Playopolis opens at Hatton Shopping Village

A designer of outdoor play equipment – which is sold worldwide - has opened his own toy shop, Playopolis, at Hatton Shopping Village, near Warwick.

Steve Peet spent seven years designing outdoor play equipment, including the world’s first aluminium climbing frame. A member of the British Toy Safety Committee, Mr Peet was also the EU UK representative of outdoor toy safety in both Brussels and Oslo, helping to define the first safety standard for outdoors toys.

However, after years in the corporate world working for a multinational company, the father of three from Hampton Magna decided to open his own shop, Playopolis, selling outdoor toys including forts, trampolines and activity centres, as well as a wide range of indoor toys.

“Both my wife Claire and I enjoyed the corporate world and being at the forefront of toy design and product safety, but as a family man, I wanted my own business close to our home in Warwick and Hatton Shopping Village offers the perfect opportunity for this,” said Mr Peet.

“Claire is an educationalist and anthropologist by training and what interests us is the education and social value of toys. It’s important for children to learn, be creative, relax and enjoy their playtime. Toys can give children the freedom to create their own worlds. We choose quality toys, which our two oldest children have an active role in selecting with us.

“Outdoor equipment particularly instils confidence in children. Monkey bars, for example, can at first present a challenge but the feeling of accomplishment when the challenge is achieved is invaluable. Outdoor toys are also great for getting close to nature, even by simply lying on a platform and gazing as the clouds float by,” said Mr Peet.

Playopolis stocks a wide range of indoor discovery learning, interactive toys and pocket money toys. There are many interactive areas for children who are also able to test-ride the outdoor equipment.

Blooming Marvellous idea

An IT consultant with more than 20 years experience has swopped her commuting lifestyle to set up a paradise for the green-fingered gardener.

Penny Hindmarsh, from Warwick, was regularly commuting to Swindon and Worcester for her job when she spotted an advert for commercial space at Hatton Shopping Village, near Warwick.

A lover of plants, Penny had been working part-time at a local nursery for pleasure, but suddenly the idea of her own business selling plants, compost, pots and accessories presented itself.

“I wasn’t exactly unhappy in my job but I was certainly not getting a huge amount of pleasure from it. The industry is full of whizz kids who live and breathe the new technology and I was looking for something else. I happened to be glancing through a magazine of businesses for sale and the unit at Hatton just jumped out at me,” said Penny.

“It’s a super location, right in the countryside. I went to see the unit and just fell in love with the place. There is around 4000 sq ft of space to fill and I’ve already brightened it up with hundreds of bedding plants, David Austin Roses, and grass hanging balls - and soon we’ll be getting fruit trees in. Right now gardeners are preparing for spring and summer by tending their lawns and planting seeds for summer flowers. In a few weeks the gardens will be full of colour – and so will The Garden at Hatton Shopping Village!”

Curtain Shop opens at Hatton

A seamstress is celebrating after opening her own shop at Hatton Shopping Village, near Warwick.

Tina Leese had been making curtains for family and friends for years when suddenly she found herself redundant and looking for work.

Following a suggestion from her husband Dale to advertise her handmade curtain service, the cottage industry simply took off. Tina has since received commissions to curtain village halls, schools, hotels, guesthouses and for complete house makeovers – including supplying curtains and soft furnishings for 15 rooms in a listed rectory in Castle Bromwich.

The opening of Curtain Workshop in Hatton Shopping Village will provide Tina with much-needed work space and a showroom for her designs, which include vertical, wooden and Venetian blinds, doorstops, footstools, table linen, cushions and chair covers, plus a range of luxury fabrics, curtain poles and tracks. She will also provide a free measuring and home consultation service and make curtains from customer’s chosen fabric.

Tina said: “I can’t believe that what started as a hobby has ended up with me opening my own shop at Hatton Shopping Village. I love every aspect of the job, from the design and creation to finally seeing the whole concept in situ. It’s my dream to come to Hatton and I’ve been waiting for a unit to become available for some time. It is the ideal venue for me as there is a community of crafts people already established. Now I’m really looking forward to some exciting commissions coming my way.”

In the Dog House

A canine-crazy accountant has traded in her office job to open her own dog accessory shop at Hatton Shopping Village, near Warwick.

A lifelong animal lover, Vanessa Barnes decided to take on the venture when she couldn’t find everything she wanted for her own dogs.

The mother of two, who specialised in VAT for 12 years but always wanted to run her own business, said: “I’ve obviously been involved with business for years but never felt quite ready to branch out on my own. Now that the children are a little older I’m taking the plunge to sell products I love. I’m concentrating on being different and more affordable than the major pet store suppliers, which I hope will give me the edge.”

As well as being a traditional pet shop selling leads, collars, toys and treats, the Dog House will also stock t-shirts, specialist products and clothing for country sports – including exclusive lines from America – as well as dog training aids and jogging accessories.

“My three dogs are an important part of my family and are involved in many aspects of our daily routine, so I understand how dogs fit into people’s lives. We also hope to be a resource for those interested in country pursuits, or sports, as well as the general pet owner, said Vanessa whose own dog is currently away at gundog training school.  “I’m also very interested in canine behaviour, and have recently completed a dog psychology course so there will be products available to help with behavioural problems too,” she said.

The Dog House will also have a small selection of products for other pets, including cat harnesses, scratching posts, bowls, grooming sets and general animal care books.

Dream comes true for Craft Shop Owner

A dream has come true for an artistic Kenilworth woman who has opened her first craft shop at Hatton Shopping Village, near Warwick.

Shona Perkins, who spent 11 years in the oil industry, has set up ‘Beading Crafty’, selling decorative craft beads from around the world.

“I love art and enjoy painting and have always wanted to run my own craft shop,” she said. “I guess it was inevitable that I would end up with a shop like this one day.”

Shona lives in Burton Green, Kenilworth, with her husband Stephen and two young children, where for the past five years she has also run her own pet-sitting business, Perky Pets, looking after guinea pigs, rabbits and small rodents, as well as a dog walking service.

She got the idea for Beading Crafty from her sister in law  – and now business partner – Dawn Perrin, who runs a similar shop in Knebworth, Hertfordshire.

Shona, who spent 11 years in sales, supply & marketing for Warwick-based oil company Conoco, said she plans to run workshops for adults (and a children’s drop in centre), where they can make such items as jewellery, window decorations, greetings cards etc.

“The initial interest in what we have to offer has been phenomenal and the fact that we are bringing additional craft activities to Hatton has not gone unnoticed by customers. This has generated a super response from locals and visitors alike,” said Shona, who imports beads from countries such as China, India and North America.

“The location here is just perfect for people to enjoy what our craft shop has to offer, and to have a fun day out too. Also, once we have established the business here at Hatton, we would like to sell on-line,” she said. For details on the workshops call Shona on 01926 840088.

Norwegian designer of Chinese furniture opens at Hatton

A Norwegian designer of Chinese furniture has chosen Hatton Shopping Village near Warwick for her first retail outlet.

Liv Cole, who came to an English boarding school when she was 15 to learn the language, toured the Orient looking for inspiration for her designs, which are then manufactured to traditional methods in China and imported to England.

Liv describes the style of her designs for tables, chairs and wooden furniture in general as ‘East meets West’. But she also searches for antique Chinese furniture and accessories, offering buyers an opportunity to own their own piece of Far Eastern history.

Born in Bergen, Liv previously spent eight years with the conference sales team at Birmingham’s International Conference Centre, where she also decorated their conference meeting rooms and attended part-time design courses every year.

“I have always been interested in design and interiors,” she said. “I went to the US to see the world's largest furniture exhibition in North Carolina last year and met some Chinese furniture manufacturers. I then went to visit them in Guangzhou and Ningbo to discuss my designs and to import selected furniture and interior accessories. They are brilliant contacts – some even supply American tycoon Donald Trump!”

Her unit at The Stables Antiques & Furniture Centre, at Hatton Shopping Village, has already attracted considerable interest. “People love the romance of the Orient and up until now the furniture has been quite hard to find so I’ve already been very busy,” she said.

Fair Trade

Fair trade designer dresses, which have graced the Paris catwalks, are being sold at Hatton Shopping Village as part of a pioneering move to help African businesses.

Exclusive Roots is the trading arm of Tabeisa, a not-for-profit consortium of UK and African experts based at Coventry University, which helps African business men and women earn more than ten times their usual salaries by helping implement better product design and opening up trading opportunities.

Selling fashion, textiles and jewellery, Exclusive Roots is Tabeisa’s pilot shop in Europe and it is hoped several more will open during the coming years offering beautiful products ethically traded.

The shop’s eclectic mix of African designs also includes ceramics, sculptures, bags and leather sandals, as well as many products made using recycled materials such as flip-flops and flour bags.

The collection also includes batik dresses made as a result of an international competition to come up with a design to be made in Africa but that would appeal to the European market. The Design4Life competition attracted designs from excellent young designers and some 400 exclusive dresses were sold through Topshop’s London stores.

Chief executive officer Professor Jane Conlon, an engineer with experience of business development for marginalised groups, said that Hatton Shopping Village was the ideal location to get into the market: “Hatton offers the right ethos with many specialist shops and crafts people making and selling their wares on site. It is also perfectly centrally located and close to major networks without actually being on the high street.”

Backed by the EU and the UK’s Department for Education and Skills, and in association with Coventry University, Tabeisa works with start-up businesses in Ghana, Kenya, Gambia, Zambia, Namibia and South Africa which make and sell their products in sustainable markets.