-Walker, who recently joined the clinic and she is using the hand of practice manager Geoff Mitchell after he gamely volunteered to pose for this photo.

If that name sounds familiar but you cannot quite place it within the world of therapy, think cars - Geoff is also the man behind GMV Leasing and will certainly find you are car if your business needs one. Or of course he can point you in the right direction if you need anything from a massage through to acupuncture!

Hot Stones at Belle Chic

The Healthy Living feature in the forthcoming April edition of the Newbury Business News is taking me around many of the therapy centres in West Berkshire, and it was nice to be able to walk to one this afternoon when I visited Belle Chic in Hungerford.

Tucked just off the High Street this is a little peace of heaven (pun intended) run by Mel Tozer and her team of professional therapists.

I was especially fascinated to learn about Hot Stone therapy; over the years I have learned about many different therapies and indeed enjoyed a good few too - but I had never seen or experienced this one first hand.

So with Mel Tozer selflessly volunteering to undergo the treatment so I could photograph it, I ask Holistic Therapist Karen Barrass to explain how the treatment works.

She said: “The stones are basalt, volcanic rock, using both hot, and depending on the treatment, cold stones, I massage the client using the edges of the hot stones and can also place them on key points of the body. The heat and weight of the stone penetrates deeply and is incredibly relaxing.

“I can also do reflexology using hot stones; you can still feel the areas of the feet that correspond with parts of the body and feel any problems, but the real difference is how the heat from the stone amplifies the effects and can make it so much more relaxing than straightforward reflexology.”

However, the relaxed murmers of appreciation from Mel actually told me all I needed to know and rest assured I shall be heading back to Belle Chic very soon!

A Close Shave in Hungerford

In searching online for a new bow tie, a requirement for the West Berkshire Business Club Annual Dinner Dance, Google brought me straight back to Hungerford and suggested The Gentleman’s Shop in Charnham Street.

This gentleman’s emporium is a splendid establishment that I frequent far too little. Run by Robert Johnston since 1988, it is one of the few places outside London where you can enjoy the indulgence of a cut throat shave – for that smoother finish.

Naturally with the judging of the West Berkshire Business Club, Business of the Year Award just a few hours away I want to look every bit the suave and sophisticated winner in waiting!

Robert was every bit as charming as the last time I saw him and it was fun to have such a close shave. I have done it before, most notably in Thailand. But that is another story entirely!

It was also wonderful to be back in The Gentleman’s Shop; I can only really describe it as adult sweet shop. Crammed full of wonderful things that the man about town wants needs or even doesn’t want or need – but will probably have.

Networking... But not as we Know it!

The launch of the Faringdon and Swindon Profit Club was an entertaining affair and promises to be inspirational in the coming months I am sure.

Admittedly I already knew I was joining, but Sally Rainbow-Ockwell did a fantastic sales pitch on all the benefits of Profit Club and would have tempted me and certainly seemed to tempt plenty of the assembled guests too.

The event was held at the Faringdon Enterprise Gateway - remarkably only 23 miles from Morgan PR's headquarters here in Hungerford, and much of that route across the Lambourn Downs and provided a good excuse to pop in and see my Mum!

The Profit Club will meet here on the first and third Tuesday lunchtime of each month and then the second and fourth Tuesday lunchtimes it will meet at the Basepoint Business Centre in Swindon. Once a month there is also a two hour coaching session on a Tuesday evening that builds on the coaching component of the Club's regular meetings. All this neatly dovetails with the quarterly 90 Day Planning Seminars that have so helped my approach to business.

It was a joy to meet so many like minded - and one or two not at all like minded - individuals, but perhaps the most inspirational was Maggie Gill, who works for the Prospect Hospice, and was there for the announcement that this Profit Club would be donating 5% of its proceeds to the hospice.

We had a good chat and I was thrilled to be able to offer so PR advice and services for free, in a gesture of support for the organisation and its remarkable work. First point of business will be a release promoting the generosity of Sally's Profit Club and targeting that at the Swindon and other Wiltshire media.

The Managing Director of Swindon-based TransXL International Ltd, Jon Napper was a friendly guy, there with a colleague, another John. Refreshing to see a clearly successful business entertaining the notion that there is still something to learn.

We were paired together for a warm up exercise: asked to stand adjacent to one another, but facing in opposite directions, we gripped hands as if to shake as instructed, but were then told we could win a point for each time we pulled the other persons hand against our own hip. Naturally most people launched into competitive mode; we opted for co-operative and stepping closer merely oscillated our gripped hands between our hips and scored highly indeed.

I also met Andrew Chapman, founder of www.surf4wine.com and someone who was recommended to me by Sally. Andrew has a comprehensive range of wines on offer at his website and also specialises in designing labels featuring a company logo and other associated merchandise from his premises in Drayton, Oxon. Certainly worth a visit if you were looking to thank anyone for exceptional PR this year! I'm revising my incentives in the New Year so will be speaking to Andrew more then.

As a Profit Club member I can bring along guests, so if any of my regular readers fancy finding out more, do let me know! Alternatively sign up to Sally's newsletter by clicking here.