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It’s Friday at Hamptons of Penarth - one of the busiest days of the week. We go behind the scenes at one of Wales’ leading independent home and interiors stores to find out what makes this much admired business such a great success.
HAMPTONS A DAY IN THE LIFE
7:30am
Bright eyed and bushy tailed, Amy arrives in the kitchen at Hamptons to begin the preparation for the day’s menu and Richard will join her later. Today is particularly busy as this evening sees one of Hamptons’ regular music events which is also being repeated on Saturday evening.
This means there will be a staff change over and a complete menu change with the second shift working until 11.30pm.
8:00am
Andy and Peter meet with their architect, Bernard to discuss the plans for the new extension. The store isn’t open yet at this time, and therefore it’s quiet which makes the walk around on site a lot easier.
The plans are due to be submitted for planning consent so everyone involved with the project need to agree that there are no outstanding amendments or other concerns.
8:30am
Sue, the Café Manager at Hamptons calls to talk through the plans for this evening’s event. The theme is ‘Movies and Musicals’ and she is delighted to announce that both days are sold out. There is a slight problem in as much as she has had a call from a regular customer who had promised to bring his wife for her birthday but forgotten to book.
Peter says they will ring around to check that those who have booked are coming. Barbara, who runs front of house in the café says that she will handle the calling once she has set the café for breakfast. Sue will be in later with the shopping ready for the evening shift.
8:45am
More staff arrive and the morning checks begin; “light bulbs and loo rolls,” as Andy and Peter call it! It takes from now until the store opens at 9am to switch on all of the lamps and display lighting, uncover candles, choose the days music, warm up the coffee machine and generally get the store ready to face its demanding public.
Barbara has been joined in the café by Dave and Andrew who are setting tables for breakfast and Richard is in the kitchen with Amy tackling the daily salad mountain. Merida who runs the office arrives with the day’s post and Roxy, Andy and Peter’s Westie who spends her day at the store is eagerly awaiting the treat that she knows Merida will have in her pocket. The café staff change the colour of their Hawaiian shirts every day alternating red and blue although occasionally someone will forget and arrive in the wrong colour - much to the amusement of their colleagues. Today Dave arrives in the wrong colour – hilarity all round.
9:00am
The doors open and the music kicks in. The style of music varies during the day, always starting with something fairly upbeat. By mid afternoon the feel in the store a little more relaxed and so the music changes accordingly. The smell of baking is now wafting out across the café and tempting in early diners. The early arrivers are already seated in the café - business meetings and mums glad to have offloaded their offspring at school and welcoming the chance for some girly chat.
In the design studio, Andy and Peter meet with the retail team, Anna, Lynne and Kerry. There are some deliveries booked in today from a new supplier - cushions and rugs which were ordered at a trade show several months ago. They hope they have made a good choice as the designs are fairly unique. A new collection of home fragrance products is also expected from the Lake District. Everyone agrees that both will probably arrive at the same time and block the traffic in Ludlow Lane!
10:15am
The reps from Content by Conran arrive early so Andy sends them off to the café for breakfast and will join them later to discuss the performance of their furniture collection as Hamptons is the only supplier in Wales.
Just as suspected, the two deliveries arrive at the same time and yes, it’s raining. The pavement is now blocked with two pallets towering rather precariously, its all hands on deck to get them in and unloaded.
The cushions are fantastic and as Lynne is unpacking them someone buys two, a very good start. The candles are also great and have a display unit that will need assembling when the store is shut.
10:30am
A photographer arrives to photograph the Conran collection for a newspaper feature about latest furniture trends in Wales. They want some good images of furniture in the store. He is left to his own devices as everyone is still carrying boxes of candles and cushions to the stockroom and Andy is heading off to the café to meet with the Conran reps.
11:00am
Barbara calls down from the café to say that she has saved the day. A cancellation for the evening event means that the man who forgot to book can now come. He’s understandably thrilled and promises to scatter rose petals at Barbara’s feet when he sees her. Barbara is from Poland and wonders if this is a strange Welsh custom… everyone say yes!
11:30am
Anna is struggling to complete her display of cushions as they are proving to be a big hit with the customers and as fast as she puts them out people are buying them. She thinks that they will need to be re-ordered almost immediately.
12:00 noon
The early lunchers are in and the café is fairly full. Hamptons now has so many regulars that Andy and Peter say it feels like having the family over for lunch. The wonderful thing about Hamptons is that it was originally built as a meeting hall and now after many different identities it feels as if it’s once more a great place to meet. Many regulars have made friends with other regulars – Andy and Peter are waiting for the first Hamptons engagement.
Hamptons is a popular choice for mums with babies and the staff have followed many mums from pregnancy through to the baby’s first visit to the store – the youngest, Alexander was only a day old on his first visit. One of Sue’s specials this week – Thai Salmon Skewers with sweet chilli sauce is doing a storm and the customers think it should become part of the regular menu.
12:30pm
Andy looks through the concept boards for an interior design client who is coming in for a presentation this afternoon. The project had started as one room but the client had loved the initial ideas so much she decided to change the rest of the house too.
2:00pm
The client arrives and is delighted with the designs. She wants to move the project forward as soon as possible and a trip to London is arranged for further inspiration and to source specific items. Andy has already been up and done his homework so the trip will not waste the client’s time. It will be a whistlestop tour of the Capital, of course stopping off for lunch at Harvey Nicks.
2:30pm
Another client turns up unexpectedly whilst Andy is still busy so Peter takes them onto the shop floor to confirm fabric choices for their furniture order. Peter is due on site with a garden project so Merida who runs the office ‘phones ahead to explain to the builders that he will be late.
The interiors clients leaves happy and Peter heads off to check on progress with the garden project. Work is at the stage where Peter is visiting almost daily to ensure that everything is completed in line with the plans.
3:00pm
Sue arrives with the shopping for the ‘Movies and Musicals’ dinner. She heads for the café to catch up on the day’s events and prepare a pre-hen night afternoon tea party for 4 o’clock.
4:00pm
The fifteen girls arrive for afternoon tea and are delighted to see that the staff have made a great effort - balloons on the chairs and Champagne ready.
The evening shift arrives and begins to prepare dinner for this evening’s event.
5:00pm
Closing time and as the last of the afternoon tea party head off to Cardiff for the evening, the staff gear up for the evening and tomorrow.
The store has to be cleaned and reset after a busy day. The café also has to be cleaned and the tables rearranged and set ready for tonight’s event. Part of the retail area upstairs also has to be cleared for the Graham Watkins Jazz Quartet who are playing tonight.
The daytime staff head for home and the store has a moment of peace until Clare and the boys arrive to begin setting up. Clare is in desert boots, jeans and a baseball cap, the transformation is impressive as she appears in her outfit for the evening.
Peter resets the café for the evening and Barbara who has been in all day goes for a well earned break. Another Sue arrives for the evening shift.
She now lives in Florida but spends the summer here. She loves the evening atmosphere so was easily persuaded to come back to work. Andy finishes off the decorations for the evening. Balloons themed in black and gold with matching table centres. Barbara is back and helps finish off the tables with Sue checking that everything is ready before the evening starts.
7:30pm
The first of the guests arrive and the store takes on a different look. Dimmed lighting and candles and a sparkling mirrorball give the store a relaxed evening feel. Peter is working with the girls front of house and Andy is in the kitchen with Sue and Amanda.
8:00pm
The evening kicks off. Clare, as always transformed into a Jazz diva launches into ‘Blue Moon’ and the first course slides effortlessly out of the kitchen. The staff who have worked the day shift too get their second wind helped along by the lively crowd who are clearly enjoying themselves.
Sue and Amanda don’t need Andy in the kitchen for a while so he slips off to start setting the store for ‘Pirate Day’ which Hamptons are holding as part of the Penarth Summer Festival. He is wrestling up a ladder with pirate bunting, balloons and flags. The lady whose birthday it is has no idea that a cake has been arranged and as Clare sings Happy Birthday the husband who forgot to book gives a big thumbs up to Barbara - the divorce is off!
10:30pm
The event draws to a close and Clare and the boys come back for one more number. The kitchen is already clear and as the band derig Andy and Peter reset the store for tomorrow morning.
11:00pm
The café is cleaned again and set for the morning. The staff finally leave and its time for a final check and lock up.
11:30pm
The store is silent but not for long as tomorrow is Saturday, the busiest day of the week! Andy and Peter head for home wondering if Roxy, who was taken home earlier for a walk and her dinner has done the ironing, made dinner and opened the wine - well they can dream cant they?
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