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Wye Needlecraft in Bakewell, Derbyshire, England NATIONAL RETAILER OF THE YEAR ! 1999 Midland region Winners 2001 Wye Needlecraft Storefront Decorated for Christmas In the midst of preparing their shop for its Grand Opening, Clive and Rosemary Sheridan joked that their first customer would come in for elastic. Well that's exactly what happened and the client was looking for knicker elastic, to boot! Another customer that day paid for her acquisitions by cheque, whereupon Clive promptly proceeded to pack it back up with her purchases. Fortunately, she returned later in the morning, highlighting the error. From these inauspicious beginnings, the Sheridans have gone on to become acclaimed numerous times as Retailer of the Year and Wye Needlecraft has evolved as one of the premier needlecraft shops in the UK. Rosemary and Clive Sheridan Clive Sheridan spent his childhood on the outskirts of Sheffield Yorkshire. His youthful interests included singing in the church choir, playing badminton and membership in the Young Farmers Club, Cub Scouts and Scouts through to Scoutmaster, as a qualified Queens Scout. He attended village and city schools and then Leeds University. His employment included a stint with Industrial Fuel Advisory, selling Industrial Boilers, through to Sales and Marketing Director of a Heat Exchanger manufacturer. Though the English outlet for manufacture was in Cheltenham, the headquarters of the company were in Batavia, NY. Clive developed a friendship through the business with a Rhode Island couple. The wife happened to be a cross-stitch addict, who was responsible for turning Rosemary on to cross-stitching. Rosemary and Clive Receiving National Retailer of the Year Award 1999 from Andy Forster of The World of Cross Stitching Rosemary, who is better known as Rosie, was born in Gloucester. She attended the local school and then a boarding School in Cornwall. Thereafter she took some art and cooking courses, with a special interest in cake decorating. In 1962 Rosie attended Teacher Training College in Bradford, Yorkshire. Clive continues, "From this followed our meeting...on Sheffield Railway Station, as we were both returning to our temporary abodes to the north......it has been a lifelong debate as to who made the first move!" Clive insists to this day that he was seeking a tall dark young lady in life but settled with a shorter blond version in Rosie! In 1967, Clive and Rosie were wed in Gloucestershire and lived their early married life in West Yorkshire. All was not a honeymoon as Clive explains, "Life was 'disturbed'... several years following Rosemary's car accident in early 1968... several problems of which the major was a structural one with her windpipe. This then dictated our lives until in 1975 when she was fit enough for us to move south to Cheltenham on my promotion ladder." Nonetheless, in between recurring hospital stays, Rosie and Clive "managed" 2 wonderful daughters: Lesley in 1970 and Sarah in 1973. All this with tracheotomy tubes in Rosie, which were finally removed in 1978. In 1985 Clive and his Directors went their separate ways. He states, semi-jokingly, "Sales orientated minds rarely blend long term with that of an accountant!" This provided Rosie and Clive with the opportunity to work together...but at what? After a long deliberation, they purchased a Country House Hotel in Derbyshire, in the heart of the Peak National Park. Having no experience in the field, except that Rosie could cook, Clive was a practical "do-it-yourself" type and they both enjoyed entertaining, the venture proved to be quite a challenge. They were able to conduct a pre-purchase test-run by cooking weekly for 75 Old Folks at the Church Hall! Once ensconced in the hotel, they limited the restaurant menu, but by cooking "fresh" and by offering genuine homegrown hospitality, they were able to fill a special niche in the market and became very popular, thus bringing in abundant repeat customers. Although extremely successful and winning many awards and commendations, they eventually simply got "burnt out." In 1991 they managed a sale at the peak of their reputation. The Croft Country House Hotel Previous Resident Hosts - Clive and Rosemary Sheridan What next? After a much deserved rest, Rosie immediately returned to her hobby...stitching. So, why not open a Cross Stitch business? A tour of the UK endorsed the increase of interest in needlecrafts. The decision was cemented. Next they asked - where? Why not close to where they had operated the hotel? Clive elucidates, "Location, location and location...the three most important aspects of such a decision. We knew the area, liked the area and it had a potential for half the population of England [22 million tourists] to visit us on a day-trip out." Next Big question mark was - will it work? Clive elaborates, "Unsure of financial balance, we bought a 6 bedroom house in Bakewell, near to the new shop, so that one of us could be in the shop whilst the other ran bed-and-breakfast at home...we never had a guest!" But Wye Needlecraft prospered to the point that it now supports a staff of 10! A select few have been with them since the early days. Clive and Rosemary are extremely proud of their team, many of whom have become fast friends and have also developed lasting friendships with shop customers. Staff of Wye Needlecraft at the Surprise Presentation December 1999 Christmas Party The shop originally made its home on the ground floor of a retail space in the centre of Bakewell. The space had to be efficiently used since retail space comes at a premium in England. After just one year, with an expanding business, more space was required, so Clive and Rosemary negotiated with planners to purchase the flat above and install a new stairway and develop sales space, stockroom and office upstairs. During the alterations, the shop was required to vacate the premises while the intermediate floor was being reinforced with concrete. Clive adds, "But we never closed; a shop had become available 40 yards away, and customers followed the till literally down the road." Clive and Rosemary's dedication to their initial customer base paid off handsomely. Their reputation spread and new customers began to appear from far and wide. Tourists either developed into telephone customers and or became regular visitors to the area. Rosemary offers a telling anecdote, "We had a lady enquire about our location and opening times just so she could organize her holiday around our schedule. She was planning a tour of Europe...from Japan!" What Clive and Rosemary enjoy most about the business is meeting and helping people. Clive stresses, "Rosie's practical influence is present with her design and needlework ability." Rosemary adds, "Obviously Clive's experience as a Company Director influences that the business is monitored and run as a business and not a hobby! With our restraints of high overheads we have to be professional." In unison, Clive and Rosemary, true to their customer service tradition, emphatically state, "If we don't have it .....we'll get it." And you can bet, they will! Clive clarifies their business strategy, "We maintain a rigid plan to limit our stock and service, to cross stitch, tapestry, needlepoint and embroidery" We do not drift into haberdashery or even patchwork." The shop website was specifically designed to provide continuing customer support as opposed to merely being an online sales outlet. Clive states emphatically, "From serving, albeit very time consuming, comes the loyal customer." He continues, "Our stock has increased by a factor of 5 since opening, with material types from 10 to 300!" Along with the growth in business has come an accompanying increase in their working knowledge of various needlecrafts. Most apparent is Clive's and Rosemary's willingness to learn about new techniques and experiment with new products. They are committed to keeping their clients apprised of up-to-date trends and materials. Rosemary and Clive Sheridan with Lois Caron at the Stitches Exhibition, Birmingham, UK The shop's double fronted window displays are changed monthly. Shop services provided include stretching and blocking, as well as finishing and framing services. The owners commissioned a special tapestry depicting the town of Bakewell, which the shop sells exclusively, as well as promoting many other tapestry and cross stitch projects featuring local scenes and motifs. It was Rosie, herself, who sketched the shop's logo, featuring Bakewell Bridge, over the River Wye. Bakewell Bridge The cross stitch magazine with one of the biggest circulations in England, The World of Cross Stitching, has promoted three annual Retailer of the Year competitions, beginning in 1998. Wye Needlecraft was nominated the very first year the promotion was run. In 1999, they received awards for both National Retailer of the Year and Regional Retailer of the Year, and then in the most recent, Wye Needlecraft again won acclaim as Regional Retailer of the Year. The Sheridan's Home and Environs The Sheridans now make their home in a village some 3 miles away from Bakewell, having eventually decided that all they needed for themselves was a property large enough to include a small garden. They have the more than ample magnificent countryside surrounding them on all sides to enjoy. Both daughters were happily married in 1998 and Clive hastens to add, "Which hurt the pocket, being so close together!" Each is successful in her own field; Lesley and her husband Jim run their own Security Company. Jim and Lesley are expecting their first child, and yes, Clive and Rosemary's first grandchild! Sarah has her own jewelry design business in Brighton. Her website (http://www.sheridan-designs.co.uk) is attributable to her husband, Tim, who is with a web design company. Chatsworth House Bakewell is an attractive market town known as the gateway to the Peak and the "capital" of the Peak District National Park. The area encompasses some of the finest scenery in Britain and contains much of historical interest. Hard by are Haddon Hall and Chatsworth House, two of the most famous private homes in the world. Chatsworth, the residence of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, has twice been voted the country's favorite treasure in the NPI gold awards. Haddon Hall has belonged to Lord Edward Manner's family for over 800 years. Well Dressing Well Dressing is an ancient custom only found in and around the borders of Derbyshire. It dates back to the Celts and perhaps, even earlier. At its simplest it is the art of decorating springs and wells with pictures made using only growing things provided by nature. Well dressers fashion incredibly intricate and detailed pictures, which take a whole team of people over 7 days to complete. For millions who have never been to the town, they nevertheless know it for its famous Bakewell Pudding! "Not tarts," Clive is quick to add. The pudding has been made and sold here, in accordance with an original recipe, since 1889. For a website guide to the area see http://www.peakdistrict-tourism.gov.uk Famous Bakewell Pudding - Not Tarts! For more information about the store contact Clive and Rosemary Sheridan at: Wye Needlecraft 2 Royal Oak Place, Matlock Street, Bakewell, Derbyshire DE45 1HD UK Phone:          (0) 1629 815198 Fax:              (0) 1629 814100 E mail:          wye@globalnet.co.uk and/or clive@wye.co.uk   Shop Hours: 9.30am - 5.30 pm Monday to Saturday                     12:00pm - 5.00 pm Sunday