Blog

Interview with Ian Rowley, owner of The Haslemere Bookshop The Haslemere Bookshop is an independent bookshop at the heart of Haslemere High Street selling new and second-hand books, and cards. Did you face any challenges when setting up the business? There has been a bookshop on the High Street for many years. When I took over the shop from Ronald Timms in 2014, I had no idea how a bookshop worked; fortunately the staff (all friends or family) did! Since then, through their hard work, the business has been transformed. Not only does the shop look very different but we are online, more community focussed and our second-hand book section rejuvenated.

Hamish Donaldson has been organising Haslemere Festival for 20 years, here we ask Hamish questions about the history & future of this wonderful biennial event.

Little Fish is on a mission to bring exceptional sushi and pan-Asian cuisine to food lovers in rural communities. Our ever-evolving menu has been crafted by Michelin-trained, multi-award-winning chef, Neil Witney – mastermind behind some of the UK’s top pan-Asian restaurants.

Interview with Linnet Bird of Clarendon Fine Art Haslemere "We specialise in original works, limited editions and sculpture from the finest emerging and established contemporary artists, alongside a superb collection of rare, signed editions from 20th century masters including Picasso, Hockney and Warhol. Our services are designed to make art acquisition an uplifting and refreshing experience, and include personal appointments in the gallery or your home, artist commissioning, interest free credit, bespoke insurance, gift list services and many more, including meet the artist & focus events." What were you doing before this business? We are lucky enough to have a small team of four local ladies, (Linnet, Laura, & Pippa), all bringing a wealth of experience from diverse creative sectors, in order to better assist & understand the needs of our clientele. The rich tapestry of the Haslemere team, consists of an Interior designer at the helm, a client development manager from Sotheby’s, and an advertising executive & fine artist. Each member thrives on using their transferable skills to source the perfect pieces for the perfect client. How did you come up with the idea for your business? Clarendon are a huge success story, now the largest gallery group in the world, (falling under the umbrella of Demonfort fine art and encompassing Whitewall galleries). As such we have access to un utterly enviable exclusive portfolio. The origins were a little more humble though, and stemmed from our CEO Helen Swaby having a particularly bad buying experience, at a well known London art Gallery. After her "Pretty Woman" moment, Helen simply thought, there must be a better, more accessible way to by art, without feeling utterly alienated from the moment you walk through the door. In 2010 Clarendon was born and we haven’t looked back since, priding ourselves on making your art journey a thoroughly enjoyable experience. What made you choose Haslemere? Helen was visiting Haslemere, and whilst sat outside a well-known local café, was struck by the beauty of our High Street. With its turrets, timber frames and buildings dating back to the 15th century, making it one of the most picturesque retail destinations in the country, she thought this wonderous place would be and ideal location for a Clarendon’s. We like to think that one year on, we are now a key part of this thriving centre for food and drink, shopping and entertainment, and of course, art and culture. As the town coat of arms states 'Life Springs from the Arts'.

We are a preloved designer boutique with carefully curated clothes and accessories.

Popular Little Lumpy sportive announces a new partnership with Undershaw Education Trust for 2023. For the past 14 years, this major cycling event through beautiful countryside on the Surrey/Hampshire/West Sussex borders has been supporting local charities, raising more than £140,000.

In this feature about The Haslemere Christmas Market we chat to organiser Melanie Odell about this year's much looked forward to event. When was the first market & where did the idea come from? The first market was in 2000, it was one of three projects supported by the Haslemere Initiative. The HI was a group of organisations (three tiers of Council, Chamber of Trade & Commerce, The Haslemere Society, schools, twinning) that met regularly to support the town. The idea for the market came from visiting Haslemere's twin town in Germany, Horb-Am-Neckar, who have a traditional annual Christmas market. How has it grown and developed over the years? Originally it was just in West Street, then grew to include half of the High Street and now covers the whole of the area including stalls in the Museum. How many people are involved in organising the market & how far in advance does the planning start each year? Just two people, myself and Iain Lynch both as volunteers. Planning starts in August. Are there any new features for this year? This is our 20 th anniversary – having had a year out for COVID and had we not been in such difficult times we might have organised more but better safe than sorry!

Volunteer in & around Haslemere and support your community. With organisations in a variety of interests for all ages, there is something for everyone. Learn new skills and meet new people.