Business

Print shop owner marks ten years in business

By Dan Goater

newsdesk@westdorsetmag.co.uk A print shop owner is celebrating ten years in business. James Collins established Print Shop Express Ltd in Lynch Lane, Chickerell, after a ten-year career in the film and television industry. Mr Collins, who runs the business with his partner Holly, said: “I worked all over the world for the BBC and ITV, but a serious injury put this career on pause. “After a few months with very limited mobility, and with the bills still needing to be paid, I leant on another skill set: graphic design. I set up a business called Simply Design, offering a design service to local businesses. “It wasn’t long before I was being asked if I could offer a printing service, so I scraped together enough funds to purchase a small printer. Using this and some trade contacts I already had, I began to offer a design and print service which quickly proved more popular than I could have imagined. “I strongly believe that the young, fresh approach and fast actioned responses to enquiries really helped establish a solid early foundation.” Mr Collins went on to set up Print Shop Express Ltd, moving premises and developing a website offering print and signage work including vehicle graphics. After setting up the business, Mr Collins said he put ‘every spare penny’ into developing a new print plant. He said: “This ethos of reinvestment continues to this day, which means that production quality and deadlines are both controllable, which is vital for our clients. “Aside from this, every hour not spent quoting, designing or manufacturing went into learning as much about the trade as possible including materials, processes and technology. This has never stopped, allowing us to always offer the best solution for the brief. “Customer service should be the king pin of any business. That coupled with the desire to always offer the best product at a fair price has been the key to our continued growth year on year.”

New owners at holiday homes business

By Andrew Diprose

editor@dorsetbiznews.co.uk

Lyme Bay Holidays is under new ownership after it was acquired by leading operator Sykes Holiday Cottages. The award-winning, family-run Lyme Bay Holidays will operate as a sister agency to Sykes from its office in Uplyme Road, Lyme Regis. The business was established 40 years ago with the Matthews family at the helm since 1999. It manages more than 330 holiday homes throughout Dorset and Devon and employs 20 people. All will remain in post. Graham Donoghue, Chief Executive of Sykes Holiday Cottages, said: “It’s important to offer a local service with on-theground expertise. Partnering with agencies like Lyme Bay Holidays allows us to do just that. “By utilising our marketleading technology and making these holiday homes available to Sykes’ customers, we’ll help Lyme Bay’s property owners reap the rewards of the growing staycation trend with year-round bookings. “With the support of our regional sister companies, we’re now the trusted custodian of 22,000 holiday properties throughout the UK and Ireland. “Two million travellers holiday with us each year.” Ben Matthews, managing director of Lyme Bay Holidays, said: “The deal represents a new chapter for the business. “I know with Sykes’ support we’ll be able to build on the company’s huge success over the past four decades. “We knew as soon as we met the Sykes team that it was the right fit for us. “I look forward to working together to promote holidays within Dorset and Devon, bringing allimportant tourists to the region.”

WELCOME HOME: Sykes has more than 22,000 properties for holidays across the UK, Ireland and New Zealand

Reach for the skies: Sculpture takes

By Andrew Diprose

editor@dorsetbiznews.co.uk

It’s an eye-catching sculpture paying homage to a former RAF base and its iconic Spitfire fighter aircraft as well as the ecology and birdlife for which the location has become known. To The Stars! now sits in pride of place next to the Hurricane Spa at the luxury Silverlake holiday home development on the site of the former RAF Warmwell near Dorchester. The sculpture is the creation of artist Nadine Collinson who won a competition staged by Silverlake and Sculpture by the Lakes. Artists of all levels, from amateur to professional, were invited to submit innovative and sustainable designs to create a new, unique sculpture for Silverlake. Habitat First Group, the family-owned development company, acquired the former RAF base and quarry in 2011 and broke ground five years later. The estate’s military history has been of paramount importance in the subsequent development. The logo of Silverlake is a Spitfire while each of the villages created on the site are named after pilots, male and female, stationed at RAF Warmwell. They include Beaumont, Wakeling, Overton, Baxter and Shepperd. All of the facilities at Silverlake are also named after aircraft including the Hurricane Spa. RAF Warmwell played a key role in the Battle of Britain as home to both Spitfire and

Hurricane squadrons before its later use by the United States

Army Air Force’s

Ninth Air Force.

A Wellington bomber, based at RAF Warmwell, also trialled early versions of Barnes Wallis’ bouncing bomb at Chesil Beach. It was later used in the famous Dambuster raids by 617 Squadron on the Möhne, Eder and Sorpe dams in Germany’s Ruhr Valley in May 1943. The village of Crossways now exists on the site of the airfield. A sizeable area of the RAF base, which was in operation from 1937 to 1946, later became Warmwell Quarry before being acquired by Habitat First Group. The company, led by Red, Ruby and Rory Paxton, celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2021. It was founded on the principle of creating holiday home

LUXURY DEVELOPMENT: The Silverlake complex at Warmwell and, inset below, artist Nadine Collinson and, right, her sculpture To The Stars!

pride of place at holiday development

communities based around nature and a passion for exploring the great outdoors. About 350 properties have been completed at its first site, Lower Mill Estate in the Cotswolds. Habitat First Group, which had its most successful year in its history in 2021, also owns Birchwood in North Devon. Purchasers at Silverlake have the opportunity to buy a freehold plot of land and build an environmentally sustainable house, using one of Habitat First Group’s designs with a recommended build partner. All plots come with a 12month holiday home occupancy. Under the Habitat First Group umbrella, the brand operates a holiday lettings company, Habitat Escapes. It means that, should they wish, holiday homeowners can register their property for holiday rentals when they’re not using it. Habitat Escapes manages the bookings and organises the cleaning and maintenance. Silverlake has just released the latest plots at its fifth village, Shepperd’s View, with prices starting from £600,000, including the freehold plot and a build contract from its recommended builder. Habitat First Group has its own Head of Environment & Sustainability. Dr Phoebe Carter looks after, protects and enhances the habitats and wildlife at both Silverlake and Lower Mill Estate. She is also in charge of making sure Habitat First Group is as sustainable and ecologically friendly as possible to get the company closer to its pledge to be carbon neutral by 2030. Under her watch the former Warmwell Quarry has been transformed into a spectacular nature reserve. It’s home to around 150 bird species throughout the year including many red and amber listed species of conservation concern including Woodlark, Nightjar, Peregrine, Marsh harrier. The large range of invertebrates include more than 60 species of bee and wasp, several red data book invertebrate and around 300 species of moth. Other wildlife includes the rare Smooth snake, a wide range of bats and dormice, otters and great crested newts. Nadine Collinson’s winning sculpture To The Stars! honours the connection between history and nature at Silverlake. It also marks the celebration of Habitat First Group’s 25th anniversary by including 25 secret stars embossed and hidden amongst the trails of the birds on the sculpture. Nadine said: “When I first saw the brief for the sculpture competition, I was totally inspired by Silverlake’s rich history as an RAF base, its logo depicting the Spitfire and the abundant ecology at this beautiful estate.” Red Paxton, director of Habitat First, said: “All the entries were of an extremely high standard, but we were hugely impressed by Nadine’s design. “The judges felt her sculpture truly encapsulated everything Silverlake represents.” Simon Gudgeon, sculptor and co-owner of Sculpture by the Lakes, said: “There were many wonderful entries and it was a real pleasure to be part of the competition judging panel and to see the creativity and imagination it has inspired. I was impressed with Nadine’s subtle and graceful design, capturing the energy and movement of flight within its curves and lines. “It’s a beautiful interpretation, which will make a fine and fitting addition to Silverlake.”