28 | Tees Business
Flower
Power
Mandale’s head of commercial property
Joe Darragh (centre) with Claire Dalkin
and Craig Booth of Claire’s Blooms.
Mandale
makeover proves
it’s all coming up
roses in Stockton
town centre
PI C TUR ES: CHRIS BOOTH
WOR DS : DAVE AL LAN
F
lower power has brought budding
entrepreneur Claire Dalkin full circle after
the experienced florist opened her first
business venture in Mandale premises she
worked in 10 years ago.
Claire’s Blooms is the latest business to
open in a parade of Stockton shops given
a new lease of life through Mandale’s £1m
investment.
The Mandale makeover gave Claire the
chance to launch a venture inspired by her late
grandfather, Derek Dixon.
“Floristry has been my passion since I
was about 12 when I used to watch grandad
growing his flowers and vegetables that he’d
enter into competition at the Hardwick Social
Club.
“His favourites were always
chrysanthemums – or blooms, as they are
known – and that was the inspiration behind
the name, Claire’s Blooms.
“Grandad passed away when I was 15 but
he’s always been my inspiration. He’d have
been really proud of me opening a florists so
it felt right to name the shop in his memory.”
But mum-of-four Claire is already thinking
ahead about who’ll succeed her in the
business – and her aptly-named nine-year-old
daughter, Poppy Lilly Daisy, is keen to keep it
in the family.
“I’d love my little girl to follow in my
footsteps,” said Claire. “And with her name
like hers, I think it’s meant to be.
“She’s already told me she wants to work
three days a week as a florist and three days