1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,000 The Arch Publications Podcast. 2 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:11,800 You're listening to the Arch Publications Business Insight podcast. 3 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:15,280 In this episode, I talk to Andrew Pass. 4 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:20,400 He's the owner of a jeweller's in crew and in Newcastle called John Pass. 5 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:24,960 They've been around for 75 years this year and they're celebrating. 6 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:25,960 He tells me how. 7 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:26,960 Hope you enjoy. 8 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:35,640 All those years ago, it was really my grandfather who was himself the son of a watchmaker who 9 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:40,680 served his time in the RAF as an instrument maker during the Second World War. 10 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:45,920 When he was demobbed from the RAF, he applied the apprenticeship that he'd learnt beforehand 11 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:51,720 to set up a very small business with his brother in Haslington just outside of crew. 12 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:53,800 That was 75 years ago to this very year. 13 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:58,480 We are in the shop on Nantwich Road, which is the one that everybody knows in Cheshire. 14 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:03,560 How did the business grow from just doing watches to other type of retail? 15 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:07,440 That was really a credit of my grandfather and my dad. 16 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:11,720 They started off in the service industry in Haslington, repairing watches in a very small 17 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:12,720 way. 18 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:13,720 My granddad at the time was his brother. 19 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:18,080 For those who have lived in the area for a long time, they'll remember that my granddad's 20 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:21,920 brother went to open a small shop in Olsager. 21 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:26,800 In return, granddad came from Haslington to this site in Nantwich Road. 22 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:33,920 In those early days, it was just a move onto Nantwich Road where we still provided a watchmaking 23 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:34,920 service. 24 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:36,080 My dad joined the business. 25 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:38,560 He was going to be a teacher. 26 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:43,480 He decided that granddad at the time was getting a little bit busy towards Christmas, so he 27 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:47,760 would leave his studies for a short while in order to come and help out. 28 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:53,360 Like many generational businesses, he never went back to his studies and joined the business. 29 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:57,880 Really in fairness, it was my mum and dad who built the retail side of the business, 30 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:04,680 whilst maintaining a service centre on site, both in terms of watch repairs at that time 31 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:05,680 and jewelry repairs. 32 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:13,600 Of course, Martin Ardula, he's actually been here next year for 50 years of those 75 years. 33 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:19,880 He's celebrating next year his 50th year service after our 75th as a business here on Nantwich 34 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:20,880 Road. 35 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:22,040 You make your own jewellery here, do you? 36 00:02:22,040 --> 00:02:25,680 So if someone came in and they wanted a particular style of engagement ring, you could actually 37 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:26,680 do that here? 38 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:27,680 Absolutely. 39 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:31,760 Our bespoke service, you can come in with a germ of an idea, you can have pictures off 40 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:34,960 Pinterest, off TikTok, Instagram, doesn't matter what. 41 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:40,160 Just show us what it is that's on your mind and we can take you on that journey from a 42 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:46,040 two-dimensional drawing into a 3D wax printing of the item so that you can actually visualise 43 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:48,760 it in 3D space and handle it before it's made. 44 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:51,440 And then we get it manufactured now. 45 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:54,200 We don't always manufacture every piece here in our workshop. 46 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:59,480 Our workshop here does an awful lot of our repair work and a limited amount of our manufacture, 47 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:05,360 but we also get manufacturing done with one of Britain's oldest, if not the oldest, workshop 48 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:07,560 of manufacturing jewellers in the UK. 49 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:11,080 And so we get that piece manufactured bespoke English handmade for you. 50 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:12,200 Wow, that's amazing. 51 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:13,920 So can you do it? 52 00:03:13,920 --> 00:03:15,640 Can you make jewellery? 53 00:03:15,640 --> 00:03:17,240 I'm not trained at the bench. 54 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:19,960 My background was Marks and Spencer's. 55 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:21,720 I have a little bit of an eclectic background. 56 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:27,680 I graduated with a first class honours degree from Cardiff in mining engineering. 57 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:33,280 And in those days, the blue chip companies would actively recruit any graduate and I 58 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:39,400 was lured into the world of Marks and Spencer's, went as a graduate trainee for them and spent 59 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:43,760 the first few years of my life selling knickers and bananas with Marks and Spencer's. 60 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:44,760 Great sandwiches. 61 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:45,760 Absolutely. 62 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:50,440 And travelled around with them, did a number of stores with them all over the UK. 63 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:52,760 And again, that same story repeated itself. 64 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:58,200 I recognise that mum and dad were at the time getting a little bit short handed and a little 65 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:01,320 bit tired as they got older and the demands of the business were growing. 66 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:06,200 So allegedly, well, I actually took a year career break from Marks and Spencer's and 67 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:10,720 not dissimilar to my dad, never actually returned back to M&S after that year. 68 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:14,640 So that was nearly 30 plus years ago now. 69 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:18,800 But I suppose that retail experience has been really important for this. 70 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:23,400 I think particularly for the challenges that retail has faced, pricks and mortar retail 71 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:25,400 has faced and is facing. 72 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:31,080 I think it's really healthy for a family business to encourage their succession plan, to learn 73 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:33,120 some transferable skills elsewhere. 74 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:39,000 Sadly, in our industry, we see a lot of businesses die on the vine because there isn't that 75 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:42,440 fresh injection of ideas and ways forward. 76 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:44,040 And the story repeats itself again. 77 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:51,400 My daughter's just graduated in biochemistry and is currently working in research of toxicology, 78 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:53,640 doing a masters at those as well. 79 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:58,360 And we encourage him to go out and do that at this present time because these transferable 80 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:02,560 skills will come in with a different perspective on the business and a different way of looking 81 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:03,560 things. 82 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:05,600 And that helps you keep things fresh and alive. 83 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:07,080 And I think it's important. 84 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:11,080 And indeed, when you look at the team that we've recruited lately, we've brought them 85 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:16,040 in from different industries as well, just to give us that, as I say, different perspective 86 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:19,160 on how things can be done and make sure we stay fresh and current. 87 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:22,560 So in your time here, has there been something that you've sold that has been particularly 88 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:24,720 memorable as far as jewellery is concerned? 89 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:30,120 I think one of the things we're famous for is we treat all customers equal. 90 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:34,880 And I think maybe your question probes the answer of a really expensive item. 91 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:35,880 It does, actually. 92 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:38,360 It absolutely doesn't in our world. 93 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:41,680 We have a phrase, you know, we say in our group, hugging in morning, let's make dreams 94 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:42,680 happen. 95 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:43,680 And that dream can be anything. 96 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:48,320 It can be a very sentimental piece that just needs repairing in time for baby, perhaps a 97 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:49,520 funeral or a wedding. 98 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:52,000 Something that's really significant to people. 99 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:55,680 And jewellery and retail jewellery and watches is a very emotional business. 100 00:05:55,680 --> 00:06:00,960 In fact, to answer your question, you know, there's never a day that goes by without we 101 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:03,240 do something memorable for somebody. 102 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:05,440 It really doesn't matter the value of that. 103 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:08,400 It's just about making people happy. 104 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:11,640 And our strap line is a great place to work, a great place to shop. 105 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:12,640 Yeah. 106 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:13,880 And that's what we try and do every day. 107 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:15,720 We're talking about memories. 108 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:20,320 Say for example, someone has some jewellery that's been handed down, but they wanted to 109 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:21,840 make it a bit more modern. 110 00:06:21,840 --> 00:06:25,200 And you use the stones from that and the gold and turn it into something. 111 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:26,200 Absolutely. 112 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:31,960 I just said a background to that where the UK's only and first consequently carbon neutral 113 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:33,240 retail jeweler. 114 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:35,760 And so there's a whole story I could tell you about that. 115 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:36,760 Tell me. 116 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:39,240 But I won't bore you with all that detail on this conversation. 117 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:44,000 But basically, upcycling and recycling is a big part of what we're trying to do more 118 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:45,200 and more of now. 119 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:51,120 So there's nothing better as far as we're concerned to take in perhaps a slightly dated 120 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:58,080 out of fashion piece of jewelry that nevertheless carries huge sentiment and rework the stones. 121 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:00,040 Sometimes rework the metal the same. 122 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:04,160 Sometimes we bring fresh metal in, but the sentiment carries on through the generations. 123 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:07,920 And we would always encourage people to think about remodeling jewelry. 124 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:11,240 Jewelry that's left in a drawer is doing nobody any good. 125 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:13,960 Nobody needs to have the jewelry in a drawer. 126 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:14,960 It's no fun to anybody. 127 00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:19,000 If you have something at home that you just think you want to upcycle or recycle, come 128 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:21,240 and talk to us, we can design it for you. 129 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:25,960 We can take you on that journey and make it the right piece of jewelry for the next generation. 130 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:30,320 We actually touched on before we started the interview, careers in watchmaking and jewelry. 131 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:34,760 If somebody really wanted to become a jeweler or a watchmaker, and how do they go into jewelry 132 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:35,760 as a career? 133 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:37,000 So there's many avenues. 134 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:43,040 And I think, you know, as an industry, I would really passionately like to put it out there 135 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:48,120 that we are desperately keen for people, young, old. 136 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:52,600 It really doesn't matter to consider a career in either watchmaking. 137 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:54,000 It's a slightly confusing phrase. 138 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:59,160 That's really in the UK at the moment, more about service centers for watches and servicing 139 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:00,160 watches. 140 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:05,280 There's a very, only a very limited and niche business of actually English handmade watches. 141 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:06,920 So we talk about the word watchmaking. 142 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:11,680 It means servicing watches and meaning that they can be used reliably for the next 10, 143 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:14,760 12 years and beyond and for subsequent generations. 144 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:20,240 And similarly with jewelry, there's a lot more manufacturing jewelry in the UK, but 145 00:08:20,240 --> 00:08:24,760 there's equally and the same way we have watchmaking and servicing watches, we have the same thing. 146 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:27,120 We have repairing jewelers as well. 147 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:30,840 The message is really serious out there and it's really clear. 148 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:34,880 We need you and we can't attract enough people into the industry. 149 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:37,760 I don't believe it's anything to do with conditions or pay. 150 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:46,560 I just don't think people think about becoming a repairing jeweler or a watchmaker and it's 151 00:08:46,560 --> 00:08:48,080 a wonderful career. 152 00:08:48,080 --> 00:08:53,480 It's incredibly rewarding and of course both inherent in them are detail. 153 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:58,800 You have to be very detailed and very, very focused and precise and creative to a degree, 154 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:01,760 but just a wonderful career. 155 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:06,440 And if anybody out there is thinking about a changing career, just get in touch with 156 00:09:06,440 --> 00:09:09,560 us because we'll guide them and support them on that journey with pleasure. 157 00:09:09,560 --> 00:09:11,200 Yeah, that sounds really interesting. 158 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:14,680 I'm going to go home and say to my 13 year old boy who wants to be a pilot, probably 159 00:09:14,680 --> 00:09:17,680 going to cost us less to put you through the training than being a pilot. 160 00:09:17,680 --> 00:09:18,680 Or he could do both. 161 00:09:18,680 --> 00:09:23,840 You could do both and I think it's good to have plan A, plan B and plan C and see which 162 00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:25,200 one works out the best. 163 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:28,000 Yeah, because people who want to be pilots very often love watches. 164 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:32,840 I mean the red arrows, often you see them as sponsors of certain brands of watches and 165 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:37,160 I think that's great because it's getting him into enjoying watches early. 166 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:40,560 He's already got a case with various different watches in. 167 00:09:40,560 --> 00:09:42,720 I think that's just really nice thing for him to have. 168 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:43,960 There's a lot of synergies. 169 00:09:43,960 --> 00:09:48,360 People who like and enjoy watches and watchmaking often have synergies with military. 170 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:53,560 They have synergies with engineering, synergies with cars and actually they often don't just 171 00:09:53,560 --> 00:09:58,080 think that next step into watchmaking, but we would encourage anybody to give it a go 172 00:09:58,080 --> 00:09:59,720 because it's incredibly rewarding. 173 00:09:59,720 --> 00:10:04,080 Do you think watches are coming back again because there was a period of time that everybody 174 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:05,080 was looking at the phones? 175 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:06,080 I normally wear a watch. 176 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:09,000 I haven't got it on today, but I do normally wear a watch. 177 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:10,000 Do you think they're coming back? 178 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:11,680 I don't think they ever went away. 179 00:10:11,680 --> 00:10:18,840 I think that there's many motivators why people buy watches and jewelry and there's no doubt 180 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:22,200 that the accurate time source is all around of it. 181 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:23,920 It's on our laptop in front of us. 182 00:10:23,920 --> 00:10:25,160 It's on our iPhone. 183 00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:27,000 It's on our mobile phone. 184 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:28,500 It's everywhere. 185 00:10:28,500 --> 00:10:34,240 And so perhaps the primary function of a watch these days is slightly reduced because we're 186 00:10:34,240 --> 00:10:36,560 accessible to the time wherever we go. 187 00:10:36,560 --> 00:10:38,800 In fact, we can't escape it sometimes. 188 00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:44,440 But people's motivators for buying watches and jewelry are many, many multiple facets. 189 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:51,320 And I think what has changed in the industry is that both particularly watches and jewelry 190 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:57,760 to a greater extent have gone emotional and sentimental and luxurious as well. 191 00:10:57,760 --> 00:11:01,840 jewelry has come into the watch industry a lot, lot more. 192 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:07,520 And I think, you know, perhaps that lower end watch purchase has been superseded by the 193 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:09,020 mobile phone. 194 00:11:09,020 --> 00:11:14,000 But people now like to treat themselves to an item of fine, beautiful engineering and 195 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:18,160 manufacturing and value it for that and enjoy it for that reason. 196 00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:20,840 Is it still Swiss watches, which are the best made? 197 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:23,800 If you ask for Swiss, of course, they'll tell you that. 198 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:27,400 There are some emerging markets at the moment. 199 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:34,000 And it has got a little bit of an acorn of a British manufacturing of fine quality watches. 200 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:40,040 And in fact, the Far East is now bringing out some very fine quality mechanical watches. 201 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:41,040 But there is no doubt. 202 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:45,960 And there is no question that the Swiss remain absolutely masters of their trade. 203 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:50,040 And yeah, they are amazing at what they do. 204 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:54,320 And I've been fortunate enough in my time to visit some of these manufacturing sites 205 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:56,760 and meet the people that make these watches. 206 00:11:56,760 --> 00:12:02,240 Their discipline, their skills, their expertise, their focus, their passion is like no other. 207 00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:04,840 And you only find that in Switzerland. 208 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:09,880 And consequently, they're the only people, the only nation that really delivers the goods 209 00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:12,320 to that high level of horology. 210 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:14,920 Because it goes back for generations and generations, doesn't it? 211 00:12:14,920 --> 00:12:15,920 Absolutely. 212 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:18,120 Probably families and families that have done it for years and years. 213 00:12:18,120 --> 00:12:19,120 It is. 214 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:22,800 And I think it's probably fair to say it's actually developed in Switzerland, a people 215 00:12:22,800 --> 00:12:28,960 type that has been crafted and influenced by that industry over generations. 216 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:34,400 And they're an incredibly skilled and talented group of people that make these things. 217 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:35,680 And it's not just watches as well. 218 00:12:35,680 --> 00:12:37,440 We see the same in jewelry. 219 00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:43,880 Jewelry made in certain geographic locations around the world where expertise has grown 220 00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:46,600 over the years and become a center of excellence. 221 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:51,120 And that itself just breeds this culture and this society. 222 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:56,280 Of course, we've got in the UK, we've got the Birmingham Jewelry Quarter and to a lesser 223 00:12:56,280 --> 00:12:59,040 degree, perhaps these days, Hattengarten in London. 224 00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:05,800 But one of our best fine jewelry manufacturers is in a small town in Germany called Ida 225 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:06,800 Oberstein. 226 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:10,000 And that company name is Cree Fine Jewelry. 227 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:18,520 And they're there because of historic origins in the geology of the area where generations 228 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:23,560 and generations ago, a very small cottage industry started due to the facts that they 229 00:13:23,560 --> 00:13:29,080 have some natural onyxes in the ground, which allowed them to create beautiful objects of 230 00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:30,080 art. 231 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:36,920 And that slowly manifested itself into a cutting and polishing industry, which has now transitioned 232 00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:41,360 into Germany's finest center for handmade fine jewelry. 233 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:48,000 So history plays a big part in this cultural manufacturing hubs around the world. 234 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:49,800 You also sell some brands as well, don't you? 235 00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:55,160 You do Pandora, you do Swarovski crystals and the Welsh, I can never say it. 236 00:13:55,160 --> 00:13:57,160 That's beautiful gold, isn't it? 237 00:13:57,160 --> 00:13:58,160 Amazing. 238 00:13:58,160 --> 00:13:59,160 Yeah. 239 00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:04,840 I mean, fashion jewelry probably wasn't such a strong feature pre the start of the millennium. 240 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:10,560 And gradually and slowly, as brand became more important to the consumer, the consumer 241 00:14:10,560 --> 00:14:14,680 started to look for jewelry that fell underneath a brand label. 242 00:14:14,680 --> 00:14:19,840 I certainly know in my time and my dad's time here in the business, mum and dad's time, 243 00:14:19,840 --> 00:14:25,720 you know, people would come to us, I think, entirely and exclusively because it was a piece 244 00:14:25,720 --> 00:14:28,680 of fine jewelry from John Pass. 245 00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:29,880 We were the brand. 246 00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:34,880 I believe it's important we keep our identity and we still are the brand, but it is also 247 00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:39,960 right that we sell branded jewelry under our umbrella of the brand. 248 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:46,080 So we're very careful and strict which brands we let into our business, but when they represent 249 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:50,600 something that we believe the customer want, like you mentioned with Pandora, Swarovski, 250 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:57,160 Klugai, phenomenal branded jewelry that people can empathize with, they understand the DNA 251 00:14:57,160 --> 00:15:00,680 of the brand and they connect with that brand. 252 00:15:00,680 --> 00:15:06,040 That's been the single biggest growth area in our business in the last 20 years. 253 00:15:06,040 --> 00:15:12,800 And it's been quite fascinating to watch how customers like branded jewelry. 254 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:16,280 So 75 years, you've got a very special year planned. 255 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:20,440 You are doing 75 moments of kindness this year, aren't you? 256 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:23,880 So if you want to just tell me about how that came about and the plans. 257 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:24,880 Yeah, of course. 258 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:32,440 It's, gosh, again, I won't take you fully around the houses, but I'd love to speak to 259 00:15:32,440 --> 00:15:36,200 you at the latest stage about our corporate social responsibilities, which is a big word, 260 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:41,520 but that was born on the back of the dreadful pandemic that was. 261 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:45,800 But it started us thinking in a certain way and I think it's a really healthy way and 262 00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:47,640 a really important way. 263 00:15:47,640 --> 00:15:52,640 And when it came to our 75th birthday this year, we thought, naturally, your thoughts 264 00:15:52,640 --> 00:15:54,800 go to, I'll just throw a great big party. 265 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:57,840 You know, let's have a knees up, let's have fun. 266 00:15:57,840 --> 00:16:01,840 And indeed, we might do that, but I don't think that's enough. 267 00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:03,360 What are we actually celebrating? 268 00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:11,040 We're celebrating 75 successful years of a business and without the community around 269 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:14,400 us, we simply wouldn't have that business. 270 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:22,480 So we decided that the main thrust of our 75th party celebrations should be giving something 271 00:16:22,480 --> 00:16:30,240 back and we've created an idea that in this current year, we're going to do 75 acts of 272 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:31,240 kindness. 273 00:16:31,240 --> 00:16:35,720 And now our corporate social responsibilities charter breaks into three areas. 274 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:38,040 It's climate, it's charity and it's community. 275 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:45,000 So for one of these acts of kindness to be relevant, we need to check that it improves 276 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:47,600 our climate, our charity or our community. 277 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:51,960 And we've said to the team, if it takes one of those three boxes, two of them or three, 278 00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:52,960 it doesn't matter. 279 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:57,000 That is a moment of kindness and we will support our team. 280 00:16:57,000 --> 00:17:02,120 We have about 25 members of the team to go out and do that thing, whatever it is, so 281 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:06,320 long as it makes a difference, a positive difference to our charity, our community or 282 00:17:06,320 --> 00:17:07,320 our climate. 283 00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:11,360 And I would like to just say now it is a charity out there or a community project out there 284 00:17:11,360 --> 00:17:18,520 or an environmental project out there that people want to help with whilst we've only 285 00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:20,360 launched this initiative last Friday. 286 00:17:20,360 --> 00:17:24,320 And already we've got by next Sunday, we'll have three moments of kindness behind us. 287 00:17:24,320 --> 00:17:26,520 We're not sure what our idea is. 288 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:31,320 We would welcome anybody to approach us to say if we need some help to do anything to 289 00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:32,400 make something happen. 290 00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:37,480 So we're going to give back these 75 moments and some of them will be big, some of them 291 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:41,280 won't be as big, some of them will be teams, some of them will be individual, but we think 292 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:42,440 it's the right thing to do. 293 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:45,480 And of course it will be reflected through in Stoke-on-Trent as well because we have 294 00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:47,040 our shop in Newcastle and the line. 295 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:51,240 So it's really the crew Nantwich area and then the Staffordshire area as well, North 296 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:52,240 Staffs as well. 297 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:56,840 So you see yourself ever moving from Nantwich Road because I just think you're like, when 298 00:17:56,840 --> 00:17:58,760 you think of Nantwich Road, I always think of you. 299 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:00,840 Yeah, it's nice people do that. 300 00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:05,600 And my granddad had a phrase, if you're any good, they'll find you down a country lane. 301 00:18:05,600 --> 00:18:10,200 I passionately believe that I think people travel, if you look at the hospitality and 302 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:14,440 catering industry, you'll travel sometimes 10 or 12 miles just to go out for your dinner 303 00:18:14,440 --> 00:18:16,560 at night because it's good. 304 00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:18,240 Very often it's down a country lane. 305 00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:23,480 I think if you're good and the offer that you give is good and it's all the things the 306 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:27,800 consumer wants, we have become a destination stop. 307 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:30,880 And that's a wonderful thing to be. 308 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:34,720 Of course with the free parking on Nantwich Road and in the surrounding areas, it's very 309 00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:36,080 convenient for customers. 310 00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:39,880 I passionately believe actually we could put anything in our windows because if you watch 311 00:18:39,880 --> 00:18:43,960 a customer journey when they arrive on Nantwich Road, they are focused. 312 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:46,560 They know they've come to John Pass on Nantwich Road. 313 00:18:46,560 --> 00:18:50,920 They walk past our windows without actually giving it very many second glances. 314 00:18:50,920 --> 00:18:54,480 They know they've come to see us and it's through that word of mouth that people then 315 00:18:54,480 --> 00:18:57,160 send other people and then the journey just carries on. 316 00:18:57,160 --> 00:19:00,560 So in answer, no, I don't think we'll ever leave Nantwich Road. 317 00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:03,720 Obviously for people in North Staths, if they don't want to come to Nantwich Road, we've 318 00:19:03,720 --> 00:19:06,280 got the other alternative in Newcastle and the Lone. 319 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:11,360 But I think rather like a comfy pair of slippers, people like to come back to us on Nantwich 320 00:19:11,360 --> 00:19:12,360 Road. 321 00:19:12,360 --> 00:19:16,520 They've been doing it for generations and we see the next generations coming in now and 322 00:19:16,520 --> 00:19:21,400 it makes you feel very old sometimes when you're serving third and fourth generations. 323 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:26,720 Yeah, it's easy, it's convenient and that welcome over the generations has never changed. 324 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:30,560 Well thank you very much for taking some time out today to talk to me and here's the next 325 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:31,560 75 years. 326 00:19:31,560 --> 00:19:32,560 Thanks very much indeed. 327 00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:37,320 Thanks for taking time too. 328 00:19:37,320 --> 00:19:42,840 Thank you for listening to the Arch Publications Business Insight podcast where I spoke to 329 00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:46,920 Andrew Pass from John Pass, The Jewelers. 330 00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:49,320 Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast. 331 00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:54,080 I'll have another one coming up very soon where I'll speak to another local business 332 00:19:54,080 --> 00:19:57,080 in Cheshire. 333 00:19:57,080 --> 00:20:14,120 See you next time.