Hi all,
As you know we are retiring after this years Farnham show. We have thank-yous and other things to say, but will save that for later as we just wish to give you the latest news re the future of the shows.
It gives us real pleasure to be able to tell you that the shows will continue, all be it in a slightly different way, as Hatfield & Farnham will have different owners.
I think it’s no surprise to many of you, as you know we’ve been talking to them for some time, that Hatfield will be taken over by Valentine Clays. We feel we, as individuals, have taken the Hatfield show as far as we can and we were looking for a team that could take the show to the next level. After the talks we’ve had with Valentines, we firmly believe that they are the people who can do that.
Valentine’s know there are people out there who have reservations and to that effect have asked us to take on the selection process and want us to be there for them as Consultants or Trustees. We are more than happy to do this as we want to fully support them with their plans for the future of the show.
The other wonderful news is that Anna & Richard Miller, will take over Farnham. Anna has been involved in PR and publishing locally for several years. Many of you will know Rich from our shows as he’s been one of Art in Clays top Helpers at the shows, going back to his College days. He now runs his own tile company Froyle Tiles alongside making his own studio work, again in our eyes a perfect fit. Anna & Rich are very enthusiastic about taking over the show and live less than 10 miles from the Maltings, which will be great for promoting the show locally.
Both Valentines and Rich and Anna want to continue the shows with pretty much the same format as we’ve used. We’ll do whatever we can to help them make a success of their new ventures (so won’t be disappearing completely for a year or two)
All the best
Andy & Di