It’s December! We cannot believe we are now in the final month of 2024 - this year seems to have flown by!
Team J&PR is in full Christmas mode and prepping for January with our content…but what did we get up to in November we hear you ask?
Anniversaries and celebrations
Simon’s highlight of the month was celebrating 10 years of working with our client Lanyon Bowdler. The law firm was the first client Simon started working with when he joined J&PR and it's wonderful to know our support is still valued 10 years on - he said it would be interesting to know how many words he has written for Lanyon Bowdler over the past decade!
Rhea’s professional highlight was going through the historic photographs of the Shropshire County Show, which have been digitalised as we head towards the 150th anniversary in May! Rhea has worked with the Shropshire and West Midlands Agricultural Society for nearly 15 years and the whole team is looking forward to being part of the anniversary celebrations.
Family and travel
Kirsty’s personal highlight was seeing her Dad after he underwent a 10-hour operation at The Christie Hospital in Manchester. She says it is an amazing hospital with a group of talented surgeons and wonderful staff. He is at home and on the road to recovery now.
And her professional highlight was being able to work remotely in Manchester for two weeks to be by her Dad's bedside. Kirsty was still able to host virtual meetings and do work around visiting times and said she will always be appreciative of being able to do that and of her amazing team at J&PR who picked up what she couldn't do - and also the messages of love and support from her Shropshire business network. If you are ever passing through Didsbury Kirsty says there's some lovely restaurants, bars and boutiques!
Snowfall and festive campaigns
Simon’s personal highlight was waking up to snow during November - there's still always something of a thrill opening the curtains to a blanket of white. Although his sons were gutted that they still had to go school when he got to work from home!
Dani’s professional highlight was also the snow - which brought some very Christmassy pictures for client Apley Estate. What a stroke of luck that it was snowing at the exact day and time Dani had scheduled to take some Christmas pictures!
Tony’s work highlight was Shrewsbury BID launching its festive trail around the town centre, featuring a cheeky rodent called Cris Mouse! He was also pleased to see ‘Write a letter to Father Christmas’ is also back again this year.
Team meetings and marketing strategies
Sophie’s professional highlight was the J&PR team meeting to discuss Christmas campaigns! She said she loves getting together with the team for a good brainstorming session, and she left the meeting with loads of new ideas for her clients. It's always so refreshing to hear other people's ideas and be inspired!
Rhea’s professional highlight was a marketing strategy day with client EPX Technical Services. Rhea headed to Stafford for a day of planning, brainstorming and teamwork and is excited about the planned strategy for 2025.
Home and sports
Dani’s personal highlight was the outcome of decorating her house (very much not the process of decorating!). She said the final result is very exciting, having been replastered and looking fresh and new in her style now!
Tony’s personal highlight has a sporting theme: Shrewsbury Town kick-starting their season by beating high-flying Birmingham, and the Pittsburgh Steelers keeping their noses ahead in a tight NFL AFC North division by beating the old enemy Baltimore. Could this be a Superbowl year? Tony is not convinced just yet.
Highlight cheats!
Sophie is cheating and having two personal highlights this month! Her first was celebrating her 25th birthday at Hoar Cross Hall. A night away, followed by a spa day, with lots of delicious food, was just what the doctor ordered and she came home feeling like a new woman. Her second highlight is her new weekly ritual of walking the rescues at Hilbrae at the weekend. Everyone in the office knows how dog-obsessed Sophie is, but being in a rented apartment means her and partner Ade are pet-free for now. Being able to share her love with dogs that need it, and for them to get some exercise too, has been the best and she now can't wait for the cold, muddy walks each weekend. Sophie has also dropped off some shoeboxes filled with treats for the dogs to open on Christmas Day! Sorry family she says, her budget has gone elsewhere this year…
Taffy is also cheating a little as her personal and professional highlights for November both happened on the same day!
She says it was amazing to see dozens of people from the community come together in solidarity on Remembrance Day at Market Square in Wellington. Personally, it reminded her that no matter where we all come from or what jobs we do, we all share the same hope - that of peace and unity.
Professionally, she felt proud to be part of a team that honours history and embraces the community in which we are part of. We could have taken our two minutes of silence in the warm office but in the cold we walked to be part of Wellington's history to commemorate a very poignant moment in time. Priceless.
