Every year independent retailer Beverley Heyworth and her staff of Blue Rose Gifts and Balloons in Heywood, greater Manchester get behind the town’s annual 1940s Day, in celebration of Armed Forces Day. But this year Beverley had a very special job to do, as PGBuzz found out.
As anyone in retail knows, getting involved in local events is a great way to engage with customers and give something back to the community. And this is exactly what owner of Blue Rose Gifts and Balloons, Beverley Heyworth has been doing in her local community of Heywood.
“Every year we have a 1940s Day in June to celebrate Armed Forces Day,” says Beverley. “The whole town takes part, the shops get dressed up, there are stalls, activities and a parade for veterans, Cubs, Scouts and Cadets. We always got to town with our efforts; in previous years we have made a 20ft x 10ft tank, a 17ft wingspan Spitfire and 10ft tall Victoria crosses – all out of balloons! This year I made an air raid shelter.”
This year Beverley and her husband John instigated a 1940s cinema in the shop, with 52 clips of various Pathe news from declaration of war through to the war ending, interspersed with Albert and Costello, Laurel and Hardy and music from the era. “With all seats in a row like a cinema, we had one of the girls on the door to give out free tickets. It was a good way of getting people through the door,” says Beverley.
In a car park outside the front, Beverley set up a marquee for a Wartime Spy Academy for children to train to be a British spy, with activities including making coded message, shooting water pistols and an assault course bouncy castle.
“It is now expected that I do something special, but it is a good way of bringing people to the shop as we are just off the main street I have to work extra hard to bring them off the main run,” says Beverley. “A lot of our business is regulars but we always have to be creative to work on getting new customers.”
The parade through town is the main event of the day and this year Beverley had a very important job to do as she explains: “The whole parade stopped in front of the memorial gardens and I let off 22 balloons. As it was the anniversary of the Aden conflict where 22 local people died and also 22 for the Manchester bombing. When they stopped I was there to let the balloons off in the one minute’s silence.”
Pictured at top: Beverley Heyworth and the staff at Blue Rose Gifts and Balloons ready for 1940s Day in Heywood.
