As a former teacher, September is like new year for me; time to make a fresh start, be productive and start actioning the plans that have been swirling around my head all summer. Obviously on the list is to blog more regularly (!) so here goes…
In the Spring I embarked on a personal project to photograph women in my local area who were nominated by other women who thought they were pretty amazing humans. And I was fascinated by the stories that were told and how much is going on in our local community.
Meet Caroline…
Room 9 is a total delight on Leighton Buzzard High Street. It was established by Caroline who saw the opportunity for a small business and created a welcoming shop and cafe which has become a key feature on the high street. Everything is carefully selected and curated by Caroline who has a keen eye for design and seems to know just what her customers are after. But it is not ‘just’ a shop, it has become a thriving part of the community. Caroline and her team offer a friendly face and a chat to the customers. The cafe is a regular meeting spot and always serves up a treat from the fresh menu.
When I spoke to Caroline she recognised that the shop means a lot to people but also that it just part of her full and busy life. Friends and family are so important to Caroline and she has dedicated much time to raising money for charity though big events, as well as supporting others to do the same. No wonder her colleagues nominated her for this project.
Meet Lucy and Andrea…
This mother/daughter team are the brilliant duo who run Creighton’s Chocolaterie. It is a unique chocolate company selling the tastiest chocolate bars in creative packaging. The flavour combinations are immense and they are always developing new products. Their bars are sold across the UK and Europe and offer a refreshing alternative to your average chocolate bar. Not only do Lucy and Andrea make a fab team, they support local businesses and run their chocolate factory employing a team of women in the local area. Their ethical approach to running their business includes the connections they have made with charity. On International Women’s Day 2019 the You Can bar was launched in partnership with the Young Women’s Trust to support their work. They were nominated by fellow local entrepreneur Adeline Vining. I’m not sure how they get much work done as they spent much of their time laughing when we were together!
I have been photographing more and more for local businesses recently and I am always inspired by the passion that people have for what they do.